Ferragosto (Assumption Day)

Today is Ferragosto, Assumption Day, the day that celebrates the Assumption of Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. I wake up to a sunny day today. Temperature still perfectly around 80. Revisited some of the views that were cloudy yesterday. Thinking of heading to Orvieto (another town) sometime today. I am sitting on the steps of Santa Eufemia, listening to the cellist. Stunning, almost silent. His sound reverberates with such elegance off these Romanesque walls. I forget how much I love music sometimes.

I walked to il stazione and purchased my ticket to Orvieto. I had to change stations and was a little confused by having received a strange looking ticket. I asked help from a woman who turned out to be Amercian. Woman: Mid to late 30s, curly brunette, from Philly, psychologist, acupuncturist, headed to a yoga retreat for 5 days in Siena, odd. I never caught her name, but we became travel buddies, as we both had to change trains at the same station (Orte).


I arrived in Orvieto and took a bus to il centro storico (Line 1, €1). The free funicular was broken. Saw beautiful hills and mountains (Umbria sure is perfect) and headed into town (around 2pm).

Walk past a church, don't know the name, but when I entered it was entirely empty. The aroma of sweet incense still lingered in the air from the high mass of Ferragosto. The smell almost flashed images of the devout, paying every ounce of their attention to il prete (priest), saying their "Padre Nostro". I then wanted to see the Duomo of Orvieto.

Magnificent, almost Moorish. Those who came to pray were so easily interrupted by the 1/3 slew (a measurement of people that I now feel should be used often) of tourists illegally taking photos (me included).

The Medieval Quarter lent me beautiful scenes of centuries old rooftops that rested on walls so different from that in Spoleto. The walls in Orvieto are rough, a medium shade of brown, a bit orange actually. Like the color Burnt Sienna. Maybe it should be called Burnt Orvieto? Took bus back to il stazione. Waiting on Binario Due (Platform 2).

Shin splints. Deoderant? I feel like Asian tourists are so innocent. I honestly don't know what I mean by that. I change trains in Orte. Waiting for train to Spoleto, its almost 7pm. The sun is casting wonderful light on the hills and I can hear the crickets already. On the train to Spoleto, I saw a cinema playing Step Up 3D on screen 4. Honestly, no one can ever escape the influence of America. Good? Bad? Hmmm. Heading to Localita il Piano tomorrow.