Last Day in London

All good things have to come to an end, and, unfortunately, my trip overseas is drawing to a close. Looking back, it's hard to believe all of the sites I've seen and experiences I've had since leaving Indianapolis nearly three weeks ago. While Rome was a much longer portion of my trip than London, I have truly enjoyed my past six days here. London is a clean, classy, and beautiful city where I could probably spend an entire year without scratching the surface of all it has to offer. I'll be heading home tomorrow and arriving back in Pittsburgh on Friday morning. To all of you who have followed the blog, I hope you have enjoyed it, and I thank you for taking the time to read it!

Obama? What are you doing here?

Today it was very apparent that the President of the United States was in London. During President Obama's address to the British Parliament, the Houses of Parliament were manned by nearly 50 armed guards. Outside, protesters of the War on Terrorism and Guantanamo Bay demonstrated their dislike for the President, while the mall in front of Buckingham Palace was adorned with both US and UK flags. When a group of three of us decided to take a look around the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the residence of the Queen, we saw a large crowd gathering out front of the gates. As we peered through them, we could see a large motorcade heading towards us. Finally, the gate about 5 feet away from us opened, and we saw as the President's black car drove past us. The crowd cheered (and my camera died) as the President drove off, on his way to a Barbecue at the Prime Minister's residence. As he drove past, I yelled something along the lines of "Save me some ribs," but I don't think he heard me.

These protesters were also mad they weren't invited to the Barbecue

221b Baker Street

Besides seeing the President, another highlight of my day was a visit to the Sherlock Holmes museum, located at 221b Baker Street. Inside, we were able to see Holmes' and Watson's residence exactly as it was portrayed in the stories. From the letters on the table, to pillows on the sofa, no expense was spared in bringing the legendary detective to life. In fact, the Tube Station at Baker Street is covered in tiles with the silhouette of Holmes smoking his pipe. On the third floor of the museum, life size wax figures from Doyle's stories depicted familiar scenes, including the beggar Hugh Boone from the short story, "The Man with the Twisted Lip." It's no wonder that over 50 percent of the British believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person.

Platform 9 and 3/4

A trip to London would not be complete without a stop at the famous King's Cross railway station, where the first Harry Potter movie was filmed. Inside, you can even find the famous Platform 9 3/4, where a trolley is halfway inserted into the wall. Elsewhere in the city, we also discovered the filming site of Diagon Alley.

Diagon Alley

Ending on a High Note

There could not have been a better way to close my trip abroad than the concert I attended this evening. Inside the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, I had the chance to hear renowned pianist Maurizio Pollini in his final concert in London. An Italian pianist now in his seventies, Pollini belongs to the rapidly vanishing era of pianists such as Van Cliburn, Howowitz, and Richter. These power-house performers were at the peaks of their careers in the 60s and 70s, and unfortunately, many have passed away. Pollini's concert this evening was absolutely incredible and compared to nothing I had ever heard. Royal Festival Hall is London's premier concert hall and home to the London Symphony Orchestra. For a hall of this size (holding over 3000 people) to be packed as tightly as tonight is a true testament to the significance of the event. Pollini's program consisted of two piano pieces by Stockhausen, which were quite modern and intriguing, before plunging into the extremely difficult Sonata in F minor by Schumann. Even though he had some trouble walking on and off stage, Pollini's playing put both myself and almost anyone I had ever heard to shame. His technique was stunning, so much so that his playing seemed completely effortless. It was as if he was gliding over the keys, and in the process, producing a sound that filled the massive hall. The second half of the program included five works by Chopin, of which the Fourth Ballade and Second Scherzo were the major pieces. Pollini's voicing was unbelievably clear and well shaped, but what was most impressive was his control. There could have been five or six parts happening at the same time, but each was interesting by itself, as if an entire orchestra was playing. How Pollini could have possibly kept all of those parts clear in his mind is a mystery to me. Another remarkable aspect of Pollini's performance were his interpretations of the Chopin pieces. In general, his interpretations were a little on the bright side, yet it never felt like he was simply playing too fast. In fact, I actually enjoyed his faster interpretations more than those to which I was more accustomed. This is an incredible thing, because musicians often treat their preferred interpretations like old women treat their hair dressers; they are reluctant to change.

View from my seat

Pollini returned for two encores, playing a Chopin Nocturne and the Revolutionary Etude, but he must have been called back over two dozen times. Each time, the audience would leap to their feet in hopes that they could hear one more piece. Listening to Pollini tonight was like listening to a story from a World War II Veteran. The whole time you listen, you are thinking that, someday, all you will have is a second-hand account of this piece of history. Someday when that musician or veteran has passed away, you will be able to say that you heard it for real. That was exactly how I felt tonight. To top it all off, I walked outside the massive Royal Festival Hall, and I saw that all the buildings and the London Eye were lit in different shades, while the trees sparkled with Christmas lights. What a truly magical place to spend my last evening abroad.

The Tower of London

We began our day today with a visit to the Tower of London, England’s most famous castle and fortress. Inside its walls, we explored the many different attractions it had to offer including the White Tower, with its display of Medieval armor, the Jewl House, with its collection of royal crowns and golden eating utensils, the Torture Chamber, with its display of gruesome torture devices, and, finally, my personal favorite, the Armouries Restaurant, with its selection of cakes, sweet rolls, and other baked goods. Items that were especially interesting for me were the torture devices, including a body stretcher and body compressor, but also the Tower’s famous collection of ravens. This particular colony of ravens has dwelled within the Tower’s walls for hundreds of years, as the prophecy states that, should the birds fly from the tower, the kingdom will fall. I found it kind of humorous that, even to this day, the bird’s feathers are clipped, preventing them from flying away. I’m not sure of England’s stance on abortion, but it certainly seems to have no problem with “bird control.” 

 Inside the walls of the Tower of London

While the Tower was interesting, I couldn’t help but notice how the attraction was geared toward the younger crowd. Elementary school groups were a dime a dozen, as were activities in the Tower such as “test your archery skills,” “Henry VIII in 3D,” and sound effects in the castles that simulated an attack on the fortress. While I really have no problem with this from a business perspective, it’s worth noting how much this differs from the historic displays in Rome. I definitely feel like Rome’s target audience is much more mature, and in many cases, more well educated than London's. I’m not exactly sure what the reason behind this might be, but it could have something to do with London’s struggle between the old and the modern. In Rome, the monuments, piazzas, churches, and even the ancient cobblestone roads are less museums, and more parts of the current, functioning city. The churches in Rome, with no admission charges, feel much more like hometown parishes than London’s churches, which, with their admission charges, feel more removed from the fast-paced city around them. Perhaps this is the goal of the well-defined museums in London, an attempt at designating something as historically significant, a necessary distinction that is less appropriate in the well-integrated city of Rome.

 

The White Tower

A Tale of Two Churches

 St. Peter's in the Vatican

St. Paul's in London

We spent the afternoon today exploring St. Paul’s Cathedral, the “London cousin” to the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica. I have to admit that, from the outside, the two structures are quite similar, with their crowning domes that resemble that of the US Capitol building. On the inside, however, they couldn’t be more different. As I encountered these differences, I began to think about the differences I see back home when I attend mass at my Catholic church compared to when I attend a service at my grandparents’ Methodist church. Compared to the extremely detailed interior of St. Peter’s, which was almost entirely covered with either paintings or sculptures, St. Paul’s felt much more open, with its soaring white walls with gold accents. It reminded me of the more contemporary atmosphere at my hometown protestant churches versus my Catholic church, which begins with the architecture of the buildings themselves. My Catholic church’s structure feels much more intimidating to me than my grandparents’ Methodist church, just as St. Peter’s interior felt more overwhelming than St. Paul’s. The other major difference was found beneath the cathedral floors, in the crypts. In my home parish, we go to church, participate in mass, say hello to a couple of people, and then head home. At the Methodist church, on the other hand, everyone gathers afterward for fellowship, coffee, and doughnuts. It was only fitting then when I found that the crypt of St. Peter’s held the solemn tombs of the Popes, while St. Paul’s housed a bakery and café (and Wi-Fi!)

A group of us decided to climb the 500+ stairs to reach the top of the 250 foot dome of St. Paul's. Here are some views from the top:

 

Love Never Dies, the Phantom of the Opera Sequel

After my High School's impressive production of Phantom of the Opera this spring, I have had Andrew Lloyd Webber's catchy tunes in my head ever since. When I found out that the sequel to Phantom of the Opera was playing during my stay in London, I made sure to get tickets. Long regarded as the greatest of all Broadway musicals, Phantom of the Opera is one of those shows that cannot be topped. I had heard mixed reports about the sequel, but I was determined to keep an open mind, with two exceptions. First, I was hoping that Webber would not use the music from the first show extensively, and, secondly, I hoped that the sequel's plot would stack up to the first's.

As the curtain rose, the entire stage became a giant television screen, with newspaper headlines swirling in and out of view. These headlines explained that the opera house had burned, the phantom had escaped, and that Coney Island in New York was becoming popular. Next we saw the Phantom singing to a captive Christine, almost foreshadowing the events to come. His opening song, "Till I Hear You Sing Once More," was quite beautiful, and provided an opening to the show worthy of that of the original. The plot was a little awkward in spots, such as when Christine, Raoul, and Gustav (Christine's son) step of the boat in New York and a creepy looking carriage pulls up to greet them with a skeleton-masked driver, supposedly sent by Oscar Hammerstein. From there, it kind of felt like a family reunion, as all the characters, including the Phantom and Christine, become reacquainted.  Madame Giry and Meg have traveled with the Phantom to New York City's Coney Island and opened a new vaudeville act. The Phantom has written a new song for Christine and is eager for her to sing it. The big shock comes when Christine tells the Phantom that Gustav is actually his child! (I'd expect this from Arnold, but not the Phantom). Obviously this was a deleted scene in the original. The Phantom then takes the boy down to his "new lair," a psychedelic looking pad probably in the back of a Dippin' Dots stand, and sings him a very hard core rock song. The bizarre scene ends with Madame Giry singing about how she is annoyed at the Phantom for giving Christine so much attention and forgetting about her and Meg.

Act II opens with Raoul drinking at a roadside bar, when the bartender suddenly becomes the Phantom, and the two start fighting. The Phantom wants Christine to sing his new song, but Raoul wants him to leave her alone. Christine decides to sing the song, coincidentally titled "Love Never Dies," but, when she finishes, she sees that Gustav has gone missing. Meg has kidnapped him and threatens to throw him into the ocean. The Phantom shows up, tells Meg to calm down, but says "You'll never be as good as Christine," which angers Meg, who shoots Christine. Though she is very near death, Christine still manages to sing three more songs (and a reprise of the opening) before finally dying. Raoul and Gustav then join the Phantom in mourning her death, Gustav gives the Phantom a hug, and the curtain closes.

Overall, "Love Never Dies," is an excellent show, with a decent plot, outstanding and memorable music, and a new setting that offers a nice contrast to the Paris opera. The show, though, is not a great sequel. However, I felt it was the best sequel that could have possibly been created. How do you continue one of the most well-loved stories of all time without making someone unhappy? It's impossible. But, when you think about all the other ways the plot could have ended, this really was the only logical choice. Perhaps what impressed me most were the musical decisions made by the composer. It was almost as if Webber was admitting that there was no comparison to the original Phantom by not overusing the original music. Throughout the show, subtle hints at the famous themes were prevalent, but the majority of the show was entirely new music. In doing this, Webber kept the audience from associating too much of the show with the original and helped the show earn its own identity.

A Foot in each Hemisphere

Today our group traveled by boat to the town of Greenwich, where one can find the National Maritime Museum, the Greenwich Observatory, and the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian is famous for dividing the world between the eastern and western hemispheres, and it also serves as zero degrees longitude. Greenwich is also home to the clocks invented by John Harrison that first allowed longitude to be calculated. Harrison developed clocks that could be taken on board a ship without losing time. We enjoyed a nice lunch at a local pub, and then headed back at about 3PM.

Exploring Trafalgar Square

London's Trafalgar Square is home to the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. The first is an impressive collection of paintings, including many impressionist pieces. It was especially interesting to see the works of Monet and how they differed from the pictures I have always seen in textbooks. There is certainly something to be said for seeing impressionist works in person to get a true sense of how the color reflects the light. Monet's paintings almost seem as if there is a glass cover over the canvass which reflects the light, when, in reality, it is merely the illusion of the paint. The National Portrait Gallery contained portraits of some of the most influential British men and women from the Renaissance to the present. Items of interest included the Tudors, several prominent American colonists, Charles Darwin, John Keats, and several British composers including Handel and Johann Christian Bach. It is so interesting to notice the poses of the individuals in the portraits and their surroundings. In the day of instant and digital cameras, we take for granted how important it was to have that one single portrait painted of you. There's no doubt that many decisions had to be made so that the individuals pictured would be remembered in a certain way. Handel, for instance, was pictured standing, with his full figure visible. His large build, combined with his pompous stance emphasized his supreme standing as the king of British composers. Like his tomb in Westminster Abbey, Handel is seen with his most memorable work in hand, the Messiah.

Looking from the steps of the National Gallery to Trafalgar Square

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

The second half of our day was spent viewing a performance of As You Like It at the reconstructed Globe Theatre. After enjoying a sausage wrapped inside a pastry for lunch, I entered the theater where we took our seats in the stalls surrounding the main stage. On the ground, many people stood in a large open area, just as the lower class audience members would have done in Shakespeare's time. The show was performed by a traveling group, which was absolutely spectacular. When I read Shakespeare, it is often easy to get lost figuring out what is happening. The actors and director did a good job in using visual elements to make the lines much more clear. One of the most surprising elements of the show, however, was the music. Shakespeare provided lines for songs to be interspersed throughout the play. One of these songs, "It was a Lover and his Lass," was a song with which I was already familiar, but I had no idea that the text came from this particular show. After attending this Renaissance Musical, I am looking forward to my visit tomorrow to "Love Never Dies," the Phantom of the Opera sequel!

A Busy First Day

My first day in London was loaded with exciting adventures, including a visit to the British Museum, a tour of Westminster Abbey, a ride on the London Eye, and a guided Ghost Tour of the city. Perhaps what has impressed me most about this city is the cleanliness. While Rome was beautiful, it was also full of litter and garbage. The London streets, including the alleys, are nearly pristine. The entire city has a very classy feel to it, achieved by the cleanliness, the overall grandeur of the architecture, and the well-manicured gardens.

 A small park we passed on the way to the British Museum

 View of Big Ben with the London Eye peeking out from overhead

 The Houses of Parliament from the Thames River

Where's my Mummy?

Our day began with a visit to the British Museum, a vast collection that spans all continents. One of the biggest draws of the museum is its exhibits of Ancient Egyptian mummies. I had a chance to view these exhibits and learn some fascinating information about Egyptian burial. In one display, a glass case enclosed the body of a common man who was buried beneath the desert in a simple grave. The next case showed the remains of a wealthier man who was buried in a wooden case. Of the two men, the wealthier one was nothing but a skull and bones, while the poor man was extremely well preserved. The display explained how the natural drying process of the desert is much more effective than the more sophisticated techniques developed for the more fortunate. How interesting that money can only go so far, and, in the end, the poor are the ones that survive. It's also ironic that the Ancient Egyptians, considered to have the most sophisticated embalming techniques in history, had the answer all along, hidden in the sand beneath their feet.

 The rich man

 The poor man

Dear Abbey,

I'm sorry if these blog titles seem lame, but I'm writing them at 12:00 at night, so they seem very witty at the time. Our next stop was Westminster Abbey, the most famous church in England and also the burial place for royalty. We were able to experience Westminster Abbey with the aid of an audio tour, which made everything make much more sense. The stunning detail inside rivaled anything I had seen in Rome, and it represented the truly incomprehensible wealth of the British monarchs. But, Westminster Abbey spanned far beyond royalty. Famous, writers, musicians, and scientists are buried here as well. One such person is George Frederic Handel, the composer of the Messiah. Directly above Handel's tomb stands a statue of the portly composer, holding a score to the piece "I know my redeemer Liveth" from the Messiah. One final discovery to note was the central nave of the abbey, the altar of which is framed by two statues, one to Isaac Newton, and the other to none other than Charles Darwin, the father of the evolution theory. I found it fascinating that someone whose views were supposedly in opposition to the church would be placed front and center. It really shows the acceptance of the Church of England of one of its own famous scientists, in spite of his views. I have a feeling you wouldn't find that at the Vatican.

 The exterior; no cameras allowed inside

Eye Can See You!

Regardless of the dorky title, my trip on the London Eye today was absolutely spectacular. The London Eye was built for the millennium celebrations in 2000 and is currently is the world's largest Ferris wheel. Each of the fully air conditioned cabins holds twenty people, and the entire rotation for the wheel lasts 30 minutes. The eye is located in the Southbank area of London, along the River Thames, which has easily become the most "touristy" spot in the city. Cheesy "Niagara Falls-style" signs and advertisements line the streets, while Christmas lights hang in the trees and are strung between the lamp posts. Street performers are a dime a dozen, and children excitedly run for the merry-go-round. The London Eye experience begins with the "London Eye 4D Experience," which was a 3D film that showed the eye from above, and, also, showed the city illuminated at night, complete with fireworks. (I have figured out that the 4th Dimension is having water squirted on you). The wait for the ride was about 20 minutes, and once on board, the views of the city were incredible. London is truly the most far reaching city I have every seen, and even when rising 430 feet above the ground, the city's boundaries are no where to be seen. As is true of most amusement park rides nowadays, the ride ended with a nicely overpriced gift shop!

Food and Ghosts

London food has yet to disappoint. For lunch, I enjoyed a BBQ Chicken Panini at a sandwich shop, along with a Cornish Pasty, which I misread to be a Cherry Pastry. The sandwich was very tasty, as was the pasty, which was basically a beef pot pie inside a pastry. For dinner, we ate at the Cafe Rouge, which served all french food. I had a sampler dish which included hummus, beef pate, some sort of sweet tomato relish, and a slice of blue cheese.

We ended the night with a ghost tour of London, which was informative and very interesting. Highlights included a visit to the spot where Diagon Alley was filmed in the Harry Potter films, along with Ebeneezer Scrooge's counting house from A Christmas Carol.

PHOTOS COMING SOON

Mind the Gap

A flight to London from Rome may only take two hours, but when you are relying on mass transit, it takes all day. Today was spent traveling from Rome to London. This morning, we woke up at 8 and had one final breakfast at our hotel before leaving for the airport at 9. Since our taxi service parked in front of our hotel to load our luggage, we had several angry Italian drivers blasting their horns as we drove off. After checking in at the airport and going through security, we finally flew out of Rome at 1:30PM, and landed in London at 3PM. We then had to take several different trains to reach our hotel, where we finally arrived at 7PM.

As soon as we stepped off the plane, it was clear that London and Rome are two very different places. Gone were the brightly painted buildings and charming streets. London is very much like a US city such as New York in terms of size and appearance. One of the first things I was told about London was that the food was not impressive, which, so far, I have found otherwise. On the British Airways flight, we were given great tasting ham, cheese, and chive sandwiches, and, tonight, we ate dinner at a Lebanese restaurant located across the street from our Hotel. Our group ended up sharing several dishes, which included chicken in a spicy apricot sauce, grilled lamb skewers, hummus, rice wrapped in grape leaves, tiny pastries filled with spinach and cheese, and some baklava bites for dessert. I have to say that everything I tasted was outstanding, even if I didn't know what I was eating half of the time. Adding to that, the restaurant's atmosphere was very classy, which only improved the dining experience. The worst part of the meal was the US-UK exchange rate. Since a pound is worth two dollars, prices can add up quickly, which is why we shared the food. So far, it seems that Britain's way of reinventing its cuisine is to rely on ethnic restaurants to make the food more of an international sampling. I only hope that the rest of my meals are as good as this one! Thanks for reading, and have a good night!

Last Day in Rome

It's hard to believe that today was my last day in Rome. Though it seems like it was only yesterday that we were exploring the Pantheon for the first time, I also feel like I have become comfortable with the city, as if I have always lived here. I remember back to the end of the spring semester, when I was told about pick-pockets and bag snatchers, and I remember thinking that Rome would be a place where I would always have to keep an eye on my safety. The amazing part of Rome is that it may be a huge city, but it has the same feeling of comfort and security as a Disney resort. If you're hungry, you can walk about ten steps from the hotel and someone is happy to sell you anything you desire. You can walk down the streets at midnight and see nothing but people sitting at roadside cafes enjoying life, while accordion music drifts through the air and street performers amuse spectators in the square. It is truly a magical place. Tomorrow I'll be leaving for London, where we will spend 6 days.

Picnic in the Park

We spent our last day in Rome exploring the Borghese Gardens, a type of "Central Park" in Rome. Located on the outer end of the main city, the gardens are so natural and beautiful that you forget you are in a metropolis. More than any other place, the Borghese Gardens emphasize the leisure that is a very integral part of the Italian culture. Families, couples, and the elderly could be seen everywhere having picnics, enjoying a relaxing walk, taking a boat on the lake, riding a four person bicycle (I was very jealous),  or exploring the zoo. Our group decided to go for a semi-relaxing boat ride, where we were able to view ancient ruins on the lake. Later we ate lunch in a beautiful open-air restaurant in the park. I had some awesome seafood risotto and homemade ice cream for dessert. There was even a small combo band playing in the restaurant while we ate. What a wonderful way to spend the last day!

Where you are now, we once were. Where we are now, you will be.

After leaving the Borghese Gardens, a group of us stopped at the crypt of the "Bones of the Brothers." Our instructors had described this place to us prior to our trip, and I had always had the understanding that this particular crypt underneath a church held some of the bones of a particular order of monks. However, I don't think anything could have prepared me for what I saw when I entered. On the walls and ceilings of the crypt were the bones of literally thousands of monks. If that wasn't shocking enough, the bones were arranged in intricate designs, similar to the frescoes found in St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican. I'm not sure how to describe it, other than saying that everything from the hanging lights to the clocks were made entirely of human bones. Have a look: (Viewer discretion advised!)

Keep in mind that everything you are seeing is made of the bones of the deceased monks. As I stepped through the crypt, I couldn't help but wonder about the purpose behind the bone designs. The idea of human bones being used as a type of art medium (like wood or paint) seems to devalue the humanity of the individual. How would it feel to be a monk in that particular order and know that one day you would be part of the wall "displays?" As I thought about this, it occurred to me that the structures and designs are composed of the earthly remains of the bodies after the souls have entered heaven. Most importantly, what is left behind is not buried, but, rather, turned into yet another sign of devotion to God. Some members of our group were disturbed by the crypt, but, when you look at the bigger picture and not the individual components, the true beauty emerges. It's very similar to how we live our lives. If we examine the details of each other, we are likely to find things that do make us uncomfortable. On the other hand, when we see people as complete individuals, we see the true beauty of God's gift. At the exit of the crypt, the phrase was printed, "Where you are now, we once were. Where we are now, you will be."

Gotta Love Gelato

Gelato is everywhere in Rome. I don't know why, but there's nothing like it. It has the consistency of sherbet, but the taste of ice cream. The best part, though, is that Gelato shop owners display it in the windows of their stores, piled higher than you can ever imagine. My favorite flavors are peach and mandarin orange.

Daytrip to Florence

A group of us took a EuroStar train to Florence, Italy for the day. After arriving, we explored the Florence Cathedral, visited the Uffizi Museum, walked along the Ponte Veccio, viewed the tombs of Santa Croce, and did some shopping. The city of Florence is slower paced than Rome, but is just as beautifl and historic. What it lacks in ancient artifacts, it makes up for in Renaissance and Medieval art and architecture.

The most memorable experience of today was also the least expected. Ms. Dalton, one of our instructors, and I decided to take a look inside Giotto's Campanile, which is located adjacent to the Florence Cathedral. Expecting to find some Michelangelo artwork, we paid the 6 euro fee, and proceeded up some stairs. What we didn't realize was that the stairs did not end; we had just paid 6 euros for an observation tower. Though Ms. Dalton was disappointed, I was excited to see Florence from 275 feet in the air. What I didn't know was that this would involve climbing about 500 stairs in a dark spiral staircase.

Finally, I reached the top, stepped outside, and was instantly exposed to stunning views of the Florentine city and countryside.

The view of the city was absolutely incredible, and it was even more fun looking straight down,

Though the tower may have held no actual pieces of art, it was amazing to see what a beautiful piece of art the city of Florence is itself. The hills rolled in the background, dotted with homes. Florence, more so than Rome, is how I "envisioned" Italy to look, with its hills, country homes, and quaint streets.
Another interesting portion of our day involved our visit to Santa Croce, which holds the tombs of Michelangelo, Dante, and the opera composer Rossini, among others. The tombs were beautiful, glorifying the prolific men they held. Even Dante, who toyed with upper-ranking officials of the Catholic Church during his Divine Comedy managed to be laid to rest in a catholic church. Before we knew it, it was time to return home. Believe it or not, my only "meal" today was gnocchi in Gorgonzola cream sauce, a definite plus! Thanks for reading, and have a good night!

Dante's Tomb