pope Archives | Bellaugello

I had tried to write a catchy header to this post, but my brain is away somewhere else and for once I cannot link the two themes of this post with the correct heading…

Firstly owing to a cancellation I have two suites available for the Easter weekend, that is the last weekend of this month, come when you want, but do stay for Easter Sunday when we will be rolling Easter Eggs and having much silly fun.

With many traditional festivals and processions Easter is a great time here in Umbria. In out nearby city of Gubbio the weekend starts with the procession of “Christo Morto” an ancient procession throughout the town centre, with chanting, singing and participants dressed in strange attire. It is an eerily spooky and deeply mystical procession, that entrances me every year.

In nearby Assisi there are of course many Easter processions, and services on the Sunday. Assisi is especially worth visiting this year now that the new Pope has been elected and he has chosen the humble name of Francis. From his Wikipedia biography I feel certain that he has chosen the name after St Francis of Assisi, who led a simple and honest life, and walked from Assisi to Gubbio to tame the wolf, I hear the new Pope prefers public transport to limousines, there are lots of great walks here in Umbria. Last weekend I made contact with a guide called Mauro who will take guests into the fabulous Monte Cucco regional park, where he was born and grew up, for hiking, cycling, and even fly fishing- he is a qualified instructor, and down into the depths of the caves on Monte Cucco. If that appeals do drop me a line for further details.

It absolutely staggered me this evening whilst checking Facebook (incidentally do please “LIKE” our facebook page “Bellaugello Gay Guest House”) that all the comments posted about the white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel roof, and the likely choice of new Pope, then the heightened tension whilst waiting to the red curtains to be drawn dramatically back, were posted save one exception from a loving and proud mum… ‘Mum is it true that Berlusconi has just been named the new Pope?!’ by gay guys! Now get that girlfriend!! Not that any of them are religious, maybe closet religious, but not openly professing religion. With hardly one exception neither are they pro-Catholic, or intend to be, so why the slavish interest and lavish comments?

Anyway Religion or no religion, belief or no belief, the last weekend of March is a splendid time to come and stay at Bellaugello Gay Bed and Breakfast, where you will always be assured of a warm welcome, cozy underfloor heating in the suites, a cheery fire in the dining room, and the warmth of the log burning sauna stove… (oh dear does that last sentence sound a bit Dante ish?)

Email your booking request now to: book@bellaugello.com

It might have been a wee bit drizzly, but nothing prevented us at Bellaugello Gay Guest House driving down the hill to participate in the festivities tonight in the beautiful Umbrian city of Gubbio as direct from the Vatican Pope Benedict XVI touched his iPad screen and lit the Christmas tree on the slope of Monte Ingenio above the star lit medieval streets.

At an instant the hillside was aglow with over 700 coloured lights in the shape of a Christmas Tree – The world’s largest and as church bells rang out fireworks lit the skies above the tree to be met by thunderous applause from the many spectators.

And to give some idea of the scale of the thing the building in the next pic is the Palazzo dei Consoli that dwarfs the city and you cannot see the top of the tree….