From Accidents to Assisi...

Ciao, Saturday's journey began with an early get-up, where we left Firenze by 8AM, it was a short time until we were stopped by traffic because a tractor trailer had crashed and blocked 5 of the 6 lane highway (3 on each side of the highway). We were probably 50 cars behind the accident, so I considered myself lucky that we left when we did and not any second earlier. After waiting 1 hour, on the bus we found out that we would not be able to move until 1 PM. So everyone in our group was allowed to travel about a half a mile to a rest stop where there was a burger king and something that resembled a small grocery store. After grabbing a meal and waiting those 5 hours the road was cleared and we were on our way again.

Meat was everywhere!!!

Once in Assisi my heart skipped a few beats and was speechless with the beauty and history that was surrounding me. I'm sorry to say that I do not have pictures inside the churches, but there was no photography allowed and I had to respect rules, especially in the church. The patron saint of the main churches in Assisi is St. Francis. There are really no words to describe the feelings I felt while touring this sanctuaries. I would have to say that after the crash Assisi was the best place to go. Here are some pictures of the Assisi:

Main Church through my eyes...


St. Francis on the front doors of the church.

Thought it was a cool view

On Sunday we got up, and headed off to Siena with no problems. My friends and I quietly hung in the background, listening to the tour guide and having our tour of little shops and views along the way. Overall it was a wonderful trip with much history around every corner. Siena is a city where there are districts and once every while they have a major horse race around the center of the city where the districts compete to win. Also, the city used to have aqueducts that ran through the city. Now there are signs on building where the aqueducts used to run. After taking the tour of the city, we had some free time where we grabbed some pizza then did a little strolling before it was time to go. On our stroll we found a candle making store which made candle making an art from. It was amazed at these candles, they were absolutely amazing however, I didn't know which one to get so I will wait for either Kelly to help me or my family to pick some out, if we go back. I also suggest going to this city if you are ever in Tuscany.

SIENA

After Siena, we visited San Gimignano which had some great views, but had too much tourism for my liking. Apparently, some large number of tourists come through San Gimignano each year. There city is known for being a wine city, especially for Chianti wines. However, overall the trip was fun and interesting--I gained a little more knowledge of the surrounding cities near Florence. Next weekend, I am sticking close to Florence, and possibly seeing the Botanical Gardens of Medici's Mansion. Also look for some future blogs about the classes I am taking, volunteering stories, and friends I meet along the way. Any questions? then leave a comment! Ciao! Also, for more pictures, look on my facebook!

A nice view...