Italy Pilgrimage - Thursday April 23, 2015

Hard to believe 11 days has gone so quickly!
We've met some great new friends and are already talking about a gathering in May at Amy's!
Our flight schedule was relatively mild and allowed us to actually eat a real breakfast in the hotel dining room! (Often, we have to leave the hotel at 0-dark-30 and get a sack breakfast!)

Tony & Sandy

Hugs for Patrizia - Arrividerci amica!

Caroline, Patrizia, and Fr Vince

As she has done so many times in the past, One last time, Patrizia briefs the group one last time on what to expect at the airport

Terry

Bob

Renee

Checking in at Delta

On board the Airbus 300 - we like the two seats on the right side best

Arrividerci Milano!

A huge lake northwest of Milan - I Googled it - it is called Largo Maggiore (Big Lake!)

The flight path took us over the Italian Alps then. . .

. . . over the French Alps  (eventually we passed about 80 miles south of Paris but the haze was so bad none of the photos came out)

Over the coast of Normandy - I am reading Steven Ambrose' D-Day history and am trying to imagine the sea visible here completely choked with ships!

The west coast of Ireland - Theresa and I will be traveling to Ireland for a pilgrimage with Bishop Donald Hying of the Gary (Indiana) diocese Oct 29 - Nov 9

Over Nova Scotia, I spotted this 747 about 2 miles off to our right

Hello New York City!Long Island (I think the bridge is the one across Great South Bay to Jones Beach Island)

Now for a long line in passport control, pleading with Delta to put us on alternate flights that will get us home earlier (no luck!), a flight to Atlanta, then on to Indy.
We got into Indy at about 11PM.  Our son David was there to pick us up. We sat up and talked with him until 1AM - but that is another story!

I hope you have enjoyed sharing our experiences in Italy.
Pilgrimages are a great way to make new friends, see some awesome sights, and come closer to God.

As I mentioned in one of the captions above, we are planning to go on a pilgrimage to Ireland Oct 29-Nov 9 with the Bishop of Gary.  Check our blog for that one too!
Until then, Ciao!
Bob

Italy Pilgrimage - Wed April 22, 2015

It seems hard to believe that tomorrow we go home!
But today, we get to view and venerate the Holy Shroud of Turin!

As we drove, we had a clear day with a great view of the Alps

I love the reflection on the water!

Tony used the stairwell to take some photos and just watch the scenery

Linda was the song leader on the way to Turin

A chance to "smile" before we get to Turin

Bob

Theresa & Bob

The Po River runs through Turin as well as Pisa

I think this is Castello del Valentino

Statues on the bridges over the Po

We passed by and photographed a number of statues . . .

. . . archways . .

. . .  and monuments. Any help IDing these would be appreciated!

We left the bus next to the Castle

and met our guide

We walked past the Teatro Regio - the Royal Theater

Down Viale Primo Maggio (Way of the First of May) Past Fontana di Nereide e Triton - this path winds through the Giardini Reali - the Royal Garden to the back of the Cathedral

The police and military were in obvious presence and seemed to be very alert for any acts of terrorism

The line was long and security screening slow, but no one seemed to mind all that much

The Knights Templar assisted in regulating the crowd

Bob has a distinct advantage in crowds!

After security screening, along the covered pathway, they had many information panels - this one about St John Bosco, patron of disadvantaged youth

In a small area, they played a short video helping us to understand what we were about to behold.

And all of a sudden, we were before the Holy Shroud!  Words cannot describe the feeling. Fr Vince was near the center of the group and took this wonderful photo

I was off to the side (I am conscious of my height and try to avoid blocking people's vision) and I took this photo

I cropped and enhanced the police officer in full dress from the previous photo (lower right)

After we exited at the front of the Cathedral, I took this photo. The canvas tarps are the covered area through which we walked on the way in.  We were unable to see any of the rest of the Cathedral and I think I'd like to come back to see the Cathedral "at rest"

We wound our way back around the Cathedral to Piazza Castello (Castello's square)
Palazzo Madama is in the center of the piazza

This building contained the Cathedral gift shop where we bought several mementos of the visit

Palazzo Reale - Royal Palace

Terry noticed this and commented that the office of public relations perhaps should have an acronym other than URP!

We were turned loose for lunch. While some of the group ate at this nice mall restaurant, most of us walked about grabbing a sandwich. Theresa had a lemon sorbet from a  gelato shop while I finally found my cannoli! 

We had missed our mass time but a group from California agreed to allow us to join them!  You meet the nicest people on pilgrimage!

St Francis de Sales Church

Mass was in the Chapel of St John Bosco

Our group gathered outside the Chapel

Fr Steve Porter was leading the group from St Catherine of Siena parish in Rialto California (San Bernardino Diocese). He reflected on seeing the shroud then asked what struck us and how it would change our lives. Fr Vince shared that seeing the shroud had a profound impact on him and would help deepen his vocational commitment.

Fr Vince had requested that Bob lead our singing during all the masses. I checked with Fr Steve and he said "Go for it!" We shared our yellow books with our brothers and sisters from California.

Once mass ended, I ducked into the upper (main) church to grab a quick shot.  I did not take anymore since a Rosary was in progress

Theresa got this photo of our parish name on the mass schedule!

On the road back to Milan, we noticed these buildings that are intentionally built at a lean!

From one angle one looks straight and the other leans, but as you go down the road, the other leans too! Must be the proximity to Pisa!

The running people on the roof of this building (I think it is the LG building) caught our eye

Due to the lateness of our return, we went straight to the restaurant for our farewell dinner (as one wag put it our "Last Supper")

The  group pitched in and bought a reproduction of the Holy Shroud for Fr Vince

We all signed it on the back

We gave Patrizia our warmest gratitude in the form of a nice tip and a glass of vino

The final photo was this slightly blurry shot of the Cathedral at night. The bus driver bent the rules to take us past.

Tomorrow - Airport, endless flights, airline food, sad goodbyes, fond memories, and a good night's sleep in out own beds!
Patrizia would not normally accompany us to the airport, but she said she would this time.