Where Have You Been?

 Yesterday, a friend texted and asked "Where have you traveled to thus far?"

Hmmm, not quite sure how to answer that. We've probably walked the distance of the Camino de Santiago since arriving in Italy but, other than two weeks in Rome, we haven't traveled to many other places so far. Are we missing something here?

Every day is magical. Every second is delicious. The sky is jewel-toned blue, not one piece of pollution. The birds sing, the flowers bloom and the air is perfumed. It smells of Assisi. 

On our walks, we have moments that no guide book could ever promise. Just down a steep and twisted set of stairs opposite the entrance to our temporary home, we often encounter a street musician, playing his violin, a repertoire of songs that make us cry. Yesterday, he was accompanied by another young man on a bass. I sat on a step opposite them, flanked by a man from Milan and his wife, a lovely woman from Madrid. Joe stood apart from us. I know he wanted to weep in privacy. My partners on the step swooned with me and we hummed along to the beautiful theme from my La Vita e Bella. We openly wept together. He patted me on the shoulder and said "Coraggio, Senora". Can you stand it? How can I leave here? Ever?

Joe succumbed to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". 

The Palazzo is situated between the major churches in Assisi, Santa Chiara to our left, and the Basilica of Saint Francis, to our right. In the middle of the two, lies the smaller but significant Chiesa Nuova, the one that sits upon the birthplace of Francis. All of them can be reached in minutes, something that we never take for granted, especially when we are stopped and asked for directions from people who have traveled miles to get here, just to see these beauties firsthand.

So, to my friend....."We're being".