Our first (and last) weekend in PG!

This weekend was our 'free' weekend after the previous two during which we trekked around the country. Instead, this time we stayed in Umbria - on Saturday the plan was to take the train to another picturesque medieval hill town called Spello. The plan began okay until we arrived at the station and discovered an accident had happened on the line just near Perugia so we had to take a substitute bus and then reconnect with another train. It all worked out in the end, although we lost about an hour - not too bad given the usual chaos which follows unexpected events. Finally arriving in Spello, we stopped for coffee and various snacks at a little bar in the town centre which has a terrace at the back giving beautiful views of the surrounding hills. Some people were also impressed with the number of different cats that were spotted as we moved through the town. The girls also discovered a playground and briefly relived their childhoods.

On the last trip at this point we were adopted by a fluffy white dog who accompanied us all the way to the outskirts of Assisi. Luckily, that didn't happen this time (the dog finally had to be rescued by the police which was a bit stressful), but we also didn't see the array of other farm animals along the way either. At least the birds were chirping very loudly as we walked along the Via degli Ulivi, a track which runs through olive groves for the first five kilometres before widening out to a more normal road. Spring had definitely sprung with the roads being lined with irises and poppies, and blossom on the trees.

We finally arrived in Assisi after about three hours, with a stop for gelati being the first priority. The town is pristine, and bristling with souvenirs featuring St Francis. We stopped first at the very pretty Chiesa di Santa Chiara, Francis' contemporary who began her own order called the 'Poor Clares' at the same time the St Francis began the Franciscans. I guess it's a sign of the time that few people know of St Clare while St Francis is a patron saint of Italy and known throughout the world. From Santa Chiara we moved through the little streets to the main square with its Roman temple and on to the Basilica di San Francesco. The Upper Church with the frescoes by Giotto was only partially open, so we moved down the hill to the Lower Church. It is still beautifully ornate, and underneath it holds the Crypt of St Francis. After some time of quiet reflection we headed back outside to take the bus back to Perugia, filling in our time as we waited by perusing the array of Perugina 'Nudi' that we had sampled the day before at the factory tour.





















Dinner on Saturday night was at the very popular restaurant called 'Al mangiar bene' - and we certainly did, especially after our trek and having only really snacked throughout the day. This restaurant is part of the Slow Food Movement, using locally sourced products as much as possible, and certainly avoiding multinationals. The movement aims to contrast against the fast food world, where mass production renders everything the same. The food was certainly delicious, and it was lucky we had made a reservation as the vaulted rooms quickly filled with diners.

Sunday morning was a very welcome sleep in, with time to do final washing and making sure that everything was going to fit in the luggage ready for Wednesday when the packing for Rome will take place in earnest. In the evening we went to Mass in the Cathedral, with the singing lead by a nun who waved her hand around like she was directing a choir. It was also interesting to see the differences - for example, no one seemed surprised when people turned up late and walked up to sit in the front rows in the middle of the mass, or singing the 'Our Father' with your palms held out. The cathedral also holds the relic of Mary's (as in the mother of Jesus) wedding ring. While there may be some debate about the ring, as a relic it has been worshipped here for over 500 years so it means a lot to the people. After dinner back in the apartments, it was time for an early night in preparation for tomorrow's 8am start.