This past Tuesday, we embarked on our first overnight field trip of the semester. We managed to cover some serious ground in our two-day adventure. Our journey started bright and early Tuesday morning when we journeyed by bus to Assisi. We went on a guided tour of the Basilica of St. Francis. I had never heard of St. Francis prior to this trip but as we learned about him on Tuesday, I was quite amazed. He was born into a wealthy family and lived a privileged life.  However, later in life he discovered faith and became a beggar in the streets, an image of the humility of Christ. The basilica’s walls ornately told the story of his incredible life, stunning all who see it.

After our time in Assisi, we left for Perguia, home of the Perugina Chocolate factory. For all of the chocolate lovers of the world like myself, this is the place to go. We learned about the complete process of how chocolate is made and we were even able to take a tour of the factory to watch the employees at work. And of course, then there was the free sample part, in which no one in our group took for granted.
Our final stop of our overnight excursion was Orvieto, a beautiful little town that sits atop of massive hilltops. We had to take an elevator up from the road to reach the town and the view from the top was incredible. The town was so quaint and quiet and it proposed such a soothing atmosphere. We had such an amazing time walking around exploring and taking in the small town feel. The trip concluded with a stop to a lovely little vineyard run by a family. Our guide walked us through the wine making process and even allowed us to have a little sample. Italy continues to amaze me every single day. I love that this program allows us to travel and explore different towns that always seem to prove themselves to be hidden gems.  We had such an amazing time on our overnight trip through the region of Umbria that I most certainly will never forget.

Alex Vallett