The two friends left Rome on Tuesday, June 7. On the last evening, Bayley confided to his journal that at the thought of leaving "my heart fairly misgave me, but I have duties to perform and must linger here no longer." They left in the morning for Assisi where they visited the tomb of St. Francis, and went on to Florence, where they visited the many sites of historical and cultural interest, such as the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Before leaving Florence, he wrote: "If I had no duties to perform in this world, and no other to prepare for, I would like to spend the remainder of my days under its bright sky and among its happy and lively people." Parting from Haskins, who went to Paris by another route, Bayley left Florence alone on June 28 for Venice, and after again having missed nothing of interest to the sightseer, left Venice on July 8 for Milan, going on to Lake Como, Lausanne, and Geneva, from which he made an excursion with several other tourists to the Chamonix valley, where Bayley considered the beauty of the sunset over Mont Blanc worthy of a voyage across the Atlantic to see. Bayley continued to Dijon and arrived back in Paris on August 2. From Paris, Bayley wrote to coadjutor bishop John Hughes informing him of his intention to study for the Catholic priesthood and asking his advice and commands.