Arrivederci Roma

Well friends today is the last day in Bella Italia.  I bid Rome Arrivederci at 6:30am and head out to the airport.  From there to Atlanta for a long layover and then home.  Well I don't actually have a home as it was washed away in the flood and will be living with Mom and Dad again after all these years.  Luckily I have 6 more weeks of Sabbatical left to deal with the mess the floods have left behind.

Today we had Mass at the Church of St. Sebastian where the Saint and Pope Saint Fabian are buried, the Church sits atop the catacombs of Calllixtus.  We had a wonderful meal at a local restaurant and then on last pass by St. Peter's.

The Tiber nearly overflowed it's embankment while we were in Assisi due to torrents of rain.  It has since subsided considerably but this morning the wide walkway for walkers, joggers and bikes is still underwater, you can see the stairs currently lead directly into the Tiber.

Tiber

 Here is one of the many plaques that survive from the periods prior to the building of the embankments which shows the level the water reached on a building, there are all over Rome. This one sits about 9 feet above the road but at the period it was put up it was probably more like 12 feet above the road.

Plaque marking flood level on a building.

 This is the Basilica of St. Sebastian on the Appian Way where we had Mass.

Basilica of St. Sebastian

 This is the monument marking the place of his martyrdom.  You gotta love the Italian drama!

St. Sebastian

 This Basilica is run by the Franciscans and the pulpit is St. Francis of Assisi!

St. Francis of Assisi Pulpit

 We then crossed the Street have lunch at Cecilia Metella Restaurant.  This is the house special a thin spinach pasta boiled for 2 minutes, mixed with cream and cheese then put in this pottery vessel with a thin sheet of pasta on top, more cheese a small dolop of tomato Sauce then baked.  The pottery vessel is custom made for them and it resemble the tomb of Cecilia Metella, a Noble Roman woman married to Senator Crassus during the Imperial period of Augustus.  Again the drama, you eat your meal in a reproduction of the mausoleum down the street!!  This was the second course.

House Special

 Everyone enjoying their mausoleum meal!  The Last Supper!

Arrivederci!        Santa Pietro, Ora Pro Nobis!