Today started very early, but also pretty relaxed.
We met up to leave at 8:45 so we could spend as much time as possible in Assisi.
It started with a three hour bus ride with a quick stop at a rest station for a bathroom and snack break.
I’ve always been amazed by the Italian country. Rome is beautiful, of course, but the smaller towns and fields are breathtaking. I only slept for 20 minutes on the bus because I was spending so much time looking at the views.
Then we arrived in Assisi, which has been a bucket list destination since 9th grade, when I took the name Francis during my confirmation.
It reminded me a lot of Delphi in Greece, which I visited prior to my last Italy visit. The only big difference was that Assisi is still inhabited and has a town there, while Delphi is all ruins. But the commonalities come in the form of the insane view that goes on for miles and miles beyond the horizon.
Assisi was the cutest little Italian town I could’ve ever imagined.
After we got there, we had three-ish hours to explore and get food, so Josh and I grabbed a quick small meal and then walked around the cobblestone paths/roads. We walked in and out of shops, got gelato, and saw many a monk and nun.
We stopped at the church of St. Clare, where we saw some relics from both her and St. Francis, as well as her body, which was preserved perfectly because of a layer of wax poured over her a few centuries ago.
We then walked over to the Basilica of St. Francis, which was built only two years after he died of the Black Plague.
It was gorgeous inside, covered from head to toe in amazing frescoes and intricate detailed artwork.
We also got to see his tomb, although his body was not visible due to the lack in preservation.
We were going to go to the upper church as well, but it turns out that the German chancellor Angela Merkel is coming tomorrow, so it was closed (but that’s so cool?!).
We stopped at a local winery with a very enthusiastic employee for a small wine and cheese tasting, too. Everything was so delicious, but also very expensive, so I left with a small merengue.
We ended our day early tonight, with dinner at a restaurant on the edge of Assisi before coming to our hotel, which is GORGEOUS.
I’m currently writing this from our outdoor patio surrounded by gardens and the smell of flowers – it doesn’t get much better than this.
Off to Florence bright and early tomorrow for another day of adventuring in Italy!
Arrivederci!