A day in Florence

Enough of bad things. Let's forget the republic day.
I know it's October but I was thinking about our holidays in July and the day my husband was 50. We were in Rome and went to Florence because it was his birthday.

It was such a wonderful day.
After the presents and kisses in the morning, we went to the station and took a fast train, the Frecciarossa to Florence, Firenze, how it's called in Italy.
It's a wow city, each corner of it. I knew it was like that but I didn't know how much wow it was. The girls were crazy with it.

The girls with long hair are my little ones.

After all the walking and our jaws aching because of so much wow, we went to have lunch. He choose the restaurant and very well chosen it was.

Such a pleasant lunch.

He and I had Aspargus Risotto and the girls had spagetti and pizza. Here it's him enjoying his food.

The arm and a blue and white dress is my big girl. I think the other hand is my girl nº2 - or it's maybe mine.

And what about the italian ice cream, like no other in the world?!

Some fruit.

And other food.

We went back to Rome in the very end of the day exausted but so happy. Happily we went in the Frecciarossa again.
Thanks God my husband doesn't tire easily because, arriving home we had the most wonderful dinner.
What a day!

More beauty from the Vatican and Rome

Santa Maria in Traspontina

Remember that street that I said it leads to the Vatican? In this street, on the right side, there is a beautiful church - they are all beautiful. It's called Santa Maria in Traspontina.

Click on the title and you will go to the page on wikipedia that tell about that.

St. Peter's Basilica

The Papal Altar and the baldachin. It's amazing, its beauty and grandiouseness!

Only the Pope can celebrate Mass there and is on top of the tomb of St. Peter, the first Pope.

See here the tomb. It's below.

It has a lot of significance!

At last!

I know, but it's better late then never. Here they are my holidays pictures.

Do you know where this street is leading to? Our hearts are already burning with anticipation.

Here!
The hapiness that we feel here. The first step is to go through a scanner as in the airports, then we must get between two guards because lots of turists forget they are in a sacred space and dress almost to naked. I saw some people sent away. Not the muslim women because they are always properly dressed.

Going to the Basilica we can see these handsome men.

Inside.
We feel so little. First time I went to the Vatican, my girl that is now 11 was a little girl on my husband's shoulders. The moment we went in, she couldn't help say: Wow! Yes, that what we feel.

It's everything so grand.

Here we only can enter to go to Mass.

It's a special place, even for turists.
Looks like our hearts will burst with that light.

Such a blessed place.

For some days, I will post some pictures of the Vatican and Rome.
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Here is the Piazza Navona.

More tomorrow.

Home

We just came back from Rome where we stayed for three weeks. My husband rented a home for us in the hill of Trastevere. It's a place very much looked for, full of restaurants but this is more in the lower ground. We were at the high, on the top of Goffredo Mameli street, almost at the Gianicolo which is a place where there are quite a big territory belonging to the Holly See, including the Hospital Bambino Gesu ( Baby Jesus). From our house it was easy to go to the Vatican, which was not realy far from us. So, you can imagine the times we went there.

It was not the first time but it's always such a moment of emotion as we, facing Saint Peter Basilica, felt that we realy were at Home. Yes, that is Home.

We took a lot of pictures, that I will post tomorow and following days.

The big moment was when we went to Castel Gandolfo where the Pope is for his holidays. I knew that he in July always goes to the mountains and I was a bit sad until I learnd that, this year, he wanted to go to Castel Gandolfo since July and until he goes to UK in September. It's the first time he does that and I felt it as a special blessing from Our Lord.

So, we went, so expectant of that imense previlege that is to receive a blessing from the Pope.

It was beyound whatever I can say. It was so amazing that my husband wanted to go again the following sunday - which was received with big joy. Being him an anglican by birth, I didn't want to press my husband but he was so happy there that was him who proposed to return. And everytime I looked at him I could see a transformed face - I can't find another word - looking extatic to the Pope. He, with us, waited in the sun for two hours until the doors opened and before that he went to buy a british flag by his own idea.

If you go to my other blog you can see the flag in the movies You Tube has.

It was a wonderful time and I, that always like so much to come back to my home as I like to go on holidays, I'm already missing the Pope and that Home of us all catholics that belong to that Church that we like so much.

Picture: I think I took it from wikipedia bit now I can't find the place.