Winter arrived today, so say the Italians, as the winds were strong and the dark clouds made the temperatures drop. Suddenly, fashion consisted of turtlenecks, an abundance of scarves, and “puffy” (down) coats and jackets. Luckily for us, we were prepared.
With a sprinkle in the air in Cortona, we got in our Fiat 500, destination unknown, and soon found ourselves in Castiglione del Lago. Stronger winds and bigger clouds greeted us,
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but without rain, and a goal of fresh air and exercise, we were happy to walk as we had the lake and view to ourselves.
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Water is mesmerizing, and as we walked, we watched the waves crash upon the rocks. The seagulls were playing what looked like Marco Polo, that “catch me if you can” game we played as kids and they played with the waves.
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After awhile, the clouds broke across the lake and the sun shone like a spotlight on several of the hill towns.
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Eventually, we stopped for lunch at La Cannuccia, our lakeside go-to cafe. We ordered our usual split lunch, a grilled panino and mixed salad, which is served with delicious warm rolls.
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After lunch, Riccardo asked if we were football fans.
“I’m a big baseball fan at the moment,” I replied, “as I’m from Chicago and …”
“Chicago Cubs!” he said and smiled.
“We live about two miles from…”
“Wrigley Field!” he exclaimed.
“You must like baseball,” I said.
“Not so much. It can be boring, especially when there is a pitching battle,” he replied.
“Like the first game the other night…”
“When the Cubs won 1-0 against the San Francisco Giants,” he quickly replied.
“We haven’t won in over a century, and…”
“The goat,” he said, and raised his hands like Italians do. “I don’t believe.”
By now, Len was intrigued. Since our dear friends, Carrol and Larry, had left weeks ago, Len had not found anyone to have a good baseball conversation with. And here was Riccardo, born and raised locally, owner of a bar in Castiglione del Lago in the center of Italy, speaking English, he – a fountain of knowledge about American baseball, a sport that wasn’t even his favorite.
After they talked baseball for a bit, I asked what Il Cannuccia means. “It’s the tall grass that grows in a swamp,” he said, as he pointed to the bottom right of a giant photo on the face of the bar. 100 years ago, much of the lake was a swamp.
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The present bar was built in the 50’s. It has been in Riccardo’s family since the mid 70’s and is now operated by Riccardo and his brother Simone.
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I asked if I could take a few pictures. “Sure, but the best view is looking out.”
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Easy to see why he thinks that and one of the reasons we keep returning.
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After lunch, I considered having gelato, as theirs is very good. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, Ricardo asked if we like cream. “Sure, why not,” I answered, and he set off to make something special for us.
He arrived with this.
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This incredibly light “sugar donut” is called a ciambella. He quartered it, and topped it with panna fresca, (fresh cream,) and cacao candela, (cinnamon). My sister Florence and her husband Vince would have ordered this and skipped the salad and panino. Benita too.
Castiglione del Lago in Umbria is about 30 minutes from Cortona on the SW corner of Lago Trasimeno. Although Cortona is a city where you don’t need a car, if you have one, it is such fun exploring all the neighboring towns, taking in the sights, and making interesting new friends like Riccardo. Who knew???
Ciao,
Judy
Tags: Castiglione del Lago, Ciambella con panna fresca, La Cannuccia Bar, Lago Trasimeno, Umbria
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