Roma ~ quanto sei meraviglioso

 After mass, the long walk to San Giovani in Laterano.  This enormous basilica makes me quite emotional.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I had a touch of Stendhal Syndrome while looking up at the façade:

I had a lovely conversation with Sylvestro, the guy who has been working that souvenir shop forever... at least as long as I have been coming here.  He was giddy, telling me about the Jubilee year and that Pope Francis is going to open the enormous doors for the first time in a zillion years and when he does so, everyone's sins are going to be forgiven:

The church is so beautiful: mosaics, sculpture, paintings, inlaid marble..... the heads of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and items used in Christ's passion like part of the spear used to pierce his side.  

And then a walk through the cloister:

White marble, blue sky.  It's just Rome..................