Church Hopping

March 4th, 2011: Christmas 2010

We spent the next few days, okay, everyday until I left on the 28th, Church hopping. We would go to Mass everyday, eat pasta and bruschetta, usually look at a Saint's or apostles remains, look at some Italian art, etc. Some things out of the ordinary things that I just said:

-One night we went to the NAC (The Pontifical North American College) to see Maggie's college friend Vince's little brother, Jake, who is in the seminary there. He gave us a little tour of the NAC, let/made me pick an orange off the tree in the courtyard there. We went to the top of the NAC which has a ridiculously beautiful view of St. Peter's. Then, we went out to eat (pasta, of course).

-We went to the Papal Audience on Wednesday and got front row seats. There was a sweet Italian folk band playing prior to seeing the Holy Father. They were from Northern Italy up in the Alps (so they were more Swiss than Italian), but one of the men in the band must have had a son cause he was all dressed up and being super cute. It was hilarious, because they gave the little boy a recorder to play and the kid was pretty awful. :) Then, we saw Papa Benidetto! It was fun.

-One day we went to the Vatican Museums (I had gone when we went with our program to Rome, but it was fun to go again). Abe hadn't left yet, so we met him in St. Peter's square in the morning. Abe and I took off in one direction and Maggie and Phil went another way and we had plans to meet up later that afternoon. It was really crazy to go to the Museums and realize how much I had actually learned about art in just a few short months.

-We went to the Papal Mass on Chirstmas Eve at 10pm. It as beautiful. We got in line at 3ish and the doors were going to open at 8 or 8:30. We were probably 200th-ish in line. By the time all of the little Italian nuns (and other Italians) got done cutting in line, we were proabably the 1000th people in St. Peter's. Purely ridiculous. But, the Mass was super beautiful. Papa got tackled though. We actually didn't know that he got tackled until I got home four days later because we couldn't see anything. But, have no fear, it was not Maggie, Phil or me that tackled him.

-On Christmas, the doors to the conent were going to be locked from 12-3 so the sisters could have their own Christmas party. We decided we didn't want to be out for all three hours so we just stayed in. I had given Maggie 20 Euro for her Birthday gift (mostly because I forgot I had to get her both a Christmas and Birthday gift, so that took care of it!). :) The cash came with the instruction that it had to be spent at this sweet Catholic gift store near our convent. Maggie had bought a puzzle of Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. Also, on the 23rd probably (prior to Maggie's birthday supper) we went grocery shopping to get food for Christmas (and for when we stood in line at the Vatican for Mass). So, we had pop, bread, sandwich meat, and cheese. We just hung out on Christmas and had some food; Maggie and Phil did the puzzle and I read Pride and Prejudice all day (and finished it before bed!). Maggie and Phil also finished the puzzle before bed--because Maggie wouldn't let Phil go to bed until it was finished...poor guy. (We also had the orange that I picked from the NAC so it kind of felt like Christmas in Little Women since we had that orange as a special treat! :))

-We went on the Scavi Tour one day. This is the tour where you go in the tombs and whatnot below St. Peter's and get to see St. Peter's bones!

-One day we went and saw the major Cathedrals (St. Paul's outside the Walls, St. Petere's, St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major).

-I can't think of much more right now--probably because it was 14 months ago, but if I think of anything else, I'll add it!