Umbria

     One Saturday I went on a weekend trip with my school to Umbria.  It is a more rural region of Italy. We did some bird watching at a wildlife preserve.  They had many wild animals including two horses.  It was very calm and peaceful there - nothing like the fast-paced city life of Rome.  

     After the preserve, we toured a castle.  It had been restored over the years but the basement ceiling was still the original one built in 1560!

     The next day we went to Orvieto.  We walked down St. Peter's Well and then had to climb all the way back up again.  I think it might have been more difficult than climbing the dome of the St. Peter's Basilica!  We also saw the Duomo there.  It's construction began in 1290!  The gold parts of the facade are real gold.  The designs on the walls were extremely intricate; it was incredible.

     Umbria was a great trip because we got to see an entirely different side of Italy.  The towns we visited were rural and the landscape was beautifully untouched.  I had a great weekend!