ART, MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Cinemas, Theatres, Concerts, Sports, Festivals, Talks and Walks are all announced in guides and bulletins issued by the local tourist office, by posters in the streets - an amazing source of reference - and sometimes the newspaper and radio, but street posters are the best for local information. The "Corriere della Umbria", our county paper, has a Saturday supplement listing all activities; it is always available to scan in the bar when you stop for a coffee. Also pull up Umbria on the Internet; it is there, and so is Umbertide, Città di Castello, Perugia, etc.

Country walks, chestnut gathering and mushroom picking in the woods are favourite autumn sports, as is eating traditional home-made pasta and other local dishes in typical restaurants run by friendly and hospitable families, more than fifty of which are only a short drive away. Sample home-made ice-creams and pizzas, (look out for the sign "produzione propria" - home made, really ours), taste the local truffles, boar, porcini and chestnut products, which are highly prized throughout the gastronomic world.

At Lake Trasimeno, a 70 square mile lake, one can enjoy swimming, sailing, wind surfing, pedaloe-ing, water skiing or lazing on the sandy beaches; there are trips by regular ferry to the islands Polvese and Maggiore; both islands have interesting ruins, and a stroll along the waterfront promenade at Passignano, where there are several restaurants, is always a pleasure; a visit to Castiglione del Lago, a charming walled town of great character, is another lakeside option. At Tuoro sul Trasimeno there is a waterside restaurant on the beach, and a disco. Modern tennis courts, indoor and outdoor, and Olympic sized swimming pools are in the towns of Umbertide and Città di Castello.

One can relax in the garden sampling locally produced wine, stroll gently along the country lanes to nearby keeps and castles, or visit the neighbouring farmers who will proudly invite you to inspect and savour the produce from their smallholdings and vineyards.

The medieval towns are treasures of Renaissance art and architecture. The Etruscan remains in the museum in Cortona should be seen; it has the best display in Europe. Cortona is the Italian city with the longest uninterrupted human habitation, so they say. Roman sculptures and medieval buildings provide further architectural joys. Look for the huge building blocks on the lower parts of the walls: these are the Etruscan ones. Ice creams are good too: go along the main street away from the Comune, Town Hall, towards the Theatre, about fifty paces, ices on the right.

The weekly markets for food, clothing and household goods in Cortona, Umbertide, Città di Castello and all the other towns and cities are very colourful, and many bargains can be found. There are monthly second-hand markets in Perugia, Arezzo, Città di Castello, Pissignano, Passignano - two separate towns - and Castigleone del Lago.

During Spring, Summer and Autumn, Umbria is alive with events, festas, which the local people prepare with great pride and enthusiasm, featuring everything from tulips to snails, horses to furniture. Most villages and towns have their very own festivals celebrating their Saint days. Other festivities offer regional gastronomic dishes, local harvested produce, etc., usually held in the open air, and ending with jolly bands playing traditional folk and other popular music, for children, parents and grandparents to dance to "sotto le stelle", (under the stars). These events take place at Passignano, Tuoro, Lisciano Niccone, Mercatale, Calzolaro, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, San Leo Bastia, Citerna, Monterchi, Selci Lama, Montone, Preggio, etc., and even our town of San Pietro a Monte at the end of June. The tunes of “Clementine”, “Tipperary” and especially “Roll Out the Barrel” are often heard, seemingly traditional local Italian songs; who pinched from whom I wonder. Other favourites include “Coming Round the Mountain”, “Old MacDonald”, “All over Italy They Play the Piccolino” and of course “Volare”.

Many varieties of modern sports events also provide memorable entertainment,; various car, motorcycle and bicycle races and rallies pass through our part of the world. Light aircraft flying, hang-gliding, paragliding etc., are available for those interested. Facilities for football, tennis and swimming are also available in many towns.

More specialised events such as craft fairs, music festivals, exhibitions, re-enactments of jousts, horse races, parades in medieval costume, food fairs, crossbow competitions, kite flying, music, etc., etc., etc., take place in the larger towns and cities. Many of these events will appear on the wall posters and most will be in the newspapers. Have a look at these in the bar. It doesn't matter that you can't understand all the language - there will be pictures, dates and places. And of course museums, churches and galleries will be listed in all the other guide books and pamphlets that you will have obtained before you arrive.