Umbria ( Perugia - Orto Botanico & Chiesa di San Costanzo )

Botanical Gardens (Orto Botanico)

I have survived my first month in Perugia and entering into the 2nd month and started my 2nd level. The teacher (Roberta ) is good but there were too many students (31) in the class of various competencies in the language.

However, every Monday to Wednesday, there will be 5 hours of grammar (Lingua Italia) classes. That is indeed tiring but a good cup of espresso would keep the sleepiness at bay.

Last weekend, I didn’t travel out of Perugia. Had been walking within Perugia and visited the Botanical Garden. It is not as spectacular as compared to what we have in Singapore.

However, there was a church, Chiesa di San Costanzo nearby and there was a marriage ceremony going on. It was rather interesting being an uninvited guest watching from the door and witnessing the priest saying conducting the ceremony in Italian. However, Chiesa di San Pietro which was located nearby is beautiful too and was captivated by the internal courtyard and the architecture.

On every first Sunday of each month, there is a food fair (Sagra) held in Piazza Piccinino, near to Via Bontempi. Basically, folks from the neighbouring towns will sell their fresh produce like cheese, flowers, bread, seasonal fruits and vegetables. I bought half a loaf of home-made bread that for EUR 4.00. This bread is really heavy at 1kg. If you throw it at someone's head, he is sure to be in coma after suffering from concussion. The bread is so compact and filled with many cereals.

Every Saturday morning. ceramic wares from Deruta, a nearby town were displayed outside Cattedrale di San Lorenzo and they certainly brightened up the cathedral with their vivid colours depicting Umbria culture and heritage.