We drove back up the boot of Italy and found ourselves in the panoramic university town of Perugia.
The most interesting thing we saw was the Rocca Paolina, a fortress built into the mountain, now an eerie complex of underground chambers and tunnels.
Next we visited the beautiful white hillside town of Assisi. Through a balanced combination of wikipedia and Giotto paintings, we learned about their local champion, St. Francis of Assisi.
Here he is preaching the gospel to the birds. (You may laugh, but we did find that the pigeons in Umbria are especially pious)
Young or old, the locals in this region can climb a hill faster than Lance Armstrong.
Umbria is also home to our two favourite modes of transport from this trip. On the left, Perugia's super cute Minimetrò, half monorail, half minibus. And on the right, the Gubbio Funivia, in which you are carried up the steep Mt. Ingino in a small hanging bird cage.
Heading North, we reached yet another quaint hilly university town, Urbino.
While this area may not get the numbers of tourists seen by nearby Tuscany, its landscapes are every bit as spectacular.
Bologna is home to the world's oldest university, founded in 1088. Its streets are collonaded and its buildings are painted with bright earthy colours.
Its squares are overflowing with student life.
More importantly, Bologna is Italy's capital of food. It is obvious that this is true by simply seeing, smelling and tasting the produce on offer around every corner.
Bologna is home to Spaghetti Bolognese, Lasagna and Tortellini.
We had the finest meal of our Italian adventure here. Josh managed to complete all four courses required of an Italian diner. Here are some of our highlights.
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