Monday, July 28, homeward bound. I'm always reminded of that Simon & Garfunkel song when I'm coming home from a trip. I also think of another song related to where i live, "Indiana Wants Me." But the lyrics, "Indiana wants me, Lord I can't go back there," don't fit with my sentiments.

For some reason my alarm clock didn't go off this morning. Good thing I was already awake waiting for it go off. I took my shower, finished packing everything up, and made my way downstairs to meet a friend with whom I would be sharing a taxi. I ran out of time cleaning up my room. We were supposed to take our recyclables to the bins that line nearly every street. I meant to leave time to do that but ended up leaving the bag. I left a few euro as a tip hoping that housekeeping wouldn't be too upset with me.

Our taxi came promptly and we were off to the airport. It cost us 50 euro to get to the airport; that's why one needs to share a cab. At the Rome airport it only took me a few minutes to figure out where I needed to go to get my boarding pass and check luggage. There wasn't even a line, though I did need to wait for people who were being waited on to finish. I noticed two young, attractive women in line ahead of me. I remember thinking, "Maybe I'll get to sit by them." Everything went smoothly. I made my way to the gate and began the usual routine one goes through at the airport: find something to eat, stop by the restroom, look through the gift shop. The cafe was a typical Italian kind where you order and pay at the cashier, get your receipt, and then get your order at the bar. Fortunately one of the participants happened to be there and she helped me know what the pastry was called I wanted so I was able to place my order. I watched all the Americans trying to figure out how to get what they wanted without knowing what it's called. It's not like you can point to it, which is usually how I was able to survive in Rome -- the power of pointing.

When the time came to board, I made my way down to the far aisle of the large Alitalia plane. I had to laugh when I saw who I would be sitting next to. It was the two girls from the check-in (which had been more like a "check out" for me). I'm only saying this because it turned out to be one of those situations where you should be careful what you wish for. These girls were cute but not as cute as they thought they were. They pretty much ignored me the whole flight. About ten hours sitting next to the princess twins. When we had to fill out the customs card, I asked the girl next to me if I could use her pen when I was done. She stared at me blankly for a second, ant then proceeded to ignore me. During the last half hour of flight, they took out bags filled with various kinds of makeup. Here's another irony. The movie being shown on the screen was a documentary about some tribe of African or Asian natives. After the girls started applying their makeup, I looked up at the video screen to see the native men putting on their makeup for some kind of festival. It was worth a good laugh to myself. It got a little stranger as the girl next to me even reached up her t-shirt to put on some fresh deoderant. Too bad personality and character doesn't come in a bottle.

It was actually a painful flight for me. I was squeezed between the two armrests the whole time. I had good leg room, but my legs were pinched against the sides of the armrests the whole time. I can't really describe the effects of sitting like that for ten hours. The result was very painful welts on my inner thighs when I stood up. It hurt for a while just to walk. I spent the time on the flight listening to my mp3 player, some podcasts, some old time radio programs, and a part of an old Abbott & Costello movie I had experieented with. For some reason only the first 10 minutes or so of the movie was avaialable. I don't know why. But it was such a relief to have that flight over with, and I was glad to be in Chicago.

It wasn't too much trouble getting through customs. I had to get my baggage, go through the line to show my passport and answer questions, then hand over my luggage to go on to my destination, and finally to find where I had to go to get my boarding pass. I had to get on the little train to go to my terminal and then had to walk to the end of concourse C for my gate. Before heading down the long hallway, I stopped at Starbucks to get my first regular-sized cup of coffee since leaving the States. I kept watching the time, but somehow I ended up not hearing my flight. I happened to stroll over to the gate and realized they had been boarding my flight. This time I got to sit next a ncie woman with whom I had very nice conversation. It was a short flight from Chicago to Dayton. We were there before i a chance to even think about how long the flight would be.

When I arrived past security in the airport, there was no sign of any of my family. So I made my way over to baggage claim. I couldn't see from the monitors what carousel my luggage would be at. Then I saw my family. They were just a few minutes late. It was too bad too, since they had created a nice sign welcoming me back home from Rome. It was so good to see them. And my wife looked beautiful. It was indeed great to be home. And my daughter who lives in West Virginia surprised me by flying home a few days before to visit with us for a week. It will be great fun to have her at home while I'm settling back into life in Indiana. I won't settle back too much, since I will be leaving Sept. 15th for a three-month stay at Tantur Ecumenical Study Centre in Bethlehem.

Sunday, my last full day in Rome. The big event for the day was going to lunch with a couple of people. They decided the best place to go would be down to Trastevere. I thought this was one last opportunity to go the same flight of stairs. Instead, one of the people took us down a different flight of stairs. I didn't realize there were multiple ways of going up and down the Janiculum Hill to Trastevere. We walked through narrow streets which in themselves were a taste of Rome, until we found an open restaurant. We were a bit hot from our walk, so we chose to sit inside the air conditioned restaurante. Figuring it would be my last opportunity, I again chose pizza -- pizza ortolono. It was delicious; it seemed a little underdone. Usually the ovens tend to make the crust crispy with little burnt spots. For some reason this pizza was a tad doughy. Still very good. It had some zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. i've been surprised that the pizzas tended not to have onions. i don't recall eating much onion durng the past month.

After our lunch, my friends went with me to a little jewelry shop to get something for my wife. I didn't have much money available, but we found a nice necklace with matching earrings. For me the irony was that our was buying jewelry as a souvenir of my Rome trip but from an artist named Ibrahim, which for me pointed forward to my next trip in the fall to Israel/Palestine.

On our way back up the hill, we returned by even another pair of stairs. It was first a long incline on the road up and then a set of long stairs. We came up near the Fountain of Paul, which was one of the first places I visited when I arrived in Rome. 

I spent the afternoon cleaning up my room and packing my suitcases. Some people were going to get together in the evening to watch Trastevere's Festa de' Noantri (Procession of the Madonna del Carmine). it would no doubt be a sight to behold. Some people in our group talked about the way it would be a fitting conclusion to our seminar, since we had talked about various kinds of processions through the streets from imperial processions to local processions honring the dead or various gods and goddesses. It would have been an interesting reenactment of pagan processinos to watch the parade of Catholic religious and dignataries as the statue of Mary is processed through the streets to a church. But i decided to hang out at "home," get a little something to eat later, and have a relaxing evening watching the last two episdoes of season two of Torchwood.

When I went to find some food in the evening, I discovered that most shops were closed up.  i had remembered there was another pizzeria further down Via Carini. Sure enough the other place was open but very busy and tiny. I squeezed myself into the shop and tried to wait my turn. Eventually I was able to place my order for which and how much of the different pizzas already available. I wanted something to drink, but I couldn't get to the coller to get something, not without a better command of italian phrases for "excuse me," "coming through," sorry for pressing my body against yours." The pizza wasn't quite as good as I had been getting from Simone, but it was still good. I managed to turn in early so I could get up early for my big day returning home.

On my second to the last day in Rome, I decided to give the library another try. In the past the library has been so warm that just trying to locate a book has left me dripping sweat on the pages. I also had found that the old wooden chairs with arms were too small for me. Several times when i went to the library to read something we would be discussing in seminar, I went in the early morning or late evening, and sat on a step stool in front of an open window.This morning when I went it felt stuffy and warm in the reserve room where the books were I wanted to consult. So I selected the books I needed and went in search of a good place to sit. On a lower level I found the row of reserved desks. I knew we were allowed to sit at them if they were not in use. One of our directors, Eleanor Leach, was at her reserve desk. I went to the end of the row and found an empty space. I was delighted to discover I actually could fit in the chair. After 10 minutes or so I began to feel comfortable and was able to read and take notes for the next four or five hours. 

My group had planned to have a going away party at 6:30pm out on the terrace off the top floor the Academy. I hadn't been there before and thought this was an important event to attend. Since it's customary to bring something to a party, I set off to my usual hunting ground near Via Carini. I was surprised to find most shops closed up. After walking around for a few minutes, I noticed an open shop. It turned out to be a wine shop. I had met someone along the way who said I might just want to buy a bottle of cheap wine. I found a bottle they were practically giving away, so I got that. I figured it couldn't have too much alcohol in it. How much can grape juice ferment in only a year?

We had a great time at our party. Various people brought things to eat. The terrace has a beautiful view of Rome. For instance, I could see the Colosseum.  The night wore on, and we had a time of giving out named awards to each person in the group. We laughed together, we gave hugs to those who were leaving the next day, and made plans to do things together on Sunday, which for many of us would be our last day in Rome -- at least for this trip.

This morning a few of us set off to see the Catacombs of Priscilla . It took two buses to reach the edge of the city. We were disappointed at first when we learned they had no record of the American Academy arranging for our visit. They wanted to make us wait for 20 minutes and join a tour of 27 other people. There were three people discussing the issue with us. Someone went to get the person in charge, one of the nuns of the Benedictine order who oversee the site. Then another woman came out, who was an American, a researcher in residence. The two of them took the three of us on a guided tour of the catacombs there.

It certainly is an incredible experience to go below ground and walk through the tunnels dug by people seeking to entomb their dead in a holy place. In various places someone plastered the walls and painted frescoes.  There were scenes of Jesus as the Good shepherd, Jonah and the sea monster, Lazarus, Daniel and his buddies in the fiery furnace, and some other biblical images of rescue and resurrection. There were many images of woman, such as Mary, the mother of Jesus, Susanna, Mary & Martha, and other female figures. It's difficult to interpret some of the images.All in all it was an incredible experience.

On the bus ride back some transportation officers -- whatever they call them -- got on the bus and asked to see tickets. Two young girls didn't have tickets and didn't have any extra money to pay.

The big thing today was paying my bill. There were many unexpected expenses on this trip, not the least of which was the double-booking during the time we were in Campania. We paid for our rooms at the Academy plus the hotel rooms. No one knew that it was going to be expected. The stipend we received from the National Endowment for the Humanities paid for most of the trip, but I needed to dip into my sabbatical funds to pay the rest.

I've also managed to arrange for my trip to the airport on Monday morning. A colleague needs to leave at the same time, so we will share a taxi. Perhaps we're even on the same flight to Chicago.

This evening I was able to have dinner with David Balch, who is living in Rome during his sabbatical. He has just published a book on Roman Domestic Art and Early House Churches. He had a copy with him. I had a great time talking with him about Roman houses, publishing, teaching, family, church, retirement, and many other interesting topics. We had dinner in a piazza behind a 12 century church with other church architecture all around us. What an interesting place to dine. David first took me inside the church. For a minute I thought he was going to make me sit and meditate for awhile before dinner. This was in Trastavere so guess what I got to do? Walk back up the "Stairs of Trastevere." It might be the last time, so I took the stairs with Roman gusto.

Today was the last seminar day. We heard three reports, one on Greek rhetoric under Roman Empire, another on Etruscan portrayal of types of women's bodies, and then the report on the nearby archaeological site with Syrian features. In the afternoon I worked more on writing captions for photos I've taken and read.

I went back to the Simone restaurant again, but this time I had lasagna. It was very tasty and a welcomed change from the evening pizza dinners.

My time in Rome is coming to a close. I'll be going tomorrow morning to visit the Catacombs of Priscilla. I'm expecting to have dinner tomorrow evening with David Balch, one of the foremost NT scholars doing work on Roman households. Our group has a little party planned for Saturday evening. And I need to settle my bill tomorrow. I hope I'm not shocked by the total. Most costs of this trip have been a surprise.

Today was our group trip to the Capitoline Museum. I gave myself plenty of time to get there. When I arrived at the bus stop a few blocks away, several of my colleagues were already waiting there. The 44 Venezia bus came by after about five minutes, and we were on our way. So far so good. But I realized after I got off the bus that if they hadn't been there I wouldn't have known where to go next. We crossed a very busy road and then had to go through a construction walkway. At no time did I see any big signs saying Capitoline Museum. Because Michelangelo thought it would be more dramatic for people to walk up the stairs and see the piazza, I had no indication from the street that the museum was there. We arrived early, so I had plenty of time to admire his architectural style and the Marcus Aurelius statue in the center.

We looked together at a few items. I was especially intrigued by several Syrian altars. One had Latin with Palmyran Aramaic below and the other was Greek and Aramaic. What was so fascinating is that there was no comparison between what the Latin and Greek said and the Aramaic. The two texts were not only written in a different language but they were culturally and rhetorically worlds apart.

After having a brief (how long does it take to down an espresso) coffee break, we spent a little more time looking at a terra cotta funerary relief from a tomb. Some of our group had sat down on the floor against the wall. After 15 minutes or so a guy came along and told everyone to stand up. Apparently there's a rule about not sitting on the floor in the Capitoline Museum. Many people walked by with badges but it was only this guy who made people stand up. And then he stood by the nearby doorway watching us until we left. One of our members was sitting in one of the window ledges. From what I heard, I think he was writing when the official came by and said, "Just a second" or something like that. The official then said something else to him. Strange experience. I'll add that to my experience in the Sistine Chapel.

One of my favorite rooms in the museum is the Hall of Philosophers. The room is lined with portrait busts of "intellectuals" (to use the term of Paul Zanker in "The Mask of Socrates"), such as poets, playwrights, as well as philosophers. There were many other interesting pieces: the Marcus Aurelius equestrian statue, the large head (plus a hand and a foot) of Constantine, and many, many others.

In the early afternoon we left to go find some lunch. The sight of the Forum down below the hill was very impressive along with the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Temple of Saturn. We happened to walk by the legendary Mamartine prison, which is thought to have held Peter and Paul before their executions.

After a wonderful sandwich of mozzarella cheese on eggplant with olive oil and a cool beverage, we headed for our bus stop. Nearby we came across a kiosk selling t-shirts for 5 euro a piece. They were just what I was looking for. The designs were nice. Better than I've seen in any museum gift shops. Now my family will let me come home, since I'll be bearing gifts. I just hope someone else's kids aren't slaving away in a sweat shop so I can buy my kids cheap gifts.

I worked through my pictures for the day and uploaded them to Snapfish. Some choice ones (with me in them) I upload to my Facebook page. I had a nice selection of pizza for dinner again. I'm wondering how many days it will take for me to get tired of their pizza.

Tomorrow is our last seminar day. We'll hear some more presentations from colleagues. There are several extra-curricular events planned for Friday. Otherwise, after tomorrow morning the seminar will be finished. Because we're only supposed to move in or out on Mondays, I had to wait through the weekend to book my return flight. It's going to be a ten hour flight from Rome to Chicago and then an hour or so to Dayton. As I've been saying, Rome is nice, but Rome isn't home.

Much of this morning was spent going through photos and researching the various places and things I saw last week. We had a seminar meeting at 3pm in which various members presented their research projects. It was tough afternoon. I was sleepy from staying up too late last night. Most of the presentations were rather long. I think it was 6:30pm when I got back to my room after seminar.

I decided to go back to the same pizza place as last night. The pizza is good and the man behind the counter knows I can't speak Italian. The name of the place is Pizza al Taglio da Simone (Via Carini 50). I like to get slices from different pizzas. Most of them seem mainly to have some kind of vegetables on them. There's also just a small amount of cheese on the pizzas and not a great deal of sauce. The crust is thin, of course, and has a nice taste from the brick oven.

Tomorrow morning we head to the Capitoline Museum. I'm supposed to get there on my own and be at the ticket counter at 9am. I've looked up the route on the ATAC web site and know where I need to go. We'll see if I have better luck this time than the trip to the Vatican Museum. This is our last official museum visit. We do have a trip planned for Friday morning. We have the special permission to visit the Catacomb of Priscilla.

Monday was another work day for me. I got my first load of laundry going and then took off to go grocery shopping. While returning from dinner the other evening I noticed where the Standa supermarket was. It's sort of a upscale Walmart or Meijer's in the sense that they sell they have a department store and grocery store together. I bought myself a few packaged salads and some prepared foods I can just heat up along with some fruit. I happened to walk by the coffee section. Because the Academy kitchen has been closed now and I broke my French Press, I've been going without coffee. After a moment's reflection on my coffee predicament, the thought comes to me -- instant coffee! It's been a long time since I've had to drink instant, but it's better than nothing. The tap water from the sink in my room is hot enough to make do. My apologies to the entire country of Italy, but I can't make do with a tiny cup of espresso. If it makes me white trash from the states, so be it. But I'm looking forward to my first grande cup of Starbucks.

I also needed to buy shampoo. I came to italy with two or three containers of Head & Shoulders. I don't know how many I had, but I ended up with three. Hopefully I didn't swipe someone else's H&S from the bathroom. I think it was mine. It took me about half an hour to pick out shampoo. You can't trust the labels in Italian to be what you expect it to be. (It's sort of like ordering a pizza here with pepperoni only to discover that pepperoni means peppers.) I bought myself a bus ticket this time so I didn't have to lug my goodies back up the stairs of Trastevere.

 I managed to finish my laundry and have my lunch by early afternoon. I'm sorry to report that I wore out another pair of slacks and will have to throw them away. The good news is I've been losing weight. Actually, I don't have a scale to weigh myself. I'm getting smaller around the middle, since I've had to tighten my belt up Before I came on the trip I used the first hole in my belt. I'm now on the fourth hole.

Tomorrow afternoon will be our second to the last seminar session. We'll be hearing presentations from a few people.

Today I practiced Sunday being a day of rest. I slept in late, didn't do any work at all, didn't go on any long walks anywhere, took an afternoon nap, and watched TV shows and movies on my computer. My body has needed this day off. My muscles have been sore, my feet have been aching. The guy who had been my roommate on the trip to Campania said that he strained his Achilles tendon. I thought to myself, "Yeah, well I feel like I've strained my Herculean butt." That's not exactly what I thought but you get the idea. Maybe I should say gluteus maximus.

Tomorrow is a day of chores. Wash clothes. Go food shopping. I didn't bother going out today, so all I've had to eat is biscotti cookies. I will be hungry for lunch tomorrow.