Thankfully the distance between Montecatini-Terme and Saragano, Umbria, wasn't all that big. A direct 229 km, so we decided to visit one town along the way first. We couldn't even get into our hotel room in Umbria until after 3 PM anyway. After a solid stretch of driving, we arrived in Orvieto.

Orvieto

Based on our travel guide, ANWB extra Umbria, I wanted to visit Orvieto, and that was only confirmed once I started looking up information online. What drew me in? The city has existed, and been inhabited, for an incredibly long time, dating back to 800 BC. That was the time of the Etruscans. Thanks to an alliance with the Germans, this city stayed remarkably well preserved through both wars. Because of that there are still a lot of authentic sights and gorgeous Etruscan art to admire. We also went mainly for the ancient sites you can still see underground. You can book a really interesting (and cool) tour through it!

When we arrived, we gambled on driving straight up for parking. You can also park "below" the city (Orvieto sits on a tuff plateau) and then take the funicular up. Parking worked out, since it was Sunday. We didn't have another option, but visiting Orvieto on a Sunday isn't ideal. A lot in the centre isn't open then. Most sights are, sometimes with limited hours, and so are the restaurants and cafes. Just definitely not everything, so the atmosphere is a bit different. Because of that it was actually a bit quieter for us!
If you're nearby or driving past, Orvieto is genuinely worth it. The cathedral is gorgeous, and the underground tour is really interesting. You get a clear glimpse into the city's past.

Aethos Saragano

Somewhere among the green hills of Umbria lies the village of Saragano. Don't picture shops and streets here. No, a handful of old houses all pressed up against each other, on a hill, overlooking a green valley. The rooms of the hotel Aethos Saragano are spread out across this little village. We were, for example, in a building with about four other rooms, but the building right next to ours was just lived in by locals. For an impression of this, their Insta and their own website are genuinely worth a look. On arrival we were helped with parking by a staff member who was just heading home, and pointed towards the right spot at reception. There we checked in, and were taken to our room by an incredibly welcoming Italian woman.

The view was genuinely fantastic. It did take a bit of getting used to the (closet) space, but other than that, everything was taken care of down to the last detail and incredibly comfortable. Once we'd settled in, we went down to check out the pool and explore the hotel a bit.
Breakfast was included. It wasn't a buffet, but you got a selection of food served at your table. As far as we were concerned, it was plenty, and definitely high quality too. Lunch and dinner weren't included. It was possible to book both at the restaurant though. The restaurant can also be booked if you're not a guest. We never did lunch there, since we were usually out and about, or made do with sandwiches Jesse picked up nearby with the car. We did do dinner there roughly every other day. Not much choice, but high quality.
To reach the pool you had to walk down. A gorgeous, peaceful spot with a constant gentle, cooling breeze.

Truffle hunting in Umbria

One of the days I looked forward to most out of the entire trip. Because it was my birthday? No, but it was because, for my birthday (a gift from Jesse), we went truffle hunting in the forests of Umbria. It was first a good hour's drive, and the last stretch was a challenge. It went uphill, narrow, steep, wooded, and with poor road surfacing. We'd been asked to wait by a small church, and from there we had to follow a pickup truck to a farm. My excitement started right there at the farm. Dogs everywhere, cats everywhere, goats roaming freely, a pig in the corner, what a scene. In a reception area we got an explanation about the farm, the family, and what we'd be doing that day. In total we set off with six people, a pair of Americans who still had jet lag, Jesse and me, Lucca who trains the truffle dogs, and our English-speaking guide who'd emigrated from New Zealand.

Into the forest

With two pickup trucks we headed up, into the forest. In the truck bed, three dogs waited impatiently for our arrival in the forest. Once at the top, in the shade and much cooler, the dogs were let loose. Truffle hunting, then, is done with dogs. These dogs smell out the truffles, start digging, pick the truffle up in their mouth, and proudly bring it to the 'truffle hunter'. As a reward, they get a piece of a biscuit. Then they run off happily again, in search of the next truffle. No joke, roughly every two minutes one of the dogs would bring us a truffle. Sometimes we had to help by digging, and then it's genuinely a job to hold the dog back too. They get so excited that helping out becomes pretty tricky.

After walking around the forest for a while, we went to weigh the truffles and paid a visit to the shepherd with the flock of sheep. Genuinely impressive. The flock is guarded 24/7 by dogs wearing enormous spikes on their collars. Why? Against the wolves. Every week the dogs have a physical confrontation with one or more wolves. I was really impressed by that! At that spot we were given a little snack, namely prosecco and scrambled eggs with fresh truffle. So there I was, sitting on top of a hill, in Umbria, among dogs and sheep, eating my scrambled eggs with truffle and prosecco in my other hand. How else could you possibly spend your birthday? I don't know.

As if that wasn't enough already, at the farm we got a demonstration of fresh pasta making, and were then served a three-course lunch. Lunch, at 4 PM, yes, and three courses, yes. In Umbria, anything goes. What a taste of authentic Italian indulgence this was.

Assisi

The second "big" undertaking of our week in Umbria. We went to the city of Assisi, once again incredibly picturesque, perched on a mountain. We headed there early, since I already knew from various sources that it was a large and busy city. This time we parked below the city and walked up. Pretty quickly we ended up on a really lovely street, and we already spotted the first church. What we also spotted were a lot of people. Especially a lot of people who were clearly dressed in religious attire! So we pulled out our best friend Google. Turns out Assisi is a really popular pilgrimage site, since the tomb of Saint Francis is located here, with a gorgeous basilica built right on top of it. The Basilica of San Francesco is actually on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
At the local tourist information office we bought a really clear map for a euro, showing all the sights (mostly churches), and set off. It's genuinely a gorgeous city, with charming little shops, narrow streets and stunning churches. A really special place to visit. Genuinely impressive, I'd say.

The closing applause for Umbria

Planning a trip to Italy? Then consider heading to Umbria. It's genuinely completely different from the touristy areas, like Lake Garda or Tuscany. In my view, this is where you can still find truly authentic and charming Italy. The roads, and because of that the travel time, take some getting used to. It also takes some getting used to how closely they still stick to the Italian rhythm of life here. It does force you to relax though, and ultimately, as far as I'm concerned, gives you the ultimate holiday feeling. Getting up early to go do something, a leisurely (late and warm) lunch, an afternoon nap in the shade by the pool, then showering and changing to stroll around before dinner. The towns and villages are each brimming with history and atmosphere, you can still get dessert for 5 euros, and there's a real chance you won't run into a single English-speaking Italian all day. Let yourself be immersed in the medieval towns, the old cathedrals, the rich history, the welcoming Italians, the delicious wine, and the flavourful food.