The weather here has been more and more what they (as in the internet and the guidebooks) claimed it would be... rain rain rain. It sure is better than snow, and I am thankful for that since I heard back home is a very brutal winter wonderland. Umbrellas are the "cool" fashion item, and instead of seeing those men that want to sell you the flowers that could be from the graveyard, they magically change into umbrella vendors. However, this useful tool has become quite the hazard as nobody moves for anyone else. It is like a constant game of chicken on the streets of Perugia, and if you don't move in time you might be the one who gets poked in the head by the Italian women walking her dog. I still have not purchased one, and am pleased that my L.L. Bean raincoat is doing me just fine, even if it screams American. 

The rain does not stop the action here in Italy. Strangely enough, I have seen more people out in the piazza in the rain than when it is not raining, making plowing through a mob of Italians holding umbrellas a very difficult thing. We were not going to let the rain stop us either; we went out, we got gelato, we sang in the rain...

Come Saturday we felt waterproof and decided that we were going to make our trip to Spoleto (an hour away from Perugia) regardless. It was hardly sprinkling when we ran to catch the train (which we almost missed, and found ourselves getting kicked out of first class; we thought the seats were extra comfy) and the clouds looked like they were going to burn off... that is until we got off the train. Once in Spoleto we were met with the continuous drip drop of the clouds and we assumed the experience would be a disaster. However, with every destination that we wanted to go to, the rain held up and allowed us to take pictures without becoming soaked. 

Our first stop was the Roman Theater, which even though we had to look at through bars because it wasn't "tourist season", it was still amazing to see. The stage was intriguing, allowing room and space for the imagination to take over, and I found myself wanting to jump the bars and run down to do a 5 second monologue or even a quick dance. We then trudged further in the rain, farther uphill until we came to destination number two: the Ponte de Torre.

The views were remarkable, looking out over the gorge where the road was traveling towards the mountains. Slowly the clouds were rolling our directions, giving the mountains a dark and eerie look, but at the same time made everything look beautiful. We all took turns posing on the rocks in front of the Roman aqueduct wishing there was some way for us to get on the bridge… and then as we walked further we noticed the footpath on the other side of the bridge! Our pace quickened and once we made it to the center where the viewing window was located our cameras started snapping once again. The gorge below with the tips of the trees seeming so far away reminded us how far up we actually were. From this point we were able to see great views of the fortress (which apparently didn’t have a student discount… complete crap).

As soon as we started walking away from the panoramic views it began to rain once again, but juiced with more energy from the sights at the bridge we happily trudged to the Doumo. This church was just as beautiful as all the others I have seen thus far, intricate paintings and scenes on the ceilings, and the soft quiet of mumbled prayer from others visiting the churches splendor. The idea of all that painting never ceases to amaze me… truly fascinating.

Finally we made our last journey back into the rain and started to head towards the train station to make our way home. One store caught our attention, as we were amazed to find so many American toys and references in the glass windows. Then I found the best stuffed-animal ever, which reminded me of my Grammy Snow back home in Maine. Some may be able to guess right away what this was, but for those who do not know the strange family tradition of the Greene’s I will spell it out. It was of course a frog! This frog was holding a heart saying ti amo, which of course means I love you in Italian. It was a great conclusion to my Spoleto experience…