(April 19, 2014)

Not much to say about today — we had breakfast then drove to Florence, then took the train to Venice. Not much else happened.

A conversation we’ve been having a lot during this trip has revolved around our being amateur art historians. It goes like this: we’ve seen a lot of art of the last few trips, much of it live and in person as it were. At the same time, we’ve had a lot of tour guides give us really good context for what we’re seeing and why its important. So now we recognize artists and we can make linkages between them by time period and other reference points. So, definitely amateur, but maybe its something we can explore and develop.

J. reminds me of a scene in the movie Good Will Hunting in which Damon’s character humiliates a Harvard kid by telling him all the things he is thinking, and should be thinking, and could be thinking, ending with, “and after all of that you’ll realize you just spent $250,000 for an education you could have gotten with a library card and $2 in late fees.” We’re reasonably intelligent people, we’re interested in this art stuff, we have library cards . . . why don’t we get into it more and see what happens?

Personally, I have a strong desire to curate an exhibit that features Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Sargent. I’d call it “Moving Into the Light”. Maybe you can see why?

Our train pulled into Venice St. Lucia and we were promptly met by our guide, Anna. (It’s a service I requested from our hostess, fearing we’d get lost, with luggage making it super irritating). Stepping out we were immediately confronted by water and craziness, but Anna guided us over bridges, through squares, and into alleys and after ~25 mins, we arrived at our new, and last, home in Italy.

With that we had two very important issues to tackle: finding a grocery store and doing laundry. J went out, I stayed in . . . but only long enough to unpack and sort clothing into small piles. It turns out the grocery is just a few ‘streets’ away. So off we went to lay in provisions for breakfast all week and Easter, when pretty much everything would be closed. (Monday too, but less likely.) The shop was mobbed with people doing last-minute holiday prep shopping. Whole types of milk and eggs were gone, produce had been picked over, and there we were two gormless tourists trying to plan to make a meal in a kitchen we’d never cooked in before. Oh, and in another language.

I *think* we came home with tomato sauce, potato gnocchi, cheese, bread, prosciutto, juice, milk, cereal, sparkling water, strawberries, lettuce, shredded carrots, carrots, and eggs. I’ll let you know!

With one load done, we hung it on the line, just like the neighbors, and started a 2nd load this one to be hung indoors in front of the windows. The forecast is for rain tomorrow, so we’re playing it safe. By this time we were hungry, although it was still early. Fortunately, our neighborhood has a ton of places . . . so we went to the closest: Taverna Boffa. With a mix of seafood and regular Italian dishes, the menu was good. I loved their octopus salad and the venetian sardines. Less interesting was the grilled fish — it needed more acid or something, it was too plain. J enjoyed his pasta with tomato sauce.

A short walk home and a bit of a read and off we went to sleep.

(April 18, 2014)

Another wonderful breakfast got us fueled for a day of wandering the streets of Orvieto. Our first stop was the gaudy confection of a duomo.

The building was constructed to commemorate and provide a suitable home for the Corporal of Bolsena, a blood-stained cloth that is said to have been created in 1263. It seems that a traveling priest who had doubts about the truth of transubstantiation found that the bread he was using to celebrate mass was bleeding so much that it stained the altar cloth. The cloth is now stored in the Chapel of the Corporal inside the cathedral. The building has a rose window, stained glass windows, golden mosaics, huge bronze doors, and an elaborately carved front depicting scenes from the bible. Inside there are two frescoed chapels gorgeously decorated with scenes from the Last Judgment. Oh, and the reliquary of the Cloth. It took nearly three centuries to construct.

Sadly, no pictures of the interior.

I personally was overwhelmed by the beauty. I long ago left the religion of my youth behind, but standing in this place I had a moment of wishing I were Catholic once again. There was such *love* in the creation of this cathedral, such care in its crafting, and I could feel that as clearly as if I were part of its creation. Wikipedia has a really good page on this place, and I highly recommend a visit.

In the square outside they were celebrating Easter with the most logical thing in the world: an artisanal chocolate festival.

Across the square is a lovely Etruscan Museum. This place is a treasure trove of artifacts collected by one man and then expanded by his son. organized beautifully, there were lots of explanations in English (which really hasn’t been the case so far). The fact that they are displayed in a former house with decorative frescoes on the walls and ceilings just made for a strange dichotomy.

and finally:

By that point were a bit hungry, so we stopped into Clandestin0 for a couple of tasty pizzas. A little more wandering brought us back home for a nap, and then out again for dinner at Vinosus Wine Bar. The food was fine, but the service — for the first time in our entire trip — was rude. I get that we were the only non-Italians in the place, and that everyone else seemed to know one another. But were we pleasant, didn’t make a scene, asked for recommendations, and enjoyed our food. Yet the waiter clearly was upset we were there. Absolutely not recommended.

Despite that, we made a good time of it, and enjoyed our walk home. We’ll miss Orvieto, and will definitely be back at some point in the future.

(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.