(I’m catching up on posts so read the Orvieto post first.)
Left Florence Thursday morning and drove to Orvieto without a hitch. (I have to tell you that the GPS has been absolutely wonderful. Without it, we would probably still be trying to find our way out of Cinque Terre.) Arrived at La Cacciata (the agriturismo) around 13:00. To qualify as an agriturismo, you must have a working farm, and a limited percentage of the income can be derived from guest accommodations. The atmosphere is always quaint, and La Cacciata was no exception (notice hotel room key). We hit the jackpot. I am posting pictures for you to see rather than try to describe. After returning from the village where we had lunch with my cousin Ken and his wife, Maureen, we relaxed, and Dennis took a little dip in the pool, and I checked out the roosters and the hens (they look like RI Reds to me) and strolled in the vineyard. Upon check in this morning we were told that dinner was at 19:30. What they didn’t tell us was that we were the only guests. The entire dining room was set for us. Our waitress, Simonetta, (no English) was a delightful, jovial woman who cooked the dinner herself. She asked if we wanted wine, which she said was made on the premises. When trying to decide whether red or white, she suggested one of each so we could try the other. Great idea… except I meant glass… she meant bottle. Oh well, we had no other plans for the evening anyway. Dinner consisted of melon and prosciutto, fettuccini Bolognese, chicken with zucchini in a lemon butter wine sauce and finishing with a bowl of fresh strawberries. With each course that came out, we chatted with Simonetta, and she sold us that she had worked here for 15 years. She took great pride in presenting her food, and we showed our appreciation. After a photo for the blog and hugs and kisses, we waddled off to the room (with a couple of not-fully consumed bottles of wine). This was definitely a fun stop!! (By the way… no Internet at the farm, so I’m playing catch-up now.)
Alfedena AQ 