An early start this morning as we are taking the train to Orvieto.
After picking up our tickets from the self service machines at Termini we walk a few hundred yards to the Beehive Cafe for breakfast.
Linda and Steve who run the Beehive live in Orvieto and Linda has written a guide to the town on which we have based our visit.
The coffee and French toast set us up perfectly for the day.
The regional train takes around an hour & fifteen minutes to reach Orvieto but is much cheaper than the fast trains. Once in Orvieto we take the funicular to the top and from there it is a 15 minute scenic walk up into the town.
Saturday is market day in Piazza del Popolo and we enjoy meandering around the stalls that are full of autumn produce.
We also buy honey and local pecorino to take home.
Via Magoni is full of little artisan shops where we manage to find lots of things to buy as gifts.
We then get our first glimpse of the stunning Duomo
This really is the most amazing building
Lunch at Enoteca al Duomo gives us another chance to sit and admire the structure
Gelateria Pasqualetti is very handily placed next door.
Then it is time to admire the views from the Anello del Rupe , a walking trail that runs along the volcanic rock.
Now for our ceramic buying fail. I had taken note of the various
items that we liked in the ceramic shops on our walk up into town this morning thinking that we would make our purchases on the way back down to the funicular. Unfortunately we had not factored in the afternoon 'pausa' so no ceramics for us from Orvieto.
Our evening passeggiata takes us to the Ostiense area and new street art by Omino 71 which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the cartoon network. The work is based around the themes of friendship, encounters and diversity.
Apologies for the quality of the photos as the light was fading fast but it did afford us a great view of the moon over the gazometro (with a bit of Kidacne thrown in too)
Then it is time for our first negronis of the trip at Gazometro 38. I loved the chunky glassware.
Dinner tonight is at Altrove. This ethnic restaurant, just yards from Eataly, is a training ground for refugees and disadvantaged young people from Italy. It is a social project similar to that of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. What makes the menu so unique is that the young chefs apply elements of dishes from their homes to traditional local ingredients. The produce is sourced from suppliers with a similar social commitment.
The bright open space also references their motto, 'doors open to the world', with the bar counter being made up of wooden doors of various shapes and sizes.
