Perugia

11 July

Yesterday we travelled from Siena in Tuscany to Perugia in Umbria via a stop in Florence.  Although the distance does not look far on a map, in Italy, travelling takes time and so it was after 3pm before we were in our hotel and able to take a refreshing shower.  The weather is hot, especially in the mid-late afternoon.

Perugia is a large city, the capital of Umbria, and is situated high on a hill.  The 'old city' where we are staying is quite large and at present is host to a jazz festival which we enjoyed listening to in the piazza, after the heat had gone from the day and the breeze returned.

The train station at Perugia is at the base of the town, like most hill towns here.  However, Perugia has a wonderful system called the MiniMetro that operates like a fernicular railway.  It costs 1.5 euros and has 4 stops the last of which brings you out into the city where escalators take you the last part of the way into old city.  It is an excellent, inexpensive way of getting from the station to the centre of the city which was fantastic.

12 July

Today we were keen to see what Perugia was all about.  With the city map in tow we went looking for a spot that would provide a great view of the sprawling town.  We couldn't find the view indicated on the map but did find an Etruscan arch dating back to the 3rd century BC.  We also found the Temple of St Angelo, which is the oldest church in town dating back to 5th century.  We had a sit down in front of the church because it was a climb to get there.  A local dog took a dislike to Paul and started barking away at him.  It was a shame that St Angelo and his church had to witness Paul's response!

On the walk back we passed the Via dell Acquedotto (Roman acqueducts) that are now used as a terraced brick pathway through the city.  At one corner of the town there is a small treed park with benches and fantastic views.  Jazz was playing while people ate or read or just closed their eyes to listen to the music.

We thought about taking a bus tour of the city but as it takes only 55 minutes, we decided not to.  Tours to towns outside Perugia such as Assisi and Gubbio are expensive added to the fact that we have been to these towns in 2005.  A train to Sansepolcro would take the best part of 3 hours - one way! 

It is fair to say that Perugia is slightly underwhelming in relation to places and things to see and do.  That being said, we are enjoying the slower pace for the time being.