Day 14 - The drive to Rome

I was right.  I thought there might be some good photo ops along the drive, since we were driving through a National Park, and I was not disappointed.

We drove through the Sibillini Mountains, and WOW...  I mean just WOW !!!

First, we stopped in this little village with a beautiful mountain lake.

Then, as you drive along, you come round a corner and you can see for kilometers.

Come around another corner, and you think "Why did I take that previous picture - this is way more stunning."

Of course, this is Italy, so you're never too far from...

Imagine how that pizza would taste, while looking at this...

OK, so mountains are beautiful.  I get it.  It's breathtaking - like driving through the Rockies back home.

But then, we come to this little village: Castelluccio.  As you go through the village, it's just another beautiful small Italian village in the mountains.  However, as you get to the other side, this massive plain opens up - the Piano Grande, which is full of coloured wild flowers growing by the gazillion.

It's really quite stunning - the mix of green, purple, red and yellow make for some very beautiful scenery.

Here's what they look like up close.

But then step back again, and it's more of this...

...and this...

I don't think I can emphasize how beautifully breathtaking it really is.  I'm quite sure the pictures do not do it justice, but hopefully it gives you a taste of what this region has to offer.

If you have to do a 3 hour drive between Le Marche to Rome, this is certainly a nice way of making it worth while.

Now, I'm at an airport hotel just outside of Rome.  Flight home is tomorrow morning.  The hotel is not nearly as beautiful as the other places I've stayed on this trip, but it will be quite comfortable for a good night's sleep before the long journey home.  Perhaps I'll post pictures of it tomorrow - but no promises.