Assisi, Italy

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Jeff and I had to switch trains to go to Assisi. Once again, we had to ride a bus into the town of Assisi. Fortunately, our hotel, Hotel Berti, was located just inside the city walls. We got into our room and since no one was there yet we decided to walk up the hill to the Basilica of St. Francesco. Jeff and I walked all around the Basilica and viewed the lower church as well as the upper church as well as the tombs below where St. Francis is entombed. The entire Basilica was covered with frescoes and all types of carved wood and rock. The floors were tiled. Thinking that Carla and Don could have arrived by now we returned to our hotel to wait for them. They arrived soon thereafter as well as John and Anna who arrived by train from England. We all met downstairs and we once again walked up the hill to visit the Basillica. I walked through it quickly this time around. Afterwards we decided to find a spot to sit outside and drink a beer and catch up with each other. We found a nice bar with tables in the shade and sat down and ordered beers. Before our beers arrived a group of young children began to sing using microphones very close to us and it became impossible to hear each other talk. We drank our beers quickly and left to look for another location. We found one up higher on the hill and enjoyed sitting outside and talking. Next to the bar was a restaurant with tables on the roof and we decided to eat there. We had a fantastic meal with a view of an old fort above the hill from us. Who could ask for anything more? After dinner as we walked back to our hotel there were fireworks shooting off in the distance. Cool.

The next morning we ate our breakfast outdoors on the terrace. We took a walk up the hill into town to do some shopping. I stopped to buy a small purse at one store and everyone else continued walking. After my purchase I could see them up the hill and I walked towards them and watched them disappear around a corner. When I got to the top of the hill where I’d seen them I couldn’t find them for anything. They had apparently found a stairway down from there and had walked back to the hotel leaving me to fend for myself. It was okay but it’ would’ve been nice to know that they had left the area instead of me walking and walking and trying to find them.

We soon left Assisi and went to the train station to go to Spoleto where our hike would begin.

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