Perugina Chocolate and an Assisi Sunset

OMG Perugia and Assisi in one day! A late start got us to Perugia in time to join a tour group of Americans through the huge Perugina chocolate factory. There were people from Whidbey and Camano Islands in the tour. After consuming WAY too many free samples, we drove to the top of the historic center and joined the throngs of mostly students walking around streets that wizards could confuse with Diagon Alley.

We arrived at the Papal Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi at dusk, as the pigeons and hooded crows gathered to roost. This church is the Mother Church of the Franciscan Order, and Assisi is the birthplace of St. Francis. The Basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and contains the crypt where the remains of the saint are interred. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the Basilica as a World Heritage Site. We ate at a great trattoria in Assisi…if anyone is headed there anytime soon be sure to ask us for directions.