Bluegrass Brigid

WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: Week 7 (Florence & Rome) Why Rome?  Because the world as we know it began right here at Constantine's Arch, built to commemorate his civil war victory over Maxentius in 312 CE .  Constantine's Arch & Roman Colosseum And, this matters because, despite all the conflicting accounts regarding how or why it happened... under Constantine, Christianity became the religion of the Roman empire, and thus, much of the western world.  I grew up being taught this was a wonderful thing for Christianity - because of Constantine's conversion, Christians no longer had to fear persecution. Our trips to Scotland, Ireland and France proved that this is only true insofar as you are a Christian of the same variety as those in power. So, I found myself mesmerized by the juxtaposition of empire and church in this ancient place, wondering who influenced who the most... and, still listening for the heartbeat of God in the midst of it all.  Mor...

WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: WEEK 7  (Florence & Rome) Florence Part 2: Cupid, Culture & Cucina! On our second full day in Florence, we finally got to sleep in (whoo-hoo!) and just enjoy the city a bit before our late afternoon tour at the Uffizi Gallery. And, what a delight to just absorb the culture of a place like Florence where romance, indulgence and beauty seems to ooze out of every nook and cranny no matter where you are in the city! For example, while waiting for our tour at the Uffizi to begin, David and I actually got shot by Cupid's arrow :) Because we slept in so late, we opted for a foo-foo coffee & cheesecake lunch on the Duomo piazza... David's cheesecake & my Caffe della Opera! Supposed to be a pic of David's cheesecake but my foo-foo coffee took over the picture :) After taking nourishment, we walked through the old part of the city and across the River Arno on the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) to view th...

WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: Week 7 (Florence & Rome) Part 1: Florence - David & the Duomo Buongiorno! Michaelangelo's David It was no doubt ambitious if not downright crazy to add Italy to our already packed itinerary... but, it was definitely worth it!  From Michaelangelo's famous "David," to the fantastically constructed Duomo in Florence... to Michaelangelo's famous Sistene Chapel and the fantastically constructed Colosseum in Rome, it was one sacred, incredible, mesmerizing experience after another. And, that's an understatement! We departed Lyon, France very early Monday morning, October 8, to travel by rail across the alps to Milan, where we would pick up a high speed train to Florence. The whole trip took about 8 hours, which isn't near as bad as it sounds... however, we are quite fortunate it didn't take longer because we very nearly missed making our connection in Milan! And, it wasn't because the train was off sch...