If it’s Saturday, it’s Market Day!! After a coffee and light breakfast the six of us set out for Citta della Pieve, This quaint little hilltop town is about 15 minutes from Paciano. It is the birthplaces of the famous painter Perugino and some of his works can be seen in the main cathedral and other churches in the town.

The open market is held in the main piazza in the old town. There is free parking right outside the wall. The main buildings of the old town were built between the 13th and 16th century. The views are brilliant! Quaint shops and restaurants can be found all along our walk to the main piazza without it feeling “touristy”. The market is abuzz with activity, As in most outdoor markets, you can find almost anything. The wonderful smell coming from a particular vendor is tempting us to partake in a roasted pork sandwich!! Can you smell it?! Just fabulous. We enjoy a wonderful stroll, take in the views and loop back to the car.

Then we are off to the grand city of Perugia, about 45 minutes away. Perugia is the capital city of Umbria, and is one of the cultural, artistic and educational centers of Italy. Among its many events are The Eurochocolate Festival in Autumn and the Umbria Jazz Festival in July. Perugia also hosts a huge market every Saturday, at Pian di Massiano, The easiest way to get to the old city is to park here and use the “MiniMetro” – an automated people mover that is fast, clean and just plain fun! We park the car, do some more shopping, leave our goods in the car, and hop on the MiniMetro for the ten minute ride to the old city.

We take in the amazing view, before making our way to Piazza IV Novembre (originally called Piazza Grande, but renamed to celebrate the end of the first world war). The piazza is surrounded by some of the city’s most famous sights. We explore with our friends, including a stop at Café Sant’Ercolano… maybe there’s a football match on. One afternoon is not enough to truly experience Perugia; we look forward to a return trip.

We drive home and make dinner. Then off to Sosta – it’s Saturday night and the bar is bursting with people of all ages, coming and going from all over. Salute!!