Easter in Rome

Once again, I am blessed enough to spend the Easter Triduum in the heart of the Catholic Church, Rome.
I have had a wonderful weekend with so many old friends. I survived a crosscountry trip from Austria to Rome, stopping in Verona and Bologna (where I ate baloney), with the amazing Erika. I ate many pizzas and copious quantities of gelato from Old Bridge (best in the city). I've seen so many sights, from the Keats Museum by the Spanish Steps (where Tess and I read aloud from his works in the room where he died) to Piazza Navona to Campo de Fiori to the Trevi Fountain, where Tess and I tossed in coins... I toured the beautiful, ever-impressive Vatican Museums and took a PLS picture by Raphael's School of Athens. I attended Stations of the Cross with the Pope on Good Friday, at the Coliseum. This morning, I attended Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, again with the Pope. I did a 'Saints Tour' of the city, seeing the graves or sites of martyrdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Agnes, St. Sebastian, and others. We ate a delicious PLS dinner last night, complete with red wine, gelato, and good conversation. I am staying at a hostel near the Vatican with my beloved Hilary, Maria, Shannon, and new friend Claire... And, always, Tess and I have bickered, gossipped, laughed, and had a marvelous time together. I will miss her so much until she visits me in Toledo soon- it was wonderful to spend Easter weekend with family.

Lady GaGa may have said it best: 'Roma, Roma-ma!'
I will always love Roma.