Rome & Lake Bracciano

June 2005: For this Republic Day holiday I seized the chance to kill “two birds with one stone”. I went to visit a dear Umbrian friend of mine who lives in Rome and spent a day in the company of my friend Paolo, who for 3 years has been spending the summer on Lake Bracciano where he works as a sailing instructor and runs a small kiosk. I set off on the morning of 2 June in my Polo heading for Rome. I met Ombretta around 3.00 pm in front of the Colosseum. We spent a splendid day which I ended by sleeping in my car at a service station on the “Grande raccordo anulare”. I must have been to Rome 20 times and I think almost everyone knows it, so it's pointless to write and tell of this glorious, historic city. On the morning of Friday 3 June, since Ombretta was working, as soon as I woke up I headed for the nearby Lake Bracciano to meet Paolo.

Having arrived at Trevignano Romano and settled into the international campsite, it didn't take me too long to find the Centro Velico 3V — Paolo is well known in the town, also because he plays in the band. I spent a relaxing day. Lake Bracciano really is a beautiful lake. It's clean too, since motorboats aren't allowed to navigate it, and the municipality of Rome draws from this lake the water that comes out of the city's taps. For both lunch and dinner, if you happen to be around here in summer I recommend the kiosk of the Centro Velico 3V run by Paolo. He's an excellent cook!! Trust me!! Invited by phone by Ombretta, on Saturday I set off for her little Umbrian village: Castel Giorgio. After saying goodbye to the friends at the sailing centre, to reach this Umbrian spot I took the back roads passing through Sutri, Viterbo, Montefiascone and Bolsena.

After 2 days as a “king” at Castel Giorgio, on Sunday evening, having accompanied Ombretta to the station in “my” Orvieto, I headed home.. What traffic there was!!!