Basilicas Part II

Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
(Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem)

The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem is a minor basilica, one of seven pilgrim churches of Rome. The basilica was consecrated circa 325 to house the relics brought to Rome from Jerusalem by Empress St. Helena (Emperor Constantine's mother). Even soil from Jerusalem was moved to cover the floor of the basilica!

The apse of the Basilica includes frescoes depicting the Legends of the True Cross.

**Larger versions of the photos in the collage are available in the photo gallery, see link in the bar at the top of the page**

Basilicas (Part I)

Archbasilica of Saint John in Lateran

The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran houses the cathedra of the Bishop of Rome (Pope) making it the "mother church" of the Catholic faith.

This cathedral is the oldest and highest ranking Basilica of the four major basilicas in Rome. As the Cathedral of the Pope, it ranks superior to all other churches of the Roman Catholic Church, including St. Peter's Basilica, and therefore it alone is titled "Archbasilica" among all other basilicas.

 Descriptions from right to left:

 1) Alessandro Galilei completed the late Baroque façade of the archbasilica in 1735 after winning a competition for the design. 2) Iron gate inside the basilica 3) Interior of the basilica. 4) Main body of the basilica. 5) The 13th century cloister is the only remaining part of the monastery which housed a community of monks dedicated to serve in the archbasilica. The monastery was situated between the archbasilica and the city wall. 6) The dome of the Lancellotti Chapel in the Basilica di San Giovanni. 7) The Sancta Sanctorum was the original private chapel of the papacy before it was moved to Avignon and then to the Vatican Palace. The chapel is the only remaining part of the Lateran Palace and houses the Uronica, an icon that, according to legend, was originally made by Luke the Evangelist and finished by angels. The chapel is first mentioned in the year 772!

8) Apse (arch) depicting mosaics from the Triclinium (dining room) of Pope Leo III in the ancient Lateran Palace. 9) Lateran batistery was founded by Pope Sixtus III and legend says it was here that Emperor Constantine I was baptized.
Larger versions of the collage photos are available on the Photo Gallery page, see link in top bar.

City Walls

Stay tuned for part two of our sightseeing day!

Out and About

Today Dave started training for a new job at a gambling hall for placing bets. I tagged along with Dave's mother while she ran errands at some local shops. We stopped briefly and I tried the "fast food" version of pizza ai funghi. After my snack, we headed back to the apartment with fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, and bread.

When Dave returned home, he made carbonnara for lunch and we headed over the highway to the mall. It looked like every other mall, even had some familiar stores like H&M and Burger King, so I didnt snap any photos. I did take some in the department store.

So. Much. Cheese.



This is the wine aisle... one of them...

Costumes for children for Carnavale.

Back home for Cordon-bleu and a mix of breaded and grilled vegetables. Early bedtime - tomorrow is gonna be good! 

Embers of the Sun

Today was sunny and warm, and we started the day off right with a trip to the local café. There are lots of pastries, and a delicious cappuccino that might turn me into a coffee drinker after all!

 After our caffeine jolt, a little walk around the neighborhood was in order. Next to the café was a cute little fruit shop.

We saw a skate park, which wasn't so full in the morning, but I noticed that later in the day it was much more busy than any skate park I have seen in Nova Scotia! I think I could make a whole album of photos just for the graffiti around the city.

Fontanella, also called a "Nasone" in Roman slang meaning "Big nose".
There are approximately 2,500–2,800 nasoni in Rome, supplying citizens and tourists with free drinking water.

A home that has been abandoned for some time boasts a big lemon tree in the yard.

View of the mountains in the distance. Some even had snow caps.

After our walk, we took the bus to Dave's sister's house again. There are always friends gathered there, and today was not exception. There was a delicious BBQ of pork skewers, steak, ribs, and sausage. Sausage is also squeezed onto slice of bread and toasted, then topped with oil and salt. Roasted zucchini, bruschetta, and a fennel salad were today's side dishes.

Don't forget the wine!

 Pastries for dessert again, because they are "better" quality than yesterdays.
The tray closest to the camera is filled with treats for Carnevale. Carnevale is celebrated for 40 days before Easter in Italy and other countries.

 My new friend Maya, enjoying the sunny afternoon on the patio.

The temperature dropped quickly at sunset, so we headed back and took a nap. Dinner was a cold plate of assorted deli meats, bread, and mozzarella.

Clockwise from the top: 'Nduja, Mortadella, Proscuitto Crudo (raw), Proscuitto Cotto (cooked), Gorgonzola, Salame Rustico, and mozzarella in the center.

Our Arrival

Our grueling 25 hours of travel were well rewarded with a homemade lasagna, mozzarella, prosciutto crudo, crusty bread and grilled vegetables. I should have taken a photo but my brain had gone to bed before I had!

The next day we were invited to Dave's sister's house, where she served sauté of mussels and pasta with grouper fish and pistachio cream, washed down with Mezzacorona Chardonnay. For dessert, we went to a local pastry shop and bought an assortment of pastries including fruit tarts, cannoli, biscuits and profiteroles. 

Of course, espresso was served with dessert!

We returned to Dave's home and unpacked our things and took a nap. Dinner was fried mullet, small haddocks, calamari and sole with grilled eggplant.

Tommorow promises to be nice weather so we will be going back to Dave's sister's for BBQ.