There's no place like home!

Home at last!

Maggie's First Communion

Yesterday Maggie received her first Holy Communion at St. Paul's outside the walls in Rome in the year of St. Paul.  

Papal Audience

Yesterday, despite threatening rain and cold winds, we waited about 3 hours for the Pope.  It was really great to see him and the kids were excited too.  I got a few good pictures, which I will be uploading shortly.  I don't have the best internet connection here.  

We are staying at a Catholic guest house just on the outskirts of Rome where we have a 2 room apartment and three meals a day.  I have to say, Italian food is excellent, but it is just too much.  For dinner, there is always a pasta course (called "first") and for the "second", there is usually a meat, a vegetable and a salad.  Usually wine is served with dinner.   And fruit for dessert, and of course coffee or cappucino.   The meal times are different, too.  Lunch is served around 1pm and lasts at least 30 minutes, and dinner is usually served around 8pm.  

Ronald McDonald's David

Need I say more?  Thankfully, Michaelangelo was born in Florence, not the U.S.

Okay!  I'll admit it.  During my five months in Europe, I did see two severely obese people.  However, one was American.    

View from the Top

Went to the top of the highest building in Florence this weekend--the duomo, or Cathedral.  You can see the shadow of it in the picture. 

A Room with a View

We went to an Olive Oil farm to learn how olive oil is made.  It was a surprisingly small farm, but the results were beautiful.  The tour included a lovely lunch, complete with fresh olive oil and gourmet dessert.  Part of the farm was a large manor house that was originally built about 200 years ago and updated 100 years ago.  It is the house that was used in the film "Room with a View" and "Tea with Mussolini" which were both set in Tuscany.

Tree Experience

Yesterday we decided to have a little fun.  We all went to the "Tree Experience" together and put on harnesses and tested our bravery and strength.  Even Maggie climbed up.  We all had a great time.