Gift of Art

On Saturday evening, our friends brought birthday cards for Papa.  All had funny or kind messages.  The cover of the card from Lesley and Andy was a painting of our street by Lesley.  Papa opened it first, and then he opened their gift, a larger framed version of the same scene painted by Lesley.  We love her work!  This one is now on our entry table.

Celebrating Papa’s 80th Birthday

Last evening we invited three couples for dinner to celebrate Papa’s birthday.  We have celebrated various birthdays with this group, all born in the US or UK, so English speaking, but from various professions and interests.  We always have a great time and we share a similar point of view about most things.  

It was a perfect evening, so we ate on the terrace.  I invited Chef Amanda to make our dinner.  We talked for hours, catching up.  Every day is worth celebrating!

Daily Walk

We had a great time in Rome, and returned to Lectoure, late on 26 May.  Early morning on 27 May, I went for my daily walk, along the “Moulin Road” downhill of Lectoure.  

We jumped back into our life in the Gers after a weekend away, with lunch on the 27th, at O Canard Toquet, with friends Christine and Maurice, who live in the hamlet of Urdens.  Lunch was delicious and we went back to their house for coffee.  In the evening, we went to our friend Astrid’s home for aperitifs.  It was a nice evening and we sat in her garden, talking and eating for a couple of hours.  Nice day!

Vatican, Trastevere, more Churches, and Family Dinner

Papa and I set off soon after breakfast, walking to the Vatican.  We stopped along the way at Chiesa Nuova di Santa Maria in Vallicella, just a block from our hotel.  The door was difficult to find due to all the construction in front of the Chiesa.  We stepped inside and out were amazed at how beautiful it is!  The Chiesa was built in the late 1500’s on the site of an earlier church built in the 12th century.  The side aisles were lined with chapels, each more ornate than the last. 

We continued walking with another stop at Basilica di San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentini. 

We crossed the Ponte Principe over the Tiber River and walked up the hill to Vatican City.  St. Peter’s Square was lively with hundreds, maybe thousands of people standing in line to get into the Cathedral.  There were even more standing in line for tickets to the museums.  Papa and I walked around the Vatican walls, then sat in the Square and watched all the people, enjoyed the sculptures, the fountains, and the extraordinary architecture.

We left the Vatican at noon and walked along the river to Castel Sant’Angelo, closed for lunch.  Castel Sant’Angelo was “initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family.  It was erected between 134 and 139 AD.  The pope later used the building as a fortress and castle dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, and it is now a museum.”  We crossed Pont Sant’Angelo, passed the Torre dell’Orologio, built 1647-1649,  then stopped for a lunch of pizza.

We stopped at our hotel for a quick break after lunch, then walked through Campo de Fiori and across the Tiber to Trastevere, for gelato at Un Gelato a Roma - delicious!  We are addicted!  We continued our walk to Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere and visited the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere - another beautiful Basilica!  “Considered one of the oldest churches in the city dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it has served as a cardinal titular church since the 3rd century.  The present basilica, large rebuilt under Pope Innocent II in the 12th century, is renowned for its medieval mosaics and Baroque interior.  It remains a vibrant parish today.”

We met Audrey’s family at 6:15, after they spent much of the day touring the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter’s Cathedral.  We had dinner at Ponte e Parione, freshly made pasta dishes that were delicious.  After dinner we walked around the corner to Piazza Navona, and listened to live music, watched the fountains, and wandered through the Piazza.  We went to Sweet Life Gelato for dessert, then to a park to sit and talk.  We had a wonderful time!  We are so grateful for our family and these few days together!