Many people think Saint Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of Italy. However, our guide (whose name I didn’t make note of, regretfully) told us that  in addition to being the protector of animals and of the environment, Saint Francis is a patron saint of Italy (along with St. Catherine of Siena). Saint Anthony is the patron of lost things, but the  lost  things may be physical  or abstract, such as love, faith,  hope,  or peace.

Before we left Assisi, Father Kumar requested that we see the chapel in which St. Francis died.  Francis took on his vow to live in poverty at the Porziuncola chapel, and he died in the Capella del Transito chapel. These structures are now part of the Basilica  of Santa Maria degli Angeli.

This “tiny church inside a greater one” reminded us of the Basilica della Santa Casa in Loreto, in which our friends Mary and Peter Greci were married, because it is a humble structure inside a richly decorated one.

At lunchtime, I planned to get an  arancini, but there were none. Disappointed as I was, Nick suggested that we share a plate of prosciutto with burrata and basil. Like the Italian flag, it was red, white, and green, and it  was wonderful! For dessert we shared Torta della Nonna, or Grandma’s cake, a  tender crust with a pastry cream filing, topped with nuts. This was my favorite Autogrill lunch of the trip!

Back on the bus, we enjoyed viewing the peaceful scenery. It was so peaceful that we were able to nap while the bus moved along. Along the way, we visited a leather shop, called Pierotucci. We saw tiny leather objects like key rings and eyeglass cases  to wallets, coats, handbags and high fashion items. This was very similar to a tannery/leather shop that we visited in Morocco in the spring, but the prices here were much higher.

We continued on toward Padua, in Italy’s  Veneto region. Eventually we reached  our hotel on the outskirts of Padua. Dinner in the hotel consisted of pasta (rotini with marinara sauce), pork with potatoes, and for dessert, chocolate cake.

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