We left the hotel early in the morning and headed to Pompeii (optional tour 36 euro). Although views of Monte Cassino are shown in the advertising for this trip, you will only see it as the coach drives by. There is no stopping to take pictures and it's far in the distance.I was surprised how big the town of Pompeii was and due to lack of funds to both uncover additional areas and maintain them, only a third of the town is revealed. We had a very informative guide, Enrico, who showed us what ingenious people the Italians were. The tour was a little rushed because of the impending rain and I would have liked to spend more time in Pompeii.
The skies continued to darken and by the time we reached Assisi there was a misty rain. After checking into our hotel, Il Castello Hotel, which was once a monastery and built inside the city walls we had just a short walk to the basilica. Don't expect fluffy towels, they resemble tea towels. Make sure you tour the city when you arrive, because there is no time the following day.
