Domestic Domenica

Today is Sunday and here at the NAC it is a very nice slow day.  Sunday in Italian families is an important day for family life.  As you stroll the city you see families and friends gathered in the many Campo's enjoying each others company.  They chat, stroll, play with the bambinos, have a picnic, eat an ice cream, basically enjoy the blessings of life.  Today my friends from Hanover, Pa. came up the Hill for the nose bleed Mass but alas, while last week half of it was in Latin, this week the whole thing was in English. So I guess it was solemn but not solemn high??  They stayed for brunch and then - well - as they say - "When in Rome....".  So, like a Roman family we took a long stroll.  Their eldest son might have likened it to the grueling march of the Crimean Campaign!!  We covered a lot of ground, most of Rome!  Here is a picture at the half way point with the Triumph Arch of Constantine on the left and the Flavian Amphitheater on right.

Today was Erin and Ralph's 17th Wedding Anniversary, one they will no doubt never forget cause their 'dogs' were barking (their feet hurt!).  Their three boys were real troopers and kept the pace, competed well and finished the race, as St. Paul would say.

When we were 3/4 through the forced march of the Crimean Campaign we stopped for respite at the Casa Santa Maria near the Trevi Fountain.  A very kind priest took mercy on us (who was that masked man?) and gave the kids some delicious pastry's, because he said, "it's Sunday".  Now that is hospitality!

Their Eldest is discerning a call to the priesthood, so pray for him.  You know they say a good priest rises at 5am..........twice a day!!  So Ralphy boy is already half way there.  As they say...."When in Rome, do as the Romans do".....and he did!

Did you know that Graffiti has played a very important role in Archeology?  Well it has!  One of the ways, for instance, we know the tomb under St. Peter's Basilica is St. Peter's tomb is because of early Christian Graffiti.  The early Christians would visit, like we do today, and they would leave messages like "Bob from Hippo was here in 157 AD" or "Peter, pray for me, love Robin" and stuff like that.  Graffiti also plays a key role in other important archeological sites, it helps us to date the strata that is uncovered.

Here is Ralph giving the thumbs up to some graffiti on the Aventine Hill.  He is normally quite a orthodox child, avid Fox News devotee and a strict Tea Party Republican (he kept asking his mother during Mass, 'Hey, where's the Latin?').  You'll have to excuse him - he is in High School after all!  It was his President Clinton moment!  In truth, he did not inhale!

After nearly 6 hours on the forced march through the history of Rome we parted where the day began.  A nice sunset over the Basilica!  Happy 17th Anniversary Erin and Ralph and many more!!