We could take a few pointers from our pious Italian brethren
Away from the summer heat and humidity of Rome and the Vatican, the pontifical palace at Castelgandolfo looks down on a volcanic lake and across at the forests and villages of the Roman countryside. You can also enjoy the view from the terraces of several local restaurants, where the reasonable price of the lunch makes you realise how much you are being ripped-off in Ireland.
You might envy the Pope his summer residence, but since the outset of John Paul II's pontificate, at least, the Pontifical Palace at Castelgandolfo has been a place of work as well as rest. The Pope famously used his summer breaks as occasions for "think-ins" with philosophers, scientists and artists of all creeds. Sunday mornings have been even more busy, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of pilgrims admitted to the palace courtyard for a short audience with the Pope, followed by the Angelus.
