Village of Vitorchiano - Late afternoon - June 7, 2010

Typical Italian Hill Town - It is wonderful to get back in the car and crank up the AC. The village of Vitorchiano is not far from Bomarzo (home of the infamous "monster park") It rises up out of a high promontory hill. Located a few miles from Viterbo, Vitorchiano is protected by two deep ravines which allow access to the town only through a short stretch of land. Thus there is only one gate in the medieval walls which protect Vitorchiano.

Tuff Tuscia - Many little towns of Central Italy like Vitorchiano were built on sites that were easily defensible. The area around the District of Viterbo (in the province of Lazio) is made of tuffaceous rock. Even small streams can carve out sections of land which, through the centuries, provide places where towns can safely sprout. Tuscia rock is strong and easily carved into rooms and caves (wine cellars, garages, etc.) that are prevalent throughout the area.

Photo Opp Spot - The view of Vitorchiano from the other side of the ravine is supposed to provide an impressive photo opp. Miraculously, we find a large, safe parking area and I snap away to my heart's content, even though the light isn't ideal. On the other hand, the view shows how every centimeter of available space on the promontory was fully used. Houses are built to the very edge of the precipice and seem to melt down into the rock. It is possible that many of them have dug down several stories.

Vitorchiano is rumored to have one of the best-preserved medieval historic centers in Tuscia, as well as a system of region-wide pathways to archaeological sites, religious shrines, and nature preserves in the ravine below. I regret that we didn't venture into the town, but finding parking is always dicey and we were weary. Plus, the day was hot, we had plenty of walking in the monster park, we had no desire to hike the long path from town to the valley below Vitorchiano regardless of how many Etruscan ruins might lie there.

Winding Down - It's now about 4 p.m., and the busy days preceding this have drained our energy. The cost of this kind of trip means we must (or want to) max our time with as much sightseeing and adventures as possible. This is not the kind of trip for kicking back and reading a book...or email.

Internet access at the Palazzo is very expensive - like $10 E for an hour - so we stay disconnected for the remaining two weeks of our trip. Amazing how delightful this is!

We are excited about having a big salad for dinner. Our teensy kitchenette area requires efficient use. We get our greens washed, dried, chopped, and tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (We learn later from our ex-pat Floridian guide in Rome, Justin, that Italians use bio fertilizer - polite for poop - and Italians typically use a special product for cleaning their produce. Justin hopes we've washed it well. Well, gads. Just like Mexico. I hoped we washed it good, too, although we haven't gotten sick. Makes me think twice about salads.)  For protein, we toss in chopped ham and cheese. With monster bowls in hand, we head off to the pleasant Palazzo garden below and the white upholstered furniture. Our salads disappear, accompanied by a delicious, local white wine - Est! Est! Est! - is produced in nearby Montefiascone.

As the sun sets, the evening troops of swallows swoop and dive kaleidoscope-cloud flocks. A couple of well-fed cats cruise the yard, but refuse any handouts as they disappear into the bushes. We head up to the room to do dishes, take baths and wash cloths. A little reading brings a dozy end to the day as we snuggle in the four-poster bed with the billowing curtains and view of the starry skies out the open windows.