This from Deanna today, as we trudged around Assisi in near 100-degree weather. Also heard from her were comments such as, "I wish I could take off all of my clothes and jump in that fountain", and "I would be a lot more comfortable if I could just take off my pants." Those of you that know her usual degree of modesty can now appreciate how hot we were today....she would like me to include as a disclaimer that by the end of the day, she did have a little heat rash on her arms, so she wasn't just being melodramatic.
But Assisi, specifically the Basilica of St. Francis, was well worth our efforts. His message is humbling, the basilica has amazing art about Jesus and about St. Francis' life, and unlike other famous religious sites we've been to, this one seemed much more serious and sacred. The friars there actually enforced the rules of modest clothing and silence in the basilica, and there were many, many religious pilgrims there as well. But once you leave the basilica, all bets are off....the stores along the streets do serious business with the Franciscan image....including places where you can buy figurines of friars playing poker. ALSO: at McDonalds in Assisi, they have big, blown-up images covering the walls (we think from the movie Brother Sun, Sister Moon), that actually have Ronald McDonald in the picture where St. Francis should be, and the nuns are giving out hamburgers and fries from their baskets instead of rose petals. It was so jarring that we had to take photographic evidence.
So we are off to Rome tomorrow...driving in, dropping off the car at the airport, and then to our hotel. We are hoping that all goes smoothly...we'll write again from Roma!
E & D
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Did St. Francis eat meat? I've never thought about it--but given the stories about him preaching to the animals (not to mention poor and itinerant) I wouldn't be surprised if he was a quasi-vegetarian. Which makes his image at the golden arches all the more scandalous. Still, I gotta see that picture! By the way, before I even read the post, I knew that "My pants are sticking to my legs" was a D quote. If anyone decides to take off their clothes and jump in the local fountain, make sure you get it on film. So are the men in Rome as true to type as they are portrayed in the movies?
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