Piano Grande Umbria

.....the day dawned with low cloud and drizzle...at that point we couldn't see the closest hills let alone the tops of the mountain we were planning to run around kicking a ball on.....off to breakfast Norcia style, in the hope the sun would heat up enough to clear the sky.

As we had discovered during our time here, the Italians tend to enjoy a strong caffe and a small pastry for breakfast. So we were pleasantly surprised with the spread we found in the breakfast room. Dad, who travels extensively, says it was the most well thought out breakfast he has ever experienced. As we sampled cereals, yogurts, eggs, juices, stone fruit, breads made with and without salt, pastries, cheeses, hams, three different salami, the clouds lifted and the sky cleared. We were fuelled up and ready to run!
The drive took us past St Benedicts church.....

.....through town and up to the top of the mountains, we crested a hill......

.......and there was the sight we had been waiting for.......

Piano Grande Umbria.

....the Piano Grande! This is a plateau 4,000ft above sea level. During the summer it is covered in wildflowers. There is only one town up here, named Castelluccio, which you can see in the photo above. Castelluccio is famous for the small delicate lentils which are grown on the plains. The view is breathtaking.

Horse ranch with Castelluccio in the background.

It was time to get the ball out - Daniel, Madeleine, Dad and Mum all had a fabulous time running and kicking. The horses didn't mind all the laughing and yelling and stayed just far enough away that the ball didn't actually get in their way.

Madeleine, Daniel and Dad.

Madeleine kicking for Australia.

Quick! Before Dad or Mum can get the ball.

Daniel carefully sizes up his next kick. And scored an amazing goal!

Madeleine swiftly takes the ball off Mum.

The air was crisp but all the players came off the field needing a cool refreshing drink of water.
We have talked about doing this since we started planning our trip. The day was everything we hoped for....better even!
The flowers were out, their pretty petals waving in the gentle breeze.....

Kicking goals for Italy!

The road back to Todi takes us through the picturesque town of Castelluccio.......

.......and on down the mountains to Visso where we stopped for lunch at a very quiet restaurant, as it was late in siesta time, and enjoyed their fresh pasta. While there we checked our trusty "Back roads of Italy" guide book to make sure we weren't driving past a gem we hadn't already heard of.

Thanks so much for this book!!!!

Further on down the windy roads we stopped at Cerreto di Spoleto (a different town to the Spoleto we visited yesterday)...

Cerreto di Spoleto

......for a gelato. Finally reaching the house at Todi in time for a refreshing dip.

For the last week we have woken each morning to the sight of hotair balloons drifting along in the misty dawn. The balloonists planned a night of showing their skills in the piazza and streets of Todi to anyone keen enough to stay up after the sun went down (approximately 10pm. In Italy times are mentioned but rarely kept.). So away we went. First dinner at one of the outdoor terraced restaurants that looked out over the farmland.

What do you.....

........think......

......we should choose?

To finish our day we strolled to the piazza and watched as the balloons were (although tethered to cars) inflated using the very large gas bottles. It was very late but well worth staying up.

Madeleine and Daniel in Todi piazza with hot air balloons.

Goodnight after another wonderful day in Italy.