Florence, Italy

“All Aboard!” I have visions of boarding a train where the conductor welcomes me on and I lean out of the train as my loved one runs alongside, jumping in at the last minute unwilling to let me go without him. Perhaps one day… but not this day. This day, we threw our stuff on the train and contained while trying to entertain our children. We were bound for Firenze, otherwise known as Florence. After only an hour on the train, which was a very pleasant ride, we unloaded in the very busy train station smack dab in the middle of Florence. With Juliette on my back and Brady on Greg’s shoulders, I was very thankful we packed light. I can’t imagine the stress and energy of lugging large suitcases and small children around! Armed with a map to the hotel, we began walking. I am so thankful that our family has a built in map reader, tour guide, navigator extraordinaire. I am certainly not talking about myself, as my map reading, tour guiding, navigating abilities are non-existent. Have you heard about the time I tried to find Red Lobster and ended up at a military base? So, we make it to the hotel and it is fantastic! In the middle of everything, very nice, and they even let us choose our room. Now we have a decision to make. Do we take the kids on some mandatory fun to the Uffizi Gallery, a collection of art from artists such as Leonardo, Raphael, Botticellis, and Michelangelo… or not. We choose… OR NOT! I go first then have a chance to eat some AMAZING chocolate gelato while Greg takes his turn. Sorry, we weren’t allowed to take pictures in the Uffizi museum, but it was an honor to view paintings from some of the greatest artists.


Our second day began with a tour of the Accademia. The main attraction is David by Michelangelo. Again, we were not allowed to take pictures, but David was there, all 17 ft. of him. Another interesting exhibit was the Prisoners. Michelangelo believed that it was his job, as a sculptor, to be in tune with God’s will and reveal figures that God put in the marble. Working freehand, he would chip away at the marble in a frenzy, setting the figures free, yet, he left them all unfinished.

Leaving the Accademia, we embarked on a walking tour of the city. We had a hard time getting Brady on board with this part of the trip. He’s not the fastest walker and generally prefers to ride on Greg’s shoulders. There was a great deal of crying and whining associated with our walking tour. Good thing we didn’t pay for it and Greg was our tour guide!

                                               Our fearless guide!
Thanks to Rick Steves and his guide Florence and Tuscany 2009, we had a wealth of knowledge to read as we walked along. The cathedral’s dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi and it is self- supporting. He first built the white ribs and then filled them with interlocking bricks. Remarkable!

The second stop was the Baptistery. Inside is a work called The Last Judgement. A scene of Christ with his right hand thumbs up and his left hand thumbs down. Under his right hand is a scene of heaven perceived by the medieval worldview and under his left is a scene of hell. Steves writes “this hellish scene looks like something right out of the Inferno by Dante… who was dipped into the baptismal waters right here.” Outside of the Baptistery are bronze doors created from only a couple inches of bronze.

                                               Thumbs Up!

                                            Thumbs down.  Yikes!

As night fell, we went to the Piazzale Michelangelo. There was a fantastic view of Florence and a young couple making out. Steves warned us about this in his book. He told us the view would be worth the trip and there would be “local school kids licking ice cream and each other.”

There were more museums and churches to see, but with kids we felt we were lucky to see the “highlights.” There were tourists everywhere and everyone we came into contact with spoke English (even the market vendors), so Florence was very user friendly for us!

Pisa, Italy

Normally, we are the family running through the airport, bags flying everywhere and hoping our children are somewhere close-by. This time, we got stuck in traffic on the way to the airport, and still made it in time to leisurely walk to our gate. We even had time for a bathroom break!


We were loaded onto the bus taking us to the plane and found a spot next to the window. Then, and I have no idea what he was thinking, Brady licked the handrail in the bus. This quite possibly could have been one of the worst decisions he has made. We boarded the plane and got 3 seats together on a full flight without seat assignments. The flight was uneventful. This had me worried. Something stressful usually happens by this time, so I was waiting for it. The guy from the hotel was waiting to give us a ride; we only brought carry-ons, so what? I wondered was going to go wrong! Our hotel was great, and then it happened. Brady forgot to listen and practically ignored everything we said and Juliette forgot that she needed to sleep.

After spending all night trying to get Juliette to sleep, finally at 5:30am and exhausted, we gave up. She played and took drinks out of the mini bar, then out of the blue, she laid her head on the pillow (with a toy in her hand) and fell asleep. Good thing I love that girl!

Practically dead, we manage through breakfast which included some screaming children, then set off to find the leaning tower. Not 10 steps out of the hotel, Brady is crying for Greg to hold him. Oh this day is great already!

Juliette left her cup in the car back in Sicily, so we stopped at a pharmacy hoping to find a sippy cup. $15 dollars later, we left with a single small cup. That thing was like gold! While there Greg decided to weigh himself with Juliette on his back and Brady on his shoulders (he’s a Super Hero). Any guesses to what the number was?

We walked through the city and I became very excited as we approached the tower. Then, there it was! Glorious and LEANING! According to our favorite travel guru, Rick Steves in his book Florence and Tuscany 2009, the tower is the cathedral’s bell tower. Building began in 1173 and after 5 years of building they noticed the tower was leaning due to sinking in the unstable soil. Continuing to build, it took over 2 centuries to build the 200 ft. tall and 55 ft. wide tower.

I have seen pictures of the tower, but it was amazing to actually see it in person. I am very aware of how blessed we are and never want to take the sights and experiences we are having for granted. It is inspiring and humbling to see these great places on our earth!

The Valley of the Temples

We arrive in Agrigento and find the Valley of the Temples. Immediately Brady begins crying, wanting to ride on Greg’s shoulders. Here we are in a huge open area, rocks covering the ground, no cars allowed, free to run and play, and our son wants to ride on shoulders. This was a very good indication on how the rest of the day was going to go, but we had too much invested to turn back now. Besides, we don’t generally let our kids rule the day. After buying a guide book written by Giuseppe Di Giovanni entitled The Valley of the Temples, The most sacred valley in the world, we forge ahead up to the first temple.


The Temple of Hera Lacinia

According to our book, this temple was a place where newlywed couples “after a purifying bath in the river Agrakas, used to offer Hera Pronuba, the protector of marriage, a ewe lamb which had had both its bile and its other entrails removed as a symbol of their lasting love.” The couple would later return thanking the goddess and “offering the bride’s belt as it became too tight when the bride was expecting.” The temple is dated about 450-440 BC, firestains can still be seen from the pillage by the Carthaginians in 406 BC, and it was declared a national monument in 1748.

Temple of Concord

The architecture of this temple dates to circa 430 BC. It was “conceived as the habitation of a god… it was the true abode of the divinity, who was venerated here in the form of a statue.” At this temple, people would leave their money and treasures, while others sought refuge. Like all temples, it faces the east because the image of the god had to “watch the sunrise, symbolizing light and life- never the sunset which stood for night and death.” Giovanni states that “in 597 this temple was converted into a Christian basilica by Bishop Gregorio. He destroyed two pagan idols in the temple, and since the name of one of them was Raps, the new church was dedicated to Saint Gregorio delle Rape.”

Temple of Heracles

We didn’t take any pictures of these ruins. There are only a few columns left standing when it is said to have been “one of the most beautiful in all antiquity.” Heracles was the national hero of Sicily and Agrigentans “used to invoke Heracles against nightmares and deceptive dreams.”

The Temple of Olympian Zeus

Again, we didn’t get any pictures of the remains of this temple, and I’m not exactly sure what we would have taken. Unfortunately, this temple is now just a pile of rocks. The one interesting carving we saw was that of a man with his arms lifted above his head. Perhaps these were used as supporting structures for the roof. Interestingly I have conflicting information about this temple. Our guidebook says the temple was built to “give thanks for their (the Agrigentans) victory over the Carthaginians at Himera in 480-479 BC.” However, our book The Rough Guide to Sicily suggests that the temple was the “largest Doric temple ever known, it was never completed, left in ruins by the Carthaginians and further damaged by earthquakes and the removal of stone to build the port of Porto Empedocle to the south.”
                              
Arch-shaped bysantin tombs excavated in the city wall



                                         Greek Road
                     
                                                 
The weather was perfect, Juliette loved running around, and Brady did not. Towards the end of the afternoon, after hearing much complaining from Brady about wanting to go home, Greg had to have a heart to heart with the boy. Greg explained to Brady that he was a lucky little boy to be able to see and do the things he is seeing and doing. There are people who would give anything to be where we are and one day Brady will be able to tell his little boy about being here. He would look back and wish he was back at the Valley of the Temples. One day he will wish he had appreciated it!

                     Juliette loved trying to pull the lights off the wall, regardless, it was a sweet moment!


We decided to take a longer way home along the coast and about an hour in Juliette started crying. I was trying to get her to eat and play with toys, we even stopped and changed her diaper. Nothing worked. Convinced she was starving, we stopped at a little restaurant on base. We piled into the place and realized that she had some serious issues going on in her diaper. Of course there was no changing table, so I laid her on the floor of the arcade. I’m so glad some poor single sailor didn’t walk in! He would have been scarred for life! The mess was handled, but her jeans didn’t make it out alive. In the highchair, wrapped in my jacket, turns out she wasn’t hungry at all! From the drive on the closed road to the exploded diaper, it’s all just another day in the Traveling White Picket Fence!

I'm pretty sure this road is not supposed to be open

Saturday began like most of our Saturday’s do. Our alarm is whichever child wakes up first, we navigate through breakfast (usually with Brady wanting to eat a snack because he isn’t hungry), and then spend time relaxing around the house (code for: the kids bring toys out of the play area and leave them all over the house while we pretend it’s not happening). This Saturday we decided to see something new and headed for The Valley of the Temples. With the trusty GPS by our side, we headed out on the road. It was a beautiful day and I was excited to see what all this temple business was about.


Things were going smoothly. Greg and I were having great conversation, Juliette fell asleep, and Brady was entertained watching TV. We headed into some construction, but following the signs to Agrigento, we were making good progress. Then we made a turn. The right turn, perhaps not, but regardless here we were. It was obvious some construction was going on, but that wasn’t unusual. To make things seem a little more legitimate, a van in front of us also made the turn. So here we go. All of a sudden, out of nowhere appears a giant…and I mean GIANT hole just to the left of our car. In front of us the road is at least 6 inches higher. We must make a decision. Most normal people would feel that it would not be a wise decision to continue on this path, however, that is not the decision that was made. Our car, armed with our master driver (this isn’t a joke, Greg really is a master driver), bumped, Bumped, BUMPED its way up onto the new road. So, now I am very aware of the road we should be on… the one with all the cars driving on it, and I am also very aware of the large gaps (yes, there was more than one) in the road we are on. And of course, since this seemed perfectly normal and because we could see what appeared to be a merge onto the correct road ahead, we forged on. After driving over the second gap in the road, a wise decision to turn around was made. Our master driver (again, not a joke) backed us up over the gaps and back down onto the road below. At this point, Brady started yelling “We’re going to fall into the hole!!” We made it back onto the appropriate, open for business road and continued on our way!

                                                   The giant hole

                                  The road we were supposed to be on

Date Day!

Greg and I have had only 1 date since moving here. We went out for our anniversary, but that was back in June! While my mom was here, we took advantage of the opportunity and spent a day with just the 2 of us. Wooot!!! We decided to head to Palermo and check out the Catacombs. Dead people. Romantic. By the time we arrived, the Catacombs had closed for Riposo. Of course! We had several hours to kill before they reopened, so we headed to Monreale.


Thanks to our GPS we drove practically the entire way through very curvy roads with enough space for 1 car. I’m convinced I’ll be on high blood pressure meds before this Italian adventure is over! We were starving, so after parking, we stopped at the first restaurant we came to; a quaint pizzeria and restaurant that surprisingly had a few other Americans dining. I suppose they were starving too! The waiter came to the table, we ordered our drinks, and I asked what the pasta of the day was. There were 2 choices, the one I wanted and one that had something to do with broccoli. I told him what I wanted and then I thought he asked if I wanted a side of broccoli. “No,” I said, to which he responded something about broccoli. Ok, fine. This guy likes his broccoli, so I’ll eat it. Greg ordered something completely different, and then the guy asks something about broccoli. Greg raises his hands (because he’s becoming more and more Italian) like “Ok, sure.” The next thing I know, out comes pasta with broccoli in it. This isn’t the pasta that Greg or I ordered. I’m thinking something got lost in translation! I’m up for it! I’ll give the broccoli pasta a go! Forkful #1. Nope. Don’t like it. It had a very strong “fishy” taste and that’s just not my thing. Forkful #2. Nope. Can’t do it. Greg didn’t like it either, but in true Greg fashion, he managed to eat a decent size portion. Our waiter came back to the table and after a brief interaction about my plate of pasta, I offered the information that I preferred not to have fish in my pasta. He replied (and repeated several times) that there was no fish in the pasta. Good job, Anna. Insult the guy with leaving my plate barely touched and then tell him it had fish. I couldn’t get out of there quick enough!

Moving along, we walked to the town’s Cathedral, and… it was closed for Riposo! Drinking a cappuccino, eating a pastry, and chatting with people around a fountain is a great way to kill time, and that’s exactly what we did. Finally, the church doors opened and it was well worth the wait! The ceiling was covered in gold tiles and mosaics depicting Bible stories. Truly breathtaking! The pictures don’t do any justice to the beauty. I can’t imagine the time that was invested in creating such a masterpiece. Today, a machine would do all of the design and connect the tiles, leaving a layer of grout as the only work necessary.

Heading back down towards Palermo (the GPS took us a different way back, thank goodness) we ventured back to the Catacombs. I got to the bottom of the steps, about to walk through the entry, and freaked out a little. It hit me that I was really about to see a whole lot of skeletons. Whatever happened to a date being dinner and a movie?! My nerves settled and on we went. I don’t have any pictures, we weren’t allowed to take any, and it would have been way too graphic to share. There were skeletons hanging on the walls, shoulder to shoulder. Different sections held specific groups like women, children, monks, and professionals. All were wearing traditional period style clothing. Some had remains of hair and teeth, some didn’t. One little girl was perfectly preserved, it looked like she was sleeping complete with bows in her hair. It was all very creepy and I must admit that I walked through some portions looking down.

In the States, Greg and I finished most of our dates with a meal at the Waffle House. With that option unavailable, we decided to create a Waffle House experience in our kitchen. It was great having a day to ourselves!

                                                                       Monreale

         The car to the right is parked in the middle of the road.  He has his flashers on, so it's all good!

It's a New Year!

WHOOOSH! Did you see it? Another year just flew by! It has been an exciting year filled with adventures, challenges, laughter, and tears. We are living a charmed and blessed life, able to experience more of God’s creation than I ever thought I would see.


Soon after moving into our new Italian home, I saw a scene that impacted me. We live next door to a nursing home and I saw an elderly woman sitting alone on a bench. Something so simple had a profound effect on me. The clearest view to the nursing home is through the playroom window. Here I was chasing my small children around, surrounded by chaos, and there she was, sitting alone on a bench with only the hot summer air keeping her company.

What kind of woman was she? Did she have a family? Was she once surrounded by children or chaos? Was she happy? Not only with the everyday life she lives today, but was she happy with the life she had lived? What would she change? What were her regrets? What do others think of her?

What do I want my life to look like? What do I want my family and friends to think of me? If there comes a day where I’m sitting alone on a bench, how will I reflect on my life?

I stopped for a few minutes and thought about the answers to those questions. I felt it was important to have a guide, something to measure my decisions and my overall life up against. Out of this was born my Personal Mission Statement. I’m sure over time it will change as I do, but this is where I start.

~To create a Godly, loving, inviting, comfortable, organized, and exciting home; a sanctuary from the world.


~To always challenge myself through creating, learning, and loving.


~To live my life by words and example of Christ living through me, a strong work ethic, love, strength, compassion, kindness, and gentleness.


~To have passion during every season of life and to leave each place a little better than I found it.

As this New Year begins, I’m excited to experience what it has to hold. I’m excited to continue my Traveling White Picket Fence journey, and to grow as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend!  Happy New Year!