After enduring a relatively pain free and surprisingly quick overseas flight
Elizabeth and I landed at Rome's Fiumicino Airport Around noon.
We opted to take the train from the airport to Rome's Termini instead of renting a car at the airport. Our plan was to take a train from Rome to Chiusi and rent a car there.
Rome's main train station is called Termini and it was quite chaotic with lots of people wanting to help us out...................not so fast. When Italians see these 'helpful' people they would look at us and put their index finger to their right eye. Romas! Or as we know them, gypsies.
Beware.
Anyway, we made it to Chiusi, rented our car, drove about 20 minutes and pulled into Panicale around sunset.
The first thing almost everyone does upon arriving in Panicale is to go directly to
Aldo and Daniela's Bar, Bar Gallo. It is the local hangout for everyone from kids to older adults. Nothing like a birra grande to wash away the airplane dryness!
Aldo phoned Katia , she soon met us at Aldo's and after a huge abbraccio (hug) she gave us the keys to the 'Pink Palace", where we found a basket of fruit and a litro of her families olive oil . She took our passport information for the Carabiniere. Time to wash up and get ready for our first dinner here at
Il Pozzo del Gallo, owned by Simone and Lorena Gallo.
It seems the older you get the more difficult it is to shake off jet lag. It didn't help that we were awaken by the 'thump, thump' of a disco beat that lasted until 2:30 .This we found later,was a special night for the kids in town. Buono notte!!!
The first full day in Panicale was spent filling our larders by facciamo la spesa.....grocery shopping.
It is not one-stop shopping, although you do find large supermarkets open all day but in Panicale you still shop the old way. Fruits and vegetables are at the fruitta e verdura where Yolanda is proprietaria. Artichokes are in season as is wild asparagus and fave beans coming in soon.
Next Elizabeth and I shop at the maccelleria to see if Guilianna has any porchetta.
The last stop is Marconi Bottega where where we fill in the blanks. Linda kindly hand cuts , a mano, proscuitto. We fill our hand basket, pay and head back to the villa. We run into Andrea, part of the family owned Massolinos Ristorante. "Hey Sportivo ! come vai? " Man hugs ensue.
We are home.
Ciao!
James
It seems the older you get the more difficult it is to shake off jet lag. It didn't help that we were awaken by the 'thump, thump' of a disco beat that lasted until 2:30 .This we found later,was a special night for the kids in town. Buono notte!!!
The first full day in Panicale was spent filling our larders by facciamo la spesa.....grocery shopping.
It is not one-stop shopping, although you do find large supermarkets open all day but in Panicale you still shop the old way. Fruits and vegetables are at the fruitta e verdura where Yolanda is proprietaria. Artichokes are in season as is wild asparagus and fave beans coming in soon.
Next Elizabeth and I shop at the maccelleria to see if Guilianna has any porchetta.
The last stop is Marconi Bottega where where we fill in the blanks. Linda kindly hand cuts , a mano, proscuitto. We fill our hand basket, pay and head back to the villa. We run into Andrea, part of the family owned Massolinos Ristorante. "Hey Sportivo ! come vai? " Man hugs ensue.
We are home.
Ciao!
James
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