Last night I went to bed with a huge migraine. I’ve been going to physical therapy for weeks to try to alleviate neck pain. My therapist thinks it’s a nerve connected to the C-1 vertebrae causing the issue. I sustained a whiplash injury in 2014 when a texting teen rear-ended my car and totaled it. Anyway, I think the combination of lack of sleep, jet lag, dehydration, and carrying my heavy luggage uphill aggravated the nerve. I woke up with the damned headache but refused to take any more meds. Instead, I made some soothing tea that I brought with me and spent some time writing and uploading my photos. It felt so nice to have nothing planned. No work. No worries. No rush.
It was, after all, Sunday morning. And every church bell was tolling.
By the time I showered and dressed, time for breakfast had come and gone. Italians are religious about meal times and have many rules regarding this. No cappuccino past noon. No walking and eating unless it’s gelato. No lunch past 2 pm. You get the idea.
By the time I walked past the cafes in the piazza lunchtime was almost done. I could have stopped in for a bite, but I wasn’t hungry so I pushed on to the Rocca. The Centro Storico of Soriano Nel Cimino is a ZTL (Zona di Traffico Limitato). ZTLs are areas of restricted traffic situated in Italian cities that have historic centers. Unauthorized drivers who drive into ZTLs will soon find fines in the mail.
The Rocca or Castello Orsini is surrounded by a defensive wall and guarded by a massive portcullis. Inside the walls are characteristic steep alleys and ancient buildings dating back to the 13th Century. Built by Paolo Orsini, the medieval fortress was completed in 1278. In the mid-fourteenth century, Paolo Orsini sold the fortification to the Holy See, Pope Nicholas III Orsini who used it as a summer residence.
The Rocca and the Chighi Albani Palace (pronounced Key-gee) are only open on weekends so plan strategically.
The castle’s interiors are inaccessible save for a few rooms surrounding the inner courtyard. A climb to the top of the tower costs 5€. The spiral stairs are narrow and have no handrails. Once at the top you will be rewarded with stunning 360º views.
If you arrive with a headache, the climb may possibly make it worse…but oh the views! The air smelled like woodsmoke and flocks of birds frolicked in the breeze.
By the time I left the castle, restaurants were closed but I managed to find a place that made me a to-go plate of sausages and roasted potatoes. “American breakfast,” the owner joked. Indeed.
I enjoyed the repast in my room while watching Captain Harlock reruns dubbed in Italian. This is one of my all-time favorite mangas and it was a pleasure to just kick back and relax.
Today I was lazy like Sunday morning…noon…and night. At around eight, I got my second wind and ventured out in search of a pizzeria. The nighttime city has a haunting gothic quality about it. Maybe it’s the color of the streetlights or the weight of all that history, but my half-hour passeggiata proved as sublime as the pizza. While in Soriano Nel Cimino, do make your way to C’e Pizza Per Te where every slice is made with amore!
Bellissimo!