Today’s breakfast was much more pleasant than that of the day before! I saw a table that had the reservation sign “USA”, and I took it for our group. However, the breakfast offerings were not up to par. The eggs tasted artificial, and the bacon was undercooked.  I selected tea, yogurt, and canned fruit.

After breakfast, we were back on the bus. Today we went to the Basilica of Saint  Anthony of Padua, which features art by Donatello. Although he died in Padua,  it is surprising to find out that Saint Anthony was born in Lisbon.  The Basilica houses the tomb and relics of the saint, as well as  two chapels that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Father Kumar led us in a  private mass, during which we all recited the readings.

My son told me that Padua was one of his favorite cities in Italy, and I could see why. It is much different from the larger  cities, being calm and quiet. We could have spent hours longer exploring, but it was time for us to get back on the bus. Our next stop, Montecatini, was 150 miles away.

Montecatini was a resort town known for its curative thermal waters, to which the public went for health treatments. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  When we arrived, we found that the town was decked out for Christmas. It was a pleasant surprise that porters would be carrying our luggage to our rooms. Our bedroom  was actually  a suite. In addition to the bedroom, there was  a living room that contained a sofa, a desk, and a TV. The bathroom had a large tub and a separate large shower. It felt quite fancy!

After a nap, we found that several of our friends had walked to town, but we remained in the hotel with the rest. The Christmas decorations were unique and lovely.

For dinner, we enjoyed cream of chick pea soup garnished with croutons, shell macaroni with pesto sauce, and a grilled quarter chicken (leg and thigh) with peas; the dessert was  a variation of Torta della Nonna. It was a noteworthy meal! Joan and John had wonderful news: they were the proud grandparents of a new grandson!

After dinner, Father Kumar asked us to think about prayer. Several of us responded by sharing personal thoughts and feelings about prayer. We can express our gratitude to God though prayer. It doesn’t  require something formal. Simple expressions are fine!

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