For our first big adventure eight girls and I went to Assisi. We took the minimetro (a tiny little subway like cart that goes down ramps that gives it a roller coaster feel) to the train station. From there it was only a 20 minute train ride (and only 2 Euros) to one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen!

There was a little bit of home waiting for us outside the station as one of the first buildings we see is a McDonalds. Of course we had to go inside and make comparisons. I much rather go to an Italian McDonalds than an American one. Everything seemed gourmet (well as gourmet as McD's can get) with pastries and lots of coffee options, and what appeared to be some delicious Mcflurries. The only strange part was their pictures on the wall of the McD's gang hanging out with some italian children... it made the hamburgaler look very sketchy. 

Set on a hill (everything is on a hill here!), Assisi looks very much like Dulock, the town from the movie Shrek. It holds many beautiful churches, which contain the bodies of the saints that they were honoring (like S. Francesco and S. Claire). The walls inside are covered with paintings that are slowly showing their age, but at the same time capture your eyes with the beautiful display of colors. The ceilings are the most vibrant as the light has not reached them as quickly and certain areas portray a gorgeous starry night. Standing in the middle of it all you feel so tiny and insignificant. 

All the shops had a religious theme, and I came across many tiny monk figures portraying different activities (soccer, drinking, playing cards, etc.). It seemed quiet in the town, very few locals were out and about and we were pleased to not be there during tourist season. We had the beauty and experience to ourselves for the most part. The streets were fairly narrow and we felt like all the italians should pop their heads out of the shuttered windows and start singing. Every balcony seemed like a romeo and juliet meeting spot, and flowers seemed to be everywhere. 

I am still amazed at how small everything is over here. The tiny two door cars make the old BMW seem like a beast and I find myself cracking up every time i seen a tiny two door police car (very intimidating). The food is still the best, and I have decided to save all my gelato spoons so I will know how much I have consumed by the end of the semester (only two thus far). However, the 9 of us did happen to stumble on some horrible pizza while in Assisi; one would not think that was possible. The lady didn't seem to like us much, which seems like a common theme among the italian women here. In order to make up for the downer moment we grabbed some tiramisu gelato and headed towards a piazza that was in the sun. 

I felt like a picture slut that entire day, attempting to capture every single moment on my camera. With the mountains to the left of us as we sat in front of the fortress at the top of Assisi (we made borat jokes "king of the castle king of the castle i have a chair" which made me think of my family), and the town cascading down below I was in utter disbelief that this was real. The sun slowly began to set as we made our way back down through the town, and by the time we had made it to the bottom and were walking back to the train station, the entire town of Assisi was lit up with lights in the dark, an image that could never be given true justice through words. Tired and exhausted we made it back home, with new memories, jokes, and leg muscles. 

Until next time,

Ciao