There are no pictures as my technology is not yet up to speed for such endeavors, so you are left with my thoughts.

First – fly Swiss Air if at all possible.  It was the second cheapest flight I found and by far the best international flying experience that I have had, which makes it two for two for Swiss Air.  Check-in was easy, bags (two of them!) flew for free, the plane was clean and actually smelled nice!  The flight crew was beyond friendly and kind.  Airplane food is airplane food but I will say, thank you for a brownie!  All in all, I slept about 5.5 hours of the 8 hour flight and was feelin’ fine.  My trip in the air could no have been more pleasant.

Taxis to Rome are all the same, some are expensive and some are cheap, that’s the only difference.  I did appreciate that the driver took the way down the Ostian Way, past St. Paul’s outside the Walls, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, St. Mary Major and into the old city.  It was a happy welcome.

Rome is hot, hot, hot.  We are into the upper 80’s by 10:00 am and well into the mid-90’s by noon.  The humidity is down a bit so the shade is some relief but the daytime is very hot.  It is a little after 4 pm local time as I write this and the heat is on!

The Casa Santa Maria is a relative ghost-town, no one is here.  I did meet a Croation confrere earlier this morning but otherwise not much happening at the Casa.  The bathrooms freak me out a bit but not hard to get used to since, well, it’s the bathroom.  I made my arrival at the Casa at 11:04 am local time and made my way up to my room and began to un-pack.  When this finished it was the mad dash to find the internet.

You see, there is a little (big) problem.  Namely, the packages I shipped to Rome are stuck in a FedEx warehouse outside of Milan while there is some hold-ups with Customs.  I have communicated many times with the good folks at FedEx but have not received the proper paper-work from them and, as such, do not have any of my packages.  This is an approaching disaster as I am supposed to go to Siena on Sunday and, if the packages are not here, do not have much in the way of clothes, toiletries, etc. for six weeks in Siena.

So we struggle and hope here in the Roman heat.

Around 3:00 pm I hit the proverbial wall and had to take a nap.  It was a fine sleep until 5:30 pm.  I awoke, went to the chapel to pray (note: not even Jesus is here at the Casa, He has vacated for the heat of August) and then try to figure out the rest of the night.  I read a bit and went out.

First I paid a visit to Our Lord in the Tabernacle at the church of St. Ignatius (about 3 blocks away) and then to the tomb of St. Aloysius.  After this I bought some water for drinking in the room and went to dinner near the church of San Ignatio.  Caprese and pizza capriccosia hit the spot and I was back home around.

It was another bought of frustration with the good folks at FedEx and then time to read and go to bed.

I have spent this morning (now it’s almost 4:30 pm) researching to buy a cell phone and waiting for the sun to go down a bit before I head out.

This is perhaps my worst post to-date and I hope to have more interesting things to say during my Roman time but I did make a resolution to post every Wednesday and, well, it’s Wednesday.

All those back home, I love you, I miss you, I pray for you!  Mom & Dad, thanks for everything, I love you!  Your Excellenty, it was great to talk to you, thanks for this opportunity.  Sr. Josephine, it was great to see you!  MoJo, I loved, loved, loved your wedding and was so happy that I got to visit with you on Sunday.  Fr. John – do great things brother, thanks for everything.  Fr. Tait – keep it real brother.  Interns and Maddie and all the St. Paul’s friends, thanks for the smiles.

Time to shower (boo-ya-ka-sha to afternoon showers) and head out for the evening doings.

O sweaty Rome!