Wake-up call this morning was at 6:00 AM, early for all of us. The day that lay ahead was long and exausting, but was well worth it. We left our hotel in Florence, Hotel de la Pace, and took an hour bus ride to Assisi. What is Assisi you ask? Assisi is home to the famous Basilica of St. Francis, a famous preacher. His remains are buried under an altar in the famous Romanesque-style church. There are actually three different churches. The first one, under the ground, houses St. Francis' remains in an altar. This church is actually a tomb. The walls are covered with beautiful fresco paintings by Giotto depicting St. Francis and other biblical images. The second church is on entry level, and also houses beautiful frescos. The third church is meant to show visitors that there can be a beautiful afterlife in heaven. It is higher and even more spectacular than the other two churches. After receiving a tour by a Franciscan Monk, we departed on our bus for what would be a long 5-hour bus ride to Sorrento. En route we saw the shadowy figure of Mount Vesuvius in the distance, where it has stood dormant for many centuries after burying Pompeii; however, we will be visiting Pompeii tomorrow. After a long exhausting bus ride, we made it to the Hotel Villa Maria in Sorrento, after driving through Naples. It has been a long day, but the views we saw on our bus were well worth it.
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