Our main destination was the recently restored Signorelli frescoes in the Duomo, and they were just as stunning as we'd been led to expect. (To see really good reproductions, go to the Web Gallery of Art.)

We had an okay lunch at Mezza Luna, a little trattoria that had been written up in a recent New York Times "Sophisticated Traveler" article on Orvieto. The food (antipasto misto, gnocchi in tomato sauce for M. and fettucini in artichoke sauce for me) was good, but we were a bit put off by the service. Next to us was a table apparently either of friends of the owner, or some local big shots. At any rate, the waiter spent most of his time catering to them, and it especially annoyed us when one of the guys at that table smoked one cigarette after another, sitting right under the "Vietato Fumare" sign. The price was reasonable — lunch and wine for 20 euro.

Next we visited the Pozzo della Cava — not the most famous well of Orvieto, but a recently excavated and restored archeological site, that takes you back through many fascinating layers of history, Etruscan to medieval, including the well, tombs, pottery kiln, wine cellar and a medieval garbage dump.

Walked around Orvieto for a bit — enjoyed stopping by Piazza della Repubblica, and its church with the 10-sided tower. Ended the day with the first of many delectable gelato stops — Pasqualetti in the square near the Duomo (right: click to enlarge). I had tiramisu and mirtillo (blueberry), and Mike savored chocolate and zabaglione.

That evening we were still digesting the lavish meal from the night before, and opted just to have bread and cheese in the living room at L'Ombricolo, along with a bottle of Novello (the new wine of the season). We had vowed on this trip not to overdo the meals — an easy temptation in Italy, but as we've found on past trips, one which leads us to regret the indulgence on the following day.