14/9/20: Why Trasimeno?

I thought by now I’d be able to share with you some information about the new location of Textile Holidays…..Italy – about our new home. Unfortunately, there’s been a hold up – as is often the case when moving house! – so I can’t do that just yet. Instead, I’m going to share some photos and my thoughts on this part of Italy, and why I love it so much.

I first visited Lake Trasimeno in summer 2006, on a coach tour of Italy. I immediately felt in love with the area and thought how wonderful it would be to live there one day. That following year, in July 2007, I bought a holiday cottage just outside the town of Castiglione del Lago – and that has been my favourite place on earth ever since… It’s in a small hamlet called Nardelli and always makes me think of the Oscar Wilde quotation: “Have nothing in your house that is not useful or beautiful”, because that’s pretty much summed up my little Umbrian Cottage…..until now, that is! Right now the second bedroom is crammed with boxes of my Textiles equipment and “special things: I didn’t want to put into storage. The under stairs store-room is similarly packed to the brim. Every drawer in the bedroom, every trunk, every inch of hanging space is used…..plus of course there are the two (large) dogs Pippa and Theo, and our cat, Lexie….plus of course myself and John! There’s no garden – it’s very typically Italian and the Italians here like to just grab a chair and sit outside and chat… So, it’s a bit awkward with the pets to say the least…hence we are buying a larger place in the vicinity.

The area is stunningly beautiful – there is the lake – the 4th largest in Italy – but also lots of little towns to visit, all with their own characteristics, plus the countryside is stunning. The foods, the wines of the area are delicious, then there are the buildings, the art, the churches, plus interesting shops, may selling artisan products.

It’s a wonderful area for someone interested in Textiles – Umbria has a real tradition of woven Textiles but there are also a couple of lacemaking museums, cashmere shops – and also for artists and writers; the views are truly breathtaking.

So, since I can’t sew – there’s not an inch of space! – while the move to the new house plods s-l-o-w-l-y forwards, I’ll tell you a little about my new home/area in the hope that I’ll inspire you to visit.

Today’s photograph has to be Lake Trasimeno…