What is The Immaculate Conception?

Saturday and Sunday we pretty much chilled.  No really, it's cold here.

Monday we decided to drive to Assisi to witness their Nativity scene.  Being December 8th it was a holy day celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which has nothing to with the birth of Jesus but celebrates Mary being born without original sin.  It's a holiday in Italy, sort of like Columbus Day in the states.  Most things are open, but schools, banks and the post office are all closed.

Assisi's Nativity Scene

Then we walked the town of Assisi.  I bought a wallet to replace the one that was picked in Rome.   A homemade leather wallet at one of the kiosks in the piazza outside a Roman temple.   Maybe this wallet will be blessed and not picked. The Roman temple had been converted into a beautiful church.

A Roman Temple housing a Catholic Church inside (below)

Walking around the town, you could see the many different types of architecture used over the thousands of years of Assisi's existence .  Renaissance and Byzantine built on top of Roman columns.

Byzantine on Roman columns

I thought these flower pots looked so cool

As with all hill towns, Assisi sits high atop a hill...duh!  But the view looking west over the valley was spectacular today as it was very clear, with cool, crisp air.

Love the sunbeams pointing to my beautiful wife

We had a great day in Assisi.  Then we drove home in the spirit to decorate for Christmas.