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Antoinette Hildebrandt's Travels
Today we started at Castel Saint Angelo - and it was free! That was a bonus. Afterwards we walked through the Piazza Navona (where the Fountain of the Four Rivers is) on our way to the Pantheon. They had just finished a service inside the Pantheon so the smell of incense hung heavily in the air. On through the cobblestoned streets to the Trevi Fountain. On our way we came across the Lindt shop where they sold various flavours of chocolate gelato. Yum! Coins were thrown in the fountain, which was slightly difficult given the number of tourists. Then we made our way to St Peter's Basilica. And was it busy! We had skip the line tickets and our group followed the tour leader through the crowds. It was crazy - but it turned out to be crazier inside. We followed the signs which meant you were supposed to go down one side of the church and back up the other and ended up in the middle of a mass of people hoping to get a glimpse of St Pio in his glass reliquary (coffin) at the front of the church. We were stuck. No way back and a slow crush forward. Some people were very rude and pushed ahead. Then the monks started their afternoon chant for the Saint, all in Latin of course. We didn't understand much but Jesus didn't get a mention, only Mary and the dead guy lying in state at the front of the church. I will say that the acoustics were lovely as the many Catholics in crowd responded to the chanting/prayers. But it is all so bizarre; the Pope is treated like a rock star and Mary and the Saints are worshipped like they are on the same level as Jesus (maybe even more) but they were just people. People that God used to fulfil his purposes. This whole episode left me very glad that my faith is based on my relationship with Jesus and Jesus alone.
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