Before heading to Italy we decided to add Umbria to our wine country travel plans. Umbria is defined by hills, mountains, valleys and historical towns such Perugia, Assisi, Terni, Norcia, Città di Castello, Gubbio, Spoleto, Orvieto, Todi, Castiglione del Lago, Narni, Amelia, Spello, and other small cities/villages. It is often referred to as the green heart of Italy where travelers delight in exploring its medieval hilltop towns, dense forests, and local cuisine (especially truffles and wines). We managed to secure accommodations in Izzalini, close to the historic town of Todi. Yes, we stayed in a castle in Izzalini village, not far from Todi. We loved getting to know the hilltop village of Izzalini.
First, just a little information on Izzalini: Izzalini village is within the municipality of Todi ( 5.81 kilometers from Todi), in Perugia Province, Umbria region. During our week's visit we stayed in a one bedroom apartment at the Castello Izzalini Todi Resort. I still remember waking up those October mornings and taking in the views from our bedroom window. Some of those days we could see early morning fog across the valleys in the distance.
October Morning Fog, Umbria © Spaswinefood
Then through the other window a view towards the village square.
I would keep a watch out for the kittens that would sometimes appear in the courtyard below our window.
Each day we would head out to explore Umbria. We always loved returning to Izzalini at the end of the day, after we explored Montefalco and Orvieto wine country.
Exploring Local Cuisine
Overall dining out in Italy is pretty amazing, especially if you stick to local restaurants. This is certainly the case in Umbria. Correspondence we received concerning our accommodations noted there was a good restaurant in the village. After arriving we set out to explore Umbria paying little attention to this recommendation. We did drop by for a morning coffee. Then about mid-way through our stay we dropped by for lunch.
Morning Coffee
Coffee is good in Italy however, if you are use to a big cup of coffee it takes some practise to know what to order. Most of the locals order an expresso.
Lunch and More
Returning later for lunch we would be delightfully surprised.
We began with a complimentary appetizer.
For lunch we ordered a local white wine. John decided on a green salad and I ordered chickpea salad.
Now for the mains John ordered a meat dish and I decided on a pasta.
Mine was an amazing pasta dish
We had one of our best lunches in Italy there.
Coffee to Go, Kairos Kafe © Spaswinefood
The hilltop village of Izzalini was a perfect base for exploring Umbrian wine country. Being off the tourist beaten path led to pleasant drives through the rural countryside to visit wineries and Umbria's historic towns.
Our week in Umbria passed too quickly as we visited its historic towns and checked out wine country. Umbria is a region with a proud history and age-old tradition for winemaking. Moreover, the area can rival anywhere in the country for its natural beauty. An earlier article focused on Montefalco as a productive wine area. I invite you to join me in our wine travels in Italy and elsewhere at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and at Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook.
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