Onwards to Umbria, via Orvieto

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Leaving the excitement of Roma and our Camping Village accommodation this morning , we made it onto the ring road and exited successfully at the right spot for the drive north to Bastia, near Assisi. Avoiding the toll road, we enjoyed some magnificent pastoral scenery as we made our way towards the region of Umbria. Fields of sunflowers appeared along with golden grains ready for harvest, ancient hill towns and the green of hedges and trees everywhere. Quite a sight under the hot sun and blue sky.
One of our aims today was to visit Orvieto, a beautiful hill town we had passed by during our bus tour 10 years ago with just a glimpse from the autostrada. This time we were not going to miss it. From the moment we rounded a hairpin bend in the road and saw Orvieto atop its hill we were convinced this would be a highlight of our time in Italy and so it was. From the car park we were able to reach the centre of the town using a series of escalators installed within the city wall. Toledo is the only other place we have experienced this innovation and it really makes a difference. The beautiful little streets of Orvieto with views around every corner led us to the duomo with its exquisite facade. Inside, we found wonderful painted frescoes and intricately decorated arches and pillars that would take your breath away. Finally, we dragged ourselves away and enjoyed a gelato as we returned to the car.
Continuing our leisurely journey, we eventually reached the point where the GPS was necessary to land us at our hotel which turned out to be a beautifully kept small family run establishment. Our room is large and airy, our host friendly and helpful and we are around five km from Assisi, which we will visit tomorrow. Some days you just strike it lucky!

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