Today is a day to celebrate a little bit Donna’s birthday! Being in Italy with good friends and wandering around some of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the world is a pretty good way to do it. 

Today we revisit one of our favorite towns that no one goes to, Panicale. We first hit Passignano sul Trasimeno. It’s a little town on the north east part of Lago Trasimeno built up against and into the hillside. A lot of charm, a very pretty lakefront area with a view of Isola Maggiore where you can see the old Guglielmi Castle which was built on an old Franciscan monastery in the 1880s and at one time was a school for lace making… It’s for sale now if anyone needs a birthday idea for me….

There was a kind of flea market going on down by the water front. Lot’s of random stuff that nobody actually needs but apparently want. It was fairly busy.

We had a nice Donna’s birthday lunch sitting outside on one of the little back streets of the village. Wild boar for me and Jack, Donna and Lynn had the perch and chips. For all of you who know me and are wondering where the food pictures are… yup, I forgot again. The boar was really good.

Back to Cortona for a little freshening up and resting up before dinner. At 6pm, as D is getting ready to settle in for a bit of reading, I very cleverly get her to go downstairs with me for a minute. I say “wait a minute, come with me…” she says, “do I need my shoes?” I say “If you want” She says “do I need my jacket?” I say, “if you want.” She says, “I’ll take my jacket.”

We go downstairs to the breakfast room and… ta da!! Amazing birthday cake by Jeanette Wong… sort of a tiramisu / diplomatica / magic cake with chocolate sponge, puff pastry, a little rum… absolutely delicious. A little prosecco and it’s a party!

So It’s OK to have desert first right?

Dinner at Dardano. Lamb for me and grilled veggies. D and Lynn get scallopini al limone and Jack gets the scallopini al barolo. Salads and baked spinach… and the house red. No one knows what it was but it was pretty darned good for 6 euros/litre! ;P

We all waddle home with smiles and happy tummies.

Tomorrow off to Florence!

Random Italian Cat number 3

I think this cat had a little too much wine last night…