Europa Spoleto

... today. That has to be my favorite saint. Very busy here even though end of season. No wireless interent. We have one more day and we start home. I think we are ready to get home. It has been beautiful here and I have learned so much, but all good things must come to an end. See you all next week I hope.

... the religious paraphernalia being placed right next to fake guns, swords and whips. Very bizarre!<br> We commenced our walking tour which I did find interesting in the end, we learned about St Clair and St Francis and saw their crypts and where they spent time while they were alive. The story is actually quite interesting and I did learn a bit of history there so it was good. The town itself is quite pretty too as they had ...

... ceramic store and found a little dish with the iconic olive design and a little egg cup to remind me of the first leg of our romantic journey. Then nap time.<br><br>Dinner at home tonight with last night&#8217;s leftovers and a sauté of fresh eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. We ate outside and enjoyed the caress of the evening breeze. Tomorrow off to Orbetello with our friend Alessandro behind the wheel.

... restaurant to have dinner late, by our standard and arrive a half an hour too early. We had an antipasto as Mike suggested but didn't stop there, we ordered pasta. I had the potato gnocchi with truffles and mascarpone. Marty had the pasta with spicy red sauce. Stuffed with doggy bags in hand, we staggered back down the hill in the cool night air.

... to catch the bus back to Orvieto. So I took as much time as I could walking around every little corner. And then I walked back across the bridge and got some gelato. <br><br>I didn&#8217;t want to walk back to bus stop so I caught the shuttle bus this time. But I still had an hour to wait for the bus to come. So I just sat in a shady park next to the bus stop, and enjoyed the cool breeze. I was very thankful when the bus finally came, and it was another scenic ride back to Orvieto ...

Well one month from today I will be returning from Europe (I get back on Sep 30th). It's hard to believe I&#8217;ve only been here for two weeks. What with all of the heat and getting sick, it feels like I&#8217;ve been here for ages.<br><br>Today I took a train in the morning to Orvieto, a hill town 2.5 hours south of Florence by train. That&#8217;s exactly what it sounds like &#8211; the city is on top of a hill. When I arrived, I had to take a funicular up to the top of the hill ...

... a friend of Mike and Jill&#8217;s, drives us to their house near Campello sul Clitunno. We get the full on Italian driving experience and happily arrive in one piece. After a shower and a snack of Mike&#8217;s freshly made antipasto of fresh mozzarella, garden tomatoes and homemade pesto, we felt a thousand times better. <br><br>Then to dinner with their friends of ex-pats, artist and poets at the local tattoria for more ...

the francescan monks must have been part mountain goat.this palce is unbelievably hilly.also it poured with rain and thundered and we got drenched.we slept in an 1800 year old nunnery in single beds of course<br>we went to the church of saint claira and saw her tomb

... as you can see from the photos, there has been a tremendous amount of effort to restore the city. It is a truly beautiful little town and feel luck to walk around this historical and spiritual place.<br><br>We also had a quick stop over in Oriveto to see it's famed cathedral. It's known for it's vivid colored mosaics. <br><br><br>

... Piedmont, the most famous wine area is called Langhe. The vineyards of the Barolo DOCG zones are not extensive, but they are the most carefully charted stands of vines anywhere in Italy. The landscape is made of gently rolling hills and the vineyards surrounding pretty villages. Other than the Barolo there is the Barbaresco, the Dolcetto d'Alba and the Grignolino as a good red wine. White wines of the Piedmont are ...