Later That Same Sunday (31 August)

As Mari said, I spent all of Saturday getting ready for classes this coming week. In large part this was because you never know exactly what the facilities situation is until you're there on the ground. In any event, I think I'm in good shape - Tuesday will tell for sure.

We went to Mass at the Ignatian Church; it currently has one English Mass on Sunday @ 1100. There were about a dozen of us there in what is a very large, ornate and beautiful church build in the 17th and 18th centuries. But don't believe me - see for yourselves:

The Main Altar - Triptych is from the life of St. Ignatius Loyola

View from the Nave of the Church

Grotto dedicated to Lourdes

Side Altar - The Death of St. Francis Xavier (who was returning to Rome from Japan) 

Side Altar - St. Agustine

This is only the beginning, folks - MANY more churches to come!

One thing we've been amazed at is the proliferation of restaurants in every nook and cranny of the old city:

On the way back to our apartment, we looked for and found the one Mary Jo and Kevin are renting:

Yep. No. 1 Hakuna Matata as Mari & I call it

Now there's good news and bad news. The good news is that Mari thought the apartment was in the yellow building at the top of the stairs (picture taken next to the entrance to MJ & K's place):

Not your place, MJ & K! 

The bad news is that these are the steps up to the apartment:

40 - Count 'Em - 40 Steps

Later on we went for a dip in the Adriatic here:

The beach is "pebbly" if your definition of a pebble is a stone 2-3 inches in diameter. Walking across them with our bourgeois American feet: Oooo! Ouch! Yee-ow!

A word to the wise: bring water shoes or something you can wear while swimming until your feet adjust (if ever). Note: The pebbles turn into rocks once you get in the water.

Of course we were well equipped to handle adversity - both of us brought water shoes with us. Unfortunately mine were from a vacation about 20 years ago, and they decided to disintegrate just after I got in the water. I tried to jury rig something just to get back to the apartment, but after about 50 yards I looked like a mendicant friar who was last in line for that day's sandals.

Mari took pity on me, made me sit down, and went back to fetch my sneakers. Actually, she was looking our for herself - as she said "The last thing I want to do on an Adriatic vacation is to have to visit you in a hospital because you broke another ankle!" That's my wife - always kind and considerate.