Another Amazing Church in Rome - Saint Agnes Outside the Walls

 

 Our visit to this complex of church, basilica (now in ruins) and mausoleum (now a church) as seen in this very old etching was wonderful!

   This view taken of the ceiling from the front toward the back of the church. 

This view taken toward the front of the church, shows columns made of a variety of marble. Under the building are the catacombes which we did not have a reservation visit but we were able to walk down into the crypt of the martyr Saint Agnes.     

Mausoleum of Santa Costanza

What a fun exploration adventure we had of this 4th-century circular mausoleum for Constantina the daughter of the Emporer Constantine.  It is said to be one of the finest examples of early Christian art and architecture in Rome.  We had the place all to ourselves!!

 

The columns, frescos and intricate tiled ceilings are amazing.

It was an interesting insight into Rome's gradual transition from pagan antiquity to the acceptance of Christianity beginning in the reign of the Emperor Constantine.

This massive purple sarcophagi is a replica of the original which is now in the Vatican Museum. 

We owe great thanks to our friends and co-workers, Matt and Chris Geddes, who know all the great hidden treasures in Rome. 

 

A "Have It Your Way" Thanksgiving!

To ease the ache of being away from our family on Thanksgiving, we acted on the silly idea to eat at the same establishment where we spent our very first Thanksgiving as a married couple..... Burger King!! Back then, Burger King's advertising included a little song with the words "Have it your way, have it your way, have it your way....at Burger King".  That little taste of American food was good for the soul!!

   

Street Food

 We've been driving by this adorable Jeepney for a few weeks and finally decided to stop and try it. 

Such a clever little vehicle that serves delicious fried seafood, french fries and stuffed zucchini flowers. Two workers fit in the small efficient space where they take orders, prep and serve the food. They stand in one place and turn left or right to accomplish their task.  Everything was delicious! Sorry, we gobbled it all up before we thought to snap a picture. 

We Love Missionaries

We enjoyed preparing an American meal for these full-time missionaries serving here in Rome.  

They come from New Jersey, Alabama, Arizona and California 

to share the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Rome. 

It makes us so happy to associate with them. 

And it made us so happy to have joined in via ZOOM to see our grandson, Elder Chace Fullmer, report to his local congregation on his recently completed Church-service Mission in Bountiful, Utah. He gave a great talk and has set an good example for us of the preparation 

and perseverance it takes to fulfill a missionary calling. 

We are so proud of him and his parents.

We love all of these missionaries and we love BEING missionaries! 

Where's The Baby?

Christmas time is approaching and we are so excited to see so many Nativity sets and manger scenes. While serving our mission in Switzerland we had to search high and low to find Baby Jesus. 

As you can see, that is NOT a problem here!!

Here we have found a vast selection of not only Nativity sets but also Baby Jesus'! One of our goals is to bring home a special Nativity set from Italy. We are quite confident that we won't have a problem finding what we are looking for.   

Good Food and Good Byes

 Some of our friends have come to the end of their service here at the Rome Temple. 

There is no better way to sweeten the pain of saying good bye than to eat some good food. 

Here we are with a few friends at Ippo Restaurant/Pizzaria.

On a different evening this past week many of our co-workers gathered and shared delicious Italian fare. By the time it was all laid out there were two tables overflowing with yummy grub!!

It was a happy, smily, tasty evening with sweet friends!!

A Delicious Dessert

We tasted an amazing dessert while in the town of Assisi a few weeks ago. It is called "Rocciata di Assisi", pronounced Row-CHA-taw. It is a dough filled with apples, raisins, prunes and almonds. This was one we had to try to make ourselves. We found a few recipes on line, chose what looked to be similar to the delicious piece we had in Assisi. Frank did a great job baking up this delicious treat. It was a TRIUMPH!!  

Halloween Fun

 

We found this flier on our lobby door written by the kids in our complex. It invited the residents to be ready to be scared by monsters, witches and skeletons on Halloween night.

We joined in the fun with candy and homemade Biscotti Americani (Chocolate Chip Cookies). 

A few decorations helped them know that they were welcome at our house! Our new friends now greet us when we see them. It was a happy Halloween in our neighborhood!