The ride up is exciting and exhilirating and the views are spectacular!

It's a blustery day, so we just take time for a few photos and a look about before heading back down.

Back down to earth from our ride, our driver drops us off in the historic center of Gubbio. The group now has a little free time to walk around and explore this beautiful hill town before we meet up for lunch.

Gubbio has been so fun and treated us well, but it is time to move on. We're on our way to the Eurochocolate Festival (Yes, can you believe there even is such a thing?!) in Perugia, but we have a quick stop to make on the way. 

We'll be stopping at Frantoio Trampolini, an olive oil mill where we will have a chance to see how the oil is made, as well as have a taste. Antonio Trampolini, the patriarch of the family shows us an old mill stone, explaining how the olives used to be crushed in years past. Then he takes us inside to see the modern equipment used today.

After last night's gigantic wine tasting dinner, I thought it best to start off slow this morning :)
Everyone gets a chance to sleep in if they'd like, or to explore their new town, Spello on their own for the morning. There are no committments until noon when it's time to climb back into what has become affectionately known as the "clown car". You know what "noon" means, don't you? Yes, that's right....it's time for lunch!

Our lunch today is at a favorite place just outside of Assisi. The building itself used to be used to house animals way back in the day. It's very rustic and delicious. Just take a peek......

On the left is polenta topped with a sausage ragu along with delicious beans, and sandwiched between the two are some ricotta and spinach dumplings. On the right is the mixed contorni plate filled with veg either done on the grill or in the ashes. What ashes you ask? These ashes...! So many delicious meats are done on the grill here, and potatoes and onions are buried in the ashes to cook as well.

We have a very full day ahead of us tomorrow as we ramp up the schedule a bit. So this evening, everyone gets to relax, have dinner on their own back in Spello and enjoy each other's company. Tomorrow.....wild cage rides! Stay tuned!

Tonight we dine and taste with Roberto and Irene Angelini, the father/daughter team of Enoteca Properzio. Our group has a private room to ourselves. Food begins to arrive, wine begins to flow…. As each course arrives, Roberto and Irene pop back in to pour a new wine and tell us a little about it. Then we are left alone to enjoy our meal until the next item arrives. The food is wonderful and the wines are fantastic. The evening continues on with lots of laughter, conversation, jokes…..no one is looking at a clock. This is how a meal should be enjoyed.

And so ends another day of the tour! Tomorrow we’ll be spending the day in nearby Assisi. Stay tuned…

Before we start making the pizza dough, we have a little olive oil tasting lesson. We're tasting the olive oil that is produced at Fontanaro. We look at the color, smell the aroma, and have a taste.  It's just like tasting wine!

We start rolling, and building a huge variety of pizzas. The first pizzas are topped with the classic Umbrian ingredients of sweated onions, and fresh sage. And of course ALL the pizzas get a liberal drizzle of Fontanaro's delicious, organic olive oil.

Next up, the classic Margherita pizza:

And, one of my personal favorites; zucchini blossoms both, with and without anchovies. (I prefer with.)

Here's another pizza that was new to all of us. Lucia cooked two blank pizza doughs in the oven. On top of the first one, she spread a delicious creamy cheese. The cheese was topped with lots of fresh arugula, then she pressed the second cooked pizza dough on top; like a sandwich. It was a pizza with fabulous contrasts. In each bite, you got the crispy crust with the creamy cheese and hot dough with cold arugula...very interesting and delicious.

Here are a few more photos in case you're not hungry yet:

And last, but not least.....did you know dessert can be made in the same oven? Lucia whipped up these delicious brioche buns, and after they came out of the oven, we split them open and filled them with ice cream! I know.....over-the-top deliciousness!

We have had a simply fabulous day with Alina, her mom Lucia and Anna in the outdoor kitchen. The group thoroughly enjoyed their relaxing stay at Fontanaro. Though they swear they can never eat again, the group manages to cook themselves their own supper in their villa this evening. Tomorrow, we will be leaving Paciano for more adventures in Umbria.  Click on the link below to see a lovely little video of our group making pizza (made by Alina).  http://t.co/eqad5rKUDn

And speaking of drinking…..after the abbey, our next stop was a wonderful winery in the Tuscan countryside.  Two very exciting things happened here, which were new experiences for everyone in the group….including me. One; I got to barrel taste Brunello! I had never experienced barrel tasting before. The cellar master, Agnes, used her special equipment to extract aging Brunello for us to taste. What a treat! And Two; we got to see where corks come from! I knew corks came from the natural bark of a cork tree, but I had never really envisioned how that actually happened. Most corks come from Sardegna or Portugal, and we got to see a sample of where they come from. Maybe I should organize a trip to Sardegna to see an actual cork production facility…..what do you think?

As I said, today was all about Food, Wine and Romance. What a great day! What’s in store for tomorrow? Food, Wine and Birthdays! This group loves a party!

With four days of Rome under our belts, it is time to leave the city and make our way north to southern Tuscany. We’ll get there via a couple of interesting stops along the way. Lazio, the area surrounding Rome is filled with hidden treasures like these:

First stop is a stroll through the Sacred Woods of the Parco dei Mostri in Bomarzo to view some unique and somewhat bizarre creatures hidden around every corner. It’s a great place to stretch your legs, and have a whimsical walk in the woods.

Then it’s on to an ancient and crumbling village perched high atop its own little bluff. It is a bit of a trek to get to it; lots of uphill climbing. But that only serves to build up your appetite, and you’ll need a good appetite for all the tasty little lunch treats in store for us here.

We had some great adventures today! What's in store for tomorrow? Food, Wine.........and Romance!

Follow the link below to see a short video of my current tour group. We are having a Wood Fired Oven Pizza Making Lesson......IN ITALY! Looks like fun, doesn't it? Join an upcoming tour; believe me, I'd be more than happy to have the experience again. Come to Italy. Have a Bella Giornata. Join me, for a Beautiful Day in Italy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX0CCRQlRlg

Note: This blog post is being written while I am in Italy with a wonderful tour group of seven people. I’m writing behind schedule because I’m having too much fun with my group to stop and write every day. So, here, I play catch up……

What would a journey to Italy be without a few days in Rome? If you've never been to Italy before, then trips to see the top two sights are a must-do. Our group took in two half day walking tours (on two different days) of the Coliseum/Roman Forum and the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter’s with a wonderful licensed guide. Stuart made history come alive for us; telling us stories of the past while pointing out the remains in the present.

Here are a few more miscellaneous shots from our first couple of days spent in Rome:

And we also managed to fit in a trip to a great local food market! This photo (on the right) was taken at a stall where locals can fill up their own containers, or buy empty 1 liter containers for their "house"wine. The group decided to give it a try and bought a liter to take back to their hotel. They loved it!

What better way to end evenings in Rome than to stroll the streets, basking in the golden glow of ancient monuments. Our time in Rome is over, but this is just the beginning really. Tomorrow, we head out into the countryside, going north into lower Tuscany. More adventures, food, and wine await us!

I’ve recently had a most fabulous visit at Casamonti Farm located in the heart of Chianti Country which is located in the heart of Tuscany. This is no ordinary farm. It is a combination of scientific marvel and culinary delight. “What?!” you ask. “That doesn’t sound very tasty.” Oh, but it is. Let me explain…..

About 20 years ago, the world was about to lose a breed of pig called Cinta Senese to extinction. They are a fascinating animal to look at. Cinta means “belt” in Italian and you can see they have an interesting pinkish color to resemble a belt around their upper mid-section while the rest of them is black. They also have longer legs than the normal pig, bigger and flappier ears for eye protection, and really sturdy and longer snouts for digging in the ground. And….they’re delicious!

Casamonti’s owner, Raymond Lamothe was one of the key people to help bring the Cinta Senese back from extinction. And now, he and his wife Anna Rita breed and raise these special pigs on their farm, Casamonti. When a pig is born, genetic testing is done to determine whether this pig should be raised for breeding purposes, or whether after two years, it will become part of the food chain. After a pig is butchered the meat is brought back to Casamonti where it becomes all kinds of delicious things. 

Cinta Senese are so special, they have received the special D.O.P. designation from the government. This stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta or Protected Designation of Origin. Products labelled D.O.P. give you the guarantee that this product has been made locally using traditional methods by artisanal producers. Other food products to receive D.O.P. labeling are items like Parmegiano Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, and certain olive oils among others.

So, what does all this mean to you, and me, the consumers who might make a visit to Casamonti? It means you will taste some of the best cured meats you have ever had in your life. A visit to Casamonti means a stroll with the elegant and charming Anna Rita; a woman who is passionate about her cooking, the products made on the farm, and making sure her guests have a wonderful visit. It means you’re going to have a darn good time. 

My Casamonti Lunch:

Join me won’t you, on a Tuscan adventure? We’ll tour the curing rooms to see the cured meats drying, and then return to their picturesque terrace to sample them. Their capocollo is going to make your head spin. I promise. We can also taste their fabulous wines and olive oils, all produced from their grapes and olives….or stay for lunch….or have a cooking lesson. You decide; it’s your adventure. Drop me a line at: [email protected] and let’s start planning your trip to Italy and to Casamonti Farm.

My second day in Rome begins exactly how it should....exactly how I had hoped it would....with a wonderful cappuccino, a beautiful cornetto, and the company of a great friend. Though I had a million things to tick off of my "to-do" list, there is no more civilized way to start the day than to welcome it the Italian way. And so rather than stand at the bar for a knock-it-back espresso, we took to a table to start the day with sips, munches, and conversation. Ahh......

Next stop, the fabulous Trionfale Market. Every time I'm in Rome I love to stop in here, not only to make purchases.....which I did, but just to soak up the local flavor. I mean that quite literally as I had samples of porchetta, olives, wine cookies and mozzarella cheese while shopping! Speaking of mozzarella cheese....the hubster will love these photos. I couldn't bring home these fascinatingly shaped cheeses, so he'll have to settle for the giant package of wine cookies I bought for him instead.

Though my lunch photos didn't turn out, my dinner photos did. This evening Rome was hit with an amazing thunderstorm. The rain was torrential, and lightning strikes and thunder abounded. It was the kind of rainstorm for which waterproof clothing was invented....and for which, it doesn't work. And to top it off, I was hungry. I was hungry at the peak, most rainy, lightning-ish, thunder-y part of the storm. Go figure. I ventured forth, down the slippery Spanish Steps, slogging my way to the pizza-by-the-slice place I meant to go to yesterday. Odd, hardly anyone else in the city was out at all. The shop was nearly empty and they were eager to tell me about all the different kinds of pizza available this evening. I chose two types: one with truffles and porcini mushrooms (so decadent!) and the other with artichokes (love them!). Torrential rain, crackling thunder, lightning spikes, shoes soaked. Worth it!!