Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Day 13 highlights: We've only just begun
So here we are, on the last day of Hil & Jo's Eurotrip 2009. If you've been following me through the last 12 days, I hope you had fun reading about our trip as much as I had reminiscing them. But honestly, more than that, I've decided to put in so much effort into recording these entries because I want it to be something which my future kids can look at, sort of a documentary of their mummy's younger days. It'll be especially helpful since I have such a poor memory.Anyway, we started our day at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, which is one of the four major basilicas. This is the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St Jerome was buried here.
We then walked over to the nearby Basilica of Saint Praxedes which houses a segment of the alleged pillar upon which Jesus was tortured before his crucifixion in Jerusalem.
The Fontana di Trevi (also known as the Trevi Fountain) is the largest and most famous Baroque fountain in Rome. According to Wiki, some 3,000 euros are tossed into the fountain everyday and the money is used to subsidise a supermarket for the needy.
On the way to our next location, we walked past a very entertaining basker who played drunk and would only move when people dropped some money for him.
The Pantheon, which means 'every god' in Greek, was originally built by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome. It is the oldest large-scale dome and one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. Having been in continuous use throughout its history, the Roman Catholic church took over the building in the 7th century, and till today, it is dedicated to St Mary and the Martyrs.
Our second last destination in Rome was the Castel Sant'Angelo. It was initially commissioned by Hadrian, a Roman emperor, as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum with a stunning view of St Peter's Basilica.
St Peter's Basilica, which we've visited twice in the last four days in Rome, was the last official stop for our trip. I forgot to mention earlier that this is also one of the four major basilicas of Rome.
So, here comes the highlight of all highlights. We attended sunset mass in Italian and after mass, Hil suggested that we say a thanksgiving prayer to conclude our trip. Midway through our prayer, the 'bouncers' were starting to chase people out because it was closing time so we had to vacate the area. And as we walked towards the exit, somewhere in the middle of the basilica, Hil stopped and (I think) this was what he said: "This may seem a bit weird but, will you marry me?" and pulled out a ring from his pocket. In a sense, I was totally caught off-guard and didn't see it coming, but at the same time, I kinda knew it was coming soon. So yea, in case you're still wondering, I said yes...and as I've titled this entry: We've only just begun. Do continue to keep us in your prayers!
