Crashing an Ordination Party!

It's Saturday today in Rome - and we decided to visit the Pantheon because it is one of the architectural wonders of the world!  It certainly lived up to its guidebook "billing" - it was hard to believe it was built in the year 27 B.C., the biggest pile of concrete ever constructed in its time.  It's walls are 25 ft thick and it has a dome that lets in light (and rain) from the outside that is 142 ft high -it is an absolutely perfect sphere resting upon a cylinder.  It originally was a pagan place of the gods, but later the Christians took it over and now it is the site of a beautiful church and houses the tombs of many famous artists and kings.  The famous artist, Raphael, is buried here.  We rented headphones and listened to the fascinating commentaries of this ancient place. 


Then, it was time for lunch.  We wondered over to Piazza Navona, which is one of the most beautiful baroque sites in all of Rome.  Great chariot races were once held here.  Today  vendors  their paintings and wonderful little restaurants line the piazza.  We ordered pizza , salad and had a Bellini for good measure. 

 

Our taxi ride to the Basillica of S Maria Maggiore halted a block short due to the Communists! They came from all over Italy to march through Rome. The young and old, waving hundreds of red flags as they marched with banners proclaiming Marx, Lenin, and Che Guevara suggest the romance and excitement of revolution.  As I watched, in an instant I reminded myself of the millions starved, executed or imprisoned in concentration camps in the grand but failed political and economic experiment. One of Russian visitors last fall simply said "Under Communism we had no hope." Still they march.

While we waited for the demonstrators to pass, the gelato shop on our side of the street did a booming business. So the communists accomplished a little something for the capitalists! 

On Top of the Basillica

After dropping off Marie (Joanne's Mom) for a little rest, the 3 of us (Richard, Joanne and Claire (J's sister), went back to the Pantheon because we read about a concert that was going to be held there.  Well, we were told by a local to go to the nearby Basillica of St. Augustine.  There was no concert - but we stumbled upon the end of a young priest's ordination.  It was just lovely and we followed the throngs of people up a long winding staircast to the very roof of the church.  It was a breathtaking view of Rome with wonderful people, who invited us to join the celebration and partake of the delicious food and drink.  We were so touched to be part of this event!


It's been quite a wonderful time in Rome - and tomorrow we look forward to traveling south to the Amalfi Coast to the wonderful town of Ravello for all the wedding festivities.