After the excitement of returning Nancy’s passport, I took a three hour nap…and even slept well last night.  What an ordeal!

Today, Andy’s friends, Cecile and Sandy and I left for Orvieto.  Nice easy train ride and we got to the convent with no problem.  Checked in, dropped off,our bags and went next door to our favorite place to have lunch.  It was delicious, as usual.  Then we walked thru the town and looked at all the shops.  Sandy and I went for a cappuccino in a little garden upstairs at a restaurant.  The weather has turned very cool, and I was glad to have my coat on.  Right after lunch, I went a few doors down to make reservations for dinner at the Zepplin Restaurant.  The owner and chef, Lorenzo said they were fully booked for tonight.  I told him we had tried to get in in June, but they were closed and my friend, Connor said we had to eat there.  Connor is a waiter in Dallas and when he heard that I was moving to Italy, he told me he had studied with Lorenzo for three months here in Orvieto.  So the name dropping did the trick!  He told us to come at 6 and it would be a set menu.  The restaurant was full when we got there, but there was a table for us right up front.  Everyone there had been for a cooking class from about 2-6pm.  We,were eating what they had prepared.  First course was a mixed appetizer plate.  A mozzarella ball, tomato, two toast points with cheese and sausage, a creamy, herbed cheese spread and a candied fruit slice.  The. Came a pasta dish…fresh pasta with a tomato sauce with a bit of sausage in it and chopped parsley.  Then 4 toast squares with a different topping on each.  Then the entree which was a pickled cabbage, pot roast and tomato…then dessert which was a sponge cake with cream filling and sour cherries.  And cappuccino.  What a delicious dinner.  We also had red and white Umbrian wines and water.  Now we are back at the convent and ready for bed.  Tomorrow, we have our cooking class in the countryside.  Will report on that tomorrow evening.  Good night!