July 1

After the fabulous meal we enjoyed with Paolo's friends last night, we were able to sleep in late this morning. Because the thieves had taken all of my shoes, I went out searching for a pair of sandals. The flip flops I have been wearing were not doing the job! To my great surprise, I found  that I could buy a pair of sandals at a pharmacy! We are not in Kansas any more, Dorothy!

We walked to Saint Peter 's Basilica, where we were given a tour of the Scavi.  Pope Pius the 12th had ordered excavations under the Basilica in the 1930s. When Constantine had built the original Basilica in the fourth century, everyone presumed that the altar was above the tomb of St. Peter. The altar was placed in the same area when the present basilica was built in the 16th century. In the process of excavating, archaeologists found good evidence of a cemetery under the present altar. There is credible evidence that St. Peter had been buried there, and the tour was the final part of our pilgrimage. We had celebrated Mass near the place where Thomas Becket was martyred. We ended at the bones of St. Peter.

After the Scavi tour, we took the metro to the Spanish steps. Unfortunately, most of it was under scaffolding.

We walked many blocks around Rome, until we found a nice place for lunch.  After lunch, we enjoyed the best gelato in all of Rome.

Then we went to the Pantheon. This is the only intact building from ancient Rome. Instead of being a temple to all gods, it is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, and the Roman martyrs.

Then we walked to Piazzo Navona, which had served as a place for racing chariots in ancient Rome.

From there we walked to the ancient Roman forum and the Palatine hill, where the emperors lived.

Then we walked to St. Mary Major, the first church in the west dedicated to theMother of God. Pope Francis had come to this church to pray in the presence of the statute, before going to the hotel to pay his bill after being elected pope.

We jumped on the metro, returned to the convent, celebrated Mass, and had a nice supper.  We are enjoying Rome!