travelswithalice

August 16, 2006

Perugia

The Brufani Hotel is housed in two medieval buildings located right across from the catacombs. We figured it was worth staying only because the hotel bar managed, even with difficulty and a lot of discussion, to make us sandwiches and coffee although we had not as yet decided to check in. The bar was closed that day except for hotel guests.

After the unbelievable disinterest at the Hotel Subasio, this felt like a hotel that cared about guests.

We were not disappointed. It is a beautiful and well-run hotel.

The heated underground pool sparkles green and blue under the vaulted stone ceiling. On the ground beside it is a fragment of the original Roman stone foundations under glass. The gym and spa are also below ground and all around feels mysterious and luxurious and decadent.

Perugia is an equally beautiful town that casts such a spell that even the tourists are nice. At the outdoor cafés, the only unwelcome guests are the pigeons scrounging for crumbs. It's a delight to walk through the narrow streets that climb steeply under ancient arches towards the center of town. No hawkers or beggars mar the passeggiata.

In the arcade above the catacombs, I bought two beautifully wrought silver rings set with blood-red carnelian stones. One for me and one for my sister Baby.

I just had two glasses of Montepulciano rosso at the Caffé Perugiana in a little square in front of an important looking building. I asked Felipe, our Argentinian waiter what building it was and he had to run inside the café to ask somebody. I wondered if we could have nuts or chips with our drinks.

I asked Felipe. He brought us two complementary plates of delicious bruschettas.

We’ll probably go to dinner at L’Opera, a little osteria we saw in a narrow lane behind the church as we walked back to our hotel. It was still closed but I stopped to read the menu posted at the door and the chef came out to say hello. I asked him what the “dentex” on the menu was. He said dentice is a kind of fish. I didn’t have to ask what “dreaded (sic) sea bass” is.

Stuart says we’ve got three restaurants to choose from, all housed in medieval buildings. I like this town, lucky Stuart decided to stay. It must have been what Rome and Florence looked and felt like to tourists of ages past.