There is a statue of a honey cat in Padova, the city we visited today

Last notte Gene found another praying mantis.  I interrupted Signor Insetto's prayer to take this picture:

A pious little buggy-wuggy.

We had panettone for dolci. 

 It was fine but not great.  It was too bready for cake and too cakey for bread.  Maybe I'm not cultured enough to enjoy it like my grandmother Patsy does.

She is cultured like a fine cheese.


Today Gene and Patsy and Bob and I went to Padova.  Padova is famoso for being the home of Sant'Antonio, who is the saint to go to for things you've lost. I visited Padova briefly the Saturday after sono arrivata in Italia.  Today we went to the Basilica di Sant'Antonio.  Naturalmente cameras were vietate there, so I only have foto of the outside.

It is a gigantic church, containing loads of marmo (marble) and gold detail.  There are setti (7) duomi (domes) that when viewed from above form a Latin croce (cross whose vertical portion is longer than the horizontal one).  The inside is overwhelmingly ornate and elaborate, and much of the ceiling is given over to a velvety blue sky with stelle d'oro (gold stars).  Saint Anthony is interred inside, and his lingua (tongue) and apparato vocale (vocal cords? voice box?) are in their respective reliquaries, as are a number of his other earthly effects.

I'm glad I went, but relics aren't really my thing.  However, Saint Anthony's relics seem to be the thing for many, many people, particularly gli anziani (the elderly), who flock to the church like so many piccioni (pigeons) to Piazza San Marco. Sant'Antonio is a big deal. Here are some pictures of the outside of the basilica.

This is the statue outside the basilica.  It is a horse-mounted depiction of a soldier named Gattamelata, which means "Honey Cat":

"Meow!"

Some of us (not me) had cappuccini at Caffe' Pedrocchio.

This big kitty was outside:

Its resemblance to Phantom was striking:

Gene bought these dried ciliegie (cherries).  They were deliciose. 

More foto di Padova:

That's all for oggi (today)!  Ciao tutti!