Monday

Monday
We are up early today, earlier than most cafes. The sun is shining-the storm has passed. We get to experience what it is like on a work day or school day in Vernazza. There were many high school students, travelers (no trains yesterday because of the strike), and people going to work waiting at the station. When the train comes it becomes crowded quickly. The teenagers have a good time teasing, playful and switching seats. We are headed for La Spezia for our destination of Siena. At La Spezia we must change trains at Pisa. We had just 5 minutes. We got on a very crowded train to Empoli (another group of high schoolers) where we had to run for our train again for Siena. (you just don't want to envision three 60year old women with big packs running in the terminals) We arrived about 1:30 pm to another beautiful city. We are getting quicker walking with our packs..Joan

















We weren't sure where the convent was we were staying, but we headed in a direction we thought was right. We had the opportunity to walk about 1.5miles with our packs uphill so we treated ourselves with a gelato. Then we tried to find the convent Alma Domus where we had reservations. It only took about ten minutes after we reached the church San Domenico where St Catherine of Sienna is buried. So now we have a nice room in the convent and we might go to mass tomorrow at the church before breakfast.


























We scoped out the campo(square) and the duomo tonight but since it started to rain and it as late we headed home. Then had another great dinner of zuppa, gnocchi, lasagna and spinach followed by a chocolate torte. Very good. The house wine also very good.


























A bit about St. Catherine of Sienna. The youngest of twenty five, she was unschooled. Yet she joined the Dominican Sisters, she secluded herself for three years. She also saw heavenly visions as a child. She emerged from solitude and began caring for the sick. She lived from 1347 to 1380. At age 23, she lapsed into a spiritual coma, waking with the command to spread her message to the world. After that she wrote essays and letters to kings, dukes, bishops and popes, imploring them to find peace during a warring Italy. In 1375 she had a vision in which she received the stigma, the wounds of Jesus. While in her twenties, visited the pope in France and convinced Pope Gregory the to return the papacy to Rome. One powerful woman. She is the patron saint of Europe and is a Doctor of the church, quite a feat for an unschooled woman. Joan and Eileen remember that I always wanted my dolls to be named Catherine when I was young. And now I am working at a parish named for her. I am honored to visit the church where she is buried and only hope to follow her path in some ways.Judy



















































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