Day 20 : Looking Out My Backdoor (14/7/09)

Today we said farewell to Florence and our lovely home in the Tuscan Hills, and ventured further south on the Autostrada toward Roma. TomTom again sent us on a bit of a wild goose chase; and the poor car received a small dent on the undercarriage when we had to pull off the road to avoid a tractor and its wagon - but it is very minor. We arrived earlier than planned - our hosts where not home yet - so we enjoyed a marvellous lunch at the local restaurant. Great food at a good price - unlike the inflated prices of Venice and Florence - washed down with the local wine and beer. Lunch finished, we entered the village. Casperia is a fortified medieval village in the Sabine Hills, with only pedestrian access. It is a walled village with only two entrances, and our accommodation is inside. It is a 15th century palazzetto recently restored, with old frescoes on walls uncovered under the plaster. It has breathtaking views of the surrounding moutains,valleys, and olive groves. After our big lunch, and tired from the recent exertions walking around Florence, for the first time we all had a bit of an afternoon nap. Then it was up to the balcony, looking out over the walls into the valleys below and relaxing in the summer heat. A few more drinks followed, then a walk to another restaurant outside the walls for a dinner of authentic homecooked regional dishes. All in all a much needed rest day at our half way mark after all our rushing around these past weeks.