Rain means free time

What I first learned about the olive harvest is that it should not take place in humid conditions because the olives can rot quickly, and no one who really cares about quality wants that... and my hosts certainly do! The conclusion is: We are free. Great!!! It doesn’t make much sense to be free in the rain, either. So Karl-Heinz set off after breakfast, heading towards the sun, while I explored the area a bit. Right in front of the house is the pilgrimage path of St. Francis and a Benedictine abbey where he supposedly found refuge as a 'kitchen boy'. Other than that, it’s just hilly, slippery, and everyone is hiding inside. So I had plenty of time to read, write job applications, cook, eat, and let my soul unwind, and then just before ‘bang,’ the sun peeked around the corner and enchanted the landscape.

The next morning also began with this magic. But the weather forecast was still not favorable for the olive farmers, so the boss decided to go to Assisi with her helper-friend and offered me a ride. Oh, how nice! I had no idea, and then I found myself in this beautiful, typically Italian, medieval town. I can only imagine what it’s like here in the summer... We strolled relaxed through the streets, enjoyed a cappuccino, and of course visited the Basilica San Francesco. I have seen quite a few churches, and very few have remained particularly memorable to me. This one surely will - gothic upper church, late Romanesque lower church, and the crypt with the bones of the saint - stunning colors, an impressive dark blue, all built between 1230 and 1239, and far too lavish for someone who had committed himself to poverty, but by then, good Francis had no more say in the matter. He died in 1226, and I was dazzled by the splendor of the colors.

At the moment, the stars are sparkling above me, and perhaps I will look for the Pleiades soon, -) Good night!!!