The Houses of the Lord - Then and Now

The Visitor Center on the piazza of the Rome Temple offers an interesting display about temples. In an effort to share it with you, we snapped a few pictures of the models and narratives. 

"The House of the Lord: Christ held the temple sacred. Mary and Joseph found Him teaching and asking questions of the elders there. He further taught reverence for the temple when He drove the moneychangers from it. Temples have existed since the days of the Old Testament. The Lord commanded His people to build temples where He could teach, guide, and bless them. They are literally the Houses of the Lord."

"Temple Beginnings: After Moses and the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. During this time the Lord instructed them to build a tabernacle, which was a portable temple designed for sacred ceremonies." 

"Herod's Temple, Jerusalem: After the Israelites were established in the Holy Land, they built a temple that followed the pattern of the tabernacle. In the first century BC, King Herod expanded and rebuilt parts of the temple. This is the temple Jesus Christ taught and worshipped in during His life. "

"The Bern Switzerland Temple: Beginning in 1820, God restored through His Prophet Joseph Smith many of the same spiritual practices that were in place anciently. The first modern-day temple was completed in 1836, and the first European temple, located in Bern, Switzerland, was completed in 1955. For many years Church members from Italy traveled to Switzerland to receive the blessings of the temple."

 

Tonno/Tuna Love

Canned tuna fish is a BIG thing here in Italy! An entire bank of shelving at our grocery store is stacked from floor to ceiling with canned or jarred tuna.  

We have seen tuna served in pasta dishes, in chopped salads, made into a sauce served over veal, baked into loaves of bread and even on pizza. 90% of the Italian population buys tuna on a regular basis and one in two Italians eat tuna at least once a week. 

 This "tonno tale" came full circle for us when we tied these observations to Frank’s Grandma Susie and her delicious, but simple tuna salad. Now we understand that she brought her love of tuna with her from her homeland in Italy to Brooklyn, New York....and she shared it with us. If you are tuna fan, look for the brands packed in olive oil and if you are lucky enough to see the “Rio Mare” brand on the shelf at your grocery store….buy it, try it and love it like an Italian!!

Fascinating Figs (Fichi)...Freshly picked ...Fabulous!

The first of the fig harvest is here! 

In case our readers do not know about figs, we shall share what we have discovered!!  The fig has a long and ancient history and are considered by many to be the first cultivated crop. Figs were the main ingredient for sweetening desserts until sugar came on to the culinary scene. Fig trees grow wider than tall (easier for picking) and require hot, dry climates with all day sun in order to ripen. We wouldn't have any luck trying to grow them in Randolph, Utah!  

After serving us Pizza with prosciutto, figs and balsamic glaze, our friend, Sylvia, taught us how to pick figs from her trees. When the fruit is ripe it looks like it's about to burst its skin and turns purple. To pick, pinch the fig at the stem and twist gently until it releases and drops into your hand. Eat instantly, skin and all, or peal off the skin, toss it on the ground and savor the entire thing. Either way, be prepared for the sweet, wet juice to drip down your chin!  

Cutting into a fig reveals the unique inside. The white outer flesh is actually part of the stem that encloses those bumpy little things in the middle which are the flowers and have a delicate and delicious crunch. What a unique design!

 

Frank's Grandpa Joe, who immigrated from Italy to New York in the 1920's, had a fig tree which he tenderly cared for. He protected it from the cold winter temperatures by wrapping it like this... in burlap or tar-paper and putting an upside down bucket on the top. We understand now why he went to all this effort. He must have loved this fruit from his homeland and wanted to share fabulous figs with his children and grandchildren. 

You are right, Papa Joe! 

There is nothing quite as delicious and fabulous as a freshly picked fig!!  

  

Lunch in the Italian Countryside

 Sweet friends invited us to a Sunday lunch at their home in Poggio Nativo about 30 miles north of Rome.

Their home and 10-acres is located in the rolling hills.  Emanuele showed us around their 30 olive trees (and invited us to the harvest in October), large vegetable garden, beehives, herb garden, and fruit trees. He also gave us a tour of the beautiful private rooms they have recently opened and listed on AirBnB.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch under this wisteria covered gazebo overlooking the valley and distant Apennines mountain range. It could not have been a more beautiful setting!

In her cool country kitchen...(where she also teaches cooking classes), 

Sylvia prepared a delicious lunch of....

...roasted-marinated peppers, eggplant, grilled zucchini and carrot-jicama salad. That was followed by....

...(drum roll, please) prosciutto and fresh fig pizza with Balsamic glaze!!! It was indescribably delicious!

Next up... Penne Carbonara (Divine!)

Roasted chicken was next on the menu but we were all so full that we skipped it and went straight to dessert of Tiramisu made with Orzo instead of coffee. 

Thank you, sweet friends, for filling our bellies and our souls with the flavors, sights, comforts 

and magic of WONDERFUL ITALY!!!  

Let's go for a walk...

...around the temple. 

"Santità all Eterno, La Casa Del Signore". Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord 

are the words inscribed over the entrance. 

 Italian Cypress, Palms and Roman Pine Trees. 

Olive leaves represented in the stained glass windows on all sides of the temple. 

Unique flowers in the raised beds. Marble walkways wind through the Roman Pines.

Places to sit, relax, ponder and enjoy the calm. Thanks for joining us on this picture stroll around the Rome Italy temple! Let's do it again sometime!

 

Handling the Humidity!!

 We found this handy-dandy tool that is helping us during the humid season that has arrived her in Rome. 

This is a brand-new moisture absorber hangs in our clothes closet. It costs 1.50€ and is ingenious! The white granules in the top compartment gather the moisture from inside the closet and gravity pulls the water drops into the lower compartment.

Here is a picture of the same absorber after just one week. That's a lot of wetness!!When the white granules disappear, we throw it away and replace it with a new one. How's that for handling the humidity?!!!???

Italian Lunchables

 When our kids were growing up, it was wonderfully easy to send a boxed Oscar Meyer Lunch-able with them on Field Trip Day. It was a rare treat for them and they loved them! Take a look at what the Italian version of those convenient lunches contain......

...parmesan cheese...

...tarallini....

... salami.

It tickled our funny bone to find these in the grocery store! 

Interesting Anzio, Italy

 Our visit to Anzio was an educational surprise. We found a charming town center near a calm bay and marina where fishermen anchor their boats and sell fresh fish right on the dock. The beaches along the Tyrannian Sea are perfect! No wonder this has been a favorite resort location for Romans since ancient times! Today, beach-goers can rent all the accoutrements needed for a glorious day at the beach!!!  

However, in January of 1944 it was not so calm and beautiful. 

Over 350 ships, cruisers, warships, landing craft and other vessels arrived just after midnight on 22 January.

 

This pristine beach was a battlefield for over four months as the Allied Forces wrestled control of Italy from the German Army! 

A touching memoriam is posted near the water: "To all sailors who lost their lives during the Anzio landings and battles. Lest we forget." It is hard to share Anzio without remembering what took place there. 

From the dock of the bay we looked south towards Nettuno where the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery is located that we shared in the previous post. 

Other sights from Anzio included ...a monument to Anzio's fishermen....

...many elegant seaside villas....

...and this abandoned and decaying "palace" structure. It seems that the developer's plans in the 1920's, was to provide entertainment to the aristocrats. Named the "Paradiso sul Mare" (Paradise by the Sea), it was slated to be an event center, gambling hall and brothel. Pope Pius X did not want a building dedicated to vice too close to the heart of Christianity and had it closed.  During the battles in Anzio, the Army headquartered there. 

Going to Anzio was a great combination of savoring views of the sea, contemplating history and dreaming of our return to Anzio Beach! 

 

An American Memorial Day at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery

 What a memorable day for us at the beautiful Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial! The trip was only an hour from Rome to the seaside city of Nettuno.

The cemetery grounds are massive (77 acres) and immaculately landscaped and manicured. There are fountains, flower gardens, Italian cypress trees and Roman pine trees and.....

....THOUSANDS of white marble headstones to remember these 7,845 Americans who gave their lives on Italian soil during World War II. (The total number of American casualties in Italy is 119,279). The few pictures we post here really don't do justice to the impressive tribute paid to these men and women in this amazing cemetery. 

There are 25 sets of brothers, 17 women, 2 Medal of Honor recipients interred here. In the modern Visitor Center we watched a video presentation that gave an overview of the battles that took place in Italy and also learned some personal stories of individuals who died in the fighting. We were reaching for our tissues as we left the center and headed towards the Memorial building!

In the chapel we were startled at the 3,095 names engraved on the walls from floor to ceiling in memory of those Americans who are missing in action. Next to only a very few of the names is a small metal emblem indicating that their bodies have since been found. 

On the domed ceiling of the chapel is a very impressive large sculpture representing the planets of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the same positions they occupied at 0200 hours on January 22, 1944. This is the historic moment when the first American and British troops landed on the beaches of Anzio. The result of this campaign was to push the Nazi forces out of Italy and to weaken their stronghold on Europe. 

In the courtyard of the Memorial building, between the chapel and the Map Room, stands a tender bronze sculpture. It is titled "Brothers in Arms" and represents the partnership between the U.S. Army soldiers and U.S. Navy sailors. 

Their teamwork was essential to the success of the three amphibious assaults on Italy's beaches during World War II.

We left the cemetery with a renewed appreciation for what took place in Italy during World War II and the massive cost of lives that freedom requires.  Memorial Day is the perfect time to honor and remember them!!

Come along on a Guided Walking Tour of Rome

A kind and generous American friend offered to take some of us on a walking tour of Rome last P-day....in English. Kim has lived in Rome for eight years while her Army husband was stationed at the NATO school here. Their assignment is over and they will leave next week for their next adventure in Costa Rica. We were very happy to be part of her last tour of Rome. Here are some of our favorite pictures, and a few facts, from a very fun and informative day:

THE MOUTH OF TRUTH - It will not bite a truthful person but will bite off the hand of a fibber! A sort of ancient lie detector, no one really knows if the big stone face was once part of a fountain or if it was a drain cover, but they have dated it to about 1 A.D. We were lucky to come upon it on the rare occasion that there was NOT a long line of people waiting to click a photo with The Mouth of Truth.

MARCELLO'S THEATER - This structure is sometimes confused with the Colosseum but is much older (13 B.C.) and smaller. It was the venue for theatrical plays and could seat about 15,000 people (the Colosseum could seat 50,000). We were delighted to hear live accordion music as we approached. It was being played by an elderly street performer seated in one of the ground level arches. What is Italy without that kind of music?!

One of the emotional highlights of our day was learning something new about THE JEWISH GHETTO.  As we walked through this area, Kim pointed out the small, square, brass plaques inlaid in the street cobbles in front of various doorways. We had not noticed them before. These "stumbling stones" were put in place in recent years as reminders of the individuals deported from those locations (homes and work places) by Nazi soldiers in October of 1943. The photo, above, of a large grouping of gold plaques shows that an entire family was forcefully taken away. Read this close up of one of them to see the name, birth, death and fate. Those plaques are powerful reminders of the terrible destruction of hatred and war.

On our tour we rambled through various streets and alleys, looking up and looking down, as Kim pointed out so many interesting things. She led us into this CHARMING, PEACEFUL and PICTURESQUE COURTYARD to let us experience another aspect of Rome. A painting of this place was recently selected for inclusion in the 2024 Rome Calendar. That cascading plant in the photo is Jasmine, which are currently in full bloom here. We love to catch a whiff of its sweet fragrance. It is growing and blooming every where we go including just outside our apartment....lovely!

With expert timing, Kim led us to the perfect PIZZA and GELATO establishments! We enjoyed the chance to rest for a few minutes before heading off to see and learn more of the sights of Rome. That's Carol and Ron Mumford, fellow missionaries from near Preston Idaho, enjoying their gelato from our favorite place... the Frigidarium. 

This group photo in front of VITTORIO EMANUELE II MONUMENT could not have turned out better! The large marble monument, built to honor the first king of unified Italy, has become a familiar landmark for us. We can navigate Rome if we know where we are relative to this giant, white "birthday-cake-looking" building.  

The big, dark clouds, seen in this photo, rolled in just as we were walking past the IMPERIAL FORUM and towards the Colosseum Metro/Subway station. In typical fashion, the rain came down...not as a drizzle but as a deluge!! Our umbrella did little to keep us from getting wet which made for a sweltering, body-packed, sardine-can subway ride home which only added to our adventure spent with good friends and our kind friend Kim on our Guided Walking Tour of Rome. We are glad you came along, too!!!