PS for Thursday

Somehow I deleted half my text. I also visited the national museum, with wonderful frescoes and paintings but very hot and dry inside and could hardly breathe, so moved through rather quickly. But..I have a card valid for one year so can easily visit again and hopefully take a slower wander through. I did see the Duccio painting of the madonna and child that I had seen in the Uffizi - who has the copy - that I truly love. After so much culture, I also had the best manicure of my entire life for €10 and booked to get my hair done on Thursday next for my birthday and the visit to Umbertide.

Late lunch 2pm at Caffè di Perugia. The pizza is normal size but too too large for me, that I had to ask if I could take most of it away. The waiter said I didn't eat as much as a bambina. don't know about that, but there was a child of about 5-6 next to me, hoeing away into the same size pizza. Definitely delicious though - not Pizza Hut by any stretch of the imagination.

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Thursday 6 September

What a fabulous day. Firstly, after much emailing etc I headed to Sant'Anna stazione to buy tickets for tomorrow and next week - in Italian - gold star to Dorothy. Then I headed back to the centro, much puffed and hot - the trip through Rocca Paolina is molto caldo. I bought my beautiful linen bath towels - very pricey but hopefully worth it. Then I came back to the apartment to drop stuff off...Mt Everest again.

Next I went to see St Bernadino oratoria and the old and currently being restored San Francisco church and a long walk down a road with gorgeous trees.

Then, little pig that I am I had a coppa of peach gelato, the best...shortly, I am off a-sightseeing again, hoping I don't get lost this time. I am trusting Dani's directions. Me at Sandri's enoying my spumante and hanging onto the tablecloth. Have i said how much I love this town????

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Wednesday Part 2

After a productive morning, I had a disastrous afternoon. I walked in circles, in fact, the same circle twice, up hill and down dale, missing what I was looking for. Then I got an email from Ruth's friend in Umbertide inviting me to stay for a couple of days for the festa. I was so happy, I went out to have a drink about 1.30 and tripped over a 2mm kerb and fell, scraped my knee and tore my expensive K-Mart leggings!? So, I went looking for replacement leggings (which really are expensive) and something to tend my wounds. I think I will have a big bruise on my knee tomorrow. Then I texted Daniela the tour guide to see whether she would like to meet for a coffee. We met at 5.30 and I got home at 7.45. She is wonderful - knowledgeable, friendly, warm - as many adjectives as you can think of. She showed me things on my map and suggested places to visit. Took me to Sandri pasticceria and a bakery shop and introduced me. She met friends along the way and introduced me to them. Wow, what can I say - I will know people when I go for a coffee or to buy bread. Meeting her was icing on a very flat, dry cake. Who knew that Sandri do fabulous takeaways - stuffed tomatoes, spinach gnocchi, etc. She also recommended a wonderful enoteca and an osteria. Cannot believe my luck. Plus, thanks to Ruth and her Scottish friends I will be going to spend two days in Umbertide for the festa and to celebrate my birthday.

I leave you with something to chuckle on. This tiny room, about waist high, is my laundry and at the very back is hidden the gas hot water system for my recalcitrant shower. Even my landlady's mother, who is quite tiny, had to bend double to reach it. PS: I bought some wonderful oil, olive and truffle paste and some gorgeous honey at a biologico market this morning - so, I guess a scraped knee and torn leggings pale into insignificance compared to all the wonderful things that are happening.

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Wednesday in Perugia

I had such a busy day yesterday that I crashed about 5.30 and had to have a lie down; I planned to get up again about 7 and go to dinner - woke up at 8 and decided to go straight back to sleep. About 1am I rang home on Facetime, which was terrific. Now it is 5.30am and I am wide awake with nothing to do, so I'm blogging. After eating my panino di porchetta yesterday I headed off to find the fresco which was part of my ticket to the Etruscan well.

I found Capelle San Severo easily and went to view the fresco, which WAS marvellous but how long can you stand admiring one small wall? This is my innovation - photo of a postcard, 'cos you MUST NOT take photos of frescoes.

So I headed off down and suddenly saw Palazzo di Sorbello, which I had read about as a place well worth visiting and so it is. You have to pay for a tour but with the other ticket you get a sconto (discount). I got the last tour of the day with a lovely young woman. Fabulous - the library is amazing, the ceilings in the rooms are wonderfully frescoed but one room in particular is well painted. The last descendant is the son of an Italian married to American woman who set up an embroidery school with kindergarten to give the local women a skill. Some lovely examples of the embroidery and the tools to make them are on display. There were also some wonderful ceramics and porcelain as well as items such as a small chess set. Today the building is owned by a foundation which looks after it. I am so very pleased I did this tour. As I was leaving some people came in but were turned away, the palazzo was closing for the day. Lucky me! At the front of the building is the well that they drew water from - the origin of the water Is the pozzo I first saw - a very dark and dank cavern.

This is Piazza IV Novembre with Fontana Maggiore in the foreground. Then just right of the building straight ahead is the entrance to my daily Everest climb - La Perla, my home from home. To the left, unfortunately out of the frame, is my bar - Bar Centrale - for my caffé and aperitivo.

Today I have to find the bus station, something I tried to do yesterday but failed. I did find a bus tour of Perugia and we passed the bus station, so I know it is real just have to work out how to get there. The little tour was good, passing many sites I want to visit and it made me realise how many are very close at hand. I also need to be brave and take the escalator - teeny-weeny car going down steep tunnel - to find the mini metro, which I need to take on Friday to get to the train station for my wine tour. Lastly, I will go to the main museum and purchase a ticket which lets me in to all sites for free, once the ticket is paid for. So, another busy day but this time I will save my energy and go out to dinner - the restaurant is practically at my front door.

This is Pozzo Etrusco, peering down is spooky, it goes down forever and is green, dark and watery but no odour - so I am guessing it is still potable.

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Day 2 in lovely Perugia

I just love Perugia. This is the best town. People are so helpful and friendly. I am a rampant tourist, taking pictures of everything 'cos it is all so eminently photographable. Unlike Firenze and Paris where I took photos almost 'cos I had to, here I can't stop myself. Today..the shower doesn't work too well, so Eva sent her mum who doesn't speak any English but we understood each other and we think she fixed it, hope so anyway 'cos cold showers aren't doing it for me! I've walked and walked, taken umpteen photos, had a glass of wine and nibblies then, oh oh, bought a panino di porchetta - yum - and all in Italian. If my Italian doesn't improve here there is no hope for me. I have a church on either side of me and they ring the quarter hour but I love it. I've seen the pozzo Etrusco and that includes a ticket to see a fresco, I have yet to find that. Came home with my panino and then ate it all - no dinner for me tonight. I found the shop that sells beautiful linen towels and will buy a pair at least. Food, wine etc very cheap but clothing, shoes etc wow, outrageous. Shoes like you buy in the cheap shops at home for $20 are €120 here, maybe they are better quality but don't look it. I've emailed Daniela my tour guide for Sunday 16 but not texted her yet. I started my phone with Wind and then suddenly it moved to TIM, don't know why - maybe TIM worked better underground at the well. I so wish you could all be here with me. I've been here such a short time but I love it so much already.

I've already emailed about flights etc. so will close now. Below is the view from my terrace.

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Here I am in Perugia

5 o'clock Tuesday morning and I have worked out how to use the coffee machine. What a long long two days it has been. My flights were terrific and apart from a slightly boring 3.5 hour layover in Dubai and a couple of very minor dizzy spells but I hope I am good to go. One of the hostesses on my Dubai-Rome flight gave me a gorgeous yellow rose which I then passed on to my driver to Perugia. The cost was a tad more than expected but...I'm on holidays, aren't I? Plus, I'm very glad I wasn't on the bus or trying to get up the many escalators to the apartment in the drenching rain. The weather..very humid and hot at Rome airport then torrential rain and lightning on the drive to Perugia. 

Eva, the apartment owner, met us at Piazza Cavallotti and we followed her the 50 or so metres to via della Gabbia. Eva is stunningly gorgeous and young and very helpful! The apartment is fabulous, though small, with 3.5 downfalls: one of them a real possibility of downfall - the stairs, just outside my bedroom doorframe immediately to the left - with being a bit dizzy when I get out of bed I have to seriously watch I don't topple down them. The shower is ever so wussy, no pressure at all..but hey after 24 hours it was still blissful. The wifi signal is minimal, so not too sure whether I'll be able to upload photos, they may have to be added at home. And then there is the lift - a glass box that you unlock then hold down the button until you arrive 4 floors later - came up with the suitcases and will go down again with them but apart from that it will be climbing six flights every time I come and go, so I'll hopefully be amazingly trim and fit. Oh, the view is to die for from my rain-soaked terrazzo. When awake, the bed is super firm as are the pillows, but I obviously slept well. I unpacked and then went shopping for the usual bathroom necessities and some food. Crashed early Monday evening, about 10pm, after 'dinner' at home - fresh bread roll, prosciutto freshly sliced from a ginormous leg by a butcher with a heavy hand - not once did his etto make 100g for any customer - truffle pecorino and some rather nice grapes. 

I have had a little wander around town, done some shopping, forgetting one of the most important  items on my list - soap. Why I thought I didn't have room in the luggage for one small cake of soap, I'll never know. I've been to my local bar twice pre and post shopping, so they will recognise me in the future. I used my Italian a couple of times and did okay except made a silly agreement mistake, as soon as it was out of my mouth I realised but just moved on. And I learnt a valuable lesson through a seriously unhappy checkout chick - you empty your basket, they DO NOT. But I've done the plastic gloves, weighing and pricing my own frutta...no problema.

Today is some shopping, forgotten items from yesterday, find a postbox to post Loretta's birthday postcard, and then explore, get lost, whatever and finally.....book at Da Cesarino for dinner - literally across the Piazza.

So, farewell for the time being from a still tired but very happy camper domiciled in Perugia. Hope you are all fit and well.

Getting ready for Italy

It's getting closer to flying time; only two more sleeps. What a disaster this week has been. I had a huge vertigo attack at the physios on Tuesday and ended up in Joondalup emergency on IV stemetil. I missed my last Italian class and my last two days of work and am still feeling decidely wobbly. I've done all I can to prepare myself for the flights - spoken to the chemist, my doctor and researched vertigo and air travel ad nauseam. Fingers crossed that all will be well and I land safe and sound at Fiumicino and then happily arrive in Perugia.

Lorna's rosebush when it was looking good.

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