More Of Umbria

Because Kim and Bill's time in Umbria was so short we tried to maximize every moment.  Our first day together was spent in Orvieto, my favorite Umbrian town, included a fabulous lunch, then a visit to Todi.  The day ended with our arrival at La Locanda del Tramonto Infinito where Kim and Bill experienced the love, warmth and generosity of the Italian culture.  They instantly became part of our extended Umbrian family, and we wanted to make sure that this experience continued.

My previous post was about our morning in Deruta, visiting Tassi Ceramiche.  There we experienced warmth and generosity from Marco and Valeria, and although brief, I think during our time there we made friends for life.

We wanted to continue the Umbrian experience with as much tradition as we could, so we stopped for lunch at il Testone in Santa Maria degli Angeli. Il Testone is known for their torta al testo, a flat bread made on a hot griddle, cooked over hot coals.  Hot coals are also placed on top of the torta to ensure even cooking, then quickly brushed off when the bread is ready.  A raging fire provides a continuous supply of hot coals, as seen here:

 

The hot, flat bread is cut into wedges, then sliced horizontally and filled with meats and/or vegetables.  I think the most traditional filling for torta al testo is grilled sausage and cooked spinach, but there are many, many options, including prosciutto, which is what Bill chose.  And yes, when you're in Italy, is really IS all about the food.  And the wine.  And the people.