Three Mountain Towns in a Day

We left Florence at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday (11/25), just ahead of the Marathon which was good. We were not going very far the first day so we decided we could make a couple of stops along the way.


The first stop was Sienna which we had driven through and stopped long enough to find an ATM the first time we visited Italy. This time we had the chance to walk around and see a couple of things. We saw the outside of the Duomo, but were not able to go in as it was only open for those going to mass. We then walked down to the big Piazza which is what everyone thinks of when they picture Sienna.

Next stop – Cortona! This is the town made famous by Francis Mayes in Under the Tuscan Sun. It was also quite picturesque. Aaron had visited Cortona when he went to the EuroLambretta rally in 2003. We walked around the town and perused the local flea market that was set-up in the town square. There is a beautiful park/promenade just at the bottom of the town that had some absolutely amazing views of the valley below.


We then headed for Assisi and Santa Maria d’Angeli where we planned to stay. We had made a reservation on the internet, but could not read what we got back so just assumed all was good. When we arrived at the hotel we were informed the hotel was closed but the restaurant was open. We had chosen this hotel as it was the one Aaron stayed at during the scooter rally. That gave us a good excuse to stay in Assisi. We drove up the hill and parked outside of the walls and set out to find a hotel. When the first 2 or 3 hotels were closed we started to get a little worried. We then had arrived at the San Francesco church and Aaron let me go in while he stayed with Parilla (kind of funny no dogs allowed and this is the home to the saint for animals). It was really stunning and I was really impressed how people actually seemed to respect the place rather than treating it as just another place to see. It is really amazing when you go into the underground tomb of St. Francis as most people actually stop and mediate/pray in the pews and it is totally silent.


We then started walking up the hill and next hotel we came to was open, had rooms available and took dogs. That was our miracle. We got a room at the hotel closet to the church and for only 10 euros more than what we expected to pay in the low town. We spent a couple of hours exploring the town which included a number of churches including the cathedral for St. Clair. This is the one that had such extensive damage in the earthquake in 1999. The church has been completely repaired but most of the walls are bare as the frescos were destroyed. The town is in exceptional shape as so much work was done after the earthquake. As most of you saw from the post last night we found another wine bar and had a bit to drink. It was a really great evening in a very special place.

btw- Parilla is enjoying the atmosphere too.