Assisi then Comune di Campello sul Clitunno - 1st October 2022

No one minds the little pit patter of rain when in a moho - at bedtime it’s quite soporific. Not so keen when it’s hammering down, and there’s thunder and lightning - and such loud bangs that make us both jump! The deluge continued for about 5 hours. Tintin checked all the windows a couple of times in case of leaking - but thankfully all good.

By the time we went to bed it had eased off considerably. I didn’t sleep very well, expecting really heavy rain (according to forecast!) - but think we were rained out by then.

Me driving today - off to Assisi - took about 40 minutes. A lot of time in the evenings is spent doing research for the following day. We’d found a good looking carpark, but there was some feedback on Park4Night about not parking before festivals/holidays, ie weekends - but thought we’d try it. Seemed fine. Beautiful view straight up to the basilica. We rode our bikes, only just over a mile as we found a steep path instead of the road. There were names on the bricks all the way up, sponsorship?

So Assisi, in Umbria has a population of about 28,000. It is the birthplace of St Francis (1182-1226). It became an important Roman town, and in the Middle Ages fell into the hands of the Baglioni family of Perugia. Plague, famine and tight ecclesiastical control later turned Assisi into a moribund backwater. Its economic decline was reversed when St Francis was made a patron Saint of Italy in 1939. He is the Catholic Church’s patron Saint of animals and the environment. One guide book says that Assisi is Italy’s most important religious location after the Vatican.

The Basilica di San Francesco consists of two churches, one above the other. The dimly lit lower one has frescoes by Cimabue and Giotto (encountered both their names in previous places!). The virtues of the St Franciscan order are poverty, chastity and obedience. St Francis is buried in the crypt. We queued to go down there, all a bit weird!

The upper church was restored after the 1997 earthquake, and is much lighter.

Once again, we’ve taken too many photos - but you’ll get an overview. So much colour, and all surfaces covered!

We went upstairs to go into the upper church, but we were turned back - they’re doing some kind of filming. So we went back downstairs, and back up some little stairs we’d found earlier - it was still full in there - security man hadn’t bargained for that little loophole!

There’s an olive tree growing alongside some steps, I suppose it roots go down deep!

The white woman and gold man as statues were really life like - brilliant.

In the Piazza del Commune is the site of the Roman forum. The Torre del Popolo stands next to the Temple of Minerva, intact with its elegant Corinthian columns.

We walked as far as the Basilica di Santa Chiara, with its pink and white striped stonework and huge flying buttresses - built between 1257 and 1265. It was just about midday, so closing so we didn’t see inside.

Decided to find an off the Main Street place to eat. Lovely pizzas, plus drinks and coperto - €21. I wonder if it’s acceptable to buy one pizza and share? We’re always stuffed afterwards - little piggies who try to finish it all! The staff were really weird, like something out of the Adams family, one stood next to me whilst I was eating, looking out the window - and just cruising - doesn’t know how to be unobtrusive! We did try to ask her why it was so busy, and with the help of Google translate, found out that 4 October is the feast of St Francis - hence the crowds!

In the whole of Assisi, I managed to find the picture they’d taken and used in the AA Keyguide book of the ceramic panel depicting St Francis - what are the chances of that!

Again, some lovely little shops - but way more tat shops than even Florence! Beautiful scenery - and generally a good feel about it. Yet again - so lucky with the weather - didn’t rain, in fact it was 26° when we were driving Dave again.

Tintin put his drone up when we were back at Dave, couldn’t go above the basilica due to height restrictions. Saw the bride and groom in our carpark, good backdrop for their photos - we’d seen them previously up by the basilica.

So, me driving again - about 30 minutes to try and get some GPL. Tintin had found a 24/7place on the outskirts of an industrial area. The man said no! If you’re using it for cooking, it wasn’t permitted - we may have issues getting gas for our hot water and cooking. Not a problem in France, although Tintin said he’s heard of it being an issue even in the UK - on safety grounds.

Another 30 minutes drive and we’re in a Park4Night recommended olive oil place in Campello Sul Clitunno. They’ve produced cold pressed olive oil with their own olives since 1620! A nice lady showed us the olive press and machinery and explained the process - then we tasted it. Of course bought a bottle. €10 for 500ml - more expensive than home, but great to see where it was pressed and bottled.

It has since chucked it down with rain again, but just a short sharp shower.

Tintin has just taken Dean out for his second outing today - the sun setting was showing beautiful colours up on tree tops.