Category: Travel

“Thou are worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

This morning we embarked on our first scenic train ride. (Although I do think the train ride to St. Moritz from Zurich was pretty scenic!) We left St. Moritz at 9:30 am and headed into the Alps. As we gazed up the slopes of the mountains, we could clearly see the tree line. It is here the coniferous forests abruptly end, and tundra plants become the main vegetation.

I was so intent on getting a picture of our train on the track, I didn’t realize there was a glacier in the background!!

Here’s a better look at the glacier.

Ospizio Bernina – the highest point of our ride at 2253 meters (nearly 7,500 feet).

We stopped at Alp Grüm (2091 m) for a photo stop.

Our view of Poschiavo, Switzerland (1,014 m) as we descended on the switchback tracks!

We approached Brusio on the circular viaduct. It’s the famous part of track for this scenic train ride.

The first part of our ride terminated in Tirano, Italy. Here we had a couple of hours to have lunch (paninis and gelato!) and explore before reboarding the train for the trip back to St. Moritz.

The train ride itself was very smooth. No “rickety-rackety” that is usually associated with trains. This train is electric, and the railroad ties are bolted down, so it was pretty quiet. At one point, we rode at a 7% grade! I may not have heard any train noise, but my heart was sure thumping! Yikes!

On our way back to St. Moritz, we sat on the opposite side of the train, so we had new vistas! The scenery was absolutely gorgeous!

Lake Miralago

Pontresina, Switzerland

Lake Bianca

Isn’t it breathtaking? Our God is so amazing! His works are overwhelming in beauty and majesty, and so glorifying to Him!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!      (from “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Reginald Heber)

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:3

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Take a moment and look around at all God has created… then praise His holy name!

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22a

International train travel is not the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but it certainly has shown me that a pound of patience mixed with a cup of humor and a pinch of sensibility can yield a wonderful adventure! I found that it doesn’t matter how much you’ve prepared before embarking on this type of journey, it’s best to expect the unexpected. In this case, it was finding out that English is NOT the international language I’ve heard it to be. Just about everywhere else we’ve traveled, things have been written in both the native language and English. Not so in the Italian and Swiss train stations!

At first, when we entered the main terminal in Rome, it was overwhelming, but we realized it was important to put our heads together and figure out how to get a ticket. We took our paper receipt to the automatic ticket machine. Good news! It had an English translation! Bad news… we still couldn’t figure it out. Better news! A train station employee came over and started punching buttons on the machine for us. He was explaining everything he was doing while pointing at our receipt. Not so good news… he was doing all this in Italian. When he gestured for us to follow him, a lady intervened. She said, “I was eavesdropping. Just thought I would tell you that what you have is your ticket. You just need to get on the train with it.” Laugh #1.

We managed to find our platform and boarded our train. The next thing we knew, we were leaving the station! Whew! We’d made it through phase one of this “after cruise” adventure. Next stop was Milan, Italy, so time to settle back and watch the world go by. It went by fast! As we watched the informational screen on the train, we saw we could track the train’s speed. It was steadily rising! We were traveling at 283 km per hour. Good thing I knew that it took more than one kilometer to make a mile, but just how fast is that? What was the conversion factor? It doesn’t really seem like we’re going that fast… Middle school science kicked in and I did the calculation of metric to customary. Yikes! We were moving at 183 mph! What?? Yes, very true. I never saw telephone poles zip by so fast! Laugh #2.

When we arrived in Milan, we figured we had it made. We had successfully maneuvered through the Rome train station, so how hard could Milan be? Well, it wasn’t the station that was challenging, it was the train itself! It was a bit smaller than our speed rocket. Before we squeezed into our seats, we had to stow our luggage. Hmm… where do you put your luggage when there’s no room for it? Anywhere you can find a spot!! There are places designated, but when a gazillion people get on with you, you better be fast! We did manage to find a spot for our one suitcase, so that was good. I found out that John is good at smashing backpacks into very small places. Other people chose to sit on their full size bags in the aisles. That didn’t go well with the conductor. By the way, did you know you can travel with your dog on a leash on the trains? We didn’t either. Laugh #3.

Well, after enjoying some of the best scenery on the planet, we finally made it to Zurich, Switzerland! Phase two was successfully completed! Now we had to find a way out of the station. Since these train stations are so big, if you exit from the wrong side, it’s a long walk to where you really need to be. The solution? A map! We checked our map and found the “You are here” spot. Did you know there really aren’t any huge arrows in the train station that actually show you where you are? You have to figure that out all by yourself! We knew the name of the street we needed, so we started reading the signs in the station to determine the direction we should go. Oh yes, everything was written in German. Hmm… We took a chance and headed in a “cross your fingers and hope it’s right” direction. We made it outside the station. By the way, did you know that many of the streets don’t actually have their names listed anywhere? We found that out in Rome, so as we exited the train station, we looked everywhere for any hint of a street name. Guess what? Right in front of us was a pole with the street names clearly on it. Laugh #4.

After a relatively easy walk, we spotted our hotel. I reviewed foreign phrases in my mind. “Buon giorno” “Danke schoen” “Bonjour” Not really applicable, but the best I could conjure up in my brain. We walked up to the desk, and I introduced myself, hoping I would be able to conduct a decent conversation with the desk clerk. The man behind the desk looked up with a smile and said to us, “Ah, we’ve been expecting you. Welcome to Zurich, Mr. and Mrs. Lawson.” His English was perfect. Laugh #5.

“Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2

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How has God added joy to your travels in life? I’d love to know!

 

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;” Acts 17:24

While it was sad for us to leave the ship, we knew a new adventure awaited us in the Eternal City, Rome! We rode a shuttle to the train station in Civitavecchia, and was able to buy our tickets without a problem. In less than fifteen minutes, we were on board and heading south to Rome. 47 minutes, we arrived at Rome Terminali.

We hoofed it to our hotel, a hot and humid jaunt. I waited in the hotel lobby until our room was ready, and John headed out to explore.

Our hotel is on the left side near the red flag. Across from our hotel is “St. Mary of the Angels and Martyrs” basilica.

After we settled in, we boarded the hop on-hop off bus to explore the sights. We sat on the top of the double decker bus and plugged in our earphones. As we listened to Italian music, we headed off.

Rome is closely linked to Venus, goddess of love. So much so that Rome’s secret name was “amor,” which is Roma (Italian for Rome) backwards and means “love.”

My first “ooh” and “ ahh” moment was passing Rome’s Colosseum. As we passed it, I was struck by how huge it was and how massive the walls were. When I thought of how many spectators (85,000) would come to see the games of “sport,” which included the killing of Christians who were forced to face hungry lions for their faith, it was sobering.

Palantine hill is the oldest and largest of Rome’s seven hills and overlooks the Circus Maximus (500×150 ft), which is another area of sport. Chariots races and war games were held here.

Altare della Patria

We visited Capitoline Hill and saw the monument to Italy’s first king, Vittorio Emanuele II. He is the one who united Italy into one country. Beneath his monument is the tomb of the unknown soldier. Currently, it is a museum dedicated to the unification of Italy.

The Four Rivers Monument

This monument pays tribute to the four known continents at that time by representing a river from each continent: Nile from Africa, Ganges from Asia, Blue Danube from Europe, and Rio de la Plata from South America.

Pantheon

It’s pretty incredible to actually visit places I’ve only read about in textbooks. The Pantheon was a temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome. It was built between AD 117-138, and is noted for its Roman architecture (arches), it’s dome (world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome), and it’s circular opening (oculus) at the top.

Trevi Fountain

Toss in a coin and make a wish! (They supposedly collect 3,000 euros a day from this fountain!)

Segway

This was the best way to see Rome! I don’t know how many miles we rode, but I never would have made it on foot. I had a great “wingman.”

No smile because I was trying to take our selfie while riding. I guess kids aren’t the only ones with guardian angels! (Psst… Don’t tell Samantha!)

There are spring-fed water fountains all over Rome. They are perfectly safe to drink from and are quite refreshing on a hot and humid day!

Of course, no post is complete without the food pictures. We ate lunch at an outdoor cafe on the banks of the Tiber River.

Next stop: Zurich, Switzerland

“And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.” 1 Chronicles 14:17

Today we traveled through Tuscany to get to Firenze, or Florence as it’s known in the English speaking world. This region of Italy is known for its wine. For a long time, the Medici family ruled, but they were not royalty. They were bankers who collected art. When the last Medici died without an heir, she gave all the art to the city of Florence.

 

The Oldest Bridge in Florence
This bridge was built in 1345. It is on the Arno River. The houses on it are shops just as they were in the Middle Ages. All others bridges in Florence were destroyed in WWII.

 

Holy Cross Basilica (Basilica Santa Croce)
This church is in the Piazza Santa Croce. Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and others who contributed to the arts are buried here. There is a statue of Dante in the front. He was the author of “The Divine Comedy” and “The Inferno.” While we were here, we stopped here at a leather shop, a gelateria, and we walked over to see the Arno River.

 

Palazzo Borghese
We had lunch in this palace, where once lived Maria Luisa, the sister of Napoleon. We had a pesto-type lasagna, beef, spinach and potatoes, and tiramisu.

 

Uffizzi Museum
Here we saw works of art by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raffaello, and Botticelli.

Clockwise from top-left: Michelangelo’s “Holy Family with Young St. John the Baptist,” his only documented work on wood; Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus;” Raffaelo’s “St. John the Baptist,” and Da Vinci’s “Adoration of the Magi.”

Statue of David
This sculpture is considered the best representation of male Renaissance beauty. It was sculpted in three years by Michelangelo.

Fun Fact: The symbol of Tuscany is Pinocchio because the writer was from here.

Next stop: Rome, Italy

“Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!” Psalm 71:19

We traveled for about an hour north of Genoa to reach Milan. Most of the terrain were the foothills of mountains with occasional stretches of flat farmland. This agricultural region grows mostly grains such as rice and wheat.

Castello Sforzesco

This castle was built at the end of the12th century and beginning of the 13th century. It has many frescoes, which are paintings painted directly on a freshly plastered wall. Many were done by Leonardo Da Vinci. Da Vinci lived here for a time and was commissioned by the king to paint “The Last Supper.”

 

Church – Santa Maria Delle Grazie

This church was commissioned to be built by the king so the people could come and pray for the monarchs. It is here that Leonardo DaVinci painted “The Last Supper,” completing it in 1498.

The Last Supper

Leonardo Da Vinci

He was paid a monthly stipend (like a retainer fee) to do what he preferred, so instead of painting “The Last Supper” all at once, it took him 22 years to finish ”The Last Supper.” This was because during the time he worked on “The Last Super,” he also worked on various other projects as well, including ”The Mona Lisa” (which he worked on for 60 years until his death). Regarding “The Last Supper,” Leonardo spent three years just to find a man whose portrait he could use to paint Judas. The dimensions of “The Last Supper” are approximately 160 x 350 inches as compared to the Mona Lisa, which is about 12 x 18 inches.

On the opposite wall of the church is the painting, “The Crucifixion” done by Giovanni Donato Montorfano in 1495.

Duomo – Milan Cathedral

This world’s largest Gothic cathedral is in the city’s main square, the Piazza del Duomo. On the tallest spire is a golden statue of Mary, the mother of Christ. Its construction began in 1386, and it took more than 500 years to complete. To visit the interior of the cathedral, one must purchase a ticket.

On one side of the main square is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a four story structure housing restaurants and stores that are very expensive. Prada’s original store is here as well as designers such as Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Chanel.

Our guide gave us free time to shop here. John and I just laughed to ourselves and headed out to find a gelateria.

La Scala Opera House

La Scala’s music season begins December 2nd. Here well-known operas and live concerts are held.

Across the street is Piazza della Scala, a small square with a statue of DaVinci.

Next stop: Florence, Italy

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2

Cable Car

Today we decided to ride a cable car to the “top of the rock.” The cable car system was built by the Swiss, and each car was designed to hold up to 30 adults. The 1,300 ft. ride took about four and a half minutes, and it was very smooth. As we neared the top, we saw several of the Barbary Macaques (monkeys) sitting close to the cable car station. We exited the car and walked around the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. The panoramic views were absolutely spectacular! The top of Gibraltar is approximately 412 meters high, which is about 100 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower or 40 meters taller than the Empire State Building.

Barbary Macaques – Tailless Monkeys

Currently, there are 243 Macaque monkeys in 7 family groups. They live about 20 years, but several of those on the Rock are in their 30s. One monkey year is supposed to be equivalent to 3.5 human years, so some of these monkeys are quite old. While they are called the “Barbary Apes, they are actually tailless monkeys, and they are protected by law. There is a long suspension bridge on the rock for automobile traffic, but if a monkey is on the bridge, no vehicles are allowed to cross the bridge until the monkey is gone! While it is illegal for people to feed the monkeys, the monkeys have no qualms about jumping on a person’s back and stealing their food right out of a person’s hand!

The Siege Tunnels

Between the years of 1779-1783, the Spanish and French were fighting Britain over Gibraltar. The British dug tunnels during this conflict throughout the Rock of Gibraltar. Control of the Mediterranean Sea was at stake, but the British were not going to allow the “rock” to fall into Spanish or French hands. They used sledgehammers, chisels, and black powder to dig tunnels throughout the limestone rock. More than 34 miles of tunnels are in the rock, and there is the belief that there are more that have yet to be discovered. There is one tunnel that runs east to west, and at the right angle you can actually see the “light at the end of the tunnel!”

Europa

Of course, no visit to Gibraltar would be complete without stopping at the southernmost point of Europe. Here, there is the lighthouse of Gibraltar and an Islamic mosque, a gift from the king of Saudi Arabia to Gibraltar. From this point, you can easily see the mountains of Morocco.

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Next stop: Milan, Italy

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:5

Montserrat is located in the mountains north of Barcelona. The Mountain of Montserrat (“serrated mountain”) stands a bit more than 1200 m (5000 ft). The jagged fingers of it and the surrounding mountains give it the name.

When the Count of Barcelona reconquered this area from the Moors, he gave this area to the church for an abbey. It became a Romanesque monastery in 11th century. When an image of the Virgin Mary was found in a mountain cave, it was deemed “she” wanted to stay here and bestow blessings on the region, so the icon was placed in the basilica. This icon is a 12th century carved wooden image. The wood was then covered with varnish, but the clothing parts were also covered with paint. The skin only had varnish. Candles were lit in front of the icon for hundreds of years, and ultimately there was a chemical reaction between the unpainted varnish areas and the candle smoke making the body black. Therefore because of the coloring of the icon, she is known as the “Black Madonna.”

Black Madonna

Due to influx of pilgrims who came to see the icon, it was necessary to remodel the monastery during the 14th and 15th centuries. Rebuilt in the style of Gothic monastery, it was later destroyed by Napoleon’s troops. It was eventually rebuilt in late 19th-early 20th centuries. There are about 70 Benedictine monks living there today.

Montserrat Basilica

St. Michael’s Cross is located on a rock outcrop a short distance from the basilica. (Michael is the patron saint of the mountain.) There is a small chapel that was built to protect the “holy cave” where the icon of Mary was found. John hiked all the way to the Cross.

Here are some of the sights along hiking trail.

Top-left: Chapel guarding the “holy cave”

Center-left: statue of St. Francis of Assisi

Bottom-left: valley panorama

Right: outcrop with St. Michael’s Cross

Next stop: Milan, Italy

“Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.” Psalm 69:34

We arrived in Salerno to a day that was quite different than the last time we were here. Today the skies were clear, and the weather was warm. We boarded our water taxi for our 30 minute ride to Amalfi without a drop of rain in sight!! The seas have been amazingly calm.

Amalfi Coast

We cruised along in a water taxi to the village of Amalfi.

Amalfi Cathedral

The cathedral is a 13th century building, but the bell tower is from Roman times. The cathedral is dedicated to St. Andrew. It is said that the remains of Andrew, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples, is in a crypt in this cathedral.

Amalfi Cathedral

Top: inside the cathedral

Bottom-left: bell tower of cathedral

Bottom-center: “holy water” basin

Bottom-right: cathedral alcove

Amalfi is small, but there are lots of souvenir shops, produce, fish, and meat markets, and of course, gelaterias!

After a couple of hours here, we boarded our boat back to Salerno for a bit more sightseeing there.

Salerno

We walked around the town a bit before taking a short break. It was a perfect opportunity to relax at a sidewalk cafe, sip a Coke Zero, and chat with Samantha.

Clockwise from top-left: domed building; harbor; Arechi castle; beach; town park statue

Next stop: Montserrat, Spain

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Psalm 90:2

We were greeted by a golden statue in the harbor of Messina after passing through the Messina Straits, blue skies and warming weather. This statue is the patron saint of Messina, the Virgin Mary. Her right arm is up because she is supposedly blessing everyone who passes through the Messina Straits.

Messina is the closest point (3 km) on Sicily to mainland Italy. It is 2,700 years old and was founded by the Greeks. In 1908, it was destroyed by a 30-second earthquake followed by a huge tsunami. 2/3 of the population died. The city was rebuilt and now it is sometimes referred to as “modern Messina” with buildings made of cement in hopes of withstanding future earthquakes.

The shorelines of Sicily are mountainous, but the inner part of the island is flat. In the interior of the island wheat is raised for bread, pasta, etc. Prickly pear cactus is also grown for jams, natural medicines, and cosmetics. Other products grown are olives, grapes, and citrus fruits.

Top: Sicilian shoreline

Bottom (l-r): lemon, grape, olive

Mt. Etna

Mt. Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. It stands 3,340 meters (11,000 ft).

There are three systems of craters at its summit. They are always active. These craters are independent of one another. Currently, an eruption is happening today. It started five days ago. Mt. Etna is a composite volcano with two types of eruptions: explosive volcanic debris or lava flows. There are over 300 craters on its flanks. Volcanologists say the current eruptive cloud is 80% vapor and 20% gas since the smoke is white. If it becomes gray, it will then have volcanic ash in it.

Before we headed off to explore the volcano, I had the opportunity to sample my first cannolis. It is like a tiny crispy pancake rolled and stuffed with sweetened ricotta and dusted with crushed pistachios. Delicious!

After that, John and I hiked down into this crater on the side of Mt. Etna. This is Silvestri Crater, and it was last active in 1892.

Silvestri Crater (southeastern slope)

Alcantara Gorge

The gorge was formed by lava flows hitting the cold waters of the Alcantara River, earthquakes, and erosive properties. As we strolled through the ecological park, there were several overlooks into the gorge.

John and I decided to do a bit of rock climbing in the gorge! (Haha! In case you really think that’s us… it’s not!

Next stop: The Almari Coast in Italy

“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21

Our day started with a ride in a water taxi, which is just a name for a boat that ferries people back and forth to the ship. Because it’s a water taxi and not a lifeboat wearing a different hat, it’s a lot more comfortable, having more seat and leg room. Partly cloudy skies today with temperatures in the 80s.

Santorini is built on a volcano. In 1956, there was a 7.6 earthquake which destroyed many of the buildings. Many Greeks left Santorini. In 1974, the people returned and built an economy based on wine and tourism. Unlike Italy and France, here grapes are grown on the ground because if they grow on raised trellises, the wind blows them away. Why? Their roots are shallow. They get water from the humidity since this island is so dry.

This island has about 5,000 donkeys, which are used to help harvest grapes. The wine is then stored in hillside caves because the cave temperatures keep the wine cool.

Big families here have their own private churches on their property. They are large white buildings with blue domes. On Sundays, services are held in public churches, which sometimes have red domes.

Windmills were used to grind flour, but now they are used for housing, but they were not popular. Why? Hard to fit rectangular furniture in round rooms!

Oia

Oia is a town located on the northern tip of Santorini. It has narrow cobblestone lanes, pristine whitewashed buildings, blue-domed churches, and lots of little shops. Marble is used on public walkways because it is less expensive than concrete here!

Byzantine Church of the Virgin Mary

This church was built in the 16th century on top of a Roman temple from the 5th century AD. It was thought to be a temple of Aphrodite or Dionysus. Archaeologists are prohibited from digging here because the priests didn’t want anything to be dug up that might be against their own belief system such as something that might show the Christians destroyed earlier artifacts.

The outdoor wash basin is symbolic. You wash your hands because you are going into the church to cleanse your soul.

Inside the church at the front are icons that flank the center door: Christ (right) and Mary and Child (left). Items of value to someone, like wedding rings, baptismal jewelry, etc., are given as offerings to the Virgin Mary.

These churches are not used for corporate worship. Sometimes they do celebrations in these tiny Greek Orthodox churches.

Kamari Beach

This is a black sand beach. The sand is composed of volcanic rock.

Pyrgos Restaurant

We had lunch overlooking the Aegean Sea. It was buffet style with lots of Greek foods to try. I loved the honey cake!

Clockwise from top center: rice, tomato ball, salad with oil and vinegar dressing, bread, fava dip, tzatziki dip, and pork.

They also had sweet red peppers, vine leaves, a slaw salad, and a delicious honey cake for dessert.

Mount Prophet Elijah

We stopped here for a beautiful view of Santorini. This mountain is over 2,000 meters high, and it is Santorini’s highest point. There is a monastery here, but it is closed now. There are no monks on the island.

Santo Wines Winery

This is the biggest winery in Santorini. It was founded in 1947. Wine has been made for more than 3,500 years in Santorini. The volcanic soil gives the wines special tastes due to the minerals in the volcanic rocks. There are 40 indigenous grape varieties on this island, and 500,000 bottles of wine are produced annually. Since I don’t drink, I cannot offer a comment on the wines except to say their colors were pretty.

Fira

Fira, the capital of Santorini, is perched on a sheer cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea. There are three ways down to the port below. One can walk 900+ steps down a steep, staired walkway, ride a “donkey taxi” down that same path, or take a three-minute cable car ride. We chose the cable car!

Clockwise from top-left: cable cars; view to the port from the cable car; donkey taxis; pedestrian walkway.

Next stop: Messina, Sicily