Rome: DAY 32

THIRTY-SECOND DAY

October 15, 2005

If you went out of your way to make the worst possible choice of a hotel without having the slightest idea that you were doing it, you would end up at the Hermitage in Assisi.  It didn’t start well and for sure it did not end well.  We had recommendations from several friends about where to stay, but all the recommended hotels were booked.  That should have told us something, but persistence and the Internet had their way and we found a small 3 star within walking distance to St Francis of Assisi’s church.  Because of the traffic grid, we had trouble locating our spot and parking was out of the question.  Finally, we got a spot two blocks away that would be good for the night.  Our room was so small that neither of us could stand up at the same time.  The proprietor, an older Italian woman spoke no English and when we asked her about the nightclub disco underneath us she said no problem.  The view was nice and the bathroom clean. The TV was all Italian; we had hoped for some English channels but so what.  We struggled to get a shower and out of our bandbox room.  We located an Ok restaurant not far from our prison.  Home to an early bedtime.  Sleep came easily for me, but around 1:30 I woke-up (Kim never did get to sleep) to the thumping rhythm of a disco in full swing.  It was loud; we couldn’t figure out how the neighbors could stand it.  While we discussed the possibilities, we knew there was nothing we could do until morning.  Our plan was to pack-up and demand a credit for what was to have been a two-night stay.  I finally took a pill around 3 and got to sleep, but Kimberly was up until the band stopped playing at 4. When we got downstairs in the morning we met with the boss’s son who did speak some English.  He assured us that it would not happen again that night, but we were adamant about leaving.  He called his Mom and they talked for 10 minutes, really fast.  My darling Kimbo sort of threatened them gently, suggesting that she would call the booking company if we did not get a full credit for both nights.  He said yes, but I will watch my Visa bill carefully.  The Internet booking company called Venire.com is like Hotels.com and you pay in advance.  For some of the reasons about, I don’t like to pay in advance. It makes getting out harder. 

Advancing early and with the car safely parked in a proper spot, we took on the remarkable and storied Church of St Francis.  We walked in at 9 and out at ll.  We could have stayed for another decade.  The Giottos that surround the main chapel and tell the story of the life of St Francis are a wonder of Renaissance art.  His art pops off the wall and tells a different story in every fresco.  He was the first painter to us perspective inn a more realistic manner and it works.  St Francis took a vow of poverty and founded the order of Franciscans that still trods the planet today.  They used to own a fine winery in Napa Valley, but it has now sold to a big wine company. Frances is the patron St of that small town we call home, San Francisco.  I think he was a down to earth right guy.  The church itself is very large and impressive.  It was virtually destroyed in a major earthquake in the 80’s and it took almost 15 years to repair the damage.  The restoration and rebuilding have been very successful and because we were early, the crowds had not yet entered the church.  As we were leaving the buses started pulling in by the dozens.  Assisi is a very popular weekend get away from Rome and Milan, and a special religious place.  We find ourselves laughing over our difficult accommodation, but we have decided not take on these major sites on the weekend.  Also, we won’t be booking hotels without recommendation. We keep discovering that more planning is better for us.  My ability to remain flexible and adapt better to change and the unexpected has become downgraded by age.  In addition, I think one could use the word spoiled about my expectations.  Enough said, we are on to the ancient walled city of Gubbio. 

We have been told that it is an even better representation of a medieval Italian town than Assisi.  They are about the same size, but Gubbio, where incidentally St Francis spent most of his life, is even better preserved.  It’s about an hour north of Perugia, the capital of Umbria.  We take the smallest road possible and are in countryside that looks strikingly like Napa/Sonoma.  Winding farm roads, high hills, sunshine, and castles on the hilltops make it a satisfying and sweet ride.  The big thing in Gubbio is the central square that is essentially the center of this old walled city.  We will hope to stay inside the walls in something close to the square.  Using our great intelligence, we stop at the tourist bureau and find out that every major journalist in Italy is in Gubbio today.  Lucky for us and because of Kim’s great Italian, he starts making calls and gets us into a small hotel not more then a block from the square.  We will have a better spot for our night, as they promise no disco.  The owner meets us at the door and shows us a nice room that has room for us to stand-up  We are in heaven.  The TV has BBC, too.  Our exploration is easy; the square is very old and completely preserved.  The counsel hall that is the major element of the square is a delightful medieval landmark. We had lunch al fresco in a beautiful garden restaurant even though I find that Kimberina doesn’t like truffles which is sprinkled all over the food.  Everything about Umbria suggests typical Italian country life.  All of the products in the food stores proclaim themselves to be homemade, home grown, fresh and local.  It sort of feels like marketing but it has the ring of truth.  On the street where we are staying there are about 20 ceramics stores, all selling some sort of the same thing.  We already have too much stuff, too many things so we pass and after walking around for a couple of hours decide to nap and wait for dinner.  I am always amazed that I get hungry again but at least these guys eat late.