We made it back to the hotel in Siena on Wednesday in time to check out by our 4:00 p.m. deadline and pack up the Fiat 500 for our drive to Tuoro sul Trasimeno. Crossing just over the boundary line between the region of Tuscany into the region of Umbria, we were going to stay in an Airbnb near the fourth largest lake in Italy, Lago Trasimeno.
The drive to get there was incredibly wonderful as we drove past the dark green fields, the olive groves, and vineyards that are sometimes hundreds of acres.
Even in all this beauty, I’m never quite relaxed when driving here due to the inability to read all of the road signs and the aggressive nature of many drivers. There was road construction where two lanes on each side narrowed to one and the speed limit slowed from 110 (kilometers per hour – not miles!) to 90, then 70, then 40. Other drivers would go from 140 to 70 and ride my bumper if I tried to go slower. With no room to pass they were obviously unhappy, so I kept my speed up a bit and hope I don’t get electronic tickets in the mail when I get home!
It was about an hour’s drive from Siena according to Google Maps, which meant 50% longer for us. We had had excellent communication with our hosts Carlo and Gessica, and were hoping that the accommodations described on the website would be accurate. They were.
Tuoro sul Trasimeno (we simply referred to it as Tuoro) is a village on the northern side of the lake. Carlo’s house is just north of the village and far uphill from the lake. It is less than a mile from downtown but on a narrow road that seems “out in the country”.
Carlo was waiting for us and opened the gates to the property to let us in. It seems that nearly all houses along the roads are fenced and gated, even modest homes like these. There is another home next door that uses the same gate and driveway where cousins live. Every evening Carlo’s son and the cousin next door jumped on the trampoline for hours. The family in the house behind us seemed to eat meals outside most evenings. Every time sounded like a celebration, not with pounding music or disrespectful intrusiveness, just with the sounds of an Italian family enjoying gathering for a meal.
The portion of the house we used was what is called the “first floor”. What you need to know is that the ground floor is 0, the next flight up is 1. A flight down would be -1, etc. Our “first floor” was 9 steps up from the car park and another 17 to our level. We walked up a slope to avoid the first set. Olive groves are across the road in front and down the hillside with a view of distant hills and villas. Doves coo at all hours and the chickens and geese greeted us when we arrived! There is a large table under a covered area with colored lights for eating at night and yard chairs for sitting in the shade of a cedar or old olive tree or soaking up sun.
Carlos helped us unload, carried the suitcases up the steps, and walked us around to introduce us to the home. It was just perfect. The big wooden door opened into a hallway that led to the other rooms. Floor to ceiling doors with shuttered windows with screens to keep out the bugs but let in the delightful hillside breezes; a “relax room” complete with antique furniture, a fireplace, and a large dining room table; two bedrooms with built-in closets; a kitchen; and a pink bathroom with tub separate shower, and a washing machine!! What more could you ask for?? Oh, and the porch wrapped around three sides with a small table and chairs on one side overlooking the olive groves and a clothesline on the other. Each of the rooms except the bathroom had double doors that opened onto the porch.
The kitchen was outfitted with everything needed for cooking and Carlo and Gex had supplied us with breads, jams, pastries, yogurts, meats, cheeses, milk – it was over the top.
On the kitchen table was a cloth basket with chicken eggs and a goose egg! The brown ones were the size of large and extra large eggs, there was one even bigger and one smaller, and the goose egg was huge!
Carlo filled us in on the air conditioners that sit high up on the wall in Genny’s bedroom and the relax room. What I didn’t catch with Carlo’s limited English and my non-existent Italian, was that they could also provide heat. There were radiators in all of the rooms, so we asked if the heat could be turned on. Carlo said yes and again told us we could use the “air conditioners”. We thanked him and asked again if he could turn on the heat, pointing at the radiators. He replied yes, and later that evening the radiators began to warm up. A couple of days later I realized what he was trying to say about the “air conditioners”. The temperatures have consistently been low 70’s during the day and 50’s at night.
We settled into our rooms and unpacked our bags, happy to have lengthened our stay to five nights. Carlo made a recommendation for a local fish restaurant, the Trattoria del Pescatore in Passignano sul Trasimeno, just a couple of miles past Tuoro. As I’ve mentioned, most restaurants do not open for dinner until 7:30 or 8:00, so we waited until about 7:15.
When we arrived in town we could see the restaurant at the end of an alleyway, but finding parking is ALWAYS a challenge. There was a small lot nearby with both blue and white lines. What I learned before we left was that blue lines mean pay and white lines mean free. There are also yellow lines in some areas for residents only. Like the road lines, parking lines seem more suggestions than rules, but since we don’t know the unwritten rules, we play by the ones we know… or think we know.
In this case there was a sign that seemed to indicate you only had to pay from 8:00 to 8:00 but all of the spaces were taken, so we drove around a bit and came back at 8:00. Just as we were about to leave again someone returned to their car in a blue space and after they left we were able to squeeze in and park free.
We walked around the corner to the cute Trattoria and were given a little laminated card to connect to the internet and a second one with a QR code that connected us to an English menu. That helped, but something is always lost in translation. Fortunately the lady who seemed to be in the family ownership spoke enough English to help us. We shared a plate of pasta and a dish of pork loin that was served in an edible basket made of Parmesan cheese (and I forgot to take it’s picture!). The entire meal was fresh, homemade, and so delicious!
Just a note, as in other parts of Europe, people do not typically rush through their meals. They are served in courses unless you request otherwise, and you do not get a check until you ask for it. It is not unusual for a meal to last two hours or more. But if you sit at a table and eat, you will often be charged a “cover charge”, seemed like 5-10%, that will go to the restaurant. Wait staff are paid full salaries so do not expect tips, although they typically appreciate it if you leave a small amount.
After finishing dinner about 9:00, we walked back to the car and drove back to our little 1st floor home and climbed the slope and 17 steps to sleep. The radiator heat was on, quilts were on the beds, extra blankets were available, and we were so grateful for the gift of this quiet, comfortable patch on the edge of town.
Tomorrow – the Scenic Route!
Nice digs!!! You’re gonna want to settle down there!