by Patrick BrownWednesday, June 19, 2914
Departing Florence for Cagli. Met in hotel lobby at 9 a.m., only to find that the charter bus forgot about our trip. Waited until 11:30 for another bus to pick us up.
We are now en route to Assisi where we are to meet the original bus for the rest of trip to Cagli.
Country is covered with olive trees that are harvested in November. Wild boar and rabbits are regularly hunted. The meat of the boar is prized for salted ham.
Apennine Mountains. Run, North to South, the length of Italy, ending outside Rome. Cyprus trees known to Romans as the "tree of the dead" are used to surround cemeteries. Villages positioned on hill tops during medieval ages for defense.The freeway we are on runs from Sicily to Amsterdam.
Quite excited to be visiting Assisi, birthplace and home of Saint Francis. Hope it is not as crowded with tourists and religious pilgrims as everywhere else we have seen.
The country side is a lush green color with sliver-grey olive trees on every slope that is not already covered with grapevines. It is early spring and new gardens are sprouting behind every house and farm we pass.
Our first glimpse of Assisi far in the distance. The name means "assent," and it sits perched high up on a mountain side, the pinkish-white stones appearing mystical.
We will meet up with another bus (the original "late one," change busses and head into the village.
