This past weekend was our first adventure outside of Rome (with any luck we will have another to report after this weekend). Our friends Ellie and Martino got married in his hometown of Como, right outside of Milan. There is a definite air of surrealism when you hear automated train voice announcing stops at towns you've heard about only from books. The beauty of Lake Como and the mountains surrounding make it seem like they don't belong in this world. But it does exist here and we were hosted very graciously by Martino's brother, Alessandro. And though Alessandro did not speak very much English, nor we Italian, we got along famously (He even helped me read some stuff out his book on mountain bikes).
Naturally, the baby deposed all the local princes and rulers of men as is his way. He never wanted for adoring fans. Even at a wedding. Catherine was First Witness at the wedding (which is the Italian equivalent of maid of honor) and the ceremony was in a picturesque little church and everyone threw lots of riso afterward.
During the course of our excursion we saw the cathedrals in Como as well as the one in Milan. These are buildings of a staggering size and intricacy. Unfortunately that's true for almost every church we've seen but it's impossible to describe all of them. I'll just let everyone enjoy some
pictures.
Also, I ate a seafood dish that looked like it was considering turning the tables on me. Delicious.
On a smaller scale of construction, but for me something of greater emotional impact was when we went to the Church of St. Ambrose in Milan. Not only did we experience that rarest of still-functioning Western rites (Ambrosian rite, only found in Milan), but we celebrated it in the very church where St. Ambrose worked and preached. Most precious of all was realizing that we were in the same church where an as-yet unconverted Augustine's knowledge of true Christian doctrine began.
In the Confessions Bk.5, Augustine says:
"And to Milan I came, unto Ambrose the bishop, known to the whole world as among the best of men, Your devout servant; whose eloquent discourse did at that time strenuously dispense unto Your people the flour of Your wheat, the gladness of Your oil and the sober intoxication of Your wine. To him was I unknowingly led by You, that by him I might knowingly be led to You."
After the wedding, we returned to Rome and the wedding party followed. We had a blast wandering around and I absolutely will be posting about the early Christian catacombs we went to see (spoiler alert: return of the phoenix). Here's us enjoying dinner at a restaurant that knowingly fulfills its own stereotype with musicians singing 'That's Amore" around your table...a strangely satisfying cultural experience.
And finally, to remind myself to write more later about catacombs, St. John Lateran, and the Bridge of Angels, here is a picture of Stephen keeping watch in Sant'Angelo fortress.
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