Assisi

On Tuesday, we left early for Assisi, which was about a one hour drive from our place. Upon arriving, we were immediately blown away by how peaceful - and beautiful - the town was. It really felt like we were in a holy, magical place. Because we got there early, we had no problem parking and had some time to wander the streets while everything was still quiet - it was really special.

We toured the majestic Basilica di San Francesco, and even the kids were hushed (OK, Kate was hushed with her "nukkie") by the frescoes and incredible beauty of the churches. After walking through both churches, we then wandered through the town. Kate and Jack selected their souvenirs for the trip - Kate picked out a bracelet and Jack picked out a statue (we resisted the "Assisi snow globes," as that just didn't seem right).

We found a great cafe for lunch - the kids had pasta, and Jay and I had delicious flatbread sandwiches. There is one that has poppyseed bread, prosciutto and this amazing cheese - and we've had it twice, and cannot get enough of it. I'd love to figure out how to make it at home. We grabbed some gelato, wandered the streets some more, and then sadly, said good-bye to the town and made our way to the car. It really was a beautiful day.

After we got back to the house, we spent the afternoon swimming - and Jay developed his first "adult camper" game - an elaborate (and often violent) game of "keep away" in the water. Mary, Jim and Jared were his die hard camper participants - and Papa and I often played as alternates. At several points during the vacation, I wondered if Jay had missed his calling to be a coach or camp counselor.

That evening, Kate decided it was time to put on the "fancy dresses," so she and Sami dressed to the nine's for dinner - jewelry and lip gloss (vaseline) and all. The rest of us dined in bathing suits. :)