This morning we arrived in Genova from Milano in an hour and a half. Pleasant, and we shared a train compartment with a cat in his traveling box. Probably a Turkish Angora and he appeared sedated. Hence a happier traveler.
Today we didn't have time for much. And museums, etc, are closed on Monday in Italy. But we took the bus down to see the oldest working lighthouse on the Mediterranean (and maybe the world, who knows? we couldn't go into the museum). Then we went to the Aquarium which I would say rivals Chicago's Shedd for variety of fish, display, size and concern for the well-being of the fish. Bell even patted a manta ray.
This is a quickie, just to let you know that we are on the home stretch. Tomorrow we return to Rome and hopefully will wrap up a few things we didn't do on our first few days. Please pray about the hotel situation. The hotel saved April 3-6 for us and we needed April 2-5. Now it appears that there is no problem dropping the 6th, but they are booked for the 5th. Since I have another room arranged for the 1st, hopefully I can keep it an extra night. Thanks for your prayers for this.
We are all a bit tired and looking forward to some African warmth. But it has been a powerful learning experience and I'm thrilled to say that Luke and Bell have performed admirably. Taking responsiibility and making decisions is all part of this process and they are getting the idea that sometimes it isn't easy to decide what to do or where to go. I trust this will be a good starting point for more growth.
Ciao.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Milano, modern city
Yesterday we bid Venezia farewell and enjoyed a three hour train ride to Milano. Trenitalia is efficient and convenient. We arrived at the station an hour early, just to sit around and drink coffee, but discovered we could get on an earlier train!
Milan is the industrial, fashion, and economic heartbeat of Italy. The streets are broad, trams, buses and the underground are all in full force. We walked a bit yesterday to get a feel of the place. It would be hard to tell Milan from another European metropolis. People still speak Italian and pizza is still available on nearly every street. It is just bigger, noisier and more crowded. There are many more teens here. They congregate in large groups, with apparently little to do or see-except each other. They look very hip, punk, modern, whatever. Spikey variegated hair is normal. Clothing is just to draw attention, not to provide cover or warmth. At first the bizarre flair made me smile, then I noticed their faces. These young, pierced people are not happy. Not happy a bit. In fact, they seem desperate and bleak. The word "triste" fits: Italian, French and Portuguese, it means SAD. My heart breaks for them.
We won't be able to see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper because we didn't reserve space last week. However, we walked to the Cenacolo where he painted it and enjoyed the church and cloister there. The actual painting is in the museum next door. We have seen many replicas, faithful ones, and we will enjoy what we can see and do here.
The Duomo (basilica) here is awesome. Finally, a legitimate chance to use the word. This church has more spires than you can imagine. It seems that every available piece is reaching up to the sky. The architects just went wild. This morning we went inside to see it. We were blessed by hearing the choir which was singing for the morning service. The stained glass windows were the best we have seen yet, easy to decipher and visualize. The medievals had a mindset that soared to God. Perhaps He was not as personal and immediate to them, but they realized the aspect of greatness and omnipotence that sometimes gets diminished in our modern techno-terms.
Here is our first stay in hotels. Up til now we have been in apartments rented for a week or several nights. So, we are in Holiday Inn, but it doesn't feel American.
Oh, we went to the All Saints Anglican Church in town. Again, a blessing to worship and pray with people who understand us!
Tomorrow we head a short way to Genova (Genoa) to see the Mediterranean's oldest lighthouse, among other marvels.
ciao
Milan is the industrial, fashion, and economic heartbeat of Italy. The streets are broad, trams, buses and the underground are all in full force. We walked a bit yesterday to get a feel of the place. It would be hard to tell Milan from another European metropolis. People still speak Italian and pizza is still available on nearly every street. It is just bigger, noisier and more crowded. There are many more teens here. They congregate in large groups, with apparently little to do or see-except each other. They look very hip, punk, modern, whatever. Spikey variegated hair is normal. Clothing is just to draw attention, not to provide cover or warmth. At first the bizarre flair made me smile, then I noticed their faces. These young, pierced people are not happy. Not happy a bit. In fact, they seem desperate and bleak. The word "triste" fits: Italian, French and Portuguese, it means SAD. My heart breaks for them.
We won't be able to see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper because we didn't reserve space last week. However, we walked to the Cenacolo where he painted it and enjoyed the church and cloister there. The actual painting is in the museum next door. We have seen many replicas, faithful ones, and we will enjoy what we can see and do here.
The Duomo (basilica) here is awesome. Finally, a legitimate chance to use the word. This church has more spires than you can imagine. It seems that every available piece is reaching up to the sky. The architects just went wild. This morning we went inside to see it. We were blessed by hearing the choir which was singing for the morning service. The stained glass windows were the best we have seen yet, easy to decipher and visualize. The medievals had a mindset that soared to God. Perhaps He was not as personal and immediate to them, but they realized the aspect of greatness and omnipotence that sometimes gets diminished in our modern techno-terms.
Here is our first stay in hotels. Up til now we have been in apartments rented for a week or several nights. So, we are in Holiday Inn, but it doesn't feel American.
Oh, we went to the All Saints Anglican Church in town. Again, a blessing to worship and pray with people who understand us!
Tomorrow we head a short way to Genova (Genoa) to see the Mediterranean's oldest lighthouse, among other marvels.
ciao
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Venezia, city built on a lagoon
Much delayed post for many reasons. There are very few internet spots in Venice. They cost the earth, who knows why? Four times the price in the other cities.
Venice: amazing labyrinthe of sidewalks, bridges, canals and tall irregular buildings. To leave the flat without a map is suicide. Places keep seeming like you have been there: the pastry places and butchers all arrange their windows similarly.
I must leave thoughts of Venice to later. We have other, more pressing thoughts. We are only three traveling now: Luke, Bell and me. On Saturday Jess took sick and on Sunday Cheryl thought it would be better to return to the US with her directly from Milan. You can imagine what a shock this is: to have been a group of five wandering around Italy down to just our little family. It has been a wrench and we are saddened. We appreciate your prayers for adjusting to the change in dynamics. We are also praying for Jess' health. (Cheryl was not interested in experimenting with Italian hospitals--understandably.)
So, back to the present: you would have to see our little attic apartment here to believe it. It is at the top of what looks like a derelict, cracking building. Don't be alarmed, most of the buildings here are cracked. The floors slope towards the center of the building. The doorposts skim Luke's hair. The furniture reminds us of Resthaven conference days (sorry, only the Zim friends will understand that reference.)
To ascend to our little apartment, you can either climb 3 sets of stairs at different angles to each other in the building, or you can take a cute little octagonal elevator (limit 3 persons)which has a door opening on one side to enter and exiting at 90 degrees. If you have suitcases on the floor, you have to be creative.
Venice, though cold, has been fantastic. We took a ferry down the grand canal to see all the wondrous buildings on either side. At St Mark's square, Bell fed the pigeons. We three went into the basilica. Luke and I saw the treasury which also had some reliquaries where we saw some saints' fingers, teeth, and other biological bits. The Quadriga is the museum with the 4 gilded horses which stand over the main entrance. (Repilcas are there now, the originals are inside due to pollution.) Amazing things in this place: one entire wall is a mosaic of Mary's family tree. The floors are very uneven, although marble, a reminder that all is built on pylons.
When we entered the basilica, the floor was dry, but before we left, water had seeped in up to three inches in places.
Today we went to Padua (Padova), but I will share about that in a later blog. This is getting long.
Thanks for praying.
Venice: amazing labyrinthe of sidewalks, bridges, canals and tall irregular buildings. To leave the flat without a map is suicide. Places keep seeming like you have been there: the pastry places and butchers all arrange their windows similarly.
I must leave thoughts of Venice to later. We have other, more pressing thoughts. We are only three traveling now: Luke, Bell and me. On Saturday Jess took sick and on Sunday Cheryl thought it would be better to return to the US with her directly from Milan. You can imagine what a shock this is: to have been a group of five wandering around Italy down to just our little family. It has been a wrench and we are saddened. We appreciate your prayers for adjusting to the change in dynamics. We are also praying for Jess' health. (Cheryl was not interested in experimenting with Italian hospitals--understandably.)
So, back to the present: you would have to see our little attic apartment here to believe it. It is at the top of what looks like a derelict, cracking building. Don't be alarmed, most of the buildings here are cracked. The floors slope towards the center of the building. The doorposts skim Luke's hair. The furniture reminds us of Resthaven conference days (sorry, only the Zim friends will understand that reference.)
To ascend to our little apartment, you can either climb 3 sets of stairs at different angles to each other in the building, or you can take a cute little octagonal elevator (limit 3 persons)which has a door opening on one side to enter and exiting at 90 degrees. If you have suitcases on the floor, you have to be creative.
Venice, though cold, has been fantastic. We took a ferry down the grand canal to see all the wondrous buildings on either side. At St Mark's square, Bell fed the pigeons. We three went into the basilica. Luke and I saw the treasury which also had some reliquaries where we saw some saints' fingers, teeth, and other biological bits. The Quadriga is the museum with the 4 gilded horses which stand over the main entrance. (Repilcas are there now, the originals are inside due to pollution.) Amazing things in this place: one entire wall is a mosaic of Mary's family tree. The floors are very uneven, although marble, a reminder that all is built on pylons.
When we entered the basilica, the floor was dry, but before we left, water had seeped in up to three inches in places.
Today we went to Padua (Padova), but I will share about that in a later blog. This is getting long.
Thanks for praying.
Monday, March 24, 2008
last day in Firenze
It is raining cats and dogs here. Firenze is such an animal-loving city that it is entirely appropriate. We have seen so many dogs in raincoats, sweaters, and galoshes that you would agree. Africans would be amazed: clothes on dogs. Wow. We even see many ceramic cats in the shops, all clothed, of course.
The rain kept us from heading off to Assisi, but that may be just as well. (Save Assisi for another trip?) Isabel is already planning places she wants to see on her next visit to Italy that we just don't have time for this round. We are washing clothes, finding that our bags need to expand with a few of the purchases we have made. No problem, the bags weren't bulging to begin with. And we need to get organized for Venice, the city built in a lagoon with canals for streets. Gondola ride anyone?
Thoughts on leaving Firenze: I'm going to miss the huge flagstones in the streets, but not the narrowness. I'll miss the soaring buildings and just chancing upon yet another church. I have no idea if anyone has tried counting all the churches in this place, but I haven't seen a stat on it. (I could make one up!) I will miss the river Arno and the frequent bridges which make it so appealing: it is never an obstacle to cross, it is an event. Wish I could just show you Ponte Vecchio. Hopefully when we get home I can post photos a few days and let you see some of the best sights.
Wherever you go, as you get used to the twists and turns, feel that a place is familiar, an attachment begins to grow. That has definitely happened here. We have heard that Florence has pollution issues in the summer. That is believable: even at this time of year I feel it in my lungs.
Thanks for keeping track of us. You will hear from us next in Venice. Tomorrow we take the EuroStar and it will only be a few hours to arrival time.
Ciao.
The rain kept us from heading off to Assisi, but that may be just as well. (Save Assisi for another trip?) Isabel is already planning places she wants to see on her next visit to Italy that we just don't have time for this round. We are washing clothes, finding that our bags need to expand with a few of the purchases we have made. No problem, the bags weren't bulging to begin with. And we need to get organized for Venice, the city built in a lagoon with canals for streets. Gondola ride anyone?
Thoughts on leaving Firenze: I'm going to miss the huge flagstones in the streets, but not the narrowness. I'll miss the soaring buildings and just chancing upon yet another church. I have no idea if anyone has tried counting all the churches in this place, but I haven't seen a stat on it. (I could make one up!) I will miss the river Arno and the frequent bridges which make it so appealing: it is never an obstacle to cross, it is an event. Wish I could just show you Ponte Vecchio. Hopefully when we get home I can post photos a few days and let you see some of the best sights.
Wherever you go, as you get used to the twists and turns, feel that a place is familiar, an attachment begins to grow. That has definitely happened here. We have heard that Florence has pollution issues in the summer. That is believable: even at this time of year I feel it in my lungs.
Thanks for keeping track of us. You will hear from us next in Venice. Tomorrow we take the EuroStar and it will only be a few hours to arrival time.
Ciao.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Buona Pasqua
Blessed Easter to anyone still catching the blog. Sorry my posts have been so long, but we are learning and doing quite a bit and not able to write each day. What a surprise to find our friendly Beatles-loving internet manager open this afternoon.
It is a rainy and freezing cold day to celebrate The Resurrection, but the hearts were warm in St Mark's, reputed to be one of Florence's most beautiful churches inside, and we have to agree. The bishop who celebrated last night and this morning (there were several confirmations last night, what a privilege to join in the affirmation of our faith with them) spoke both times in different ways on the absolute necessity of the Resurrection being our foundation. How wonderful to hear it spoken strongly from the pulpit, forcefully speaking out against those who would like to explain away the turning point in history.
We have short memories, we humans. We have short lives. But we have the privilege of passing on the Truth and wisdom that we have gained from others who have gone before. Many faithful footsteps lead the way for us. I am seeing them in a new light. How easy it is for any generation to find fault with the way the earlier generations did things. (This is especially common in missions.) But they are our heritage.
Well, tomorrow it would be lovely to go to Assisi, but much depends on the weather. We with African blood can only take so much cold despite the many layers we wear.
May the blessings of the Lord's resurrection startle you anew this week.
much love and thanks for your greatly needed prayers
It is a rainy and freezing cold day to celebrate The Resurrection, but the hearts were warm in St Mark's, reputed to be one of Florence's most beautiful churches inside, and we have to agree. The bishop who celebrated last night and this morning (there were several confirmations last night, what a privilege to join in the affirmation of our faith with them) spoke both times in different ways on the absolute necessity of the Resurrection being our foundation. How wonderful to hear it spoken strongly from the pulpit, forcefully speaking out against those who would like to explain away the turning point in history.
We have short memories, we humans. We have short lives. But we have the privilege of passing on the Truth and wisdom that we have gained from others who have gone before. Many faithful footsteps lead the way for us. I am seeing them in a new light. How easy it is for any generation to find fault with the way the earlier generations did things. (This is especially common in missions.) But they are our heritage.
Well, tomorrow it would be lovely to go to Assisi, but much depends on the weather. We with African blood can only take so much cold despite the many layers we wear.
May the blessings of the Lord's resurrection startle you anew this week.
much love and thanks for your greatly needed prayers
Saturday, March 22, 2008
day before Easter
Saturday, tomorrow is the most important festival in the Church year besides Christmas. Without either one, we would be people of no hope.
Today I read: According to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13
Helps me get it into perspective. Today Bell and I found two more marvelous churches on a mountain-hill here on the southern bank of the Arno. They are a stone's throw from each other. One is shiney, green and white marble with gold mosaic above the main entrance. The other was that lovely sand colored cement and simple, but still huge. We are quite used to feeling dwarfed when we go into a church anymore. The pillars going up the nave seem to disappear into the dimness of the roof. Then sometimes we see hints of fantastic paintings up there, sometimes it is just too dark. Then along either side, we stop and contemplate the paintings in the various chapels. Paintings reminding us of Christ's life and work as well as some incredible saintly people who paid a very high price for their faith. Just a few candles and the long, thin windows let in light.
Every church is a new experience and I feel the dedication of those who worked so hard to leave a reminder this massive and vivid. The Kingdom, over time, is an immense whole that it hard to contemplate when you are limited by finity.
Then the verse just popped out at me. I've been reading 2 Peter quite a bit lately, it is the book the Quelimane Thursday group is studying while we are on this trip.
We are waiting for new heavens (plural) and a new earth. Imagine what they must be like. These immense, soaring cathedrals and monuments to Christ and the change He brings to a life, they will all be gone in a flash. They will be burned to nothing.
It would make me sad except for the great promise that the new heavens and new earth will be where RIGHTEOUSNESS dwell. Something to give you pause.
May this be a most blessed Easter for you and yours.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
Today I read: According to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13
Helps me get it into perspective. Today Bell and I found two more marvelous churches on a mountain-hill here on the southern bank of the Arno. They are a stone's throw from each other. One is shiney, green and white marble with gold mosaic above the main entrance. The other was that lovely sand colored cement and simple, but still huge. We are quite used to feeling dwarfed when we go into a church anymore. The pillars going up the nave seem to disappear into the dimness of the roof. Then sometimes we see hints of fantastic paintings up there, sometimes it is just too dark. Then along either side, we stop and contemplate the paintings in the various chapels. Paintings reminding us of Christ's life and work as well as some incredible saintly people who paid a very high price for their faith. Just a few candles and the long, thin windows let in light.
Every church is a new experience and I feel the dedication of those who worked so hard to leave a reminder this massive and vivid. The Kingdom, over time, is an immense whole that it hard to contemplate when you are limited by finity.
Then the verse just popped out at me. I've been reading 2 Peter quite a bit lately, it is the book the Quelimane Thursday group is studying while we are on this trip.
We are waiting for new heavens (plural) and a new earth. Imagine what they must be like. These immense, soaring cathedrals and monuments to Christ and the change He brings to a life, they will all be gone in a flash. They will be burned to nothing.
It would make me sad except for the great promise that the new heavens and new earth will be where RIGHTEOUSNESS dwell. Something to give you pause.
May this be a most blessed Easter for you and yours.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Savonarola's cell in San Marco
Today we had the most intriguing "museum" visit so far. Most museums are old palaces, fortresses, villas, or town halls. Today we visited the church and monastery of San Marco, within walking distance of our apartment.
This marvelous monastery and cloister was home to Fra Angelico (one of our personal favorites), Fra Bartolomeu and the controversial Savonarola. The ground floor is the hospice (visitors' quarters), refectory (dining room), chapels and rooms for monkish type work: illuminating manuscripts--of which we saw quite a few--teaching, disputing, and disciplining.
It is a Dominican monastery, so Dominic was in 90% of the paintings, signified by a little red cross above his head. Peter the Martyr, not to be confused with St Peter, was also in many pictures with his head bloody (but unbowed). Apparently he was martyred by a serious knife hack from the back. The ground floor had excellent frescoes and in rather good condition, but the best was upstairs in the cells of the monks. Each cell had a painting for the monk to contemplate. Each picture was a part of the life of Christ. In the novice wing the pictures were simple story telling. As the seniority of the monks increased, the symbolism and complexity of the pictures increased as well. Fascinating progression.
Just before we started the cell progression, we saw an annuciation which had natural light coming in from a nearby window. Fra Angelico had put glitter in his paint, so when you rock back and forth in front of the picture you see little sparkles in his wings. His name, by the way, comes from his angelic representations of people: they are all pretty, with nicely combed hair, clean clothes and beatific faces. Even Judas looks like a nice guy but with a dark halo. And Peter the martyr always had the blood flowing tidily from the gash in his head.
Savonarola, the alleged arch-enemy of the renaissance, in the name of turning people back to a true faith in God, attempted to clean up the gambling, prostitution and other blatant sin which made Florence a hotbed. He was ardently followed by many people who wanted reform, but as a zealot he met the resistance of those who were not spiritually focused. He was tortured and burned in the very piazza where he burned gambling cards, dice, and immoral art. In his simple cell we saw his very simple possessions: the patched and worn dark blue cloak of his order, a hair shirt, a crucifix and a desk with some books. He was probably a remarkable leader, but he resisted a very powerful and dangerous tide.
The weather has turned nippy. Today is good Friday and we will be heading out to church tonight. The bells have rung throughout the day at important intervals.
Oh, we made our reservations for Venice and discovered to our chagrin that the Eurail passes we bought are not a great savings at all and we still have to pay to make reservations for seats. It was a disappointment and I wish I had known the fine print in the passes beforehand. Take this as a warning, all those who wish to travel in Italy in future, the Eurail pass is not a bargain and may even cost you more than just buying the tickets. (I was was unable to check prices before we bought them; be sure to ask a travel agent.)
This marvelous monastery and cloister was home to Fra Angelico (one of our personal favorites), Fra Bartolomeu and the controversial Savonarola. The ground floor is the hospice (visitors' quarters), refectory (dining room), chapels and rooms for monkish type work: illuminating manuscripts--of which we saw quite a few--teaching, disputing, and disciplining.
It is a Dominican monastery, so Dominic was in 90% of the paintings, signified by a little red cross above his head. Peter the Martyr, not to be confused with St Peter, was also in many pictures with his head bloody (but unbowed). Apparently he was martyred by a serious knife hack from the back. The ground floor had excellent frescoes and in rather good condition, but the best was upstairs in the cells of the monks. Each cell had a painting for the monk to contemplate. Each picture was a part of the life of Christ. In the novice wing the pictures were simple story telling. As the seniority of the monks increased, the symbolism and complexity of the pictures increased as well. Fascinating progression.
Just before we started the cell progression, we saw an annuciation which had natural light coming in from a nearby window. Fra Angelico had put glitter in his paint, so when you rock back and forth in front of the picture you see little sparkles in his wings. His name, by the way, comes from his angelic representations of people: they are all pretty, with nicely combed hair, clean clothes and beatific faces. Even Judas looks like a nice guy but with a dark halo. And Peter the martyr always had the blood flowing tidily from the gash in his head.
Savonarola, the alleged arch-enemy of the renaissance, in the name of turning people back to a true faith in God, attempted to clean up the gambling, prostitution and other blatant sin which made Florence a hotbed. He was ardently followed by many people who wanted reform, but as a zealot he met the resistance of those who were not spiritually focused. He was tortured and burned in the very piazza where he burned gambling cards, dice, and immoral art. In his simple cell we saw his very simple possessions: the patched and worn dark blue cloak of his order, a hair shirt, a crucifix and a desk with some books. He was probably a remarkable leader, but he resisted a very powerful and dangerous tide.
The weather has turned nippy. Today is good Friday and we will be heading out to church tonight. The bells have rung throughout the day at important intervals.
Oh, we made our reservations for Venice and discovered to our chagrin that the Eurail passes we bought are not a great savings at all and we still have to pay to make reservations for seats. It was a disappointment and I wish I had known the fine print in the passes beforehand. Take this as a warning, all those who wish to travel in Italy in future, the Eurail pass is not a bargain and may even cost you more than just buying the tickets. (I was was unable to check prices before we bought them; be sure to ask a travel agent.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)