May 2023 Italy Mon-Thurs 5/8-11 Assisi (Final)

As we neared the end of our stay in Italy, we spent three nights at the Istituto Beatina Angelina, a Monastery and guest house directly across from the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. We spent one night there in 2021 and wanted to return. We planned three nights, knowing we were likely to arrive late on the first day and leave early on the last and we booked two single rooms so that we could each have some quiet time.

On Monday morning after we completed the Chocolate Buffet and retrieved our bags from the Chocoreception, we repacked the car and drove across the street for gas. Fueling up is another of those things that is similar to the U.S. but different. There seem to be self-service and full-service options, but with different processes and requirements at different stations.

The first time we fueled we pulled in behind a Jeep SUV where an attendant seemed to be assisting the driver. Sometimes the attendant managed the pump handle and sometimes the driver did, but eventually the Jeep was filled. The attendant swiped the driver’s credit card and the driver got in the vehicle. We, and the attendant, waited for him to pull away, but he was having difficulty with that and after multiple false starts the attendant motioned us to another pump.

He opened the fuel door and asked for the car key – there was a locking cap. With that done he began filling and when complete he swiped my credit card and I was on the way. Simple.

The next time I tried was on Sunday in preparation for the return of the car. Most of the stations were closed but we saw a self-service one with an older man fueling up so I whipped in. I got out and started trying to figure out what to do. The gentleman noticed and stepped across between the pumps to help. He spoke enough English to explain that I would have to enter a pin number with my card. It would not take one brand of card for which I knew the pin and I didn’t know my pin for the other. I never use my debit card at gas pumps, or for anything other than withdrawing funds at an ATM so that was out. There was also a cash option, but I didn’t have enough Euros in cash, so no gas. We stopped at another station that evening that had both full and self-service and seemed open, and I pulled up to the full-service pump. People stared, but no one came to offer service, so we drove away.

Back to the station across from the Chocohotel. I pulled up to a full-service pump and again, nothing happened, so I went inside. The man spoke a few words of English, and I understood that I should pump the gas first and then come inside to pay. AH! Just like home. I got back in the car to back up and move to the self-service pumps. But no! He popped out and used gestures to tell me to pull back up and use the pump I was at – just pump it myself! I pulled back into position, got out, pumped the gas at the full-service pump, and went inside to pay. Not confusing at all. Now that was done, and we started for Hertz.

It should have taken about 15 seconds to get there, just down the block was the train station and then Hertz just next door. Unfortunately, the lady giving verbal directions on Google Maps sometimes said left when she meant right and vice versa. If we watched the screen and followed the arrow we did pretty well, but when roads converged or the instruction was something like, “at the next light use the left lane to turn right” we sometimes went the wrong way. In this case we should have gone straight but were not able to and had to turn left, so we made a big curve back, went down a few blocks, looped around and went at it again. This time we found the train station, saw Hertz next door – and could not get to it. It was completely blocked off with construction!

We had to keep moving with the traffic, so drove past and made a left hand turn into a dead end where there was no traffic. Leaving Genny with the car parked by the curb, I ran back a block to Hertz to ask them what to do, hoping that when I returned Genny and the car would still be there. A nice Hertz man went out with me and showed me a back way in. We pulled in, unloaded and walked back up to the sidewalk and down the block with our bags as he took care of the car.

After the paperwork was finished we walked to the station, bought – and validated – our tickets, and waited for our train to Assisi.

I write all of these details to both remind me in the future and to demonstrate the constant challenges in a different environment that would just be a nuisance if we were at home. We would have no trouble finding a station, pumping gas, going around a few blocks to get back to our destination, or circling back past construction. But when you can’t speak the language or read the signs and don’t know what is allowed, especially if you are on a schedule, it gets a bit unnerving.

The train to Assisi only took about 20 minutes and we took a cab up to the monastery. I videoed that trip and wish I could upload it for you. A theme park could take that journey and create a great ride that would come with all of the requisite warnings for sharp, quick turns and back and neck problems.

We arrived at the monastery, were greeted by an Italian speaking nun – as they all are – and waited while they called “Sister Claudia” who speaks a tiny bit of English. She checked us in, took us up three floors on the lift and showed us our rooms. Mine was one more flight up in an off-shoot section, just down the hall and nine steps up from Genny’s.

The rooms are simple, metal single bedframes with colorful comforters, a small wooden desk and chair, and a wardrobe with two drawers for clothes. The bathroom has a sink with a shelf above it, small corner shower, toilet, bidet, and a small trash can. All floors are tile, windows have shutters inside and out, and everything is spectacularly spotless. Anything on the walls is for religious purposes – not decoration. But the views from the windows are more decoration than could ever be placed on any wall.

Breakfast is provided between 8:00-9:00 a.m., a packaged pastry with choices of jams and honey and Nutella-like spread, juice, water, coffee, and yogurt. Nothing fancy but plenty to get started.

The monastery sits directly across the street from and higher than the Basilica.

The Basilica sits on top of its hill.

Beyond the Basilica lies Umbria, stretched out for miles and miles to the distant hills on the horizon. You can clearly see the towns below, the even rows of olive trees and vineyards and hedges, the deep green of fields of early wheat, and stone houses dotting the hillsides. When a storm is coming you can see it miles away as it closes in and slowly obliterates the landscape. And as quickly as it comes the winds blow it away unveiling the beauty all over again, sometimes leaving wispy clouds at its edges to frame it all in.

We ate several meals in the San Francesco Restaurant or at the San Francesco Bar next door – which had sandwiches, pastries, and gelato all day with other menu items from noon-2:00 for lunch and opened at 7:30 for dinner.

We also had delicious soup or Sandwiches made with Porchetta from a little spot just up the street at No. 20 called Mangia.bevi.ama. Umbria is famous for it’s pork. Porchetta is made from a pig that is gutted, spread out and filled with spices and other things (sometimes entrails of the pig), rolled up and tied with strings, and roasted over a wood fire. The meat was incredibly flavorful and tender.

Tuesday morning when we attempted to ride the lift down for breakfast it would not come for us. I went down the stairs to see what was up, and the nuns went into action, even calling Sister Claudia. She tried a few things, made a phone call and reported that “the ascensore is crash”, and that they were calling for it to be fixed. Locals in a different circumstance had told us that getting things repaired in Italy took a long time so we wondered if it would be working before we left on Thursday! I went back up the 65 steps to let Genny know and we brought our bags and jackets with us so we could just go out after breakfast.

We toured the Basilica – actually double Basilica, one up and one down, and the Basilica’s museum. There is a friary at the bottom built into the side of the hill. It was all built in the 1200’s on land donated by a local man on what was called the “Hill of Hell” where criminals were put to death. There is also a crypt where the remains of Saint Francis are interred. The architecture combines Romanesque and Gothic and was designed by one of the most famous architects of that time. Frescoes covering the walls and ceilings of the Basilicas were done by famous and upcoming artists. Much is still visible, though two earthquakes in 1997 destroyed or damaged some.

The view of the structures from the south is impressive – more like a fortress, but I could never get a good picture because we were always moving. Here is a link: Assisi-skyline – Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi – Wikipedia. We were not allowed to take pictures in the Basilicas but could of the fantastic pieces in the museum. I’ll put a few here.

When we returned in the early afternoon the ascensore was still not working, so we climbed the 65 steps, and later went back down – and back up for dinner. But the nuns must have an inside source because the next morning it was working!

I had intended to write more about Assisi and St Francis, but I’ll just share this one thing and let you look up more if interested. Saint Francis and the Franciscan order are worth reading about.

Across the street in the yard of the Basilica, a hedge grown into the grass spells out the letters “PAX”, “Peace”. St Francis was known for his desire for peace, for himself, and all others. In John 14 Jesus is trying to explain that He has to go, but His going will prepare a way and He will prepare a place for His followers. He says the Holy Spirit will come to teach us and remind us of His words, and He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”.  

Our world is troubled, our lives can be too. But always, always Jesus is there to hear us, to love us, to overcome the troubles just as He overcame death – to prepare a place for His followers and give ultimate peace, final and perfect. What a great place to stop and meditate, to live. PAX, peace.

It has been a different and wonderful journey through this central part of Italy, and nice change to take a leisurely pace and approach. Thank you again for rambling along with us. It is always fun to share enjoyment, and hopefully you have been encouraged and will know the “peace that passes all understanding that will keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4).

PAX