Gubbio

Muesli with fresh strawberries taste so good after impatiently waiting in bed for the breakfast room to be open for use. Juicy sweet strawberries, not the plastic imposters sold in Australia. Even the coffee from the espresso vending machine is fair. I can hear the sound of beans being ground after putting in 0.50 €. I think the Italians, with their experience of lost empires, faded glories and disorganised public life, understand that the only happiness that matters is a human one.

I can't sit around moping; hostelers must quit the premises during the day so I might as well get some sightseeing done. So the plan is to visit the local covered market and then the open air flea market in the town square. Then to visit Gubbio, another hill town nearby.

The covered market is desultory, but I learn from this sign that Italians are not adverse to eating horse meat.

The flea market is more interesting. I wonder at how many markets this seller has to load and unload the jukebox before it's sold.

It is actually possible to go between the upper and lower city on foot without much fatigue. There is a chain of public escalators inside one side of the hill. About 20 minutes walking finds me down in the bus station.

A couple of hours later I am in Gubbio. The TV series Don Matteo, featuring a priest who is also a sleuth, is set in this parish. This palazzo is instantly recognisable to followers of the series. But the town doesn't seem to cash in on the connection; I saw no Don Matteo memorabilia for sale. Older claims to fame include the annual Corsa dei Ceri in May where statues of saints mounted on huge wooden prisms are raced through the streets by teams of devotees; and the legend of the Wolf of Gubbio, tamed by St. Francis of Assisi. Assisi and Spoleto, which annually hosts a world-renowned cultural festival, are two other hill towns of Umbria that I would have loved to visit had I more time.

The ancient narrow streets of Gubbio are very atmospheric. It's a good place to get a feel for living surrounded by medieval architecture. But the town is also not lacking in modern delights like a pizza parlour where I had a very affordable lunch.

There are also ruins of a Roman amphitheatre outside the city.

On my return to Perugia, I walk through the escalator passage again and there is a Dite Cheese (Say Cheese) festival going. This stall is offering ice cheese, analogous to ice cream. I didn't try it. Maybe I should have.

The streets are full of people enjoying the evening air as it's the second day of a long weekend.

Unfortunately there is no joy for me at the hostel; there is no sign of my backpack. Sob.