A Virtual Learning Journey
October 1 - November 30, 2008
Virtual Pilgrimage to Assisi
The Stories and the Spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi
A Journey through the Landscape & Stories of Italy

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Assisi - Gubbio - LaVerna - Greccio

San Damiano - Mount Subasio - Carceri - Portiuncula

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you may join the pilgrimage.

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Dear Friends, Pilgrims, and Travellers,

I took my first group to Assisi in the late 1980's and have travelled to Italy for our Storyfest Journeys almost every year for the past twenty years.  I have come to know all the pilgrimage sites in Assisi and surrounding Umbria from my many visits there.  Slowly, I have collected a repertory of over 40 stories about the life and legends of St. Francis, St. Clare, and their 13th century companions.

This is a treasure trove that I would like to share with you -- to lift your spirits and enrich your life on your journey.

During the past few years, however, actual travel has become very difficult for all of us.  Prices in Italy have soared at the Euro has gone up and the Dollar has gone down.  Air travel has become both more expensive as fuel costs have sharply risen, more uncomfortable as airline service has deteriorated, and more difficult as airport security has tightened.  Finally, the sluggish economy has made the overall costs of actual travel a dear and expensive luxury for most people.

At a time when travel plans overseas are being delayed to some future year, there arises another way to travel... Virtually.  Drawing on twenty years of experience in travel to Assisi, I invite you to travel virtually to Assisi, Italy with me and Kelly as your storytellers and guides.

Why travel with us?  Perhaps you would like to go to Italy in a future year and wish to immerse yourself in the stories and the culture before you go.  Or,  perhaps you have always wanted to go but never could.  Here is a chance to travel with storytelling companions in the excitement of a day-to-day itinerary.

How do we do it?  Travel "Virtually", that is.  First we design an 8-day itinerary, giving ourselves one actual week to experience each virtual day.  We provide you with stories, histories, legends in both written and spoken form and send them to you via e-mail, or post them on a secure website that you can enter with a password. Secondly, we provide you with the tools to travel through each "day" --- by sharing meals together "online" at local restaurants and cafes in Assisi and other Italian cities.  We share music and pictures and videos with you, and invite you to browse online to find more resources to share with us.

For example,  if you find a very interesting picture in an online gallery of a museum or church in Assisi, Gubbio, or Spoleto, we then visit the site and discuss it online.  You will not be a passive consumer of culture, but a contributor as you explore, discover, learn, and share. You will feel that you are journeying through Italy, and traveling back in time to the world of St. Francis and St. Clare.

When your 8-day journey ends after our 8 actual weeks together, you will have the experience of a pilgrimage to keep in your memory.  Your knowledge and understanding will have broadened.  And most of all, the stories of St. Francis and his companions will always dwell in your heart.

How do you do it?  All you need is a computer with an internet connection.  You can participate anytime of day or night -- 24/7 -- since all the messages and conversations are posted for you to access at your convenience.  There are no scheduled meeting times.  Our meeting is anytime you are free and interested.  We dwell in one magical day for an entire week!!

Are costs reasonable?  Tuition is $399 for one person, or $499 for two persons. (It is more fun to travel with a family member or friend, and we want to make it easier for you to do so.)  If you were to physically travel to Assisi for eight days, your likely expenses would be between $2500 and $3500 for one person, and over $5000 for two persons.

What is not included: Neither passports nor visas required. No airline tickets to purchase. No security delays at airports. No crowded airplane seating. No jet lag at destination. No packing and unpacking of luggage every day. No meals or lodgings to purchase. No tipping. No money to exchange. No language problems. No health nor sanitation problems. No safety issues. No Regrets.

For more information, visit http://www.storyfest.com/2008-Assisi.html

Your storytellers and tour guides,

Mary Jo Kelly Wilhelm & Robert Bela Wilhelm

What to Expect
Every week your Storyteller & Guide sends a number of "Travel Guides" to the Pilgrim. These include Stories, Maps, Pictures, Music, and a "Pilgrimage Challenge". These arrive as written texts and soundfiles. During the next few days the Pilgrim completes the Pilgrimage Challenge with a short written reflection and emails it to the Guide and the other Pilgrims. There is open discussion over the week about the places visited, the stories told, the challenges given. Estimated time for the Pilgrim's journey is determined and self-regulated by the Pilgrim alone. There are no scheduled online meeting times - Everyone works at their own pace whenever they have the time.

But there are optional "Cafe Rendezvous" for online discussion by voice through a free Skype account. Key Values in these courses are (1) one-to-one personalized learning between the Guide and each Pilgrim, (2) Free and open discussion and fellowship among a community of pilgrims. Key Goals are (1) deepening knowledge of sacred storytelling and (2) a rich experience of going on pilgrimage, The Virtual Journeys is designed to be enjoyable as well as informative.They will also prepare you for a future trip to Assisi, or enrich your memories from a previous trip.

What Not to Expect
Neither passports nor visas required. No airline tickets to purchase. No security delays at airports. No crowded airplane seating. No jet lag at destination. No packing and unpacking of luggage every day. No meals or lodgings to purchase. No tipping. No money to exchange. No language problems. No health nor sanitation problems. No safety issues. No Regrets.

Week 1 - October 1 - Arrival at the great pilgrimage church in Assisi, the Basilica di San Francesco
We begin with an audio and visual journey through the Upper and Lower churches, rich in medieval art
Week 2 - October 8 - An Walk through the heart of medieval Assisi
Turmoil at the birth of Francis: the Emperor's fortress atop LaRocca, the church where Francis and Clare were baptized. the secret treasury of San Rufino
Week 3 - October 15 - A Day Trip to Gubbio
We begin at the Bishop's palace in Assisi where Francis confronts his father, and we end in the city of his early exile, Gubbio -- famous for its fierce wolf.
Week 4 - October 22 - An Excursion down to the Olive Groves and San Damiano
A downhill hike from the earliest history of Assisi, to the place where the Crossspoke to Francis, and where Clare defended Assisi against Saracen maruaders
Week 5 - October 29 - A Day Trip to Greccio
A visit to the castle of Count Giovanni where Francis created the first Christmas creche and celebrated the Nativity with shepherds and woodsmen
Week 6 - November 5 - An Excursion up Mount Subasio
A climb to the caves above Assisi where Francis discovered his calling to be God's troubadour
Week 7 - November 12 - Exploring the heart of Assisi around the Piazza Comunale
Descending into the ancient Roman Froum of Assisi before choosing a cafe in the Piazza to hear the story of how St. Francis saved the Jews from the Nazis
Week 8 - November 19 - An Excursion up Mount La Verna
A journey to the remote mountaintop where Francis encountered God in the drama of the wild natural elements and the story of the Passion.
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Register Here via PayPal for One Person. Tuition is $399
or, register by mail with "Storyfest Journeys" 18934 Rolling Road, Hagerstown, MD 21742 USA
Sorry, Registrations are closed. The pilgrimage has already departed.
The next pilgrimage to Assisi will be in February 2009
"The Small Print" - Online courses are tutorial, meaning that the instructor is committed to individualized instruction to help the student discover unique gifts and strengths as a storyteller or storylistener. At the same time, a small community of pilgrims is at the heart of the virtual journey. In return for written and audio resources, and weekly discussion and evaluation, the pilgrim is expected to complete reflections and pay tuition. The tuition is due before class begins and is not refundable.