June 23 -- No clever title

So you guys are probably thinking that I must have lots of extra time on my hands, since I have been keeping up with my blog daily, but that is not the case. I am just afraid if I let it stack up I won't be able to finish before leaving for Ravenna on Sunday morning, and I don't know what internet access will be like there, so I don't want to leave it until then!

Today we had a morning lecture on the collections held by the Academy which was interesting, especially because we were able to handle the artifacts, but after the things we get to play with at the Getty it was nothing earthshattering for me (I guess I'm very jaded about these things).

Afterwards I took a Mental Health Day -- went off on my own for the first time. I was hoping to see the Palazzo Corsini collection, which is a small but quality collection of mostly Renaissance art, but found out when I arrived that you can only get in at specific times of the day, and only if you have a group of 13 or more. Very annoying for someone who might be traveling alone, but I guess when you are privately owned you can pretty much make your own rules.

Next I got lost (intentionally) in Trastevere, the neighborhood our Villa sits on the hill above. It has retained much of its Medieval character and is very picturesque and quiet in spots. I actually saw a British nanny pushing two children in a pram. Not that that was the high point of the day, but I did feel like I was in a European country for a change.

My goal was Santa Cecilia, which Celia wanted to see while she was here (for obvious reasons), but she and I were unable to find it. After the last three weeks in Rome, though, I was better able to navigate the neighborhood and did find the church although I should say for the record that it is quite well tucked away. Unfortunately, it was closed for a wedding, but I will try to make it back before I leave Sunday, and get the pictures Celia wanted.

Next I walked to another church, Saint Frances a Ripa, which was also closed. Are we detecting a pattern here? I was frustrated, but vaguely remembered hearing or reading something about some churches closing between 12 and 4, so I hung around in the neighborhood until 4 and the priest did come and open the church. It is a small but pretty church, and houses a Bernin sculpture of a saint in ecstasy. It's not his famous Saint Teresa, but is very similar to it, if you are familiar with that piece. It was quite scandalous, and I guess still is, because of the pose and expression of the woman depicted. I'll let you guys look it up and draw your own conclusions.

But the main attraction of the church is tucked away up a couple of floors in the bell tower. I asked the priest about it and he agreed to take me there. It seems that in the 13th century St. Francis of Assissi did visit the church and stayed for several months in a penitent's cell. He was taking me up to see it when another woman and her mother asked where we were going and if they could come along, which was fine. It actually turned out to be very useful because St. Frances a Ripa is the seat of the Mexican Catholic church in Rome and the two women were from Mexico City. the priest spoke Italian and Spanish but no English, and the younger woman spoke Spanish and English but no Italian,but between the three of us we were able to converse, so I got all of the information on the cell. He even let us touch the stone that St. Francis supposedly used as a pillow during his stay.

A little Church gossip also...the priest told us that the Catholic Church is starting the beatification process of John Paul II next Thursday at the Lateran. If I were still going to be here I would go see the opening ceremony, as I doubt I will ever have such an opportunity again. But of course I will be gone by then.

Next I rode the bus back up to the Villa, where I was planning to catch another bus to the other side of the hill to go to the wax museum, which is something everyone had laughed at me for being interested in. At the stop I ran into Jen, who was upset because someone had stolen her mail at home and used one of those stupid checks the credit card company send you for cash advances and charged $3600 on her credit card! She was annoyed and wanted to get out for awhile so she came to the musem with me. It was very odd. The first two tableaux were Mussolini and his entire Fascist cabinet, and Hitler and Himmel. Then there were dinosaurs, an electric chair, and Sleeping Beauty, all in the same room. Plus some apparently famous Italian rock band dressed like the Beatles on their Sargeant Peppers album cover. I got some really good pics of those and so much more, if anyone is interested in the future.

On the way back to the villa we stopped at St. Ignazio, a church which ran out of money before building their dome, so they had Borromini come in and paint a fake dome over the crossing. It is incredible. From the door to the middle of the church the dome looks real and very impressive, but once you pass the midpoint of the crossing and look back it flattens out and distorts. Very impressive. I'm not sure photos will do it justice, but I tried.

Guess that was about it for today. Taco is waiting on me to go get a coffee before bed (counterintuitive, but what they do around here), so I had better sign off.

Hear from you guys soon!

Candace