Moore on Guam: September Sabotage

Sometimes when there is a full moon, I think I'm extra clumsy or just one step off, but this month I proved that that isn't the case. I can sabotage and be a hazard to myself any day of the lunar cycle and drag unsuspecting innocents along for the crazy ride.

Steve had a day off work and we decided to go to Casserta on the train to see the 'Versailles of Italy' where the Bourbon King of Naples Charles VII built his huge palace in 1752. Steve kept telling me we needed to leave but I figured 30 minutes was plenty time to make it to the train station....well it is unless there is an accident in the tunnel...so we sat on the road for an hour and missed our train. There wasn't anther for two hours. If I had just listened and left 10 minutes earlier we would have made the train and I would have gorgeous pictures of throne rooms and cascading fountains instead of the Perorchial Pretorio church with a giant gold St. Peter on top. It was nicely painted inside, but it was plan C and wasn't the gorgeous baroque World Heritage Site that the Casserta Palace is. STRIKE 1

STRIKE 2. We were supposed to take the train to Frescati to enjoy the fresh fall weather and we missed the train by a couple seconds! I had a strong case of deja vu. I was miffed and Steve pulled me out of it by coming up with a good Plan B---taking me to St. Paul Outside the Wall Basilica that I had been wanting to visit since I ran past it during the Rome marathon.

The Apostle Paul was buried here beneath the church.

The church was as big as a football field. This is where all the state funeral's happen in this church.

These cute little Filippino nuns were singing and praying over Paul's grave.

Gold mosiacs behind the altar one with light you see the gold. Without the light you see the blue

Looks like a Halloween church

Gory depiction of John the Baptist getting beheaded

Paul with his golden halo

The courtyard was gorgeous and peaceful.

Loved this line of column shadows

Strike 3: I set out alone to go to a group tour and remembered I left a window open. I ran back and shut the window. Ran back to the bus stop and no busses came! I showed up 20 minutes late and the group was already gone. So I took my own tour....

This frescoe on the ceiling of the Gesu` chapel is astounding.

And the rays coming through the windows was amazing. Made me glad I missed the tour!

Also ventured in this church that was 100 feet down into the ground that was dug out years ago.

These are all the steps that descend from the street level.

Inside it is all painted to look like marble

Strike 4 (clearly out)

We went out to a museum opening at Castel San Angelo that displayed all the recovered art that has been stolen. Steve's police contacts gave us tickets. When we got there it started to rain. We had to push and shove our way through the crowded museum and then stepped out into a downpour. There were no taxi's to be had so we walked in the torrential rain. I was in high heels and a dress and I was drenched after we walked to the Vatican to get a taxi.