ROME 24/3– Day 21: AO!

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

At 06:35 the sun lifted it’s blazing head over the Roman horizon… behind clouds.   It is supposed to clear up later in the day for the sunset at 19:48.

The Ave Maria is at 20:00.

Parish™ Façade Report.

This is getting exciting.   You can now see the inscriptions, including the plenary indulgence announcement over the doors.  I learned that the façade will be illuminated.  Ao!

Caption:  “AO!”

A visit to the Chiesa Nuova.

Last October it was full of scaffolding.

Look at that stupid monstrosity of an altar arrangement.  Happily, a few guys with pry bars and carts will be able to remove it swiftly when the day arrives.

A visit to St. Filippo Neri.

Then a visit to the chess guys at the P.za der Fico.

It’s a rough and ready crowd.  If you want to hear Romanaccio being spoken, this is your corner.

For your Roman lesson today, …

I introduce the readership to one of the marvels of Romanesco: ahó or simply ao.    You find ahò in other italians derived from something like a modo…. meh… who really knows?  It’s often used in greetings, like ciaò.  In Rome ao does that but about a million other things too.  It is used in countless contexts and, somehow, you know what it means.   It has a particular pronunciation in Rome as well and it is not to be trifled with.   Get not between a Roman and his ao.

Here’s an amusing illustrative video about the splendors of Roman ao.   If you know something about Italian, Roman in particular, and you have delicate sensibilities, you might be a little bruised by the end.  Romans are expressive in an impressively earthy elegance.

In chessy news, after the rest day, Candidates continued.  Pretty tense stuff.   Prag had Nepo on the ropes, but Nepo pulled out a draw with black.  The same Fabi with black against Vidit.  Meanwhile, Gukesh got a full point in a something 6 hour slug fest against lowest rated Abasov.  The real accomplishment was Hikaru’s, black, back and forth eventual defeat of Alirezja Firouzja, who made a single wrong move at the end and snatched defeat from the jaws perhaps of a draw which was already avoidable.   Hikaru’s defense was great and his opponent’s time struggle was decisive.  Therefore, Firouzja is exactly where he ought to be and stay: at the bottom of the field.  Hikaru, with a full point has his first win and moves up.  Nepo and Gukesh share the lead with 3.5/5.

Firouzja, ao! (= Ceterum censeo Firouzja delendum esse. )

I am now a chess.com affiliate.   So, click and join!   Maybe we can build a fun and active Catholic Chess Club within Chess.com.

Meanwhile, again… white to move and win.  From Emmanuel Lasker in 1917.  Gimme a winning position, not a mate, in 5.

1.Bd4 Bg3 2.Ba7 Bf4 3.Bb8 Be3 4.Bc7 Ba75.Bb6.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

After the rather heavy food over the last couple of days, yesterday, this was it.   Ao! (= Really good caprese)

This, my dear readers, is why I started the Black Vestment Project.  Thank you, btw, to the six chosen donors.

Ao! (= Look at this set.)  Two of the pieces match and there are holes worn into and through some parts.

Ao! (= this is too sad)

Anyway, the problem is now on the road to remedy!  Gammarelli has the order for 7 new black sets in wonderful fabric with gold trim.   We are doing them in the more Roman, Roman style, with straight stoles, higher cross on the maniple and no cross on the chalice veil.