Quo Vadis?

Our Rome exploits began today. We began the day by wending our way to the Basilica of St John Lateran. On the way we went into St Mary of the Angels and Martyrs with its interesting bronze doors and its meridian line, a sort of sundial in the church.

We then went into the Redemptorist church of St Alphonsus Liguori with the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Our Lady of Perpetual Help).  Leona remembers this devotion from her childhood. 

We then called into the Irish College where Steve lived while he was studying in Rome. He wanted to see the newly renovated chapel there is magnificent. His great-great-great uncle, Blessed Colomba Marmion is depicted in the mosaic behind the altar and you will see from the photograph another saint inserted whose name in Stephen. 

Blessed Columba Marmion

Ragheed Ganni was an Iraqi priest who was studying at the Irish College when the US invaded Iraq. He asked his bishop for permission to return to be with his people. He had received many death threats. In 2007 his car was stopped... he was smiling, laughing and trying to engage with the gun men. They said they will teach him to laugh and cut him in half with machine gun fire.

We were invited for lunch and so while waiting we tried to visit the Church of St Stephano Rotundo but it was closed on a Monday so we went to St John Lateran. We began by visiting the baptistry which is the largest ever built. It was at the time of Constantine when many people were becoming Christian. While at John Lateran's we happened to meet up with our friends from Tantur who were also in Rome. Bernard Kiely was in Rome and so he joined us for lunch at the Irish College. 

The Baptistry

St John Lateran is the Cathedral Church of Rome, so the Pope's Cathedral... His Cathedra, Chair can be seen

St Peter

The side Entrance

After lunch Steve, Bernard and I visited the Catacombs of St Callistus. It was an experience of being brought into the era of the early Christians and the respect they showed to their dead and how it illustrated so much the communion of saints. Unfortunately no photos allowed.

Leona and Bernard with a replica of the stautue of the Good Shepherd that was found in the catacombs.

On the way home we stopped at Quo Vadis. Legend has it that Peter is fleeing from likely crucifixion in Rome and along the road outside the city he meets a risen Jesus. Peter asks Jesus "Quo vadis?" (where are you going?), to which He replies, "Romam vado iterum crucifigi." ("I am going to Rome to be crucified again"). Peter thereby gains the courage to continue his ministry and returns to the city, to eventually be martyred by being crucified upside-down.

 

Changing Guards and Changing Countries

This morning we had a quiet start and walked down to the Athens Cathedral of St Dionysius for Mass in Greek! One of things we noticed was how few Greeks there were and how many Filipinos were present. The Filipinos are revitalising the Church in many places throughout the world though they have a hard job ahead of them in Greece! The singing was the job of one person, the prayers of the faithful were read by the priest and another priest helped with Holy Communion... so much for the role of the laity.

After that we walked around the neo-classical area of Athens and through the Flea Market which was great. Leona was really keen for us to go to the the Changing of the Guards and dragged Steve there... thank goodness... it was spectacular. It was earlier that we had thought so just as well we went early to get a spot. It was finished by 11 am when we thought it was starting. The photos will explain it I am sure.

Now keep in step...

For those with a shoe fetish... if only they were purple

Tomb of the unknown soldier

So tell me, where did you buy your shoes?

At Stuart's suggestion we wandered around the Plaka, a beautiful neighbourhood below the Acropolis. Afterwards we had a little lunch and then off to the airport to get our flight to Rome. Steve managed to find a good place for plane spotting near the gate but then he got a bit concerned when a Swissair aircraft pulled into OUR gate. A check on the monitors showed our gate had changed... a mad dash through, for the second time, through the most thorough aviation security either of us had experienced, to get to our new gate at the end of the terminal.

At Rome's Fiumicino Airport nothing had changed since Steve was studying there - an hour to get our bags!

Doing it hard in the Greek Islands

We were picked up today about 7.30 am to go on a cruise to three of the Greek Islands - Hydra, Poros, Aegina.

First stop was Hydra, some 4 hours sailing from Athens. Of course there had to be entertainment on the way so guess who was the first volunteer to do some Greek dancing???

Arriving at Hydra (pronounced Heee-dra) Leona's first stop was the shops (though Steve did buy something for his nephew there), but we still had about an hour and a half on the island which gave us plenty of time to climb up the hill on the paved tracks (which donkeys used) and weave in and out of the houses and get some magnificent views.

After you delivered the TV come back and pick up the fridge!

 

On Poros our time was shorter but we still managed to do some exploring and meet a New Zealand yachtie! 

The third island was the island of Aegena which has two options of tours of the island to see monasteries and ruins. Steve and I thought we had seen enough of these so went for the third option of a swim on the island of Moni.  We were taken by boat to another island and swam in the Mediterranean.

Aegena... a quick stop before being whisked away to Moni Island (below)

 
Then it was the cruise back to Athens, arriving back at port at about 8 pm so it was a long day.