The day has come to leave Umbria
Our 11 days here have come to a sad conclusion and now we have to go. However, before you start feeling too bad for us, you should know that we hopped into our Alfa Romeo and 2 hours later… Hello Chianti region in Tuscany!
Before we totally leave the Green Heart of Italy, we need to wrap up a few loose ends. Because wi-fi can be a bit sketchy while travelling and we have been out enjoying Italy, we find ourselves behind on our posts.
To catch you up, we will treat you to a 5 in 1 post that highlights the last few days. This includes the towns of Spello, Montefalco, Numana and Castelfidardo. All of these were day trips from our home base in Perugia. Let’s get started.
Spello, Umbria
Spello was high on the list of must see towns this time around. With its flowers cascading color from it’s ancient stone walls, buildings and steps, it was going to be a photographers dream day.
As it turns out we were about a week or so early for Spello’s famous flower art festival. We knew this going in, however, what we didn’t expect was the lack of flowers on display before the show. We were imagining the explosion of flowers you see on Instagram and Facebook. Nope.
Montefalco, Umbria
Montefalco on the other hand, was a very pleasant surprise. We had dropped this town off our must see list, only to add it back on after hearing such positive reviews from other travellers we met. Montefalco is a great place to visit. It has a nice layout and great views of the countryside. Two thumbs up.
Numana, Marche
Numana is a town on the Adriatic coast of Italy and is popular with beach lovers. A little over 2 hours from Perugia, it was nice, but we prefer the smaller, quieter beaches as a rule.
Castelfidardo, Marche
Another nice hilltop town with something a little special. Yes, it has great views, but it happens to be the Guinness world record holder for the largest handmade playable accordion. Thank you Gino D’Acampo for the tip!
We found the shop in the town’s main piazza with the help from Guinness World Records signage, pointing to the shop as an official record holder. What we didn’t find, was a door that was unlocked, to allow us in to see this marvel.
Turns out that from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm the accordion shop is closed. We were there at 1:30 pm and we were starting to feel the effects of heat exhaustion. No standing next to greatness taking selfies this day amici. An air-conditioned ride back to the apartment seemed more appealing than hanging out another couple hours in +33 C temps.
Perugia, Umbria
Perugia is a great Italian city. It has a lively main corso that leads to the fountain in the Piazza IV Novembre. The corso is pedestrian friendly, steeped in history and has lots of outdoor ristorante tables under large umbrellas. If you want a more medieval experience on your visit, you’re in luck. Just turn off the main corridor and there you have it, instant Medieval architecture.
The piazza is an excellent spot to sit and relax on the steps of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. This is especially true in the evening, when the heat of the day diminishes.
From the open windows of our apartment, we had the most incredible view of the valley below. Possibly the best view we have ever had from a temporary home in Italy.
