The concept of “Slow Europe” has a number of benefits. One of the benefits we’ve come to cherish most is the idea of an “authentic” experience. Because we spend more time in a travel destination, we look for more things to do than visit the regular tourist venues. That digging deeper can yield experiences that are truly unique to your destination, making your destination special. These are the kinds of experiences you won’t find referenced in a Fodor’s or Frommer’s. Sometimes only the locals know about them, or maybe it’s only likely that you could know about them if you speak the language. We recently had a great example of an authentic experience.

When we took our recent group to Umbria, Italy, we stayed close to a small town called Bevagna. Bevagna is a very charming place, with some excellent restaurants, and a couple of sites for the tourist, but not a place you would normally expect to find something extraordinary.

We did know that we just missed the annual festival in Bevagna that celebrates the medieval crafts. The festival, Mercato delle Gaite, transforms Bevagna into a medieval bazaar with many crafts stalls, and contests in four categories: medieval market preparation, medieval works representation, food and wine preparation, archery tournament. There are four “neighborhoods” in Bevagna, each with their own ancient medieval craft workshop(s). These are called the four Gaites of the city and they all compete in the categories above.

What we didn’t know was that we could actually visit workshops that make their living year-round using the ancient medieval techniques to create paper, religious art, candles and silk thread. These tours were all fascinating, but the paper-making was truly impressive. When we entered the “workshop,” we were surprised by the size of the space, like a small warehouse in the United States. The “maestro” demonstrated each step of the process.

Making paper

First, cotton or linen cloth is collected into piles, then torn into smaller and smaller pieces, then cut on a blade to a size about 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch, and dumped into liquid to soak.

Making paper

Once soaked, the cloth/pulp is then mashed under a huge stone which is lifted using the power of a waterwheel and dropped again and again on the cloth. This process assures a “fine” pulp.

That pulp is then used to create a slurry, and a screen is lifted from the slurry to capture the paper pulp and let the liquid drain, which is the beginnings of the paper. A watermark is embossed showing the papermaker’s special emblem.

The final product

After pressing and drying, and more pressing and drying, the paper can be used.

Working full-time with this medieval process, only 500 8×10 pieces of paper can be made in a month! The paper is thick and beautiful. One use was embossing art on the paper, which when backlit, created what was a beautiful, three-dimensional piece of art.

Who knew such an authentic experience was available in Bevagna?

We saw medieval processes used to create rare and beautiful products for the 21st century. And we realized that only in one place, this place, was such an authentic experience available.

When you slow down your travel, the opportunities for authentic experiences increase, which means your travel experience is richer, more memorable, and certainly more enjoyable.

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Palma Hansen is an Italian-American who enjoys cooking, music, art, and all things Italian. She and her husband, Brad, have been exploring and enjoying Italy travel since 2001. They live and work in Palm Desert, California, and are looking forward to sharing their love of Umbria with travelers who want to experience the wonders of Italy in a slow, personal, and casual way.

We spent the first two weeks of July in bella Umbria, 10 days with our guests of Palmabella’s Italy. Umbria is the in the center, or “the heart” of Italy with Tuscany to the west, and Le Marche to the east. Our group visited a total of nine lovely Umbrian towns, ate and drank wonderful food and wine, and enjoyed the warm, sunny weather. One of the definite highlights of the trip was being surrounded by sunflower fields in full bloom.  

In Italian, sunflowers are called “girasole”, meaning turn toward the sun. It is one of the amazing things about a sunflower. As the young seedling is very small, it finds the rising sun in the east, and as it emerges from the soil, it establishes itself to face that direction throughout its lifetime. This ability gave it the beautiful name of “sunturner.”

These bright, happy flowers also produce a cash crop: sunflower oil, which is obtained by extracting oil from the “seedy center” of the flower itself. Sunflower oil can then be used as a cooking oil, as a base oil for use in massage or aromatherapy products, or in the production of margarine and biodiesel automobile fuel. Sunflower oil is less expensive than olive oil, though obviously not as popular for cooking in Italy.

The sunflowers in Italy are usually at their best in early-to-mid July. As you drive in Umbria or Tuscany at that time of the year, you will see many different kinds of yellow highlights in the scenery. As the flowers mature, the yellows become more and more intense. During our two weeks in Umbria, we enjoyed this experience immensely. 

Each day, as we set out for a new adventure, we seemed to pass new sunflower fields at every turn of the road. When we could find a reasonable turnoff, we often stopped to take a picture. As part of our small-group tour, we made a couple of intentional sunflower photo runs to particularly stunning spots for guests to take their 2009 holiday card shots. We couldn’t seem to get enough. These wonderful flowers seem to smile at you, and certainly made us smile back.

The needs of a “girasole” are really quite simple. They like full sun, fertile soil, and a good watering after they are planted. No wonder one sees so many fields of these smiling “faces.” A hillside of sunflowers, with neighboring ripening grapevines, and/or an orchard of olive trees, creates a spectacular landscape. Add a blue sky and some big puffy white clouds, and…you must be in Umbria in July.                                                                                   *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Palma Hansen is an Italian-American who enjoys cooking, music, art, and all things Italian. She and her husband, Brad, have been exploring and enjoying Italy travel since 2001. They live and work in Palm Desert, California, and are looking forward to sharing their love of Umbria with travelers who want to experience the wonders of Italy in a slow, personal, and casual way.

Want to know Italy? Try  a slow stroll through the local market for an authentic experience!

One of the ways that we feel we connect to the “real Italy” is visiting the local market. In the smaller towns, there’s a weekly market day when vendors come into town, set up their stalls, and spend the morning hawking their wares to the local population. The locals show up throughout the market hours, some with small wire carts to hold their purchases and allow them to carry more home, others with very specific intentions: this vegetable vendor, that cheese vendor, a little meat from their favorite traveling butcher, and others just to browse and see what’s new from last week.

The major cities have their markets as well, but they are permanent. In Firenze, there is the Mercato Centrale in the San Lorenzo district. This is a large building, and is full of food vendors, with a little bit of everything, from veggies

To snouts!:

Cow faces at Mercato Centrale

If you’ve been over the Rialto Bridge in Venice, you’ve probably seen the market on one end. The vegetables and fresh fish are one of the most colorful photo ops in Venezia! In Rome, the Campo di Fiori is all about flowers and food, and sets up every day but Sunday, only to be vacated by mid-afternoon and returning to a lovely piazza, perfect for a latte or glass of wine and people-watching.

Flower stands at Campo Dei Fiori

While the “big city” markets are great, it’s the smaller towns’ markets that are fun. We’ve purchased a beautiful copper-bottomed pizza pan in Acqui Termi in Piemonte, we bought shoes when the ones we were wearing were  uncomfortable (Lerici in Liguria); we bought food for snacking and food to cook a meal (all over Italy), we purchased Pashmina shawls in Florence for gifts for 8 euros each ($60 to $100 in the U.S.), tablecloths in Viareggio, and spent many more hours just enjoying browsing the beautiful and creative displays the vendors offer.  One of our favorite purchases was in Cortona, and we will be reliving the experience when we bring our Palmabela’s Italy group there in July. That purchase was our first porchetta sandwiches from a porchetta truck, and they were/are unforgettably delicious. What better way to celebrate July 4 in Italy than with a little picnic in Cortona! With our group, we’ll also try to make the market in Montefalco (Umbria), which carries everything from tools to tomatoes, and brings locals from neighboring towns.

Porchetta truck

Many Americans are “going green” and purchasing local products from local growers. Italians have always done this. Going to the local market in Italy is a great way to sample Italian life, because it is an essential part of Italian life. The markets provide so many things: from clothing to food to tools to electronics at reasonable prices. But what the markets really provide is an opportunity for you to experience “real Italy” in an easy, intimate, and inexpensive way.

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Palma Hansen is an Italian-American who enjoys cooking, music, art, and all things Italian. She and her husband, Brad, have been exploring and enjoying Italy travel since 2001. They live and work in Palm Desert, California, and are looking forward to sharing their love of Umbria with travelers who want to experience the wonders of Italy in a slow, personal, and casual way.

Our first visit to Italy was anything but SLOW! We spent 21 days in nine cities, a whirlwind trip from Lake Garda to the Amalfi coast. Without the photos, I would barely remember where we went! The good news: it was the beginning of a love affair with Italia. We returned two years later, and slowed down some, but again, spent too much time in our rental car, and covered many, many kilometers.

Our Italian romance continued, with a little more time to settle into an area, find a favorite café, and build more time to relax into our itinerary. When I think of our relationship with Italy, the metaphor of “falling in love” seems to fit. Our first trip together in 2001 was like introducing my husband, Brad, to a friend. I grew up in an Italian family, and lived a very Italian lifestyle as a child. I cook Italian food, speak the language conversationally, and understand much about the culture.

We “flirted” our way around Italy, like a tasting menu; after sampling, we wanted and needed more. On subsequent trips, we began really getting to know a few regions, and building an “intimacy” with a few of our favorite areas. We learned the foods and wines of these regions, and saw examples of different architectural styles, different landscapes, and heard different dialects. We were hooked! We went from a trip every other year to trying to get to Italy at least once and sometimes twice a year. 

We now have a deep commitment to our relationship with Italy, and “living Italian” when we are at home. Besides the food, wine, and scenery, the joy for us is the Italian people and their warmth, pride, sense of family, and gusto for life. Many tours miss the opportunity to mingle with the locals and bring travelers to out-of-the-way places.

After several trips, we realized we needed to spend more time in each area we visited. Knowing we would be back, we didn’t have to “do it all” on each journey. We discovered the satisfaction and enjoyment of thoroughly exploring one area at a time and getting away from throngs of tourists. In 2005 we joined Slow Travel and found a like-minded community of travelers, extraordinary resources, and lasting friendships. We also learned to stay in apartments or vacation rentals as part of our travel experience. We love to explore new neighborhoods, eat local foods, try local wines, and recreate regional dishes when we get home.

We have traveled to Italy several times with friends. We enjoy a combination of favorite places and new adventures, and have now explored 11 of Italy’s 20 regions. We love the planning, the discovery, and sharing with others. Because of our annual trips, correspondence, and many get-togethers, we have made welcoming friends all over Italy. They have become another wonderful resource when planning our travels. The couples we have traveled with have left all the details to us. We have taken them to places they never would have found on their own. We have helped them to experience “our Italy.”

Last year we did some cooking for 18 travelers on Gail’s Great Escapes, becoming an additional resource of local information and “how to’s” for the guests sharing the villa that week. Given the positive experiences of our friends, of Gail’s guests, of fellow Slow Travelers, and our desire to share the wonders of Italy as often as possible, the natural next step was to start our own small group tour to Italy, the first of which occurs this July. You can read more about it on our website, Palmabella’s Italy.  For details of our travels in Italy, see Palma’s blog, Palmabella’s Passions.

We think Slow Travel Tours is a great resource. We have personally met many of the people, and have found them real, sincere, and incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable about sharing the joy they find in travel with others. We are honored and privileged to be among them.

Palma Hansen is an Italian-American who enjoys cooking, music, art, and all things Italian.  She and her husband, Brad, have been exploring and enjoying Italy travel since 2001.  They live and work in Palm Desert, California, and are looking forward to sharing their love of Umbria with travelers who want to experience the wonders of Italy in a slow, personal, and casual way.