Author - Clay Corvin

TRIP TO EASTERN EUROPE
May 21-June 12, 2010
Adam Corvin and J.P. Cox

DAY 1-SAT., MAY 22-PRAGUE
Adam and I left New Orleans the previous day at 11:20 a.m. on Delta Airlines and had a layover in Atlanta before arriving in Munich, Germany on Saturday morning around 8:30 a.m. We had two smooth flights with no problems. Upon clearing passport control and getting our bags at the airport, we headed to Munich’s central train station to begin what would be a long, all-day journey by train to Prague, Czech Republic. The train voyages allowed us to view the beautiful countrysides of Germany and the Czech Republic, as we passed through quaint villages as well as fields of poppies. Although purchasing rail passes for trains are fairly expensive depending upon what type of pass you get, they are definitely worth their value as trains are a very efficient and fun way of getting between countries that are in close proximity to each other. After arriving in Prague at around 7:00 p.m., we took a taxi from the train station to the Hotel Betlem. Something that I noticed in relation to the taxis in Eastern Europe was how fair the taxi drivers were when it came to charging. They didn’t seem to overcharge or hassle us, which was quite different from what we experienced in Turkey. The taxi prices ranged between 12-25 Euros, which I thought to be quite reasonable.

The Hotel Betlem is a small hotel with an old-world feel. It is a little outdated and cramped on space and lacks some of the amenities of chain hotels, but it is in a prime location, about a mere 10 minute walk from the city center sand just across the street from the historic Bethlehem Chapel. While affordable, one concern is that, depending on the size of any potential group that we bring to Prague, the hotel might not have enough rooms to house our entire group. After checking into the hotel, we dined across the street from the hotel at a great restaurant called Club Architecture, where the food is good and affordable. After dinner, we strolled through Bethlehem Square before retiring for the night.

DAY 2-SUN., MAY 23-PRAGUE
After a light breakfast at the hotel, which is included in the room rate, we then spent the day sightseeing on our own. We saw such amazing sites as Charles Bridge-the oldest bridge in the city, built in 1357, St. Nicholas Church, and Prague Castle. Prague is a most beautiful city and is very compact, which would make it quite easy to get around if we were to bring a group there. It is also not as expensive as one might think, which is also to our advantage. Another good fact about the hotel is that it is right next to three or four restaurants, all affordable with great food. We ate at one such place, Restaurant Jeslinka, for lunch.

After resting in the afternoon, we met the rest of our group at 5:00 p.m., and the tour officially began. Our guide for the trip was Marijan Kristovic. He was incredible, displaying a full knowledge of the history, culture, and politics of each location and was also personable, making himself accessible at all times.
He was a truly great guide, and I highly recommend him. His phone number is 00 386 40 222 739. After an orientation meeting, we had a group dinner at Club Architecture. After dinner, we took an evening stroll through Prague by night, where we got a gorgeous view of the Vltava River, Charles Bridge, and Prague Castle all lit up. We also strolled through the main square of the Old Town, which was Prague’s version of the French Quarter.

DAY 3-MON., MAY 24-PRAGUE
After breakfast at the hotel, we met up with our local city guide, Martin Belohradsky, and started the day by taking a walk through the Jewish Quarter. Martin is an outstanding city guide whose expertise lies in fine arts and architecture but did a great job relating personal stories of his experiences in communist Prague. His contact information is martinb@[email protected], 723-414-565. In the Jewish Quarter, we visited the Pinkas Synagogue, where on the walls are written the names of all the Czech Jews that were captured and executed by the Nazis. We also visited the Old Jewish Cemetery, where the first burial dates back to the 15th century. The bodies in that cemetery are so numerous that they are stacked 12 high. On this day, we also visited the Spanish Synagogue, the Astronomical Clock in Old Town Square, and St. James’ Church. After a great lunch of curry chicken and potato croquettes at Restaurant Jeslinka, we took an afternoon walk learning about the Czech revolution against communism. I ended a great day with an amazing concert by the Prague Royal Orchestra at Municipal Hall, where they played Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”, Pachabel’s “Canon”, and selections by Mozart. It was a wonderful ending to a wonderful day!

DAY 4-TUES., MAY 25-PRAGUE
Today was our final day in Prague, and it turned out to be quite a busy day, as we visited numerous sites around the Castle Quarter. We toured the stunning gardens of Wallenstein Palace and also visited St. Vitus Cathedral, Royal Palace, Rosenberg Palace, St. George Basilica, and the Royal Gardens. We lunched at a small pub-type establishment near the Petrin Hill overview. It had good food but only accepted payment in cash, which could be a drawback for large groups. After lunch, we had a free afternoon and later had dinner at an Italian restaurant near the hotel called Sherry. The soup and salad were excellent, as were the affordable prices.

DAY 5-WED., MAY 26-MORAVIA
Today was mostly a travel day as we headed to Moravia. Along the way, we had lunch in a small, picturesque village called Stromberg, where they are known for shortbread cookies that are in the shape of ears and stuffed with fruit and cream. We spent the night at the Hotel Tanecenica on Pevensky Hill, which is a charming ski resort area with beautiful views of the valley below. The hotel was a little outdated in its’ furnishings but could easily accommodate large groups and was overall very comfortable. We had dinner at a small restaurant near the hotel and were then treated to an evening of traditional Czech music and dancing.

DAY 6-THURS., MAY 27-KRAKOW
On this day, we said goodbye to the Czech Republic and hello to Poland as we made our way to Krakow. Along the way, we stopped for lunch in the beautiful town of Pszczyna. There, we took some time to walk through the town square and to view the palace and gardens of Princess Daisy. After a light lunch at a local restaurant, we continued on our journey, but not before stopping at the infamous Auschwitz Concentration Camp. The camps was beyond description, as we saw rooms filled with hair, glasses, shoes, crutches, clothes, and other materials belonging to the one million plus people murdered by the Nazis. Over 90% of the victims there were Jews. It was such a sobering reminder of the cruelty of man during that time. The site it’s a must see if bringing a group to Krakow. The site will provide an English-speaking guide for the group, but you really need a minimum of three hours to do the site justice. After leaving Auschwitz, we headed toward Krakow, arriving there in the early evening hours. We checked into our rooms at the Hotel Francuski and had a late group dinner at Restaurant Ferina. The hotel is a lovely hotel and is once again located just a short walk from the city center, but it is quite obvious that it is a more upscale establishment and most likely out of our price range.

Though I did not expect it, I found that Krakow holds a great deal of potential as a possible destination for a mission trip. Though the city as a whole is beautiful, there are several areas that are run-down and dilapidated and are in desperate need of work. This could definitely be a possibility for us. I think that there would also be some good opportunities for evangelism, as most of the city is Catholic.

DAY 7-FRI., MAY 28-KRAKOW
Today was our first of two full days touring Krakow. We spent the morning touring the Old City of Krakow, visiting the home of John Paul II when he was Archbishop of Krakow. We also visited St. Francis Cathedral, Vavel Hill, Vavel Castle, Royal Cathedral, St. Mary Church, and the wonderful Krakow market. We had a great lunch at the highly recommended Pod Aniolami, a somewhat pricey but delicious and centrally located restaurant near the market. Their salads and grilled dishes are amazing! We wrapped up this day with a light dinner and walk around the market.

We had a great city guide for Krakow as well. Her name is Anna Gega. Though she is soft-spoken and somewhat difficult to hear with large groups, she was nonetheless informative and accommodating. She charges 250 zloty for four hours or 350 zloty for an entire day. Her contact information is [email protected], 0604-151-293. It is important to note that since only official Auschwitz guides can lead tours at the concentration camp museum, she could get us there but wouldn’t be able to lead us around. She could, however, arrange for an official guide or help us to join an already scheduled tour.

DAY 8-SAT., MAY 29-KRAKOW
Today, we visited the amazing Wieliczka Salt Mine. It was simply stunning! There were numerous cathedrals and statues that were made exclusively out of salt. It is a massive facility, as we toured it two hours and saw about 1% of the total mine! It is only 15 minutes outside of Krakow and did not contain small or narrow spaces.
It would be great for our groups to visit on free time. In the afternoon, we visited the Jewish Community Center and toured the Jewish Quarter, where we saw several old, run-down synagogues, as the total Jewish population has been drastically reduced from the thousands to about 100. We wrapped up the day with dinner at Pod Aniolami and a walk through the town square.

DAY 9-SUN., MAY 30-EGER
We left Poland this morning and made our way to Hungary. Along the way, we stopped in a small town in the country of Slovakia for a picnic lunch.
Other than that stop, this was mostly a driving day, as we arrived in Eger, Hungary in the early evening. After a walk through the town, we dined on traditional Hungarian dishes such as goulash, veal and potato dumplings, pork and sauerkraut, goose liver and apples, and sweet crepes and strudel at a restaurant called Bajor Sorhaz. The food was served family-style, which gave us a glimpse into Hungarian culture but otherwise wasn’t great. We stayed at the Hotel Korona in Eger, which was a small and simple hotel that still met all of our needs.

DAY 10-MON., MAY 31-BUDAPEST
After breakfast, we had some free time around Eger. Around mid-morning, we visited a middle school in the town of Recsk, where we got to talk to their teacher, Edit. We also got to talk with the students and help them with their English lessons. In the afternoon, we visited Kohari Winery in Egersalok. The proprietors of the winery, Istvan and Ibolya, put on a great show for our group and entertained us all with music and dancing. The drawback to not being on a Christian tour is that you have to go to events like the previously mentioned one that you normally wouldn’t have to. We then drove into Budapest and checked into the Hotel Erzsebet. This hotel, like our previous hotels, is centrally located and has all of the modern amenities of a business hotel. However, you have to pay for Wi-Fi, which would definitely be a drawback for many people in our groups. We had dinner at the Central Café, which is a two-minute walk from our hotel. The food is great and affordable, and they separate their smoking and non-smoking sections, which is not common in Europe. That is a plus for our group. Their chicken paprika is excellent.

DAY 11-TUES., JUNE 1-BUDAPEST
We toiled through rainy weather throughout our stay in Budapest but managed to visit several areas on the Pest side of the city, including Heroes Square, Vajdahunyad Castle, the Szechenyi Baths, the Hungarian Opera House, St. Steven’s Basilica, Hungarian Parliament, and the Great Market Hall. We had lunch in the cafeteria of the market hall, which was overpriced and had only average food. We had a free afternoon, so I went over to the House of Terror Museum, which recounts Hungarian occupation by both Nazi Germany and communist Russia. It is a good museum but is designed primarily for Hungarians, so the only information in English is the overly-lengthy pamphlets, which describe each section of the museum. After dinner at the Central Café, we ended our day by taking a beautiful evening cruise of the Danube.
Budapest is a most beautiful city and very easy to get from one place to another, as their subway system is one of the easiest that I have ever used. It would be very easy for our groups to navigate the city through the subway system.

We had yet another wonderful city guide in Budapest. Peter Polczman was, in my opinion, the best of our three city guides and did simply a masterful job of putting us in touch with the real Budapest. His rate is 18,000 forints for four-five hours or 25,000 forints for eight hours. His contact information is [email protected] or [email protected], 011-36-20-926-0557.

DAY 12-WED., JUNE 2-BUDAPEST
We spent this morning touring sites on the Buda side of the city. We stayed in the Castle District, visiting the Royal Palace, St. Matthias Church, Residence of the Hungarian President, and Statue Park, where the Hungarians deposited old statues of communist leaders after communism fell apart in Budapest. Budapest is a remarkable city, and I think it would be a great place to take a group to, if we were able.

DAY 13-THURS., JUNE 3-PLITVICE
Today was primarily a driving day, as we headed to Croatia. The only extended stop of the day was a picnic-style lunch at a small farmhouse restaurant near the Croatian border. We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Plitvice in Plitvice National Park. The hotel was very modern and had a great breakfast as well as a great dinner, which we had on this evening. We dined on soft cheese, cabbage salad, mixed grill, and apple strudel.

DAY 14-FRI., JUNE 4-RAB
We took a beautiful, long morning walk through the gorgeous waterfalls of Plitvice National Park. After a small lunch at the park, we spent the afternoon driving to the island of Rab. After checking in at the Hotel Imperial, we took an evening walk through the town of Rab before having a fish dinner at Restaurant Astoria, where we dined on salad, carp, sole, calamari, mussels, potatoes and Swiss chard, chocolate mousse, crème caramel, and coconut cream for dessert. Great meal and great harbor view, but too pricey for a group. Once again, we had a great, centrally located hotel. However, we had to pay for Wi-Fi.

DAY 15-SAT., JUNE 5-RAB
Today was a total free day in Rab, so after breakfast, I took a walk along the coast of Rab before having lunch at the Santa Maria Restaurant. It has great food, but was a bit pricey and didn’t accept credit cards. Because of its status as a popular resort destination, Rab is a bit expensive when it comes to food and souvenirs. After a relaxing afternoon, we had dinner at Ana, where the food was great and portions were huge.

DAY 16-SUN., JUNE 6-BLED
Today made for a long day, as we traveled to Slovenia. Along the way, we had a picnic lunch and visited the Skocjan Cave, which was good but not nearly as impressive as the salt mines. We then spent a few hours touring the city of Ljubljana before arriving at the Best Western Hotel Lovec in Bled at around 7:30 p.m.
The hotel is business-style, centrally located and has all of the amenities that we would need, including an indoor heater pool as well as a sauna. It is plenty large enough to house our entire group, but the service staff is somewhat unfriendly and slow to help.

DAY 17-MON., JUNE 7-BLED
Today was the last day of being with our group. We went to the small island in the middle of Lake Bled and visited the beautiful Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Four our farewell dinner, we ate at Ocarina, next to the hotel.

DAY 18-TUES., JUNE 8-VIENNA
Today we said goodbye to our group and headed out to Vienna on our own by train. We arrived at the Best Western Hotel Beethoven that afternoon. Our travel agent, Bill Bryan, did a fantastic job of finding us comfortable hotels that were centrally located near city centers. This hotel was no exception. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, the breakfast was great, and the accommodations were quite comfortable and spacious. Additionally, the hotel was just a 10 minute walk from the city center. It also had free Wi-Fi and was situated right across the street from a large market that contained many affordable restaurants. I highly recommend this hotel! After checking in, we spent the afternoon and evening getting oriented to the large city. Vienna is a gorgeous city and contains the most beautiful architecture. It is also a surprisingly ethnic city, with a variety of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian restaurants and shops. We viewed St. Stephen’s Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, Hofburg Palace, Imperial Treasury, Spanish Riding School, and other sights. Adam and I both had a light dinner in the market across from the hotel.

DAY 19-WED., JUNE 9-VIENNA
Today was a full day of touring some of Vienna’s most famous sites. Great weather allowed me to visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, Hofburg Palace (Silver Collection, Sissi Museum, and the Imperial Apartments), Sigmund Freud House and Museum, Parliament, Rahaus, and we rode the train around the Ringstrasse. Hofburg Palace is definitely a must-see! It was definitely one of my favorite sights of the entire tour and was only 10 Euros. However, you need a good two and a half hours to really see everything, but it is well worth the time and money! The Freud Museum is a waste of time and money. It is out of the way, and is really not interesting at all. We had dinner at Wienerwald, which is a chain restaurant, but the food was actually very good, and so were the prices.

DAY 20-THURS., JUNE 10-MUNICH
We traveled to Munich via train and had no problems. Purchasing our rail passes ahead of time sure made things convenient, as all we had to do was arrive at the train station, find our train, and board. It was well worth the money! The Hotel Cristal in Munich is also owned by Best Western and, like the Hotel Beethoven in Vienna, is also a great hotel. The rooms are spacious, and the staff was extremely helpful. It is in close proximity to the city center and also had a great breakfast. However, it did not have central air, so we had to use a portable air conditioner in order to cool the room. Additionally, we had to pay for Wi-Fi. However, those were simply minor inconveniences compared to what you get for the price. After checking in, we explored the Marienplatz area of Munich with its gorgeous cathedrals and churches. Upon the hotel receptionist’s recommendation, we had dinner at Augustiner. The food was good, but not great. However, the prices were reasonable.

DAY 21-FRI., JUNE 11-MUNICH
Today was our final day in Europe before heading home after three weeks. We continued in our exploration of the Marienplatz area of Munich, where we visited Fraukirche and Theaterkirche-two beautiful and most impressive churches!

This was certainly an incredible trip, and it was one where I learned a great deal. I discovered that, in addition to Prague, Krakow as well as some other cities that we visited definitely hold potential for mission trips. All of the hotels that we stayed in were clean and comfortable, and all included breakfast. All of the breakfasts, were similar in nature, with eggs, some type of grilled meat, a variety of breads, cheeses, deli meats, fruits, vegetables, and condiments. I think that we could definitely bring a group on a trip to Eastern Europe, whether that takes the form of a mission trip or something else. I look forward to further exploring such possibilities.

J.P. Cox
6/18/10

THINGS ARE MUCH BETTER

Idols at every turn
All they think and do is against God
I’m praying so hard
Look Lord all are against you

Quiet child
Your faithfulness is known
But you don’t know all I’ve won
Seven thousand have not turned from me

Lord I bow to honor and praise you
How can I see these who serve You
It sure is a lonely walk
Serving and sacrificing

I always have a remnant
My work is being done
Many are faithful unto death
You too often think faithfulness has a physical reward

Lord forgive me for questioning
But where are they?
Who are they?
Do they live and act like me?

No they live and act like My Son Jesus
Look around you, some are my children
Whosoever will may come
I am calling them and they are answering everyday

Tend to your life
Are you doing what you know needs doing?
Surrender your life, love me and those you see
Jesus is Lord, let Him lead you!

Life is frail as a moonlit night
Moving, shaking, changed and light
Wishing never changes things
Actions taken that’s the thing

We can be so brilliant
Yet in a moments time forget that life is frail
We do this or that feeling eternal
Our actions bring us down while we look the other way

Why can’t we connect our hands and feet
More closely to our mind
Demanding standards be met
Without the blink of an eye, this is where we stand

Many a man of stronger cloth than I
Have been mowed down in the blink of an eye
By actions that destroy all good
They didn’t even realize the finality of their act

No more their intellect
The act takes a life of its own
Try as they might it cannot be rescinded
They live that life of death until that day they sleep and no more

Clay Corvin
http://www.claycorvin.com

Oh what a sinner I had been
I lived each day for me
I based my life on things that would die
It was all about me, my selfish pride
I wanted, I got and I did
My life was lived for me

Jesus came looking for me
He searched because He loved me
He knew I was dead in my sin
Yet even then He came looking for me
He said come to me all who are heavy laden
I took my sin and gave to Him and He gave me a new heart

My life was changed
God called my name
I was free in Jesus
I was new in Christ
His will my life
I serve because I am free

Now He belongs to me
I know the truth,
I live in the light
Jesus is precious to me
My goal is to honor and glorify the Son
Eternal life has begun

Clay Corvin 6/5/10
http://www.claycorvin.com
http://www.rememberme.com

Florence, Tuscany, Venice and Rome- Mar 6-23, 2010
Pictures of our Italy trip -March 6-23, 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46603569@N07/sets/72157623806931226/
OUR TOUR GUIDES WERE INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL:
Carla Zaia cell: 39-349-759-0723 [email protected] our Rome guide
Diana Cugola cell:39 333 400 3113 [email protected] our Venice guide
Paola and Giuseppe Migliorini cell:39 347 657 2611 [email protected] our Florence and Tuscany guides
3/6/10
THE TRIP
A plane trip
The stress of packing
Take this
Don’t forget that
Airport mess, security, anxiety
People everywhere
Wait, wait, go
Sit, sitting, worn out
Ten hours flying
Land, & wait on luggage
Halfway around the world
Now the adventure begins
3/7/10
Giuseppe picked us up at the airport in Rome and took us to the Hotel Accademia in Florence. It was a very good transfer and we enjoyed getting to know Giuseppe. He really did a great job of sharing with us about Florence and Tuscany on our trip to Florence.
After we checked in we went walking to check out the city. The map was easy to follow and we went straight way to the Rivorie Cafe for coffee and profiteroles. Florence is a wonderful city.
Fiorenza, Latin: Florentia) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of theprovince of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 367,569 inhabitants (1,500,000 in the metropolitan area).
Florence lies on the River Arno. It is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and was a wealthy city. Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. The Medici family ruled Florence for several hundred years. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The historic centre of Florence contains numerous elegant piazzas, Renaissance palazzi, academies, parks, gardens,churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers.
The city has a wide range of collections of art, especially those held in the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi. It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante,Boccaccio,Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de’ Medici, Antonio Meucci, Guccio Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Florence Nightingale and Emilio Pucci.
3/8/10
Paola Migliorni met us at Hotel Accademia. Walking tour 9 am to Accademia, San Lorenzo, Palazzo Medici, Duomo, Baptestry and its famous bronze gates, Bargello. Great Touring day. Paola is an excellent communicator. The walking was easy and enjoyable. We literally walked from one side of Florence to the other and back. It was a full, full day and by the evening we were tired.
3/9/10`
98 church bldgs in Lucca. Why? What did that mean? Rev to Ephesus. Hard work, can’t stand evil but left 1st love. Listen, listen!
Lost 1st love-Eph was the church planting church of Asia Minor. Love isn’t love unless you give it away. Eph turned inward and lost their focus on Jesus. Laodicea was lukewarm. Focused on world not Jesus
2 pts
Lost purpose-did it on their own-get closer to Me-I’m outside your door-let me in
Focused on wrong thing-bldg church bldgs and not saving souls.
Giuseppe picked us up at our hotel and we traveled across Tuscany toward Lucca and then Pisa. On the way we toured Montecatini which is a famous spa town. Montecatini Terme is a major tourism center. They have over 2 million overnight stays in their 200 hotels each year. They have concerts, fairs, ballrooms, art exhibitions and other festivals that attracts the local (21,000 inhabitants) and the tourist in a well organized and a pleasant full agenda. The spas offer well-known healing waters and relaxation treatments and are building several new swimming pools for the future.
Lucca was next. The walls around the old town remained intact as the city expanded and modernized, unusual for cities in the region. As the walls lost their military importance, they became a pedestrian promenade which encircled the old town, although they were used for a number of years in the 20th century for racing cars. They are still fully intact today; each of the four principal sides is lined with a different tree species.
We had lunch in Lucca at Osteria del Neni. Wonderful lunch and beautiful restaurant. We walked the streets of Lucca from one side to the other. Beautiful piazzas and interesting ancient church buildings. Its walls are well built.
Onward to Pisa and see the leaning tower. Wow it was amazing.
3/10/11
Chianti Country
We drive through the high rent, villa area of Florence onto the Chianta Road. We are heading toward Siena but the Chianta Rd winds thru a hilly, beautiful, fertile landscape. Springtime, even though cool, and all of the trees and flowers are coming back to life.
Each little town has a church. The countryside is filled with olive trees. The road is lined on both sides with rock walls. We are on the Impruneta Rd and passing through Clock Mtn. The Villas rent often to Americans.
Impruneta is a small village where Florentines come to dine in the hot summer months. It also specializes in terre cotta.
Siena and Florence fought over the Chianti area for centuries. The Etruscans originally developed the Chianti area. The 11th C. The monks moved into this area and produced the wine. There are 200 castles in the Chianti area.
Chiantagiana road has many wine producers and olive oil producers. Passed through Strada and turned toward Greve. There are many villas for rent on this road. There are 600 wine producers on this road. There are 280 who specialize in Chianti. Some of the grape strains date from Etrusca times.
Greve is the main town of the Chianti area. We stopped at their old town square. It is picturesque with bakeries, gourmet shops, several cafes and a grocery store. It is laid out in a triangle with it’s church, St Mary’s of Greve, at the top. It is snowing heavily here in March!
We are passing the Vigna Maggio. This is where the Mona Lisa of Da Vinci lived.
Mont Reggiona is a fort overlooking the highway. Built in the 11th C. It sits darkly brooding over it’s past.
Siena is the city of the Gothic and a red brick city. Much of the construction dates from the 13th and 14th Centuies. Their towers are square.
Siena is popular for the palio that is run each year in the main square. The sq is shaped like a triangle. The contradas (region) vie with each other for the Palio victory. Their are 17 Contradas in Siena and they are fiercely loyal to their region. They compete about everything. The contradas have names such as butterfly, wolf, elephant, turtle and others.
The streets of Siena climb up and down over three hills. Some of the streets are difficult to negotiate without a rope to climb up.
Siena generally has 13th and 14th C. Bldgs. They also have several 11th C. Towers. The streets wind between ancient buildings creating dark streets and then suddenly they dump out on a beautiful piazza. Walking their streets while challenging cloaks you with the soul of Siena. I realize that isn’t grammatically correct but it is the only way I can think of to communicate what I felt. Delightful!
The weather hasn’t been the best but I think today has been perfect. Snow on the Chianti Road and the time spent in Siena was cold but dry.
Lunch at Cici Osteria. Too good to explain. A very good meal.
Our coffee stops have been excellent. Very good breaks.
San Gimignano was our next town. It isn’t far from Siena but it was far enough to enjoy more of the picture perfect countryside. This is March and Tuscany is under a spotted blanket of snow. As we climbed in altitude to 1,200 feet the spotted blanket became a very solid white covering. San Gimignano stood above us surrounded by its medieval walls quietly receiving more snow. Brown set off by white with its medieval towers reaching for the clouds San Gimignano stunned us as we gazed upon its beauty. We walked its streets, coffee and pastry off the church square, wandered thru many shops and took pictures of its buildings as we enjoyed this medieval town. The majority of its buildings were built in the 11th and 12th centuries. We left at 5pm and headed back to Florence. Another beautiful drive.
We drove to an overlook of Florence. The entire city was on display.
This has been a great touring day.
Thursday-Mar 11-Italy-Florence
We’ve struggled with the cold, rain and snow all week. This hasn’t slowed us down. We have done a good job this week of covering Florence and Tuscany. Today we are visiting the Academia and the Uffizi gallery.
Michelangelo’s David and his unfinished works are stunning. The Accademia also has musical instruments on display and other lesser works. David is the reason to go here.
The Uffizi Gallery is overwhelming. Of their 45 separate display rooms we actually visited by important categories about 20 of the rooms. Paola is an excellent art historian and she guided us thru the various painters and sculptors as they developed art from 1100 AD thru the Renaisance.
We had lunch at a favorite place, Rivoire, across the square from the Uffizi. Lunch was a great time of food and fellowship. We walked all over Florence and then back to our hotel for our evening Bible study. Dinner at ZaZa which is now our favorite cafe and then back to our hotel to pack for our trip to Venice in the morning.
Friday-Mar 12-Italy-Venice
We left our excellent hotel and five complete days in Florence and Tuscany to travel to Venice. Florence was cold and rainy this morning and walking with luggage to St. Maria Nevello trainstation was a bit of a challenge but we did it.
The two hour train ride was fast and comfortable. I live riding trains in Europe. I love travel in Europe. The scenery was picturesque from Florence to Venice.
We walked out of the train station and straight to the water taxi-just a few stops and we were at Rialto Mercato and 300 steps were at our hotel. It is clean and basic and easy to get to-Pensione Guerrato at Calle drio la Scimia.
Our guide in Venice is Diana Cugola (Venice with a guide). She took us to Saint Mark’s square, Saint Mark’s cathedral (with the Pala d’Oro), Doge’s Palace and a walk in the narrow alleyways of Venice to see other musts of the town. Diana is passionate about Venice, easy to follow and very good at her work. We started at 2pm and finished at 6pm. We were tired.
But not sovtires that we couldn’t stop at Cafe Florian, the oldest coffee house in the world. It was a real treat and real expensive. We had to try it.
We rode a water taxi back to Rialto Bridge and crossed over to San Polo. We saw an interesting restaurant, Caffe Saraceno (in business since 1926). They are still in business because their food is great. We ate well and enjoyed every bite. The coffee was good too.
We have had SUPERB coffee. I’ve lost count of how many places we’ve had coffee but it has to be several dozen.
Our day is over. Let me encourage you to travel with us to Italy one day. Our next trip will be in Oct 2011.
Sat-Mar 13-Venice
Venice is captivating. It is so different than any other place I’ve been. Boats, canals, palaces, stunning pictures, bridges over bridges, water taxis, colorful and multicolored homes (palaces) along the Grand Canal, hundreds of miles of tiny canals and this doesn’t even begin to exhaust the description. You have to feel Venice. The sights and smells have to capture your mind. It is absolutely stunning.
The food is good to great. There are Inexpensive restaurants and expensive restaurants in the great food category. We are enjoying these dining experiences.
We took the water bus, #1 Lido to the Salute stop. It is the stop before San Marco. We began our walking and exploring there. We strolled along the Grand Canal then over to Canal Della Giudecca. We crisscrossed the area walking tiny alleyways and the larger streets from Salute back to our location at the Rialto Mercato. There are 15 plus major piazzas or campos that we walked thru.
This afternoon we rented a private boat that took us through the city via canals. We ventures thru tiny canals and got to see Venice from the water.
Our dinner this evening was at Osteria Neno. It is a hidden gem, a small osteria that is family run with quality food.
Sun-Mar 14, 2010-Venice, Italy
Dr. Jim Parker led us in worship this morning. Note Paul’s comments about Mark being useful for the work “Mark is valuable for me.” it is important that we work for reconciliation.
We too often measure our lives with a mirror and Jesus wants us to measure our lives in community.
Our guide, Diana Cugola, met us at 9am. We met our private water taxi at Rialto Mercato and motored to Murano the first of the three separate islands in the Venetian Lagoon that we would visit today.
Murano is known for its glass factories. They moved all of the glass factories to Murano in 1292 to protect the main island from fires. We spent an hour observing the glass making process at Murano Glass and toured their showroom. Amazing process that requires significant training and skill to master. The blown glass products were gorgeous and out of our price range. It was an educational experience.
Burano was our next stop. It is the largest of the three and the most populated. Burano is known for it’s lace and picturesque pastel houses. It is an humble town of fishermen. Laundry hangs over alleyways of the beautiful, neat pastel houses. We talked with a lady who was grilling fish. She thought it was funny that we wanted to take a picture and enjoyed it when we did. Burano is also famous for the Leaning Bell Tower of the San Martino church.
Torcello was our final island. This island is the birthplace of Venice. The people moved there to evade the barbarian hordes in the fifth century AD. The original church here dates back to the sixth century AD. This is the least settled of the three islands.
The plus in this trip was the boat ride for an hour plus. The Lagoon navigation process is interesting. The level of government control here would be oppressive to most of us. This is the nanny state in the flesh.
We ate lunch at Ristorante Florida on the Grand Canal near Rialto. Jason had spaghetti with grilled vegatables. He said it was the best he has had on the trip. We have had spectacular meals in Florence, Lucca, Siena, and Venice so far.
The afternoon was devoted to washing clothes. Giovanni owns the washateria we went to and he took care of everything. We walked the area including San Marco for an hour and a half. When we got back everything was done. Giovanni was very helpful. We chatted for half an hour and discovered that he had been a tour guide in India for fifteen years. He was a joy to chat with and he wanted us to stay in touch. We will.
The trip back across town on foot became a movable feast. We had coffee, walked,window shopped, shopped, coffee, more walking and window shopping, gelato (we knew that our partner Don who is visiting Greece right now hadn’t found a gelato shop because he doesn’t read Greek so we dedicated the gelato stop to him) and then finally back to our room for Bible study and then dinner.
Our meal tonight was a rerun to Osteria Nono. It is listed as one of the top family run trattorias in Venice. They have definitely deserved that reputation. Tonight they treated us like we were old friends and went way out of their way to make our meal outstanding.
Mon- 3/15/10-Venice
Jesus had a mindset to: Obedience, Mission, Sacrifice, Humility
Perfection is defined by Love not performance-
Excitement today- Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp are filming a movie currently titled “The Tourist” in the Mercato Rialto which is next to our hotel-Pensione Guerrato. A lot of folks waiting to see the stars. They filmed from 7am to 10pm tonight.
We connected with Diana, our guide and began our walk across San Polo to the Friari Church. This church is considered one of the great art experiences because the art that was created to be in a church actually is in a church instead of a museum. The Friari Church was built by the Franciscans when they came to Venice in 1230. Later the Renaissance artists captured the beauty of the physical world and human emotions and put their works in the Friari Church. These works of art showed worshippers the glory of God in human terms. Some OS the artists who have works here are Titian, Donatello, Bellini, Veneziano, and Canova. This church has priceless and significant art work.
Just around the corner is the Scuola Rocco. There are more than 50 paintings in the Scuola di San Rocco. These are often called Tintoretto’s Sistine Chapel. This is the ultimate experience for Tintoretto fans. These great works are framed in gold on the walls and ceilings in the grand upper hall. It is a moving experience to see these works insitu. Tintoretto spent the last 20 years of his life creating the majority if these works for the Scuola San Rocco.
We had Great coffee near the Frari Church and then walked across San Polo to the Train station bridge then up La Spagna street and north away from the Grand Canal to Tintorett’s home. We also saw where Diana was raised.
Diana took us thru the Jewish Ghetto. Their community is still small as so many of the Jews were gassed by the Nazis. At the gates exit of the Ghetto we stopped to have lunch at Gam Gam a Kosher Jewish restaurant.
We walked this area of the city back to our hotel. We had enough time to take a 30 minute nap then our Bible Study as Dr. Dukes leads us thru Philippians.
All of our daily reporting on our time in Italy will be at http://www.Claycorvin.com
I will also share the location for pictures as soon as I get home and can get them out.
TU-3/16/10-VENICE-early morning
We traveled from Florence to Venice last Friday March 12. It was an enjoyable train ride. I remember my first view of Venice. It wasn’t at all what I had imagined. Now that we have spent four days walking and boating the city it has gotten into my mind and imagination. I live discovering how a city has developed. Its streets, commerce and buildings. Venice is the ultimate in business overcoming obstacles. Today they are trying to deal with the sea and its intrusions. I for one think they will succeed.
Every street has a story. Spain street is extra wide, built that way by a conquering army that needed a way Ti bring their heavy guns into the city so that they could maintain control. The limited land space and the marshy land could be controlled better by building the canals so that the land they built on could remain dry most of the time. Most of the buildings have a front entrance on the street and a back entrance on a canal. That way they can travel from their house by boat.
Venice-TU-Mar 16, 2010
We wanted to see all we could today. Venice is so beautiful and surprising. We walked to Rialto and turned left walking onto new streets. Churches, famous painters homes, quiet tiny camponelas, large piazzas, teeny streets where you have to duck your head and every step was enjoyable. Diana shared stories about the history of each street and area. We stopped for coffee and had lunch at a neat trattoria near the arsenal.
Good byes are sad. We had a wonderful week with Diana and we will look forward to returning to Venice.
The afternoon was more walking. Venice is a jewel.
Great meal at Nono’s. This is the top rated family trattoria in Venice and the staff treated us like family. This was our third meal there and each one has been super. We walked over to Rialto and had dessert and coffee at Saraceno’s. It too is an excellent place to dine.
Now back to our hotel to pack. Tomorrow morning we will go to the train station and travel to glorious. Rome the Eternal City.
Venice to Rome-WE-Mar 17, 2010
We were up early, finalizing our packing and getting ready to go to the train station to travel to Rome. I went to the bakery and cheese shop to put together a picnic lunch for us on our four hour trip to Rome. The bread, cheese and cookies were an excellent lunch.
We caught the waterbus and ran into a huge crowd watching the filming of “The Tourist” but we maneuvered around them and caught the train. I love train rides.
Arriving at the Hotel Lancelot was like coming. The Khan’s operate a wonderful small hotel just three blocks from the Colossseo. Their rooms are bright and comfortable. Faris, French trained Chef, prepares an evening meal that is second to none. All of their staff go out of their way to be helpful.
We checked in and then made a beeline to catch the 85 bus at Labicana to Piazza San Silvestro. We then walked over to the Spanish Steps and took pictures.
It didn’t take us long to walk from the Spanish Steps to the Trevi Fountain and then return to our hotel on the 85 bus.
Dinner tonight was a change of pace for us. Excellent meal.
Rome – TH – MAR 18, 2010
Rome, sunny and crisp, perfect walking weather. We walked to the 81 bus stop in Claudio and took the bus to the
Vatican.
The lines were huge and we had a special entrance and bypassed the lines and entered the museum. Our Rome guide had suggested that we purchase our entrance on line in advance and that was how we were able to get in without waiting in line.
Rick Steves “Rome” guide was an excellent help as we went through the Vatican Museum. We also toured St. Peter’s.
We had purposed to eat lunch at Piazza Navona. The sun was brilliant and our meal at Navona was enjoyable and good. After lunch we ate gelato enroute to the Pantheon and coffee. Both were outstanding.
I like riding public transportation in Rome. It is inexpensive and easy to learn it’s INS and OUTS. Even though we walked 14,000+ steps, not using buses would have added many steps to our already lenghty day.
Carla Zaia is our guide. We will visit the Forum and some major churches tomorrow with her. I’m forward to our day. Note that I have posted pictures on my facebook site and will post many more at http://www.virtualtravels.com after returning home. I’m looking forward to tomorrows report.
ROME – FR – Mar 19, 2010
San Clemente was our first stop today.The church has a beautiful interior, but it is especially notable for its three historical layers. The 12th-century basilica is built on top of a well-preserved 4th-century church (with many frescoes), which was built next to a 3rd-century Mithraic Temple. We explored the excavations of the lower two levels. It is a fascinating journey into the history of Rome.
Our second stop was the Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering. Our tour covered the Colosseum from top to bottom.
Our guide Carla Zaia does an outstanding job of putting all the pieces of history together. Our group has two Bible scholars, Dr. Dukes in New Testament and Dr. Parker in Old Testament, and they have both enjoyed Carla’s lectures. She talks with us and all of us are able to connect with her.
Lunch time at Le Naumachie
Via Celimontana, 7, Rome, Italy was a good time of food and fellowship.
Our third stop of the day was the Roman Forum. It is located between the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill of the city of Rome, Italy. It is part of the centralised area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed.
The oldest and most important structures of the ancient city were located in or near the Forum. These include its ancient former royal residency the Regia as well as the surrounding complex of the Vestal Virgins, both of which were rebuilt after the rise of imperial Rome. The kingdom’s earliest shrines and temples were located on the forum’s western edge. These shrines developed into the Republic’s formal Comitium, where the Senate, as well as Republican government began. The Senate House, government offices, Tribunals, religious monuments, memorials and statues cluttered the area. Over time the archaic Comitium would be replaced by the larger Forum, moving government to the Basilica Aemilia. 80 years later the Basilica Julia would be built along with the new Curia Julia moving both the judicial offices and the senate itself. The Forum would serve as the new city square where the people of Rome could gather for political, judicial and religious ritual in greater number. The Forum was the center of the Kingdom, Republic and Empire.
We climbed more steps than I can count to the Capitoline Hill which is located between the Forum and the Campus Martius. It is one of the seven hills of Rome. The Capitoline contains few ancient ground-level ruins, as they are almost entirely covered up by Medieval and Renaissance palaces (now housing the Capitoline Museums) that surround a piazza, a significant urban plan designed by Michelangelo.
Worn out we staggered down the hill to the bus stop where we caught a bus to the Colosseo stop and uses it’s escalator to get halfway upbthe hill to St. Peter in Chains. San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains) is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, best known for being the home of Michelangelo’s magnificent statue of Moses, part of the tomb of Pope Julius II.
Done for the day. Back to Hotel Lancelot for a nap before dinner.
This was a beautiful day.
HOPE
Bright days, pretty summers
Create in us a sense
A feeling of eternity
It is a deep longing in our soul
Death is a dreaded hole
We hope in Christ
Strength creates a false sense of hope
We can deal with this
It’s just a minor stumbling block
Then our soul is required
We hope for life
We spend many days, various ways
Commending ourselves to God
Working, non-stop, full tilt
We have it going on
This us not what God requires
We hope for life
Age has a way of slipping up on us
I meant to accomplish
Now I will never do what I purposed
Lord guide my path
We hope for life
We see our sin
We smell its stench
The world has a hold on me
Help me Jesus
I can do nothing without you
We hope in Christ
Clay Corvin
ROME – SA – Mar 20, 2010
Parades across the city. One is in front of the Coloseum which blocks off access to our neighborhood and the other is across town and a third parade is at St. John Lateran. Our choice of churches meant we had to move quickly to beat the parades.
Another beautiful day. Rome is very pretty.
First we went to the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran which is the cathedral of the Church of Rome, Italy, and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. Officially named Archibasilica Sanctissimi Salvatoris et Sancti Iohannes Baptista et Evangelista in Laterano (English: Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and Sts. John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran”, it is the oldest and ranks first (being the cathedral of Rome) among the four Papal Basilicas or major basilicas of Rome, and holds the title of ecumenical mother church (mother church of the whole inhabited world) among Catholics.
We also visited the Baptistry alongside the church.
Just across the street are Scala Sancta (English: Holy Stairs, Italian: Scala Santa). They are, according to the Christian tradition, the steps that led up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, which Jesus Christ stood on during his Passion on his way to trial.[1] The stairs were, reputedly, brought to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th Century. For centuries, the Scala Santa has attracted Christian pilgrims who wished to honor the Passion of Jesus. The Holy Stairs is the place where Martin Luther determined that he no longer believed he could be Catholic and returned to Germany.
Paolo drove us to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. It is an ancient Roman Catholic Marian basilica of Rome. It is one of the four major or four papal basilicas,[3] which, together with St. Lawrence outside the Walls, were formerly referred to as the five “patriarchal basilicas” of Rome [4], associated with the five ancient patriarchal sees of Christendom (see Pentarchy). The other three papal or major basilicas are St. John Lateran, St. Peter and St. Paul outside the Walls. The Liberian Basilica (another title for the church) is one of the tituli, presided over by a patron—in this case Pope Liberius—that housed the major congregations of early Christians in Rome. Santa Maria Maggiore is the only Roman basilica that retained the core of its original structure, left intact despite several additional construction projects and damage from the earthquake of 1348.
We made a short top at Santo Stefano Rotondo (sometimes called San Stefano Rotondo). It is near our hotel And is one of the largest and oldest round churches in existence. Dating from the 5th century, it is a fascinating church that reflects both local and foreign influences. Santo Stefano Rotondo was built by Pope Simplicius I (468-83) and dedicated to St. Stephen, the first martyr (Acts 6-7). St. Stephen’s relics were reportedly found in Jerusalem in 415 and the cult of the proto-martyr had come to Rome by the mid-5th century. Pope Leo I (440-61) had already dedicated two churches to Stephen in Rome by the time this one was built.
Stefano Rotondo was built on the former site of a Roman military barracks for non-Italian soldiers called the Castra Pergrinorum. The barracks were abandoned in the 4th century and destroyed in the 5th century in order to build the church.
We were running late on our schedule. Carla’s friend Amir was waiting on us to have lunch before our 1pm appt. But we wanted to quickly visit the Janiculum (Gianicolo in Italian) which is a wonderful overlook of Rome. It is a hill in western Rome. Although the second-tallest hill (after Monte Mario), in the contemporary city of Rome, the Janiculum does not figure among the proverbial Seven Hills of Rome, being west of the Tiber and outside the boundaries of the ancient city.
The Janiculum overlook was great but just as exciting was our ride to lunch. Paolo took us thru the heart of Central Rome. Tiny streets and major monuments that I had never visited by car. It was wonderful! I truly enjoyed the ride.
After lunch Amir dropped us off at the Borghese Gallery. Carla did a magnificent job guiding us through the Borghese.
Carol and I ran into a huge political parade on our way back to the hotel. That was an experience getting thru the parade.
ROME & ASSISI – SU -MAR 21, 2010
Early morning devotional.
Off to Assisi to see the birthplace and town of St. Francis of Assisi. The trip takes about 3 hrs. across Lazio Region and into the heart of Umbria. Beautiful countryside and an enjoyable ride.
Assisi is in a mountainside. Some of the roads in the town have more than a 30% grade. I think we walked all of those.
We had an excellent lunch at Trattoria Pallotta. The meal was very good. The ravioli and artichokes was the best we’ve had. The people were warm and friendly.
We walked from one end of the village to the other. We went into the St. Francis church and saw the artwork. Carla shared about St. Francis life and ministry.
Our visit to Assisi was a good day. On our return to Rome we came into the city on the “Salt Road.”
ROME – Su Night – Mar 21, 2010
Faris prepared a pasta with olives and feta cheese for our first plate and followed up with chicken and vegatables. Dessert was gelato with strawberries. We have had similar meals every night at the Hotel Lancelot. It is our favorite hotel in Rome.
We decided to do our night walk tonight. We took the 87 bus to Piazza Navona. Our walk began there. We walked over to Campo dei Fiori then to Piazza Farnese and Via Giulia.
Campo dei Fiori is a rectangular piazza near Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy, on the border of rione Parione and rione Regola. Campo dei Fiori, translated literally from Italian, means “field of flowers.” The name was first given during the Middle Ages when the area was actually a meadow.
Piazza Farnese is one of Rome’s most elegant squares. It is dominated by the enormous Palazzo Farnese, a magnificent Renaissance building, which was started in 1514 by Antonio da Sangallo, continued by Michelangelo and completed by Giacomo della Porta. Built for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (later Pope Paul III), it is now the French Embassy. The palazzo (which is very rarely open to the public) is famous for its magnificent frescoes by Annibale and Agostino Caracci. The twin fountains in the piazza were enormous granite baths taken from the Terme di Caracalla.
Via Giulia is a street in the historic centre of Rome, mostly in rione Regola, although its northern part belongs to rione Ponte. It was one of the first important urban planning projects in Renaissance Rome.
Via Giulia was projected by Pope Julius II but the original plan was only partially carried out. This was the first attempt since Antiquity to pierce a new thoroughfare through the heart of Rome and the first European example since Antiquity of urban renewal. Via Giulia runs from the Ponte Sisto to the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, following the tight curve of the Tiber. It became the most fashionable street for new construction for borghesi and for the Florentine community in the sixteenth century. Today its modest structures provide one of Rome’s elite shopping streets, noted for its antique shops.
The Via Giulia runs for a full kilometre in a straight line, an innovative feature easily taken for granted today. Its story begins in 1508, as an aspect of Julius’ wide-reaching program for the renovation of Rome and the founding of an absolute monarchy in the Papal States, which would assume its rightful place among the European powers. His financial reforms had been undertaken from the first year of his pontificate, and to free the Papacy from its dependence on the great Roman families, he turned to Tuscan bankers outside the circuits either of the Orsini or the Colonna, notably to Agostino Chigi, recently of Siena. A part of Julius’ overall plan was the reorganization of the medieval city of Rome, whose unrealized assets were becoming apparent as the renewed city grew in economic importance, recovering from the sleepy backwater it had become during the fourteenth century.
The new street was intended as an artery connecting all the governmental institutions, which were crowded in the single section: the Palazzo della Cancelleria, being completed at that very moment, the papal mint and the projected Palazzo dei Tribunali.
The laying-out of the street was placed in the hands of Donato Bramante, who was in charge of the works at the new Basilica of Saint Peter, taking shape on the other side of the river. Vasari states, “The pope was determined to place in Strada Giulia, which was under Bramante’s direction, all the offices and administrative seats of power of Rome in one place, for the convenience of those who had business to do there, having been until then constantly much inconvenienced.[1] At the same time the new artery linked the river port of the Ripa Grande with the new Via della Lungara, and by the Via Giulia to the Ponte Sisto, in order to bring merchandise securely and conveniently to the heart of the marketing and banking zone.
Work was halted on Bramante’s majestic Palazzo dei Tribunali, which was to have assembled under one roof all the judicature of Rome. It remained half-built for a generation, to the regret of artists like Vasari. With this an essential element in Julius’ urbanistic project was lost.
The street developed as a line of modest houses with gardens behind them, built for private owners or confraternities, sometimes on speculation, broken by more ambitious palazzi. This is the urban context of the “houses of Raphael”, with their ground floor street-front shops.
The grand palazzi turned their backs to Via Giulia. In the 1540s Michelangelo had a plan for the constricted gardens of Palazzo Farnese to be connected by a bridge to the Farnese villa in Trastevere on the far shore, Villa Farnesina. The elegant arch still spanning Via Giulia belongs to this other grand unrealized scheme.
The Campo dei Fiore was packed with people dining at one of its many restaurants or just walking about enjoying the evening as were.
We crossed the main street to Piazza Navona. Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in first century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. [1] The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones (“games”), and hence it was known as ‘Circus Agonalis’ (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to ‘in agone’ to ‘navone’ and eventually to ‘navona’.
Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred to it from the Campidoglio, the Piazza Navona is now the pride of Baroque Roman architectural and art history. It features sculptural and architectural creations: in the center stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini; the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi; and the Pamphilj palace also by Rainaldi and which features the gallery frescoed by Pietro da Cortona.
Navona was teeming with people. We took a few pictures and continued our walk toward the Pantheon. All of the restaurants that were open had a lot of people in them.
The Pantheon (meaning “Every god”) is a building in Rome, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD.
The building is circular with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft). A rectangular structure links the portico with the rotunda. It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to “St. Mary and the Martyrs” but informally known as “Santa Maria Rotonda.”
We walked the Via Pastini to the Fontana Di Trevi (Trevi Fountain.) There were too many people there and we added to the congestion. I have posted pictures of our night walk on facebook.
The Trevi Fountain (Italian: Fontana di Trevi) is a fountain in Rome, Italy. Standing 85 feet high and 65 feet wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the
The fountain is at the junction of three roads that marks the terminal point of the “modern” Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome.
In 1629 Pope Urban VIII, finding the earlier fountain insufficiently dramatic, asked Gian Lorenzo Bernini to sketch possible renovations, but when the Pope died, the project was abandoned. Bernini’s lasting contribution was to resite the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace (so the Pope could look down and enjoy it). Though Bernini’s project was torn down for Salvi’s fountain, there are many Bernini touches in the fountain as it was built. An early, striking and influential model by Pietro da Cortona, preserved in the Albertina, Vienna, also exists, as do various early 18th century sketches.
We had coffee before we walked on. The coffee was good. Our walk was a moveable feast that we kept moving and on to the Spanish Steps.
The Spanish Steps (Italian: Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti) are a set of steps in Rome, Italy, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the church of Trinità dei Monti. The Scalinata is the longest and widest staircase in Europe. The monumental stairway of 138 steps was built with French diplomat Étienne Gueffier’s bequeathed funds of 20,000 scudi, in 1723–1725, linking the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to the Holy See.
In the Piazza at the base is the Early Baroque fountain called Fontana della Barcaccia (“Fountain of the Old Boat”), built in 1627-29 and often credited to Pietro Bernini, father of a more famous son, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who is recently said to have collaborated on the decoration. The elder Bernini had been the pope’s architect for the Acqua Vergine, since 1623.
We had now completed our walk and 7,000+ steps. We caught the metro, changed to Line B at Termini and got off at the Collosseo stop and walked up to the Hotel Lancelot.
ROME – MO – Mar 22, 2010
Our last day in Italy. The weather was muggy and overcast. We started a little slower than our regular time, having breakfast at 8:30am and not getting our touring started until tenish.
Monet and the Impressionist was our first stop. Excellent!
We walked back to the hotel and met Carol for lunch at La Numachie. Faris from our hotel joined us. We were in a bit of a hurry because we had a 2pm appointment at the Caravaggio exhibit.
We had to change buses to get to the exhibit. That’s always a challenge but it worked smoothly.
The exhibit was packed. Monday is a school day and it seemed like all of the school children were there. The exhibit had a significant number of paintings so that you could get a sense of Caravaggio’s development of his short life painting. Even with such a crowd it was an outstanding exhibit.
There were three paintings by Caravaggio at the St. Louis French Church and they were not in the exhibit. We walked across town to the chuch which is near Piazza Navona. It was a delightful walk and three beautiful paintings.
ROME -TU -Mar 23, 2010
Homeward bound. Calm, peaceful trip back to New Orleans.
http://www.claycorvin.com
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Wonderful
His name is wonderful
More than you can see or hear
Whatever you can think
His name is greater than it appears

His name is wonderful
Inexpressible in words
We cannot think it see it or be heard
Oh my wonderful is just a word

His name is wonderful
Above the earth
Greater than the universe
What can be heard?

His name is wonderful
Mankind cannot know
What we know for sure
He saved our soul

His name is wonderful
Unfathomable the depths
The value of Jesus
I love His helps

His name is wonderful
The universes know
King of kings Lord of Lords
I bend my knee, I know

Clay Corvin 5/1/10

Bride, wife, mother, partner, friend
A kind and gentle blessing
Stalwart ally
Life changer

Gifted, skilled, wise, insightful
An understanding ruler of the household
Living her role with mercy
Sharing grace with each and all

Patient, encourager, dutiful
A life of joy and cheer
Bright sunshine when she is near
Comforting and caring for her family and friends

Trisha lives life looking forward
Trusting the Lord for her strength
Exercising restraint
When a situation challenges her life

Well equipped to stand in the day of failure
Studied and trained in the way of life
She loves her children without reservation
She has given her life to her man

Clay Corvin 4/27/10

On Patience

“I remembered one morning when I discovered a cocoon in a bark of a tree, just as a butterfly was making a hole in its case and preparing to come out. I waited awhile, but it was too long appearing and I was impatient. I bent over it and breathed on it to warm it. I warmed it as quickly as I could and the miracle began to happen before my eyes, faster than life.

The case opened, the butterfly started slowly crawling out and I shall never forget my horror when I saw how its wings were folded back and crumpled; the wretched butterfly tried with its whole trembling body to unfold them. Bending over it I tried to help it with my breath. In vain.

It needed to be hatched out patiently and the unfolding of its wings should be a gradual process in the sun. Now it was too late. My breath had forced the butterfly to appear, all crumpled, before its time. It struggled desperately and, a few seconds later, died in the palm of my hand.

The little body is, I do believe, the greatest weight I have on my conscience, for I realize today that it is a mortal sin to violate the great laws of nature. We should not hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm.”
(from Zorba the Greek, by Nikos Kazantzakis)

“Improving our own attitudes and our own state of mind takes time. Haste and impatience can only defeat our purposes.”
(from This is Al-Anon, quoted in Courage to Change, page 93). Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA

He chose to suffer, bleed and die;
To purchase life for you and I.

But do not look inside the tomb,
It’s just a cold and empty room.

But model your life after His,
That you may know eternal bliss.

For through His surrender to God’s will,
He paid in full your whole sin bill.

And now He lives forevermore,
On Heavens bright and shining shore.

But one day will return again,
So please be ready then my friend.

To take your leave of this earthly strain,
Forever in heaven with Him to reign.

No He’s not here behind this stone,
He now is in His rightful home.

And the life He lived while here below,
Was lived so we might fully know.

The way to hear one day like Him,
Well Done! Well Done! Come enter in!

Jim Ennis / 3/28/10

by jason c dukes

love that had to be given.
a selfless God.
a generous Creator.
an overflowing heart.

loneliness that had to be driven
by a relational God
for the created to know
intention from the start.

garden life.
two trees. one choice.
know all. know strife.
know life. hear His voice.

selfishness. fear.
a naked realization.
an overwhelming shame.
a place to hide.

Creator comes near.
where are you?
I am here.
come abide.

garden death.
consequences now.
history’s quest.
return somehow.

the Lover knew
yet made us anyway.
plan in place
even before the 1st day
to restore His love
back into His way.

the Son comes near.
announces the Kingdom.
commands us to love.
and dies.

restoration is here.
believe His love.
trust His enough.
ignore the lies.

the garden anew.
one day. restful.
thanks to You.
redemption. beautiful.