Orvieto

 Orvieto. I have always loved Orvieto. Even the name is beautiful. My father took us there for the day, the summer I was eleven. That day is one that stands out in my memory as being a golden day.

 It seemed fitting to end our trip in one of our favorite Italian towns. My sister and I only had one day there, but it was enough to know that Orvieto was as charming as we had remembered it to be. I don't have a lengthy report of what we did or what you must see if you go to Orvieto some day. We really just wandered the streets, taking it all in and enjoying our last day before heading to Rome and then home. We stayed in the Hotel Virgilio, which is in the main square, right across from the Duomo. I can highly recommend the hotel, both the location and the service.

 This sign cracked me up! It was outside of the restaurant where we ended up eating dinner, and it was wonderful! I wish I could remember what we ate, but I do remember it was one of the best meals on our trip.

 Detail on the front of the Duomo. It is incredible, and hard to believe such intricate work was done so long ago and all without power tools. Truly a work of art.

One last picture as we walked across the square to catch a bus to the train station. I know the importance of learning to be grateful and happy in your circumstances, no matter where you are, and know that if you can not learn to be happy where you are, you will never be happy. That being said, I always find it so hard to leave Italy. I like the old buildings, the food, the language, and the culture. I like sitting outside at nine at night, drinking a last cappuccino and watching people walk by. I like the Italian people, and the rich histories they love sharing with you. However, after two weeks of living from suitcases, running for trains, missing trains, being crowded in to trains, and restaurant food (no matter how excellent it may be), coming back home was an event we both looked forward to immensely! A dream of mine is to someday rent a huge house in Perugia for a few months and drag all my family along.Then, while we were there, our friends could come and visit us and stay in the huge house with us. We could cook fabulous meals and all go exploring together. It is a fun dream, and maybe someday it will come true. In the meantime, my life here is full, rich, and happy, and for that, I will never cease to be grateful.