Spoleto to Spoleto loop

It was a couple of days ago when we completed our last day of cycling. However, it seems like an eternity. The heatwave in Umbria was beyond our capacity, so we decided to skip the hotel breakfast and make an early start for our mountain ride. Our 'road book' indicated that the ride was 'very difficult', the only ride graded us such during our days of cycling in Tuscany and Umbria.

It was mostly an uphill climb. However, there was welcome shade from the pines and oaks along the roadside. It even felt slightly crisp at one point. The scenery and smell of pine forest was spectacular. We had to complete a couple of mountain passes before we were at our highest point of 1123 metres above sea level. Everything was still and hardly a car, bike or person to be seen. Thank goodness for a random open alimentari (general store) as this was where we bought our fuel for the rest of the ride - a brioche filled with crema pasticcera and a cappuccino.

Although we were challenged, the silence and remoteness of the ride was worth it. After the highest point, it was down, down, down. We passed many small signs nailed to trees which warned people not to pick truffles.As we descended, the heat increased - dry, suffocating and windless. 

We were back in Spoleto by 12.30pm and the day was ours to explore. We met two local people who opened their hearts and shared their stories. One was a woman who was of Albanian/Bosnian/Herzegova descent. She came to Italy about 16 years ago and married an Italian man 3 years ago today. We stopped in her small alumentari to buy freshly made panini and this is where she let us in to her life. Terence placed his order of a pork and cheese panini. In her eyes, his order was scarilige. No, you can't order pork with cheese - 'mai' (never!). She convinced him to replace the cheese with tomato and to top it off, she drizzled some truffle oil. When our panini were made, she directed us to a quiet park overlooking the town to sit in solace and savour our lunch. She also advised us to return that evening to buy a dolce (sweet) that is delivered on Thursday nights from Naples. We returned that evening and she shared her passion of this dolce with us - tortini con ricotta e pera (small tart of biscut base (top and bottom) filled with buffalo ricotta and fresh pear or strawberry. it was heaven. She insisted that she cut each round tortina into quarters so that we would savour it slowly, in small mouthfuls. The tortini pulled us to devour the entire tortini in one hit but we resisted the urge, taking on our Albanian friend's advice. Mum - I have kept her details so that you can have the same experience when you visit Italy in September.

Our new special person was the owner of the restuarant we chose to eat at. As we entered the empty, cool room, I though 'on no, what are we doing?'. There's nobody here. But we stayed put as this sweet 'nonna' (grandma) lit the gas stove and started preparing our simple dinner of pasta with tartufi. We weren't expecting much but it was a very pleasant surprise. The lady told us that she has had the restaurant for 55 years but sadly 'negozie' (shops) are closing all around her. Once upon a time, the streets were lined with stores but now they are dwindling off. People are struggling because of the Euro and the cost of living is too high. She tells us about the tax on housing/property which explains why people are selling left, right and centre. SHe expresses how times were better, less expensive during the times of the Italian Lira. There is sadness in her voice, in her expression, in her ody language. I can only imagine what the towns used to look like once upon a time when life was prosperous. There is despair in her voice when I ask if she thinks that Italy will ever revert to the old ways. Her answer is 'no, mi dispiacce' (No, I'm sorry).  We leave feeling saddened but grateful for our experience of meeting these two open people ....