Assisi, Italy

Assisi is the home of St. Francis. Located in Umbria, we took a day trip there to see the spring festival. It's a competition of games between the lower part of the town (sotto) and the upper part (sopray). The entire village participates, it was quite entertaining! 

The Basilica of St. Francis

St. Francis lived in the 13th century. He was born into a wealthy family, yet heard a calling to serve the poor and become a friar, much to his families' chagrin. He became a saint after death, as he suffered the stigma. 

Beautiful details on the church exterior

View into the town from the gardens outside of the church

Beautiful view of the Umbria valley below

The church was built to house St. Francis' body, which is entombed under the nave of the lower basilica today. Fun fact: there is also an upper basilica, where the pope and the elite would have their church services, so they didn't have to mix with the commoners. This place is huge!

Exploring the city, love the old pathways and brickwork 

If you no longer need that door or window, just brick it over! Very funny to see the transition of space in these ancient homes

We had a delicious lunch served in an outdoor patio, it felt like we were in a garden. 

Old city gate, with the original Roman wall in the archway. Crazy how old it is, and yet still intact!

A beautiful day for our visit

The Temple of Minerva, where the games were held for the festival

The Temple of Minerva is an ancient Roman building, built in the 1st century B.C.

Local youth and city officials participate in the festival. It is kicked off by a parade, where each side (lower is red, upper is blue) show off the decorations and floats they have made specifically for that year's events.

Each archer is assigned to a princess, and the winning archer unrolls his scroll to see the name of the princess who will reign over that year's festival.

Ladies in waiting 

City map of Assisi

After the parade, there are three events. Archery, a cart pull, and a rope tow.

Quite a crowd!

After the games, there is a large celebration that continues on into the night. We had food and drinks in an underground tavern that is only open once a year for the games.

Venice, Italy

Our next stop was in Venice, Italy, the city built on water over 1,600 years ago (founded around 400 AD during the dedication of the first church and became an official city in the 9th century). Pretty crazy! We took the train from Florence to Venice, and as you step outside of the train station, you are immediately immersed in the stereotypical Venice view--the Grand Canal is directly in front of you! Beautiful, colorful old buildings (former mansions, mostly hotels and museums today) line the canal on both sides. 

On our first vaporetto ride, so fun! The vaporetto is the local water bus, definitely the most affordable and convenient transportation.

Chels is also thrilled, don't let her half-smile fool you!

The Grand Canal snakes through the center of Venice, with smaller canals connecting the rest of the city and surrounding islands (i.e. Murano, where the famous hand-blown glass is made and Burano, where the famous lace is made). Unfortunately, we did not have time to make it to the islands on this trip, next time!

While the gondolas were cool, the cost was not. I am perfectly happy paying a few euros for the vaporetti versus one hundred each for a gondola ride. Definitely fun to see!

Selfie! No, we did not have a selfie stick. There were so many tourists in Venice, and selfie sticks, yikes! I was hoping to see someone fall into the Grand Canal while "selfie"ing, but alas no such luck...

Stairs to nowhere. Hilarious! There were many buildings with steps going directly into the water, and small cobblestone streets that ended with these same steps. Venice is sinking, according to Rick Steves, but not as much as sea levels are rising. He says Venice floods about 100 times per year! San Marco's Piazza has been completely flooded multiple times (there is a picture of the square later on, stay tuned).

Cool hotel on the Grand Canal

There are a few larger bridges over the Grand Canal, and then many smaller ones connecting the streets over the minor canals. A few times we were searching for something on the map, just to come to the end of the street and the Grand Canal, and realize it was on the other side! With no bridge, of course :)

Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale San Marco

St. Mark's Basilica, so gorgeous! Built in the 9th century to house the body of St. Mark (pretty cool to see the tombs of saints in the cathedrals, we saw St. Francis' in Assisi!). A bit gruesome, but a big honor to have a whole duomo built just to house your body. Goals! 

We could not take pictures inside, so you'll have to imagine the beauty; mosaic tiles, gilded paintings, ornately carved wooden crucifixes, the whole nine yards.

Piazza San Marco

This clock actually works! St. Mark's Clocktower, built at the end of the 15th century. Crazy! Apparently twice a year, a trumpet-toting angel and three magi come out of the doors under the numbers and go around Madonna and child in the center of the balcony. This happens in the beginning of January, and 40 days after Easter, so we missed it by a hair's breadth.

Vertical gardens

Every view of the Grand Canal was amazing, and it was a cloudy day.

My hilarious wife at dinner. Since everything is so old, why not light our supper with candlelight in that old gold taper holder, just like the good old days?

Cute little bridges throughout the city

Another duomo, just off the Grand Canal

Tiny streets

Taxis in Venice. You call the taxi and wait on the dock outside of the hotels and businesses to be picked up. Fancy!

Pistachio gelato, Y.U.M.

We had to have gelato everyday. When in Rome (Venice), right?

We had a sunny day on our last day in Venice. Spent the morning and early afternoon walking around, exploring the city on the opposite side of the Grand Canal from our hotel. We stayed in the Cannaregio neighborhood.

Gorgeous city. I definitely recommend it.

Train ride back to the Villa to meet up with the parents and family friends for another few days

Chels perfectly matched the interior of the train, how fashionable.