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Published: November 20th 2012
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View from our Villa
Can I wake up to this everyday?! From Florence we drove a couple hours deep into the Italian country side. Unfortunately we were driving at night and couldn't see much of the view but the roads were windy and dirt. It was a little scary, I was definitely pumping the passenger side brake. We arrived at our destination which was in the middle of nowhere. The sky was beautifully clear, full of bright stars. The air was incredibly fresh and crisp. The home we stayed in is a bed and breakfast owned and run but a sweet Italian couple who knew little English. It had all the character and grandeur you could ask for in a 3,000 year old Italian country mini castle. We had our own villa that was impeccably clean and full of modern amenities including a wonderful fireplace. Upon checking in, our host couple gifted us with a bottle of wine and a cake (for breakfast of course). We put a fire on and enjoyed a glass of red on the spacious deck...getting too romantic, I’m cutting this off now.
Fast forward to the next day...adventure time!
Is Assisi beautiful? Hmm let us deduce the answer...Do I love cats? Can dad
Villa
The place we stayed is 3,000 years old. The interior walls were destroyed by an earthquake and have since been restored. However, this interior column survived the quake. rock white jeans? Does Ryan have the weirdest mole in the history of moley America? Is Linda's Surprise surprising? Did Angelica become a national champion at age 12? Is Kyle O'Connell gay?
Assisi is hands down the most beautiful city I've ever laid eyes on. Set in the middle of the gorgeous country region of Umbria, Assisi is perched on top of a rolling green hill amongst groves of olive trees. It stands there proudly presenting iteself as majestic yet quaint. Awe inspiring yet cozy. Intimidating yet welcoming. Assisi is impeccably preserved and beautifully maintained.
Located at the foot hill of Assisi is the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Saint Mary of the Angels). I'm so bummed that I couldn't take pictures of the interior. It is by far one of my favorites thus far. This is a basilica which was built around the chiesetta (little church) of Porziuncola. This little church was a gift from the Benedictine monks to Saint Francis dating from the 9th century. It is the place where the Franciscan movement started and therefore a very holy pilgrimage site for Franciscans. St. Francis received in this church his BFF, Clare of
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I really wanted to roast marshmallows but I don't think they exist in Italy. Assisi, and dedicated her to the Lord. But beyond being such a holy place, it is sooo stinkin CUTE. It’s a church within a church. I walked in and as my eyes gazed up the main aisle I thought, “How cute, someone installed a playhouse in this church”.
There are other neat things in this church such as the cord from Saint Francis’ robe and a statue of Saint Francis that is home to two white doves.
You can see a few pics and read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Santa_Maria_degli_Angeli
As we made our way up the hill Theodoric stopped to pick an olive. Apparently it was the most disgusting thing ever so he dared me to try it:
It was the most disgusting thing ever.
Next up, the Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. SO many churches, each one holier than the next. I’ve been having a hard time keeping them all straight but this church is unique in the sense that there is an upper basilica and a lower basilica. This is the burial place of Saint Francis. And.......there was a rather large earthquake here. That’s all I got.
Fire
Don't worry dad, it wasn't THAT romantic We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening galavanting around the super cute cobblestone streets. It’s hard to believe normal people live here! Or abnormal people. It's hard to believe people live here!
Toward the end of the night we popped into a shop which would alter our course of action for the entire next day. This shop housed an assortment of chatskis and knick knacks, items for collecting dust and things of the white elephant nature. You know, stuff that should be surrounded by lace doilies. But something very special caught my eye. Tucked away in a dark shameful corner of the shop were some terrifically horrible magnets. One such magnet depicted a halfway peeled banana out of which was emerging a small kitten. Gatti en Banana! Of course I had to have it. But my over eagerness and enthusiasm for this small hideously magnificent cat treasure was working to my detriment. Unable to hold back a smile that plainly and obviously said, “I would cut off my right leg for this cat magnet”, the shop owner totally gouged her prices.
Proudly holding up my cat in banana, “How much for this?”
Keenly assessing my love
for cats as off the richter, “2 euro.”
Not wanting me to get ripped off, “No Chanelle, let’s find it in another shop for less.”
The next day we scoured Assisi for this stupid magnet. Probably looked in 15+ stores and no one had anything remotely close. It became an outright obsession! Finally we decided to go back to the original store and buy it for 2 euro. But alas, my Gatti en Banana dreams were shattered for the shop was closed and we were leaving that night. I came to the conclusion...what the hell is wrong with us? Why are doing this in Assisi?!
Assisi Day 2 coming soon.
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