good bye Rome-Starting Assisi

robbed of sleep once again …..packed myself up...by the way I noticed the learning curve to packing gets faster and faster.. I had already bought my train ticket so I just went to train station...bought water at a stand i'd done a few times before, the elderly man, made eye contact, and wished me a good voyage, in italian, in a way that made me feel extra special... for a big city you do have easy human connections here.
I was too early for train and waited for the platform to finally show up on computer screen. I pull out my lap top to start journaling... I keep forgetting I have a giant sticker on it with a little kid who has sound bubble saying “ I fart rainbows” (thanks Quiche), people wear dark subdued discreet colors here... adults are not silly in this way here... I get funny looks... I smirk...

I find my train, it's punctual, like on the minute... I dont remember that from italy...i get to see the countryside.i was surprised how quick the city passed,..i see real farm country..surprising... I take the time to write my blog..then I have to change trains, it's quick change. I find new train again this one seems more like a commuter train. My ticket looks same but I find out from the next conductor that this one needs to be time stamped, he was kind enough to take my ticket off train and do it for me.. so new attention to detail: look for little yellow stamp boxes at train stations..in case it is one of those trains..got it!

this jaunt, is less than an hour.. I arrive at Santa Maria, a very small town.. I asked using sign language and tiny italian where to buy ticket..other lesson..all newspaper stands in and near stations sell tickets for buses and in Rome metro-trains. I get my bus ticket and wait 20 min for bus.. again a very crowded affair... I am standing with bulging pack.. this one lady kind of guide herds me off bus as if this was the stop ...I realized after I was at the bottom of town and I had to walk steep up hill to get to center... I start asking here and there for rooms. Too expensive or full...one man has me convinced I am prob not going to find anything. when I ask about the camping I saw on a sign, if that might be full?, he shrugs doubtfully... I am at a building next to saint Frances...and I ask half joking at a place if they had a room. I was in luck it was pricy but just at the outside of what I was willing to pay.. (meaning further scrimping down the road-what I buy now I will pay for later, basically)... it was a very tiny room with a shower barely wide enough for me to turn around in...but clean and sweet. Wifi was extra here.. fyi..

Then barely recovered from my hike in...i got antsy to explore...after all sun was out...so out I have to be..

I did get to appreciate the village as I walked in...full of italian tourists mostly ...it's main color is a sandy peach brick-work and stone... it seems to have steep snaking streets..the St Frances Church is at a bottom end and the main square seems to be up almost at the other end...above it all there is a Castle... I had committed myself to staying here two days... but for some reason I was in a rush to see it all... there are three main churches...small museums.. and the castle on top. I think the castle is the only thing that has entry fee.(later I found out there is a museum with fee too)

I had to explore St Frances church first. It has the world famous early Renaissance painter Giotto as the main painter of frescos inside. He heralded the dawn of renaissance art(this is all based on what I learned in art history back in 89 so if it's all misremembered I apologize)... he introduced the beginnings of three dimensional appearing figures. Unlike his predecessor who painted flat figures. He did not have access to human anatomy so there is a simpleness to his human figures. In the upper main room the colors have faded a bit, but his sweet sad eyed faces are still clear.. in the lower area, in back, right above the tomb of st Frances are more of his paintings, these still have the vibrant lapiz lazuli blue in almost original glory.. I was quite moved to be here, not sure of all the causes and conditions of this? Moved by the art? Moved by the spirit? I went down into the basement area which held the tomb ...I am not allowed to take photos. But it was a cool looking space.. here too where chairs set up so you could sit contemplate or what have you.. I sat.. for a while inhaling any good mojo I could...

then with aid of a Franciscan monk, was guided towards were I could get my credentials stamped... and I did...i was so delighted..this officially marks the beginning of my pilgrimage..

then looking at more nooks and crannies of the church and its multi leveled floors indoor and out...

up the hill in the street now..there was a sizable crowd of people in town ..it looks like 95% is italian visitors for the easter holiday.

The ancient roman temple Minerva now houses a church and is one of the major churches... the columns are gorgeously ancient.. it has an attractive castle like tower..insides are very ornate crème colors and impressive murals..

also another church, much larger, Duomo di San Rufino apparently both St Frances and St Clara were baptized here...

... and all along the way I am of course taking pictures of the narrow attractive alley like streets.. sadly occupationally cars and fast moving motor bikes come thru so cling to the walls cuz they have not patience...

finally I could not resist the castle on top of hill, the name: Rocca Maggiore... this was clark's first italian castle... it had this crazy narrow hall that lead from main castle to a tower... I took video of it... it also had two sets of narrow spiral stair cases... I thought the hall would give me claustrophobia but it was well within my limits and was therefore kind of exhilarating..there was a pleasant cooling breeze on top and the view of the valley was perfect.. some cherry blossoms were out.... italians know how to pose (for photos, but also I think in general ...ha ha).. they get into these casual but attractive lounging postures for photos...they are all such practiced experts at knowing how they look good and what to have in the back drop...i marveled...

trying to recall foods of the day... well in morning I had simple hotel breakfast it did include great bread...and nutella and musli..


dinner and this is lame but I was exhausted.. I got some sharp solid cheese on farmers bread and a jar of vegetables cured in oil...mushrooms, peppers, artichokes, olives all in one can...heaven!

Prices are kind of expensive and the meals are set menu and all include meat.. and I dont feel like paying 20 euro for something like that.

By sixish I was back in my room..first batch of hand washing laundry...and interneting...editing photos of the day...etc... I still stay up too late.. the doors crash closed here...so that seems to be common here... walls are quite sound porous..so ear plugs or other tuning-out devises required if your sound sensitive little troll like me...