What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Here I learn over at Dappled Things about Black Saturns...

According to a new theory, any black hole that pops out of the Large Hadron Collider under construction in Switzerland might be surrounded by a black ring – forming a microscopic "black Saturn".

I like my versions better.



 

Someone gave me wondrous Oolong from Taiwan.

A superb way to restart an afternoon.

For a friend who is not here…

I went up the Caelian Hill yesterday with a friend for to visit the round basilica of Santo Stefano Rotondo.  I had not been in the building for some years and it was closed for restorations for quite a while.  It recently reopened after extensive work on the pavement and other restorations. 

The basilica was consecrated in the 5th c. and was once much larger than it is today: there were once three sets of concentric rings, while now there are two.  All around the walls of the basilica are 16th c. paintings of rather gruesome martyrdoms.

Here are a few shots of the place.

And interesting fact I learned from the blogosphere’s "Zadok", whom I met by chance, is that the tomb of the son of King Brian Boru (+1014) of Ireland is in the basilica.  Brian Boru’s March is one of a famous pieces of Irish music everyone should know.

The elegantly carved inscription says that he gave his crown to the Pope.

Another inscription in the basilica indicates that St. Gregory the Great delivered one of his sermons on the Gospel of Matthew here.  I will get to that story soon.

Sometimes I will eschew supper here at the Domus in order to chew some slices of good things Italy has to offer.  For example, the other day a friend and I got some wonderful paper thin slices of San Daniele prosciutto, milanese, some gogonzola piccante, olives, and a ball of fresh mozzarella di bufala. 

You haven’t lived until you have had fresh mozzarella di bufala. 

This all had to be washed down with something, of course. 
To that noble end, we had a wine I had never tried before with the auspicious name Cappello di Prete.  This is from Puglia (the heal of the boot) and is of the varietal negroamaro.  It was a perfect match.

Of course, you might also know the cappello di prete as the venerable saturno or the tricorno as the priest’s biretta is often called.

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