Our third day in Italy (since it fell on a Sunday) was spent in Orvieto in Umbria. As soon as we got up we took the first train to Orvieto early that morning.

Now before I continue, you must know that Orvieto sits on a grand hill made of tuff (volcanic rock). It sits up 1,000 feet and overlooks the beautiful valley hills below. It’s famous for its 3 C’s – Ceramics, Cathedral & Classico Orvieto wine. All of which I enjoyed!

When the train started, Rob dozed off and I read Harry Potter. Felt like I was on the Hogwart’s Express with the drizzle coming down on the windows!

Once our trained hushed to a stop, we got out and took the funicular up to the town. It was still sprinkling out, but once we got to the top, we didn’t care. The view was gorgeous. Vineyards, farms, hills and old Italian houses and castles – it was all so lovely.

We got on the little trolley bus and it took us to downtown Orvieto where the Duomo, shops and eateries were. The cathedral was by far our favorite of the trip. At the base of the cathedral are four marble pillars carved with biblical scenes that tell the story of the world from left to right in 4 acts – Genesis, Old Testament, New Testament and Revelation.

Lunch involved a lot of meat and cheese.

We wandered the streets, bought chocolate for my mum, stopped at a gelateria – then relaxed in a small park for some more panoramic views.

Once the rain stopped, the humidity was back. We had walked our little hearts out (AGAIN), so we opted for some cold Classico Wine before we caught the train back to Rome.

It was the perfect day, and quite relaxing. The rain was refreshing and really made the scenery come to life.

Missing Europe!