Assisi!

While yesterday was dedicated to the Benedictine tradition, last night we rolled in the hilly town of Assisi to investigate the life of St. Francis, the patron saint of Italy. The town itself is a lovely break from Rome; finally, a bit of calm! Our first impression of the town was watching the sun set behind the mountains in the distance in a raspberry-colored sky -- definitely not a bad way to begin!

Assisi definitely lends itself a little better to window shopping than Rome does. This can largely be attributed to the fact that you needn't worry quite so much about being run over, backed over, broadsided, etc., by passing traffic, as you have to in Rome. It's a fun mix of religious souvenir shops, bottegas, and speciality stores in Assisi. My favorite store we stumbled upon was an art store selling bright rendering of Assisi and nature, where the artist quietly sat in the back, working at her bench. It's always nice to be able to see exactly where your money is going, and as I placed my euro in her paint-splattered hands, I certainly felt that I was helping someone else do what they love in life.

This morning Fr. Schulte gave us a tour of the churchs and sites in the city significant to the lives of St. Francis and his female counterpart St. Clare. It was fascinating to see churches St. Francis repaired with his own hands, as well as the place where he died so symbolically. Especially intresting to hear was the story of how St. Clare defended the town of invading Muslims by standing on the balcony of her church and holding the Holy Sacrament over her head.

Now we've arrived in Florence, which seems to filled to the brim with English speakers. It will be fun to see what stories we will hear here. I'm excited for the Uffizi and Duomo tomorrow!