Rome 2018

Our family was fortunate to travel with this semester's students to Rome & Assisi during their 10-day break!

Our first full day in Rome, our family and the Wolters took the metro to Ostia Antica.  It was once the harbor city of ancient Rome and is now a vast archaeological site with many ruins to explore!  Perfect for our combined 7 kids :)

On Sunday, we had Mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls....





and then went to St. Peter Square, where we joined Pope Francis and the crowds in praying the Angelus.













On Monday, we were back at St. Peter's Basilica where we had Mass at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter.





Then we were off on a walking tour led by Brian...



with a stop at our favorite place for gelato!







One of the afternoons, we went in the Colosseum!











The favorite afternoon, however, was spent in the Borghese Garden on a 5-passenger bike!





Wednesday morning we headed off to the Papal Audience, where (thanks to the students who stayed up all night and others who woke up super early to be the first ones in and save seats) Francis was kissed by Pope Francis for the third time....





Isaac was blessed again....





and Ellie got to be up very close to the Pope with her cousin Annie and other cool students!





in addition to being featured on the jumbotron played throughout St. Peter's Square as the Pope spoke.



Then we were off to the Basilica of St. Bartholomew, a lovely church that I had not previously been to, on Tiber island.





After visiting the church, we met up with a priest friend at Dar Poeta (our favorite pizza place) and then got gelato at Old Bridge (Brian's favorite gelato place)!



It was another wonderful visit to Rome, with not a drop of rain and highs near 70!