Spring Sunshine, Etruscan Mystery and Seaside Cocktails {Civita di Bagnoregio + Civitavecchia}

I am very slowly emerging from some very long, unpleasant, difficult dental work. A word of advice to long term expats. Don't put off your visits to the dentist during home leave trips.  I had a two week break between procedures and our son was off in spain for the weekend, so we hopped on the cassia bis to enjoy some familiar favorites and to check out a new spot or two.

After a restoring hot springs soak in the spring sunshine., which was so very appreciated after this long and rainy winter, we headed to the quite mysterious looking Civita Di Bagnoregio.

All of a sudden the sun gave way to thunder and dark swirly clouds and about halfway up the narrow foot bridge linking the two towns, the rain started.

We ducked into the first dry spot...the Osteria Al Forno di Agnese...under a vine covered pergola we dried off and warmed up with jugs of local red wine and hearty ravioli filled and covered with a pork ragu, pasta e fagoli and the traditional roman countryside spring favorite....roast lamb and potatoes.  

After lunch we explored this "dead" town, which seemed to be coming back to life, much like Calcata.  Now the extraordinary geological formations that this town sits upon were revealed, reminding my South Dakotan husband of the stark beauty of the badlands.

We stocked up on nocino and purgatory beans and locally pressed olive oil and since there there was still daylight left,  we decided there was just enough time to catch the sunset and almost full moon rise on the Mediterranean.

Really, how many places in the world can you have such a day?