Date: July 13, 2024
Location: Assisi
Blogger: Joshua Cogburn ‘28
Hometown: Houston, Texas
We started our day at 7-8, a change that was becoming more bearable to those with questionable summer sleep schedules. Heading down to breakfast, we encountered coffee; a selection of meats and cheeses; as well as other items. This was followed by a scenic view for those who moved out to the hotel restaurant’s balcony and air-conditioned conversations for those who stayed inside.
All too soon, we moved on to our Italian lessons and came to a nice building tucked neatly between other houses and alongside a classic Assisi stone street. This building is where we would be spending the next four hours of the day learning the language.
We explored the changes in word endings depending on their context, verbs such as “somo” for “am,” as well as practice to help us order at a restaurant in Italian. When the four hours had passed, we graduated the class with more knowledge, confidence, and some laughs along the way – better prepared to navigate this foreign county.
After leaving the building and breaking for lunch, we reconvened at the entrance to St. Francis Basilica for the start of our walking tour. We listened on our headpieces as our tour guide explained the origins of the Basilica’s many frescos and their relation to St. Francis, as well as the Franciscan order.
We then walked to St. Clair Basilica and its artwork, some going to look at the tomb of St. Clair and its relics after the formal tour ended. Through both of these basilicas we had gained a greater understanding not only of the local culture, but also of the history of Italy.
Starting with the visit to the tomb, groups went their separate ways. Some focused on shopping in the many small stores scattered profusely through town, while others eventually made their way to Rocca Maggiore – a fort in Assisi which offers beautiful views of the surrounding area.
We reconvened after these activities for a dinner and more conversation, during which Mr. Wiggins was gifted his maroon chef hat to much applause. Dessert tonight was much appreciated watermelon, and we all dug in, hungry from the day’s events.
Exiting dinner, groups once again went separate ways, some went and got delicious gelato, others saw the sunset from outside Rocca Maggiore, and several groups ended up at a local concert as the night went on.
Returning by our extended 11:00 Saturday night curfew, we reflected not only on the fun of the day’s events, but on the importance of those experiences and the bonds we had deepened as well. We still had much of the trip ahead of us, but it was important to savor what we had already done – and some much needed sleep as well!
Sincerely,
– Joshua Cogburn
Date: July 13, 2024
Location: Assisi
Blogger: Sarah Thomas ‘28
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Ciaowdy! After a good night of rest in our new hotels in Assisi, we started off the day with breakfast at La Rocca. Cordelia, Marcus, and Leela presented their briefing of the town during the meal, and then we headed over to the Accademia Lingua Italiana Assisi to start our Italian lesson.
During the four hour lesson, students learned common greetings, how to introduce themselves and say where they are from, and basic phrases that may come in handy while traveling. Then, each group wrote a dialogue and acted out a skit using the phrases that we had learned. The settings of these quick skits included taxis, restaurants, and stores.
After finishing the Italian lesson and receiving diplomas, we split up into separate groups for a quick lunch. 12 of us ended up in a pizzeria, where Chesney decided to order something off of a fully Italian menu without looking up the translation. When the group realized that she ended up paying four euros for what was essentially a can of beans on a plate, we all decided to utilize google translate’s many features for the rest of the trip.
Because we only had a short break for lunch, the 0.7 mile walk to the Saint Francis Basilica ended up as more of a run for some. During the two hour walking tour of Assisi, we visited both levels of the Saint Francis Basilica, as well as the Basilica of Saint Clare. We learned more about the history of the town and Saint Francis’ glorified life, which was shown on over 2.3 acres of fresco paintings on the walls and ceilings of the basilica.
When the tour ended, we once again split up for our free time before dinner. Some groups enjoyed refreshing gelato and hours of shopping, while others chose to explore the area surrounding the town of Assisi. At dinner, Joel was ceremoniously presented with an embroidered chef’s hat collectively purchased by the group of shoppers. When dinner ended, many students decided to watch a jazz concert in the main town square. On the way back from the concert, we ran into a friendly cat that we called “Francesca” because the tour guide had mentioned that it was the most popular name for girls in Assisi.
Despite the later curfew today, staying in our rooms after 11 did not prevent conversations from occurring between students, who opened their windows to talk to one another. Before long, the conversation was joined by multiple group leaders, including Joel. The best part about this midnight conversation was that it provided proof that Joel does wear T-shirts, despite his earlier claim that he did not know his shirt size and therefore could not have a matching shirt with the rest of the group.
So far, the beautiful architecture of Assisi has provided a movie-like experience that has caused us to be even more grateful to be spending our time in Italy.
Grazie and arrivederci!
Sarah Thomas ‘28