A Verdant Time in the Italian Hills

A Verdant Time in the Italian Hills

I can recommend heartily a trip to Italy in the early spring. The weather is neither cold enough to require heavy coats nor hot enough to deter the inevitable climbing in the glorious hillside villages. In fact on most days the air was crisp and the sky a deep blue with temperatures in the low 60’s to the low 70’s. Tourists are inevitable throughout Tuscany and Umbria at any time, but not so massively in the spring.

The fields were covered with early crops of deep green and along the highways were great clusters of wild flowers. The vineyards and groves of olive trees among the signature evergreens, especially the umbrella pines and cypresses, assured us a succession of breathtaking panoramas as we climbed and dipped through the countryside. The temptation is to stop and photograph it all.

The ancient villages abound with the magic blend of their Roman and Medieval pasts. Some that we were particularly drawn to were Montepulciano, Spoleto, Montecino, Lucca, and Arezzo. Of course, we could not be in that part of the world and not visit Florence, Siena, Assisi (no sign of the earthquake damage), and San Gimignano. Among them all, and one it is so easy to pass, is the tiny village of Spello, just south of Perugia; a couple of new-found friends directed us there, and we wanted to cart it home with us!

Have I mentioned the pasta? . . .

— Ken Butera