And when I say “storm”, I mean that all afternoon the wind snarls at us; it billows our coats and drains tears from our eyes. Despite it, we inch up winding stairwells, peer from sunlit slits where hundreds of fingers released thousands of arrows, and walk on top and inside(!) of a mighty stone wall. The…

About fifteen years ago, when we’d been married just a year, Deruta pottery snuck in to our home. We were on a trip to Victoria, Canada. In a small shop, a jar meant for coffee caught my eye. I loved the unusual pattern and pallet of aqua, yellow, navy, and rust. On the bottom, the jar…

From Brigolante, it’s worth the 45 minute drive just to see the farmland and countryside from the winding road. But couple that with a promise to ride in “Dangling Cages of Death” – as named by Rebecca’s 7 and 10-year-old sons – and Gubbio’s draw is irresistible. This medieval town is stunning and steeped in…

Basilica di San Francesco and an assembly of ancient structures shape the Assisi skyline. This city does not tower above its base of earth, but mimics the hillside contour. Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi, the son of a rich cloth merchant who came to devote himself to a life of poverty. St. Francis preached…

The air has changed. There is a faint scent of wood smoke; our arms are concealed by sleeves, our sandals stowed. Most days, clouds are still shy and the sun is still bold, but vineyard leaves shed their green and breezes whisper of winter. Umbria is aptly named, “The Green Heart of Italy”. Mountains and…

We like to travel by train, but in smaller towns it’s better to drive. On this trip, we’ve driven just over 2,000 kilometers and are so glad for it, because driving adds contour and context. From the car we see how some towns are quite modern, others full of industry, that farmland in the Fall…