Deruta, Italy

After visiting Assissi, we drove down to Deruta. Does that sound familiar? That's where all the pottery comes from in Italy. In fact shortly after I got back, a Christmas catalog came and they had ceramics from Deruta for sale.

This was the first store we visited, and ultimately the one we loaded up in. When we first arrived, he was showing how he painted a piece. He was so good at the intricate pattern on the wheel that it looked easy.

This was the only place I felt an overwhelming need to buy...I didn't feel that way so much in the other cities.

The showroom...full of temptation

See no evil...but I bought that bowl in the lower right corner, the salt and pepper shakers in the center and the napkin holder (and more) anyway

Shopping hangover (see all the stuff on the wooden table and on the floor? it got it's own trip back to the US of A)

Aldo, the attorney turned artist, shows us his workroom downstairs...

and a plate painted and coated in the stuff in the pot from the previous picture.

But most importantly, this is Millou, Aldo's very vocal and friendly teen aged cat.

Oh boy, did seeing Millou make me miss Gus and Cotton! The drive to Deruta was beautiful - if I remember correctly, we traveled by a lake for some time.

The ceramics all arrived about 4 weeks after we got back. One night at Cindy's house we had so much fun opening everything up. It was just like Christmas.

I did love visiting Deruta. And next time I'll actually go into the old town.