Life in Rome

Today many small churches were open who are not open during the week. Across from the hotel is a small church dedicated to St. Nicholas. It was closed all week. Apparently an arm or a leg of St. Nicholas was taken from Bari to Lothringen and so this chapel is specifically dedicated to St. Nicholas of Lothringen. Yes, it is the same St. Nicholas who became Santa Claus.
I visited the National Museum of Rome this afternoon. It is in the Palazzo Altemps on the Piazza Altemps - of course. This Palazzo belonged at one point to Cardinali Altemps - no surprise. Cardinali Altemps had a son Roberto, surprise, and Roberto was condempt to death. However, Pope Sixtus V did not give him a pardon and so he died. Afterwards Cardinali Altemps developed a devotion to the Blessed Mother of Mercy, because he did not get any mercy for his son. Also Cardinali Altempt was at one time the bishop of S. Maria de Trastevere. Today the Palazzo houses Roman sculptures. Yes, you see the same thing in the Vatican but body to body - you and a million other touristi - and it was delightful to view the palazzo and the art in peace and quiet. The Cardinali had a private chapel which is part of the museum today. I bought a few books and needed to drop them off at the hotel - too heavy. When I got back to the hotel, a big Benz pulled up. Well, it was an eye-popper. One does not see big cars like this often. Out came two men in black and their Vatican handler. The management came out and greeted them. When I came back down from my room they were checking in and I could see from the color of their passports that they were two Euro princes of the cloth. I took off and got my bread and cheese at the grocery store. Desert starts in the hotel at 15 Euro which is almost 30 bucks with the weak dollar at I prefer bread and cheese to some fancy meal anyway. Well, time to go up and have dinner....Tonight I will be surrounded by dead and alive princes of the church. Only in Rome