Today we drove by bus to Assisi, about a three-hour bus ride from Rome with a pit stop.
The theme of my blogs so far has been – pictures don’t do anything justice here. Assisi is the epitome of that phrase.
I researched Assisi for one of our class projects early in the year, so I was particularly excited about the trip. It’s a small town built into the rolling hills. 2,000 people live in the mountains and 20,000 people live down below.
Our hotel, where I’m writing this from, is located on the ground level. We spent all day exploring the breathtaking and peaceful streets of Assisi.
It was the home and death place of Saint Francis of Assisi, to whom the current Pope Francis chose his papal name (he is the first Pope to do so. Francis lived a humble life, even though he came from wealth, and is compared to Jesus by many in the area for the way he walked through life.
The gorgeous Basilica of Saint Francis features two churches that we were supposed to tour, but we only went to one. The other was closed for a state visit from German Chancellor Angela Merkel tomorrow. She’ll be joined by Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos. Merkel is receiving the Lamp of Peace, exploring the basilica, and giving a talk on peace in Europe.
Because of her visit, there were several news vans outside the church with extra military on standby. We have to leave extra early in the morning because major highways leading to Assisi are closing in the morning ahead of her visit. It’s the first visit to the Italian town by Merkel. Our tour guide for the church said visits like this happen only a couple times every year, along with annual visits from the Pope. 
The church itself was everything I thought it would be during my research. The artwork on the ceiling was elaborate and extravagant, and the streets leading to the church overlooking the village below all offered unbelievable views.
That’s the thing I’ll remember most about Assisi – the views. Wow. Wow. Wow.
We also stopped for a group dinner at one of the local restaurants before going down the hill to our hotel.
Tomorrow we will leave bright and early (7:30 breakfast, departure after) for Florence. There, we’ll get a walking tour, see the statue of David, try the famous pizza, and have a free day on Sunday.
Ciao!
