40 years. my first 40 years. to tell the truth several months have passed since the birthday but only now (by explicit choice) do I decide to “open” the gift received from friends: a smartbox wellness stay. fantastic..! a gift I truly appreciate very much because it is truly made to measure for me. travel and relaxation are at the moment a holiday must for me; they couldn't have made a better choice..! we study for a long time where to go since the offers are really many and scattered all over Italy. and Matteo? do we take him with us? do we leave him with his grandparents? the answer comes suddenly: we have never travelled without Matteo, doing so wouldn't be nice, besides we would miss him too much, so the establishment must also be able to welcome children.
after studies, analyses and evaluations we decide to spend the long weekend in an establishment a stone's throw from Orvieto: inncasa. access to the wellness centre is reserved for adults only but the two outdoor pools are open to everyone: great for Teo.
Travel programme fri 23 > morning Orvieto, afternoon pool & wellness sat 24 > morning Orvieto, afternoon pool, evening gnocchi festival in Guardea sun 25 > morning Orvieto, afternoon return to Rome
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Many thanks to: Anna, Alex, Roberta, Annarosa, Ettore, Gianalberto, Rosanna, Vincenzo for giving us this very pleasant and relaxing weekend.
Day 123 Jul 2010
1st day
CATHEDRAL
Visiting what is called the masterpiece of Gothic architecture of Central Italy has a price. The cost of the ticket for the Cathedral and the Chapel of S. Brizio is 3.00€. Cathedral only 2.00€ but frankly for one euro it is really worth seeing the Chapel known for its grandiose apocalyptic scenes dedicated to the Coming of the Antichrist, the End of the world, the Resurrection of the flesh and the Last Judgment. What leaves you a bit perplexed is the practice of charging admission to places of worship. Abroad it is much more widespread (see London), in Italy it irritates and annoys. 0.50€ to light the Chapel of the SS Sacramento is another form of profiteering absolutely unappreciated and to tell the truth not very elegant. obviously inside photos are forbidden. to close this nice picture in beauty, the cathedral at night is not illuminated so you can't see it..! how sad..!
IL GUSTO
largo barzini 7 mixed platter with buffalo mozzarella, burrata, goat cheese, anchovies, pachino cherry tomatoes, bruschetta, prosciutto and other cold cuts 16€. expensive but worth it as it is decidedly tasty. bread basket 1.5€ (very fair). to be a coffee shop and gelateria the prices are a bit high but the location has its cost. Il Gusto is located in a nice little square, between the cathedral and corso cavour, under the shade of a magnificent magnolia.
SANT'ANDREA
the visit, to tell the truth very quick, of the Renaissance church of sant'andrea turns out to be quite pleasant. both for the coolness inside it, and for the fact that we can sit down to give Matteo a bit of a breather.
DOLCEAMARO
Corso Cavour 78 described as the best pastry shop in orvieto, we only stopped to get a gelato that was good yes but not exceptional. unfortunately given the heat and the lunch just eaten we didn't try the pastries.
DINNER AT HOME
for this dinner we decide to stay at the hotel. we couldn't have made a happier choice. the tables are outdoors, near the illuminated pool with a view of illuminated orvieto (the cathedral is dark). the cuisine very refined with typical local products; we ate very well. it must be said that the restaurant is expensive, however the money is well spent. (first courses 10€, second courses 16€, desserts 6€). what we had: panzanella in a glass (offered
glimpse
Day 224 Jul 2010
2nd day
SAINT PATRICK'S WELL
The name of the Well refers to the Irish abyss where Saint Patrick used to pray. Access to the water is provided by two one-way helical ramps, completely independent and served by two different doors, which allowed the extracted water to be transported by mules without obstructing each other. To encourage a hesitant Matteo, not too convinced about the descent, we tell him that maybe we'll find little dwarfs drawing the water. the visit doesn't last long but it's quite pleasant and on a hot day, it's a good idea to enjoy a bit of coolness.
ORVIETO UNDERGROUND
"A pleasant guided tour that winds along a very easy route, lets you discover the underground areas of Orvieto, created by the ancient inhabitants over about 2500 years of uninterrupted excavation. An hour-long journey to discover a thousand-year-old, surprising and unexpected 'Underground City'." a truly very pleasant and easy visit (apart from a couple of rather narrow access tunnels that could be claustrophobic). highly recommended, almost unmissable.
GUARDEA
20th Guardea gnocchi festival. we find the festival's very own leaflet-distributors scattered through the streets of Orvieto (a nice example of fair competition). we like the idea. Saturday evening, we eat..! here's our frugal dinner. Gnocchi: with tomato, with mushrooms and truffle, all'amatriciana. Grilled lamb (cutlets and arrosticini). Fried potatoes. Sparkling water. Coca-Cola. All very good and tasty apart from two disturbing elements that tested our nervous resistance: the wind (everything fell off the table) and Luca's band which was at full volume rehearsing for the after-dinner group dances. luckily we left early, sparing ourselves the visual-auditory torment of these dances.
st patrick's well (looking down)
Day 325 Jul 2010
3rd day
Caffé Bar Montanucci It's the oldest café in Orvieto in the heart of the city. The interior features wooden decorations and a floor with the typical "sanpietrino" cobblestones. Among the various culinary offerings there's coffee (neither good nor bad, served by a grumpy barman), handmade desserts, chocolate (of all kinds and origins). To eat, you can sit either on the outdoor terrace (very pleasant) or inside. good the trio of first courses (6.80€ each, fair price): saffron rice with dried tomatoes, panzanella, pasta with pesto and cherry tomatoes (an idea immediately copied at home for a dinner with friends). Address: Corso Cavour 21.
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