Orvieto

Last Wednesday Lynda and I ventured to the Umbrian countryside and spent two nights in the hill town of Orvieto. What a treat!

The medieval city is perched atop a hill that overlooks the rolling hills of Umbria and its neighbor, Tuscany. So beautiful!

We spent the two days that we were there exploring the town and eating some fabulous meals. We had some of the best pizza I've ever had. Pesto, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese made for a culinary sensation! The weather wasn't all that great due to rain. There were moments of sunshine (as evidenced in the picture above), but there were also moments of torrential down pouring! 

On Thursday we decided to walk the trail that leads around the perimeter of the town so that we could enjoy the view. As we stared out into the green velvet hills a man, Luciano, approached us and told us that we needed to visit a nearby church because it was home to some beautiful frescos. He proceeded to ask us where we were from and was very excited to learn that we were from the US because he'd lived in the States when he was younger and he wanted to practice his English. Thus, Lynda and I found ourselves with an unofficial tour guide. He walked with us and explained Orvieto's colorful history from the time of the Etruscans to its role in World War II to its current place in Italian culture. He was actually very knowledgeable and fascinating. He even told us about the time he met Rick Steves! (If you've ever traveled to Europe you probably know that many refer to Rick's travel guides as their tourist 'bibles'.) 

All in all, Orvieto was fabulous. It was peaceful, relaxing, beautiful, and interesting. And bonus! It's only an hour and 10 minute train ride from Rome. What a great day trip it could be for students and guests. Love it!!