Assisi

(March 30 - April 1)

Asissi was just so fantastic that I had to go there again. I wanted to visit the places I had grown to love and find all the places I hadn't yet seen. I stayed at the same fabulous hotel, where I could get cozy and settle in. I even brought my laptop. All and all it was a weekend of prayer and study.

I'm going to make this mainly a picture blog since I've already spoken about the amazing charm of this wonderful city. But I do want to mention two very special new places I discovered.

The Chiesa Nuova is my favorite little church in the city. It is simply beautiful and yet small in stature. Future pilgrims, be sure to catch this one. It is close to Santa Chiara and thus easy to pop into.

But my new overall favorite spot is the cemetery, which I happend upon by accident after wandering around one day. It is so peaceful and serene. I never thought I would find a more beautiful cemetery than the one in Steubenville, but if there' s a candidate out there, it's in Assisi. You are not likely to find a cemetery listed as a "must see" in a guidebook. But if I'm making the list it is right up at the top. I'm calling it a must see. What amazed me most about it was that there wasn't a single grave not adorned by fresh flowers. I couldn't believe it. There were a whole lot of deceased there, some from a long time ago, but nobody was forgotten. And every resident at the graveyard was carefully attended to. Of course, you never see this kind of attention in the United States and it really made me think about how we remember our dead. In Italy, it seems visiting graves of dead loved ones (or at least caring for their graves) is a way of life, something between the Sunday morning newspaper and afternoon brunch. Something to think about.

Of course, I paid another visit to dear St. Francis. I just love sitting and praying at his grave.

Views of St. Francis' Basilica

The Road I Wandered Down
Little did I know when I took this photo that I would find a beautiful cemetery on the other side of these trees.

Views of the Valley

Other Common Scenes From Assisi

My train ride was, as always, eventful. But this time, it was a good kind of eventful. On the bus over to the train station, I met some very friendly Americans. They were trying to work out their train situation and I was showing them the ropes. Considering my lack of success with trains, I wasn't exactly the best person for the job. But by the grace of God, I was right about everything this time. I ended up sitting next to these ladies for the entire ride home, and I'm happy to report that one of them, Antonia, has now become a good friend and pen pal!

With this Assisi trip, my Trenitali pass expired. We had some good times, that pass and I. And though it is now tattered, torn, and the ink rubbed off, it will forever be a momento embodying all my adventures - good and bad - of traveling throughout Italy. I intend to frame it and keep it forever!