It’s August, it is hot, and I am feeling pigra (that’s Italian for lazy). To escape the heat I am inside, daydreaming about the cool April week I spent in Umbria this past spring.

I must have taken 1,000 photos on that trip, mostly of the beautiful architecture, stunning views over the Umbrian hillsides, and spring flowers

Looking back at my photos, many feature beautiful doors and windows. I posted some door photos last week, so today it is windows.

Many of the windows were filled with flowers, others were shuttered and bare. Most were set into Medieval stone or brick walls. All made me wonder about all the stories they might tell.

A few of the windows were more modern, set in a vineyard in Bevagna. They provided me with a view of vines, sunsets, cats, and an occasional rabbit.

Old or new, all invited me to take their photo.

This week is also my birthday week and I am thinking that a perfect gift to give myself would be a return to Umbria for the Infiorata (Spello’s famous event where the streets are paved with flowers) as part of a cooking class week next June. Anyone want to join me?

Umbria is full of Medieval hill towns, each with its own character and charm. Every village is unique in character but they all have in common their beautiful architecture. I am drawn to the details of the buildings, especially the many gorgeous doors. Umbria is a good place to find those special details.

I took a lot of photos during a week spent exploring Umbria this past spring and many of them featured doors. Some were worn and neglected, some were beautifully cared for. Many were surrounded by plants and flowers. Here are some of my favorites.

(The windows were pretty spectacular too, but I’ll save those for next week)