Where's my pedometer when I need it!

In the summer of 2007, I organized a Pedometer Challenge for my colleagues and me. And even after the 10 week challenge ended, I continued to wear the pedometer. So how could I have left mine at home when we moved to Rome! I think I'm going to have to go buy one.

Since I am missing the instant gratification of looking at that little box to see how many steps I've done in a day, today I google mapped our Sunday route (which was shorter than what we covered yesterday). Today's walk took us on a 7.1 mile circuit through Trastevere to Santa Cecilia for Sunday mass, past Santa Maria Cosmedin, past the baths of Caracalla, up to San Giovanni in Laterno, back to the Colosseum and CJ's studio, through Campo di fiori, back across the river and through Trastevere to home.

Celia really enjoyed seeing the inside of Santa Cecilia. We had only been able to view the outside previously, and seeing the inside - and in particular the Saint Cecilia sculpture was really special for all of us. After the service, Celia and I went under the church to see the well preserved remains of Saint Cecilia's home on which the church was built. Celia really liked that and kept asking if each item she saw was touched or used by Saint Cecilia. After that we were allowed to go through the convent next door to see The Last Judgement fresco by Cavallini c 1293. This fresco can only be seen during the hour following the Sunday service. So we were pleased we were able to go in. And the nun accepting our admittance fee was so excited to hear that Celia was named after Saint Cecilia that she gave her a free picture of the Saint. (She apologized that she didn't have anything for Augustino).

After a much needed cappuccino, we walked to Saint Giovanni in Laterno (after passing by the Circus Maximus and the unbelievably large baths of Caracalla. Saint Giovanni is the Papal church in Rome and we were very impressed by a number of elements of the church. Celia really liked the relics found in the Cloister and Augustine though the ramp outside the church made a good slide. (See photo).

I don't have a clue what villa housed the image in the last photo, but Celia liked the oranges she saw on the trees inside the gate. And since I enjoyed the sculpture, I thought we'd take a picture. Actually, we've seen a lot of trees around Rome with both oranges and lemons fully formed and ready to pick.

All in all, it was a good day of walking, and certainly left us tired. In fact, as we neared the apartment, Celia told me "my legs are very tired, but I told them that they couldn't go to sleep until after dinner."