*** Warning: This blog is VERY long. How can a 15 day trip to Europe be summarized quickly?***
I'm sitting here at the computer to write to you about our incredible journey to Europe and wondering just where to start. It seems obvious, I know, start at “day one”. But after being home for nearly three weeks already, the whirlwind trip seems to be just that. It came and went so quickly! And so much has gone on here at home since we have been back that, honestly, I was surprised that it had only been three weeks ago that we flew home. Looking back at our itinerary and clicking through our pictures on the computer is starting to refresh my memory. Typing these memories out will help me bring them to life for you.
Believe it or not, just five days after returning home from being a camp councilor at our high school kids summer camp, Tim and I were decently rested, packed and ready to catch our plane to London to start our trip. God had plans for us from the beginning. Just the day before we left I got a final email from our friends who recently moved to London to plant a new Calvary Chapel church there. We had been trying to coordinate a time to meet up with them during our very short stay in London. Our coordination had been sketchy at best but right at the end it came through. But the amazing part of this story occurred months before this.
Tim and I had originally planned our trip back in September of 2009 and scheduled it for April. At this time we didn't know Tonye and Suzanne were moving to London. They didn't make that announcement until around Christmas. They also were going to London in April and we had casually mentioned that maybe we would try to connect. Well, in early March, the travel company we had booked with suddenly canceled the trip we had booked. We were never told why but we immediately had to reschedule. After several other bugs, we had to reschedule an second and third time, finally ending up departing June 17th, the day after our 3 year wedding anniversary. Tonye and Suzanne had some hiccups as well. They were originally scheduled to leave late April but were delayed by several weeks due to the volcanic ash issue. So by the time they got to London in mid May, they had about a month to settle in before we came to see them. God's timing is perfect!
So, day one. Our overnight flight went well. Overseas flights are so much better than continental. They have better movies and much better food. Now if only we could afford first class so we could actually lay down in a seat/bed to sleep. Maybe next time. That first day in London, we were so jet-lagged that we ate dinner in the very expensive hotel restaurant just because we didn't feel like venturing out. We then slept from about 7pm to 6am. Then excitement set in. We're in London!
Our first full day in London started with a quick bus tour of the highlights of London. We saw Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and of course Buckingham Palace. What I hadn't realized was, first, everything was so close and second, that most of the sightseeing that day was drive by and take a picture from the bus! More on this later. But we did stop at Buckingham Palace. We got to see the changing of the guard and Tim and I both got some good photos and video. We were not able to go into the Palace but we did get to see the facade and the front gardens.
After this the morning tour was officially over and we got dropped off in the center of town to explore other things and take other tours. But we were going to meet up with Tonye and Suzanne at the underground subway station (they call it The Tube hehehe). So we walked back to our hotel which turned out to be a straight shot and a quick walk. And, we got to walk passed some of the sights we had just drove passed earlier. So we were able to get some better pictures of Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the London Eye. Again, God is so good.
By God's grace we were able to find and meet up with Tonye in the Waterloo station and rode the tube to Camden, the area where his family and ministry team is working and living. It was great to be refreshed in the presence of friends after a rushed morning. After greetings and a tour of their amazing flat, we hit the streets of Camdentown to see just what Tonye had been up to the last few weeks. Camden was a very interesting place with a reputation to match. A small suburb of London, it is better know among the younger goth/party kid scene. If you know Tonye, it is just the place this very animated pastor would choose (or where God would choose to send him, I should say) to do ministry. There was a huge outdoor market place that we went to that sold wares from all around the world, but most notably, food.
Again, it's no surprise to me that this is where Tonye would choose to be. We wove our way through the market and Tonye introduced us to all the food vendors they had met; the man from Africa that sells non-alcoholic pina coladas, the man from Israel that works a coffee stand, the Chinese family that makes wonderful Chinese food (we had lunch there), the middle eastern family that runs a Moroccan food restaurant (we had dinner there) and the lovely ladies of Yum Chaa teas house (we had afternoon tea there) where Tonye has been holding Wednesday night Bible studies.
One of the ladies that works there doesn't know the Lord but is obviously hungry for friendship, and has been spending a lot of time with Tonye, his family and his team. It was great to meet her. She actually came to dinner with us and got to hear testimonies of two of the people in the group. It was an amazing day. And by the time we got back to our hotel well passed 11pm, we were definitely ready for bed. What a great introduction to London and an amazing time with friends. Not too shabby of a way to start your vacation. Well, it took me a little over one page to talk about our first day so I think I need to pick up the pace a little!
The next day we got on our tour bus and left London heading for Dover to catch a ferry to take us over to the mainland of Europe. While on the bus, Tim had been readying his Bible. Once we got off the bus and unto the dock for the ferry a woman and her husband from our tour group approached us. They introduced themselves, mentioned that they had noticed Tim reading his Bible and told us that they were Christians too! What a blessing. We had prayed that God would give us other believers on the trip so we wouldn't feel alone.
We of course came prepared to evangelize on the trip and having the support of other believers in Jesus Christ helps. Throughout the trip this couple became good friends. We also found several other couples in various level of Christian spiritual growth and we were able to encourage them and share ideas. It truly was a blessing to us. Well, back on the ferry, as we pulled away from the dock we got some beautiful shots of the white cliffs of Dover.
Shortly after that my body remembered that I get incredibly sea sick and I thought I was going to die! I tried going up on the top deck to get some fresh air but many people were up there smoking and that smell makes me sick as well. I was in bad shape. Right about the time I thought it couldn't get worse, we began to pull into the dock in Calais, France. Thank you God!
From Calais, we got on a different tour bus and drove into Belgium. Now, just a little tangent about boarder crossing. I was so excited to get stamps in my passport for all the countries we were going to. But what I didn't realize was that since all the countries were a part of the European Union, you don't have to stop at border control each time you cross into a different country. So no stamps for me. I was sad.
Anyway, in Belgium we made a few stops. The first was a little medieval looking town called Bruges that was known for it cobbled streets and many canals. We got some nice pictures and our first experience with having to pay for the bathroom. Yes, I said pay for the bathroom. Throughout the trip, bathroom fare ranged anywhere from 0.2 euros to 0.9 euros. We weren't prepared for that. And the amount you pay to get in in no way dictates the cleanliness of the bathroom. It was a trip.
From there we moved off to Brussels to see the Mannekin Pis. I didn't know what it was except that it was famous. It turned out to be a fountain with a statue of the little boy, no more than a foot and a half tall, peeing continuously. Fantastic (note the sarcasm). We didn't take pictures of that. But we did eat some fantastic Greek food in the square and had Belgian Waffles with hot fudge and strawberries for dinner and dessert. That was worth the stop. Also, the main languages in Belgium are French and German, so we handed out many of our French and German tracts during our free time.
Prior to leaving on our trip, we knew we would have plenty of free time scheduled into the trip for shopping and so on, but not speaking the language, we weren't sure how we would be able to do any witnessing about Jesus while we were there. While we were on an evangelistic website (livingwaters.com), we found tracts that used the upcoming World Cup as a connector and they were in French, German and Italian. While we were in Europe, it was right in the heart of the World Cup so the tracts went fast. Everyone wanted one. It was great.
The next day we were up bright and early for our drive into Germany. Our first stop was at a Gothic cathedral in Cologne. It was huge. But better yet, there were a lot of young kids hanging around. I thought they were going to attack Tim when we started to hand our the German tracts. They all wanted one. It was neat. From there we moved on to the beautiful Rhine Valley for our river cruise. It was a nice way to relax, see some beautiful scenery including many active castles, and get the chance to know some of our travel companions better. After disembarking our river cruise, we drove to Heidelberg to see the castle. There is a Calvary Chapel there too but we never saw it. From there we headed to our hotel.
The next day, we again we got on the bus for the more driving. We made our way through the Black Forest which was very green and lush. It is called the black forest because it is so dense with trees that little light gets in to the forest floor. Our first stop of the day (now on day 6) was at the Rhine falls, a powerful waterfall on the same river we had been on the day before. From the falls we drove across the border into Switzerland and to famous Lake Lucerne.
Before our tour of the lake we ascended Mt. Stanserhorn, one of the locations in the filming of the opening scenes of “The Sound of Music”. It was a cloudy, overcast day, but you could still tell it was beautiful. We took a little trolley car from the valley floor to the base of the mountain and then a cable tram car up to the peak. It was lovely. It was chilly up at the top, so of course we had to have a cup of Swiss hot chocolate. Very tasty. We didn't have any Toblerone while in Switzerland but only because they sell it at the $0.99 store here in Chico. They wanted 3 euros (~$5) for it there! I told Tim to wait until we got home.
After Mt. Stanserhorn we took a booked cruise around Lake Lucerne. The hills were so green and beautiful and of course there were some very large, beautiful homes as well. After the lake cruise, we disembarked our boat in the main town of Lucerne and went to visit the Lion Monument. This monument is carved out of stone and is a sculpture of, you guessed it, a lion. The lion represents the courage and loyalty of the young Swiss soldiers that were sent all over Europe to defend the kings of other countries, most notably France. Later we walked to the Chapel Bridge and took some pictures before we were on to our hotel for the night.
In the morning we crossed over the back part of the Swiss Alps and into Italy to Venice. It took us most of the day to get to Venice but the short amount of time we got to spend there was lovely. Venice is a town made up of 117 tiny little islands, hence all the canals Venice is known for. Many small foot bridges throughout the town connect these islands, many just a few feet apart.
Our first stop in Venice was a famous glass blowing shop where we saw a demonstration and of course we got to tour through their gallery, all of which was for sale for a very reasonable price. Who doesn't have $12k to spend on a glass chandelier? But it was all very beautiful non the less. We then had free time during which Tim and I handed out many Italian gospel tracts while in search of just the right flavor of gelato. When we did find some gelato, we gave the woman behind the counter a million euro tract. She liked it so well that she left the shop (she was the only one there!) and ran to show someone in the hotel lobby across the way. It was great.
After our free time, we met back up with our tour group for our gondola ride. Because Tim and I are the most recently married out of the group, we got to be in the only gondola that had a singer. So we were serenaded on the canals of Venice by a man who only spoke Italian. He was very talented. Later we got to see more of the Grand Canal in Venice by water taxi. Apparently one of the villa we passed was owned by Johnny Depp, but we both missed and only heard about it later. Oh well. Then on to our hotel that had a view of the city and a full moon. 
In the morning (day 9 now) we were off to Rome! Again another long day of travel in the bus, but well worth it. That evening when we arrived in Rome we had a brief walking tour and bus tour of the city. On the walking tour we were able to see more and go into the Pantheon. Originally, it was designed to be a pagan temple but was later turned into a museum and burial place for Rafael and other artists of the Renaissance period.
We were able to go to another church as well. I'll shorten it's name by calling it St. Ignazio's church. The ceiling in this church had been entirely painted in the Baroque illusionist style. The figures appeared three-dimensional, as if the were coming out of the ceiling toward us, but the ceiling was completely flat. No pictures could ever do this sight justice. You would have to be there to see it. It was incredible.
Later we walked to Piazza Novona to eat dinner. Tim and I chose a traditional little Italian cafe and had a calzone. But we had to save room for a special type of gelato that Piazza Novona was known for, Tartufo. This chocolate like ice cream was like a dream. I have no words to describe it. If you are ever in Rome, have tartufo. But then it was back to our hotel for a good night sleep because we had a appointment at the Vatican City at 8AM.
The Vatican was a very interesting place. There was many, many beautiful works of art, mostly done by Michelangelo. What I didn't realize was that most of the paintings he did for the Sistine Chapel and Vatican museum, he didn't want to paint! Michelangelo was a sculptor and didn't want to do anything but sculpt. But the Pope at the time the chapel and museum were being built demanded that Michelangelo be the one to do the artwork. I have to say, he did a pretty good job for someone who didn't consider himself to be a painter! The size of his work was huge.
Our guide told us that he painted the ceilings by either standing on a ladder and looking up or by lying down on a scaffolding and painting on his back. My neck hurt after looking at the ceiling for ten minutes. I can't imagine doing that all day, every day for three years until all the work was complete. Next we went on to St. Peter's basilica. The building was very lovely and it allowed a great environment for Tim to hand out many tracts.
After a break for lunch it was back on the bus to see the older, ancient side of Rome. We drove passed many old ruins such as the Circus Maximus where chariot races were held, remains of a temple to the pagan goddess Venus and of course the Triumphal Arch of Napoleon and the Colosseum. It was interesting to find out that the Colosseum isn't really falling apart like it looks like it is.
The Romans were great at recycling, so when the Colosseum was no longer being used for gladiator fights, theater acts, chariot races or Christian persecutions, the Romans began to take the white marble stones away and use them in other buildings. If the Romans would have left the marble in place, I'm sure the building would still be standing in it's original glory. Again, we had more free time to hand out our Italian tracts and stop for more gelato. Later that evening, our tour group had a traditional five course Italian meal. The first course of antipasto was more than a full plate's worth of appetizers. Next came the second course of a plate full of pasta. Right about then Tim and I were looking at each other like, 'How are we supposed to fit in three more courses?!'.
Next came the main course of Italian flavored meats and green salad. Tim had some meat and I had just a little salad. Fourth course was a delicious chocolate cake and cappuccino. Now you might be wondering what the fifth course is, if course number four was the dessert. Well, we were wondering the same thing. But then came our the “mini bar” selection of alcoholic drinks to wash down our dinner.
Tim and I don't drink alcohol anymore anyway, but the thought of a drink strong enough to be considered it own course was a little frightening. But others survived. We were still glad to pass. After our dinner we walked, or should I say waddled, a few blocks down the road to the Trevi fountain. The water wasn't running in the fountain due to cleaning and maintenance but it was still beautiful. Then back to our hotel for a good night sleep.
Our morning started with a beautiful drive through Tuscany where we saw many villas, vineyards and tobacco crops from our bus window as we made our way to Florence. Once we arrived in Florence we stopped at a beautiful vista point that overlooked the whole city. Then down into the city for a walking tour.
Our first stop was to see Michelangelo's 'David'. Next, we went on to see more sculptures in outdoor museums as well as some catholic basilicas. That evening we had more free time for, you guessed it Italian tracts and gelato! We also found an internet cafe so we could shoot an email back home. That was a nice surprise. The morning of day 11, we said goodbye to Florence and headed for a quick stop in Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower before crossing the French border. We took some fun pictures at the Leaning Tower of Pisa (bell tower to the basilica in Pisa) and then back on the bus.
After several more hours of riding on the tour bus we crossed the French border and headed into the Principality of Monaco. What a beautiful place. It is a state made up of four very ritzy towns where the 'rich and famous' live. The authorities have a no tolerance law against “vagabonds” and there is literally no trash anywhere. Some in our tour group accidentally dropped a napkin and a man with a broom and pan was standing right there to pick it up almost before it hit the ground.
The town we were in was Monte Carlo, right on the harbor. The area of the French Riviera where we were is called the cote d'Azur or Blue Coast. The water was very blue; the landscape and climate were very tropical. And the buildings were painted a clean creamy color. I thought the whole place was beautiful. Of course we got some more pictures and handed out some French tracts but no gelato. That evening after we checked into our hotel in Nice, we went to a local restaurant that had lovely flowers and the best French Onion soup I think I've ever had.
We had free time in the morning, so Tim and I donned our flip-flops and swim suits and headed for the beach! I couldn't believe it but at 9:30AM the beach was already packed and the water was warm. Most of you know that I hate to be cold and swimming isn't usually my favorite activity, but the water felt so good, I didn't want to get out. I couldn't believe how warm it was. But eventually I did have to get out so Tim could get in. Now Tim can say he has swam on both the east and west coast of the Mediterranean Sea (in Nice and in Tel Aviv, Israel).
After a speedy but very tasty lunch of Kebabs, we were off again for more touring of the French Riviera. That afternoon we visited a quaint little Medieval town of St. Paul da Vence. It was very picturesque sitting up on a green hillside with cobbled streets and stone buildings. And of course, amongst the boutiques we found none other than a gelato shop. If you haven't figured out by now, Tim and I like ice cream. Later that evening we took a drive through the Grand Corniches to our final destination for dinner at a local restaurant that night.
The next morning, we drove from Nice to Lyon where we would take the speed train to our final destination city, Paris. After a long day of travel we got to relax over a nice French dinner before our Seine River cruise to see Paris at night. The river cruise was nice to relax in the cool evening breeze. But the highlight was definitely the Eiffel Tower. Just as we were passing by, the Tower lite up with thousands of twinkling lights. It was so beautiful and romantic. Then it was back to our hotel to rest up for our last full tour day, the next day.
The morning started with some bus touring of the city. We drove passed Norte Dame cathedral, the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triopmphe. Our next stop was the Eiffel Tower where we got to go to the second level for a beautiful panoramic view of the city. After some time there we left Paris for the city of Versailles to see the palace.
Inside the palace were many ornate rooms, decorated much the same as when King Louis XV and Queen Marie Antoinette lived there. Beautiful woven tapestries and fabrics as well as intricate paintings lined the rooms. After a brief tour inside the palace we were allowed to wander in the gardens, which were huge! If it hadn't been so hot and if I hadn't lost my sunglasses I could have spent much more time there.
After the palace, Tim and I opted to visit the Louvre. How can you go to Paris and not see the Louvre? Of course our main mission was to find the Mona Lisa. After nearly an hour of wandering this huge art museum we finally found her. From that point on we slowly walked the maze of the museum. The Louvre is the size of one city block and four stories high. Our tour director told us of a calculation done once and it has been found that if someone was to spend no more the thirty seconds looking at each piece of art, that it would take a lifetime to see everything in the Louvre , Wow!
But we thought we would at least try to make a dent. After three hours all we had seen was the Italian art section and a quick walk through the Egyptian exhibit and we both thought our feet were going to fall off. We barely saw anything in comparison. In my head I was looking for a gift shop with a shirt that said “I survived the Louvre”. It was incredible. That night, most of our tour went to see the Moulin Rogue cabaret but Tim and I had not wanted to go, so we had a nice relaxing evening together. Across the street from our hotel was a little square with many restaurants. We picked the most American looking one called the Hippopotamus. Despite the fact that we just had hamburgers for dinner, it was the nicest dinner we have had together in a long time. Instead of rushing through our meal like we usually do, we sat there and talked for about 2 hours. What a nice way to wrap up the trip.
In the morning, we said a bittersweet goodbye to our new friends and boarded the plane for heading back home. It was a wonderful trip and the Lord revealed a lot to both Tim and I while we were away. We made some new friends, gave out a lot of tracts and checked off a big item on our “To-Do Before Kids” list. We came home refreshed and ready to hit the ground running with the different ministries we are involved with. And since being home, it has been one blessing after another. We serve a truly amazing God.
