A Walk from Spello to Spoleto

All continental breakfasts and 5 evening meals included. Food of the region is rustic, often called 'cucina povera'. The most typical pasta dish is Stongozzi, served with black truffles or a spicy tomato sauce, followed by simple grilled local meats and then a slice of pecorino cheese washed down with some superb wines. Sagrantino di Montefalco or red from Torgiano are just a sample. For a picnic lunch why not try the Umbrian staple, the porchetta sandwich - roast pig stuffed with herbs. Umbria represents Italian home cooking at its best and the region's cuisine reflects its landlocked location. The distinctive taste of the region's olive oil and black and white truffles flavour many of the dishes. The origins of many of the dishes derive from thrift, for example, bruschetta comes from toasting stale bread, covering it with olive oil and rubbing it with garlic. Similarly, crostini are thin slices of toast with a smear of pate, usually made from chicken liver, anchovies and capers. Cooked and cured meats also have a fantastic reputation in the region. You will get to try many of these famous and delicious antipasti, which will then be followed by a 'primo' (a first course). In Umbria this is usually a pasta dish oozing with flavour. Wild asaparagus is popular in the spring and truffles feature more strongly in autumn. Secondi (second course) will then follow, the Umbrian preference is for grilled meats. Rapidly grilled spatchcocked rabbit and guinea fowl remain favourites. Desserts do not feature strongly on the Umbrian menu, cheese is often the post dinner preference and you will find the option to dip them in oil or honey. Meal times are usually later throughout the day (08:00-10:00 for breakfast; 13:30-15:30 for lunch; 20:00-22:00 for dinner). Wine also has a strong history in this region. It has been produced in Umbria since Etruscan times, when vines were first planted. Possibly the most unusual wine of the region is the Vernaccia di Cannara, a desert wine which is unlike any other as it is red.