Below are 19 slide shows and several videos depicting the many aspects and events on our trip to Rome. Please use the controls to view the slide presentations. The largest right arrow control will put the slide show in auto play mode. The smaller right arrow key will advance the pictures a slide at a time and the double right arrow will advance all the way to the end. The left arrow keys will go backwards or return to the beginning. Use the slide mechanism to control the speed of the auto mode. Please enjoy!
The Conference
The conference was attended by over 400 Baptist from 59 different countries. All there to address issues of conflict and injustice and to network with like minded individuals. It was held in Mondo Migliore, a Catholic Retreat center, just south of Rome on a beautiful volcanic lake just across from the Popes summer home.
One night the Italian Baptist put on a wonderful concert with Choirs and a jazz harpist and an opera singer singing several songs including O Solo Mio. It was a wonderful evening!
St. Pauls Basilica
The last day of the conference we visited the Basilica dedicated to St. Paul. Tradition has it that he is buried below the cathedral. Note the picture with the chains and crypt below the chains -- (hard to see in the photo). Also note the beautiful ornate ceiling with the pictures of every Pope throughout history circling the top of the walls.
We held a service in the church led by the Baptist Bishop in the Georgian church. She is pictured with our son Daniel.
Vatican Square
After the service in St. Paul's several of us were dropped off at the Vatican others went on to the Coloseum. Carol, Daniel and I didn't take the Vatican tour at this time, but did take some pictures in the square and then walked past the Castle of St. Angelo.
Piazza del Popolo
Our walk took us through the Piazza of the Pope. Note the statues dipicting the Story of Romulus and Remulus, the "founders of Rome who were nursed by a wolf". Also notice the street artist.
Human "Sculpture" in the Piazza
Peace Vigil
We all met back together at the Offices of the Italian Baptist for a Peace Vigil in the square. Individuals wore vests that bore witness with statistics of violence and words of hope from countries around the world.
Valdese Church
We finished the evening with a church service and a late night dinner at the church. The Valdesean church and the Italian Baptist have a tradition of wonderful singing. The beauty of the choirs and the dedication of these Christians to care for their communities made the long night quite enjoyable despite dinner at 10 pm!
Final Day
It was sad to end the conference. The closing sevice focused on the web of interconnectedness in a global world. Each participant was given a string which we then joined to gether with others strings to form a gigantic web.
Protest Against the Vatican
On the way to meet up with Lunden, Daniel's girlfriend, we ran into an Anti Vatican Protest. The immediate issue of protest was the right to die, but it seemed that many groups with many issues coalesced to form this protest. The protest delayed our bus and then caused it to detour, totally bypassing our stop. We were quite late meeting up with Lunden, but we met a graduate of Earlham on the bus.
Some Night Pictures
It was very cold and we spent a lot of time walking -- no wonder after our first bus experience. The cold made it very hard to hold the camera steady enough for taking night pictures.
Tiber River
We crossed the Tiber in our various trips quite a few times.
Coloseum
On Sunday we met Dan and Sharon Buttry at the Coloseum and then went to the . Carol posed in front of the Coloseum in a shirt from her favorite Italian store here in Richmond.
Three Coins in a Fountain
The fountain that made the song famous, or is it the other way around? More night photos --ugh. And a short trip to the Spanish Embassy steps on a very cold night for Rome
The Vatican
We got a wonderful tour by John, our context guide. We viewed the art from ancient Greeks and Rome through the medieval period and on to today. Wonderful display of human creativity, thought and skill. The theme of Empire was a recurrent theme. Where are we today and how do we resist empire?
Roman Ruins
Another very knowlegeble context guide took us through the ancient civilization of Rome. Even more questions about empires arouse and how different religion looks when it is in service of an empire and when it is in opposition. Constanties arch was a key reminder through this experience of the shift in Chritianity from its opposition to Rome to its becoming a part of the Empire under Constantine.
Drivers Strike
Lots of protests and strikes. This one was a protest by private drivers.
A Monument to Victor Emmanuel
Let's get the perfect picture was the name of this photo shoot! But is was sunny and much warmer.
The Parthenon
Amazing structure!!! Note the cats in the ruins in the last slide. they were plentiful.
Piazza Navona
An artist onclave and home to more Bernini Sculptures -- the artist who did the Trevi Fountain.
Trastevere
Acoss the Tiber, our home for a week. A very picturesque setting with very narrow streets and small shops and restaurants. It was an ideal setting to learn of Rome.