Group holiday in Norcia, Italy
Walking in the Sibellini Mountains, 29 May to 5 June 2010

Most of the Birmingham Group arrived at the Grotta Azzurra Hotel in the small historic town of Norcia by the early morning of the 30th of June.

Throughout most of our stay, the weather was gorgeous, blue sky and mostly quite hot down in the Valley. Once we were bussed into the mountains, where it was cooler, walking and having a look at the landscape with the most beautiful flowers one could imagine, was gorgeous. Many of the Birmingham Ramblers took photos.
Norcia itself is an interesting town within its encircling walls, with shops selling unusual edibles, such as boar meat, truffles, sheep and goats cheese and all sorts of sweetmeats. Many shops sported a huge boar's head above the door, one shop near the hotel had a big black truffle sitting on a chair outside. Elsewhere bags of beautifully wrapped lentils were on show.

Four levels of walk were provided: a 'hard - hard', one, an easier hard one, a harder easier one and an 'easy - easy walk, which, as the principal walks leader said, aimed at providing 'leisurely enjoyment'. Some of us went wild, taking photos of everything and sundry.


The first day, we went on a short walk; the coach took us only a little higher than Norcia itself, as people were still rather tired from their journey. But even at that altitude there were many gorgeous flowers, just look at the view of this poppy field! On the Monday the coach took us up to the edge of the Piano Grande plateau. The walk went along the rim, where we had the chance of taking photos of flowers such as the bright blue gentians, creamy white narcissus, arnica and many, many others, clumps of purple and pink - Click for a gallery of mountain flowers.
Later, when we walked down to the smaller plateau at the east side, the Piano Piccolo, the weather began to turn cold, with a high wind and icy cold flurries of rain. We were glad to reach the village of Casteluccio, sitting on its own hill above the plateau, where we could get out of the rain and into a bar. In the plain below the village, lentils is the main crop, some fields just beginning to turn yellow from the flowering plants.

The Wednesday was our day off, we were given a choice of going to Assisi or Spoleto, or remaining in Norcia, where people could go swimming in the pool at the sister hotel, taking walks around the town or lazying in the square, eating ice cream or drinking beer.
On the last day we went on a walk visiting several very attractive villages in the Castoriana Valley, including Pie la Rocca, Capo del Colle and Campi Vecchio. In more than one village some of the houses sported somewhat faded frescos of religious scenes. There was also an opportunity, after crossing an old Roman bridge, to visit the beautiful abbey of St. Eutzio, with its high tower and tranquil gardens.

The staff at the hotel Grotta Azzurra looked after us extremely well The evening meal consisted of five courses, with a first course which on one occasion had some bits of salad on top, which we identified as dandelion leaves. This tended to be followed by a large portions of pasta, then a dish of some sort of beans, then meat or fish, and a pastry for afters. Wine and bottled water were provided free. Some members of the Group were allocated a room with a little balcony which gave them a view of the Sibellini Mountains, while other said they had rooms with only a small window and little space, except for the beds. However, the hotel was originally a granary before becoming a hotel in 1850 and all the rooms were different, with no two having exactly the same layout!

We all had a wonderful holiday with the most contrasting landscapes and variety of walks. Our thanks to the four HF leaders, who designed the walks and to our own Libby Hunt for organising the holiday. And when we left, we all received our own individual bag of Castelluccio lentils.


by
Wiebina Heesterman
&
Dave Sutton