Going back in time

This past weekend saw lots of activity. We had an archery competition in Todi, over two days, a rally (also ending in Todi, but starting in a tiny hamlet I'd never seen), and I got to pick up Florence and Jeremy from their Scandinavian trip.

The tower you see is the church.
There are only 4 houses in the hamlet,
all attached to the church.

The hamlet, called Viepri, is nestled in beautiful countryside, with lots of winding roads. Those are particularly enjoyable because then we can see the snaking of the vehicles. Plus, I had James to keep me company!

The weekend festivities were a ton of fun. More vendors than ever (which of course we have to support...), new locations for the archery targets (and different targets), and most of the old favorites.

Florence and I both love the flag wavers in particular, so we sat down on the Duomo steps to enjoy the show!

And then dinner in one of our local, family-owned restaurants. A perfect ending to a lovely weekend.

Love,

Alexandra

Rallying cry

Yesterday was my first Fiat 500 rally for a very long time; last fall, the car had a glitch, and they are generally few and far between in the winter. I had a free Sunday morning, so off we set to Deruta!

"Memories of Deruta"...from the 1700s? 

Early manuscripts just kicking around

It was such a pleasure to be back in this tiny town. At the beginning of our time here in Todi, I spent a lot of time in Deruta visiting the workshops, getting to know the artists, and learning to appreciate the different skills and styles that contribute to each piece's unique qualities. Since I was one of the first cars to arrive, it gave me time to catch up with some of these pals, as well as to visit the ceramics museum for the first time! It's quite impressive, with floor tiles and other pieces going all the way back to the 14th and 15th centuries. They also have a more modern repository (20th century) which allows the viewer to see the rapid changes in stylistic trends throughout the century.

Mine is the second from the left in the second complete row (blue)

And then, we were off! This annual rally changes its route every year. This time, we had the fortune of taking the ridge road to the east and then south of the city, winding through switchbacks to move from one ridge line to the next...this is particularly charming, because it gives us a chance to see other members of the Fiat 500 conga line!

This guy cracks me up: whenever we have a break, he pulls out his umbrella

Ending at a ceramics workshop in the valley, we had time for a snack and chatting with other cinquecento owners before I had to set off for home.

Love,

Alexandra