Wed 13 Aug

Today has been an amazing day in a wonderful vacation. Rome was great, but the unexpected highlight (and lowlight) occurred right before we left. We stopped in to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore on our way to the train station to take pictures. There were quite a few people near a barrier up front and I had to stretch to see into the side chapel. Suddenly people started applauding. I looked again and a procession was coming through headed by Pope Francis! I never dreamed we would really see him. The procession went around the side where I had left Bob with the suitcases. He got an excellent photo and even made eye contact and received a blessing gesture from the Pope! Unfortunately in the excitement of a sudden crowd surrounding the place he had been sitting quietly, he did not realize til it was over that he had taken off his backpack and set it down. Someone took the opportunity and his backpack ( containing his new iPad, his Kindle, and my binoculars) is gone.