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The Sydney Morning Herald publishes on the Australian daily paper of Saturday November 21 1998, (and on line
www.smh.com.au/travel/9811/21/travel1.html), a report by Monique Farmer:
"Uncovering Umbria" (With beautiful scenery, unspoiled
medieval villages and hearty country fare, this Italian backwater offers
an ideal driving holiday, writes MONIQUE FARMER). In to describe the trip to Umbria, the author writes:«...Back
above ground, the terracotta-hued town was crammed with shops selling
religious paraphernalia and overpriced bottles of water and soft drink.
We deliberately avoided the crowds and found ourselves in a small open
market selling fragrant stone fruits and the fattest grapes imaginable.
Nearby was a well-stocked deli called Bottega del Bongustaio which had a
mouth-watering window display of local truffle products. A picnic lunch
suddenly seemed preferable to another restaurant meal, so we went inside
and began gathering the basics - paper plates, plastic knives, bottles
of water and so on. The
owner, Eugenio Gambacorta, noticed our indecision at the display of
cheeses and cold meats and offered, in perfect English, to make up a
selection. His choices were exceptional - finocchiona (fennel-flavoured
pure pork salami), capocollo (pork cold meat aged for more than 90
days), boar meat salami, prosciutto, some local cheeses and a loaf of
brown bread. As we
handed over 34,000 lire we told him of our picnic plans and, with a
flourish, Gambacorta presented us with two new plastic cups. He was so
friendly and helpful that he even emerged from the shop to point out a
park at the end of the street. "I
send my meats and cheeses all over the world ... you can order through
my Web site," he said by way of farewell, proudly rattling off the
address (see Case Notes)».
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