Today was a very special day. Our first trip to Italy with RS we had the pleasure of discovering Orvieto and its lovely ceramics, so we were so excited to be returning. First, however, we were going to be visiting Deruta, and more specifically the Gialetti Family Factory for a pottery demonstration, as well as a purchasing opportunity. It was a fantastic morning activity! There was pottery to suit everyone's interest!
Our next stop was Le Velette, a stunning vineyard across the valley from Orvieto. In fact we could see the glorious hill town from the courtyard. Alessandro was our wine |
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Orvieto was our next stop. Last time we took the funicular up, this time we took the back way up (elevators). Trish led us to our hotel, the Grand Italia. It was a very comfortable hotel, and we had a very nice room. After a welcome drink and an Italian food lesson, Trish led the way to the stunning Orvieto Cathedral. This is a beautiful, charming building. The last time we visited there was a wedding happening, so it was a quick in and out. This time we had Trish there to guide us around and describe some of the mosaics decorating the interior walls. After this tour we wandered back toward the hotel. What a perfect day!
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Highlights: Today was another one of those days where it was nearly a perfect day! We loved the pottery as well as everything about Orvieto. Looking at all the colorful pottery was certainly a plus!
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Lowlights: Now I know that Rick's motto is "No grumps", and we all try our best, but every so often something is said, and possibly misunderstood, but a comment from a fellow traveler led to some hurt feelings today. The best thing to do is shrug it off and let it go.
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This morning we had some free time in Orvieto. We were sent on a mission to pick up some food for our special picnic, just enough for a couple of people. It was a huge success! We had to eat inside since it started raining.
After our special lunch we walked to the edge of town with Trish, and soon we were heading to the bus for our ride out to Civita, an ancient Etruscan town situated on a stand-alone bluff. It was a lovely visit to a unique location!
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Highlights: It was another stunning day! Civita was a special place, but Lori's favorite moment was probably the stunning sunset! Another surprise was running into our past RS Tour guide, Dimitri, in the Orvieto Marketplace. He was on another RS BOE tour!
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Lowlights: Getting caught out in the rain was not the most fun, but that is out of our control, and we were flexible with changes.
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