On Friday it was "Ciao" (goodbye) to those who had not already left for the USA. From early (4:30) to mid-morning there were bags being wheeled out to taxis and to the train station as group two's Florence stay came to an end - and a good time was had by all! On Saturday it was "Benvenuto" (welcome) to group three as they began their two weeks of Tuscan adventure. Everyone arrived on time and in good spirits. We took a short orientation walk late in the afternoon, then it was dinner and an early bedtime for the weary travelers. Please excuse the fuzzy photos today. My camera may be on it's last trip since it is not working quite right anymore - hope it holds out another couple of weeks!
I HAVE SET UP A NEW PHOTOBLOG SITE FOR THE 2014 TOURS. YOU CAN STILL SEE PHOTOS FROM 2008 TO 2013 HERE. TO VIEW THE LATEST TOURS GO TO: WWW.INTUSCANYWITHPATRIZIA.BLOGSPOT.COM
An Adventure in Civita - Oct 15
While everyone was traveling to and from the USA today I took off on an adventure to see a place I had read about but not seen yet. Civita di Bagnoregio is perched on a pinnacle in a grand canyon and it was astonishing to see! Because the "saddle" of land that once connected ancient Civita to the newer city of Bagnoregio eroded away and the orginal bridge was bombed in WWII, the old deserted town is now connected by a long and somewhat steep footbridge. There are a few restaurants and a couple of shops to cater to the tourists. Since there was an hour wait for the next shuttle to the footbridge when I arrived, I walked the one mile through the new town (everyone must have been home for lunch since it was practically deserted!) to the bridge going over to Civita. What a surprising scene faced me when I rounded that last curve! It truly looks like something you would see in a fairy tale movie. Inside the walls it was quiet and lovely with only a few tourists around. What a perfect photo shoot! I hope you enjoy seeing Civita and will someday see it in reality. From Florence it was a two hour train trip to Orvieto and then a one hour bus ride to Bagnoregio, but truly worth it! It may become an optional day trip in the future.