Reset search
Italy 2025
  • Kate Pritchett
  • Kate Pritchett

Italy 2025

My second year at a music festival in Assisi plus some sight-seeing and hiking Read more
FollowInsightsInsightsCalendarCalendarPhotosPhotosShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • Trip start
    June 27, 2025
    Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    That toddlin' town
    1Whew! They didn't charge me extra.

    Day 1 - Travel

    June 27, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    I thank the gods of air travel for another smooth trip. The overhead bins on the flight to Chicago were tiny, so my horn had to go under the seat. Fortunately my neighbor was kind about the encroachment into her foot space. Everything ran right on time, though, and I was able to play my routine at O’Hare (yay for a good practice mute!) and sleep a bit on the long flight. My rather heavy bag made it, too. Now a bit of a wait in Rome before my next leg on to Orvieto.Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    The main street here, with the Torre del Moro in the back
    Detail on the Torre del MoroIt seems there is a lot of music here! Many tuba players out tonight. UnexpectedI just missed a horn ensemble concert!Nido di rondine pecorino e miele ("bird"s nest" lasagna with pecorino cheese and honey). !!One of my favorite things about foreign travel is the lack of homogeneitySanta Maria della Stella in Cattedrale 1832. Near my B&B

    Day 2 - Travel to Orvieto

    June 28, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 95 °F

    Navigating the Rome airport and train stations is easier the second year, it turns out. Part of this was remembering to stay in the airport as long as possible because the train station there is HOT! Three smooth train rides later (and many more hot flashes) I’m ensconced in a small room in Orvieto. Thank goodness the proprietor helped me haul my bag to the first floor. I think I would’ve had to empty some things out and carry them separately to get it up there by myself!

    Beautiful scenery along the train rides, but with jet lag my reaction time was too slow to catch photos. I really wish I’d caught the sounder of boar (Did you know that’s the collective noun? I learned that today.) on the side of a field. In related news, LOTS of pork on menus here.

    A little rest, a little gelato, and a good dinner and now I’m ready for bed. I have a good hike planned for tomorrow plus sight-seeing here in Orvieto, so more pics tomorrow.    Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    Abbey of Saints Severus and Martirio
    Bella di Notte (four o'clocks) by the side of the road13th century aqueduct with fig tree1This cemetery is so peacefulCemetery/church from behindThe scenery here rivals that in Tuscany!Orvieto from the westPorto Maggiore, the original gate into Orvieto. 13th centuryView into Orvieto from under the gateDo you suppose the communion wine is sparkling?1Breakfast after the walk

    Day 3.1 - Morning Walk

    June 29, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    I woke early after a good night’s sleep and set off on the first walk of the trip. I had found a “trail” on a trail app, with the “trailhead” being down at the train station. I figured out how to catch a bus down to the station (this is still stressful this year) and started walking. The trail was really just the road out of town, often with no shoulder. Fortunately Sunday morning traffic was light and most everyone was cautious enough. Asphalt hills are easier than rocky trail hills, so there’s that, too.

    I got smart on the way back and, knowing from the bus ride that I could get back to the top and my hotel by foot, left the official route and did that. I added quite a bit more elevation and more new sights this way with less traffic, so it was a win all around.

    A long walk in a beautiful place new to me is my happiest of places.

    Miles: about 7
    Elevation gain: 1,074 feet
    Weather: quite warm and sunny    Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    1She wakes up pretty!
    1One of the hundreds of tableaux on the facade1The demons are often my favorites. Oops.I love the grotesques!Bad, bad things happening below this.Always pays off to look upBut WHYYYYY??!Breathtaking when you come up on it unawares!

    Days 3-4 - Il Duomo di Orvieto

    June 29, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    This cathedral was built between 1290 and 1607 and has a lot of similarities to the cathedral in Siena, which I visited last year. I visited the outside several times, the last being on my early morning walk today, when I had the piazza to myself. Well, myself and many, many pigeons. I went inside yesterday during the heat of the day but of course the light was terrible then.Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    On the piazza across from the Duomo.
    I'm sure there's a good story here!Part of an allegorical mural- a nice palate cleanser after all of the dudes on the DuomoView from the western edge of OrvietoI love how you can see the layers of the centuries just casually under someone's house.Figure on top of the Roman gate on the west side.Amazing to stand by a wall hundreds of years old and watch the sun rise yet again.How many stories here?Church of Saint John the Evangelist. Almost literally within spitting distance of two other churchesHorse chestnut, apparently. I immediately think of Mr. Darcy talking about the horse chestnut tree.One of the better balcony gardens I saw. Succulents are big here.Can't remember which church. They're like Walgreens and CVS here.Find the pigeons!Chiesa di San Giovenale. Maybe my favorite here. Simple but solid.Understudy in this morning's opera, I'm told.There were eight of these, all different, set in two doors down the steeet from my hotel.

    Day 4 - more Orvieto - Morvieto?

    June 30, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    I was awake at 3 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep, partly because of the fully staged CAT OPERA happening outside my window. Jellicle indeed. Anyway, I finally got up at 5:30 or so and went for a walk around town. Leisurely pace because I took a thousand pics.

    Italian and Spanish residential neighborhoods are so interesting. The little streets feel like alleys to this American, with doorways and front walls inches from the street. It seems that the focus in residential architecture/real estate usage here is on the inner life, not the (chemically enhanced) lawn out front. Make of that what you will.

    Breakfast, a shower, and then two train rides to Assisi will take the next few hours.    Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    1"Board meeting"
    Photo credit: Valorie TatgeArch #1Peaceful morning at the Cathedral before the tour groups arriveI'm sure I took this same photo last year but I love this view.Another different perspective from last yearSan Rufino. I love the little people and faces everywhere.Arch #2. This gate into Assisi is called Porto Cappucini.The start of the trail up to the hermitage in the mountains.Arch #3. Entrance of a former monastery now an upscale spa.Roca Maggiore from below

    Days 4-5 - to Assisi

    June 30, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    I made it to Assisi midafternoon yesterday, checked in to the hotel, ate lunch (not a memorable one), went to the “board meeting” (read: happy hour) with colleagues, and had dinner before collapsing in bed.

    I was awake early and went for a sunrise walk around Assisi. I was excited to realize that my work at home (walking and working out with our awesome personal trainer) has paid dividends - the hills are much easier than they were last year!

    One challenge this year is finding different photos from last year. I couldn’t completely resist some of my favorite views here, but I’m also working on a new “arches” series. A couple in this group from my walk this morning.

    Three rehearsals and a coaching today made for a busy day! Tomorrow is similar. Although it’s hot here I’m having a great time.    Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    2Almost caught the sunrise
    Arch #4 - crooked arch with white balloonArch #5Rocca Maggiore from the eastThe best kind of roadA favorite door, near one of the concert venuesOur Ewazen trio accidentally all wore pink. I am glistening, post rehearsal

    Day 6 - Assisi

    July 2, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Another busy day with four rehearsals. I woke early again and walked on the road heading east out of town, which I discovered last year as a peaceful out-and-back with nice elevation gain on the way out. It was a hot day - I completely sweated through a shirt during a trio rehearsal - until it rained in the afternoon which was a more pleasant way of getting soaked!Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    Rocca MinoreAnother view of Rocca MaggioreLooking to the northeastA road back into AssisiLooking northArch #6Beautiful light in a break from the rainI don't have the same view as last year but communed with the pigeons today

    Day 7 - Assisi

    July 3, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Today was very similar to yesterday. Early morning walk - in time to watch the sun rise - and then four rehearsals, with a torrential downpour in the afternoon.

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    Arch #7 - looking back up into Assisi
    Assisi from the southThese views don't get old.Roadside shrineBreakfast at a barFields of sunflowers. Pretty sure that's a hot air balloon in the distanceAnother shrineVery peaceful amongst the olive trees. The main soundtrack was cicadas.My first glimpse of SpelloArch #8 - looking east from SpelloArch #9 - SpelloFor MomPorta Consolare in Piazza Kennedy, 2nd C BC, although the statue came from the nearby amphitheaterFarmers market haul included figs, apricots, and huge grapes

    Days 8-9 - Assisi

    July 5, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Busy days, with lots of rehearsals and the first concert of the festival. It’s been fun to play music I haven’t played before with a different collection of musicians. The venues are hot but I could get used to the lovely resonance they all provide!

    Saturday I didn’t have any rehearsals until later in the day so I went for a longer walk. On the suggestion of one of the musicians here I walked to Spello, another beautiful hillside town. It was about 7.5 miles, most of which was downhill, hallelujah. Quite a bit of the path was on the “Assisi-Spoleto Olive Belt,” an area comprising almost 1.5 million olive trees! Spello itself is charming - lots of spectacular views and medieval architecture.

    I took two trains and a bus (!) to get back to Assisi and managed to get to the farmers market on my way to the hotel.    Read more

  • Kate PritchettItaly 2025Traveler
    1Caprese at lunch
    From the ceiling at one of the concert venuesNice post-rain lightWith the woodwind quintet. Fun group!2I usually mark up music pretty liberally, but this piece ... !Vellutata di Zucca - cream of pumpkin soup w/amaretti biscuits, croutons, & bacon. OMGFrom my rainy walk. Rain, thunder, and birdsong.

    Day ? Assisi

    July 6, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    More rehearsals, another concert. This concert featured the most difficult piece of the festival (for me, anyway) and it was a relief to get through it! Some good meals in between plus a very rainy walk! The weather has improved - cooler temps in addition to periodic rain. Quite lovely.Read more

    Trip end
    July 17, 2025
  • 2026© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice