The air has changed. There is a faint scent of wood smoke; our arms are concealed by sleeves, our sandals stowed. Most days, clouds are still shy and the sun is still bold, but vineyard leaves shed their green and breezes whisper of winter.
Umbria is aptly named, “The Green Heart of Italy”. Mountains and hillsides glow green, not just with vineyards and cypress, but with pine forests and oak trees. Farmland patterns the valleys in soft, tree lined shapes. Houses are few.
We arrive in the early afternoon at Brigolante, a farm just outside the hill town of Assisi. Rebecca, her husband Stefano, and their two sons (7 and 10), host guests here. We’ve rented an apartment, “Il Focolare”- the hearth, in their 16th century stone farmhouse. On the kitchen table is a basket with eggs and lettuce harvested this morning, homemade preserves, and a bottle of Brigolante Rosso.
Rebecca’s boys have two 4-month-old companions, Harry and Ron (yes, named after Harry Potter and Ron Weasley). The puppies greet us politely when we pull in the drive and come to say hello when we roam around the farm. They tolerate our strokes as they nap in the sun.
I accept Rebecca’s generous offer and, with knife in hand, walk to the garden. I harvest: lacinato kale, collards, and herbs for soup, lettuce and fennel for salad.
In the evening, we venture out for a walk. The path has oak trees and grass to one side, an olive grove and vineyard on the other. Sunlight paints the hillsides, golden, rose, and pink. We look to a mountain top and watch for the moment, the split second, when the sun’s outline sparks and then disappears.
Thom says
October 19, 2011 at 6:10 pmThe weather may not be warm, but the accomodations certainly are. What a gorgeous farm. I would bet you are going to expand the garden next year, no? (Kale loves it here, unlike most other poor little plants- we’re still harvesting it daily while most everything else has given up the ghost).
marissa says
October 19, 2011 at 9:47 pmI can’t tell you how happy that makes me – we added two little 4×4 gardens at the end of summer. Next year they’ll be planted with kale! 🙂
Barbara says
October 19, 2011 at 3:30 pmSo nice to hear you’re enjoying your time in Umbria, and especially nice to see photos of “our” apartment at Brigolante – it was our very first agriturismo rental!
marissa says
October 19, 2011 at 9:45 pmSuch a peaceful place, isn’t it? I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday!
Gordon says
October 19, 2011 at 6:02 amEggs, lettuce and wine: is that breakfast, lunch or dinner…or does it make any difference at this point?
marissa says
October 19, 2011 at 9:18 amDon’t tell anyone here that we had the eggs for breakfast – very un-Italian of us!
Toni says
October 18, 2011 at 10:51 pmLovely, “welcome” accommodations…..cute puppies…and the guy walking down the road ain’t bad either….Incredible pictures appear on my screen daily!
marissa says
October 19, 2011 at 9:20 amYep, that guy is pretty fantastic…
Colo says
October 18, 2011 at 10:00 pmOnce again you guys blow me away!
How did you find these places?
You really must have done your homework.
I sure hope your last post after this amazing sojourn will be a complete listing with contact information for all the lodging, cooking adventures, restaurants, etc etc etc…
I get the feeling that neither of you are ready to tap your shoes 3 times and say “Home, there is no place like home”
marissa says
October 19, 2011 at 9:17 amYour advice and that of others at Slow Travel helped us immensely!