As predicted, the morning came too early. Nonetheless, we got it in gear and made it to the Roma Termini for our 8:55am train to Orvieto. Why travel to Orvieto? Adam Rust, our newly ordained Deacon, chose this spot for his first mass. Orvieto is the home of a cathedral that houses the evidence of a Eucharistic Miracle . . . In Catholicism this a special spot.
Adam's Mass turned out to be quite nice and he drafted his friends to participate in various roles from cantor to readers to alter server. Any guesses as to what I did? As the top alter server of of my graduating class at St. Ignautius Catholic School in Yardley, Pennesylvania, I stepped up to the plate, tossed on the gear, and was the alter server for the Mass. It was like riding a bike . . . though the last time I did was in 8th grade. Here is a shot of Adam and I post Mass and the inside of the cathedral: 
After Mass, we were on our own again -- doing our thing. So we walked the streets and grabbed lunch at La Peryola, a nice spot where the locals eat.
We then hopped a train back to Rome. Sarah and I walked from the station by the hotel my parent's stayed at when they were in Rome last, then to the Via Vento (the spots where the Rat Pack hung when they came to Rome), and then on to the Spainish Steps area to view some art. 
Orvieto is north of Rome in a more mountainous region of Italy. When you arrive at the station, you then you need to climb ~1,000 vertical feet in a tram to get to the heart of the town. Once at the top we walked to the cathedral and met up with Adam and the rest of the party. Here are a few shots to sum up these experiences:
Adam's Mass turned out to be quite nice and he drafted his friends to participate in various roles from cantor to readers to alter server. Any guesses as to what I did? As the top alter server of of my graduating class at St. Ignautius Catholic School in Yardley, Pennesylvania, I stepped up to the plate, tossed on the gear, and was the alter server for the Mass. It was like riding a bike . . . though the last time I did was in 8th grade. Here is a shot of Adam and I post Mass and the inside of the cathedral: After Mass, we were on our own again -- doing our thing. So we walked the streets and grabbed lunch at La Peryola, a nice spot where the locals eat.We then hopped a train back to Rome. Sarah and I walked from the station by the hotel my parent's stayed at when they were in Rome last, then to the Via Vento (the spots where the Rat Pack hung when they came to Rome), and then on to the Spainish Steps area to view some art. After that we went back to the Flat to relax and prepare for dinner. At 8:30pm we set out again by foot to "Est! Est! Est!" Rome's first pizzeria (or so they claim). It came recommended so we checked it out -- to our satisfaction: reputation upheld. It turned out to be a good meal, very good pizza, and very friendly service (chanti was good too).
After dinner we walked back to our place via the Spainish Steps and are now calling it night. 
Here are a few more shots from the day from the other spots we visited (Piazza del Popolo, Fontana delle Naiadi, Orvieto station, and Via Vento). There is a bonus picture and question and the end . . .
Here are a few more shots from the day from the other spots we visited (Piazza del Popolo, Fontana delle Naiadi, Orvieto station, and Via Vento). There is a bonus picture and question and the end . . .Ok the bonus question and picture: Why do I look unhappy in this picture? Clue: We are in the Piazza del Popolo. There will be an upcoming video blog post to answer the question.
More to come . . .
2 comments:
Answer: Eric could not purchase his favorite gelato in the Piazzo.
Dad was just asking me yesterday if you had participated in any religious ceremonies while on your trip - our considerations did not include the role of alter server. Nice to know you were up to the task.
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