From Pisa to Rome (and a ruptured appendix)
Wow, the places we've been and the things we've seen over the past week with our friends . . . we have sure sampled a wide variety of beauty and history all over Italy!
Before I launch into all the details of our travels and fun, I need to clarify WHO had the ruptured appendix . . . It was my DAD!! I don't have all the details, but I think he started having some significant pain and discomfort last Monday. It got steadily worse throughout the week, and then on Thursday he ended up in the ER. He had a large mass in his abdomen and a CT scan was ordered. Diagnosis: ruptured appendix, plus a major infection spreading around . . . He went into surgery shortly thereafter and they took care of the mass and the mess of the infection. They are leaving the surgical site "open" until Monday so that they can be sure the infection is all cleared up. Then he will go back into surgery again to close everything up. He will be in the hospital for several days they told him, and it will take 4-5 weeks for him to fully recover as well. Poor guy! He was in more pain than he could ever remember, and is still trying to find a good solution for pain management at this point. The morphine drip is no longer an option, and he didn't really like the oxycontin. So hopefully another option has been given recently so he doesn't have to continue to suffer. He is in my thoughts and prayers for sure!!
**Tuesday Update: They closed him up while I was sleeping during the night, and all is well. They are just waiting for his digestive system to kick into gear and then they will discharge him to go home and continue with his recovery. He is doing better now with the pain as well. Yay!!
Below: Scott and me in Vernazza, a village that's part of the Cinque Terre (where the Disney movie Luca was based). Cinque Terre is pronounced: chink-wah terr-ah.
Last Sunday: We took Rich and Andrea to visit the Romeo and Juliet Castles where Scott and I went earlier this spring. The castles are always very scenic and charming, with fantastic views of the valleys around, and the best part is that they are only about 25 minutes from our house! They are located in Montecchio Maggiore.
This Romeo of mine is so handsome!!
I didn't get a photo . . . whoops.
That evening we listened to another session of General Conference from 6:00-8:00 p.m. because of the time difference from Utah. I especially loved hearing from our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, who is an amazingly energetic 98 year old. His message of love and encouragement was so perfect and meaningful to me. Not that I am having a hard time, but it was just so comforting and motivating that I couldn't help but feel moved by his words no matter what my circumstances are. He is truly an inspired leader and I am so grateful that we have a prophet on the earth today, just as in days of old.
I was also able to call and visit with my mom right after the conference session ended, since it was her birthday! We chatted for a while as I organized and packed for our upcoming 4 day road trip with the Garners. Happy Birthday, Mom!! She shared that she has plans to begin horseback riding lessons at a ranch out in Potter Valley (a few minutes north of Ukiah). She will first learn how to groom and saddle the horse, and then eventually get up and learn some basic riding skills. She and I both share a great love of horses and I'm so happy for her to have this wonderful opportunity!
Monday: Leaving our house by 7:30 a.m., we drove over to La Spezia (along the upper west coast of Italy) where we parked the car near the train station for the day. We rode on the regional train over to the Cinque Terre, containing 5 small villages along the coastline.
Below: The "main street" of Vernazza. I hiked from Corniglia to Vernazza last October when I came over to Europe by myself. It was extremely strenuous and exhausting and very warm outside in the sunshine. This time it was nice to just get off the train and leisurely stroll into town without being all sweaty and tired . . .
We watched a group of strong Italian men move boat after boat after boat down to the water together.
Video of their efforts: (9 seconds)
Another video of the men moving a boat: (23 seconds)
We enjoyed hanging out down at the harbor for a little while, and then we hopped on the train again. We tried Corniglia briefly, the 3rd of the 5 villages, but it's a bit less accessible and was too hot outside to try very hard. You get off the train, hike up a couple flights of stairs to the road, and then the line was ridiculously long to wait for a shuttle van to take you into town. Corniglia is the highest above the sea in the Cinque Terre, and it takes more effort to get into town from the train station. After we waited in line for over 15 minutes, with about 75 people in front of us, the shuttle van finally returned to pick up the next load of passengers. We counted how many they let in - only 15 - and decided to abort our efforts in Corniglia. It would be a very long time of standing in the sun to get our turn in the shuttle van. The only other option was to walk into town. Blech. It's a very steep walk uphill, and a lady coming back on foot told me it took them about 20 minutes to get there. No thanks. So we hopped back on the train and went to the next town.
We took the train back to La Spezia (about 15 minutes) and found our car once again. All was well. As we drove through La Spezia to head south to Pisa, we saw this ginormous cruise ship in the harbor of La Spezia. It must be a happening place because it's so close to the Cinque Terre!
Here are Rich and Scott relaxing on the bed together . . . lol
We walked over to see the Tower of Pisa at night (about 8 minutes from our AirBnB), something I would have never thought of doing before. It was so cool! I tried several times to get a photo that showed how much the tower was leaning, but it always looked pretty normal in each one . . .
Once we got up to the top, we stayed up there for quite a while. It was relaxing and beautiful at 9:00 a.m.
After taking a few more photos, we went next door to see the giant Cathedral that I didn't get a chance to see last year. It was very impressive!
We went directly to the Rome Temple, since it's located on the north side of the city. We enjoyed the temple visitor center before going inside the temple to perform some sealing ordinances for a few deceased family members.
Temple sealings are very sacred. They are an eternal marriage between a man and a woman, valid for time and all eternity (as long as you are doing your best to keep God's commandments). When a loved one has passed away and did not get the chance to have this sacred sealing performed while living upon the earth, we can perform the sealing in their behalf in the temple, the House of the Lord. Once the sealing has been performed by proxy (in their behalf), it is still up to them to choose to accept it or reject the ordinance where they are in heaven. There is always the freedom to choose for one's self, even beyond the grave.
I felt the spirit really strong when we sealed Thurza Jane Rawles, my 2nd great grand-aunt, to her spouse, George Burger. Thurza was born in 1834 and was the older sister to my 2nd great grandfather, Thomas Edward Rawles. Thurza, who went by her middle name of Jane, and George were married for over 50 years before George passed away first in 1901. They married in Glenwood, Iowa in 1854 and crossed the plains to CA by ox team together. What a life! "Jane" lived until 1918 and was 84 years old at her passing. When I was at the altar in the sealing room, I felt the joy of Jane and George filling the room and it made my eyes fill with tears. I'm sure they have many stories of the adventures they had together, and I'd love to hear them someday.
When we got out of the temple, Andrea Garner and I both had the same instinct to call our children and grandchildren on WhatsApp to share the beauty of the temple grounds with them before leaving. I only caught Jacob briefly as they were in the grocery store, but I got to connect with Amber, Abby and Gwen for a bit longer.
The girls were on fall break from school this past week, so they were all hanging out together at home. In the photo below, Abby is showing me all the tiny silver star stickers she put on her face as "makeup". :)
We found some delicious Venezuelan food about 5 minutes' walk from our apartment. I ordered the shredded chicken "sandwich", which is held together with fried plantain patties in place of a bun. It was AMAZING.
The view looking down from Palatine Hill toward the Roman Forum.
The Arch of Titus
So many fountains around Rome, all of which were lovely.
Statue of Julius Caesar - he lived from 100 BC to 44 BC when he was assassinated. According to the internet, he transformed Rome from a republic into an empire during his reign.
How interesting to learn that Italy is younger than the United States of America!!
Next stop: the Trevi Fountain, found in Trevi Square.
It was pretty crowded there, more so than in many of the other places we had been. Everyone was trying to squeeze into a spot to toss the obligatory coin over your shoulder and get a picture.
Video of the coin toss: (8 seconds)
A short distance away from the Trevi Fountain is the Pantheon. What a cool building! Out in front I noticed two sister missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I went over to talk to them. They were having their P-Day (preparation day = a day to do laundry, run errands, or go sight-seeing). One was from Illinois and the other was from Utah. We enjoyed visiting with them for a bit before we got in line for the Pantheon. :)
In the Greek language, "pan" means everything and "theon" means divine. It is close to 2,000 years old!! What made this Roman Temple so special is that it was built to be used by the common people for the very first time. Typically, Roman Temples were only to be accessed by priests or those with special privileges. Anyone else who entered could be punished by death! But now it was a place where everyone could have access and worship and commune.
The mathematical dimensions alone were enough to pique Scott's and Rich's interest. Everything was built in perfect symmetry - both in height and in breadth. On an Italian website (link below), it states the following: "The space is a perfect sphere symbolizing the vault of heaven; the height of the dome is the same as its diameter, creating perfect balance and unique harmony." The site also says, "On entering the door, the effect you feel is meant to be overwhelming. You suddenly find yourself in this huge empty space which causes vertigo and makes you feel tiny. This is how you were supposed to feel in front of the Gods."
Italian website: https://www.italyguides.it/en/lazio/rome/ancient-rome/pantheon
Michaelangelo started the first marble statue in 1514 but had to abandon it partway into the project because a black streak appeared on the white marble near the face of Christ. He started over again in 1519 and finished it in 1520. In one article online, it said that Michaelangelo was reluctant to do this project. No one knows why the Roman patrician, Metello Vari, asked Michaelangelo to create Jesus Christ naked after the Resurrection. There was some discussion that it was intended to show His strength through the contours of his muscles. The bronze loincloth was added later on and nobody is quite content with that either.
Matello Vari also requested that there be a crucifix added to the statue to represent Jesus' conquest over death, but art enthusiasts didn't like that so much either. They said the size of the cross was incongruent with the size of the actual accomplishment of the Crucifixion of Christ. Basically, Michaelangelo just did what he was asked to do, but some feel that it was a list of odd requests made of him.
Michaelangelo was quickly made famous for his perfect representation of body parts (muscles, sinews, proportions) in his sculptures and how accurate and lifelike the poses were. One quote said, "Christ's knees (in this particular statue) were worth more than all of Rome put together."
I was just in awe of standing in front of yet another work of art by the famous Michaelangelo. Just happy to be there . . .
We moved along in the direction of our AirBnB once again. If we saw something interesting on the way, we'd pause briefly to take it in before moving on.
It was built between AD 134 and AD 139, originally commissioned to be a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian and his family. It is now a museum.
For dinner, we ate at a nearby restaurant called "Slurp". The full name is Paninoteca Slurp, ha ha. They have paninis, salads, seafood, pasta, etc. I ordered a smoked salmon salad and it was delicious.
Our guide, Nicoletta, really knew her stuff! I think she has a great love of art because that was the main focus of her presentation to us. I especially loved the story of this painting in the Vatican Museum. It's called, "The School of Athens," created by the artist Raphael, a young up-and-comer and supposed rival of Michaelangelo. He painted it between 1509-1511.
Nicoletta also showed us where several of the giants of that era (scientists, philosophers, etc) were incorporated into the painting: DaVinci, Galileo, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, etc.
This website is very helpful to explain what we see in the painting and all the symbolism within:
There are even some YouTube video links on the web page above that discuss this particular painting if you don't want to read the article . . .
After a morning of shuffling along in a tour and seeing a great deal of art, we took a break and went back to collect our things from the AirBnB and tuck them in the car. Then we went to a nearby McDonald's for lunch. Technically, we had a better idea of where to get lunch, but it didn't open for another 45 minutes and we didn't want to sit around and wait. There are McDonald's located every few blocks in Rome, so we decided to just go for it. It was certainly more classy inside the restaurant here than any McDonald's I've ever been to in the U.S. And the food was more elevated in presentation and flavor as well. Good job McDonald's in Europe! Too bad it isn't that great in America . . .
Below: This is where the Pope gives his weekly address (if he's in the country - - which, by the way, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world!!). Every Wednesday morning, if he's home, he will give a public address. You can get tickets to sit in the seats outside and hear him in person. Pretty cool!
Take note of these statues on top of the Basilica because they will provide some context for what we did next . . .
We let Rich and Andrea take the lead on what to see and do in Rome, but one thing that I really wanted to do was to go up inside the Dome of the Basilica and see all of Rome from up top. Andrea was brave enough to come with me and I was grateful for her company. The line was long and time-consuming just to get to the ticket booth. It took us about an hour just to get our tickets and begin our ascent.
You could pay 10 euros and take an elevator 2/3 of the way up and walk the other 1/3 of the stairs . . . OR you could just go on foot the entire way and pay a whopping 2 euros LESS, ha ha. We chose the 8 euros opportunity and went on foot. It's a total of 551 steps up and then 551 steps back down. That would make 1102 steps in all - if you're counting . . .
Note the center of the Dome. There is a tiny cupola at the top there - a tiny dome within a dome. We found another set of stairs - almost on accident - and were able to go up inside that thing!!
Video inside the large Dome area: (29 seconds)
We messaged Rich and Scott from the Dome, and Rich was the first to find the spot we invited them to go so that we could see them and they could see us. Can you see the large black circle on the floor down below?
As we left the Dome, I just happened to spot this sign, indicating another segment of stairs to go up even higher.
Notice the leaning walls of the cupola - - and yet the walkway itself was flat in this section.
Do you see the statues on the building roofline below? Those are the same statues I mentioned earlier. But this time, we are high above them all.
Once we reunited with the menfolk far below, we guzzled our water and rested for several minutes before wrapping up our self-guided tour of the Basilica.
We found the famous work of Michaelangelo, "The Pieta", enclosed behind bullet-proof glass.
Here is my bestie. In St. Peter's Basilica. In Vatican City. In Italy. Who-dathunk??
It took quite a bit of finessing to fit our longer car in such a small spot, but Rich was a pro as he helped Scott get it parked successfully. Scott was also smart to check on it multiple times a day, and whenever possible, he'd back it up a few more inches so that he could eventually pull out a little easier when it was time to leave.
Video of Scott pulling out on Thursday with more confidence than the 81-point turn he had to make on that first night to squeeze it in: (17 seconds)
The 5 hour drive home was uneventful, with one exception.
Around the half-way point, we were discussing pulling over soon at one of the many rest stops next to the highway that offer a restaurant and gas station. All of a sudden, our car went psycho on us!! It lurched and started revving super high, like it was in 1st gear going 80 mph. Scott tried shifting into neutral a couple times, and then back into drive. He was having to apply the brakes at the same time that the car was acting like it wanted to win the Daytona 500 . . . lucky for us, a rest stop was less than 2000 meters away and we could pull off the highway.
As we pulled in to park, Scott was using all his might to brake and steer the car as it was still chomping at the bit. We could smell the brakes burning at this point, too. He pulled into a parking spot, a little wonkily, and then promptly shut off the engine. A small amount of smoke was also coming out from under the hood. We came in with a bang and several people were staring at us, like ARE YOU OKAY???
Immediately, an Italian long-haul truck driver came running over to take a look. He hopped into the driver's seat and turned on the car, drove it a few feet, and gave us a thumbs up. He didn't speak any English, but he knew about cars. Scott said that as soon as he was able to shut off the engine, it's like the computer was able to do a "re-set" and turn off the crazy psycho switch that somehow took over. So it was driveable again, but we let it rest for several minutes before we drove off. We also said a prayer that A) we could feel confident in our decision to drive, and B) that we could get home safely.
Thankfully, we did make it home safely a couple hours later. We want to get it checked soon and possibly even just sell the car and get another one. That was unnerving, to say the least.
Friday: After a fairly decent night of sleep, Avery arrived Friday morning for us to watch her over the weekend. Kylie wanted to go to Sardinia with some friends to celebrate her birthday, and Benson had to work all weekend.
We borrowed a highchair from a friend in our ward here, and it turned out to be a lifesaver!!
Video #1: Avery trying a carrot for the first time. Rich and Andrea used to give their little ones a giant carrot to gnaw on during teething issues. (16 seconds) Avery really liked it!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QpfbHxWSHby3iVvEA
Video #2: Avery playing with an empty water bottle and Andrea is making silly faces at her. (You can see Andrea in the window reflection behind Avery) (25 seconds)
She did great up until the end of Sacrament meeting. That's when she didn't want anything that I had brought for her, ha ha. Didn't want my house keys, the apple slice, the baby cheese puffs, the carrot, her bottle, nothing. I stood in the back with her for the closing song and prayer and then we went home afterwards.
Video #3: Avery crawling stink-bug style. Not sure what made her upset though . . . (5 seconds)
Video #4: Hanging out in our room on the bed, her happy place. (19 seconds)
I took her to church with me Sunday morning. I tell you what, I don't know how these young mothers do it all . . . It's like I'm back to square one again and forgot how much it takes to get out the door by a scheduled time when you have a little one!! LOL
Somehow we made it though.
During the meeting, I handed her off to Scott at one point, since he was sitting up on the stand - so that I could bear my testimony. I shared my testimony of missionary work and of how much our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ love every person, no matter where they are in life or how close they are to the "path" leading to Heaven and happiness. It's important for us to give a lot of love to those who choose differently than we do, and to do it in the best possible way for them to receive that love. We have to meet people where they stand, to love them where they are, and to be a true friend. Jesus set the perfect example, and I am so grateful for Him in my own life. I am happier, more at peace, and unafraid of my own future because of Him.
Late Sunday night, we got to see Benson when he came to pick up Avery. It was so wonderful to see his face and hug him several times. He is having a hard time in life right now, since he and Kylie have decided to get a divorce. We are sad for them, but we give them our wholehearted support as they step into their future - apart.
Benson will be heading to South Korea in March or April for his next assignment. He told us that Korea wasn't even on his list of preferences! But somehow he is headed there anyway. He'll be there for 2 years. Meanwhile, as soon as Avery gets her passport, in the next month or so, Kylie and Avery will be moving back to Idaho Falls where her family also resides. Benson is sad that he will be so far from Avery, but is hoping to stay connected through modern technology when he can't come home for a visit.
We pray for them multiple times a day and hope they can navigate through everything with dignity and kindness toward each other.
Yesterday (Monday), was the first full day of relaxation that I've had in weeks!! I worked on this blog here and there, but mostly just relaxed. I didn't have to get up at a certain time, or hurry to do this or that, and it was WONDERFUL!! Scott had the day off from work, too, so we just hung out together. We went to the gym and worked out, laid around and watched The Voice, ate food, and vegged out. It was so perfect.
Today he is back to work. I'm finishing up this blog and doing laundry here at home. A perfect stay-at-home sort of day. :) I love homebody days about as much as I love adventures out in this big beautiful world of ours.
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