(D) Our last day in Orvieto and we decided to wander the streets some more, maybe to see the Necropolis, maybe to see the Underground, but definitely to try and come across streets we hadn't seen before.... mind you as we don't recognise them half the time this is not the challenge it sounds like! We were definitely in "laid back Italian holiday mode", not leaving the house until after 10, and made our way without too much effort down to the Necropolis. There was one tiny hesitation on my part when we first started down from the city walls as the walkway, hugging the cliff but quite wide really, had wooden boards that appeared slightly rotten in places. Liane,
reassured me that thousands of people must walk on it, especially during the warmer months and advised me just to walk along the nails which I did and all was fine!

As we continued down we did have a few moments where, though we'd passed a sign confirming we were headed in the right direction, we subsequently came across a couple of intersections with no signage at all - mmm right or left? All in all it was pretty simple though we did chant our concerned refrain.... what goes down must come up later.... as that's what happens when you head downhill but know you'll be step walking the route up again before too long!
  
Like so many things we've seen, the pure age of the Necropolis just stuns our tiny colonial brains - 600 years before Christ people were living in this area and constructing these buildings which, whilst in no way intact of course, still remain for us to marvel at so very many years later. The pots and vases, and similar items they have discovered and dated from around there, really bring it home to you that once upon a time, in conditions and lifestyle far removed from our own, people carried out their day to day lives in this area, and indeed were buried at this site. Once we'd walked around a few times we made our way back up to the hilltown part of Orvieto, walking all the way up to the top again...... honestly we should have legs of steel by the time this trip is over! We also keep reassuring ourselves that surely all the walking compensates for the yummy pastas, pizzas and nougat we've been sampling.... let's hope so anyway!
 
We had a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit simple lunch in a place in a little "arcade/laneway" off the Corso Cavour (probably couldn't find it again if my life depended on it!). The guy who served us congratulated us on sitting outside - well he actually said he thought we were crazy at first to be sitting outside but then commented, in lovely accented English, "you know what, you were right, the weather it's not so bad!" It's the second sample we've had here of "simple" Italian food - a pasta in tomato & garlic sauce - sounds plain but oh the flavours! Liane had ordered that this time (though of course we always share tastes) and I had potato with olive oil and a green salad with vinegar - again it sounds so simple but the olive oil was so good and the salad so fresh that, like the pasta.....mmm cibo squisito!
 
I also thoroughly enjoyed a brief exchange with a woman, his mother maybe?, who came out to clear our plates. As she did so she inadvertently dropped a fork so I lent down and picked it up for her to which she said "Grazie" and I got to say "Prego"...... Italians say it to us all the time, it seems to mean the equivalent of your welcome, no problems, anytime, don't mention it kind of thing - so it was nice to have an opportunity to say it back to someone!
 
After lunch we made our way down to an underground cellar for Liane to have a look at it and then a visit to the supermarket. Tomorrow we're off to Bagni di Lucca and we're not sure what the supermarket scenario will be like there so this way we'll have a few supplies to get us started at least.

(L) I did comment to Deb, as I got myself dressed this morning at 9.30, that we are finally getting into the Italian way of not going out until after 10!! I don't know when the working day actually starts but we have noticed that if we're out before 10 there is nothing much open, maybe that is only the service based industry and the office workers are hard at it already by then? 

We did notice that when we were making our way back from our morning wanderings, at around 12, there was hoards of people out and about, all strolling and stopping for a chat, people with their babies in strollers and/or bags of fresh vegetables. We found a nice little place for lunch in a laneway just off the Corso Cavour that is on the way to the square where the markets are held and saw people with beautiful looking cauliflower which is something we haven't yet seen in the supermarket. Later in the day, as we made our way down to Pozzo della Cava a few hours later, the streets were all but deserted. 

The Pozzo della Cava was only €3 entry and although it says it's spread out over 9 caves they are more like an extended cellar in someones house. It was interesting as there is a well that was built by the Etruscans in 1527 so as usual in this part of the world soooo much history! 

We spent the afternoon, once again, playing with our computers..... reading, writing and editing the blog. At around 7pm we thought we'd go out for a quick stroll, just to see what's going on out there at this time of night. 

There was a slight drizzle as we set out but that soon cleared and we made our way up Via Duomo - not too much happening on this street although there were a good number of people out strolling. We decided to wander down to Corso Cavour and that certainly seemed the place to go to be seen! The street was packed with people standing about chatting and all the restaurants/bars/cafes (they all seem to serve the same purpose) were full - mainly young people though we noticed. 

Home again to finish the last of our soup off with a glass or two of wine. 

Tomorrow we bid farewell to wonderful Orvieto and make our way north.