Assisi: perhaps the most beautiful place in Italy

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First of all, my apologies for dropping off the face of the earth. Well, not literally, but kinda.

Since my last entries I've been from Berlin to Warsaw to Krakow to Prague to Rome (seen my sister!)... and have spent the last two weeks exploring Italy.

So what happened? Well, I LOST my 8 GB memory card with a lot of photos from Berlin, all from Poland and Prague and most from Rome.

I arrived in Assisi on Oct 24th to stay at the Franciscan Guesthouse MacK told me all about (yes, nuns!) I told the sisters about my missing memory card and one of them suggested I pray to St. Anthony, the saint of lost things. I thought about it for a moment, then suggested she pray for me since she probably has a better connection with the saints... and I don't have a SIM card that covers Italy. She agreed and told me she would pray.

I left Assisi on the 27th, having done through my entire bag and coming to grips with my loss.

A quick review - the stages of grief by Kübler-Ross:

1. Denial. This was the part where I refused to empty my bag for fear the card would not be there and my wanting to think it was.

2. Anger. Even though I was sleeping under the same roof as nuns, once I did search the bag, profanity was my language of choice.

3. Bargaining. I went to church on Sunday. Mass all in Italian. I just spent most of my time praying the roof wouldn't cave in due to my presence.

4. Depression. Okay, so it's a little dramatic, but it happened. OVER 2000 PHOTOS OF A TRIP I WILL PROBABLY NEVER REPLICATE!!! I drowned my sorrows in carbs, wine and chocolate... and ate pigeon. That was odd, and a whole other story...

5. Acceptance. I finally made it here on the train from Assisi. Wearing shorts and flip-flops the previous day didn't hurt either.

I was traveling to Lucca a few days later when I received a text. The place I had stayed in Rome found my memory card... The card is now in the mail to my mom's (hopefully) and those pictures will be posted once I return (if anyone's still reading 😊

Thanks, sisters! I would vow to become a nun but, well... how bout leaving it at a 'thank you'? 😊

But seriously, if photos from Assisi don't make you at least consider becoming a nun, you literally have no soul...

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Photos

St. Francis
Why do we love him? Saint of nature and animals...

The friar's house
Also where St. Francis was said to have lived

Comments

[Jessi]

OMG, this is probably the best entry of them all!! I can't wait to see the missing photos!

[Sr Denise]

Hi Elizabeth
Ciao, Elizabeth! I enjoyed reading your travel blog ... and learning that your digital film card WAS FOUND!!! ... and is hopefully in the mail to your mom's. I hope you are enjoying the rest of your travels, and that we will see you again in Assisi ... even if you don't become a nun, I think you might inspire another to do so!!! Your photos in this article are breath-taking. Blessings .. pace e bene, Sr Denise, Assisi