Home from Rome

[faerieevaH]

I know it sounds strange since mostly we speak of people comming home TO Rome, but in the very literal sense I just came back from my visit to Rome with my mother. It was absolutely amazing. I'll try to describe things bit by bit in different posts and please ask whatever questions!

Oh... BTW... my mother now is convinced Michelina is an evil person.

 

[Michelina]

I know it sounds strange since mostly we speak of people comming home TO Rome, but in the very literal sense I just came back from my visit to Rome with my mother. It was absolutely amazing. I'll try to describe things bit by bit in different posts and please ask whatever questions!

Glad you're back, safe and sound.Did you get to see the Holy Father?

Oh... BTW... my mother now is convinced Michelina is an evil person.

I can demonstrate that I am ontologically good, if that would help.

I guess my use of terms like "not far away" and "nearby" may have seemed too vague. Or was it the dome? Did you climb it? If that's it, she'll never forgive me.

 

[faerieevaH]

Glad you're back, safe and sound.Did you get to see the Holy Father?

I did! It was amazing. We went to mass in Saint Peters for the solemnity of Mary. It was beautiful and to see him in reality or more to hear him in reality makes it much more clear what a special and driven man he is. We didn't have the tickets, but when I just went in security or the steward only said: "no visiting". And I simply said: "no, attending mass" and made the sign of the cross, which was enough. *L* I guess my backpack with 'pray hard' might have been a sign as well. *G*

I guess my use of terms like "not far away" and "nearby" may have seemed too vague. Or was it the dome? Did you climb it? If that's it, she'll never forgive me.

I had printed out the advice you gave and though we didn't do the tour in one day, we did see a lot of it. I don't think she got tired of hearing me say 'Michelina said... " because she thorougly liked the advice and we've enjoyed the tour and the tips. I think it's more the fact that you send me and my poor unsuspecting mother into Soprani's. *G*

 

[Michelina]

I think it's more the fact that you send me and my poor unsuspecting mother into Soprani's. *G*

Oh, yeah. I know the feeling. $$$

Hope you're resting now, Eva.

 

[faerieevaH]

*L* I managed to be moderate and only spend 43 euro's. (of which ten will be payed back by the school because it's for lesson materials). But still for Soprani's that's doing quite well. But it took time to just pick and choose and choose... and choose.

 

[MParedon]

Your trip sounds fabulous! I'm so glad you got to see the Pope.

Do you have any pictures of Rome you could post?

 

[faerieevaH]

I've made a lot of pictures... will need to go to my moms tomorow to get the little cable thingy to upload them but just to make you all curious here are a few of the things that I've photographed:

Saint Peters basilic from the outside: the basilic, the crowd outside cheering for the pope...
Inside Saint Peters: the pieta (though really a picture will not do it justice) the famous window of the holy spirit, the chair of Peter, the statue of Saint Peter, the icon in the wall of Mary mother of the church, the altarpiece of Saint Joseph, the list of popes... (it's so awesome to see it there, to see how the 'recent' names look different), a few more details in Saint Peters.

Pantheon (really didn't know you weren't allowed to take pictures there, someone was standing in front of the board showing it), a few pictures of the piazza navone (which was a bit of a dissapointment because of the horrid christmas market that was still there), a few pictures in San Giovanni di Laterane, the Collosseum, the Forum Romanum, Trevi Fountain by night and some works in the Vatican museums. Including the Sistine chapel. I HAD seen the board there, but I thought it ment no photo's with flash, which I didn't.

((didn't take pictures of everything I saw in Rome though. *L* So there was much more still. *G*))

 

[EllenMoran]

Eva, my husband and I took tons of pictures of Rome on our honeymoon, and we were only there for 5 days! I think I took over 200 or 300 pictures myself, not counting the ones my husband took.

Glad you enjoyed it! I missed the list of the names of the Popes -- darn, I just guess we'll have to go back.

 

[faerieevaH]

I think I managed to keep it around fifty in about four days!

And it's as good an excuse to go back as any, isn't it? *W*

 

[Michelina]

"Inside Saint Peters: the Pieta (though really a picture will not do it justice)"

Nothing can do it justice.

"..the icon in the wall of Mary mother of the church"

That's very special to me.

"a few pictures of the piazza navona (which was a bit of a dissapointment because of the horrid christmas market that was still there)"

I should have warned you.

"((didn't take pictures of everything I saw in Rome though. *L* So there was much more still. *G*))"

You could spend a lifetime there and not see everything. You did very well in your time there, Eva. I'm glad you had a chance to see Pope John Paul.

 

[ukok]

how can being envious be a sin in a case like this ...I am so pleased that you had such a wonderful time, and i can't wait to see the photo's, because i don't think it very likely that i will ever be able to go, myself.

Please tell us more about the Holy Father, and about what you saw and did, it's fascinating.

I recently purchased a book called 'A Traveller in Rome- H.V Morton', it was one of my many bargains at the Parish Christmas Fayre, haven't got stuck into it yet though.

God Bless.

 

[faerieevaH]

If I now post my pictures... would I be tempting you to sin?

Should I post them? *W*

 

[ukok]

If I now post my pictures... would I be tempting you to sin?

Should I post them? *W*

Definately post them! I would be very pleased to see them

God Bless.

 

[faerieevaH]

I know people rarely 'click the link', it's one of the laws of online communications, but... try it anyway, it's worth it!!

http://ebogaerts1.photosite.com/Rome

I may resize some later, but I really think they're best seen in their original size...
To catch the original size: rightclick on the picture you want. Go to properties. Grab the addy. Copy it and paste it into your browser, then enter.

Really worth it, especially for the 'detail of the map', which I have currently as my background!

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

Cool pictures
I hope to vist rome some day mabye if i ever have a honeymoon

 

[TexasCatholic]

I know it sounds strange since mostly we speak of people comming home TO Rome, but in the very literal sense I just came back from my visit to Rome with my mother. It was absolutely amazing. I'll try to describe things bit by bit in different posts and please ask whatever questions!

Oh... BTW... my mother now is convinced Michelina is an evil person.

This thread is worthless without pictures.... Got a good camera?.... I want to see pics of St. Peter's (inside... all I ever see is outside).

-Michael

 

[faerieevaH]

This thread is worthless without pictures.... Got a good camera?.... I want to see pics of St. Peter's (inside... all I ever see is outside).

-Michael

Pictures are to be found in the link in post 14. They're a bit too big to post in the thread. There's quite a lot of 'inside Saint Peters' amongst them.

 

[xxRachaelxx]

I love Rome so much! It is my favourite place in the world. I plan to live there someday...and I doesn't seem so much as a distant dream to me seeing as I am half-italian and some of my family actually lives in Rome...

 

[ukok]

eva, the pictures are fantastic!

Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to see them

God Bless.

 

[faerieevaH]

I realised just now that in my stories on the 'quirky' side of Rome, I haven't yet given you all a real report on the visit. Well, put on your walking shoes, because we did a lot... and have enjoyed the trip immensely. Visit Rome through my eyes, if you will...


On friday the 31st of december, my day began at 5 am after too little sleep. With everything packed and ready the previous evening, I went to my mothers house and from there we left by car to the airport.
Since my mother travels internationally a few times per month, she's used to it. For me it is still a big adventure, and the idea to be in a real plane and fly still fills me with the wide eyed wonder of a child. We were wonderfully on time, had no problems with check in, and thus had over an hour to spend in the airport. I looked up the chapel of the airport and said a prayer for a blessed journey there. A prayer that most certainly has been heard! The chapels in Zaventem (or Brussels international) are interesting. It's a long corridor with a line up of chapels or prayer rooms for different faiths. Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Islamitic, Jewish as well as a 'meditation' room for non believers.
After the prayer, my mother was allowed to take me as a guest with her in the businesslounge. For me this truely set the travel off with a luxury start. You can make yourself whatever drink you want there, and though I would normally just have taken a can of juice, to celebrate and to step out of the ordinary, I made myself a bloody Mary. *G* Okay, I admit, it was mainly tomato juice with tabasco, celery salt and the tiniest drop of vodka, but still! I had a coctail in the business lounge of an international airport!
Not much further to report about the airport. Boarding went swiftly and we flew with Virgin air for an uneventful three hours towards Leonordo airport in Rome. Legroom in a Virgin airplane is a hopeless case. Even I found the room too limited and since I'm barely 5 feet 2, I can't imagine how a tall person manages. Our bagage was quickly retrieved and with just a little bit of hurrying up, we were in time for the complimentary shuttle buss that would drive us to our hotel!

(to be continued)