Medieval Montone

We pushed our bikes out of the stone gates of Cortona with the smell of jasmine leading us out and the sound of bells ringing. We we left the obelisk and piazza Garibaldi behind us, our descent up the mountain was immediate. The climb was gradual and the shade from trees kept the temperature down. I was feeling good. The vineyards became pine forests lined with a deep purple wild lavender on the roadside. We rode in silence apart from the crazy chirping birds. Hardly or car or bike passed us. We then slowly rolled for about 15 km below to the fertile valley below. Tuscany became Umbria and grapes were replaced by corn and newly planted sunflowers. The little towns were just that ...little. Maybe a bar, a handful of houses. As we neared the town of Petrelle, Terence spotted 2 deer running across the field of baby sunflower plants. I wondered whether the farmers would be disappointed by the destruction of plants as the deers bounded through the crop. Petrelle was interesting. Our only reason for the stop was the need for a mid morning espresso. The woman who ran the bar seemed to be the only person around. She followed us in at a snail's pace with her long cigarette hanging out of her mouth. I ordered the usual - uno espresso e uno macchiato. She refused my macchiato as her cigarette remained in position, so I opted for an espresso. Her shiny hair was a wig and her small dog had ADD and couldn't stop jumping up on my legs. Her conversation was limited and she seemed to forget the word 'prego' every time we said thank you (grazie). The next biggish town was Trestina. Our road book had a discrepancy failing to highlight a busy roundabout, so we got lost and confused. We turned around and asked for directions. Back on track, we made our way through light industrial areas of Cornetto and Promano. Thankfully, this part of the ride was short and we soon tucked under the highway and started climbing the hill/mountain to  most of it was in the shade and the whiff of forest was magical. As we left the forest and the road stretched out, the sweat was dripping off my face and the dry heat of the day was in full force. It wahe midday. The views of the fertile valley and surrounding mountains was worth it. We stopped to take photos of the amazing onion crop in flower. We crouched amongst the onions and took happy snaps. The medieval town of Montone is fortified by a stone wall that surrounds the old town. It is perched at approx 500m above sea level and overlooks the green valleys of Umbria. Albergo Fabriccio is just outside the old town and is rather fancy for us. We are treated with a swimming pool. Lunch in Ristorante Del Verziere was fabulous - caprese salad (tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil), pappardelle with Ragu made from rabbit (for me) and a tagliere (I think this is what it's called. It looks like a square-ish spaghetti) with shaved truffles (for Terence). The smell of truffle wafting from Terence's dish was incredible. He was in truffle ('tartufo') heaven! After lunch, we wondered through the narrow, winding medieval streets of Montone. It is truly like stepping back in time. I sometimes feel like we are characters in a fairytale. How can this place be so? How can it be that everyday people live amongst the age old buildings. Every door looks like a secret passage. Every cobblestoned alley tells a story. Everything is quiet apart from the men who are playing an Italian card game in the main piazza. They shout and keep score. Aahhh, the simple pleasures of life ....