Dan & I are "stuck" in Madrid, yet again on a layover. Frankly we are very ready to move on to our next stop, Paris!
The past few days have been amazing, complely full of answered prayers! Friday we made the trek from Barcelona to Madrid where we spent a beautiful Sabbath wandering through the archeology museum (free on Saturday afternoons), rambling around Madrid's version of Central Park, watching street performers, eating ice cream, and praying together by a peaceful stream. God gave us a day of rest and we fully enjoyed it.
Sunday, as I've already posted about (I think...) we got stuck in Madrid, due to an over booked train, which ended up being a blessing. We were forced to change our schedule which actually gave us more time in Gibraltar and Tangiers.
Our time in southern Spain (Algeciras), Gibraltar, and Tangiers (Morocco) was undoubetedly one of the big highlights of our trip! I wrote about our visit in Gibraltar so I'll just remind you that we got to hold wild monkeys!!!
Yesterday (Tuesday), we caught an early ferry to Tangiers, where I had immense trepidation about going to, especially considering my sprained knee. Dan had brought up possibly doing another taxi tour, so I wouldn't be in so much pain, but mostly we were just going to wing it, like we have most places and pray extra hard for our Lord's protection.
Oh me of little faith! My Father had a plan for us that He obviously set in motion well before Dan or I ever stepped foot on African soil (which we took video of, by the way).
Stepping of the ship we were immediately greeted by a little old man in floor length, hooded, white robes and a white beanie. He looked like a cross between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. In a soft but clear voice he started asking Dan some questions, which Danny answered mostly to get him off our back since Dan thought he was trying to get us to use his hotel. It turned out he was a private tour guide who offered us a tour to a total of 80 Euros; taxi, admission to all attractions, camel ride and "everything you could want, I take care of, you come with me you are family!"
Somewhat wary but eager to fit as much in our limited time as possible, Dan decided we would do it.
It was the best decision he could have made! Ahakmed, our guide,and Abduel, our driver were wonderful! In fact, according to everyone we met--literally all of whom knew Ahakmed by name--he is the best guide in all of Tangiers. We were not disappointed! From the moment he picked us up by the dock until he watched us get back on the ferry at 22:00 that night he gave us the best service imaginable, and we really did feel like we were family!
In Europe, well to put it bluntly the customer service stinks (not everywhere, but most places), in Morocco it was just the opposite! He, and everyone else we interacted with couldn't do enough for us. It was wonderful, and humbling.
Ahakmed took us everywhere. We were with him for about 8 hours and we got a better taste of Tangiers than we have gotten of many places we have stayed a lot longer. We saw and explored Hercule's Cave (the cave was named after Dan, by the way ;), saw the king's palace, Saudi Arabia's many palaces, the coast of Morocco, the light house where you can see the Atlantic and Mediterranean simultaneously, the spice market, meat market, fresh market, got to go into an ancient bakery where they still bake the food in the same manner and same oven they did 1000 years ago, we were taken to a tiny Moroccan restaurant where they served us delicious authentic Moroccan food that Dan even loved, explored the ancient city of Medina, rocked and explored the Casbah (the ancient fortress), took a camel ride, I kissed a baby camel, and we were taken to so many other little places I can't even hope to mention them all, but needless to say it was wonderful!
All my worry and anxiety were once again unjustified. Why can't I learn to trust God and my Danny?
We were easily safer in Africa than we have been almost anywhere. God made sure of it. We were escorted the whole day by the most respected guide (he has been a guide since 1960, and fluently speaks 6 languages) in all of Tangiers, who took care of us like we were his family, and I don't exaggerate!
On the ferry back Dan brought up that if things had gone according to our plans we never would have gotten to have such a great time in Morocco. If we had made our original train, we would have had to combine Gibraltal and Morocco and never would have made the memories we did. If my knee hadn't been hurt we wouldn't have even considered a taxi or guided tour, and while I am sure we would have enjoyed ourselves it wouldn't have been anywhere near the experience God had in store for us. He really does move in mysterious and wonderful ways.
We also came away from Morocco with our first and only souvenier, a hand crafted, wool, cashmere, & silk oriental rug in the most beautiful design I have ever seen. We still can't believe we got it, but it is amazing and we both look at it as a momento that will become a family heirloom! Dan is now carrying both backpacks while I cart the 28 pound rug around on a cart. We have effectively increased our baggage by 50%! Oh well, it is the stuff like this that makes memories!
Thank you all for your prayers, my knee is bruised but the swelling is going down. I think it will heal nicely!
Love to all.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
A Wonderful Day, And a Major Prayer Request
It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.
Today couldn´t have been more extreme in either way. I spent the morning in pain and tears and the afternoon/evening in rapture, laughter, and frankly still quite a bit of pain.
This morning everything that could go wrong, did. Almost without exception. We got on the metro at 7:35 for what should have been a 30 minute ride to the train station to catch our train to Gibraltar which was scheduled to leave at 8:35. In the middle of the train ride the metro stopped, made all of us deboard and wait 10 minutes for the next train to go by, then in the middle of the next metro ride it stopped again for a few minutes. We were incredibly stressed by the time we got to the train station, at 8:20, but still sure we could make our train, because we thought we knew how to board the train. Yet another instance of us thinking we knew more than we really did.
We ended up having to run for the train, up the escalating staircase where I lost my balance (running with a huge backpack + being a huge klutz don´t go well together) and fell on the moving sidewalk/staircase. Insert awful pain and a sprained, swollen, black and blue, scraped up knee and a crying hurt Katie still running to make the stupid train to southern Spain.
With one minute to spare we made the train, where my hubby took wonderful care of me and even managed to communicate with the man in the dining car enough to get me a bag of ice for my knee. He prayed for me on the train, made me elevate my leg as much as possible and just generally babied me. God gave me the best husband, and I know it! He has been carrying both backpacks (I married the strongest man alive!) and supporting me. I couldn´t be more blessed with a wonderful loving hubby. He takes such good care of me!
Thankfully the hotel was just across the street from the train station, so I hobbled over there, and we assessed the situation. It´s not good, but it could be worse. We decide to go ahead and take the train to Gibraltar and see what we can do. Dan said he´d carry me the whole way if necessary (and he was serious! I love my strong hubby!).
In Gibraltar we saw the amazing Rock of Gibraltar, which is breathtaking. The huge expanse of stone surrounded by the beach reminded me of the need to build my house on the rock that is Jesus Christ, not on the sinking sand of the world.
We decided to take a taxi tour because Dan didn´t want me walking on my knee more than necessary. The taxi driver, Dennis, was a joy to be around. He was very kind, knew all the ins and outs, helpful, and knowledgable. I´d highly reccommend a taxi tour, even if you don´t have a bum knee, because we got to go in areas that other tourists can´t get into, and you get the insider experience.
Best of all, we got to hold wild monkeys! I´m completely serious and have the photos and videos to prove it!
In Gibraltar, Barbary Macaques run wild (in fact, it is the only area in Europe with wild monkeys) and the taxi drivers know how to interact with them. Dennis stopped in a special area where they came right up and jumped on the taxi, and eventually on Dan & me! Dennis fed them and let us both hold one big one and one small one. It was amazing! We actually held and interacted with 2 wild monkeys! There are approximately 250 wild monkeys on the Rock of Gibraltar and this was an experience we will never forget!
For reference, until I can upload my pictures & video from our camera, here are some pictures from wikipedia of Macaques:
Tomorrow we venture into Morocco, Africa! Exciting!
So a reminder of our main prayer requests:
Please be praying for healing of my knee. It makes it difficult to enjoy backpacking with a swollen painful knee.
Please be praying for our saftey in Morocco.
Thank you, dear ones, and forgive the scatterbrained post. I´m exhausted, and in need of food! Love to all.
Today couldn´t have been more extreme in either way. I spent the morning in pain and tears and the afternoon/evening in rapture, laughter, and frankly still quite a bit of pain.
This morning everything that could go wrong, did. Almost without exception. We got on the metro at 7:35 for what should have been a 30 minute ride to the train station to catch our train to Gibraltar which was scheduled to leave at 8:35. In the middle of the train ride the metro stopped, made all of us deboard and wait 10 minutes for the next train to go by, then in the middle of the next metro ride it stopped again for a few minutes. We were incredibly stressed by the time we got to the train station, at 8:20, but still sure we could make our train, because we thought we knew how to board the train. Yet another instance of us thinking we knew more than we really did.
We ended up having to run for the train, up the escalating staircase where I lost my balance (running with a huge backpack + being a huge klutz don´t go well together) and fell on the moving sidewalk/staircase. Insert awful pain and a sprained, swollen, black and blue, scraped up knee and a crying hurt Katie still running to make the stupid train to southern Spain.
With one minute to spare we made the train, where my hubby took wonderful care of me and even managed to communicate with the man in the dining car enough to get me a bag of ice for my knee. He prayed for me on the train, made me elevate my leg as much as possible and just generally babied me. God gave me the best husband, and I know it! He has been carrying both backpacks (I married the strongest man alive!) and supporting me. I couldn´t be more blessed with a wonderful loving hubby. He takes such good care of me!
Thankfully the hotel was just across the street from the train station, so I hobbled over there, and we assessed the situation. It´s not good, but it could be worse. We decide to go ahead and take the train to Gibraltar and see what we can do. Dan said he´d carry me the whole way if necessary (and he was serious! I love my strong hubby!).
In Gibraltar we saw the amazing Rock of Gibraltar, which is breathtaking. The huge expanse of stone surrounded by the beach reminded me of the need to build my house on the rock that is Jesus Christ, not on the sinking sand of the world.
We decided to take a taxi tour because Dan didn´t want me walking on my knee more than necessary. The taxi driver, Dennis, was a joy to be around. He was very kind, knew all the ins and outs, helpful, and knowledgable. I´d highly reccommend a taxi tour, even if you don´t have a bum knee, because we got to go in areas that other tourists can´t get into, and you get the insider experience.
Best of all, we got to hold wild monkeys! I´m completely serious and have the photos and videos to prove it!
In Gibraltar, Barbary Macaques run wild (in fact, it is the only area in Europe with wild monkeys) and the taxi drivers know how to interact with them. Dennis stopped in a special area where they came right up and jumped on the taxi, and eventually on Dan & me! Dennis fed them and let us both hold one big one and one small one. It was amazing! We actually held and interacted with 2 wild monkeys! There are approximately 250 wild monkeys on the Rock of Gibraltar and this was an experience we will never forget!
For reference, until I can upload my pictures & video from our camera, here are some pictures from wikipedia of Macaques:
Tomorrow we venture into Morocco, Africa! Exciting!
So a reminder of our main prayer requests:
Please be praying for healing of my knee. It makes it difficult to enjoy backpacking with a swollen painful knee.
Please be praying for our saftey in Morocco.
Thank you, dear ones, and forgive the scatterbrained post. I´m exhausted, and in need of food! Love to all.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Stuck in Spain
Well our trip has hit a little snafu, we are stuck in Madrid for an extra day because of an over booked train.
Oh well, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, my still a bit sniffly hubby is laying next to me and I will be a kind wife and not disclose the adorable sound his stuffy nose is making. We both could use some extra sleep, so we're taking advantage of this "disaster".
An additional prayer request:
Our travels down into Africa will be a little bit more dangerous and difficult as much fewer people speak English in Morocco and it is notorious for petty theft. Please pray for God's extra protection as we venture into this exotic area.
Love to all.
Oh well, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, my still a bit sniffly hubby is laying next to me and I will be a kind wife and not disclose the adorable sound his stuffy nose is making. We both could use some extra sleep, so we're taking advantage of this "disaster".
An additional prayer request:
Our travels down into Africa will be a little bit more dangerous and difficult as much fewer people speak English in Morocco and it is notorious for petty theft. Please pray for God's extra protection as we venture into this exotic area.
Love to all.
Friday, October 12, 2007
The Lord Is Amazing! And FAST!
Wow! Thank you for the prayers, they're powerful!
Dan's iPhone is once again working, after almost a week of being out of commission, and just hours after I post the prayer request. Concidence? I think not! Isn't it wonderful that our Father cares, even about the details?
I can't wait to share some of our other miracles this trip! God is so good!
Dan's iPhone is once again working, after almost a week of being out of commission, and just hours after I post the prayer request. Concidence? I think not! Isn't it wonderful that our Father cares, even about the details?
I can't wait to share some of our other miracles this trip! God is so good!
Where's this "Group Lunch" Again?
Oh how things get lost in translation!
Today, Danny & I booked our reservation on a train from Barcelona to Madrid, Spain and had one of the funniest experiences of our trip thus far. I hope I can do it justice in the relation, but as I'm not so good at telling jokes, I doubt I will. Here it goes, anyway.
We stepped up to the ticket counter after waiting for an hour in line (one thing I hate about Spain is the lines!) and were greeted by a middle aged man who informed us that he "speak only little English" which is just fine with us (a little is much more than many people speak!). We request a reservation on the 13:30 train to Madrid and are informed that is full.
"Fine," we say, "we'll just take the later one." He asks if our Eurail pass is 2nd class, and we inform him that, no, it is 1st class. "Oh, then you can take train at 13:30, 1st class have room." Fablous! Then he goes on to inform us, "Snack served on train, and group lunch around the corner."
"Group lunch?" We ask, surprised. We'd never been in a train station where they gave us a group lunch, but then again, we'd never gotten a snack on the train before either. We ask him to clarify, "Where is this group lunch?" "Group LUNCH," with a great emphasis that I chalk up to his personality and points around the corner. We shrug, thank him, and take our tickets.
As we walk, we look at each other and figure that we might as well try the group lunch, if it is included. Anything to save a few bucks, right?
We walk around the corner and see a huge McDonalds, a few stores, but no signs for a "Group Lunch" anywhere. We wander about a bit, asking each other where a group lunch would be found. Finally we decide to give up, and spotting the Salsa Lounge for 1st Class passengers we figured we might as well go in there to inquire about the group lunch and have a seat.
Walking in, we head straight to the counter and ask the lady there about the group lunch. She looks at us, very confused and says that her English isn't very good... We show her our ticket and explain that the man at the ticket counter told us we could find a group lunch near by.
She points out that there is a snack on the train, but she is not aware of any group lunches. She graciously tells us we're welcome to the complimentary drinks and snacks that the lounge has to offer the 1st class passengers, and after a bit of a strange look at us, we leave.
We decide to sit down, have a drink, and decide what to do about our missing group lunch. Dan leaves me to watch the bags and goes out to look for the group lunch, or scout out other lunch possiblites.
While he is gone I mull over the situation, and suddenly it dawns on me what happened. Dan walks in to find me in fit of giggles at our sillyness. "Danny," I say laughing, "He said, Group LOUNGE not Group LUNCH." Dan looks at me, and starts cracking up. We both can't stop laughing at our miss hearing. We had spent 20 minutes or so looking for our phantom group lunch, while in the very lounge the man was referring to.
Dan & I kept coming up with more scenarios where we would have looked even more like stupid Americans, insisting on a group lunch where there was none, but now that I'm writing it down, it seems more like a "you had to be there" type of thing. Oh well.
Today, Danny & I booked our reservation on a train from Barcelona to Madrid, Spain and had one of the funniest experiences of our trip thus far. I hope I can do it justice in the relation, but as I'm not so good at telling jokes, I doubt I will. Here it goes, anyway.
We stepped up to the ticket counter after waiting for an hour in line (one thing I hate about Spain is the lines!) and were greeted by a middle aged man who informed us that he "speak only little English" which is just fine with us (a little is much more than many people speak!). We request a reservation on the 13:30 train to Madrid and are informed that is full.
"Fine," we say, "we'll just take the later one." He asks if our Eurail pass is 2nd class, and we inform him that, no, it is 1st class. "Oh, then you can take train at 13:30, 1st class have room." Fablous! Then he goes on to inform us, "Snack served on train, and group lunch around the corner."
"Group lunch?" We ask, surprised. We'd never been in a train station where they gave us a group lunch, but then again, we'd never gotten a snack on the train before either. We ask him to clarify, "Where is this group lunch?" "Group LUNCH," with a great emphasis that I chalk up to his personality and points around the corner. We shrug, thank him, and take our tickets.
As we walk, we look at each other and figure that we might as well try the group lunch, if it is included. Anything to save a few bucks, right?
We walk around the corner and see a huge McDonalds, a few stores, but no signs for a "Group Lunch" anywhere. We wander about a bit, asking each other where a group lunch would be found. Finally we decide to give up, and spotting the Salsa Lounge for 1st Class passengers we figured we might as well go in there to inquire about the group lunch and have a seat.
Walking in, we head straight to the counter and ask the lady there about the group lunch. She looks at us, very confused and says that her English isn't very good... We show her our ticket and explain that the man at the ticket counter told us we could find a group lunch near by.
She points out that there is a snack on the train, but she is not aware of any group lunches. She graciously tells us we're welcome to the complimentary drinks and snacks that the lounge has to offer the 1st class passengers, and after a bit of a strange look at us, we leave.
We decide to sit down, have a drink, and decide what to do about our missing group lunch. Dan leaves me to watch the bags and goes out to look for the group lunch, or scout out other lunch possiblites.
While he is gone I mull over the situation, and suddenly it dawns on me what happened. Dan walks in to find me in fit of giggles at our sillyness. "Danny," I say laughing, "He said, Group LOUNGE not Group LUNCH." Dan looks at me, and starts cracking up. We both can't stop laughing at our miss hearing. We had spent 20 minutes or so looking for our phantom group lunch, while in the very lounge the man was referring to.
Dan & I kept coming up with more scenarios where we would have looked even more like stupid Americans, insisting on a group lunch where there was none, but now that I'm writing it down, it seems more like a "you had to be there" type of thing. Oh well.
Prayer Requests: Updated As of 22:41 My Time (That's 4:41 PM Back in Indy...)
Dan & I are safely in Madrid, and were reflecting today how incredibly blessed we have been this trip. God's protection has been visible and amazing in some of the most stressful situations, and throughout the whole trip!
We have a few prayer requests:
1. Dan is sick. It is nothing serious, but he's got a pretty nasty cold, and could use prayer. It's no fun having a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fatigue normally; however, compound that with going nonstop, traveling in cramped quarters, and a diet that is not my normal cooking (let's just say, it's hard to eat as heathy as we Ambroses do at home!) and it means that Dan is down a bit. So your prayers for his quick recovery would be appreciated greatly!
2. Dan's iPhone seems to be no longer working. It will still connect to WiFi networks, but cannot make or receive any calls. We're not positive if it is a problem with the phone itself, the network, or AT&T, but Dan's fiddling with the phone as we speak... Prayers he doesn't break it, wouldn't be out of place either ;) We are checking his voicemail via my phone, so at least he's not completely out of touch, but until we can solve the issue please understand that he is not reachable via phone. If you need to reach him, please call my (Katie's) phone. If you don't have the number, email us.
3. My headaches. Oy. Praise God that I haven't gotten any serious migraines since the Feast (and the one at the Feast was healed after being annointed and having hands layed on me, Praise God again!) however, my background headaches have been bad and really diminishing my energy levels, which is discouraging sometimes. Prayers for healing or at least relief would be appreciated!
And a HUGE praise report and news in the Ambrose family (an no, not a pregnancy announcement). Dan has an official start date for his new job, October 30th--with Ambassador Solutions as a lead developer/architect. God has had His hand in this from the beginning, and all glory to Him, His timing is perfect! Further, all of our benefits will start November 1st, so we won't have any lapse in benefits when we get back from Europe. God really works things out to the last detail!
Hopefully I can post more tonight, from the hotel. Sunday we're off to Africa! I can't tell you how much fun and how exciting this trip has been!
We have a few prayer requests:
1. Dan is sick. It is nothing serious, but he's got a pretty nasty cold, and could use prayer. It's no fun having a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fatigue normally; however, compound that with going nonstop, traveling in cramped quarters, and a diet that is not my normal cooking (let's just say, it's hard to eat as heathy as we Ambroses do at home!) and it means that Dan is down a bit. So your prayers for his quick recovery would be appreciated greatly!
2. Dan's iPhone seems to be no longer working. It will still connect to WiFi networks, but cannot make or receive any calls. We're not positive if it is a problem with the phone itself, the network, or AT&T, but Dan's fiddling with the phone as we speak... Prayers he doesn't break it, wouldn't be out of place either ;) We are checking his voicemail via my phone, so at least he's not completely out of touch, but until we can solve the issue please understand that he is not reachable via phone. If you need to reach him, please call my (Katie's) phone. If you don't have the number, email us.
3. My headaches. Oy. Praise God that I haven't gotten any serious migraines since the Feast (and the one at the Feast was healed after being annointed and having hands layed on me, Praise God again!) however, my background headaches have been bad and really diminishing my energy levels, which is discouraging sometimes. Prayers for healing or at least relief would be appreciated!
And a HUGE praise report and news in the Ambrose family (an no, not a pregnancy announcement). Dan has an official start date for his new job, October 30th--with Ambassador Solutions as a lead developer/architect. God has had His hand in this from the beginning, and all glory to Him, His timing is perfect! Further, all of our benefits will start November 1st, so we won't have any lapse in benefits when we get back from Europe. God really works things out to the last detail!
Hopefully I can post more tonight, from the hotel. Sunday we're off to Africa! I can't tell you how much fun and how exciting this trip has been!
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Picture Post, Courtesy of My Dad's Camera
Just a few I stole off of Daddy's camera, MANY more to come when we can!
Dan & Katie at Lunch outside of the Coliseum in Rome, Italy
Coliseum in Rome, Italy
Mom, Dad, Dan & Katie in Rome, Italy (Overlook of Rome)
The Feast Group in Asissi, Italy
Dan & Katie at Dinner, in Rome, Italy
Dan & Katie at Lunch outside of the Coliseum in Rome, Italy
Coliseum in Rome, Italy
Mom, Dad, Dan & Katie in Rome, Italy (Overlook of Rome)
The Feast Group in Asissi, Italy
Dan & Katie at Dinner, in Rome, Italy
2 Posts In One Day... Are You Happy Now?!
Sorry for my absence the past week or so, things have been busy with the Feast of Tabernacles (our most amazing Feast ever, without a doubt!) and traveling. It's hard to take time out of our day to post, especially when they must be typed up on the iPhone!
We've been traveling with my wonderful parents the past few days, and Daddy has graciously let me use his laptop today/tonight, thus the new blog posts. If I don't post for a few more days, please understand we are okay. We'll check in when we can, but don't assume anything is wrong if it is a few days in between posts or contact.
Love to all.
We've been traveling with my wonderful parents the past few days, and Daddy has graciously let me use his laptop today/tonight, thus the new blog posts. If I don't post for a few more days, please understand we are okay. We'll check in when we can, but don't assume anything is wrong if it is a few days in between posts or contact.
Love to all.
Rainbow of Promise—Eye Contact with God
Daily I am aware of God’s listening ear. I have faith and assurance that when I speak, He can and does hear me. My prayers, while not always audibly answered are at least allowed to approach the throne of Grace—and are, scripture says, like sweet incense to my Heavenly Father. This is a source of comfort and confidence in my daily walk.
God, omniscient and omnipotent, sees and is aware of everything going on in His creation; even when He in His wisdom allows human nature to flourish and destroy.
I have faith in all these things, but it wasn’t until this Feast that I ever even considered making eye contact with my Creator.
Friday (September 27th) the brethren keeping the Feast in Perugia Italy, the capital of the region of Umbria, were traveling home from an amazing visit to Florence (which I hope to write about in another post). As we drove back to the hotel rehashing the days experiences and discussing among other things the rather dreary weather my attention was drawn to the window by the audible gasps across the aisle.
At once the entire group was “ohhing” and “ahhhing” at the spectacular and awe-inspiring sight we beheld. A vividly bright rainbow with the clearest delineation of color I have ever seen shone before us in a perfect arc, brightened further by the much fainter but still beautiful second rainbow hallowing the first.
For some time each of us clamored to get the best look possible, and endeavored to capture the sight on camera. Never before have I seen such vibrant colors in a rainbow, the orange glowed, the red burned, and for the first time in my life I saw the difference between blue and violet a rainbow. Breathtaking. Art.
After each of us had gotten, or at least attempted our pictures, the discussion turned to the significance of rainbows. The story of Noah came to mind almost instantly for all of us, and of the promise God made to mankind represented by the rainbow.
God’s faithfulness and fidelity is shown through the symbol of a rainbow. He has declared He will never again destroy the earth, and mankind, through a flood. He is true to His word.
Shelia, a lovely sister in Christ that I met this trip brought up that rainbows are especially significant to her, because of her reading of the flood story and God’s promise in Genesis 9.
Genesis 9:11-17 (emphasis mine)
11And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
Some translations of verse 16 say that God will look into the rainbow and remember His promise. Every time He sets a rainbow in the sky, He looks down into it. Shelia called our attention to the fact that God was looking down into the rainbow above us right at that very moment, at the same time we were looking up into the very same rainbow.
I never realized it before, but gazing into a rainbow is the closest human experience to making eye contact with our Lord.
Though there is no proof, my heart tells me that God gave our group the gift of that amazing rainbow on Friday to remind us that He is gazing on us, watching us, looking out for us. His presence, and the presence of His blessed Holy Spirit was felt the entire Feast, by all of us, and I don’t think it is a far stretch to believe that God gave us a special reminder that He was with us, tabernacleing among us, if you will.
Rainbows are always beautiful; always a pleasure to see, but now they will have special significance to me, as a means of a different and deep connection with my Father.
God, omniscient and omnipotent, sees and is aware of everything going on in His creation; even when He in His wisdom allows human nature to flourish and destroy.
I have faith in all these things, but it wasn’t until this Feast that I ever even considered making eye contact with my Creator.
Friday (September 27th) the brethren keeping the Feast in Perugia Italy, the capital of the region of Umbria, were traveling home from an amazing visit to Florence (which I hope to write about in another post). As we drove back to the hotel rehashing the days experiences and discussing among other things the rather dreary weather my attention was drawn to the window by the audible gasps across the aisle.
At once the entire group was “ohhing” and “ahhhing” at the spectacular and awe-inspiring sight we beheld. A vividly bright rainbow with the clearest delineation of color I have ever seen shone before us in a perfect arc, brightened further by the much fainter but still beautiful second rainbow hallowing the first.
For some time each of us clamored to get the best look possible, and endeavored to capture the sight on camera. Never before have I seen such vibrant colors in a rainbow, the orange glowed, the red burned, and for the first time in my life I saw the difference between blue and violet a rainbow. Breathtaking. Art.
After each of us had gotten, or at least attempted our pictures, the discussion turned to the significance of rainbows. The story of Noah came to mind almost instantly for all of us, and of the promise God made to mankind represented by the rainbow.
God’s faithfulness and fidelity is shown through the symbol of a rainbow. He has declared He will never again destroy the earth, and mankind, through a flood. He is true to His word.
Shelia, a lovely sister in Christ that I met this trip brought up that rainbows are especially significant to her, because of her reading of the flood story and God’s promise in Genesis 9.
Genesis 9:11-17 (emphasis mine)
11And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
Some translations of verse 16 say that God will look into the rainbow and remember His promise. Every time He sets a rainbow in the sky, He looks down into it. Shelia called our attention to the fact that God was looking down into the rainbow above us right at that very moment, at the same time we were looking up into the very same rainbow.
I never realized it before, but gazing into a rainbow is the closest human experience to making eye contact with our Lord.
Though there is no proof, my heart tells me that God gave our group the gift of that amazing rainbow on Friday to remind us that He is gazing on us, watching us, looking out for us. His presence, and the presence of His blessed Holy Spirit was felt the entire Feast, by all of us, and I don’t think it is a far stretch to believe that God gave us a special reminder that He was with us, tabernacleing among us, if you will.
Rainbows are always beautiful; always a pleasure to see, but now they will have special significance to me, as a means of a different and deep connection with my Father.
Auschwitz, September 23rd
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing —Edmund Burke
There are times we do things because they are important, not because they are pleasant. There are things we as individuals and a society must remember, teach about and never allow to leave the conscience of humanity.
The Holocaust, and atrocities committed during WWII are not enjoyable to think about. The horrors will make the most stoic mourn. The potential depth of human depravity is shocking to our sterilized perception of the world; but just because it is upsetting and admittedly unpleasant does not mean it is something we can afford to gloss over, or forget.
Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. –George Santayana
That quote was emblazoned in marble and drew the immediate attention of all who walked by at the entrance to Auschwitz, the largest and most infamous concentration camp of the Nazis in WWII.
Dan steadied me, as I grasped his arm and set my gaze ahead. I was not looking forward to this trip. Most of our sightseeing thus far had been fun, interesting, exciting—pleasant. We both knew this leg of our journey would be none of those things. This was something we were doing because it was important, because those who died here deserved to be remembered; not because either of us wanted to subject ourselves to the unpleasant reality of the past. So much of our society is uncontaminated by inconvenient and disagreeable truth. We easily gloss over the appalling aspects of history, because it’s so much nicer to focus on victories and achievements of man, instead of the potential evils that lie in the depths of human nature.
World War 2 always held a special interest for Dan, as his grandfather fought on the battle fields of Brest, France, near Normandy. However, it was not the WWII buff that brought me to Auschwitz that warm day in September, but the Christian man who sincerely believed it to be his duty and privilege to memorialize and honor those who died at the concentration camp and extermination camp in Auschwitz.
I was not eager to go, but I understood the importance of seeing the site, and sharing what my heart took in there. I can’t give you a blow by blow description of our visit, chronicling it doesn’t seem to do justice to the hallowed ground Dan & I tread.
1,500,000 people, mainly Jews, were callously murdered on the acres of countryside in southern Poland that is now one of the largest memorials to both humanity and evil. I cannot fathom how I could document just our trip, so instead, please allow me to impart to you the most significant and lasting impressions I came away with, and tell you truth, as disgusting as it is, was, and will remain.
Auschwitz, originally built as a concentration camp for polish political prisoners would become, in the short 5 years it was active, the largest extermination camp enacting what the Nazis would term “the final solution”.
The main entrance to Auschwitz One (there are 3 main camps including Birkenau the extermination camp and approximately 5 smaller satellite camps encompassed in Auschwitz) is bannered with the notorious and ironic sign Arbeit Macht Frei, or Work Brings Freedom. The Iron Gate stands tall, but seems too frail to have engendered the terror it undoubtedly sparked in its inmates. Shadows of horror, which holds horror still. Rusted barbed wire fences two stories high that were once electrified stand at the end of the “kill zone”. Guard towers loom with ominous meaning. The entrance on this sunny day visibly darkens the mood of all those who pass through.
As our guide softly speaks, her words thickly accented and her features distinctly polish, she explains the origins of this camp, and succinctly states the reality of what happened here. One and a half million people; mostly Jews, but also political prisoners, Gypsies, homosexuals, people with disabilities, and anyone else the Nazis felt were not worthy of life were held against their will, forced to work for the cause which persecuted them, and irradiated at the whim of a psychotic dictator and his minions.
Nadia tells us of the public executions held on the square on which we stand. She explains that 141 people escaped from Auschwitz, in the entire time the camps existed. That is 0.000094%. Not good odds. Worse still, when you consider that for every escaped prisoner 20 people in the camp were executed through starvation as a form of enforcing "group responsibility". Imagine knowing that if you were able to escape you would be sentencing 20 people to death, quite a deterrent.
As we walked from building to building, each holding its own disgusting history we were greeted with pictures, taken by the Nazis themselves of starving people, women and children walking off to the gas chambers, children—twins usually—emaciated and in pain having experiments being performed on them and other atrocities so unspeakable it overwhelms.
We approach a cell block, on the outside like every other brick cell block, only this one is presented as a museum of artifacts from the prisoners. Prepared from our visit to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. we step over the threshold thinking we knew what to expect.
Even now, two full weeks later my stomach churns with dread as my mind relives the experience.
Efficiency. I can think of no other accurate description. The Nazis were evilly efficient.
Room by room we walk through what they had saved from their victims, for their profit. Every item taken from the prisoners, catalogued, separated, given to the officers or German citizens for their use. Disgusting, but nothing compared to the room filled with over 10 tons of human hair, shaved from prisoners and those executed (posthumously). 10 tons of hair, from men, women and children; saved and exported to factories to make cloth, some of which was exhibited.
Efficient. Utterly disgusting.
All of that hair put into perspective the mentality of the Nazis. They had so dehumanized their enemy that they were no longer able to see any of the victims, even the children, as anything but a nuisance that was unworthy of life and to be used for the most profit possible. The men working at Auschwitz had families, wives and children who they must have loved. Mothers and fathers they would help in their infirmity. Nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, grandparents—people they loved, respected, cherished. Yet, they were able to look at other human beings, their neighbors, and see nothing but cattle and a problem that they had the final solution to, extermination.
Auschwitz One has many other horrors (I can’t find many words expressive enough to accurately describe what was there and what had happened there), including their "death row" Block 11 and the wall were untold hundreds, perhaps more, were stripped, forced to kneel down, and shot through the back of the head. It held the cells where people were packed in, standing up, and starved to death, without even the ability to lie down in their distress. It holds the cell where a Catholic priest, knowing a man had a family on the outside volunteered to take this man’s place in forced starvation as the punishment for an escaped prisoner and sacrificed himself (this priest has since been sainted). Story after story our guide told us, of nobility in the face of depravity. Of despicable acts, and the victims who suffered no sin other than their heritage.
Leaving Auschwitz One we passed by commandant, Ruldolf Höss’s home, just outside the prison’s gate where the supervisor and director of the camp lived with his wife and 5 children—a stone’s throw from the only remaining gas chamber (the other 5 gas chambers and crematorium were bombed by the Nazis in hopes of covering their crimes at the end of the war). Again my mind reeled at the thought of a man and his family living comfortably and happily in the midst of mass murder.
We also passed by the gallows that the very same commandant was hanged from after he was found, two years after the war ended. Fittingly dying behind the gas chambers where he ordered thousands of others to death.
A bus took us the 3 kilometers to a second Auschwitz camp, Birkenau, the extermination camp. Walking in, Dan & I both were struck dumb by the sheer size of the camp. Cliché though it may sound, as far as the eye could see in every direction barrack after barrack stood. The men’s camp sectioned off from the infirmary camp, followed by the women’s camp, the children’s camp (complete with a kindergarten), the gypsy camp, and so on. A sign informs us that the bombed out building we are standing in front of is one of the five gas chambers and crematoriums contained in this mindboggling huge camp.
A picturesque wooded area with benches beckons us and as we sit a moment to rest our tired feet (we easily covered 5 miles in Auschwitz Birkenau alone) we read the sign explaining the area we relax in. This lovely wooded area, with a pond across the path, is where the Jews coming in on the cattle cars would wait, told that they were next in line to receive a shower and hot bowl of soup before being assigned their barracks. In reality they were waiting there for the gas chambers to empty, sometimes for over 12 hours, because there were too many Jews to exterminate at once. The gas chambers and crematorium was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers they were taking on as each cattle car arrived.
The pond has a sign in front of it, as well as tombstones, each in a different language. This pond marks the final resting place for untold thousands of people. It was one of the places the crematorium just behind the grove of trees dumped the ashes.
Each building, each ruin, every stone and pathway is a monument to the intricate, exacting, methodical and efficient wickedness of the Nazi régime.
When we reach the main memorial, behind the camp, fittingly at the end of the railroad track that brought so many to their doom my eyes are misted with tears, but the sheer enormity of it does not allow me to grieve in proportion. One death I can mourn. One thousand deaths, I can be shocked and horrified by. One and a half million murders, committed on the very soil on which I stand, I can’t even fathom. Six million Jews alone, murdered in 8 short years, how can I begin to wrap my mind around that?
The memorial is simple, but eloquent in its simplicity. Each tablet written in a different language, explaining the meaning of the site has small pebbles and rocks deliberately placed around the writing—none obscuring, but a mark of respect and a symbol of a citizen of that nation remembering and honoring what the memorial stands for. Dan & I walk around, hand in hand, silent and in reflection of the vastness, the potential—not for good, but for evil. Resolved to remember, to memorialize, to honor those who deserve honor and to recognize that this is human history, which must not be forgotten.
The Holocaust is not the only act of genocide in history, even in recent history. Rwanda was during both of our lifetimes, and Darfur is going on even now. Many other incidents deserve to be remembered, and those going on now must be acted on. It is easy to focus on the genocide of people who share our heritage. However, a human life is a human life, and the genocide in Africa is just as worthy of mourning and intervening in. Lord help us when we stand accountable before Him, and we say “but it didn’t happen in our area!”
There is a poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller which I think speaks volumes.
First They Came...
They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
Never before have I been able to so passionately groan, "Thy Kingdom Come!" Seeing Auschwitz, and dwelling, just for a few hours on the recent history of mankind, and their absolute failure to prevent such an occurrence gives me such a yearning for God's intervention, and Jesus' triumphant return when He comes with a sword to right the wrongs, bring justice, and peace to this sinful earth. God, wise and just, merciful and loving will wipe away every tear and give every human the opportunity to love Him and become His son or daughter. Lord, thy Kingdom cannot come soon enough and thank you for being able to see the potential—this time for good—that is in mankind, despite our wicked and evil actions.
Glory be to God! He can make all things new, even this little part of Poland so marked by evil.
There are times we do things because they are important, not because they are pleasant. There are things we as individuals and a society must remember, teach about and never allow to leave the conscience of humanity.
The Holocaust, and atrocities committed during WWII are not enjoyable to think about. The horrors will make the most stoic mourn. The potential depth of human depravity is shocking to our sterilized perception of the world; but just because it is upsetting and admittedly unpleasant does not mean it is something we can afford to gloss over, or forget.
Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. –George Santayana
That quote was emblazoned in marble and drew the immediate attention of all who walked by at the entrance to Auschwitz, the largest and most infamous concentration camp of the Nazis in WWII.
Dan steadied me, as I grasped his arm and set my gaze ahead. I was not looking forward to this trip. Most of our sightseeing thus far had been fun, interesting, exciting—pleasant. We both knew this leg of our journey would be none of those things. This was something we were doing because it was important, because those who died here deserved to be remembered; not because either of us wanted to subject ourselves to the unpleasant reality of the past. So much of our society is uncontaminated by inconvenient and disagreeable truth. We easily gloss over the appalling aspects of history, because it’s so much nicer to focus on victories and achievements of man, instead of the potential evils that lie in the depths of human nature.
World War 2 always held a special interest for Dan, as his grandfather fought on the battle fields of Brest, France, near Normandy. However, it was not the WWII buff that brought me to Auschwitz that warm day in September, but the Christian man who sincerely believed it to be his duty and privilege to memorialize and honor those who died at the concentration camp and extermination camp in Auschwitz.
I was not eager to go, but I understood the importance of seeing the site, and sharing what my heart took in there. I can’t give you a blow by blow description of our visit, chronicling it doesn’t seem to do justice to the hallowed ground Dan & I tread.
1,500,000 people, mainly Jews, were callously murdered on the acres of countryside in southern Poland that is now one of the largest memorials to both humanity and evil. I cannot fathom how I could document just our trip, so instead, please allow me to impart to you the most significant and lasting impressions I came away with, and tell you truth, as disgusting as it is, was, and will remain.
Auschwitz, originally built as a concentration camp for polish political prisoners would become, in the short 5 years it was active, the largest extermination camp enacting what the Nazis would term “the final solution”.
The main entrance to Auschwitz One (there are 3 main camps including Birkenau the extermination camp and approximately 5 smaller satellite camps encompassed in Auschwitz) is bannered with the notorious and ironic sign Arbeit Macht Frei, or Work Brings Freedom. The Iron Gate stands tall, but seems too frail to have engendered the terror it undoubtedly sparked in its inmates. Shadows of horror, which holds horror still. Rusted barbed wire fences two stories high that were once electrified stand at the end of the “kill zone”. Guard towers loom with ominous meaning. The entrance on this sunny day visibly darkens the mood of all those who pass through.
As our guide softly speaks, her words thickly accented and her features distinctly polish, she explains the origins of this camp, and succinctly states the reality of what happened here. One and a half million people; mostly Jews, but also political prisoners, Gypsies, homosexuals, people with disabilities, and anyone else the Nazis felt were not worthy of life were held against their will, forced to work for the cause which persecuted them, and irradiated at the whim of a psychotic dictator and his minions.
Nadia tells us of the public executions held on the square on which we stand. She explains that 141 people escaped from Auschwitz, in the entire time the camps existed. That is 0.000094%. Not good odds. Worse still, when you consider that for every escaped prisoner 20 people in the camp were executed through starvation as a form of enforcing "group responsibility". Imagine knowing that if you were able to escape you would be sentencing 20 people to death, quite a deterrent.
As we walked from building to building, each holding its own disgusting history we were greeted with pictures, taken by the Nazis themselves of starving people, women and children walking off to the gas chambers, children—twins usually—emaciated and in pain having experiments being performed on them and other atrocities so unspeakable it overwhelms.
We approach a cell block, on the outside like every other brick cell block, only this one is presented as a museum of artifacts from the prisoners. Prepared from our visit to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. we step over the threshold thinking we knew what to expect.
Even now, two full weeks later my stomach churns with dread as my mind relives the experience.
Efficiency. I can think of no other accurate description. The Nazis were evilly efficient.
Room by room we walk through what they had saved from their victims, for their profit. Every item taken from the prisoners, catalogued, separated, given to the officers or German citizens for their use. Disgusting, but nothing compared to the room filled with over 10 tons of human hair, shaved from prisoners and those executed (posthumously). 10 tons of hair, from men, women and children; saved and exported to factories to make cloth, some of which was exhibited.
Efficient. Utterly disgusting.
All of that hair put into perspective the mentality of the Nazis. They had so dehumanized their enemy that they were no longer able to see any of the victims, even the children, as anything but a nuisance that was unworthy of life and to be used for the most profit possible. The men working at Auschwitz had families, wives and children who they must have loved. Mothers and fathers they would help in their infirmity. Nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, grandparents—people they loved, respected, cherished. Yet, they were able to look at other human beings, their neighbors, and see nothing but cattle and a problem that they had the final solution to, extermination.
Auschwitz One has many other horrors (I can’t find many words expressive enough to accurately describe what was there and what had happened there), including their "death row" Block 11 and the wall were untold hundreds, perhaps more, were stripped, forced to kneel down, and shot through the back of the head. It held the cells where people were packed in, standing up, and starved to death, without even the ability to lie down in their distress. It holds the cell where a Catholic priest, knowing a man had a family on the outside volunteered to take this man’s place in forced starvation as the punishment for an escaped prisoner and sacrificed himself (this priest has since been sainted). Story after story our guide told us, of nobility in the face of depravity. Of despicable acts, and the victims who suffered no sin other than their heritage.
Leaving Auschwitz One we passed by commandant, Ruldolf Höss’s home, just outside the prison’s gate where the supervisor and director of the camp lived with his wife and 5 children—a stone’s throw from the only remaining gas chamber (the other 5 gas chambers and crematorium were bombed by the Nazis in hopes of covering their crimes at the end of the war). Again my mind reeled at the thought of a man and his family living comfortably and happily in the midst of mass murder.
We also passed by the gallows that the very same commandant was hanged from after he was found, two years after the war ended. Fittingly dying behind the gas chambers where he ordered thousands of others to death.
A bus took us the 3 kilometers to a second Auschwitz camp, Birkenau, the extermination camp. Walking in, Dan & I both were struck dumb by the sheer size of the camp. Cliché though it may sound, as far as the eye could see in every direction barrack after barrack stood. The men’s camp sectioned off from the infirmary camp, followed by the women’s camp, the children’s camp (complete with a kindergarten), the gypsy camp, and so on. A sign informs us that the bombed out building we are standing in front of is one of the five gas chambers and crematoriums contained in this mindboggling huge camp.
A picturesque wooded area with benches beckons us and as we sit a moment to rest our tired feet (we easily covered 5 miles in Auschwitz Birkenau alone) we read the sign explaining the area we relax in. This lovely wooded area, with a pond across the path, is where the Jews coming in on the cattle cars would wait, told that they were next in line to receive a shower and hot bowl of soup before being assigned their barracks. In reality they were waiting there for the gas chambers to empty, sometimes for over 12 hours, because there were too many Jews to exterminate at once. The gas chambers and crematorium was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers they were taking on as each cattle car arrived.
The pond has a sign in front of it, as well as tombstones, each in a different language. This pond marks the final resting place for untold thousands of people. It was one of the places the crematorium just behind the grove of trees dumped the ashes.
Each building, each ruin, every stone and pathway is a monument to the intricate, exacting, methodical and efficient wickedness of the Nazi régime.
When we reach the main memorial, behind the camp, fittingly at the end of the railroad track that brought so many to their doom my eyes are misted with tears, but the sheer enormity of it does not allow me to grieve in proportion. One death I can mourn. One thousand deaths, I can be shocked and horrified by. One and a half million murders, committed on the very soil on which I stand, I can’t even fathom. Six million Jews alone, murdered in 8 short years, how can I begin to wrap my mind around that?
The memorial is simple, but eloquent in its simplicity. Each tablet written in a different language, explaining the meaning of the site has small pebbles and rocks deliberately placed around the writing—none obscuring, but a mark of respect and a symbol of a citizen of that nation remembering and honoring what the memorial stands for. Dan & I walk around, hand in hand, silent and in reflection of the vastness, the potential—not for good, but for evil. Resolved to remember, to memorialize, to honor those who deserve honor and to recognize that this is human history, which must not be forgotten.
The Holocaust is not the only act of genocide in history, even in recent history. Rwanda was during both of our lifetimes, and Darfur is going on even now. Many other incidents deserve to be remembered, and those going on now must be acted on. It is easy to focus on the genocide of people who share our heritage. However, a human life is a human life, and the genocide in Africa is just as worthy of mourning and intervening in. Lord help us when we stand accountable before Him, and we say “but it didn’t happen in our area!”
There is a poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller which I think speaks volumes.
First They Came...
They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
Never before have I been able to so passionately groan, "Thy Kingdom Come!" Seeing Auschwitz, and dwelling, just for a few hours on the recent history of mankind, and their absolute failure to prevent such an occurrence gives me such a yearning for God's intervention, and Jesus' triumphant return when He comes with a sword to right the wrongs, bring justice, and peace to this sinful earth. God, wise and just, merciful and loving will wipe away every tear and give every human the opportunity to love Him and become His son or daughter. Lord, thy Kingdom cannot come soon enough and thank you for being able to see the potential—this time for good—that is in mankind, despite our wicked and evil actions.
Glory be to God! He can make all things new, even this little part of Poland so marked by evil.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Why Do We Call Praha Prague?
Wouldn't it make more sense to call it what the natives do? You're very welcome for that observation, it's on the house!
Dan & I are in Praha, and while we're absolutely enjoying it it will probably not end up on our top 5 cities. We've had some trouble getting around, and since our hotel is outside of the main city area it only has further complicated things. Praha is beautiful architecturally speaking. The churches, cathedrals, plalces, bridges--all of them are stunning and unique.
Yesterday we went on a walking tour of the Praha Palace and St. Vitis Cathedral which was okay. Actually, I should clarify, the castle and cathedral were spectacular, the tour wasn't as spectacular however. We did meet a nice young man from Toronto who we went out to dinner and visited with, Todd. He was a pleasure to get to know, and gave us some great advice about our travels since he travels through Europe for months at a time for work.
I haven't had the chance to update about our last afternoon in Berlin; however that post will be more of a rant due to our visit to the Altes Museum. I'll save most of it for later, suffice it to say that inspite my love of museums and the fact that I got to see one of the most famous Egyptian artifacts of all time I (actually, we both should be included in this statement) was horrified and sorely disappointed in the museum on a whole. When I have a real computer to update on, instead of the iPhone, my desire--nay, my need--to rant will be satisfied, I assure you.
Now, I must draw this post to a close.
Dan & I are going to have a Biblestudy and take it fairly easy as today is a double Sabbath. And as my mother-in-law has requested I draw to my dear reader's attention, we keep the Sabbath as a day of rest, which on this exausting adventure is especially appreciated. The Sabbath, for anyone not acquainted with our beliefs, is a blessing of rest for the 24 hour period of the 7th day--beginning Friday at sunset and continuing through Saturday until sunset. We do no work and use it as a time of rejuvination and focus on the Lord. Today also happens to be a high day (Holy Day), Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement so it is a double Sabbath. Dan and I have no qualms enjoying God's amazing creation on His Sabbaths, so we will take today, and every Friday night at sunset through Saturday at sunset to take it a bit easier and focus on Him and this amazing blessing He has given us.
Dan & I are in Praha, and while we're absolutely enjoying it it will probably not end up on our top 5 cities. We've had some trouble getting around, and since our hotel is outside of the main city area it only has further complicated things. Praha is beautiful architecturally speaking. The churches, cathedrals, plalces, bridges--all of them are stunning and unique.
Yesterday we went on a walking tour of the Praha Palace and St. Vitis Cathedral which was okay. Actually, I should clarify, the castle and cathedral were spectacular, the tour wasn't as spectacular however. We did meet a nice young man from Toronto who we went out to dinner and visited with, Todd. He was a pleasure to get to know, and gave us some great advice about our travels since he travels through Europe for months at a time for work.
I haven't had the chance to update about our last afternoon in Berlin; however that post will be more of a rant due to our visit to the Altes Museum. I'll save most of it for later, suffice it to say that inspite my love of museums and the fact that I got to see one of the most famous Egyptian artifacts of all time I (actually, we both should be included in this statement) was horrified and sorely disappointed in the museum on a whole. When I have a real computer to update on, instead of the iPhone, my desire--nay, my need--to rant will be satisfied, I assure you.
Now, I must draw this post to a close.
Dan & I are going to have a Biblestudy and take it fairly easy as today is a double Sabbath. And as my mother-in-law has requested I draw to my dear reader's attention, we keep the Sabbath as a day of rest, which on this exausting adventure is especially appreciated. The Sabbath, for anyone not acquainted with our beliefs, is a blessing of rest for the 24 hour period of the 7th day--beginning Friday at sunset and continuing through Saturday until sunset. We do no work and use it as a time of rejuvination and focus on the Lord. Today also happens to be a high day (Holy Day), Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement so it is a double Sabbath. Dan and I have no qualms enjoying God's amazing creation on His Sabbaths, so we will take today, and every Friday night at sunset through Saturday at sunset to take it a bit easier and focus on Him and this amazing blessing He has given us.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Berlin is Wonderful, Their Keyboards Aren't
The past 2 days in Berlin have been phenomenal! Dan & I are taking a break from touring, because the museum we want to go to will be free after 6 PM. We figured we'd kill an hour here, and update you fine folks before touring, since it will save us 17€. Saving money makes me happy!
We've changed our itinerary for the days leading up to the Feast. Tomorrow (Friday) we'll be taking a train at 6:44 AM to Prague (Praha), Czech Republic. We'll arrive there approximately 11 AM and spend the rest of the day touring. We'll spend Saturday there, and leave for Krakow, Poland on the overnight train Saturday night.
Sunday we will arrive in Poland at 7 AM and spend the day at Auschwitz. Sunday night we'll jump on an overnight train to Vienna (Wein), Austria and spend Monday & Tuesday in Vienna. Tuesday night we take yet another overnight train to Rome and meet up with Mom & Dad and the rest to start our Feast of Tabernacles in Perugia, Italy.
Sound like a lot to you? It sure does to me! But we've had so much fun so far, that I think we're up for it.
Oh yay, Dan just showed me how to convert the keyboard so it's more like ours at home. It is much easier to type now!
Yesterday after my last post we took a bus tour of Berlin, to get an overview of the city--when we have time to do that, it is wonderful because you can get your bearings as well as see some things you wouldn't normally get to see just walking around the city.
We have pictures galore--in front of what remains of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Tor (Gate), Schloss Bellvue, Checkpoint Charlie, Topography of Terror, Museuminsel (Museum Island), etc. However, we don't have a way to offload them yet, so you'll have to wait a bit longer. Just trust me, everything is amazing, and we look spectacular in each and every picture ;)
After the bus tour and exploring Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche and eating crepes on the square we went to dinner at the famous KDV Department Store. I know, dinner at a store seems odd, but this store has a gourmet floor that is utterly unbelievable!
If dinner was easy and less than stressful, the next hour or so was frustrating. We're doing very well at getting around on the U-Bahn & S-Bahn (metro trains) but it was our first experience with the bus system. We finally figured it out, but it was a bit difficult at first.
The problem was, we had to be somewhere at a very specific time, because Dan had purchased tickets to a concert of Baroque and Classical Era music featuring Handel, Mozart, & Beethoven performed in Charlottenburg Palace. Can we say romantic and fabulous! The soprano and tenor were phenomenal and the program was fabulous. We both had an amazing time, and enjoyed it immensely. Ladies, can a husband do much better than a candlelight concert in a palace when aiming for romance?! I think not! Which is reason #148573 why I have the most amazing husband in the world!
We got home easily, because as I mentioned before, we've gotten to be experts at using the metro (we even have been able to help other people out, who were confused or lost!). However, when we got back to our flat, we ran into some problems. Namely, that the door wouldn't open. We finally had to call the property manager of the apartment and have him drive out at 11 PM to let us in. It turned out that the door had a "trick" to it, that he had forgotten to mention when he let us in the night before. All was well, but I felt bad for making the guy drive across town in the middle of the night.
Today we've had a (what else!?) great day touring Berlin more. We've been all over Alexanderplatz, up in the TV Tower where we had another romantic meal in the revolving restaurant that is the highest point in Berlin, and exploring the Tiergarten, Lustgarten, and many other parks, churches, etc. After the museums this evening, we're going get a nice dinner in one of the more exclusive areas of Berlin and then call it a rather early evening as our train leaves at 6:44 AM tomorrow.
Our hotel in Prague is set up, and looks great! For only 44€ we'll have a deluxe double room with a queen bed, en suite bathroom, hairdryer (this is important to me, okay!), and free internet! Prague is supposed to be amazing, and we're really looking forward to exploring the castles there.
I'm sorry I haven't replied to comments, I'm not sure how to reply to a specific comment, without just adding another comment to my own post. LiveJournal seems more user friendly in the comment area. But thank you all for reading, and I'll eventually figure out how to individually reply.
Now, off to ramble around the Egyptian Exhibit in one of the many amazing museums here! Tchuse!
We've changed our itinerary for the days leading up to the Feast. Tomorrow (Friday) we'll be taking a train at 6:44 AM to Prague (Praha), Czech Republic. We'll arrive there approximately 11 AM and spend the rest of the day touring. We'll spend Saturday there, and leave for Krakow, Poland on the overnight train Saturday night.
Sunday we will arrive in Poland at 7 AM and spend the day at Auschwitz. Sunday night we'll jump on an overnight train to Vienna (Wein), Austria and spend Monday & Tuesday in Vienna. Tuesday night we take yet another overnight train to Rome and meet up with Mom & Dad and the rest to start our Feast of Tabernacles in Perugia, Italy.
Sound like a lot to you? It sure does to me! But we've had so much fun so far, that I think we're up for it.
Oh yay, Dan just showed me how to convert the keyboard so it's more like ours at home. It is much easier to type now!
Yesterday after my last post we took a bus tour of Berlin, to get an overview of the city--when we have time to do that, it is wonderful because you can get your bearings as well as see some things you wouldn't normally get to see just walking around the city.
We have pictures galore--in front of what remains of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Tor (Gate), Schloss Bellvue, Checkpoint Charlie, Topography of Terror, Museuminsel (Museum Island), etc. However, we don't have a way to offload them yet, so you'll have to wait a bit longer. Just trust me, everything is amazing, and we look spectacular in each and every picture ;)
After the bus tour and exploring Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche and eating crepes on the square we went to dinner at the famous KDV Department Store. I know, dinner at a store seems odd, but this store has a gourmet floor that is utterly unbelievable!
If dinner was easy and less than stressful, the next hour or so was frustrating. We're doing very well at getting around on the U-Bahn & S-Bahn (metro trains) but it was our first experience with the bus system. We finally figured it out, but it was a bit difficult at first.
The problem was, we had to be somewhere at a very specific time, because Dan had purchased tickets to a concert of Baroque and Classical Era music featuring Handel, Mozart, & Beethoven performed in Charlottenburg Palace. Can we say romantic and fabulous! The soprano and tenor were phenomenal and the program was fabulous. We both had an amazing time, and enjoyed it immensely. Ladies, can a husband do much better than a candlelight concert in a palace when aiming for romance?! I think not! Which is reason #148573 why I have the most amazing husband in the world!
We got home easily, because as I mentioned before, we've gotten to be experts at using the metro (we even have been able to help other people out, who were confused or lost!). However, when we got back to our flat, we ran into some problems. Namely, that the door wouldn't open. We finally had to call the property manager of the apartment and have him drive out at 11 PM to let us in. It turned out that the door had a "trick" to it, that he had forgotten to mention when he let us in the night before. All was well, but I felt bad for making the guy drive across town in the middle of the night.
Today we've had a (what else!?) great day touring Berlin more. We've been all over Alexanderplatz, up in the TV Tower where we had another romantic meal in the revolving restaurant that is the highest point in Berlin, and exploring the Tiergarten, Lustgarten, and many other parks, churches, etc. After the museums this evening, we're going get a nice dinner in one of the more exclusive areas of Berlin and then call it a rather early evening as our train leaves at 6:44 AM tomorrow.
Our hotel in Prague is set up, and looks great! For only 44€ we'll have a deluxe double room with a queen bed, en suite bathroom, hairdryer (this is important to me, okay!), and free internet! Prague is supposed to be amazing, and we're really looking forward to exploring the castles there.
I'm sorry I haven't replied to comments, I'm not sure how to reply to a specific comment, without just adding another comment to my own post. LiveJournal seems more user friendly in the comment area. But thank you all for reading, and I'll eventually figure out how to individually reply.
Now, off to ramble around the Egyptian Exhibit in one of the many amazing museums here! Tchuse!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
A Post From Berlin
And our first post from the iPhone, so please forgive any mistakes, as well as the brevity of the post. This keyboard is less than user friendly.
We are sitting in a tiny cafe just down the street from Charlottenburg Palace, where we spent an amazing morning absorbing Baroque Architecture and Prussian history. Dan is next to me mapping out our afternoon route, and trying to figure out how we can upload some pictures soon.
The trip is beginning to feel more real, the edge is wearing off as our stress levels decrease and we become more accustomed to being completely lost and mostly confused at all times. Our last few days have been filled with blessing after blessing, and this adventure is even more fun than we imagined!
Yesterday we spent most of the day touring Amsterdam with some new friends and fellow backpackers we met up with on the ferry, Phil & Shannon. We all had gotten into London on the same day, had Eurail passes, and similar itineraries--plus we got along wonderfully, so we spent Monday evening and Tuesday touring together. We had so much fun, although Amsterdam was incredibly touristy--and frankly quite shocking we still enjoyed going to a couple museums together, and enjoying the spectacular structures.
Last night we took the train to Berlin and have rented a fabulous flat in West Berlin for the next 3 days. We love having 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a washing machine of our own; and all for 69 euro a night! A great deal!
My German is getting quite a workout, and so far I'm amazed by how much I remember, we've been able to communicate even with non English speakers very well. Hopefully, it'll just get easier too.
Next we're taking a bus tour to get a lay of the land, and tonight possibly a costumed concert in a palace. Honestly I can barely believe this is my life!
I need to go now, there is so much more to tell, but I'll save it for later.
We hope all those traveling the next few weeks to the Feast have a safe and wonderful journey! Mom & Daddy have a great flight today--we're praying for you and we'll see you next week!
Love to all!
We are sitting in a tiny cafe just down the street from Charlottenburg Palace, where we spent an amazing morning absorbing Baroque Architecture and Prussian history. Dan is next to me mapping out our afternoon route, and trying to figure out how we can upload some pictures soon.
The trip is beginning to feel more real, the edge is wearing off as our stress levels decrease and we become more accustomed to being completely lost and mostly confused at all times. Our last few days have been filled with blessing after blessing, and this adventure is even more fun than we imagined!
Yesterday we spent most of the day touring Amsterdam with some new friends and fellow backpackers we met up with on the ferry, Phil & Shannon. We all had gotten into London on the same day, had Eurail passes, and similar itineraries--plus we got along wonderfully, so we spent Monday evening and Tuesday touring together. We had so much fun, although Amsterdam was incredibly touristy--and frankly quite shocking we still enjoyed going to a couple museums together, and enjoying the spectacular structures.
Last night we took the train to Berlin and have rented a fabulous flat in West Berlin for the next 3 days. We love having 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a washing machine of our own; and all for 69 euro a night! A great deal!
My German is getting quite a workout, and so far I'm amazed by how much I remember, we've been able to communicate even with non English speakers very well. Hopefully, it'll just get easier too.
Next we're taking a bus tour to get a lay of the land, and tonight possibly a costumed concert in a palace. Honestly I can barely believe this is my life!
I need to go now, there is so much more to tell, but I'll save it for later.
We hope all those traveling the next few weeks to the Feast have a safe and wonderful journey! Mom & Daddy have a great flight today--we're praying for you and we'll see you next week!
Love to all!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Third Post, First Post from EUROPE!
Surreal. The only word that I feel adequately describes the feeling of the last few days.
Dan & I are here, safe, and having the time of our lives! It's such an adventure--I hope my dear readers know that word will be used to the point of over use within this post, not to mention the following ones. But have I ever experienced such a true adventure? Never knowing what will happen next, where we will eat, let alone where we will sleep? The sights are new (to me, though centuries old, with more history than my amateur historian's heart can hope to devour!), the sounds, smells, modes of transportation; everything is overwhelmingly amazing! Sensory overload much?
Everywhere I go, nearly every sight or landmark triggers a phrase/word association--be it from a play, movie, literature, or years of my obsession with history (of course in this case history pertinent to England). As we walk through Victoria Station and check our bags at the cloakroom I nudge Dan and whisper, "The cloakroom at Victoria Station, the Brighton Line" and "A CLOAKROOM?!" and many other lines from The Importance of Being Earnest. Similar reactions to our trip through King's Cross (Platform 9, Platform 10... where's Platform 9 3/4?). Seeing the Globe Theater, Buckingham Palace, Kensington--well, Kensington everything, Notting Hill, Big Ben, Tower Bridge/Tower of London, British Museum, etc. etc. etc... Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, J.K. Rowling, Shakespeare, and every other British author I have read seem to speak to me through the scenery, buildings, and essence of London.
But, of course, I'm getting ahead of myself. I have a tendency to do that. Here's a not so brief overview of our first 3 days in Europe.
Friday afternoon my wonderful parents kindly came over, and after watching us fly about like flustered chickens they calmly drove us to the airport. They are very understanding about the insanity one goes through planning a trip. After all, they'll be leaving to meet up with us for approximately 3 weeks next Wednesday. Is that really in 2 days? My days are so mixed up right now!
We boarded our plane as planned. Had absolutely no glitches of any sort making our connecting flight, and besides my in flight movie getting killed it was a relatively uneventful flight. The only thing of note was that, they fed us like mad this flight! After the cheapness we've experienced in the airlines we were shocked! We got multiple drink services, 1 snack, and 2 meals! All for a 6.5 hour flight. Our flight to Hawaii for our honeymoon was 12 hours, and we got 1 drink service and had to pay for any snacks we wanted (I had packed snacks thankfully, so we were saved that expense). I'm not sure why there was such a difference, since I'm fairly certain we flew the same airline, but it was a marked difference none the less.
Upon arrival at Gatwick, International the feeling of being overwhelmed did set in, for me at least. I think some of it had to do with the fact that I had not slept well on the plane (the flight attendants literally woke me up to serve me breakfast), and the fact that while I love adventure (that word again!) I want it to be a well planned adventure--or at least one where I have control over the uncertainties. I suppose all of that doesn't make me a very good adventurer, hm?
Confession time. When I get stressed--especially about travel--I take it out on Dan. Big time. Thankfully, by about the 3rd day of travel I have sufficiently loosened up, or figured the systems out enough that the stress is no longer to the point of cruelty... However, pity Dan the first few days of long holidays. He deserves it.
After we got a taxi to the hotel (because hey, it was 4 AM our time, and we were not up to figuring out the bus system for a hotel that had no street number, just a street name and borough) we were informed that check-in wasn't allowed until after noon.
Confession time 2: When I get stressed, have incredibly low blood sugar levels, a 28+ lb backpack that I thought would be a breeze to carry and now want to cry because it's just too much, and am running on little to no sleep I really take it out on Dan. In fact, he is so familiar with this he promptly says, "Katie's grouchy, hungry, and sleepy." and goes straight to work on fixing as many of those things as possible. Could I have a more wonderful husband? No, it is utterly impossible, because I was blessed with the most loving and caring man on earth!
We started to walk to a restaurant for a meal, but quickly abandoned that plan. Frankly when we're running on no sleep (it 6 AM our time) and the directions are given, "past mini-roundabout, to big-roundabout, then roundabout to your left and straight on to the next roundabout" we decided it just wasn't going to happen.
We walked back to the hotel and that was when things really started going our way (as my dear Steph would say "It's a God thing!").
The front desk clerk, presumably seeing our jet-lagged bodies carrying around bulging backpacks, and weary looks took pity on us and let us have our room early. What a blessing! We defied all of the recommendations and took a nap that lasted until 9 PM London time (about 10 hours). Frankly, we could have slept more, but after that hunger became more of an issue. We went to the front desk where the most friendly and helpful clerk told us where to get the best local food (after we expressed we weren't really looking for McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, TGIFridays, or Pizza Hut--which were our other options). We took a taxi, with an incredibly interesting and kind taxi driver. He had the solution to every problem (much like my husband seems to!) and all of his were food related. We were told the cure for jet-lag, hangovers, and the common cold. It was quite informative, and entertaining.
After yummy dinner of fish'n'chips at Ye Olde Six Bells (a 500 year old pub--and total tourist trap!) we headed back and slept easily the rest of the night.
Sunday started with us trying to get to London. Again, remember this was only Day 2, so my stress levels and not fully understanding the British rail system were high. However, a free taxi ride because the driver enjoyed our company so much helped my mood and my faith in Great Britain--she has some of the kindest and most helpful people, even if seemingly everything costs an arm and a leg! We finally got to Victoria Station, and began exploring London for what was planned to be only 1/2 a day.
Immediately after leaving the station (and our obscenely heavy backpacks at the excess baggage check!) we were confronted with London. The London. You know, the one I have spent my entire life reading & dreaming about. (Dan is reading over my shoulder and just told me I write dramatically. He's right; however, I do everything in my life dramatically, why shouldn't I write dramatically?!)
We decided since we had the day to kill (our first train to take us to the ferry to Amsterdam didn't leave until 20.00--8 PM for you Americans) we'd do an overview of London and see as much as we could. We signed up for a double decker bus tour of London, and hopped aboard to start our London Experience.
The bus tour was amazing! We ended up getting off at Madame Tussauds because we thought it was one of the few things we'd have time to actually 'check' off our list. We enjoyed it, although it wasn't quite as exciting as I thought it would be. When we got back on the bus tour (you could get on and off as much as you wanted for 24 hrs, with buses running every 15-20 min) we began to realize our hopes of making the overnight crossing to Amsterdam were slim. London rush hour + a road diversion (read: construction) will do that to you. Resigned, we enjoyed the rest of the bus tour, went to pick up our bags, and find a place to stay that night.
After a very frustrating hour or two of trying to find a hotel in a decent price range (we weren't really keen on spending $700 American for one night!) we were blessed (another "God thing" without a doubt!). I had been calling hotels near the Liverpool Street Station, since we'd be leaving out of there at 6 the next morning. The prices were absurd. Finally there was a hotel with a hard to understand middle eastern man who told me that a double queen room would be £148. Jackpot! We rush off to try to find said hotel, only to get there and find out that there had been some mistake. The number we had been told was the Great Eastern Hotel was obviously being miss-routed. Their cheapest room would be 2.5 times the quoted price.
I was close to tears. However, God worked it out beautifully. The front desk clerk was so sympathetic to our plight (as backpackers we were obviously not looking to spend £350--almost $700--on a room) and he insisted on calling some contacts of his in the hotel industry for favors. He ended up getting us a very nice room with an en suite bath for £101. Plus, it was only 10 min walk from the station! He went above and beyond, even though we were not able to stay at his hotel. Then he refused the tip we tried to give. He was just .so. kind!
Every step of the way I have been floored by how kind and helpful the British people have been!
Oh, I suppose that brings us to today. Is this post long enough for you? What can I say, I've been itching to journal about all of this!
Today we got up a 4:30 AM. Yes, the Ambroses. Are you sufficiently amazed? We made our train, connecting train, and are right now on the "ferry" to Amsterdam (about 3 hours left).
I use the term "ferry" loosely! This is really just a small cruise ship! We're having a blast, catching up on the internet, watching a movie (we saw the Bourne Ultimatium again), eating, and chilling out. It's wonderful!
Sitting at the computer I must look like I work here. My third "Dutchie" has asked me for directions.
Now my hubby is cold and wants to cuddle, and frankly, while Ih ave about 10+ more pages to write, I think hubby time is more important!
I have no idea when the next time I get such unfettered internet access, so hopefully this will suffice until then.
Cheers!
P.S. We've taken tons of pictures, but no way to upload them now. Perhaps next time. Just imagine us looking quite european/cosmopolitan and in artsy London locations and you'll pretty much have your pictures right there! ;)
P.P.S. Many apologies if this is difficult to read. I got up at 4 this morning, which I have no idea what time that is "my time" since my body has no idea what time zone it is in. Hopefully the next post will be shorter and easier to read.
Dan & I are here, safe, and having the time of our lives! It's such an adventure--I hope my dear readers know that word will be used to the point of over use within this post, not to mention the following ones. But have I ever experienced such a true adventure? Never knowing what will happen next, where we will eat, let alone where we will sleep? The sights are new (to me, though centuries old, with more history than my amateur historian's heart can hope to devour!), the sounds, smells, modes of transportation; everything is overwhelmingly amazing! Sensory overload much?
Everywhere I go, nearly every sight or landmark triggers a phrase/word association--be it from a play, movie, literature, or years of my obsession with history (of course in this case history pertinent to England). As we walk through Victoria Station and check our bags at the cloakroom I nudge Dan and whisper, "The cloakroom at Victoria Station, the Brighton Line" and "A CLOAKROOM?!" and many other lines from The Importance of Being Earnest. Similar reactions to our trip through King's Cross (Platform 9, Platform 10... where's Platform 9 3/4?). Seeing the Globe Theater, Buckingham Palace, Kensington--well, Kensington everything, Notting Hill, Big Ben, Tower Bridge/Tower of London, British Museum, etc. etc. etc... Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, J.K. Rowling, Shakespeare, and every other British author I have read seem to speak to me through the scenery, buildings, and essence of London.
But, of course, I'm getting ahead of myself. I have a tendency to do that. Here's a not so brief overview of our first 3 days in Europe.
Friday afternoon my wonderful parents kindly came over, and after watching us fly about like flustered chickens they calmly drove us to the airport. They are very understanding about the insanity one goes through planning a trip. After all, they'll be leaving to meet up with us for approximately 3 weeks next Wednesday. Is that really in 2 days? My days are so mixed up right now!
We boarded our plane as planned. Had absolutely no glitches of any sort making our connecting flight, and besides my in flight movie getting killed it was a relatively uneventful flight. The only thing of note was that, they fed us like mad this flight! After the cheapness we've experienced in the airlines we were shocked! We got multiple drink services, 1 snack, and 2 meals! All for a 6.5 hour flight. Our flight to Hawaii for our honeymoon was 12 hours, and we got 1 drink service and had to pay for any snacks we wanted (I had packed snacks thankfully, so we were saved that expense). I'm not sure why there was such a difference, since I'm fairly certain we flew the same airline, but it was a marked difference none the less.
Upon arrival at Gatwick, International the feeling of being overwhelmed did set in, for me at least. I think some of it had to do with the fact that I had not slept well on the plane (the flight attendants literally woke me up to serve me breakfast), and the fact that while I love adventure (that word again!) I want it to be a well planned adventure--or at least one where I have control over the uncertainties. I suppose all of that doesn't make me a very good adventurer, hm?
Confession time. When I get stressed--especially about travel--I take it out on Dan. Big time. Thankfully, by about the 3rd day of travel I have sufficiently loosened up, or figured the systems out enough that the stress is no longer to the point of cruelty... However, pity Dan the first few days of long holidays. He deserves it.
After we got a taxi to the hotel (because hey, it was 4 AM our time, and we were not up to figuring out the bus system for a hotel that had no street number, just a street name and borough) we were informed that check-in wasn't allowed until after noon.
Confession time 2: When I get stressed, have incredibly low blood sugar levels, a 28+ lb backpack that I thought would be a breeze to carry and now want to cry because it's just too much, and am running on little to no sleep I really take it out on Dan. In fact, he is so familiar with this he promptly says, "Katie's grouchy, hungry, and sleepy." and goes straight to work on fixing as many of those things as possible. Could I have a more wonderful husband? No, it is utterly impossible, because I was blessed with the most loving and caring man on earth!
We started to walk to a restaurant for a meal, but quickly abandoned that plan. Frankly when we're running on no sleep (it 6 AM our time) and the directions are given, "past mini-roundabout, to big-roundabout, then roundabout to your left and straight on to the next roundabout" we decided it just wasn't going to happen.
We walked back to the hotel and that was when things really started going our way (as my dear Steph would say "It's a God thing!").
The front desk clerk, presumably seeing our jet-lagged bodies carrying around bulging backpacks, and weary looks took pity on us and let us have our room early. What a blessing! We defied all of the recommendations and took a nap that lasted until 9 PM London time (about 10 hours). Frankly, we could have slept more, but after that hunger became more of an issue. We went to the front desk where the most friendly and helpful clerk told us where to get the best local food (after we expressed we weren't really looking for McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, TGIFridays, or Pizza Hut--which were our other options). We took a taxi, with an incredibly interesting and kind taxi driver. He had the solution to every problem (much like my husband seems to!) and all of his were food related. We were told the cure for jet-lag, hangovers, and the common cold. It was quite informative, and entertaining.
After yummy dinner of fish'n'chips at Ye Olde Six Bells (a 500 year old pub--and total tourist trap!) we headed back and slept easily the rest of the night.
Sunday started with us trying to get to London. Again, remember this was only Day 2, so my stress levels and not fully understanding the British rail system were high. However, a free taxi ride because the driver enjoyed our company so much helped my mood and my faith in Great Britain--she has some of the kindest and most helpful people, even if seemingly everything costs an arm and a leg! We finally got to Victoria Station, and began exploring London for what was planned to be only 1/2 a day.
Immediately after leaving the station (and our obscenely heavy backpacks at the excess baggage check!) we were confronted with London. The London. You know, the one I have spent my entire life reading & dreaming about. (Dan is reading over my shoulder and just told me I write dramatically. He's right; however, I do everything in my life dramatically, why shouldn't I write dramatically?!)
We decided since we had the day to kill (our first train to take us to the ferry to Amsterdam didn't leave until 20.00--8 PM for you Americans) we'd do an overview of London and see as much as we could. We signed up for a double decker bus tour of London, and hopped aboard to start our London Experience.
The bus tour was amazing! We ended up getting off at Madame Tussauds because we thought it was one of the few things we'd have time to actually 'check' off our list. We enjoyed it, although it wasn't quite as exciting as I thought it would be. When we got back on the bus tour (you could get on and off as much as you wanted for 24 hrs, with buses running every 15-20 min) we began to realize our hopes of making the overnight crossing to Amsterdam were slim. London rush hour + a road diversion (read: construction) will do that to you. Resigned, we enjoyed the rest of the bus tour, went to pick up our bags, and find a place to stay that night.
After a very frustrating hour or two of trying to find a hotel in a decent price range (we weren't really keen on spending $700 American for one night!) we were blessed (another "God thing" without a doubt!). I had been calling hotels near the Liverpool Street Station, since we'd be leaving out of there at 6 the next morning. The prices were absurd. Finally there was a hotel with a hard to understand middle eastern man who told me that a double queen room would be £148. Jackpot! We rush off to try to find said hotel, only to get there and find out that there had been some mistake. The number we had been told was the Great Eastern Hotel was obviously being miss-routed. Their cheapest room would be 2.5 times the quoted price.
I was close to tears. However, God worked it out beautifully. The front desk clerk was so sympathetic to our plight (as backpackers we were obviously not looking to spend £350--almost $700--on a room) and he insisted on calling some contacts of his in the hotel industry for favors. He ended up getting us a very nice room with an en suite bath for £101. Plus, it was only 10 min walk from the station! He went above and beyond, even though we were not able to stay at his hotel. Then he refused the tip we tried to give. He was just .so. kind!
Every step of the way I have been floored by how kind and helpful the British people have been!
Oh, I suppose that brings us to today. Is this post long enough for you? What can I say, I've been itching to journal about all of this!
Today we got up a 4:30 AM. Yes, the Ambroses. Are you sufficiently amazed? We made our train, connecting train, and are right now on the "ferry" to Amsterdam (about 3 hours left).
I use the term "ferry" loosely! This is really just a small cruise ship! We're having a blast, catching up on the internet, watching a movie (we saw the Bourne Ultimatium again), eating, and chilling out. It's wonderful!
Sitting at the computer I must look like I work here. My third "Dutchie" has asked me for directions.
Now my hubby is cold and wants to cuddle, and frankly, while Ih ave about 10+ more pages to write, I think hubby time is more important!
I have no idea when the next time I get such unfettered internet access, so hopefully this will suffice until then.
Cheers!
P.S. We've taken tons of pictures, but no way to upload them now. Perhaps next time. Just imagine us looking quite european/cosmopolitan and in artsy London locations and you'll pretty much have your pictures right there! ;)
P.P.S. Many apologies if this is difficult to read. I got up at 4 this morning, which I have no idea what time that is "my time" since my body has no idea what time zone it is in. Hopefully the next post will be shorter and easier to read.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Second Post
9 AM, the morning we leave. I'm stressed out, giddy, I barely slept last night, and frankly I'm now positive that many things I wanted to get done before I leave just plain won't get done.
So how better to knock the list down than posting a tentative itinerary? Makes perfect sense to me!
So how better to knock the list down than posting a tentative itinerary? Makes perfect sense to me!
- Fri, Sep 14th: Leave for London
- Sat, Sep 15th: Arrive London--Briefly tour London, England
- Sun, Sep 16th: Leave for Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Mon, Sep 17th: Enjoy Amsterdam
- Tues, Sep 18th: Leave for Berlin, Germany
- Wed, Sep 19th: Tour Berlin
- Thurs, Sep 20th: Enjoy Berlin/Leave for Krakow, Poland
- Fri, Sep 21st: Tour Krakow
- Sat, Sep 22st: Krakow/Auschwitz
- Sun, Sep 23rd: Day in Prague, Czech Republic
- Mon, Sep 24th: Vienna, Austria
- Tues, Sep 25th: Tour Vienna
- Wed, Sep 26th: Leave Vienna for Perugia, Italy
- Thurs, Sep 27th: 1st day of Feast of Tabernacles in Perugia, Italy (Holy Day)
- Fri, Sep 28th: Tour Florence, Italy/2nd Day of FOT
- Sat, Sep 29th: Sabbath in Perugia, Italy/3rd Day of FOT
- Sun, Sep 30th: Tour Rome, Italy/4th Day of FOT
- Mon, Oct 1st: Tour Assisi, Italy/5th Day of FOT
- Tues, Oct 2nd: Tour Vatican City/6th Day of FOT
- Wed, Oct 3rd: Tour Torgiano, Italy/7th Day of FOT
- Thurs, Oct 4th: Last Great Day in Perugia, Italy
- Fri, Oct 5th: Pompeii, Italy with Mom & Dad
- Sat, Oct 6th: Pompeii with Mom & Dad
- Sun, Oct 7th: Venice, Italy with Mom & Dad
- Mon, Oct 8th: Venice with Mom & Dad
- Tues, Oct 9th: Milan, Italy
- Wed, Oct 10th: Turin, Italy
- Thurs, Oct 11th: Day in the French Rivera/Monaco
- Fri, Oct 12th: Madrid, Spain
- Sat, Oct 13th: Touring Madrid
- Sun, Oct 14th: Gibraltar (owned by England, on the southern tip of Spain)
- Mon, Oct 15th: Tangier, Morocco (AFRICA!)
- Tues, Oct 16th: Geneva, Switzerland
- Wed, Oct 17th: Munich, Germany
- Thurs, Oct 18th: Touring Munich
- Fri, Oct 19th: Bonn, Germany
- Sat, Oct 20th: Rhine River Cruise
- Sun, Oct 21st: Paris, France
- Mon, Oct 22nd: Touring Paris/The Louvre
- Tues, Oct 23rd: Brussels, Belgium
- Wed, Oct 24th: Take the Chunnel back to London, England
- Thurs, Oct 25th: Tour London
- Fri, Oct 26th: Tour London
- Sat, Oct 27th: Tour London/Leave for America
Yeah, that doesn't look exhausting at all!
First Post
It is 12:48 AM as I write this, both the eve, and the day of our departure. I'm wired, and exhausted. In other words, my world is upside-down, and I couldn't be more excited!
Today was the most amazing and uplifting Feast of Trumpets I can imagine. God blessed us with inspiring messages, uplifting fellowship, amazing food--essentially the best send-off possible.
We had a number of new people at church and one in particular stood out. Marilyn. The sweetest little old lady I can imagine. She and I hit it off from the beginning. A true "kindred" if you will. As we sat down for a scrumptious dinner of beef tenderloin, baby redskin potatoes, salad, and cheesecake we began talking. She found out Dan & I were leaving the next day (today!) for a 6 week backpacking tour of Europe and she was immediately intrigued. After the usual questions (How can Dan take that much time off? What will you see? You're really only taking 5 outfits apiece?!) she began telling me of her lifelong desire to visit Switzerland.
Marilyn married Delbert when she was still a young woman, and they had 25 beautiful years together. When she began telling me about what Delbert had planned for their 25th anniversary tears began filling my eyes. Delbert hated to fly. He had to often for his job, but refused to any more than he absolutely had to. Marilyn had talked her whole life about going to Switzerland and seeing the Alps and every time Delbert had encouraged her to "just do it!" Every time Marilyn had stressed that she didn't want to do it alone. She wanted to share the experience with him.
For their 25th anniversary in February Delbert planned to take Marilyn to Switzerland. He bought the plane tickets on the Concord, no less, and made all the necessary arrangements. As the time approached he let Marilyn know of his plans for them, and her excitement grew. Unfortunately, at that same time Delbert's health took a turn for the worse. He died in December, 2 months before their 25th anniversary. 2 months before their "big trip."
Marilyn told me of their last night together, with tears in her eyes--and tears streaming down my face. She told me that ever since they became born again, they prayed together every morning and every evening. Each taking the turn to pray for the other. Their last night together and Delbert prayed for "My Marilyn" he prayed for God to fulfill the every desire of her heart--to provide for her, to comfort her after his passing. He prayed that the Holy Spirit would descend on her in her grief and that she would be able to physically feel God holding his precious child, holding "My Marilyn" and stay with her allowing her to be comforted with a peace that surpasses all human understanding. He prayed that God would supply her every need--physical, emotional, and spiritual in the turbulent times he knew would follow his death.
Marilyn knelt down beside Delbert's bed, and with what I can only imagine as the most bitter sweet pain ever she prayed to release Delbert from his pain. That God would take him away fromt he suffering, and raise him up again when He returns to this earth. On the Feast of Trumpets, who knows how many years from now.
Marilyn's ability to share her story, her faith, her love for her husband, which was so strong even after 16 years of separation was one of the most inspiring and beautiful moments of my life. Her focus on the hope she has, Delbert has, and all of us have in Jesus Christ and His coming was the perfect complement to the day before we depart on this trip--The Feast of Trumpets.
Delbert and Marilyn didn't get to go on their "big trip" to Switzerland together. But they journeyed through life side by side. Amazingly their journey together is not yet through, because they both will rise and meet Jesus Christ in the air, at the sound of that last Trumpet! Hallelujah! AMEN!
Dan & I leave tomorrow. We get to take our "big trip" and I'm so grateful for that privilege. But I pray with my whole heart that we have the opportunity to journey through life as Marilyn and Delbert did. Hand in hand until the end, praying for each other up to the very last, and together we will be resurrected to see our Lord return triumphant!
For those who are curious the first leg of our journey is as follows:
September 14th, 6:50 PM depart for London
September 15th, 10:30 AM arrive in London
After that, let's see where the Lord will lead us! We hope you will travel along with us, through this blog. As of today, the Ambroses are Abroad!
Today was the most amazing and uplifting Feast of Trumpets I can imagine. God blessed us with inspiring messages, uplifting fellowship, amazing food--essentially the best send-off possible.
We had a number of new people at church and one in particular stood out. Marilyn. The sweetest little old lady I can imagine. She and I hit it off from the beginning. A true "kindred" if you will. As we sat down for a scrumptious dinner of beef tenderloin, baby redskin potatoes, salad, and cheesecake we began talking. She found out Dan & I were leaving the next day (today!) for a 6 week backpacking tour of Europe and she was immediately intrigued. After the usual questions (How can Dan take that much time off? What will you see? You're really only taking 5 outfits apiece?!) she began telling me of her lifelong desire to visit Switzerland.
Marilyn married Delbert when she was still a young woman, and they had 25 beautiful years together. When she began telling me about what Delbert had planned for their 25th anniversary tears began filling my eyes. Delbert hated to fly. He had to often for his job, but refused to any more than he absolutely had to. Marilyn had talked her whole life about going to Switzerland and seeing the Alps and every time Delbert had encouraged her to "just do it!" Every time Marilyn had stressed that she didn't want to do it alone. She wanted to share the experience with him.
For their 25th anniversary in February Delbert planned to take Marilyn to Switzerland. He bought the plane tickets on the Concord, no less, and made all the necessary arrangements. As the time approached he let Marilyn know of his plans for them, and her excitement grew. Unfortunately, at that same time Delbert's health took a turn for the worse. He died in December, 2 months before their 25th anniversary. 2 months before their "big trip."
Marilyn told me of their last night together, with tears in her eyes--and tears streaming down my face. She told me that ever since they became born again, they prayed together every morning and every evening. Each taking the turn to pray for the other. Their last night together and Delbert prayed for "My Marilyn" he prayed for God to fulfill the every desire of her heart--to provide for her, to comfort her after his passing. He prayed that the Holy Spirit would descend on her in her grief and that she would be able to physically feel God holding his precious child, holding "My Marilyn" and stay with her allowing her to be comforted with a peace that surpasses all human understanding. He prayed that God would supply her every need--physical, emotional, and spiritual in the turbulent times he knew would follow his death.
Marilyn knelt down beside Delbert's bed, and with what I can only imagine as the most bitter sweet pain ever she prayed to release Delbert from his pain. That God would take him away fromt he suffering, and raise him up again when He returns to this earth. On the Feast of Trumpets, who knows how many years from now.
Marilyn's ability to share her story, her faith, her love for her husband, which was so strong even after 16 years of separation was one of the most inspiring and beautiful moments of my life. Her focus on the hope she has, Delbert has, and all of us have in Jesus Christ and His coming was the perfect complement to the day before we depart on this trip--The Feast of Trumpets.
Delbert and Marilyn didn't get to go on their "big trip" to Switzerland together. But they journeyed through life side by side. Amazingly their journey together is not yet through, because they both will rise and meet Jesus Christ in the air, at the sound of that last Trumpet! Hallelujah! AMEN!
Dan & I leave tomorrow. We get to take our "big trip" and I'm so grateful for that privilege. But I pray with my whole heart that we have the opportunity to journey through life as Marilyn and Delbert did. Hand in hand until the end, praying for each other up to the very last, and together we will be resurrected to see our Lord return triumphant!
For those who are curious the first leg of our journey is as follows:
September 14th, 6:50 PM depart for London
September 15th, 10:30 AM arrive in London
After that, let's see where the Lord will lead us! We hope you will travel along with us, through this blog. As of today, the Ambroses are Abroad!
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