Home Again

It's Monday and we've been home since Friday night. Our travel home was uneventful, with the exception of me waking up in Rome that morning with vertigo back in tow... I guess I just HAD to say that I had a whirlwind vacation. That kind of true humor example I could do without! Anyway, we made it back to Florida and have been trying to catch up to life here at home ever since. The vertigo has subsided to almost a small spin; the dogs are trying to understand our Italian accents; the cat is sick; the laundry pile is diminishing; the kids have survived - barely in some cases; all in all, Lundy life is back to Lundy normalcy. We still don't know what that is, but we are trusting that God sure does. The vacation is over, but the trail never ends you know. See you on the path!

holy holy holy

whew. Yesterday brought us to the Colleseum, the Forum, the Palladium, and walk walk walking through the ancient ruins of Christianity here in Rome. Quite overwhelming and very very contemplative to see the early history of what Christians suffered, persevered, and believed in to make the way for what we have today... all the same faith, believing in the same Savior. We got to see students doing excavations outside the Colleseum ' very painstaking work. Amazing.
This morning, Rick and I were beyond blessed to be able to take a very private tour underneath St. Peter's Basillica and see the Scavi Excavations... another amazing look back to the real history of the early Catholic church, the City under the City under the City... three layers of history and then the buriel place of Peter. wow. We are just in between our tours, having found an internet cafe along the way, and will be finishing up with the Sistine Chapel and Museum tour. Then home. literally.... we will go back to the hotel, pack up, get a night's rest, and then tomorrow we travel home to the States. Bittersweet for us - this has been a dream come true and then some.
We hope you have enjoyed walking with us through this trail of memories and blessings. See you soon. Ciao for now, hello for later.

Skulls skulls skulls ... monks!

You never know what you will find when you travel to a foreign city. We expected many unusual sights and customs... but to see the capuccian monks - 4,000 of them! - in all their skeletal remains was quite a sight to see! We went to their crypt in the Santa Maria della-something along the Via Venuto and couldn't believe the way they were stacked, arranged, displayed, mummified, and put around as artwork for all to see. it was quite amazing. So was the Via Venuto and the many beautiful buildings, marble statues, fountains, and people people people everywhere. Rick and I have walked miles around this beautiful city and still haven't seen a minute part of it.. but we are having a wonderful time together.

We dined at the original Cafe Alfredo's last night - the creator of fettucine alfredo - and guess what we ate for dinner? yup mangia mangia on the BEST fettucine alfredo we ever had...plus...we were serenaded by two old paisanos playing guitar and accordian and "welcome to my world". oh my! We are in Roma romantica...happy and blessed trails.

roma roma roma

We arrived in Civittavechiaàs port yesterday morning ...very early. It was so hard to say goodbye to this wonderful home on the sea; we have been spoiled "Mediterranean style".
But we found a new home in Rome - our hotel is a "seasoned" version of the Plaza in NY with alot of old-world charm and lots and lots of guilding, tapestries, and beautiful frescos. They will probably do tours of our hotel!! We spent a beautiful day walking to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps which are literally "steps" from our door... all on cobblestone and busy busy streets filled with Americans, Germans, and everyone from EVERYWHERE! Last night was a highlight already - we toured the city by night in a tourbus that ended in a dinner not to be believed... an opera-style restaurant complete with "Nessun Dorma" and "Ole Sole Mio", along with prociutto, pasta, and another meal on top of that! We took picture after picture, video after video... and mangia mangia mangia! Today remains to happen... but we will leave a happy trail for sure! Ciaio for now!