A dreamy day in Orvieto

As the situation in Italy gets worse every day (and now has led to a total countrywide lock down), I am left heartbroken and helpless. For my friends there, for all the people affected by the spreading of coronavirus (especially those sick and the medical professionals taking care of them), for what this will do to people’s livelihoods and the already fragile economic state. I’m left on my knees, praying for a quick end to what has become an absolute nightmare. The government and the health system are taking so many measures to ensure the situation is under control and above all so that it gets better faster rather than worse, and for that we can be thankful. 

Amidst all of this, I keep thinking how beauty will save the world. Italy has more beauty within its borders than anywhere else in the world. So today, in order to share something positive and light, I wanted to make a post about my day trip to Orvieto. As I wrote on Instagram, I almost cried from the beauty of it multiple times during my day there. 

A classic city on a hill, Orvieto is reached by riding a small funicolare. Similar to Capri, the small cars take you up to the top in a matter of minutes and the view from there is nothing short of stunning. I spent some time at the overlook when I arrived, then later as the sky turned that deep blue after golden hour, as it does so beautifully in Italy almost every night, and the lights flickered on below. I watched trains speed by and tiny cars drive along their way in the distance. When viewed from above, it seems our problems are so much smaller than we make them out to be. 

The rest of the city is filled with beauty, too. The duomo is as breathtaking as those in Florence and Milan, and the inside is full of beautiful details that reminded me of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Exiting the cathedral, a view of a perfect cloud against the blue sky lured me over to the wall to take in the scene behind the duomo. Later in the day, I walked down a street that looked like it was out of a storybook. This Orvieto fairytale was a perfect fall scene, leaves that lovely shade of amber, streetlights casting a deep yellow glow, a cobalt blue moped parked perfectly under the awning of a restaurant. And what added to the magic was the smell of a fall bonfire filling the air around me as I walked down the cobblestones. 

I think part of what made this day so dreamy for me was that I was completely alone. I’ve talked a little about traveling solo on Instagram, but I think it’s such a privilege when you can do it, even just for a day. Most of my solo travel experience has been day trips around Italy. Of course I’ve flown across Europe and the ocean by myself, but never taken an overnight trip by myself. I’m sure I will someday though, as I come to appreciate the silence and the space it affords my mind. 

While I was writing this post, I came across a quote by Brianna Wiest that I totally agree with. Reading it made me grateful, and voiced why days like this in Orvieto, or Pisa, were so great by myself.

‘If you ever get the chance, go alone. Walk alone, travel alone, live alone, dance alone. Just for a night, just for a while. If you ever get the chance, learn who you are when the world isn’t demanding you be one way or another. Most people only know how to stand on their own if someone else will stand beside them. Don’t let that be your story. When you get the chance, know that the opportunity to walk alone, even for a bit, is a rare gift, one that will hand you insight that can change the course of your life.’

I think this is why I come away from my experiences abroad with so much more confidence than ever before. In many respects, I am completely on my own. I’ve made my own decisions and it’s up to me to take care of myself and live. A support system is an amazing thing to have, and I’ve found one at home with my family and abroad with my friends, but even then your life is up to you and at the end of the day you are alone with yourself, standing on your own two feet. 

I’ll leave the rest of my dreamy day in Orvieto to your imagination, as you view the photos I took that day, wandering around by myself with a soft smile on my face…

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Any questions about Orvieto? Leave them below and I’ll answer them!