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Well worth the visit

Photo: MONISH MUKHERJEE

appealing Perugia town with its ‘Big Fountain in the Centre’

Mi Piace Italia (Me peeache itaaleea) – means I love Italy. This was my third visit to the country in the last five years. The best possible way to see a country is to stay with the local people, get to know their culture and lifestyle and enjoy their food and wine. And head for the lesser known names. Generally people select places like Rome, Venice, Florence, etc., but they miss out on those not so frequented places in Italy.

I was in Perugia, a small but a picturesque town, the capital of the region of Umbria. Pronounced Peruja, it is a small hill station about two hours’ train ride from Rome’s termini station. The ticket is approximately 11 Euros one way (by regional train). Ask for the Treno Regionale.

Perugia is an old Etruscan City with attractions like the Historical Centre (Centro Storico), with a lot of Etruscan churches and arches.

The best way to see Perugia is to stay there for two days and walk around the town at a leisurely pace. At the Centre of Perugia is the Corso Vanucci. A walk down this road with its historical buildings, shops and cafés on both sides leading up to a fountain and the famous stairs of Perugia is always enthralling. A university town, it is buzzing with concerts, Jazz festivals, chocolate festivals, wine and food festivals, etc., all year round.

There are plenty of hotels ranging from 75 Euros to 200 Euros a night, but if you are bag packer type there are youth hostels too, like the one in the city centre that charges 12 Euros per night per person. The best thing about this hostel is that you can cook your own food in their large, well equipped kitchen. But I would say it’s a crime if you are there and do not taste the food at Perugia’s osterias, where you get to taste the best authentic Italian home food. A full three course meal with wine costs 13 to 15 Euros only. I have been to more than 30 cities in Italy, but Perugia has the best food, ice creams, pizzas, yoghurt and coffee. When in Perugia, the one thing you should not do is diet.

Another aspect of Perugia is its easy access to many beautiful places, such as Siena, Assisi, Orvieto, Florence, Ancona, Foligno and Arezzo, which are within one to two hours’ train ride. Being a university town it is cheaper than other cities and also is located in the heart of Italy.

MONISH MUKHERJEE

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