- Four days on our own when we explored new places and roads, had a dip in Birgitta’s ‘piccolo’ pool and got to know her better, and selected ceramic tiles for a mirror from some friends in Deruta.
- Discovering a beautiful lake fed by natural springs near Spoleto.
- Watching hot but earnest cyclists whizz around the town of
- Gazing on and exploring beauty of the Spoleto valley with its neat stripes of grapevines, grey green olive groves and freshly plowed fields.
- A magic evening under the stars in Spoleto listening to a brilliant pianist playing against a backdrop of the beautiful duomo with Birgitta, Piero and her mum. In true Italian style, the concert started 40 minutes late.
- Marg scoffing more amazing gelati flavours like lavender, rose, fig, tiramisu, orange and peach - bellissimo! (Diet starts when Marg gets home.)
- Sharing the beauty of this place with our friends and family and seeing their delight in Umbria too.
- Introducing the family to Birgitta and Piero at a beautiful remote Umbrian restaurant known only to the locals. There was no menu or wine list; they serve food until you said NO! We counted 10 dishes. We actually didn’t knock any back.
- Bumping into Sue’s husband Neil on his bike in the middle of
- Filling water bottles from the natural spring and watching Alan and Neil chatting to the locals.
- Getting the view back at Eremo Paradiso as Alan pruned the olive tree that had been blocking the vista.
- Drinks on the terrace. Quite a few drinks in fact...
- Dinner on a restaurant terrace watching the sun set and the lights in the valley below
- Watching four studious painters learning the art of painting ceramics guided by Italian goddess Laura.
- Duelling cameras with Sue, Joan and Heather...
- Driving back from
- Realising again and again how privileged and blessed we are to call Eremo Paradiso our Italian home. We can bear leaving only because we know we'll return again next year, God willing.
