Update from Rome (pt. 1)
I am writing this post from Rome. I arrived Monday afternoon, October 3rd. My travel to Rome was unpleasant. I left Sunday afternoon after the Sunday Masses and RCIA. I elected, because they were inexpensive, to fly Portugal Airlines (PAL); first from Newark, NJ to Lisbon, and then from Lisbon to Rome. I will admit the main source of my unpleasant experience is my own fault. See, I am obese. I don’t say “heavy” or “fat,” but stick to the medical term, “obese.” I am not happy this way, but I have struggled all my life with my weight. The malfunctioning thyroid (which is now removed) did not help matters, so I am at my heaviest. However, this is not an unusual situation, so why are airplanes designed for people about 5 feet tall, and 120 lbs? The flight was full, so I could not find a place to spread out in, so it was a very cramped 7 hours to Lisbon. The AC was also not working on the plane so it felt 90 degrees. I got no sleep.
Matters only got worse when I got on the plane from Lisbon to Rome. Incredibly it was even more cramped. When the person infront of me leaned his seat back, I ceased feeling my lower half of my body. When the flight mercifully came to an end in Rome, as I got up the fold down tray (which I could not us during the flight) fell and caught on my shirt, ripping two buttons off. So when I entered Rome Airport I was very tired, and very disheaveled.
After getting my bag, I head to get some euros and a cab to the Casa Santa Maria, the residence for American priests studying in Rome (a fellow Trenton priest sponsored me to stay here). As I passed through the security area a man came up to me and said, “Father, you need a cab? I take you.” I told him I needed to get euros first, but he said that was no problem, he would stop at an ATM for me, then he took my bag. I was so tired that I had forgotten that my friend warned me about avoiding the “taxi drivers” that wait at the gate. Despite their “badge” they are not official cabbies, and well, they rip you off. He wanted me to pay 195 euros for a trip that should only cost 50 euros tops. I did not have that much (thank God), so he demanded what I had before getting my bags out of the trunk. An incredibly expensive taxi ride.
Now I am rested and enjoying Rome. Yesterday, after breakfast I walked to the American Express office to cash in some of my traveler’s checks for euros, and on the way passed the Trevi Fountain. Near the office was the Spanish steps. Then, looking on my map, I saw that Ss. Ambrose and Charles was nearby, so walked there. Practically across the street from the church was the masoleum of Ceasar Augustus. Then it was across the river to Castel San Angelo. Of course the thing with Rome is that everywhere you turn there is history, and churches. From Castel San Angelo I saw St. Peter’s so started walking there. Before I got there I decided to go to the North American College, where another friend of mine is studying and will be ordained a priest tomorrow morning in St. Peter’s. Then I walked back to the Casa Santa Maria. It was a very long walk, and I developed a blister on my foot which made it longer and more painful. But still, its Rome! I rested in the afternoon and evening.
Today was a leisurely morning; did some shopping nearby, and visited another old church (Santa Maria del Minerva, I believe). After lunch I walked to the Anphitheater of Flavius, better known as the Colosseum (I learnt that the area was know as Coloseo because of a large bronze statue of Mars, which is now gone, and the name was mistakenly attached to the antipithreater). For 18 euros I had a marvelously interesting tour of the place. On the way back I stopped at the Basilica of Ss. Cosmas and Damien. I have taken lots of pictures, and I will post the best when I get back. Caio for now.
