Arrival in Assisi

I made it to Assisi by early evening and was able to catch a few, breath-taking glimpses of this famous small town before the sunset. The bus dropped me off at Piazza Unitá di Italia, but I had to walk, down, down, down the hill toward the hostel. The dusk sky and lush greenery were ample reason to slow my pace. In fact, I was so distracted by the scenery that I walked right on by the hostel and continued too far down the hill.

When I finally did find it, I was huffing and puffing (and ready to blow the house down). I try the door, but it’s locked. Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease don’t be closed for the season! Nope, just not open until 4:00 – whew! (No WAY was I hiking all the way back up that fatty, fatty hill I had just come down: no way, no how.) A sign indicates that I can leave my stuff around back so I walk around back to investigate. I’m not sure if I want to leave my bag, or just wait it out until 4.

As I’m deciding, a door opens and a woman confirms that the hostel opens at 4 and I can check in then. But if I want, I can leave my bag inside. Sure! I look at my watch and it’s 3:35. I’m standing inside with my bag, and she’s standing there with me and it’s 3:35. So….I can check in at 4? Yes, 4:00. So…I should just leave this here then until 4? Yes, leave your bag and come back later to check in. At 4? Any time after 4, yes. (Can you tell I hoping she’d let me check in now? We’re both standing there….I mean really.) But she wouldn’t budge. So I left my bags, stripped off my three layers of coats and scarf, and headed back to the hill.

Once I make it back to the Piazza (people were staring at my like I was a lunatic because it was pretty cold outside and I wasn’t wearing anything on my bare shoulders – but I didn’t care; I was DYING I was so hot from the climb up.), I hop on the bus to Piazza Matteoti at the top of town. Obviously it makes more sense to take the bus up, and sight see my way down. After my sauna-inducing climb up, I’m definitely savvy to that plan. I figure I’ll do my best to get my bearings, find the internet café Rick recommends, and scout out a place for dinner.

As I wander through town, I see a few nuns checking out the shops, a couple of priests admiring the architecture and some monks driving a car. I don’t know why – but it seems really weird that “holy people” are sight-seeing. I mean hey, they have every right to; under their funny robes, they’re people too! But it still seems weird...