hey!

i've been enjoying interlaken. pray for me because i have a sore throat and DO NOT want to get sick. i may do some more hiking tomorrow (today i went to the "top of Europe" on Jungfrau--you can read more on google.)

um, and i'm posting a video salutation soon so you can see my grubby face :D.

i will leave either tomorrow or sunday for austria--to a castle/convent deal there for a few days. then to Munich.


love from Switzerland.
sg.

**video is up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O5o4R2DbEg

in switzerland.

the kezboards change the z's and y's here :(

it's CRAYZ expensive to use the net, so no updates for a bit, sorrz.
give me like a week mazbe, unless i can grab someone's puter...

i'm flzing solo up here. szl is down in greece and don went home after
a GREAT week in italy, that i'll tell zou bout next time.


peace and love.

the long road home...

so florence was quite a trip. check it...

a bit from 15 april journal entry:

Florence came to us late last night via a quick train and brought with it similar mundanity (as Venice), but with a few cool stories. We arrived about 2100 at the train station--devoid of poeple, help, and direction. My call earlier to a Hostel only yielded instructions to take the #17 bus to Salviatino. We jumped on next to a guy (Duarte) from Portugal, who was also heading to Ostella Villa Camarata (the hostel). Like us, he knew no more than that...They dropped us all off (a women on the bus pointed it out) and we saw immeadiately a large clear sign and a giant stone entrance-through which we began to follow a windy, paved and broken, desolate road.

Duarte, though seemingly safe, lead the way due to Sylvia's hesitation (and my easy agreement, though Don was ready to "go ninja" on any perpetrators). We all were pretty hesitant, for though the road was lit by street lamps periodically, only two people and one taxi passed us. Both sides were ominously walled by fairly dense brush/woods--one side with a chain-linked fence. I clutched a caribeaner "brass knuckle" style in one hand, and a small but sharp knife in the other. The entire trip took probably near 15 minutes, the end of which brought us to a large villa that has been turned into a youth hostel. (end journal entry..)

From there things went a lot better: a private room with private bathroom (not all accomodations have provided such) gave peace to help us forget mostly about the threatening journey there. The next night we stayed in downtown Florence in a great place, and got to see some cool sights overall. My journey through Milan (pictures sometime soon) overshadowed so much that it is hard to compare Venice and Florence, especially now that we are in Rome.

This morning we saw St. Peter's basilica and Vatican museums that culminate with Michaelangelo's Sistine ceiling. It was mind boggling.

Gratzi for now, we'll be here in Rome 4 more days and I'll try to get some pics up.

next stop...not sure yet :D
for those in CBus, enjoy the Justice Revival!!!

sg.

this scene was tuesday night in Florence from Ponte Vecchio...

various pics from Europe 1.

john the baptist.
hall of mirrors, palace of Versailles... (was waiting for this one!!)

same hall, sorry can't rotate right now...

something in Madrid...Sylvia can tell you maybe.

sylvia connecting with Mirta (middle--housed us) and Monika (who was on her way to CR).


these pics are not in chronological order, but i'm sure you don't mind...ahem.gardens of Versailles, out back of the Palace...

St. Michael's Square, Paris.

self-explanatory.

Jupiter coming up out 'the ground in Versailles gardens...

one of the many painted ceilings of Versailles


notre dame cathedral. paris, france. no hunchbacks present :(


como se dice, "Rolls Royce?""

italia.

so here's what's up...i have a lot to say about Barcelona, but i'm in Milan and have a lot to say (again-sorry) so i'll write about that, and then the next one will be a photo opp, i promise...
bear with me.

this is my journal entry from a few days ago...

11 april 2008 1520 Milan

I am writing from the exquisite house of the descendant of a fur trader's widow. He himself built this entire building and we are in her 2 story house that boasts artwork, sculptures, fabriced walls, silver, a maid, and a seamstress. My view overlooks Milan out to Duomo--the world's largest Gothic cathedral. It took some 600 years to contsruct, and is fashioned with 3400 statues, 135 spires, and 155 gargoyles! According to Lonely Planet Western Europe (LPWE), this city is the fashion capital with a ''wicked'' nightlife--and costs resemble that. After the 3-course meal, shave, and shower I just had, I'm prepared to relax. Carola (Sylvia's friend) will take us around a bit tomorrow. Her grandmother--the widow in whose house I am staying--said at dinner to me 'I like you.' :D I think it was soon after my comment (via Carola into Italian) ''please forgive my appearance'' (for I was scruffy and had not recently bathed...)

The 13 hour train ride from Barcelona stretched into 14 as we sat at the border for almost an hour for a reason unbeknownst to me. It stretched our wallets as well--for up till now we only have paid up to 15 euors for a train reservation with our passes, but had to drop 46 for the trip here :(

I sat next to 3 Mexicanas in a quad-area of the train (as I was assigned) who were lively and with whom i conversed a lot. Gisela, Marcela, and Malu are here for a beauty expo in Balogna, and are travelling around a bit as we are.

In Quo Vadis (the PHENOMENAL book I'm reading) it seems that Vicinisus has reached a point of [spiritual] conversion, but it was strikingly anti-climactic! In any case, Peter and Paul addressed him and more than anything--revealed to him objectively the life of following Christ, and the position of his changing heart. They took him to Lygia, where Peter blessed their love for each other as good, not as sin. I have over 250 pages to go still (and have gone that much so far) so I am on edge as to what all else it holds. All I know is that I am thankful to have brought it (thanks Ben!) and I trust that it is part of God's intention for me at this time. I shy away from that seemingly circumstancial theology, but feel at times its nearness and poignancy--therefore I cannot deny it outright. Time will tell ultimately (in the case of these books) how poignant, in fact, the specificity of God in the (seemingly) minutia of details.

Walking around this house today, and talking/listening at long length to Carola's experience working with the U.N., her desire to impact the cycle of poverty from generation to generation, and her disgust with her country's corruption from the government down, has had my mind again at attention. Part of me thinks\desires wealth--as I see it throughout this house on plain display. Part of me too desires justice and to ''put a dent in the world'' (steve jobs i think). Always the theme of my favor with people shines clearly to me--from the Mexicans on the train, Pam and her daughter from Oregon, Dave the Aussie, to this affluent aging widow from a world altogether different from my own. To what profit can I invest this favor given me? Certainly sharing life with people/teaching comes first to my mind. I struggle still with encountering a particular way of sharing faith, though with Dave, and almost here with Luiga (the widow), have I seen conversation open up despite me--and invite me to step in if that be my desire. I feel that I can only see crossroads, and that choosing a direction and going are at once as or more important than understanding or foreseeing their outcomes.

This has been a helpful brain dump. In my best moments I am enjoying this trip and what it presents to me day by day. In the others I worry about money and the future, and sin thus unto lack of peace.

Jesus be near me and give me rest. I give to you (over and again) this life and abilities and resources you have given me. Lest you guide me, and lest I learn to love you more than my own control, life is not worth living. Bless and keep my family and friends at home, bring Don safely to us Sunday, and thanks again--for I trust your control...

a simple note...

apparantly spammers can leave messages on my blog.  

if something says "click here"  DONT.

thanks.

europe or bust.

¡hey all! 

for the non-spanish literate, the upside down punctuation mark is used in spanish.  for those that don´t know, i´m in Madrid, Spain right now :D  

the trip began 1 April with my friend Sylvia and I arriving in New York via Skybus (R.I.P.)  i had to unload a bit of stuff--perhaps a little overzealous, perhaps a little too overprepared--via FedEx to 

my boys back home.  i´ve only lacked a few of those items, but the reduced weight and size of pack were well worth the sacrifice.  we visited m&m world at time sqare, i passed a chipotle near there (but am waiting until back home with the boys to get mine--we had our last together as well..) and then headed to new Jersey via bus to leave Stewart airport with Air India.  

we dropped into Paris early the next morning after sitting near a wonderful French-American named Bruno who has been a pastor for 20 years.  he talked of his gang life and broken upbringing which prepared him well to receive Christ at a young age.  he is still loving Him and loving seeing others come to freedom as they pursue a healthy life which doesn´t neglect spirituality.

Paris was AMAZING.  any rumors I (and possibly you) have heard regarding the rudeness of the French were dispelled after the first day.  the most I felt with respect to that is perhaps curtness, but beyond that people were interested in our journey, and more than willing to help with whatever we needed.  one such occasion was when we were looking for a train station and ran into several mechanics.  Sylvia asked for directions, and after the language barrier prevented the men from sufficiently leading us to the proper bus, one of them walked us 2 blocks to the stop, spoke with the driver, and then let us go!  of course there are exceptions to every rule, but my 3 days in Paris have broken the rule in my mind.  

the Louvre and Palace of Versailles have been intriguing to me since Humanities 112 last summer. after seeing the Hall of mirrors, it is a breathtaking look into the power of the former King, and the splendor of artistry that went into the entire place.  the Louvre as well was breathtaking beyond just the exhibits.  the building itself, with painted ceilings as in Versailles, is enormous and decorated to every corner.  the pic above is of le Sacre Coeur, an amazing place where i was not allowed to take photos inside.  it overlooks the city in an area called Montmarte (i think).  looking out the window of the first hostel bedroom sent one staring right at its dome!!  pretty neat.

we took a train overnight from Paris after two nights of hostel life, and have been staying here in Madrid at the house of Mirta--a friend of Sylvia´s.  it has been great using this computer (a Mac!!) and being able to rest, and save money from hostel living.  i´m currently saving my photos from one phase of the trip, and hope to get a few on here for you to see later on.  she has been a wonderful host, patient and taking us all around.  we saw Don Quixote, the Spanish Senate, and took a nice long bike ride around a beautiful (and huge) park downtown.  about 8 million people live here, and i think i´ve already seen about a million of them! there are people everywhere, especially in an area called "el Sol" where they have a large Time-Square-esqe clock that they celebrate near during New Years Eve.

presently we´re heading out to set up a rental car (the cheapest method at present) to leave tomorrow for Barcelona.  i can´t imagine what a drive through Spain will introduce, but the countryside i saw already coming in on the train was breathtaking.  

on a personal note, i´ve been dreaming nightly, about driving in my Jeep, talking with people back home, etc.  last night i was expressing to someone in a dream that there was no way that i could be back home yet, and that i must be dreaming. nevertheless, i told them i´d keep talking for a bit, all the while knowing that i would soon awake.  strange.  

¡¡Love and blessings from Europe!!

steve.

*and please forgive grammar and editing, as i don´t have sufficient time to polish this right now...