This year was very special because I really had no itinerary I had to follow.  It was wonderful to be able to wake up in the morning without somewhere that I absolutely had to be (except for the two days I was tour guide at the Basilica of St. Peter).  But, this time, I reversed everything.  Instead of having an itinerary to follow, I kept a calendar and every night before going to bed, I wrote down what I had done that particular day.  Below is a synopsis of my 23 glorious days in Rome, which turned out to be quite busy, even without an itinerary.

     For weeks prior to going, with the impending war with Iraq getting closer and closer, I kept watching the news and the Internet for fear that should a war break out, I would not be able to go.  But, as it turned out, all was okay and I left on schedule.  I got to San Francisco International Airport at 3:45 a.m. on Feb. 24th and my plane didn’t leave until 8:30 a.m.  I flew Delta again with a short stopover at Atlanta’s Hartfield International Airport.  I used my daughter’s smaller luggage this time because I didn’t want to hassle with my huge suitcase.  There were several purposes for my long trip this time:  the main purpose was to relax; and then to see the churches and districts I either hadn’t seen on prior trips or to spend more time there; and to add substantially to my crosses collection.  Well, I managed to do all three.  Since a lot of churches no longer allow flash photography, I also bought quite a few postcards from those churches that sold them so I would have pictures of some of the more interesting interiors.

     I left on Monday, February 24th, and arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport at about 10 a.m. the following morning.  I took the train in to Rome’s central railway station and then walked to my hotel, which was only about four blocks from the train station.  I always stay at Planet 29 Accommodation because I know the people there, and it is very conveniently located to both the train station, buses, and Metro lines.  The owner of the hotel actually set me up in one of her rental apartments two floors above the main hotel since I was staying for so long.  I even had a kitchenette, though I never used it.

     Once I greeted my friends at the hotel and got settled in, I went to my then favorite self-service restaurant called Autogrill/Ciao Restaurant located at the train station and had lunch.  It was every bit as good as my last visit.  Their food is very consistent though, as a few days passed, I noticed the variety didn’t change much on a daily basis.  After eating lunch, I returned to my hotel and called my Monsignor friend at the Vatican just to touch base.

     I had also been asked by a friend if I would be willing to play "tour guide" for English-speaking groups while in Rome should they find themselves short since I was going to be staying for so long this trip. Since my expertise lies with the Basilica of St. Peter, I decided I would make myself available, should they need me.  I also contacted my friend just to touch base.  I was informed that I had a guided tour scheduled for the following morning at 10:30 a.m. (Feb. 26) for a group of 15 people for the Basilica.

     I lounged around the hotel the remainder of my first day and talked with the people who run the hotel and caught up on what each of us had been doing since we last saw each other last March (2002).  Though we keep in touch quite regularly via e-mail, it is much nicer to visit in person.  That evening, I decided to go to Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four patriarchal churches of Rome and only about a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and was really blessed by being able to catch Mass at the Cappella Paolina inside the Basilica.  It was wonderful and the all-male acappella choir echoed throughout the gigantic Basilica.  Afterwards, I walked around the train station area, had a gelato, and then returned to the apartment as I was very tired.

     The following morning, I got to the Basilica of St. Peter very early and attended Mass at St. Joseph’s Altar.  On the way there, I decided that instead of getting off at the Ottaviano-San Pietro Metro station, I would continue to the next station that had only been open for a little over two years, which is the station the Metro says is for the Vatican Museums (Cipro-Musei Vaticani).  As I quickly learned, if you know where you are going, Cipro station is not closer to the Museums.  I would much rather get off where I normally get off (at Ottaviano station) and go to the Museums from there.  At the opposite end of the Cipro station was Santa Maria delle Grazie church.  The inside was much newer than most of the churches in Rome, and the Crucifix on the altar was not standing but, instead, Christ was carrying it and the Cross was leaning on Christ’s shoulder.  Something very odd to see.

     I went on to St. Peter’s Square and I met my tour group out at Maderno’s fountain (the one on the right of the obelisk as you face the Basilica) and took them inside for a tour of the Basilica.  I was astounded that I knew more about the Basilica than I really thought I did.  I was able to answer all of their questions without having to resort to any of my resource materials.

     In the afternoon, I took the Metro to the other side of Rome to Piazza di San Giovanni to visit another of Rome’s four patriarchal Basilicas, San Giovanni in Laterano.  When I got to the piazza, the piazza and long entrance across the piazza into the basilica was being blocked off, but the Basilica was open.  I went inside and there were chairs covering the entire central nave with closed-circuit TV monitors throughout the Basilica.  I had wondered if there was a V.I.P. coming to speak that afternoon.  Later, I had found out that one of Italy’s most famous actors (Alberto Sordi, also affectionately known simply as “Albertone”) had passed away the day before at age 83 and they were getting ready to have his funeral in this great Basilica the following morning.  He was so famous that the Pantheon (a.k.a. Santa Maria ad Martyres) would not hold all of the people and dignitaries that were to be in attendance, so they moved it to the huge Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.

     After visiting the Basilica, I decided to go on to Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, which is built on a portion of the ancient palace of St. Helena, Emperor Constantine’s mother.  This Basilica holds quite a few of the relics of the True Cross, including the crossbar from the Cross of the Good Thief that was crucified next to Jesus, and in the upper sanctuary, the reliliquary that holds one of the nails that held Jesus’ hands to the cross, two of the thorns from the Crown of Thorns, and St. Thomas’ finger behind a bulletproof glass.  You can no longer take photos in there either, so I bought lots of postcards and, of course, I purchased some crosses for my collection.  I had a leisurely stroll down viale Carlo Felice, which runs between Piazza di San Giovanni and Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.  I noticed a lot of International rainbow peace flags hanging from people’s windows all over the place.  This would become a common sight during my 23 days in Rome.  They were everywhere.

     The following morning (Feb. 27), I returned to the Vatican area to visit some of my friends who own souvenir shops just outside St. Peter’s Square.  We had a nice time catching up on what each of us had been doing the previous year.

     At 4:30, I met my long-time friend (Andrea) at Piazza della Repubblica and we started out for an area that I had never been to, which was outside the walls on via Nomentana.  We went past the famed Porta Pia, and Villa Torlonia, which is a sprawling villa with beautiful grounds that Mussolini took over when he was in power.

     By this time, the sun was going down, but we kept going because our main goal was to see Santa Costanza and S. Agnese fuori le Mura before it got dark.  These are two ancient basilicas outside the walls where the early Christians assembled.  In fact, S. Agnese fuori le Mura also contains early catacombs, but they were closed by the time we arrived.  We did get to see the church and crypt of S. Agnes, which is under the High Altar.

     After that, we rushed to Santa Costanza, which is a circular basilica nearby, before it closed.  It had wonderful ceiling murals in mosaic.  In the wall niches were also graffiti carved into the stone that dated as far back as the early 1600s.  Though I thought it appalling there was graffiti on these ancient walls, I was reminded that there was even graffiti in the Necropolis leading up to St. Peter’s tomb etched into the walls of the “City of the Dead” saying “Peter is here”.  This helped those in the excavations to find St. Peter’s tomb confirm that this was in fact his burial place, so I guess to some extent, graffiti served its purpose.  It was well past 6 p.m. and the basilica was closing so, on the way back, my friend took me to Quartiere Coppede for a look.

     This is a square that is around Piazza Mincia near Via Po and Via Regina Margherita that was built by an architect named Coppede back in the 1920s or 30s that was considered crazy where nothing matched.  There were only about 10 buildings in all, but each were different and strange in design.  I later found out from the owner of the hotel that I was staying at that one of his friends used to live in an apartment in this quarter and it got so expensive that he had to move.  It is very expensive to live here.  I decided I was definitely going to come back here during the daytime to look at this marvelous small square of buildings that looked so out of place in Rome and take some pictures.  My friend said that it was known as the “Disneyland of Rome”.  It was truly amazing.  Nothing matched but yet it was enchanting and whimsical.  The entrance is flanked by two richly decorated buildings and an archway over the street into the piazza.  The archway has a huge, ornate wrought-iron chandelier hanging in the middle.  I did come back later to take pictures.  Architect Coppede committed suicide after being ridiculed for his “outrageous” architecture.

     On the way back to my hotel, we went down via Salaria and came across an empty place between all the buildings which was the ancient Mausoleum of Lucillo Petro, a very rich man during the Imperial Era.  It was strange to see it in the middle of apartment buildings.  One thing I love about Rome is that they never destroy anything – unlike here in America where they destroy things and build over it, Rome builds around its ancient history preserving their archaeological treasures.  This is evident everywhere you go in Rome.

     The following morning, Friday the 28th, I had another tour group at the Basilica of St. Peter, this time numbering 27.  As was with the first tour, it went without a hitch.  I met the group at 9:45 a.m. and we did our thing inside the Basilica.  Since I was in the Vatican area during lunchtime, I decided to go to my favorite restaurant in that area, Dino & Tony Hostaria / Pizzeria for lunch.  They were very happy to see me.  I actually met the Monsignor here and we had deep fried artichokes for starters.  Absolutely incredible, and, you eat the entire artichoke, stem and all!  The Monsignor’s main job at the Vatican is in the Papal Office of International Diplomatic Affairs and with the impending war with Iraq and all its uncertainties, he was “burning the midnight oil” in preparing up-to-date reports for the Holy Father, so we couldn’t have dinner that night, but promised to get together before the end of my trip.

     The following day, Saturday, March 1st, another one of my other friends, Gianluca, got in contact with me.  He and his girlfriend, Roberta, wanted to have dinner with me that evening.  We met at Piazza di Santa Maria sopra Minerva at 7 p.m. and took a leisurely stroll down behind the Roman Forum to the car and drove out to the area where Roberta lives to have dinner at a wonderful non-tourist restaurant called Pomodoro e Mozzarella Pizzeria.  It was excellent!  It is outside the walls, but only about two blocks from the San Paolo Metro station (about a five-minute walk), so it is very easy to get to.  I will definitely go there again.  Reservations are required though.  By 8 p.m., it was packed with locals.  No wonder!  The food was excellent!  They are located at Viale L. da Vinci, 215 and their telephone number is 06.5411013.  They are open for dinner only and open from 7 p.m. until about 9:30 p.m.  They are closed on Mondays.

     After dinner, we took a ride up to the Aventine which overlooks Circo Massimo and Palatine Hill in the Foro Romano.  We parked the car and walked around the swanky neighborhood, which was filled with consulates and mansions.  Famous people such as Roberto Bergnini lives in this neighborhood, too.  We went past his house and I saw his mailbox and car.  That was quite fun.  It was quite chilly, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Though they were closed because it was already past 8 p.m., we saw the outside of Santa Sabina, Parco di Orancio (Orange Park), the Egyptian Consulate to the Vatican (which was guarded by Rome’s Carbinieri), and the piazza with the world-famous Pretoriate of Malta Doorway ("Green Door").  When you look through the keyhole in the Green Door, you see the Dome of St. Peter’s perfectly framed.  It was quite impressive.  We continued our walking tour and saw some very swanky hotels, as well as an ancient basilica called ss. Bonifacio e Alessio and in the distance, San Anselmo.  I decided that I would come back during the daytime not only to take pictures of the spectacular panoramic view of Rome from Orange Park, but to see the interiors of the various basilicas in the neighborhood when they were open.  Gianluca and Roberta then took me back to the train station and went on their merry way.  I had had a wonderful evening.

     Sunday, it showered all day.  It didn’t stop me, though.  Across from the train station, I decided to have a licorice and caramele gelato, which was delicious.  At 6 p.m., I attended Mass in the central nave of Santa Maria Maggiore.  After that, I went into the Chapel of the Baptistry, where there was a baptism of an infant going on, so I stayed and watched the ceremony before retiring for the evening.

     The following day, Monday the 3rd, I journeyed back to the area that Gianluca and Roberta had taken me to on Saturday night and visited not only Orange Park, but visited the ancient basilicas of Santa Sabina and ss. Bonifacio e Alessio.  They were not as ornate inside as some of the other basilicas but, nonetheless, because of their age (i.e., 3rd and 4th centuries), were very impressive.  They were quite easy to get to as well, by taking the Blue Line (Line B) Metro and getting off at Circo Massimo, and going up the hill a couple of blocks opposite the Circus Maximus.

     I also had to go to the ancient Basilica of San Saba to try and take some pictures of the frescoed apse behind the High Altar I had promised to take for a visitor to my website.  Unfortunately, the lighting was very poor and the pictures did not turn out very well.  I had gone early in the morning.  I decided I would return another day in the late afternoon when better natural lighting would be on the High Altar and try again.  After leaving San Saba, I crossed the large intersection and went up the hill to Santa Sabina and the area where Gianluca, Roberta, and I had visited the previous Saturday evening.

     After taking some pictures, and walking around the neighborhood during the daytime and looking inside the basilicas, I went back to the Metro and went on to visit the third of four major patriarchal churches of Rome, San Paolo fuori le Mura, where I attended another Mass.  This basilica is gigantic and has portraits of all the Popes on the wall just underneath the ceiling.  The only portrait lit is the one of the current Pope.  Legend has it that when there is no more room for a Papal portrait, the world will end.  Well, there are eight blank circles remaining before room runs out.

     I then went back to the train station and had lunch.  I went to Ciao Restaurant at the train station and after finding that their salads selection were the same as they had been for the last several days, decided to try a different restaurant on the main level of the train station called Chef Village/Chef Express.  It was fantastic and I rarely went back to Ciao during my stay this time.  I had most of my lunches and dinners at Chef Express from then on.  Every meal seemed to be better than the previous one!  It is also a self-service restaurant, but the selections were greater than that of Ciao.  However, I did visit Autogrill/Ciao Restaurant on via del Corso several times when I was near Piazza Colonna and their food was excellent.

     People have often asked me what my favorite church is.  Outside of St. Peter’s, I have got to say I have two:  Santa Maria della Vittoria, which is in Piazza S. Bernardo not far from the central railway station, and Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, which is on via Seminario just down from the Pantheon.  After eating lunch, I went to Santa Maria della Vittoria and just sat and contemplated the beauty oft the church, which is decorated in the Baroque, very busy-looking but beautiful.  This church houses one of Bernini’s masterpieces, “The Ecstasy of St. Teresa”.  I also visited the Moses Fountain across the street, and the American Parish in Rome, Santa Susanna, which sits across the piazza from the Moses Fountain.

     I then proceeded down that street to Palazzo del Quirinale (the Presidential Palace) and down the steps to Trevi Fountain to toss some coins into the fountain.  I always do that to help insure I’ll return again.  While there, I visited ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio which faces the fountain.  This church has the most display of praecordia than any other basilica.  A praecordia is a sterling silver heart that used to contain tissue from saints and deceased popes that were hung in different basilicas in the niches.  Back in the late 16th century, the Pope at the time did away with this.  However, you can purchase these praecordia at a little religious store on via Esquilino across from Santa Maria Maggiore called Casa del Rosario and, I understand for a price to be paid to whatever church will accept it in remembrance of one of your deceased loved ones, they will hang the praecordia in the niche of your choice that is dedicated to whatever saint is there.

     From there, I went on to the Pantheon, and also visited Sant’Ignazio di Loyola.  I sat for a while in this magnificent basilica staring at the beautiful ceiling.  I then went back across town and visited the Quartiere Coppede and took pictures of this magnificently odd neighborhood while the sun was still up.  After all the traveling I did today, both on foot and by Metro, I was pooped and by the time I got back to my room, my feet were throbbing from all the walking, but today was a very special day.

     On Tuesday, March 4th, I decided to go visit the Trastevere District because I had promised one of the resident Sisters (Sister Cecilia) at the rest home where my mother is that I would say some prayers for her at the church that bears the name of the saint that she was named for as well as take a ‘petition’ from a friend of mine who lives in Miami to lay on the High Altar.  So, off I went to the Circus Maximus Metro station and off-boarded.  I then walked down the boulevard that flanks the famed Circus Maximus admiring the ruins of the Domitian Palace Baths on the Palatine Hill of the Foro Romano above the Circus.  I crossed the Tiber and into the Trastevere District where I ended up at Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.  I said my prayers for the Sister as well as placed the ‘petition’ I had been given by my friend on the High Altar and stayed for a while, admiring all of the grandeur this basilica had to offer.

     I then went down the street a couple of blocks to San Francisco a Ripa to see another one of Bernini’s masterpieces, the sculpture of the "Blessed Beato Ludovisi".   This basilica doesn’t look like much from the outside, but this masterpiece inside made the trip to Trastevere worthwhile.  From there, I went up to Viale Trastevere and went to a Mass at San Crisogono.  After Mass in this ancient basilica, I went across the small piazza and visited Sant’Agata.  The façade was covered for renovation, but the basilica was open for viewing.

     Since I had never visited Tiber Island, I decided that on my way back over the Tiber, I would venture onto Tiber Island.  I visited the Basilica of S. Bartolomeo, which had a depiction of the “Communist Cross”, very unusual, in one of its niches.  After crossing the rest of the Tiber, I passed the Jewish Synagogue and went past Piazza di Santa Maria in Cosmedin to Santa Maria della Consolazione.  The church is so old that the doors were coming off their hinges.  This church sits at one end of the Circus Maximus and just at the foot of the Palatine.

     After that, I went up the side street and entered the Foro Romano from a different perspective.  I walked through the Roman Forum, taking pictures and taking in all the mysteries of what was left of this ancient area.  I ended up on the via Sacra inside the Forum, going through the Arch of Titus and ending up at the Coliseum where I sat for a couple of minutes just looking at this imposing structure and just being so thankful that I was again able to visit my favorite city and see these familiar sights again.

     By this time, from all the walking, my feet were throbbing for a second day in a row, so I got up and ventured past the Coliseum to the Metro station only to find its gates locked.  Yes, the Metro was on strike.  That meant that I had to walk the rest of the way back to my hotel.  Never fear, because I knew it was not that far.  I went up the via Fori dei Imperiali and turned onto via Cavour which takes you to the train station.  As I passed the staircase rising to the ancient tunnelway to San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains), and decided since I was  already in the vicinity, that I should go see Michelangelo’s “Moses”  and the chains that bound St. Peter again.  I was glad that I did because the basilica had been cleaned inside and out and was glimmering.  I finally made it back to the train station, where I ate a leisurely dinner and went back to my apartment above the hotel and collapsed for the night.

     I had been asked by another visitor to my website to take a picture of a certain ancient sarcophagus with an early Christian symbol (ChiRho) on it and since I knew you cannot take pictures at the Necropolis underneath St. Peter’s, I decided since it was Wednesday, it would be a good morning in which to go to the Vatican Museums since most of the crowd would be at the Wednesday Papal audience.  I got there when the Museums opened (8:45 a.m.) and there was already a line about 300 feet long, but it didn’t take me too long to get inside.  My visit to the Museums this time was disappointing because one of the other main purposes of visiting the Museums was to see the Papal Carriages Pavillion, but it was closed for restoration.  As I ventured through the Museums, I found about a quarter of the Museums were closed for renovation.  I did spend some time in the beautifully restored Sistine Chapel before leaving the Museums.   Unfortunately, the Gallery that houses the ancient sarcophagi was also closed so I could not get a picture, as I had promised.

     That evening, I met my friend who lives in Rome and went to an anti-war peace rally in Campo de’Fiori.  It was a candlelight vigil and was really quite nice.  An elderly gentleman from the Resistance Movement during World War II was speaking against a possible war and the Mayor of Rome also spoke.  Of course, all of it was in Italian and my friend translated the important parts for me.  After leaving my friend at the bus stop, I walked through the Pantheon area and up via Condotti to The Spanish Steps, caught the Metro back to the train station, and went to my apartment for the night, after having my nightly gelato at the train station.

     While at the anti-war rally, my friend told me of some very inexpensive places around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele near the train station, which is Rome’s Chinatown, to buy very inexpensive crosses and crucifixes, much less expensive than at the souvenir shops near the Vatican.  So, the following day (March 6th), I spent my day just going around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and vicinity, going into every store and buying a lot of crosses for my collection.  My friend was right.  I got some absolutely beautiful crosses for next to nothing!

    The following morning found me wondering what was I going to go do that day.  I decided that I would back along the via Salaria where I had seen some very nice-looking and inexpensive shirts and purchase them, which I did.  After bringing my haul back to the apartment, I decided that I would venture out to San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, and into Campo Verano, Rome’s gigantic Catholic cemetery.  So, off I went, with a fresh roll of film in my camera.  It is about a 20-minute leisurely walk from the train station.  It was about 4:30 p.m. when I got to the cemetery and after going through the magnificently sculptured gates, I found myself in another city into itself.  I can assure you that Rome buries their dead in style!  Mausoleums everywhere!  I found out that this cemetery is massive; so big, in fact, that there are “neighborhoods” within the cemetery.  I got about a twelfth of the way into the cemetery and was amazed at the beautiful statuary and mausoleums that had been constructed in honor of Rome’s dead over the centuries.  This cemetery is also built on rolling hills, so there were gigantic mausoleums literally everywhere.  Finally, I stopped and looked around and realized I could not see the end of the cemetery no matter what direction I looked.  I decided at that point I had better turn around and start back out the same way I came in or I would truly be lost.  I got some magnificent photos of some of the statuary and have posted them on my Rome website.

     Unlike American cemeteries, color photos of the deceased adorn most of the tombstones and most also have electric ‘eternal flames’ with small watt amber bulbs.  I fully intend to go back during my next visit to explore this magnificent tribute to the dead because it is one of the most compelling sights I saw this trip.

     Saturday was going to be a leisure day for me.  I really didn’t want to do much, so I went back to visit my friends who own the souvenir shops over by St. Peter’s, and decided I would go into St. Peter’s and sit for a while at St. Leo’s Altar and reflect on my trip so far and to thank God for his kindness in allowing me the time and energy to again make this pilgrimage to my favorite city.  After doing that, I went down into the Vatican Grottoes and viewed the burial places of the Popes and took some additional pictures.  I had been down there eight times before but hadn’t realized until this time that there are two Queens also buried in the Papal burial grottoes.

     Sunday was a very busy day for me.  Most everything is closed on Sunday except for the churches, so I decided to go and try to find San Clemente, ss. Quattro Coronati, and Santo Stefano Rotondo.  I had tried during several previous trips to find them coming from the San Giovanni in Laterano area but never could find them.  This time, I went down via Merulana straight in front of Santa Maria Maggiore and it wasn’t hard to find at all.  In fact, after the fact, San Clemente is a hop, skip, and a jump from the Coliseum and I never knew it!

     As I started my walk down the via Merulana, about five blocks from Santa Maria Maggiore, I found this delightful church named Chiesa delle Filgie di S. Anna.  They had just concluded Mass when I entered.  It was a breathtaking find!  The ceiling was one huge stained-glass window lit from above that came through onto the central nave below.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  Also, in one of the side niches was a grotto with a fountain dedicated to the Virgin Mary (on the left side of the central nave).  It is the first time I have ever seen a niche that had a grotto instead of paintings and/or sculptures and an altar.

     After visiting this church, I ventured on to the corner of via Merulana and via Labicana, where I found the delightful yellow and white church named ss mm Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano.  I went inside and there was a wonderful Chapel of the Cross on the left side of the central nave.  As via Labicana curved, you could see the Coliseum in the distance, closer than I had envisioned.  At the next corner was the ancient Basilica of San Clemente.  I sent inside and attended Mass.  I decided that I would return here on another day to view the two subterranean levels of this ancient basilica that housed ancient houses and the famous Mithras Throne and various subterranean homes and school rooms where early Christians worshipped during the persecution.

     From there, I ventured a couple of blocks and came to the curved apse of ss. Quattro Coronati that sat on a hill to the left of the street I was on.  I had finally found this ancient basilica!  I walked up this beautiful quiet cobblestoned street to the piazza and into the ancient courtyard of this magnificent ancient basilica, which had frescoes still visible in the covered portions of the courtyard.  Once inside, there were four nuns that were singing in harmony.  It was very beautiful.  After looking at this ancient church, I wandered back down to the street I was originally on and went up the stairs past the back of the church, heading for what I hoped was Santo Stefano Rotondo.  Right behind the basilica were garages on the street, and there was a monument to a young man that was buried inside the walls of the garage.  I found that quite unusual.

     I then went to the right and to a green playground area and turned left.  At the other end of the large open grassy area, which was close to the ruins of Domus Aurea and such, I found the beautiful old church called Santa Maria in Domnica (aka, Santa Maria in Navicella, so named for the ship fountain “Navicella” which is in front of the church).  I went inside and this was indeed a very old church with a lot of very interesting frescos.

     To the left of this church is the entrance to the grounds of Villa Celimontana.  I decided to walk through the grounds because there was a quaint little chapel called S. Tommaso in Formis al Celio inside.  There was also this beautiful goldfish pond with a small fountain.  A neat black and white cat was near the small church and she seemed to want to be petted so after I took some pictures of her, I decided to pet her for a while.  It was then time to go on.

     I then left the entrance to Villa Celimontana and crossed the street and up the stone-fenced side street to Santo Stefano Rotondo.  It is nestled in amongst trees and the floor was under renovation.  I was not as impressed with it as much as I was the round church I had seen earlier during my trip of Santa Costanza.

     I then came back and wandered down this stone-fenced walkway that was closed to traffic to the right of Santa Maria in Domnica as you face the basilica and came to the magnificent Basilica di ss. Giovanni e Paolo.  No, these were not the famous Sts. John and Paul from the Bible.  They were actually Imperial Guards that were martyred on this spot for refusing to worship Caesar and were Christian.  The basilica was eventually built here and their remains are under the High Altar.  Inside, I was amazed.  Upon entering, I saw 18 gigantic chandeliers lining the walls of the central nave all the way to the High Altar, ending on the High Altar.  Absolutely breathtaking.  There are 36 chandeliers in all.  This basilica is something to behold and should be seen by everyone going to Rome.  I have never seen anything like it.

     After looking around inside, I continued down the ancient walkway to via S. Gregorio which passes between the Palatine and the Domus Aurea, with the Coliseum at one end.  At the corner of this ancient walkway is the magnificent San Gregorio Magno.  Unfortunately, it was closed both times I went to see it.  However, they were having Mass at the side chapel.

     From that corner, going away from the Coliseum down via S. Gregorio to the Circo Massimo Metro station about three blocks away, at the major intersection is a Memorial to the 9/11/01 Victims in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.  It isn’t large, but impressive with a lone pine planted near the monument in the center of this very busy intersection.

     I then decided I would go back toward the Coliseum and wander around the Trajan’s Marketplace ruins.  Once I reached the Coliseum, I realized that it was the annual Blessing of the Vehicles from inside the Foro Romano.  The Church of Santa Francesca Romana is the church from where the patron saint of travelers and vehicles hails from.  There was every type of city vehicle imaginable on the street being blessed, from fire engines and hook and ladder rigs, to horse-drawn carriages, to buses and garbage trucks, to taxis, to regular cars.  It was definitely a treat to finally see this event I had only read about until now.  Going further toward the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, I noticed that the street was blocked off to traffic.  They were having a Peace Fair and Street Fair.  It was fun to walk around and see all the neat things for kids to enjoy, including clowns on stilts, and one of my favorite street performers who plays the pan flute named Jorge Rafael Aviles.  He is of Peruvian ancestry and finally has a CD out, which I promptly purchased.  I had originally seen him playing at another street fair some six or seven years prior in the same place and was so glad that I was able to again hear him play.  He is phenomenal.

     After venturing through the crowds, I ended up at the ruins of Basilica Ulpia which also houses the towering Trajan’s Column.  At the far end are the twin churches of Santa Maria in Lareto and ss. Nome di Maria, both round churches in the Baroque style.  After taking more pictures of the street fair, I ventured back down via Cavour toward my apartment and stopped by this very old church called ss. Gioacchino e Anna ai Monte which is the Gypsy church.  They were having Mass so I closed the door and went on.

     The following day, March 10th, I was pooped, but decided I needed to go back to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere to get a book on the church for a friend of mine whose name is also Cecilia.  I also went back to ss. Giovanni e Paolo as well and bought some postcards because you cannot take pictures inside the church and I wanted pictures of the lovely central nave lined with those chandeliers.

     After visiting Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, I came back across the Tiber and visited the ancient church of San Nicola in Carcere in Piazza di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, and then went on to see the inside of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.  This is another ancient basilica at the foot of the Circus Maximus.  In its portico is the famed “Mouth of Truth” which is a 4th century B.C. drain cover with the face of a man.  Legend has it that if you stick your hand inside its mouth and lie, the mouth will bite your hand off.

     I then ventured on to the ancient Basilica of San Marco which is located in front of the Monument of Vittorio Emanuele.  This basilica was consecrated in 323 A.D.  I then went on to the Jesuit church of Gesú, and on to Largo Argentina, which houses the ruins of the temples where Julius Caesar was assassinated.  It has since become a cat sanctuary.  It is Roman law that all cats have to be cared for because they stem from Imperial Rome as sacred animals.  There are literally hundreds of them there.  They are fed daily and cared for.  Cats are usually found at all the ruins in Rome.

     After watching the cats for a while, I ventured to the Pantheon area and went inside Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which has Bernini’s famed marble elephant and obelisk sculpture in the piazza.  This basilica is very unusual because its ceiling is painted royal blue to resemble the sky with gold mosaic stars.  I then proceeded to The Spanish Steps and sat for a few minutes to catch my breath and to watch the people.  By now, it was getting close to dusk.  I decided to go down via del Babuino to Piazza del Popolo and see the twin churches that border the piazza called Santa Maria di Miracoli and Santa Maria Montesanto, and then I crossed the piazza and saw Santa Maria del Popolo, which houses the famed Chigi funeral pyramid tombs inside.  This church is also built on the place where Nero died.  I then caught the Metro at the Flaminia station and went to eat and relax.

     The next two days, I didn’t do much but talk with the clerks at my hotel and went shopping nearby at the Chinatown shops and bought plenty more crosses for my collection.

     On Thursday, March 13th, I met my friend again and we went to the ancient Basilica of Santa Pudenziana.  The architecture and marble work on the outside was beautiful.  We ended up at Piazza della Rotonda at a Rally against Prime Minister Berlusconi playing havoc with the three national TV stations.  That was interesting.  We walked down via della Croce, one of my favorite streets near the Spanish Steps and looked at the bakery shops, and then I went back home.  On the way to the rally, my friend told me as we passed the Vittorio Emanuele Monument that you can now go up the staircase to the upper level and take pictures.  It is free until noon.  I decided to do it the very next day.

     What a sight from the Vittorio Emanuele Monument!!!  It was the first time I had ever been up that high in Rome and took lots of pictures.  It was as if I were viewing Trajan’s Marketplace ruins and the Foro Romano from a hot-air balloon.  Wonderful photo ops!

     After that, I decided to go back to San Clemente and tour the two subterranean levels.  I am so glad that I did.  It only cost Euro 3,00 and you can go in by yourself, no guided tour, and wander through these ancient rooms and corridors underneath the present basilica.  Such well-preserved 2nd to 4th century ruins underneath this ancient basilica.  A must see for anyone going to Rome!  The supporting walls that were put in place for the present ancient basilica were built in 1100 and were very well-preserved.  In the bottom-most subterranean ‘schoolroom’, there was a ledge where a natural spring was still running after 2,000 years.

     On the way back up the via Merulana, at the corner of via Merulana and via Labicana across from ss mm Marcellino e Pietro ai Laterano was the Basilica of San Antonio with a double staircase.  I just had to go inside.  It was quite lovely and had praecordia all over the place in a side chapel, the most I have seen outside ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio.

     I lounged around Saturday the 15th and didn’t really do much of anything but return to St. Peter’s and visited my friends who own the Vatican Emporium souvenir shop near St. Peter’s, as well as my friends at two other nearby souvenir shops (Galleria Mariana and Souvenirs Transpontina).

     Sunday, I met my friend and we went to the famed Porta Portense Flea Market.  It was freezing cold, extremely crowded and, yes, I bought lots of crosses for my collection.  I met the owner of the hotel I was staying at there and she took me out to see her parents’ house and to have lunch in Ostia.  I had a delightful afternoon out there.

     On Monday the 17th, I met one of my friends who owns a personalized tour company in Rome for lunch and we had a wonderful time.  Monday night, I met the Monsignor friend of mine for dinner at Dino & Tony’s and he was late.  He told me that he had just been on the phone with Gen. Colin Powell of the United States and President Bush was going to announce in a speech airing at 2 a.m. Rome time that he was giving Saddam Hussein 78 hours to leave Iraq or suffer the consequences.  He was very worried that a war would ensue.  So was I because I was to leave in just two days for home and was beginning to worry if I would be able to make it.

     The following day, the newspaper said Bush had given Hussein 48 hours, not 72 hours, which worried me more because that would put it Wednesday and I leave on Thursday morning. It is funny how even though you may not be able to speak a certain language that after just two weeks, I could figure out what the newspaper headlines said in Italian.  I thought, “Darn, what timing!”

     The following morning, I took my passport and headed for the U.S. Embassy on the Via Veneto. When I got there, there were police in riot gear and bulletproof vests and the Palazzo grounds and entrance was surrounded by barricades.   I was not permitted entrance, not even as an American citizen to see if I could get back home.  So, I went on to Delta Air Lines up the street and they told me to not worry, everything was okay and my flight was leaving on schedule and that they would get me home okay.  I was a bit worried, not about my flight from Rome to the States but because I was not going through Atlanta on my return but, rather, JFK in New York.  They still reassured me I would be okay.  I really didn’t want my last few days in Rome to be ruined by this, so I just let it go.  Everything turned out okay.

     On Wednesday, the 19th, I decided to go and pray at St. Peter’s one more time before leaving so I might have a safe journey home and it was closed because of the Wednesday papal audience which was held in the Square because of such nice weather.  I went to my friends’ who owned several souvenir shops around the Vatican, said my good-byes, and went back and packed for the next morning’s journey.

     I got to Rome’s airport three hours before departure and everything was okay.  Police and military with machine guns everywhere, but no incidents.  When I got to the gate, I asked the lady sitting next to me how far she was going and she said New York.  She asked the same of me and I said San Francisco but I hope that I would be able to get back home before any invasion.  She pointed at the monitor and said, “Too late.  Bush invaded at 3:35 this morning.”  I was really worried but decided that there was nothing I could do, so I finally just let it go.  We left on schedule on a packed flight to JFK.  When we got to JFK, there was not the usual crowds at the airport.  I went to my departure gate for my connecting flight on to SFO and found that all but about 35 passengers had cancelled.  So, as it turned out, my flight from JFK on to SFO was wonderful and I had the plane practically to myself.  I was never so glad to get back home.  However, I had the time of my life while in Rome this time and would have never done anything different!