Happy Birthday Matthew Joseph!.....

What a big day for our precious first grandson.

He has been such a joy and as always, this first year has flown by.

What a perfect addition to his beautiful family.

His sisters adore him.

He is smothered by hugs and kisses every waking moment.

He is gentle, laid back, and loving.

He simply goes with the flow.  I guess that is what happens when you are number three.

Boy toys are suddenly appearing in a house full of dolls and doll accessories.  

Cowboys boots are a must.

And a pink car would never do.

A new blue one must be added to a garage full of bicycles, scooters, and battery powered ride ons.

I am not sure who you most resemble.

I think you are just uniquely you and that is a good thing.

You have been a gift.  You are not just the promise that there will be a continuation to the Shubzda name but a young man who will write his own story.

I hope I am around for many years so I can see that story develop.

Roman Holiday......

 The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

 And a stroll to....

 the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterno.

 Entering into this beautiful basilica though the Holy Doors.

 And a stroll back through the beautiful streets of Rome.

I may never leave!!

When In Rome!......

 Take a taxi, the a bus, walk, but do not drive!!!

First observation was that the parking space were limited and the traffic was insane.  

New York City cannot compete with the amount of cars squashed onto a roadway in Rome.

 Ah, but the waterways...beautiful!!!

 And the architecture...beautiful.  New mixed with ancient and it was blended so well you could not tell the difference.

 And again, the streets narrow and the traffic unreal!

 Even the most mundane was breathtaking.

 One of our first stops was the Catacombs.

 The surrounding gardens were just perfect.

 The interior was damp and truthfully a bit scary.  We were told not to loose track of our guide while we were underground for if we did we might not find our wy out.  That got my attention.

 The upper floor of the Catacombs held a chapel and open areas for prayer.

Another memorable visit was to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.  It is an amazing structure built over the tomb of the apostle St. Paul.

A piece of wood that is believed to have been part of the manager of Jesus was beautifully displayed in the lower part of the basilica.

An Italian water fountain...

And a walk through some more of the ruins of ancient Rome...

on our way to the Colosseum!

Amazing!

Standing since 80AD it is the ancient version of our giant stadiums!

There were periods in the history of the Colosseum where 9000 animals were killed by gladiators in less than 100 days!

Travel buddies!

And armed guards!

Sienna and Assisi.....

Stop number two of this incredible journey and two of the most beautiful places I have ever been were Sienna, the home of St. Catherine and Assisi, the home of St. Francis.

The weather did not dampen our spirits as we climber hundreds of steps and walked hills that were at 45 degree inclines for three days.  

Mass was in aa beautiful chapel at the Basilica of Saint Francis.  

What a joy to be in a place when so much of Christianity grew.

The story of St. Francis is an amazing one and to walk where he walked and so many pilgrims since is why I came...and none of this disappointed.

St. Francis and the cell he was help in for so many years.

And the most incredible thing we probably saw here....a consecrated host that began bleeding during mass hundreds of years ago when a priest doubted the reality of transubstantiation.

The host still intact after all of this time in a monstrance in the chapel.

A miracle right in front of our eyes.

The one drawback of our trip...the food!

Oh my, Italian food has such a great reputation and it totally disappointed.

Granted we did not choose our meals...they were planned but they seemed typical of what we saw everywhere.

More steps, why not???

Suset in Assisi from our hotel room window.  It would not be too hard to wake up to this view everyday even on the most overcast days.

Dinner in a typical Assisi restaurant. 

Just more of what we saw each day.

And another mass in a chapel in Assisi.

What a beautiful part of our pilgrimage.

And now off to Rome!