MICHELLE AND MY FIRST FULL DAY IN ROME, SUNDAY

Cathy and Angie had a driver lined up to take them to the airport for their Sunday a.m. departure. He arrived right at 8 and I took photos as they left. Later I got a text they had arrived in Dublin and then in New York - so home safe and sound.

Saying good-bye after 3 weeks together! 

Altarpiece in church near Anna's

Side features on Pantheon

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Unique pine trees alongside Forum on left and VE monument on right.

FOR SARAH - elephant in front of a church!

Roman Forum

Actual Forum was at a lower level in Roman times

Ruins of a temple.

Forum 2

Overlooking Forum

Michelangelo's Moses in St. Peter in Chains Church

Motorcycle bride in front of Pantheon

New priest, I'm guessing!

Pantheon - best preserved oldest Roman building.

St. Peter's chains!

Old building with lots of holes!!

Odd altarpiece in St. Peter in Chains, with skeletons on each side.

Steps up to San Pietro di Vincolo

Weird street performer levitating!

Trying to get a picture of our elevator!

Trevi Fountain - threw the obligatory coin!

Victor Emmanuel monument! (Wedding cake)

Michelle and I headed downtown to use up the rest of our 1/2 day on the GRT Green Bus, Hop on type. We’re getting the hang of our apartment,with its tiny elevator - you have to close in the two inside doors before it will move - and the Metro system - we have to be sure on the return that we take the JONIO one NOT REbibbia (where we had met David the week before). the line splits. I am surprised at the ubiquitous presence of armed police/guards/security people everywhere. One guy on the Metro warned us about our backpacks - keep them in front, they can cut the straps and take off. He had had his wallet pickpocketed. So especially switching lines in Termini, we walked with our packs in the front. I didn’t see any obvious pickpocketing going on but Rick’s book and signs everywhere warned us.

We got on the GRT bus again and rode around until the Spanish steps stop, I think it was. Then we started walking! I think I’ve rubbed two inches off the bottom of my feet walking on this trip! And my legs and knees have to be in great condition from all the up and down hills and steps!! At the end of the days, I’m exhausted; but each morning I’ve been ready to go again! It’s so great to have Michelle here for this last week in Italy! I thought I would be staying with Anna on my own, before going to Plum Village, as Doug was finishing up the retreats in Spain. But it’s much more fun to have her with me to share the experience! We ended up staying the whole week in Tito’s apartment (that’s Anna’s brother who lives way east of Rome in the country. By the end of the week, we were thinking the same thoughts, finishing each other’s sentences!! We need a break from each other!! :)

A lovely Pieta - not Michelangelo's

Entrance to Villa Borghese, "Central Park" of Rome!

Harry Winston store on fashionable shopping street

Beautiful flowers in sidestreet market

Borghese Gallery front

Picturesque pine trees

Church near Anna

City view from bus

City view from Spanish Steps

Church at top of Spanish Steps.

Dessert soaked with Strega!! Surprise!!

Altarpiece in a church

Villa Borghese greenery

Spanish Steps under construction

On our HopON/HopOFF bus

Angie and Cathy's airport shuttle!!

At the Spanish Steps it turns out they are under construction. We visited briefly the church at the top of the steps and took some vista photos from the top. We then headed towards the Pantheon. I don’t remember ever seeing the inside of this! Either in 1965 or ’66 when I was here, or ’92 with the kids, or 2012 when here with Doug and the monastics, when I first met Anna. But on Sunday the crowds were horrific! And the line endless! So we decided to come back. Outside was a group of guys all dressed in black with one young 20-something in a cassock - I’m guessing a newly ordained priest! We also so a motorcycle group - maybe 10, with one woman with a bridal veil on - just married? People watching here is incredible!

The Pantheon is the oldest, best preserved Roman monument/building! We walked around the back and saw the different layers of brick and marble pieces broken off. We walked narrow cobblestoned roads, trying to avoid getting hit by motorcycles whipping through and cars trying to squeeze by. We stopped for some lunch and a place close to Trevi Fountain. The meal was pretty forgettable - turns out the least favorite meal we’ve had in Italy! But we were hungry! It was a place definitely just for tourists! Like us!

We stopped for a couple of mandatory Fountain pictures (I’m remembering Tony Diminico’s daughter years ago getting proposed to in front of this fountain and then they jumped in! A no-no! The carabinieri immediately appeared to arrest them; but Tony’s uncle was standing nearby, a carbineiri from the southern town where Tony’s mom is from, and he settled with the locals! They didn’t get a fine! They are now both teachers in Bethel, and live across the street from Tony in Newtown, with two grandkids for Tony!

We stopped at the Borghese Gallery to see if we could get in, but you had to book tickets - soonest for us was thursday at We ordered tickets and moved on.  

We kept walking and WALKING towards the Victor Emmanuel monument, locals call it the Wedding Cake! It was built to honor the first king of unified Italy around 1840! He had been king of Sardinia and northern Italy, there is a great view from the top but we passed on it! We’ll climb St. Peter’s dome later in the week for great views!

We could see the Coloseum in the distance but turned left as we passed the Roman Forum on our left and right! We were headed to St. Peter in Chains (where Michelangelo’s amazing Moses statue is). As we did it, I then remembered all the steps you have to climb to get to the piazza where the church is. Moses was done as part of a HUGE plan for Julius II’s (pope) mausoleum. But when he died, no one had the money or loyalty or inclination for create this huge monument so Moses was moved to this church. Over the altar was  a case enclosing the supposed chains that held Peter when he was captured, tortured and hung upside-down (at his request; didn’t want to be the same as Jesus) on a crucifix! Most popular method for the Romans to get ride of people. This was one of the many “relics” we would see around Rome. It was a HUGE deal for crusaders to bring articles back from the crusades, and house them in different churches around the European continent! This created a reason for pilgrims of the day to visit that church! Sort of like Muslims trip to Mecca, etc. You wonder how many of these “relics” were even close to the real thing! Like pieces of the “cross” - I’m sure the Romans reused that cross and no one knows which one Jesus actually died on! But it’s what the Pilgrims believed is what mattered! If you believed, it could cause a miracle to happen for you!

We walked back DOWN to the Cavour Metro stop and headed home for a much needed rest! We have found that a good breakfast (Michelle brought some oatmeal for me so I’ve been adding fruit and doing Cathy’s “cup-of-oatmeal” breakfast in the microwave!) and having a late lunch/early dinner-for Italians (who don’t go out until around 9 for dinner!) is enough for us, with maybe another glass of wine and a little snack or gelato in the evening - holds us for the day!

Anna came over around 10:30 p.m. to drop off the car and keys for our trip tomorrow for Assisi! We also bought Roma Passes for 3 days at the local Tabak shop to use on Tuesday through Thursday, which gives us unlimited public transportation for 3 days (worth the price alone!! for convenience!) and the first two sites we visit free - we’re going to go to the Coloseum/Forum/Palatine Hill for one stop and the Capitoline Museum - E15 - for the other. Then other sites are at a discount like 30% off or so.

So off to be we went, so we could leave around 7 a.m. to get an early start to Assisi!