From Pienza we headed to Lago Trasimeno in Umbria. We free camped by the lake in different locations for the next two nights.
One of those nights we treated ourselves to an excellent meal at La Maria. The place felt very authentic, the food mouth watering and very well priced. Ordering the food however, was not an easy task for a foreigner.
It took a bit of hanging around and observing to workout the system. There were two counters, both swarming with Italians. We had to take a ticket and wait until our number was displayed on a light board. Then, push into one of the counters to place the order. The choice was mind staggering. We didn’t know what anything was called and there wasn’t a menu you could point your finger at. Luckily the one of the girls at the counter understood a just enough English, which combined with a few hand gestures, got us the food ordered. We choose: a stake on the bone cooked on firewood grill with a sausage, plate of calamari, a deep fried medley of goodness (such as seafood, basil and cauliflower), a portion of chips and a salad. Our tray of food was then passed on to the second counter and we followed, not taking our eyes off it, like a pair of hungry dogs. There we ordered a couple of beers and paid the surprisingly low bill. Finally, the feast took place around one of the outside tables and it was, without a doubt, the best meal we had in Italy. Unfortunately by the time we got the food we were so absorbed in it that we forgot to take a picture before it was all gone….