Marvelllous Montefalco (Umbria)

Salve from www.italybestsecrets.com!
First stop today is Montefalco, a jewel of a town in the heart of Umbria, the green heart of Italy. The countryside is absolutely stunning, with banks of beautiful green olive trees, some with gnarled trunks, and upward growing leaves, also fields of corn, potatoes and tobacco. The roads leading to the hilltops are the same as they were 30 years ago, except now there are more international travellers in this area - American, Dutch, English, Swiss - were some of the accents we encountered. We were all here to visit the Montefalco Wine Festival celebrating the annual harvest of Sagrantino, the famous local grape. We decide to attend a vertical wine tasting in the afternoon and a music and dance event in the Saint Francis museum in the evening, followed by a light dinner at the wine bar Alchimista right in the main square. The atmosphere in town is lively, the only sadness is that we cannot attend the main street festival on Sunday when wine, various local dishes including beans and sweets are offered free to everyone. We lodge at Villa Mustafa', a gorgeous country villa, taking its name from the musician Domenico Mustafa', born in Umbria, who was the resident lyric vocalist at the Sistine Chapel. Giuseppe Verdi was his contemporary. We enter the property via an ancient stone gate, and proceed along a white gravel road, surrounded by luminous olive and fruit trees. The hosts are warm and friendly and most hospitable. The decor is lovely, with soft pastel colours and old family photos. In the distance you can see Gualdo Cattaneo. The nights are very quiet and we are woken up by the rooster and birds chirping away. The day after we proceed to Viterbo, and it's warm and sunny. On the way we have a short stop in the village of Bagnaia, the entry point to one of Italy's wonderful villa gardens, Villa Lante. Viterbo is just 5 kms away, where we meet up with our friends from Claremont, Western Australia. To beat the jetlag we take our friends to the thermal baths Terme dei Papi, and this works a treat, all our sore backs and necks are gone! The reason we are in Viterbo is to attend a Baroque Concert in the Duomo, featuring the European Chamber Orchestra with guest artists Sir James and Lady Galway. Before the concert we enjoy a pizza alfresco in the old part of town. Standing ovation for the musicians and the Galways of course. The accommodation is in a modern agriturismo 5 kms from town. We depart the next day, heading towards Terracina, via Valmontone Outlet Centre for a spot of shopping, arriving at this coastal town in the afternoon. The next day we visit the island of Ponza, with a package including the ferry to the island, a short island cruise and lunch. We loved Frontone Beach, lying on the hot stones and enjoying the sunshine and scenery. We stay at Villa Ida, a country B and B, with friendly hosts, panoramic views of Terracina and the bay beyond. The town has several Roman archeological sites, part of the old Appian Way. The food specialities we tried include Prosciutto di Bassiano and Moscato di Terracina, both sensational at the Trattoria Olmata. Today we are off to Pollica, in the Cilento National Park. Ciao for now, baci, Christina and Giuseppe.