Minerva Assisi

... are teeming with families, young people and older folks just walking enjoying the cool weather, hot coffee and all sorts of chocolate products. I even caught a wedding happening on Sunday. We have another two days here and will return to Rome on Wednesday afternoon….just in time for dinner and a full day of touring before heading back hone on Friday morning.

Best to all back home,

Jorge

... when sunlight hits it! Again, this basilica also sits right on the edge of a hillside overlook, so the views of Assisi from here were gorgeous.

Inside, the Basilica di Santa Chiara was lovely. Similarly to the crypt of St. Francis, the most moving room here was the crypt underneath the church where St. Clare is buried – another place of deep spirituality and tranquility.

From the piazza of the Basilica di Santa Chiara, we took a taxi (I just wasn’t ...

Back to the land of pay toilets. Don.t know why that bothers me so much but it does. It just doesn.t seem right. Anyway, we are now in Assisi. We got off the boat and it was raining, and then we had to take a detour to Assisi. the road was very narrow and hilly, It was a little tense for awhile. Saw St Francis ...

... absenthe.

Next we decided to explore the surrounding village before entering the crowds above. Perugia is a beautiful midieval village and very well preserved. Incorporated into this ancient setting are some very modern things like an underground moving walkway, taking you through the mazez below the pallazo. On this day, there were special booths set up for children and chocolate vendors.

Perugia, Umbria, Italy davefremland

... pizzeria where I had delicious lasagna. After lunch we browsed through the many stands. Sample after sample led to some major purchases. It was hard to pass up the various chocolate products when the smell just filled the air. There was everything from chocolate beer to chocolate “pills” to chocolate pasta!!

Heaven.

I’ll update you soon,

Siara

... not the most powerful motorhome. Then the temperature guage started to climb. Sooner than you you can say "F---!" ("Fiat" that is) the rad boiled over, there were clouds of steam billowing around us and antifreeze barfing all over the road. I re-stated the thing, and dragged it onto a pullout beside the road. More accurately, we were parked on a pile of garbage (consisting, for reasons unknown to me, mostly of sanitary pads and condom wrappers) (I'm not ...

... some of the oldest fresco's in the world. My favorite place is the castle on the top of the hill - called Rocca Maggiore. Though it is in ruins, it does give you the best view of the area - and what a view it is. It is also another good workout. There are nice little shops all over, but just like Venice, just get a few blocks off the tourist street and you are all alone again with the locals.

... moving them from place to place, so that the nearby towns wouldn't steal them before the basilica was built. Bones of saints were big business back then and really, you could stay that they have kept little Assisi on the map. The Basilica was started soon after he died, in 1228, and was made far more elaborately than he probably would have preferred. In fact, the tiny chapel outside of ...

... we went into the city of Montalcino, which was cute, but very very little. Both because it was siesta time, and because it was winter, most of the stores were closed, and the town seemed to be deserted. So, we found a restaurant, had lunch, wandered into some churches, and headed back to the bus. We left for a windy bus trip to Rome, but made it in one piece. As nice as it was to get away from this loud, busy, and tiring city, it was equally as nice to be ...

... him.... Anyway, we ate a ridicoulously expensive dinner near the trevi fountain because I was starving and then we headed over to the piazza navona. It was so wonderful, but I think I was way too tired to enjoy it entirely... I will definately have to head back there when I go back to Rome. Anyway, the next morning callie and I took a cab to the airport to meet up with the group. (Our trip on the train to the ...