Wow. Six months has gone by fast! It doesn’t even feel like that long since our last trip, but it’s fall, and once again we are on the road. Back to Orvieto to spend a few days before boarding the Azamara Pursuit for our ride home. Our travel day starts out beautifully – sunny, warmish and just gorgeous – makes it hard to leave!
The planes all work fine and on time. We spent our 2 hour layover in Atlanta in the Priority lounge – the membership came free with our new credit card, nice perk since the United passes we get always expire before we can manage to use them. Once at the gate, we had hoped to “upgrade” to comfort seats on the long haul, because it showed the entire section open – but by flight time, every seat was full – so no way we were giving up our 2 seats on the window aisle.
Boarding was unusually chaotic. Beyond the fact that the zones on Delta are a pain, everybody sort of clogged the gate, so when a particular zone was called it was just disorderly. They were also using a new facial recognition system, where you didn’t have to even show your boarding pass – just hold your passport in your hand in case you needed it. You stood in front of the camera, snapped a picture and voila! It matched your face to whatever they have in their system and out popped a boarding coupon. Cool, but in a totally big brother scary kind of way. One of the cameras wasn’t working, so we thought it would be even more of a nightmare, but much to our surprise, once you made it to the machines, the boarding process went quite smoothly.
We made it aboard quickly, got settled in, and watched the crazy procession of travelers straggle on until we were all boarded and pushed back from the gate. We watched movies (Solo for me, The Chicago Bears for Ed), ate dinner (great wine and FULL pours, chicken salad for me, chicken picatta for Ed), then tried to sleep. I actually watched most of The Chicago Bears, but didn’t make it through before falling fitfully asleep. The rest of the flight passed in that semi-oblivion of sleep and half-sleep (not including me getting sick half way through – which we won’t even go into – only lasted through the flight, I was perfectly fine after we landed – so we are figuring that chicken salad was NOT the way to go. 
Passport control was a breeze! They have a new automated system that we can now use too (USA hasn’t always been included), and we sped right through. Bags were already on the carousel when we arrived. We walked the mile and a half to EuropCar (well, not really that far, but its a hike – sort of felt good after sitting for so long though). Got a diesel “upgrade” then proceeded to the garage to wait for the car to be washed and delivered to us.
All in all, a very smooth process and we were out an on the road a little before noon. Drive was easy (because we’ve done it so much!). One pit stop for a wake up Coke Zero and one for the grocery story in Orvieto Scalo, and we rolled into Orvieto proper at 2:15. Again, we’ve been here often enough that we know the way, even if that way are the tiniest little alleys of streets. We are staying at the Casa Orchidea this year, which is more centrally located than the other two apartments we’ve booked previously. We are steps from Via del Duomo with a decent garage this time.
After ringing the bell next to the huge wooden double doors of the apartment, we are met by Filippo who directs us to the garage, helps bring our luggage and explains the apartment to us. He’s adorable and helpful, and gives us an instructions and call sheet should we need him. We’ve been conversing with “Roberta” through AirBnB, but notice there is no Roberta on the call sheet. Hmmm…wonder who she is then? Guess it doesn’t really matter, just a strange little factoid of dealing with international bookings, I suppose.
The apartment is as advertised, totally well equipped with an adorable kitchen designed into a great design, with virtually hidden appliances.
The bedroom is nicely done, and the bathroom completely updated with rain shower head (which has an electronic settings pad in the shower that appears to turn the shower different colors? but which we can’t figure out how to work) and gorgeous tile designs on the walls and floors. We were initially concerned because we had not paid attention to the air conditioning because of the season (there is none), but its really warm today for October (nicely warm, in the high 70’s, but still). No need to worry though, even with the windows open it is cool – almost cold – in the apartment when we arrive in the dead of the afternoon heat.
We bid Filippo arrivederci, settle in quickly, then go out for a walk around town in the beautiful sunshine. First we walk away from the Duomo to get our bearings and figure out how we will have to drive out of here tomorrow. Most of the street/alleys are one-way, which can make it slightly challenging. But it seems to be a straight shot, so then we reverse course and head back to the front of the Duomo. It is a perfect day for Duomo photos, and even though we have a million, we can’t resist one of two more…
It’s also the perfect time of day. Still warm and sunny, and most of the day trippers are leaving – which is why we love this town. The Japanese tourists are running up Via del Duomo, the guide a good 2 blocks ahead, and the rest of the crowds are heading toward the square for their buses leaving us blissfully semi-alone. Yes, Orvieto is touristy, but at night, it is a different world, and we love the ambiance and the people who remain here living, and making a living.
As we wander about working the kinks out of our jet-lagged bodies, we stumble on Battalani Sapori, one of the Tipico Produtti shops that are abundant here. We establish that it has been here forever, and we’ve apparently just ignored the storefront the many times we’ve passed. Today, they are offering 3 dried salamis for 15 Euros and the proprietor offers us samples – which of course sells us! Walking way with 3 salamis – 2 with truffles, 1 Cinghiale – we find a little bar/deli and sit outside with a glass of wine and pint of beer to watch the world walk by. Then wander back to the apartment to rest for a bit before trolling for our dinner.
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