Day 1: Amazing Assisi with Family
It is a long day! Wake up at 3:30am, get to airport, check in and then settle in at the United Club for a brief breakfast. This is the pain (?) you accept if you return to Italy from the west coast of USA. However, this time the pain is lessened due to family being with us. What a joy to have daughter Kari and granddaughter Izzy join us. They are excited beyond belief!
The flight is uneventful–14 hours of flight time interrupted with a short layover in Chicago. Tried to sleep but it just doesn’t come. Finally, landing at the Rome airport at 8:00am, Italy time. Make our way to the Budget rental car location to pick up car. Drive, now with close to 21 hours with no sleep, to Assisi, Italy, one of our most beloved of all hill towns. We check in at Hotel Ideale, take a short nap and then we are ready to explore!
Then it happens!
The strongest thunder and lightning storm we have ever experienced. The temperature drops, the rain and hail and wind beat against the hotel. We are on the balcony enjoying ourselves when the storm hits and all of us just sit and marvel at the power. It lasts some 40 minutes and then moves on giving us time to take a short nap before dinner at Baccanale. Welcome to Italy!
As always, Baccanale is filled with Italians already when we arrive, but the owner recognizes Ron (or at least pretends to).
And as always they are having an art contest, this time of decorated bread boards, so we circulate the room to find our favorites. Then it’s off to the menu, and this time, we have a picture of the wild boar pasta, which Maddie, our oldest granddaughter, provided us from her Thanksgiving 2024 visit to Assisi and Baccanale, and recommended.
The food, as always, is unbelievable. The walk home between century old buildings in the dark, is magical in itself.
