This post originally appeared on the Slow Travel Tours blog in June, 2020.
Every day like clockwork I check my instagram feed. And every day like clockwork I smile and then immediately am filled with heartache for not being able to travel to my home-away-from-home, my beloved Orvieto. I never imagined a place would capture my heart and bring me such joy. Cancelling travel this year was the hardest thing to do, if only because it meant I would have to wait even longer to return to Orvieto.
Have you ever felt this kind of calm in another place? For me it starts when I’m on the train. Those last 20 minutes traveling from Rome I just can’t stop grinning. Knowing that soon I’ll be on the funicular up to those cobblestone streets, walking toward the Istituto San Lodovico, passing through the familiar neighborhood saying “Ciao” and reuniting with ma famiglia!
Over the course of time hosting retreats with Adventures in Italy, I have become an honorary member of the community. Maybe your home town is small and you always see someone you know whenever you go out. It’s like that here. Exactly how you’d picture a small Italian village with lots of people passing on the street and stopping to chat. No one is in a rush. It’s the ebb and flow of time here.
Every time I visit I take the same pictures. The majestic Duomo. My favorite flower box. The view from the edge of town. The enormous umbrella tree. The rooftops, most beautiful at sunset. It fills my soul and brings me peace until I can return.
Fino alla prossima volta, Orvieto. Ti amo.
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