Italy

Logistics
Logistics
One way or other, we almost always traversed St. Peter’s Square or at least had it hard insight as its mass was undeniable, ever-present, and useful. It is a long-ago learned tool of navigating foreign territory to find at least one landmark that will guide one back to one’s bed and especially food if at all possible. I had a deep appreciation for St. Peter’s Basilica for all the wrong non-spiritual reasons. It was crowded as Pope Francis had given an audience this bright morning. Currently, we were headed to La Zanzara Bistro for the more mundane task of lunch. Time had been allowed for any that might want to attend the audience. My recollection was that I was on solo navigation to the ristorante. I almost always picked something from the menus, which I had no clue what it might turn out to be. This time it turned out to be a ball of cheese & tomatoes - Italian Caprice salad, tomato mozzarella cheese, and basil. I was never disappointed. I was never hungry. After lunch, we were headed to the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, the Baths of Diocletian, and the National Museum of Rome. Had I known that these were to be my favorite stops in the entire ten days, I would have had lunch in any case! St. Peter’s Square is massive, and if one tarries, it fills up like a rain barrel with people flowing over its sides in great streams bubbling out in every which direction. Go when they first open, and the place is yours. Play the tourist, and the lines will be hours in duration. I loved the clouds.