(9/11)

Amazingly, yesterday’s flooding left no marks – it was as if the deluge never happened. We woke up at our usual late morning time, finished the leftovers as a quick breakfast and then made our way to the local rental car office. Within an hour we were on the road to Cerveteri, a 3000-year-old necropolis or city of the dead.

About 3000 years ago people built a city here, and it stretched all the way to the sea, 17km away. They had three sea ports and traded in iron, making them a very powerful group for a very long time.

This is all that remains.

First thing you need to know: The Necropolis is closed in Monday.

Second thing you need to know: the town of Cerveteri takes Monday off because tourists don’t come except for the Necropolis. Except us.

Fortunately for us we could return later in our trip and there were things to see even though it was drizzling.

Lunch was at a (literally) seaside place, Mykonos in a little town called Santa Marinella. We expected Greek food but got seafood. SO DELICIOUS! (Note for the new traveler: shrimp, by various names and varieties, comes cooked in the shell. Get used to seeing heads, legs, and feelers.)

That afternoon we arrived at our destination for a night: Alla Corte della Terme, a 4* resort just south of Viterbo. We were upgraded to the Gold Suite and it (and the grounds) were almost enough to change our plans to stay here longer.

Sadly, the on site restaurant leaves a lot to be desired. Good service, fine wines, but utterly mediocre food. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, so perhaps we just mis-ordered?   . . . Except that the next mornings’ breakfast was no better. As nice as it was, we didn’t want to return, or stay longer – food is way too important to us.