Finally we are staying put in McKinney for a couple of weeks. Our trip to Indiana for most of August was wonderful. We enjoyed spending time with Regina (Terry's mom), Dolan and Mary Louise (Susan's parents). We especially loved being there for Dolan's 90th birthday. Dolan taught his dog, Tinker, to bark out "I Love You" and so his children - 6 of them - barked out I Love You to Dolan on his 90th. He threw us triskets for treats! Jennie, Martin & Elliot, along with Amanda & Hans Henry, spent a week at Lake James with us. We also [View Full Entry]

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Tomorrow we leave Italy to head back to the U.S. and the heat of Texas! What a treat it has been to be here in the mountains in this magical village of Triora! Traveling always creates change and I'm sure this journey will have a lasting impact on us. One thing for sure, we're concerned about the status of the church. It seems that only the older people attend services and many of the smaller churches are suffering from physical decay. The larger cities and more famous cathedrals can charge for tours which contributes to upkeep. I wish there would be [View Full Entry]

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Yesterday was a special celebration at one of the churches in Triora, Sant Agostino. We walked from Jennie & Martins flat uphill to the church. Terry and I attended mass there, which was also first communion for 5 boys and 1 girl, so there were many young people in attendance. Many of the young people visited the bar on the street below the church while waiting for mass to end. We understood the creed, Lordàs Prayer and passing of the peace - pache. Some people review their grocery list during the sermon, I reviewed gelatto options because I couldnàt understand a [View Full Entry]

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We have finally made it to Italy! What an adventure. We spent several hours in the Nice airport trying to sort out the credit card situation for Susan. I really don't like to use this credit card, and just wanted to be able to get cash, but can't get a phone number that works. We'll try again tomorrow. I do have a temporary credit card and was able to use it at the grocery store. If you are reading this blog and want a wonderful destination in Italy, we highly recommend the region of Liguria. If you want time for meditation [View Full Entry]

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A good portion of Sunday afternoon was spent with the policia reporting the theft of my wallet. What an experience! The intake officer was baffled by my birthplace and that I didn't live there. He said what is a Ft. Wayne? And he told me to leave out Indiana because it could confuse the officer. He kept using the amount of $400 and no, I didn't have that amount in my wallet, nor was it worth that! All together I had about $150 worth of Euro and US dollars. Then when we came back to the hotel the desk person told [View Full Entry]

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We left Malaga airport this morning and headed out for Barcelona. Our time in Torremolinos was fast and fun. Our tour to Granada and the Alhambra was so interesting - last stronghold of the Moors and so much of their artistic and creative endeavors still intact. We had fun with the other people on the tour, from all over the world. Our guide spoke four languages. Terry had the most trouble with a gentleman from Australia and his very think accent. Washington Irving shamed the Spanish government into preserving the Albambra as a national treasure - 1800's - and we're thankful [View Full Entry]

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It is a miracle of God that we´re still alive!! We drove from Sevilla to Cordoba with at least five different maps - none of which we could really read. Everyone we would ask would give us a map and highlight the route, with pen, drawing through the names of the streets. We decided to throw away most of the maps and just go by intuition. That mostly served us well. We arrived at the tour point in Cordoba at exactly the moment the tour was to begin. They were waiting for us! Each tour has been such a treat. Usually [View Full Entry]

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We arrived in this interesting city yesterday and have walked around in awe at the magnificent cathedral and the many smaller churches. Pilgrims abound, having walked a minimum of 112K to receive the certificate of compostela (the way of the stars that led the monk to the remains of St. James - brother of John). We attended mass this morning at the cathedral. We cannot upload photos on this computer, so will send one later. The entire King of Glory could fit into one section. The pre-service was chanting in Latin by the priests; at least eight of them. They then [View Full Entry]

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It will be very hard to leave Madrid! We have thoroughly enjoyed the city, the food, tours, etc. We finally made it to Toledo today and loved that city also! Holy Toledo is real, the origin being three religious cultures - Christian, Jewish and Muslim. One very interesting synagogue, with Moorish architectural influences, had a cross. The guide said it had been converted to a Christian church. I told Terry that I wondered if these Toledoans were as impressed with Ohio as we were with Spain! Terry has a soft spot in his heart for Toledo! We were barely recuperated from [View Full Entry]

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We´re hoping to get photos uploaded! Terry got us on the wrong tour bus, but we wound up seeing so much - the birthplace of Teresa of Avilla and St. John of the Cross, which speaks to our spiritual disciplines. We went to Avilla and Segovia instead of Toledo. We toured several cathedrals in both cities and thoroughly enjoyed the day - we even had the same tour guide, Patriz, from yesterday. She said we could easily visit Toledo in a half day tour tomorrow and have the afternoon for the Prado Museum. We could easily just stay here! We try [View Full Entry]

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