Ancona

I arrived on time in Ancona. I had no idea how to actually get to the city centre, but I met an Italian working in Romania and he showed me what train to take. He said we could buy our tickets on the train, but I knew that was risky. Luckily, the trip was only 12 minutes, but every time I heard a door open, I made sure it wasn't the ticket controller coming.

My hotel was right across the street from the station. The nice man showed me where to go, so I got checked in and everything was fine. I had to get a bus downtown, but that was easy. I wandered around and around downtown. I climbed the hill to the church. I saw some Roman ruins along the side of the road. Ancona incorporated a lot of old buildings into the arhcitecture. I saw buildings have plaster and half ancient rock. Very interesting.

I found the church and went inside. Outside, it was cold and humid. I just wanted out of my coat. I knew that Catholic churches like tourists to be modest, but all I had on was a tank top. So I draped my pashmina shawl around my shoulders. I thought I looked presentable. The priest came over immediately. "Are you hot?" "Yes" (thinking "No, I'm cold, that's why I took my coat off"). "This is a church. Put your coat back on." I had a fricken shawl on my shoulders. If the Vaticant lets people in wearing garbage bag skirts and newspapers on their shoulders, I'm sure he should have allowed me to wear pants, a tank top and a pashmina on my shoulders. I glanced around a bit more but I was pretty pissed off, so I left.

Downtown again, I saw a clothing shop with a very gay-looking mannekin dressed up like a priest. I had my revenge!

Ancona isn't a very nice city. I spent an evening there and that was fine, but I wouldn't plan my next vacation to visit it.

The next morning, I got up and caught my train to Foligno to meet my mom. She had come from Rome where they were having a heat wave. I was bundled up in a coat and scarf and she arrived wearing a tshirt and shorts. She quickly changed!

The trip to Foligno made me very sick, and I almost passed out in the train to Assisi. I thought I was going to be sick in the bus going to the hotel, but miraculously I arrived in one piece. Our hotel was very luxurious. I promptly fell asleep and when I woke up, I was feeling much better.