DAY 21 - PERUGIA (Rest Day)

DAY 21 - PERUGIA (Rest Day) - 11 May 2026

- May 11, 2026

We made the most of our rest day today with a big sleep in, then a quick trip to the supermarket to buy supplies. This included Perugina chocolate, as Perugia is famous for it's chocolate. After a chocolate muesli breakfast, we wandered through the streets. We admired an aqueduct that had been turned into an elevated walkway connecting two parts of the town. We found the well-known university for foreigners and an Etruscan gate. We admired a scenic viewpoint from the old covered market, which was just next to The Chocolate Bar. This proved fortuitous when a short rain squall swept through. St Francis had been imprisoned in a dungeon under this place for nearly a year, prior to his spiritual awakening.

At the tourist bureau, we obtained the last stamp for our Via di Francesco credential. We headed underground at the Rocca Paolina. In the middle ages, the Perugians refused to pay the salt tax, so the Pope had the houses of the middle class destroyed and a fort built on the foundations. The medieval street structure is still evident in the eerie tunnels. An escalator brought us up for a scenic view of where we'll be walking tomorrow.

After a lunch of torta al testo, an Umbrian stuffed flatbread, we searched for a post office. It was housed in a grand building and there was no sign of a post box, but a helpful staff member took our postcard.

We did a bit more exploring then finished with a gelato, on the recommendation of our bookshop neighbour who had been a student here, and to celebrate our oldest granddaughter's birthday. We both had 'Baci da Perugia' flavour (chocolate hazelnut) and sat on the steps of the cathedral in the main square to enjoy them. This square has three Eurochocolate shops, which promote the chocolate festival of viewing chocolate sculptures, tasting chocolate creations and creating chocolate recipes each year. We won't be in Perugia then, so have to make the most of it today!