Another day at the “ufficio”

This is the end of week 4.  Hardly seems possible.  And I’m back at my “office” near the Perugia train station.  Seems this is the only place I can find where there’s reliable wi-fi access.  

Deruta proved to be quite interesting.  Shops lined the streets with the familiar-looking Deruta pottery items. But on closer inspection, I discovered quite a difference in the various styles and and qualities. There were large outlets where the items appeared mass produced and small one and two artist shops were the actual hand-painting was going on.  Off the main road I entered such an shop and was soon have as much of a conversation as my limited Italian would allow.  I was talking to the artist and could see his workbench in the back where he and his wife practiced their art.  I found some wonderful little items that should make it home safely.

 

Solitude is quietude.   There’s much to be said for lazing under a tree, particularly when it’s too hot to do much moving about.  Long walks have to be completed in the early a.m. because it warms quickly.  That pretty much was yesterday but in the evening I ventured out to Citta’ di Costello, the largest town (38,000) in this part of Umbria.  It’s an old, walled  city so driving amounts to mostly a circumnavigation.  You park to walk around.

I had a reservation at Il Postale, a one-star that Joan said was so-so.  Others had raved, so I went and enjoyed the best meal of the trip.  The food was creative, well-prepared and well-served “a fuori.”  Of course there were English-speaking people there, but I’d made my reservation in Italian and the staff spoke to me in Italian.  (OK, they gave me both an English menu and an Italian one.  I like that because I know a lot of the food words in Italian and the translations are often inaccurate.)  It was a very nice way to end the day.

Today, I think I’ll go back to look for the clothing I want to buy.  If I find something that needs altering, they can have it ready by Friday.  Tomorrow — a cooking class near Siena.

PS: I solved the picture upload mystery. Look for others in the posts.