Guests have long referred to this strikingly beautiful part of Umbria, so close to Genius Loci, as “my backyard”.  Today, rushing out before the predicted afternoon rain, “my backyard” was incredibly beautiful – with magical light and colors:  laden gray-green olive branches dancing in the breeze, emerald green grassy meadows, yellow/orange poplar trees, wild corbezzoli heavy with ripe fruit  (strawberry tree, is an evergreen shrub, native to the Mediterranean region)

wild corbezzoli covered the hills

a bowl of succulent, ripe corbezzoli for lunch

the delicious corbezzolo fruit

 …and an array of colorful wild flowers and wild berries

wild berries

…and more wild berries

…and colorful wild flowers

burgundy red rows of vineyards

…and isolated “pievi” (country churches)

…yet another of the several isolated country churches

We encountered rust/orange/burgundy or crimson red/yellow vineyards, isolated pievi (country churches), poetic abandoned farmhouses, clusters or rows of cypress casting their melancholy morning shadows…and peaceful grazing sheep.

We took an unknown-to-us (yes, there are still some) uphill country road which branched off from a fork in the road above the Dionigi Winery from which we had a good view (and, in general, it is not very visible – hence the vertical red structure) of the new Castelbuono /Ferrari Winery.

This futuristic structure caused quite a buzz in traditional Umbria with the locals outraged at such an affront!   It is quite a contrast, in fact, within the bucolic context.

striking early morning tall shadows

emerald green grassy meadows

poetic old farmhouses

an old farmhouse in perfect harmony with its surroundings

striking contrasts

 looking down toward the valley

my “backyard”  (or actually my front yard)   

the view from the entrance driveway to Genius Loci