Ciao Rigazzi!
Right from the get-go our adventure to Orvieto certainly did not lack any excitement. As we boarded our train early this morning, there was a sudden episode of extreme confusion. Although there were no assigned seats in the car, a group of five or six women speaking in fast paced Italian desperately tried to convince us we were in their seats. Pointing to our tickets and then to our seats, we tried to push past the women to ease their worries and select a different seat. Little did we know, the confusion was an orchestrated scene so the women would have an opportunity to quickly and slyly slip their hands into our belongings. Thankfully, the passport and wallet stolen from Andrea's purse was caught at the door! Here is a picture of Andrea triumphantly holding her rescued passport. We ALL definitely learned a big lesson about train etiquette today.
After a train, tram and bus ride, we finally arrived at our hotel in Orvieto. Orvieto is a medieval hilltown north of Rome known for its beautiful scenery, pottery and food! After a short meeting, we dropped our bags and headed out for a "pick me up"- cappuccino. From 12:00pm-3:30pm we were turned loose to explore, discover the most picturesque viewing point and eat some delicious Umbrian food. This is a picture overlooking the lush and green countryside outside the city walls. The richly vegetative backdrop was a welcomed change from the bustling city. We soon discovered that Orvieto has a much different personality than Roma. Around 1:00pm, the doors of stores were swung closed, the curtains drawn and the store owners retreated for an afternoon siesta. The abandoned alleys had a much different feeling that the "never sleeping" streets in Roma. This siesta period did, however, make it much more difficult to find a restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we strolled a bit more and then met the rest of the class in front of the Duomo.
The zebra-stripped cathedral with a mismatched facade stands beautifully in the center of Orvieto. Similar to the cathedrals seen in Florence and Sienna, this cathedral boasted of beautifully barrel-vaulted ceilings and intricate tile floors. However, Florence and Sienna's duomos don't have the jaw-dropping San Brizio chapel. The chapel is covered in boarderline "SciFi" frescoes that depict the last judgment. One half of the room devoted to the angels of heaven and the other to the demons of hell. The chapel stirs uncomfortable emotions and implies an unavoidable fate through techni-color demons, idealized human figures and flamboyant Renaissance outfits. For the remainder of the afternoon, we had the freedom to explore the city more thoroughly. Nick, Anand and I decided to climb to the top of the clock tower for the best view in town. It was a lazy afternoon of sitting, chatting and enjoying the Umbrian sun.
We then, cleaned ourselves up and headed out for a group feast at Antico Bucchero. Twenty euro goes a lot further in Orvieto than it did in Florence, so most of us were able to order a Primi, Secondi AND dessert. The choices were diverse and extremely tasty. I personally enjoyed a homemade pasta with veggies and sirloin with a balsamic reduction, and of course, tiramisu for dessert! Notice Ben at the end of the table-- he must be REALLY enjoying his primi :)
After dinner, many of us went on a evening stroll. The stars were endless in the Umbrian countryside and finding a good place to watch shooting stars was the perfect finale to a great day. Can't hardly wait for tomorrow!
Ciao.
We then, cleaned ourselves up and headed out for a group feast at Antico Bucchero. Twenty euro goes a lot further in Orvieto than it did in Florence, so most of us were able to order a Primi, Secondi AND dessert. The choices were diverse and extremely tasty. I personally enjoyed a homemade pasta with veggies and sirloin with a balsamic reduction, and of course, tiramisu for dessert! Notice Ben at the end of the table-- he must be REALLY enjoying his primi :)After dinner, many of us went on a evening stroll. The stars were endless in the Umbrian countryside and finding a good place to watch shooting stars was the perfect finale to a great day. Can't hardly wait for tomorrow!
Ciao.
No comments:
Post a Comment