Tuesday, June 14th
Because the weather forecast was predicting cloudy skies and rain later in the day and then more rain continuing all week, I decided that this may be my only chance to see Todi before the rain began.
To reach the private train station to travel to Todi, I took the Scala Mobili. It was not a far walk once at the bottom of the Scala Mobile to arrive at the little train station. I bought my ticket inside this tiny office and then waited for my train to arrive. When it arrived, a cleaning woman went inside to clean the tiny two-car train.
After the train was cleaned, a small group of people headed towards the train and went inside. I followed and found an empty seat. I could smell the bleach until the train started moving. It left on time which was nice. There were quite a few stops and beautiful views along the way towards Todi.
I arrived at the little train station about 5 KM below the town of Todi. The train ride took 45 minutes. Inside the train station was a little waiting area and a hunting store! In many tiny train stations, you may find a bar but this was the first time I have seen a hunting store in a train station. There were a few men shopping around for equipment.
The man at the counter sold me my bus ticket and told me that the next bus would arrive soon. I found the orario (schedule) outside and it said the next bus would arrive in about 40 minutes. I waited outside for a few minutes and then the rain began! I had a choice of waiting outside in the rain, in the abandoned tiny waiting area, or inside the hunting store. I chose the store where I watched with interest as various people stopped by to do their shopping.
The bus arrived on time and the ride up to the centro took about 10 minutes. I easily found my way to the Piazza del Popolo and stopped for a cafè. The rain was a steady drizzle but thankfully nothing harder. I took a few pictures under cover and then wandered around the town taking more pictures of Todi.
The Pinotecca Museo was quite interesting. The woman at the ticket office was very kind and gave me an English guide that I could use while touring the Museo for free. There were different sections which told the history, had archeological remains, clothing, ceramics, and at the end of the tour, there was a very beautiful painting by Lo Spagna. I did not see a sign indicating no photos allowed, but was not sure, so I quickly snapped a picture and then put my camera away.
I enjoyed a wonderful lunch of some sort of grilled bird and a mixed salad at a trattoria that was recommended on Slow Travel but now cannot remember the name. It was on a side road going downhill from the Chiesa di San Fortunato.
After finishing my delicious lunch and heading back out into the streets of Todi. I found the town (like most towns) to be closed up for the afternoon. Because of my experience in Fossato di Vico and since it was still raining and most everything was closed, I decided it was best to catch the next bus to the train station. As my luck would have it, just as the bus started heading down the hill, the sun came out!
I took this photo while riding the bus to the train station.
The train back to Perugia was on time and the views on the way back were again very beautiful. I stopped by my hotel and then headed back out to I wander around the city, stopping in many of the shops. Perugia has a variety of clothing stores to wander through. The new colors in style this year seem to be bright orange and bright green!
For dinner that evening, I found a WONDERFUL pizzeria right around the corner from my hotel called il Segreto di Pulcinella, la Vera Pizza Napoletana. There was a large group of teenagers sitting at a table nearby (one boy and the rest girls). I think it was a birthday party.
After ordering my pizza with grilled peppers, I watched this group interact. They spent all of their time calling each other and taking pictures of each other on their cell phones until their pizzas arrived. It seems that everyone in Italy has their own cell phone. I have seen many children as young as seven or eight walking around talking on cell phones. What is most popular here is text messaging, which is called SMS. *[TECHNOLOGY 14 years ago in Italy!!]*
My pizza was amazing! I thought it was one of the best pizzas I have ever had or perhaps it was just because it was the first pizza I have eaten in Italy this year.
Thoughts on Todi: Even though it rained, I really enjoyed my visit. There were many little shops to visit, a very interesting museum, good food, and beautiful views. Todi would not be the good town to use as a home base for me though due to the transportation options, but I would imagine that it would be a wonderful place to stay for a few days if I am ever brave enough to drive in Italy. I hope to return someday, even if just for a day trip.
shave ice & gelato 