The last day of touring came upon us yesterday. Talk about "church-hopping!" Yep, we were able to conclude our 'pilgrimage' to the 4 vatican Basilicas by making it to Saint Paul Outside the Walls, and Saint Mary Magoire (I think thats how you spell that!). Additionally, we made stops at the Church/Monastery of Tre Fontaine, where legend has it that when the was martyred (or killed, by beheading), his head was said to have bounced 3 times (according to the spacial allowance in the church--totally can see why its legend) and on each of those bounces it is said that a fountain of water sprung up. We learned on this trip that legend inspires faith, and, "a myth may or may not have ever happened, but it's always true." All of this guides faith, and my experience in Rome has done just that, it has helped me form a new foundation from which I can begin to ground or frame my faith from.
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Inside Saint Paul outside the Walls...simply
amazing site |
Here are some photos from along the way...
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| Outside of Saint Paul outside the Walls |
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One without me in it! Inspired by a poster I saw in the store and couldn't
convince myself to buy it so I took the same pic myself! :) Crafty! |
Its all about the ceilings!
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| 9th Century Mosaic |
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| Saint Paul Outside the Wall |
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| Above the alter |
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Pillar where it is said that the Apostle Paul
was martyred |
At Tre Fontaine...
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| captivated by the beauty of this tree! |
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| Tre Fontaine Middle Ages Monastery |
Lastly, the lighter side of Italy. Over the past weekend, we had the ability to take some days for exploration of Italy on our own...so naturally, I went to the water! Capri! It's about an hour and ten minutes from Rome to Naples on the high-speed train, and then from Naples it was an hour to Capri by boat. When I got off the hydrofoil, I immediately knew I was in the right place :) Pristine waters, and nice warm weather! Having only that day (saturday), I knew I'd have to make the most of it. So what do I do? Rent a Vespa! (or Scooter) as a means of traveling the island. Now, I've driven a scooter in the past, but not on Italian streets, which for Capri consisted of steep hills, and narrow streets. I'm pretty sure I saw my life flash before my eyes a few times...especially when I was going head on with a GIANT tour bus...pretty sure the locals believed I might have been the worst driver ever! It was fun though. I made it to the Grotta Azzurra, or Blue Grotto, enjoy sangria along the port, and take a quick swim in the (surprisingly cold) Mediterranean Sea.
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| View from a look out in Capri |
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The opening to the Blue Grotto...any idea how we got
these boats through this opening? |
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Inside the cave...the water was illuminated through natural light
from below. |
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| Going for a swim! |
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| Sangria...great way to cap a great day! |
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