Dear Child,

In the parable of the prodigal son in the Bible, the young man yielded to temptation and went to a distant land. He lived a loose lifestyle and was eventually impoverished. He hired himself out to one of the citizens of that land and worked in a field, feeding swine. He came to the realization that his father's hired hands were eating much better than he. He decided to humble himself and return home to ask forgiveness and live as a hired hand.

The young man saw himself as unworthy to be called a son any more.

But his father saw it differently. He welcomed the son with open arms. The young man was still the father's son.

I am still the Father's beloved daughter. No matter what. He wants to hold me and love me and listen to me talk. And He wants to talk to me.

I am His daughter because of the Son, who died on the cross for me.

And so are you..... if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you have not, just ask Him right now. Then read the book of John in the Bible and find a church that has solid Bible teaching.

Remember that you are His daughter (or son) when you feel far away. Remember it when you have fallen into temptation. Remember it when the Enemy is telling you that you are not worth anything. Hold up your shield of faith and resist the Enemy. Run into the Father's arms of love.

Roses and Ripoffs

Girls love flowers - their beauty, their scent, their color. A woman especially loves flowers when the man in her life buys them for her. Italian men know this well.

Our last day in Rome led us to the Piazza del Popolo (People's Square), which is just inside the northern gate of the Aurelian Wall. An Egyptian obelisk of Rameses II stands in the center of the piazza. The obelisk was brought to Rome in 10 BC by order of Augustus and was originally set up in the Circus Maximus. It was re-erected here in 1589.

We wandered around the piazza, soaking in the ambiance, when an Italian man approached us with an armful of red roses and declared, "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman."

My vanity caved in and I took the three roses he offered with pleasure.

Two minutes passed and the man returned. Uh oh.

"How about you give-a me a little money?" he directed at my unsuspecting husband. Kevin dug into his pocket and pulled out a few euros.

"How about a little more?" the Italian complained.

Kevin gave him another.

"No. No. More."

"That's all I have," replied Kevin.

The man was still not satisfied.

We were trapped. If Kevin kept refusing, the man would make him feel like I was worth more. If he kept handing over euros, we would be broke! My initial pleasure turned to anger.

I turned to the scammer and said, "How about you give the money back and I give you the flowers?"

That did the trick. He frowned and walked away.We did not fall for that trick again!

But I did keep the roses! Here I am shortly after, strolling through the Villa Borghese area, roses tucked into my bag.

Lights out!

The trouble with an evening flight is that one usually has to check out of their lodging in the morning. Being in a short-term rental apartment complicated this even further because there is no place to store luggage.Fortunately for us, the Musee d'Orsay in Paris does. If your luggage is not too sizable, they will store it in their cloak room!
After our exhausting few days in Paris, coupled with jet lag, it felt good to sit still on an airplane! The flight was about three and a half hours, part of which was over the beautiful Alps.

We were really surprised at the lack of security at the extremely small Pisa airport. We grabbed our bags and headed out to find the bus. The driver was a dear man who stopped a block from our hotel and gave us directions.

Hotel Bologna is a stylish hotel in the historical area of the city. We were happy to arrive and have some time to relax. It's roomy and quiet, complete with Wi-fi access (for a daily fee) and a free full breakfast.

We were happy with the room until the lights went out!

We groped around in the dark and found a flashlight. Using it to explore our room, we finally found a slot in the wall near the door. We inserted the key card and voila! Let there be light!

Apparently, electricity is very expensive in Europe. A lot of establishments have features that force the inhabitants to conserve electricity. This would not be our last experience of this nature!

A most memorable meal

One of the draws of Italy is the food. Really good food.

A friend recommended one which far exceeded our expectations: Da I'Conte Diladdarno. It is owned by Luca, who after finding out that we had a mutual friend insisted that we not order and that he would cook for us. We were not disappointed.

We started with crostini con bruschertta and crostini con carabaccia.

Next up was zuppa di ci polls Medicea, a white bean soup, Medici style. Beans and I don't always get along, but Kevin said it was good!

It was followed by Pappa Pomodoro, a tomato stew that was out of this world.


After appetizers and soups, we could easily have walked out happy, but this wasn't to happen. Luca was having a wonderful time in the kitchen!

And we were glad. Luca emerged from the kitchen with a rice dish with provolone cheese and radicchio. My mouth waters even now as I remember it! We ate half of it before I remembered to document it for you....
Luca's assistant wrote down all the dish names for us, but I'm having difficulty translating, so I'll make a guess at the names.
By this time, we were really getting full, but it's difficult to relate this to a wonderful Italian chef. But we endured. ;)
I don't recall ever having wild boar before that day and it wasn't what I expected at all. It was tasty, but I wish I hadn't been so full already!

We're almost finished! Our last main dish was Turkey Medallions with lemon and mint. This is melt-in-your-mouth turkey and I highly recommend it! Again, we consumed half of it before I remembered to photograph it!

Luca was anxious to make another dish for us and his face fell when we told him we didn't want anything else. But it came back to life when we told him, "Va bene! Tutto bene!", which loosely translated means "I like it! All is good!"

But he was not to be stopped.

Out came biscotti and dessert wine, which turned out to be the perfect complement to a huge meal. And a meal is not complete in Italy if you haven't tried grappa, a brandy with assorted flavorings added to it: cinnamon, basil, peppers being among them. We each tried a couple.


I do not like alcohol. And I still don't. I got to practice my very useful Italian phrase, "Mi dispiacci, ma non va bene."

"I'm sorry. I don't like it."

Luca got a good laugh out of that and informed me that grappa is "only for men." Or something along those lines!

It was a two-hour meal that will be one of my fondest memories of Italy for the rest of my life.
I think Luca enjoyed it, also!

One day in Florence

After a wonderful day in Pisa with our home school friend Tracy, we took the train to Florence. Italian trains are convenient and comfortable. Unlike Roman buses, which I'll discuss later.

Our accommodations in Firenze (Florence) were at Relais Cavalcanti. It's nestled among various restaurants, shops, and outdoor markets. The lovely owners, Anna and Francesca, were the most gracious hosts, available to help in any they could .

Relais Cavalcanti is located on the fourth floor of an old historic building built in the 13th century It was owned by the noble Cavalcanti family, whose name the esablishment adopted.

Since the 13th century did not use elevators, modern builders did their best to cram one into the building, which means that it is diminutive. First there was a door which one opened with a key, revealing the elevator gate. The three of us barely fit inside. The picture at right is not a display of affection between my husband and son....that's just how close we had to stand to fit!

Luggage had to be lugged up the stairs. I guess that's why it is called luggage! At least this task only had to be performed once!

The proprietors, Anna and Francesa, are two of the friendliest woman you'd ever want to meet. They bent over backwards to help us with tours, restaurants, directions, transportation. They claim not to serve breakfast, whichI suppose is technically true; however, their breakfast room is always laid out with Italian delights. My favorite was palmine, a flaky glazed pastry that quickly became my breakfast each day.

Our room was spacious and had a view of the side street on which Relais Cavalcanti resides.

There is a lot to see in Florence, but just wandering around and absorbing Italian culture is a highlight not to be missed. It is easy to get around. In fact, I recommend walking - you'll need to after you experience Italian cuisine! I'll focus on that in a later post.

A gem of Florence is the Uffizi Gallery, built in 1581 to house the offices of the powerful Medici family. Over time, it evolved into a display for the many works of arts collected by the Medici. One of the more famous works is The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.

But the highlight for us was The David. The original is housed at Galleria dell'Accadamia...don't settle for the copy! But beware of the scam artists (pun intended) who display their reproductions on the sidewalk in front of the Accademia - literally on the sidewalk like a throw rug. Tourists are intent on getting in the door and don't pay attention to where their feet are being placed.

Yes, I am talking about myself.

After placing said feet on reproductions just waiting for an oblivious tourist, Italian men surrounded me. I can only assume they wanted me to pay for damages done. I muttered an apology and proceeded to the gallery entrance. Kevin, the conscientious person that he is, stayed behind. I asked a security guard inside if I should pay and he emphatically (as only an Italian can do) declared, "No! No pay!"

I went back outside to find Kevin with a print rolled under his arm and called to him, "Don't! Do not pay them!" He handed the print back to the vendor and followed us in, leaving behind one disgusted Italian scam artist.

Don't get me wrong, We absolutely fell in love with the Italian people; however, Italy has its share of scammers and thieves. Beware!

One could spend hours wandering through either of these galleries, so don't waste your time standing in line to get in. Pay the nominal extra fee to obtain a reservation. Arrive early to ensure your entry.

More to come...

Fat Tires, Wide Paths, and Tons of History

It could take a lifetime to see any of the European capital cities. Seeing just one in a matter of days takes some careful planning and really comfortable walking shoes! Unless, of course, you are on a bicycle. It's a terrific way to see the major sights of the city with a knowledgeable guide who speaks English! You can see a whole lot more with less effort. Only one company is licensed to run bike tours in Paris: Fat Tire Bike Tours.

Our guide, Seth, related an informative history of the Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower) as we waited for our group to gather and for any onlookers to join us. We were comprised of mostly Americans from all regions of the U.S., but with a couple of things in common - the ability to ride a bike and a somewhat adventurous spirit.

We visited the Ecole Militaire (Royal Military Academy), which was founded by Louis XV in 1751. Its objective was to make poor gentlemen into military men. Napoleon Bonaparte was trained here in 1784.

Not all of Paris is busy roads filled with micro cars. There are plenty of wide pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as weekly open markets.

On this particular day, we got a taste of the French proclivity for protests. Unfortunately, we couldn't read the French banners or understand the French chants. Judging by their attire, we guessed they were medical personnel.




Our next stop was Napoleon's Tomb at the Dome Church, built in 1715. The dome is actually double, a fact unknown to the Germans of World War II. Hitler visited and stayed for three hours, apparently communing with Napoleon. At the same time, two Allied servicemen were hiding in the dome, waiting to be smuggled out of the city with intelligence information. Neither knew the other was there!

Next up was Hôtel des Invalides, founded by

Louis XIV to shelter 7000 aged or crippled

former soldiers. A small portion is still used as a hospital. Napoleon's cannons line the front.

After passing over the Alexander Bridge, we arrived at Place de la Concorde, the largest public square in Paris, which is flanked by Champs-Élysées to the west and the Tuileries Gardens to the east.

We made a delightful stop at an open cafe in the Gardens, La Terrasse de Pomone. I ordered a

cheese crepe and hot chocolate. Unfortunately, someone spilled their wine and thoroughly soaked my crepe, so I cannot tell you if was as good as the ones from the crepe stand in Le Marais or not.

Our final stop was the Louvre art museum. I posted about it here. I will add this one amazing fact: if you were to spend one minute with each work of art and did this 24 hours a day, it would take nine months to see everything! It is a true treasure and you should go if you have the chance.

This bike tour was one of the highlights of our trip. We saw so much in four hours!

A treasury of art - Paris!

Paris is a city that contains too much art to see in five days, but we sure did try!

Not only is it in the famous museums, but it is also in the numerous places of worship. Notre Dame is one such place, full of beauty in the form of stained glass, great sculptures and paintings. It is an awe-inspiring place and made me pause and ponder the beauty and majesty of my God.


One of the lesser known museums is Musee de Cluny, a wonderful display of medieval art. One of my favorite rooms was a chapel full of stained glass.


There was another huge room full of altar pieces, all intricately carved from wood.


Trying to cram as much as we could into one day, in between museums we stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a quick lunch and had (gasp) pizza. I'm a people watcher and these cafes are a wonderful location for doing so.


One thing we noticed about Paris is that there are police officers everywhere and that they are never seen solo. The officers are extremely well-armed and protected. They carry a firearm and baton. They are protected by bullet-proof vests and armor on their shoulders and upper arms.
Personally, I like their cute little hats.


We also noticed that their vehicles for the busy areas of the city are vans and usually have five officers in them. I just can't imagine the Parisians getting that out of control! They drive and park wherever they need to. It's a good thing, because in order to park on the street one's car must be this size


This car is basically square - as wide as it is long! They can actually park perpendicular to the sidewalk and still fit.


I am an ice cream fanatic. I freely admit it. Finding good ice cream is one of my favorite travel activities, so after lunch, we sought out an ice cream parlor which I had discovered from my jaunts through the Fodors Travel forum. And, yes, it was good!


You are probably familiar with The Louvre, home to the "Mona Lisa" and thousands of other great works of the masters. You could spend days in this museum. We spent hours and only caught the highlights.


It is an amazing place full of priceless art....thus a plethora of guards. This picture looks like it is of me, but it's really of the guards in the background. Don't mess with their art!