Umbria

Today we ventured into Umbria. Our first stop was the town of Perugia, which is about a 45 minute drive from Cortona. Another pleasant surprise. We ventured through the underground city, with it's old, stone, narrow tunnels, to the Arco Etrusco, which is an Etruscan monument. The view from here was once again spectacular, overlooking the countryside of Umbria, which is very lush and green. Then we wandered through the Palazzo to the Duomo (Cathedral di San Lorenzo) which was stunning. There were many other points of interest throughout the palazzo. We enjoyed a nice lunch at one of the many cafes before heading off to Assisi. This little town is up on the mountainside as well. It is amazing how many churches there are in such a small village. Everything is so old. Even the clay tiles on the roofs look like the originals. Some date back to the 4th century, while others are built a thousand years later, and still over 600 years old. Below the mountain top village in lower Assisi is the Basillica. Inside this big church is the original, small chapel which is over 500 years old. Truly spectacular and yet very peaceful. The day was a little more relaxing than the hustle and bustle of Florence. Returning home we backtracked through Perugia and were bottlenecked with a car accident in one of the many tunnels. The gelato is to die for. Nothing at home compares to this, and oh so many flavors to choose from! We are thrilled that so many of You are enjoying reading this,and we love hearing from you.
Buonasera.