Italy 2019 - Orvieto

So the trip to Orvieto began with a stop in Assisi....just an amazing place and the old town is pristine and has been sandblasted to it's original finish...pretty impressive.....there was a lot of climbing at 31 degree heat but we managed and lucked into finding this great, high altitude garden restaurant overlooking the valley - thank you St. Francis!....we headed up to Orvieto from here and the GPS decided to make us sweat - after several trips up little cobbled side streets we parked in a lot, lost again, but asked a lady walking by where we might find Via del Popolo, etc.....I eventually found myself knocking on the door of a convent for help - yup! - hey it's Italy, take help where you can get it.....as you have probably guessed, that convent turned out to be our hotel - Istituto B&B San Salvatore....and the parking lot happened to be easy access to the gated back parking entrance - this place was definitely a departure from our norm but we are so glad we stayed - so peaceful, quirky and fun and very comfortable....so the hotel concierge happens to be a nun - who am I to question these things??....Orvieto is amazing and easy to explore....great food, incredible sunsets....I still hate driving but one more day of it and I get my life back!

So where are you gonna sit Carter?

the old stones of Assisi are looking pretty fresh considering their age (eat your heart out Mick!)

Simple 1000 year old churches....

inside can be another story...

under the glass floor is what is left of the Roman temple that this church was built on....

the Assisi Cathedral of St. Francis....again a simpler exterior....

but inside the psychedelics really kick in......(no offence I hope - it is my version of WOW!!)

the exterior architecture is quite impressive - constructed high in the hills....how did they do it?

we climb up to the "fortresss" above the cathedral.....did I mention it was 31 degrees? Linda? Linda? Hey Linda where did you go?

I don't wanna stand in a corner!!

The old fortress or "rocca" looks pretty solid....

protecting the town below from.........what?........dragons!.....maybe everyone ran up to the fortresss - not sure.....

as we descend we come across the greatest little restaurant perched over the town......

for sure honey, I reserved it weeks ago just for us!

Linda entering a convent - honestly, I was getting kind of worried!!

Key to our room - look carefully......when's the last time you used one of these???

sunset from our convent/hotel room balcony.......things are looking up!

the square our hotel was on.......

the hotel door at night in case we lose our way......

the hotel terrace - where's Waldo??

 the Orvieto fortress or rocca looms over the valley below daring any attackers to just try!!

you know if you are not welcome in these homes if the owner invites you out back for a smoke (or a vape - I know that times are changing).....

exterior psychedelics.....honestly - you have to see it for real.......YOIKS!

little street treats everywhere!

the classic Italian solution to the carbon footprint of the oversized dryer........

Calma!

Don't show Poppy!.....Mina is a real sweetie!

BC meets AD!!

resident of BC meets Orvieto sundown!!

 Snuck in a photo of the Orvieto Sleeping Beauty!