Italy Road Trip: From Tuscan Fog to Umbrian Sun.

Woke early this morning to low cloud and thick fog. Mind in view of the weather we had been experiencing it could have been worse as we were camped at 3000 feet. At least it wasn't raining. Although the tent was sodden, packing went surprisingly well and the sun came out enough just to dry everything off a little. We managed to get away with lots of hugs from Sengora Camping by 11.00. Our route quickly lost altitude and as we we descended through the cloud the temperature rose. Initially we took the quickest route down the motorway through Chiantishire and the scenery became increasingly 'Tuscan'; rolling hills, vineyards, cypress trees and ochre coloured villas. After a coffee and then lunch stop, howeve,r we decided to go off piste and head across country to the old Tuscan town of Montepulciano, famous for it's Nobile wine and a spot to which we hope to return. At this juncture we made a tactical error and elected to continue on the back roads without the assistance of Sally Satnav. All well and good with a large enough scale map. When we eventually reappointed Sally we found we still had two and a half hours to go to our destination - it was only three and a half hours originally. Soon we got back to faster roads and before too long were turning off the motorway at Spoleto. We then drove into the mountains along more and more spectacular hills before finally climbing a narrow haipinned road to the mountain village of Castelvecchio just beyond which we found pur way to Casale Coccinella, our home for the next week. Already arrived and chatting to our host, cousin Rob were my brother Peter and wife Linda. We were warmly greeted by Rob and after a welcome bottle of his favourite local white we unpacked and then repaired to the local restaurant for a delicious meal. The scenery here is spectacular and we have already found wonderful flowers; lady and monkey orchids on the short walk to the restaurant and singing nightingales in the casale garden. The view to the mountain village of Preci is dramatic backed, as it is, by mountains still tinged with snow. On the walk home I was mesmerised by the star studded sky and the nightingales were still filling the air with their liquid song,