I've been having a few days gentle retreat before Holy Week comes upon us and I've been staying at the Casa Santa Brigida in Assisi. Situated very close to the centre of Assisi, although definitely outside a steep hike up a hill, the house is only a few minutes from the Basilica Santa Chiara.
No emails. No telephone. No door-bell. Just a chance to rest, read and pray, before the hectic fever of Holy Week.
Assisi is a wonderful town, reigning over the Umbrian hills, with Tuscany to the West and Lazio to the south, and what must have been the piccolo pezzo di Paradiso of the Papal States. Being a hill-town, one's legs get a good workout. Even a gentle walk between basilicas gets the heart-rate going. The spiritual exercises of the Divine Office and the physical exercise have gone hand in glove.
The food prepared by the sisters is nutritious, tasty and all home-made. Of course, there's no choice but seven years of seminary weans one off those little luxuries. It's an excellent place to stay with good food thrown in.
Just a short walk were two little trattorie next to each other. Trattoria Spadini is on the Via Sant'Agnese and is the perfect little spot to sample a glass of the excellent house red, a local wine available by the glass (suitably named a calice) and the selected of cheese and salami with fresh, warm bread.
Good bread and local wine are really all one needs when it comes to the necessities of the good life. Except, of course, the 'living water' we heard about in last week's Gospel and the 'bread of life' we are offered each and every time we come to the Holy Sacrifice.
Happy Lent!
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