Something Medieval This Way Comes...

Is this the Medieval Porte I see before me?  No it's the Etruscan Porte.  Wait, it's the Roman Porte... actually it's the 20th century escalators that lead to the car park!  Perugia is a modern town built on a medieval town built on the foundations of an Etruscan city. Thank goodness for Jo's sense of direction and one brown sign or we might have been wandering the winding streets of Perugia forever.  Instead, after a lovely day exploring, we popped out right opposite the entranceway to our B & B. (was it planning or could it be coincidence?!) Holding the map upside down helped too.



 

The buildings here are beautiful with each corner affording a new picturesque view which we "just have to photograph" but really can't capture.  Archways and doorways abound and the streets wind their way from the centre to form the "typical" star shape as the guide to Perugia says. 

The weather is chilly but clear.  All the main streets have sparkling lights strung from building to building across the street and it is as if the town has dressed itself up just for us (Christmas may have had

 something to do with it as well ... or maybe it is for Jo's birthday?). 

 

Our host is very kind and made us at least three breakfasts this morning.  At least we had plenty of energy for the day.  We may have started today with a planned route but we deviated practically at the first corner and never got back to the plan.  In our typical fashion we managed to stumble upon the Etruscan Well, the underground medieval city that got buried by a fort..which got replaced by the Municipal Council, several beautiful churches, some truly impressive portes (gates) from various centuries and Sant Angelo's Tower which gave us the most spectacular view of the countryside of Umbria on one side and over the city to the snow covered mountains beyond on the other (not sure which mountains - any suggestions?)



winter woolies required.....



  Today's lunch was a "typical Umbrian Platter" vegetarian style with very authentic cheeses, barley salad, and mini bites of different savoury pastries. Our dinners have been spaghetti related as you would expect.  This is the mushroom capital of Italy so we are both quite happy with the menu.



our niche

We are reluctant to leave our lovely Peruggian niche but are heading out tomorrow for Siena and parts North!