Author: Jayne Lawson

Corfu, Greece

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Travel

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:26

Corfu is the second largest island in the Ionian Sea (634 square km), and is located at the entrance of the Ionian Sea.

With a population of approximately 110,000 people, Corfu is a popular vacation spot and has had celebrities and royalty (both past and present) here on a regular basis. Once a kingdom, it is now a presidential republic. In addition to being conquered by the Venetians, Corfu was part of the British empire between 1814-1864. In 1864, Queen Victoria gave Corfu back to Greece in 1864, and her nephew became the king of Greece.

Landscape – Olive trees are everywhere, covering the slopes of mountains and filling in valley floors. Olives are harvested every other year, producing 15,000 tons of olive oil annually. In the 8th century, Corfu exported olive oil, but now none is exported because the amount of oil produced only meets the needs of the local population. There are only 300 olive presses here, but they are no longer used. Instead, the Corfiats use a “cold press” method that does not crush the olives when extracting the oil. There are 4 million olive trees on Corfu, but only 1.8 million actually produce olives. The trees must be pruned to continue to produce olives, so many wild ones have stopped producing fruit. Cyprus trees (long, thin) are also found on the mountainsides. They are a symbol of fertility, and they grow in the wild, protruding out above the olive trees.

There are also citrus trees such as lemon, loquat and kumquat. The loquat has only two seeds and is sweet on its own, while the kumquat does not have seeds and needs to be sweetened. Almond and cherry trees can also be found here.

Paleokastritsa

We began our day by visiting a place called Paleokastritsa Bay. Here was a small town located on the shores of the NW coast of Corfu. This bay has with 6 small coves, and we stopped at one of them

Rugged rocks jutted out of the water, and one was attached to a Greek legend. Homer wrote that this was the place where Odysseus traveled and received a ship from Corfu to travel home to Ithaca. Supposedly, his ship was turned to stone by an angry Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and one rock formation in the bay is that ship.

Center-right is Odysseus’ petrified ship.

Greek mythology was once the religion of ancient Greece and widely accepted as truth until the Greek philosopher Socrates questioned the beliefs. Socrates was the first Greek to speak of one god, and he was sentenced to death for that because the concept was simply too radical for the people of those times. However, after 70 AD the Greek Orthodox Christian Church became the main religion when the apostle Paul sent his disciples here to share the gospel of Christ. While Greek Orthodox is the primary religion now, Catholic churches can be also found due to the past influences of the Venetians.

Bella Vista

After visiting the cove, we headed up a very serpentine road to a mountainside stop overlooking Paleokastritsa. We were able to see the place where we first stopped.

Right past this stop was the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, a Greek Orthodox monastery. There are only two nuns residing there now, but they do a lot of charity work and are currently trying to renovate the monastery.

Achillion Palace

Our third stop was the Achillion Palace. It was built in 1890-1892 by Elisabeth, an Austrian empress. She lived here after the death of her son and remained in mourning until she was assassinated in 1898. This palace was dedicated to the Greek hero, Achilles. Two of his statues are located in the garden. One depicts him as the brave warrior, while the other shows him dying with an arrow in his heel.

Clockwise from to-left: front of palace; courtyard; statue of Empress Elisabeth; palace statues; statue of Achilles

In addition to the statues of Achilles, there are statues of Apollo (god of music), the muses, Zeus and Hera, as well as others. There is a beautiful statue of the empress in the entry way, a testament to her beauty, charm, and love for this place. Hollywood trivia: The casino scene in the James Bond film, “For Your Eyes Only,” was filmed in this palace.

The Old Fortress

During the 15th century, the Venetians built a fortress on top of the remains of an old Byzantine castle. It was surrounded by an artificial moat, and it has a moveable drawbridge, which attached the fort to the mainland of the island. It has a clock tower, a lighthouse, and a large cross that is visible from the town of Corfu.

We walked around the esplanade and main square of Corfu before heading back to our ship.

Clockwise from top-left: Old Fortress; train transport; horse and carriage transport; flowers in the square; esplanade walkway built by Napoleon; park statue plays peek-a-boo with…can you see?

Next stop: Chania, Crete

Kotor, Montenegro

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Travel

“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things…” Isaiah 40:26a

Our day started with pouring rain. We navigated through a beautiful fjord flanked by tall forest covered mountains with lots of houses at their bases, and then dropped anchor in the Bay of Boka at the end of the fjord.

Top: leaving the Adriatic Sea and going into the fjord

Bottom-left: Kotor from mountains (our ship is the tiny one in the distance)

Bottom-right: Kotor from our ship

We boarded our motor coach and headed up the 1000 m (3000+ ft) mountains. The road we traveled on was a 19th century road finished in 1876 with 25 hairpin, or serpentine, curves! It was a two-way road and some of the turns were very tight!

Montenegro was an independent democratic country (1878), but it lost its independence and became part of Yugoslavia. It regained its independence in 2006. It is not a member of the EU, but a member of NATO. The official language is Montenegrin, which has Slavic roots. It is a 13,812 sq km country with 650,000 people living here. 70% of Montenegro is mountainous with many peaks approximately 2,000 meters high. Religion: 70% Christian Orthodox; 13% Catholic; 3% Muslim and the rest are minorities. Religious tolerance is practiced here. All are considered equal and inter-religious marriages are accepted without problem.

We stopped at a little restaurant in Njegusi in the mountains for a delicious snack of fresh bread, prosciutto, cow cheese and Coke Zero!! It had a nice fireplace for warmth, and different kinds of smoked meats hanging from the ceiling! Beech wood is used to smoke the meat since that wood does not add any flavor or smell to the meat.

In Cetinje, We visited the Museum of King Nicholas (only king of Montenegro), but were not allowed to take any photographs inside the museum. It was formerly the palace of King Nicholas, so we saw the study, bedrooms, dining areas, and guest rooms of the palace. We also saw wedding gowns, uniforms of the king, weapons, military decorations, dishes, and silverware. Several portraits of the family, included the King and Queen and eleven of their twelve children, plus other European rulers, such as the Romanovs, adorned the walls.

Kotor

The city was named for the many fountains that once provided water for the people. There are nine city squares named for the items that were sold in them. Ex: Fish Square; Meat Square. Since the Venetians once ruled this area, there is a heavy Venetian influence The symbol of Venice, a lion holding a book that is closed, means Venetians ruled alone. In Kotor, there is a lion with an open book which meant the Venetians ruled, but they had help from families in the town. Kotor is a city that is walled, and it has three gates. The clock tower is in the main square, and in front of it is the “pillar of shame.” Apparently, if you were guilty of a sinful act (stealing, inappropriate behaviors, etc.), your hands would be tied around the pillar where villagers could see you and pelt you with tomatoes, apples, etc. to help encourage you to not engage in that behavior again!

Left: clock tower and “pillar of shame”

Top-right: barrow street

Center-right: in front of main city gate

Bottom-right: city walk with Venetian sign

St. Tryphon Basilica

St. Tryphon was an Asian martyr killed by Romans for preaching Christ (ca 89 AD). St. Tryphon’s body was placed in this basilica to protect the town. Every February, people of all faiths celebrate St Tryphon by parading his body through the town of Kotor. Inside the basilica, there are frescoes in this basilica which is unusual in Catholic churches.

Churches Square

St Luca is an orthodox Christian church without pews, which is common in orthodox churches. St Nicholas’ orthodox church is also in this square.

Left: St. Nikola’s church

Top-right: St. Luca’s church

Bottom-left: inside St. Luca’s

The Lady of the Helps Church

This is the little church on the mountainside. You must climb approximately 1300 steps to reach it. Continuing up the mountain will take you to St. John’s Fortress at the top of the mountain beyond the church.

The church is on the lower left, and St. John’s is at the far top-right. The city wall can be seen above the church heading up to the fortress.

Last, but certainly not least, we had to compare Montenegrin gelato to Italian gelato. While Montenegro’s gelato was certainly tasty, Italy’s gelato was much creamier!

We left Montenegro through the same fjord we entered. These were some of our last sites of Montenegro as we headed out into the Adriatic Sea.

Next stop: Corfu, Greece

Salerno, Italy

Jayne Lawson 1 Comment Devotionals

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Psalm 46:1-3

Today we awoke to overcast skies and rain! Oh no! We are scheduled for a motor boat ride to Capri, and I hope the rain doesn’t cloud our vision (no pun intended!). As we came into the harbor, we could see the 8th century Castello di Arechi (Lombard Castle) perched high on a hill overlooking the city. It was originally used as a fort. Salerno is known for having the world’s first medial school, Scuola, dating from the 10th century and the Verdi Theater, an opera theater dating from 1872!

Capri

Overcast skies this morning as we approached the port of Salerno, so we packed our rain jackets today! It was steadily raining as we disembarked the Emerald Princess. We waited in the rain as our local tour guide passed out our radios before leading everyone to the boat for our hour-long jet boat ride to Capri. The trip started out quite gloomy and wet, but the rain stopped after about 45 minutes into the boat trip. The Amalfi coastline was stunning with houses dotting the rugged cliffs.

Capri is a large island just off the Sorrento peninsula that forms the southern border to the Bay of Napoli. This island was first discovered by the Greeks, but eventually it was purchased by Augustus, emperor of Rome. Later, in the latter part of his life, Emperor Tiberius came to Capri and he remained there until his death. As we approached Capri from its southern coast, we could easily see Mt. Salerno, the highest peak on the island at 1900 feet above sea level.

By the time we arrived in Capri’s harbor, the rain had become a drizzle. We rode the funicular to the top of the island where there were many different shops, a church, and the symbol of Capri – the clock tower. Most of the stores were very expensive. Names like Prada were not uncommon to see. While most places we had visited prior to Capri had many souvenir shops, here we had to search diligently before finding one. John did manage to find a gelato shop, so he was happy, and we felt it was important to sample Capri gelato! (Spoiler alert: it was amazing!)

Clockwise from top-left: hydrangeas in a restaurant; $1800/night hotel; electric cars are the only transportation allowed; church; gelateria (one is for John!); clock tower

As we strolled around, we passed the Charterhouse of St. James, a monastic estate of the Carthusian order, which was founded in the 14th century by Giacomo Arcucci. No longer a monastery, it serves as both a high school and cultural center. We continued our walk to the Gardens of Augustus, which had several beautiful overlooks including one where we could see the “Faraglioni stacks,” three rock pinnacles formed over time by erosion from the wind and sea. The gardens were donated to the island by the Krupp family on the condition the gardens be free to the public. After riding the funicular back down to the harbor area, we boarded a boat for Sorrento.

Left: Faraglioni stacks. Right top to bottom: Gardens of Augustus, town of Capri, monastery, cliffs

Sorrento, Italy

Greek legend says this town was once the home of mermaids, or the siren, who sang beautiful songs to lure sailors here to their doom. Today, 40,000 people live here in the homes built upon the volcanic cliffs. Sorrento overlooks the Bay of Naples, and from the harbor, we rode a minibus up a cobbled tightly winding road to the main part of Sorrento at the top of the cliffs. It was now pouring rain as we scurried into the Vela Bianca, our restaurant for lunch. Our table was already set with white wine, bottled water, and bread. We sat at a table for four, but no one sat with us, so we had some alone time. The atmosphere in the restaurant was very friendly, and we were hungry. Bring on the Italian cuisine!

Top left: Appetizer – pasta stuffed with spinach and ricotta in a tomato sauce

Top right: Entree – Florentine (chicken) scallopini with mozzarella and tomato Bottom left: dessert – Lemon cake

Bottom right: bread basket

After lunch we walked around the town. There was an outdoor market that had the biggest lemons I have ever seen!

We also visited a store that had beautiful wood furniture with a type of inlay that was beautiful. We then boarded our motor coach for the hour-long trip to Pompeii driving through the region of Napoli. Naples is the third largest Italian city after Rome and Milan. It is the largest metropolitan city in southern Italy and is located at the northern part of the bay of Naples.

Pompei

For 800 years it was a thriving city until it was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius. This mountain is still active today. Its last eruption was in 1944, but it is still considered an active volcano. Although “resting,” or dormant at the moment, it is considered the most dangerous volcano in the world because if it erupts violently again, it will impact the city of Naples where more than 1 million people reside. Italian authorities do have an evacuation plan for those who live in the “red zone,” which includes the city of Naples. Volcanologists say they can determine if a volcanic eruption is imminent from all the devices they have installed on Mt. Vesuvius, and they can alert the public well in advance of an impending eruption.

Mt. Vesuvius

One plus of the eruptions is that the soil is enriched with volcanic minerals making it very fertile. The main agricultural crop grown here is the olive, and there are twenty different “tastes” of olives produced here. Next, grapes are grown for the wine of this region. The third crop is the lemon from which limón cello is made, and tomatoes are the fourth main vegetable grown here in the very arable soil.

History of Pompeii: In the 7th century BC, there was a functioning harbor here and an independent thriving city. By the 3rd century BC, Pompeii was under Roman rule. In 79 AD, the top of Vesuvius exploded violently spewing tons of ash and debris into the atmosphere and down upon the unsuspecting towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. (This was approximately 75 years after the birth of Jesus.) For 3 days, volcanic debris and ash rained down upon the city of Pompeii. During the eruption most of the inhabitants of Pompeii fled. There are only 1,200 deaths that are known today, and they would be those who were unable to flee the city. These people, the elderly, the sick, and the very young, died from suffocation from the volcanic gases and ashes. The city was buried in 30 feet of volcanic ash, and the volcanic debris created a 3-mile extension of the coast of Pompeii. What once was the thriving harbor of Pompeii was now new land formed by the volcanic ash and lava.

In the early 1700s, a farmer discovered some of the remains of Pompeii when he was digging a well. In 1748, King Charles of Bourbon ordered the excavation to begin. Today only 2/3 of Pompeii has been uncovered. This is approximately 165 acres. Excavation has been stopped for about 10 years now, leaving 55 acres still to be excavated at a later date.

As we walked through the ruins, we found that many of the things we see today were also apparent in Pompeii. Examples are sliding doors, pedestrian crosswalks, sidewalks, and speed bumps! Since there was no electricity, the people of Pompeii implanted white marble pieces in their cobbled roads that would reflect torchlight at night, serving as a rather primitive type of “night light” for the pedestrian to follow.

Clockwise from top-left: stepping stones (crosswalk); “beware of dog” carving; marble pieces to reflect torchlight; ruts in concrete blocks are for sliding a door or gate to open.

Pompeii was a very developed city. 35 bakeries have been excavated as well as many eateries, public fountains, and other businesses. Structures in Pompeii were made of basalt, terrecotta tile, and marble. The fountains were not only used for drinking, but they were also used to wash the streets and clear them of waste! Bakeries milled their own flour as evidenced by the grinding mills in them. The main square, also known as the Forum, was a pedestrian area. There were no carts allowed, so if you had to carry goods from one end of town to the other, you could rent an animal to do so. There are buildings that have engraved pictures of the animals that could be rented. At one end of the Forum was a huge temple dedicated to Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of the Greek god, Zeus. This temple was flanked by two arches. One was dedicated to Nero and the other to Caligula.

Clockwise from top-left: Vesuvius looms over Pompeii; pillars from the main square or Forum; Pompeii street; adult body; dog body; 3-year old boy body; temple of Jupiter

Herculaneum

This city was located at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. Approximately 5,000 people lived there, and they all died during the eruption. Most likely a pyroclastic flow engulfed the city before anyone had an opportunity to flee. As this boiling volcanic sludge cooled and hardened, it preserved the trapped citizens of the city. Today, only a small amount of the city has been excavated because a new city had been built upon the remains before anyone realized there was a city buried beneath the surface. It is believed that only 25% of the city has been excavated.

Cameo Factory

Cameos are a type of jewelry made from seashells, mother of pearl, or coral. It is intricately carved by a master cameo maker into profiles of women (most common), animals or flowers. The more detailed the design, the more expensive the piece. While cameos are usually white or cream colored, some can be blue or pinkish. We were able to watch a master cameo maker work on a cameo. He was creating the curls of a woman’s hair on the cameo while looking through a magnifying glass while carving.

Top-left: cameo being carved. Bottom-left: master cameo maker. Right: finished product.

Next stop: Kotor, Montenegro

Civitavecchia, Italy

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Travel

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.” Psalm 52:8

What a lovely day to visit the Tuscan countryside! Cool temperatures (60s-70s) and blue skies greeted us this morning.

Built in the second century, this city is about one hour northwest of Rome. It is the largest port in central Italy and the gateway to Sicily and other Italian islands.

Tuscania

On our way to our first excursion, we drove through the countryside where we saw many olive tree groves. Olives are the main crop in this area, but watermelons, artichokes, and tomatoes are also grown here. The city of Tuscania is located north of Civitavecchia, and it is of Etruscan origin. The Etruscan people were great sailors and traded with Greeks, Egyptians, and Phoenicians. Olive oil and wine were what they most often traded. Etruscans believed in an afterlife and left valuable objects in the “necropolis,” or city of the dead (cemetery). Eventually, the Etruscans were conquered by the Romans and assimilated into their culture. During our time in Tuscania, we visited the medieval section of the town and walked on its cobblestone streets. Lavello Tower, a large stone structure, was at the end of the main cobbled street and at the top of St. Peter’s Hill. Gazing out over the stone walls surrounding the area, we saw an old church and various other ancient structures on a not-too-distant hillside.

Clockwise from top-left: Lavello Tower; city wall of medieval Tuscania; Cathedral of San Giacomo Maggiore; view from Lavello Tower; old church; residence in Old Tuscania; city wall corner section; at the top of St. Peter’s Hill.

Valentini Olive Farm Visit

Meandering through the Tuscan countryside, we followed a narrow road to the Valentini Olive Farm. Here we had a demonstration on how olives are harvested. When they are ready to be picked, they are actually raked off the branches with a special net and dropped on to a special meeting below the trees. The olives are then taken to the presses. Olives that are the first of the season to be pressed produce the oil that will become known as “extra virgin olive oil.” It is green and has the best flavor. Our visit to an olive farm culminated with an opportunity to sample the delicious oil! In addition, we had bruschetta, tomato jam, ricotta cheese, olives (of course!), and fresh bread. An added treat was a bowl of penne pasta in a savory tomato sauce. What a special treat!

Clockwise from top-left: olive trees; vineyard; tasty samples; olive oil and other snacks; demonstration of olive harvesting

Strolling through Civitaveccha was a great way to end our day. There was a beautiful walkway along the Mediterranean Sea, and we were able to see Michelangelo’s Fort as we walked. Last, but certainly not least, we found a nice place to sit, rest, and enjoy the scenery… well, maybe there was a little more incentive for John to stop at this particular place!

Top: Michelangelo’s Fort. Bottom-left: Civitavecchia Cathedral. Bottom-right: John and his gelato.

Next stop: Pompeii and Capri

Pisa, Italy

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Devotionals

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10

Pisa is about 20 km from Livorno with the Arno river running through it. It was an independent city-state during the medieval times and was founded by the Tuscans prior to the Romans being here. The Field of Miracles is the main square in Pisa, but no miracles have actually happened here. The area was dubbed that by an Italian poet.

The famous leaning tower is actually the bell tower for the Cathedral of Santa Maria. Building began in 1173, and unfortunately, the ground was not as stable as the builders had originally thought. The tower began to lean almost immediately because the unsettled soil could not support the weight of the marble tower. Construction stopped for about 100 years, which was a good thing because it gave time for the ground to settle. At this time, only four levels had been completed. Construction began again in 1273 from the fourth to seventh floors, and the tower was finally finished. In 1990, the tower’s leaning was understood better. It actually leans because one side is rising from bubbles in the underground clay which push the tower up on one side as they move to the surface.

Builders finally had to remove soil from beneath the tower to stabilize it. It was reopened in 2001 for tourists to climb. Architects say it is just a matter of time before the tower actually topples over, but it is not expected to do so for at least 300 years. The tower stands 58 meters tall and is completely made of marble. It weighs approximately 13,000 tons.

On the grounds of the Field of Miracles are several buildings. The tall round building is the baptistery (built 1150-1155), and the cathedral is behind it, between the baptistery and tower. The cathedral, or Duomo, was the first structure built here. It was constructed during the Crusades and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Although it is predominantly Roman architecture, there are a lot of Islamic influences that can be identified.

Clockwise from top-left: Entering the Field of Miracles; the Leaning Tower of Pisa; the baptistery; Duomo

While John climbed to the top of the tower, I stayed below to keep the tower from falling!

Left: John is on the far right; top-right: bells in the tower; middle-right: staircase inside the tower; lower-right: Jayne supports the tower.

Next stop: Rome, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Jayne Lawson 1 Comment Travel

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Genoa is Italy’s 6th largest city, and it is surrounded by mountains and sea. Christopher Columbus was born here, and the international airport is named for him. In the past, there were 20 fortresses protecting the city in the mountains, and a Genoese sea army protected it from ocean attacks.

Today we traveled by boat to Portofino, Santa Margherita, and Camogli, three coastal villages. As we headed out of the port of Genoa, we saw several of the forts on the nearby mountains. As we sailed, we passed San Fruttuoso – an abbey nestled at the base of coastal mountains on the beach. It was originally built by monks, but it is no longer a monastery. Today, it is a museum and public beach.

We then sailed around the Portofino lighthouse and saw beautiful multicolored homes on the hillside. We also passed by the Nature Park of Portofino, a protected area since 1945.

Santa Margherita

Santa Margherita was our first coastal village. Right at the end of our pier, was a park with lots of statues including a green statue of the first king of Italy, Vitorrio Emanuele. We walked to the Center Square of Santa Margherita and saw its 1st church dedicated to St. Margaret. It is a 17th century church – Baroque style architecture. Frescos, floors and side chapels use colored marble, and there are also paintings that decorate the church.

Clockwise from top-left: Santa Margherita bay; Columbus statue; Santa Margherita church; Santa Margherita statue

After visiting the church, we strolled through the narrow streets and saw pasta making shops, cheese and salami shops, candy and pastry shops. And then we saw it! A gelateria! Time for our first gelato! John had dark chocolate, and I had pistachio. What a glorious treat!!

Clockwise from top-left: cookies and spreads; sampling our first gelatos; fresh produce; tourist shopper; making fresh ravioli

Portofino

Portofino is a fishing village on the western shore of Italy near Genoa. The houses here are different colors, so the fishermen at sea could easily identify which house was theirs. St. George is the patron saint of Portofino. St. George’s church was destroyed in WWII, then rebuilt. The view from the church was awesome.

We had independent time, so off we went. Guess what John found? Another gelateria! And he found his favorite flavor: stracciotella (chocolate chip)! He has found his souvenir, and I being a supportive wife had to have another one too! Delish!

Camogli

Our last village was Camogli. On our way, the boat cruised by the abbey again in the Nature Park of Portofino. Camogli is a small fishing village that is definitely not a tourist spot. We did find a place that sold focaccia, pizza, and brioche, so we bought a focaccia with tomato and olive oil. It was really delicious! This is a very hilly town, and John wanted to know what the upper street was like, so off he went! I documented his quest from down below! Finally, he came back, and we headed back to the waterfront. However, we had one more stop – a gelateria!

Left: stairs to adjacent street. Top-right: sampling focaccia. Bottom-right: chocolate gelato.

Next stop: Florence and Pisa!

Marseille, France

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Devotionals

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.” Psalm 109:1

Marseille is France’s first port, and it’s oldest French town. Today, it is the second largest in population with 875,000 people living here (Paris is first). Founded by Greek sailors, Marseille has a rocky coastline with fishing villages and summer resorts. Hills and mountains are all around the city, and lots of aromatic herbs grow here – thyme and rosemary are the most famous.

Clockwise from top-left: sign on the hill; Arc de Triomphe; Notre Dame de la Garde basilica; sailboat marina; prison island from the novel Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

Basilica – Notre Dame de la Garde

This cathedral was built in a 46-year period (1853-1899). It sits atop a hill overlooking Marseille and the bay. There is a gold statue of smart on top of the bell tower.

Aix-en-Provence

Founded by Roman soldiers, Aix-en-Provence is the second town founded in southern France. Located about two hours from the French Alps, it was established about 122 years before Christ, and from 972 AD to 1481, it was an independent country. Aix-en-Provence is known for its warm water springs, which the Romans used to create their public baths. Because of the many springs, the city has lots of fountains. Today, nearly 90,000 people live here.

Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur

There are three knaves, or sections, in this church, and they were built at different times. The first knave was built by the Romans circa 300 AD. The baptismal area is from this time period. The second knave was built in the 13th century. The altar area shows the gothic architecture and there are many stained glass windows. The third knave is from the 17th century and is baroque architecture. There is a greater use of gold and marble as well as more statues in this section.

Placo de Hotel de Ville – Town Hall Square

This is where the government offices are in Aix-en-Provence. Over the doors of the Town Hall are three flags. They are the EU flag, the French flag, and the Catalán region flag. (The Count of Barcelona, in the region of Catalonia, was also the count of this region). Next to the Town Hall is the Post Office building, which has a facade with wheat on one side and grapes on the other which represent the region’s agricultural staples.

Farmers’ Market Square

Lots of produce is sold here including lavender (the region is known for this), honey, breads, and meats.

Fountains

Fountains are all throughout Aix-en-Provence. The first fountain was built in 1618 in the square “Anciano Placo de L’Archevescat.” It was also in this square that the French Resistance first met to plan its war efforts against Germany in WWII.

Clockwise from top-left: 1st fountain in Anciano Placo de L’Archevescat, Placo de Alberta fountain, Town Hall fountain, Main Street fountain, Four Dolphins fountain

Bastide du Cours

Lunch was at the Bastide du Cours restaurant in Aix-en-Provence. We had mixed greens with goat cheese and bread to start, then chicken with veggies as the entree. Dessert was a strawberry mousse cake with blueberries and cranberries.

Next stop: Genoa, Italy!

Calm Seas

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Devotionals

Psalm 107:29 “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”

Calm seas. I suppose that is every sailor’s dream. No one really wants to sail through a storm. This morning, as we sailed into the Mediterranean Sea, the seas were amazingly calm; it was like looking at a lake! Not a single whitecap could be seen in any direction. If there had been a dolphin or whale nearby, it would have easily been spotted! We have been blessed with incredible weather and seas on this trip. Even our Atlantic crossing was uneventful in terms of sea conditions. No storms, no huge waves. It has been a very peaceful journey.

Reminds me of life. We all relish days that are like calm seas. No worries or cares to invade our lives. No problems on the horizon. Smooth sailing ahead! But it’s not always like that. In fact, it is inevitable that storms will arise in our lives. We don’t know when they will come or how long they will last, but they will come. The good news is that no storm lasts forever. Tempests at sea eventually die down, and calm seas return. The task is to keep an even keel while navigating through the storms, employing the skills we have learned to safely sail through them until the skies become clear, and the seas settle down once more.

Just as a sailor keeps constant contact with his captain, we must maintain close communion with our Captain in order to maintain a godly heading in life. The Lord will never lead us astray. Reading His Word and praying to Him will help us safely sail through the troubled waters of life. It is an undeniable fact that storms will come. Some will be frightening; some will be painful; some will seem hopeless, but through each one, God has promised to be with us, guiding us, helping us, and delivering us safely through them.

It is true that even with the knowledge that God is in control, it is still difficult to undergo the trials and tribulations of life. We must strive to have the proper perspective. In our own frailties, the storms we face may seem insurmountable, but when we focus on God’s power as our source of strength, we can know that no matter what storms lie ahead, we have the assurance that we will weather each one successfully if we stay the course. God is manning the helm, and He is aware of all the unseen obstacles ahead. He knows exactly how to navigate through them. If we remain at His side and trust in Him, we will soon emerge from the raging tempest into blue skies and tranquil seas!

“And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39

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Can you remember a time in your life when God calmed your storm? Praise Him for that today!

Gibraltar

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Travel

“…Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2b

Gibraltar is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom and has been so since 1704 when the British defeated Spain in the War of Spanish Succession. Gibraltar is located on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, and lies at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. It is a very small country (less than 3 square miles), but very diverse in its population of 30,000. The famous Rock of Gibraltar is the limestone sentinel that stands watch over the Straits of Gibraltar, the waterway link between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Located at the southernmost peak of Gibraltar, Europa Point is the “end of Europe.” From here you can see northern Africa and Spain. According to Greek legend, Hercules held on to Gibraltar, the “pillars of Hercules,” when he pulled Africa and Spain apart.

On the bottom photo, the mountains of Morocco are visible on the left, and on the right is Spain.

St. Michael’s Cave is a limestone formation with many huge stalagmites and stalactites throughout it. Illuminated by colored lights, it gives a surreal feeling to a “naturally formed” cave. The cave opens up into a huge amphitheater which is actually used for musical concerts!

Perhaps one of the most well known attractions in Gibraltar are the Barbary Apes. They are not really apes at all, but instead they are tail-less monkeys! They are actually named the Barbary Macaques. No one really knows how they got here, but there are about 250 roaming freely in Gibraltar. One unusual fact about the Barbary apes is that the fathers help care for their young! Winston Churchill is known for saying that as long as there were the monkeys on Gibraltar, it would remain in the British empire.

The Gibraltar airport has its main and only runway crossed by a city street and pedestrian walkway. The airport is considered the 4th most dangerous airport in the world because westerly winds create increased turbulence here. If after three attempts, a plane cannot land due to the turbulence, it is redirected to Malaga, Spain for landing, and the passengers are then shuttled back to Gibraltar.

Clockwise from top-left: airport control tower; standing on the runway; on runway with “The Rock” behind us; a “plane” landing

Next stop: Marseilles, France

Barcelona, Spain

Jayne Lawson 0 Comment Travel

“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.” Psalm 22:27

Barcelona is the beautiful capital city of Catalonia, a region of 1.7 million people. It was here that Columbus returned from the New World to meet with Queen Isabella. Barcelona is known for many things, such as the 1992 Olympics and the childhood home of Pablo Picasso.

Cathedral of Barcelona

This cathedral was built on the style of gothic architecture as shown by the pointed arches.

La Sagrada Familia

This church was designed by Gaudi, a famous Catalán architect. Construction began in 1882, and the current plan is for it to be completed in 2026. The central tower, which represents Jesus, will eventually be 110 meters tall. The nativity facade in the front of the church is the only one actually built by Gaudi

before he died. The life of Christ is depicted in the facades around the church. His birth and childhood is on the east side (where the sun rises), and His death and resurrection is on the west side of the church (where the sun sets).

Clockwise from top-left: cathedral; marriage of Joseph and Mary; nativity; fleeing to Egypt

The cypress tree represents eternal life, and the different fruits represent the twelve months of the year.

Clockwise from top- left: cathedral spirals; crucifixion; cypress tree with fives; fruits on top of arches.

Other Barcelona highlights

Clockwise from left: statue of Columbus; site of the palace of the Spanish Inquisition; Picasso artwork; Roman arch and aqueduct; Arc del Triomf

Next stop: Gibraltar