There's no place like home!

Home at last!

Maggie's First Communion

Yesterday Maggie received her first Holy Communion at St. Paul's outside the walls in Rome in the year of St. Paul.  

Papal Audience

Yesterday, despite threatening rain and cold winds, we waited about 3 hours for the Pope.  It was really great to see him and the kids were excited too.  I got a few good pictures, which I will be uploading shortly.  I don't have the best internet connection here.  

We are staying at a Catholic guest house just on the outskirts of Rome where we have a 2 room apartment and three meals a day.  I have to say, Italian food is excellent, but it is just too much.  For dinner, there is always a pasta course (called "first") and for the "second", there is usually a meat, a vegetable and a salad.  Usually wine is served with dinner.   And fruit for dessert, and of course coffee or cappucino.   The meal times are different, too.  Lunch is served around 1pm and lasts at least 30 minutes, and dinner is usually served around 8pm.  

Ronald McDonald's David

Need I say more?  Thankfully, Michaelangelo was born in Florence, not the U.S.

Okay!  I'll admit it.  During my five months in Europe, I did see two severely obese people.  However, one was American.    

View from the Top

Went to the top of the highest building in Florence this weekend--the duomo, or Cathedral.  You can see the shadow of it in the picture. 

A Room with a View

We went to an Olive Oil farm to learn how olive oil is made.  It was a surprisingly small farm, but the results were beautiful.  The tour included a lovely lunch, complete with fresh olive oil and gourmet dessert.  Part of the farm was a large manor house that was originally built about 200 years ago and updated 100 years ago.  It is the house that was used in the film "Room with a View" and "Tea with Mussolini" which were both set in Tuscany.

Tree Experience

Yesterday we decided to have a little fun.  We all went to the "Tree Experience" together and put on harnesses and tested our bravery and strength.  Even Maggie climbed up.  We all had a great time.

San Gimignano

On Saturday we went to a walled medieval town called San Gimignano.  It was a beautiful day, and the town was really nice.  In medieval times, in many cities (Forence is one of them), people built tower houses for safety.  I guess there was a lot of thievery and fighting going on and living in towers kept people safe.  It would be a lot harder to break into a tower than a house.  Anyway, San Gimignano still has 15 of its original 72 towers.  

On the day we were there, we heard a free outdoor concert by a Canadian high school brass band.  At the same time, there was a special festival going on with all the artisans from the city showcasing their art and even performing art for us.  Opa bought a leather belt from a leather crafter and we watched a man create things out of alabaster, and Maggie was given a small bud vase.  There was a potter who created a beautiful hand made vase in only 10 minutes.  When you watch them, they make it look so easy!  There were some people preparing a temporary wood-burning kiln for firing the pottery.  

We saw a castle ruin and we had a glass of wine at a "wine museum" and then we walked around the old wall that bordered the city.

Michelangelo's David

We went to the Academia today and saw the famous statue of David.  Stunning.

The Character of Italy

I recently read that it is an 'insult' to an Italian's intelligence to comply with a regulation.  The following is the explanation, which pretty well summarizes Italian culture. 

"Do you see that red light?  It looks the same as any other red light anywhere in the world, but it's an Italian invention.  It's not an order, as you might naively think.  Nor is it a warning, as a superficial glance might suggest.  It is actually an opportunity to reflect. . . .  

"When many Italians see a stoplight, their brain perceives no prohibition (Red! Stop! Do not pass!).  Instead, they see a stimulus.  OK, then.  What kind of red is it?  A pedestrian red?  But it's seven in the morning.  There are no pedestrians about this early.  That means it is a negotiable red; it's a 'not-quite-red.'  So we can go.  Or is it a red at an intersection?  What kind of  intersection?  You can see what is coming here, and the road is clear.  So it's not a red, it's an 'almost red,' a 'relative red.'  What do we do?  We think about it for a bit, then we go."  

On another note, in America we have the old proverb:  "You can't have your cake and eat it too"  (Of course, as I've always said, you can have your cake and eat it, but you can't eat your cake and have it."  But that is beside the point.  The Italian version is much, much better.  

To get the same point across, the Italians have the following proverb:  "You can't have your bottle full and your wife drunk."  

Cinque Terra

Dad arrived yesterday after a mostly uneventful flight.  Only a short 4-hour delay in Boston.  We are glad to see him again and he was very happy to be here with us!

Today's title is Cinque Terra, but we only made it to Una Terra.  We took a couple of wrong turns and only reached RioMaggiore, the first of the 5 cities, it was 1pm, then we had to find a parking spot, that took 30 minutes, then we had to walk into town from the parking spot and that took another hour, so by the time we got there, it was 2:30 or 3:00 and then the water of the Mediterranean lured us to itself.  We started by putting our toes in, but the waves were big and we all got wet.  So we sat in the sun to dry off.  Then another hike to get off the beach, stopped for gelato, walked a little further, realized Maggie's sweatshirt got left behind, went back to get it, and got sidetracked when we stopped to watch the dolphins jumping in the sea.  That was pretty cool.  By then we were all too tired to go to the second terra.  Quite an adventure.  It was made even more interesting by squeezing 6 of us into a 5-seater car!   But the one we saw was very beautiful and I hope you can see some of the beauty by the small pictures attached. 

Florentine Art

Another week in Italy, another adventure.  Friday was Holly's birthday, and she was a trooper to have to spend the first half of it in an art museum.  We went to the Uffizi with our class to see up close the many pieces of artwork that we have all seen so many times:  Lippi's Madonna and Child, Michelangelo's Holy Family and Botticelli's Birth of Venus.  These are the three pictures above.    Learning about these famous artists and then seeing their work in person is very exciting.  It's also exciting to know that Michelangelo, Leonardo, Botticelli, Giotto, Fra Angelico, Donatello, Cimabue and many other great artists were either born or trained in Florence.  Go to www.uffizi.com to see more info.

We're also working on a couple of projects in art class, one being to represent a piece of art.  Mine is San Lorenzo church, which is an amazing church, and famous world-wide for being the first church built in Florence, then the first church to be rebuilt in the renaissance style.  It houses some very famous works of art that are just awesome to see. 

A Day in Rome

Today we spent the day driving to Rome, visiting St. Peter's and driving home.  What a beautiful day.   St. Peter's was amazingly beautiful and overwhelming.  The size of the church was just incredible.  We walked around looking at everything, spent some time praying, and then went downstairs to the tombs.  We prayed for all of you in front of Pope John Paul II's tomb, and I found that very moving.  I hope that when we come back in November we will be able to see Pope Benedict XVI in the flesh.

Only a couple of construction setbacks and a little bit of traffic and it took us 4 hours to drive to Rome.  For those of you in the U.S., you probably wouldn't believe the cost of the highways here.  The main highways are tollways, and when we drive for about 2 1/2 hours, the cost was 13.80 euro.  That is about $20 for a one-way trip to Rome.  Or $40 for the day trip.  And I wouldn't say that the roads are always worth the price, either.  Then we needed a litre of oil for the engine.  Lloyd paid 11 euros for one litre!  That is about $17!!!  Not to mention the parking garage (25 euro for the whole day).  But despite the cost, and including gas (and oil) it was still cheaper to drive to Rome than to take the train.  It may have been a bit less stressful, however.  We left the house this morning at around 8am and got back just before 8pm, and in fact, just in time for a very delicious Italian barbecue at the Villa!  A nice change from pasta!

The Feast of St. Francis -- Oct 4

This weekend was the Fall break for the students.  They all went away and we had plans to visit some friends in Rome.  Our plans didn't work out as we had hoped, so we stayed at the Villa and had a quiet weekend.  On Saturday we went into Florence to enjoy the city again.  We found an Oktoberfest market in the piazza in front of Santa Croce.  There were lots of brats, beer and crafts from Germany.  We went to the Saturday vigil Mass at Santa Croce.  It was the feast of St. Francis, and Santa Croce is a Franciscan church, so there were special festivities there.  The Cardinal Archbishop did the Mass and the Florence City Council attended.  There was a procession, which I tried to get a picture of, and failed.  They had special Florentine costumes on, they held banners with the Florence flags and they blew trumpets and carried flowers.  It was all very unique and special.

Tomorrow we leave early for our Rome trip to see our friends, Father Hart and Mrs. Hart from Fort Worth.  Maggie will be receiving the sacrament of Confession from Fr. Hart.  

Today we decided that it is time to come back home.  So we changed our tickets and are making arrangements to leave when the semester is over here.  We will be flying on Ryan air into Frankfurt and flying from Frankfurt back to Kansas City.  We should be arriving home on November 20 in the evening.  The semester will be ending with ten days spent in Rome with the students.  

Perugia and Assisi

On Saturday, September 27, we got on a bus with all the students and headed toward Assisi and Perugia.  It was a 2-hour drive.  We had a private tour guide who was born and raised in Perugia and who specializes in giving tours in Perugia and Assisi.  He was fabulous and gave us some great information that made the trip really worthwhile.  Now that we have started taking a class on Florentine Art History, I am familiar with the Florentine Renaissance artists.  So I looked at the frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue in the Basilica of St. Francis with a new eye.  The students enjoyed the trip too, but I think they enjoyed the wine and chocolate more than the artwork.  On the way home, we stopped at an old castle and explored.  That was pretty cool!

Weekend alone--1st mini Marathon

While Lori and the kids went back to Perugia and Assisi this weekend, I stayed here alone.  On Saturday night, I went to Prato to see my favorite Italian band, Funk Off.  They put on the best concerts I've ever seen.  Check them out on youtube if you have a chance.  Then on Sunday, I ran my first mini-marathon, a 12K race through the hills of Florence.  I still can't believe I ran 12K today.  My legs are going to be hating me for the next few days.  

Pictures from this week in Florence

Here are some pictures we took in Florence this week.

Siena September 14

Today we spent our day in Siena in the pouring rain.  It was beautiful, even in the rain.  Amazing art work in the churches and museums.  Also, it is amazing to think that when this art was being created, it was thought of as nothing more than "work" from the hands of hired workers.

Villa Morghen

You can see more pictures and more information if you go to www.villamorghen.com.

Wednesday, Sept 3

School has officially started--both for the BC students and for the Newtons.  The Newton kids are not too happy that vacation is actually over.  They seem to think that they should still be on vacation since we are away from home.  The BC students have a bit better attitude about their schoolwork.  I am enjoying meeting the students and the kids are in friend-heaven.  They have been playing non-stop with college students.  When they're not playing cards (memory, Cash, Golf, etc) or ping pong, they're finding a spot beside someone new at the dining room table or on the bus on the way to Florence.  We have been going into Florence every day just to get used to doing it and to learn our way around.  Soon we'll be starting our cultural classes with museums and artwork, etc.  This Saturday we are planning a day in Orvieto for a street-performer festival.  

Florence and Settignano

We arrived in Settignano on Monday, August 26.  It is nice to be settled into our "own" place, at least for the next 12 weeks.  Settignano is a suburb of Florence, which is on a hill that overlooks Florence.  It gives us a beautiful view of Florence, especially at sunset.

We have been exploring Florence by bus, which the kids are loving.  It is convenient to be on the bus and leaving the car behind because there are no worries about where to park, how much is parking, will I get a ticket?, etc.  We are about ready to sell our car and just relax and enjoy the Florentian lifestyle.

Four students arrived today and we had a good time with them in Florence having pizza and gelato.  I look forward to a fun and educational semester.  

Hopefully, by the end of the semester I can have a conversation with someone in Italian that consists of more than simply asking where the bathroom is.

Florence

After leaving Holland on Wednesday, August 20th, we headed back to Paris for a few days.  Then on Saturday, it was off to Florence, with a brief stay in Freiburg, Germany to break up the long drive, where we once again visited old friends.  Late Monday night, we finally arrived here in Florence, where we stay until November.  We are staying at an old monastery, which has been converted into a language school.  We have the basement apartment, which has three bedrooms and a good size kitchen.  It is a wonderful place to stay. I anticipate having a great time here.

Amsterdam--Tuesday, August 19

On Tuesday, we went to Amsterdam to see the Youth Hostel where we met.  We were warmly welcomed by some of the workers there.  It was great to see the place again, and it brought back many fond memories.  

Holland--Sunday, August 17

Sunday morning we said goodbye to our new friends and headed two hours north to Holland to see our old friends, Max and Suzan Jonker.  After 15 years, it was good to see them again.  We knew we were in Holland by the windmills.  Cool and rainy is a nice change from the hot Italian weather.  

Brugges, Belgium--Saturday, August 16

On Saturday, Zander spent the morning learning some soccer moves, since Tom coaches a team, and we sat enjoying our coffee and pastries.  After lunch we piled into the cars to go to Brugges, the city of bridges.  We did more sight-seeing and chocolate-tasting.  We sat at a café for dinner and sipped a glass of wine and then it was time to enjoy the “Reiefest”, which is the festival of the canals.  It is once a year, and they use skits and dances to show the history of Brugges.  It was quite interesting and fun, but it made for a very late evening.  We didn’t get to bed until almost 2am.

Ghent

Walking along the canals, seeing the bicycles and flowers, I believe this may be one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. 

Belgium--Friday, August 15

On Friday morning we loaded up the car and headed for Belgium.  Not bad—only a 3-hour drive.  We were on our way to meet Tom and his family.  Lloyd met Tom in Perugia, where he was studying Italian for a month.  They met in the middle of town during an open-air jazz concert.  After talking for about 30 minutes that evening, they exchanged addresses and invited each other to their homes.  Little did Tom know that we would take him up on his invitation!  His family was so kind and gracious to have us into their home and to make typical Belgian food and then to take us out sightseeing. 

After a wonderful lunch, we got on a train and headed for Ghent, about 30 minutes away.  What a beautiful city, with old buildings and a real castle!  The first thing we saw after getting off the bus was a stand selling homemade gingerbread and small raspberry cone-shaped candies.  The gingerbread was a cheesecake-consistency and moist and absolutely delicious!  The raspberry was also wonderful, but very, very sweet.  The Belgian word for the candy translates as a “nose” because it is shaped like a nose!

Then, we went to Gravensteen, a castle that was built back in the 800s, which was rebuilt over a period of decades, starting in the 1800s.  It is now a museum containing medieval weapons and torture instruments.  The kids loved it.  The tower also offered a spectacular view of the city.

We went to the Cathedral of St. Bavo in Ghent, which holds a very famous painting by Jan van Eyck, called the Mystic Lamb.  Here is a link to one site about St. Bavo's:  http://www.trabel.com/gent/gent-saintbavo.htm

Versailles-again

On Thursday, August 14, we spent the day in Versailles.  This time we went inside--we avoided the long ticket queue by purchasing tickets the day before at the supermarket.  We saw the Dauphin's apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, Marie Antionette's Grand and Petit Trianons.  There was more to see, but after walking for seven hours, we felt we got our money's worth.  

Chartres, France

On Wednesday, August 13, we took a trip to Chartres, which was an absolutely amazingly charming town, complete with stream and romantic bridges.  We stopped in the Cathedral and climbed up about 300 or so steps to get up to the bell tower.  At the top, my legs were a bit wobbly, but what an amazing view!