Italy - Orvieto and then some reminiscing
With the car we sped our way through the Italian countryside. First stop was Orvieto where we did an underground tour. Fascinating to see how they collected and filtered the water in 500bc. Quite an interesting place, but we found that it lacked some of the quintessential Italian character. Our opinion improved a little bit once we found a good restaurant, but then give Ray food and any place seems more interesting.
Then we decided to find a little agritourismo (farmstay) for a few quiet nights. We found a massive one near Terentola and Cortona which was filled with Germans. Not even the swimming pool could convince us to stay. The owners recommended a small apartment at the neighbor's house next door instead. Now if you know Ray, you will know that he is not a religious person, but he did chuckle when he discovered that we were staying in an old sacristy. We even had the old chapel in the room next door. The owner popped past with a bottle of their home made wine, so we set about cooking out first real Italian dinner. Our food was brilliant (if I do say so myself), but I can't say the same for the wine. Definitely not one to brag to Liz about.
One of the benefits of having a car was that it also gave me a chance to relive memories of past adventures. One of my favourites was a small town called Montone where I spent Christmas and New Year with Amanda, Jason and Louise. After hearing endlessly about this place, Ray suggested that we head back to see whether my memory is good or just making stuff up. So off we went. On the way we found a cafe with an amazing view of Lake Trasimeno. Not that we would ever need an excuse for a coffee in the sunshine!
Montone was as beautiful as I remembered and yet it is amazing how much had changed (let's pretend that it's got nothing to do with my memory) (*grin*) The old cafe with the gross squat toilet was now a trendy restaurant with a new bathroom. The prices in Montone had gone up and some of its quaint feeling had dispersed, yet I could still go back to visit again.
On the road again we arrived at what has to be one of our favourite towns. Urbino was on the list as I thought that I might be able to continue my Italian studies there. What we discovered was a whole lot more than just a Uni town. Brilliant architecture, extremely cheap accommodation, friendly locals, and hills that would be sure to guarantee 'buns of steel'. Again, with perfect timing, we arrived to free concerts on both nights that we were in town. It was really cool to have the opportunity to listen to some local Italian bands. The downside was that each band only played one song. Between songs there was also a very LOUD and extremely enthusiastic Italian commentator of whom we quickly tired. The acoustics of the town are that amazing that it was possible to hear the concert all over the town. It was a bit weird when you could hear the echo only a few seconds after you hear the live band play. The evenings were made complete with Nutella crepes (remember the nutella, Liz?!?) and the brilliant timing of the power cut - just as we climbed into bed! (*chuckle*)
Other than the concerts, Urbino also has a massive market, stunning palace and (because of it's location on the top of a hill) amazing views in every direction. Oh... and did I mention the 'buns of steal'!?! (*grin*) Yep... we are definitely thinking seriously about moving here for a couple of months!
A quick visit to Urbania, with its weird clothes and weird people. They gain bonus points for having interesting pastries, although lose them again because of the guy who pushed in, ordered what had been saying we wanted and then took our table. Very cheeky. Definitely won't be studying Italian here!
After such an uninspiring visit to Urbania, we decided to squeeze a quick stop to the state of San Marino. Completely surrounded by Italy, San Marino has its own flag, stamps and even currency. Perched on the top of a steep cliff it is just like in a fairytale... well, one where the prince is not scared of heights.
:)
Then we decided to find a little agritourismo (farmstay) for a few quiet nights. We found a massive one near Terentola and Cortona which was filled with Germans. Not even the swimming pool could convince us to stay. The owners recommended a small apartment at the neighbor's house next door instead. Now if you know Ray, you will know that he is not a religious person, but he did chuckle when he discovered that we were staying in an old sacristy. We even had the old chapel in the room next door. The owner popped past with a bottle of their home made wine, so we set about cooking out first real Italian dinner. Our food was brilliant (if I do say so myself), but I can't say the same for the wine. Definitely not one to brag to Liz about.
One of the benefits of having a car was that it also gave me a chance to relive memories of past adventures. One of my favourites was a small town called Montone where I spent Christmas and New Year with Amanda, Jason and Louise. After hearing endlessly about this place, Ray suggested that we head back to see whether my memory is good or just making stuff up. So off we went. On the way we found a cafe with an amazing view of Lake Trasimeno. Not that we would ever need an excuse for a coffee in the sunshine!
Montone was as beautiful as I remembered and yet it is amazing how much had changed (let's pretend that it's got nothing to do with my memory) (*grin*) The old cafe with the gross squat toilet was now a trendy restaurant with a new bathroom. The prices in Montone had gone up and some of its quaint feeling had dispersed, yet I could still go back to visit again.
On the road again we arrived at what has to be one of our favourite towns. Urbino was on the list as I thought that I might be able to continue my Italian studies there. What we discovered was a whole lot more than just a Uni town. Brilliant architecture, extremely cheap accommodation, friendly locals, and hills that would be sure to guarantee 'buns of steel'. Again, with perfect timing, we arrived to free concerts on both nights that we were in town. It was really cool to have the opportunity to listen to some local Italian bands. The downside was that each band only played one song. Between songs there was also a very LOUD and extremely enthusiastic Italian commentator of whom we quickly tired. The acoustics of the town are that amazing that it was possible to hear the concert all over the town. It was a bit weird when you could hear the echo only a few seconds after you hear the live band play. The evenings were made complete with Nutella crepes (remember the nutella, Liz?!?) and the brilliant timing of the power cut - just as we climbed into bed! (*chuckle*)
Other than the concerts, Urbino also has a massive market, stunning palace and (because of it's location on the top of a hill) amazing views in every direction. Oh... and did I mention the 'buns of steal'!?! (*grin*) Yep... we are definitely thinking seriously about moving here for a couple of months!
A quick visit to Urbania, with its weird clothes and weird people. They gain bonus points for having interesting pastries, although lose them again because of the guy who pushed in, ordered what had been saying we wanted and then took our table. Very cheeky. Definitely won't be studying Italian here!
After such an uninspiring visit to Urbania, we decided to squeeze a quick stop to the state of San Marino. Completely surrounded by Italy, San Marino has its own flag, stamps and even currency. Perched on the top of a steep cliff it is just like in a fairytale... well, one where the prince is not scared of heights.
:)
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