Suitcases in the hall by 6:15 a.m. so porters can transport them by boat to our bus while we eat breakfast and take our water taxi over. We put ours out before 6 and walked out of the hotel and up the stairs of the bridge in front. The stairs, bridge, and sidewalks had a lot of litter. The city has crews who walk around, but Tom said the early crew was hard at work already-pigeons.
After breakfast we walked 10 mins to the water taxi, which is 58' long. It was only a 15 minute ride. When we docked we saw more water rage-one boat evidently docked where another one had planned to.
Assisi is a medieval town on top of a hill in the Umbria Region, Igor told us. We drove onto the mainland. As far as we could see were farm fields with various crops, often with the rows of poplar trees protecting them. Canals through them are used for irrigation.
We're on a two lane road, behind several trucks. Our windshield is larger than a picture window of an old house. Here come 2-3 cars to pass us and as many trucks and cars as they can while trying to avoid a head-on. Unbelievably, they all make it.
Drove across another lagoon that leads into Venice. Just saw a big marina. Then a large shipyard where ships from the Adriatic Sea dock. Eels, mussels, clams, and other fish are in this area. Large nets get lowered when fish are coming in.
Most people on the bus are using their electronics or sleeping. Tom and I always enjoy watching the scenery on every road between the major stops.
Several big rivers aid in irrigation. Sharecropping is still practiced here. Owner and someone who helps him share the crops. Several small wineries around here keep their wine after the owner and helpers make it.
Passed a castle from 1500. A family used this whole area for hunting and built several castles. They did a lot to help the nearby town while here.
Saw the Pomposa Abbey and bell tower from the 9th century.
The man who invented the musical scale-Guido-is from this area.
This is a long drive, so Igor gave us a lot of information.
Northern Italy has more industries and higher wages than the southern part. The Mafia started during the unification of Italy. Lords owned the land and paid mercenary soldiers to protect it. Mussolini was the State Prime Minister and the ruler. Senior citizens today say when he ruled, there was no graffitti, good jobs, and safe towns. Then he aligned with Hitler. Through the Iron Treaty, the two stated that neither country would declare war on the other. Allied troops freed the country. He was caught near Milan, shot, and hanged. Then the Cosa Nostra moved to North America-crime organization on the international level. Badly hurt Italy's economy.
The government is trying to increase commerce in southern Italy. Northerners say they pay more taxes, but it is because most there have higher wages-everyone pays 50% income tax.
Sicily and other places way south are considered like Greece-many monuments and temples still standing after 2000 years. That era inspired the Renaissance.
At one point the art was considered vulgar and genitals were cut off the statues, or covered with fig leaves. Paintings were altered, too.
This month there is a major scandal in the country. They found several politicians were getting paybacks from companies chosen to work on big projects.
Their government is a pyramid shape:
Parliament, Senate, President (who has no power), Regional (20 regions), provinces (106). There are mayors of the communes, like a county mayor.
There are hundreds of dialects in Italy. Many residents in northern Italy are so close to Switzerland and Germany that they speak German. Dante started Italian language. Now Latin is only the official language of the Vatican.
If a company and employee have an illegal agreement to avoid the employee paying 50% income tax, and the government finds out, the owner will be fined and required to sell the company. (Sounds like a plan for our country!)
If the government sees you driving a really expensive car, having a very expensive house, etc., and your job doesn't seem to warrant those expenses and purchases, they will investigate you-check credit card transactions, income sources, everything. They found a woman owned 126 apartments in central Rome, yet was receiving a $400 monthly stipend from the government.
The only way a lot of people can make it in their slow economy is because a lot of families live close, so they eat together, maybe live together, share expenses.
When Italy changed from liras to Euros, the price of everything seemed to go up. Few moms can afford to stay home. Kindergarten costs and most families have to teach their kids for that year. From 1st-5th grade, they learn so much. Then they have a written exam and oral exam, even on the foreign language they were required to take. Then 3 years of middle school. Skills, attitude, etc. determine which kind of school the student will attend next. Igor said he knew when he was 14 that he wanted to be a tour guide and teach people about places and things. He speaks several languages and went to tourism school for 5 years. His teachers at that young age suggested he be a language teacher or tourism director (which he is). He worked in the winter and took some summer trips, learning more language and practicing it. The tourism school curriculum included the various countrys' customs, laws, dietary differences, besides learning about the history, geography, monuments, etc., of each.
Kids sit in the same desk all during high school. If they bring phones to school, don't abide by the dress code, don't have a good attitude, etc., they won't be promoted.
Car driver's licenses are available at 18, but some scooters can be driven by 14 year olds and cycles by 16 year olds. He said it is believed that is why there are such reckless scooter and cycle drivers all over the country.
The bureaucracy makes starting a business very difficult. People know about the American dream where someone can start a business in their garage and be rich soon. Here, you could start in a garage and years later you'd still be in the garage. The laws, etc., are suffocating, and it takes lots of money to grease the wheels.
We've been driving through beautiful rolling hills. Yes, I am paying attention to things besides my notebook! I make chicken scratches and write it out later.
Arrived in Assisi.
The new gate was built in the 1400's. Buildings are of pink limestone bricks-caused by the iron content. There are 1000 permanent residents. Rely mainly on tourism, though there are banks, a hospital, schools.
First, into St. Clare's Church. She was a rich girl who befriended St. Francis. She started living frugally and simply and started an order for women that was similar to the Franciscan Order. The church was started to remember her. She died in the 1250's at age 60. Huge rose window. Lion statue symbolizing Christianity and God.
In a chapel, on a cross from the 1100's, Jesus was painted as being alive. Heretics said he wasn't human and didn't die.
Beautiful arches, frescoes. Cleaning, humidity, oxygen, lights are affecting the frescoes. The sanctuary cross shows the crucified Jesus.
Our guide, Lara, said she's a typical Italian mom-had the audacity to name her two sons Leonardo and Michelangelo!
The houses across from the church were built in the 1500's and are still occupied.
The area is known for the very expensive black truffles, and olive oil, sagrentino wine. Textiles are the local crafts.
Government buildings here date from 1200-1300's.
Stopped to admire the outside of the Roman temple of Minerva-1st century B.C. The holes above the columns are from former bronze letters spelling out names of sponsors. Is now a Franciscan church. Was remodeled inside a few years ago-in the 1600's.
Stopped at a long trough on the side of a building. She had shown us the community laundry area a few blocks back. A sign above this trough says women may not do their laundry in it. She said last week a man asked if men were allowed to do their laundry there. She said she thought she must be having a vision-to think an Italian man would do anything like that. But, she said, with most women working, man are starting to help around the house.
Note: In every area we had a local guide. The reason Igor couldn't guide us in the towns, etc., is because the local and national guides belong to separate unions.
Learning about St. Francis of Assisi:
His father was very wealthy. Francis was in a war in the Army, then spent years alone. Then he wanted to spend his time with the poor, lepers, etc. His father told him to leave town. Every day he behaved like Jesus. Lived in a hut in a muddy area. He became ill at age 44 and died in 1226. The Pope canonized him in 1228.
The Basilica of St. Francis is two churches-one on top of the other. No pictures are allowed taken inside. All the frescoes are intact except for two sections that came crashing down during an earthquake a few years ago. There was a bad earthquake in 1997-the day after a mild one. Two friars and two workers were inspecting the damage from the first one when the second one hit. Two spots of the roof fell, killing all 4.
The frescoes were totally reconstructed with the original pieces. There are 28 frescoes of St. Francis' life. .
The second church is a 1253 Gothic Style. The stained glass windows were painted in the 1300's.
St. Francis' remains had been under the altar upstairs, but were moved downstairs in 1930.
As I was walking to the hotel I felt like my shoes were getting tighter. By the time we got to the room, the outer ankles were the size of baseballs. Iced before dinner, twice after, and slept with feet elevated. So humid, so much walking, 870 stairs yesterday, and several hours on the bus today took its toll.
We sat with an Australian couple from our group at dinner. Her son has been deployed to Afghanistan 5 times and would be going again, but he has decided to get out of the military. He is single, but agreed with her that it is more than a mom should have to endure (or him).
366 stairs
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