Rome to Assisi

---

Bon Giorno!

You see I'm getting native now. I love Assisi. Leaving Termini Roma was a bit of a nightmare - well just a combination of heat, late trains, no sanctuary from the maddening crowds and an ever more heavy back pack - not that I've taken on more cargo, it just feels heavier each time I pick it up. Anyway I managed to get the train and change at Foligno - luckily my connection was late too. I was sitting next to a mother with a sweet little child on her lap and she told him this long story and sang him to sleep and me as well, I found myself lulled into a nice slumber. I woke up a bit later to lovely hilly Italian country side with those pointy trees and olive groves. I have decided I will have some of those pointy trees when I get a garden. A whole line of them in fact.

In Assisi I got on the bus without a ticket - it was so squashed with girl guides and tourists I couldn't get to the driver to pay. There are scouts and guides everywhere in Italy, it must be the scouting season. Assisi is so impressive. On approach great buttressy things and churches all over the shot then a big castle on the hill. It was such a crush that I jumped off at the first stop. Mistake. I had to then carry myself and my lead-weight back-pack up and up and although its not as baking as Rome, its pretty hot. I had no map so was just hoping that I could somehow find the right place - I knew it was near Santa Chiara (St Clare). Eventually I found it - a really lovely place called Saint Clare Rooms and my room has an amazing view of the aforementioned church and a picture of my namesake above my bed.

I didn't realise that St Clare used to hang out with St Francis - and I've always liked Saint Francis because he talked to the chickens, something I can identify with.

It really is all about churches here, and despite my non-religious aspect I'm getting quite into them. There's lots of monks and nuns around and they all seem very happy. I even saw a coach load of Japanese nuns, strangely they didn't have any cameras. You'll be relieved to hear my camera is behaving now.

Yesterday was my best day yet. Carlo gave me a fine breakfast of tea (he only had lemon and ginger though) and croissant. He's the hotel proprietor who, when he emailed me about the booking, always put three exclamation marks after every sentence!!! And is quite hot in a quiet, surly way. He always calls me Laidy (Lady in Italian) and has a lovely smile. Anyway, as I've got to keep in with the Saints I have been behaving myself, I promise (for now at least). It was only 8.30 when I left and the town was so quiet, and it was sunny but without the scorching element, a nice fresh Easterly breeze, could have been Westerly but I like to think it was Easterly.

I thought I'd go to St Francis' - which is the most beautiful church. Unlike the Sistine chapel madness, when i went into the upper church (its in 2 layers, like a good cake but without the icing) I was the only one there, it was quite special. The frescos are amazing - lovely colours (I always like that in a bit of art) and all these very 2 dimensional monks and such drifting around. I'd quite like to be a drifting monk - very calming I'd imagine. Anyway that was a perfect start to the day. Then I had a proper pot of tea in the Piazza Communale, the main square in the centre (a couple of minutes from my dwelling). There was quite a commotion going on in the square as there was going to be a special event in protest against the Olympic games and in support of Tibet. Lots of important looking people hurrying around.

To escape the hustle bustle I went to my fave hang out in S. Chiara square and found a grocers on my way so I bought a load of fruit, realising I hadn't eaten any fresh fruit since I'd been away. I'm slowly getting used to the pace of life here - it took the lady about half an hour to weigh each person's groceries. But it was good, it was just that everyone had a little basket and you didn't put things in separate bags - so she had to painstakingly pick out all the beans, tomatoes, nectarines etc. So rather than fretting I found the whole experience quite satisfying. I ate my nectarine in the square and it was the juiciest piece of fruit I've ever dowsed myself in - by the time I'd finished it I had to go and wash in the fountain, much to the amusement of the boy scouts who were sitting in circles singing songs about St Francis no doubt.

Then I thought I'd find a little restaurant for lunch and in one of the many little alleyways I found a lovely little place hidden away. There was only one family eating there, but then I saw that it was my friend Carlo who was waiting, it was decided. What was even better was that the place was run by his brother and the family were all there, so even though I was on my own I felt part of it. I had the best ever pasta and pesto and a glass of local wine. I even had an espresso to follow up (Carlo had laughed at me when I ordered tea for breakfast, so I wanted to show him that I could, in fact, also manage an espresso). When I came out into the daylight, slightly tipsy, the Tibetan event was in full swing with dignitries lined up next to Tibetan monks with those huge trumpets (like alpine horns but himilayan). I was actually quite moved because from what I could understand there was a former gold medalist and he gave his gold medal to a Tibetan guy in protest at China's treatment of the Tibetans. Then the trumpets struck up at the same time as the church bells - I found it all quite overwhelming and ended up buying a Tibetan flag (they're very colourful). I then went back to my room to have a siesta but was so excited/inspired that I just played my ukulele for ages.

Then once things had cooled off a bit I decided to head up the hill to Rocca Maggiore, a big fortress at the top of the hill. I thought it would be a hard slog up the hill, but after my uke session I was all fired up and strode up without stopping for a breather. The view was really ace. You could see for miles as well as a great view over most of the town. I went into the fort, which wasn't terribly interesting but I wanted to go up the turret. It turned out to get to the turret you had to walk inside a wall - this straight tunnle, just big enough for a person to stand it that went on for ages, it was a little bit scary, especially as there wasn't anyone about and you couldn't see where it ended. It was that sort of nightmare scenario that ran through my mind, that it just might never end and I'd get trapped like in Indiana Jones and there might be a drifting monk or something ghoulish lurking about. But I made it ok. And it was definitely worth it. Quite a panorama.

Woah! Sorry I'm getting quite carried away - if you've made it this far, well done...

Tomorrow I'll be going on to Venice - even though I've seen nearly all there is to be seen in this town, I'll miss it, it's been a really relaxing experience. I hope Venice isn't too hot and smelly.

Peace and Love

Clare xxx

---