Piazza di Santa Apollonia

There is a small square in our neighborhood called the Piazza di Santa Apollonia, named for Apollonia, an early Christian martyr from Alexandria in Egypt (died in 249 AD). Among other tortures, she had all of her teeth pulled out (without anesthetic). Because of this, she is now the patron saint of dentistry and those suffering from dental problems. We thought it would be appropriate to get a picture of Michelle here.


So if you hear Michelle mumbling under her breath, listen closely. You may hear, "Santa Apollonia, pray for me ..."

Unexpected hotel amenities

On our way to eat tonight, we noticed a quick advertisement for our hotel's Wellness Center and Spa. On the list of possibilities for our relaxation was one that was unexpected but welcome (highlighted below).


I immediately signed up for my cuddle, and agreed that Michelle would get her chance tomorrow. It's like a little island of home in an ocean of strangeness.

Sistine Chapel

As you wander through the maze that leads you to the Sistine Chapel, you are confronted with room after room filled with infamous sacred imagery; that is, more than famous. Most people know the work of Raphael, Michelangelo, and the other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But there are some sacred relics that are lesser known, yet still quite important, amidst the acres of better-known pope swag.

Imagine my surprise when I walked through an unassuming little door into The Pope Poncho Room.


Or when I discovered the sacred implement that the Holy Father turns to when he simply must have a slice of that New York Cheesecake: The Sacred Pie Knife of Santa Maria Callenderus.


And, when there is a nail sticking out in the Holy Bedchamber that must be made flush, there is only one tool for the job: The Holy Hammer of San Stanley Burrellus.

St. Peter's Basilica

Michelle and I visited St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City today. We wandered around taking in all the statues and reliefs until we reached overload. All of these works of art tell a story, and present a moral, from which we can learn and grow. One of these masterpieces that stuck with me is shown in the picture to follow. It shows a man, a skull, and a chubby wingéd child holding a miter. I struggled to understand the scene, until a kind man in a cleric's collar translated the Latin inscription for me:

Seest thou this skull? Upon them that toucheth my hat cometh swift vengeance. And take thou thy grubby hands off of my staff.

An exciting Roman game

Because soccer is just not enough, the people here in Rome have other games for locals (and visitors) to play. This is just one of them, called Get the Poop in the Chute. The way it works is this: Place your feet squarely on the convenient grips, squat, aim, and strain. If you do it right, you win clean shoes.


Other fun games include Find the Entrance to the Sistine Chapel and Now Find Your Way Out and Talk the Gypsies out of Taking Your Wallet.

We arrive in Rome

So, we have arrived in Rome, a trip that involved Michelle's first visit to a two star hotel (at the airport in Frankfurt, which was actually very nice), and her discovery of gelato, which she has found that she prefers to, well, everything else on earth. That may be an exaggeration, but only by a little. She told me that she would like to lay around in the hotel all day, and just go out for gelato. So the pictures that you see in the future on this site may be downloaded from the internet.


Here's a picture that Michelle took from one of the old Roman bridges that was built back in 200-something AD. We're looking northwest toward Vatican City.


By the way, apparently Tom Hanks is here in Rome now, filming the movie Angels and Demons. And since he's been banned from filming in any Rome churches, we at least know where he is not.