Summer in Spoleto

It's hard to believe we've been in Spoleto for 7 weeks.  The seasons have changed and we are experiencing hot clear sunny days with maximum temperatures around 30C.  The birds are getting louder and we are serenaded by birdsong all day.  We have doves, pigeons, swifts, blackbirds, finches and sparrows in the trees and bushes around our apartment and in the park across the road.  The cuckoos seem to have quietened down but the swifts are whistling louder in the evenings.

On Wednesday we joined some of Norma and Laurie's other guests for lunch and a swim at Villa Mariana about 11km out of town.  We sat under the trees and feasted on pizza, antipasto, salad and tiramisu, washed down with wine and then walked down the hill to their pool for a cooling swim.  A great way to spend a hot sunny afternoon.

We've continued to try out the gastronomic delights of the restaurants here.  We've decided that the best pizzas can be found at Tre Fontane near Piazza Carducci where the wood fired pizzas have a crispy base and a great variety of toppings.  They also do a mean ravioli.  The best coffees are at La Portella near the Rocca where great coffee is complemented by a magnificent view of the countryside. The best antipasto is at Nove Cento in Via Porta Fuga where the smaller "750" size is plenty for 2 people for lunch or try the "900" if you're really hungry.  The best porchetta is from the man in Piazza Mercato; he's at the friday market too - just look for the van with the queue.  Overall, the best meal we've had has been at Il Tempio dei Gusto near Piazza Mercato where we had a delicious Umbrian meal with great service, all for 40 euros.  The most important words we've learned to use at a restaurant are "uno per due" which means "one meal for 2 people".  All restaurants we've been to have been happy to let us share meals.  Most will split the meal for us but we at least get extra plates to divide the dishes at the table.  All servings are generous and we have never been left hungry.

Over the past week various sculptures have begun to appear throughout the town.  These mark the 50th sculpture exhibition which began in 1962.  Everyday we find new ones.  The Spoleto Festival begins on Friday 29th June.  This is the Festival dei 2Mondi, The Festival of the Two Worlds, which brings together modern and traditional art, dance, music and culture.  We have tickets to the opera on Friday night to see Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw at the Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Minotti.


We have less than a week left in this lovely town and we've had a fantastic time.  It's such a friendly town and every time we are out walking people say hello to us.  We can certainly recommend Spoleto for a holiday, if only for a few days.  Our accommodation has been great.  The apartments are well located and are roomy and comfortable.  Norma and Laurie have been very friendly and helpful. Look them up at http://www.umbriaholidayrentals.com/ They have several apartments in the area.  We've been able to get by without a car.  The buses and trains are frequent and are reliable and we've been able to get to all the places we've wanted to visit.  We've seen plenty of the nearby countryside using public transport.