There are 900 churches in Rome.

One has the finger of Doubting Thomas.

A 2000 year old finger.

And I thought I needed a manicure.

Each church has a relic (i.e. a body part) from a saint.

Thomas was the apostle who doubted the resurrection of Christ until he touched the wounds (with that finger).

Doubting Thomas was a skeptic.

Doubting David (my husband) was skeptical that I had anything to wear to church.

In church in Rome women must cover shoulders and knees (not toes).

I am somewhat known for my age inappropriate skirts.

No skirt in my suitcase (or in my closet at home) would work.

I could have worn a sundress and thrown a shawl over my shoulders.

But what about the knees?

Plus, I went to Catholic school long enough to fear the disapproval of nuns.

So, in 90 degrees I wore pants and a jean jacket.

Will sweat for Jesus.

Of course, there were girls in shorts.

Heretics.

I haven’t been Catholic for years, but when in Rome…

I climb every dome, plus the Holy Staircase.

That’s the staircase Jesus walked up to see Pontius Pilate before the crucifixion.

His blood is still on the stairs.

Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine, brought the stairs to Rome from Jerusalem in the 4th century.

You climb the stairs on your knees.

Try wearing shorts there…heretics!

This maybe obvious, but in Rome I become a bit of a Jesus freak.

We also visted the Amalfi Coast.

And the Aeolian Islands.

I’d never heard of the islands until our friends mentioned them.

We traveled with our friends Andy & TMZ Harvey.

So we had a side dish of gossip with our pasta.

We visited the tiny island of Panarea.

In season (we were a week early) it’s filled with celebrities and shoppers.

And who doesn’t want to shop at the F**k store (see photo if you have doubts about the name).

Another island has an active volcano.

You want to see Stromboli at night for dinner and a (lava) show.

We had a day in Sicily.

Then roamed Rome…in between churches and meals.

After the Pantheon (which is a church) we had lunch at the pig place.

The actual name is La Prosciutteria.

Their motto is peace, love and ham.

The employees are hams.

The sign by the tip jar says “Leave us tips we need a psychiatrist”.

Last time we were there it said “Leave us tips we need breast implants”.

In Trastevere you can watch them make your pasta at Antico Carbone..

We waited an hour for a table at Da Enzo.

At least they bring wine while you wait.

The one tiny bathroom (you know I never miss a bathroom selfie) floor was wet with…let’s hope it was Aperol Spritz.

But the Carbonara was heavenly.

And the higher the rooftop (bar) the closer to heaven.

The Hotel Minerva rooftop is Pantheon adjacent and the Bio Hotel Raphael looks over the Vatican.

The roof of The Raphael was once the private playground of a Prime Minister who lived at the hotel, until he fled the country.

Our hotel (the H10 Palazzo Galla) had a lovely rooftop.

One night a couple showed up in their robes (and nothing else).

The next day I, again, put on too many clothes and dragged my husband to the Vatican.

He maintains he’s the only Jewish man who’s been to the Vatican 20 times.

I remind him…

Jesus was Jewish.

He reminds me…

Jesus never had to visit the Vatican.

I pay for the skip the line tour.

Several hundred people must have paid more because they skipped more of the line that we did.

Under the altar at St Peter’s are the bones of…St Peter.

At best, I was a cafeteria Catholic (now I’m a pretty good Presbyterian) but I do love the churches and the relics.

Santa Maria Maggiore has a piece of Christ’s manger and a piece of the True Cross (the cross of the crucifixion).

San Giovanni in Laterano has a piece of the table from the Last Supper. a thorn from the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the True Cross.

Santa Croce has the before mentioned finger.

Churches are the museums of Rome.

Each with it’s own history (and body part).

In my travels I think I’ve seen 50 churches.

Only 850 to go…