Today was another big travel day. This time our travel was broken up by a visit to the medieval hilltop town of Assisi and a lesson in making (and tasting) gelato at a gelato factory. I think most of us slept on the bus ride to Assisi. Last night was a bit rough in our hotel. The wind ensemble that played a concert in the old spa in Montecatini came back to our hotel and had a very noisy party down by the pool. At about 1:00 in the morning they all came crashing drunk up the stairs and down the hallways, knocking on all of the doors as they passed. Needless to say, this hotel will not be getting a very good review in my tour evaluation.
This is my third time in Assisi, and I never get tired of this town. It is one of the best preserved of the Italian hill towns. Its important role as a pilgrimage town adds to the sense of tranquility that defines Assisi. Assisi is the home of St. Francis, the patron saint of Italy, and one of the key figures in reviving the medieval church in the 13th century. The main purpose of our visit was to see the basilica and tomb of St. Francis. The upper basilica is covered in the amazing frescoes of Giotto describing the events of the life of the saint for an illiterate medieval populace. Giotto was about a century ahead of the Renaissance in his attempts to depict realistic humans in natural setting with a sense of depth and perspective. He didn't quite get it right, but he did inspire others to perfect these techniques. The tomb, which literally and figuratively provides the foundation for the two basilicas above, is always a very moving experience. This is a very sacred space, no matter what your religion or your feelings about religion. Candles, the only real ones allowed in the complex due to the danger of fire, are always left burning on an altar in front of the tomb. Franciscan monks are often found in this place praying before the founder of their order.
After our little pilgrimage to St.Francis and Giotto, it was time for a little fun. A twenty minute drive brought us to small gelato factory that is run by a husband and wife team of master gelato makers. They gave us an introduction to the fine art of Italian gelato. They explained to us the importance of pure, high quality ingredients (which we sampled). Then, as Thomas translated for us, they took volunteers up to the machines and taught us how to actually make gelato. Ten minutes later it was time to taste. Three more volunteers were quickly trained how to serve gelato. I think we all went a little overboard with the tasting. Four scoops can still be considered a taste, right? This may have been one of my favorite experiences on this trip.
Right now, we're enjoying a little quiet time in the hotel. Tomorrow, we are going to try to do Rome in one day.
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Looks like so much fun! The gelato looks so yummy!
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