Contemplations and Ruminations

Aug 30th 2022, Tuesday I started packing, we out out for breakfast to  Le Pain Quotidian The menu card The interior of the breakfast place Some books in a shop nearby Orange juice and croissant Bread and avocado Avocado on bread, open sandwich Eggs, ham and bread Me and Nam on the way to Manor, where we shopped for chocolates Ate lunch at migros, my petite plate of salad which was amazing Evening mass was in St. Anthony of Padua church Nice shadow of Mother Mary and child in church 44. Then got home and packed and weighed our luggage. Vinod made rosti for dinner, the others had spring roll. Aug 31st 2022, Wednesday Went walking to St. Marie church, met Fr. Gabriel then we walked to the bakery near his home Ate lovely croissants and said our goodbyes A picture before leaving. We then went to denner and the train station to pick up last minute gifts and things. Then went to parfum beyrouth for chicken sandwich which was lovely. Came home, packed, slept. Made veg burger at night with ...

August 28th 2022, Sunday Woke up and got ready to go to St. Peter's basilica (eyes rolling here). Father met us there and took us inside through some cordoned area. Mass was by some newly appointed cardinal. Father left us in church and went to do his work. God, I felt trapped inside... so trapped! All the glitz and grandeur of the place made me despondent. I wanted to be out in nature, in the small church I had selected to attend Sunday mass in Rome... something with windows where I can see nature and feel at peace. My original plan was to attend Sunday mass in a cute simple chapel nestled in nature. I had googled for English mass in Rome and I found a place with a small chapel near a garden, but my Catholic family was swayed by the gaudy imposing basilica and I was dragged along unwillingly. I tried talking them out of it to no avail, so silently I accepted defeat and that's how I found myself imprisoned in a structure that did not feel holy to me. The grandiosity of the basi...