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Bon Journo!
Today we were suppose to have a beautiful, relaxing day at Lake Trasimene and take a boat out to Maggoirre Island. It was a beautiful day as we left the hostel this morning and headed to the “mini metro” which we took to the train station. We hopped on the train for what we thought was to be a 30 minute train ride. When it time to get off for at the little town next to the lake Dr. Lees got us all to stand up and head towards the doors. But on this type of train the doors do not open automatically so we stood at the doors for a second waiting for them to open and then the train started moving again. To add to the confusion, the train station in that little town was so little and run down looking we hardly were able to recognize it as a station. So we were really confused when the train took off again without letting us off!
So we headed about 10 more minutes down the track and got off at the next station. Unfortunately immediately as we got off the train going in the other
direction took off. So we missed it! Then the next train headed back in the direction we needed didn’t leave for another 1 hr and a half or so! We should have known then it was all going to go downhill from there. Since we had time in this other little town before the next train came through we decided to eat our sack lunches and do a little exploring. We found a delightful little grocery store with cheep items and a BIG selection compared to the tiny coop we have been buying food from.
After we had eaten our sack lunches, Dr. Lees discovered that the train we were hoping to get on was going to be late! Almost another 45 minutes! So he went about trying to figure out a way we could get their by bus and found a bus that was headed that direction but was leaving immediately. So he hustled all of us onto the bus and he turned back to the station to go get us tickets. As he was headed back to the station the bus we were on started to move and turn the corner. We started trying to yell at
the bus driver to stop which then the Italian students riding the bus home from school started to yell at him to stop as well! The bus driver pulled around the corner and parked along the side of the road to wait for Dr. Lees.
He made it back onto the bus and stood up front running all 32 cards through the bus machine (2 for each person for some reason) It took so long for him to run them all the Italian students were laughing at him and then the whole bus applauded when he finished and sat down.
We took that bus back to the little town where we could take the ferry out to the Island Maggiore. Just as we stepped off the bus we saw the ferrying pulling away from the dock. Had we made it 5 minutes faster we would have made it onto that ferry. But of course with our luck, we didn’t. So Dr. Lees checked out the next time the Ferry would be coming and it wasn’t for another hour and a half. This meant that with the time it took to ride the ferry there and back, we would barely be
able to make it back to Perugia for our last meal in Perugia, another fancy wine tasting at Esteban’s. We also wouldn’t be able to do any of the final shopping we were hoping to before taking off for Montengana.
So we explored around this little town and hung out on the docks while we waited for the ferry to return. Finally the Ferry arrived and we headed out to the Island. It was a bit of a long ferry ride because the ferry had to go down-shore to another town and pick up more passengers before getting to the Island.
Maggiore Island was a quaint little island with a tiny little group of houses close to the shore, a castle at one end of the island and several small chapels around the island. We started exploring the island by hiking all the way to the top through the olive groves where there was a small church with a cemetery. We enjoyed the view for a while and the meandered along the paths of the island. We came across an old foundation for a windmill.
The island is known for being a place that Saint Francis used to go on occasion to meditate and pray. There were several chapels and a sculpture devoted to his time there on the island. One of the chapels was said to be the place where Saint Francis had dug a well by hand and there was a rock nearby said to contain knee and elbow prints from Saint Francis where he knelt to pray. The other chapel hosts a slab of rock that was Francis’s bed when he stayed on the Island.
As we walked a little farther down the coast, we found a sing set! So Amanda, Hannah, Matt, Riannan and I all took turns swinging on the beach. We even had some fun photo ops! Then we headed back towards the dock. Dr. Lees made a friend as he was sitting in the little town; a little, old, TINY lady who was hand making lace brought him to her home and showed him the little lace doilies and handkerchiefs she had for sale. So he bought one for his wife. This little old lady was SOOOO tiny that even when she stood up on the step next to Dr. Lees she still was a foot shorter than he was.
We took the ferry back, then found the long lost train station, took a train back to Perugia, and the mini metro back up the mountain all without any problems. We were really racing in an attempt to get back to the hostel and clean up before supper at Esteban’s. We were a little late, but not bad.
Esteban’s meal was DELICIOUS! And the wine was fantastic! This meal featured wine from an entirely new winery than the ones we have previously tasted. This time it was a 5 course meal with a white wine, and three red wines. Esteban gave us a wonderful goodbye toast and we said our goodbyes to Perugia.
This morning I discovered that I had left a small zipper pouch on the bus yesterday. It had the extra batteries and memory cards for my camera. Luckily the bus company called Esteban and let him know that someone had left it. Esteban didn’t know that tonight was our last night here in Perugia so he told him that he would get it from him tomorrow and give it to us. So Esteban has agreed to mail it to Dr. Lees for me! He didn’t even want money for postage! I have been continually awed by how welcoming and nice Lucy and Esteban have been. They helped us set up those amazing tours of the wineries and invited us to their wine tastings! They really have helped to make Perugia feel welcoming!
Tomorrow we get up and meet the bus that Montagnana is sending to pick us up.
Chow!
Katelyn
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