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Spoleto

Spoleto is a small town in the Umbra region of Italy - kind of right in the middle of Italy.  Ryan's dad and stepmom discovered this town years ago and we have visited before.  After spending a couple days in Rome it is a nice reprieve from the crowds.

More Spoleto Pictures Here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/wA1gCf1rbemMy93z7

Initially in Spoleto Ryan was working so Sam and I explored the town.  We spent time in the main piazza, walked around the Rocca (fortress), stalked stray cats (there are many in Spoleto), hit a museum and enjoyed the views.  




My friend Gretchen who lives in the UK with her husband Jim (see the previous Red Hot Chili Peppers/London/Girl's Weekend entry for more details on Gretchen) happen to have a house in Mogliano which is about a 1.5 hour drive from Spoleto.  They also happened to be there when we were in Spoleto.  So we rented a car and went to visit them.  I have a separate photo album from our short time visiting them as we were obsessed with their house (farmhouse / villa) so we creepily took pictures of the outside of the house.  The pictures really don't do justice to the beautiful and expansive view.   

The full day that we were there (without Sam), we went on a hike, visited Murola Winery (where Jim and Gretchen got married), relaxed by the pool and then went into town for pizza and gelato. They happened to be having a festival in the town when we went so we enjoyed a variety of music including some live music outside of the gelato shop.  




The first Sunday of the month some of the museums allow free entry so we did a tour of the Teatro Romano (very cool) and the Archaeological Museum (very boring to me and Sam, Ryan read everything).



Our last day in Spoleto, and also the last day of our trip, we booked an excursion with a local tour guide.  It included "soft" rafting, lunch at an agriturismo and a hike to the tallest waterfall in Europe.  When we arrived at the rafting place we were surprised to be fitted with wet suits and helmets since my vision of soft rafting was a leisurely float down a river and an occasional need to paddle and no actual interaction with the water.  Then I wondered if "soft" rafting meant that the raft itself was soft rather than it being a gentle float.  Sam clearly had a similar concern since he kept asking why we had helmets.  In the end, I would say it was gentle rafting but with extra precautions, a lot of paddling and a dip in the (very cold) river to ensure we knew how to handle it if we fell in.  Sam did well for his first rafting experience and even sorta paddled some.  

The waterfall hike was also more intense than I anticipated since as mentioned, it is the tallest waterfall in Europe and we did hike up to the very top.  Exhausting but awesome day!






Location: 06049 Spoleto, Province of Perugia, Italy

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