Saturday September 8
We flew from State College to Rome via Philadelphia. Due to the fact that the mid-afternoon USAirways flight was canceled for the summer, due to start back up September 11, we ended up having a 5.5 hour layover in Philadelphia. After stashing our bags at the USAir club, we took the train to the Surburban station in center city, had a pleasant outdoor lunch at TGI Friday, and then went to the Franklin Institute of Science. Some of the displays were the same as I remembered from childhood, and many new displays were added. Craig was impressed by the many inventions of Ben Franklin.
Sunday September 9
We arrived in Rome, when Jan Trumbo and Joel Snyder were waiting for us. Joel was on his way to Atlanta to teach a seminar at Interop for two days. Jan had also dropped off her brother Bruce who was just finishing his vacation in Italy.
The drive to Todi was pleasant - I dozed in and out during the ride, but Craig was awake (as far as I know) for the entire 2-hour ride. Gerard and Vicky Newman were already at the house, as were Sonia Cota-Robles and Camille Trejo.
We had lunch [1, 2] on the terrace - omelettes, pasta with a garlic-oil-pepper sauce, and fruit. Camille found some fresh grapes to enjoy. After taking a nap (while others swam in the pool), Gerard made us a delicious dinner of mushroom risotto and pizza (olive tapanade base with shallots and goat cheese).
Monday September 10
We slept very well and woke up around 9 - we could have easily slept much longer. Jan and Craig made scones for breakfast. The day was cold, windy, and rainy. We went to Deruta where Jan picked up some pottery that was being wrapped. We all strolled through several pottery shops until they closed for the afternoon nap.
We went to the restaurant Siro in Torgiano where we had a delicious and leisurely lunch. I enjoyed my sunflower ravioli with walnuts and truffle flakes, and Craig had spaghetti in spicy sauce. There were a few flies which Camille helped to eradicate.
We went back to Deruta - this time to the old part of the city - where we strolled through several more pottery shops [1, 2 , 3 , 4, 5] and then had gelato. We stopped for groceries on the way back to the house, and then hung our the rest of the evening. We just had a snack before bedtime rather than having dinner - we were still pretty full from lunch!
Tuesday September 11
The first thing Craig told me when we got up is "Todi looks very mystical [1, 2]. Sonia made scones [1, 2] for breakfast. While she was making them, Vicky and I did a little yoga to stretch out some muscles and straighten out some kinks. The sun eventually dried up the mist and we all spent time outside reading guidebooks and otherwise just enjoying the view.
After a lunch of sandwiches, we (Vicky, Sonia, Camille, and I) headed towards Todi. We stopped off at a graveyard in Canonica, where the graves are very well tended. Most of them had fresh flowers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
We then went to Todi for some sightseeing - first stop was the Tempico della Consolazione (Church of Santa Maria Consolazione). We got to walk around the outside and also look at the view from there. We couldn't go in, since it was closed this particular Tuesday.
Next, after circling the top of the city and failing to find parking, we found a spot just outside the city walls not far from the main Piazza. Day parking in Todi requires the use of scratch-off tickets - you buy them in different denominations (1 hour, 2 hour, etc.) and then scratch off the date and current time and then leave them on your dashboard. On the way back to the Piazza del Popolo, we stopped in one of the courtyards and saw this fountain shaped like a bathtub.
We stopped off at the Garibaldi statue (seen from the back here), and then also looked at the view from this area. As we walked across the piazza towards the Duomo, Craig's friend Tom called us to tell us the news (of the plane hijackings). I immediately called Craig back at the house to inform him of the tragedy. The others (Sonia, Camille, and Vicky) had already entered the Duomo while I was talking to Craig. After looking at all the artwork inside the main area of the Cathedral, we went down to the crypts. [1, 2, 3] After touring the Duomo, we took a gelato break during which we got a call back from Craig comfirming Tom's earlier news. Bummer is just putting this mildly.
Since the breeze was getting cold, we headed back towards the car to get a jacket. On the way, we stopped at a grocery store and got ingredients for Pasta Fagioli. One of the ingredients is Celery (cedano), so the shop owner closed his store and directed us to a fruit vendor. We got our celery. Neither shop had yeast. We put the groceries in the car, and I got my jacket.
Next, we strolled around some of the narrow streets of Todi. We were attempting to follow one of the walking tour itineries in one of the guide books, but the streets weren't well labeled, so we made up our own way. Camille was on a mission to photograph as many cats as possible. She found a few on the narrow streets, and as we got to the other church, she found several. We walked down some more narrow streets and came to a shopping street. We stopped in an appliance store where we watched the news and the shopkeepers did their best to translate some of it.
We got into the car and drove to a grocery store where they had yeast (mission acomplished!). While we were in the store, Craig called us and told us that the rest of the group was going to head into Todi to meet us for dinner at the Restaurant Umbria. We agreed to meet by the Garibaldi statue outside of the restaurant, and also to get a table. We got to the restaurant, but it was closed on Tuesdays. We found another restaurant which had a nice-looking menu, so Vicky and Camille went in to get a table while Sonia and I went back to the statue to wait for the others. After a while, the others arrived, and we took them to the restaurant at the Hotel Fonte Cesia, which ended up providing us with another excellent italian meal. I had mushroom soup and a veal dish; Craig got a ravioli (which looked like little bags) in a gorgonzola sauce and he also got a mixed salad. After dinner, we all came back to the house and watched the news on TV. (Until today, the TV had not been in use the entire vacation.)
Wednesday September 12
Originally, we were due to go to Orvietto today to pick up Joel from the train station. Due to yesterday's events, however, Joel's return to Italy was delayed until Friday night departure from Atlanta. We (Jan, Sonia, Camille, Craig, and I) had breakfast of scones, and then watched some more news on TV. After a while, we decided we had enough of the news and needed to get out of the house, so we all piled into cars and drove to Orvietto. We went there via the scenic route - the road zigzagged up the hills until we were fairly high in elevation and then we went along the ridge top until near Orvietto. We had several views of the lake from the drive.
We parked near the train station, and then took the Funicular up the hill to the walled city at the summit. From there, we took a bus to the Cathedral of Santa Maria. [1, 2] It has mosaics all over the front of it. We walked through a few shops, and then had lunch of sandwiches at a self-service cafeteria. We walked through a few more shops, and then some of us (all the girls) looked at the artwork inside the cathedral. We also went down to the crypt area.
We then walked through the narrow streets to get to the escalator in the expectation that the escalator would take us back to where we were parked. Wrong - it was on the opposite side of the city. We did have a nice view, both of the city and of the surrounding countryside. Vicky set up her camera to get a group shot of all of us. We then walked along the ring road to get back to the car. Vicky, Gerard, Craig, and I stopped in the train station to buy tickets for tomorrow's day trip to Rome.
We returned to the house, where we had a dinner consisting of a mozarrella/tomato/basil appetizer and pasta fagioli. Vicky entertained us with a skit about April, the Valley Girl. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Thursday September 13
Since we had an early (9 AM) train ride this morning, there was no time for scones. Gerard, Vicky, Craig and I took the train to Rome, and from there we took the Metro to a stop near Ellen Klein's place. We had a tour of her very nice apartment, and then we went on a walking tour of Central Rome. It is amazing how much old "stuff" is there - every where you look, they were excavating for more!
We walked past the Circus Maximus, along the side of the Forum and saw the remains of an acqueduct, past the Arch of Constantine [1, 2], and past the Colliseum. Here is a view inside the colliseum, and here we are looking up along the side. We continued walking along the Forum [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7], which extended to the markets [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] at the opposite side of the street.
We also walked past the Victor Emmanuel Monument in Piazza Venetia (also known at the "wedding cake") and the Palazzo Senatorio [1, 2, 3] (which was used by the Roman Senate from aout the 12th century and now houses the offices of the mayor).
We met Russ, Katy, and Alexander Magnuson for lunch at Vecchi de Roma. I had a pasta with lobsters, and Craig had a pasta with a basil cream sauce. After lunch, we did more walking, including the Pantheon [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] and the Spanish steps. We walked past this sign showing Roman solidarity with the US, and also saw these "Smart" cars. Here is what happens if you don't pay your parking fine. This picture shows the juxtaposition of the old with the new. We also did more shopping until it was time to return to the train station for our return to Orvietto. Dinner back at the house consisted of various leftovers, plus some delicious desserts which Sonia and Camille had bought in Assissi.
Friday September 14
Today we just relaxed all day. We made pizza for lunch, and then pasta with parmesian/romano cheese sauce for dinner. It was rainy most of the day, so a great day to hang out and catch up on sleep.
Saturday September 15
Jan and Craig took Sonia and Camille to the Orvietto train station since they plan to see the sites in Rome before heading home tomorrow. When Jan and Craig returned, we went grocery shopping. When we returned from that, Ellen and Carlo were waiting for us. We had a quick lunch.
After lunch, Jan and Craig went back to Orvietto to pick up Joel, while I went with Ellen and Carlo to their farm house. We picked figs, corn, and grapes. Ellen took me on a tour of their property, explaining where additional fruit trees and olive trees will be planted. Once they get these planted, they will have enough of their property planted in crops to qualify as an agriturismo. They have a view that includes Ponticuti and Todi. Here are some of the grape vines, and here are some doves which hang out on the farm.
Next, we went to Ponticuti and walked around it's narrow streets for a bit. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] We then returned to the house. Jan and Craig had already returned with Joel. We ate dinner at Ristoranti Sebeto - another fine italian meal. I had Impatico mussels for my appetizer, and liguini with prawns for my main dish. Craig had penne with sausage for his first course, and rucola salad with parmesian cheese for his second course.
Sunday September 16
Today, Craig and I went with Carlo to the farm to help with the grape harvest. Quinto (the farmer) and Luciano also helped. Carlo showed us some of the old furniture which had been in his family. We started by washing the crusher and also by building platforms to put the tubs of grapes on. Next, we started by harvesting the small grapes for Cabernet Sauvignon wine. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] Once they were harvested, they were crushed (along with the stems). Next, we harvested the older red grapes and then crushed them. [1, 2, 3] We took a lunch break in the middle of the harvest (brought to us by Jan and Joel), and then finished up the last of the larger grapes. The tubs were covered with plastic to keep mice and other large vermin out. The grapes will sit in the tubs for a few days to ferment, and then they will be moved into the oak barrels to age. I didn't quite get when in the process that filtration occurs. We took a lunch break in the middle of the harvest, and Luciano provided us with some wine he had. After we finished the harvest, we had some of Quinto's wine (from the grapes harvested last year).
Monday September 17
Today was another relaxing day. We spent the morning at the house, and ate a lunch of assorted leftovers. After lunch, Craig and Joel drove to Orvieto to pick up Vicky and Gerard, while Jan and I went for a 5.5 mile walk around the block. One Joel and Craig picked up Vicky and Gerard, they went to Banereggio and to the Civita opposite it. Here is a view from the Civita looking back at the bridge, and here is a view of the countryside from the Civita. Dinner was at the house and consisted of assorted cheeses, bruschetta, pasta with a truffle sauce, and a vegetable mixture.
Tuesday September 18
Another lazy Italian morning. Breakfast consisted of tangerines, figs, grapes, and leftover cake. We ate out on the terrace in the sun. We then went into town to get groceries (Vicky and I were in charge of the dolce), and then had lunch at the house. We relaxed at the house all afternoon, and then made dinner at the house. Dinner consisted of pasta with amatriciana sauce, salad, and an almond/wine cake.
Wednesday September 19
Since Jan had to go to Helsinki today on business, Joel drove her to the airport in Rome, and Craig and I went along for the ride. Joel spent the afternoon consulting at the FAO, while Craig and I were tourists.
We spent the first part of the afternoon at the Forum. Since last week in Rome we had walked around the side of the Forum where the colliseum is, we decided to walk along the other side this time. We walked along the side next to Circus Maximus, and then continued down some narrow streets until we arrived at one of the entrances. We crossed the main part of the Forum and went up to the ticket booth on the opposite side to arrange for a tour. The last english-speaking tour had already left, so we rented audio guides. This actually worked out better, since we weren't in a mob of 40 or so, and we could go at our own pace.
This first picture is of the columns which remain from the Tempio dei Castori (Temple of Castor and Pollux). The second picture is looking down the Via Sacre (Sacred Way). It is a major road which divides the Forum in half. This picture is a view across the Forum as seen from the Arco di Tito (Arch of Titus).
We spent some time admiring the Basilica di Massenzio (Basilica of Maxentius). [1, 2, 3, 4] The size was amazing. The Basilica had a central aisle and two side areas; only the right side remains standing. Near the middle of these pictures are the support collumns for the left side.
In my opinion, the most impressive building was the Tempio di Antonio e Faustina (Temple of Antoninus and Faustina). It is well-preserved, because in the 11th century it was transformed into a church and still is a church today.
A team of girls were actively working on the dig - some using pickaxes, and other carefully measuring dimensions and angles and capturing them on drawings. I don't know if they were all archaeologists, or if some of them might have been interns.
After touring the Forum, we had lunch at one of the restaurants across the street from the Forum. Craig had canelloni, and I had tortellini. It was great getting off our feet for a while.
After lunch we went to the Colliseum. Again, the last english-speaking tour had already left, so we rented audio guides again. Again, this worked out well, since the tour group was very large. In the colliseum, we got to see the levels of seating -- senators got the first level, knights got the second level, etc. The plebians were at the top level. The colliseum had many entrances, and each person had an assigned seat and entrance. Admission to the events was free. The colliseum floor was wood during roman times, and concealed a series of tunnels and passageways. Animals, galdiators, and prisoners were in the rooms under the stage, and an elaborate setup of elevators brought them up to the colleseum floor. In one of these pictures, you can see Craig's shadow taking the picture and me waving. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
There was a large museum exhibit on the second floor of the Colliseum. It seems that the exhibit is there only temporarily, so it was great that it was there at this time. It included a lot of gladiator paraphenelia, a description of the different types of gladiators and their costumes, a description of the different types of games that went on in the colliseum, a miniature of the coliseum which was very old (and showed how the colliseum would have looked in Roman times) and many pieces of marble with inscriptions. From the second floor of the Colliseum, we had an excellent view of the Forum. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
After touring the Colliseum, we walked to Ellen's apartment where we met her, Joel and Carlo. We had another fine italian dinner, this time at Calarello, just across the street from her apartment. I had veal marsala and vegetable soup, and Craig had penne with vodka sauce. When we left the restaurant, we saw this sign. Carlo covered up the logo for the facist party. We were also able to see into the kitchen of the restaurant.
Thursday September 20
Today is another lazy, italian day. We slept in late, had fruit for breakfast, and had leftovers for lunch. For dinner, we ate at Restaurant Umbria. I had linguini with truffle sauce and beef of deer, and Craig had lentil soup, polenta, and mixed salad.
Friday September 21
Today, we stayed at the farm most of the day. Lunch [1, 2] consisted of leftovers. In the afternoon, some people napped while others hunted for gophers. [1, 2, 3] It was a beautiful day, as seen by this view. Dinner featured a gogonzola/carmelized onion pizza and a margherita pizza. Carlo brought over fresh figs from his farm for an appetizer.
Saturday September 22
This morning we went to the market in Todi. Joel and Craig shopped for food, while Vicki and I looked at the clothing and purses. We met Gerard, Ellen, Carlo, and their friends Golda, Paola, and Gianni for lunch at La Mulinella. I had fettucini with duck sauce, Craig had spaghetti with a vegetable sauce, and we both had rolled turkey with grapes. For dessert, I had "English Soup" which is similar to trifle.
Since we ate so well at lunch, most of us returned to the farmhouse to relax for a while. Carlo and Gianni went to Carlo's farm to press and filter the grapes and move the juice to the barrels to age. Carlo brought a couple bottles of the Novelle (new) wine to dinner tonight. Carlo predicted that sometime after Christmas he would be able to bottle the rest of the wine. We had dinner consisting of bucatella pasta with a tomato/sausage sauce, green beens with parmesian cheese, and zucchini with oregano.
After dinner, we gathered around Jan's laptop to watch a movie of the finish of the Formula 1 race in Monza last weekend. The Ferrari car (Italy's entry) had it's front painted black and all advertising removed in respect for the September 11th disaster.
Sunday September 23
It rained most of the day. We stayed at the farmhouse for both lunch and dinner.
Monday September 24
The day started out rainy again, but cleared up in time for us to drive into Todi for lunch at the Hotel Cesia. Just after we were seated outside, it started to rain, so we moved up under the canopy. The meal was excellent.
After lunch, we went for a drive to explore the countryside. We drove past Perugia to Lake Trasimeno The first town we stopped at was Passignano sul Trasimeno. If the weather was a little better, we would have been tempted to take the boat ride over to Isola Majora (Major Island). Instead, we convinced Joel to stand out in the rain.
We then drove over to the next town on the lake, Castiglione del Lago. We parked the car and went for a walk along the side of the lake. This is a view across the lake at Isola Major, and this is a view of the castle in the town. While we were taking a gelato break, Craig was checking out this phone. [1 , 2]
We got back in the car and continued on the scenic drive. From the town of San Litardo, we had this view back towards the lake. Joel made us risoto with sausage for dinner.
Tuesday September 25
We took the train from Ponte Rio (suburb of Todi) to Rome. The first leg of the journey was a very nice, small train (only 2 cars). At the Acquasparta stop, we saw this nice bench. We changed trains in Terni, and had time to step outside to see this sculpture. When we got to the Rome Tiburtina stop, the train stopped, and the conductor shooed everyone off the train. We eventually found out from the conductor that the Termini station was closed. Since there is also a Metro (subway) stop at Tiburtina, we got on the subway and took it to Termini to meet Vicky and Gerard. When we met them, we found out that the cleaning staff at Termini was on strike and that someone had upended the garbage cans.
After dropping our luggage off in Vicki and Gerard's room, we went for a late lunch to Rinaldi's. The Hotel concierge had called them and they agreed to hold the restaurant open for us. I had a porcini soup and fusilli with basil pesto and clams, and Craig had a polenta. We also had dessert, after which the waiter brought us Limoncello (a lemon liquor) and Vin Santo (with biscuits). Afterwards, we ordered tea and coffee, and then another waiter brought us his special Limoncello cream. After all these goodies, we needed to do a lot of walking.
We started by going by the president's palace. A false front consisting of a painted shrim was on the front of the building while the building was undergoing renovations. This statue was in the square in front of the palace. We also had a distant view of the Vatican from this point.
We walked past some shops (bough lamps at one of them) and then went to the Fountain of Trevia. The legend is that if you throw one coin into the fountain, you will return to Rome. If you throw a second coin into the fountain, you can make a wish. We continued walking around Rome for a while, and went into a few more shops. Eventually, we tired of walking, so we returned to Vicki and Gerard's hotel to retrieve our luggage and go to our hotel at the airport. Once we checked in, we went to the lounge where there were complimentary snacks. After the large lunch, the snacks were a welcome light dinner.
Wednesday September 26
Today, we flew home. No lines anywhere, no delays. The plane from Rome to Philadelphia was about half full, and the plane from Philadelphia to State College was only about a quarter full.
Our hosts, Jan Trumbo and Joel Snyder,
also took some photos during this vacation and previous ones.
To see pictures of the house where we
stayed, click here.
To see their photos from the 1999 vacation, click
here. Our pictures from the 1999 vacation are located
here.
