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I’m actually a bit sad to leave Florence so soon…even though we’ve been here for six days, the city is really beautiful with undeniable charm. I can actually imagine my self living here, which is not something I can say about most big cities. But the RTW trip has to continue! Jenn’s uncle highly suggested a stop in Assisi –in fact he absolutely raved about the gorgeous countryside and that was enough of an incentive for us to add this small city onto the itinerary.

Trains really are one of the most ideal ways to travel; unlike a bus they cut through remote and untouched areas of the country and afford spectacular views…plus there is really no other viable and smart way to travel around Italy; the train network is extensive. Jenn popped a couple of Dramamine to help with her bouts of motion sickness and just a few hours later we rolled into a small train station surrounded by wheat fields and in the distance the city of Assisi was perched up on a hillside.

Our hostel was nothing to write home about. The reviews online were highly polarized and although we were a bit nervous about what to expect, Ostello della Pace, is, quite frankly, the only budget place in this city. Our final conclusion –the older woman owns the place and runs it in the  mornings…she is unkind and not very gracious toward her guests. The younger woman at reception in the evenings was very sweet. The place is exceedingly clean if not a bit sterile…so, basically, it suited our needs but was by no means a haven of peace.

One of the meanest interactions yet on this trip occurred at the hands of this older woman. I wake up exceedingly early and normally spend the time between 6:30am and 8:00 working on my computer. The older woman came into the dining area (where I was working) scowled at me and then started shuffling things around, preparing for breakfast. At some point she came toward the area I was sitting in and flipped on the overhead lights. Naturally, I thanked her. I’m not sure what she thought I said, but her response was a growling “What?!”

I repeated the thanks and got another, louder and more aggressive, “WHAT?!”

Sensing that this was not going well I repeated it a bit louder if not more meekly and she grunted a nasty “I didn’t turn it on for you.” Um. Ok. This is the woman who owns the place! I realize that some people are not “morning” people like me…but come on!

Anyhow, refusing to let that daunt interaction daunt us we made our way a short walk into the city center through the golden wheat fields that are as inherent to the Umbrian landscape as the wine fields were in Tuscany. Assisi has a lot of Catholic significance and the crowning item in the city is the Basilica of Saint Francis…plus a lot of other Catholic churches. Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals and founder of the Franciscan friars…I’m not exactly catholic (well not at all) but it was neat to learn a bit about his life and see where all of this occurred.

The huge fortress, Rocco Maggiore, is nearly 1,000 years old and perched on the highest point for miles – it’s on the very top of the hill that looks down over the tiny city and surrounding flat wheat fields manicured into pretty squares of developed farm land.

The basilica is the highlight -it’s amazingly pretty inside…and out for that matter. The ceilings were just spectacular with a dark intricate designs set off by the diamond shape ceiling beams. No pictures were allowed inside so I found this picture with a google images search: here if you want a peek at what it looks like inside of Saint Francis’ Basilica (UNESCO World Heritage site).

We spent the day wandering through the city –we got royally lost at one point and found ourselves walking for 45 minutes around the lower city walls. We found a small path leading up toward the fortress and decided to wade through the underbrush on the lightly marked trail. For some reason all agreed it just might take us back into the city…

 

It didn’t.

Somehow we got ourselves completely outside of the city walls without any way to actually get back into the city except following the highway back around to a small and quaint arched entrance that truly looks like it has stood for hundreds of years. Once we were ensconced back in the city walls we continued wandering through the cobblestone streets; it really is just a pretty and wholly lovely city. There are tiny winding streets and flower-boxed houses with bright red, brilliant pink, and an assortment of other spring rioting colors on the window sills.

Assisi is a very calm and relaxed city and a big draw for a lot of older tourists…so it’s not exactly on the backpacker circuit, which could explain the lack of hostel options. Still, it was a nice pace and really a relaxing couple of days…which we needed before the hectic travel day we had in store for us as we battled our way to Croatia.