Sunday drive through Tuscany..............

Even under a cloudy sky and the smoky mist that hangs over the Italian coutryside in late summer and fall, the drive through Tuscany was beautiful! Enjoy..........

Castellucio.............

One Saturday, Stacey and I took a drive up to Castellucio. Some local friends of ours had been telling us about it for some time. It is not a place the regular tour groups go, so it was just the place we were looking for to get yet another perspective of Italy. We were not disappointed! Castellucia is a tiny village that sits on the top of a 6,000 foot mountain in Umbria. Actually it sits on a 300 foot hill in the middle of a perfectly flat plateau on top of the mountain. The plateau is edged by 1,100 feet of smooth rounded grass covered hills. You can see from one edge to other.....two miles across! We had lunch in a tiny restaurant, and it may have been the best lunch we have eaten since arriving in Italy! It was simple bruschetta, lentil soup with sausage, and a mix of grilled meat. DELIZIOSO!!! This place is famous for it's lentils. They grow them on the hills and plateau for one season, the next year they grow wheat, then the third year they let the area go to pasture. They use no chemicals on the land. This way of farming the land keeps it rich with everything natural. They must rotate the growing areas because they do have new crops of lentils every year. This plateau is also know for the wild flowers in the Spring. Postcards showing the color are amazing to say the least. Enjoy your day at Castellucio!!