Where the History Comes From

We left Venice around 10:30 yesterday and made our way down the eastern coast of Italy on our way to Spoleto to stay two days with Steve and Denise.  The trip is about 6 hours on two lane roads and small highways.  The eastern coast dotted with small towns, working cities and not much else.  Fano, has a few resort type hotels on the Adriactic Sea, but in the winter they don't do much business.  Ravenna has a transitional history of Roman to barbarian to Byzantine to medieval influences.  In 402 AD, the Roman emperor moved the capital here as the barbarian hords were descending on Rome.  In 476, the Goths from Hungrey conquered the city, thus ending 1,000 years of the Roman Empire.  In 540 the Byzentine's conquered the Goths thus reuniting Italy.

The town of Spoleto was responsible for stopping Hannibal from going into Rome.  After defeating the Roman Army near Cartona, he was marching onward to Rome.  Fierce resistence from Spoleto forced Hannibal to stop his southern march.  Legend here is hot oil from the bell tower here in the city is said to have burned Hannibal.  Only legend though.   The Romans went on to defeat the Carthagenians in a battle at Carthage.  Ending the second tunic war in Rome's favor.




Denise and Chris

Today Chris and I along with the Haerr's visited Trevi.  The Olio Captial capital according to the sign we saw.  I will say the lunch at Ristorante Osteria la Vecchia Posta was excellent.  Denise had grilled pecorino cheese drizzled with Umbrian honey.  It was fantastic.  I asked to meet the chef, who was a young girl from the Czech Republic with no formal culinary training who was very delightful and spoke very good english.

Chef Anna and me

Out trip ended with us stopping to film a herd of sheep walking through an olive grove.  A great day with Steve and Denise.



A walking sheep herder with his dogs