As I described in a previous post, it’s evident that Ascoli Piceno is a beautiful city, with character as well. While I’ve seen my fair share of churches during the trip, the Basilica of San Francesco, situated just off the Piazza del Poppolo, holds a little bit more meaning for me. The church in which my great grandmother was married towers over the city’s picturesque main square, just another part of the people’s daily views. Between the evening passegiatas with Croce and the Aperitivos with Marco and Marino, I too got used to being around that special place on a daily basis. Ascoli is an easy place to get comfortable in, and it only took a couple days for me to feel like I was supposed to be there, hanging out in the Piazza along with the bambini playing in the square, the giovane sipping their aperitivos, and the anciani walking as slow as possible, watching the scene unfold before them…