Market Day and Hanging Around Town

Last night we tried the second restaurant of the three in Panicale (Albergo Ristorante Masolino), and we had kind of "meh" experience. It's a cute little place, but the food was inconsistent. I had wanted to try the bruschetta with chick pea puree, and it was really good. So much lighter than hummus.

OK, I know it just looks like creamy gunk on bread, but trust me. It was good. Chick peas must be a specialty here because we see them in lots of soups and in other dishes. And, of course, panna cotta. No chick peas there. Yum.

Market day in each of the towns is always a big deal. Each town has a different day, and today the weekly market was in Tavernelle, a town about 3 miles from here. Not only do the locals buy everything from underwear to artichokes, but it's a huge social event. All the women stand in groups and chat while the men sit on benches nearby and hang out there. I was thinking it is sort of like if all my buddies back in Milwaukee gathered at Sendiks once a week at the same time and we all shopped together. We'd get our shopping done  eventually but there would be lot of non-productive stuff going on. Here's a few photos from the market today.

Two kinds of artichokes

The porchetta truck is always at the market. Wonderful slices of cooked pork.

In my sign-language Italian, I'm asking for the small tomatoes.

Typical Italian man shopping :)

Great flower selection. Think they will fit in my suitcase?

The rest of our day was spent hanging around Panicale, visiting a local vineyard, Greg buying stuff in jars, and taking a few photos.

Olive groves everywhere

We love old windows

And old doors

Wild tulips growing on the edge of town

Duel bells

Typical Panicale street (and yes, people drive here but not us!)

One of many cats in town

And one more.