Italia 11-11-08

Cari famiglia ed amici,

Another week has gone by and we have concluded yet another exciting, but exhausting, adventure in Europe. Since Tuesday the 10th was a national holiday in France (Armistice Day) and most people at Joe's work took Monday off, we found ourselves with a four-day weekend. After some discussion and research, we decided to use the time to visit some sites in Toscana (Tuscany) in Italy.

We left home immediately after church on Sunday. The six hour drive took us through the Cote d'Azur (Cannes, Nice, etc.), Genoa, and down the Italian Penensula to our hotel in the town of Lucca.

Julie used the time in the car to teach the kids about the renaissance, reformation, and restoration, including Da Vinci, Wycliffe, Luther and others. To our surprise, the kids loved hearing about how the earth was prepared to receive the fullness of the gospel and kept Julie on task whenever she was distracted by the scenery.


Once we reached Cannes, the road climbed 2,000 ft up the mountain side so that we gained a breathtaking view of the ocean and the towns below. From there, the road hugged the cliffs for an hour before we finally crossed the border into Italy.

The change from France to Italy was immediately visible. In addition to having to read signs in yet another unfamiliar language, we noticed that all of the mountain sides, regardless of how steep, were covered with olive and grape vineyards situated on small terraces built up over the centuries. From our vantage point, it was entirely unclear whether these hilltop villas were accessible by any means other than foot.


We reached our Bed and Breakfast in Lucca around 8:00pm. Our room consisted of two adjoining bedrooms, a bathroom, and an entry way. The walls were covered with antiques and paintings of all sorts, so there was no mistaking our arrival in Italy.


The next morning, we ate breakfast and then drove about 45 minutes to the city of Florence. Since cars are restricted in downtown, we had to park at a garage and take a bus into the center. The kids loved the bus ride and were disappointed when we took a taxi on the return trip.

Our first stop was the historic Piazza del Duomo, the site of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. The building was designed by Brunelleschi in 1296 and is decorated with slabs of green, white, and pink marble. It is most know for its dome, which is arguably the most amazing project completed during Renaissance. The inside of the dome has some very graphic scenes of death and hell of which the kids were gratefully oblivious.


Once inside, we decided to visit the crypt under the church. It housed some spectacular mosiacs, headstones, miscellaneous objects found over the years, and empty graves.


















Next, we went next door and ascended the bell tower. Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel climbed each one of the 416 steps without complaint. At times, we had to stop to let those decending the tower get by. We also rested at each of the three levels to catch our breath and take pictures.
















After eating a traditional Italian lunch of Bruchetta, crustinni, insulata, cheese, and bread at the Cantinetta Del Verrazzano, we left Florence for the town of Vinci in the Tuscan countryside. The small fortified city was once the childhood home of Leonardo Da Vinci (meaning "of Vinci") and houses a muesum of his greatest inventions. Although this was a nice contrast to the crowded streets of Florence, we arrived at dusk and were not able to spend as much time exploring the area as we would have liked.



Our last stop of the day was our home town of Lucca. We walked by lamplight through the old, narrow streets and imagined how similar the city must have several hundred years ago. After eating a late dinner, we let the kids collect some leaves and climb up the backside of the old walls surrounding the city.

On Tuesday, we packed up and headed for our final destination, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The kids each did their part by taking turns holding up the monument. Joe and Julie also enjoyed strolling through the neighboring Duomo and seeing the intricately decorated ceilings and doors.

We arrived home in France at around 8:00pm. Overall, we had an interesting experience in Italy and hope to return sometime soon.

Arrivederci per ora (goodbye for now)!

Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel