Those of us who dream of living in Italy for an extended period of time….which is just about everyone reading this blog I suppose….often wonder what it would really be like. Not the glossy images of the travel brochures or what we see in the movies, but the day-to-day lifestyle.
Locals bring their empty bottles and jugs or just buy new ones and fill up with great local wines, at a fraction of what the bottled wines cost.
Of course when we imagine life in Italy we think, I suppose, of food and wine. Most small towns or even mid-sized ones have farmer’s co-ops that offer great bargains and fresh produce. When it comes to wine, you can get a good bottle of red or white for a decent price. But what many locals do is bring their empty jugs to the local co-op and just fill them up for a lot less.
Bring your own bottles and just have them filled for you.
These wines have the nickname “landlord wines” meaning the grapes are locally grown, harvested and fermented. In some cases they appear in restaurants as “vino della casa” or the house wine of the establishment. For those lucky enough to be staying in private residences you just show up with your 5-liter (1.3 US gallon) jugs and fill them up. The cost? About 2 Euros per liter. For the mathematically inclined that means you get a bottle (750ml) of good table wine for about 1.75 euros or $2.25 U.S. Don’t have any bottles? No problem, they will gladly sell you some.
We would imagine the health benefits might even be superior to just about any bottled wine…..not that we are knocking Italian wines, just that the closer you eat or drink to the food source the better in our opinion. The taste may not impress any “wine snobs” who talk about fruity flavors or bold finish and such, but for a lot of us on a budget these wines are just great!
And…this pretty much applies throughout Europe. Pick just about any country and if you are staying at a local home or inn then chances are the grapes are locally grown. Many families have their own vineyards and produce enough for their needs and perhaps sell some that is left over.
Imagine traveling to Knock, Ireland to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Knock only to find out you got there on the wrong day!
How could this happen? Well, the “silent apparition” of Knock took place on August 21, 1879. But, since August 21st was already assigned to Saint Pius X, there was no special date set aside for Our Lady of Knock on the official calendar.
In June of 2011 the Congregation for the Divine Worship set the date of August 17th as the Feast of Our Lady of Knock with a special Memorial Mass. This falls within the dates of the national novena in honor of Our Lady of Knock, which is from August 14th-22nd.
However……
Here you can see Mass being celebrated in the Apparition Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock. The only part of the original Church is preserved on one wall of the chapel.
in Knock, they celebrate the Feast Day on the actual date of August 21st. So if you plan to be there on the Feast Day…and we highly recommend it if you can…..then keep that in mind. For more information check the official website of the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock. If you time it right you can watch Mass live from the Shrine.
No disrespect intended……but just wanted to point out what you might expect if you attend the Canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. This has been an interesting few months for Catholic travelers: the resignation of a Pope, the election of a new Pope and then World Youth Day in Brazil. There is no doubt that the eyes of the world will once again turn to Rome on April 27, 2014.
The Good: It is a great blessing and privilege to actually be present for a canonization in Rome. Not to mention the canonization of two Popes…has this ever happened before? Tickets for the Canonization will be scarce but can be requested through the Prefecture of the Papal Household and the good news…tickets are free.
The electric excitement of the crowds is indescribable. Imagine being together with so many fellow Catholics from around the world: happy people from different cultures, different languages, different skin colors, but each enthusiastically sharing the same love for their Catholic faith. Are there even words to describe it? Probably not, but picture this… cheering crowds, vibrantly colored flowers everywhere, Giant TV screens lining Saint Peter’s Square and Saint John Lateran, flapping flags from many nations, Cardinals, priests, religious and an ocean of people as far as you can see, add to an atmosphere that is shroud in holiness and jubilation.
The Bad: It will be crowded…..more than crowded. Did we say crowded? But isn’t that part of the excitement?
If you are traveling independently you must know that hotels will be scarce and I doubt there will be discounts on rooms or any rooms at all for those who don’t act as soon as the date is announced.
Planning to join a group? Tours will book up fast and those who wait too long will probably find themselves disappointed. On the other hand if you sign up with a company before the date is announced you will have to be flexible, since the tour will have to scheduled at that time.
Pope Francis, in his usual concern for the every day folks, does not want it to take place in winter since many buses will be traveling from Poland and the roads will be icy. So our best guess is Spring of 2014.
The Ugly: Standing outside for hours may be too much for you, long lines of eager pilgrims jostling for the best view, pickpockets will be among the crowds and there will possibly be some price gouging.And you can just bet that many secular news outlets, no friend of the Catholic Church in the first place, will be looking for dissenters among those attending. They will be more than happy to broadcast their “concerns” over the Catholic Church’s stance on women, homosexuals, and the usual list of gripes. And of course they will try to attack the reputation of one or the other of these two holy Popes. That will apply more to those watching from home on TV than those actually at the ceremony but you may run in to some dissenters in the crowd…..
And all this is not really that ugly—we just stole that saying for this post.
So what’s the bottom line? Go if you possibly can!
Pope John Paul II at the Canonization of Saint Juan Diego, Mexico City July, 2002
Sure it will be crowded and you may not get very close to the ceremonies but it is a once in a lifetime happening for most of us. When Saint Juan Diego was canonized in Mexico City, John Paul II rode right by the front of our hotel. We didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. That one glimpse was worth the whole trip. The un-planned and unexpected are often some of the best memories.
Ask most people as they get older, and we think they are more likely to tell you that they regret the things they did not do rather than the things they did.
According to the latest statement by Cardinal Angelo Amato, who is prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, the dates will be announced on September 30th. It is on that date that Pope Francis will hold the Consistory of the Saints. This is a gathering of Cardinals, who along with the Pope, will set the date of Canonization for these two Popes.
Naturally that will put all speculation to rest. Certainly October is out, and based on what Pope Francis has said in the past it will probably be sometime in the spring when road conditions will be better for the thousands of Polish pilgrims who will undoubtedly want to attend.
One guess is Divine Mercy Sunday, which falls on April 27, 2014.
Known as the American church, the Church of Santa Susanna is the home for English-speaking people living in Rome. It is an active parish as well as a wedding venue for many people wishing to be married in Rome.
Recently due to the fact that pieces have been falling from the ceiling, the Church has been closed to the public. Masses that are normally held here have been moved to the following locations:
Saturday, 5:30 PM and Sunday 9:00 AM at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri ( near the baths of Diocletian). This church is the last of Michelangelo’s projects and well worth a visit.
We ask everyone to pray for the Christians in Egypt. They have been there since the First Century but make up only about 10% of the population. The violent terrorists know as Muslim Brotherhood are burning churches and monasteries throughout the country.
We recently found a website based in Austin Texas that has suggestions for pilgrimages throughout the state of Texas in observance of the Year of Faith. This led us to the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s website that gives suggestions for pilgrimages in the San Antonio area. As the oldest continually-operating Cathedral in the United States, the San Fernando Cathedral is one of the most interesting.
San Antonio is a popular tourist destination, so if you are one of those planning a visit there this year we encourage you to check out some of the churches and shrines in the area.
One of the main events requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima was made by Our Lady on June 13, 1929 that the Holy Father, in communion with all the Bishops of the world, consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. On 25th March 1984, the Feast of the Annunciation, Pope John Paul II performed a ‘whole world consecration’ to Mary’s Immaculate Heart.
Much controversy arose among some as to whether The consecration of Russia specifically was ever done, although the remaining visionary, Sister Lucia, is quoted as saying before her death that the consecration had been done and accepted.
Procession of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima at the Fatima shrine in Portugal
Regardless, according to the Vatican News Service, we are about to see the entire world consecrated to the Immaculate Heart by Pope Francis on October 13, 2013. The pilgrim statue of Fatima will be flown to Rome on October 12th and after the consecration on the 13th it will be flown back to Fatima.
Several prayer events are planned for the 12th as well as a pilgrimage with the statue to the Tomb of Saint Peter along with prayer and meditation. Pope Francis will celebrate Mass the following day and make the consecration.
The event will be attended by hundreds of religious movements and institutions that have a special Marian devotion. This Mass is one of the last main events scheduled for the “Year of Faith” that will conclude on November 24, 2013.
Since August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, is a Holy Day, the Vatican Museums will be closed that day. However, the archaeological sites in Rome will be open. So if you will be in Rome on the 15th that means you can visit the Colosseum, the forum, etc. since Rome is part of Italy and does not necessarily observe the religious holiday.
The Vatican, obviously, is its own country and therefore has its own rules. The Vatican Post Office will also be closed, but both will be open again on the 16th. Major Basilicas (including Saint Peter’s) and Churches will be open and probably crowded due to the feast day.
And one other note: Pope Francis will be at the Papal Summer residence at Castel Gandolfo that day. Whether he will make a public appearance or not is unknown, but our guess is he probably will.
There can…and probably will be…”hiccups” that arise when traveling. Most, thankfully, are minor but some can be major. You might know people who are like Oscar the Grouch and are sure to find a cloud behind any silver lining. Others are the ones who decide that when life hands them lemons, it’s time to make lemonade!
An example would be a problem Celebrity Cruises encountered on an Alaska cruise scheduled to begin Friday, August 9th. Only a few hours before it was due to leave, the cruise was cancelled. The reason being….propulsion problems. This came as a shock and a big disappointment for every one, I am sure.
Although Celebrity hopes to have the ship repaired by Tuesday, August 13th, they had to bypass any ports of call on the original itinerary and sailed directly to Vancouver. So it is definitely not what people had planned on.
Celebrity handled it very well, in our opinion. Celebrity offered passengers the option to stay on board the ship and use it as their floating hotel. The ship’s bathrooms are working, and all on-board activities and dining options are available. The cruise line is also bringing on additional entertainers and is working with local tour operators to offer shore excursions at deeply discounted rates. Those who chose to stay will get a full refund for the cruise plus a 100% discount on a future cruise.
Or, if they chose to leave, they will get a full refund and a 50% discount on a future cruise.
Not sure what Oscar the Grouch did….probably said “I’ll never sail with them again” and flew home in a huff. Meanwhile those who were flexible and stayed with the ship, were enjoying dog sledding trips, salmon fishing excursions, etc while the ship was being repaired. They did not get the vacation they planned….but they had an experience they will always remember. And oh the stories they’ll have for their friends and family back home!
So…..are you Oscar or the Lemonade type? If you are like Oscar you might be missing out on life’s joyful and unexpected adventures.
