A Change in Plans

(April 17, 2014)

Although we had a great breakfast, the first so far this trip, it turns out that our room is somehow the source of a nearly constant stick of cigarette smoke. I suspect that the owners smoke in their apartment, and its right below us. In any case, its foul and horrible, and we decided to not stay here another day. A quick email to our place in Orvieto — yes, they can give us an additional day! — and we packed our bags and got the heck out of Perugia.

Before we left we stopped at Ipogeo, an Etruscan tomb site on the edge of town. This is a fantastic site if you are at all interested in the Etruscans. It’s not too big, but the tomb is basically intact, with a small museum just up the hill. Really lovely.

From there we went to a small ceramiche store on the edge of town, La Bottega della Ceramiche Valentina. It didn’t have a huge selection, but what was there was simply gorgeous. We made the saleswoman’s day by buying way too much, and having a huge amount of fun doing so. The pieces will be shipped direct to our home (yay), so I’ll share pictures when they arrive. (Just to maintain your anticipation, of course.)

With that we headed out into the countryside, planning on having lunch at a little place attached to a hotel near Faliero on Lake Tresimeno, Trattoria Faliero. They are known for their stuffed bread, and we were frankly hoping they would even be open. Turns out they are doing a BOOMING business, and the stuffed bread is fantastically yummy. They speak NO English, so be prepared to repeat things, ask for clarifications, and nod enthusiastically when they get your order correct. Totally worth it, as attested to by the long line of cars parked there.

The day was gorgeous, and we enjoyed our drive. (This time staying strictly at the speed limit.) Orvieto was clear to see, long before we arrived there. It’s a beautiful example of a hill town, and the last of the Etruscan towns to be destroyed by the Romans. For the first time, however, Google maps led us wrong and we ended up in the upper part of the city driving through streets that were NOT big enough for a car. We almost made it unscathed, but got caught on a nearly impossible left turn and damaged the molding of our rental. Stay tuned for details about how badly we do (or don’t) get screwed by the rental company for this mistake.

B&B Orvieto is a perfect gem of a place, really lovely inside and out. Our hostess, Giuliana, was warm and welcoming, and our room is perfect. The bathroom is HUGE, even though it only had a shower, it was a big one. YAY. (Also, the water pressure was really really good, and the hot water never ran out.) Orvieto is a lovely town, with only one drawback — there really are no restaurants open until at least 8pm.

That said, we had a lovely meal at L’Antica Rupe and fell easily into a very comfortable bed.