Thunderstorm in Todi
I woke up with a heavy head, bad throat and stuffy nose. Outside, heavy rain was pelting down. I had planned to take the 11.50 am coach to Todi but decided to cancel the day trip.
After breakfast and medication, I went back to sleep. I woke up at 12.30 noon; the rain had stopped.
I felt the great urge to get out of the house to do something: it’s my last weekend in Perugia – I should see more of the region!
There was another coach to Todi at 1.30 pm. I hurriedly dressed, made coffee and ate a slice of bread. Franca saw me and I told her I wanted to catch the bus to Todi, that I was feeling better. She offered the cauliflower and ‘’crostini’’ she had prepared. ‘’Lascia, lavo io’’ she urged as I gulped down the food. (Leave it, let me do the washing up)
It was a very brisk walk to the bus terminal. I skipped the escalators full of people and ran down steps of the staircase next to them. I broke into a run towards the bus terminal, and nearly got run down by a bus as I crossed the road at the terminal. I bought the ticket and boarded the coach just a few minutes before it departed. ‘’Si, signorina, bella studente…., vero?’’ the bus driver answered me with some (presumably) nice words (of which I managed to catch only a few) when I confirmed with him that it was the coach for Todi. Ha ha - he still thought that I am a little signorina (a term used to address women below 18).
Todi, 40km South of Perugia, ‘’quaint’’ and ‘’one of the most enchanting hill towns’’, according to my guide book. The American press and a posh travel magazine actually named it ‘’one of the world’s eminently liveable cities’’. No wonder so many signboards of hotels lined the roads before the coach arrived at the city centre. “And many have actually bought properties there – for vacations or retirement’’ my guidebook added.
Janet Loh moment came – the rain started pouring, fiercely, in tandem with the thunder. When I checked with the driver if it was the town centre where I should alight, the kind driver confirmed it and pointed to the two monuments nearby (the Duomo and Santa Fortunato) that I could visit. He reminded me to wait at this exact place - Piazza Jacopone - at 5 pm to catch the coach back to Perugia.
All wrapped up with my cap, thick scarf and gloves, and with my umbrella, I walked to the Duomo. When I entered there was not a single soul in the huge empty church. It felt weird and irrationally, I feared being locked inside and undiscovered. It must be even weirder to be travelling 40 km in heavy thunderstorm and still suffering from a cold, to visit a little inconspicuous town. Much later a few other tourists entered, and I felt less of a weirdo.
I roamed aimlessly around Piazza del Popolo and wandered into Cisterne Romane to view the remains of an elaborate underground wells and cisterns of this medieval city.
After roaming in the empty streets and looking sadly at the unopened shops in this empty ghost town, and with my umbrella fighting with the wind, I decided to go into a café for a hot cup of tea. I had arrived at past 2.00 pm and the only shops open were eateries. The others would re-open after lunch at 3.30 pm at the earliest.
When the rain got lighter, it was also about time to catch the 5.00 pm coach back. I decided to dash up the hundreds of steps where the massive Franciscan shrine of Santa Fortunato sits, for a quick look.
I only managed to see my guidebook’s greatly recommended ‘’high renaissance masterpiece’’ - Temple of Santa Maria della Consolazione - from the warm coach, as it drove past the monument on our way back to Perugia.
When I finally returned home in the near empty coach, barely dry and with bottoms of my jeans drenched, Franca gave a cry of welcome back. We both laughed about the ‘’ tante acqua’’ (lots of water) that poured the minute I left home. She commented it was brave of me to take bus in heavy thunderstorm and alone, to go sightseeing.
I think it was more like ‘’foolhardy’’ and not thinking of consequences such as developing pneumonia!
After breakfast and medication, I went back to sleep. I woke up at 12.30 noon; the rain had stopped.
I felt the great urge to get out of the house to do something: it’s my last weekend in Perugia – I should see more of the region!
There was another coach to Todi at 1.30 pm. I hurriedly dressed, made coffee and ate a slice of bread. Franca saw me and I told her I wanted to catch the bus to Todi, that I was feeling better. She offered the cauliflower and ‘’crostini’’ she had prepared. ‘’Lascia, lavo io’’ she urged as I gulped down the food. (Leave it, let me do the washing up)
It was a very brisk walk to the bus terminal. I skipped the escalators full of people and ran down steps of the staircase next to them. I broke into a run towards the bus terminal, and nearly got run down by a bus as I crossed the road at the terminal. I bought the ticket and boarded the coach just a few minutes before it departed. ‘’Si, signorina, bella studente…., vero?’’ the bus driver answered me with some (presumably) nice words (of which I managed to catch only a few) when I confirmed with him that it was the coach for Todi. Ha ha - he still thought that I am a little signorina (a term used to address women below 18).
Todi, 40km South of Perugia, ‘’quaint’’ and ‘’one of the most enchanting hill towns’’, according to my guide book. The American press and a posh travel magazine actually named it ‘’one of the world’s eminently liveable cities’’. No wonder so many signboards of hotels lined the roads before the coach arrived at the city centre. “And many have actually bought properties there – for vacations or retirement’’ my guidebook added.
Janet Loh moment came – the rain started pouring, fiercely, in tandem with the thunder. When I checked with the driver if it was the town centre where I should alight, the kind driver confirmed it and pointed to the two monuments nearby (the Duomo and Santa Fortunato) that I could visit. He reminded me to wait at this exact place - Piazza Jacopone - at 5 pm to catch the coach back to Perugia.
All wrapped up with my cap, thick scarf and gloves, and with my umbrella, I walked to the Duomo. When I entered there was not a single soul in the huge empty church. It felt weird and irrationally, I feared being locked inside and undiscovered. It must be even weirder to be travelling 40 km in heavy thunderstorm and still suffering from a cold, to visit a little inconspicuous town. Much later a few other tourists entered, and I felt less of a weirdo.
I roamed aimlessly around Piazza del Popolo and wandered into Cisterne Romane to view the remains of an elaborate underground wells and cisterns of this medieval city.
After roaming in the empty streets and looking sadly at the unopened shops in this empty ghost town, and with my umbrella fighting with the wind, I decided to go into a café for a hot cup of tea. I had arrived at past 2.00 pm and the only shops open were eateries. The others would re-open after lunch at 3.30 pm at the earliest.
When the rain got lighter, it was also about time to catch the 5.00 pm coach back. I decided to dash up the hundreds of steps where the massive Franciscan shrine of Santa Fortunato sits, for a quick look.
I only managed to see my guidebook’s greatly recommended ‘’high renaissance masterpiece’’ - Temple of Santa Maria della Consolazione - from the warm coach, as it drove past the monument on our way back to Perugia.
When I finally returned home in the near empty coach, barely dry and with bottoms of my jeans drenched, Franca gave a cry of welcome back. We both laughed about the ‘’ tante acqua’’ (lots of water) that poured the minute I left home. She commented it was brave of me to take bus in heavy thunderstorm and alone, to go sightseeing.
I think it was more like ‘’foolhardy’’ and not thinking of consequences such as developing pneumonia!
posted by "Jenny" at 1:14 AM
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