Italian – Page 2 – VirtualWayfarer

BackpackingJuly 23, 2012July 2, 2012

Tales of Narnia, or Should I Say Narni?

Roused from our beds by the golden rays of the Umbrian sun we began what would round out our two and a half-day adventure through Umbria. Slowly rubbing the last traces of sleep from my eyes I found myself once again staring out the gently tinted windows of the bus as we wound our way past Lake Co…

BackpackingJuly 16, 2012July 1, 2012

Glorious Sunsets Combined With Delightful Fish, Fowl and Truffles

Following a wonderful walking tour of Orvieto we found ourselves checking into la Penisola country resort and restaurant. The resort is situated on a small peninsula along the shore of Lake Corbara in the heart of Umbr…

BackpackingJuly 9, 2012April 26, 2013

The Fortress City – Orvieto, Umbria, Italy

My shoulders drifted forward slightly then slammed back into the padded bus seat as our forward momentum temporarily slowed and the driver slipped the bus into gear. We were crawling up a steep, winding road towards t…

BackpackingJune 25, 2012June 25, 2012

Oasi di Alviano – Umbria’s Rich Nature Preserve

Situated a few miles outside of Orvieto and Terni the Oasi di Alviano, or the Oasis of Alviano, is a wonderful natural habitat and WWF Nature Reserve. Our visit started early in the morning after a somewhat groggy dep…

TravelMay 24, 2012May 22, 2012

Fresh Food and an Italian Agriturismo

A few hundred (or perhaps thousand?) years ago the Italians figured out one simple truth: food is king. At the end of the day if you want to win someone over you can offer them riches and fame with mixed degrees of su…

BackpackingMay 21, 2012

Young Wines and Ancient Fields

A trip to Umbria is incomplete without at least a few hours spent wandering the region's maze of wonderful country roads. While the Romans may be well remembered for giving us the sterile albeit easy to navigate Roman grid, incredible aqueducts and grand highways it is no doubt that it was Italy's…

BackpackingMay 14, 2012May 14, 2012

Dinner and a Sunset in Assisi

For the three days of the conference, I found myself periodically staring out the window of my room over a perfectly manicured vineyard at the unusual city and ancient structures that dominated the nearby hillside. I f…

BackpackingMay 10, 2012May 9, 2012

A Visit To Picture Perfect Perugia With Ken Kaminesky

Nestled atop a prominent hilltop in the heart of Umbria about two hours north of Rome, the medieval city of Perugia stands constant vigil over ancient trade routes. The current capital of the region, Perugia has a lon…

BackpackingJune 27, 2011June 27, 2011

Can I Travel if I Don’t Know the Local Language?

Good Morning! Buon Giorno! Καλημέρα! Have you caught yourself dreaming about an international trip only to have that nagging voice in your head remind you that you don’t speak the local language? If you’re like many a…