So teach us to number our days so that we can present to Thee a heart of wisdom. Psalms 90:12
There are magical places where natural beauty is unlike anywhere else you have seen. Lake Louise in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada is one of those places. Visiting in mid-October gave us a chance to hike the lakeshore with only 100 hundred people instead of the thousands who visit in here in the summer. The snow … Continue reading Turquoise Water
Everyone knows of it. It is ubiquitous for volcanic eruptions in the world. Everyone has heard of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, covering Pompeii with 19 feet (6 meters) of flowing ash, burying everyone and everything in AD 79. It was not truly searched until it was archeologically explored in early 1800s. The sheer size of the … Continue reading Pompeii – No Words are Adequate
Do you know this cemetery exists? I found it searching for cemeteries near Rome. Italian Cypress, Roman Umbrella pines and hedges outline the area. There are 7,861 American graves in ten sections covering 77 acres in Anzio/Nettuno south of Rome on the coast. It was founded two days after the Anzio landing on January 24, … Continue reading Sicily/Rome American Cemetery
Spoleto, in Roman times, held a strategic geographical position. In 774, it became part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Roman ruins include a Roman theater, Roman arches and a part of the Roman road. The Duomo was begun in 1100s and has an unusual feature of eight Rosettes. The mosaic floors were a delight. You have to … Continue reading Guide Paulo in Spoleto
The ridge between northern and southern Umbrian forests grows the magical black truffles famous in many Italian dishes. On our hike to the ‘ecotourism’ Bartoli Farm, it begins to rain as fog rolls in and covers the mountains with mist. ( Patrico sul Monteluco, agriturismobartoli@yahoo.it) The farm is a working farm and is available for dining tourists and … Continue reading AGRITOURISM – Truffle Farm
“Andiamo, Let’s Go!” Heading toward Spoleto, there is a mountain road that leads to “sacred woods”. Old growth forest rewards you after many harrowing hairpin curves in a tour bus. It is quiet. Moss is growing on trees and the paths have wooden cross fences. It is raining lightly. Our guide was from Spoleto and has memories of … Continue reading Sacred Woods of Spoleto
What do you believe in? How do you protect the earth and its creatures? Who was St. Francis of Assisi? St. Francis of Assisi is known to be the patron saint of animals, but he is so much more. He restored the life of the priests to be more Christ like after he had a vision in … Continue reading Who is St. Francis of Assisi?
A protest against cutting ancient trees demonstrated by these stumps deposited in the Assisi main square. Our tour group gathered together for the walk down, down, down through Assisi from the Center Square to St. Francis’ Basilica. An African Franciscan monk was our guide in English. The Basilica is two churches built on top of … Continue reading St. Francis Assisi Basilica
The St. Francis Hermitage on Mt. Sabatio houses five monks who live there year around. There is art and sculptures in the monastery, and an outdoor ancient altar on a wooded path around the mountain. The Hermitage had narrow small short openings for doors to help keep it warm in the winter. There was one dining area … Continue reading Impact of St. Frances of Assisi
“Italians make fun of everything – the Pope, business, family, and traffic. But never, never poke fun at food or soccer. That is sacred,” says Matteo, our guide from Collepino to Spello, Matteo kept us entertained with his take on Italian politics and life. “At least the professional crooks were smart when they ran the government. We … Continue reading Spello with Difficulty
