Once in a Blue Moon...(You See a Crypt of Bones)

Okay, so maybe we decided to go on a Rome adventure for the morning/early afternoon and then return to campus and do homework for the rest of the day. I’m kind of glad we did.

We went into Rome with no particular plan except to explore. Turns out as soon as we came out of the metro (avoiding an aparent riot or strike comeplete with smoke bombs), we arrived right in front of the Museum of the Capuchin Monks and the Bone Crypt. On a whim, decided to go check it out, and let me tell you it was the best 6 euros I’ve spent so far! The museum featured paintings, artifacts and histories of the Capuchin monks. Everything was just breathtaking, and the stories of these monks, many of whom are saints, were just beautiful. The highlight of it all was the Crypt of Bones. Turns out, the entire crypt was decorated with the bones of the deceased Capuchin monks. As eerie, gross and creepy as it may sound initially, it was actually a very cosmic, peaceful experience. I was probably just as slack-jawed as I was in St. Peter’s (these Catholic places are really good at doing that to you). The crypt made me realize how dead to the world these monks were and how the life in this world is passing and has no comparison to the spiritual, eternal life that awaits us after death. The experience of seeing all those bones will serve as a reminder that we must be dead to the world, live in the world, and never be of the world and devote ourselves to the service of God, regardless of our personal vocation in the world.

 

After that incredible experience (which felt like a dimension all its own), we strolled through Rome and finally stopped for lunch. Sure, the pizza may have been a bit over-priced, but the flavor was unlike any I had ever tried. Pizza Hut, I will never return! And then it rained. A lot. I’ve always wanted to see it rain in Rome, and I now I’ve seen it! *checks off bucket list* Oh, and I actually managed a conversation with an Italian saleswoman who already indicated that she could speak English, but I chose to speak in a mixture of Spanish and Italian. “Spitalian?” “Itanish?” However you want to call it, the conversation went smoothly without using a single word in English. Success! *fist pumps* *checks off of bucket list* At this rate, I’ll be going skydiving and bungee jumping before the semester is up! Haha, maybe not.

It did take awhile to get back to campus, maybe a good hour and a half, but we made it back safe and sound. I’m at least happy that we have a much better understanding of how the metro works. Rest of the day consisted of homework, and dinnertime consisted of maybe eight students? All we know is that at some point, the number of UD professors and staff outnumbered the students. Guess that only happens once in a blue moon.

Speaking of which, I’ll be up in the outdoor atrium watching the blue moon tonight. Goodnight, moon!

(Not an actual picture I took of the moon. I just thought it worked.)