Assisi, Italy: The Umbrian Hills

Assisi, as you may have guessed, is the birthplace and base of St. Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan Order.  The biggest church here (and one of the main reasons for visiting) is the two-leveled Basilica of St. Francis, seen behind Mom and I.  The church is beautifully, yet simply, decorated, featuring lots of relics of St. Francis.  Photos aren't allowed inside, so I thought I'd include this one of us at the top of the hill outside the Basilica.

Speaking of hills, Assisi was built on the side of a hill in the Umbria region, so the streets are literally all either inclines or declines, with a lot of those being very steep.  Despite the hills and the heat, this was one of Mom and my favorite stops--narrow little passageways that are old and having surprisingly beautiful art (see above!), real flowers everywhere, amazing vistas of the surrounding hills and farmland, clean, and comparatively few tourists.  What a great day!