Pope Starts Second Vacation

A tanned Pope John Paul II wrapped up one vacation Saturday and headed off for a second one.

The pontiff flew back to Rome from an Alpine region near the French border, where he spent 10 days taking drives in the mountains and catching up on reading.

On past vacations in the Alps, the pope went on long hikes. Slowed by infirmity, the 77-year-old pontiff was chauffeured around this time.

After arriving back in the Italian capital, John Paul headed straight for his summer residence, the palace at Castelgandolfo southeast of Rome. He will spend much of the rest of the summer there.

On Aug. 21, John Paul is to start a four-day trip to Paris for the Catholic Church’s celebration of World Youth Day.