Umbria ( Assisi & Foligno )

Assisi
Assisi was my first city which I had visited after arriving in Perugia. Perhaps most people would be familiar with Assisi than Perugia due to the pilgrimages by devoted Catholics to the Basilicata di San Francesco. Together with my Turkish roommate, we took a train and headed for Assisi.

Rocca Maggiore is one of the sights not to be missed. Perched on Mount Subasio, it offers a panoramic view. To beat the hot Italian summer, walking inside the pathway of the rocca is both cooling and adventurous. With narrow passage and numerous steps, one has to be extreme careful.

We had pizzas for lunch with Coke at a local pizzeria. A simple meal here is costly too due its popularity with tourists. However, the Italian chef was extremely friendly and curious to know where we come from. The pizzeria is decorated with currency notes from various countries. While he chatted with us, his Polish wife was busy preparing the pizzas with the fresh ingredients.

At the train station, we realized that it is still early and decided to explore Foligno.

Foligno

Foligno is a busy train station to connect to Roma Termini or Ancona, an important gateway to neighbouring countries like Croatia and Greece.

From the train station, we headed straight to the historical centre. As it was a Sunday, the shops were all closed and the main attraction is observing the Italians in the main piazza. The whole town seemed very peaceful with old folks smoking cigars and chatting amongst themselves.