Early morning view of the Umbrian countryside |
Pretended that we were locals and went shopping at the market for fresh fruit, tomatoes and basil by 7:00 am! |
View of the funicular as we descended the hill on our way to pick up Kendra at the train station |
Funicular car |
Funicular station at the bottom of the hill just across the street from the railway station |
Kendra and Cathy outside our apartment - we're happy to be together! |
We have had a quiet but very nice day in Orvieto.
Actually, quiet and laid-back were what we looked for when we chose this lovely
hill town. In the afternoon when most shops are closed for the siesta, the
streets are deserted. It is possible to walk the entire length of a narrow
street and not encounter a soul. By mid morning, however, the tourists have
arrived from Rome on a day trip and things get busy--but nothing like Rome or
Florence. It's heavenly.
Kendra arrived by train from Rome this morning. Her
tour of the Mediterranean finished today, and we are very happy she'll be with us for the next week and will be on the same plane home on July 26. We are
avoiding thinking about the end of our holiday--it's going by way too fast.
Orvieto, as mentioned, is 1000 feet above the train
station, and most people get here on a funicular--a small railway car the is
pulled by cable up the steep slope. It's cheap and only takes a couple of
minutes to reach the top. A bus meets the funicular and takes you to the main
square, the Duomo Square.
This morning, after a good night's sleep, we were
awake at 6:00 so we walked along one of the ancient ramparts that used to
protect Orvieto from invaders. It is possible to walk the rampart around the
entire town--a walk that takes about an hour. A project for another day.
We stopped at the local market (open every Thursday
and Saturday) where farmers from the region bring their produce to Orvieto and
set up shop in a square. As we entered the square, we could smell fresh basil
from one of the stalls. As well as delicious fresh vegetables and fruit, there
was a fishmonger and an amazing refrigerated truck that opened its whole side
panel to reveal a cheese store! It was so pleasant to be able to observe the
local people out doing their shopping and visiting with the merchants and each
other. it was all very relaxed and friendly. For a moment or two--as we made
our purchases (they graciously accepted our fractured attempts at Italian and
obliged when we point at what we wanted and held up fingers to indicate how
many)--it felt like we were Orvietians (if that's a word). We bought some
tomatoes, a small watermelon, oranges and cherries. We tried to buy basil, but
the farmer waved away our money and handed us a small bundle at no
charge!
We eat breakfasts in the apartment (we bought
cereal, orange juice, wholewheat bread, milk--and of course lots of fruit). For
lunch and dinner, we usually go out. There are so many fantastic restaurants we
want to take advantage of. We know that when we get back to Outlook, the
restaurant scene is nil and it will be a long winter without good eating
places. We are taking a cooking class and are hopeful to get the knack of
making pasta and other Italian dishes to remind us of our summer here.
Last night, we did not go to Mezza Luna as indicated.
It was closed for holidays. Apparently, when it gets hot in July and August,
some restaurants close and everyone goes to the beach. Instead, we came upon Le
Grotte del Funaro, a rope makers shop in ancient times, now a superb
restaurant. We ate on the terrace (cold Zuchhini soup and roast suckling pig
for John, and Caprese salad and a chicken dish for Cathy) and watched the sun
set over the Umbrian hills. As it got darker, lights appeared and twinkled from
villages miles away across the valley. Needless to say, it was wonderful.
Tomorrow, we plan an early start to take the train
and then a local bus to Cortona. We're cheating a bit because it will take us
back into Tuscany from Umbria, but our neighbour has told us so much about
Cortona that we want to spend a day taking in the sights of yet another hill
town. In Medieval times, towns were built on hills to protect inhabitants from
invaders. The history of Italy is rife with stories of feuds between towns. The
Florentines were especially quarrelsome--and even today Florence is a bad word
among some Italians. It makes the ancient grudge between the Capulets and the
Montagues in Romeo and Juliet start to make sense.
The three of us hope to have some interesting
photos and stories from Cortona tomorrow.
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