Pictures

The group picture is from Rothenburg. Wish we could visit here every year!

A-C and I are on Mary's Bridge overlooking Neuschwanstein Castle near Fussen, Germany - the one that inspired Disney's Cinderella Castle!

The Beasons are pictured near the Alps.

We're in Verona tonight - saw Juliet's house this evening and the Arena, of course at the entrance to the center of town. Clay and A-C are enjoying gelato with the Arena in the background. Back to Avanti tomorrow to see the BAT group...

Rothenburg and Fussen

We rented a car in Mainz, thanked J.R profusely, and drove off onto the Romantic Road on our way to Rothenburg, Germany. While touristy, the town was ever-so-charming, and we certainly recommend it if Germany is on your travel list in the future. My parents' friends' recommendations (and Rick Steves', of course) have made our traveling (and eating!) easy and memorable.

From Rothenburg, we headed to Fussen and went to the Neuschwanstein Castle--the one that inspired the Disney Cinderella castle and the background for the movie Bambi; there is one wall in the king's concert hall that looks like the Bambi movie forrest, making that wall quite modern looking. However, the painting is much older than the Disney movie (late 1800s) and looked out of place to me among the other painted walls in the castle depicting battle scenes and religious images.

Tomorrow we'll head to Veronna, Italy to search for Romeo and Juliet. Having trouble with the hotel's computer picking up my camera, so we'll post pictures at the next computer (perhaps Veronna or Sunday back in Scandicci) that we come to...

Germany Group Trip

What an experience - I feel like we've been exposed to the Martin Luther side of the early 1500s here in Germany. The humanities class (and the rest of the crew has had the shortened version presented to them) has learned about the Medici family coming to power in Florence and throughout the region as the Renassiance period flourished. We've been exposed to how the Medici family had a member who finally became pope who really abused the position. This was about the time that Martin Luther went on his journey to Rome and became disgusted at how the money was being spent to fund St. Peter's and how money was being spent to supposedly buy a passageway into Heaven. Well, now we've had a dip in the German culture. We toured Worms where Martin Luther had the opportunity to recant his statements against the church's actions. We gained respect for his actions and bravery.

We also had some good ol' German culture fun - outside of class. Here is a run-down of our German experience: We arrived in Mainz on an overnight train - the group's first overnight train experience. We met up with J.R. Duke (Dr. Ganus' grandson - Debbie Duke's son - for anyone with HU connections) who played basketball at HU when Clay and I were in school; J.R. is a professor at the University of Mainz and lives in Germany. Clay and J.R. have planned and planned for this program and have spent countless hours making the experience wonderful. J.R. has put a tremendous amount of hours into planning our Germany trip unforgettable, and he met us at the train station with some German sport friends upon our arrival with a German snack and drink in hand. After storing our luggage at the station, we trained to Bingen, caught a boat across the river to Rudesheim, strolled the streets and shopped a bit, and got back on the Rhein River for a little cruise down to Bacharach. J.R. located a bakery in Rudesheim and picked up a birthday cake for Lauren (see picture #2), so we celebrated her birthday before the group split up for free-travel. We then trained to the gym where J.R. coaches a German basketball team and had a pickup basketball game. Then, we had a cookout with some of J.R.'s sports friends and church friends. The BAT students slept at the Mainz Youth Hostel and were pleased with their "quarters."

The next day, the group bused to the new soccer stadium and got a tour (it was under construction, thus the hard hats - see picture #3). The group bused to downtown Mainz and strolled among the open-air markets seeing the fruits, veggies, and flowers with the cathedral in the background. Then, the BAT group met up with J.R. at the university where he works, went into his classroom of German students studying the American south, and split up into small groups (Americans and Germans together) where the Germans took the Americans to eat lunch on campus. We met up at the end of the experiential class and discussed our differences in the food arena. Getting to know students in that setting in a new culture was a special way to experience the German culture. We then trained to Worms - refer back to paragraph one.

Back at Mainz, the Beasons waved goodbye to the BAT group, wishing them safe travels and lots of fun. We spent the night in Frankfurt. My parents flew over to meet up with us for our free-travel week. We did the same Rhein River cruise that we took the students on the other day - I wanted my folks to experience it. See picture #4 - castle ruins in the background. We went further north to St. Goar upon Rick Steves' recommendation (see picture #5). Now, Clay, A-C, and I are back at J.R.'s apartment kicking back and relaxing and discussing how things went for the students, what could be improved upon, what we loved, what we'd change, etc.

Hopefully, this relationship/exposure to/with the German university students and our HU BAT students can be continued. I feel like we've had a unique time in Germany with J.R.'s expertise and preparation, and I know our BAT students appreciate his efforts. I'm so thankful to him and to Clay for the work that has gone into the trip. The schedule has been absolutely packed full, but the BAT crew is college students, and they can handle the physical and mental demands!

I know that they'll come back to Scandicci early next week with story after story, and we'll be ready to hear them all!

Saturday in Scandicci

It felt good to arrive safely last night and to hop off the train at good ol' S.M.N. Firenze train station. ROME was a wonderful experience; ask your student to tell you some of their own stories - to which I may not be privy... But it's always good to get "home," too. This morning, the Avanti crew made a "special breakfast" for us consisting of biscuits like my grandmother's, gravy, an egg casserole (diced potatoes on bottom and cheese on top), and fruit. Cherries are in season here and on sale now. Oh my, they just explode in your mouth! Zoe the dog around here plays with them like they're a ball; the pit may make her a little anxious, who knows? Yes, we live here with the dog Zoe. Emily Woodruff rescued him from the shelter (I think that's the story that's in the back of my brain for some reason from our previous visit in November), and Zoe is still just a puppy. She's a really well-behaved dog, and our BAT folks have enjoyed her right along with everything else.

We had classes today, and now (mid-afternoon) the students (and the Beasons) and doing laundry and getting ready to go out on the town tonight for some free time. We leave for Germany tomorrow night - our first overnight train ride with BAT - after church and classes, so we have today to catch up between trips on school work, getting clothes clean, etc. I'm not sure when the next time I'll post will be because we'll sleep Sunday night on the train, we'll have Monday with J.R. Duke (Clay's buddy who teaches at the University in Mainz and coaches basketball in Germany) as our guide (this will be our 2nd time to be to J.R.'s place, so we're really looking forward to being with him again!), then we'll have more German adventures on Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon starts our "free travel" week, so the students will all report back to Avanti in Scandicci by Monday at lunch time. The students all have the hang of the European train system and are comfortable having their own adventures. Most of the students are in one of two pretty big groups who are enjoying traveling together; I know that Paris, Interlocken, and Milan are the travel destinations for one of the groups. We'll get ALL of their info for ALL their hotels/hostels/travel plans/phone numbers before they depart. We'll keep up with them. As you pray for their safety and good sense, also know that this is SO healthy for them in many ways. They are maturing, sharing, learning, exploring, and loving each other in a vibrant and delicious (!!!) and generous culture. Everybody speaks English - no worries - they can ask for help if they need it and figure things out next week if they run into wrinkles. They're planning away online together and have already secured some travel arrangements. We'll have their info in case issues arrive and we need to get in touch with them. It'll be a week of independent adventure and awareness that, we hope, inspires them to travel throughout their lives with their own families one of these days. What opportunites you've allowed!

After our BAT group separates as the train station in Germany, Clay and I are meeting my folks and exploring some small German towns before making our way through the Alps (in a rental - I hope we all fit!) back down here; we'll stop in Verona, drop the car there, train back to Florence, and leave my folks on the train, while they continue on to Pisa for their own recovery time. Clay and I like to keep the schedule jam-packed, and my folks prefer a bit of a break, so they'll have time away from us to catch their breath after our trip through Rothenburg, Fussen, and Verona. I know that sleep should be a priority, so I'll encourage our BAT students to store it up tonight and tomorrow before I let them out of my sight for a few days! I'll post when I can, and I'll let you know that we're all home safely on Monday. Your kiddos are very loved by all here. They're with peers who are positive and caring. Clay and I are very fortunate to be able to spend time with your students. Your work/training/preaching/discipline/efforts/etc. is so evident to us. Thanks for inspiring us to do the same with our girl!

Rome

I don't know how in the world I'm going to get words around our Rome experience. We learned so much about ourselves, our history, others' histories and how they've influenced us in ways that we didn't even recognize, other cultures... goodness, even in Italy, there are differences in food, land, people. Like America, as you travel throughout the land here, you note changes and things specific to each region. Oh, my how we've grown (we did have gelato quite a bit, but I'm not talking about our waistlines growing here!)...

We arrived after sunset in Rome and hit the trail after dropping off our luggage (at a hotel that was in the perfect location, I must say). It was a long travel day - took the slow train so that our budget would allow for our Germany trip - but we didn't relax upon arrival. Straight away, we went to the Church of Christ in Rome, where we know a family who worships there. Harding has had a "visiting missionary" on campus for the spring semester this year from Rome. A church elder, the husband and his wife (who has a lovely singing voice) and his daughter Vivi spent time in Searcy this spring getting to know our small town, so now we've spent a fraction of time in Rome - their town. We joined their Bible study, listening to Italian and English, and then the fellow-believers fed us pizza; Clay told me that he overheard some students say that it was the best pizza they've had so far in Italy. We ate and ate and ate until we could hold no more. We sang and prayed in Italian and English, sharing such a special evening together. Clay summaried the makeup of our group in Italian - he's quite good - honestly, I'm so proud of his learning this new language! He's well on his way. He led a prayer at the end, and I got chillbumps when he prayed for the "church in Rome." Rarely does a Sunday pass when Clay and I don't think about believers all over this world worshipping God together; we always think of Florence's church and now we'll think of our new friends in Rome, as well. I'm getting teary (surprise - you know I'm quite a cryer!) just thinking about how many people share in the love for our Savior and for each other, and we don't even know each other's names. There are millions of believers, and there's such power in that. Why is anyone on the Lord's team ever afraid of anything?

Vivi has gotten to know some of our BAT group and went on a walk around the city with the crew exploring the sites. I overheard a moment of a phone conversation of one of our BAT guys as we walked along: "Dad, I'm in ROME! It's as big and busy as New York City but with a lot of 'ancient' thrown in. Rome!" A BAT guy came up and hugged me at the first fountain we came to saying, "It just hit me that I'm actually half way around the world in Rome - where the world as we know it began; thank you for this opportunity." If you're a PARENT of a BAT student, please know that your kiddos (not really kiddos anymore in anyone's minds but your's - and ours because the responsibility is so heavy - good, but heavy) are thankful, smart, and interested in things around them....three GOOD qualities. The first night's walk consisted of the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Colonna, the Pantheon, and Pizza Navonna. A few of the humanities students had "on-site" presentations assigned at these sites to educate the entire group.

After getting to bed after 1:00 am, we let the students sleep in and left the hotel at 10:15. Our day consisted of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, St. Peter's in Chains (Michelangelo's Moses), St. Clemente, and St. Giovanni in Laterano. The humanities group led us again on our visits. Free time was enjoyed by all, and we got to bed a bit earlier than the night before.

Then today, we visited the largest church in Christendom, St. Peter's Basilica, seeing Michelanglo's pieta of Mary holding Jesus' crucified body. The church's grandness is indescribable. It's easy to understand how Martin Luther had an issue with Pope Leo X selling indulgences to finance this --- his frustration is understandable on several levels, and we discussed that with our BAT group. We'll get going to Germany and studying Martin Luther's actions a bit next week, tying the Rome trip and the Germany trip together, as we visit several sites important to the Reformation Movement (mixed with some non-humanities class fun, of course). Next, we headed over to the Vatican Museums with the goal of seeing the Raphael Rooms (School of Athens painting is my favorite--see Tara explaining who is who in the painting to our group - she did such a great job!) and the Sistene Chapel (words can't do this justice, so I won't attempt-let's leave it at that!). Afterwards, the BAT kids had some free time, so Clay and I took A-C to Rome's zoo on the Borghese grounds. She needed some real kiddo time, and she even got to swing on a swing set we found....

We arrived back at Avanti to the smell of garlic bread, steaks, ribs, grilled chicken, and sweet tea. We wrapped up the meal with banana splits - fresh strawberries and cherries and homemade whipped cream topped it off. Words can't describe this either! HA!!!

Pictures!

Here are Reed and Zach playing basketball with the Italians in Florence - they were practicing with them last night; Clay has their schedule now and will set up regular times for the court with the team.

Have I mentioned that not only is Clay kind and generous, he's also brilliant and quite a problem-solver! I'm using two computers to get pictures to you, so enjoy... Maybe the one I've taken-a-likin'-to will act right when we return from Rome...

Here's how I think the pictures will be listed once I click 'publish post.' We will see:

San Gimignano, my favorite small town, has a special piazza (town center meeting/talking place) that has a well in the middle of it. The people (13th century) devised an underground system of collecting rain water and getting it to this central well so that the people could use it. From here we had free time and a few people went with us inside the church will all the frescos lining the walls; one side has pictures from the Old Testament, and one side has pictures from the New Testament. One student said as he walked in, not knowing what to expect from a pre-Renassaiance church, "I see every story I've ever heard painted on the walls of this place." That's exactly what the artists wanted to do; the uneducated people could not read - only priests and powers-that-be - so the common folk had to learn of the Bible by observing art and interpretting it and/or listening to their priest tells them what the Bible said. Has every generation thought, "Goodness we're forturnate to live in our present age?" We say it, of course, but did the people who watched such artistic genius on a daily basis know what sort of talent was right before their eyes?

Next you see the group sitting outside San Gigiminao's city wall eating their lunches (or waiting for others to finish). I thought you'd like an action shot that's not athletic...really I like the wall behind the students that surrounds the town (or used to completely fortify it). Did the people of the old days (or are we beginning to - please no!) take the beauty of their surroundings for granted? Oh, I hope we continue to marvel at the creativeness and age of this place and appreciate it!

The next picture is of A-C with bella Tuscan hills in the background. Isn't this what pops in your head when you hear the word "Italy"?!!!!!!???!!!!

Next we see the group (small from here!) at the steps of Siena's Cathedral. I wrote and wrote about it on the previous post. If I get started again, I'll still be here at lunchtime and miss the train to Rome. Perhaps I'm getting annoying with all the group pictures; no matter, they'll appreciate it later. My, am I a mom... or what???

Then, we're taking a quick relax-break at Il Campo in Siena...this is where the horse races I decribed last night take place. Otherwise, the piazza is filled with people of Siena and all over the world. What a place... One of these days, Siena would be nice to get to know for a longer length of time - call me a dreamer...

The last picture is from the field to which our group has access when scheduled. The students are getting stronger by the day - in many ways, I think!

Tuscan Travels

My new, little, convenient-to-carry camera isn't being recognized by the computer I'm using (it was earlier, but now it's being finicky), so I'll just write to you and maybe you have access to your student's photos on Facebook. I'll take the monster to Rome - well, maybe.

After packing our sack lunches this morning, we took a bus together to San Gimignano. If you have a trip to Italy on your travel list, you must consider adding this town. San Gimignano is a small Tuscan hilltown that is known for its skyline of towers. In the "old days," families built towers for defense purposes and to display their wealth and power. Essentially, in the Medici-days, that ruling family and their allies came through and said, "We have the power, not you, so get these towers displaying your wealth out of the sky," and tore down many, many of the surrounding hilltown's towers. Only about a dozen of the 60 original remain, but that's the most in any small town, making San Gimignano unique and attractive for visitors. There are shops, shops, shops, and they enjoy the tourism...it's getting more crowded as people have discovered it's charm, but it remains beautiful and is definitely worth putting on your list. I have a great group photo that I wish I could attach. Perhaps later...

As we waited for the bus to come pick us up, we inhaled our sack lunches then rode half an hour or so to Siena (it's one n in Italy, I believe and two in America - why???). I overhead a few people say that Siena is their favorite town so far. It's main piazza - Il Campo - hosts the famous horse race twice a year during which horses - not jockeys - compete for the different regions of the town. The people care about whether (and when, of course) the horse crosses the finish line and not necessarily the jockey; apparently losing a jockey (just thrown off - not substantially hurt) is quite common! Anyway, about 50,000 people gather in the piazza. Imagine 50,000 people on the HU football field and in the bleachers, leaving only the track open for the horses. Then put lovely OLD brick buildings (apartments, shops, restaurants, govt. buildings), a marble church (curved arches, pointed arches, and gothic style - the Siena Cathedral is decorative-understatement-on the outside as well as the inside-Barberini & Michaelangelo), and functioning ringing of old church bells in the background. Add the fast - almost flying - horses and the townspeople cheering for their horse, and you've got the race at Il Campo! After our guide turned us loose, we had 1 1/2 hours to explore and snack in Siena. Beauty, beauty, beauty.

Although many of the BAT people feel asleep on the bus, those of us who were up looked over the Tuscan countryside as we rode to and from our cities today. God blessed our weather - it was supposed to rain all day long. On the way, when we were still in the bus, the rains came. When we arrived in San Gimignano at our primi stop, the weather quieted and we enjoyed strolling - not wet, not hot. We also enjoyed Siena - not hot, not wet. Then when we got on the bus and on the road, the rains came hard. We arrived back at Avanti for some good ol' American chicken pot pie and salad with ranch dressing! You can't beat Italian food, but chicken pot pie gives anything a run for it's money, and it was a fun switch.

In the morning, we leave for Rome after the students have time set aside for workouts. We must pack tonight to be on time for our train tomorrow. We have a contact in Rome and plan on worshipping with his church and having pizza with them tomorrow night if all goes according to plan. Don't know if I'll update until Saturday, but I'll give it a try in an internet cafe or something perhaps. Oh, a "new" computer might could "see" my camera. Wish us a safe trip!