Mamma Mia!

(Yes, they really do say that here in Italy...)

My mom spent Thanksgiving week with me in Italy. We packed soooo much in just 6 days...I'm still tired! This is a picture of us in Florence....Ponte Vecchio...lots of shopping. We also went to the Galleria dell Academia to see Michaelangelo's David among other items. We visited the Duomo/Babtistry, Piazza della Signoria / Palazzo Veccio etc.

Ladies...I've attached a picture of me kissing a cute Italian! Well...OK...it is only just the bronze boar fountain at Mercato Nuovo or "Porcellino" in Florence. They say if you rub it's snout and drop in a coin you will return to Florence. Hey...it worked for me at the Trevi fountain! I returned to Rome. (smile) Florence was a little cool and we had one rainy morning in Rome but the rest of the days were sunny and pleasant.

My mom looking at the Babtistry in front of the Duomo.
Il mio ragazzo!

Ahhh...Roma....Here are some highlights....Tuesday: Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia (wedding cake), Piazza Campidoglio, Roman Forum, Colosseum etc. Wednesday: Piazza Navona, Vatican City - St. Peter's Basilica/Square - Tombs - Pope John Paul II/St. Peter Thanksgiving Day: Vatican Museums - Sistine Chapel, Egyptian Collection, Piazza di Spagna - Spanish Steps, Via Condotti/Corso (shopping), Friday: Florence (Firenze) with my friend Kelly, Saturday: Campo di Fiori (morning market) Piazza Barberini (fountain), Via Veneto (shopping), Santa Maria della Concezione church (& macabre Capuchin cemetery...the walls and ceilings of five chapels are decorated with the skeletons and loose bones of about 4,000 Capuchin monks. The floor is scattered with earth brought from the holy sites in Palestine. "What you are we once were...what we are you will be."

Of course there was plenty of food/restaurants....and walking!

I had to check on my little birdies after Thanksgiving. I asked Mary Ellen if she confused them for a Butterball Turkey and roasted them!

I think my mom enjoyed herself...she says next stop..Hawaii! Get us together and we are like Thelma and Louise! Tiara and Lois (Dolores)! She enjoys shocking people by letting them know she is 60ish. She looks much younger. Early Sunday morning I saw my mom off at the airport. She did forget and leave one thing behind..her copy of People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive! with George Clooney! Thanks Mom!! (grin)

Mom at Colosseum (top) Trevi Fountain (above) Vatican Museum (left)

Una Bella Passeggiata...( a beautiful walk)...

The other day I went on a Spiritual Walking Tour with Fr. Greg and a few others from Santa Susanna. It was only 4 of us so we were able to move around with ease. To get to Piazza Del Campidoglio where we started the tour, from my apartment I had to walk down Via del Corso (lots of shopping ladies) down to Piazza Venezia. It has the dominating, dazzingly white, theatrical Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (aka The Wedding Cake).

We climbed the stairs to The Piazza del Campidoglio to have a great view of the Roman Forum and Michaelangelo's wonderful architecture. He designed the square to look out over the city of Rome like an open terrace and placed on it three magnificent buildings. In Palazzo Nuovo we went into the Capitoline Museum. In Musei Capitolini we saw famous works such as the Capitoline She-Wolf, the Drunken Faun, the Dying Gaul, the original gilded bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius inside (and copy outside in the square) and many more. You really can't appreciate how awesome the Roman Forum is until you see it in person. I've attached some pictures so just eat a piece of pizza and drink a glass of wine while you are looking at them and pretend you are here with me. In the first picture you can see a piece of the Colleseum in the background. In the others is the Arch of Septimius Severus and the remains of the Tempio di Saturno.

Oh, my mom DID get her passport and she arrives Tuesday to spend Thanksgiving week with me here in Rome. She is so excited!! Wow...we have lots to see and do in less than a week!

Oh, I can't leave out the "big" event this weekend...the Tom Cruise wedding...well, I wasn't invited...surprise! but there were "stars" everywhere. The papparazzi was everywhere. I was even caught up in it at the Pantheon Friday. I guess they thought I was "someone"with my sunglasses and American accent...my friend said probably Jada Pinket Smith...yeah, right...It was a little comical to read all the hoopla and hear about the people crowded outside of designer stores etc. to get a glimpse of Brooke Shields etc.

Lots to see & do...

Last Saturday I was able to enjoy a great Orchestra Benefit Concert to raise money to fix the organ at Santa Susanna Church. The Orchestra Mandolinistica Romana performed beautiful concertos and ended the evening with Ave Maria.

I stopped in Sant'Agostino a beautiful Renaissance church by my apartment. It has the Madonna del Parto (Madonna of Childbirth) statue that is much revered by expectant mothers and childless couples.
I said the prayer for a few of my friends either trying to conceive or adopt a child...and you know who you are . There was also beautiful works by Caravaggio and Raphael.

I started at a new school. It has lots more social activities, cooking classes etc. and it is closer to my house. I just have to cross Piazza Navona and walk by a few shops and I'm there.

I was supposed to have picture of a dinner Saturday night at a Spanish restaurant with Flamenco Dancers but... my friend Kelly and I spent over 3 hours on public transportation trying to find the restaurant. We even stopped at an internet cafe to see if we can figure out the directions. The restaurant was so far away that we decided to return home before the buses/metro/tram stopped running. We ended up eating at a restaurant in Campo di Fiori. We were so hungry by this time we devoured our meal with very few words..Oh, well...we tried...and we saw a new part of town.

Today I actually went to a mall! I know... I know...with all of the wonderful shopping at the local small stores why would I want to go to a mall? We just wanted to explore another part of the city and what better way to spend a couple lazy hours on a Saturday afternoon. Well...I can say this...teenagers at the mall on a Saturday afternoon are the same no matter what country you are in! Sorry teens...no offense. Well...Caroline you'll like this...I did get a whiff of McDonald's french fries as I was walking from store to store and we had to break down and go to McDonald's! I know. I know. You don't eat McDonald's when you are in Italy. I actually felt a little self conscious. I didn't want anyone to think I was an unadventurous American...Oh, well...It was packed full of Italians... and it was pretty tasty I have to admit!

Also, if I didn't have enough reasons to want to stay in Rome....guess what a popular breakfast is here?!? (among the ones that actually do take more than un caffe) Cake and cookies! The "plum" cakes taste like good old fashion southern pound cake to me. And the cookies are really made to eat for breakfast. My favorites are Gocciole extra dark...chocolate cookies with chocolate chips. The package says "The Extra Dark side of Breakfast". It really does! All I can say is...When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

Solennita' Di Tutti I Santi 2006

Early this morning I went to St. Peter's and stood in the cold rain to go to mass (it has been sunny and warm since I arrived in Sept.). Pope Benedict XVI was celebrating Mass for All Saints Day inside the basilica. I did get there very early but as the pilgrims/tourists were arriving and were so excited I decided to sit towards the back but in the aisle to allow them a chance to get close as I get to go every week to the Papal Audience.

The Pope entered and walked down the aisle right in front of me. The Mass was just beautiful! When the priests/deacons were giving Holy Communion to all the pilgrims it really touched me. This elderly man across the aisle was so joyful and thankful he burst into tears and I could just feel his emotions. As many of you know I am prone to cry at mass (smile) so of course it made me cry.

As The Pope was leaving he was actually on the other side of the aisle but there was this tiny little girl in a red sweater with wild curly hair (I think from Germany) leaning against my leg and she could barely see over the barrier. I sort of lifted her by her arm and stretched it out hoping The Pope would come over and give her a blessing, well he walked past me and did give her a blessing! He then looked back at me and smiled . I said "God Bless You" (again..just like last week). He smiled and then reached out his hand and shook my hand. I must have had my camera in my left hand and took a picture because on my camera there is a picture of his arm and my forearm at the time we shook hands. I'll have to go tomorrow and see if there are pictures from this morning and last week.

Very special morning....