We said farewell to Perugia early this morning and headed down the road to Orvieto. Orvieto is a beautiful hill town perched up on top of some cliffs near the junction of the Paglia and Tiber Rivers. We parked in the valley and took the cog railway up through a tunnel in the cliffs into town. We had some amazing vistas of the Umbrian countryside before walking into town to check out the beautiful gothic style cathedral. The outside of the cathedral is covered with ornate mosaics, gothic style arches, sculptures, stained glass, and gargoyles. The photo will give you some idea, but the square in front of it is so small I could not even get the whole thing into one photo. It truly is a wonderful sight to see.
View from the cliffs of Orvieto
Orvieto Cathedral
The green fields of Umbria
We then left Orvieto for Sorrento, a few hours drive down the coast past Rome, Naples and Mount Vesuvius. We passed by many beautiful looking hilltop towns too numerous to name on the way down but just taking in the countryside was quite worth the drive. Upon exiting the highway we wound our way through the steep hills and tight coastal towns into Sorrento overlooking the Mediterranean and the bay of Naples. It was again an adventure locating our hotel through the maze of tight streets in Sorrento and we experienced more of the craziness of Italian drivers, but we made it here safely. Once checked in we went out just as it was getting dark to wander the streets, grab a bite to eat and take a few photos. That was enough excitement for one day so we're off to bed and then the Island of Capri and more of Sorrento tomorrow, goodnight all!
Last light of day over Sorrento and the Mediterranean
Vesuvius
Sorrento Lights
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