Carleen's travel blog: Giorno Otto

Assisi - what a different experience! As a lapsed Catholic, there was still an intense spirituality about the place. Plus, the Roman ruins were way more apparent, the local scenery gorgeous and there were groups of Asian, Africans, etc instead of the homogeneous Europeans. We first went to the Basilica of St. Francis. I had been there before, but the sheer majesty of the building with it’s Gothic arches and every square inch of wall and ceiling covered with art work was beyond description. We listened to an audio/visual presentation at a kiosk in the upper basilica for 2 Euros which was money well spent. Really got a lot out of it. There are 28 panels depicting the life of St Francis. Also saw the reliquary where they had a piece of his clothing with the stigmata. The town itself is a mixture of religious kitch and Umbrian food. There were shops that sold porcchetta. One lady gave us a sample. I have got to have some more of that before we leave! The Church of Santa Chiara is OK, but the view from the courtyard is stunning. We then went to a place outside of Spello where they have unearthed a large Roman home with beautiful floor mosaics.
Back to Trevi for the usual aperativ and dinner. Best barley and lentil soup ever. Caprese salad and beef with roasted veggies (the beef was just OK - would have made a better cheesesteak). Fresh fruit for dessert.
Weirdest thing today - at first I thought it would be the Pope bobble head, but then Georgia found some sausage that is called Grandfather’s Testicles. A winner!!!