This walk begins and ends at the lower bar. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO OF THE WALK
The Second in the Series, ‘Walks from Castel Rigone’.
Love walking? Love photography? Love sketching?
This second walk is just perfect!
It’s one of the shortest, easiest and prettiest whatever the season.
It’s also a fun walks with kids because they will have fun watching butterflies, collecting fir cones, looking for figs and blackberries and there are usually lots of lizards skittering about in the undergrowth.
For more on Castel Rigone and the other towns and villages around the lake plus fun sightseeing videos for kids, look at the Playlist, I SPY TRASIMENO WITH LIZZIE WITCH on my channel: The Jumble Fun Channel
Look out for this booklet at Information Centres, bars and hotels.
Festa dei Barbari
Today was the last day of our annual festa in Castel Rigone. Festa dei Barbari.
We enjoy all the festivals but this is our favourite. It’s not just because Jumble House is in Castel Rigone. It’s because it is so much FUN especially on the Sunday when the events start at 5’o clock.
For four days there is a market which winds its way through the quaint little streets and every evening feasting in the piazza with music, jousting and entertainment. There’s lots of great things to buy but also you can have a go at archery and see how weapons were made.
On the last day (always the first Sunday in August) there is this great costume parade through the village, right past Jumble House! This is followed by the ‘palio’ or challenge which does change. Then followers the feasting, really weird music, fun jousting and fire-eaters and lots of other things. We really enjoy the food and it’s always fun watching the wine being pumped out of these things that look like giant weed killers!
Why do we have this festival? Well, a very long time ago the village was attacked by the barbarians (the Ostogoths). The lieutenant was called Riggo. That is where the name of the village come from. The festa is a re-enactment of the barbarian invasion and it’s great fun!
We hope you will enjoy this video of the procession: Festa dei Barbari. Castel Rigone.
Happy New Year
A post for very little ones.
Georgie Jumble sees in the New Yeas in Singapore and then visits Lizzie Witch at Jumble House in Italy. Lizxie is very agitated because there is a lot of noise!
Georgie visits Passignano.
Passignano with Georgie Jumble
Yesterday Georgie spent the morning in Passignano, a town on the shores of Lake Trasimeno.
A couple of years ago it was voted ‘The best place to live in Italy’ because it has everything you need for a convenient easy life in a beautiful location. Great transport links, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, a beach, wonderful walks, ferries to Isola Maggiore, etc etc. Yet it is a quiet, ‘real living’ town. Uncommercialised and unspoilt by tourism.
It is the nearest town to Castel Rigone. A short (ten minutes), but breathtakingly beautiful drive down the hillside.
Yesterday Georgie spent the morning there and then returned to watch the sunset.
Take a look at the video above to see what she did.
Georgie’s Holiday. Day one.
Georgie Jumble is on holiday in Umbria, Italy.
She is staying with her Italian cousins and her Nonna
(which is Italian for 'Gran') in a charming hill top, medieval
village called Castel Rigone above Lake Trasimeno.
It is Georgie's first morning in 'Jumble House'.
She sits up and rubs her eyes.
The bedroom is bathed in a golden light and there,
peeping round the door are …………
……….. all of her cousins !
'Ciao !' 'Buon giorno !' they squeak excitedly.
'We have been waiting for you to wake up !' says Bianca
'Si! ' says Rosa, 'We want to show you our village!'
Georgie jumps out of bed and runs to the window .
The sun is rising behind the hills.
'It's so beautiful,' exclaims Georgie.
For breakfast Georgie has a cornetto and cappuccino.
The cornetto is like a
croissant filled with a creamy custard.
Then it's time to explore the village.
Just down the road is a huge church.
Madonna dei Miracoli
Georgie turns the latch on the door and they quietly walk
inside.
Georgie feels very small.
The church is so big and the ceiling so high!
Even the paintings are bigger than her!
Her cousins tell her that this is a very special church. It is a sanctuary because a
miracle happened here many years ago.
'What's a miracle?' asked Georgie.
'We will tell you the story later,' says Fabio
Then they explore more of the village.
There are so many steps !
Her Italian cousins are used to all this climbing but
Georgie is still tired after her journey. 'Sono stanco ! ' She
says.'I'm tired.'
'Come on !' Mario shouts, 'Avanti!'
'There's the football stadium' says Mario. 'Our team is
very good.'
Georgie likes playing football.
'I hope I can watch a match,' she says.
All the Jumbles love walking, and climbing and jumping and sport and all kinds of
exercise.
They are very fit!
They go for a walk down one of the many lanes and have great fun chasing about
and climbing the trees.
Georgie is so happy she turns cartwheels down the path.
Then, all of a sudden, 'WHACK' !
Something hits Georgie on the head.
Then she is hit again and again! Georgie looks up and sees little seeds falling
from the trees.
She knows they are seeds but doesn't know their name.
She looks round for the other Jumbles but they have
raced ahead.
'I must ask Nonna to help me to identify them,' she thinks.
Then Georgie sees a big pile of logs .
'I wonder what these are for? Is someone having a bonfire?'
'No,' says Lorenzo, 'We use them to keep the house warm in the winter.'
How strange thinks Georgie. I haven't seen a fire in the house.,
When they arrive home Nonna is waiting on the steps.
Georgie asks her about the logs and Nonna explains that they are ready for
the winter.
Most houses have a stove called a 'stufa' .
The logs are burnt on the stufa to keep the house warm.
But Georgie still doesn't know what her seeds are called.
Nonna sees the leaf.
This will help them to identify the seeds.
They look on the Internet for a chart to help them.
Can you help Georgie to identify the leaf?
Which tree is it from?
What are the seeds called?
Look carefully at Georgie's seeds and the seeds on the
chart.
There is a part missing from Georgie's seeds.
Can you see?
What is it for?
This link will help:
For more information and slideshows on Castel Rigone and Umbria visit:
Take a look at this video on YouTube:
http://www.loveumbria.co.uk/?p=558
Georgie goes on holiday
Georgie is going on holiday.
She is going to Italy.
Georgie has never been to Italy before and it is also her first time in an aeroplane.
The flight is very early in the morning and so they stay in a Hotel near to the airport the night before.
In the morning they drive to Stansted Airport.
First they must go to the bag drop with their luggage.
The airport is very busy and there are lots of people.
Georgie waits quietly. It is fun watching everyone .
Georgie likes the airport
Here are lots of shops and bars and restaurants.
George has a go in the Toblerone aeroplane and wins a prize.
Then it is time to board the plane.
Furst they must find out which gate their flight leaves from.
Then they board the plane.
Everything is very strange.
There are lots of rows of seats and lockers for cabin bags and coats
Georgie is too small to reach the locker. Then a steward comes to help her.
Soon the engines start.
The plane starts to move and they taxi slowly along the runway.
A sign above Georgie's head lights up and the stewardess makes sure she has fastened her safety belt.
Georgie doesn't like the safety belt very much but she knows she must wear it when the sign is lit.
When Georgie looks out of the window she can see parts of the plane. Do you know what they are?
Soon they are flying high in the sky. Georgie looks down and can see something white and fluffy. It looks like cotton wool.
Do you know what it is ?
Then it's time for something to eat or drink. A very smiley air hostess comes round with a trolley and asks Georgie what she would like to drink. Georgie likes this plane. Everyone is so nice.
Georgie enjoys looking out of the window. There is so much to see.
They fly over some mountains. They are the Italian Alps. Can you see them in the picture?
What do you think the white bits are?
Sometimes there is only cloud and nothing to see but Georgie is not bored.
She has brought her journal and enjoys drawing pictures and writing about her trip.
It seems no time at all before they are about to start their descent into Perugia airport.
The plane starts to descend and Georgie's ears feel funny and make strange noises.
She sucks a sweet and swallows a lot to make them feel better.
The ground is coming nearer and nearer but Georgie wonders why everything looks very small.
Can you think why? All those pictures of Georgie might give you a clue.
Now they are nearly down and everything is much clearer .
Then there is a little bump as the wheels touch the runway and the plane has landed. They are told to keep their safety belts on until the plane has stopped and the sign goes off.
Georgie watches while the suitcases are loaded onto a truck.
Then it her turn to leave the plane and climb down the steps. She says Thankyou to the kind steward and stewardess. It has been a lovely trip. She wants to do it all over again!
But now it's time to collect her luggage and go into the bar for something to eat.
The bar is fun. There are lots of things to choose from. Pizza, sandwiches, cakes, ice cream.
Georgie chooses a piece of pizza.
Then they drive through the beautiful Umbrian countryside and up a winding mountain road to a pretty medieval village. The houses, the trees and the fields all look very strange to Georgie. Everything is so different from England.
Georgie follows her directions and reaches a house which she thinks must be 'Jumble House' but everywhere is very quiet and there is no one to ask.
It's a funny house. There is no footpath and no garden and, where is the door? There must be a door!
Can this be where the Italian Jumbles live?
But then Georgie looks up.
There at the window are all her Italian relatives waving and shouting!
It is the right house after all!
Keep following the blog to discover more about Georgie's trip to Italy.
Creative Learning for Young Children 