Roma: Independence Day Celebrations, San Clemente, & Coliseum

Today Italy turned 150 years old. A very young nation, it seems, but as Gian Mateo explained it to us yesterday, it's only been 150 years that Italy functions as a nation. Prior to that, all the states (Umbria, Tuscany, etc..) that make up the modern country, were independent and separate.

It was a pleasant surprise, therefore, to be here in Roma at this particular time, because the celebrations were quite big. Jennifer and I went to the Coliseum, to take in the military march:

After the celebrations, we walked around for a few hours, visiting ancient Roman ruins, as well as the historic church of San Clemente, a church which dates back to the 2nd or 3rd century after Christ. Pictures inside the church were not allowed. Here are some pictures of the Roman ruins, as well as the church courtyard of San Clemente.







































































By around 4pm we were already exhausted, but seeing that tomorrow's our last day in Roma, and we've got Pompeii planned for tomorrow, we visited the glorious Roman Coliseum.
























































































Around 6pm we met up with Gian Mateo again for dinner. We ate chinese food (!), not of my choosing. Jen was sick of pasta and wanted something familiar, and there happened to be a good chinese restaurant nearby.

We got back to our hotel later than we wanted to, around 11pm. Tomorrow starts early .. we want to try and be at the Termini train station by 8am and take a train to Pompeii, via Napoli.

Roma: Scalla Di Spagna, Fontana Di Trevi, Panteon, Piazza Navona

I saw way too much to put it all into words today. Here's the day in pictures:

Around noontime, Scalla Di Spagna (Spanish Steps, in the middle of the city):

Around 3pm, the Fontana di Trevi:














Then around 4 o'clock, the Panteon. The first two pictures from the outside, the third from the inside:

Then at around 5pm we went to meet up with a friend of Jennifer's who lives in Rome, Gian Mateo, but on our way to meet him we walked through the Piazza Navona:

Jennifer and Gian Mateo, outside the wonderful pizzeria in Trastevere, Dar Poeta. I like Jen's smile in this picture:

Frankfurt -> Roma: Jennifer, Vatican, Trastevere

What an eventful day!

* 7:30am - 9:30am => Frankfurt to Rome flight
* 12:30pm => arrived at the Domus Aurelia, where I will be staying for the next 4 nights
* 2pm => lunch
* 4pm => visit St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican
* 7:30pm => participated in the Procession of Saint Anne throug the Vatican Gardens (a waiter at a cofffee shop suggested we go to it); Pope Benedict was there also and gave a 10 minute homily (unfortunately in Italian)
* 10pm => dinner at Sabatini's (a forgetable restaurant in the unforgettable and lovely district of Trastevere

I'm tired. Too much activity for one day.

Pictures from day one in Roma. Inside St. Peter's Basilica:


































At the Procession (way at the back is the Pope, robed in red):














At Trastevere:

Calbe -> Frankfurt: Last Day In Germany

We had a late night last night: after dinner we watched an Europe-wide singing contest (the German contestant, Lena, won), and then we watched a boxing match. All of us went to sleep after midnight.

This morning was supposed to be an early morning, so that we could get on the road early and avoid stau, traffic-jam, on the highways of Germany. Well, we got up at 9, ate one last scrumptious breakfast, and finally said our good-byes around 11am. Rudy, Olga, Kevin and I then dropped in at uncle David's place too, and said our good byes there.

We left Calbe at exactly 12:21pm, and as on the first leg of the trip, we stopped every hour or so for a break. But whereas on the way to Calbe we went up north (towards Hannover) and then east (towards Berlin), we came back going south (towards Muenchen) and then east (Goettingen). We arrived in Frankfurt around 5:30pm.

Below, taking a break along the way:














I was once again humbled by the hospitality shown to me when immediately upon arrival, Olga got to cooking dinner in the kitchen. By 7:30 we'd all eaten (Artur joined us, this time), by 9pm I'd packed and prepared my stuff for tomorrow's departure, and at 10pm Rudy, Olga and I sat down for one last evening of tea and cake (she baked a rhubarb pie!) together.

What a blessing this trip has been so far. Tomorrow I'm off to Roma, where I will meet up with Jennifer for 4 days.

Calbe: More Family .. And A Goat

One of the things I love about Germany is the food, and particularly, breakfasts! Breakfasts here are simple: bread, spreads (butter, cream cheese), cold cuts, and cheese. And all three - breads, cold cuts, and cheese - taste damn good here!

I got up early today, around 8am, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast with the rest of the family. Afterwards, Rudy, Olga, Kevin, and Joana went downtown to take a few pictures of Calbe. Then we went to the local Tiergarten, a zoo of sorts, although very small. The first two pictures below were taken there.

Cub and a goat.














A lovely couple: Rudy and Olga

We got back mid-afternoon, and immediately upon returning I made may way over to uncle David's place. He welcomed me in, as he did yesterday, and we had a conversation for about 3 hours. This time he talked about his "faehigkeit" (ability, skillfullness) as an engineer in the Russian army, pre World War 2. His most treasured years of all are from the late 1930's, when he was stationed as an engineer on a Soviet battle ship. After he was let go from the marines (for being German), his life deteriorated. In fact, he deems his life after Sevastopol virtually meaningless.

It was difficult to leave his home today. It's quite obvious to me that he's a lonely man - misunderstood by his daughter and grandchildren, lost his only son a few years ago in a mysterious death, and lost his wife too, I believe just over 20 years ago, he's literally alone, in his 90's, trying to see out the last few years of his life.

After saying good bye to him, I returned to downtown Calbe to take a few more pictures.

Then, around 7pm, I returned "home" to uncle Yuri and aunt Nelly's. Not long afterwards, Yelena and Micha arrived. We ate a great great dinner - by far the best dinner I've had so far on this trip.

Calbe: Visiting With Family

After a 6-hour trip, we arrived in Calbe last night at around 11pm. The distance is only about 400km (a "short" drive, in Canadian terms), but here in Germany the custom is to take lots of breaks during the drive: I'd say a 15-minute break after every 1.25 hours of driving, or something along those lines. So much for getting somewhere "fast" on the Autobahn: people drive fast, 180+ km p/hr, but the breaks take away whatever advantage is gained by the fast speeds.

I slept in today, until past 9am. After a typical breakfast of bread, butter, cheese, and sausage, I began the day by catching up with relatives, specifically "Onkel Yuri" and "Tante Nelly". Around noon I went to visit "Onkel David" (who really should be called "Opa David." He is, after all, 92 years old.















I spent 5 hours conversing with him. I was somewhat disappointed in our conversation, actually. Somehow, we didn't connect as well as previously, we were not on the same wavelength at all. He seemed to me an old bitter man, with childish attitudes towards relationships and people. I found out that he values respect and authority (vernuenftig sein) above all, and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, he rages with anger and bitterness if anyone does not accord him either of these two values. He has separated himself from the rest of his lovedones, because in his view, they do not respect him in the way that they ought to. Other family members, of course, are not innocent either. It seems like each family-member contributes to what could easily be made into a made-for-tv-telenovela.





























I spent the evening at uncle Yuri and aunt Nelly's. The evening was pleasant enough. Yuri and Nelly insult, tease, and make fun of each other to no end, while the rest of us sit around looking at them or each other in a combination of disgust and amazement. Indeed, it came out in the conversation that they've been married for 40+ years, and they are still together. I'm not sure any more proof of God's grace is needed, when we look at such a dysfunctional marriage, and yet, somehow it stood the test of time, somehow, they're still together.















One final thought: I'm struck and very impressed with Rudy, the eldest son, who somewhow is able to escape the chaos that brews in the family. He's made his own relational mistakes, of course, like we all have, but the relationship he's in now (Olga), and the family he's establishing, is worthy of praise. He treats Olga, Artur, and Kevin with such respect (this attitude seems to be a primary value in the family) and care that one cannot help but stand back, watch, and learn.

Below is a picture of Olga, Joana (Jelena's 6-year old daughter), and Kevin. Tomorrow Jelena, Rudy's younger sister, will drive in from Berlin with her newfound partner Micha.

Frankfurt -> Calbe By Car

Later today we are travelling to uncle Yuri and aunt Nelly`s place. Before we do so, I wanted to post two pictures of Rudy and Olga`s apartment which they bought and moved into exactly a year ago in May:














Unit 20 (3-storey townhouse style; blue BMW is Rudy`s pride-n-joy):

Frankfurt: Ikonen Museum, Zentrum

Whereas yesterday it was sunny and warm, today was rainy and cool. Still, I ventured out of the house and into downtown, by train.

Arrival at the Hauptbahnhof in Frankfurt:













Outside the main train station:













After arrival, I took the 46 bus straight to the Ikonen Museum, near the Alte Brücke. I visited this small, quaint museum 4 years ago when was here, and it was a personal favourite. I took a few pictures inside (with permission) of some of the icons.

Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Eden:

The Annunciation:



















Theotokos (Mother of God) & Christchild:



















Mary mourns at the Cross:



















Jesus at the Resurrection:













After the short visit at the museum I crossed the Alte Brücke and made my way further into downtown. The weather was miserable: rainy. I was glad I took Olga up on her offer to take along an umbrella (before day`s end, however, I`d lose the umbrella!).

I found some items for sale at the Benetton store: 1 black t, 1 white t, one black button shirt. I also bought a nice watch at the Kaufhaus Galleria. I arrived back at Rudy and Olga`s close to 8pm, much later than I`d told them I would. Here are some pictures I took in downtown Frankfurt.

The Oper Haus:













At the opera house, I found especially pleasing the inscription "The Truth, the Beautiful, the Good", a clear reference to all that the ancient philosophers sought worthy of human pursuit, a claim that Christian theologians have throughout the years echoed also: truth, beauty, and ethics.

Next up, the Römerplatz:













The following picture, also of the ancient Roman court (but from opposite angle), shows how hard it was raining. At this point, I and many others sought refuge inside one of the souvenirshops:

A contrast of kingdoms:

Tomorrow afternoon we travel to Calbe, where I will visit with other relatives, including uncle David.

Arrived In Frankfurt

I arrived safely in Frankfurt. I had a good flight, although the long flight between Chicago-Frankfurt began to take its toll on my lower back.

On the long flight, I saw the movie Avatar. The first 1/3 of the movie was really good, with some really good themes being explored. But the last 2/3 of the movie (especially the ending), turned out to be the typical Hollywood movie, with a villain battling the hero. The ending of the movie was predictable pretty much right from the get-go.

Olga and (her newborn to me, even though he`s 2.5 years old) Kevin were at the airport to pick me up at around 2pm. The weather was a very warm and sunny 21C.

We ate dinner at their place, and afterwards, Rudy, Kevin and I went for a walk around their neighbourhood. It was a very pleasant evening. We drank some tea around 9:30pm, before I went to bed at 10pm. I`m sharing a room with Kevin.

Rùmbo Sudàfrica

Today I left for South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, but with a few other stops along the way. I actually wont arrive in South Africa until June 9th. Before that, I´ll be visiting Frankfurt, Roma, and Cairo.

Here is my basic itinerary ("->" = travel from/to):

* May 24: Vancouver -> Frankfurt (via Chicago)
* May 25-26: Frankfurt
* May 27: Frankfurt -> Calbe
* May 28-29: Calbe
* May 30: Calbe -> Frankfurt
* May 31: Frankfurt -> Roma
* June 1-3: Roma
* June 4: Roma -> Cairo
* June 5-8: Cairo
* June 9: Cairo -> Cape Town

Once in South Africa, my schedule will revolve completely around the World Cup. I will post date/place specifics closer to arrival date in South Africa. Needless to say, the most important dates are:

* June 14: Paraguay vs. Italy (Cape Town)
* June 20: Paraguay vs. Slovakia (Bloemfontein)
* June 24: Paraguay vs. New Zealand (Polokwane)

One personal note: in the past lengthy trips I`ve taken I`ve always been happy to escape my "personal" world (disappointments) at home. I`ve been able to leave things behind for the duration of the trip, and then take them up again upon my return. This time around, I think I`ll be unable to escape my personal world whil travelling, and probably, rightly so. I have lots on my mind, and I will take these things with me and ponder them throughout my time away.

Below is a picture of the main concourse at Terminal 1 at the O`Hare International Aiport in Chicago.

Gloria Revelada

To Ceci and Angus, on their very special Wedding day:

Ahora demos nuestra atención al intercambio de votos matrimoniales, un símbolo que demuestra los actos de dar y recibir que son tan necesarios en el matrimonio. Es un gran privilegio el compartir con ustedes unos breves pensamientos en este día tan especial: espero que estas palabras los alienten a profundizar tanto en el amor el uno al otro, como en la fe en Dios, quien es el autor del amor.

Voy a empezar con la afirmación que el matrimonio es importante, el matrimonio es bueno. De hecho, la historia empezó con una boda: la boda de Adàn y Eva, quienes fueron creados a la imagen de Dios (Génesis 1:27), y que fueron unidos “en una sola carne” (Génesis 2:24) en el Jardín del Edén.

Y la historia también concluirá con una boda: el gran banquete de celebración que está por venir, cuando Dios será reunido con la humanidad, es decir, cuando Cristo será unido a su pueblo por toda la eternidad (Apocalipsis 21:1-4).

Por tanto, la historia empieza y termina con una boda: el matrimonio forma parte de los buenos propósitos de Dios para la creación.

Pero, nosotros ya no vivimos en el jardín de Edén: vivimos en un mundo lleno de sueños rotos! Cómo es que esta bella pareja podrá mantenerse fiel y enamorada en medio de tanta confusión y fragmentación?

Estas son buenas preguntas, y considero que la boda en Caná (Juan 2:1-11) señala a una respuesta firme.

Lo que es más significativo acerca de la boda en Caná es que ahí Jesús revela su identidad como aquel que será capaz de lidiar con los destrozos de este mundo. Es el quien podrá superar los resultados caóticos del pecado humano.

Al fin y al cabo todo gira alrededor de la fidelidad, el perdón y el amor de Dios: el pecado nos separa de Dios, quiebra nuestras amistades, e incluso se manifiesta en la manera brutal en la que tratamos al mundo en el que vivimos.

Y aún a pesar del pecado, Dios nunca nos dio la espalda: el siempre nos ha vuelto a invitar a estar en comunión, y continua invitándonos hoy.

La culminación de su compromiso y pacto con nosotros es Cristo Jesús, cuyo cuerpo fue herido, “por la vida [misma] del mundo” (6:51).

El vino alegra el corazón (Salmos 104:15), muy cierto, pero esta alegría es vacía y no dura, así como el vino se acabó en la boda en Caná (11:2). Y de hecho aquellas cosas con las que el mundo nos tienta - fama, riqueza, seguridad, poder y placer—todo esto también pasa, al final estos “vinos” no nos satisfacen.

Sin embargo Cristo es el vino nuevo, la vid verdadera (15:1) quien ofrece vida abundante (10:10), cuya pasión abrió las puertas del cielo: el será el novio en el banquete celestial al cual todos estamos invitados. Esta es la gloria de Jesús revelada en la boda en Caná, “y sus discípulos pusieron su fe en el” (2:11).

Así que Angus y Cecilia, ustedes enfrentaran frustraciones en su nueva vida juntos – tentación, enojo, incluso soledad – y necesitarán tomar fuerza y aliento uno del otro, y de sus familias y amigos.

Pero sobre todo, necesitaran enfocar los ojos de sus corazones y sus mentes en Dios, en Cristo: Su lealtad, su perdón, y sobre todo, su interminable amor, son la prueba de su fiel carácter.

Esencialmente, esto es a lo que apuntan los votos matrimoniales: a que se comprometen a compartir el uno con el otro la fidelidad, la gracia, y la caridad que recibieron de Dios.

Gracias sea a Dios, y alabado sea su Nombre!

Lunch With Jennifer

Today Jennifer and I met for lunch near the skystrain station at Royal Oak. She recently had laser surgery on her eyes, and since she's been given rest orders by the doctor, she had time to come and visit me.

We didn't take any pictures at lunch, but afterwards, she took these two pictures which turned out alright. I was delivering the mail to our head office, and for some reason, as soon as I took out my working gloves Jen got all excited and felt the need to take the pictures: