Ed in Europe - Part 10

Colorful Burano ...Some Personal Reflections

On Burano Island (across the bay from Venice-proper)

We really enjoyed a side trip to one of the more colorful villages in Italy.  Our Competitour Challenge was to find the house in town w/ the most colors, which is --

 ...really now, would coming home to this ...be restful?

 And if Burano's Church Spire looks a little tilted left, it's not an illusion, because it is!

The whole area of Venice is slowly sinking ...due to high water table.

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This whole adventure was like crossing a variety of "bridges" in my life...

 ...me on a bridge in Butano, Italy
 

** First of course, is crossing Seeing Europe off my 'Bucket List.'  

I was the only one of the 20 on this tour who had not seen Europe before (including the 3 teenagers). Most were surprised that I made this as my first trip. You see, while we did travel to some of the traditional Grand Tour sights, this obviously was not a traditional European sight-seeing tour.

But for me, it nevertheless was excellent! I got to experience the places, not just see them. (Note: I have received no remuneration from "Competitours, nor was I asked to write about them. By the way, check out another Competitours' group member has to say about the experience:  CLICK HERE )

** A "Bridge" I crossed was the golden opportunity to travel w/ our son, Hans; more fully knowing him as an adult, not just a grown-up version of the kid whose diapers I once changed.

... a 'selfie' in Ghent, Belgium

Our weeks together went beyond just 'male bonding.'  We both experienced a care, even a respect for one another as mature men. This is a Father-Son happening too rare in our our world.

** Another significant 'Bridge' that I crossed was the capability to go outside of my comfort zone: far beyond navigating in a foreign culture.

 

Hans, in blue hat on right, is not in a door. The Venetian street continues on thru the tunnel behind him!

For instance, at the Via Ferrata in the Swiss Alps: to cope with the fear of heights, while searching where my next footstep would be on the face of a sheer cliff; to appreciate the spectacular views, and not the fact that only two carabiners kept me from death. 

One of our travel group members, Laura, is a professional writer and vidoeographer. I highly encourage you to check out a Web Page she put together with a great video. Click on this link   VIA FERRATA

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Near the end of our time, Hans & I visited St. Marks Cathedral in Venice.  It was wonderful to discover a chapel there reserved for only "For  Prayer, not Sightseeing" (as the sign at the entrance stated).

After some prayers, we climbed up into a loft where the cathedral's mosaics had been constructed and where artisans still perform repairs. There we viewed some mosaic sections; though the section has survived, the entire mosaic of which it was part is unrepairable (the church is 1,000 years old).

Having already seen so many crucifixes and similar brutal portrayals of our Savior, so typical of medieval artists; a centuries-old mosaic in a corner transfixed me! 

It was entitled:  "Christus Emmanual"  (in Latin:  "Christ:  God-Who-Is-With-Us")

Note the expression of Christ portrayed here:  A sympathetic, smiling Man with large, clear eyes and somewhat exaggerated ears...  Someone who would sit and listen to you as you pour out your soul.

One who fulfills the Messianic descriptions in the Word:

He will be gentle-- he will not shout or raise his voice in public.   He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice to all who have been wronged. He will not stop until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth.  (Isaiah 42: 2-4)

For the high priest we have is not incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us, but has been put to the test in exactly the same way as ourselves, apart from sin.  Let us, then, have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help.  (Hebrews 4: 15-16)

And this trip reinforced one important insight of my Christian Faith: That God is not one "who lives 'way out there, who doesn't care..." That regardless of where we are, what we've done:  "GOD IS WITH US. ..ALWAYS".

 
Thank you for letting me share about my trip to Europe in June, 2014. 

It was a life changer for me!

--Ed

Ed in Europe - Part 9

Venice -- "Behind the Tourist Spots"

Many folks from all over the world visit Venice, its canals, gondolas, etc. etc.  Thanks to our "Competitour," we had the unique opportunities to go over to "other side of the rope" at several spots.  

E.G. Instead of just seeing /buying some Venetian glass, we got to blow /sculpt some glassware under the tutelage of an expert glass-maker.

Here I am at the entrance to Vetreria Artistica Colleon --

The same family has been making glass for 400+ yrs(!) on Venice's Murano Island. Inside are many galleries of their magnificent glass works. Here is Hans w/ some of our group in one of the galleries --

But unlike all other visitors, we received instruction from a master and had the chance to "sculpt" some molten glass for ourselves. Here I am working under the signor's direction (he's on the right), attempting to sculpt a 'fish.'

 Note the orange glow of the molten glass balls on end of rods. The open glass-furnace is on far right.  The place was hot! (By the way, my 'fish' was a mess. We now really appreciated the skill as well as the artistry involved!)

Here are some glass mosaics that Hans and I hand-crafted while there --

ANOTHER unique opportuity was not only to learn about the centuries-old tradition of fashionable-face masks in Venice, but to go into a workshop and learn how to make them!  Here are the fruits of Hans' and my efforts --

Hans' facial cut he received while 'Alpine Coasting' in Switzerland earlier in the trip had caused some of the folks to call him "Harry (Potter)". That explains the mask he made (lower left). About mine? (lower right)  While I was born in the Chinese Year of the Dog, it had more to do with the fact that in general, I just love dogs.

Well Folks, That's all for now.

In the the next and last Post about my special trip w/ Son Hans to Europe, I'll finish up Venice and share a few reflections... especially what I learned about myself... and life...

--Ed

 Ed in Europe - Part 8

Next Stop: Rome !

Hans at the Tiber River Bridge in Rome

We traveled next to the "Eternal City" where we not only saw some sights, but got caught up in some actual gladiator training!  Again, this was a Challenge on our "Competitour."

You can see that I am so intent on catching that gladiator with my net,

that I've lost my blue hat!

We did have some time to see St. Peter's in Vatican City...

...throw a coin into a Roman Fountain...

...stop by the Pantheon... 

(For a perspective, that's Hans in the red shirt.  ...It is absolutely amazing the scale of the engineering that they did in the ancient world, w/ only hand labor.)

...AND, of course, the Coliseum...

Our next, and final stop on our Competitour is Venice...

Our Hotel in Venice is on the Left side of the canal, behind the man in the light blue shirt.

We'll be wrapping it up in the next Blog or two...

Check Back!

--Ed

 Ed in Europe - Part 7

Dancing and Cooking ..Italiano!

 

Early the next day we went to a Dance Theater where a professional dance troupe produces a Tarantella Dance show. This dance style and its music is very much part of Italian culture. 

However, in keeping w/ our Theme of "sight-doing" Europe (not sight-seeing), we spent a couple hours actually learning to dance the Tarantella on stage from some of these delightful (and patient!) professionals.

Here are Hans and I doing some steps --

A video of our dancing does  exist, but is not for public display.

As Hans says, "The blackmail potential is too extreme."

Afterward, we took a bus up into the hills to this wonderful Italian Villa---

Group member Becky (from Richmond, VA) at the Villa.

There we met CARMEN, the Chef, who told us we were going to go into the Kitchen and learn to cook some Italian food:

 Hans w/ our Ravioli dough we made.

Hans with our 4-Cheese Ravioli. We also did Chicken and Tiramisu. 
 

Afterwards, we all sat down to a sumptuous Italian dinner 
prepared for us by Chef Carmen. 

 (Hans seated in blue shirt)

We left the Villa full of good Italian cooking & warm Italian 'vibes.'

We'll sign off sharing the 'private showing' we were treated with by our Tarantella Dancers.  In spite of my camera's focus problems, it's great!

 

 

 Ed in Europe - Part 7

"Ah, La Bella Italia!"

The Bay of Naples w/ Mt. Vesuvius Beyond  (from our Bus Window, obviously!)

As the photo shows, we flew to Naples then a bus to Sorrento on the Italian "Almalfi Coast." We enjoyed several days in this gorgeous locale.

That evening, we all walked to a Gelateria (where they make and serve Gelato) in town and met MARIO. 

Mario has hand-made this wonderful "Italian Ice Cream" for years! He guided our teams thru our next Challenge: To figure out the recipe and then make/freeze our own Strawberry Gelato.

Mario in his kitchen.  Hans (w/ hat) & other Competitours folks behind him.

Needless to say, our gelato's, while not too bad, were not up to his quality. We learned that his own strawberry gelato has only three ingredients: fresh strawberries, sugar, and water/ice. The exact proportions? Ahh, he wouldn't say.... We really did enjoy him ...and his gelato!

That day & evening we enjoyed wandering abound Sorrento... a beautiful town.

And Italians are creative transporting their pets...

And again, we 'scored" when it came to the view from our hotel balcony!

...especially at sunset that night...

As I said before: "Ahh, la bella Italia...!"

Ed In Europe - Part 6

"Switzerland: Light and Dark"

After breakfast in the Loft of our hotel in Andermaat ---

--We boarded a Narrow Gauge Train for an amazing ride across the Swiss Alps along a Route the U.N. calls a "World Heritage Site."

 And for the next couple hours, we came to (literally) see why...

...even the farm livestock seemed especially scenic...

When we left the train, we bussed up to an Alpine Coaster.

And what exactly is an Alpine Coaster?  .....Similar to a more familiar roller coaster with some big differences:  1) You're alone in a small roller-car.  2) There are no 'uphill' sections to slow you (it's all down!). Instead,  3) you have a hand-brake to pull (optionally); and  4) It's a lot lo-o-onger!

From the top looking down. Note the blue roller car starting down.

Our Competitour Challenge: a simple race to have the fastest time. 

The winner? ...A woman in our group who later confessed she propped her leg so the brake was always 'off.' Hans and I didn't have the 'cajonas' for that.

Also: Hans ended up hitting his head requiring First Aid...!.

(...Uh... it's a long story... bottom line, he was OK.)

That night, we did a Competitour Challenge, again one-of-a kind. We went out to Dinner in Zurich: a wonderful restaurant operated by the Blind....

  And THIS is what we 'saw' during our 3-course dinner...

No joke or error.  The dining room is intentionally pitch-black dark. (We had to check all our i Phones /watches /etc. before entering,  we were then led inside.) The idea is to experience a meal as those who are blind do. Our servers were blind as well.

Our Challenge was to guess the specific ingredients of what we were eating.  All I know is that the salad had slimy stuff (anchovies?) but the fish was delicious. We guessed salmon, turned out to be Bream, a freshwater fish in Europe

Well, the next day, it was off to Italy...!

Ed In Europe - Part 5

"Climbing the Alps!"

The Next Challenge meant flying into Zurich, then taking a delightful
train ride up into the Swiss Alps to the village of Andermaat.

(I took this photo of Andermaat from the train window.)

We were thinking how we liked being in the Alps, when our Competitor Guide said:

          --  " Today, we're going to climb a Via Ferrata. " 

                   --  " Climb a what...? "   we all asked, naively.

          --  " The Via Ferrata Salbit-Kettenweg, that's what. "

                    --  ? ?   (...nonplussed...)

          --  " We're doing some non-technical Alpine climbing.  Everyone please go to

                  the Alpine Sports Rental Shop in town; they're ready to set everybody up

                  w/ the needed equipment, then bus you to the foot of the Via Ferrata."

So with other reassurances(?), off we went... knowing that we had signed up for a trip filled with unique adventures, but somehow feeling the prescience of a coming...(?)

Hans & I arrived at "the foot" of the Via Ferrata after most others had already begun. This view greeted us:

(Those who've started climbing ahead of us are CIRCLED.  "X" is where WE start)

Needless to say:  "O M G !"  (...a prayer, not an expletive)

Turns out it is a "non-technical" climb, technically: all the way up there is a steel cable firmly attached to the mountain's face. We were taught how to attach our safety cables onto it using carabiners (metal clips). 

 Here we're attached w/ carabiners to the steel cable.  This photo was taken looking straight UP. Note the metal steps in the face of the cliff, over my shoulders.

Wherever the face is too steep (most of time), there are steel pitons (metal bars) that have been pounded into the face of the cliff. One uses these as steps to make the climb.

Turns out that in the Alps there are dozens of via ferrata ("iron road"). The original ones were built by the Italian Army in World War I for their troops to travel over the mountains and outflank their Austrian enemy.

I'll let photos tell the story---

 Checking my camera while waiting for those ahead to move on.

Partway up, Hans looks back down at where we started --the bldg by highway.
  

My fat fanny climbing up. Note the metal bar steps in rock face below me.

Hans looks pleased to have made it thus far. The scenery was amazing!

For the Competitour Challenge, I made this Video of Hans "Hanging On."
- Enjoy!
  

After a 400 meter vertical climb (that's just over 1,300 feet), We made it to the top! And yes, we climbed through the clouds and were above them.

True... I am smiling, but my legs were killing me!

Returning to Andermaat was "only" a matter of a 2-mile do-o-wn 53 switchbacks (I counted) the backside of the mountain. Needless to say, bed felt really fine that night!

But before turning in, I managed to take this photo from our window --

I think I actually fell in love with Switzerland...

More to Come...  --Ed