Wednesday, June 14th
We got a relatively early start and were into town before 0800 so we sat at a cafe , I had a cappucino while Jon munched on a pastry we picked up at the local market. After watching the town start it day - parents taking their kids to school, shops opening, etc. We got on the internet and spent the rest of the morning uploading pictures. The internet café we've been frequenting is really casual, every inch of space is utilized in some way. They had tucked two computers in the far corner of the bar. Inside the bar there is an old picture taken around the time of the turn of the twentieth century showing the doorway to what is now the bar, in the background with a horse drinking out of the still existing fountain. Jon really liked this picture and the other pictures in the Bar showing Assisi during the same time period. By the time we finished shops were closing up for siesta so we walked the quite streets and headed for St. Francis Basilica. Before entering I had to put on a makeshift skirt made up of two scarves tied together in order to cover my legs - no shorts allowed.
The Basilica was amazing, the murals, paints, and frescoes were vibrant with color and animation. The level of preservation was incredible given the age of the building and it's contents. Assisi itself has these sweeping views that "you want to come back to" Jon says and is one of the reason he wanted to return. The rest of the day was spent people watching. We returned to the camp to make dinner and relax. Thursday we plan to find out about taking our bikes on the train to Florence and visit a bike shop.
