Day 3 – Assisi & Peruggia

What a beautiful day this started out to be.  We were up early enough to hear the city’s bells ringing in the dawn.  Broke our fast… made the walk to find the car that was parked in a lot outside the city and we were off!

Assisi was about 2 hrs away and was WELL worth the trip.  It towers over the rest of the countryside… white walls glistening in the sun (if perhaps obscured in photos by a little haze).  We had a podcast from Rick Steves that gave us a walking tour and while we didn’t hit the Roman Ampitheatre, we DID begin a short way down and saw the Basilicas of St. Ruffino, St. Clare, and St. Francis (of course).  It is DEFINITELY another hilltop town, but don’t believe for a minute that it means they flattened the top of the hill and built a city.  Nope.  I don’t think any grading was ever done for ANY of them.  Cobblestone that isn’t wonky shaped is unusual.  I think the orthopaedic specialists get all the money with twisted ankles and worse.

St. Ruffino’s Chapel was a big deal even when Francis & Clare were walking around and one of the things we noticed was the lion outside one of the doors eating a Christian martyr.  Inside there were several statues, even the baptismal font from the 11^th century (reportedly where both St Francis and St Clare were baptized), the foundations of the 5^th century church… and supposedly under that, the Pre-Christian foundation.  This has been around a while. Lunch was recommended by Rick Steves, and so we ate at the “pizza by the slice joint on the corner” and it was delicious!!

 

St. Clare’s church was built while she was still alive, but was closed from 12-2pm which I still don’t ‘get’, so we didn’t journey in.  A stroll outside, up and down the roads led us to the Temple of Minerva (told you this place was old) that’s since been renamed something else on the Piazza Del Communa.  Since it had been at least 30 minutes since lunch, we opted for Gelato. :D

 

Another brisk walk and we made it all the way to the Basilica De St. Francis.  I have to say it was impressive.  They started it 2 years after he passed and is really lovely.  His tomb is under the altar, and they allow you down there if you’re quiet. J

Since the whole day had been “downhill” (literally) we opted for a bus ride to get back up the hill, and once again, the local patrons were happy to let us know when to get off the bus.  Back to “the bus” and down the mountain.

 

 

It’s here that I have to digress and say that one of the key words of the day was “Treacherous”.  Walking the streets of Assisi was downright dangerous for pedestrians b/c what YOU think of as a rather wide sidewalk… they see as a “regular street” and their cars dodge hither and yon trying to get by you, other cars, etc.  Several nearly clipped us (The photo here doesn't do it justice. We don't get the camera out while playing "dodge car") .  Then, while we were on the bus, WE were the ones nearly clipping other pedestrians… or running off the edge of the mountain side cliff… it was all enough to make sure your blood pressure got up to normal, at least.  Perhaps this is how Francis & Clare were so close to God?  They were in traffic a lot?

 

We’d heard tell of a Chocolate Factory in Peruggia (on the road to Assisi) and opted to stop by on the way home. This (of course) is where Perugina Baci comes from - though they are now owned by Nestle). Long story short, they were closed by the time we got there. The Principal (not a fan of chocolate himself) swears that this was not planned... but certainly didn't mind saving 60 Euros for a tour ending in "free" chocolate samples. The Staff is less than certain... but willing to give him a pass (editor's note - things get worse tomorrow)

 

 

About that time, FIL decides he really would like to show us the hilltop town of Monteriggioni that we would otherwise have seen tomorrow.  A lovely, though small, hilltop town were they’ve reinforced the wall and put a walkway up so you can leisurely stroll the wall (for 3E each).  We also decided that it was 6pm, so we’d get supper there, too.  The in-laws had eaten there about 8 years ago… and given that the whole place is at least 1000 years old… change comes very slowly.

 

Sadly, some things don’t change… and the restaurants are still closed from the middle of the afternoon to about 7pm.  All over the city. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sigh.  Back in “the bus” and FIL decides that what we need to do is go to the town of Poggibonsi (I kid you not, that’s the name of the town)… and the Principal finds a restaurant that was… well, off the beaten path seems to kind a phrase for it.  It was a narrow, 1 lane wide, 2 direction road with hairpin, steep angle turns on the sides of ditches and cliffs… approaching nightfall… we make it there.

You guessed it, the restaurant is closed for the season.  No lights on, nobody home.  Now we’re all getting pretty hungry, and we’re still about 30 minutes from home.  Ah well, what’s a vacation without adventure? So we head back to San Gimignano where the principal drops us off at the apartment and is going to go park the bus back where it was this morning.  He was to meet us at the restaurant inside the gate right behind the apartment.  Sadly, we discover after he’s driven away that this particular restaurant is closed for the evening (they were closed Monday also, but open on Tuesdays - really open right under our window yesterday... but not today)… so we venture further into the city only to find EVERYBODY is closed at 7:45pm.

Now the kids are starting to get a little worried… but MIL remembers the restaurant that was “on the way to the Lavandaria”.  It was open, reasonably priced… and while dinner DID take at least 90 minutes, it was a great way to end the day.

Prayerfully, the trip to Sienna & on to the new apartment in Rome will have more open doors to go along with it. (Editor's note... but first we'll discover that I left my jacket at the restaurant. It's a good thing that many shop owners in Italy live above their shops.)