It's pronounced Per-roo-Gee-ya

Perugia is the capital city of Italy's Umbria region. My friend Lynda used to tell us about what great legs she had from climbing up and down the city's steep streets. This and all the pasta and pizza they would eat.

It's the only city I've been in that uses escalators not only to get people from one department floor to another, but to get pedestrians from one city elevation to another. The place is that steep.

Riding elevators from plaza to plaza. Italy: Perugia

Most of them that we were on were outside.

Up the escalator. Italy: Perugia

One particularly long one went underground for a ways before dumping us back out in the sunshine.

And down the escalator. Italy: Perugia

Lonely Planet directed us to Casa Spagnoli Bed and Breakfast, but instead of the promised cantankerous Spanish speaking grandmother, our host was a cute little woman from Spain who spoke english and had a beautiful spanish nose. I think she was the cantankerous grandmother's daughter. Our room was like a loft, with wood floors, sloped ceiling and a little window looking out to the patio.

If anyone has seen James Bond Quantum of Solace, and you remember the car chase at the beginning- that was in Siena Italy, which is nearby and very like Perugia.

The kind of views you can't really get enough of. Italy: Perugia

The hills were as steep as Lynda promised and the pizza just as good.

The pizza was much much better than the lighting. Italy: Perugia

We were only there one night, but after our crazy Roman holiday, the quiet, quaint streets of Perugia and amazing as-far-as-you-can-see views were awesome.

King of Perugia! Italy: Perugia