I have to admit that waking up from a post 38 hours of traveling slumber is one of the greatest feelings in the world. I have always been a fairly light sleeper and over the past few years, I have grown into the habit of waking up during the night, occasionally multiple times. Peeling my eyes open after nearly 8 glorious, dead to the world hours of sleep was just a fabulous way to start our first full day in Italy.
Once we stowed our baggage in the side room of our B&B (since our very gracious host didn’t want us to have to lug them around all morning) we took the funiculà (please look up the song “Funiculì, Funiculà”, preferably the Luciano Pavarotti) down the hillside to a local bakery and cafe. We agreed upon an assortment of pastries and our own cups of espresso, and sat at a table by the window. Each pastry was overflowing with a different decadent filling, from Chantilly creme, cherry jam, saffron and lemon custard, and the like. I am sad at how quickly each was devoured, but they were simply too yummy to take the time to savor them.
After breakfast, we went back up the hill to check out the Pozzo di San Patrizio (The Well of St. Patrick). This spiraling sculpture was carved out of the rock beneath Orvieto (much like the caves throughout town) and reached down nearly 60 meters below the surface. Named after Saint Patrick of Ireland, this well was commissioned at the request of Pope Clement VII, who had taken refuge in Orvieto during the Sack of Rome in 1527. St. Patrick was said to have gone to a hallowed cave in Ireland to pray and seek solace, and that this cave reached so far into the earth that it was the gateway from life into eternity, or to purgatory. To create this deep cavern, they first dug through tuff and then through clay to reach the water tables and then lined the round walls of the well with brick, completing the structure in 1537. There are two set of stairs along the rounded walls of this well, one for the decent and one upon which to return. Each stair is wide and shallow, making it easy for people and also their pack animals to easily reach the water at the bottom and return to the top. There are 72 windows lining the walls, lighting the way for each traveler who descends into the depths below to gaze a the glimmering coins and tokens for prayer and good luck that have been cast to the bottom. The water at the bottom comes from a natural spring and is drained by another to remain at a constant level for those who wish to cross the bridge built from one stairway to the other. I highly recommend that you take your time if you decide to tread that winding way, as the hike back up seems a bit more challenging than anticipated by your average individual. Stop along the way, and peer through the open windows, looking both up and down to really understand the full spectrum of height for yet another subterranean masterpiece.
When traveling for such a short period internationally (pretty much any length shorter than a month) we tend to rely on the use of WiFI to communicate with our family, friends and owners of each place we are staying or visiting. With that being said, trying to call a cab without WiFi of an Italian phone number this morning proved to be a bit more challenging. Due to the small nature of the city, taxis were not simply parked outside the station waiting for a fare to arrive. Laura and I decided to stop by the cafe near the station in search of WiFi, where the gentleman behind the counter was kind enough to all a taxi for us on his personal phone. After waiting 20 minutes on the curb at the station, our taxi appeared to take us to our next place of adventure.
Now come for what I have decided will be one of the most memorable and joyous parts of my trip. My beautiful and amazing cousin Laura, also as my partner in crime for this trip, took to heart the fact that my birthday is two weeks away, and she decided to build a few surprises into our trip as a present to me. Part one of the birthday surprises took place in the Umbrian Countryside about 15 minutes down the hill from the main city of Orvieto. As we drove out, i could see the villas and rows of trees and bushes along the way, and could feel my excitement rising. I had it pinned to pretty much two choices: An olive tour, or a wine tasting. When we finally came to a stop outside a beautifully restored country house above rows of grape vines, I was ecstatic to see the name Cantina Lapone upon the signage. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by our host and wine expert Sarah, who then spent the next four hours guiding us around the grounds, walking us through the winery and each step of the wine making process, plating an assortment of cheese, fresh bread, local sausage and five varieties of the vine they create and package by hand on site. The view from our table was magnificent, walking out the door to overlook a swimming pool, the vineyard and rolling hills sweeping off into the distance. Due to the amount of time Sarah spent with us, and the knowledge she laid upon out brains, I believe it is only fitting that I write a separate post about everything we learned throughout our afternoon. Needless to say, we left a few glasses (and still corked bottles) heavier than when we arrived.
After leaving the vineyard, we made our way by another taxi (this time Sarah was kind enough to call and order us one in advance) to retrieve our luggage and wander about the fortress along the upper walls of the city. Stopping to take the expected model photos for our Instagram and Facebook profiles, we spent our time before the trains arrival at ease, even running into a gentleman who gave us his ticket for the funicular back to the train station, where we then headed onward to the main focus of our trip, Rome. Just a few short train rides, and a not so short walk later, we got settled into our apartment for the week, freshened up a bit, and set out to find La Casa del Supplì, a restaurant known for it’s traditional Rome style “pizza by the slice.” While the pizza was yummy and filling, the prized dishes of the night were toasted potato slices that were between a potato chip and a french fry, and also a stuffed tomato that was filled with rice and herbs and potato. After filling ourselves to the brim with these tasty foods (which we ate while standing at a tall bar along the wall) we headed back to the apartment to plan out the next few days, since some things we’d found would need to be purchased in advance.
Definitely a day I will cherish for many years to come. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow holds in store!
~Kelly
Devine Perks 