A Day in St. Louis

As my time in Missouri came to a close, the Saffa family and I spent a day in St. Louis.  It was my last opportunity to see some of the key sights and buildings which make St. Louis unique.  Of course, visiting the Arch was a must :)  We also visited the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis, one of the largest and most impressive cathedrals in the country. Lastly, we made a stop at a historic frozen custard shop.  Here are the pictures from our adventures!

Isabella & Gracie Lee Saffa

Peter Saffa

 Our first stop was at the Cathedral Basilica.  It used to be called the Cathedral of St. Louis but in January of 1999, Pope John Paul II came and visited the Cathedral.  After his "pastoral visit" the Cathedral was granted the privilege of being ranked as a basilica.

The Basilica

A gentleman escorting his mother

Monument to the Pope

Impressive architecture

"Basilica, as a term used by canon lawyers and liturgists, is a title assigned by formal concession or immemorial custom to certain more important churches, in virtue of which they enjoy privileges of an honorific character which are not always very clearly defined." - The Catholic Encyclopedia

The Latin underneath the coat of arms reads: "Through Jesus Christ"

If you look at the coat of arms over the main doors, you will see the shield with the "keys of the kingdom" crossed behind it.  The umbrella that you see above the keys is: "The conopaeum is a sort of umbrella, which together with the bell is carried processionally at the head of the clergy on state occasions." - The Catholic Encyclopedia.  Only Basilicas are granted the conopaeum.

This Cathedral is renowned for the intricate and ornate mosaics which cover the ceiling, walls, and floors

Mosaic of Cardinal Ritter, who lived in St. Louis

Looking towards the front of the church from the back pew

An altar in an alcove for private masses

The Papal banner which was carried during Pope John Paul's visit in 1999

King Louis, the namesake of the city

The ceiling mosaics

The Cardinal's chair

Massive...

The Saffa family

 After our time at the Basilica, the Saffa's and I went to a local burger joint, called "Steak n' Shake".  This was the first restaurant I had eaten at when the pastoral internship had started eight months ago.

Lunch!

Delicious!

Even though I had been living in Missouri for eight months, I had never made a trip to the Arch.  I was determined not to leave the city without making a stop to examine this iconic structure.

The waterfront

Just hold still!

Fellow photographer, Isabella Saffa

The pod

 This pod is the exact size and shape of the pods which carry passengers all the way to the top of the Arch.

Monument to success

Underneath the Arch, the federal government has set up a museum to the westward expansion of the United States.

Indian Chieftan Red Cloud

A hard life

Stagecoach, the traveling machine of the day

The Texas Longhorn

A Yankee

Haggis?

 This description of "boudin blanc" by Meriwether Lewis seemed to be a French-Canadian version of the Scottish haggis.  Even if there is no connection, they both sound disgusting!

An insightful quote made back in 1907

Our ride to the top!

Cramped quarters :)

At the top of the Arch, St. Louis lays spread out before you.  The scene is quite breath-taking on a clear and sunny day!

Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals

A long way down...

Having concluded our trip to the Arch, we made a quick stop at the St. Louis Zoo to ride the train around the circuit of the zoo grounds.

After a long but very satisfying day of sightseeing, we made a final stop at the famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.  On most evenings, this little custard shop is jammed packed with lines crawling all across the nearby streets and sidewalks.  St. Louis loves it's custard!

In case you missed it :)

Oreo custard

Late that evening, the Saffa family and I arrived home.  We had a wonderful time together, as I bid St. Louis farewell.  The very next morning I would be heading out West myself, driving across Kansas to rejoin my family in Colorado.