Above and below

The Basilica of St. Peter

Our day in Rome began with a Metro trip to the closest station near the Vatican City. We got to experience a little of the rush hour. That is something not especially to be desired. We were approached by a dozen or two persons selling tours promising to skip the lines. Arriving in St. Peter’s square (an odd name for an ellipse) we could see why many would opt for the “skipping the line” part. The security line stretched along Bernini’s colonnade, down one side and all across the piazza in from of the church! It must have involved an hour’s wait, at least. 

Interesting view of St. Peter

We had plenty of time before our appointment with the “scavi.” This is a trip to the excavations under St. Peter where the bones of St. Peter were discovered in the 1940s-50s. Our guide was excellent and explained why St. Peter’s is where it is. This site used to be outside the city of Rome. There was a “circus” here, an hippodrome dedicated to various games that would be played in front of large audiences. Such venues would be appropriate for the deaths of the condemned since these events were usually public spectacles. We seem shocked at the attitude the ancient Romans had towards those competing in the “games.” We seem to have not taken a look at ourselves when we cheer those who win and delight in “sports activities” that are prone to draw blood (football and hockey for 2). 

Two of the famous Swiss guards

A further proof was the placement of a necropolis in the same site. The dead were treated with reverence by the Romans and interred with honor in highly carved sarcophagi, or in alabaster jars for those who were cremated. By inscriptions and other evidence it has been decided that St. Peter was actually buried under the early St. Peter’s Church which was replaced by the baroque structure we see today. 

The famous Pieta

The trip we took today goes down below St. Peter’s to the catacombs which were underneath the original structure. To preserve the archeological digs, a limited number of people are allowed to enter (there were fewer than twelve of us). As our guide said it is like going into a mine. The air is very humid and the passages are narrow. No photos are allowed, so none appear here. Not my rule but theirs. 

The Holy Door at St. Peter's 

After completing the 2 hour tour we visited St. Peter’s Basilica since we had been through the very short line for security and were able to move freely. Dian and Nancy had not visited the sacristy and treasury so I suggested they see that collection. No photos there either!

Roman street scene

We walked across the Tiber and had lunch in a little cafe on an alley. It was a beautiful day so we decided to sit outside. Entertainment was provided by a group next to us who engaged in very loud and demonstrative “Italian” conversation. 

The three of us walked along to the Basilica of St. Augustine. This church is notable because of the presence of the tomb of St. Monica, St. Augustine’s mother. She was originally buried at Ostia Antica. She was instrumental in the conversion of her son and husband. St. Augustine is one of the doctors of the western church, very well known for his theological writings and his rule for monks. 

St. Monica's original sarcophagus 

Now we felt we had earned a gelato break and headed to Rome’s oldest ice cream parlor, Giolitti. Many others had the same idea. I had one scoop of dark chocolate and one of coconut. The coconut was very good but still not as good as the chocolate! Nothing is as good as the chocolate!

Newly energized we pressed on to the next goal that of the Church of Saint Maria Vittoria where there is the famous statue of St. Theresa in Ecstasy by Bernini. There is also a fresco by Raphael.

Rafael's fresco in the Church

St. Susanna, immediately across the street was our final goal for the day. It was, however, closed for remodeling. 

Heading back to the hotel we stopped at St. Mary of the Angels which is constructed by and also used parts of the Baths of Diocletian. The lights were being turned off as we entered so we thought we should leave post-haste. 

We walked a lot (16,000 some steps), saw a lot and ended the day with a delicious dinner at a trattoria just down the street from the hotel.

Tomorrow there will be more to see and more to learn. 

The organ at St. Maria della Vittoria

Not Three Coins in a Fountain but Five Churches in Rome.

Pillar in front of St. Mary Major

The first full day in Rome. What a lovely, bright day this is. The temperature is forecast to be in the 80s. There is not a single cloud in the sky.


 The hotel in which we are staying is, I would say, superb. The staff is great and multilingual. It is billed as a four-star hotel for the current generation. The rooms are comfortable, modern and efficient with plenty of “room,” unusual for an European hotel. 

Breakfast in the hotel dining room was a pleasure. The three of us pilgrims agreed to meet at about 8. One made it on time, the others within the hour. We plotted our day which would include a fair amount of walking. It turned out to be 8.5 miles of it! Good for our bodies, our waistlines and whatever else we worried about!

Reliquary containing portion of the Crib of Bethlehem

Our first stop was at St. Mary Major, one of the major basilicas of Rome. It is known for its location at which snow fell in August to indicate the place where this should be built. It is known as a shrine of Our Lady of the Snows because of this event. There is also a relic of the crib of Bethlehem which is in the crypt, the place underneath the high altar, often found in historic churches. There is one underneath the high altar at St. Peters (where Peter’s tomb is located) and at several other churches. Often times these churches were built over burial sites which were then incorporated into the church building itself.

One of the domes in St. Mary Major

. 
Following this we walked a brief way to St. Alphonsus which is the home of the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the western version of the Eastern icon of Our Lady of the Passion. A kindly 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The three pilgrims before the icon.

sister who was present in the gift shop asked if we would like to get closer to the icon, so she escorted us into the sanctuary and offered to take our picture. What a kind gesture!

This is a proper baptismal font!

A stop for lunch was necessary on a shady street as we traveled on.

Peter and Paul above the Papal altar.

We arrived at the Lateran Basilica which is, in actuality, the cathedral church of Rome and the official seat of the pope, the bishop of Rome. It is an ancient building going back to the early years of “legal” Christianity. It has been destroyed many times and rebuilt each time as “newer and better.” The pope and his entourage used to live in the Lateran Palace. Following the papal exile to France and the return to Rome, the pope moved to the Vatican which has been the home of the Roman Church ever since. 

Above the altar are reliquaries said to contain relics of the heads of Peter and Paul. To the left of the later is another shrine said to contain a part

Ceiling of the Lateran Basilica

 of the table used at the Last Supper. At the center of the apse is the pope’s throne or cathedra as bishop of Rome. 

The Lateran Basilica has a gorgeous ceiling. There are five long seating areas separated by columns. Along the nave are enormous statues of the twelve Apostles. St. Matthew stands on a sack of coins to indicate that he had given up his former occupation as a Roman tax collector. St. Thomas extends a finger to point toward the high altar. It was he who demanded that he be able to put his finger in the Lord’s wounds following the Resurrection.

The Pope's Cathedra

Icon of our Lady written by St. Luke

After a gelato break, we went to the holy steps which lead to a chapel containing several relics. The steps were supposedly brought by St. Helena from Jerusalem to Rome, and were the steps up to Pontius Pilates residence which Jesus had to climb to his trial. It is a pious custom to climb the steps on one’s knees. None of us opted to do that, most likely having to do with advanced age and our knowledge that our knees would most likely not last forever. 

We were off, following this, to the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem which is not actually in Jerusalem but in Rome, but is the church which particularly proclaims the Lord’s passion and death. There are supposed relics of the true cross, the nails, the thorns from the crown, St. Thomas’s finger, one of the nails from the cross, etc. 

Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem

The church is relatively quiet and is a respite from the crush of the tour groups in the Lateran. It is much smaller than many of the popular “tourist churches,” although there were tour buses parked in from when we arrived. Most had departed by the time we exited the church and headed back towards “home.” 

A stop at a recommended cafe provided a delicious dinner and we returned to the hotel to the good news that my checked bag had arrived and I now had a variety of clothes to wear! The bag had taken the flight I had not. By some miracle it and its owner were reunited. 

Some lessons learned.

Frankfurt airport

Well, here I am in Frankfurt, where I never thought I would be on this trip.

One always learns from travel. So far I’ve learned that signs that say “On Time” lie. I’ve learned that once on board a plane one is a virtual prisoner. I’ve learned that the truck which the ground crew attaches to the 747 to provide power to start the engines can get lost at O’Hare. I’ve learned that can cause us to leave two hours late which causes one to miss one’s connection, and the rebooked flight as well. I have hopes, not high ones but hopes, that I will be on the 3:30 flight to Rome and finally arrive at my destination only 12 hours late, or so.

Another view of the runways

If it could speak I would wager that my checked bag would have marvelous tales to tell. I’m wondering if I will ever see it again. At the same time I’m wondering how to collect on my baggage insurance. That will possibly be another lesson!

The weather here today is gray and wet. Hopefully, it will be sunny in Italy. It will be evening by the time I arrive so it won’t make much difference. After a good night’s sleep I should be fine. Tomorrow will be another day with other lessons to learn.

Off to Rome, the eternal city.

No one ever said it was going to be easy. Sometimes we just expect too much. Sometimes things just do not go “right.” 

I’m off on another pilgrimage, this time to spend some time in the eternal city of Rome and to walk in the steps of St. Benedict. All the reservations were made. It looked fairly easy. There was a close connection in Newark, but if all went well things would work out just fine. 

I had mounted an enormous fret about the 55 minutes I would have to connect in Newark. That, it turned out was the least of the problems. It began in Sioux Falls. The flight to Chicago was delayed because the plane had not arrived from Lincoln, Nebraska. I originally had more than an hour to make the connection in Chicago. That time was rapidly shrinking as the arriving plane was later and later. We finally boarded and snuggled in for the one hour and 15 minute flight. Then we had to wait on the taxi-way for 17 minutes, not 15 or 20 but 17! 

After a bumpy arrival at O’Hare, I had to wait for my gate-checked bag which further delayed the process. I was directed to the shuttle to Terminal 1, which sounds ominous in and of itself. I arrived just as the announcement was made for the final call for the flight to Newark. I fell into my seat with a sigh of relief which was short-lived.

We experienced problems viewing the video concerning the intricate instructions for fastening our seat belts. This had to be restarted several times. The “cabin” then announced there were problems with the aircraft that they would attempt to repair without returning to the gate.  Alas, the problems were evidently too complex so we did return. By now the 55 minutes I had to connect in Newark had evaporated. We were told to take all our belongings and exit the aircraft. Obediently following like lemmings off the cliff, we went.

The consolation offered at the gate was to go to customer service (which I firmly believe is an oxymoron). I detoured to the United Club and encountered Nancy K. who did (I think) a marvelous job of rerouting me through Frankfurt to Rome. It seems like a reasonable way to travel. I don’t know about my checked bag, however. She spent over 30 minutes on the phone trying to contact someone in “Baggage Match” who would route my bag in the way of righteousness. Finally, she reached a real person who would try his/her best to see that the bag was (1) found, and (2) sent to Frankfurt and then to Rome.

I’m currently whiling away the time by eating cheese and crackers, trail mix, pretzels, and something round covered in white. This is called lunch which was to have been on the plane, but, alas, was not. 

According to the master plan I was to meet two of my traveling companions from Denver in Newark. We were booked on the same flight to Rome. They, however, were delayed in Denver to the point that they would miss their connection in Newark, so they were rebooked through Frankfurt. Fortuitously, we are now on the same flight from Frankfurt to Rome. If all goes well, which I fully expect it not to, we will connect in Deutschland and still arrive in Roma at the same time! 

Here the endeth the lesson on the perils of air travel. To sum up, I left home at 8:30 this morning and have traveled no further than Chicago, less than two hours by air from home. It is now 4:30.

(FYI - the round things covered in white appear to be white chocolate covered raisins, or white chocolate covered something.)

On a more positive note, pilgrimage is an ongoing experience. As I’ve written previously, I always learn something new, and return a different person from the one who left Sioux Falls. I’ve been to Rome before. This will be a new experience, in a way, since I will be able to spend several days there which always gives one a better perspective for good or bad. One cannot come to know a place in a few hours or a few days. Nearly two weeks there will allow time for reflection and a more leisurely pace of seeing and doing. I’m really looking forward to having time to experience the city without chasing from the airport to the port to the city to the airport to the rail station, etc. 

One of my traveling companions has mapped out a plan which will include several places of interest which I’ve not visited previously. Rather than seeing the same “old” things, there will be several new experiences. 

Part of this trip will be walking (driving, bussing) in the steps of St. Benedict. The father of western monasticism will be instructing us along the way as we visit places of import to him, his sister Scholastica, and those who follow in his path by attempting, day by day, to live by his rule.

I will look forward to sharing these experiences with you.

Peace.

Copenhagen revisited

Our final day is in Copenhagen from whence we departed several days ago. I’m amazed at how 

The Little Mermaid

rapidly two weeks can go by. Sailing into the harbor on a warm day resplendent with sunshine was a beautiful experience. Out in the harbor are several wind generators all lined up in a neat Scandinavian row. Denmark has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2025. 

The HoHo (Hop on Hop off) bus was waiting at the curb. We opted for the 3 tour ticket which will cover most of the central part of Copenhagen. The poor driver’s ticket machine had a melt down after processing my credit card. No ticket was produced so we had to stay on until downtown when his supervisor could print a ticket for us and relieve his angst. The bus did make a stop for photos at the “Little Mermaid.”

A minuscule part of the brewery

We took the bus which tours through Carlsberg an enormous brewery dating back over a hundred years. The bus had to go through two archways which were very, very tight. The driver closed the roof so no one could stand up and find his head bloody from the adventure.

Dragon tails spiraled into a tower.

Returning to the center of town we hiked off for lunch. Craig had visions of a Scandinavian smorgåsbord. They are few and far between, and when available quite expensive, as a rule. They have been largely supplanted by KFC, MacDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc. We did find a Turkish buffet which satisfied.

A stairway to heaven?

We had another bus tour through Christiania, another section of Copenhagen with only a few things of interest, most notably their new Opera. It is a contemporary building on axis with the marble church and the royal palace and was donated by the beer brewers Carlsberg. 

By now the sunny, pleasant day had deteriorated into rain making further touring not at all a pleasant notion. The shuttle bus to take us to the terminal was parked near the “Little Mermaid.” Boarding the bus we returned to the ship. Following dinner the packing frenzy will begin. The bags must be tagged and out by midnight. Our transfer to the airport will take place at 6:15 AM.

Kiel, Germany

Harborside statue

Our overnight sailing took us to the port of Kiel. I expected a dumpy port town with nothing much to see or do. The terminal was beautiful with a completely enclosed entrance much like a jetway. Would that we had had that the night previous! The city furnished a handy booklet that outlined things one could see and do with 1 hours time, 2 hours time, etc. It included a convenient map. 

The Church of
St. Andrew and St. Nicholas

After connecting to the free wi-fi in the terminal and dealing with a few hundred emails, we took off on a jaunt to explore the city. We walked to the old market and found the Church of Saint Andrew and Saint Nicholas, named for the patron saints of fisherfolk and sailors. It had a lovely triptych behind the high altar and a huge rood hanging at the entrance to the chancel. The baptismal font was commodious as well. 

A small part of the Sunday flea market

Venturing onward into the city we came upon an enormous flea market that stretched for blocks and blocks. The church we had just visited was nearly empty at the time for Mass to begin. The flea market was packed. One could procure nearly anything. I’m sure it rivaled the world’s largest rummage sale in size. Craig found a multi-band radio that he could not live without. I found a Starbucks and had the latte that I could not live without.

It appeared that it might rain again so we headed for the ship and had lunch there although there were a multitude of food offerings at the flea market. The skies cleared without raining upon us so I went out to explore more of this city.  

In the botanical gardens

I happened upon the old botanical gardens which were lovely. I have no idea where the new gardens are. The climate appears to be propitious for hydrangeas and roses. There was an enormous hospital complex with clinics for every thing medical including human genetics. As part of the local university there was a barrista academy.

An array of astilbe

Kiel was a base for the Nazi u-boats. There is still one moored there which is now a museum curiosity and was used in the film Das Boot. There is also a memorial to all the sailors who lost their lives in two world wars irrespective of the country they served.

All in all it was a charming and interesting city. I had thought of taking a shore excursion to Lübeck. Reading the reviews of same the conclusion was that Sunday was really a dead time there. I’m happy that we opted to stay in the port and discover some things about which I’d never heard.

The after dinner show was the final for the dancers and singers of the ship’s troupe. It was based on Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty. Included were lots of special effects and lighting tricks so we were quite entertained. 

Statue before the art museum
 looking suspiciously like an American bison.

Berlin, Germany

The port city for Berlin on this trip is Rostock. Assembly time was 6:45 AM following which we 

Berlin's symbol is the bear

boarded a private train for the 3 hour trip to Berlin. A snack box was distributed which contained an apple, a cookie and an interesting item referred to as “ a pretzel with butter inside.” Indeed, the description was true. It was a fat, soft pretzel injected with a substance resembling butter as if it were one of those filled pastry things which has been squirted with some fruit substance. Interesting.

The train stopped once as we discharged those passengers bound for a tour of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. The rest of us continued on to the Ostbahnhoff in Berlin in eastern Berlin. Our tour was met by our guide, Annikka. She was very knowledgeable and had a wonderful, bouncy personality. She did a excellent job of explaining the boundaries and political implications of the previous East and West Germany and East and West Berlin. 

Part of the Berlin Wall

We boarded our bus and continued on to several photo stops, first at the “Wall” where several artists were invited to paint murals after the division between the two Berlins was eliminated. There are several sections of the wall still in existence, one where, as Annikka described it, people come who are “wall pickers.” The wall resembles Swiss cheese in this place for people have chipped out chunks as souvenirs. The wall was built actually as two walls with a considerable “no man’s land” between where refugees could be easily spotted and shot. That land is now available for 

No man's land went all the way
 to the white building

building if it can be determined who owns the land. 

This problem is handled by a governmental department with a title nearly as long as Germany is wide. Ownership must be sifted through several periods. There may have been a German gentile who owned the land originally. The land may have been confiscated by the Nazis for some purpose. If owned by a Jew then it was confiscated because of its owner’s religion or heritage. East German land then was owned by the state until the reunification. Now the original owner must be identified, if possible, and the land sold to whomsoever would build upon it. Not an easy task.

A point where the Wall once stood.

Checkpoint Charlie was another photo stop. I finally understood the story behind this. Checkpoint Alpha was at the border of East and West Germany. Checkpoint Bravo was the entry point between East Germany and West Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie was the passage between West and East Berlin. 

Location of Checkpoint Charlie

This place is quite a tourist “trap” now.  The original booth is not present. A replica is there for photo purposes. There are souvenir booths and a marker in the pavement designating the location of the wall.

The Brandenburg Gate

A stop at the Brandenburg Gate was obligatory. This iconic structure was once located between the two walls dividing the city. This is World Cup time and Germany had won the night before our visit. The park on one side of the gate was transformed into a giant viewing place with gargantuan screens, bleachers, and numerous food stands where hundreds of thousands had gathered the night before to view the game. 

On of the more interesting vehicles spotted was a “beer bike.” 

A beer bike

This is a small wagon-type structure with bar stools surrounding a beer tap. Each stool is provided with pedals so the customers can drink and pedal their way to wherever they wish to go.  I could not determine which of the participants is the driver. I assume someone is. It is probably one of those things of which it is a good thing to avoid whenever possible.

The Allied Museum has been created to memorialize the Berlin Airlift. The actual Checkpoint Charlie booth is there, along with 

A watch tower, a portion of the Wall,
and an engine of a plane involved in the Berlin Airlift.

one of the aircraft. There is a portion of a tunnel which ran under the Russian sector at one time and was used by American spies to tap the Russian phone lines and gather intelligence to used against the Soviets. When discovered some of the Soviets admired the Americans for their ingenuity!

The bus dropped us on the Kurfurstendam for an hour of free time for shopping. Many of our fellow passengers sprinted for the Apple Store and its free internet to catch up on electronic communication. Most of the terminals have had free internet. Other popular spots have been MacDonalds and Starbucks. I don’t know of many who are willing to pay the exorbitant price the ship charges for connectivity.

We made another photo stop at the parliament building. This was one of the monumental buildings 

The German Parliament building

never used by Hitler so it was felt it was appropriate for the new Germany to make use of it. It was damaged during the war so the glass dome is a new addition. Alongside this building are the offices of the members of parliament in a contemporary ribbon of buildings, which is, indeed, how Berliners refer to it, the Ribbon of Parliament. As Annikka explained each member has a secretary who has an undersecretary, who has an undersecretary, etc. 

Parliamentary office building

The bus then took us to a train station in the northern part of Berlin where we re-boarded our train to return to the ship. It was really a very enlightening tour and a worthwhile part of the whole journey.

Just as the train pulled up next to the ship, the heavens opened and the rain came down in torrents. I think a saw a bit of hail as well. We were assigned to carriage C so we had to walk the length of the train past carriage K and then back up the other side in order to get to the gangway. By the time the crowd reached the gangway there was a traffic jam so we had to stand in the rain. I had an umbrella but was still soaked up to my waistline. I did have on my intrepid hiking boots so, incredibly enough, my feet were dry. We all looked very much like drowned rats or wet cats or…(provide your own description).

The Memorial for Holocaust Victims