Posts tonen met het label medieval. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label medieval. Alle posts tonen

maandag 19 mei 2014

Umbria - why I can´t stop writing about it.

This time, my blog is part of a blogtour I got involved in by my new virtual friend Jen. Her blog about the love for her Italian heritage and her passion for Italian wines started due to her Italian roots and was followed by a study in Italy, that woke her interest in Italian wines. The drive to truly learn the insides and outs of Italian wines led to the birth of Jen´s blog Vino Travels, where she shares experiences from her travels through the world of Italian wines and information from Italian wineries in particular. Jen will be a certified Italian Wine specialist later this year.

The purpose of the blogtour is to enlarge the network of bloggers by sharing other people´s blogs and show you wht their world, work, knowledge and interests are like, whilst on the other hand I will try to describe why I write what I write.


What am I working on?
My one and only real important goal in life is living it in Umbria, Italy. Through the years, I met a lot of nice people from Umbria. Some of them really care so much for this beautiful region that they promote it in the world and made me write a few guestposts for them. It feels like the ideal combination, sharing the lovely things of my life and being at the place I love at the same time. I haven´t completely reached the last, but, as said, I am working on it.



How does my work differ from others in the genre?
Actually, it doesn´t. My blogs about the Umbrian villages and spots give no details that can´t be found in a regular travelguide. The difference can only be felt in my passion for the whole spectrum, from Umbrian food to wide views, from wine tasting in a cantina to a medieval market in Bevagna. I love Umbria´s famous attractions like Assisi, but have a strong feeling for it´s amazing countrylife as well. I can write about the wild flowers at the Piano Grande one day, about picking olives the next day. About the amazing works in Perugia´s Galleria Nazionale on day three and on day four I may have met a hunter who explains the ins and outs of his life and gives me a recipe for hare nonna style. The thrill I get and share from all these small things is what gives my work a personal touch, rather than merely an Umbria promotion.



Why do I write what I do?
Of course, it would be nice if other people become interested in the many things Umbria has to offer. It would be great when people would start to appreciate Umbria´s value as highly as I do and give Umbria´s tourism a strong injection. Besides, by writing about Umbria and about my passion for it in particular I can make people understand – a little – why I am who I am.



How does your writing process work?
Until now I haven´t been aware that there was something as a writing process. By thinking about it now, I realize that I can´t NOT write about Umbria. The love for Umbria, the impressions and feelings keep flowing and turn into words that I simply have to let come out. My experiences from Umbria are little pearls in my life, that all together form a lovely necklace. To me, writing is completing this necklace and I hope to finish it with the most precious jewel, my own place in Umbria and never having to leave it anymore. 


Before clicking `send` I want to thank Jen for this opportunity, and pass it on to my friend Simone. She is a foodblogger, professional food photographer and a gifted cook as well. Her blog offers an abundance of recipes, travel stories and of course pictures. An especially nice detail are the stories about and the pictures of her gorgeous cats, but the core bussiness is food, with a capital F.

Someone else whose blog is worth viewing is the one written by my friend Alessandra. She and her brother Leonardo from Discovering Umbria organize wine and food tours in Umbria that will be an unforgettable experience of years of culture and traditions across the magical land of Umbria.

Good luck Simone and Alessandra, and many thanks to all of you who read my blog.


zaterdag 25 januari 2014

Beautiful Bevagna


Thought every inch of Umbria is worth visiting, this blog is about one of my favorite villages. Bevagna.

Roman
It is, to Dutch standards, a small town in the valley of Umbria, in the province of Perugia. Its original name, Mevania, comes from the Roman period, out of which some remains in the higher part of the town testify. I mention the Teatro Romano, the Edificio delle Terme where you can see a beautiful mosaic from the second century, the Tempio, and, of course the city walls, that are built in the Middle Ages on the remains of the original Roman ones. The many entrance gates in the walls also contain the remains from both periods.

Close to the Porta Molini runs the river Clittuno. In the old times it was not only useful for transport but also made the mill work and allowed the public washhouse, a lovely, rustic spot that is still in use.

Medieval
Many monuments, in fact, the whole town, testify of the Medieval period. The splendid square with its famous buildings, il Palazzo dei Consoli, la Chiesa di San Silvestro and the Chiesa di San Michele can keep you in silent admiration for a full afternoon. Don´t forget to visit the crypt in the San Silvestro.
All churches in Bevagna have something special, but personally I really like the San Francesco in the higher part of the town, mostly for the outside.

Other beautiful things
I can only consider to roam around the town and enjoy the atmosphere of its picturesque streets and alleys. The pinacoteca contains some interesting pieces of which I like the Madonna by Dono Doni the best.
Another very pleasant visit I made was la Casa Medievale. It is a reconstructed Medieval house that is said to have belonged to a rather wealthy merchant. It´s is a guided visit and I can assure you that after a few minutes, you wish you were born in those times.

Mercato delle Gaite
Speaking of the Middle Ages, I cannot leave this blog without mentioning the annual festival, Il Mercato delle Gaite. The whole town turns back to the period of 1250 – 1350 and it´s a spectacle you should not miss..For those who want to learn every detail:


Oops
My first time in Bevagna dates from 1992. It wasn´t crowded by tourists at that time and I hardly knew anything about it. Unfortunatly I arrived at lunchtime, with two small children (6 and 4) that were bored, complaining about the heat and yelling about mutant hero turtles in a silent, more or less deserted piazza. I could only think of shutting them up by stuffing them with pasta, so I asked the only other living person I saw about where to find a restaurant. This lady, looking like a battleship, looked at me disapprovingly and then said `Good afternoon` in Dutch....
She happened to live in Bevagna and told me all about the town. Since then, I return at least once a year.