7.8 In which we are directed into the wilds and lose faith, but see lots of pretty, dead Etruscans

The first real test of the gps. After all, it’s all very well to go 25 miles up a freeway and fall off the exit into the hotel parking lot. But now we wanted to go from Civitavecchia to Tarquinia to see the painted tombs there, thence to Sarteano, near Chiusi (ancient Clusium, very big deal).

The Tarquinia portion was easy, again mostly freeway, and the Tarquinia museum was very entertaining. Almost all Etruscan or Etruscan-period objects (a lot of Greek pottery that had clearly been made for Etruscan clients), including a case full of votive objects: terracotta hands, fingers, feet… and not a few gentlemen who clearly were in search of 6^th c BCE viagra! Pretty hilarious. The sarcophagus tops with their portraits make the Romans look positively dissolute. These folks were hardcore! Stern faces that clearly Disapproved Of Your Antics. Some of these pieces must have been available for folks to see during the medieval period, though: the stone lions look like they’re RIGHT out of a 14^th c bestiary!

The museum ticket included entrance to the tombs, which were a long walk or short drive away, and in 95-degree heat we decided to drive. VERY different from the Cerveteri tombs. Those were more of a city, carefully planned out and organized. These seem to have been kinda plopped down in the first available space … and then worked on like you wouldn’t believe. The frescoes are just amazing. Some were harder to see than others, because the glass that keeps weaselly tourists from touching them has gotten scratched, or in some cases because the tombs were 2 rooms deep and you just couldn’t see in (one of these very helpfully had a 3D movie of the interior playing on a tv just outside the door). Gotta love my camera – it took GREAT pix of the ones we could see well, even without a flash.

From there it was on to Sarteano. Anna took us through miles and miles of absolutely gorgeous, nearly empty countryside. Not a freeway in sight. I lost faith. Then suddenly we were at our hotel. And I was ashamed. Ro swam but I was too tired even to put on a suit. Just snoozed by pool. Tomorrow we go HOME!