Umbria Region and Orvieto
Through the rolling hills of Umbria
One of the "wow" moments of our trip happened when we walked out onto the balcony of our room in the Altarocca Wine Resort. A swimming pool directly below us, overlooking the valleys and hills, surrounded by vineyards, fruit trees, and olive groves. We expected a rustic "agritourismo," but this was luxury! One other swimming pool onsite, a spa, gourmet restaurant, and wine tasting room rounded out the offerings of this beautiful gem in the Umbrian countryside.
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After settling into our rooms, Emiliano gave us a tour through the winery, capped off with wine tasting with a small selection of appetizers. Then it was on to dinner at the outdoor patio restaurant overlooking the countryside where we enjoyed some amazing food and were treated to another beautiful sunset.
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The city of Orvieto, our destination the next day, is perched on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff that is accessible via funicular railcar. It is an ancient city that has been populated since the Etruscan times. Under the city is a labyrinth of tunnels, wells, cisterns, stairs, cellars and passageways that are now open for tours. The Duomo's façade is amazing, with design elements from the 14th to 20th centuries.
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We all wanted to stay at Altarocca longer, and even tried to convince our driver, Adrian, to delay our departure. Alas, our schedule was set and we took off for Rome, our final stop of our tour.
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Highlights
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In Orvieto, visit the Duomo to see its ornate façade and numerous frescoes inside
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Climb up the stairs of the Torre del Moro for 360 degree views of the city and its surroundings
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Climb down the stairs of Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick's Well) - an amazing example of medieval engineering. Completed in 1537, this well has 248 steps, is 53 meters deep and 13 meters wide
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Take a tour of some of the underground rooms, tunnels, and cisterns
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Lesson #12:
A bidet is not a urinal!
From many Europeans’ perspective, Americans are barbaric for not using bidets. We’re simply not accustomed to them. You’ll find one in most hotel rooms in Italy.