My Angelicum Friends

 One of the best aspects of studying theology at the Angelicum is getting to know my classmates. They are seminarians, nuns, monks, religious and laity from all over the world. Sr. Marie Linn, Sr. Lucy, and Sr. Therese are from a congregation in Vietnam. These women are the chosen few who get to go to Rome to study. They will return and teach a generation of sisters, teachers and formation instructors back home. 

Another group I love are the Brothers of Divine Charity. They serve the poorest of the poor around the world. Josamir was my first friend from this group. We sat next to each other in our course on Grace among others and got through a year of studies together. Now I am friends with his confreres Etienne and Gilbert (both from French-speaking Africa), Francisco and now Jorge. They have invited my family to a play they are putting on in a couple of weeks. The cast includes monks as well as the homeless people they serve. I love it! 

Simon is one of the most joyful people I've ever met. Regan is humble and kind. All in all, I am a much better person for having met these saints-in-the-making, They are all people who have dedicated their lives to God in the most radical way they knew how. I am blessed by their witness, the intensity of their faith, their courage and perseverance. I aspire to be as holy as they some day. 

It's Settled

Annie is the reason we went to Vienna. She wants to look into the University of Vienna for her college years, and living in Vienna some day is a main motivator for her to learn German right now in middle school. It positively amazes me that her seventh grade is in German and Italian, and that she is doing so well. She often does better than the majority of her classmates on tests and assignments, even the ones in German! She has been studying it for 8 months, while many of them have been studying in German at this school since Kindergarten. Way to go, Annie! 

As she and I explored the city center on the first day of our trip, she "Ooooo!"-ed and "Aaaaaaaah!"-ed the whole way through. Finally she announced, "It's settled. I am going to live here someday." 

Every day, Annie and I walked past the College of Applied Arts, where she recognized Athena Parthenos and explained all the imagery to me, including the Nike in Athena's hand, the rod and the owl. 

Annie, Sebo, Clare and I had enormous Wiener Schnitzels, and the penny dropped for Annie when she realized the "Wiener" means "Viennese." Meanwhile, Clare went nuts over the rolls. I think Clare had two plates of goulash and as many rolls as they'd serve us. Hilarious. 

Their version of frizzante or sparkling water is "prickelnd." That seemed so funny to us. Prickly water.

A couple asked us to take their picture. Annie understood their German and answered back in German without hesitation. When they walked away, she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said, "I can speak German!" It was one of those moments for both of us that you wouldn't give anything for. 

Here is Annie doing an impersonation of one of the really sweet girls in her class. Super cute. Annie gave me a lengthy description of her classmates, whom on the whole she adores. I also set out to memorize the names of all her teachers and what subjects they teach. She has more teachers than the average 7th grader, because many of her subjects she has in both German and again in Italian, with different teachers. While Italian schools get out around 1:45pm, Annie gets out at 4:05pm. She is in an intense prep school and she really pays the price. It's a lot of work. I am very proud of her! What a smartie! 

Isn't Annie awesome? Yes. It's settled. 

Hundertwasser

It was an incredible unlikelihood that cannot be coincidence that when we traveled to Vienna we rented a flat that was across the street from the Hundertwasser Museum and Village, given that Sebastian had just studied Hundertwasser in school. Sebastian introduced me to this modern Viennese artist and showed me Sebastian's favorite paintings, which were all hanging in this gem of a museum. 

Our mini-spring break trip to Vienna was paradisiacal. We ate apfelstrudel, went to the opera, breathed the Austrian air and walked on pristine streets. I planted myself at the Cathedral of St. Stephen and studied the architecture and sculpture with the help of a book for many hours. I am not sure which knocks me off my feet more, the interior (with its lacy Gothic pointed arches) or the exterior (Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque elements can all be detected). 

After hours alone at the cathedral (while Ron took the kids to the zoo), Ron met me for a date in the old town. It was a magical day and my Viennese blood was re-oxygenated. Friendly reminder: I am not Italian! It is astonishing how disconnected these two lines are, the Austrian-Germanic and the Italian. There is virtually no point of intersection. While the EU connects Austria and Italy and that gives the impression that they are kin to one another, they are not. It is helpful for me to remember that appearances can be deceptive, so that I do not feel so crazy when in Rome. I am not Italian, and that's okay! God bless Italy. And God bless Austria. 

Blessed by the old and new

 Ron blesses me more than I can say! We had a wonderful day in Rome celebrating his birthday. 

Re-living the OLD: We went to our old favorites--the tie and pocket square shop on Campo Marzio (our kids have spent HOURS in there over the years! We know the owners!); the paper/art/fountain pen shop off Piazza di Spagna (a family favorite since our first summer here in 2011); the pizza restaurant across from the art shop where 7-year-old Clare "sniffed out" the anchovies on the Pizza Napoli that Ron accidentally ordered. Now we order spritzes and take IG photos!

Enjoying the NEW: We discovered an authentic Mexican restaurant in Rome! Casa Sanchez. Although they serve food on plates that my grandmother would call "dinner roll plates" (meaning they are very small!) and although every TINY plate of food was VERY EXPENSIVE, we basked in the authentic Mexican fare. They served salsa in bowls a little larger than thimbles. We enjoyed every *drop*! An "only once-a-year" treat!

Happy birthday, Ron!