Eastward, Ho! The Great Plains Await.

The tour bus

Looking towards Norcia from the east

About a month ago, I read that the dried flowers used in the Corpus Christi decorations come from an area not far from us, and determined that I really ought to see the flowers when they were in bloom. Hence, Florence and I went to Norcia several weeks ago, only to find that it wasn't worth going further because the fields weren't in bloom yet; our season is behind because of an unusually cool spring.

Can never see around the bend or predict direction!

Last weekend, Jeremy and I were in the same area for the rally, but were informed that it happened to be the day of the festival, and the roads would be packed with traffic…besides which, the fields still weren't exactly at their peak.

Loved the terrain!

Talking to Leo the other day, he advised me to go to a particular restaurant for lunch in Castelluccio, and went the extra mile of calling them to make sure that the fields were gorgeous. Answered in the affirmative, Jeremy and I decided to head out there yesterday.

It's a fascinating drive, because you go from the grain and sunflower fields, grapevines, and olive trees of our region, and then end up in the mountains of Norcia. These mountains are not terribly high, are very, very green with tree cover, and are very smooth. Think Appalachian foothills, not Rockies. However, the hills are crammed in together in such a way that there is no farming space whatsoever, and everything's a dark green with villages clinging to the hillside and no fields whatsoever.

Not terribly long after this, you emerge into the plain and start climbing the rockier mountains to the east, which are still smooth and velvety, but are higher than the tree line…so the tops are covered with green grassy vegetation, very lovely to look at. And of course, looking into the valley is just lovely.

The Great Plain

Climbing and climbing and climbing up switchbacks, around hairpin turns, we kept waiting for beautiful fields to emerge. I have to confess I was starting to worry that I'd gone on a wild goose chase. On the other hand, it was really a lovely drive and we enjoyed seeing several parasailers profiting from the mountain slopes and breezes!

And then it happened: we rounded a bend and found the "Piano Grande" (Great Plain) of Umbria. In the distance, you could see some yellow fields, but I will confess that I was still wondering if we'd been in the car that long for "only that?"

Yes, but then we approached. And the closer we got, the more lovely it was. Absolutely stunning, in fact. Because the reds and the pinks were finally distinguishable from each other. The angle of the fields allowed a smoother color coverage. No photos can do the reality justice, but just for a teaser, I've included a few.

Jeremy and I had a delightful lunch at Leo's restaurant. Luckily, being a small group (!) of two, we were able to sit outside without a problem. The restaurant's side of the mountain does not have a view of the flower fields, but it was lovely regardless.

We had been counseled to proceed in a loop rather than doing a there-and-back excursion, and I'm so glad we followed the advice! There were a few more fields of color, but the terrain just continued to surprise and delight us. We found a stretch of white road to divert us, and found a hamlet that had a pile of cars (20 or so) but not a soul was around. They must have been asleep for the pausa? 

On our way home, we stopped in the Medieval village of Bevagna, which is a place I've been meaning to go for ages. They have demonstrations of early professions like candle making, paper making, and the like all year round, but only on specific weekends, etc. Their major festival finished last weekend, so we were out of luck on that, but still enjoyed seeing the town and a few churches.

And then it was time to go home and check in with Florence…who had spent quite a bit of her time at the archery range!

Our lunch spot

Castelluccio

Harvest time

Leaving the area. 

Bevagna!

Gabriel's pretty cool

The alleys of Bevagna are charming

"Vicolo Stretto" means "narrow alley."
Well named?

Main piazza

A secondary piazza with a charming bar!

I was told in two weeks that the colors would shift to blue and purple. I'm definitely returning!

Love,

Alexandra