LANE: It’s so amazing to be back. When I got off the plane, I kissed the tarmac.
LORELAI: Just like the Pope.
LANE: It was hot and I burned my lips.
RORY: Maybe that’s why the Pope always looks so grumpy.
Pope John Paul II, previously discussed, made a point of always kissing the ground when he arrived in a country as a sign of love and respect for the nation and its people.