ROME 25/10 – Day 19: Yum

7:22 saw the sun rise here in Rome.

18:29 will see the sunset.

18:45 won’t hear the Ave Maria Bell that is supposed to ring.

It is the 289th day of the civil year. There are 77 days left.

Advent, with a new liturgical year, begins in 45 days.

Before anything else, I’ll alert you to the audio of a  spiritual conference by a friend of mine. “Saint Teresa of Avila’s
Nine Stages of Prayer” It is by Fr. Cliff Ermatinger.  HERE 

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.

This box of onions gives me great pleasure.  I’m a simple guy.

I got flowers yesterday from Pippo at the Campo de’ Fiori.  There always plenty to do there and they have abundant help.

While at the Campo, I got some pizza bianca and mortadella with black truffle.

I know you have been on pins and needles.

At the 2025 U.S. Chess Championship on going in St. Louis the unlikeable Hans Niemann won a dramatic game against Sam Shankland in round four. He joins Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian in second place on 2.5/4, half a point behind leader Wesley So. Niemann’s was the only win before the rest day, after Awonder Liang and Grigoriy Oparin missed clear chances against Andy Woodward and Ray Robson respectively.

Black to move and mate in 4.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE