Orvieto ended up being a very interesting stopping point on our way home. The town is built on the top of a butte made of volcanic rock. It dates back to the Etruscan times, but was later taken over by the Romans--and because it was practically unassailable, it was the last stronghold of the Roman empire. Although we didn't have time to see them, there is an extensive cave and tunnel network under the city that the former inhabitants of Orvieto dug out of the volcanic rock.
We did get to do a little bit of exploring through the old city, and saw many quaint and picturesque alleyways and houses. 
We were also surprised to find out that Orvieto has a spectacular cathedral--similar to Siena's, but even more impressive, we thought.
The detail work--both the sculpture and inlaid mosaics were incredible!
Another thing Orvieto is famous for is its ceramics. We spent quite a while browsing the ceramic shops, and ended up finding the perfect souvenir of our Italy Trip--a set of oil and vinegar flasks. What I liked best about the pattern we found was that it had red poppies on it. Everywhere we went in Italy and Sicily we saw red poppies blooming! They just make me happy!
Once we left Orvieto, we made a beeline for Germany. We took a different mountain pass through Switzerland on the way back, and even though it was cloudy and a bit rainy, it was beautiful. We finally made it back home at about midnight--tired, but happy to be back home!
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