Day 27 - Assisi 2 - Saturday 8th October

Day 27 - Assisi 2 - Saturday 9th October

Breakfast at 8am - toast and something resembling "coffee with milk" then I was off investigating. At St Francis's Basillica I experienced another Italian mass before buying a book about St Francis in the church shop. Mum would have been proud of me. I sat in the pews and read, surrounded by the images the story was describing.
Sorry- no photos, no videos allowed in the churches here , as we were constantly reminded over the PA. As well as ... "Shhhhh. Silenzio!"which took away from the  peace and silenzio- succeeding in dulling the noise for a little while each time.

By the time I'd walked through the main piazza and found the Cathedral of St Clare, it was closed for lunch. Another church for Saint ... Someone was open though and exposed some ancient Rpman footings that reminded my a lot of Jerusalem.

I gave some of my money to the beggar at the door, inspired by the book I was reading. Then set off for a four km walk up the hill to the monastery dedicated to St Francis and run by Franciscan Monks. I heard it was silenzio all the way up there and thought perhaps no food as well so I ought a pork panini along the way to eat at the first seat on the way up. Finally found one in a peaceful spot near the top.

After finishing lunch I went a little way further and came across three people having a picnic of their own. I greeted them on Italian and they stopped me and offered me some Vino. How kind .. So I started chatting to them , drank their wine that the father had made, ate some pork panini, pork the father had killed and prepared himself, had some apple cake cooked by the adult daughter ( eggs from the family's chickens ) and was genuinely spoiled. We struggled to communicate - the daughter spoke a little English - they were from Naples ( Napoli ) and were on a day trip. How blessed was I to come across such a generous and welcoming family. We finished his bottle of wine and drank some of the mother's ( I think) liquor made from some brown round fruit from her garden we couldn't quite communicate it's English name. The  offered me a lift to the top but I joked that after all that drinking I couldn't really trust his driving. We laughed. I did feel joyous.

The monastery at the top was quite beautiful, tranquil.  But strangely I felt I had already received the blessing this day trip was meant to give me.

Ion returning to Assisi I first went up to the Castle above this city. I couldn't afford the entry fee as I had given away my last 5€  But the view was just as glorious without being at the very top.

A visit to St Clare's was next and I queued up to see what looked like a mummified corpse of the saint I still only knew a bit about. Some clothing relics were interesting here as well.

A storm was brewing over the town and I caught some impressive photos of it over St Francis'. Then the rain and lightening came. I say watching it and typing from a window at the B&B

Tea was much better tonight. Pizza at the pizzeria across the road from last night.

Back at the B&B I met the people in the other room on my floor. An older Italian woman - Who spoke a little English - and her husband who only could speak through his wife - who came from a village near the Swiss border called Como. They had just recently started travelling together as the husband didn't like to travel earlier on in their marriage. They were continuing on to ... Guess where ... Naples, then on to an island off there to " relax" said the husband.

Once again I enjoyed this conversation with Italians and wished I spoke more.

It was good to catch up with my brother Michael last night on WhatsApp and started thinking more and more how this trip is nearly at an end. Four weeks down now and only one week to go 😔 The truth is I am looking forward to home.