The "Suk with Flair" Story

Suk Shuglie at work in her gallery.  She told me she paints
almost every day except Sunday and sometimes Mondays.

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with Suk about her life in Seoul, South Korea while looking over the multitude of flowers and sheep hanging on the wall.  I'm standing in Suk Shuglie's art gallery talking with this interesting, knowledgeable, petite, energetic and creative artist.  A few weeks ago I was working at Grebinger Gallery framing a beautiful painting titled "Love in Tuscany" which carried the signature of Suk Shuglie in the bottom right of the painting.  

A recent painting by Suk Shuglie titled "Love in Tuscany"
which I was framing for a customer at Grebinger Gallery.

As I was attaching the canvas into the frame I had just assembled, I said to myself, "I have to make a visit to Suk's Gallery to see what she may have that I might want to buy."  While talking with her, I picked up one of her beach paintings that she had painted a few years ago. Told her I would have to bring in my wife to take a look at it.  

A print that I may add to my collection of beach art.

Suk's background is an interesting one.  One of eight children, she was born in Seoul, South Korea, but grew up on a farm in Yesan, a town about 100 miles to the south of Seoul.  She studied art throughout her younger years, but when she met her husband, Wes, an American whom she met in South Korea when he was sent there because of his employment, her chances for advanced art education were greatly enhanced.  She returned to the United States with her husband and then obtained a degree from Pennsylvania School of Art and Design in Lancaster, attended Millersville University and was invited to several summer workshops at Pennington College in Vermont.  

Suk has many paintings which feature sheep as seen here.

Her prolific talent allowed her to win a position in the Master Painting program at the Academia Di Belle Art where she had the chance to spent a month in Florence, Italy.  She shared with me her photo album from her studies in Florence which brought back many memories from my trip to Italy about 10 years ago.  At first, when coming to the States, she painted to relieve her homesickness, but friends and artists in the States helped her to adjust.   Since that time she has won numerous awards and has had her work published in many magazines as well as displayed in many galleries throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.  

A view of Suk Shuglie's Gallery in Lancaster, PA

She opened her gallery in 1997 at 1320 Manheim Pike in Lancaster to better show her work to the public and her husband became the full-time framer of her work.  She recently lost her husband and has relied on her church to help with the grief she has experienced.  Suk describes her paintings as a form of impressionistic expression, since they suggest particular, intimate details as well as universal features.  She paints in both arylics and oils. My visit with Suk showed me the talent that this artist possesses and her gallery gave me an idea of the body of work that she has done over her lifetime.  As someone else has written, She gives lasting life to moments of exalted experience, each one having its own strength and subtlety and beauty, each on her strokes a line of life.  Now true!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of nan ordinary guy.

The "Faces of Strangers #12" Story

Paolo working on his jewelry.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in the Murano Glass store in Marina Royale on the island of St. Martin talking with Paolo.  Neatest guy who, along with his wife, owns and runs the business that sells just about anything from picture frames to collectibles to jewelry made from Murano Glass. Carol and I have purchased a few pieces from the his store over the last 10 or so years.  Murano Glass is made on a tiny island off the coast of Venice, Italy.  As Carol and I talked with Paolo about Italy, he told us he was born in Rome and his wife was born in Venice.  I told him that Venice was one of my favorite stops while visiting Italy a few years ago and that if we ever made our way back to Italy, I want to stay a few nights on the island.  He told us that he and his family travel every year back to Italy to visit with their extended family and to view the current Murano selections.  We also talked about the concerns of global warming on the islands of Venice and Murano and he assured us that there is a method that can be used to prevent the island from being inundated with water.  Paolo told us that he is closing his shop on St. Martin soon and moving to Los Angeles with his wife and daughter so that his daughter can go to school in the United States. 

Paolo showing me his classic car shirt.

 He has a brother who lives in Seattle, Washington and he will be closer to him as well.  His business is offered for sale on Facebook and he hopes to sell his Orient Beach home with rental units soon.  I then questioned him about the 1955 Pontiac convertible that was embroidered on his shirt.  "Ah, you like it?" he said.  Well, that got the two of us going on our love of classic cars and he revealed that his brother has a '55 Cadillac convertible.  After another 10 minutes I could see that my wife was tiring of the car stuff so we wished him well in his new life in the USA and left his shop for what will probably be the last time we will ever see him.  St. Martin is listed in all their literature as "The Friendly Island" and with good reason.  The island will have a hard time finding a replacement for one of their most likable ambassadors by the name of Paolo.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "I'm not bettin' on the Pope" Story

Tony

It was an ordinary day.  Just arrived at work and was greeted by Tony who works for Larson/Juhl Framing Co.  Tony was sitting in his panel truck in the parking lot of Grebinger Gallery as I pulled into my usual parking space.  Within minutes he was dropping off the mat board and framing lengths on the counter next to the workbench where I will mat and frame the weekly jobs that have come in to the gallery.  Tony is a Philadelphian and is of medium height and stocky.  Strong as an ox from carrying those heavy boxes of mat board and glass every day.  After talking about the weather, he asks me who I think will become the next Pope.  Since I haven't been following the situation closely, I tell him I really don't have a preference.  Then naturally, I ask him the same question.  "I'm betting on the black guy to be the next Pope," Tony tells me.  I stared at him and responded, "What do you mean you're betting on him?" Then he goes on to tell me what the odds are in Las Vegas for more than a half-dozen Cardinals.  "People really are betting on who will become Pope?" I asked him.  "Sure, you can bet on just about anything if you want to," he tells me.  Then I take another look at him and put two and two together and say to him, "You're Catholic aren't you?"  "How'd you know?  Was it the name?" he said.  "Nah, the halo around your head gave you away," I replied.  He told me about a few of the best bets and how much he would win if the black guy became the Pope.  I didn't even ask him where you go if you want to place a bet on the Pope.  Probably better off if I don't know.  Well, the black guy didn't win and Tony will be depressed when he arrives next week at the back door.  By now we all know that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from South America was named Pope of the Catholic Church.  Took the name of Pope Francis I, after St. Francis of Assisi.  A Lancaster priest said that the choice shows clearly that his heart lies with the poor and the marginalized.  Pope Francis has a great history in the church and he will be a good model.  He now lives in a modest apartment and takes the bus to work every day.  That will change quickly, but he should still have a feeling for the average person.  As my wife and I watched TV, which was rebroadcasting the white smoke rising from the smokestack, we talked about our trip to Italy a few years back and our visit to the Vatican and Assisi.  We stood in the courtyard and looked up at the window where the Pope addresses the people.  Saw the chapel where all the Cardinals marched the evening before on TV and also managed to visit the Sistine Chapel which is unbelievable.  We traveled to Italy with a group from our church and was lead by our retired assistant minister, Mary Lou who had visited many times before.  On the day of our trip to Assisi it was cold and blustery as we stood outside one of the churches in the city.  We were listening to a priest, who was standing on the steps of the church, tell us the history of the architecture of the church when the sleet and freezing rain began to fall.  Carol and I were dressed warmly, but our friend Melissa, who was shivering from the blowing ice, was dancing around trying to stay warm.  She looked at us and gave us this forlorn expression and Carol had to burst out laughing.  Reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where a girl friend of George is playing the piano and Jerry makes Elaine laugh with his Pez dispenser.  (If you never watched the show, my last sentence is meaningless)  I grabbed Carol's arm tightly and told her to knock it off.  Tough to do, I know.  Well, the priest evidently never heard the laughing and continued on with his talk and ..... yada, yada, yada ....... the church was beautiful.  Here's hoping that Pope Francis can help the plight of the homeless and poor in his ministry.  It certainly would be a welcome change in the papacy according to Tony.  And for you Tony, here's hoping you will do better the next time the white smoke billows toward the sky.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Bloody Trip to Pompeii" Story

It was an ordinary day. Monday, and we are headed to Pompeii. Yep, the same Pompeii that was covered with lava from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Now, I already entered a story about our day in Pompeii, but this is about what happened on our way to the city buried by ash. We left Rome after breakfast when we boarded a large bus for the two hour plus ride. There are 31 of us who have been traveling together for the past week or so on this remarkable journey throughout Italy. Part way to Pompeii we stop at a rest stop for snacks and to use the bathrooms. Bathroom stops are important, since most passengers are senior citizens! Takes quite a bit of time for everyone to exit the bus, find their way through the rest stop, buy a bottle of water or wine and re-board. I usually wait at the rear door to the bus to help some of the other travelers who have trouble boarding. Today I did the same thing. After helping everyone onto the bus, I start to enter and when I get to the top step, for some reason I stand up to soon and hit my head on the cross bar at the top of the bus. Really hit it! Knocks me backwards onto the ground below. I recover, stand back up and head back up the steps. By now a few are standing at the entrance to see what has happened to me. When I look at them I realize that something must have really happened to me. Then I feel the fluid coming down the side of my head. Since I have no hair on my head, it is easy to see the gash that I got when I hit the metal bar across the door. Immediately someone hands me a towel to put on my head to stop the bleeding. They then help me onto the bus and have me sit in the first seat inside the back door. One of my traveling companions, Joan, used to be a school nurse and a member of St. James Choir with me. She finds her way to me and examines the gash. "Not sure, but you may need stitches," she tells me. Someone else goes to the front to tell our tour leader, Mary Lou, our former minister at St. James, and she grabs Hilary B. by the arm and they both start towards the back of the bus. Hilary is a doctor and was our pediatrician when our children were younger. She examines me and says it is not as serious as it looks. Just a lot of blood. Since I have no hair, I had nothing to cushion the blow to the head and the skin on the scalp is stretched so tight that the gash is large, but not in need of stitches. She certainly should know since I'm sure she has handled many wounds in her career as a doctor. So, off we go in the bus. Someone brings me a baggie with ice wrapped in a cloth to put on my head to help with the sting. Before long the bleeding has totally stopped and we are dropped off at the entrance to the city. To this day, whenever I see one of my traveling companions, they always reminisce about the day I cut my head open trying to be a good Samaritan. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Are You A Beezer?" Story

It was an ordinary day. We are sitting in Beezers. Had a light breakfast this morning then headed to the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii for some sightseeing. Saw the Products Fair outdoor market, the Kilauea Lighthouse and the rarest goose in the world, the Nene. Found in Haleakalia National Park. We then find our way to Beezers. What is a beezer? Good question! A beezer is ...... somebody that LOVES ice cream. Jerry, Just Sue, Carol and I must all be beezers because we are now in Beezers. On the inside flap of their menu is this : Do you remember when "The Madison" was the hottest dance on American Bandstand? Remember when you ate creamy sundaes out of REAL sundae glasses? When a malt was thick and the extra tin-full was put in front of you at no extra charge? Root beer floats? Egg cremes? Chocolate sodas? Whipped cream and cherries? Well, grab your poodle skirts and saddle shoes and come on over to Beezers Old Fashioned Ice Cream on the corner in the Kapaa Trade Center ... just down from Bubba's and c'mon back to the '50s. Yep, that's what it reminds you of. The "Good Ole Times." Black and white tile floor, red vinyl stools and a fabulous 16 foot-long Honduran Mahogany Bar. The owners are Kriss Erikson and Cathy Zadel and they are great. This place opened 8 years ago, but it looks like it has been here forever. Kriss is our waiter today and we get his full attention, since we are the only customers in the place. Carol and I have the June Cleaver BBQ. I'm not sure what our traveling companions had, but we all had ice cream. Jerry and I had the Old-Fashioned Banana Split while Carol had the "Mustang Sally" and Just Sue had the "Howdy Doody." Mustang was a brownie on the bottom with two scoops of ice cream then hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry while the Doody was vanilla and strawberry ice cream with hot butterscotch and marshmallow topping, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry. Buffalo Bob would have loved it. Enjoyed the next hour or so reminiscing with Kriss. Had to buy a T-shirt for a souvenir. And .... as in the old days, no credit cards, only cash rung up on the old register! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Photos from top are: "Beezers" logo, from of soda shop, Kriss preparing out desserts, the Old Fashioned Banana Split and the cash register.

The "Discovering the Streets of Pompeii" Story

It was an ordinary day. We boarded the bus about 3 hours ago and are almost at Pompeii now. Yep, that Pompeii. The one in Italy. It is one of or final days in Italy and our guide, Mary Lou B. had made arrangements for us to travel from Rome to see the historical city of Pompeii. Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman city near Naples. It was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD. The city was buried under about 70 feet of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1,600 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1592. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, over 2,500,000 tourists visit it annually and the street vendors try to sell to every one of them. We have a guide for the tour, but since there are about 30 of us, it is hard at time to hear all the details about the destruction and discovery of Pompeii. We start with a walk that displays Mt. Vesuvius in the background. A constant reminder of what caused all the damage. Naturally, everyone has to have a souvenir photo from that Kodak location. As we follow our guide we see that this city, even though it is still in ruins, still has a population of feral cats and homeless dogs. I stop to feed one of the dogs part of a snack I brought along. We stop to see the sizes of the old houses which display brass house numbers as they did before the destruction. The Streets of Pompeii were paved during Roman times with large polygonal blocks of stone. They are bordered by curbs and pedestrian walkways. On most streets there are raised stones at regular intervals that pedestrians used to cross the streets when water flooded them. The sculptures and frescoes that have been restored are beautiful with soft tones and colors. Quite a few erotic frescoes have been uncovered and many houses had stone carvings in the walk in from the house of the male phallus. We were told that signified that the house was blessed with children. As you stand and take in the entire city, it is truly amazing that the country was able to excavate this city to the way it used to be. Our trip ended with a three course meal outside the city walls. I don't remember much about the meal except that it included large quantities of local wine and big plates of spaghetti. Hey, now I can hardly wait to get home to Lancaster and carve three big penises in my driveway. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - pixs from top are: Carol and LDub in Pompeii with the volcano in the background, stone street with LDub feeding a stray, restored theatre, frescoes on the wall with restored sculpture, stone carving indicating a fertile home and Carol with her waiter getting ready for course #2, the pasta.

The "Assisi Connection" Story

It was an ordinary day. We just finished breakfast in Florence and are headed to Assisi,Umbria. You read right. Assisi, Italy. Home of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment. Assisi is a walled city where the Franciscan Order was started by Saint Francis. St. Francis was born in Assisi in late 1181. In early 1182 his father, who had been visiting France at the time of his son's birth returned and found out his wife had named their son Giovanni after John the Baptist. He was furious since the name signified a man of God so he renamed him Francesco which reflected his infatuation of France. Francis lived a life of luxury since his father was a wealthy man. He also lived a life of sin because of constant wild parties and frequently visiting France. He was eventually disinherited by his father in 1206. But, he finally started a conversion within himself and eventually founded the Franciscan Order in 1210. Today is a cloudy, rainy, cold day. Carol's boss, Rosalyn, who is also a guest on the tour today, is wearing her new beautiful while leather coat with fox collar! She looks very Italian! As we are standing outside the San Francisco Basilica it starts to sleet and snow. That can't be good for a new leather coat, I thought. This is September for goodness sake. And Italy. The weather can't be this bad, can it? We finally got to enter the Basilica and we traveled to the lower levels to view the tomb of St. Francis. Beautiful place and very moving. People crying and praying all over the place. Assisi is one of many walled cities in Italy and they all are so neat to walk through. The stone roads and architecture make you feel like you are part of history. I wonder how they could construct the city with the tools and materials that they had around the birth of Christ. We were told that they are still finding Roman remains in parts of the ancient city. Our tour ends with a four course meal inside the city walls. We start with an assortment of breads and naturally wine. Then the pasta entre. The main course is pork with some kind of potato patty. Very unusual. End the meal with tiramisu. Just an OK meal, but a fabulous place to have the meal. Tomorrow we will head to Rome! Now neat is that!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from the top are: walled city of Assisi, pix of St. Francis, the San Francisco Basilica and Carol roaming the streets of the walled city of Assisi.

The "I'm Not Catholic, But..." Story

It was an ordinary day. Today we are traveling to the Vatican. Yep, THAT Vatican. The one where the Pope lives. Vatican City is a walled enclave within the City of Rome. An enclave is a sovereign city within the boundaries of another sovereign city. Vatican City has an area of 110 acres and a population of approximately 800. The Pope is the head of the Government. Vatican City only came into existence in 1929 and is distinct from the Holy See which dates back to early Christianity. The Holy See is the body of 1.1 billion Catholics around the globe. Hey so much for the history of Vatican City. I'll tell you I was impressed when I walked through the gate and I'm not even Catholic, but close since I'm Episcopalian. Paolo is our guide and he's a handsome Italian dude. He leads us and 10,000 of our closest friends through the Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and a viewing of Michelangelo's Pieta. The Raphael Rooms are located in the Palace of the Vatican. They house the frescoes painted by the artist Raphael. The fresco of Adam and Eve is one of the most impressive. As we walk from building to building you start to feel "religious," if you know what I mean. Hard to imagine how long it took to build these structures and paint all the frescoes and make all the statues that grace the halls. We enter a long hall leading to the Sistine Chapel. The amount of gold leaf on the ceilings and walls is unbelievable. Guards keep close watch. You are allowed to take photographs until we enter the door to the Chapel. Small room!! I guess I was expecting to see some humongous area, but it is very small. And ... don't you dare touch your camera. Guy in front of me did and he didn't have it in about 5 seconds. Didn't even have it to his eye. The camera police grabbed it and told him where he could get it upon exit from the room. They say the flashes will damage the paintings. The floor of the Chapel is mosaictiles while most of the paintings are by Michelangelo with a theme of the history of mankind before the coming of Christ. And .... I'm standing there, looking up at the ceiling and wondering how anyone can paint using a small brush while laying on their back. I have enough trouble standing up and painting the house with a roller. Building was constructed from 1477 to 1483. Can't believe they did that in only 6 years. We headed next to St. Peter's Basilica which is a late Renaissance church which has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. Wow, I should have gotten married in there so I could of had a few more friends and relatives show up. While in the church we solemnly walked past Michelangelo's sculpture, La Pieta. This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. Truly moving!! We walked into St. Peter's Square which is in front of the church. Paolo points out the window where the Pope greets the people standing in the square. Seems he won't be greeting us today. Something better has come up for him. You know, it's funny how all the girls and women seem to hang around Paolo and ask him questions. Dumb things that really don't have anything to do with Italy. You can't be anything but impressed with our journey today. History is neat, even though I hated it in high school and college. Ended the tour in the gift shop, naturally, and bought a "Christian stamp" from Vatican City. I was half afraid to lick it when I was putting it in my scrapbook. Also bought a Rosary for my sister-in-law Kathy. Really neat and she loved it. Well the day is over and I don't think I would have done anything different. Oh yeah! Now when I get home, I've got to have my named changed to Paolo. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from top: Sculpted Sphere in courtyard inside Vatican City, Raphael's Adam and Eve fresco, hallway leading to Sistine Chapel, inside Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square panorama, front of St. Peter's Basilica and tower view of St. Peter's Square.

The "Italian Big 50th" Story

It was an ordinary day. It's Friday, and after breakfast in Florence, we're off to San Gimignano (jim*in*yano). There are 32 of us on a bus tour of this small walled medieval town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, Italy. The town is known for the white wine grown in the area, the 13 magnificent towers that grace the skyline, for being featured in John Grisham's "The Broker" and for being depicted in the video game "Assassin's Creed 2." San Gimignano was founded in the 3rd century BC. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, it was a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican. The city flourished until 1348 when the plague compelled it to submit to Florence. Today it is a

touristic and artistic resort. It has a total area of 53 square miles, an elevation of 1,063 feet and a population of 7,105. As we walk through the main entrance you feel like you are stepping back in time. No motorized vehicles are allowed within the walls of the city. Pathways are stone from eras past and the architecture is amazing. The frescoes which cover the walls depict the renaissance lifestyle. I find it hard to believe that I am walking on the same stones that saints walked on thousands of years before. We walk to the heart of the town that contains four squares, Piazza della Cisterna, Piazza Pecori, Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza Duomo where the Collegiata is located. We tour The Collegiata which is a church that was once a cathedral. Boy, is this Italian!! The view from inside the city of the surrounding countryside with the olive trees and vineyards is breathtaking. After our tour we leave the walled city and head to the Fattoria San Donato, a nearby winery, where we will have lunch and celebrate the "Big 50th" birthday of one of our fellow travelers, Rob Broucht, with a song, a toast and a roast. Wild boar, to be exact.

The wine flows freely in this area of the world. The songs and the toasting gets louder as the wine tasting continued. Rob had been a friend for many years and his mother, Mary Lou is our tour guide and former minister of our church, St. James Episcopal. It seems the barrel dried up so we head back to Florence for a rest, th

en supper. Oh yeah, can't forget the late night trip for gelato!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Pixs from the top: Carol and I at the entrance to the city San Gimignano, frescoes on the walls of the city, two of the remaining towers of the city, a view of the olive trees and vineyards and a birthday photo

The "Florence and David" Story

It was an ordinary day. Wednesday. We had just arrived at Florence, Italy. Traveled here earlier this morning from Vicenza. Carol and I are with a group of 30 tourists from Lancaster. We started with 32, but two returned to the USA after the first stop. Forgot their toothbrushes! No, the husband became ill so they returned home. We are at the Ristorante Aruora, overlooking Florence, for a 3 course lunch of bruschetta, quail and veggies and a dessert. Naturally, all the wine you could drink came with the meal. Water, which came with or without "gas" (carbonation), cost extra. After lunch we visited the Villa Mediceenes which was a beautiful house with fantastic gardens. It was the rush tour because we showed up early afternoon when they wanted to a nap. Checked in at the Hotel Machiavelli Palace which is in the downtown of Florence. 4thfloor room with a balcony overlooking the street. Really neat. That evening Carol and I traveled across the street with Rosalyn and her daughter Melissa for the best pizza I had ever had. So good we had to order another one. Thursday we took a walking tour of Florence and visited The Academy Gallery where Michelangelo' sculpture "David" is displayed. Breathtaking! No photos are allowed. They take your camera if you try. After we left, I stood right outside the door and when the next person opened the door I was ready with my camera. But....the guard put his hand in front of me so I couldn't get a good shot. I'm not sure what the big deal is with taking the photo. We also toured the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Mariadel Fiore in Piazza Duomo and the open air markets. What I thought was a lifelike sculpture in one of the piazzas turned and offered his hand to me. Holy s*#t! Scared the crap out of me. Naturally I shook his hand. He wouldn't let go until I found some change to give him. The following morning Melissa, Rosalyn and I got up early and headed to the market house. Every type of fruit, vegetable, pasta, fish and meat you can imagine. Most animals still had the head attached. Really gross!! No breakfast needed after that. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Photos from top are: view from our hotel balcony, fantastic four at supper, our pizza, "David", Carol supporting a sculpture, Larry shaking hands with a sculpture, and butcher with chicken at the market.

The "Canal Days" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just finished our breakfast at our hotel in Vicenza, Italy. The "We" is a group of 31 tourists who are led by Mary Lou Broucht who is a retired minister from our church. Most of the group are members of St. James Episcopal where she was a minister. We are getting ready to board a bus and travel to Venice for the day. Yep, that VENICE! Can hardly wait. After arriving at the waterfront we board a ferry for our trip to the island. I strike up a conversation with our tour guide for the day who is a resident of Venice. One thing I still remember is her concern about the rising waters and how every year the city of Venice drops lower into the sea. Some parts of the island are under water during high tide. The island grows larger as we get nearer and the anticipation of stepping foot on such a historical place is great. Upon landing we make our way from the water front to Doge's Palace where we begin our tours for the day. Doge's Palace is Venice's "White House". We exit the Palace and walk across the Bridge of Sighs to the prison. This bridge is the last view of land that most prisoners had before heading to the dark, walled prisons. We then take a tour of the Basilica Di San Marco which is thecathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. One of my favorite stops on the island is St. Marks Square where all the local people gather. It is the only urban space called a piazza in Venice. Hundreds of pigeons are also part of the scene. Truly a fun experience and very Italian. Naturally, we had to board a gondola for a ride through the canals. I was the only male of the six people on the romantic tour. Truly romantic tour of Venice, but Carol wants to return someday and ride just with me. Now that's ROMANTIC! The gondolier gave us a history lesson as we maneuvered through the canals. And, he was thoroughly entertaining. The canals are a maximum 15 feet deep. A police boat, an ambulance boat and a variety of personal water craft (non-motorized) passed us on the trip. No swimmers and NO CARS! It was fantastic. For lunch Carol and I had a panini and gelato. How Italian can you get? Purchased a beautiful bracelet made with Murano glass beads. The island of Murano is off the coast of Venice. For years glass was made in Rome, but the Romans, fearing that the glass furnaces would cause fires and burn theirwooden bridges, ordered the glass makers 1n 1291 to move to the nearby island of Murano. We spent the afternoon walking the pathways lined with art galleries, pubs and neat houses with wash hanging from outside wash lines. We also spent time walking the streets which circumvented the island. Street vendors, magicians and entertainers as well as hundreds of tourists shared the walkways. An incredible day in one of the most beautiful cities I have every seen. I certainly could live there!! If only I could speak Italian! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Photos are top to bottom: Basilica Di San Marco, St. Mark's Square, our gongolier, a street (waterway), and Carol and I walking the streets

The "Roman Holiday" Story

It was an ordinary day. We were leaving Assisi, Italy and heading to Rome. The "We" is retired Rev. Mary Lou Broucht and her group of 32 tourists in a bus, mostly from our church. She made all the arrangements, since she had been to Italy many times. As a matter of fact, she had two of our kids on a tour when they were in high school. Arrived at 4:00 PM and checked into Hotel Pace Elvezia. Really an elegant old place. Of course, what place in Rome wouldn't be old! We had a quick supper at a corner cafe and headed back to the hotel to hop in bed. Had an early breakfast at the hotel then off to visit Rome. Melissa, Roselyn, Neil and wife Barbara and Carol and I headed toward the Coliseum. The streets are mostly stone as we travel. After several blocks, we make a final turn and there it is! I have read about the ancient world, but until you see something like the Coliseum in person, you can't believe your eyes. I was awestruck!! Brought tears to my eyes. Magnificent!! As I walked toward theColiseum I felt like I was going back in time. We toured the structure and the Palatino which is next to the Coliseum. I felt like I should be wearing armor and carrying a sword. Street vendors had them for sale. At noon we headed toward the Pantheon. Melissa's husband John couldn't make the trip so we promised to wave to him on the webcam which is on the roof of the Albergo del Senato Hotel located across from the Pantheon. I made a big sign to hold up and we wore bright clothing. Melissa got him on the phone and he saw us. TECHNOLOGY in ancient Rome! At 2:00 PM we traveled with our group by bus to St. Paul's outside the Walls Church and then to the Di San Callisto Catacombs. Again, sights I had read about and seen photos of in history books. After we returned we walked a few blocks to visit the Trevi Fountain before dark. Two days before a person threw packets of red dye in the fountain and all the water turned red. By the time we had arrived, it had all been filtered out. It certainly put Rome in the spotlight for a few days. Supper of pasta and gelato and another trip to the Coliseum to see it at night. So glad digital cameras had been invented. I took a gadzillion photos today. The following day we continued with our sightseeing visiting the "Spanish Steps" which are the longest and widest staircase in Europe. It was built to connect the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. We also toured the markets and walked to the Circo Massimo which is where they raced the chariots. Our last evening meal in Rome was fantastic, but after our meal we all boarded the wrong tour bus and were taken to the wrong hotel. Boy, was that driver po'ed. After finally returning to the hotel we walked one more time to the Trevi Fountain to see it and photograph it at night. Just a beautiful sight. Extremely romantic!! We will return, since we threw the mandatory three coins in the fountain (over our shoulder). The next day was a really bad day in the history of Rome. We headed home!!! It was an EXTRAORDINARY day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photos from top to bottom: Coliseum is the distance; Coliseum and entrance to the Palatino; part of the Palatino; holding up sign for Melissa's husband at the Pantheon; throwing our "3 coins in the fountain"; The Trevi Fountain; The Spanish Steps