In the Meyers-Briggsian world, I am a strong INFP. Strong all the way, so that there’s not a bit of J on my horizon. Which means that I have my own internal scheme of organization, which is mostly intuitive and need not be articulated.
But for the sake of bringing everything together in my very scattered travelogue, here’s a brief rundown of What We Did in Rome:
Saturday, 2/26: Arrive in Rome 8:25 AM. Are at the apartment in Borgo Vittorio by 9:30. Get apartment intro, go right to St. Peter’s, stand in line for security (which moves fast) and wander around the Basilica.
Lunch
Some people: nap
Amy: Phone misadventures, nap. Wake up, phone adventures, to Vatican Radio for an interview with Charley Collins.
Evening: Meet w/Charley Collins who takes us to Piazza Navona, shows us around and points out 3 good restaurants. We pick one, eat, and return to the apartment.
Sunday 2/27: 9am: tour of St. Peter’s with Jeffrey Kirby, seminarian of the Diocese of Charleston.
Noon: Angelus
Mass at Santo Spiritu
Afternoon: Tour of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and points inbetween with Zadok. My report here.
Evening: collapse.
Monday 2/27:
Morning: Pantheon, St. Maria Sopra Minerva, St. Eustache, Sant’Ignazio ( MIchael’s report) KIcked out of the last church because the siesta hour(s) had arrived.
Afternoon: Amy to RomeReports at the RAI studio reported here by Michael, but I’ll do more from my end later, the rest to the Vatican to get some behind-the-scenes insights.
Tuesday 3/28:
Morning: Gesu, Largo Argentina (home of the cat sanctuary and where Julius Caesar was assasinated), various other churches including S. Andrea Della Valle. Campo di FIore.
Lunch and afternoon: lunch with many friends in Trastevere, hosted by Charley Collins. Tour of Santa Maria in Trastavere.
Evening: Dinner with the Roaming Roman at the Bernardi Campus
Wednesday, 3/1:
Morning: General Audience
Noon and afternoon: Michael to the North American College
Amy and children to film B-roll shots for the Rome Reports gig on Borgo Pio, in front of St. Peter’s and then at Trevi Fountain. Amy and children then explore Trevi area, Spanish Steps and the dreadful Via Condotti.
Early evening: Mass at St. Peter’s. Joseph sleeps, sprawled on chairs.
Evening: Michael out to dinner with an old acquaintance, Amy and children down to Piazza Navona area for exploring, pizza and the best gelato of the trip at a small place, whose name I don’t remember, on a small road east of the Piazza.
Thursday, 3/2:
Morning: Scavi Tours for Amy and Katie at 9:15 (still haven’t blogged on that, have I???). Michael at 10:45. As Michael tours, we go check out the line to get into the Vatican Museums. No line at all. We file that information.
Afternoon: Colisseum, Roman Forum, Mamertine Prison…something else? I don’t remember.
Evening: Theology on Tap, Scholar’s Pub near the Gesu.
Friday, 3/3: Morning: Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums . Blogged here.
Afternoon: early: rest. Late afternoon: St. Sabina, St. Anselm and other Aventine sights.
Evening: Dinner at the great basement restaurant across the street with an old friend of Michael’s, now on sabbatical in Rome.
Saturday, 3/4:
Morning – afternoon: Capuchin Crypt, S. Maria della Vittorio, S. Susanna, various other churches in between, Baths of Diocletian and Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. St. Paul Outside the Walls. S. Clemente St. Peter in Chains. Yeah. That was a long day!
Evening…I have no idea.
Sunday, 3/5:
Morning: 10:30 Mass at St. Peter’s, Angelus.
Lunch.
Afternoon: Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Trevi Fountain again, S. Maria di Trevi…
Evening: Pack and clean apartment
Monday: 8am: in the car, on the way to FCO. Sadly!
Of course this scenario does not even begin to capture the experience, does it? For in between the big sights are a million small sights and encounters, art and signs of ancient culture and popular piety on every corner, little shops, surprising little churches and shrines, gelato stops and street performers. Sigh….