Roman holiday

We arrived in Rome shortly after 10 a.m.













at a small inn run by nuns, “Fraterna Domus.” 

 The hotel was perfect—simple but clean and comfortable.  We took almost all of our meals here.   Each lunch consisted of pasta, a meat and vegetable course, green salad, fresh fruit and a pitcher of wine.  Dinner was the same except that soup substituted for the pasta.  Again, it was simple but good.

Our tour began after lunch with a walk to Place Navone

with two great fountains:  the fountain of four rivers and the Neptune fountain.

Rome is a city of fountains

Père Regis provided radios and earphones and, throughout the tour, a nonstop explanation of the history, art and religious significance of what lay before us.

We also saw the Pantheon—it is really stunning and pictures do not do it justice.  The walls are 20 feet wide at the base to support the enormous dome.

It was raining lightly and the floor was wet under the oculus (opening).

Romans? enjoying a picnic at the Pantheon

Next we saw two churches, Il Gesu (an important Jesuit church) and Ste. Madeleine.

Cleaning Catherine

We took a fun detour from important monuments to check out the Pope’s tailor in an area featuring stores selling religious paraphernalia—everything from altarpieces to reliquaries.

Communion picnic?

Along the route was the Campo Marzio—ruins of the field where the Roman soldiers once trained and marched in triumph after a great victory. 

It is populated by a large number of cats. 

We visited San Luigi dei Francesi, the French national church, containing three gorgeous and dramatic Caravaggio paintings telling the story of St. Mathew. 

Pie' di Marmo

After the long afternoon of walking, we found this monument particularly apt

and paused for liquid refreshment

After dinner we visited Caffe Giolitti.  Giolitti is a wonderful gelato store near our hotel, which Père Regis introduced as the seventh great basilica of Rome. 

We made nightly pilgrimages,    hurrying back to the hotel to beat the hotel’s 11 pm curfew.