Friday 23rd May Jane & I had a latish start after putting out the washing & decided to drive into Perugia as a dummy run for returning the car tomorrow. Jane spotted an alternative route which we took but it turned out to be a dud as it took us to the wrong side of the town & we got totally lost before eventually finding ourselves literally on the wrong side of the track. We walked over to the station & tried to convert our booking into tickets f...

Thursday 22nd May d*** decided to stay home to rest his knee today and maybe to have a rest from all the women. Freya and the rest of us set off to see Lake Trasimeno, via the motorway through lots of tunnels to bypass Perugia. Our first stop was S Feliciano a little village opposite Isola Polvese the biggest island on the lake. We found a cafe right on the lake with interesting decor and great coffee, we sat outside and enjoyed the scenery before exploring the ...

Wednesday 21st May Another great day weather wise which we took advantage of. Drove down to Ponte Felcino station & caught a train to Umbertide, about 30k north of here, meeting Caroline on the way. Umbertide is a gem of a town with a fine small castle & some fine piazzas but is not at all well known. It was market day & we found some excellent food stalls with a vast range & some interesting clothing & shoe stalls. d*** bought a new bag for ...

Tuesday 20th May Today we went in procession to Spoleto, about 50k from here. It is a town famous for its music festivals & its old town on the hill above the newer town below. After a well deserved coffee we ascended to the old town in a small bus & stopped near yet another large church. The ladies found a discount shoe shop which took their fancy whilst Jane & I visited the tourist centre where we were given a map & a suggested itinerary when J...

Monday 19th May A fine day again & we took the opportunity to visit Deruta, which is known for its ceramics. We followed Freya in her rented Mercedes & it was quite hard to keep up in the Bambi. Unfortunately Dick’s left knee was playing up badly so operating the clutch was very painful but after a couple of detours we made it. Luckily he is gradually mastering the car & the local driving habits. Sadly the road surfaces leave a lot to be desire...