By Alexandra Redisch in Assisi
It’s early Friday morning in Tornandrea, a small village close to Assisi in Umbria. My travel blogger conference is about to start, and the day will include photo walks and a gala reception. But we are in for a surprise – the owner of the Valle di Assisi Hotel & Resort has kindly made a helicopter available for the guests.
We’re offered a ten minute ride, three people at a time. But notice the storm clouds on the horizon?
Soon, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and I’m one of the lucky few who gets the opportunity to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Assisi.
It’s my first time in a helicopter
Umbria seen from the clouds
Up, up and away! Valle di Assisi seen from above
Santa Maria degli Angeli
And of course… Assisi!
In case you’re wondering, I’ve been playing with flickr’s new photo editing toy, Aviary. Like it?
Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and other Franciscan Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here are more UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world.
Disclosure: My helicopter trip was generously provided by Valle di Assisi Hotel & Resort, however any reflections and opinions offered will always be all mine.
Very nice – how old is Assisi?
It depends… There have been settlements there from before Etruscan times, and the Romans built fortifications there in ca. 250BC and called the place Asisium, but St. Francis who founded the religious order there in 1208, so I’d say the town as we know it today is probably from the 1200’s!
Wonderful!! I have been to Assisi two times. I just remembered how we got into town from looking at one of your photos. It also makes me think of a delicious pizza I had in town.
Don’t talk to me about delicious food in Assisi! I ate so much there my stomach physically hurt! I’ve never been so full in my life :-S
Wow – such amazing views. Helicopters scare me a little – I didn’t take one until our honeymoon (that was the only way to get to the resort where we stayed). But for scenery like this it’s worth it!
I’d never been in one before so I had no idea what it was going to be like, but I didn’t mind at all, even though I sat in the front seat with a huge window. So much fun 🙂
Awesome…I did a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon once and loved it. Great shots!
That sounds amazing, I’d love to do that one day!
Wow, that is awesome! What gorgeous views of Assisi from the helicopter. Not a perspective everyone gets to see!
No, the few of us that got to go were certainly very lucky 🙂
Oh what fun!
These photos are great! Think we’ll have to try that new Flickr editing toy, too.
Aviary is brilliant 😀
What great shots. Wish I had made it to that conference!
Yep, you missed something there!
Pretty cool view, Sophie! And your first time helicopter – what a neat experience!
I’ll have to try Flickr. Probably cheaper than Photoshop….
I love the way you processed these shots—perfect for Assisi! 🙂
Thanks Michael! It’s easy to work magic in Aviary!
Magnificent collection of photos my friend. How thrilling it must have been on that helicopter!! What a vantage point you had!! Gorgeous!!
Thanks Jeff. Thrilling is indeed a good word to use in re the helicopter trip!
Love these shots, especially the detail in the bottom two. It’s not how I pictured it at all. Interesting perspective.
Really? The only thing that surprised me was that the monastery was on the edge of town, as opposed to the centre. Otherwise it looked like a normal Italian town to me 🙂 Beautiful, and very Italian.
Absolutely beautiful view and perspective of Assisi. I love what you did with the last two photos and I guess I really should play around with Aviary.
Yes, you definitely should!
Getting envious now. Seems some people had all the fun:)
You didn’t get to go? I think there were only about 10 of us who did…
It really wasn’t so bad there, was it? #BritishUnderstatement But I feel like I barely glimpsed the place. Barely a glimpse. That’s all.
Assisi, you and I, we’re far from done.
(Pleasure to meet you at TBU, Alexanda).
Pleasure to meet you too, Mike! And coming from a place that was snowing when I left for Umbria, I didn’t think the weather was that bad, either 🙂
Beautiful photos of a gorgeous and peaceful landscape 🙂
I don’t like it.. I Love it! What a truly wonderful photos! I’m so inlove with the place.. How I wish I can visit Assisi too…
Umbria took me by surprise, really. I had no expectiations, but in some ways I felt it outshone Tuscany!
Awesome experience and great photos. Nice job with the photo editing — I like it!
Thanks Cathy! It’s really easy to do it in Aviary!
I always enjoy getting a good aerial perspective that not a lot of people have seen before.
I know, that was what I thought as well. Different perspectives are great!
Awesome views! Makes me want to get to Italy….and get a helicopter to take pictures from.
Haha, why not do that, then?
SO beautiful. Assisi is a special place, and I love that your photos really show the whole town and the proportions of those churches against the buildings. I haven’t been in a helicopter before, but I would have jumped at the chance to do this.
As I did 🙂 I think an aerial photo gives such a different picture than one taken on ground.
WOW! Assisi looks even more beautiful by air!
I’m loving all the fab photos out there of Assisi from the sky! These are lovely, kudos…