D. C. Donahue Books

In late Sept. 2015 we took a trip to Italy with friends from Venice to the Amalfi coast over 12 days. We arrived in Rome on Oct. 3rd. Our good friend obtained tickets in advance to Pope Francis first mass back after a six week from Washington DC, New York and ending His tour and flying out of Philadelphia.

Our friend wasn’t sure if he could get tickets but his contact with AAA in Italy procured them and informed us later the night before. He was generous enough to take us before hand to see some of the sites the tour bus wouldn’t take then dropped us off at the Vatican an hour or so before Mass would be said. The irony in it was we got there early enough to sit just behind those roped off of dignitaries and the like.

So, each row of folding chairs to the center aisle rail had roughly 12 seats. Our party of four could’ve sat right next to the center rail of the middle aisle for getting very up-close pictures of the Pope Francis and the entourage of cardinals and bishops. However, with quick reasoning of getting a tour around the city beforehand and having over an hour to kill had us thinking more with our bladders than brains. We thought in this manner we would have quicker access to get to the bathrooms, which were located outside the Basilica between there and in the breezeway of the Cardinals residency. I might add just past the Swiss Guards.

So, I was on the end next to Joe who played forward for the University of Scranton…he’s a bit taller than me, then our wives and the other 6 people in our row. Oh! I almost forgot to mention Joe has a dome bald spot that really lights up well in a camera flash. Well all kidding aside I did manage to get a few pictures. I can still hear my wife say to our friends as they were coming down the center aisle…”to just look for the one in a pointy hat?” Really! Let’s just say the procession of bishops and cardinals was long and there were more pointy hats than at a witch’s convention!

We started out in Venice and with our guide Massimo, then onto Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera, next was Florence, Rome, Positano, Sorrento and then back to Naples and then Rome for the flight home. It was a phenomenal trip and one highly recommened if time and money gives you the chance put it at the very top of your bucket list; just make sure not to go during the summer months.