Many people have contacted me to see if the earthquakes in Italy will have an effect on my trip.  At the moment, there are no changes planned.  The epicenter of the quake was in Norcia, which is 43 km from Spoleto, which will be my headquarters for a week after landing in Rome.  I checked last night, and there was no significant damage in that area, and I plan on keeping the original schedule.

I had planned a day trip from Spoleto to Noricia, but that will not be on the schedule now.  The route is the blue line heading due east out of Spoleto.  The "blue circle route" on the map which passes through Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, and Orte encompasses many of the scenic hill towns I will be visiting, although I prefer the back country roads with my little stick-shift car.