Viterbo, Marta, Capodimonti, Lake Bolsena, Deruta - June 17 & 18, 2010

Deruta (June 17) - We are headed to Deruta (about 45 minutes) in hopes of buying some hand-painted Italian pottery. Indeed, there are tons of shops all selling pottery and it is obvious that this is the town's primary source of income. There are new and old portions of town and we explored them all. Naturally, we seem to be out and about during the afternoon, when shops are quiet or closed altogether. Nevertheless, there is plenty of pottery to look at - most of it exquisite and much of it very expensive. It's not a place to pick up some gifts for the kids. We have a quiet and delicious lunch there and end up with a couple of small painted dishes for ourselves. We got home in time to take a walk around Soriano and enjoy a cheap and quiet pizza dinner on the lawn.

Viterbo (June 18) - Our time in Italy is coming to an end. We've seen and done a lot. We could take a long trip to Ostia Antica, Tivoli Gardens, or head to some ruins at Ferento. But Bob has done all the driving and he isn't keen to go a long way in high traffic. Besides, we've seen plenty of ruins or, as Justin would say, "another pile of rocks." There are usually few explanations to go with the rocks so one has no idea of the significance. We head to Viterbo to the San Pellegrino district, which is considered one of the best preserved medieval quarters in Italy. We take a peek at the Palazzo Papale (Papal Palace) which served as the Vatican in the 13th century during troubled times in Rome. Luckily, we drove straight to a public parking area that allows us to get out and walk to the cathedral and papal palace. Although the cathedral is open, nothing else is and things seem strangely deserted for a Thursday. We don't spend too much time here and head off for Lake Bolsena.

Marta - Our first stop is the small fishing town of Marta, 25 miles from Soriano. It has a beautiful setting on the lake with a lovely walkway that we wander along. Annette has mentioned there are wonderful restaurants along here that serve pasta with a fish that comes only from Lake Bolsena and a particular red wine (cannaiola) in certain restaurants. None of the restaurants look terribly busy so we pick one and Bob orders the pasta with the special fish while Kay sticks to the fabulous porcini pasta that doesn't fail to disappoint. Bob is served a pile of pasta with a fish about the size of a sardine on top. It must be a baby version of the famous fish. It's barely enough for a taste! We don't remember if we got the special wine or not. It seems as if every area is known for a special wine and it is impossible to keep them straight.

Capodimonte - Since this little town is only nine miles away, we decide to check it out. Street parking is easy and we end up by the Rocca Farnese (kind of a palace). An English tour group is heading up the street to the palace and the English-speaking Italian guide invites us to come along. The views of the lake are spectacular. There is a large beach and boat area here which would make it a great place for swimming - if one was so inclined. The tour guide tells us that there is a wonderful hydrangea festival being held in Bolsena - on the other side of the lake - and we should go there. She promises lots of beautiful flowers and shrubbery trimmed out in animal shapes. Since it is probably not more than 30 minutes away, we decide to drive the scenic route around the lake.

Bolsena - The scenic drive was, indeed, scenic. We pass through Montefiascone, which is well known for its white wine, Est! Est! Est! We had a bottle of this for dinner one night and it was light and sweet. We keep on going to Bolsena and, luckily, find a safe, marked-with-a-blue-P parking spot and meter. Bolsena is a charming town and there are many flowers for sale and hydrangeas in bloom, but it is more like a farmer's market than a big festival. We only saw a couple of very small topiaries. Still, Bolsena's setting on the lake is beautiful, the town seems a little more upscale, and it is a great day just to wander around enjoying the weather.

Opera Night at the Palazzo - We end our evening with the infamous opera night at the Palazzo, which will be covered in the last day and section titled, Palazzo Catalani.