Pax and problem solving

Assisi view

Saint Francis and Clare

Basilica of San Francesco

Time to explore Assisi. We learn that Asissi started out in the middle ages and is the final resting place of Saint Francis. We wind our way down to the Basilica of San Francesco and enter the church. It is peaceful and serene so different from any other church we have been in. This church is not about over the top frescos or ornate altars it has real meaning. I am overcome with the serenity and make a strong connection with this wonderful place. We go down into the crypt and have mass in front of Saint Francis simple tomb, its so pleasant to sit here as the priests talks about loving others, saying simple prayers and performing the rituals of communion.

Saint Francis story is an interesting one, originally from a wealthy family he fought in a war for Assisi and was even imprisoned for a year. After much reflection and meditation he founded the Franciscan order of monks. Their main message is to care for others and live simply. He also worked closely with Clare a girl from Assisi who also founded an order for nuns. Their personal story is also quite touching. Francis appears to be the creator of the nativity scene and after his death he was declared a saint. 

Now the fun begins again as we drive onto Rome to return the car. Just as well I had some calm time in Assisi to balance out having to tussle with Italian drivers. Sue delivers us safely to the car drop off point and we all breath a sigh of relief and declare we will never drive again in Italy.

Into Rome we go and we arrive at our accommodation, the taxi driver seems reluctant to leave us and has a long conversation with concierge before he leaves us. Warning bells are going. We wait around for about ½ hour till someone arrives with the keys. The accommodation does not match what we booked so after lots of phone calls and stuffing around we leave. We hop in another taxi and head to a different area of town. Much nicer. We find a great place to stay and settle in for the next two days. My first experience at accommodation troubles and it all worked out well in the end. Its great to be back in the hustle and bustle of Rome.