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...

Sunday 18th May A fine day again & after breakfast we set off in Freya's car to see Gubbio a walled town to the north east of Perugia. Unfortunately the place was absolutely full & there was nowhere to park so off we went to Montone, a walled village high in the hills. This was a beautiful place still largely unspoilt although it has been heavily restored. Here we had lunch with an excellent range of ante pasta items before wandering through the village...