I finished diplomatics today

In this Medieval Studies program, we have a different professor and a different subject every couple of weeks.  It works this way because the professors come in from all over the place for this program, and usually can't stay for longer than a week or two.  This week, our Diplomatics II professor flew in from Barcelona and had four days to complete the subject we had begun with two weeks of class with a Roman professor who hosted us at her university office one day, and at the National archives another day of her tenure over us.  Yesterday, our Barcelona diplomatics professor announced to us that we could not have our class as scheduled for today because RyanAir had changed his return flight, anticipating the scheduled departure by 2 1/2 hours.  That meant that whatever we did would have to be in the morning, so he could catch his plane.  We decided to go on a diplomatics tour of Rome from Termini to the Vatican.  So we met S. Maria degli Angeli this morning at 9:30, and spoke about the importance of time and calendars and knowing the date of Easter.  From there we walked past bookstalls and bookstores, government buildings, churches, presses, a book hospital (for rescuing damaged books), archives, a chancellery, a talking statue, the Roman Forum and ended up at Castel S. Angelo, facing St. Peter's from the other side of Via della Conciliazione.  As we walked past the Altare della Patria, I called out to an American acquaintance, F.,  who returns to the States tomorrow, having finished her year abroad.  After we finished our itinerary at Castel S. Angelo, some of us continued with the professor for lunch in the Borgo.  After that, I walked toward Porta S. Anna, to go to the Vatican Library to finish a project assigned for two of our earlier classes (codicology), involving professors from Toronto and Seville.  On my way, I called out to P., an American acquaintance who studies philosophy at the Angelicum and whom I had tried to reach about a week ago, but whom I hadn't been able to establish contact.  So I stopped and chatted with him a couple of minutes, and continued along to the Vatican.  Once through the Porta S. Anna, the security was more cautious than usual in checking my library card, and as one gendarme took my card to scan it, I saw Fr. W., an Australian acquaintance whom I haven't seen in too long, rush by, and when I got my card back I chased after him until he went inside a building near the library, and I just had time to greet him as he rushed to his meeting.  Once in the library, I actually did finally finish my project, and went downstairs to collect my things again from the locker room as the library prepared for closing.  When I heard the voices downstairs, I assumed they were there for one of the conferences they occasionally hold in the library after it closes, but as I descended the last few steps I heard a voice call out to me in greeting!  M., another American acquaintance, who has been studying philosophy at the Angelicum, but as "extra cursum" for the last few years (that is, not really coming in to the university, having fulfilled her course requirements but lacking certain requirements for graduation), and whom I haven't seen in a year or two, explained that she is indeed still in Rome working for the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, and was with a group for a tour of the Library and its environs.  As she went out with the tour leader, another member of the group, E., came up to greet me, from the former Soviet Georgia, and whom I haven't seen since the episcopal consecration of bishop Morerod in Switzerland some four or five years ago now.  Five acquaintances I've missed, whom I just happen to see!  But wait!  I continued to the locker room, collected my belongings, and left the library.  On my way out, at the last of the security checkpoints on the way in, I saw a Don A., an Italian priest at a nearby parish, to whom I've spoken a couple of times, the last of which I had said I was running home due to the illness of my mother.  He asked me how she was doing, and promised further prayers. 
So today, I finished my diplomatics class, my codicology project, and was able to randomly see and greet no fewer than six acquaintances. 
Gratiae ago ad quem totam providentiam rerum humanorum habet!