St. Clemente

On Saturday I set out for St. Clemente church to see three layers of history.  The top church above, the one under an earlier christian church and finally the Roman temple of Mithras.  My interest was in finding the Roman ruins.  Although dark and damp, which made it hard to imagine what it would have looked like in sunlight, I found it to be the most interesting of the three.  The rooms were very small and there was still a stream within for water.  The priest who began excavating in the 1940' or 50's was buried in the second level and his flat tombstone wobbled when I walked across it, a twilight zone sort of experience. Later, I had lunch next to a father and daughter traveling through Europe before the daughter begins her studies in Austria.  The daughter, Maria, has a blog which has more detail and insights about Rome. Maria's blog address is http://maria.thefortytwo.net.  Going and coming home, I got lost and anyone who has traveled understands that what seems like a simple jaunt, never is, in a strange city.

You know how we say IKEA , in Finland and probably Sweden it is pronounced  ick'ee ah.

I did go to the Vatican yesterday and I do have pictures but have to go to school.  Will try to post tonight.