Olives Olives Olives!!

November is the month when no Italian in Sabina has time. The harvest of the olives starts, and takes days till weeks. It is much fun gathering together, either by hand or by machines.

So far we helped our dear friend Adele with her 40 trees. Which is just a start because we know people who have 3-400 trees and could use some help, so the work is not over yet.

But we enjoy it very much, and when you fall into bed at night after a long day of olive picking, and you close your eyes - all you see is olives :)

And sometimes you find some interesting friends along the way:

The oil of this region is very good. If you want to book a olive oil tasting tour with Johnny Madge (see here), the best time is during November when there is the harvest and a visit at the Frantoio, the olive press, is included.

Ristorante La vecchia tipografia

Lately we have been to the ristorante "la vecchia tipografia" in Poggio Mirteto which is a former printery. Beautifully interior and beautifully decorated and tasty food.

Very good pizza from the wood oven.

 Dessert-creations.....

Yum! We can recommend it.

Gusto al Borgo

Another lovely place to eat is the Gusto al Borgo in Casperia. At the moment you can find it in the heart of the beautiful lively village, just follow the signs. Here you can not only taste the Italian haute cuisine but also order without problems vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free menus.
The food is fantastic and it is recommended to come with an empty stomach :)

They also offer Italian cooking classes where you can learn to prepare original dishes made out of organic produce.
See more at Gusto al Borgo.

Lovely italian cuisine in a beautiful environment

A beautiful place to have lunch or dinner in Sabina is the agriturismo TerraSabina near Poggio Mirteto. Make a reservation by phone and enjoy tasty organic food, mostly fresh from the garden.
Serena and her grandmother Olga are preparing and serving you a wide variety of antipasti, pasta or rice dishes, fresh salads, fruit or home-made ice-cream.
You feel like eating in the living-room of  good friend, and the views over the surrounding hills are stunning.

 Take a further look at TerraSabina.

Gluten Free Fest at Perugia

On Friday we have been to Perugia, the city where I studied for one month in 2005 at the University for foreigners. That weekend it was hold a festival for people with gluten intolerance, the Gluten Free Fest. Perugia is known for all sorts of (slow) food related items, like the chocolate fabric La Perugina, or la Università dei Sapori.

The Festival was very interesting and we could buy some gluten free pasta.

 It was also interesting to see Perugia again after almost 7 years. I remembered some places, for example the student's pub Merlin's.

 Perugia is a lovely city with international flair because of the students from all over the world who are eager to study the italian language and culture at the University for foreigners. The main street with the famous big fountain is a meeting point for students and tourists.

 The are also lots of activities concerning human rights, the peace movement and the environment.

I like Perugia, the stunning views over the surrounding hills, the small streets with stairs everywhere,   and the old imposing buildings. By car you arrive there in a little bit more than one hour. It's absolutely worth it.

La Via Lattea in Casperia

In Casperia you can find the organic ice cream fabric La Via Lattea (The Milky Way) of Fabrizio Pioreschi. He is a member of Slow Food and produces tasty ice cream made out of organic ingredients since 1989. They are also caring about renewable energies and recycling.

They offer a variety of ice creams, with milk and cream, but also vegan sorts with almonds and soy milk. Mostly he exports to Germany where it is sold at Edeka or Karstadt; here in Casperia you can get it at Friend's Cafe.

You can read more about this Slow Food Producer on http://www.lavialattea.com

By the way: The T-Shirt Fabrizio is wearing on the picture asks you if you know what you are eating :)

Casperia - Johnny's Bar

Okay, so here comes the first from lots of place you should go when being in Sabina:
Johnny's bar in Casperia
Johnny is an Englishman in Bella Italia, who has a passion for good food and wine. He is a member of Slow Food and serves the best organic wines and olive oils in a lovely place named The Gecko Bar in Casperia.

We are always having lots of fun there with English humour, excellent wine and good music.
Johnny also offers olive oil tasting tours:

Last but not least don't miss a chance to hear him sing as the only man in the Zenzerei Choir:

Zenzerei

More about Johnny here:

Johnny Madge