The not-so-Plains

The plains of Castelluccio are in the middle of the Fioritura...the flowering...that happens annually. The plains are a high bowl in the Sibilla Mountains to the east of us (and beyond Spoleto; it takes several hours to arrive), and are the source of the colored (dried) petals that are used all over Italy to make stunning pictures during the feast of Corpus Christi.

The vegetation and mountains would on their own be stunning: the worn velveteen of the grassy cover combined with the bare, rugged rocks and occasional tree clumps make for a compelling landscape. At this time of year, though, the fields provide additional water-color effects.

Castelluccio in the sky...but by no means at the highest point!

Can you imagine doing this?

The humidity in the air really attenuated the colors, unfortunately for my photos...

View from the cemetery

Castelluccio from the cemetery

Having left Castelluccio, we needed to grab some lunch on the way home. Jeremy and I spotted this little lunch place owned by a sandwich shop across the street:

View of the sandwich shop

View from my chair

Having been to the area several times, I happened to know there was a clifftop village that I was dying to see. I asked the lady at the sandwich shop, and she told me very knowledgeably that I was looking for Cerreto di Spoleto. Okay, then. Having missed the turn, Jeremy and I went a different way to find this darling, incredibly well-kept hamlet.

Parking area outside the main piazza

View from parking area

The piazza

Defensive tower...quite dramatic from the valley!

Houses and their gardens

Someone's front patio...amazing location, huh?

Main piazza, again

And then, home to Todi, with the sunflower fields...

Love,

Alexandra

P.S. Bonus shots: my lovely father-in-law has color corrected some of the Castellucio pictures to make them look more like my eyes saw them...we have an amazing capacity to correct for haze that cameras do not... Enjoy!