One of the benefits of serving overseas (at least in Europe) is that you get extra holidays and days off. Almost all standard 3-day weekends are 4-day weekends here and, for various reasons, several 2-day weekends magically turn into 3-dayers. This past weekend was one of them. For us that spells road trip!
After finding a gem of a hotel in northern Umbria (the region adjacent to Tuscany) we headed north on the Autostrade. First up was Orvieto. Other than being a beautiful town sitting atop a plateau, Orvieto is also super convenient, just minutes off the highway, offers easy parking, and always seems to appear just when the kids are itching to get out of their car seats. Rick Steves sums up Orvieto with three C's: cathederal, ceramics, and classico (the locally produced white wine). Even though this was our third time in Orvieto we will definitely be back soon!
The main Duomo with A & E in the foreground.
Students sitting on the Duomo steps while Ethan runs from daddy.
Ethan sits still for a nanosecond so that Daddy can take his picture.
What beautiful scenery!
A quaint ceramics shop in the main square.
Some of the beautiful, handpainted plates and bowls.
We stayed at a gorgeous hotel in between Assisi and Perugia, Relais Borgo Brufa. Granted, we stood out a bit with our kids amongst honeymooners, but that's neither here nor there! Luckily, the staff put us in our own room for breakfast, and offered a spread that satisfied even Ethan's bottomless stomach. Here are some pics we took on the hotel grounds.
Ethan is all smiles, ready to explore more of Umbria.
Every hotel needs this view!
Ethan taking in the sunset.
The view from our terrace.
