Day One in Assisi

PART 2:  Day One in Assisi

The ride from the train station up the hill is on a tree-lined divided road that gives beautiful views of the Spoleto Valley.  It goes below the Basilica of San Francesco making several stops at hotels outside the city walls.  Our ride ended at Plaza Matteotti, inside the walls, and close to our hotel, La Pallotta.  

The bus driver knew our hotel and pointed us to Via Torrione.  According to our Rick Steves map we should follow V Torrione until we get to Piazza Rufino then follow Via San Rufino to #6.  We started walking, and,  hey, it’s all downhill.  

We found Via San Rufino, but not #6.  We asked a man who is closing his shop where our hotel is and he points straight up.  We are 20 feet from the steps that lead up to La Pellotta which is on the second floor, right over our heads.  

  

We climb the stairs, ring the bell, and Serena answers.  We introduce ourselves, and she is expecting us. Nessun problema – no problemo.  The reservations we made in May and confirmed a month ago are still there.  We have a place to stay: a clean room with tile floors with a fine view of the street below.  And if we  go up a floor, there is a marvelous view of the Spoleto Valley and the tiled roofs of Assisi. La Pellotta is really a B and B, with seven rooms, a breakfast room with four tables, and coffee and pastries that are available all day.  The pastries are home baked tarts and pies.

We were supposed to meet Bonnie’s brother Joe for dinner at 7:00.  He was on the last 2 days of a month’s stay in Assisi teaching theology and leading pilgrimages.  He comes to Assisi twice a year and knows it inside and out.  Joe took us to one of his favorites, Ristorante Metastasio, about a 20 minute walk from the hotel.  We sat outside with a beautiful view of the Spoleto Valley at sunset.  It was too dark to get a good picture so I have inserted one from their website.   

The food was as good as the view.  I had wild boar (cinghiale) with strangozzi.  Bonnie had pasta with salmon and zucchini.  Strangozzi, according to Joe, is a handmade pasta that is popular in Umbria (Assisi’s province).  It looks like fat coarse spaghetti.  I found out later that the coarseness is a result of using more than one type of flour, which causes the sauce to stick to the pasta rather that sliding off it, and that intensifies the flavor.  It was definitely a different class of pasta.  When we went to Siena a few days later, I had pici, which is the signature pasta of Tuscany. In appearance, taste and texture pici seems the same as strangozzi.  I ended up eating pici – strangozzi with wild boar three nights out of five.  It’s good!    

If you are keeping score, Tripadvisor ranks Metastacio as #8 of 111 restaurants in Assisi.  It’s a fine dining experience:  great view, fine food, and attentive service.  What’s more to want?