Thursday & Friday, September 12 & 13

Today our destination is Orvieto in Umbria.  We had a wonderful ride through the Tuscany "hills" with the fertile farmlands, mostly tilled up now, the vineyards, and glimpses of castles and walled cities at the tops of the hills.  We drove up, up, up to the walled city of Montalcino.  The views going up were stunning.  There are just certain places you can park outside an old city and you have to walk into the city.  Parking here was a challenge.  We found one of those spots where you just pick up the car and set it in the space!  VERY hairy!  Lucky AGAIN that we have this little Smart car!  Montalcino is famous for its Brunello wine but we didn't get any -- we just looked and tasted.  Yum.  We had lunch and watched some kids next to us rolling cigarettes.  We later saw that on a train too -- must be cheaper/better than bought cigarettes?  The town was small but lovely and not terribly busy -- a nice change from our days in Florence. 

Down the mountain and south to Umbria (we finally saw some sheep) and Orvieto.  Our navigation tried to take us directly to the hotel, but we got terribly lost driving in little streets/alleys that we probably weren't supposed to be in!  Sandy was driving and had a few choice short words. We finally gave up and parked outside town & walked up the main street to our hotel, Hotel Corso.  Later we were told we could drive to the door to deliver and get luggage, then park in an underground area, coming up by elevator to the old city near the hotel.  We found the hotel to be in a perfect location, just a short 10 minute (that's short in Italy I've found -- and that doesn't include hills and steps) walk to the Duomo (which is usually the center of town).  The town wasn't so terribly busy.  We strolled up to the Duomo (also striped) and had a late lunch/dinner -- wonderful food and great beer, Amacord bionda, in the shadows of the Duomo and the cool fresh air.
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Friday we took a day off and just relaxed.  Orvieto was a great place to do it.  We got up for breakfast (horrible coffee this time though, but great fruit) and wandered through the streets looking in all the small shops.  It's fun to talk to the proprietors along the way.  Most of them are very willing to talk and many ask where we are from and want to talk about their "aunt in Chicago who moved to Florida", their trip to Miami to see the "real, TV America", their trip to LA & the Grand Canyon.  Then there are some people in the streets of the bigger cities, selling things, peddling, or trying to get you into restaurants, who sneer at Americans -- but that isn't the norm.  Most people are very nice and helpful.  Americans don't know what to do with people who come into their "space" to beg or try to sell something and often are awkward & not decent to these people. There is a way to say "no" without being ugly.  Back to Orvieto -- easy day.  We went into the duomo which was really quite beautif'ul.  The frescos by Luca Signorelli and Fra Angelico inspired Michelango's Last Judgement.

Dinner again by the Duomo -- quiet, lovely, beautiful weather.  Nice "day off".