Gubbio – Parco Monte Cucco – Umbria

This location has it all.  The country continues to be a beautiful mix of farm land and hilltop towns with the backdrop of the nearby Appennine mountains.  We landed at our agriturismo to find that we had it all to ourselves, and it was perched on a plateau looking out at Mount Cucco (the panoramic picture is from the agriturismo) … heaven!  The nearby town of Gubbio is nestled against a large hill and it’s an intricate maze of quaint and tangled streets that seem to have no upward end.  The white truffle is the area’s specialty, and we enjoyed them atop a simple omelet ... truly delizioso.  For those who are curious, this is a lunch, hence the bottle of wine … no self-respecting Italian would have eggs for breakfast J  We arrived at a perfect time of year as the mountain tops, previously cleared for agriculture by the Romans, are bursting with wild flowers that surround the hiking trails with shades of yellow, white, purple, blue, red and green.  As you move around and up and down the mountain, the flowers continue to amaze as new varieties appear depending on your location.  In our quest for continued wildflower viewing, we did spend one afternoon hiking in a hail storm.  Note to self:  it’s good to turn around when you hear thunder J  Next stop for us is Montemonaco in the Sibillini mountains.