Friends of Fr. Phil Hoebing arranged a fitting way to celebrate the
Golden Jubilee of Fr. Phil's ordination to the priesthood by combining it
with a celebration of the Church Jubilee Year 2000.
It was a 16-day trip to ROME, with overnights in such spots as Venice,
Florence, Assisi, Naples, Sorrento, Piazza Armerina, and Palermo.
The Jubilee Journey left on May 30th and returned on June
14th.
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Day 2 ARRIVAL IN ROME, ITALY. Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your tour director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a welcome dinner with wine in one of Rome's fine restaurants. (D) Day 3 ROME. Sightseeing with your local guide starts with vistas of the beautiful Piazza Venezia and a stroll along the Via Sacra at the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in tnumph; then pass the Colosseum and hear about gladiatorial combats and early Christian martyrdom; finally proceed via Circus Maximus and across the Tiber to see monumental ST. PETER'S SQUARE AND BASILICA. There's also plenty of time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities: the Sistine Chapel (arranged next moming if closed today), Tivoli, and an Italian feast at one of the fine restaurants. (BB) Day 4 ROME-FLORENCE. Follow the Aurelian Way along the Tyrrhenian coast to Pisa. Here take your pictures of the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 16 feet out of t' he perpendicular. Then on to Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany. Arrive in time for a first glimpse of the Renaissance treasures. (BB,D) Day 5 FLORENCE-VENICE. Guided sightseeing includes magnificent SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture-studded Signoria Square. To top it off, admire Michelangelo's celebrated David in the GALLERY OF FINE ARTS. Time afterwards to shop for Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry before you head across the wooded Etruscan Apennine Hills to the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea. (BB,D) Day 6 VENICE. Start morning sightseeing in style as you glide by private boat along the Giudecca canal to meet your resident expert. Highlights of your walking tour are St. Mark's Square and the Byzantine splendor of ST. MARK'S BASILICA, lavish DOGES' PALACE and the Bridge of Sighs. Also watch VENETIAN GLASS BLOWERS fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace, or join an optional gondola ride. Tonight is your chance to sample the city's fine restaurants. (BB) Day 7 VENICE-ASSISI. Along the coastline of the Adriatic Sea to Ravenna. Here see the famous mosaics in the 6th-century BASILICA OF ST. APOLLINARIS IN CLASSE. In the afternoon arrive in Assisi and visit the massive 13th-century lower BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS built above the saint's grave. Time afterwards to enjoy the peaceful town at your own pace. (BB,D) Day 8 ASSISI-SORRENTO. South through the rolling Campagna Romana. Today's highlight visit is to POMPEII, the Roman city both destroyed and preserved by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. See patrician homes, public baths, and commercial districts strikingly recalling day-to-day life when Rome was at the apex of her power. Overnight in the charming resort of Sorrento, delightfully situated on the Bay of Naples. (BB,D) Day 9 SORRENTO. EXCURSION TO CAPRI. Glide across the blue bay to the bejutifill Isle of Capri, a royal retreat for 2,000 years. A local guide takes you to the shimmering BLUE GROTTO (weather permitting; otherwise visit VILLA SAN MICHELE in Anacapri) and up to pretty Capri village. Time to stroll about at your own pace before returning across the bay to Sorrento. The remainder of the day is free. Tonight an optional outing to a performance of the tarantella, a frenetic, local dance. (BB) |
Day 10 SORRENTO-TAORMINA AREA. Away
from the bustling industrial North and the opulent
rural scenes of Tuscany and the Campagna
Romana. Calabria is rustic simplicity. An area that
traditionally cannot feed all its children and thus
produces a steady stream of emigrants. At the toe
of the Italian boot board a ferry to cross the Straits
of Messina and land in Sicily, the great melting
pot of the Mediterranean world. Phoenicians'
Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Normans, the French,
and the Spanish have all left their mark and
contributed to a rich heritage. Evening arrival at
your hotel in the Taormina area. (BB,D)
Day 11 TAORMINA AREA. Full day to enjoy this beautiful resort at your own pace: you may want to visit the medieval castle of San Pancrazio, sign up for an optional excursion to Mount Etna, join your tour director for an included walk on Taormina's Corso to shop for hand embroidery and local goods, live it up in one of Europe's most popular beach resorts, take a dip, or simply relax. (BB,D) Day 12 TAORMINA AREA-AGRIGENTO. A day devoted to the scenic beauty and treasures of the island's heart. Via Catania motor to Enna, a strategic fortress-town perched high on a sheer rock. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view and bear about the rebellion of the Sicilian slaves against the Roman rulers of the city. Then continue to Piazza Amerina for a visit to the 4th-century ROMAN VILLA OF CASALE. Its colorful and perfectly preserved mosaics depict mythological themes and hunting scenes. From the wheat fields of the elevated center descend to the vineyards and olive groves of the south coast. (BB,D) Day 13 AGRIGENTO-PALERMO. Follow your local guide on a breathtaking walk through the VALLEY OF TEMPLES. Even travelers having visited Athens and Delphi are awed by the gigantic yet graceful Greek structures which miraculously survived 24 centuries of tormented history. An act hard to follow? Wait until you visit the Dorian Temples and Acropolis at SELINUNTE this afternoon. Built on a natural balcony overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean, these accomplishments of an ancient civilization will make you wonder about the quality of mankind's progress since the days of Greek splendor. Tonight you are in Palermo. (BB,D), Day 14 PALERMO-OVERNIGHT FERRY. Drive up to Monreale for a panoramic view of the Conca d'Oro, and a visit to the 12th-century NORMAN CATHEDRAL with its 50,000 square feet of precious Byzantine mosaics. Later travel the short distance to the picturesque fishing village of Mondello, and back to Palermo over scenic, history- steeped Monte Pellegrino. This afternoon's sightseeing with a resident expert includes ornate Piazza Bellim, the CATHEDRAL, and the Arab- Norman PALATINE CHAPEL in the Royal Palace. Tonight board your overnight ferry. (BB) Day 15 NAPLES-ROME. Disembark in Naples and head north. Interrupt the journey back to Rome in Cassino, site of one of World War Il's most ferocious battles. Visit the ABBEY OF MONTECASSINO, rebuilt to medieval plans after near total destruction by Allied bombers. An optional festive dinner at one of Rome's gourmet restaurants may be just the way to celebrate the success of your Italian vacation. (BB) Day 16 YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (BB)
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Fr. Phil Hoebing, OFM | hoebiph@quincy.edu
