On the last weekend of my parents' visit we decided to head to Rome, and on the way, made an impromptu stop in Orvieto--one of the great, walled cities in Umbria. Orvieto is what you think of when you think of a little Umbrian town--narrow cobblestoned streets, buildings with big shutters and flower boxes, groups of old men having coffee on the corner, and gorgeous piazzas--one in particular that boasts an amazing Cathedral! We enjoyed strolling the streets of Orvieto, stopped for what other than hotdogs--my folks were in the mood for them, admired the cathedral, and then headed on for another hour in the car to Rome.
In Rome, we once again lucked out with a convenient hotel which we found on Booking.com. It was near Termini--key to getting my folks to their airport hotel the next morning, and within easy walking or metro distance to other sites. Since we had toured Rome together before, I decided to take them to Trastevere, a charming, old Jewish neighborhood in Rome, away from the traffic and hustle/bustle of a lot of the other areas. The old, inner quarters of Trastevere are primarily predestrian only, so it's quite quiet and peaceful as you walk around the tiny streets by cafes, shops and restaurants. We had a lunch of pizza and vegetable soups and then headed back to the hotel where we got some gelato nearby and then decided to just relax and prepare for our good-byes the following morning.
The next day my folks headed to the airport hotel and Evan and I took the fast train back to Naples. My parents 5 week trip went by in the 'blink of an eye'! It was so fast, yet we had lots of great fun, and there was plenty of bonding time for Evan w/ his Nana and Papa. Can't wait for our next visit together!
