VISITING PIETRALUNGA AND TRUFFLE HUNTING 

This morning we rode the bus to truffle hunt. This was the craziest experience while here! We went to Giuliano Tartufi.  I was imagining that the dogs would hunt for the truffles, but not in the way that they did. 

We were introduced to the types of truffles and their seasons and then we were able to go out in the field with the two guides. 

They let the dogs out of the cages and then they raced around the woods smelling for the truffles. When they found them, they would either put them in their mouth and bring them back like a toy or start digging and we would go and dig them up. 

All the dogs that were finding the truffles were medium sided and they said the best breeds were labradoodles. 

We found three and then went back to the house to try some appetizers. This was such a unique experience because I have never heard of anyone doing something like this and it was crazy interesting! 

I don't think I have tried truffle before and it was a unique flavor. Almost like a rotten mushroom but somehow it was tasty. 

The chef made sone delicious pizza with truffles on it and some more appetizers. We had a bet to see how much the truffles weighed in grams. I guess crazy low and actually guessed correctly! I ended up winning a wineglass and the biggest truffle of the day to keep. It was actually a crazy cool experience. 

After this, we went to a town called Gubbio. It was a small town that surprisingly had a lot of families and children. 

We rode a cable car up the mountain to visit the hilltop Basilica di Sant'Ubald. I rode it up and down by myself and it was so exciting. For sure an experience I hope to never forget. At the top of mount Indigo, the church holds the remains of saint Gubbio. His shriveled body can be viewed at the center of the church. 

Something that I have really noticed is that almost every town has a Basilica in it, dedicated to a man that was influential in the religious founding of the town. This is so different than today's praise of a religious person. It is neat to see how much effort was put into creating a palace for the saints and the immense artistic talent. 

I just find it so interesting that people still go and burn incense to the person that they can physically see dead in front of them. It is such a weird experience because it seems so hopeless to me. However, I can appreciate the artistic beauty of the basilicas though! 

We ate dinner at the villa and got some of our first tiramisu! Very tasty!