Perugia vs. Assisi

St. Francis Basilica

These two parallel Italian cities warred against each other centuries ago, but the beauty of each still rivals the other today. A group of 15 BC students and I took this last-minute weekend trip together, and I think it's been my best investment yet. The four of us who went from Nice's apartment had the privilege of staying with her friends in Perugia for the weekend - another unofficial host family! They were so welcoming from the moment we arrived (no surprise there), showing their hospitality by making us a full meal of spaghetti and sides at 11pm after our 5 hours of traveling.

The whole group reunited the next morning for a 20-minute train ride to Assisi. The walk from the train station to the city was breathtaking. We walked through a strange weather mixture of snow and heat to make it to the top of the hill where this medieval city rests. Since this is the birthplace of St. Francis (who is credited with creating the first Nativity Scene and a well-renowned saint for Catholics), we visited St. Francis Basilica and attended part of a mass there. It's a beautifully fresco-ed two-story church where St. Francis is also buried.

The walk to Assisi

The hills are alive...

We continued up a road to further explore the city and somehow found our way to the Rocca Maggiore. When we first caught sight of the fortress surrounded by magnificent rolling hills, a group of us instinctively started shouting "the hills are alive with the sound of music." I stand in awe of my Creator when I see landscapes like this. In these moments, I can't help but think about how creative, awesome, and mighty He is!

View from Rocca Maggiore

My slightly new obsession with castles and anything medieval made exploring the fortress an exciting adventure. This also brought me back to the days when I went to Medieval Times. But this was real.

After making our way back down the mountain, through the town, into the McDonald's taxi van, and to the train station, we arrived safely in Perugia to make pizza with our weekend host "sister" Milly. (Don't worry, Britt, she could never replace you).

(left to right) Me, Vanessa, Milly, Paul, & Kelley in Perugia

Milly became our personal tour guide around Perugia on Sunday. She showed us the churches we "had" to see, the Rocca Paolina fortress, and five different angles of the same beautiful landscape. Even though Perugia is known for its chocolate (Baci especially), I sadly didn't purchase any while there. After our unofficial 2+ hour walking tour with Milly, we rejoined the family for a delicious lunch of white lasagna, fennel, and several types of chiacchere (a traditional pastry made during Carnevale, the days/weeks before Lent). Fortunately, this lunch held me over for the 4-5 hour train rides back "home" to Parma.

Not only did I save money this weekend on food and a hostel, but I got delicious food, an extremely comfortable bed, authentic Italian company, and unforgettable experiences!