May 12th, 2013

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May 12th Arrividerci Roma

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

We will be returning to Amsterdam this evening. There are still activities planned for this morning and then we will picnic in the park of the Villa Borghese. The Villa Borghese was our yesterday’s morning culture vulture event. On Friday we went to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. I could have skipped the Friday event. Enormous crowds because of the Ascension Day weekend. Just a little bit too much of the same stacked into the Vatican museum for my taste and difficult to see. Anyway there are still a few pieces left there for the Vatican to trade for the sins of a few of their servants. The Sistine Chapel is dark and the audio system inaudible, standing there looking at the ceiling packed like sardines. The Villa Borghese has much of the same but there were fewer people and the audio system worked. I went for a stroll down Via Veneto with it’s fancy stores and chique hotels, to the Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps. Friday morning I joined a small group of our choir to walk to the Colloseum and a few more sights.

Last night we sang in the church of St. John Lateran Archbasilica. This is a beautiful church and many of the popes have been consecrated in this church. We sang in the 6 p.m. regular Saturday evening mass. It went well. Afterwards we had an outstanding group dinner. This trip has been beyond my expectations. The experience singing in the Saint Peter and yesterday’s event. We had a chance to get to know many of the members better. An opportunity that just is not possible in the two hour Wednesday rehears