Venice - Too Many People, Too Much of a Tourist Trap

Our experience of Venice was simply too many people, specifically too many tourists. The whole place was set up for the tourists and from what we were told most of the Venetians have moved, their homes being purchased by foreigners. It didn’t feel like a true Italian city, rather more like a really large Disney ride. The Murano glass factory was cool, but the demonstration was too short as far as I was concerned - I could have watched that glass artist for a lot longer. Then, of course, we had to go through all the display rooms and get some slick pitches from sales people (which were as long as the glass artisan demonstration). The narrow streets were filled with shops, but all selling basically the same things - Murano glass, lace and linen work, souvenirs of Venice, or food for the tourists.

We also had a gondola ride, but far from being romantic we had 4 other people in the gondola with us and what was almost a traffic jam of gondolas moving about the canals. But not all was negative about the gondola ride, once we got into the interior canals of Venice it got much quieter - a nice change from the commotion of the streets. It was also interesting to see how the buildings were deteriorating and sinking in certain parts - hardly surprising when you consider how Venice was created. I didn’t realize that Venice was basically built on an artificial island in the middle of a lagoon. This was done apparently for defensive purposes, as was the intentionally maze-like streets.

For all its supposed splendour and culture we found it basically crowded and kitschy - certainly not the Venice of Verdi anymore. Shortly before we were to leave a storm blew in and it started to rain (good thing it held off until we were finished the gondola ride, otherwise we would have been stranded in the open and gotten really soaked. We boarded our waterbus, glad to get out of the rain, and glad to be heading back to the mainland where our hotel was.

One final note about Venice: on our way back to the part of Venice on the mainland (or Venize Mestre as it is know to the Italians) we went by many huge yachts, which we discovered were there for the opening of a new Modern Art Museum, invited there by the owner of the Gucci company who was a major benefactor for the new museum. Some of those yachts were massive, almost mini-cruise ships (some people have to much money!) Which leads me to my final comment - Venice is home to a large ship-building company (Fincantieri) that makes cruise ships including the Disney Cruise line - somehow appropriate for a place that seemed to me to have a false reality like a Disney ride.

Venice Highlight - Murano Glass

The most amazing part of Venice, in my opinion, was the visit to a glass factory. There we saw a demonstration of glass blowing which was absolutely incredible to watch. I couldn’t believe how he could take a little blob of glass and with a few twists of the wrist, and a little air through the pipe, a beautiful vase began to appear. Another few blobs and the vase was given handles. Then, as a follow-up parlour trick he fashioned a glass horse for us. Again he started with a blob of molten glass, then he took some pincer type tool and started pulling on the glass to form the legs. In a few minutes he was done. Absolutely fascinating to watch and such a shame to see the beautiful vase (and horse) get dumped back into the furnace to be melted down. If they had been keeping the piece it would have gone into a cooling chamber for 24 hours. I also expect that for pieces that were meant to be sold, they might take more than a few minutes to fashion.

Of course, after the demonstration we were shepherded through the showrooms for a bit of a sales pitch. All of the works we saw were gorgeous - from vases with vibrant colors (made by mixing gold or different compounds with the glass) to ones made with glass beads and different forms of jewellery as well. We looked at a nativity scene made out of glass and would probably have been tempted if it had contained more color (and if the price tag was greatly reduced). We did, however, visit some of the shops along St. Mark’s square and I ended up finding a smaller nativity scene which I did purchase. It’s actually pretty cool because it has Mary, Joseph and Jesus on a gondola - very representative of Venice, I thought.

Ferrara not Ferrari

Travelling from Florence to Venice we had to go through a mountain range. There is a four lane highway through the pass and apparently it often has delays (due to traffics accidents or vehicle breakdowns). Our tour went through this area without delay, thus we were able to make an unscheduled stop in a little Italian city called Ferrara. Elzo, our guide, said this is a nice stop to make because we would get a flavour of a “non-touristy, real Italian town,” with normal Italians going about their regular routines.

It was a great little stop. The first thing we walked through to get to the town square, was a castle - complete with a moat and drawbridge. The castle is still in use as the home of local government offices. The town square was filled with people doing activities we would recognize at home, like a grandmother talking with her young grandchild, a group of older men standing around talking like a sort of coffee row, shop owners chatting with their customers, and even local political volunteers doing some campaigning for the upcoming elections (we’ve seen election signs everywhere in Italy).

Beth and I took some time walking around the city centre, looking in the shops and eventually having some gelato cones, regretfully realizing that this may the last day we get true Italian gelato. (For those of you who don’t know what gelato is, the best way I can describe it is a cross between ice cream and sherbet). Then it was time to get back on the bus, but there was a problem - a young husband and wife were nowhere to be found. After waiting for 45 minutes and contacting the police the tour director said we had to leave (which caused all of us to worry and feel bad). Elzo said they would be fine because they are young, have each other, and can speak Spanish and that it would be fairly easy for them to get to Venice using the train.

Sure enough, shortly after we arrived at Venice we ran into them again (they were very
apologetic). They had caught the train and actually made it to Venice faster than us! All was well, everyone was relieved and we could fully enjoy the remainder of the day.

I should say a few words about our tour group. We started with 43 of us. One couple left the tour right away because the woman broke her ankle the day before the tour started and after one day she realized that it would be too difficult to move about. Of the 41 remaining folks there is a large group of Americans, but also some groups from New Zealand and Australia. Beth and I are the only Canadians. The group is very diverse, there is a Latino family, some grandparents with their grandchildren, a young couple who are moving to Victoria in the fall to teach at the University of Victoria (who brought her mother along as a gift to her before they moved). There are a retired science teacher and his speech pathologist wife from New York state, a Minnesotan woman (Norwegian Lutheran - no surprise) and her son who just graduated from University, and a Mother and daughter from New York city. Quite an eclectic mix, and Beth and I have been enjoying meeting different folks during our bus rides and meal times.

As I write this the bus is driving through a large wine making region (near Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet). There are massive vineyards, and even though it is an overcast day, the scenery is lush and beautiful. This is on the way to Lucerne. The traffic is nicer today because there are few trucks on the road due to a European law which bans truck traffic on the weekend except for trucks carrying goods that spoil, or goods that are absolutely essential. I can hardly keep track of what the day is, I wouldn’t even know the date if it wasn’t for my watch - however today is indeed Saturday and that means it was been a week since we started our journey!

Things I Didn’t Know About Florence

Yesterday we made the trip from Rome to Florence and I discovered the first thing I didn’t know about Florence, that Italians call it “Firenze” - thus on our train trip to Milan and back we were briefly in Florence twice (and I didn’t even know it!) On our bus trip our guide pointed out that all the ancient towns and cities of Italy were built on hill tops - this for reasons of defence. I just thought they looked cool - we drove by many of such villages and towns on this leg of the journey.

Florence, however, is not built on a hill, but primarily in a valley, but as this city has been the centre of banking, commerce and trades for many centuries the city bought its safety over the years by paying invading armies to leave them alone. An interesting form of defense.

I didn’t know that Florence was the beginning point of the Renaissance, nor that it was the home of Galileo, Michelangelo and even for a while Leonardo da Vinci. It is here that we saw Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of David. Our local guide was a very passionate and knowledgeable person who never stopped talking the whole time he was with us - a fount of information (and humour simply because of his mannerisms... "Please, just one more statue then we go...")

After seeing the David up close, and hearing the explanation by the guide I have a whole new appreciation for that sculpture and for Michelangelo. I didn’t know that the sculpture depicts David just before he slays Goliath (whereas up to that time all depictions of David and Goliath depicted the aftermath, with Goliath dead on the ground and David standing triumphant over him.) If you look at the face of David it is clam, determined and calculating, figuring out how best to attack the giant. The guide said Michelangelo’s intent is to say that through intelligence and confidence we can slay the giants, the difficulties, in our lives. David is also left handed in this sculpture, holding the end of the sling (with the stone) in his right hand, and holding the other end of the sling over his left shoulder with his left hand. The sculpture was originally intended to be up on the cathedral, thus the hands are disproportionate to the body in order to look good from a distance, but when the people of Florence saw the completed sculpture they wanted it closer to them, thus it was placed on the ground near the cathedral. The original now currently resides in the museum of the Academy of the Arts.

One other thing I didn’t know about Florence is that it has the 4th largest cathedral in the world. So by the end of our time in Europe Beth and I will have seen the four largest church buildings in the world - in order of size: Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London, The Duomo in Milan, and the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. The fresco created inside the cupola of this church in Florence is the largest in the world - suitable for a city renowned for its development of the arts. On the outside this Florence cathedral was completely faced with different coloured marble (white, red and green). I can’t believe how much marble is used over here, it seems like every hotel we’ve been in has marble throughout, especially in the bathrooms. Right now as I look outside the bus window is a building completely faced with marble. I guess it makes it more possible when the marble is quarried in the same region.

Did you know that the story of Pinocchio is from Florence? There were many shops selling puppets, and they all featured that most famous of wooden stringed characters (whose nose grew long when he lied). My nose is still the same length so you should know that all this information is reliable.

The last thing I didn’t know about Florence is that it is known for its merchants. Well I can say from experience that they certainly know how to sell there wares, as Beth and I came away from Florence with some merchandise, but you have already read about that in Beth’s post. So I learned many things about Florence in the last 24 hours, and now you have too!

Last Reflections on Rome

I realize that I’m getting behind in my postings… here we are on the bus driving to Venice and I haven’t even finished with Rome. So here is a post to finish up my reflections on Rome, then I can move on to Florence.

The Coliseum in Rome was one of the highlights of the day. To think that what is visible today is only part of the original building (it is missing about a third of its original structure), and that the whole building was faced with marble at one time! The marble is all gone, stripped off and used elsewhere in Rome when the Coliseum fell in disuse. The Coliseum became abandoned when following Constantine’s (and the Empire’s) conversion to Christianity the Gladiator Fights were discontinued. Apparently that was the only real use for the facility, other entertainment was done in other buildings (for example the chariot races were at the Circus, the plays at various amphitheatres). Not only was the Coliseum the first stadium type structure in the world (a design still used today by modern stadiums), it was the first covered stadium! A large canvas roof could cover the entire seating and stage area. It would have been something to see this building in its glory days, filled with 50,000 people, glistening in its white marble façade. Even today in its run down condition it inspires awe.

The Forum was also interesting but mostly for the history lesson the guide was giving as we walked through the ruins. It was very hot and humid and some of our group elected not to walk up the hills to see the ruins. Beth and I went, took lots of pictures, but were glad to get back to the bus - to our comfortable seats and air conditioning!

After a small break in our hotel room (just to get off our feet for a bit), and a trip to the Church Vestment store, Beth and I took a cab to the Catacombs of Domitilla. It was a bit outside the city centre (because people were not allowed to bury the dead inside the city walls in ancient Rome). These were not the catacombs I had originally hoped to visit (which are closed on Wednesdays) but these were just down the road and had some interesting features as well.

After mistakenly getting put in with a German group, we finally got connected up with an English speaking guide, and down into the catacombs we went. It was fascinating to see some of these examples of the earliest Christian art and symbols. I was able trace my fingers over 2nd and 3rd century versions of the Chi Rho (the symbol that combines the Greek letters that look like a P and a X - and form the first two letters of the word Christ). We also saw a fresco from the 3rd century that featured Jesus and the apostles (including Paul in this particular case). We learned that the Christians couldn’t really have hidden down in the catacombs during the persecutions because there would not have been enough air and light for them to do so for very long. There may well have been times they held brief worship services down in the catacombs, but those would have been more like family memorial services of thanksgiving more than anything else. At one point walking through the catacombs were heard another group who were holding a worship service down there (which is something that could be arranged by contacting the priest in charge of the catacombs in advance).

One of the most interesting things I learned about the catacombs was why they still existed in such good shape in a region known for its earthquakes. It all has to do with the porous rock that the catacombs were carved out of. This rock would hold a lot of moisture, which would then make the stone somewhat flexible, thus in an earthquake the walls would move but not break, unlike the buildings on the surface made from harder materials which would crack and crumble. This was good to know as we found ourselves many metres underground and remembering the tragic earthquake in Italy that was in the news recently.

Once we surfaced from the catacombs I asked the preist in charge what the best way to get to Saint Peter’s Basilica was. He told us the bus was quite easy, though it required a change of routes at one point. We hesitated and asked if he could call us a taxi, to which he insisted the bus would not be a problem (and a tenth the price of a cab!) So armed with a little map we headed down the street to the bus stop. The first trick was finding the bus stop - I stopped at a gas station, pointed to circled locations on the map and in this way asked for directions. This process was duplicated many times as we asked people if we were at the right bus stop, or on the right bus. I must say, most of the Italians were quite helpful, even if they couldn’t speak English they often were able to make themselves know by pointing at the map and nodding, or wagging their finger.

Eventually we boarded a bus crammed with people. I looked for the fare receptacle at the front of the bus (where they have always been on any of the transit buses I’ve ever ridden), but I couldn’t see anything for this purpose near the driver. It didn’t matter, next thing I knew Beth and I were being moved with the crowd further inside the bus. Then I spotted a machine that you put your coins in to get a ticket (a 1 Euro coin is good for 75 minutes on the transit system) and another machine where you validated the ticket. However the bus was so crowded I couldn’t make my way to the machine. Beth suggested we just do that on the next bus.

After riding through a section of the city that seemed totally unfamiliar to me I was beginning to think this was a terrible mistake and that we were going to end up lost in Rome. But then we spotted some familiar landmarks, and one of the nice Italian lady who was trying to be helpful indicated that we should get off at the next stop (at least I think that’s what she was saying… she herself got off at the previous stop). We got off and with a few more enquiries we got on another bus (much less crowded) and I looked around for the machine to put in our two Euro coins… but no machine! There was one to validate the tickets, but not one to issue the tickets, so in the end our transit experience was free.

Eventually we ended up right by Saint Peter’s Basilica (which as you may know from previous posts was right close to our hotel) and we hopped off - surviving another Rome transportation adventure. Since the Pope had his Blessing Service earlier that day, Saint Peter’s Basilica was closed to the public until the mid-afternoon. After our tour with the local guide the line up to get into Saint Peter’s was very long, at least an hour or two wait… thus we didn’t line up (we went to the Catacombs instead). But now, close to 7 PM there was no line up at all! So in spite of being tired from a long day of sightseeing we headed into the largest church building in the world. One of the first things we saw was Michelangelo’s Pieta. There was marvellous sculptures and artwork everywhere. There were tombs of past popes (including the body of John Paul II displayed in a glass case). Beth felt it was a little weird or creepy (displaying the bodies of dead popes), and I felt the whole building was not so much for God’s glory, but to celebrate human achievements. It certainly was big, and definitely beautiful, but once again I felt somewhat spiritually uninspired being in that most famous of sacred buildings. (Perhaps I was simply on overload having seen so much that day.) However I will say that visiting Saint Peter's Basilica was certainly a grand conclusion to our sightseeing in Rome.

Little Places - Pleasant Surprises

Rome is not just a city of big sites like the Coliseum or Saint Peter’s Basilica, it is also many, many interesting little places. I would like to mention two. After our hectic touring in the morning and early afternoon we came back to the hotel. As the bus came down the street by our hotel Beth noticed a shop with clerical vestments in the window. She said to me “Maybe you need to get a new alb in Rome.” (An alb is the white robe worn by pastors when leading worship services, and the one I currently have is over 25 years old, and is starting to show its age, a new alb is something I’ve been talking about for the past little while.) However, based on the prices and type of vestments I saw in a store next door to the Vatican earlier that day I didn’t hold out much hope for finding anything suitable and reasonably priced.

With few expectations we walked down the street and entered this little shop, filled with some adult vestments, and a lot of children’s items (for altar boys, and first communion I suspect) They also had lots of school uniforms, which I found out later was because this store was the official supplier of school uniforms for many of the elementary and high schools connected with the Vatican and area. The first clerk couldn’t speak English so we were turned over to a young gentleman who was very pleasant to deal with. I explained that I was a Lutheran Pastor from Canada and would be interested to see what they had for albs. He went upstairs and came back with an alb as well as and red chasuble & stole set.

With a high level of professionalism, respectful manner, and friendly assurances, this gentleman helped me try on the vestments. The alb he showed me was a very different design from the one I currently have - for one thing it is not designed for use with a cincture (the rope belt), and it had interesting yet simple design work around the sleeves and hem that Beth said reminded her of hardanger (a Norwegian style of embroidery). The chasuble and stole set was lovely, but I’ve only worn a chasuble (a chasuble is full sized covering, like a poncho, it the appropriate liturgical colour) a few times in my life. He also showed me a green chasuble and stole set that was particularly lovely, made with Italian wool, with subtle gold work… gorgeous, but in the end I couldn’t justify spending that much money on something I would probably seldom use. However the alb felt really good on me, and Beth assured me that it looked good as well. Thus In the end I bought the alb and one green stole from the Martinetti Forniture Ecclesiastiche store. Of added bonus the price was very reasonable (probably not much more than I paid for my original alb 25 years ago!) So in this little shop on a side street in the shadow of Saint Peter’s Basilica I picked up a most unusual, and very meaningful souvenir - and had a great experience doing so.

Later that day, when we had finally made our way back from the Catacombs of Domitilla (a story in itself) and took a last minute look through Saint Peter’s Basilica, we were both hungry and tired. We decided to see what was available just around the corner from our hotel (thus just across the street from the Vatican). We bypassed the first place because the pizza looked like it had been sitting there for too long, and then we came across La Pilotta da Mario - with the owner standing in the doorway looking calmly out at the activity on the street. When we asked if he was still open he smiled warmly and said “Of course, of course” and indicated for us to have a seat. Beth ordered Fettuccini Alfredo and I ordered Fettuccini al Limone.

The pasta was excellent, some of the best I’ve ever had, anywhere. My pasta came with a lemon cream sauce that, while an unusual taste, was absolutely delicious. Beth thought her Alfredo was quite simply the best she had ever had. This wonderful pasta combined with a lovely glass of white wine made for a fantastic, yet simple supper, for these two tired travellers. After the main course I still had some room for a bit more so when the owner cleared our plates, I enquired about desserts. “Come, I show you” he said with a wink. Inside the dessert display was truly mouth-watering (even after such great pasta). Beth and I each enjoyed our desserts (a chocolate something for me, a cheesecake for Beth) in the cooling air of the late Roman evening, truly contented. There was no one else in the restaurant at that time, so we had the full attention of the owner, who was not overbearing at all, but truly attentive, a perfect host.

If you ever find yourself in Rome, you should seek out La Pilotta da Mario, close to Saint Peter’s Basilica, if you have food that is anything like our meal you won’t be disappointed. We were simply looking to fill our empty stomachs and we ended up experiencing another delight of Rome. Thank you Mario!

Leather, leather everywhere

For those of you who followed my uncertainty and counselled me on footwear, you’ll be happy to know that I am managing quite well with my Birkenstock sandals and my runners (the dress sandals were perfect for the opera but probably won’t come out of my suitcase again). It’s been a good solution to alternate between the two pair of shoes, although I notice I am developing a shoe tan. As for my dream/plan of buying Italian shoes or boots I’m afraid that isn’t likely to happen now. Let me explain myself.

Today we were in Florence, which as some of you known is renowned for leather goods. Should be a good place to find shoes, you say? Yes, it would have been except that I got lured in by other leather products - everywhere I looked there were fabulous handbags, all sizes and shapes and colors. I ended up making a very extravagant choice (a Grace Kelly handbag) and that more than used up my entire leather budget. It is simply gorgeous though and worth every cent. Nothing quite compares with the aroma of those shops - sort of like new car smell but better. Maybe that’s my excuse - the fragrance went to my head (it also helps that handbags are one of my weaknesses).

My other Florentine purchase was two small hand painted watercolors of the Tuscan landscape. There were all kinds of artists in the square where we had some free time. This guy had several of his works on display and when I started looking, he opened up his portfolio and showed me hundreds (it seemed anyway). I also got my first taste of bartering - I really wanted the two small pictures but was still reeling from the leather purchase so I thought I better just get one. He saw my hesitation and lowered his price, I ended up getting a better deal without too much effort on my part. I wasn’t really intending to do that because I do believe in supporting local artists but I was still happy to make a deal.

A Dream Come True... Kind of

So bright and early yesterday we were off to the Vatican Museums. Our local guide was a young Italian woman who carried a extendable metal wand with a gold scarf tied to the top. This was so the group could see her as we moved about the Vatican. There were lots of groups there, each with a guide carrying some kind of flag or scarf identifying themselves. To get into the Vatican museums we had to go through security much like at an airport, with metal detectors and x-ray scans for our bags and such. Once inside it was a bit frustrating for us because the tour guide kept moving at a quick pace and we could never stop and spend some time at an article or display of interest. It also didn’t help that the guide's transmitter mic kept cutting in and out (each person in the tour group got a receiver with an ear bud to listen directly to the tour guide - which allowed the members of the group to spread out a little more, without needing crowd around the guide to hear her - at least theoretically).

What an amazing collection of art and artifacts - it boggles the mind to think of how much there was to look at. But look isn’t even the right word for most of what we saw, glance would be more accurate. Part of the reason for our hurry surely had to do with the Vatican Museum people wanting to move people through efficiently simple because so many people were visiting the museums every day. But part of the reason for our haste also had to do with a Pope’s Blessing in Saint Peter’s square later that morning. Every Wednesday that the Pope is in the Vatican he has a special blessing ceremony, and the guide was making sure we got there for that.

The only place we got to spend some decent amount of time on the tour was in the Sistine Chapel. That certainly is something to see, though Beth was surprised it wasn’t larger. My memory of the Sistine Chapel (other than standing under Michelangelo’s amazing painting on the ceiling) was having the Museum attendants shushing the crowd every few minutes, and giving stern reprimands to anyone who held up a camera. I am amazed at how many places prohibit the use of cameras - I could understand that at La Scala where flashes going off during a performance would be distracting (though I couldn’t understand why that was still in force after the opera was over). I suppose it could be that the amount of flashes going off over time could fade or damage the artwork, but more likely they don't want photographers clogging up the movement of visitors through the museums, or (more cynically) they want people to purcase postcards and books if they want to take an image home.

After the Sistine Chapel we were hustled outside the museum, then around the outside of the Vatican wall to the entrance to Saint Peter’s square. Some of the folks in our group are not fast walkers, and we kept having to stop to wait for them to catch up. Once at the entrance we had to go through security again (just as at the entrance to the museum). There was a huge crowd trying to get in, and since it was close to 10:30 AM (the time the Pope would arrive) people were getting frustrated at the slowness of the security check - the guards didn’t seem too concerned however - certainly didn't speed up the process. Our group was able to get in and made our way to the back of the crowd. I estimate there were 100,000 people in the square (based on my experience of the size of Rider crowds); young and old, and every colour of skin under the sun. There was even a young bride and groom there in there wedding garments! There were also jumbotrons and television cameras placed around the square. The air buzzed with anticipation.

Soon applause began to break out and the Popemobile was driving through the crowd, though most of the time we had a hard time seeing anything except on the jumbotrons. However at one point the Pope was less than 100 metres away from where we were standing. We both tried to take pictures, but so were thousands of others and it was hard to get an unobstructed view. Eventually the Pope made his way to a large stage built on the steps of Saint Peter’s Basilica and the ceremony began. The Pope offered some kind of Invocation prayer or blessing (in Italian), this was followed by a reading of some verses from Psalm 24 by various priests from around the world (in various languages, including English). Then the Pope began reading a sermon or something like that - all in Italian (as far as I could tell). After about 5 minutes of the Pope’s speech we heard the guide calling the group over the headsets and we left Saint Peter’s square in the middle of the ceremony! I thought that rather rude, but maybe that was just the pastor in me thinking about how I would feel if a group of people suddenly got up and left in the middle of one of my sermons!

Leaving the ceremony early was indicative of the whole tour that morning, just a quick view of something then move on! We also saw the Coliseum and the Forum that day (on foot) as well as many other buildings and monuments from the bus, but that will be for another post.

So my dream from the previous night came partially true, I did see the Pope, me and a hundred thousand other people! He didn’t tell me to go on my journey, but while in the presence of the Pope I did hear a voice from out of the blue saying “andiamo” which meant “Let’s go!” (This of course was our restless tour guide).

Rome Again!

Wow - what a jam-packed day this has been! Sarting with a 6:15 wake-up call (is this a holiday?) with our first tour date at the Vatican Museums at 8:00. Wednesday is the day that the Pope sometimes gives an audience so our Tour Guide didn't know for sure what our itinerary would be today. Sure enough, the Pope was going to appear in St. Peter's Square, so the Basilica was closed for security reasons. We did a speed tour of the Vatican Museums - to do them justice you really would need weeks - then walked as quickly as a group of 43 can over to the Square to be processed through security and get in place for the Pope's appearance. Good thing there are big screens in the square because he was pretty far away (I have a couple of pictures of him driving in, pretty much just a white head in the distance.)

From there we went to the Colosseum and the Forum - again just incredible how old these ruins are but you can still learn so much about that period of time from the remnants. Speaking of remnants, in our spare time Dennis & I went to the catacombs - that was very interesting to learn about the burial practices of this time (I'm sure Dennis will blog about this and the adventure involved in the journey). I have to tell you whenever we've taken a taxi here, I just have to either shut my eyes or really focus on the surroundings. I'm amazed there aren't more accidents, you hear horns blaring all the time - I also am thankful I don't have to worry about a learner driver either. Agressive doesn't even come close to describing it but I guess at least they really seem to pay attention to each other.

We ended our day by visiting St. Peter's Basilica - the Pope was gone so security was relaxed. That's a huge building' and quite the experience.

Then we found a little restaurant near our hotel - I had the best Fettucine Alfredo ever - it didn't taste like anything I had ever had before. That and a little cheesecake was the perfect end to a great day.

I Had a Dream

Early Wednesday I awoke to the sound of church bells ringing and Rome beginning to wake up. I had been dreaming a most peculiar dream. I don’t remember my dreams usually, but this one stuck in my mind. In my dream I had an audience with the Pope! I wasn’t the only one, there were a number of people in a line, I was simply one of them. We each went up to the Pope in turn and had a few words with the Bishop of Rome. In my dream I’m not sure if it was the current Pope, or perhaps John Paul II - either way the Pope told me that a journey would be important for my spiritual development, and that I should pay attention to it. Then a band I was in, directed by my old band director Joe Hary, played some kind of a new setting for a liturgical piece for the Pope (though I didn’t recognize what part of the liturgy it was).

Maybe I had this dream because one of the last things we saw last night before arriving back at our hotel was the apartment where the Pope stays while in Rome. Up on the top floor of a building only a few blocks from the hotel is the Pope’s residence! It was a wild dream, and I wasn’t able to get back to sleep after waking up from it… so for the second time on this trip I was up before Beth (and that seldom happens).

Today we go to the Vatican (another reason for my dream?) and in order to facilitate this for the tour group we have an early start. How early? Let’s just say I now have a recording of the bells striking 6 AM, and I was up early enough to figure out when they would strike next. Now off to breakfast and a full day (we may still be able to get to some catacombs today - though not the ones I had originally plans to see, they are closed on Wednesdays… of course).

By the way, the picture at the top of this posting was taken moments ago from the balcony outside our hotel room… I wasn’t kidding about being close to St. Peter’s Basilica!