Horse turds, lost watches and mushroom stirfry
    Surely no one will be surprised by freely meandering herds of horses, cows and sheep on the hills of Castelluccio.



    An inexplicable phenomenon, however, were groups of local inhabitants wandering early in the morning along the slopes and looking like they were searching for the lost watch of one of their friends. Upon careful observation, however, it soon became clear that the horse turds profusely distributed about the hillsides provided an ideal environment for various kinds of mushrooms and such an opportunity cannot be let just to pass by. Within an hour we all had tennis shoes covered in horse turds, but armloads of excellent mushrooms. Mushroom stirfry with onions and dried seaweed was that day extremely edible.

What to do with money at the end of the world ?
    A pilot well stocked with provisions really only needs money for fuel. Fuel and food prices can be found in the article about flying in Bassano. Otherwise additional Lire can be spent in Castelluccio or 28km away in Norcia in the local shops or supermarkets.



    Norcia is a small mountain town with typical narrow streets, reminding one of the Moravian Frenstat pod Rahostem. A wide range of sporting activities is apparent at every turn. And since almost every weekend there is a championship of one kind or another in Norcia, and not among total amateurs either, one can watch various events enjoyably for long periods of time.



    Undoubtably the best way of spending your remaining Lire is a visit to the wine bar in San Pellegrino, which no pilot should forego.

    The wine bar is located at co-ordinates N42°45.363' E13°08.907, about four kilometers southeast of Norcia. It opens at 8 p.m. and is called Osteria Lu Crinu. On the outskirts of the town one can land without problem. Be careful not to land on Monday, as it is a closing day !



    The wine bar is well known in the region, including its phone number: 0338/399 0653. It belongs to the Italian globetrotter Pepe who one day purchased a two story house in San pellegrino and made the ground floor into a wine bar. Then he took a trip to Sardinia island where he chose a family with seven daughters, one of which he smartly took as his wife and brought her along with three of her sisters to San Pellegrino. Pepe is actually named Giuseppe, but friend call him Pepe. This year he will turn an unbelieveable 48 , but after having, "uno litro vino rosso" will get younger by 20 years. His wife Anna is 19 years younger than he, which means that within the mathematical formula for the perfect age for his wife, she's just getting there. For those who didn't pay attention in the school of life, you must divide the age of a man by two and add 8. For five more years Anna will be younger than the formula states she should be, which however usually doesn't bother men all that much and Pepe certainly hasn't complained yet.

    The sisters of Pepe's wife, Paola(27) and Salvatora (24) are very sweet and create a very pleasant family atmosphere in the wine bar. Fatima (23) however certainly merits a short visit. Not only is she attractive and after a caraffe of wine resemble "Miss Italy", but when she starts talking her whole body vibrates with the Italian temperment and she has an unbelivable fire in her eyes. The fantasy of a half enibreiated pilot immediately begins working overtime, sometimes against his will, as the chemicals accummulate in his system, and only the day after does he begin to wonder where all those Lire he had have gone.



    Pepe did not marry the most beautiful of the sisters, cleverly, so that no problems arise, the wine bar runs smoothly, the patrons drool down to their boots, make lewd propositions to Fatima, carve her name into the oaken tables of the wine bar and most of them drown their desperation in Italian wine. This they have along with delicious pizza, prepared by the sisters from Sardinia in a classic oven following a secret family recipe. Each time we visit Pepe's wine bar we always agree that both Fatima and the wine and pizza are wonderful and we stuff ourselves to the ears, especially with pizza called Calcone, of an unusual shape. And of course essential to the wine is the rosemary covered Focaccia. And Pepe, out of sympathy for old friends always gives us a caraffe of wine on the house ...