Day Five (Wednesday)

---

Today's goal was to reach Rome. We were up early once again and again the breakfast sucked. No wonder I'm eating these big lunches everyday. We would be spending the next two nights just outside Rome at the ATA Domina Hotel.

On the way to Rome we opted for a side excursion to visit Assisi. This is one of the prettiest abbeys in Europe. It takes up most of the top of the hill and seems to dwarf the town.

---

Photos

This time we're climbing to Assisi
The bus had to let us off in a lot just below the abbey. Once again, Salvatore wasn't allowed to park without incurring a huge fee. We had to run off the bus so he could get out of the lot in the alloted 5 minutes before he would be charged.

Town wall
Like all old Italian hill towns, there was a wall around this town with a central entanceway. And once again we were hiking uphill.

Assisi Madonna
As we walked up another steep cobbled roadway we passed this fresco painted on a corner building.

Courtyard of the Basilica of St. Francis
Once we hiked up to this courtyard we were given a couple hours on our own. We had plenty of time to explore the Basilica and its resting place for St. Francis of Assisi, eat lunch, tour the town and of course, to shop.

Tomb of St. Francis
It was very dark down in the lowest depths of the church. This is the best picture in a collection of lousy indoor shots. Note for next trip: bring the tripod.

Inner courtyard of the abbey
There's nothing special about this picture except the multi-colored tiles on the roof. That's a well in the middle.

Ceiling in the Basilica
There are three levels to explore in the Basilica. In the basement is the crypt with the remains of St. Francis. In the middle level (ground level) is the original church. On the upper floor is the later cathedral. I'm not sure if this place qualifies as a "cathedral" but it certainly was bigger and much more decorative than a church.

A very well-fed Assisi pigeon
Because St. Francis was renowned as a lover of animals the inhabitants of the abbey go to great pains to care for and feed the local birds. This was one that landed right in front of me. I'm just happy he didn't "let go" when he passed over.
Actually, this statue was erected in the name of "World Peace".

The town of Assisi
This is the view when I turned around after taking the previous bird photo. The town of Assisi clings to this mountaintop. In the foreground the poles and doves are also part of the exhibit on World Peace

More hill climbing through town
When we left the Basilica to walk through Assisi we once again had to negotiate our way up some steep hills. The incline wasn't nearly as extreme as that of San Gimignano, but I was glad Gail had made me join her for those nightly walks with the dogs in the months before we left. I could hear more than a few out of shape tourists struggling for air.
And of course, it was hot and humid despite the overcast day.

Time to eat again
I was ravenous once again. Not eating breakfast every morning was making me way to hungry at lunchtime and making me sleepy whenever we got back on the bus after eating.
As we were walking uphill toward the center of the old town we saw a bunch of the kids in our group eating at a rustic restaurant. We thought we were entering the same place when we turned left into the next door. Instead we stumbled upon an appealing little sandwich shop. Everyone ordered Paninis stuffed with cheese and various meats. The melted cheese made the meal rather filling plus it was very cheap.

Another unique Italian vehicle
The Italians will put a motor on almost anything with wheels. This is another three-wheeled cart perfectly suited for the steep, narrow roads in Assisi. The guy driving it looked like a contemporary of St. Francis himself.

Main Piazza of Assisi
It looks like a set from a movie but this is really the central square that we hiked our way up to. There were a lot of religious shops all around with a smattering of tourist souvenirs available. We found a tiny little place selling painted ceramic placards you hang on your front door. We found one that warned "Attenti al Cane" (Beware of dog) with a picture of a big black German Shepherd - just like ours. It cost less than $10 so I added it to my suitcase of junk.

Guido of Assisi
Gail was able to sneak up and snap a photo of this typical Italian skirtchaser just after she spotted him pinching the tourists' behinds.

Yo, Bro!
Everywhere you turn in Assisi you're either bumping into a friar, monk, abbott, priest, priestess, sister or nun. I wonder if they have any problem with shoplifting or public drunkeness in Assisi?

A splendid time was had by all
Eventually we had to leave Assisi. We had a dinner reservation at 7:00 and Jurgen was concerned we might get caught up in Rome traffic. It was possible we might have a long stint in the bus. It didn't really matter because you know what happened the minute we got on the bus...

Miles upon mile of Girasoles
On the two and a half hour drive from Assisi to Rome we passed from Umbria into the Lazio region. All along the Autostrada were field full of sunflowers. The Italian name for them is "Girasole" which literally means "moving sun".

A few minutes in Rome
We got to Rome without any traffic delays. We even took an extended rest stop where we downed a couple Oranginas to replace some of the sweat we had lost during the day.
Again we returned to a restaurant Jurgen had taken us to last summer. That was fine with me because "Julius Caesar" was a tremendous meal. Just like last year we got pasta, tons of salad and our own individual pizza. Most people couldn't finish theirs. I helped myself to some of Grandma's.
After dinner we had some free time to explore the sidewalk sales going on in the neighborhood. Sometimes the Europeans try a little oo hard to act like Americans. Gail and I get a kick out of some of the utterly stupid English language slogans they print on their clothing. Things like "Team Fruit" on an otherwise masculine football letter jacket. Or sports jerseys with ridiculous team names like "New York Zebras". Earlier in the trip I saw a really stupid shirt that said "The Early Bird Cathes Theworm" - those word exactly. Imagine my great joy and surprise when I found that identical shirt for 5 Euro.
After about an hour of shopping we climbed back on our bus in order to get to our hotel. We drove and drove and drove. Normally our EF hotels are pretty centrally located but this place was miles outside of town. My heart sank as we finally turned off the highway and entered a rather dirty, run-down suburban section of town. We were in the Dragoncello section of town - not near anything of interest.
The hotel was unimpressive when we first pulled up and when we entered the lobby. Jurgen told us breakfast was at a restaurant 2 blocks up the road. This was looking like the first crummy hotel of the trip.
I detected a ray of hope when I saw a sign for the swimming pool. At least the elevator worked. When I stuck my card into the key slot then opened the door I was met with a blast of cold air. Really cold air. Stepping in through the door there was a full kitchen with refrigerator, sink and microwave to my right. Straight ahead was a large sofa bed, coffee table, 27" TV, stereo, and bay doors leading to a balcony. To the right of that was another door. That led to my King-size bed, another smaller TV, a writing desk and for the first time on this trip, a stand to lay my giant suitcase on. There was also a huge bathroom with a full tub and lots of cosmetics sitting on the double sink. We may have been on the other side of the World but we were staying in the nicest joint we had all trip.
The Wine Club had scheduled a meeting that night but I skipped it just to stay in my freezing cold room where I knew I'd get a good night's sleep.