snapshots on the journey4...

after the rolling hills of le marche & the mountains of cascia, we were beach-bound for nettuno. while we were laying the groundwork for this journey, Baby Girl requested a visit to this town by the sea in order that she might visit the santuario di nettuno where Saint Maria Goretti (her Confirmation saint) is buried...we arrived mid afternoon, in time to visit this rather modern church & attend Mass. what an awesome sight it was to walk out the church's doors & be greeted by a very tempestous mediterranean sea!!...we could not resist an evening beach walk nor the glorious moonrise over the sea...though our time there was short, it was quite an occasion...Baby Girl & Big Bro celebrated their birthdays (21 & 17 respectively)...& we marked the occasion of D-Day with a visit to the American Cemetery...it was a very humbling experience to realize how many gave their lives to defend the lives of others. & it was also an occasion for D. & i to remember family members' stories about WWII, passing the memories of these noble deeds along to yet another generation...imagine our surprise, when searching the list of servicemen & women who are buried their, we found one with our last name (not a very common name either)...this moment on our journey was a quiet contrast to the busy days ahead in roma~~ one day & one night out of 5 weeks, but one that made a lasting impression.

nettuno, italia, guigno 2009