We’ve come to the conclusion that the ancient Italians constructed their towns whenever they came across a high hill or small mountain. They’d flatten the top. Build a high thick perimeter wall around it to make them feel cosy and secure inside. Well, until marauders came marauding.
Then, they had to add another level of security. So they built a series of mazy zig-zag roads, all seemingly heading upwards and into the “Centro”. At every zig and every zag they added a confusing multitude of mis-leading signs. By the time the marauding garrison of charioteers had manically marched up and down a few times, like bit players in the Duke of York’s nursery rhyme, they’d have enough of this nonsense, give up and go and drown their frustrations in pots of posca.
By the time we’d circumnavigated the block a few times, our necks were starting to resemble pasta twirls. However, we are made of sterner stuff. Plus we have Scoot.
This Etruscan university city houses the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria and we head there first. Exquisite iconic icons fill most of the forty galleries. They typify the extraordinary religious renaissance that still breathes heart into this country’s faith.
As in France, they’re not afraid to fly the flag for their country. Every town hall and many public buildings follow suit. Protective of who they are and what they’ve got. The supermarket fresh produce just one small example. If it’s not grown in Italy they don’t sell it. It makes you wonder if it’s us or them who have been better and fairer player members of the EU?
Lunch is followed by a spot of sight seeing around the back streets. We lose ourselves. It’s good to go off the beaten tracks.
