Assisi: Prepare to be impressed (but don't wear heels)

Here, as promised, is my full report on my recent trip to Assisi. Now, it won't be as extensive as the Sicily Chronicles, but I thought I'd give you an update.

On Saturday morning, at 7.30am (urgh...it hurts to even remember it) I traipsed down stairs and waited for my boyfriend to pick me up. We were to meet with his brother's family and parents, and complete the 4 hour drive in convoy. My doubtfulness at the likelihood of actually carrying this out was quickly shot down by my boyfriend, as he said that it was important that we left early to get to the bed and breakfast on time. (On time for what? A nap?). Anyway, I was there, it was 7.30 and I was ready.

We ended up leaving at 9am.

The situation was nothing other than farcical, and my boyfriend's dad turned to me and said:

Ahh Amy! You should write about these kind of things!! (Errm...sort of already got that covered) 'A typical Italian family trip!'

Southern Italian, my boyfriend corrected, growling almost as much as me at the situation.

The amount of 'stuff' required for two days. Good grief.

And so it continued. We waited, we were late, we waited some more, we ate too much. We were even late for the Christening by about 40 minutes. But, such details aside, it has to be said that Assisi is beautiful. Full to the brim with tourists, but definitely worth a look, even if you aren't so religiously inclined. Just take my advice, and don't wear heels. You will be walking uphill. When you've finished gawping at the beautiful basilica di san francesco, have a meander around the town. There are lots of cute little shops. We ate a fantastic meal at Buca di San Francesco, a gorgeous restaurant that's perfect for big parties but also for 'normal' dining too.

Not far from Assisi is the city of Perugia. Not to be missed, if only for the chocolate production. Take a stroll around the centre and have lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants, then stop at a chocolate shop to stock up on goodies. I did.

On Sunday evening we also had a jaunt around Foligno. Unlike the south, there were hardly any people out and about having their evening walk, but it was still a pleasant city. It reminded my boyfriend of Parma somewhat. We finished off the weekend with a cocktail in a cosy little bar.

This area of Umbria is beautiful, and definitely worth a visit- a long weekend is perfect. Watch out for the windy roads though- the views of the countryside are stunning, but the sharp bends are a little nauseating....