calcata is cool

Late Sunday morning the storm clouds briefly lifted and we hopped in the car and headed up the Cassia Bis to the groovy hippy town of Calcata.

After a while one can start to feel like a hill town is a hill town is a hill town...they are all charming, and picturesque and have good food.  Calcata is decidedly different.  The town is teensy tiny and filled with crafty art shops and restaurants...and a subtle alternative culture vibe.

we wandered around and finally settled on the Grotto di Germogli for lunch,  a warren of rooms set into in the grottos many with mosaic-covered walls.  The menu is Italian fusion and we tried gnocchi with tomato coconut milk sauce, braised red cabbage, chicken curry and medieval Sunday roast (with apples and tarragon) Another surprise was dessert...not a tiramisu or crostata in sight!  rich chocolate brownies and tart creamy lemon bars.  I had to ask our very charming waiter did an American make these?  The answer was yes.

After lunch, the (grownup) boys lured by the sounds of Led Zepplin from a nearby bar, we hung around and watched a local painter and drank coffee and took in the after lunch theatre in the piazza...our waiter having his postprandial cigarette, the kids playing invisible soccer, daytrippers enjoying the last of a Sunday afternoon...

practicalities

great new york times article here with all the history and addresses you need to know.