Today got off to a slow start as Geoff and I both slept in..not a good thing to do when you are trying to get over jet lag! Ah well! Making plans to meet Caterina at San Giovanni de Laeterano Basilica at noon, we arrive to find a huge Mass going on and a cathedral full of dignitaries and armed service folks (mostly Navy) and many firefighters in bunker type outfits as members of the audience. Come to find out it is the Feast of St. Barbara, the patron saint of Navy folks and firefighters. We were treated to a full orchestra singing Handel's Messiah Hallelujah chorus as well as archbishops and clergy galore concelebrating a Mass. It was quite moving. I learned from Caterina that the Basiloca was the original church ofnthe Popes prior to the building of the current Basilica of St. Peter. The doors were the original doors of the ancient Curia in the Roman Forum. All in all, quite an impressive place.
After speeding some time with Caterina at our hotel, we set off to find the Trevi Fountain, a tourist trap if ever there were one! Getting there was another adventure as Geoff and I got separated on the subway when the door slammed shut in my face. LOL! I figured I would just head to Barberini station and call Geoff if he wasn't there. ( At that point I had no idea if that was where he was going.) thankfully he was standing there hoping I was on the next train! We finished the afternoon wandering up the Quirinal to the palace and an exhibit on modern Italian history. This is a brand new exhibit geared for Italians. The palaceis impressive.
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