A Full Day in Assisi

Shawn and I have breakfast at our lovely hotel, Borgo Antichi Orti Assisi.  We are served fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade bread and other wholesome foods.  I order café Americano and Shawn opts for cappuccino. 

We walk again up the steep hill to the bustling town above.  We go into Basilica of Saint Frances of Assisi and I say a prayer for my friend Faith, as promised.  We look around, appreciate the art and beauty, and leave after a short time as it’s hot and I am drenched in sweat. 

We stroll through the town.  I go into each ceramics store we come across but am unable to find the store my mother and I each visited so many years ago. When I was here before, I bought a beautiful bowl from the shop owner who painted it herself.  My mom went to Assisi the next year as a chauffeur for a high school trip for Lucerne Valley students and had a beautiful connection with the same lady. The lady remembered my name when my mom showed her my picture.  I try not to be disappointed that I cannot find her. 

I am able to identify what I believe to be the café where I spent many hours corresponding to friends on my computer during my alone time.  It’s so different here, now, though, so I’m not positive.  I realize that much of what I remember has more to do with my life experience that year, in 2008.  My memories have so much more to do with my state of mind at that time than what I actually see here, now.  It occurs to me that this is not unusual.

We have lunch in a little restaurant with outside seating and have salads and drinks.  We notice two young people who work here touching and flirting with each other.  It reminds me of the young couple who fall in love in one of my favorite movies, “Under the Tuscan Sun”.  We also notice that almost wherever we go, American music is playing in the background.  Today is no exception.  Elvis sings to us through lunch, along with other familiar artists.

We come upon the Cathedral of San Rufino where a wedding is about to take place.  The beautiful bride is outside greeting the guests. A wedding in Assisi!  It must be magical.

My love affair with wisteria, carefully decorated wooden doorways and stairs continues and I snap pictures throughout the afternoon.  Shawn and I walk back to our hotel and have an afternoon nap, as we are becoming accustomed to doing.  Dinner is served late in Italy and it’s rare that we get to bed before midnight. 

We join a new group of friends, families and lovers on the grass area again tonight for dinner.  We watch a family of twelve adults taking turns playing with the one child in their group. My guess is she’s about two years old.  She is certainly adored by all of them and loves the attention she is getting.  She runs around the table, laughing and squealing as aunts and uncles chase after her.  She has all the aunts holding hands to play ring-around-the-rosy before the evening is over. I am warmed inside as I think about our four grandchildren at home.

When we order two small cups of fresh vegetables from the garden, one for each of us, our server tells us, “That’s too much.  I will order one for you.” We smile in agreement and then share a laugh later as we recollect that we have experienced that more than once!  As it turns out, we have plenty of food and I am grateful for his stern guidance! Our dinner is long and lingering.  The evening is warm, and the company is perfect.  I am living in a dream, being in Italy with my love.