Day 21 - December 30 - Orvieto

A tiring morning with packing up and the guys having to walk about 2-miles to get the van, maneuver through the streets, come back and park illegally while we asked the young man from Sri Lanka and another guy to carry 18-19 bags (between two couples) down the many steps!

I had gone to have a small bite to take my medicine and have some tea, and then pulled all the bags that had wheels or were lightweight to the lobby area.  That left me needing a break for another sip of tea. It was an ordeal getting everything down to the van!

Ron wanted to visit the American war cemetery outside Florence, and we could not find the exact address. We programmed in the name of the town, and it took us along TINY, winding roads, through tiny villages. We all agreed it was a very beautiful drive although a bit nerve-wracking, especially when we made a wrong turn and Ron had to back up and maneuver that big van!

Once we arrived, we were greeted by Penny, the Superintendant, who was a very pleasant woman who explained a lot to us. It was very interesting that just the day before she had located a relative who did not know his great-uncle was buried there. The family had thought that he was missing in action all of these years, however, each soldier that is buried in a cemetary outside of the United States was done so at the request of his next of kin.

Wall of Unknown - most were aviators from Bomber Squadrons

The cemetary is the final resting place of over 5000 soldiers, sailers, airmen, nurses and American civilians caught up in the war. Most were killed near the end of WWII. There are three Medal of Honor winners here, a General Officer, several sets of brothers including two who were buried side-by-side at the request of the family.

After spending about 45-minutes there, we found our way to the autostrada and went straight to Orvieto, where we had a very difficult time finding our hotel in the countryside - up a mountain in a very remote location -  Misia Country Resort.

Giorgio, the owner, welcomed us and helped put all of the luggage into one room, as the other wasn't yet ready. The couple has only had the hotel open about a year and already getting great reviews. They are in the process of building a spa. They have done a wonderful and imaginative job in creating a very modern, tasteful accommodation. The big walk-in shower was the best we have encountered on the trip. 

We had reservations at 1 PM at Trattoria dell'Orso in the old city of Orvieto, which is considered one of the most dramatically situated cities in Italy. It sits atop a 1,000-meter high tufa cliff. Orvieto is known for 3 C's - Cathedral, Ceramics, and Classico Wine - as well as Etruscan ruins.

We parked near the system of escalators that transports you up the mountain, but half of them were not working and we walked up about 175 stairs - no kidding. This was exhausting to say the least!!!!

The hotel had tried to call the restaurant to tell them we'd be late, but no answer. So, we were rushing. We made our way to Piazza Repubblica and found the small trattoria. Gabriele is the chef, and his partner, Ciro, is the host and waiter. They have been in business for years, and consistently get fabulous reviews.

Ciro and Gabriele in the kitchen

Farro soup with lots of basil and spices

Chicken with Peppers

I had chicken with red, green, yellow peppers. Ron and Pat had lamb. Mike had rabbit.

Mary had molten chocolate cake (very small) and Pat had pistachio parfait.

I insisted we go to see the Duomo - everyone said - not ANOTHER church! But, I said "We are only here once in a lifetime." Once we got there, Pat declared it was the prettiest one yet. We did not need to go inside!  There is a long story why this huge cathedral is in the small town - it has to do with the Catholic holiday of Corpus Christi. A priest who did not believe that the host was really the body of Christ was in the area on his way to Rome. During Communion, the bread bled onto a white cloth, and the Pope declared it a miracle and decided a grand cathedral must be built to house the relic (the cloth).

We did not go down to the car the same way we came up.  We were on the path to walk all the way down to the parking place. Pat and I stopped along the way, and the guys came up and picked us up.

Went back to hotel for Ron's appointment to have massage at 4:30 PM. I went to the small bar area with computer and Internet. Mike and Pat came along - Mike had his crosswords. The hosts offered snacks of small sandwiches (tramezzini) and dry sausage, which hit the spot.

The Lions - Bears game was on the TV. I went to the room to get medicine and look for playing cards, but when I came back, Pat and Mike had left. I asked the lady if she had had more sandwiches, as I needed a bite to have with my medicine, and she fixed me a nice toasted ham and cheese sandwich

Ron and I went to our room and put the football game back on. I got involved in the "blogging" and didn't go to bed until almost 1 AM.