This morning the boys were definitely excited to go home. We said our good-byes to the Angersbachs and headed to the airport. We received a bit of a surprise when we were told that the boys had no seats for the flight. After checking in our luggage we were told to report to the gate to determine our options. One of them would be to stay overnight in a hotel at the airline’s expense, be put on another flight the next day, and receive 600 Euro vouchers per person! That was an option Karen and I were happy to take, but the boys were not impressed! However, when we checked with the gate we were told that seats had been provided for us. I let them know that we were willing to fly the next day, so they put us back on stand-by. In the end, Sol and Isaac were moved to business class, and with the rest of us slumming-it in Economy. Sol and Isaac had a great time with the fully reclining seats, the computer games, and the extra chocolates and desserts, which they smuggled back to the slums for us!
We arrived in Vancouver at 2:45 with Karen’s parents and Karen’s nephew Daniel waiting to greet us, and our friend Robert waiting to pick us up. After waiting for around 45 minutes for our luggage, we were off to Abbotsford and back home. Joey our dog was very excited to jump all over the boys and lick all their faces, and we spent the evening with most of Karen’s family.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
August 4, 2009
Our final full day in Europe was devoted to car museums! Karen wasn’t overly excited, but the rest of were ecstatic. Our first stop was the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, where we spent several hours. The museum is quite new and was very impressive. Our next stop was the Mercedes-Benz museum, another new museum with eight levels. This museum focused on the work of Damiler and Benz as they were the first inventors of the gasoline powered automobile. Of course there were many vehicles on display as well, which we enjoyed.
After a snack we drove a couple of hours back to Frankfurt where we were reunited with the Angersbachs and our luggage. We did some final packing in preparation for our flight home, and spent the evening visiting.
After a snack we drove a couple of hours back to Frankfurt where we were reunited with the Angersbachs and our luggage. We did some final packing in preparation for our flight home, and spent the evening visiting.
August 3, 2009
We woke up this morning to cloudy skies and a bit of rain. We decided to tour Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich, which took four hours in total, including brunch. The place itself was nothing special, but the grounds were very large with a number of smaller structures that were quite interesting. We decided to skip the old town of Munich in favour of driving to Nuertingen, east of Stuttgart in the Schwabing area where we stayed with a family for night. We had made the arrangements through Mennonite Your Way. The family had two boys ages 15 and 13 and the boys had a great time riding bikes with them and playing on the computer. They have travelled extensively in both the USA and Canada, and their English was great.
August 2, 2009
This morning we departed from Prague and drove around three and a half hours to Munich. We headed straight for BMW Welt and the BMW Museum, where we spent several hours admiring new and old BMW cars. I and the boys had a great time, while Karen actually enjoyed the experience as well – at least that is what she claims. We then headed for our hotel, a Holiday Inn, where after a bite to eat down the street, the boys headed for the pool, our first in Europe at a hotel, and hopefully used up some of their pent-up energy!
August 1, 2009
Today was devoted to the old city of Prague. Our hotel was a 5 minute walk away from the heart of the old city, which was very convenient. We decided to leave Isaac behind at the hotel to surf on the Internet and watch TV (let’s just say it was best for all concerned). Everywhere we looked we marvelled at the beauty of the city, which escaped both World Wars relatively unscathed. We took a free tour of the city for three hours (free means you only pay the tour guide a tip) led by a student from Wales who was very enthusiastic about everything! After a bit of a break, I walked through the town and crossed the Charles Bridge to climb the hill up to the palace while Karen and the boys did some shopping. After three hours I was exhausted but glad I did the walk. I met up with Karen and Abram outside a restaurant near our hotel and had a bite to eat with them.
In the evening I stayed at the hotel with Sol and Isaac while Karen and Abram walked back to the old city and took in a classical concert, which they both enjoyed very much. The whole day was great, with not a cloud in the sky and beauty everywhere we looked. I ended up taking around 225 pictures – not as many as I did in Venice, but pretty close!
In the evening I stayed at the hotel with Sol and Isaac while Karen and Abram walked back to the old city and took in a classical concert, which they both enjoyed very much. The whole day was great, with not a cloud in the sky and beauty everywhere we looked. I ended up taking around 225 pictures – not as many as I did in Venice, but pretty close!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
July 31, 2009
This morning we continued our drive south and crossed the border in to the Czech Republic. Our first stop was Terezin, formerly known as Theresienstadt, formerly an Austrian military fortress that was turned into a Jewish Ghetto during World War II. We toured several museums and the prison, and learned about life in the Ghetto. There were a number of pictures that were drawn by Jewish children held in the Ghetto that were on display. Over 150,000 Jews were sent to the ghetto from all over Europe, and 33,000 died there. Around 88,000 inhabitants were sent from here to places like Auschwitz. The town was also the site of a prisoner of war camp.
After Terezin we arrived in Prague. The hotel we had booked had made an error in our booking, so we were moved to a sister hotel located right in the old city, which turned out to be a bonus for us. We ended up with a suite with two bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a balcony on the fourth floor. We were pretty impressed.
After supper we strolled around the old city and did some shopping.
After Terezin we arrived in Prague. The hotel we had booked had made an error in our booking, so we were moved to a sister hotel located right in the old city, which turned out to be a bonus for us. We ended up with a suite with two bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a balcony on the fourth floor. We were pretty impressed.
After supper we strolled around the old city and did some shopping.
July 30, 2009
This morning we drove around two hours south to Dresden, where we stayed with Alexander and Katie Neufeld, friends from seminary days. After lunch we met their daughter Daniela in the old city and she toured us around for a few hours. The old city is incredible, with many Baroque buildings. The highlight was visiting the Frauenkirche, a church that was nearly completely destroyed when Dresden was bombed near the end of the war. The church has been completely restored and is beautiful. The interior is very light and feels very different than many of the other cathedrals we have visited. By the time we returned to the Neufeld’s home it was after 7 p.m., so the boys watched a video and we spent the remainder of the evening visiting.
July 29, 2009
Today was our day to tour Berlin. We decided to use the public transit system, which was quite affordable for our family, so off we went from bus to train, to a second train, to a third train before we arrived at Alexander Platz. From here we hopped on to a hop-on hop-off tourist bus and made our way around Berlin. We saw the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and a number of other sites. We chose to visit the Old National Gallery in the afternoon, which features French and German impressionist paintings.
We then went to the Check-point Charlie museum, where we spent around two hours looking at the various exhibits. I think the boys enjoyed the museum very much. The exhibits featured a number of stories of people escaping from East Berlin to West Berlin, as well as some of the vehicles and other contraptions that they used.
The evening ended with a visit to KFC and some ice cream before we got back to the church around 11 p.m.
We then went to the Check-point Charlie museum, where we spent around two hours looking at the various exhibits. I think the boys enjoyed the museum very much. The exhibits featured a number of stories of people escaping from East Berlin to West Berlin, as well as some of the vehicles and other contraptions that they used.
The evening ended with a visit to KFC and some ice cream before we got back to the church around 11 p.m.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
July 28, 2009
This morning we toured the Westfälisches Freilichtmuseum Detmold (Westfalian Open Air Museum). One of my mother’s cousins, Anna Sawatzky, works at the museum and she gave us a tour. Anna’s son Viktor was also there to provide an English translation. I had visited the site five years ago and thought the kids would enjoy walking through the old farm houses and other buildings on the site, which I think they did. However, I think the highlight for them was feeding plums to the goats.
After lunch we said good-bye to the Penners and Esaus and we drove close to four hours east to Berlin, where we are staying at the new location of the Mennonite Brethren church in Berlin. Gary Loewen from Abbotsford is the site manager for the construction project and he helped to get us settled in to the guest room on the construction site. Today is Solomon’s 13th birthday, so for a treat we walked to a great ice cream cafe and splurged on various ice cream dishes.
After lunch we said good-bye to the Penners and Esaus and we drove close to four hours east to Berlin, where we are staying at the new location of the Mennonite Brethren church in Berlin. Gary Loewen from Abbotsford is the site manager for the construction project and he helped to get us settled in to the guest room on the construction site. Today is Solomon’s 13th birthday, so for a treat we walked to a great ice cream cafe and splurged on various ice cream dishes.
July 27, 2009
Today we spent the day touring around Detmold. In the morning we visited the Externsteine, a famous rock formation outside of Detmold. We then visited the school where Judith attends and the construction site of the new Mennonite church in Detmold. After lunch we went to Hermannsdenkmal where Abram and Solomon did a three hour high-ropes course. In the evening we visited with the Penners and Lena’s brother and his wife, Jakob and Tina Esau, came over to visit as well.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
July 26, 2009
In the morning Waldemar and Emma took us to see the largest radio telescope in Europe in Effelsberg. It is 100 metres wide and is one of the world’s largest fully steerable telescopes. We then drove to Bad Muenstereifel, an old walled town, where we enjoyed some ice cream and wandering through some antique stores.
After lunch with the Deleski’s, we drove around two and a half hours north to Detmold to stay with Heinrich and Lena Penner. Lena is my second cousin, and I had stayed here with my parents for a week five years ago. Their daughter Judith is going to stay with us from September to December while she attends MEI in Abbotsford.
The Penners took us to Hermannsdenkmal, where we climbed to the top of the monument and enjoyed the view. This year is the 2000th anniversary of Hermann’s defeat of the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest in 9 AD.
After returning to the Penner’s house, Lena’s parents Heinrich and Lena Esau arrived (Heinrich is my mother’s double cousin) and also Johann and Lydia, Judith’s brother, along with their two children. We enjoyed watermelon and rollkuchen and then spent the rest of the evening seeing Johann and Lydia’s house, which is under construction nearby, and visiting. Later on, Judith’s other brother Jakob and his wife Rita and daughter Leni arrived back from Italy, and we visited with them a bit as well.
After lunch with the Deleski’s, we drove around two and a half hours north to Detmold to stay with Heinrich and Lena Penner. Lena is my second cousin, and I had stayed here with my parents for a week five years ago. Their daughter Judith is going to stay with us from September to December while she attends MEI in Abbotsford.
The Penners took us to Hermannsdenkmal, where we climbed to the top of the monument and enjoyed the view. This year is the 2000th anniversary of Hermann’s defeat of the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest in 9 AD.
After returning to the Penner’s house, Lena’s parents Heinrich and Lena Esau arrived (Heinrich is my mother’s double cousin) and also Johann and Lydia, Judith’s brother, along with their two children. We enjoyed watermelon and rollkuchen and then spent the rest of the evening seeing Johann and Lydia’s house, which is under construction nearby, and visiting. Later on, Judith’s other brother Jakob and his wife Rita and daughter Leni arrived back from Italy, and we visited with them a bit as well.
July 25, 2009
This morning we headed off to Maastricht, Netherlands for our first stop of the day. It took us just a little over an hour to get there. We parked in the city centre and spent two hours grabbing a quick bite to eat and wandering around the city. Abram and I did some sight-seeing while Karen, Solomon, and Isaac did some shopping.
Our next stop was Liege, Belgium, about 25 minutes away. Even though the city is just over the border from the Netherlands, we found ourselves in the French speaking part of Belgium, as Liege is located on the eastern side of the middle of the country. Again we spent a couple of hours sight-seeing, including climbing the 400 step Montagne de Bueren to get a nice view of the city.
We had hoped to visit Aachen as well, but ran out of time, so we headed back to Euskirchen and had a barbeque with Waldemar and Emma’s family.
Our next stop was Liege, Belgium, about 25 minutes away. Even though the city is just over the border from the Netherlands, we found ourselves in the French speaking part of Belgium, as Liege is located on the eastern side of the middle of the country. Again we spent a couple of hours sight-seeing, including climbing the 400 step Montagne de Bueren to get a nice view of the city.
We had hoped to visit Aachen as well, but ran out of time, so we headed back to Euskirchen and had a barbeque with Waldemar and Emma’s family.
July 24, 2009
Yesterday was basically a travel day for us, flying from Barcelona to Rome, and then Rome to Frankfurt. Other than an hour delay in Barcelona and a 90 minute delay in Rome, after already boarding the plane, the day was uneventful. We arrived in Frankfurt in the evening and made our way to Sasha and Elvira’s house where we spent the night.
In the morning we drove to Weierhof, south-west of Frankfurt, to visit the Mennonite historical library. I knew that the library director was not going to be around, but I assumed that the library would be open. Well, my assumption was incorrect. Karen and the boys took this as a sign from heaven that we should just keep driving. I however, knowing that I was right on the doorstep of the library, took this instead as a challenge. We walked a few buildings over to the Weierhof Mennonite Church and noticed that the pastor couple lived next door, which is where the church office was also located. By this time Karen and the boys were not wanting to have any part in what I was contemplating, but I insisted that we should knock on the pastor’s door and see if he could get us in to the library. Well, we met the pastor and after two phone calls we had a key delivered by a woman who lives across from the library. Mission accomplished. I only spent around 20-25 minutes in the library, but I was glad I had made the effort to visit it, and I even took some pictures to memorialize the visit!
We then drove north a few hours to Cologne, where we grabbed something to eat and then visited the Cologne cathedral. After a bit of walking around the city, we headed south to Euskirchen where another one of my father’s cousins, Waldemar Deleski, lives. I had met him and his wife for an hour when I was in Germany five years ago with my parents. They were willing to host us for two nights, so we were happy to have free lodging and to get to know some of Dad’s relatives a bit better.
In the morning we drove to Weierhof, south-west of Frankfurt, to visit the Mennonite historical library. I knew that the library director was not going to be around, but I assumed that the library would be open. Well, my assumption was incorrect. Karen and the boys took this as a sign from heaven that we should just keep driving. I however, knowing that I was right on the doorstep of the library, took this instead as a challenge. We walked a few buildings over to the Weierhof Mennonite Church and noticed that the pastor couple lived next door, which is where the church office was also located. By this time Karen and the boys were not wanting to have any part in what I was contemplating, but I insisted that we should knock on the pastor’s door and see if he could get us in to the library. Well, we met the pastor and after two phone calls we had a key delivered by a woman who lives across from the library. Mission accomplished. I only spent around 20-25 minutes in the library, but I was glad I had made the effort to visit it, and I even took some pictures to memorialize the visit!
We then drove north a few hours to Cologne, where we grabbed something to eat and then visited the Cologne cathedral. After a bit of walking around the city, we headed south to Euskirchen where another one of my father’s cousins, Waldemar Deleski, lives. I had met him and his wife for an hour when I was in Germany five years ago with my parents. They were willing to host us for two nights, so we were happy to have free lodging and to get to know some of Dad’s relatives a bit better.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 22, 2009
This morning we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed for the tourist information office in the centre of town where we purchased train tickets and passes for the Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey, located a little over an hour out of Barcelona in Monistrol de Montserrat. It is the location of a large abbey and Benedictine monastery that holds the Virgin of Montserrat, Catalonia’s favourite saint. Once we arrived at the train station we took the cable car up to the abbey and then stood in line for around 90 minutes to see the statue of the Virgin Mary (frankly, if we had known it was going to take 90 minutes we would have never done it). The statue was carved in the 12th century and is located high above the altar. It is also one of the black Madonnas of Europe.
After lunch we took a funicular (inclined) railway to a spot above the monastery and walked around a bit, enjoying the view. The monastery is located in a section of the mountain that is quite unique compared to the rest of the area. The rocks are smooth and look like the hoodoos but on a much larger scale. Once we came back down we toured the museum which includes artworks of a number of Spanish artists including Picasso and Dali.
We headed back to Barcelona around 5:30 p.m. and went back to the city centre to enjoy strolling around the streets, which were packed full of people enjoying the warm summer evening.
Tomorrow we fly back to Frankfurt while Karen’s parents fly back home to Abbotsford. It has been great having them with us during these two weeks.
After lunch we took a funicular (inclined) railway to a spot above the monastery and walked around a bit, enjoying the view. The monastery is located in a section of the mountain that is quite unique compared to the rest of the area. The rocks are smooth and look like the hoodoos but on a much larger scale. Once we came back down we toured the museum which includes artworks of a number of Spanish artists including Picasso and Dali.
We headed back to Barcelona around 5:30 p.m. and went back to the city centre to enjoy strolling around the streets, which were packed full of people enjoying the warm summer evening.
Tomorrow we fly back to Frankfurt while Karen’s parents fly back home to Abbotsford. It has been great having them with us during these two weeks.
July 21, 2009
We docked in Barcelona early this morning and left the cruise ship around 9 a.m. After twelve days you almost assume that you just belong on a cruise ship. By the time we had waited an hour for a taxi, reality had set in – the cruise was over and we were back to reality. Well, almost. We were now in Barcelona for a few days, so I must admit that life is still pretty good.
We got to our hotel after a few minutes and settled in to our rooms. We took the metro to the centre of town and decided to purchase tour bus tickets and spend the rest of the day driving around the city and listening to the audio tour. These are the double-decker buses that are open at the top that you see in all the major cities in Europe. They aren’t cheap, but they are a good way to see the city. Barcelona has two one-hour routes and a third shorter route. We drove around most of the two longer routes so we saw quite a bit. We were able to get off and on any time we wanted, so that was great.
Barcelona is a beautiful city. It is well known for its unique architecture, and in particular, the buildings of Antoni Gaudi. The most famous building is the Sagrada Familia, a huge cathedral that is still about one hundred years from being completed. We saw many of his other buildings as well, along with famous buildings by other well-known architects. Of course a tour of Barcelona is not complete without passing by the stadium and museum of the Barcelona Football Club, which is like a cult here in Barcelona – kind of like the way Montreal thinks of the Canadiens. We also saw the Olympic Stadium and various other facilities built for the Olympics, and several buildings and parks built for various world fairs that have been held in Barcelona.
For supper we cave in to demand from the kids and ate at McDonald’s. It helped that the coupon books we received with the tour bus included McDonald’s coupons. We strolled around a bit more and then headed back to the hotel for night.
We got to our hotel after a few minutes and settled in to our rooms. We took the metro to the centre of town and decided to purchase tour bus tickets and spend the rest of the day driving around the city and listening to the audio tour. These are the double-decker buses that are open at the top that you see in all the major cities in Europe. They aren’t cheap, but they are a good way to see the city. Barcelona has two one-hour routes and a third shorter route. We drove around most of the two longer routes so we saw quite a bit. We were able to get off and on any time we wanted, so that was great.
Barcelona is a beautiful city. It is well known for its unique architecture, and in particular, the buildings of Antoni Gaudi. The most famous building is the Sagrada Familia, a huge cathedral that is still about one hundred years from being completed. We saw many of his other buildings as well, along with famous buildings by other well-known architects. Of course a tour of Barcelona is not complete without passing by the stadium and museum of the Barcelona Football Club, which is like a cult here in Barcelona – kind of like the way Montreal thinks of the Canadiens. We also saw the Olympic Stadium and various other facilities built for the Olympics, and several buildings and parks built for various world fairs that have been held in Barcelona.
For supper we cave in to demand from the kids and ate at McDonald’s. It helped that the coupon books we received with the tour bus included McDonald’s coupons. We strolled around a bit more and then headed back to the hotel for night.
July 20, 2009
Today was our last full day on the cruise ship, and we spent the day at sea on the way to Barcelona, Spain. After lunch we went to the third of three art auctions on the ship. During the first cruise, Karen was the high bidder on two relatively inexpensive works of art, and she won a third free piece of art. This afternoon my number was drawn for a $100 woman’s watch and matching necklace and earrings, which I was pleased to hand over to Karen. This came close to matching the gold and pearl necklace that Karen’s mother won a few evenings ago. Not bad for our family!
July 19, 2009
Today was our day on the French Riviera. We arrived in Villefranche-sur-Mer around 7:00 a.m. We took the tender ashore and hiked up the hillside to catch the bus for Nice, a few kilometres away. We spent a few hours in the city, walking through part of the old city and through the Sunday market before arriving at the Promenade des Anglais, a fancy word for the beach. The beach was packed but we found a spot and the boys jumped in. The waves were pretty high – sometimes 3-4 feet high. Being a little more cautious, I only ventured in up to my waist, but the boys had a great time trying to ride the waves. We strolled around the city a bit more before catching the bus to a little town higher up the mountainside – Eze.
The bus ride gave us an opportunity to view the incredible scenery of the area. Eze is a medieval town surrounded by a wall. We walked around the town, climbing the various narrow streets and enjoying the scenery. After about an hour or so we were ready to get back on the bus and drive around 6 kilometres to Monaco. Unfortunately, we had to adjust our plans a bit because the bus we thought would take us directly to Monaco does not run on Sunday. So, we joined around 20 other fellow Summit cruisers along with some other tourists and figured out that we needed to take a bus down to the beach in Eze-sur-Mer, and then take a bus from there to Monaco. Believe it or not, my French came in handy as I figured these things out with a police officer.
We caught the bus after around a 40 minute wait, and once we arrived in Eze-sur-Mer, waited another 20 minutes or so for the next bus to Monaco. Fortunately, the bus driver allowed all of us to pile on to the bus, with Karen and I standing right beside the driver. This was actually the best place in the bus, because we had a great view of the drive along the Riviera to Monaco, stopping near the casino in Monte Carlo. Again, my French came in handy as I figured out where we needed to get off the bus.
The boys were absolutely thrilled with Monaco, not because of the incredible sights, but because of all the exotic cars they spotted. I lost count, but I know we saw at least two Rolls-Royces, two Lamborghinis, several Ferraris, a Masserati, and a Bentley, along with a customized Porsche 911 and plenty of German luxury vehicles. Monaco truly is in a world all its own, with money everywhere you look. After around an hour we caught the train back to Villefranche and Abram and Sol swam at the beach while Isaac and Karen’s parents went back to the boat. The boys were a little taken aback by some of the topless women nearby, but they handled it okay!
In the evening we had our last formal dinner, and I slipped out early for a hot stone massage. Karen had won one of these for herself a few days ago at a spa auction for around half the regular price, so I was able to cash in on this as well. It was great.
The bus ride gave us an opportunity to view the incredible scenery of the area. Eze is a medieval town surrounded by a wall. We walked around the town, climbing the various narrow streets and enjoying the scenery. After about an hour or so we were ready to get back on the bus and drive around 6 kilometres to Monaco. Unfortunately, we had to adjust our plans a bit because the bus we thought would take us directly to Monaco does not run on Sunday. So, we joined around 20 other fellow Summit cruisers along with some other tourists and figured out that we needed to take a bus down to the beach in Eze-sur-Mer, and then take a bus from there to Monaco. Believe it or not, my French came in handy as I figured these things out with a police officer.
We caught the bus after around a 40 minute wait, and once we arrived in Eze-sur-Mer, waited another 20 minutes or so for the next bus to Monaco. Fortunately, the bus driver allowed all of us to pile on to the bus, with Karen and I standing right beside the driver. This was actually the best place in the bus, because we had a great view of the drive along the Riviera to Monaco, stopping near the casino in Monte Carlo. Again, my French came in handy as I figured out where we needed to get off the bus.
The boys were absolutely thrilled with Monaco, not because of the incredible sights, but because of all the exotic cars they spotted. I lost count, but I know we saw at least two Rolls-Royces, two Lamborghinis, several Ferraris, a Masserati, and a Bentley, along with a customized Porsche 911 and plenty of German luxury vehicles. Monaco truly is in a world all its own, with money everywhere you look. After around an hour we caught the train back to Villefranche and Abram and Sol swam at the beach while Isaac and Karen’s parents went back to the boat. The boys were a little taken aback by some of the topless women nearby, but they handled it okay!
In the evening we had our last formal dinner, and I slipped out early for a hot stone massage. Karen had won one of these for herself a few days ago at a spa auction for around half the regular price, so I was able to cash in on this as well. It was great.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
July 18, 2009
Last night was a fairly rough night in terms of the waters compared to other days, which have been very calm. A number of us were awakened around 5:00 a.m. by a fair bit of tossing by the waves, but were able to get back to sleep. We had another early morning breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and our cruise ship docked in Livorno at around 7:30-7:45 instead of 7:00 a.m. due to the rough waters. We caught our shuttle to the local train station and were off on another train, this time to Florence (Firenze). We arrived at 10:30 a.m. and headed off on our own walking tour of the city.
We made our way to the Piazza del Duomo and toured the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and viewed the famous bell tower. The exterior of the cathedral, the second largest cathedral in the world, is amazing, much more elaborately decorated than the interior, which was quite stark in comparison to the other cathedrals we have visited in Italy. The cupola is one of the largest in the world. Construction on the church began in 1296 and took 140 years to complete. The bell tower is 292 feet high and decorated with the same coloured marble as the cathedral. We then made our way to the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo della Signoria where we viewed a copy of Michelangelo’s statue of David. Unfortunately this was the only artwork we were able to view today. Ideally, we would have loved to have toured the Uffizi Gallery, Italy’s most important art collection with works by Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo, and the Accademia, but we just didn’t have time for this kind of thing today.
After some gelato, which is the most amazing ice cream I have ever tasted, we crossed the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence lined with goldsmith’s shops, and walked to the Pitti Palace before turning back and making our way back to the train station, where we were back on the train by 3:30 in order to catch our shuttle in Livorno at 5:00 p.m.
We all agreed that this was a much more relaxed day then the hectic day in Rome yesterday. It helped that we weren’t trying to tour several different sites and that the temperature was a much more pleasant 28 C.
The last three days in Italy have been great. We have thoroughly enjoyed the sites and have said many times these past three days that we need to come back again some day!
We made our way to the Piazza del Duomo and toured the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and viewed the famous bell tower. The exterior of the cathedral, the second largest cathedral in the world, is amazing, much more elaborately decorated than the interior, which was quite stark in comparison to the other cathedrals we have visited in Italy. The cupola is one of the largest in the world. Construction on the church began in 1296 and took 140 years to complete. The bell tower is 292 feet high and decorated with the same coloured marble as the cathedral. We then made our way to the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo della Signoria where we viewed a copy of Michelangelo’s statue of David. Unfortunately this was the only artwork we were able to view today. Ideally, we would have loved to have toured the Uffizi Gallery, Italy’s most important art collection with works by Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo, and the Accademia, but we just didn’t have time for this kind of thing today.
After some gelato, which is the most amazing ice cream I have ever tasted, we crossed the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence lined with goldsmith’s shops, and walked to the Pitti Palace before turning back and making our way back to the train station, where we were back on the train by 3:30 in order to catch our shuttle in Livorno at 5:00 p.m.
We all agreed that this was a much more relaxed day then the hectic day in Rome yesterday. It helped that we weren’t trying to tour several different sites and that the temperature was a much more pleasant 28 C.
The last three days in Italy have been great. We have thoroughly enjoyed the sites and have said many times these past three days that we need to come back again some day!
July 17, 2009
This morning we docked in the port city of Civitavecchia and took a 75 minute train trip into Rome. Unfortunately, by the time we caught the train there were hardly any seats left, so we had to stand near the washroom area of the train for the entire duration of the trip. We got off the train near the Vatican City and spent the morning touring St. Peter’s and the Vatican Museum, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. We expected long line-ups to enter St. Peter’s, and had doubts about even getting in to the Sistine Chapel, but were pleasantly surprised to be able to visit both without very little waiting. The amount of art in St. Peter’s and the museum is overwhelming, but we tried to take in as much as we could before lunch. After lunch near the museum (where we set a new record price for a meal – 85 Euros, or around $135 CDN – needless to say, this wasn’t my first choice but I lost out to those who wanted to sit down for their meal in a restaurant) we caught a bus for the Coliseum.
We planned to exit the bus at the Piazza Venezia, the largest marble monument in Italy. As the bus stopped, Karen and the boys got off but the rest of us were blocked by a woman with a bunch of shopping bags who wouldn’t let us out. Before we knew it, the doors closed and the bus was off down the road. As we drove off, Karen motioned that they would stay at the bus stop. The bus wound its way around the piazza and took off down another road for several minutes before stopping. Karen’s parents and I walked back to the piazza and then had to figure out which road we had left Karen and the boys. Karen’s father and I each chose a road, and fortunately, Dad spotted Abram and we were eventually reunited.
We walked to the Coliseum and toured the interior. Like yesterday, the temperature was around 35 C. and we were fairly tired, but we did the best we could before catching the metro back to the main train station where we ran to catch our train. Karen’s Mom literally hopped on the train seconds before it departed at 3:39 p.m. We managed to all find seats and made it back to Civitavecchia by around 5:00 p.m. We later learned that the next train was suspended, and at least one couple we talked to who are from Vancouver had to hire a taxi for 100 Euros to get back to the cruise ship. So, we considered ourselves fortunate!
We planned to exit the bus at the Piazza Venezia, the largest marble monument in Italy. As the bus stopped, Karen and the boys got off but the rest of us were blocked by a woman with a bunch of shopping bags who wouldn’t let us out. Before we knew it, the doors closed and the bus was off down the road. As we drove off, Karen motioned that they would stay at the bus stop. The bus wound its way around the piazza and took off down another road for several minutes before stopping. Karen’s parents and I walked back to the piazza and then had to figure out which road we had left Karen and the boys. Karen’s father and I each chose a road, and fortunately, Dad spotted Abram and we were eventually reunited.
We walked to the Coliseum and toured the interior. Like yesterday, the temperature was around 35 C. and we were fairly tired, but we did the best we could before catching the metro back to the main train station where we ran to catch our train. Karen’s Mom literally hopped on the train seconds before it departed at 3:39 p.m. We managed to all find seats and made it back to Civitavecchia by around 5:00 p.m. We later learned that the next train was suspended, and at least one couple we talked to who are from Vancouver had to hire a taxi for 100 Euros to get back to the cruise ship. So, we considered ourselves fortunate!
July 16, 2009
Yesterday was a day at sea, which was relaxing. The highlight was around 8:30 p.m., when we passed through the narrow channel separating mainland Italy from Sicily. It was still daylight, and we had a great view of the area.
In the morning we docked in Naples and took a bus tour to Pompeii, the famous ruins that were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. We took a tour through the cruise ship, which was very informative. The temperature was around 35 C. so we all had plenty of water for the morning.
After lunch on the cruise ship we headed out to explore the city of Naples in the afternoon. We hired a taxi for two hours and drove through the city. Frankly, Naples is a pretty rough city, and we were told numerous times to watch our valuables. Naples is also not one of the more attractive cities in Italy. However, we spent an hour at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale viewing some of the hundreds of sculptures, mosaics, and other items from Pompeii and other the surrounding area. Other highlights included the Duomo of San Genarro, the largest cathedral in Naples built in the early 13th century, the Castel Nuovo built in 1282, the Palazzo Reale, built in 1602, the Teatro San Carlo, one of Italy’s most famous opera houses, and the Galleria Umberto. By the end of the afternoon we were exhausted, mostly due to the heat, and we retreated to the cruise ship for a shower and dinner.
In the morning we docked in Naples and took a bus tour to Pompeii, the famous ruins that were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. We took a tour through the cruise ship, which was very informative. The temperature was around 35 C. so we all had plenty of water for the morning.
After lunch on the cruise ship we headed out to explore the city of Naples in the afternoon. We hired a taxi for two hours and drove through the city. Frankly, Naples is a pretty rough city, and we were told numerous times to watch our valuables. Naples is also not one of the more attractive cities in Italy. However, we spent an hour at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale viewing some of the hundreds of sculptures, mosaics, and other items from Pompeii and other the surrounding area. Other highlights included the Duomo of San Genarro, the largest cathedral in Naples built in the early 13th century, the Castel Nuovo built in 1282, the Palazzo Reale, built in 1602, the Teatro San Carlo, one of Italy’s most famous opera houses, and the Galleria Umberto. By the end of the afternoon we were exhausted, mostly due to the heat, and we retreated to the cruise ship for a shower and dinner.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
July 14, 2009
We docked near Santorini this morning and after a leisurely breakfast we were tendered ashore at around 9:30. To get to Fira, the largest city on Santorini, you can either climb a path with 600 steps, take a donkey up the same path, or take a cable car. Karen and the boys chose to take a donkey while I accompanied Karen’s parents on the cable car. Once at the top we admired the beautiful view of the ocean and the town from various vantage points and wandered through the narrow streets looking through some of the shops. We also explored both the Catholic church and the Orthodox cathedral. Both had beautiful artwork in the Byzantine style. Most of the buildings on Santorini, as in Athens, are white, and the churches often have a blue domed roof, which really stands out against the sea of white buildings.
In the afternoon Karen’s Dad took Sol and Isaac back to the cruise ship while the rest of us took an island bus to the town of Oia, located at the northern tip of the island. We had a great time walking through the town and taking pictures of the beautiful scenery. We had read that this was the most picturesque of the town on Santorini, and were glad that we had taken the time to travel to it.
In the evening we took in the show, featuring a pianist, while the boys hung out with other kids their age on the ship.
In the afternoon Karen’s Dad took Sol and Isaac back to the cruise ship while the rest of us took an island bus to the town of Oia, located at the northern tip of the island. We had a great time walking through the town and taking pictures of the beautiful scenery. We had read that this was the most picturesque of the town on Santorini, and were glad that we had taken the time to travel to it.
In the evening we took in the show, featuring a pianist, while the boys hung out with other kids their age on the ship.
July 13, 2009
This morning we were up fairly earlier to get ahead of the masses in Athens. After we docked in Piraeus, a port city around 7 kilometres from Athens, we walked around 10-15 minutes to a bus stop where we caught a public bus to downtown Athens – Syntagma Square. Once we arrived we decided to pay a few Euros each to hop aboard “The Happy Train,” a train on wheels that had a route through Athens that included the Acropolis. We could hop off and on throughout the day, and the train came every half an hour. It was a good economical way to go and saved us a lot of walking in the hot sun (the temperature was around 34 C. today).
Once we arrived at the Acropolis we hired a tour guide for the seven of us and she guided us around the site for the next hour, giving us a lot of history and answering all of Sol’s questions. Sol is a bit of an expert on ancient Greece, having studying it in grade seven this year. The site was full of people, which we expected, but we were able to get close to some of the buildings, including the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the Propylaea, and get a good look. Unfortunately much of the Parthenon is covered in scaffolding. Beginning in 2002, work began on restoring much of the structure, and this will continue until 2012. We could see how they have inserted new marble into the existing columns, which was interesting. Fortunately, the front of the Parthenon is visible so I got some good pictures. We also walked to the mount where the apostle Paul gave us speech about the “unknown god” to the Greeks as described in the Book of Acts.
By noon we were finished with the Acropolis, and we were able to visit a few other sites in Athens, including Hadrian’s Library, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Panathinion Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games. We also did some shopping in Monastiraki Square before catching the metro back to Piraeus. Outside the metro station we came across a flea market run by mostly west Africans. We made a few purchases and then walked around 20 minutes back to the cruise ship, taking a shuttle bus for the last stretch.
In the evening we watched “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II,” which winds up the story in Santorini, where we will be docked tomorrow.
Once we arrived at the Acropolis we hired a tour guide for the seven of us and she guided us around the site for the next hour, giving us a lot of history and answering all of Sol’s questions. Sol is a bit of an expert on ancient Greece, having studying it in grade seven this year. The site was full of people, which we expected, but we were able to get close to some of the buildings, including the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the Propylaea, and get a good look. Unfortunately much of the Parthenon is covered in scaffolding. Beginning in 2002, work began on restoring much of the structure, and this will continue until 2012. We could see how they have inserted new marble into the existing columns, which was interesting. Fortunately, the front of the Parthenon is visible so I got some good pictures. We also walked to the mount where the apostle Paul gave us speech about the “unknown god” to the Greeks as described in the Book of Acts.
By noon we were finished with the Acropolis, and we were able to visit a few other sites in Athens, including Hadrian’s Library, Hadrian’s Arch, and the Panathinion Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games. We also did some shopping in Monastiraki Square before catching the metro back to Piraeus. Outside the metro station we came across a flea market run by mostly west Africans. We made a few purchases and then walked around 20 minutes back to the cruise ship, taking a shuttle bus for the last stretch.
In the evening we watched “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II,” which winds up the story in Santorini, where we will be docked tomorrow.
July 12, 2009
Today was a mostly non-eventful day as we relaxed aboard the ship while we cruised the Adriatic Sea on the way to Athens. We stayed fairly close to the coast and usually saw land – the coasts of Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece. We also saw the Italian coast on occasion. The only incident to report had to do with Isaac.
Today was one of two days when we told Isaac that he could chose whatever he wanted to eat, and eat as much as he wanted to. Well, he made it to dinner and after his second piece of pizza and second glass of chocolate milk, he complained about a stomach ache and decided to go to his room. Well, as he was running down the hallway towards the stateroom he threw up all over the hallway carpet. Staff cleaned things up the best that they could, but the odour was definitely still there as we passed the hallway hours later.
We finished off the evening watching the movie “Mama Mia.”
Today was one of two days when we told Isaac that he could chose whatever he wanted to eat, and eat as much as he wanted to. Well, he made it to dinner and after his second piece of pizza and second glass of chocolate milk, he complained about a stomach ache and decided to go to his room. Well, as he was running down the hallway towards the stateroom he threw up all over the hallway carpet. Staff cleaned things up the best that they could, but the odour was definitely still there as we passed the hallway hours later.
We finished off the evening watching the movie “Mama Mia.”
Sunday, July 12, 2009
July 11, 2009
We arrived in Split, Croatia at 7:00 a.m. Split is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for Diocletian’s Palace. Knowing that we were here until 5:00 p.m., we slept in a bit and eventually boarded the tender at around 9:45 for Split. We arrived a little after 10 a.m. and immediately entered Diocletian’s Palace. The palace was built by Roman Emperor Diocletian as a retirement home near the end of the third century, and much of the exterior walls still stand today. By the 7th century, people began to seek refuge within the walls and throughout the centuries many buildings were constructed within the former palace, including the main cathedral. We took a 90 minute tour of the palace and the medieval section of the city, and then hiked up the hill for a great view of the city, the harbour, and the mountains and islands beyond Split.
After enjoying some gelato (Venice ruled the city for several hundred years, so there is a strong Italian presence that is evident throughout the city), we toured the basement or cellar of the palace. The cellar was used as a garbage pit by the city for many centuries, but was excavated in the last 50 years. Work continues in some sections, but much of the cellar has been excavated and has helped researchers to reconstruct the original palace and life during the Roman Empire. Eventually Karen’s parents and the boys had had enough, so they went back to the cruise ship while Karen and I continued exploring the city for another hour before returning to the ship.
The boys and Grandpa enjoyed the pool and Karen and I had a nap and relaxed before our first formal dinner of the cruise, followed by a show. Tomorrow will be a relaxing day as we are at sea all day.
After enjoying some gelato (Venice ruled the city for several hundred years, so there is a strong Italian presence that is evident throughout the city), we toured the basement or cellar of the palace. The cellar was used as a garbage pit by the city for many centuries, but was excavated in the last 50 years. Work continues in some sections, but much of the cellar has been excavated and has helped researchers to reconstruct the original palace and life during the Roman Empire. Eventually Karen’s parents and the boys had had enough, so they went back to the cruise ship while Karen and I continued exploring the city for another hour before returning to the ship.
The boys and Grandpa enjoyed the pool and Karen and I had a nap and relaxed before our first formal dinner of the cruise, followed by a show. Tomorrow will be a relaxing day as we are at sea all day.
July 10, 2009
We were up early this morning, grabbed breakfast at 7:30, and were off the boat to Venice. We took a Celebrity water taxi to St. Mark’s Square, and began the day by taking a look at the hotel where Karen’s parents stayed, which is located very near the square. I had booked their hotel for them using their Aeroplan points. I knew that it was supposed to be a fairly nice hotel, but when we saw it we agreed that I had made a fantastic choice for them. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and the great location.
After walking around St. Mark’s Square we toured St. Mark’s Basilica. We were amazed at how it seemed as though every square inch of the basilica had been decorated with a painting or some sort of sculpture, and the tiled mosaics on the floor were incredible. After we returned to the square we had to do the obligatory feeding of the pigeons, which Sol and Isaac enjoyed. We then took a free taxi to one of the larger islands in Venice, Murano Island, where we toured a glass factory and store. Murano Island is famous for its glass, and after touring the island we could see why. I have never seen such works of art in my life. Of course many of the pieces cost thousands of dollars, but in the end Karen was able to find some glass jewellery at a reasonable price.
We returned by taxi to St. Mark’s and continued our touring of Venice until the early afternoon, when we returned to the cruise ship. Departure from Venice was at 3:00 p.m., and we sailed right past St. Mark’s Square on our way out to the Adriatic Sea. It was a great time for picture taking, and in the end I had taken around 275 pictures of the city. Venice is truly amazing.
After walking around St. Mark’s Square we toured St. Mark’s Basilica. We were amazed at how it seemed as though every square inch of the basilica had been decorated with a painting or some sort of sculpture, and the tiled mosaics on the floor were incredible. After we returned to the square we had to do the obligatory feeding of the pigeons, which Sol and Isaac enjoyed. We then took a free taxi to one of the larger islands in Venice, Murano Island, where we toured a glass factory and store. Murano Island is famous for its glass, and after touring the island we could see why. I have never seen such works of art in my life. Of course many of the pieces cost thousands of dollars, but in the end Karen was able to find some glass jewellery at a reasonable price.
We returned by taxi to St. Mark’s and continued our touring of Venice until the early afternoon, when we returned to the cruise ship. Departure from Venice was at 3:00 p.m., and we sailed right past St. Mark’s Square on our way out to the Adriatic Sea. It was a great time for picture taking, and in the end I had taken around 275 pictures of the city. Venice is truly amazing.
July 9, 2009
We had an early breakfast in the hotel and then headed off for Venice. Our plan was to arrive around 8:30, drop the rental van off at Hertz, and then take a taxi to the hotel near St. Mark’s Square where Karen’s parents were staying. However, a funny thing happened on the way to Venice. Have you ever set a GPS for a destination, only to look down and see your vehicle driving, not on a highway, but through the middle of a field? Well, that happened to us. As we neared Venice, I saw a sign that indicated that I should turn right towards Venice. However, the GPS said to remain on the highway for a number of kilometres, so I continued driving. After a few minutes I realized that we were no longer seeing signs for Venice but instead we were seeing signs for Trieste, which is north of Venice. There were no exits to be seen for a number of kilometres, and we began to worry that we would not have the van at the Hertz location in Venice by 9:00 a.m., and would have to pay for more than a week, which would cost us over $100. After several minutes, an exit was available and we took it. Fortunately, the GSP located us on another highway, and we arrived in at the Hertz office at 8:58!
As we drove in, we realized that our cruise ship was sitting in the dock, located near the Hertz office. After realizing that a water taxi to St. Mark’s Square was going to cost us 60 Euros for a return trip (that’s $100 CDN), we changed our plans and walked with our luggage to the Celebrity dock. After dropping off our luggage, we phoned Karen’s parents and told them to meet us. We decided to wait at the luggage check-in point, so that we could board the cruise ship together. Well, an hour went by and there was no sign of them, even though we had spread out at the dock. After a second hour had passed, we concluded that we must have missed them, and we boarded the ship. We headed for deck 10 to lunch, and within a few minutes we met Karen’s parents. They had taken a water taxi to the cruise ship port, and someone from Celebrity checked their luggage in for them, which explains why we didn’t see them checking in their luggage!
We had a great reunion and spent the rest of the day on the cruise ship catching up on the previous two months. Karen and I felt a strong pull towards the water taxis transporting people to St. Mark’s Square, but we knew that we would have tomorrow to tour the city, so we admired the sites from a distance.
Karen’s parents have a stateroom with a window, while our two staterooms are across the hall from them. During the afternoon our bags were delivered and we were able to unpack and settle in to what will be our floating home for the next 12 days. The kids had fun exploring the ship and enjoying the pool and hot tub, and we all enjoyed the incredible food on the ship.
As we drove in, we realized that our cruise ship was sitting in the dock, located near the Hertz office. After realizing that a water taxi to St. Mark’s Square was going to cost us 60 Euros for a return trip (that’s $100 CDN), we changed our plans and walked with our luggage to the Celebrity dock. After dropping off our luggage, we phoned Karen’s parents and told them to meet us. We decided to wait at the luggage check-in point, so that we could board the cruise ship together. Well, an hour went by and there was no sign of them, even though we had spread out at the dock. After a second hour had passed, we concluded that we must have missed them, and we boarded the ship. We headed for deck 10 to lunch, and within a few minutes we met Karen’s parents. They had taken a water taxi to the cruise ship port, and someone from Celebrity checked their luggage in for them, which explains why we didn’t see them checking in their luggage!
We had a great reunion and spent the rest of the day on the cruise ship catching up on the previous two months. Karen and I felt a strong pull towards the water taxis transporting people to St. Mark’s Square, but we knew that we would have tomorrow to tour the city, so we admired the sites from a distance.
Karen’s parents have a stateroom with a window, while our two staterooms are across the hall from them. During the afternoon our bags were delivered and we were able to unpack and settle in to what will be our floating home for the next 12 days. The kids had fun exploring the ship and enjoying the pool and hot tub, and we all enjoyed the incredible food on the ship.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
July 8, 2009
This morning we were greeted with blue skies and warm sunshine again. We drove a half an hour to Locarno, located on a beautiful lake in southern Switzerland, and walked around for a while before heading south into Italy. We enjoyed a nice lunch at one of the service stops along the highway and arrived in Altavilla Vicentina near Vicenza, less than an hour west of Venice. We checked into our hotel, a Best Western, and were pleasantly surprised at how spacious it was. It is basically two separate rooms in the corner of a floor, with a common hallway. The price is very reasonable as well, which I like.
We drove into Vicenza, and after navigating the incredibly narrow streets and ending up on a pedestrian mall (the third time I have done this in Europe) we found a parking spot and explored the town. Vicenza is famous for the villas and public buildings designed by Palladio. We toured one of the villas and then grabbed some gelato, which was fantastic.
In the evening we had some laundry to catch up on, so we found a laundry nearby and did a few loads. We then grabbed a pizza ($5.00 CDN! – I’m liking Italy already) and headed back to the hotel. We also spoke with Karen’s Mom on the phone. Her parents arrived in Venice today and we will meet them tomorrow for the cruise.
Tomorrow morning we will get in to Venice early and board the ship at noon. Everyone is pretty excited.
We drove into Vicenza, and after navigating the incredibly narrow streets and ending up on a pedestrian mall (the third time I have done this in Europe) we found a parking spot and explored the town. Vicenza is famous for the villas and public buildings designed by Palladio. We toured one of the villas and then grabbed some gelato, which was fantastic.
In the evening we had some laundry to catch up on, so we found a laundry nearby and did a few loads. We then grabbed a pizza ($5.00 CDN! – I’m liking Italy already) and headed back to the hotel. We also spoke with Karen’s Mom on the phone. Her parents arrived in Venice today and we will meet them tomorrow for the cruise.
Tomorrow morning we will get in to Venice early and board the ship at noon. Everyone is pretty excited.
July 7, 2009
This morning we woke up to cloudy skies and rain, which was disappointing considering we had planned to spend the morning on my mini-version of an Anabaptist study tour. In the end, we toured the Grossmuenster church, saw Zwingli’s statute, and saw the home of Conrad Grebel, located just a few blocks away from the Grossmuenster. Our drive south through the Alps was fairly dreary, although we were able to see some nice sites here and there. We arrived in Bellinzona, a small town in southern Switzerland, in the middle of the afternoon and settled in to our hotel. The cheapest hotel I could find with fairly decent reviews was located right in town. For $200 CDN we got one whole room with a bathroom just a bit larger than a porta-potty. Our keys were in an envelope in a box outside the front door, and we helped ourselves to the room. We had paid through Expedia, so I guess they had all the information they needed, including our credit card, so they didn’t see the need to check us in. Kind of strange, but it worked.
We had not had any lunch so we wanted to have an early dinner at around 4:00 p.m. before doing some exploring. Unfortunately, all of the restaurants we checked told us that they couldn’t serve us until 6:00 or 6:30! I couldn’t believe it, but we grabbed a snack and headed off for some touring.
Bellinzona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for the three medieval castles in and above the town. It was a little cool and breezy, but we ventured to one of the castles and had a great time exploring the grounds and part of the long wall that surrounds much of the city. From the one castle we could view the two others, and it made for a spectacular site, with the Swiss Alps rising in the distance.
Dinner was a simple pasta dish for each of us, with three soft drinks and a litre of water. Total bill? $125 CDN. I don’t care if there is anyone here reading this who is from Switzerland – this country is nuts in terms of the cost of items. How anyone can justify charging $10 for a litre of water (they simply don’t provide you with water from the tap) is beyond me. It is obvious to me that the country’s economy is completely out of sync with the rest of Europe in terms of salaries and the cost of goods in the country. Diesel fuel that is just over a Euro a litre in Germany and Italy is 1.60 Euros in Switzerland. I’m glad I didn’t have to fill up driving through the country.
We had not had any lunch so we wanted to have an early dinner at around 4:00 p.m. before doing some exploring. Unfortunately, all of the restaurants we checked told us that they couldn’t serve us until 6:00 or 6:30! I couldn’t believe it, but we grabbed a snack and headed off for some touring.
Bellinzona is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for the three medieval castles in and above the town. It was a little cool and breezy, but we ventured to one of the castles and had a great time exploring the grounds and part of the long wall that surrounds much of the city. From the one castle we could view the two others, and it made for a spectacular site, with the Swiss Alps rising in the distance.
Dinner was a simple pasta dish for each of us, with three soft drinks and a litre of water. Total bill? $125 CDN. I don’t care if there is anyone here reading this who is from Switzerland – this country is nuts in terms of the cost of items. How anyone can justify charging $10 for a litre of water (they simply don’t provide you with water from the tap) is beyond me. It is obvious to me that the country’s economy is completely out of sync with the rest of Europe in terms of salaries and the cost of goods in the country. Diesel fuel that is just over a Euro a litre in Germany and Italy is 1.60 Euros in Switzerland. I’m glad I didn’t have to fill up driving through the country.
July 6, 2009
This morning our boys were treated to their first official continental breakfast at the hotel in Kirchzarten. Of the three boys, Solomon is the most taken by it all. He thinks that we should have meat and cheese for breakfast every day now, just like the Germans. It would have been nice to explore the Black Forest area, but instead we headed east and then south to Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The town is beautiful with murals painted on many of the buildings, built in various architectural styles. We climbed up the top of the castle tower and had a nice view of the town and the Rhine river.
Lunch was another learning experience for us. We decided after yesterday that it probably makes more sense to have a light lunch and a light dinner instead of a snack or two and then a larger dinner. So, we found a pizza place and chose what we thought were five individual pizzas, each around $4.00 CDN. Well, when the pizzas came, we were surprised at the size, but most of us were able to polish them off, so we thought we had made a good decision. Well, the bill came and it was $80.00 CDN! We have found several times now that for some reason we are being misinterpreted when we order, even though Karen is pretty good with her German (I am pretty pathetic, but I try). Needless to say, we are drastically changing our eating approach while in Switzerland. I cannot believe how expensive everything is here. But enough of that.
After Schaffhausen, we drove a few kilometres west to Rheinfall, the site of the largest waterfall in Europe. Well, it is nothing compared to Niagara Falls or some of the smaller waterfalls we have seen, but it was scenic nonetheless. We then drove 20-30 kilometres east to Stein am Rhein, also in Switzerland. This town is absolutely beautiful. Many of the buildings on the major street are elaborately decorated like no other town I have seen. While here, we purchased Swiss army knives for each of the boys, as we had promised back in Canada. The boys were all very pleased with their gifts.
After Stein am Rhein, we drove around a half an hour south-west to Zurich, and checked in to our hotel. I wasn’t expecting much, given the ridiculous prices of hotels in Zurich, and our quoted price of 200 Francs (around $220 CDN). However, when we opened the door we were surprised to see three bedrooms and a kitchen. At that point we were off to the grocery store across the street to pick up food for this evening and tomorrow morning (we could eat breakfast here at the hotel, but the price is 14 Francs per person - $15 CDN). I wasn’t feeling very well (too much sun and not enough fluids I think) so Karen and the boys explored the neighbourhood in the evening while I prepared for tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be my version of a mini-Anabaptist study tour as we roam around Zurich. I am totally pumped, but I have picked up some vibes that other family members aren’t feeling the same level of excitement!
Lunch was another learning experience for us. We decided after yesterday that it probably makes more sense to have a light lunch and a light dinner instead of a snack or two and then a larger dinner. So, we found a pizza place and chose what we thought were five individual pizzas, each around $4.00 CDN. Well, when the pizzas came, we were surprised at the size, but most of us were able to polish them off, so we thought we had made a good decision. Well, the bill came and it was $80.00 CDN! We have found several times now that for some reason we are being misinterpreted when we order, even though Karen is pretty good with her German (I am pretty pathetic, but I try). Needless to say, we are drastically changing our eating approach while in Switzerland. I cannot believe how expensive everything is here. But enough of that.
After Schaffhausen, we drove a few kilometres west to Rheinfall, the site of the largest waterfall in Europe. Well, it is nothing compared to Niagara Falls or some of the smaller waterfalls we have seen, but it was scenic nonetheless. We then drove 20-30 kilometres east to Stein am Rhein, also in Switzerland. This town is absolutely beautiful. Many of the buildings on the major street are elaborately decorated like no other town I have seen. While here, we purchased Swiss army knives for each of the boys, as we had promised back in Canada. The boys were all very pleased with their gifts.
After Stein am Rhein, we drove around a half an hour south-west to Zurich, and checked in to our hotel. I wasn’t expecting much, given the ridiculous prices of hotels in Zurich, and our quoted price of 200 Francs (around $220 CDN). However, when we opened the door we were surprised to see three bedrooms and a kitchen. At that point we were off to the grocery store across the street to pick up food for this evening and tomorrow morning (we could eat breakfast here at the hotel, but the price is 14 Francs per person - $15 CDN). I wasn’t feeling very well (too much sun and not enough fluids I think) so Karen and the boys explored the neighbourhood in the evening while I prepared for tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be my version of a mini-Anabaptist study tour as we roam around Zurich. I am totally pumped, but I have picked up some vibes that other family members aren’t feeling the same level of excitement!
July 5, 2009
This morning our first stop was Baden-Baden, the site of several famous baths and a casino. We toured the casino and spent a couple of hours wandering around the city. Baden-Baden is a beautiful little town with many attractive buildings. We took a peek into the grounds of one of the baths or spas and were quite envious of the people getting their treatments.
Our next stop was Strasbourg over the border in France. The highlight was, yet again, another cathedral. The cathedral in Strasbourg is absolutely spectacular, especially from the outside. It has literally hundreds of various figures carved into the walls, and the interior is also very impressive, although we thought the stained glass windows in Speyer were more attractive. We splurged a bit and had various cheesecakes at a bakery.
We then took a more scenic drive off of the autobahn to Freiburg and then to a little town in the Black Forest called Kirchzarten, where we checked into our first hotel during our time in Europe. We are using credit card points for most of our hotels, which is really saving us a lot of money. In many cases we need to book two rooms because most hotels in Europe only have double or triple rooms. We had a typical German meal and then had some ice cream before retiring for the evening.
The weather has been quite warm while in Germany, and often fairly humid. I would say the average high temperature has been around 30 degrees Celsius. A few clouds roll in and we might have a sprinkle or two, and then we are back to sunshine again. It sometimes feels warmer here than in Ethiopia, due to Ethiopia’s high elevation and dry climate. Oh well, we can’t complain at all. We are having a great time, although we need to be a little more deliberate in planning kid-friendly activities a bit more. The cathedrals and castles are getting to be a bit much for Isaac, although Richard can’t seem to get enough of them!
Our next stop was Strasbourg over the border in France. The highlight was, yet again, another cathedral. The cathedral in Strasbourg is absolutely spectacular, especially from the outside. It has literally hundreds of various figures carved into the walls, and the interior is also very impressive, although we thought the stained glass windows in Speyer were more attractive. We splurged a bit and had various cheesecakes at a bakery.
We then took a more scenic drive off of the autobahn to Freiburg and then to a little town in the Black Forest called Kirchzarten, where we checked into our first hotel during our time in Europe. We are using credit card points for most of our hotels, which is really saving us a lot of money. In many cases we need to book two rooms because most hotels in Europe only have double or triple rooms. We had a typical German meal and then had some ice cream before retiring for the evening.
The weather has been quite warm while in Germany, and often fairly humid. I would say the average high temperature has been around 30 degrees Celsius. A few clouds roll in and we might have a sprinkle or two, and then we are back to sunshine again. It sometimes feels warmer here than in Ethiopia, due to Ethiopia’s high elevation and dry climate. Oh well, we can’t complain at all. We are having a great time, although we need to be a little more deliberate in planning kid-friendly activities a bit more. The cathedrals and castles are getting to be a bit much for Isaac, although Richard can’t seem to get enough of them!
July 4, 2009
This morning we headed out from Frankfurt and began our drive south. Our first stop was Worms, the site of a well-known cathedral and a place famous in Reformation history. This is where Martin Luther was called to appear before Emperor Charles V and the Diet of Worms in 1521 and supposedly uttered the famous phrase “Here I stand. I can do no other.” He probably didn’t really say these exact words (in German of course) but the sentiment is probably close enough. We had a little shower during our time here, but had a good look around the town centre anyways.
After Worms we continued our drive south to Speyer, the site of another well-known cathedral. We all agreed that this cathedral was fantastic, especially the stained glass windows. After touring around the cathedral, we headed back into the van and drove to McDonald’s. We had promised the boys that after two months in Ethiopia we would hit a McDonald’s as soon as we could. Over 30 Euros later (that’s close to $50!) I made it clear that this is probably the last time we will do this.
We continued our drive south and stopped in Karlsruhe, where we parked downtown and toured the palace grounds, which include a large park. We took a little train ride around the park, which Isaac really enjoyed. The only driving “incident” we had that day was when, while being guided by the GPS, Richard ended up driving down a pedestrian mall meant only for the tram. After a few pedestrians made their feelings quite clear to us, we quickly found an exit and were no worse for the experience.
We then met our host family for the evening, arranged through Mennonite Your Way. It was a Funk family from a Mennonite church in the area. They were very hospitable and had a nice room for the five of us. We showed them some of our Ethiopia pictures and talked about people we knew in common (the Mennonite world tends to be pretty small – one of their former pastors was one of our seminary professors, and we knew the brother of one of the church members!).
After Worms we continued our drive south to Speyer, the site of another well-known cathedral. We all agreed that this cathedral was fantastic, especially the stained glass windows. After touring around the cathedral, we headed back into the van and drove to McDonald’s. We had promised the boys that after two months in Ethiopia we would hit a McDonald’s as soon as we could. Over 30 Euros later (that’s close to $50!) I made it clear that this is probably the last time we will do this.
We continued our drive south and stopped in Karlsruhe, where we parked downtown and toured the palace grounds, which include a large park. We took a little train ride around the park, which Isaac really enjoyed. The only driving “incident” we had that day was when, while being guided by the GPS, Richard ended up driving down a pedestrian mall meant only for the tram. After a few pedestrians made their feelings quite clear to us, we quickly found an exit and were no worse for the experience.
We then met our host family for the evening, arranged through Mennonite Your Way. It was a Funk family from a Mennonite church in the area. They were very hospitable and had a nice room for the five of us. We showed them some of our Ethiopia pictures and talked about people we knew in common (the Mennonite world tends to be pretty small – one of their former pastors was one of our seminary professors, and we knew the brother of one of the church members!).
Sunday, July 5, 2009
July 3, 2009
We spent the day driving along the Rhine exploring the many small towns and castles. We stopped in Ruedesheim and took a two hour river cruise. It was very beautiful and so relaxing that Sol actually fell asleep. The day started off incredibly hot but in the early afternoon the clouds rolled in and we even had a short shower which was a welcome relief. In the afternoon we explored Marksburg which is one of the bigger castles along the Rhine in Braubach, just south of Koblenz. It is the only Rhine castle that has not had to be restored due to damage from a war. The tour was interesting and would have been even more informative if it has been in English!
On the way home, we finally mastered the GPS in our van and were able to get home without opening a single map. This is a great relief for me since the pressure of navigating was starting to stress me (and Richard!). We got back to the house and of course, Elvira had more food waiting for us! They have been incredibly hospitable to us.
On the way home, we finally mastered the GPS in our van and were able to get home without opening a single map. This is a great relief for me since the pressure of navigating was starting to stress me (and Richard!). We got back to the house and of course, Elvira had more food waiting for us! They have been incredibly hospitable to us.
July 2, 2009
We have begun the next phase of our journey as we arrived in Germany this morning. We managed to get a few hours of sleep on the overnight flight from Ethiopia although we certainly didn’t feel rested. We rented a van at the airport and managed to find our way to Sasha and Elvira’s house (Sasha is a cousin of Richard's father) here in Frankfurt. They have welcomed us very warmly despite their lack of English. My rusty German is certainly getting a work out! However, they do have one son who is studying Engineering and who is quite proficient in English so he helps us out when the language barrier gets too overwhelming.
The biggest culture shock has been the abundance of marvelous food around us! Elvira seems to get great joy out of feeding our boys and she has been doing that continuously since we arrived. And the boys have obliged by eating more than I’ve ever witnessed them eat before. Simple things such as sliced meats and cheese to make sandwiches are such a special thing now. We will need to make sure that the weight that some family members lost in the past two months isn’t gained back in the next two days!
We spent the afternoon sightseeing in Frankfurt. Sasha and Elvira’s house is located a block away from the U-Bahn so we were able to use public transportation. There is not a lot of history in Frankfurt since they entire city was completely bombed in WW II and has had to be rebuilt. However, we enjoyed doing some shopping and checking out the few historical buildings that remain. In the evening Elvira took us to a nearby mall where they were showing all sorts of Ferrari’s at some sort of special show.
Tonight I will finally sleep well again since the malaria medication is now entirely out of my system. After reading that the possible side effects that include insomnia and anxiety I realized that my sleep issues and feelings of panic started in Arber Mench when I began taking malaria pills. Now that I have discontinued for the past few days, I’m feeling like a new person!
The biggest culture shock has been the abundance of marvelous food around us! Elvira seems to get great joy out of feeding our boys and she has been doing that continuously since we arrived. And the boys have obliged by eating more than I’ve ever witnessed them eat before. Simple things such as sliced meats and cheese to make sandwiches are such a special thing now. We will need to make sure that the weight that some family members lost in the past two months isn’t gained back in the next two days!
We spent the afternoon sightseeing in Frankfurt. Sasha and Elvira’s house is located a block away from the U-Bahn so we were able to use public transportation. There is not a lot of history in Frankfurt since they entire city was completely bombed in WW II and has had to be rebuilt. However, we enjoyed doing some shopping and checking out the few historical buildings that remain. In the evening Elvira took us to a nearby mall where they were showing all sorts of Ferrari’s at some sort of special show.
Tonight I will finally sleep well again since the malaria medication is now entirely out of my system. After reading that the possible side effects that include insomnia and anxiety I realized that my sleep issues and feelings of panic started in Arber Mench when I began taking malaria pills. Now that I have discontinued for the past few days, I’m feeling like a new person!
June 30, 2009
Our last full day in Ethiopia..... We awoke to a huge thunderstorm outside with lightening flashing magnificently and rain pouring down. Rainy season has definitely arrived and makes us ready to move on to Europe where we hope to encounter summer again!
We spent the day completing tasks in the library, cleaning out the apartment and packing. Sol and I got to go for one more long walk together and Isaac spent time taking final pictures of the campus. We have certainly had an amazing experience here in Ethiopia and will treasure these memories forever. Isaac is convinced that he will come back here since he thinks he likes Ethiopia even better than Canada! We are so grateful for this opportunity.
Tomorrow morning the College says farewell to us at their morning chapel and then we head in to Addis for the day to spend some time with friends and get a few things done. We fly for Frankfurt at1:45 a.m. (technically July 2nd). We are looking forward to some personal holiday time in Europe tracking down long-lost relatives in Germany and introducing the kids to some amazing sites and rich history.
We spent the day completing tasks in the library, cleaning out the apartment and packing. Sol and I got to go for one more long walk together and Isaac spent time taking final pictures of the campus. We have certainly had an amazing experience here in Ethiopia and will treasure these memories forever. Isaac is convinced that he will come back here since he thinks he likes Ethiopia even better than Canada! We are so grateful for this opportunity.
Tomorrow morning the College says farewell to us at their morning chapel and then we head in to Addis for the day to spend some time with friends and get a few things done. We fly for Frankfurt at1:45 a.m. (technically July 2nd). We are looking forward to some personal holiday time in Europe tracking down long-lost relatives in Germany and introducing the kids to some amazing sites and rich history.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
June 29, 2009 -- posted by Karen
Isaac and Sol spent the day playing with Zach and Lydia so that Dianne and Fanosie could prepare for their departure this evening. Both of the guys are so good with young children.
Abram and I worked in the library since there are tables and tables of books that need to be shelved. Not sure whose going to take care of that task once we leave. We have begun cleaning out our cupboards and giving away grocery supplies that we will not use up before our own departure. I am really beginning to look forward to the next phase of our travels as we head off to Europe to seek out long-lost relatives and do some touring. We will be meeting my parents out there for two weeks of travel and we are all looking forward to seeing them again.
Forgot to mention that a few days ago Richard and the boys joined Dianne and Fanosie in a drive down the road to look for hyenas. After about two minutes of only spotting some sort of racoon type creature trotting across the road, they all of a sudden saw several hyenas running down the hill and crossing the road, followed by more. In total there were twelve hyenas that came down the hill. They ran around in a field while we shone flashlights on them, and then turned around and ran back up the hillside again.
We can often hear the hyenas late at night with their unique kind of yelping. They have been spotted on occasion in the college compound, but because it is completely fenced, it is difficult for them to get in. In the neighbourhood beside the college there is no fence so they can roam around at will, looking for chickens or small dogs.
Abram and I worked in the library since there are tables and tables of books that need to be shelved. Not sure whose going to take care of that task once we leave. We have begun cleaning out our cupboards and giving away grocery supplies that we will not use up before our own departure. I am really beginning to look forward to the next phase of our travels as we head off to Europe to seek out long-lost relatives and do some touring. We will be meeting my parents out there for two weeks of travel and we are all looking forward to seeing them again.
Forgot to mention that a few days ago Richard and the boys joined Dianne and Fanosie in a drive down the road to look for hyenas. After about two minutes of only spotting some sort of racoon type creature trotting across the road, they all of a sudden saw several hyenas running down the hill and crossing the road, followed by more. In total there were twelve hyenas that came down the hill. They ran around in a field while we shone flashlights on them, and then turned around and ran back up the hillside again.
We can often hear the hyenas late at night with their unique kind of yelping. They have been spotted on occasion in the college compound, but because it is completely fenced, it is difficult for them to get in. In the neighbourhood beside the college there is no fence so they can roam around at will, looking for chickens or small dogs.
Monday, June 29, 2009
June 28, 2009
We went to church for a final time this morning. It seems that at least 75% of the church will be leaving Ethiopia this week. After church, we went out to Family restaurant for one last time. As has been the case most Sundays, the restaurant didn’t have any electricity so the menu was somewhat restricted. But it is still the only place in town you can get a burrito!
We had a relaxing afternoon. The kids and I played some ping-pong and then went for a long walk while Richard was busy uploading pictures on the computer. In the evening, we went to watch some football with Fanosie.
We had a relaxing afternoon. The kids and I played some ping-pong and then went for a long walk while Richard was busy uploading pictures on the computer. In the evening, we went to watch some football with Fanosie.
June 27, 2009
Dianne, John and Lorraine and our family spent the day together in Addis. We started off at the big NGO Craft Bazaar in the morning where we purchased the final souvenirs of our Africa experience. There were some absolutely beautiful handcrafts there. I haven’t seen that many farenji (foreigners) in one place since we arrived in Africa. That was a strange feeling.
We had also decided that haircuts were in order for the guys. After striking out at the Sheraton, we found a hair salon at the Hilton where they were used to cutting farenji hair. Richard, Abram and Sol got haircuts and it came to a total of $12 for all of them. Much cheaper than anything we will find in Germany. After some grocery shopping etc., we dropped Lorraine and John off at Ngash’s house (the College president who lives in Addis) where they had supper and then took Lorraine to the airport for her flight back to Canada. John will stay to continue teaching for another three weeks.
We had also decided that haircuts were in order for the guys. After striking out at the Sheraton, we found a hair salon at the Hilton where they were used to cutting farenji hair. Richard, Abram and Sol got haircuts and it came to a total of $12 for all of them. Much cheaper than anything we will find in Germany. After some grocery shopping etc., we dropped Lorraine and John off at Ngash’s house (the College president who lives in Addis) where they had supper and then took Lorraine to the airport for her flight back to Canada. John will stay to continue teaching for another three weeks.
June 26, 2009
We spent the day with Fanosie and Dianne travelling to Sire to visit Fanosie’s family. On the way, we stopped in Nazareth and checked out some of the historic buildings from the early years of Meserete Kristos Church (the Ethiopian Mennonite Church). We saw the first church, the Bible Academy and the hospital which were founded by Mennonites in the early 1950’s. During the Derg years (Communist years), the government took possession of the hospital and the Mennonites never did get it back. Today it is the main public hospital of Nazareth. The Bible Academy was also taken by the Derg government, never to be returned. Now it is a law school. Richard was able to take pictures of the church and hospital, but was not allowed to take any photographs of the law school. In fact, while we were permitted to drive on to the campus, a security guard boarded the van and stayed with us until we exited the gate to make sure that he didn’t take any pictures.
Fanosie’s family lives in Sire, a rather remote hillside village another hour outside Nazareth. His parents moved there in January from an even more remote farm that was about an hour and a half walking distance from Sire. His parents were tired of doing that walk several times a week and so they moved into a simple mud house in town. Their living conditions are pretty basic with no electricity etc. The cattle are kept in their small compound, right outside the front door. Dianne tells me that sometimes the cows are let into the house but never the dogs! His parents speak no English but were very welcoming. We had brought injera and chicken wot along with us and so we shared a meal together. It was a really nice afternoon and good to spend time with a more typical Ethiopian family in their home.
Fanosie’s family lives in Sire, a rather remote hillside village another hour outside Nazareth. His parents moved there in January from an even more remote farm that was about an hour and a half walking distance from Sire. His parents were tired of doing that walk several times a week and so they moved into a simple mud house in town. Their living conditions are pretty basic with no electricity etc. The cattle are kept in their small compound, right outside the front door. Dianne tells me that sometimes the cows are let into the house but never the dogs! His parents speak no English but were very welcoming. We had brought injera and chicken wot along with us and so we shared a meal together. It was a really nice afternoon and good to spend time with a more typical Ethiopian family in their home.
Friday, June 26, 2009
June 21, 2009
Last night was not a good night. Sol had gone to bed with an upset stomach. (Probably the fish he had for supper which seemed a trifle undercooked.) Now here at the Lodge, the generator is turned off between midnight and 6 am and it is absolutely dark during those hours. It’s the kind of darkness where you hold your hand right up to your face and you can’t see it. Well Sol started waking up at 1 am with the runs. Of course, whenever I heard him stirring I needed to get up and turn on the flashlight and make sure he made it to the bathroom OK. He did this several times until about 2 am where he was sitting on the toilet with the flashlight and suddenly I heard the sound of massive amounts of a wet substance splashing all over the bathroom floor as he vomited repeatedly. Since it was impossible to clean up the mess in the pitch dark we just had to leave it until morning. The rest of the night I sat vigil with our one little flashlight and whenever I heard someone stirring and heading for the bathroom I needed to intercept them before they waded right into the filthy, stinking mess on the bathroom floor. I think everyone in the family woke up and tried to use the bathroom at least once that night so it was a busy night for me. I was very relieved when at 6 am the sun finally came up and the generator turned on!
Despite the awful night, we had a wonderful morning heading up to visit a Dorze village close to Chenchen. The drive up was absolutely stunning. As we got higher up the mountain, it got more and more green, lush and beautiful. Some parts felt like we were back in BC with the dense forest of evergreens. (Very unusual for Ethiopia.) Then we came to mountainous hills of terraced fields, green with crops with little huts tucked away in the hillside. Incredibly beautiful! Our visit to the Dorze village was a real highlight. We had a Dorze guide who showed us the unique “bee hive” dwellings of the Dorze people, and demonstrated for us the food they make out of a plant they call the false banana. Then we got to be part of a traditional Dorze dance which was lots of fun for the kids. Isaac and Sol especially enjoyed getting out there and dancing with them dressed in all sorts of animal skins. The Dorze people are expert weavers and they have beautiful scarves for sale from a weaving cooperative that they have formed. The visit to the Dorze village was a real highlight.
From there we went to the Crocodile Ranch which was the definite low point of our time in Arbamich. Basically we saw a bunch of crocodiles in captivity. There was no guide to provide information or a commentary so we stared at some cages of crocodiles and left. A rather useless time and a waste of our money.
Despite the awful night, we had a wonderful morning heading up to visit a Dorze village close to Chenchen. The drive up was absolutely stunning. As we got higher up the mountain, it got more and more green, lush and beautiful. Some parts felt like we were back in BC with the dense forest of evergreens. (Very unusual for Ethiopia.) Then we came to mountainous hills of terraced fields, green with crops with little huts tucked away in the hillside. Incredibly beautiful! Our visit to the Dorze village was a real highlight. We had a Dorze guide who showed us the unique “bee hive” dwellings of the Dorze people, and demonstrated for us the food they make out of a plant they call the false banana. Then we got to be part of a traditional Dorze dance which was lots of fun for the kids. Isaac and Sol especially enjoyed getting out there and dancing with them dressed in all sorts of animal skins. The Dorze people are expert weavers and they have beautiful scarves for sale from a weaving cooperative that they have formed. The visit to the Dorze village was a real highlight.
From there we went to the Crocodile Ranch which was the definite low point of our time in Arbamich. Basically we saw a bunch of crocodiles in captivity. There was no guide to provide information or a commentary so we stared at some cages of crocodiles and left. A rather useless time and a waste of our money.
June 24, 2009
Anna and Jim along with their son Zach, came in to DZ from Addis so we did a very abridged school day for Sol and Isaac so that they could have another opportunity to spend time with Zach. The purpose for their visit was to bring a young couple named Peter and Christy to spend a few days here at the guest house while they are doing some travelling in Ethiopia. They have just completed 6 months of volunteer service in Djubuti. It was kind of funny that Anna put me in charge of their orientation since I still feel like a novice myself!
In the later afternoon Richard and I and the boys took John and Lorraine with us to get a tour of Tim and Ingrid’s enterprise just down the road. It’s really amazing what they have accomplished in five short years. They are running a steel building supplies plant, a brick making plant and a furniture enterprise (mostly kitchen cupboards) that employs approximately 70 Ethiopian workers. The goal is for the enterprise to become entirely Ethiopian run and managed within the next few years. We were very impressed.
In the later afternoon Richard and I and the boys took John and Lorraine with us to get a tour of Tim and Ingrid’s enterprise just down the road. It’s really amazing what they have accomplished in five short years. They are running a steel building supplies plant, a brick making plant and a furniture enterprise (mostly kitchen cupboards) that employs approximately 70 Ethiopian workers. The goal is for the enterprise to become entirely Ethiopian run and managed within the next few years. We were very impressed.
June 23, 2009
It certainly feels good to be home again in DZ. Our familiar beds and the routine of life always feels welcome after a time away. Abram has spent the day studying since he had a French final to take today and then a Socials final to begin studying for that he needs to take in the next day or so. He has worked really hard at his studies in the past two months and his teachers have been flexible with their expectations so I think that this disruption in school will turn out just fine for him, despite some of his concerns.
We are working hard in the library trying to finish some major projects in the week we have left here. Isaac really isn’t ready to leave Ethiopia. I’m amazed at how much he has enjoyed this experience. He is already trying to think of reasons to come back. While the rest of us will find it sad to leave, the fact that most of the people we have been working and living with in the past two months are also leaving makes it feel like a natural time of closure.
We are working hard in the library trying to finish some major projects in the week we have left here. Isaac really isn’t ready to leave Ethiopia. I’m amazed at how much he has enjoyed this experience. He is already trying to think of reasons to come back. While the rest of us will find it sad to leave, the fact that most of the people we have been working and living with in the past two months are also leaving makes it feel like a natural time of closure.
June 22, 2009
We spent the entire day travelling home. We took a different route that was more scenic and mountainous and that was just newly constructed. For the most part, it felt like we were the only vehicles on the road. Very little other traffic other than lots of pedestrians whenever we were in proximity to a village. Again, we saw some beautiful scenery and observed a number of different people groups along the way, each with their own distinctive style of housing and dress. We made it home by about 5 pm.
June 20, 2009
We were up at 5:30 am this morning to get ready for our trip into Nechisar Park. The generator wasn’t turned on yet and the sun had not yet risen so it was strange getting ready by flashlight. We ended up getting a late start because it was difficult to track down fuel for the Land Cruiser because the power was still off and so none of the gas stations were dispensing gas.
I have never driven a road as rough and treacherous as the road we spent the next five hours travelling. It took us more than two hours to travel 25 kilometers. But the experience itself was amazing. We saw several troops of olive baboons and a number of the following: Guenther’s dik-dik, Grant’s gazelle, Swayne’s hartebeest, and Burchell’s zebra, which was the highlight for us. They are such magnificent animals when you see them in their natural habitat. Several times we were able to walk up quite close to them.
After a late lunch back at the Lodge, we headed out onto Lake Chamo for our boat excursion to view crocodiles close up. Isaac was a little hesitant about the whole thing but after some negotiating, he was willing to come along. We picked up our crew with our Land Rover and soon we were about ten people stuffed into the vehicle headed down to the lake. We accessed the lake from a little fishing place where young boys/men stripped down to their underwear and went out on to the lake in little rafts that were only big enough for them to stand on. It all seemed rather precarious, especially considering the huge population of crocodiles and hippos in the lake.
I wasn’t too thrilled to realize that we would be doing the expedition without life jackets but that is doing life E-style (Ethiopian style). We have had to let go of many of our convictions on safety standards etc. and learn to go with the flow out here. However, the water was amazingly calm and the young boys who captained our boat seemed competent enough. We first bumped into a crowd of hippos and floated incredibly close to them. They are such immense creatures. The highlight was of course, the crocodiles. We first saw them swimming in the water close to our boat and then came to the part of the shore they call “Crocodile Market” where the shoreline was just crawling with the creatures. Both Isaac and I were just a little nervous as we got within a few meters of them. Richard got some great pictures. We even had our boat flicked by a crocodiles tail which was a bit too adventurous for me! A really amazing experience!
I have never driven a road as rough and treacherous as the road we spent the next five hours travelling. It took us more than two hours to travel 25 kilometers. But the experience itself was amazing. We saw several troops of olive baboons and a number of the following: Guenther’s dik-dik, Grant’s gazelle, Swayne’s hartebeest, and Burchell’s zebra, which was the highlight for us. They are such magnificent animals when you see them in their natural habitat. Several times we were able to walk up quite close to them.
After a late lunch back at the Lodge, we headed out onto Lake Chamo for our boat excursion to view crocodiles close up. Isaac was a little hesitant about the whole thing but after some negotiating, he was willing to come along. We picked up our crew with our Land Rover and soon we were about ten people stuffed into the vehicle headed down to the lake. We accessed the lake from a little fishing place where young boys/men stripped down to their underwear and went out on to the lake in little rafts that were only big enough for them to stand on. It all seemed rather precarious, especially considering the huge population of crocodiles and hippos in the lake.
I wasn’t too thrilled to realize that we would be doing the expedition without life jackets but that is doing life E-style (Ethiopian style). We have had to let go of many of our convictions on safety standards etc. and learn to go with the flow out here. However, the water was amazingly calm and the young boys who captained our boat seemed competent enough. We first bumped into a crowd of hippos and floated incredibly close to them. They are such immense creatures. The highlight was of course, the crocodiles. We first saw them swimming in the water close to our boat and then came to the part of the shore they call “Crocodile Market” where the shoreline was just crawling with the creatures. Both Isaac and I were just a little nervous as we got within a few meters of them. Richard got some great pictures. We even had our boat flicked by a crocodiles tail which was a bit too adventurous for me! A really amazing experience!
June 19, 2009
We spent a long, bumpy day in the Land Cruiser travelling to Arba Minch. Our driver picked us up in Debre Zeit at 8 am and off we went. We travelled down familiar road as far as Lake Langano and then started driving through new territory. Some of the terrain as you go south is absolutely breathtaking. Lots of mountains and lakes and everything becomes so lush and green. Unfortunately, the road is absolutely awful. They are working at redoing it so we had lots of detours and most of it was dirt road or even worse, very old asphalt riddled with pot holes. The last 100 kilometers took three hours to travel.
It was a relief to arrive at Paradise Lodge about 5 pm. It’s quite a lovely lodge made up of individual huts with woven roofs in the style of the southern tribes. They had a major fire at the lodge last year and they are currently in the middle of rebuilding the restaurant etc and things aren’t quite what they should be. However, I’m sure we’ll be very comfortable and the staff are very welcoming and accommodating. It’s located on top of a high hill with a stunning view of Lakes Abaya and Chamo and is entirely surrounded by stunning mountain forests.
It was a relief to arrive at Paradise Lodge about 5 pm. It’s quite a lovely lodge made up of individual huts with woven roofs in the style of the southern tribes. They had a major fire at the lodge last year and they are currently in the middle of rebuilding the restaurant etc and things aren’t quite what they should be. However, I’m sure we’ll be very comfortable and the staff are very welcoming and accommodating. It’s located on top of a high hill with a stunning view of Lakes Abaya and Chamo and is entirely surrounded by stunning mountain forests.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
June 17, 2009 -- posted by Karen
We headed in to Addis this afternoon to get a bunch of things done. Once more, I am very grateful to not be living there. The traffic, the pollution, the chaos, the people everywhere..... It makes Debre Zeit feel like a resort with its tranquility, fresh air and mountains. Sometimes I miss not having access to the amenities and groceries that I would have in Addis, but that is a small price to pay for all the other benefits of being located out here.
Unfortunately, Isaac was feeling sick again and stayed in the taxi with Danny (our driver) most of the time, lying down and groaning in the back seat. All our kids have had trouble with their stomachs while we are out here and I’m not sure why. One theory is that we’ve been taking malaria pills since the day before we went to Lake Langano since both Langano and Arbaminch (where we will go this weekend) are in the malaria zone. I’m surprised that I’ve had not stomach issues whatsoever since I’m usually the vulnerable one!
While in Addis we made final arrangements for our trip this weekend down to Arbaminch. We then looked for football shirts for the boys and did some grocery shopping, probably our last time to do that. We ended off our time in Addis by having supper at Top View restaurant. It has a nice view of the city and good food (owned by the same people who own Blue Tops in Addis and Sabana Resort at Lake Langano).
Unfortunately, Isaac was feeling sick again and stayed in the taxi with Danny (our driver) most of the time, lying down and groaning in the back seat. All our kids have had trouble with their stomachs while we are out here and I’m not sure why. One theory is that we’ve been taking malaria pills since the day before we went to Lake Langano since both Langano and Arbaminch (where we will go this weekend) are in the malaria zone. I’m surprised that I’ve had not stomach issues whatsoever since I’m usually the vulnerable one!
While in Addis we made final arrangements for our trip this weekend down to Arbaminch. We then looked for football shirts for the boys and did some grocery shopping, probably our last time to do that. We ended off our time in Addis by having supper at Top View restaurant. It has a nice view of the city and good food (owned by the same people who own Blue Tops in Addis and Sabana Resort at Lake Langano).
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
June 16, 2009 -- posted by Karen
After getting our school work done first thing in the morning, we spent the balance of the day at the library. We put in our time moving books for several hours and then Lorraine and I were asked to open the College bookstore. So with almost no orientation, we became the managers and operators of the bookstore! (This was Vera’s job but she is gone until November.) As well as assisting the students and handling the financial transactions, we are also going through boxes of books rejected by the library and pricing them for sale. Not sure we did everything right but definitely did things.
Tomorrow will be a shorter day of volunteering since we are going into Addis in the afternoon to do some business and grocery shopping. This Friday we leave for our weekend trip to Arbiminch. It’s been gratifying to have the opportunity to see so much of Ethiopia. We are discovering that many people who have lived in Ethiopia their entire lives have had little opportunity to visit their own country and see the things that we’ve seen in these few short months.
Tomorrow will be a shorter day of volunteering since we are going into Addis in the afternoon to do some business and grocery shopping. This Friday we leave for our weekend trip to Arbiminch. It’s been gratifying to have the opportunity to see so much of Ethiopia. We are discovering that many people who have lived in Ethiopia their entire lives have had little opportunity to visit their own country and see the things that we’ve seen in these few short months.
June 15, 2009 -- posted by Karen
If any of you know Richard and his history with libraries, you will know that he has moved entire libraries, twice! The first time was when the entire 40,000 volume library at Concord College was packed up and moved to the new CMU campus, and the second time was when CBC got new library shelves last summer. So, true to form, Richard has dreamed up another excuse to move a library. Today we started a really big project in the library that involves shifting a huge part of the collection to different shelves in the library. With all the books we’ve added as well as some that have been moved out of the reference section, we need to add fifty new shelves within the collection. So that means lots of careful moving of books so that we don’t mess up the order. My goal is to get the kids to do most of the lifting and I will do the organizational part. A new couple named John and Lorraine Peters from Ontario have arrived and Lorraine is going to help out in the library for a few weeks while John teaches his course. She will probably be in charge of washing the shelves and cleaning all the books we move since they are incredibly dusty.
Classes started again today and it was good to see some familiar faces around as well as plenty of new ones. John Peters is teaching a Cultural Anthropology class and so suddenly we are experts on Western Culture and are being interviewed regularly by the students on all sorts of aspects of culture back in Canada. It’s a good way to build relationships.
Classes started again today and it was good to see some familiar faces around as well as plenty of new ones. John Peters is teaching a Cultural Anthropology class and so suddenly we are experts on Western Culture and are being interviewed regularly by the students on all sorts of aspects of culture back in Canada. It’s a good way to build relationships.
Monday, June 15, 2009
June 14, 2009 -- posted by Karen
It was good to go to church this morning and reconnect with people we hadn’t seen for several weeks. Attending church here makes me miss Level Ground even more. The worship time here is frequently painful as we do a very poor job of singing some very slow, dirge like songs that come out of the Dutch tradition to the accompaniment of a recorder and flute.
We spent the day doing family stuff for the most part. Played some ping-pong, went for a walk and then taught the kids to play Dutch Blitz. They didn’t realize that Richard is a bit of a Dutch Blitz expert and felt slightly overwhelmed by his sudden intensity! Tomorrow we will be back to routine with lots of school work as well as volunteering in the library.
We spent the day doing family stuff for the most part. Played some ping-pong, went for a walk and then taught the kids to play Dutch Blitz. They didn’t realize that Richard is a bit of a Dutch Blitz expert and felt slightly overwhelmed by his sudden intensity! Tomorrow we will be back to routine with lots of school work as well as volunteering in the library.
June 13, 2009 -- posted by Karen
Life here on campus is very quiet these days. The students have been gone for this past week and the kitchen workers have been on a well earned holiday. It’s just been the guards, the gardener and the few guesthouse residents that remain. New students will begin arriving tomorrow for the rainy season session (mid June to the end of Aug.) These are students who are working at the graduate level. Most of them are already pastors who take the rainy season months off to continue their education.
I am personally pleased that the rainy season has not yet arrived. In fact, yesterday was one of the warmest days we’ve had here yet. The temperature usually hovers around 80 degrees and is quite comfortable since there is typically a fairly strong wind blowing but yesterday was significantly warmer. It was a little tough for the kids since it was too hot to be outside until the later afternoon. Since the sun goes down about 6:30 pm that doesn’t leave a lot of time to enjoy the cooler temperatures outside.
We spent the day doing laundry etc from our few days away at Lake Langano. Abram had a big project that he needed to finish for school and send off. On the way home from Langano, we drove through an area of the country where they actually grow strawberries. This evening we had crepes with fresh strawberries which was a real treat.
I am personally pleased that the rainy season has not yet arrived. In fact, yesterday was one of the warmest days we’ve had here yet. The temperature usually hovers around 80 degrees and is quite comfortable since there is typically a fairly strong wind blowing but yesterday was significantly warmer. It was a little tough for the kids since it was too hot to be outside until the later afternoon. Since the sun goes down about 6:30 pm that doesn’t leave a lot of time to enjoy the cooler temperatures outside.
We spent the day doing laundry etc from our few days away at Lake Langano. Abram had a big project that he needed to finish for school and send off. On the way home from Langano, we drove through an area of the country where they actually grow strawberries. This evening we had crepes with fresh strawberries which was a real treat.
June 12, 2009 -- posted by Karen
We had another early morning swim (no hippo this time!) and then packed up and headed for home. On the way we stopped at a much more posh resort hotel on Lake Langano and spent some time on their beach. They had kayaks available for their guests and Isaac especially enjoyed them. They also had a slide out in the water and lots of other amenities. We had expected that their clientele would be predominantly farenji (foreigners) but were surprised that most of the guests appeared to be Ethiopian. It would have been a great place to stay but at twice the cost. We all had a great time on the beach since it was one of the warmer days we’ve had here. Several of us didn’t use enough sun screen! Richard only put sunscreen on his shoulders and chest, so his lower half is pretty red today.
The drive back was rather long with several accidents along the way. Driving is such an intense experience out here. You can never relax because there is always some animal wandering out on to the road in front of you or else oncoming traffic that has decided to use your lane for awhile. Both Abram and Isaac have been feeling ill today and we had to pull over for them to throw up on the side of the road. We think it may be the malaria pills we’ve been taking for the past few days. It feels good to be home and we are all looking forward to sleeping in real beds again.
The drive back was rather long with several accidents along the way. Driving is such an intense experience out here. You can never relax because there is always some animal wandering out on to the road in front of you or else oncoming traffic that has decided to use your lane for awhile. Both Abram and Isaac have been feeling ill today and we had to pull over for them to throw up on the side of the road. We think it may be the malaria pills we’ve been taking for the past few days. It feels good to be home and we are all looking forward to sleeping in real beds again.
June 11, 2009 -- posted by Karen
Although we had a pretty awful night last night and didn’t get a great sleep, we still managed to have a wonderful day. We were up early because of the bad beds and at the lakeside before 7 am. Suddenly, we heard a strange noise and saw a hippo’s head emerge from the water just a little ways from where we were sitting on the beach. It was amazing to see. Every five minutes or so it would come up for air and we would get another look at it. It didn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere and later hotel workers told us that the hippos come up and eat the grass in front of the cottages during the night.
After breakfast, we decided to take a drive to a lakeside city called Awassa. Fanosie was especially eager to see it since he had never been there before. It took about 90 minutes to get there but it turned out to be a very pleasant city. We spent some time at the lakeshore and ended up taking an hour long boat trip to see even more hippos! Pretty amazing creatures. We got back to Langano in time for another swim before the sun set.
One more night in these awful beds!
After breakfast, we decided to take a drive to a lakeside city called Awassa. Fanosie was especially eager to see it since he had never been there before. It took about 90 minutes to get there but it turned out to be a very pleasant city. We spent some time at the lakeshore and ended up taking an hour long boat trip to see even more hippos! Pretty amazing creatures. We got back to Langano in time for another swim before the sun set.
One more night in these awful beds!
June 10, 2009 -- posted by Karen
We said good bye to Ernie and Lois and Carl and Vera this morning since they are both heading back to North America for the summer today. By 8 am, Fanosie and Dianne and our family were off to Lake Langano. Danny the driver is driving us in his taxi and staying with us for the three days since we don’t have access to another vehicle.
We arrived by noon to the Bekele Mola Hotel right on the shore of Lake Langano. It’s not a fancy resort but is one preferred by the locals since it is much less expensive than the fancier lodges that are frequented by the tourists. The location is beautiful but the lodging rather humble. We spent the afternoon in the lake which is a very dark brown colour but apparently one of the few lakes in Ethiopia that it is safe to swim in. For dinner, we went to the fancier tourist hotel about 20 minutes away. It’s an absolutely beautiful place, owned by the same owners of the Blue Tops Restaurant in Addis, where we have eaten twice. The restaurant even serves ice cream! We may go back there tomorrow and have lunch and swim on their beach since they have a slide and diving board etc. I’m not sure how the night will go since these beds have some pretty obvious springs sticking out of them.
We arrived by noon to the Bekele Mola Hotel right on the shore of Lake Langano. It’s not a fancy resort but is one preferred by the locals since it is much less expensive than the fancier lodges that are frequented by the tourists. The location is beautiful but the lodging rather humble. We spent the afternoon in the lake which is a very dark brown colour but apparently one of the few lakes in Ethiopia that it is safe to swim in. For dinner, we went to the fancier tourist hotel about 20 minutes away. It’s an absolutely beautiful place, owned by the same owners of the Blue Tops Restaurant in Addis, where we have eaten twice. The restaurant even serves ice cream! We may go back there tomorrow and have lunch and swim on their beach since they have a slide and diving board etc. I’m not sure how the night will go since these beds have some pretty obvious springs sticking out of them.
June 9, 2009 -- posted by Karen
We did one last, major hike with Ernie and Lois this morning before they head home tomorrow. We climbed the hill behind our house that overlooks Hora Lake and then climbed down to the lake with the goal of seeing how far we could hike around the lake. It was pretty much wilderness mountain hiking since there really wasn’t a consistent trail and we had to get over some pretty major obstacles. The highlight for Richard was seeing some pretty amazing birds that he hadn’t sighted elsewhere. We even saw an entire tree just filled with white pelicans. We hiked for a little over two hours and made it about half way around the lake until we bumped into civilization again and took a bajaj home since we were all pretty exhausted from the climb. I’m quite impressed with Ernie and Lois. They are both in their late 60’s and are in absolutely amazing shape. We can’t keep up with them!
The rest of the day was school work and laundry, trying to get ready for our few days away to Lake Langano with Dianne and Fanosie tomorrow.
The rest of the day was school work and laundry, trying to get ready for our few days away to Lake Langano with Dianne and Fanosie tomorrow.
June 8, 2009 -- posted by Karen
The kids worked hard at their school work this morning. Abram especially is realizing that the term will be finished for him soon and he has a number of assignments to complete and send back to Canada. He also needs to start studying for finals. It’s been challenging for him to study French without a teacher and with a very inadequate study resource. The other two kids have material to work on but no deadlines or specific assignments that need to be sent back to school so they don’t feel the stress quite as much.
We worked hard at the library this afternoon. Richard is purging the library of old, outdated material that the students don’t really use or shouldn’t be using so we are helping him pull stuff off the shelves and reorganize things. We boxed up multiple sets of old encylopedias etc. We’re also doing a lot of processing and shelving of new material that will be added to the collection.
In the late afternoon, Ernie and Lois took us on a two hour walk over the dried up lake bed in front of the College. The rainy season is about to start here and soon there will be a vast, deep lake in front of the College again. Richard and Ernie are both fanatical bird watchers so that was the point of the venture.
We worked hard at the library this afternoon. Richard is purging the library of old, outdated material that the students don’t really use or shouldn’t be using so we are helping him pull stuff off the shelves and reorganize things. We boxed up multiple sets of old encylopedias etc. We’re also doing a lot of processing and shelving of new material that will be added to the collection.
In the late afternoon, Ernie and Lois took us on a two hour walk over the dried up lake bed in front of the College. The rainy season is about to start here and soon there will be a vast, deep lake in front of the College again. Richard and Ernie are both fanatical bird watchers so that was the point of the venture.
June 7, 2009 -- posted by Karen
Richard and I spent the day in Addis with the other people from the guesthouse while the kids stayed at home on their own. We went to the International Evangelical English Church in Addis for the morning service. It is an interesting mix of people from North America, Europe and other African counties. It is also attended by Ethiopians who have spent some time overseas and prefer to worship in English. Things felt a little more familiar with a worship team in front doing the leading. They sang a few songs that we sing back home but they sure didn’t lead as well as the worship teams at Level Ground!
After the service we headed off to a reception for the College president’s son who had gotten married in the States several months ago but was now bringing his new wife back to Ethiopia to introduce her to his country. There was lots of typical Ethiopian food, including raw meat which is a very popular dish out here. It’s mostly raw beef all ground up. I can’t imagine the health risks involved in eating it! I passed that one by but did try some injira which wasn’t too bad. We sat at a table with the Academic Dean of the College and had a great time getting to know him and hearing his perspective on the College. He lives in Addis so we seldom get the opportunity to interact with him.
We got home and the power was out so we had a rather low key evening until it came on again at about 8:30 PM.
After the service we headed off to a reception for the College president’s son who had gotten married in the States several months ago but was now bringing his new wife back to Ethiopia to introduce her to his country. There was lots of typical Ethiopian food, including raw meat which is a very popular dish out here. It’s mostly raw beef all ground up. I can’t imagine the health risks involved in eating it! I passed that one by but did try some injira which wasn’t too bad. We sat at a table with the Academic Dean of the College and had a great time getting to know him and hearing his perspective on the College. He lives in Addis so we seldom get the opportunity to interact with him.
We got home and the power was out so we had a rather low key evening until it came on again at about 8:30 PM.
June 6, 2009 -- posted by Karen
Today was graduation at the College. This is a huge deal to students and their families who have sacrificed for years so that a family member could get an education. For many families, this meant only seeing their husbands/fathers for a few weeks every year since they live a distance away and cannot afford to travel home very often. For these students it meant living in a crowded room with twenty other men which must be a hard and humbling thing to do at their age. There were fourteen graduates, two of whom were women.
The campus was all cleaned up with banners unfurled etc. The ceremony itself was a very long three hour affair with about two thirds of it in Ahmaric and the other third in English. It is an Ethiopian tradition for the graduating class valedictorian to give “recommendations” (ie. criticisms) in the valedictory address. An interesting practice. I also played keyboard for two English songs that we sang. I missed certain portions of the ceremony since I was having major coughing fits that left me gagging with tears streaming down my face and I chose to leave the auditorium for those episodes.
In the evening we celebrated Lois’ birthday and Mike’s farewell with a guesthouse party at Dianne and Fanosie’s. Tomorrow Mike leaves for his trip back to the States. That means we will have the apartment all to ourselves. All three boys wanted Mike’s room but when we picked a number between 1 and 100, Isaac was the lucky winner. The other two boys are rather envious that he will have his own room with a double bed and ensuite bathroom while they will still be sharing a bedroom with single beds!
The campus was all cleaned up with banners unfurled etc. The ceremony itself was a very long three hour affair with about two thirds of it in Ahmaric and the other third in English. It is an Ethiopian tradition for the graduating class valedictorian to give “recommendations” (ie. criticisms) in the valedictory address. An interesting practice. I also played keyboard for two English songs that we sang. I missed certain portions of the ceremony since I was having major coughing fits that left me gagging with tears streaming down my face and I chose to leave the auditorium for those episodes.
In the evening we celebrated Lois’ birthday and Mike’s farewell with a guesthouse party at Dianne and Fanosie’s. Tomorrow Mike leaves for his trip back to the States. That means we will have the apartment all to ourselves. All three boys wanted Mike’s room but when we picked a number between 1 and 100, Isaac was the lucky winner. The other two boys are rather envious that he will have his own room with a double bed and ensuite bathroom while they will still be sharing a bedroom with single beds!
June 5, 2009 -- posted by Karen
Despite the fact that I’m still feeling quite ill, we took a day trip to Sodere. Sodore is famous for it’s hot springs pool and it’s monkeys. Fanosie and Dianne along with their family joined us and we had a nice day together. The kids had a great time feeding monkeys and having the monkeys steal food right out of our hands. We also took a walk along the river and saw a little crocodile, a mother wild pig and her six piglets and of course, a bunch more thieving monkeys. We even witnessed a group of three monkeys steal a woman’s purse right off her shoulder, open it up and eat her lunch!
The hotsprings pool was nice and warm enough for even me to go in! Since most Ethiopians don’t know how to swim, the shallow end was crowded with people flailing their arms and legs around and pretending to “swim” while the larger, deep part of the pool was almost entirely empty. We were the only farenji (foreigners) with lots of Ethiopian kids there on a school outing.
On the way home, we stopped in Nazareth to help Fanosie’s brother and his family move into their new home. They had been living in two small, decrepit rooms in somone’s run down house until now while his brother is studying to get his degree in pastoral ministry. Now they have their own place with two bedrooms and the potential to someday have indoor plumbing. It’s very basic, made with cement blocks and not yet complete since they ran out of money but it is a step forward for them. Eventually they hope to have electricity. Their joy at something so humble and in our view entirely inadequate was very touching.
We got home in time for the College graduates campfire here on campus. We had missed the lamb slaughter and barbeque but enjoyed the singing and story telling around the fire with them.
I didn’t sleep much at all last night because of my constant coughing. Tonight it feels like razor blades when I swallow. I hope that I don’t have the strep throat that Sol had earlier....
The hotsprings pool was nice and warm enough for even me to go in! Since most Ethiopians don’t know how to swim, the shallow end was crowded with people flailing their arms and legs around and pretending to “swim” while the larger, deep part of the pool was almost entirely empty. We were the only farenji (foreigners) with lots of Ethiopian kids there on a school outing.
On the way home, we stopped in Nazareth to help Fanosie’s brother and his family move into their new home. They had been living in two small, decrepit rooms in somone’s run down house until now while his brother is studying to get his degree in pastoral ministry. Now they have their own place with two bedrooms and the potential to someday have indoor plumbing. It’s very basic, made with cement blocks and not yet complete since they ran out of money but it is a step forward for them. Eventually they hope to have electricity. Their joy at something so humble and in our view entirely inadequate was very touching.
We got home in time for the College graduates campfire here on campus. We had missed the lamb slaughter and barbeque but enjoyed the singing and story telling around the fire with them.
I didn’t sleep much at all last night because of my constant coughing. Tonight it feels like razor blades when I swallow. I hope that I don’t have the strep throat that Sol had earlier....
Friday, June 5, 2009
June 4, 2009 -- posted by Karen
I am discovering that there are many things about the pace of life out here in Ethiopia that agree with me. It’s a very interesting feeling to live without the pressure of deadlines and the stresses of a professional role for a period of time. Life is much simpler and less complicated here. I’ve hardly had a headache since we arrived and typically I go through bottles of Ibuprofen at a fairly rapid rate. I suspect the challenge will be incorporating aspects of the experience “out here” into life “back there”. Not sure how to do that or if, in fact, it is possible.
The kids and I went grocery shopping this morning with Dianne. It’s always a fairly prolonged experience as we visit four or five different shops, seeing what each has for sale that day. Some days no one has eggs. Yesterday no one had bananas. Every shopping experience is different and so you go with a spirit of flexibility to discover what you will actually end up being able to buy.
We are really beginning to focus our energies on completing the requirements the kids have for their school work as well as moving some big projects forward in the College library. However, things will be somewhat disrupted for the next few days as we make a day trip to Soderey tomorrow, have College graduation on Saturday and go into Addis for a wedding reception on Sunday. Mike leaves on Sunday for the States and both Carl and Vera and Lois and Ernie leave a few days later to head back to North American for summer. Change is in the air.
The kids and I went grocery shopping this morning with Dianne. It’s always a fairly prolonged experience as we visit four or five different shops, seeing what each has for sale that day. Some days no one has eggs. Yesterday no one had bananas. Every shopping experience is different and so you go with a spirit of flexibility to discover what you will actually end up being able to buy.
We are really beginning to focus our energies on completing the requirements the kids have for their school work as well as moving some big projects forward in the College library. However, things will be somewhat disrupted for the next few days as we make a day trip to Soderey tomorrow, have College graduation on Saturday and go into Addis for a wedding reception on Sunday. Mike leaves on Sunday for the States and both Carl and Vera and Lois and Ernie leave a few days later to head back to North American for summer. Change is in the air.
June 3, 2009 -- posted by Karen
I’m still not feeling all that well. My voice is back but the cough has worsened. Hopefully, it will lift soon because we have a busy weekend before us.
Today the kids and I made the decision to conclude our volunteering at the Ethiopian school and to focus our final month here volunteering at the College library. We have thoroughly loved our time at the Ethiopian school but they struggle to know how to actually use volunteers. Some days we felt like we were in the way and almost a burden to them whereas other days we were thrown into rather overwhelming situation where the kids had to teach 70 kids who barely speak English on their own for two hours. It was getting a little stressful for the kids and we are also recognizing that just doing our own home schooling takes a lot of energy. We had already been volunteering at the College library on days we were not at the other school so we will increase that involvement. There is a lot that needs to be done there before we leave. However, the experience at the Ethiopian school has been an incredible life lesson for the kids and we will take those memories and learnings with us.
We had an evening with no electricity so we sat around by candlelight and talked until the power finally came on again about 9 pm. It’s amazing how life changes without electricity!
Today the kids and I made the decision to conclude our volunteering at the Ethiopian school and to focus our final month here volunteering at the College library. We have thoroughly loved our time at the Ethiopian school but they struggle to know how to actually use volunteers. Some days we felt like we were in the way and almost a burden to them whereas other days we were thrown into rather overwhelming situation where the kids had to teach 70 kids who barely speak English on their own for two hours. It was getting a little stressful for the kids and we are also recognizing that just doing our own home schooling takes a lot of energy. We had already been volunteering at the College library on days we were not at the other school so we will increase that involvement. There is a lot that needs to be done there before we leave. However, the experience at the Ethiopian school has been an incredible life lesson for the kids and we will take those memories and learnings with us.
We had an evening with no electricity so we sat around by candlelight and talked until the power finally came on again about 9 pm. It’s amazing how life changes without electricity!
June 2, 2009 -- posted by Karen
I still haven’t been feeling very well today. My voice is almost completely gone and I’ve started coughing too. We did some volunteering in the library but otherwise I took it pretty easy. The highlight of the day for Sol and Isaac was getting some leftover building supplies from the dormitory building project so that they can begin building a club house. They even found some old cement to use for the foundation poles. Jim and Anna were out from Addis so their son Zach played with them all day.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
May 2009
typical clothing in Debre Zeit
Debre Zeit
Students at Meserete Kristos College
boys attacking a termite hill
boys attacking a termite hill
Celebrating Michael Miller's 75th birthday
Celebrating Michael Miller's 75th birthday
all the residents of the guest house
Zegeye, the college IT guy
Vera, library staff
Tigist, library staff
Recreation room at the college
President Negash
Mulageta at the circulation desk
library at Meserete Kristos College
comupter lab in the library
library
rural scene, viewed out of the window at the Library
Market in Debre Zeit
typical lizard
Lake Bishoftu
Hunter's Sunbird
Hibiscus
Ethiopian flower
Blue-breasted Bee-eater
Bananas
Bajaj
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