Today it was Betsy’s turn to relax. She didn’t sleep well last night, so she needed some time this morning to get some rest. So, I took off on my own…and forgot my phone. No photos from my morning exploring and no way to communicate with Betsy about when to meet. Where to meet was easy since all roads lead to the piazza.
Our plan was to do a self-guided audio walking tour from the uppermost point down to the Basilica of San Francesco of Assisi. An old Roman amphitheater was the first highlight and then some fantastic winding cobblestone back alleys, but then came the rain. It was hard enough that continuing on wasn’t possible, so we made our way back to the main piazza to have lunch.
We chose another restaurant recommended by our leather craftsman, Michele, and it did not disappoint. Trattoria la Pallotta is family-owned restaurant that’s been in business for 40 years. The atmosphere is beautiful and it is very much a place locals eat, obvious from how the staff interacted with people as they arrived for lunch. There’s no English menu, but we muddled through and made excellent choices.
We didn’t get a picture of our appetizer dish which was a zucchini tart with yogurt sauce. Betsy plans to recreate that next week when we stay at the villa in Tuscany.
The dish isn’t pretty, but it was delicious. It’s a bread pasta with artichokes and guanciale.
Handmade tagliatelle pasta with porcini mushrooms. It’s mushroom season and this is Italy, so pasta is always on the menu.
A pear poached in wine sauce, so beautiful and so good.
This is an apple cake, but it’s so much more than that. It was light and fluffy, with polenta included in the batter, and lightly scented with cinnamon.
Our lunch wasn’t until after 2, so the restaurant, which was full when we entered, had emptied out by the time we left.
We walked back down the hill to our hotel for a little siesta and to wait out another hard rain, then made our way to the Basilica.
The courtyard of the Basilica is impressive. There is irony that such a large and ornate church and grounds honors a man who shunned his inherited wealth and chose to live humbly. We enjoyed learning about St. Francis and his philosophy of life. He preached about the importance of the earth and its gifts including clean water and kindness to animals and all humankind. He also preached: “Your God is of your flesh, He lives in your nearest neighbor, in every man.”
After the Basilica, we walked back to the hotel, getting a last look at the town.
We sat in our window and watched the sun disappear and the fog move in. Then off to bed. Tomorrow, we make our way to Chiusi to pick up a rental car and then collect Bonnie, Lisa and Emily from the train station and check-in to our villa in Tuscany for another week of exploring.
A heavy mist enveloped the hilltop of Assisi.
Next, off to Tuscany!
Ciao…
Kim & Betsy 
Another great day!