The End

Well, unless Heathrow decides to delay our flight indefinitely tomorrow (definitely not out of the question...) tonight will be our last sleep on European soil during this trip. It has been, in a word, amazing. Edinburgh, Brussels, Interlaken, Gimmewald, Florence, Rome, Mannarola, Nice, Paris and London. It makes my head spin to think about it even now. Among the highest highlights were the kindness and community of old friends and new ones.

• Lisa--thank you very much for your hospitality and generosity in allowing us to crash at your flat for few days. Scotland wouldn't have been the same without ye.
• Roger and Nancy (and Ruth and Albert!)--thank you for putting up with us for a few extra days while we lamented the incompetence of British Airways and sought a temporary solution.
• Josh and Bernice--it was a delight to make your acquaintance in Gimmewald and to meet up again in Cinque Terre. Even though all Aussies are the direct descendents of criminals, you two are great.
• Curtis--we are indebted to your top-shelf skills as a (free) Roman tour guide. You're going to make a university history department very happy some day.
• Lia and David--you two are absolutely spectacular in every way (David, ditto the above comment about Aussies). You made our last couple days in Europe feel like the first few days all over again. Mmmm...Dim Sum.

So tomorrow we take off, or as the Brits say 'alight.' We will be sure to 'mind the gap' between London and America. Please pray for a safe journey until we return home at 2:30 (Central Standard) tomorrow in Chi-town - we'll be back in Minneapolis on Monday. Thanks again to all who have taken the time to keep up with us on this journey. We hope to see you very, very soon!

PS - We plan to post more photos when we return. Many of the pay as you go computers here in Europe don't allow USB access. Check back here for photos over the next few weeks!

From Paris to London

Hey friends.

We made it to London safely and (finally) found our Hostel. Turns out that, though Montague Place and Montague STREET are very close to one another, you won't find the place you're looking for unless you choose the right one.

Who knew?

Anyway, we're down to two and a half days left. I can hardly believe it. So, I suppose we'll take in as much of London as is possible in that span of time.

Now, I know that the Football (and by that I mean 'American Football') season is starting today. But, don't forget that an even more impressively violent sport is in full swing: The Rugby World Cup. Jess and I had a chance to take in the France v. Argentina match while we were cooking dinner the other night. It was spectacular. If I were an NFL player, I'd be scared of these guys. So, all that to say, even though the NFL is getting underway, don't forget to watch a bit of the NFL's kissing cousin if you get a chance.

Oh, you're proabably wondering about Paris. It was good. Very good. How exactly do you describe 6 days in Paris? I could give a blow by blow account of what sights we saw, etc. But that's proably not very interesting to read...and proabably not worth the exorbitent internet fees to type--by the way, thank GOD that we're back in the land where keyboards make sense. I feel like I had to offer an animal sacrifice to our last keyboard every time I wanted to use the @ key. Ridiculous.

OK, Paris. Well, I'm gonna cop out again and say we'll chat about it with ya'll when we get back. A couple of random thoughts (as if this post weren't random enough already).

• First, any weight that I may have lost trekking around other parts of Europe was...er, redistributed by the spectacular pastries of Paris.
• Second, the US has a national bird, a national seal, etc. France has a national smell. It is that delicated combination of sidwalk urine, cigarette smoke and body odor all of which is then mixed with delightful smells of baking pastries. I feel conflicted.
• Third...is it so hard to standardize keyboards? Seriously.
• Fourth--what happened to the Twins while I was gone??!!?? Seriously. I leave for five minutes and the whole central division goes to hell in a handbasket.
• Fifth--the US needs to figure out better public transportation. Paris' metro was spectacular.
• Sixth--why is everything so expensive in London? As if it weren't enough that the Pound is 2:1 over the dollar--everything actually costs twice as much...except Broadway-ish shows....which we'll be taking in later tomorrow or Tuesday.

OK, I guess that's all for now. Blessings, all--we love to hear your feedback!

One Week To Go!

Hi friends.

I can't believe we only have a week left. The time has gone so fast! For those of you who have spent your time (read 'employer's time') following our journey around Europe, your company has been much appreciated. We love the feeling that others are here with us, if only in spirit.

When we last left our heroes (read 'rag-tag travellers'), there were a few stories and some pictures of the Cinque Terre. After that point, Jess and I took the train further north into the French Riviera for an evening in the city of Nice. Perhaps it was just the abbreviated time we spent there, but we didn't find it to be all that nice (pun incredibly intended). Nice was dirty and graffiti laden, as was our hostel. I wouldn't say it was unsafe--it's just not a town to which we would return. Though, I have heard that Monaco (just a five minute train ride away) is pristine and beautiful. The one morning we spent in Nice did involve a fun morning walk on the beach, however.

...and then on to Paris.

Jessica spoke so fondly of it as she reminisced about her time here in college that I wondered if it could be as great as she remembered it. Quite frankly, it has been better. Our accommodations are spectacular--a nice, small studio apartment to call our own for six nights. We even have a kitchen, which I consider a necessary evil in a city like Paris. The restaurant scene is arguably the world's best, but a person could go broke in a heartbeat by eating out every night.

For those of you who don't know, Paris is also home to the world's largest and best metro system. With dozens of lines going in all different directions, a person is never more than a two or three minute walk from the nearest metro. Yesterday we took advantage of this immediate proximity to everything by visiting Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle on Ile San Luis (forgive me if I'm spelling that wrong!).

It is no stretch to say that Saint Chapelle is my favorite European site thus far. The reasons for that are too varied and illogical to bear out an explanation. For those who don't know what it is, here is the brief version--it is a beautiful Gothic chapel, bearing the most impressive stained-glass work anywhere in the world, built to house some of France's most impressive religious relics including Christ's crown of thorns (check the wiki here for a more in-depth description).

Jess and I walked up the claustrophobia inducing spiral staircase into the chapel and stood there speechless. (Speaking of that--we found it incredibly ironic that a 'silence!' sign would be posted in a location that cannot fail to bring its viewers to dumbstruck awe. Crazy French folks...) We took a seat in and stared in amazement as the partly cloudy day illustrated the differences between light and dark in the stained glass in the chapel. It was remarkable. Each beam of sunshine would light up the glass like a thousand violins playing perfectly in tune. Then, as the sun went behind the cloud, the light would slowly fade in the room, like a pianissimo decrescendo at a symphony's conclusion.

The visual silence that followed was deafening.

There is so much more to say, but I suppose I should go make dinner. Suffice to say, I was very conflicted about a number of things--i.e., the crown of thorns is only shown to the general public four times per year, the ethics of a place of worship becoming nothing more than a tourist spectacle, Saint Chapelle's history of class distinction during worship (only the elite could worship in the beautiful top level of the chapel), etc.--all of which are better discussed conversationally.

I can't wait to get back and show photos to everyone. Jessica has done a masterful job of capturing our journey on film.

24 Hours in Firenze!

Hello again, friends.

Well, here we are in Italy (Florence, to be precise)--home of gelatto, ancient buildings and high heels. On the last point--Jess and I seriously can't figure out how Italian women are able to walk on these 700 year old cobblestone streets in stilettos without breaking an ankle. It is truly an art form.

Our train trip from Switzerland was, once again, remarkably smooth. Quick transfers, kind people and relatively comfortable seats. We arrived in Florence at about 3:00 PM yesterday and took a cab to our Hostel. Now, that may sound like a boring detail...but you didn't see this cab. The woman who drove the cab had lost her husband (who used to drive the cab) to cancer some years beforehand. She now gives free rides anywhere in the city to those who are fighting cancer. She was one part philosopher, one part hippy and one part muppet. Seriously. Her cab had so many peace-nik paraphernalia and stuffed animals inside of it that it looked like an atomic muppet bomb had gone off in there. She loved it. She also gave Jess a sucker.

We arrived at our hostel in the Southwestern part of Florence and were very impressed. It is called Casa Santo Nome di Gesu--it is a beautifully preserved and pristinely clean 15th Century convent. The Sisters who run the place spoke very little English, but (fortunately) very decent French.

Jess's French saves us again.

We decided to head out to the Uffizi Museum shortly after our arrival. It sports one of the finest collections of Renaissance and Medieval artwork anywhere. Now, usually you have to wait in line for up to three hours if you go there when it first opens. Fortunately for us, an hour before it closes, the waiting time was only about 20 minutes. We spent the 60 minutes in absolute awe at the artistic fortitude of those who died centuries ago. It really defies explanation.

As does the gellato.

If you haven't ever had it, we suggest a trip to Italy.

Today, we had a wonderful breakfast at the convent and hit the streets. After sending back the remainder of our borrowed luggage to Ruth in Brussels (thank you, Mailboxes Etc.!!!!), we viewed the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. See the description of the Uffizi again for our reaction. The architecture around here is incredible. Construction was undertaken on this church 250 years before some guy named Christopher 'sailed the ocean blue.' Shortly after, we walked a quick half mile over to the Duomo. No such luck on the entrance to this site. It's one of Florence's most famous, and the line stretched all the way down the block. We took a leisurely stroll around it and savored the view from the outside. It was breathtaking.

So, here we are in an internet cafe at the train station, ready to hop on another train and head for Rome.

Ciao!

Eureka, They Found It

-or- How Murphy's Law Once Again Proves True Well, friends, old Murphy has found us out for the millionth time. Yesterday morning we left Brussels. Yesterday afternoon they found our bags. Isn't that convenient? (The answer is 'no'). Oh well, at least our things are in the care of the Roberts family (we hope). We're awaiting information about whether or not they have received the bags in our stead. More information to come on the FASCINATING SAGA of Tim and Jess's prodigal bags. Thanks to all who prayed for us!

A Good, Good Day

Hello, friends and blog reading faithful...This keyboard does not allow apostrophes or new paragraphs, so I will make this as close to a Dickens entry (one LONG run on sentence) and contraction free as possible. Jess and I had a wonderful day today. We boarded the Brussels metro system at around 7 AM and had about 4 smooth train changes. Long story short, we arrived in Interlakken to a GORGEOUS mountain scene at about 5 PM. That was about 2 hours earlier than expected, and best of all, it was HASSLE FREE. I would put exclamation points on that last bit, but I cannot find the damn things on this keyboard. So, in brief--we are in Interlakken enjoying the amazing scenery and the hospitality of our VERY nice hostel. They might not have flawless technology, but who does? I trust you are all doing well back in the states. Jess and I are in good spirits, looking forward to a good night sleep and a relaxing day in a small town tomorrow. PS related only to my father--Dad, there are no watchcows in Switzerland. They are all evenly spread across the grazing surface, rather than in one pack near the corner with a single cow to watch for possible danger or human interaction. Jess and I thought that would blow your mind. :)

Idol Comfort

-or- "Day 3, Still No Packs"

Do ever just have 'one of those days,' friends? Well, Jessica and I definitely did today. All of this seems somehow funnier and less potentially catastrophic in hindsight, so please sit back and laugh with/at us.

The day began with Jessica and I once again trying to put small plastic cylinders onto our eyeballs. It's illogical by any standard, but many people do it every day without pain. We, however, could not. The burning sensation that ensued from using European contacts solution is a pain I don't wish on (m)any of you. So, needless to say, with my glasses still lodged somewhere in the purgatorial Heathrow holding bin, I was all set to be mostly blind for a second consecutive day.

In the morning we consoled ourselves with some of the best pastries I have yet tasted. The local baker supplied us with brief smiles and the glimmering hope that 'this' may indeed be the low point in our lost baggage saga.

That is...

...until we (finally) got into contact with the British Airways customer service. The good news is that we actually got to talk to a human being (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). The bad news was the conversation that followed. Without belaboring the details too greatly, a kindly gentleman name Ishmael informed me that our bags, because they did not make the connecting flight, went into a holding bin with other bags that were considered as possible terrorist elements.

The irony of a man named Ishmael explaining this to me is almost too much to bear.

Aside from this fascinating tidbit of info, Ishmael encouraged us to go out and spend the 1000 Euros per person allotted by the airline for just such an occasion. Now, that may seem great, but to us it was as good as saying, "You'll never see your bags again."

The first order of business thereafter was finding a local shopping center with an optometrist. Our aforementioned angel, Ruth, volunteered to once again act as chauffeur and bring us to a local Wal-marty thing (with an attached Pearle Vision) called 'Cora' so that we could snap up all the necessary supplies. The second order of business was to find an optician that spoke decent English and could give me an eye exam and get new glasses put together before the end of the day. As it turned out, one out of two wasn't so bad. Jess negotiated her way nicely through a stint as my personal French translator during the exam. And, let me tell you friends, if you haven't had a bilingual eye exam thousands of miles from home, you haven't yet lived.

So, everything was going along swimmingly. We had finished our shopping and my brand new 250 Euro designer glasses (thank you, British Airways) were ready for me to pick up. But the whole process was incredibly stressful for many reasons; not the least of which is that Ruth was only able to bring us TO Cora, and not HOME FROM Cora. It seemed like a minor detail at the time. I thought we'd just call a cab. More on that in a minute...

As soon as Jess and I finished purchasing our items, I went to pick up my glasses and she headed for the restrooms. I picked up the glasses and headed toward the restrooms to meet Jess. What I then saw was her red-faced and puffy-eyed with tears streaming down her cheeks. Turns out that the I-beam that broke the camel's emotional back was the unexpected lady in the restroom who demanded she pay .35 Euros to use the toilet. And, as she fumbled through a coin purse full of nothing but American quarters and British coins, she had finally had enough of Brussels. I assured her that, indeed THIS was the low point and we were almost home with all new things.

I can be so wrong.

I went to the place where a person calls a Taxi, only to be informed that the phone wasn't working and there was no way a taxi could be called....and no buses ran to that side of town...

...at which point I also completely lost it.

Fortunately for us ('fortune' being a flexible term for 'because our God is good and knows what we need') a friendly looking African gentleman was watching the entire situation (and his wife and daughter had been in the bathroom to witness Jessica's distress). He asked what was wrong and explained that everything was going to be OK. He said that he and his family would gladly give us a ride back to our place. I didn't know if I could trust a complete stranger at first, but we honestly had nowhere else to turn.

So, with tears streaming down our faces, we headed to his car as he explained that he had been a pastor in Brussels for the last 18 years and that it was God's will that he should run into us at this precise moment. So, he played Taxi driver for us, pulling right up to the front door of our place, at which point he prayed the most moving prayer I had ever heard (half of it in a language I didn't know), gave us both hugs and sent us on our way.

Oddly enough, at that very moment the front door of our place opened. Roger and Nancy had returned from their vacation. We spent the rest of the evening in their very capable care, including a dinner of Gyros and Leffe Beer, a drive to downtown Brussels (pictures forthcoming), and a real Belgian waffle (pictures ALSO forthcoming).

So, here we are. Day 3, still no bags, reflecting about how much our faith in God is based on our present level of comfort. And, though we will definitely sleep more peacefully tonight, that peace was learned the hard way through NEEDING to trust for God's provision and protection. Tomorrow we are moving on to Interlakken with a radiance in our countenances.

Heathrow Airport

We have safely, and somewhat jet-laggedly arrived in London's Heathrow airport. We're typing 'on the clock,' so this will probably be short--that combined with the fact that the \\\\\\\\\ is where the 'shift' should be, and the ##### is where the 'return' should be.

Crazy Brits.

While the flight itself was safe and warm...or, at least safe, there was a medical emergency in the middle of the night. They asked for any doctors or medical professionals to step forward. We were initially concerned they'd have to make an emergency landing, but it turned out just fine. The other plane adventure was seeing a simulated plane on the movie screen showing our progress along the journey. I think we made it as far north as Greenland....which wasn't as 'green' as I had imagined.

In about an hour we leave for Edinburgh where we'll be staying with our friend Lisa. We've been told the Edinburgh fringe festival is in full swing there, so it should be kind of crazy...or as they call it, 'mad'.

That's all for now, friends!