Lions and Christians and Stairs - Oh, My!

I stayed awake until after 3 am hoping I’d wake and be Rome time. It didn’t quite work. I woke too late to order cappuccino (10 am), so I decided to make coffee in the cottage and have a slow day. I went to San Giovanni for an hour or so and then returned to the College for lunch at 1. I met Liam along the way: we were both late!

The kitchen staff cooks and serves everyone the same thing - a pasta course followed by a meat and veg course. The sliced potatoes with onion were about the best I have ever had anywhere. The fourth person at the table was Father Chris, who was starting a seminar on Paul later that afternoon. We talked a little about the class and a little about carbonara at Abruzzi, Michael’s favorite restaurant here in Rome.

After lunch, everyone gathered on the portico for coffee (or tea or cocoa) and then Albert and I went back to the chapel to see if the work was done. Did I forget that earlier?  The mosaic was being put up when I arrived. It was the last day, and the whole thing had taken just 5 days to do. It’s amazing, just amazing, and breathtaking in its profound simplicity.

I stopped by to see Alison and Kelley, who tell me the computer guy hasn’t shown up yet, but for sure will either come in or send someone else tomorrow. The priestly types go back to work or class and I head off to the Coliseum.

So Albert is either wearing those roller-shoes or my watch is running on Klingon time. It took me 20 minutes to get to the Coliseum from the College. In fairness, I suppose I sauntered, taking in the landmarks and shops along the way. It’s a nice walk, much better for me than for countless Christians who made the trek in the first 300 years after the life of Jesus.

It’s big, but smaller than I remember. There are fences and souvenir carts everywhere. It was a bit disheartening, but not as disheartening for me as…see above. There were loads of people too. I walked around the entire edifice, over to the Arch of Constantine, and then I looked up a hill - to my favorite place in my favorite place: the Arch of Titus. I walked up the basalt cobbles as far as the chainlink fence at the end of the Forum. A few photos and then back around the Coliseum and up the hill to the College.

It takes longer to walk up. I stopped for a macchiato at L’800, then ordered a slice of pizza to go and went home to the cottage. Still no computer guy and it’s after 5. I watched some tv and then went up to bed with the computer so I could watch “The Invention of Lying”, which I’d downloaded to my laptop before leaving Maine. Wouldn’t you know, it was one of the in-flight films? I purposely didn’t watch in on the plane since I’d already bought it for the laptop. Then I listened to some of the pod casts I’d downloaded and finally I decided to go to bed.

This time I slept - - for 11 hours.

I’m on Rome time now.