The next morning we departed from Rome. What a hard city to leave. We arrived in Cervertri the largest grave site in the Mediterranean.  More Etruscans! This time instead of paintings we encountered carved relief tombs. The most famous tomb is here is called the Tomb of Relief, with iconography from the underworld as well as everyday objects.

There was something eerie about this place. Maybe it was the fact that the second tomb I peered into wasn’t empty. Mike leapt out of a dark corner causing me to scream bloody murder. Jess Grozo has cultivated a similar spook several times in 201Golden Harvest Circle.

For lunch Stuart and I went local. We bought some local pecorino cheese and wine recommended by the local enoteca. The cheese was really interesting because it was encrusted with fennel. We also tried a rendition with chili peppers. I walked down the street and bought some bread from the bakery. The wine was a 2003 Litvo from Lazio and made from Merlot grapes. The volcanic soil was meant to give it a unique flavor. We upgraded from brown bagging and bought real wine glasses.

After Cervetri we moved onward towards Orvietto in the Umbria region. Go to Orvieto, it was my favorite part of the trip. The town is at the top of a cliff and can not be accessed by bus. We were dropped off and took our luggage to the top via escalators. Orvietto is a slow city or citta slow. It is part of a large movement to promote regional cultural integrity and sustainable environmental practices. The town has a very distinct identity and aims to preserve its unique qualities by promoting a internal consumption and a small scale economy. Most stores sell local pottery and crafts and survive off of exports. The food and wine have their own style and are made from local produce.

The Duomo is spectacular and is located in the center of town. It is most know for its gold mosaics and carved marble relief by Lorenzo Maitani. The church was built in 1263 to commemorate the miracle of the Corpus Cristi. The blood of Christ was said to have bled on a cloth from bread.

Etruscan influence is also evident. The cliff is made from volcanic rock known as tuffa. It is very soft and was easily dug out to make tunnels and underground caves. Below the restaurant the group ate in there was a passageway down into one of these digs.

 The second night the group spent most of the day outside taking in the natural beauty. We took a tour of some other caves. The caves have played a large role in history; from papal water supply during the sacking of Rome to shelters during the II World War. A group of us headed down to watch the sunset on our last night. It was the perfect night hot pink tights and wine.  By far the whites we drank here were the best I’ve had. Both by the same producer; Barberani: Orvieto Classico Superiore Amabile Pulicchio 2005 and a Castagnolo. I’d like to learn more about this area. I have another bottle of a red that I plan to enjoy on the way to Spain. I will write more on this later.