Kyoto (Part 1)

When people ask about my favorite honeymoon location/activity, Kyoto comes to mind pretty quickly. I loved the entire trip, and each city felt very unique, but there was just something about the views and the quiet of Kyoto. As the ancient capital, there's an abundance of history and tradition. The leaves were at their most brilliant reds and oranges while we visited. Best of all, we stayed on the grounds of a Buddhist temple, so our entire stay felt like a private retreat.

Perhaps not what one imagines for a honeymoon...but without a doubt some of the best sleep of our lives. (And the mats are totally movable, so.)

If anyone is planning a trip to Kyoto, we highly recommend looking into staying at Shunkoin. It's a bit off the beaten path, but still very close to public transportation, which made it an ideal home base to recharge each night before venturing out again. We also recommend eating at the Wonder Cafe - a tiny, trinket-filled space with desserts that are works of art.

 

One thing I learned about my husband in Kyoto is that the best way to get him to go to "church" is to travel to Japan. Over the course of 2.5 days, we visited ten shrines/temples (not counting the one we stayed at), plus a castle, a skyscraper, a park filled with monkeys, a junior league baseball practice, and a sake museum (which also had its own nearby shrine). We also ate extremely well in Kyoto. From ice cream to giant bowls of noodles to delicate pastries to tacos to sushi, we were never hungry.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is a must for Kyoto travel, and seeing it at night was super cool.

We didn't make it all the way to the top of the walking path because the sounds of wild boars convinced us to head back down a bit early, but we got to see a LOT of the gazillion or so torii.

Leaving a bit early meant we had time to go to Kyoto Tower to get our requisite view of the city at night from the observation deck. Though Kyoto felt "small," it's still a city of 1.5 million people, and seeing it from above helped to put it in perspective.

Our first morning in Kyoto (a Saturday) we headed out along with all the other tourists AND locals - we kept forgetting it was the weekend and that people would be out and about, not honeymooning, just spending time with their families. We visited Tenryu-ji first and walked along the nearby bamboo-lined path. Then we continued walking...and walking...and walking. Seriously, the changing leaves were SO gorgeous, we kept finding little paths to explore and see more. 

Most all temples have a "no shoes" policy. We also had to take them off at Shunkoin before heading up to our room. Once or twice we saw a restaurant with piles of shoes at the door.

Basically, anywhere there is a tatami mat = no shoes. It's amazing how much of a difference this small act makes as far as respect/reverence goes.

I've mentioned this in previous Japan recaps, but the feeling of being alone with your person while also surrounded by people is amazing. We were in our own world, but still very much connected to the real world.

After our roundabout walking, crossing a bridge in an orderly line, and climbing up a mountain, we found Monkey Park. We were instructed to keep our distance, hold on to our belongings, and avoid making eye contact with the monkeys. We were simultaneously awed and grossed out.

To feed them, humans had to go inside a "cage" (a building with open-but-fenced windows) while the monkeys climbed all around. 

Several bridge queues and tourist-packed buses and trains later, we were at temple 2 of the day (and hike 4 or 5). Ryoan-ji is known for its rock garden, and the fact that the rocks haven't been moved, like, ever. The surrounding scenery is gorgeous as well. I had major plant envy!

Green tea & vanilla soft serve on our way to temple #3!

Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavilion, is literally covered in gold leaf. It's stunning to see.

For dinner on our first full day in Kyoto, Jesus and I experienced conveyor belt sushi for the very first time. This is something we definitely could do in Chicago, but I'm so glad we didn't let that stop us from trying it out in Japan- the many tries and fails of grabbing mini plates, ordering from a touch screen at our table, and trying to figure out what was tea and what was definitely not tea were some of the best memories of that weekend.

We ended our first full day with (you guessed it) MORE walking...because the other think I learned about my husband in Kyoto is he will follow his GPS down any and all dark alleys, even when his wife has already memorized the easiest path home. We eventually got back to Shunkoin safe and sound and in agreement that I would be the navigator the next day.

River North Adventure

Sometimes you just gotta get out and about in your city. Jesus and I did that Sunday and we were treated to a fun day of exploring and people-watching. We strolled up and down the Riverwalk (which has changed so much since I've moved here!), making up backstories for the people we saw and speculating on condo prices in the neighborhood. We waved to visitors on their boat tours and marveled at the bravery of kayakers who seemed to not have a care about whatever toxins they sat in.

Our main reason for being in River North was to see the Discover Da Vinci exhibit at Water Tower Place. We gazed at replicas of Da Vinci's masterpieces, tried out a few of his inventions, and heard Mark Rodgers speak on Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and their influence on the Italian Renaissance. Our tickets also got us entry to the Chicago Sports Museum, so we re-tested our reaction times and shot a few hoops with the greats. And since we were there, we of course had to visit The Art of Dr. Seuss Gallery and American Girl Place. (We'll never not be amazed at the accessories you can buy for a doll.)

Then we took our time walking back towards the train - Jesus was playing Pokemon Go, so he wanted to chill near parks or cross the street (and back again) to catch something new. We stepped inside Fourth Presbyterian Church and saw their courtyard, an altogether strange juxtaposition next to Hancock and the shops of Michigan Ave. A sign outside of the Historic Water Tower caught our eye and we stopped there as well to walk through a short history of Cards Against Humanity (Chicago-based!). When there were benches, we sat for a few minutes.

Yep, sometimes you just gotta get out (sans agenda).

The Nutcracker 2015

What started as a way to extend the festive feeling garnered by attending Zoolights in 2012 and became a yearly Christmas tradition for Jesus and me has turned into something even better this Christmas season. Instead of merely listening to The Nutcracker's various waltzes and marches, or finding a less-than-stellar YouTube version of it to watch, we attended Ballet Chicago's version of the Russian classic.

The Venue: gave the entire night a storybook feel. The Athenaeum Theatre is over 100 years old, and it shows - gracefully. The wooden seat frames are worn smooth and the adornments on the walls and ceilings recall a time when the theatre was people's main form of entertainment and escape.

The Music: never disappoints. While not live, it was still the perfect accompaniment to the dancers on stage. And with fresh visuals, we can better guess which waltz is playing on our Nutcracker Pandora without checking!

The Story: was slightly different that what we were used to - Clara was called Marie in this version, for one. Having American Girl as their main sponsor also added in a few elements probably not seen anywhere else (ie, each little girl on stage received her own American Girl doll for the opening Christmas party scene and accompanying dance). The important (read: familiar and popular) aspects remained largely untouched.

The Dancers: were young, but not so fresh that they couldn't give the ballet the gravitas it deserves. We enjoyed picking out our favorites in the group dances, marveling at the solos and duets, and recognizing dancers who portrayed several characters. Bonus: several of the ballerinos ended up at the same place we went for dinner afterwards. They were nearly unrecognizable in their street clothes, and it felt like a brush with celebrities, albeit local ones.

The Choreography: felt both familiar and new. Not that I have any expertise to draw on here, but I've seen several of the steps in our viewings of the BBC and New York City Ballet versions - and those now feel like canon. Still, I know each version makes it their own, in the cast and the musical choices, but especially in the choreography. Ballet (and dance in general) is a visual medium, so it makes sense that what you see on stage changes the feel of the whole thing.

The Crowd: was mostly couples, families of all ages, or groups of women young and old. The theater wasn't full, but there was a sizable audience. [Rant & Parental Cautionary Tale: My least favorite attendees were the spoiled kids (ages approx. 5-8) who sat behind us narrating the entire thing and kicking the back of my seat until Jesus gave them his "You Better Knock That the Hell Off" look. I'm not a fan of their parents either for allowing this nonsense to happen, but as both Jesus and I remarked as the entire clan rudely left during the curtain calls, having to live with those kids is probably punishment enough.]

The Overall Effect: magical. This modest telling of one of the most popular Christmas stories was, as my first ballet, amazing. It appealed to my childhood dream of becoming a ballerina and my adult dream of attending live shows, supporting local art, and making memories from experiences.

Life Would Be Perfect if I Lived in that House

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House by Meghan Daum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a chronic furniture rearrange-er and person who loves living spaces, this was a memoir suited perfectly to me. When I was younger (like elementary school younger) I used to pore over blueprint catalogs like some girls pored over fashion magazines. All it took was a cleverly/practically designed house to make me think "home"...and start the process of moving in my imaginary furniture. (Remember, I was like 10. I "owned" several keepsake necklaces and a teddy bear named Teddy.)

This collection would have gotten five stars in my book if it was organized by house/apartment, with attached blueprints. Because, why not? If I wrote this, each chapter would have been named after the place I was living in/moving to/buying. Starting in college: Burke, 3M, The Banger, 420 Grant, Club M-dub, The Naw...I like to name my homes, what can I say?

Other than that personal desire, I related to a lot of what Daum wrote. Home is where the heart is, and sometimes the heart wanders. I love my dark wood trim and in-apartment laundry facilities and relaxing porch, but I'll be damned if I don't fantasize about what I would do with an extra foot in my closet-at-the-top-of-the-stairs bedroom.

This book would be perfect for lovers of real estate, voracious readers, those in restless reflection, and anybody with the insight to realize that where we live is tied up into who we are, at least on some level. Is it a tad self-indulgent? Yes, of course. It's a memoir. Daum's descriptions and honest divulgations more than make up for that.


View all my reviews

Debris

It takes just a day

for buildings we made

to turn back to bricks.

Happy Birthday Jesus/Rachel in the Rockies

Happy Birthday to Jesus today! He is 25 and feeling all of it. His birthday plans include starting his first day of parkour training certification and hopefully exploring Boulder later today. I, on the other hand, have the whole day to myself to explore. And what am I doing? Sitting in the local Starbucks, mooching their free wifi (and hopefully some electricity eventually...waiting for the guy next to me to free up an outlet). I need some Internet/lazy time before I head out and see what Boulder has to offer.

Yesterday was a long day--and I'm not even exaggerating. With our flight west we gained an extra hour, so what felt like a 25-hour day actually was. We began the day before the crack of dawn, watching the sunrise from Midway. Jesus and I both slept most of the flight to Denver, and once we arrived, luggage in hand, we set out to find some food.

I had several "buy a drink, get a bagel free" coupons for Einstein Bagels, so we checked with the front end manager if we could use them at their airport location. He approved them, but our cashier was unsure how to ring up the discount, so we ended up getting breakfast for free. So far we like Denver.

Next, we found a bus to take us into downtown Denver. The first thing I noticed driving in was how Denver's simple skyline is dwarfed by the Rocky Mountains. Several skyscrapers, as impressive and beautiful as they are, cannot compete with a mountain range. Their arrangement at the foothills served to complement Mother Nature's grandeur.

It didn't take us long to realize Union Station is under complete renovation, so we had to schlep all of our stuff to the next major bus depot to figure out our plan of attack for the day. The end goal was Boulder, about 45 minutes north, but there was no rush. It was only 11 AM and we had the day to explore Denver. Unfortunately, we also had several heavy bags each. The solution was simple: we rented a locker at the Greyhound Station a few blocks away. For $5, our load was lightened for the day.

At this point, we also learned that Denver has a free bus shuttle that runs along a pedestrian mall. We used this to our advantage the rest of the day, hopping on and off at our convenience and interest. We checked out Skyline Park, home of a fountain that has been on Jesus' parkour bucket list for about four years. It was nice to play around on this fountain, which begs to be climbed, soaking our tired feet in the cool water (me) and honing our athletic craft (Jesus). At one point, another kid came around and started running, jumping, and flipping on the structures. Surprisingly enough, Jesus met another parkour friend who was only stopping in Denver on his way to Wyoming from California for a family vacation. His dad, mom, and brother watched from the edge of the fountain as he got some monkey play out of his system and they were on their way.

We also got to see the Capitol Building, Civic Center Park, and more of the 16th Street Mall. There are restaurants and retail stores, food trucks, interesting art installments, and free pianos. Making our way back to the bus station, we decided it was time to head further north, to Boulder. We found an express bus and got there in about 45 minutes. After showering (a homeless man gave us a pro tip to check out the YMCA since the gym we are staying at doesn't have a locker room/showers), we dropped off our stuff at our home base for the week, Apex Movement. We found dinner at a small drive-thru/walk-up burger joint. The food was great, reasonably priced, and we ate on their outdoor patio. At some point Jesus found his second wind and he spent the night exploring the gym, which is a giant warehouse converted into a traceur's heaven. I found my sleep mask and crashed on an air mattress in a semi-private corner.

We will go back to Denver this weekend, but our first impressions are that it's clean, pretty, and NICE. People on the street approached us if we ever hesitated at a corner, asking if we needed directions. Cars slowed wayyyyyyy down to let us cross the street. All of the bus drivers and station attendants were well informed and gladly directed us what lines to take, where to get off, and even if we needed change for fare.

So far Boulder has been similar. Trees and flowers line the wide, newly paved streets filled with Jeeps and Subaru Outbacks. Bikers abound. Everyone is pleasant. We've not even been here 24-hours and I already know the lay of the land, for the most part. I was able to give a biker directions earlier, to my own personal delight. That's what happens when you spend the week before your vacation studying maps and researching your travel destinations.

Since Jesus is doing his parkour certification, I have today, tomorrow, and Friday during the day to explore, read, write, relax, and take myself on all the day dates I could ever want. This afternoon I hope to take a tour of a tea factory. I'm also looking forward to discovering parks, pools, farmer's markets, and museums. Oh, and getting closer to these mountains.

Photography Month No-No

Yesterday Jesus and I went downtown(ish)--we walked around River North, a neighborhood just north of the river and The Loop. It's a beautiful area: skyscrapers, the Riverwalk, Michigan Ave, and I wish I could show you some of the fun sights we saw (Merchandise Mart, Tribune Tower, Marina City, Rock N Roll McDonald's) or the cool restaurant we ate at (Portillo's/Barnelli's), but I FORGOT MY CAMERA. The one thing I should always bring with me, at least for this month, I left at home. I apologize, dear readers and viewers of my pictures. Let me make it up to you with this:

Local Art, Library Cards, & Luxury Drugstores

Three (free-ish) ways to expand your world on a Saturday morning: visit a local art gallery, use your Chicago Public Library card, and check out the new upscale Walgreen's.

OhNo!Doom is an art gallery, collective of artsy-types, and shop where you can purchase original works by local artists and collective members. I pass this gallery on my way to the library and grocery store, frequently admiring the art from the sidewalk, but yesterday I decided to actually go inside. I'm glad I did, too, because they have some pretty neat pieces on display right now. They invited me back next weekend, when they are having a holiday-closing-open house sale. Anybody want some fun art for Christmas?

After that fun detour I went to the library, where I managed to hold myself to only four books. I judged them all by their covers, which, despite proverbial wisdom, usually works for me. I'll let you know if what's between the covers holds up to my initial expectations.

If it's cheesy to put "visit Walgreen's" on your Saturday bucket list, then cheesy I am. My final stop on my Saturday morning adventure was the new Walgreen's in Bucktown. Housed in what used to be Noel State Bank, a registered Chicago landmark, I'm pretty sure this is the only pharmacy/convenience store that can boast a "Vitamin Vault" and stained glass ceilings. Even the gum I bought tasted fancier than usual.

Our Lady of Pompeii

This is the Ugliest Building in Chicago

Canal & Van Buren

White Walls/All of the Lights

It's a strange, almost eerie feeling to visit the near ruins of a housing project high rise at dusk. Fans still spin in the very topmost apartments. A satellite TV dish hangs from one window. Graffiti screams "I NEED MONEY" from one of the interior walls made visible after the first day of demolition. LED Lights in each apartment blink off and on, almost like a laser light show.

Yes, LED lights. The last standing high rise of the infamous Cabrini-Green housing project has been reclaimed as art for its last weeks standing. These lights will continue blinking from dusk to dawn until demolition is complete, one fading each time an apartment is lost to the wrecking ball. Actually standing there, right on Halsted, the effect  made the building seem alive. Visit projectcabrinigreen.org to see the continuation of the art, an interactive piece where one can listen to poems and stories of actual Cabrini-Green residents. The blinking lights are actually set to the vibration of their voices reading their stories.

My community visited this site last night after our Community Night featuring Brad Hunt, a professor at Roosevelt University and author of Blueprint for Disaster: The Unraveling of Chicago Public Housing. He explained to us a short history of public housing in Chicago, how it was meant to clear slums but as a result of many factors (racism, ineffective policy, site location, design, youth density) became a black mark for the Chicago Housing Authority, one that they are currently attempting to erase by demolishing practically every high rise ever built in the city, regardless of the need to do this.

This event is relevant for us MercyWorkers not only because we are living in Chicago, and the housing projects are very much connected to Chicago's past, present and future, but also because of the population we work with. I personally have one youth in program who used to live in Cabrini-Green, but now lives in the new mixed income housing only blocks from the current demolition site. To some the closing and tearing down of Cabrini-Green is just the razing of some super ugly buildings, getting rid of the places where a lot of shitty things happened, but to him this is the destruction of home, of his community, the place where generations of his family grew up.

There is a lot of debate and emotion at play with the whole public housing situation, but regardless of where people stand and what they think of it all, everyone recognizes this as an end of something, and most, accepting that this is happening, only want to make sure it is remembered and documented for future Chicagoans. Hence this light show art installment, plus many other documentaries, class projects, photo journals, newspaper articles, and perhaps the most important thing to come of this, the National Public Housing Museum. Still in its infancy, the museum hopes to preserve the entire history of public housing--the good and the bad--for the entire nation. I hope I'm still in the city once it opens in its new location, only several blocks from my apartment.

Until then, I'll be reading up on my history. (Chicago ain't no Rome, but it'll do.)

Misfits & Bandits Strike Again

Out of my 13 roommates, 5 of them have Thursdays off with me. Six MercyWorkers is always a good time, and Thursdays have pretty much become my favorite day of the week. Whether it's cooking family dinners, watching TV, exploring Chicago, or just doing hoodrat things around the apartment, we always seem to entertain ourselves (and anyone else in the vicinity).

Yesterday, Kevin, Britney, and I, three of the Misfits & Bandits (all fun groups need a nickname), took a walk downtown to the Chicago Cultural Center, one of the most beautiful and confusing buildings in the city. The center always has something going on: free music or theater, art exhibits, lectures--and the architecture of the building is magnificent.

We were going to see a special exhibit, Finding Vivian Maier: Chicago Street Photographer, which featured photos never before released to the public. We also stood in awe at the stained glass domes, one of them done by Tiffany.

After a long and cold walk back to our apartment, Kevin and I made chili, a considerable feat taking into account our lack of chili ingredients. Kevin is a kitchen master, though, so we weren't really surprised when in turned out amazing.

We capped off the night by watching Shutter Island, a movie I consider comparable, though overall superior, to Inception. Another successful Thursday.

Enduring Art

This past Tuesday I got the chance to tour Chicago's Fine Arts Building on Michigan Ave along with one of the guys in program and our program therapist. It's a huge building 125 years old where many artsy types have their studios. Frank Lloyd Wright once had a studio there, as well as the illustrator for The Wizard of Oz book series. Today it's home to visual artists, musicians, art and movement therapists, massage therapists, violin and piano restorers, dance instructors, a leathermaker, and a software designer, among others.

We waited on the first floor for the elevator to come down. The call button for the elevator was actually a buzzer because an old man is the operator for it. He goes up and down the ten floors all day, listening for the buzzes from above and below. We got on and asked for the sixth floor. Off we went and with a lurch and a bouncing stop, we were there.

Each studio looks different from the others: some are tiny little rooms with just one window facing out opposite the door, others have skylights and lofts. We also saw a ballroom set up for a concert with a stunning view of Lake Michigan out its broad windows.

During this mini-tour, our therapist asked the lady showing us around if rent was crazy high due to the age of the building and awesome location. Her answer was that it was really reasonable taking those things into consideration...but I'm still curious as to what "reasonable" is.

Mom in Chicago

Yay for moms! When Mom came this past Saturday, I got the chance to feel like a local/tour guide. I showed her around our neighborhood a little, pointing out the empty lot that may become a Target someday, the now nearly finished building that started off as a concrete skeleton when I moved here, and the Walgreens featuring an extra sign in Greek due to its location in Greektown.

We also got to see the view from up inside the Sears (Willis) Tower: the lake and museums to the east, more skyscrapers to the north and south, and MY APARTMENT to the west! Then we walked further downtown so I could show her the Milennium Park area.

Me pointing out my apartment/Mercy Home for Boys & Girls from the Sears Tower

North view from the Sears Tower: the John Hancock Buiding is the tall black one with the two spires.

Mom & me reflected in the Bean

Later, we caught the L to the John Hancock Building for some drinks and another stunning view from the 96th floor Signature Lounge. Then we headed back for some traditional Chicago-style pizza at Giordano's.

Early Sunday morning we went to church a few blocks away at Old St. Pat's, then came back to the apartment to make some breakfast.

It was a quick, but packed, few days and it was nice having a piece of home right before the holiday season. I'll be spending my Thanksgiving here with my roommates, MercyWorks alumni, and any family members in the area--if you'll be around feel free to hit me up, I'm sure we'll have plenty of food!

Ciao, Summer

Since training starts tomorrow and I'll finally have to wear grown up clothes, today is essentially my last day of summer. Last night most of my housemates and I went downtown and I finally saw Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) and the Crown Fountain. This morning we went to a local church service, which I really enjoyed due to the diversity. When we got back from church, we had our first official house meeting and figured out the chore rotation (with 14 people in one apartment, things get REAL messy) and our one-on-one rotation (we get to meet with a different roommate each week one-on-one to have some real face time instead of only interacting within the group).

The rest of today is free for us, so I took the El downtown to meet up with Kate & Lara from school. I got to see The Bean in daylight as well as eat some more deep dish pizza. It was my first time taking public transportation in Chicago by myself, and all I've done before was get on the blue line and transfer to the red line to head north. I got on the blue line (we have a stop about two blocks away) to head downtown and basically guessed where to get off based on which stops sounded like downtown streets. It worked, though because when I got off I was only a few blocks from Millennium Park. I think I'll be able to do this!

Skyscraper rises in Eternal City

The one thing Rome doesn't have (yet): a skyscraper. Here is the proposed plan for Torre Eurosky:

Ostia Antica part II

We went back to Ostia Antica today for class (pictures are uploaded, at the end of the Ancient Roma-Art History album like the others). We saw more baths, which is kind of funny because I'm starting to think ancient peoples must have smelled better than the Romans of today. We also saw the ancient world's equivalent of a laundromat and fire department. It was cool to see something that wasn't another temple, forum, theater, or marketplace (though we did see those too).

There were a few aftershocks from the earthquake again today, but nothing major has happened in Rome. It's strange because some people felt next to nothing (like me) while others said their beds shook or they could see the ceiling moving back and forth.

Happy Birthday Raphael!

Today marks another important date in Italian/Roman history as both the birth and death date of the painter Raphael. When I researched Raphael to see what works of his I could find in Rome, I was pleased to see I have already seen most of them.

One of the first things I saw in Rome, the Pantheon, houses the tomb of Raphael, who died in Rome in 1520.

The Villa Borghese houses a few portraits and the Palazzo Barberini houses "La Fornarina" (the bakers daughter), a portrait of Raphael's lover and a model for many of his portraits. Raphael was also the one to suggest the "Latin Cross" design for St. Peter's.

Still on my list of things to do in Rome is see the Vatican Museum, where one can walk through the Raphael Rooms and admire other paintings by Raphael. He also painted the frescoes in the Villa Farnesina.

It's just the beginning of an eventful week in Rome: yesterday was the start of Holy Week with Palm Sunday and the Pope's blessing in St. Peter's Square and today saw the biggest earthquake to hit Italy since 2002 plus the anniversary of Raphael's death and birth. Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday and continues on Thurdsday--and even though Rome is traditionally seen as Roman Catholic, there is an area called the Jewish ghetto and Jews are actually quite numerous in Rome. Holy Week festivities continue Thursday through Sunday, beginning with the Mass of the Chrism Thursday morning then the Mass of the Lord's Supper in the evening and going until the final event, mass on Easter Sunday.

It's all enough to keep me busy! Not to mention now I have to work my way through crowds of tourists just to get to school--and they will only become more and more numerous as the weather gets better and we find ourselves in the midst of high season.

Small Worlds, Close Friends

It's such a small world! Marina's mom has a friend in California who in turn has a friend who lives here in Rome, which is why Marina and I spent Friday walking all around the south part of Rome with a short Filipino nun named Rosalie.

When we met Rosalie she immediately greeted us with the traditional Italian baci (those cheek kisses you see), grabbed our hands, and said "Now we will walk."

Rosalie, who is in her 60s, has been living in Rome for about four years now and wanted to show us some of her favorite churches--and by some I mean about six. That woman took us up and down so many streets, in and out of churches and chapels...and she never got tired!

She always had something to show us in each of the churches. A painting in a small side chapel, the way certain candles were lit and others weren't, stained glass windows high above the doors, in one chapel she even showed us a chapel in one church holding relics from Jesus' passion.

At each church Rosalie made sure we took time to sit or kneel and pray quietly. She was so grateful for the opportunity to show us around and kept repeating how lucky we all were. "If you two did not come to Rome, you would not have met each other! You would not have met me! But look at us, we are all friends now because of this miracle," she would say, clasping our hands in hers.

Yes indeed, we are all friends now. And it's getting to that point where we realize our time in Rome is dwindling. Already Marina and I are planning a reunion because we don't like to think of a time when we won't be making dinner or exploring Rome together!

It really was a miracle that we met here and not in the United States--who knows if we would have become such close friends. And now we are like an old married couple with our routines. After we make dinner she washes the dishes and I dry them and put them away. Her boyfriend is here visiting this week and I've already been over for dinner at the apartment they are staying in. "I miss you already!" she said when she called to invite me. It had been all of five hours since we saw each other last (when we had breakfast together).