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Today we say Good-Bye to Rome. It’s been awesome to walk its streets, watch it’s people, and eat its food. It’s a place where ancient history bumps into the established church. It’s a place where visitors are a part of the landscape and tourists are welcome at every corner.

I expected to see the Roman Catholic Church at its best. What I saw, however, is a church that is enamored by the collection of art and preservation of traditions. Our visit to the Vatican was more of a museum of art than a religious center. I expected to feel an overwhelming presence of the Roman Catholic Church, but the ancient city and it’s famous fountains and architecture seemed to dominate. I’m sure that during religious Holiday’s the focus changes, but it’s more of a cultural thing than a focus on God.

For us, it has been 6 wonderful days of forgetting the stress of this past year and spending some quality time together. We’ve walked many miles and my legs ache but the pain has been worth it all as we have begun to feel at home in Rome.

Now as we say Good-Bye, it is not without a little sorrow. Here are a few of the highlights of our trip.

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