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| Mom and Dad |
So I haven't had a major trip/adventure since 2008. Right after my trip to Italy and cruise my father had a brain bleed. After that, I was terrified to go too far from home. Well a lot has happened since that time. My Mother passed away in December 2012...three days after Christmas. We buried her right after New Years 2013. Then Dad passed away June 2013.
I find myself having the time to travel again. I have really missed travelling. Glenn and I had been going on cruises every other year until Dad's health issues. This year we will also be going on our first cruise in 6 years!
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| Me and Jackie at the Vatican in 2008 |
But before that cruise in June, Jackie (My daughter), her husband Jay and I are travelling to Rome again. Today marks 1 month before we leave.
This time it's on our own to the canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. We are
also going to take a couple of days to visit Fiuggi where my grandparents were born & married. I'm so excited about that.
The last Rome trip we went on a Pilgrimmage with "The God Squad" and members of my church and 2 other churches in the Archidiocese. We had a free day and we wanted to Fiuggi but Father Brian insisted we stay with the group. In retrospect it was probably a good thing because in the meantime I hired a genealogist who was able to tell me the streets my grandparents were born on and the church they were baptized and married in. So it will be more meaningful for me.
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| The God Squad, Frs. Stephen, DeAscanis and Fr. Brian |
I'm so excited but a little nervous too. The last time we were with a tour group and everything was so easy. This time we are on our own with millions of people there for the canonization....yikes. I picked a crazy time to go but I so loved Pope John Paul II that I can't imagine not going if I have the means to do it. Well anyway, watch this space as we get closer to April 25th .
In the meantime, if you'd like to look at our photos from the last trip visit:
http://public.fotki.com/HeyLucy1/travel/2008/italy-08/
So my genealogist who lives in Sora, Italy has arranged for the town's only taxi driver to pick us up in Rome and take us to Fiuggi and then then back a few days later. Ann sent me a photo of Marco so I will recognize him when he picks us up. Marco doesn't speak much English...this should be interesting. I downloaded a translator app on my phone so I can talk into it and it can translate and speak back Italian. I'm hoping we'll end up where we want to be! LOL
