# 10 March 15 "Parting is such sweet sorrow . . ." or I don't want to go home!!!!

As the ole faithful cell phone goes off, the realization hits that this is the last day of our trip. We have a full day planned and will try to pack in all we want to see. M.R. has part of the day planned and then we are on our own to get one last look.

We meet in the lobby after breakfast to go to the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps is another place I have seen pictures of and have always wanted to visit. Well, I can mark them off my list, and they lived up to my expectations.

Our first view of the Spanish Steps

A Lesson . . .The Spanish steps were built from the Piazza Spagna up the hill to the Trinita die Monti Church. For hundreds of years the slope was a wooded area that was of concern as early as 1515. When plans were first made to build steps between the piazza and the church, a Pope (I can't remember which one right now) did not want the steps to be built because he did not want the area to overshadow the Vatican area (something like that). In 1717 a contest was held to find a designer/architect to plan and build the steps. There were several fights and disagreements over which design would be chosen, but in 1723 construction on the steps began and they were completed in 1725. With 138 steps, they are the longest and widest staircase in Europe. Several yards from base of the steps in front is a Burnini fountain of which the center piece is a boat that was designed when another Pope (you can tell I don't know my Popes) wanted something designed after a boat he saw washed up on the bank of the Tiber River after a flood. The steps have been featured in several movies, and to the right of the steps at the bottom is the home of the English poet John Keats. It was here that he died. Click on the link http://www.pannoramas.dk/fullscreen5/f3_rome.html for a 3D visit to the Spanish Steps.

Class Dismissed.

Me, drinking from the Brunini fountain in front of the Spanish Steps

When we arrive, Shirley, Cathy, Mary Kat and I gird our strength and begin climbing the steps. We take a "picture break" half way up. We take in the view below and then visit the watercolor vendors. After leaving several euros with them, we go back down the steps where I commune with the spirit of Keats and drink out of the Burnini fountain. We gather at the foot of the steps with our group and begin our walk to the Pantheon.

Shirley, Mary Kat, and Cathy stop for a rest as I take advantage of a Kodak moment

We walk down the Via Condotti, which is one of the most famous streets in Rome with its shops that house every major fashion designer. We see Prada, Armani, Ferragamo, Gucci, Valentino, Dolce-Cabbana, Manolo Blanic, and Vercace signs. Some the younger fashionistas thought they had died and gone to heaven. We were told to keep our eyes out for celebrities. For me, the street was the way to get to another historical site. The street leads us to the Piazza della Rotonda, and there it is, the Pantheon.

Our view of the Pantheon as we enter the piazza

A Lesson . . . The Pantheon was built around (circa is the term I believe) 125 AD, and the original construction is credited to Hadrian. He had it built as a temple to all the gods, and it is the best preserved building in Europe and believed in the world of its age. Later another Pope of whom I do not know the name had the building rededicated as a Christian church. The dome over the building is the largest unreinforced dome in the world and in the center is the oculus or The Great Eye that is open to the sky. This opening is the only light for the building, and when it rains there is a drainage system in the floor to take care of the water. Several well-known people are buried in tombs in the Pantheon, including the artist Raphael. Click on the link http://www.arounder.eu/pantheon/pantheon/html for a 3D visit to the Pantheon.

Class dismissed.

After our visit to the Pantheon, we are on our own for the rest of the day. We group up with several more folks, including our experienced guide Debbie, and make plans for the rest of the afternoon. Boy, did we have big plans!!!! We decide to eat not far from the Pantheon at the Palazza Novena, which was originally the site of Roman chariot races. It is now the site of shops, outdoor artists, and cafes. We pick a charming outdoor cafe, and I order what turns out to be a delicious pizza of flat bread, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, olive oil, ground pepper, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Sooooooo Good!!

Our outdoor cafe at the Palazza Novena

After lunch we take the longest walk we have taken the entire trip to the Roman Forum. Along the way we pass the home of the Italian Prime Minister and the window in the home of Mussolini from where he gave speeches to the Italian people during WWII. The Ides of March having just passed, we see several statues of Julius Caesar with wreathes on them. When arrive at the forum, and I have to say this is one of my favorite places to visit on the entire trip. There is so much history here: the seat of the early Roman government, the place of the death of Julius Caesar, and even more important for me, the road on which the apostle Paul entered Rome on one of his missionary journeys. I walked where Paul walked!

Ruins at the Roman Forum

The main road leading into Rome where the Apostle Paul walked

We then head for our next stop, the Church of (I'm not sure), the site of the Truth Rock. Legend has it that a person could put his hand through a hole in the rock, and if he was known to tell a lie, his hand would be cut off. Legend also has it that at some point priests would hide behind the rock and really cut off the hands of those who dared to stick their hands in the rock. The movie Roman Holiday features a scene with the Truth Rock in it. When we get to the church, the line is so long to see the rock we decide not to spend our time in line. We visit the gift shop and get our post cards and get ready to head for the next site. It is at this point that some of our group decide to catch a taxi back to the hotel. It has been a long day, and we have already walked least 7 or 8 miles. I want to tease them for being sissies, but for just a second, I had entertained the idea of going back to the hotel, too.

Debbie, Marion Mauseth (one of the students) and I trek on to one more site, San Pietro in Vincoli, the site of the preservation of the chains of St. Peter when he was jailed in Jerusalem and Michelangelo's statue of Moses, which serves as a tomb for an early Pope. We catch a taxi to save time since the day is almost over. We arrive at the church and see the chains, another tie to our Christian heritage and the Statue of Moses. It is quite imposing and is close to the statue of David. I read in the guide book that the horns that appear to be coming out of Moses' head is the result of the translation of the Hebrew in which the words for light and horns are close to the same. There is a description of Moses that makes the point that light was eminating from his head, hence the horns.

The chains of St. Peter

Michaelangelo's Moses

We get our bearings and head for the hotel by foot. We are not too far and strike out to take in the ambiance and finish the last day of our trip. I literally collapse on my bed when we get back to the hotel. We have walked at least 10 miles today getting from place to place.

We dine as a group for our last meal. We catch a bus for part of the ride and then walk the rest of the way to the restaurant. There is another great meal to end our tasting of Italian food. We have stuffed pork cantalloni in a cream basil sauce, chicken cutlets, roasted potatoes, and tiramisu, along with a bottle of austi spumante.

The highlight of the evening is a stroll to the Trevi Fountain. It is an awesome place at night. There are lights to highlight the fountain, and there are a least 500 hundred people milling around, sitting together, and enjoying the surroundings. The legend is that if a visitor throws 2 coins into the fountain, one over his shoulder, he will return to Rome. The fountain has been featured in several movies, the best known Three Coins in the Fountain starring Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire. We buy one last taste of gelato and catch a bus back to the hotel.

Trevi Fountain

Me, throwing one of my coins into the fountain

The evening crows around the fountain

One last picture of the 3 Traveling Buddies

We stuff our bags and hope not to go over the weight limit too much. I set my cell phone for one last time for 4:30 a.m. We are to leave the hotel at 5:30 the next morning.

There is nothing better than . . .

Children's children are the crown of old men; the glory of children are their parents. Prov. 17:6

On May 24 Chase and Laura were married 5 years. The time has passed so quickly, and it has been such a blessing watching their love grow along with their family. Now , I know your a are thinking this is a sappy, nostalgic walk down memory lane, but it's not. Yea! They left town for an anniversary trip to Charleston and Lance and I got to keep William and Wes. Those of you who know us well, know that Laura has not let the kids out of her sight that much. At first I was hurt that she didn't think that we could take care of the kids, but after watching her mother and nurture the boys these past two and a half years, I have come to realize she just likes being a mother and spending time with her boys. Anyway, we got to spend 6 whole days with the boys and loved every minute of it. Here are few realizations I had on the drive home last evening:

6:45 a.m. is very early in the morning.

8:00 p.m. can not come early enough.

There is nothing worse than changing two dirty diapers at 6:45 a.m. when you are not a morning person anyway.

There is nothing better than the smile that greets you after a night's sleep when you walk in your grandson's room.

There is nothing worse than when your grandson spills his glass of milk for the third day in a row after you have said "Be careful" at least 10 times.
There is nothing better than when your grandson wants to go home with you.

There is nothing worse than when your grandson clings to you and won't go to anyone else.
There is nothing better than when your grandson clings to you and won't go to anyone else.

There is nothing worse than the sweaty smell of two little boys after a hard day of playing.
There is nothing better than the smell of two clean little boys after their nightly bath.

There is nothing worse than little fat chubby hands smearing food in their hair or painting a picture on the table with apple sauce.
There is nothing better than little fat chubby hands reaching around your neck to hold on tight.

There is nothing worse than hearing, "No, I don't want to.
There is nothing better than hearing, "I love you , too."

There nothing worse than watching your grandson pitch a screaming, lay-down-on-the-floor fit.
There is nothing better than hearing your grandson's prayer at night, especially when he asks God to bless his Poppa and Kakki.

There is nothing worse than knowing that it will be several weeks before you get to see your babies again.
There is nothing better than going home to Inverness and sleeping in my own bed.

There is nothing worse knowing than there are children who will never get to experience the love of two great parents or even good parents.
There is nothing better than knowing your grandsons are being raised by two great parents

Here are a few pictures of our time with the boys:

Working on hanging the swing on Mama and Daddy's new patio addition. Poppa and Taylor need some help.

The finished product

Learning how to slip and slide.

Kakki turned a box into a major toy.

"I will play here while William is gone."

"These boots are made for walking," especially since I have been walking for only a month. I have a lot to catch up on.

By the way, please don't cut these curls anytime soon!

A Week-end of Firsts

Wow, this past week-end was a week-end that will forever be etched in my memory. First, we celebrated the first birthday of my second grandson Wes. Of course, he was the cutest thing diving into his birthday cake and coming out the biggest mess with icing all over his face and hands. His dad opened gifts for him, but he seemed to be more interested in the remote control for the TV than playing with his gifts. Just wait until next year.

Going for a stroll around the neighborhood. Wes and William are riding in Wes' birthday present from Poppa and Kakki. Also along for the walk are Taylor and Mamoo, the boys' great grandparents.

What is so special about this thing? All Mama and Daddy say is "NO!' everytime I touch it. I guess birthdays are so special I can play with it today.

What is this? Can I touch it?

Wow! This is the best! Mama, I like cake.

Also, I was in my first earthquake! Yes, you read correctly, an earthquake. Saturday afternoon in Tupelo there was an earthquake that registered 3.2 on the Ricther Scale. What does a 3.2 earthquake feel like? Ya got me! I missed it. Now, when I say I missed it it, I mean that I heard it, but I wasn't in the best place to experience it. Where was I you ask? I was in the bathroom taking care of bathroom business. As I was taking care of business, I hear this loud noise. My first reaction was that a plane had crashed into a house. I had this reaction because Laura lives near the Tupelo airport. When I came out of the bathroom, I asked, "What was that noise?" Responses were as varied as the number of people in the house: "It sounded like a sonic boom." "It was a big truck." "Maybe it was thunder." As we looked out the windows, we noticed people in the neighborhood were looking out their windows too, while some were standing out in their yards. We went back to enjoying birthday cake, thinking nothing more about the noise.

Later that evening after we had returned to Delta Land, Laura called to say that the noise we heard was an earthquake. "An earthquake?!!" "Yeah, mama, that's right." I remember back several years ago around 1985, give or take a few years, there was a big scare that we here in Mississippi were in for a big earthquake because we are sitting on some fault line. We were warned to get our earthquake kits together and be like the Boy Scouts. We squirreled away water, canned goods, first aids supplies, can opener, flashlights, batteries, extra clothes, and no telling what else. The appointed day was in December, if my memory does not fail me. The day came and went and there was no earthquake. The week came and went and there was no earthquake. The month came and went and there was no earthquake. Soon we all forgot about the earthquake. When we moved to Inverness in 1999, I was cleaning out our old house in Moorhead and came across part of our earthquake kit. I thought about saving it since we were then in the the throws of all the Y2K and the End of Time warnings, which by the way like the earthquake, never came to fruition.

Even though my earthquake experience was sort of second hand, unlike one of the liquor stores in Tupelo whose owner said some of the bottles were shaken off the shelves, I can now say I was in an earthquake, even if I didn't know it.

Several of you faithful readers have asked about my travel journal. I have been so busy with brides and their invitations these last two weeks I haven't been able to find the time to finish my posts on Italy. I have one more day in Rome and the trip home. I will get back to the travel journal hopefully the first of next week for all you who are waiting anxiously to read about the goings on in Rome (I hope you fellow readers know that I am writing this tongue-in- cheek). The travel journal has been more for me to put the experience into words and print out for a keepsake than to bore you with our trip to Italy.

Take care fellow readers, and to my teacher friends, I know you can hardly wait until school is out. I wish you a wonderful summer of relaxation. DK