Italy, Baby!

Since I am coming HOME in JUNE (that's right folks... European jaunting will be over for me soon). I am taking the remaining weekends I have here to soak in all things European. This past weekend: ITALY!

We left a rainy Basel on Friday night and did one of those sleeper cars all night long thru Bern, Bolongna, to where the heck, Parma (it's where they make the 'sean cheese), to La Spezia where we finally stayed and explored. We did Cinque Terre. ("Chink-wah Tara" for you, Dad.) It stands for the Five cities. It was a seriously (I can't think of new words to describe it...) BEAUTIFUL place. We started in the first town and walked to the second one along the river. Being ever adventurous and not girly-girls in the least... we hiked the high path up to the mountains and down to the next villiage, it took us about three hours to do this leg (and I saw a SNAKE. Yes it was totally a snake and I DID NOT faint...what was I saying? Not girly at ALL, ahem. Yeah..)

Between the first two cities. We were only about 400m above sea level, but we felt like it should count for more since we actually STARTED climing at sea level. I think that counts for something... right?

We came back down to sea level and dipped our feed in the "Med"which is I guess...is how the hoi polloi refer to it. But I am not so very chic. Clearly...

We then took a bus and another train to the remaining two cities and bought some tasty wines and some local artwork from Oliver, the lovely Croatian painter man. He paints squiggly versions of the cities in brilliant colors. We had dinner at a nice restaurant, the people in Italy are MUCH friendlier than the Swiss. However, the trains are cleaner and they actually run the whole time... so there are trade offs.

From Cinque Terre, we made our way to Pisa and Florence. We hadn't necessarily planned to, but there was an Italian train strike, so we adjusted and hit the high points. And almost missed two trains.

Being in the same room as the statue of the David again made me all shivery...no tears. I did get a little choked up the first time I saw him. It's just surreal. He is 500cm tall...that's way bigger than you think.
Duomo in Florence. Firenza, rather. I think by far my favorite Italian city. We checked out the leather and textile markets and probably spent way to much on purses and scarves, but it was fun to "bargain" with the groping Italians. (!). Ok, to be honest I was a little violated by Guido, but I think I got a deal. (On the purse...)

Tami is pushing the tower over on me...she made me stand in the distance so she would look fierce. I don't think she looks fierce.

I love nerds too. These bottles are (R) empty, and (L) not opened.

Being on a train for two of the last three nights made me INCREDIBLY tired... but good tired. We met all these "tourists" on the trains, mostly Americans and we felt all cool and "local". Geez. We are dorks.

How will I come back to normal life after this? I have no idea what normal is anymore.

Spoiled Rotten,

Linz

They DID shoot Steve!

A friend of my brothers was SHOT in a carjacking this week. (Soooo not a joke).,  Get me my stamp (pictured below)!.  He's ok, thank God, and only has a hole in his thigh and a graze on his forehead to show for it, but MAN can life get any scarier or closer to home?

 

Wow. I just can't believe it. I'm just glad he was wearing his golf visor.  Folks please be careful when you are out late at night.

From the Willie!

If per drafting codes.. this were in BLUE... would be perfect. (Only

my enginnerd homies will get that).

Am I normal?

I sometimes wonder what is wrong with me. After a day like today, I don't understand why I get days like today and I feel guilty about it. I played hooky from work (it was a Swiss holiday, but not an American one) and I was convinced by my co-workers who get the Swiss holiday's to come to Interlaken to white-water raft.

It was absolutely beautiful. (you are getting tired of me saying that) We rafted. We didn't die. We jumped into the 39 degree water in the lake at the end. We were wearing wet suits that were SO freaking small that they were literally mashing down my spinal column. I'm not kidding or exaggerating. Mine was so small that once on a "get down" section of the river I "got down" and couldn't "get up" because my suit was so tight. I was lying like a turtle on my back, just stuck...several times! Met a nice gal and her dad from Toronto. She is living in Bern and is looking for folks to hang out with. It was pretty fun. Weird to think that the water I was rafting in, three months ago, was the snow I might have been skiing on. The hostel that my co-workers stayed at was really nice (and cheap) and they had wireless, and a lovely garden in the back with a trampoline. After a hard day of rafting (the fellas, Alistair and Ross, went rock climbing instead) we all met back up and sat on the lawn in bare feet and did cartwheels, gave piggy back rides and were silly. Played with a random St. Bernard, and just laughed and laughed.
Ate the best Thai food I have ever had and caught the train home.
The kicker is... it was strange today, as fun and as beautiful as it was. I felt all day like there is something more to be enjoyed and my attempt to place my experiences in nature as my only communion with God felt problematic. It is only the gift. It's not the Giver. We were meant to be pointed to God via nature but we were not meant to worship the mountains. They don't speak, they don't love me back, they don't restore me. At first they did awe me and inspire me to no end of the wonder and power of God, but now it's clear I need to fall back onto my relationship with God, which lately lets be honest, has been a bit non-existent. Call it whatever I want... time, circumstance, pain, but fact is I am running a little bit because answers feel far and the answers that are near, I will not accept.

So here's to relenting.

Here's to taking my idols off the shelf and removing them from the "high" places. I really should have worked today. I really shouldn't have missed church from sleeping in on Sunday, I really should be digging into scripture more than I am. I love the word (or say I do) but I have neglected it as of late. Someone told me I am living in my comforts right now. I think in the beginning it was the only place I could possibly be, as I was drowning and lonely and very depressed about being so far away from home in such a cold place (cold as in the temperature of the air and of the people). But as the snow caps melt and run down to their summer home, I too am going somewhere fluidly. With only the heat of the sun and gravity as my guides I will go somewhere purposefully. I am at a strange peace in the middle of my darkness that makes little sense.

I know, in fact I am absolutely certain, that God loves me no more or no less than he did during my days of me still trying to "earn" my salvation. I followed all the rules did what I was supposed to, and now I'm a screw up in many ways, and my self-righeousness is gone. Of the sinners I am the worst.

So what is next? Which waterfall is mine? What path am I carving?

I wonder in the book of my life what these chapters are for. I think in the beginning it was a lot of healing. Now I think there is much pleasure and easiness. Is it strange to be less content in your comfort than you are in your strife?

Or am I unable to sit in a moment and not anaylze it while paralyzed?

Lord help me not be nuts.

Mom.

To protect my melon. Posted for my MOM. On Mother's Day. I know my hair un-tucked makes me look like a Fraggle. This was today in the park. A lovely lovely day in the park. A picnic and citron ice cream with friends and some frisbee. Again... everything is blooming.

Lucerne with Parents and Drama... To Be Continued.

Well call this the "before" picture. This is my ingenious papa and his makeshift suspender. His belt buckle broke in half and he had to fashion a single ridiculous suspender out of his "man purse" strap. Chuckles all around. A woman shopkeeper saw him and ran into the back room and pulled out a fist full of actual suspenders and tried to sell him a pair.
This face would be the summationof the lucerne experience but less happy...

Engleberg with Parents

32F at the top, 75F at the bottom! Lovely!

Lugano with Parents

Camera out of juice this day... PITY.

Montreux with Parents

Bern with Parents

Basel with Parents.

Also..

Worth noting:

I got beat in scrabble two out of three rounds. By a guy who's first language isn't even English.

Bah.