Roma

FIRST LET ME WISH EVERYONE A MERY CHRISTMAS.Arrived in Rome around 5pm and hopped a taxi for the Vatican. I had secured an invitation to Midnight Mass and had to be there before 7pm to get my tickets. I was escorted into the Swiss Guards office by a nice young seminarian from Indianapolis and received my tickets. We were then escorted back to THE HEAD OF THE LINE!!
We were in line from 6 to 8:30when the doors finally opened. Heavy rain fell until about 7:30 but the seminarians came prepared with food and Christmas Carol sheets. The singing was beautiful as it spread around the square and echoed off St. Peters. It was goose bump time.
When the gates opened there was a mad dash for the doors but first you had to pass through security which involved a metal dectector and a guard yelled "Piano! Piano!" I wasn't sure if he was security or a busker but we passed through and got to sit IN THE SECOND ROW!!!!! I must qualify this. We sat in the second row of the unscrubbed masses, immediately behind the Bishops and Cardinals and other hoi piloy. Mass was in a combination of Italian and Latin with some other languages thrown in. We were among the first to receive Holy Communion but not from the Pope. When mass was over there was a mad dash in the other direction for cabs. The enterprising Roman cabbies had a bidding war going with fares running as high as 50 euro for a normal 10 euro ride.

On Christmas Day we had a tour of the city......................

Doc Campbell Moment - there I am at the Colleseum! We also visited the Forum and the Circus Maximus. At the Forum I spotted a statue of Romulus and Remis so is this a Helen Fraser Moment?

The morning ended with a trip back to St Peters for a Papal Blessing. The beggars were out in force as were the rosary and medal sellers. I bought a 100,000 year Plenary Indulgence for my friend Greg Campbell for 5 euro. I could have gotten him a million for 10 but I think he needs to pay for some of those emails he sends.


We went to a restaurant for a wonderful Italian Christmas Lunch. No turkey but lots of pasta and wine. They don't decorate homes here, just the shopping areas and they put Christmas trees in parks and public squares.Tomorrow we head for Pompeii which will be 12 items I will have knocked off the list. Only the Acropolis remains and I hope to get there next week.

More fun with Americans:"After St Peters can we go to the Vatican?"