-
ESE_5914 — We rendezvoused at St. Luke Church in Westport -
FSC_7748 — Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, our first pilgrimage site -
FSC_7730 — Before entering the church we said a few prayers. -
ESE_4567 — Father Kumar -
ESE_4541 — Our guide to the basilica -
FSC_7751 -
ESE_4550 — Our group -
ESE_4553 — This is a Jubilee year. We entered through the Holy Door. -
ESE_4575 -
FSC_7766 — The basilica has 150 columns. -
ESE_4581 -
FSC_7796 — There is a medalion for every pope starting from St. Peter… -
ESE_4588 — …including a blank medalion for Leo XIV. -
FSC_7792 — We prayed before the relics of St. Paul. -
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FSC_7802 — A grand colonnade outside the basilica -
ESE_4618 — Pyramid of Cestius -
ESE_4620 — Circus Maximus -
ESE_4623 — Baths of Caracalla, where we saw Aida in 1976! -
ESE_4642 — We said grace before our first dinner at Trattoria D’Azeglio. -
ESE_4632 — I think they gave this woman a discount to pose in the hotel lobby with these giant shopping bags! -
ESE_4638 — Joyce, a fellow pilgrim -
FSC_7810 — On line to our audience with Pope Leo, along with a couple of hundred thousand others. Some of our group members are on the right. -
ESE_4648 — Yogi, our tour director -
FSC_7819 — Entering St. Peter’s Square -
FSC_7833 — There were hundreds of groups represented. -
ESE_4671 — -
ESE_4709 — The Pope is there, somewhere. -
61d49e9a-71a6-4407-b86c-23259b5ba562 — One of our members got this great shot. -
ESE_4760 — Basilica of San Giovanni Laterano, St. John Lateran, the Catholic “mother church” and the official seat of the pope. -
ESE_4768 — Our guide to the basilica before the Holy Door. -
FSC_7862 — Grand Boroque statuary -
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FSC_7872 -
ESE_4827 — Holy Door to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Saint Mary Major, the largest Catholic basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary. -
ESE_4830 — Mary leads the way. -
FSC_7880 -
FSC_7874 — The simple tomb of Pope Francis -
ESE_4840 -
ESE_4847 — We visited St. Peter’s just before closing, when crowds were light. -
ESE_4855 -
ESE_4851 — The Papal Apartments, from where the pope blesses the crowd -
ESE_4857 — The Holy Door of St. Peter’s -
ESE_4875 — Pietà by Michaelangelo -
FSC_7914 — The magnificent dome of St. Peter’s and the Baldachin, a large Baroque sculpted bronze canopy over the high altar -
ESE_4899 — St Peter, himself. You are no longer allowed to kiss his feet. -
ESE_4902 -
ESE_4883 — Pope John XXIII -
ESE_4893 — Saint Veronica holding her veil that she offered to Jesus… -
ESE_4908 — Look carefully. -
ESE_4916 — Entrance to the subterranean tombs -
ESE_4915 — detail… -
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ESE_4921 -
ESE_4922 -
ESE_4932 — On the way to Naples, we stopped at a cameo factory. -
ESE_4950 -
FSC_7931 — The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei is a major Catholic pilgrimage site. -
FSC_7927 -
ESE_4976 — Our guide, at the ruins of Pompeii, and our group member Theresa. -
FSC_7980 — Pompeii is undergoing constant renovation and excavation. -
FSC_7939 — A cast of a human victim of the eruption in the Antiquarium of Pompeii, an onsite museum, where we had never been before. -
ESE_4985 -
FSC_7943 — Artifacts in the museum -
ESE_5005 -
ESE_5015 — Livia -
ESE_5027 — Vesuvius looms over the ruins of Pompeii. -
FSC_7955 -
FSC_7950 — Our group -
FSC_7952 — Donna -
FSC_7975 — One of the many streets -
ESE_5060 — The Romans often honored Greek gods. -
ESE_5061 — It almost looks contemporary. -
ESE_5069 — Margherita pizza for lunch -
ESE_5082 — Our tour bus took us around Naples. We enjoyed our driver, Stefano. -
ESE_5076 -
FSC_7988 — Naples Harbor with Mount Vesuvius on the right. -
FSC_7993 -
FSC_7994 — Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie in San Giovanni Rotondo where Padre Pio worshiped -
FSC_7998 -
ESE_5117 — Padre Pio -
ESE_5132 — Father Kumar was one of the celebrants at a mass given in Santa Maria delle Grazie. -
FSC_7997 — The current hospital that Padre Pio founded -
ESE_5120 -
ESE_5137 — The old church was too small to accomodate hordes of pilgrims, so a new, much larger church was built. -
ESE_5134 — The new church is shaped like a dragon’s wing. -
FSC_8012 — A hallway was lined with modern mosaics. -
FSC_8013 -
ESE_5149 — Father Kumar celebrated a mass for us in Lanciano, the site of the first recorded Eucharistic miracle. -
ESE_5144 — Donna gave a reading. IPhones provided the text for masses. -
ESE_5176 — Our guide to Assisi, the home of St. Francis of Assisi -
FSC_8036 — Looking out at the Italian countryside from Assisi -
FSC_8037 — The Basilica of Saint Clare, a noblewoman who renounced her wealth to follow the teachings of Francis -
FSC_8046 — The basilica had these unusual butresses. -
ESE_5199 — Front of the Basilica of Saint Clare -
ESE_5212 — A Roman temple that was converted into a Catholic church -
ESE_5231 — Basilica of Saint Francis -
FSC_8069 — The basilica has an upper and a lower church. -
FSC_8073 — The upper church was dcorated with frescos by Giotto. -
FSC_8083 — The lower courtyard hosts various festivals and events throughout the year. -
FSC_8088 — We are about to leave for Padua. -
ESE_5242 — The cathedral encloses the Portiuncola Chapel, where St. Francis worshiped. -
ESE_5248 — The small Portiuncola chapel, inside the church -
ESE_5252 — On the way to Padua, we stopped at a fine leather shop. -
FSC_8092 -
ESE_5266 -
IMG_4406 — Our best lunch, prosciutto with burrata and basil. -
ESE_5300 — Before visiting Padua, we spent a day in Venice! We approached St. Mark’s Square by boat. -
ESE_5318 — The younger members of our group with Yogi and our Venice guide behind them -
ESE_5329 — We approached the Doge’s Palace. -
FSC_8100 -
ESE_5334 — Prisoners crossed the Bridge of Sighs to meet their punishment. -
ESE_5340 -
FSC_8105 — The bell tower, clock and St. Mark’s Basilica -
ESE_5351 — Column honoring Saint Mark -
ESE_5354 — Column honoring Saint Theodore -
ESE_5385 — The Romanesque Saint Mark’s Basilica -
ESE_5362 — The mosaic over the main doorway -
ESE_5361 — Sample chips, used to make mosaics -
ESE_5365 — Two of the four famous horses that adorn the Cathedral. They were coveted by Napoleon. -
ESE_5369 — Mechanical bell ringers, chime on the hour. -
FSC_8121 — The main square -
ESE_5395 — We went on a walking tour, crossing bridges over canals. -
ESE_5398 — Venetians who died in German concentration camps -
ESE_5417 — Even Venetians have to hang out their laundry. -
FSC_8134 — This spiral staircase features stunning views of the city from its top. -
FSC_8136 -
ESE_5426 -
ESE_5435 — Father Kumar celebrated a mass in a chapel of Saint Mark’s. -
ESE_5441 — Gondola rides were in store for us next! -
FSC_8154 -
FSC_8149 — Our fellow travelers in our gondola, which could hold five -
ESE_5452 -
ESE_5458 — The Realto Bridge from our gondola -
ESE_5489 -
ESE_5496 — Peter, Carmen, Donna, Ulla and Barbara S. -
ESE_5499 -
ESE_5500 — Lunch in Serafina -
FSC_8178 — The interior of Saint Mark’s -
ESE_5517 — Dusty statues -
ESE_5527 — and golden mosaics -
FSC_8200 — Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua -
FSC_8190 — One of five cloisters in the basilica -
ESE_5538 — Father Kumar celebrated mass in a chapel in the basilica -
FSC_8198 -
ESE_5545 -
ESE_5548 — It is really hard to blow a trumpet when you don’t have lips! -
FSC_8199 — The reliquary was a Boroque masterpiece. -
FSC_8207 — The Grand Bellavista Hotel in Montecatini Terme, was all decked out for Christmas. -
FSC_8201 — We stayed in a luxurious suite there. -
ESE_5560 -
ESE_5571 -
ESE_5567 — After dinner, Father Kumar asked us to think about prayer. -
FSC_8215 — Florence—the baptistry and the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, called Il Duomo -
FSC_8251 — Baptistry -
FSC_8216 — Il Duomo and the bell tower, that we climbed many years ago -
ESE_5600 — The famous baptistry doors by Ghiberti -
FSC_8222 — A panel of a door shows its accurate use of perspective. -
ESE_5604 — A portrait of Ghiberti, himself, on the doors -
FSC_8227 — A carousel and 19th century government buildings -
ESE_5619 — Touching the boar, outside the leather market, is supposed to bring good luck. -
ESE_5634 — The Ponte Vecchio, the only bridge in Florence not bombed by Hitler in World War II -
ESE_5630 — View from the bridge enjoyed by a duck, as well as us -
FSC_8237 — Ulla -
ESE_5633 — The public walkway, under the private one used by the Medici family to commute to and from the Uffizzi. -
ESE_5639 — Amerigo Vespucci on the right -
ESE_5641 — Dante Allighieri, looking stern -
ESE_5647 — The main square of Florence featured many statues, including this copy of Michaelangelo’s David. -
ESE_5650 -
ESE_5656 -
ESE_5666 -
ESE_5661 — Florentine lion -
ESE_5667 -
ESE_5671 — A wedding was taking place, atteneded by scores of pigeons. -
FSC_8245 — A group of us gathered at Trattoria Anita for lunch. -
ESE_5679 — We enjoyed Tuscan Steak for our 49th anniversary—Wow! -
52f1f6b1-4de6-4923-82cd-a199aa34ee06 — Cheers -
ESE_5919 — A plate we bought in Florence to hang on our kitchen wall -
ESE_5681 — A Wine Door—once widespread. Ring the bell to get a bottle. -
FSC_8255 — We visited Galleria Borghese on our own. -
ESE_5699 — Pope Paul V (Camillo Borghese), the gallery’s namesake. -
ESE_5698 — A mosaic “painting” -
ESE_5707 — They had far more art than room to display it. -
FSC_8261 — The density of major works was breathtaking. -
FSC_8257 -
ESE_5736 — Leda and the Swan by Cesare da Sesto (1744-1523), after a lost painting by da Vinci. The swan was Jupiter as a seducer. -
ESE_5744 -
ESE_5753 -
ESE_5755 — A younster on our guided tour brought a sketchbook and was quite an artist himself. -
FSC_8274 -
ESE_5802 — Bernini’s “The Rape of Proserpina [by Pluto]” -
ESE_5809 — Notice how Pluto’s fingers dig into Proserpina’s flesh. -
ESE_5822 — Bernini’s “Truth Unveiled by Time” -
ESE_5867 — Napoleon’s sister. She said the studio was warm, so she was not uncomfortable. -
ESE_5871 — Bernini’s David -
ESE_5873 — Apollo & Phoebe -
ESE_5874 — Apollo, struck by Cupid’s arrow, pursues Phoebe, who turns into a tree as she is almost captured. -
ESE_5850 — Saint Jerome thanslating the Bible. The skull is a reminder of man’s mortality. -
IMG_4411 — The hotel served us turkey for Thanksgiving. -
ESE_5897 — Our last view of Rome on the way to the airport. Arrivederci Roma!
