Thursday June 10th 2010

The flight to sunny Italy went smoothly and was thankfully uneventful except for a slight delay. The best part of it was the upgrade so we were treated royally.
Customs also went smoothly and soon after we were greeted by Father Douglas. Richard and Anna arrived within the hour and we were off to the Catacombs of St Callisto. This catacomb is outside the city wall and it was here that the early Christians were buried. Our guide was Father Owen Mason, a Salesian from Australia who had a quirky sense of humor. It was never a place for secret meetings as we traditionally think of as “catacombs”. Six popes were buried here and many bishops as well as St Cecelia, patron saint of clerical music. The catacombs date back to 1st century and over time they were pillaged and plundered by vandals and tourists. They were eventually abandoned and then rediscovered in mid 19th century. They were dug as needed, deeper into the earth. The Romans had no problem with this concept because they had no problem with a dead Christian. The highlight of our visit was having Douglas say mass in an underground crypt, just for us. It was very special.
On the drive into the city we saw the Baths of Caracala, the arch of Constantine, the coliseum , and finally the Spanish Steps, near our apartment on the via Bocca DiLeone. After a slight delay, we finally gained access to our place. We dumped our stuff and went off in search of pranza (lunch). After an enjoyable repast, we went back “home” to assess our shopping needs and freshen up. Then we began the forced march.
Our first stop was Trevi Fountain. Anna, Danny and I tossed the required coins into the fountain, while Douglas was humming away and singing harmony with me!! We then went to the Pantheon where Victor Emmanuel (first king of Italy)and Raphael (artist) are buried. This temple was built to ALL the gods in 27 BCE. The pillars outside were made of Egyptian granite, and the dome was originally bronze which was scavenged to be used at the Vatican. The oculus (or opening in the dome) is meant to symbolize the all-seeing “eye of heaven”. When Constantine became emperor in the 4th century CE it was converted to a catholic church (St Mary and the Martyrs) where Douglas said mass last week.
We then went to Maria sopra Minerva, where St Catherine of Sienna was buried, sans head. UGH!!! In the piazza, was an Egyptian obelisk, mounted on a Bernini elephant, with a cross on top – God reigns supreme! Our final destination was St Peter’s square for the vigil of the closing ceremonies for the “Year of the Priest.” We walked across the bridge of Castel San Angelo formerly Hadrian’s tomb.
Douglas got us tickets for this “Vigil” which was a testimonial to the priesthood. As we approached the piazza an orchestra was playing and we had hopes of seeing the Pope. Maybe tomorrow. This part of the evening was cut short after one hour, when Douglas realized that 6 out of the7 were blissfully asleep.
Now we’re back at the apartment feasting on bread, wine, cheese and dried sausage – MMMmmmm!!
Big plans for tomorrow – Vatican Museum and Sistine chapel – can’t wait!!