Umbria, a region of rolling hills, fertile farmland and ancient medieval towns, provides a titillating tour of the senses.
After arriving in Italy's hectic capital on a British Airway Flight from London we were looking forward to the soft embrace of the Italian countryside. There was only one problem - we had to get out of Rome, and out of the airport parking garage, first. Tucked into our rental car and bracing ourselves against the
onslaught of the Italian drivers, we found that adapting to the Italian way of driving (translation: as fast as possible) takes approximately the same amount of time as it takes one to thrice orbit a Roman traffic circle. Around and around, and once more around the airport traffic circle we went before we were at last launched onto Autostrada A1, heading north to Umbria.
With the hustle and dust of Rome now in our rear view mirror and green rolling hills stretching before us, we relaxed and settled in for the drive to Todi. Around each bend in the winding country roads, a collage of colored squares greeted us. Red poppies, purple irises, yellow and pink roses and blue wildflowers wrapped the rural fields in a
vibrant quilt, while olive groves, citrus trees and vineyards cloaked the countryside like an ancient tapestry. The rich, earthy scent of the pastures soaked the misty valleys, and a fresh, cool breeze kissed our skin atop each hill.
Anne Marie, Glenn
