 |
| Assisi Cathedral seen on our walk from our Hotel ‘Assisi Gardens’ (converted convent) |
Day 18
We finally had to say goodbye not only to Sorrento! Having the opportunity to stay with friends not only saved us hundreds of dollars, but renewed wonderful friendships, which will last a lifetime. We were very fortunate to have this opportunity and it was sad to say goodbye!!
As we wound our way through the narrow roads, tunnels and cliff sides we thought how wonderful it would be to live here – despite the traffic. It is amazing how easily we have gotten use to the near misses and facade of scooters being dropped out of the sky at you as you try to maneuver these seemingly impossible roadways. We hadn’t made plans ahead of time for this day or night, only that we wanted to make our way about halfway back to Milan where we were to fly out Monday morning. We thought about heading up along the coast, but opted instead to stay in the delightful town of Assisi. We had traveled through Assisi on our last visit to Italy, but only could afford a few hours, as we were our way to Rome. This time we skipped Rome all together and opted for the quiet beauty of the hill towns of Umbria.
In Amalfi the buildings have bright colors and vivid white, the hill towns of Umbria are less colorful but no less impressive. A quick look online found the perfect spot for our stay. Nestled in the shadow of Assisi, a mere 15 minute walk to the center of town we found what once was an convent now converted into the beautiful hotel, ‘Assisi Gardens’. Not only perfect in location and ambiance, it was extremely reasonable at only $78 for a triple room and less than $50 if you only need a double and includes breakfast.
Assisi is a city set on a hill with an ancient castle looming over from the very top. It is also the home of St. Francis of Assisi and is where he is buried. The town is magnificent to view as you drive up the road from the freeway and delightful to walk through. Tomorrow the owners of the ‘Assisi Gardens’ will take us on a personal tour and show us the chapel still in use and will hopefully tell us the story of our unique accommodations. As for the evening, it will be spent exploring this beautiful town, enjoying a nighttime summer festival while meandering the booths and streets as we soaked in the music…….. and gelato, one more time before we leave this incredible country.
