As we prepare to leave our Umbrian palace, Laguscello, we will all be doing so with fond, fond memories.  My top memories are:

• Getting ridiculously lost trying to find the villa, despite having written instructions, verbal instructions from a local 2km away, and two GPS’s between the two cars.
• Forgetting where we parked our car in Orvieto and the ordeal of trudging up and down the steaming hot cobbles streets trying to find it. If only we had walked up hill an extra 3 minutes, we would have found it and saved ourselves about two hours.
  

  Walter frustrated at not being able to find our parked car in Orvieto

• Trying to find where to buy wood for the pizza oven.  Four different attempts to find the place with written directions proved fruitless.  We accidentally drove past it on our way to Assisi and we not able to find it again until it was our last day. I know, we’re hopeless!
• The amazingly delicious simple dinners cooked on the coal BBQ at the villa and sitting around the big table in the garden sharing a meal together.
• The stunning villa itself and the gorgeous views from every room.  It’s secluded, beautiful, so spacious.
  

  Laguscello

• Zorba and I getting locked in our room – oh, I haven’t told you about this one.  We locked the door on our bedroom on our second night to prevent the niece and nephew waking us up at 5am, only to find the lock had jammed and we were trapped inside. Nothing could free us.  We were rescued the handyman neighbour in the next house who broke in with a crow bar.
• Seeing fields and fields of bright yellow sunflowers in Umbria amongst rolling hills of wheat borders by pencil pines, and how they looked blurry when Zorba was driving at warp 9 speed along the A1.
• The impressive and imposing vista of driving past Orvieto perched on top of the hill with its Duomo creating a striking skyline.
  

  Orvieto

• Shopping for food with mum and dad and watching them be excited and amazed at the produce and the prices.
• Tartufo or truffles and Cinghale! Wild boar salami is amazing.
• Obviously, hanging out with my family and spending lots and lots and lots and lots of quality time together in the villa, in the car, in Orvieto, in Assisi… 😉

Ciao ciao Umbria.  Next stop Taormina in Sicilia. Bring on the seaside chic x