SUNday

Reports from friends and friends of friends all over Europe at least confirm that the weather has been unseasonably cold and ridiculous everywhere so we are not being individually targeted. That's a relief. And I did manage to read all of Dan Brown's newest novel in just two days. So there is that.

But, yesterday (Sunday) was the best day so far. We weren't just trying to snag an elusive few hours of decent weather out of an entire day but rather enjoyed a complete day of clear and bright and sunny weather. We took off to enjoy the countryside (which is always gorgeous but more so when you can really appreciate - read 'see' - the expanse of the vistas) and headed for Montepulciano. This time I carried the umbrellas as an insurance policy but never had to use them!

We arrived around 10:30A and strolled to the Piazza Grande where we stumbled upon some sort of car show primarily showcasing Ferrari's (maybe 30 or so) jammed into the square but also featured some other little classic cars on the adjoining street. The size of the Ferrari's immediately made me ponder why Italians would make cars so big when they make their streets so small. And sure enough the problem that causes became clearly apparent after lunch when we saw traffic stopped as two guys directed one after another of the cars down a wee side street, placed a big piece of cardboard under the front bumper to protect it from the pavement when it bottomed out, and then helped the driver navigate the tight little 'sharp right turn' (as our GPS systems like to call them).

Anyway, back at the Piazza we didn't want to pass up an opportunity to sit out and enjoy the weather so we paused for a drink and some people watching as the bells tolled. That's when I saw this woman out walking her pet. In the States there's a new push for providing enrichment for indoor cats by taking them our for walks or encased in little net-covered baby strollers.  I guess what's good for the cat is good for the rabbit!

Afterwards we strolled some more, took in some vistas, did some wine tasting, stopped in some shops and then found lunch in the Piazza Michelozzo under the Torre di Pulcinella.

Miraculously, when we got back to Todi it was STILL sunny. So we had a little gelato at the café down at the Tempio della Consolazione. Then Michael and I even strolled back up to the Piazza del Popolo only to find that this town really comes alive on a sunny Sunday. There were people everywhere. Dogs of every breed. Children running about. And a little brass band playing. So we sat down and had a drink and some chips and watched the world go by some more. The band quit playing but didn't disperse so we kept a watchful eye on them. The next thing we knew the band started playing and the doors of the Cathedral opened and then priests and altar boys and more priests and banners and flags and sacred hosts and the entire congregation came out for a procession through the town. There was even a woman showering them with flower petals from a fourth floor window. It was quite a little celebration and another good end to a day.

Quiet Days in Todi

Yesterday was and today looks like it will be just a day for bumming around Todi. Misty, overcast, but hey at least not windy!

Yesterday Michael and I took in the museums. There's one at the Monastero della Lucrezie and then there's the Museo Pinacoteca. Lots of pottery, hundreds of coins and a few funeral urns and tombs. As is often the case, the 'good stuff' is at the Vatican Museum in Rome but strolling through the exhibits was still a good way to kill some time on a marginal weather day. Unfortunately, we are racking up marginal weather days so we're running out of options.

This morning is similarly overcast and misty, but we went out strolling anyway on our way to say hello to our new friend, Lorenza, at our usual coffee shop and to buy some roasted pork sandwiches from the Saturday morning sandwich truck in the Piazza Garibaldi. (How quickly we can fall into routines.) Meanwhile, on the way I snapped a picture of the busy, little barber shop we pass several times a day in our wanderings.

Oh, wait. Upon closer inspection, who is that sitting in the chair?

Michael's face feels like that of a little bambino now.
I wonder if he's do my legs....
 

Basilica of St Francis of Assisi

We made it to Assisi and toured the Basilica there. The interiors are highly frescoed and seem darker by comparison, I think. But it is certainly a huge place given that it is actually divided into Upper and Lower Basilicas.

Our stroll through town heading up to the Basilica of Santa Chiara took us past slightly more touristy shops than we've encountered so far...as evidenced by the Leonardo and Pinocchio T-shirts and the Assisi Slingshots that were on display, but that was balanced by the abundance of flour pots and some adorable little side streets. We came upon the Piazza del Comune just about 12:30P...just in time for lunch. The sun was shining, people were sitting out at tables, it was just the opportunity we'd been waiting for. So we sat ourselves down to soak up some sunshine and to enjoy some dining a fuori. The occasional cloud rolled over us, but I was instructed not to make any mention of the weather (aka no bitching) so as not to jinx us. (That would be the same reason I left the umbrellas in the car down below, but why dwell on the little details?)

Well, when the locals started moving under arches and the waitress refused to seat more patrons and started stripping the tables, it became apparent that something bad was coming. The temperature quickly dropped at least 10 degrees, the skies grew really dark and the wind started up. We got the bill paid and started up the last little bit to the Basilica just as it started drizzling. By the time we got into the church the thunder and lightning was starting.

Depending on your perspective, we either took shelter in the church or escaped the wrath of God there, but either way that's where we rode out the storm. Luckily it blew over rather quickly and after 20 minutes or so we were down to a light rain so we hauled ass back down the hill again. (Well, I hauled ass down the hill. Merry and Michael stopped to shop along the way. But in all fairness, Merry had her umbrella with her....she had probably jinxed us by carrying it in the first place but I'm not one to point fingers....so she was not it quite the hurry that I was to move on.)

Now we are back in Todi. None the worse for wear but growing ever so slightly weary of the weather pattern.

 

This morning

After what was apparently a pretty impressive thunderstorm last night we have the sunniest morning so far, Off to Assisi.

 

Anniversary

Yesterday was our 25th Wedding Anniversary so we headed off to Orvieto for the day. It sprinkled on us just a bit when we were leaving but cleared while we were driving over the hill so that it was gorgeous when we arrived. We parked in the lot at the funicular and bought our tickets for the lift and for entry into all of the sights. I realized later that we hadn't asked for Michael's 'senior' concession price and then I looked at the document and saw that she gave us BOTH the old folks' price! Great! On the up side, I saved 3 euros.

Then before we got on the lift Michael turned on his camera only to find out that it didn't turn on. The batteries (both of them) were dead. And he'd charged them overnight. I saw him do it. No matter how many times he took the batteries out and put them back in and blew on them and wiped the connections and put them back in...no luck. So MORE electrical problems. On the up side, we left the camera in the car and didn't have to carry it around all day.

The tour started off with a visit to San Patrizio's Well. I asked the ticket checker how many "scale" (steps) there were, and I believe she answered 248! So we walked down ten or so until we could see into the well, walked right back up, and in my best Italian I told the woman, Very Nice. We don't need to walk down all of them. Thank you. And on the up side, not having a camera I can't bore you with any photos of the well shaft.

Then we went to check in for our tour of the Underground. Apparently there are thousands of caves dug under Orvieto. Many of them are 'private' caves under people's houses that they use for wine cellars and such. But two caves are open to the public. And they are awesome. The people had olive oil mills under there and the donkeys who turned the wheels under there and wells under there and the coolest pigeon coops under there with rows of little square pigeon holes in the walls, fresh water pouring into troughs and a bigger hole for the pigeons to go out and feed themselves during the day. And interestingly enough, at one point a Pope declared that everyone had to close up their pigeon coops because those access holes were a security issue...that invaders could scale the cliffs and come into the city through those holes. In actual fact, the guide suggested that it was really that the townspeople could smuggle goods into their own homes that way and avoid paying taxes to the Pope. (Hey, I live in Anguilla and deal with Customs so that sounds about right to me.)

Anyway, after all of that climbing up and down in the caves we were ready for lunch. We found a nice little place where I told the waiter in my best Italian that it was our 25th wedding anniversary and scored us a complimentary glass of sparkling muscat! After lunch the clouds and wind had come in so we hit a museum and then came back to Todi. By the time we got the camera batteries charged again it was getting late but Michael wanted at least one picture taken of us on our anniversary so we ventured out in search of someone to 'fa una foto' for us.  Michael tried to take one of us himself but either his arm is too short or our heads are too big (or both). The crowds were thin, but we found one accommodating gentleman on the Piazza del Popolo who though he was taking multiple shots but never actually took a single one. Finally another young woman was successful so we did get this one. Happy Anniversary!

 

 

FINALLY

Yesterday the weather improved some and today it improved even more. It may have actually hit 70 degrees today....but even if it didn't it felt wonderful.

We stayed close to home yesterday since we were seeing Robin and Faye off at the local bus station (read parking lot across from gas station) for their trip into Rome. Then we came home, tidied up and got ready to meet Merry upon her arrival in from Oregon. As we sat OUTDOORS at the coffee shop across from the Chiesa Santa Maria della Consolazione, all I could think was thank heavens that I posted that photo of the hail storm otherwise no one would have believed that I wasn't making up tall weather tales all along.

Today we decided to take a short day trip down to a little town called Amelia. Merry was going to drive because her Neverlost had died in her rental car on the way up yesterday and she wanted to try to figure out what the problem was. When we got in her car this morning, the Neverlost wouldn't work. So I plugged in our Garmin and it didn't work either. So three brilliant, medical diagnosticians that we are, we concluded that the outlet in her car was not supplying electricity, that the battery charge had run down on her way up and that she was going to need to contact the rental car company......that company being.......you guessed it......Hertz!

So first we went off to Amelia. A little wee town with pretty much nothing to see except that we did happen into the Cathedral when their finest painting of the Assumption was being displayed ( it is only uncovered during dates in May and August). I will post this picture of the view instead because I think it's more beautiful.

Then we spent a great deal of time roaming around looking unsuccessfully for someplace to eat. Oh and I did learn a lesson: If you have a hard enough time understanding spoken Italian under the best of circumstances, do not ask directions from old men with no teeth!

Anyway, we booked on over to Narni to try to recreate our last 'something is wrong with our rental car' luncheon at the restaurant there where Michael really enjoyed his potato pizza but sadly they were closed. So we grabbed a quick bite and then headed for our old stomping grounds in Orvieto Scalo to find the Hertz office for Merry. Miraculously (given that we being driven there last time) we drove right to it arriving just 15 minutes before they opened after lunch. Merry had no trouble explaining the problem. The logical next step was taken, the Neverlost was plugged into another vehicle and found to work. So the cars were switched out and off we went arriving home to Todi in time to enjoy a gelato SITTING OUTSIDE for the very first time in 8 days followed by homemade Campari Spritz and chips on our precious little balcony in SHORT SLEEVES at sunset.

Che Bella!
 

Wine and Poppies

Yesterday was a good day. The very best so far. I didn't break out my sundress or abandon my jacket but it barely drizzled on us once and was otherwise partly cloudy and breezy but nice. This break in the weather was welcome for many reasons: we were growing weary of freezing, it was Faye and Robin's last day in Umbria, and Sunday was the Cantine Aperte.

Cantine Aperte is a festival day throughout Umbria when some 57 wineries open their doors for wine tasting, food tasting and music. You buy your glass (proceeds to charity) at your first cantina and carry it in a convenient hands-free pouch/purse everywhere you go. The night before Robin and I plotted out a course to take in 8 wineries between here and Montefalco with our first stop here near Todi at Roccafiori at 11am. We were some of the first visitors knocking on their doors to enjoy chocolate and jam tastings, free pizza and sausages along with a sampling of wines. So we had nearly recouped the 5 euro glass price and we had only just begun!

After that every cantina was different. One with scenic views and a dj playing swing and jazz. Another in an industrial park with a decidely biker dude crowd. Some with free food tastings, others with food for sale, one with peculiar little games, but all of them with wine. Here's a photo of us at one of our stops. Somebody's glass is empty but I guarantee you that it did not stay that way for long!

The views were spectacular as we traveled along especially driving along the ridge where we could see Todi off to the west and the snow-capped mountains off to the east.

Coming up on what we thought was closing time at 6p we headed to our last stop that turned out to be a warehouse on a main road in an industrial area. We were almost inclined to skip it and head home.....but of course we had our glasses handy and we were there already and we needed a bathroom anyway so we figured what the heck. What a surprise. The people were friendly and exceptionally generous with their wine and crackers. And there was a little band of sorts setting up in the parking lot near a bunch of picnic tables.  As is typical here they sang all, old, American songs accompanied by guitars and a flute (not so typical) and everybody was having a grand old time - us included.

So it turned out to be a fitting end to a lovely day.