Our day begins earlier, as we have a guided tour of Vatican City on the opposite side of Rome. Not wanting to worry about arriving on time, we take a taxi across the city and arrive for our tour at least 30 minutes early. I am excited to be here with Amber. Roughly 25 years ago, I toured the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. I remember being amazed at Michelangelo’s paintings and sculptures. Therefore, I look forward to Amber experiencing it all.

Today is another travel day, from Cinque Terre to Rome by train. As we are waiting for our first train in Monterosso al Mare, I ask Amber, “Am I too content?” I am in a strange place. We have plans for each day. The past two days was hiking specific trails, exploring the towns, and getting into the Mediterranean. However, I find myself not caring if plans get changed.

oday began with a big decision. Take the train to Vernazza and hike 2.1 miles up to Corniglia as this town is higher in elevation. Or take the train to Corniglia. Then take the 375 stairs up into the town from the train station, and then hike down to Vernazza. I gave the decision completely to Amber. She choose option 2 with a twist. She discovered that there was a shuttle bus up to the town of Corniglia bypassing all those steps. My wife is a smart woman.

Our plan today is to hike two of the trails connecting the five towns of Cinque Terre. It’s actually hard to believe that we are in the Italian Riviera. It sounds so exotic and romantic so let’s go for a hike. I am sure romance and hiking go together for everyone.

This is our last day in Assisi so this will also probably be the last long post. Today we seek two destinations: Gubbio and La Verna. Both sights I have greatly looked forward to.
Gubbio is where St. Francis tamed a wild wolf ravaging a town. It’s a story of peace, one of my favorite themes.

Today, we worshipped in the upper church of St. Francis’ Basilica. The songs were led by guitar, and the choir was a group of nuns from Zambia. There is a reverence in the service that seems missing in most modern American church services.

As for connecting to St. Francis and digging deeper into my own faith, today was the best day so far. We first head to the hermitage on Mount Subasio. Here, maybe more than anywhere else, you can sense the life of St. Francis, his faith, and his early brothers. Assisi, the town, sits on the side of Mt. Subasio. Francis would often retreat higher up the mountain to pray.

Today, we get back into the car and drive north to La Celle. This is the second site that I would have skipped, but am immensely thankful we did not. La Celle, today, is a monastery of Capuchin monks (an offshoot of the Franciscan order). As we walk up, the resident monks are leaving the chapel after finishing their devotion and prayers. As we walk around this picturesque monastery, I wonder should we live more simply.

Today, we wander the city of Assisi, home of both St. Francis and St. Clare. First of all, Assisi is an absolutely beautiful city. Last time in Italy, in addition to Assisi, I visited Rome, Venice, Florence, and Pisa. The only city that compares in beauty to Assisi, in my opinion, is Venice. As we walk the streets, I am again reminded what I loved about Assisi. It’s beauty and charm.