Time for a bit of a Catch Up

Several days have passed with lots of enjoyable drives and sights. As one guide to Umbria said, it's easier to point out the towns that aren't beautiful or worth seeing.

Some things I've noticed, in no particular order -

• there are no ads on the escalators in Milan's Metro (unlike London but like Washington DC)
• there was virtually no graffiti either at least at the two stops we used
• people do not walk with gelato, or coffee/espresso, but do walk with slices of pizza
• clothing styles are world wide, and what I see in the US, I see here and vice versa
• at night in Orvieto we can smell the wood fire - from homes? from wood burning ovens in restaurants? whatever, it smells great
• the sky is clear enough to see stars
• where there is espresso, there is almost always a toilette 
• toilettes are often unisex but with a door for privacy
• many toilets have no seat so strong leg muscles are a good idea!
• only twice in over a week have I heard a car with loud music
• too many restaurants imho though have pop music playing
• many good dishes are off the menu
• there are many fewer people about than there were 2 years ago in November - the economy?
• Life is still good in Italy