Post no 1 - my last day at work. Leave for Rome on Thurday next (7th). Still so much to finish before then. I wish I had spent more time in the past weeks just thinking about this trip. (Is there anything better than dreaming of what could be? I don't think there is but it does sometime get me into trouble...) I am looking forward to what I might see while I am away but more to what I might feel. I have never been to Rome or in fact to any mainland European country. I spent a week in London a few years ago for work and spent most of my free time walking and listening to this amazing city. I really loved that. I looked in awe at the British Museum and the 19th century theatres and Westmintger Abbey, but what I remember most was just sitting in tiny pubs or non-descript coffee shops trying to hear the city's pulse and watching, watching. In a week or two I will be in Rome or Florence or Venice and or Assisi or somewhere or nowhere. That's amazing isn't it? One day we are here, then we are there. I wonder if I will feel different there...
As I have been writing, my press accreditation for the Vatican pinged through on my email. Go figure! I am an officially accredited journalist for the Holy See! I have no idea what they means really but am dead keen to find out. I am pretty sure that the Holy Father doesn't hold too many press conferences so I expect that it will get me into the press centre and up a bit closer to take a photo or two. I must remember to take the lens cap off this time. If I get any decent pics I will post them on the blog. Please be kind. Maybe I will meet a real photograper over there who will give me one or two nice photos I could put up.
I will do my best to write about what I see (and what I feel) while I am away. I hope some of you are able to write or tweet back. I am also going to test my technology skills by loading a video or two. That should be interesting! LOL!
Mary MacKillop has a very special place in my heart. I think I might be alive because of her intervention. I shall try to explain to you why over the next few weeks. I can't quite believe that I will be at St Peter's Square at the moment she will become a saint. As my mate Trish Thomas would say - 'What a blessing!'
Ok, that's the end of post no 1. I hope you are not expecting too much because I know that I am likely to fall short of the mark. What I will promise is that I will be honest. I hope that will be enough for you to return to the blog and maybe comment occasionlly.
Warmly...
Mark
