Monday, March 12, 2012

Warm, Welcoming Pergola



Wood smoke. That is the first thing I noticed as we walked into the historical center of town. The smell of wood smoke always makes me think of winter holidays in the mountains.   It is a very inviting smell to me so I was happy.  We had finally made it to Pergola. Rome’s Termini Station was a nightmare. I couldn’t print our tickets at the self-service kiosk for some reason so that meant I got to stand in line. Once we got the tickets, they did not say what train, what platform or any distinguishing information what so ever. For those of you who are not familiar with Italy’s train system, your ticket says where you get on and where you are getting off. The train says WHERE IT IS GOING. If you are not familiar with the route or small, farm towns on the route, you are pretty much screwed.  This after the taxi drivers going on strike that morning so we had to lug all of our stuff almost a mile to the metro station and take the metro to Termini…all with a tired, cranky 2 year old who wanted to be carried, which by the way is impossible when you are wrestling with 2 44lb suitcases, 2 overstuffed carry-on bags, an umbrella stroller and a backpack filled with filthy stuffed animals and a “bankie”. We finally got our train and settled in. Thanks to our seat mate, we were able to be ready to get off on our stop with all of our stuff. Because let me tell you, you do not have much time to collect your things!  We then had about 30 minutes to wait for the BUS! Now, just a little side note, when I bought the train tickets on line, it seemed to me that they were TRAIN tickets all the way to Pergola. Once we got to Fabriano though we were told there is no train that goes to Pergola, just a bus. We were less than an hour from our destination and I was not happy. Turns out, the bus is really nice! It drops you in the middle of nowhere but hey, we are over fed, over pampered American’s, we could handle it!! Let me tell you, once we saw the first landmark that was on our map from the couple we were renting from, we were very happy.  Right after this is when I noticed the wood smoke and also the old, cobblestone streets. Yay!! We had finally made it! And it was what we were hoping for. An old, Italian town.

Our apartment was on the 2nd floor (3rd American) with great views of the side streets and flower shop. By this time it was almost 7 pm and we were tired and starving. We literally, dropped our bags and headed out the door to find a place to eat. We didn’t care what it was as long as it was food. Right up the road we found a pizza by the slice shop. The guy working the counter was very nice. We asked “English?” He laughed and said “NO”. So we learned how to say zucchini in Italian (zucchini J). They also had grande birra. They had good pizza and beer, we were happy. We scarfed down 6 pieces and a beer and headed home. As we left we could see the counter guy and the other customers watching us out the windows. I laughed and told Nathan that we were going to be the talk of the town. The town of Pergola knew we had arrived!


We woke to beautiful misty hills and lovely cobblestone streets. What a fabulous change from the dirty streets of Roma. The Girls favorite thing to do is stand on the balcony and listen to the church bells ring. There is a flower shop right on the corner from us and the old gentleman who helps run it waves to Naia and she yells “buon giorno” to him. Everyone loves The Girl! Every shop we go into she gets handed candy or bread or some kind of treat by the shop keeper. Our first lunch in Pergola was wonderful cured salami and a few different kinds of cheeses. We also had olives, fresh bread and pickled fish from the markets. We had Traminer too!! J That makes me very happy! I love Traminer but have always had to special order it through a wine shop or order it online. It is 10 euros a bottle here……..I believe I have paid no less than $25 a bottle in the states.




Our agenda was to wander the streets and get a feel for the town. The old part of town took us less than 1 hour to go through. There is a park for the girl to play in and plenty of old churches.  We went to another local restaurant for dinner. The pizza is OUT OF THIS WORLD!! What am I going to do when I leave and can’t have it again?!? Their house rosso vino is also very good. And it is 2.50 euros a half liter…..yeah, I know….CRAZY!!



Our second full day in Pergola started beautiful and sunny again. It was also Saturday and my 39th birthday. There is a Saturday market here where they shut down the entire main street and vendors set up shop. There were a lot of clothes and shoes. The Chef found a nice hat and The Girl found a moto rider that she had to have. There were also salumi & fromaggi trucks as well as a fish monger and produce trucks. Since most shops close on Sundays we stocked up on cheese, meats and produce before going home. Later we stopped at the baker and butcher as well. Oh yeah, we also hit the enoteca JThe best gift I received was my sweet girl coming in and telling me “happy birthday, mama” and getting a very big hug and kiss. The Chef and The Girl also got me a very nice necklace and earrings. The Chef  took The Girl to the park and I got almost 2 hours of quiet to just sit and read as well!! It was so nice.



When they came home they had a huge bouquet from Teresa’s Fiore on the corner. The Girl had a very sweet little bouquet that the gentleman in the shop made for her J When they walked in there was a friend of Liz’s (who’s apartment we are renting) in there. She is the English teacher we believe. She knew who The Chef was as soon as they walked in and said it was a good reason for everyone to practice their English J I told you we would be the talk of the town!! Everyone is so sweet and accommodating. I have realized that my sad little knowledge of Italian is very insufficient! Even the parole I know I do not recognize when spoken to me L I need total immersion!

 



Sunday in Italy is quiet. Everyone is going to church or already at church. Most shops are closed and the main street is pretty desolate. We took our normal morning walk around town and then pretty much stayed in and watched movies and read. A nice quiet day.






Another beautiful day in Pergola! The sun is shining and it is warmer than it has been since we have been here. The Chef took The Girl to the park while I sat at the internet café and checked email and had a glass of blanco vino. After that we stopped at the bakery and got some cibatta.







The Chef made wonderful caprese sandwiches with fresh buffalo mozzarella and the fresh bread we had just picked up. So good!! And of course we had a very nice Friuli with lunch. Having wine with lunch makes it a necessity to have a short nap. We then took our evening walk around town. I could get used to the Italian way of life J






We finally made it to the museum today. It is small but nice. They have quite a few paintings. There is also a whole section on the town of Pergola. The Gilded Bronzes are pretty cool. We were the only people there.





On our way home we stopped at Café Centrale for an espresso. It is our favorite place to stop. Not only do they have coffee but they are an enoteca as well. They also have gummy candies Naia loves. The couple that run it are sweet too. We then did our nightly walk around town.






As we passed Teresa’s flower shop, she saw us and came out to say hi. People are starting to recognize us and say hello J of course we leave day after tomorrow….we are not ready.   Pergola has made us fall in love with Italy.






I have fallen hard for the misty hills in the mornings, the ringing of church bells and the wonderful charm of opening the shutters in the morning and closing them in the evening.







Our last day in Pergola….sigh. We are not ready to leave. The people here are so welcoming! We had dinner at Osteria della Borgo one last time. The flatbread is incredible!  We also bought a bottle of Lemoncello to bring home. We are looking forward to seeing Venice but are sad to leave the warm, welcoming town of Pergola.





Pergola is beautiful, warm and incredibly inviting. The people are lovely, unpretentious and so very welcoming. Go and see for yourself.  http://visitpergola.com/



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