Celebrating 2010 and 2011 with....FOOD, of course!!!!!

The last days of 2010 and the first days of 2011 will be celebrated with amazing food and wine events at "il Palazzo del Gusto" in Orvieto.

Tomorrow 29th October from 16.30 to 19.30 the celebration of "IL MAIALE" (=the pork) will take place with an amazing barbecue on the terrace of "Il Palazzo del Gusto" in the historical centre of Orvieto.


The poster of the event

The "Maestri Norcini" (=butchers specialized in the making of all pork products) will also give a sample of the traditional "spezzatura" (=pork cutting) used in Umbria to prepare prosciutto, salami, sausages and all the other delicacies.

Ticket for the barbecue: € 5
Info and booking : Il Palazzo del Gusto - Itinera : tel. 0763341818


The cloister of "Il Palazzo del Gusto"


To celebrate the New Year "Il Palazzo del Gusto" in collaboration with Umbria Jazz Winter and Trento Doc Wineries (producing one of the best Italian "Champagne") is offering on the 30th and 31st December and 1st and 2nd January a series of concerts by the guitarist Stefano Mincone followed by a "Slow Aperitivo" with Trento Doc Spumanti in matching with special food.

The wine tasting and the food matching are organized by our friends from Slow Food Orvieto and FISAR (Italian Federation of Sommeliers) Orvieto.

Ticket for the CONCERT + Tasting € 22
Info and booking: Teatro Mancinelli, C.so Cavour, 122 Orvieto tel. 0763340493 www.teatromancinelli.it www.greenticket.it
Il Palazzo del Gusto - Itinera : tel. 0763341818

PROGRAMME:

DECEMBER 30 2010 h. 18,30
Stefano Mincone guitar

Slow Aperitivo : 4 CRU DI GRANA E TRENTODOC
- TRENTODOC Cuvée 28 – Rotari
- TRENTODOC Brut – Az. Agr. Pisoni

Grana cheeses by Trentingrana:
Parmigiano Reggiano delle Vacche Rosse Reggiane
Parmigiano Reggiano delle Vacche Bianche Modenesi
Grana Padano

DECEMBER 31 2010 h. 18,30
Stefano Mincone guitar

Slow Aperitivo : FISH FOOD E TRENTODOC
- TRENTODOC Maximun Brut – Ferrari F.lli Lunelli
- TRENTODOC 51,151 – Az. Agr. Moser

in matching with fingerfood from sea and lake fish from Bolsena Lake

JANUARY 1 2011 h. 18,30
Stefano Mincone guitar

Slow Aperitivo NORCINERIA DELL’UMBRIA E TRENTODOC
- TRENTODOC Cuvée 28 – Rotari
- TRENTODOC Brut – Az. Agr. Pisoni

in matchig with local cold cuts: prosciutto, salami, capocollo.

JANUARY 2 2011 h. 18,30
Stefano Mincone guitar

Slow Aperitivo TROTE SALMONATE E TRENTODOC
- TRENTODOC Maximun Brut – Ferrari F.lli Lunelli
- TRENTODOC 51,151 – Az. Agr. Moser

tasting of Trento Spumante in matching with trouts and smoked salmon trouts from Preore/Trento.


BUON ANNO !!!!

Merry Christmas from Todi: the highest living Xmas tree in Europe

Todi "la bella" is enlighted by thousand lights in this special period of the year.

It's amazing walking in the little Medieval streets the “vicoli”, to reach Piazza Garibaldi to admire a special "living" Christmas tree, the highest in Europe.

The old cypress known as "Il Cipresso di Garibaldi" is 33 mt high and 200 years old.

The lights will be on until January 6.

BUON NATALE E FELICE ANNO NUOVO FROM UMBRIA!!!

A Night of Discovery in Assisi

The first time I was introduced to Helen and Jack Yuen, two Americans living in Assisi with their beautiful children, I was really curious about their occupation here in Umbria.

For us Umbrians, it's always very interesting to know why a foreigner decides to leave everything and to build a new life here.
Most of the "forestieri" (= people from abroad) I had the chance to meet, run a business connected to the tourism industry or own an house where they spend some time in Summer.

For this reason when I came to know Helen and Jack's project I was really impressed, not only because it is very special, but also because it put in my mind an amazing travel to the Museum of Sciences and Technologies in Munich (Germany) with my family when I was 12 and my brother Leonardo 6.

The Yuens' project is called Discovery Station Assisi.
DSA is a no-profit Children’s Center providing exposure to new technologies including robotics, communications, digital imaging, computers, internet, along with interactive learning activities accessible to all.



For a small region like Umbria is, a center like this one, a sort of Deutches Museum in a small, but very professional scale, is definitely a very important resource for our community.

Yesterday evening at Istituto Marco Polo in Santa Maria degli Angeli, Assisi, the project has been officially launched. Some important sponsors, like Microsoft, have already joined DSA that will be operative in the first months of 2011.

For more info contact: Helen Yuen : helen.yuen@gmail.com


Me and Helen Yuen yesterday at Istituto Marco Polo, Assisi

A "cozy" Umbrian Christmas Market - Massa Martana

During this very special period of the year there are many nice events and markets all over the region.

Today we went to Massa Martana to visit its new and really "cozy" Christmas Market.

Massa Martana is a small Municipality on the road between Todi and Terni located at the foot of Martani Mountains.
Its name derives from the Latin name of "Statio ad Martis" – from which "Vicus Martis" and "Civitas Martana" - designated one of the main Roman stations on the Umbrian tract of Via Flaminia.

Massa Martana - Main Gate

Seriously damaged by an earthquake in 1997, more than ten years later Massa Martana closed this dramatic chapter by recovering anything that was useful to restore dignity to this ancient village.


Special local Christmas sweet "La Nociata"
Massa Martana is also known by the local people for its Christmas speciality : "La Nociata" a kind of nougat made from walnuts, honey, egg white and orange peel, wrapped in laurel leaves. It is produced only in this village.

La Nociata - original food product from Massa Martana


If you are in the area in this period, don't miss this very nice little town.
The Market runs until the 12th of December



Visiting the Market











Preparing the "barbeque" to roast chestnuts for the visitors!