A delicious breakfast...this is more the European style breakfast with croissants and pastries, but Anna also offered meat, cheese and eggs.
Her kitchen behind this wall wasn't big, but she produced some amazing meals.
Anna had offered to drive us to nearby Tarquinia for the day, so we puttered around until she was ready.
Such a beautiful place...
Tarquinia was settled by the Etruscans over 3000 years ago. There was bound to be some interesting history here. Anna dropped us in front of the Tourist Bureau where we agreed to meet later that afternoon. Look at that blue sky!
I can't say the lady in the information place was that helpful, but we did have a map and set out to find the famous necropolis.
We stopped at this map...we were "here" but needed to get up to the red circle, and we weren't really sure how far it was. Carrying on...
Well, hello! I like your style!
Looking down the alleys...
Lots of signs...
And lots of trendy shops...
Notice the nice uphill? The city was built on a hill for defense purposes. Ed and Jim were doing well, considering inclines are not their friends. We appeared to be at the town square.
Complete with fountain...
He looked like he was blowing a whistle!
These signs were helpful...
They often had a barcode, which you could scan with your phone to get information. Well done!
The name on this monument is a hymn, which was first sung in the year 569 in a processional. I'm sure there is much more to this story...
Loved the colourful decoration on this balcony! We had met a lady who saw us with a map and, in perfect English, explained the necropolis, where it was, and what we should see. We asked if she was a teacher, and sure enough, she was.
Carrying on up the windy street...
It was a lovely walk with lots to see, but it was a long one.
Oh joy! Another hill...Jim was forging on ahead. This is the Church of San Francisco, built in the 13th century on the site where St. Francis performed miracles saving the lives of children. It underwent restoration in the 16th century, completely changing the look of the building.
No idea what the significance of this sculpture was, but I was pretty sure it wasn't from the 16th century.
Beautiful roses...
Ed was making his way up the hill and Jim was pretty happy he was already there!
A worn version of La Pietà...
The bell tower was reconstructed in 1612...
Part of the old wall, which was built in the city's most prosperous era--6th century BC...mind boggling!
Lots of lovely flowers along the way...there was a fair bit of grumbling going on about now.
Ta da! We made it...we didn't check out the workshop.
But went straight for the real thing...the tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
These are the tombs of the Etruscans, a group from Etruria, which is now known as Tuscany. They were at the height of power from 8 to 5 century BC.
This map shows the tombs that you can visit. There are over 6,000 tombs dating to 7th century BC. BC! It still astounds me.
The entrances to the tombs...each had a sign describing what you would see inside. It was very well done.
The painted walls of the tombs are a depiction of life during this time.
Jim's face says it all. It was a walk down to the tomb, check it out, and hoof it back upstairs. It was hot and muggy.
"These tombs would have been those of the aristocratic class who could afford the luxury of painting its tombs."
Yup, another long walk down...
To see what was described on the sign outside...
Many appear to have been discovered around the same time in the 1960s...
You would get to the bottom of the stairs, press the button which would light up the tomb for 30 seconds, and look through the glass at the paintings.
Not surprisingly, after being buried for so many years, they are now showing signs of deterioration after being opened to the public.
The ceiling was even decorated in this tomb.
Love the animals...
One of the earlier discoveries...
By now, Jim had gone off on his own, Barb and Ed had remembered they had already been here years before and didn't feel the need to revisit the tombs, and I was sweating like crazy.
I bailed on visiting the rest of the tombs and walked about enjoying the scenery.
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves...I think that's what these are!
Whew! After some heavy duty stuff, look...a cat!
With our heads full, we decided we better start the return trip. Back through the ancient wall...
Barb and Ed had gone on ahead of us. It was a while before we saw them in the distance.
We arrived back at this square, close to the place we would be meeting Anna.
Perfect timing for a drink and a snack...
I know...it looks like cat food. But it was delicious liver paté.
We made it back to the meeting spot with time to spare, so we wandered into the museum courtyard. We wouldn't have time to do it justice, and our heads were already full of information.
Initially, sarcophagi had likenesses of the deceased laying on their backs. This advanced to having them on their side, quite often holding a libation vessel.
This reminded me of some of the ancient ruins in Mexico...
They had incredible artists and carvers...
Look at this intricate design, no doubt telling a story.
If these doors could talk...
Back at the farmhouse, we had a rest and another delicious dinner. You weren't fooling me with that flaming dessert again. I can't remember what this was, but it was good!
Jim went for the crème brûlée. Remember to stir before eating!
A fantastic day of exploring, learning and, of course, eating. We have one more day in this peaceful place before we head to the ship...
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