So, Lucy and Ethel made it back from Italy without incident.Which was no easy feat....
I don't know where to start.
Obviously the highlight being the whole Pope thing. The above pictures gives a little insight on where I was sitting. ON THE ALTER.......
Both pictures are taken from my seat, but the bottom picture puts in perspective where I was sitting. There were about 10,000 people there. The view was unbelievable. I was in the first row at the aisle. On either side of the pope there are chairs, approx 100 on each side. You need special tickets for those seats. We showed our tickets thinking I was maybe in the first section on the floor.
We kept going, going, going. I'm thinking wholy crap, (notice, no swearing here)
I can't believe this, there has to be some mistake.
They keep telling us to keep going up further, further. We get on the alter.
I started to cry, one of many times,thinking, how did I get here? I was sitting on the alter holding my mothers rosary's in my hand just feet from the Pope.
So here is how we got there.
Turns out the man who we had to pick up our tickets from is a seminarian from Pittsburgh. His job is giving out tickets for the papal audiences. Naturally, when he see's a person is from Pittsburgh, they get the best tickets......
Good old Burg connection, never fails.
He was a wonderful person who gave us alot of inside info. Among other things, he is sending me his mother's perogie recipe.
He got a kick out of us. Especially when the pope blesses all the religious stuff. I pull out all my stuff that needs to be blessed in a purple crown royal bag. He just laughed.
Recollections about the trip:
I had two major problems, (1) having trouble leaving one place on time to meet tour group at specified time. Example, in Assisi, our guide was going to leave without me while I was deciding what ceramic plate to buy. Ski had to beg him to wait. Same with the Catacombs, the guide had to come find us. I just couldn't pull myself away.
(2) I could not, for the life of me, sleep. Poor Ski, I kept waking her up by my pacing. Don't know if if was the excitment of being there, or what. But when I laid in bed, I could see St. Peter's Basilica. (FROM MY BED) I just didn't want to close my eyes.
Finally one night I just passed out from sheer exaustion.
The shopping and food were awsome also.
We went into this little botique and this georgous man was waiting on us. He was the kind of cute that talked me into buying a $200.00 scarf cute. I caught myself just in time though. Ski wasn't so lucky. Turns out he was on the soap opera "Bold and the Beautiful". He was Macy's Italian husband.
Funny.
I'll leave the story about going to confession at St. Peters for another time.
I've been to more churches in the past few weeks, I think I am glowing from the halo.
I know, I know.....
Since we already had a special AMG last night, we can have a mini one this Thursday.
If anyone still wants to go out, I'll just be at the Mardi Gras for a while. Whoever wants to, we can meet up there. After 7:30.
Also Ginny Ann suggested we go to her house next Thursday to watch Wheel of Fortune.
More detail will follow.
Hopefully see you all on Saturday. It will be fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment