Follow me as I journey from the southern tip of Italy’s Puglia region all the way up to the Trento Alps. I’ll be focusing on budget-friendly travel, and I’ll rarely use a car. Along the way I’ll sample traditional foods, visit lesser-known ruins and cities, sample excellent wines, and visit local cooking schools, the entire two months living out of a backpack…

Day 32
Two nights ago, the night before wine tasting in Montefalco, my girlfriend and I decided to try out the Pian di Boccio Restaurant , which features delicious house-made specialties. Pian di Boccio makes its own olive oil and jars 13 varieties of marinated fruit and vegetables. The house antipasto allowed us to sample several of their offerings, including an excellent marinated eggplant with just the right amount of vinegar. Crostini came with a delicious pepper jelly and a fresh cheese. One crostino was absolutely sopped with the house-made olive oil.

For the main course, I tried lasagna with asparagus. The noodles were fresh and the béchamel sauce was delicate. The entire dish exuded freshness. Kristin ordered spaghetti with pesto, which was definitely delicious, but the pesto tasted frozen. I don’t mind frozen pesto, but the lasagna was clearly superior.
Strolling around the Pian di Boccio grounds before dinner came with a few surprises. Besides olive and fruit trees, there’s a menagerie with exotic birds, including peacocks, and a few very cute baby goats. Pian di Boccio also runs an agriturismo, which is located in a private area separate from the camping.

The meaning of the term “agriturismo” is hard to pinpoint, and has often left me wondering: What is an agriturismo? This is because every agriturismo is different. Most are located in the countryside and produce their own culinary products, such as olive oil and wine. The primary advantage of staying in an agriturismo is that it offers foreigners a way to experience the countryside. They are often inexpensive and connect visitors with local foods.

In the case of Agriturismo Belsito Pian di Boccio,  expansive views of the rolling hills and twilight walks among olive trees are offered, not to mention the baby goats. During my walk I noted that free-standing, wood-burning grills come with each room. I would love to cook on one of those with local ingredients.

I’m back in civilization now, in the city of Perugia, and I’m going out to learn more about its traditional foods. My next post will focus on this university town and its cuisine.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman