April 28, 2011
Wow! This week has flown by! We have spent the last three days in Rome, leaving early and arriving home late. Dinner at 9pm and breakfast at 7am! We have discovered a cheaper way to get into Rome: we drive a half hour and then take a commuter train the last half hour in. Plus, the trains run more regularly the closer in you are... pretty good for when you aren't sure you understand the train scheules...

So far, Rome is my favorite city of the three we have visited on this trip (London, Paris and Rome). It is so wonderfully chaotic and just crammed with monuments and fountains and ruins and massive, impressive buildings! It seems like everything is grand and impressive in Rome! Also, it is just packed with people! And cars, and scooters, and bikes, and motorcycles and buses! It is a beautiful chaos!

Let me tell you what we have seen. On Tuesday we headed for the Colosseum, which was very cool. The 2000 year old ruins were exactly what we expected, but we were pleasantly surprised to come across an exhibit of artifacts that were discovered from before the fire of 64 AD - you remember the story of Rome burning while Nero played the violin from his window - or something like that. He had the whole area leveled after the fire and built the Colosseum, not to mention a grand palace! There are several areas at the Colosseum and at the nearby Forum and Palatine Hill that are roped off and are currently being "uncovered"! You can peer over the barriers and see the archeological sites! Very cool!

At  the Colosseum

Colosseum

After that we headed out to find the Pantheon, the only ancient building in Rome that has been used continuously since it's construction. It's interior is the best preserved of the ancient buildings and really gives you a feeling for the height of Rome's splendor. One piece, granite columns shipped from Egypt, original bronze doors and then there is the dome! We watched a "Drive Through History" episode on Rome that really helped us appreciate the dome!

Pantheon

Dome of the Pantheon

Granite columns in front of Pantheon

Gelato!

After finding the BEST gelato shop in all of Rome, we headed to the Trevi Fountain to toss in our coins. It was noisy and crowded, so we didn't stay too long. That seemed like a full day to us, so we headed back to the maze of Metro and trains and into the peaceful Italian countryside where we spend our evenings.

Tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain to ensure a return trip to Rome



Fountain in front of the Pantheon

 Wednesday we returned to tour the ancient sites of the Forum and Palatine Hill. We were all eager to see the Arch of Titus, built by Jewish captives to commemorate Rome's victory over Judaea (the Jewish slaves also built the Colosseum). The site where Julius Caesar's body was cremated is there, heaped with fresh flowers, and the lovely courtyard of the house of The Vestal Virgins.

Arch of Titus

Caesar's cremation site covered with flowers

Et tu, Brutus?

Courtyard of the House of the Vestal Virgins

Afterwards we headed to the Cappuccin Crypt, a spooky site decorated with the bones of 4,000 Franciscan Monks. The dirt in the crypt was brought all the way from Jerusalem 400 years ago and the monastic message on the wall reads "We were what you are...you will become what we are now". Shhh, we told Daisy they were plastic! We couldn't take pictures, so I will have to show you my postcards when we get home!
Today we headed to Vatican City. If you recieve a postcard from us from Italy, it was mailed today using Vatican City stamps and mailed from it's post office. We walked through St. Peter's Basillica, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. We saw so much today, it is hard to think of what to tell you. We couldn't take pictures in the Sistine Chapel, but it was lovely. Wish I could have removed the thousand or so tourists and shushing guards, laid a quilt on the floor and had a good look! Even with an aching neck and packed in like sardines, it was amazing. St. Peter's was gigantic! And wild to think we were where Peter was crucified. The artwork was beautiful - I have told the kids we will be trying our hand at mosaics this summer. Michelangelo's Pieta and Bernini's altar and seven-story dome and a mosaic version of Raphael's 'Transfiguration" were some of the note-worthy art in the basillica.

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica was gigantic!

Dome at St. Peter's Basilica

Tons of people lined up to rub St. Peter's toe - it was rubbed right off!

Miles and miles on hard marble floors! We are tuckered out! We were home tonight nice and early, had a great dinner and we will sleep in tomorrow. There is a little town we want to explore in the afternoon and then we get ready to head north to our next rental outside of Florence on Saturday morning. We plan to stop in Assisi on the way - Stay tuned!




We want this puppy! She was outside the Basilica while we were in line - sooooo cute!

Did you see us on TV?

Easter Morning!
We were up and at 'em bright and early, packed a lunch and off we went in search of the train station. Of course, we got lost, but by the grace of God we made it to the station and got on the train with few minutes to spare.

The ride was about an hour and the train started to fill up the closer we got to Rome. It stopped at "San Pietro" station and we followed the crowds straight to Vatican City. There were police and Swiss Guards, metal detectors, baggage searches and piles and piles of people. We got through in no time and were seated only one section back from St. Peter's Bascilica. There were beautiful flowers decorating the steps, choirs performing, it was cloudy and seemed to be threatening rain. We had over an hour to wait, but the time passed quickly. The huge television screens displayed scenes of the crowds and performing choirs.
Then we heard a band approaching and the camera was fixed on the approaching performers followed by the Pope riding in the Pope-mobile! After quite a bit of pomp, the Mass began. The sun came out and it warmed up, the music was beautiful, amplified by the priest with the lovely voice next to me. Only one small section of the mass was in English (a reading of Colossians 3: 1-4), but it was easy to follow along with the crowd. We snuck out as they began to serve communion (instructions were that non-Catholics could not partake in communion) and beat the crowds by about 30 minutes.

And we headed out into Rome! We found the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, the Arch of Constantine and saw parts of the Forum along with a few other sights along the way. We enjoyed our picnic lunch, treated ourselves to some Easter ice cream and people watched for a while. Then we headed back to Canale Monterano. Since I hadn't determined exactly HOW to get back to our house in the morning's rush, it seemed like a good time to see if we could!
We got on the Metro and found our way back to the commuter train that would bring us back to our village. We were relaxing on the train, planning the rest of our visit, when the train stops at a station. No big deal, we figured we would get going after awhile. When suddenly everything shuts down! We realized we were alone on the train and when we tried to open the doors they won't open! At this point, Daisy started crying, Elijah wanted to open the door using the "Emergency Exit" switch and Bryanna was franticly trying to get the attention of the passing conductor! Well, we did get off the train...sheesh! How embarassing!
Apparently, the next train to our village wasn't for another hour and a half (and it was the last one of the day!), but an older fellow directed us to the town center, where they were having a festival. What a great way to pass the time! We wandered the streets of Bracciano, found the castle and checked out the stalls of the various vendors. A wonderful discovery, despite how we discovered it!
Anyway, we did make it back to the car and found our way back to the house. Monday is also a holiday around here, so we spent today wandering around and exploring. I always feel better when I know where the laundramat and grocery store are located!
Tomorrow we are off to Rome again. Depending on the weather, we will either be heading to the Vatican again to see St. Peter's, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum, or back to the Colloseum and other ruins for the tours.
Until next time, Ciao!

Okay, where were we...

Oh, right we had just left Milan. We got up early Saturday morning with the hopes of escaping traffic and for a while we were on fairly empty roads. This was a blessing, particularly in Milan, where it seems they drive crazier than usual!
We had six hours to get to our rental, which is an hour outside of Rome. It was smooth sailing all the way, and we even found a grocery store and stocked up for the weekend. We follow the GPS and start off the main road and into the Italian countryside. And further in, through tiny ancient villages with narrow cobbled roads. Then the GPS directions get a bit screwy and we are lost. And no one speaks English. I drive up and down the same roads until finally I see a spot in front an old church with a priest and a few musicians talking. I park and fortunately he speaks English, they call Mr. Bella, our landlord and he is coming to get us and the priest even lets us into the church to use the bathroom! Ah!
Later that evening Mr. Bella's neighbor comes to visit. Jennifer is from New Jersey and interprets for us. The Bellas are wonderful and kind, Jennifer is sweet and helpful and together they get us ready for Easter morning. We need train tickets and instructions, plus they answer our questions about the area and Rome. We head to bed early that night - we have to make the 7:30am train into Rome for Easter Mass at the Vatican!
Of course, the discovery that there is no internet at the house or nearby village unsettles me abit, but Jennifer agrees to email Bryan to let him know we are safe and sound. Tomorrow is Easter! Happy Easter everyone!

Finally found internet!

gotta be quick - we are sitting here in a parking lot with a spotty internet signal!
Time to play catch-up!
Well we have had a wild couple of days here in Italy! I will start where we left off on Friday.

We left Germany at 8 am Friday morning and headed to Milan via Switzerland. We had a 4 1/2 hour drive according to the GPS, so we figured we had plenty of time to get into town and get settled before meeting the homeschooling families at the Duomo at 3pm.
Switzerland was beautiful, breath-takingly beautiful! We stopped a few times along the highway to take some pictures, figuring that we would stop in Zurich for a short visit. Then the GPS had us head toward Lucerne and away from Zurich, so we decided to visit Lucerne instead. It was Good Friday, and we soon realized that we were sharing the road with many traveling families and others on Easter vacation. As we got closer to the mountains, Switzerland became the land of tunnels. One after another until we finally hit a long line of cars, all waiting to take turns, we found out over an hour later, to go through the Gotthard Tunnel. A marvel to behold, the Gotthard Tunnel is over 10 miles long through the heart of the mountains. By this time I was frantic! We still had over two hours to Milan, we were in pretty heavy traffic and I have no cell phone to call Erika to tell her we are running late.
We didn't have anymore delays and head on into Milan and straight to our hotel. Check in, dump our bags and dash out the door to the Metro. We arrive at the Duomo 40 minutes late, but hang around in hopes of catching the families as they exit. Praise God! Erika's husband comes out and finds us and we are introduced to a whole new group of homeschooling friends! We talk, we walk, we get ice cream and play in the big open courtyard of the Sforza castle. Then play and talk some more in the grassy park beyond.

"The Best!!" ice cream with our Italian homeschooling friends

ice cream buddies



Sforza Castle in Milan

 Homeschooling in Italy is legal but uncommon, only about 200 kids in the entire country are being homeschooled! Erika DiMartino is a pioneer in her country, trying to educate others about their options and make changes to the testing requirements to begin with. Isolation, lack of materials and support, along with government harrassment are some of the challenges they face. With the recent developments against homeschooling in neighboring countries, Switzerland and Germany, we can imagine the apprehension these families are experiencing. First, let's pray for these brave fellow home-educators! Next, let's see how we can help! With the vast resources available to us here in the states, as well as our own experience and friendship, we can do alot to help! More on that when we return in May!
We said good-bye to our new friends just before dark, and headed out for pizza and another round of ice cream before heading back to our hotel. A quick Skype visit to Bryan, Susan and Claire (hi guys!) and off to dreamland. Saturday morning we were onto to Canale Monterano, Rome and the Vatican for Easter ... but that will have to be another post!

Duomo in Milan

Duomo in Milan - wow!

We do not have internet here, so I am trying to figure out how to stay current on our entries. Stay tuned!

Hohenzollern Castle, Hechingen, Germany

We headed to Hechingen, Germany yesterday, in search of Burg Hohenzollern. It was hard to miss!

 It is considered the ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern family, which emerged in the Middle Ages and eventually became German Emperors. 2,800 ft elevation! Wait till you see the view from up there!

This was the third castle built on this site.
 The first castle was destroyed in 1423 after a 10 month siege by the imperial cities of Swabia!  

A second and more sturdy castle was built in 1454 - 1461 and served as a refuge for the Catholic Swabian Hohenzollerns during the Thirty Years war. Later, the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. Only the chapel remains of this medievel castle.



The third version of the castle, which stands today, was constructed for Frederick William IV of Prussia between 1846 and 1867. Apparently, this is an English Neo-Gothic style. He also based it on castles in Loire, France. Because the castle was built as a family memorial, no member of the Hohenzollern family took residence in this third castle until 1945, when it became home to the last Prussian Crown Prince. 



The Germans love their Hundes!



View of the valley below! Beautiful!




They only let us take pictures in one room, which was covered with the family tree. The top shield says "Lundburg" - I think that's close enough! We will be taking up residence after the trip - I always wanted to live in a castle



Well, we are leaving Germany tomorrow morning and heading to Milan, Italy via Switzerland. We are planning to meet an Italian homeschooling family there and will spend the night in a hotel. Saturday morning, we drive onto our first Italian rental, about an hour outside of Rome. I am not sure of internet access there, so this may be our last post for a while! Lord willing, we will be at the Vatican for Easter mass.

Keep praying for us! I hear Italian drivers are nuts!

Domestic Bliss

 Thought I would write a bit about the domestic side of living in Germany this week. You really do shop everyday for your bread, and you find all sorts of goodies like this buttery sweet cake!

The living room of our apartment

The kitchen...

and eat-in dining

Entry - bath is to the left, bedroom to the right and another down the hall

I love my little car! It is a Peugot

That is Daisy under the blankets. We draw lots to see who has to share a bed with her - just kidding! (notice that she is sprawled across the bed with her foot on someones pillow!)

 
The Other Side of the Colmar Trip 

We spent our first three days in cities and using public transportation, so when we arrived in Germany our clothes were filthy. Don't forget, we only brought three bottom items of clothing and five tops and one jacket each. We felt that laundry needed to get done asap. Ms. Monika told me that there were only public laundries in cities, so Sunday we headed to Freiburg - silly - everything is closed!

A welcoming sight!

Thank goodness for my trusty Rick Steve's France guidebook. He had plenty of information on why we needed to head to Colmar, France, PLUS the address for a laundramat! Monday we punch the address into our GPS and off we go!   



It took a while to figure out how to use the machines



Yeah!

Well, our story doesn't end there! Clothes are washed and then we figure out that the dryers aren't working. Just as we are realizing this, an angry and possibly intoxicated German man comes into the small shop and proceeds to get even angrier and frustrated when we can't communicate with him! Run Away! Run Away!
Through a clenched smile, I tell the kids, "Pack up our stuff, Get into the car" as the fellow is ranting away. We make a quick escape. Phew! But the laundry is wet!
Thanks again, Rick Steves. We follow his instructions to a free parking lot, drop off our laundry to be dried and folded by professionals and off we go to explore the beautiful city of Colmar. As Ma would say, "All's well that ends well!"