Pilgrimage is defined as a purposeful, sacred journey to a holy place or shrine for religious devotion, spiritual renewal or deep reflection.

When the pastor at my church said a pilgrimage was being planned to Italy, I thought this just might be something for me. I have always considered myself a prayerful person. I am involved in various ministries in our parish. But, at this point on my life I am just looking for inner peace and purpose. Perhaps if I concentrated on this, I would find some answers through prayer.

We were a group of 37 which included our pastor. We started in Rome. At the airport we met our tour director, Ambra. She was about the size of a whisper but when she went into director mode she was a human tornado!! This was going to be a very exciting trip.

Our first stop was The Basilica of St Paul. That afternoon was our first mass of the trip celebrated by Father AJ. It was so beautiful!

After that, we checked in at our hotel, Hotel Michelangelo, which was located a couple of blocks from St Peter’s Square. Talk about location, location, location! That night after dinner a group of us walked over to see the Square all lit up. It was jaw-dropping!! I have been to St Peter’s Square on previous trips to Rome but somehow this seemed different to me. The photo on the left was the view from the front door of the hotel.

The next day we celebrated mass at 7:15 AM at the Cappella Polacca Chapel at St Peter’s Basilica. We walked to the Square and queued up for security. Before entering we saw the bronze statue by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. It is titled “Be Welcoming”. This is a perfect example of how everything is from your point of view. Looking from one side it looks like a pauper. From the other side, an angel. The inspiration for the artwork is Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.

We found our way with our guide to the chapel that was reserved for our mass. You know that expression that the journey can be just as interesting as the destination? Well, getting to our Chapel was quite the adventure. Each chapel along the way had masses either going on or getting ready for a group to arrive. When we got to our chapel you could hear voices through the vents of masses going on in a variety of languages. We heard one group softly singing in Spanish and we thought later that day that maybe we needed to “up” our game!!

After mass we got to take in the beautiful architecture and the statuary adorning St Peter’s Basilica. We saw St Peter’s tomb and The Pieta. Magnificent! On to the Vatican shop and the Vatican Museums.

For dinner several of us went to I Quattro Mori with our guide Ambra. We had a very entertaining waiter, a fabulous meal and incredible wine! Great choice!

Day 3, October 7th, we had an audience with Pope Leo XIV. Of course, the audience was shared with a few thousand others, but our guide knew what she was doing in getting us to St Peter’s Square before the day was fully awake and she knew exactly where to get our seats. I could have touched the Pope as he rode by! It was a very emotional experience for me, and I will never forget the feeling I had. I took photos as he approached but when he was right in front of me, I put the phone down so that I was present for that moment. I hope that he noticed my hat! St Peter The Apostle pilgrimage was acknowledged over the loudspeakers as part of the list of pilgrimages there that day.

After the audience we had a little time to ourselves before our afternoon at the basilica of St Mary Major. Here we saw incredible mosaics in the nave depicting scenes from the Old Testament and we would see the tomb of Pope Francis. Father AJ celebrated mass at the Basilica of St Mary Major. After that we visited the Archbasilica of St John Lateran. This Cathedral is known as the “Mater et Caput”, The mother and head of all churches in the world, as it officially became the seat of the Bishop of Rome upon the legalization of Christianity under the Emperor Constantine the Great.

Our day wrapped up with a group dinner at Fieramosca. It was a great way to say arrivederci Roma.

The next day we drove to Assisi. I had been to Assisi in 2002, and it looks EXACTLY the same. Sometimes that could bum you out if things have not changed in 24 years but in this case, I was so glad to feel that it looked the same!

Our first stop was to see the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. After that Father AJ celebrated mass at the Chapel 0f San Bonaventura in the Basilica of St Francis. St Francis has always been one of my favorite Saints. His Prayer for Peace makes me pause whenever I see, hear or think about it. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. Imagine if everyone in the world lived by these words?

I think this was my favorite mass on the trip so far.

After mass we went through the basilica of St Francis and saw his tomb. The stained glass and frescoes are so beautiful. These were done by some of the most important artists of the 13th and 14th centuries

I could not keep from looking at the sky. I don’t even know how many photos I took of the clouds! Looks liked Father AJ was checking out the clouds too!

This sky was such a gift. This was the sunset view from the terrace at the hotel. We had a delicious dinner at our hotel tonight, Hotel Giotto.

The next day we drove 2 hours to Montalcino. The ride was enjoyable because the sky continued to entertain me with all of the clouds! Montalcino is usually on the most beautiful towns in Tuscany list.

see the face in the clouds??

We started the day with a walking tour of the town and mass at the Church of Sant’ Egidio

Our afternoon was going to be spent at a vineyard for lunch and wine tasting. We enjoyed our tour, lunch and tasting at Podere Le Ripi. In addition to wine, they also farm honey. Have you ever had honey drizzled on Piccolino cheese? I never have and now I can’t think of anything else!!

After a wonderful day we boarded our bus to continue on to Florence.

We arrived in Florence in time to check into our hotel and go to dinner. Our hotel is The Teatro Luxury apartments. This place was gorgeous. My accommodations for the trip were as a single. My “room” here was a suite-bedroom, living room, dining area, kitchenette. I could have moved in!! The next morning Father AJ celebrated mass at the Franciscan Church of Sana Croce.

After mass and a stop at the Leather school we had lunch on the Piazza Santa Croce and shopped the Saturday market that local vendors set up on the piazza. One could either do more touring and go to the Accademia to see “David” or spend time on our own. My friend Connie and I had been to see David on previous trips to Florence so we opted to shop. I have some favorite places in Florence to shop so we went off on our own and walked all over. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio making stops along the way and found some “treasurers”! We went to Madova Gloves and to one of my favorite stores in the world, Angela Caputi for contemporary jewelry design. We made a gelato stop and a wine stop at Mangia Foco. We had a wonderful day. We walked back to our hotel. We got in quite a few steps today…we walked over 7 miles!! We met up with several others from our group for dinner and I had my favorite thing to eat in Florence, Ribollita!

(Look at my door blog for some beauties I photographed in Florence)

The next day we said goodbye to Firenze and headed to Bologna.

When we arrived, we took a walking tour of this beautiful city of porticoes. We headed to Basilica of St Dominic. This church was so beautiful!! We lucked out because when we got there, they were preparing for the Sunday high mass with the choir. Father AJ was going to join them in celebrating mass. This was such a wonderful experience because it was all in Italian and the choir, of course, was singing in Italian. Didn’t matter that it was in another language, the mass is the mass, and we gave our responses in English. An amazing aside was when it was Father AJ’s turn, he read it in Italian. We were all very impressed!!

After mass we walked around Bologna and found a place for lunch. I HAD TO HAVE Bolognese since I was in Bologna so that was what I ordered for lunch. And yes, Bolognese in Bologna is Delicious!

After lunch we went to the Fountain of Neptune and were entertained by tightrope walkers over the Piazza del Nettuno.

After enjoying the day, we left Bologna and headed to Mestre where we would spend the night because of the easier access to the airport in Venice. We had a really nice farewell dinner at the hotel. We lingered for drinks and spent time with friends we knew previously and new friends made on the trip.

It is hard to put into words what this trip meant to me. I felt so much more connected to my faith than I ever have. I wish that Tom was with me on this trip. But I think he was! There are always signs that I get from him…hearts in the cappuccino that lasted for the whole time I was drinking it, feathers on the ground. I hope that he enjoyed the trip as much as I did. I feel like I have found some inner peace and I will continue to find purpose in my life.

I hope that you have enjoyed traveling with me. Take a look at my Doors of Italy Blog!

It was a beautiful blue-sky September morn. September 11, 2001. As soon as I got to the office, however, the world was turned upside down. Someone had the radio on and got the news of the first hit (8:46). The thinking was Oh my God a plane got off course and crashed. Then shortly after that the second plane hit (9:03). Then the Pentagon (9:37). Then the field in Pennsylvania (10:03). The terrifying realization that our country had been attacked was overwhelming. Within 1 Hour and 17 minutes the world had changed. We all just wanted to get home, and the uncertainty of how we could do that was overwhelming. Phone service was on overload and cell networks collapsed. Bridges and tunnels were closed. So, getting to New Jersey was going to be challenging.

Two of my closest friends were out of town for business that day and I knew they were OK. My friend Julie worked a block away and we decided we would face this together.

The air was heavy with smoke and ash. That’s all you could smell. And the thought of what was burning would give people nightmares for years to come.

We decided to start walking to the Hudson River because ferry service was running non-stop for rescue downtown and to get people off of the island. Unfortunately, neither of us had taken the ferry in that morning so we had no car in Weehawken. We figured we would try to get someone to pick us up once we got there. I knew my neighbor Leo would come to get us if I could get in touch with him.

Fortunately, I had good walking shoes on. We got bottled water at the office and set off for the walk of about 2 miles. The city was unusually quiet. No cars were honking. The traffic lights were all out and regular people were taking turns directing traffic. Obviously, there were no police around to do this. People had to take on the responsibility of helping each other out. Bridges had been reopened for outgoing traffic only by afternoon. Tunnels remained closed except for emergency vehicles. It was inspiring to see how friendly everyone was to each other. Everyone was caring how each other was managing.

We made it to the Hudson along with 100’s and 100’s of other people all trying to get home. It was amazing how everyone was. It was as though we were all friends with a common goal. We queued up for the wait. Everyone had a shell-shocked look on their face. Some were covered in dust. There was a decontamination tent as well as medical assistance on the other side of the river. We were fortunate enough to literally bump into my friend’s cousin as we were waiting. She had driven to the ferry that morning so now we had a ride home. You could hear other people offering rides to total strangers. It was so overwhelming and to this day it brings tears to my eyes remembering how everyone was depending on the kindness of others.

That night after my family was satisfied that I was safe, my neighbors gathered for a glass (or 2) of wine. This feeling of kindness and caring carried over to our return to the office. I think most people took the next day off. No matter what happened to us, we all needed to resume our lives and not let evil take over. That’s what they wanted but there was no way New York would allow that to happen. For quite a stretch of time people were smiling at others as they walked by, and everyone was especially appreciative of our police and firemen. As the days passed there were music concerts and The Who belted out “we won’t get fooled again”. There were dedications at ball games honoring those who died and those who responded.

I was acquainted with three souls lost that day. One was a fireman, one was a broker, one was a priest. Father Mychal Judge from St Francis of Assisi on West 31st street was also part of my life. That was the church I went to on holy days of obligation (or when I needed it) when I worked midtown for many years. He was the Chaplain to the fireman, and he went to the towers to help and was the first identified person who lost their life that day. Every year when the names are read, I listen for theirs.

I wish that the feeling of “brotherly love” was still evident today. One should learn so much from all of this. United We Stand….

And to this day, 25 years later when I leave the house I always make sure my shoes can get me through several miles of walking, and I always have a small bottle of water and a granola bar in my bag. One just never knows…

This is how you do it!! Bloomingdale’s early fall merchandise looks fabulous! Everything is displayed well and the departments are cohesive. The items pulled out and highlighted on mannequins tell a story and pull you into that department. The colors are spot on. Shades of brown-chocolate, camel, toffee; spice colors- red chili, saffron; olive, indigo. There is plenty of denim and all of the leg styles of this year. There are plaids and fall florals. And lots of ways to do “column dressing” (top and bottom in the same color). All in all, there is lots of eye candy for my fashion friends to sink their teeth into and digest!! I look forward to seeing the ever-changing displays as the season unfolds.

Recently spent a couple of hours at the Costume Art exhibit at THE MET.

The Costume Institute’s 2026 exhibition “explores depictions of the dressed body across The Met’s vast collection, pairing garments with artworks to reveal the inherent relationship between clothing and the body”.

Wow… first thing I thought about when I entered the exhibit was how does one even go about putting this together?

The exhibit begins with the Inscribed Body, which centers on the epidermis. Next is The Anatomical Body. Then the Aging Body. “Clothing does not simply cover. It mediates identity and articulates hierarchies of class, gender, belief, belonging, and difference, shaping how bodies are perceived and understood. Fashion, in this broad cultural sense, extends beyond an ancillary role to become intrinsic to the very structure of The Met collection-a connective thread linking works across time and place.”

There is so much to unpack in this exhibit. I did love the way artwork was paired with fashions so that you could see where inspiration came from. The exhibit is so beautifully done that you don’t need to delve into all the connections between the body, art and fashion. As you walk the exhibit the themes fall into place for you and you can just drink in the beautiful and sometimes outrageous fashion statements being made.

Take a walk through my photos and if you feel inclined, the exhibit will be there through January 10, 2027.

End July til August 10th has always marked a fun time for pre-fall shopping at Nordstrom. I had anticipated that excitement that grabs me every year…but this year I was disappointed. There were no special events going on and that was always a big part of shopping the sale. But I certainly understand that the cost of these events must be huge and taking into account this economy and the increase in online shopping changes must be made. The big thing for me was that I did not feel that their presentation was intriguing.

I got to the store anxious to see what they were promoting. I wanted to know their point-of-view. I went from department to department and really could not figure out what their POV is. There was of course summer clearance but that didn’t look particularly inviting either. The mannequins did not say “you need to get this outfit”. My biggest take-away is if you want denim jeans this is the place to come. Denim is their statement. The price points on some of the items is insane. But, they have all of the styles in demand- barrel legs, wide legs, straight legs. The other major thing going on right now is column dressing. This can be either matching sets by solid color or print. They had a few, but not an impressive presentation.

I took a lot of photos so you can make your own decisions. I even went to the store twice to make sure that I didn’t miss anything.

Nordstrom is still my happy place, but my online stores have their selections beat right now.

I look forward to the season kicking in and hopefully that will mean some additional styles arriving. It would take a lot for me to give up on Nordstrom!!

Summertime and the living is…HOT!! This area sweated through over 100 degrees today!!

So, time to cool yourself off with thoughts of Fall.

The colors that Pantone reported for Fall/Winter 2026 for Fashion week in New York showed a palette that blended “heritage-inspired, earthy tones with expressive, vibrant hues”. Shown here are 10 standout colors and 5 core neutrals. These colors “create a dialogue between quiet simplicity and bold, modern energy, heavily influenced by the secondhand fashion market and vintage aesthetics.”

The first 10 colors are the Standout Colors, the last 5 are Trans-Seasonal Neutrals

All of the colors are very earthy and play well together. We’ll see how all of this blends together when Fall merchandise starts to arrive in the stores. I will keep you posted.

Since the summer solstice occurs today and Summer is officially here, I thought I’d show you what the stores looked like on a recent visit. I took a spin around and here is what I found. Lots of blue. Many floral prints, appliques, lots of embellishment. Ruffles, all over lace. Flowing wide leg pants are everywhere. Go out and take a look and see what you like! Do hurry up because fall will be on the floor before you know it!

Anthropology

Nordstroms

Neiman Marcus

Bloomingdale’s

Anyone who has been reading my blogs and looking at my photos knows that I have a tremendous interest in doors. It is so interesting to see doors in different countries and see how they are maintained. In some cases, they are not which is testament to the craftmanship and quality of the original door. I like seeing doors that are painted to make the entry festive, and I also like to see doors that look like they went up at the same time as the structure. There were many doors and windows that had murals painted on them. I had never seen that before this trip. On this trip I was also fascinated with shutters. I found it interesting how some structures had full shutters for window openings and others maybe only had one or two shutters. I really liked seeing shutters that were actually doors leading out to a balcony. I found myself speculating on what was behind the shutters. I do this often when I see an open or partially open door. I feel like it is an invitation to enter or create a narrative for the home or building and the people in it. My imagination takes over!

Aix-en-Provence

ARLES

AVIGNON

VIVIERS

LYON

BEAUJEU and BLACE

I love the last shot. Makes me feel like van Gogh with the irises!!

That wraps up my own “Tour de France”. I hope that the blogs I wrote for this trip make you want to pack a bag and go!!

No matter where I go, I am always conscious of who’s-wearing-what and I love to check out what’s in the shops and stores. I like to know what an area is known for and I love to see things that are made in that area. I always check that out before I go. You can even find information on what-to-buy (I don t need help with that).

Here are some shots of people on the street in Aix-en-Provence.

Lyon

Three great shops to go to- Stella Stellina Lyon, Handcrafted jewelry and art gallery; Bouchier Soieries, Lyon, beautiful silk prints and Aix & Co- a concept store with all artists creations in Aix-en-Provence. I left some Euros in each shop!

ALWAYS fun shopping!!

Did you ever arrive at a destination and say to yourself-I’m going to like it here? This is how I felt about Lyon. I had never been here but when I started touring, I felt a sense of familiarity…was it because it reminded me of Paris? I felt so connected!

Lyon straddles the Rhone and Saone Rivers. After Paris, Lyon is considered “the country’s most significant cultural center”. The city scape! The rich architecture! The tree-lined boulevards! The cobblestone streets in Old Lyon! The unique passageways through buildings that connect adjacent streets! The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere! And the SHOPS!!!!!

We toured the Basilica and then Old Lyon where I did some really good shopping. Lyon is known for silk printing and I brought two beautiful scarfs home with me as well as a statement necklace made by a Lyon artist. I returned to our bus to go back to the ship to recharge before more shopping in the afternoon. I walked by a man sitting with his wife and he looked at me and said “you are glowing”-I was so stunned…I told him that that was exactly what my husband used to say when I was having a really good shop (often at Nordstroms). I felt like somehow Tom was along for the ride with me on this trip and that made me feel happy. Between that and the beautiful clouds in the Lyon sky I really felt Tom’s presence. That afternoon two new friends and I walked back across the river to explore another neighborhood and see more shops. (I will also have a blog on street fashion for this trip)

The second day in Lyon was spent in Beaujolais Wine Country. The winery was beautiful and a great contrast to being in the city. The winery was owned by a woman named Isabella Brossard who was the first woman to buy the property for and operate a winery. She had been a city planner in Paris so this was quite a change. She started organic wine making and has been successful. On the way to the winery, we stopped in the small town of St Nicolas De Beaujeu. Excellent day! The wines were fabulous!

St Nicolas De Beaujeu

An angel in the clouds!

I hope that you have enjoyed traveling with me. It was a great trip that took me to really beautiful places. The hotel in Aix-en-Provence was The Grand Hotel Roi Rene. I would recommend it to anyone traveling there. The Viking ship I was on was the Hermod. The accommodations were fine. My friend and I each had our own cabin. Unfortunately, Viking does not give much consideration to solo travelers. One has to pay just about double the rate for one person based on double accommodations pricing. The service on the cruise was really great. The servers and housekeeping couldn’t do enough for you! The entire staff had very positive attitudes. The excursions were well planned and very interesting. The wines were sensational…but the food left a lot to be desired. All in all, the experience with Viking was positive. River cruises do get you where you want to go but I think I prefer ocean cruising.

A lot of ground was covered on this trip. I recorded my steps each day and by the end of the trip I had walked 40+ miles. So grateful to have eyes to see all of this and legs that could keep me going!