Doors

There was something about the many styles of doors 

that caught my attention while we were travelling.

Doors depict safety, privacy, welcome, 

a blockage or an opening . . .

Coming back from our trip and looking at the fall ahead 

we will find new ways to do life with family spread about

as well as look forward to a soon-to-be-born baby.

It's a door of new beginnings in family dynamics,

maybe a revolving one, but a door of expectancy

to enter with faith and assurance that the Lord goes with us all.

I'd love to know if there are any favorites or
guesses as to were these were taken.

Is there an open or a closed door in your life at this time?
I pray you know God's leading and peace today.

On Board the Ship

Sailing on a large cruise ship, such as the Regal Princess that we were on, can be like a vacation on a mini island all on it's own, even without the docking and tours of cities you may stop at. Finding things to do really is no problem at all. I took some pictures, but they do not tell the half of it.

While we walked the walking/running track, we passed people playing basketball, soccer or table tennis. There was zumba dancing, mini golfing and numerous exercise stations, besides the actual gym. This particular ship had a glass walkway extension. If you look at the bottom right hand photo you can see the glass bottom.

During the day different classes were offered, such as this one by the head chef. There is probably a name for him and his sidekick, but I forget. They were a comedy act on their own. We had a tour of one of the three galleys. Spread along the sideboards were samples of 100 ways to do potatoes. They told us they would be doing another 100 the next day. (And I thought the potato was a dying vegetable.)

Staggering facts, such as that 20000 meals are being prepared on the ship daily, just amazed us, especially since the food was top quality and served with pride. Breads and pastries all get baked on site, so they are always fresh. It is hard not to sample. There are times we come home from vacation and I'm happy to cook again, but this one made me feel like there just may be one less Mennonite girl that can cook than there used to be.

Almost any time of the day or evening, walking through the atrium or past smaller theaters and lounges, you could find a spot to listen to live music performances.



In the evening, after a later dinner, our choice was a movie under the stars or a music show. Our favorite was the Beatles. . . come alive again. This exceptional show was done with a running slide show of actual footage of the era. The songs, some long forgotten, were still there in our memories and brought a lot of happy feelings back. We smiled and laughed, reminiscing . . . yesterday!

I could talk about
people we met, 

sunsets
and romantic sail offs.

I guess I just did.

The day to disembark came all too soon.

To France and Farewell

Posting from home now . . .

I want to finish up with the stops we had

and maybe later in the week, describe the happenings on the ship.

The last full day of the cruise landed us in Toulon, France

and we took our final bus tour.

We had registered for a tour of a Medieval town by the name of Hyeres.

As we drove along beaches, past vineyards and eventually through town

our tour guide kept talking about "Yers" . . .
making us wonder if we were on the wrong bus . . .

but eventually we clued in to the pronunciation.

Hyeres is picture of Medieval times with its many arches and

influences from the time of Queen Victoria and Napoleon the Third.

Medieval burgs,

churches that look like military fortresses,

 and narrow streets 

allow you a glimpse into the middle ages.

The town is situated on a hill, overlooking the sea, with a fort at the very top.

Our guide had a strong French accent and was telling us of how the people used to run 

for protection when they saw the parrots coming from North Africa. 

Although I understood, I saw the blank stare in my H's eyes until he realized what she meant.

 Running from pirates made so much more sense, 

but for the rest of the tour, we envisioned otherwise.

 I ended up laughing so hard, I cried. This was good.

To get up to the fort, we walked through a beautiful garden once belonging to the American novelist Edith Wharton who used to winter here. Its terraced steps and beautiful flowers made for a nice climb to the top.

where we had a view of the town's tiled roofscape and beyond, to the sea.

It was a birthday like none I've had.

On our way down we stopped at a hole in the wall cafe

and ordered some crepes.

The best I've had.

From Pompeii to St.Peter to Pisa

Wednesday night, dressed up for dinner, we watched the dolphins swimming alongside the ship, welcoming us to the southern tip of Italy. 

We sailed through the night, maneuvering onto the berth in Naples early Thursday morning.

This was the view we had upon opening our curtains when we got up.

After breakfast a taxi that dropped us off 

at the entrance to the ancient ruins of Pompeii . . .

a city destroyed under 10 feet of ashes when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

In a matter of moments, life stopped as it was, 

giving us a glimpse into the times preserved when it was unearthed 17 centuries later.

It is surprising to see the detail of what was important to this long lost civilization -
the wall murals and floor tiles just amazed us.
We walked down one street after another, laid in stone with ruins of theaters,
merchant homes and grand mansions lining each side.

Just before dinner, after the all clear that all were on board again,
we sailed on along the Italian coast, docking in Civitavecchia early Friday morning.

We got on an all day tour bus to several locations around Rome.

Our first stop was to see the church of St. Peter in Chains.

Golden ceilings, frescoes, mosaics and sculptures give light to 

a time in history that defies the imagination.

Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses alone tells the story

of Moses' feelings upon experiencing God's holiness and seeing

the people fall into sin and forget Him so easily.

We continued on to one of Rome's grandest monuments, the Colosseum, 

built in the first century. 

I was surprised to see the layers of walls and arches surrounding the center,

Seventy thousand people filled this place to be entertained in ways 

we do not even want to think about today.

Upon leaving the place we were told that there were actually two more layers of walls

most of which have also been destroyed.

You can see what is meant by that in this photo.

Our tour included a lunch in a restaurant that gave you the feeling of being in an underground cave with arches, a nice ambiance created by chandeliers.

After lunch we headed to St. Peter's Square, 

a busy plaza where the masses receive the weekly blessing of the Pope.

The square is framed by two ornately carved and curved buildings

with statues of saints and martyrs, of old, lined up along the top.

The inside of the Basilica is breathtaking in size and design.
Numerous halls lead to more halls,
every square inch covered in mosaics and sculptures,
with the capacity to hold 60,000 people.

After a long day, it was nice to be rocked to sleep again.
This truly has been one of the most relaxing things about this trip . . .
seeing so many places, without having to pack and move on.

I was going to write about today's trip to Pisa,
but I'm fighting with the internet . . .
so I'll log out of stateroom D627
and tie things up when I'm home.
Tomorrow is my birthday and one final excursion
before we head home.

Greetings from Greece

When we got off the ship in Mykonos, we had the choice to head left to the beach

or right, to the town. We decided to take a short taxi drive to town.

Already from the ship we saw that all the buildings on the hills were white -

in sheer contrast to the beautiful blue water.

But walking through the narrow cafes (part of the public walkway)

 and shop lined streets  in town,

I fell in love with the Mediterranean style . . . as pretty as it can get.

The views were stunning

and breathtaking!

Exploring Ephesus

Monday morning we got off at the port of Kusadasi, named the gateway to Ephesus.
The tour bus took us to this ancient city and we walked the marble street
people walked on a few thousand years ago.

A tour guide had our group wearing mics so that we could follow her 

as we joined the throngs of people exploring a city once  lost underground from earthquakes.

In fact, much of what we see there today has been unearthed and pieced together.

The work on this is ongoing.

The sheer detail these ancient artists and craftsmen went to is mind boggling.

All around us were random pieces, some of which . . . 

such as the Nike goddess of victory . . .

were explained by our tour guide.

I also finally understood why the headless statues.

Earthquakes and decapitation during war explain a lot.

The old  library is situated at the end of the street.

We turned right under an archway that led us to what used to be the public marketplace.

It was a bare center with posts along the side where vendors would have sold their wares.

Here we were reminded of the silversmiths who played a big part in the business of selling idols.

I came back from  the tour and looked at the account in Acts 19 where a great riot began when the apostle Paul opposed the worship of man made gods.

It was in this this outdoor theater that Paul addressed the people,
preaching salvation in Jesus Christ.

A Christian church began, but not without Paul being imprisoned and eventually sent out of the city.

I wonder if I'll ever read his letter to the Ephesian church again, without remembering this scene

and realizing why Paul was so encouraged about their growth after he was gone.

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him. Ephesians 1: 15-17