Italy
Genoa and Orvieto.
We followed the motorway to Genoa and spent an uneventful night in a Novatel Hotel – that is until Ken pulled a slender cord in the shower which resulted in a frantic call from reception. It was the emergency cord and they wanted to know what the problem was. The Novatel Hotel was identical to the one we stayed in Paris – you could have been anywhere in the world!
Orvieto
Taking the motorway [tolls] through loads of tunnels and regional roads through typical Italian countryside we finally wound our way to Orvieto on a convoluted road that took us past some amazing hillside towns that seemed carved out of the rocks. Patchwork quilts of olive trees, pastures and vineyards lined the road.
Our first glimpse of Orvieto was caught as we descended a steep incline. The town dominated the hillside in front of us and we eagerly but apprehensively contemplated what our next accommodation would be like. The GPS went berserk as usual on entering the narrow medieval streets of the town. Finally we found the street and Ken parked the car while he went to search for Sabrina.
What an angel! The apartment was delightful – furnished with antiques and quirky touches that gave it an Italian individuality – but the view! The view was to die for! All windows overlooked the valley and the hills beyond – verdant green by day and at night glistening with lights from the houses.
Sabrina recommended a restaurant or two so our first Genuine Italian meal for the trip was at La Palomba. Great food and reasonable prices.
The town is delightful – clean and easy to negotiate. The Cathedral where we went to mass today was beautifully decorated with frescos and with excellent acoustics. The organ was very ornate with a beautiful tone. Very operatic!
Monday we travelled to Bagnioregio and Civita. Ken tackled the steep incline to the top of Civita but I chickened out halfway up the steep path and returned to the base of the ramp. I was shamed to see the number of elderly people who made the climb. We visited a delightful lakeside town called Bolsena with beautiful gardens of hydrangeas. That evening we joined two Americans Hal and Helen for a meal at La Palomba. We finished off the evening with a special bottle of wine we had bought at Chateauneuf du Pape. The bottle was old and crusty and was shaped like the vines. Sabrina had made us a delicious tart so we had that for dessert.
Tuesday we visited the underground excavations of Oriento which date back to Etruscan times. We now know the meaning of pigeonhole! Tonight we eat in for a change with a lovely bottle of wine that Sabrina gave us. It was labelled Rippa Medici –the same as her apartment. It was just another example of her wonderful hospitality.
Wednesday we journeyed to Todi in the morning which was an interesting medieval town. It is amazing to see how much restoration work has been done in Italy since our first visit some 20 years ago. In the afternoon we returned to Orvieto and walked down to St Patricks well and walked through the gardens surrounding the well. They also had one clay tennis court down there and this was to be the venue for the Orvieto Classic. Somehow, I don’t think Rodger Federa will be competing. We finished off the last evening with a meal at another of Sabrina’s favourite restaurants, Mezza Luna. We shared a Spaghetti Carbonara . Even when the plate was divided, it was still too much to eat and we had already ordered the second course of Scaloppini al Fungi. We quickly declined the offer of dessert.
Thursday we set off for Barga, but before doing so we brought some flowers for Sabrina. She had been so thoughtful towards us that we thought this was the least we could do to return her hospitality
