Assisi, Umbria

So, as I said in my previous post, the first five days of my trip to Italy were spent in Assisi for orientation. Assisi. Assisi is a small, mid evil town located in the mountains in Umbria, Italy. We stayed at a small hotel called the Casa Fanchi.

The first tour I went on in Assisi was to the mountain top castle. This was quite the climb. We walked uphill for 25 minutes on stones prior to our arrival to the castle. It was very difficult and energy consuming, but the view from the top of the city was worth it!

The Hill Top Castle In Assisi

View from the Hill Top Castle

The next day, I toured The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. The Basilica was so beautiful and full of life (and other Americans!). This basilica is one of the most important of christian pilgrimages in Italy.

The Basilica of Saint Frances of Assisi

We later toured the Church of Saint Claire (the patron saint of television), and San Damiano. We were able to see Saint Claire's preserved body, her hair, and the clothes she wore. We also learned about how Claire pretty much gave up her life and privileges at the age of 13 to follow Saint Frances.

The Garden in San Damiano

My first glass of vino rosso!

While visiting in Assisi, we had LOTS of free time. When we weren't touring or recovering from jet lag, we spent time in the Piazza. The piazza was the center of the city where all the action took place. We would often sit at cafe and drink coffee, sweet red wine, prosecco, or eat gelatto. We made friends with the waitress, Amelia, at our favorite bar, which was called "Bar." Very original, I know.There were also lots of cute shops in Assisi that we looked through numerous times.

My first gelatto!

Our favorite bar in Assisi.