We woke up to our first of many continental breakfasts. Our American palettes experienced culture shock, with a meal consisting of bread, oatmeal, meat and cheese, and of course, more bread: a filling breakfast for a full day.
The central attraction of our day was a guided tour of the stunningly gorgeous St. Francis Basilica. Our amazing guide, Marco, walked us through the layers of art adorning the Basilica. We would definitely have selected one of the vibrantly colored frescos to be the accompanying photo, but unfortunately, photography was prohibited inside the church. Beyond the overwhelming artwork and Marco’s fascinating stories, we were struck by the simple truth of the life of St. Francis, the value of poverty, chastity, and obedience. His humility showed by his leadership by example was very impactful. We so enjoyed the tour of the Basilica that we did not have enough time to make it to the nearby St. Claire’s Basilica before lunch.
After lunch, we started our Italian classes at the Italian Language Institute in Assisi. We learned just enough Italian to not stick out too much as turisti… at least to non-Italian Speakers.
In our free time, small groups of us organized various expeditions to St. Claire’s Basilica, cafes, as well as a garden. As we were leaving the garden we saw an oddly shaped water fountain. This fit the theme of the day: how surprisingly rainy it was.
After dinner, we learned how to play to our Clifton Strengths, from the wise words of Donna Lee. We ended the night in the proper Italian Aggie way with gelato, dancing, and karaoke.
