Rome Trip - July 3: Home in Rome!

Took the train from Fiumicino to Stazione Termini. We bought two tix @ 11 € each – no one collected them. Izzy tells me that the Italians know this, and often don’t buy tix or validate bus or subway tix – however, the fine if you get stopped by an inspector and caught is 65 €. Not really worth the risk.

Walked from Termini to Alberto & Maria’s. I got my first sightings of vast seas of scooters, Smart Cars, Romany beggars @ churches, etc. Tired from the travel – gotta get a pad for the handle of my rolling bag.

Arrived at the side street, then located the apartment building. Seeing our luggage, some one asked if we were looking for Alberto & Maria? He let us in and showed us where to buzz to get into “our” section of the building. We took the tiny elevator up to Apt 17, on the 3rd floor (there is Ground, which you ascend stairs to reach, then three more floors up.) There are signs EVERYWHERE reminding people to properly close the elevator doors to that it will operate properly. Apparently, a handicapped gentleman in the 5th floor is frequently trapped without access to the elevator.

We are home in Rome!

Maria, our hostess, was very nice. She gave us a primer to the most useful bus routes and wanted to be sure that wecarried plenty of water and wore sun hats. She was especially solicitous for our safety, with several reminders about pickpockets. Apparently, several folks she has hosted recently have lost $$ while touring the city. We assured her we would be careful.

Nice nap.

Up & cleaned up – decided to stroll to Santa Maria Maggiore. On the way, we picked up a phone card for emergencies. After we bought it, we asked the folks at the tabacchio where we might find a pay phone. They shrugged.

Izzy got his first sighting of an executive scooter on this stroll.

We arrived at the church and saw large crowds inside so decided to go inside. We wandered by & into a side chapel where we joined in the last two decades of the sorrowful mysteries.

(Chapel dome)

The chapel had a sculpted relief of the “snow scene” showing the tradition of how the site was determined for this basilica.

The Rosary was followed by the Divine Praises, with an extended Marian litany.

6 PM Mass: Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle. Eucharistic Prayers done ad orientem. My 1st time to see that. There was a choir of high schoolers from the Seattle area (Columbia Choirs) who provided music for the Mass:

• Latin polyphony @ Entrance
• Offertory: Give Me Jesus (Spritual)
• Communion: In Secula, Seculorum, plus “Lift Mine Eyes” (Ps 121 - ? Rutter setting?)
• Close: Polyphony setting of “Ave Maria.”

Beautifully done, and rightly praised afterwards, outside by their choirmaster. The music brought tears to my eyes – not the last time in Rome that this happened.

We took a stroll afterwards around the Piazza. Picked up a couple of gifts. Located our local supermarket, and picked up soy milk, yogurt, etc. Izzy had already picked up other staples (bread, cheese, cereal, cereal bars & San Pellegrino – the boy does love his “acqua gas.”

Walked back to the apt – put up groceries.

Dinner at a Trattoria Morgana, almost right next to our building. I had bruschetta pomodori (2 BIG slices!) and steamed asparagus with oil & lemon. Izzy had white lasagna and ensalata caprese. Wine was Lacrima Christi (Izzy was very, vary happy to find it.) We shared a bottle of mineral water. Discovered that they will have gnocchi on Thursday – we will definitely be back! A bit of confusion on our part after the meal – we’ll need to look up tipping customs. (Don’t worry – we over-tipped pretty well.)

Post-prandial stroll to San Giovanni in Laterano to check Mass times for the next day – none posted. The obelisk is covered for repairs.

Back to apt for 2nd showers, to bed as our neighbors (building behind us) played their TV for all it was worth. The volume interfered little, if at all, with us falling asleep.

Flickr shots of 1st visit to Sta. Maria Maggiore here.