Trip Updates
Below, explore all our special blogs. These consist of various congregational trips and pastoral reflections while leading trips or while on sabbatical.
Day 10 – Venice
Our last full day before departing for home tomorrow. Today we took the bus to Venice (we stayed at a hotel just outside the island) where we then caught a…
Day 9 – Last Day in Tuscany and travel to Venice
We left our Tuscan Villa this morning and went a short distance to Winery where we had a cooking class making pasta (that we ate later for lunch), having a…
Day 8 – Hilltop Towns in Tuscany
Today we visited the hilltop town of Montalcino. We then went to a quaint winery below the hilltop town of Montepulciano. There we had a wonderful picnic lunch. The Tuscany…
Ciao Rome
We have wrapped up our time in the Holy City, Rome. The heat was sweltering. We took daily naps in our cool hotel during the warmest parts of the day.…
Day 7 – Tuscany Villa and Wine Tour
Today was great! Relaxing, beautiful, happy people and good food and wine. We started by visiting one of the oldest wineries in the Chianti region of Tuscany with a tour…
Day 6
This morning, we left Florence and departed for a 1.5 hr. bus ride to Siena. We had a two-hour walking tour of Siena ending in their beautiful cathedral. We then…
Days 4-5 in Florence
On day 4 we arrived in Florence in the mid afternoon. We were supposed to have arrived before lunch and had the afternoon free, but that didn’t happen. Some people…
The Gift of Hospitality
We made it! After a flight to Minneapolis and then a 9 ish hour flight across the pond, we arrived in Rome! The girls did GREAT! Having grandparents on board…
Vatican Museum & Tour of St. Peter’s Basilica
Today was another hot one (I have a feeling it’s going to be the whole trip). We got up early to go visit the Vatican Museum(s) which ends with the…
Sun. Worship at St. Peter’s Basilica, wave at the Pope, walking tour of famous sites
Our day started off by going to the Vatican and joining in the throngs for worship in St. Peter’s Basilica on Father’s Day. We then joined the crowded square outside…
The Catacombs, St. Paul Outside the Wall, The Colosseum, and the Roman Forum
Bongiorno! After a long day of travel, we finally made it to our hotel in Rome about 1:30am Saturday. After a short night’s sleep we started our first day, Saturday,…
The Worlds of the Story
I’m not sure who originated the concept, but there are always three worlds/peoples interacting when reading Scripture: The world in front of the text – That’s you and I as…