Ciao, Italy...........

We (I) drove back to Rome the next day and checked into the airport Marriott. The following morning we all flew out separately on our 13+ hour flight home- I think my butt is still asleep!!!

What an adventure!!!! Thanks to all.

So now, we are home, trying to get over the jet lag, going through tons of mail, trying to figure out where we are in our lives and looking at the world with a slightly different view...........

CIAO!!!!!



Porchetta sandwiches (Google it)

for our last full day in Spoleto we started at the Farmer's Market and enjoyed Porchetta sandwiches- right next to the pig's head!!!!

we spent the day wondering the festival streets, last minute shopping, packing, having a "clean out your refrig pot luck" and a 3K!!! pic slideshow of our trip..............on a very uncomfortable couch!!!!

it was a wonderful time in Spoleto- thanks Denise and Steve!!!

up the mountain (behind the ponte/ aquaduct)

prior to our country lunch we visited Spoleto's San Salvatori- it has an application in for a world heritage site

followed by a trip to the top of the mountain, where Saint Francis established his monastery.....Monteluco

it was a national holiday, so many families were having picnics on the grounds.........

next was lunch at a agri-tourist country inn called Villa Marianna- it was great

in the evening we went out to enjoy the start of the Spoleto Wine Festival........

Steve & Denise in Spoleto, Italy

Steve and Denise are our good friends from Temecula and from the sister city program. They are in Spoleto for a year and we are visiting them in Italy. We met them in Venice for a few days, took a week cruise on the "Jade" down the Dalmation Coast and we are now spending a week with them in their apartment in the old walled Italian city of Spoleto in Umbria, Italy.



We are also traveling  with Judy and Paul, Connie and Fred & Billie and Marilyn. They have apartments of their own in the same building in Spoleto. We are having a wonderful time!!!!!!

This afternoon we walked around Spoleto and got back to the apartment for a pleasant rain shower. Steve made his famous sausage pizza for lunch. Such a cook!!!

We all took Steve and Denise out for a thank you dinner tonight. It was truly wonderful. A family restaurant, down stairs, homemade food and wine & great owners.


this fine dinner was followed by more pinochle

off to Assisi- Saint Francis of........

Assisi is up on a hill and is easily viewed as you approach it...

next we visited the pottery center at Deruta