This morning we said goodbye to Rome and our charming hostel and hit the road bound for Assisi. I was very excited to get out of the city and experience the natural beauty of Italy that I’d been craving. When I saw the rolling hills I really felt like I was in a different country. Rome didn’t feel quite the same because of the hustle and bustle.
Once we arrived, Emily, Carrie, and I went to lunch at this charming cafe where I ate some delicious lasagna (and also enjoyed sampling a lot of Carrie’s pear topped pasta). Then we strolled around stopping in shop after shop and admiring the literal architectural perfection surrounding us. I bought an olive oil soap and a couple of gifts for folks back home (not everyone is getting something so don’t get your hopes up, I’m not made of euros.)
I also made Emily take 100 pictures of me with her much-superior iPhone camera. God bless portrait mode.
After our leisurely (and perfectly sunny) afternoon we toured St. Clare’s Church and the Basilica of St. Francis. It was so interesting to me to see St. Clare’s Church because you usually don’t see “temples” honoring women being built very often. I was also amazed by the way they preserved her body in wax, I wasn’t expecting to see a wax mask over an actual body. Very cool.
The lower church of St. Francis was really beautiful. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the upper church because the chapel was being prepared for a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
It was gorgeous and the weather was perfect. This is the Italian day I’ve been craving since I arrived here.
And what made the day even more Italian? A free, surprise wine tasting! We had amazing cheese, tried a pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette (that I would’ve bought gallons of if I was dripping with wealth), one white wine, two red wines, and two dessert wines with a classic almond cookie. I liked the white and first red, a Pinot Grigio and a Torgiano Rosso Riserva. It’s going to be tough to go back to being underage when I get home, I like wine now.
After a dinner of amazing truffle pasta and salad, we checked into our hotel which has an amazing view of the Santa Maria degli Angeli.
Tomorrow, Florence!