Europe Trip - Italy, Day 9

Our last day in Italy took us even further back in time. Around 30BC, Augustus had just defeated Egypt and he wanted to bring back to Rome items that were symbolic of his victory. One item he brought to Rome was an obelisk from the Pharaoh Ramses II. You can see the hieroglyphics still on it. Ramses II was the Pharaoh in power when Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea, so they would have walked right past this same obelisk! There are 13 obelisks in Rome that were taken from Egypt, another one of which is in the picture of St. Peter's Basilica a few posts down.

A few years later, the Pantheon was constructed. This was originally a temple built for the seven planets, but became a Christian church in the 7th century. I've seen pictures of this before in books, but seeing it in person is amazing! The roof is still original, dating from 25BC.

Our walking tour of Rome then led us to the Colosseum. This is probably the most notable building in Rome because of its elliptical arena which held gladiator games. It first opened in 80AD, and seated up to 60,000 guests at a time for over 450 years. Once the Roman Empire fell and Christianity took hold, the Colosseum was abandoned. It's building materials were then used for the large churches and Basilicas, which is why the Colosseum looks depleted today.

As evening began to set in, we enjoyed the walk home surrounded by so much history. Every Roman ruin was a treasure to keep in our memory. But, we missed our kids, and were so thankful that Grandma Linda was able to stay with them so we could enjoy this trip. It was truly the vacation of a lifetime!

Europe Trip - Italy, Day 8

We continued our theme of the early Christian church by visiting the Roman catacombs. These catacombs, or underground burial chambers, date from the 2nd century AD and became the resting place for early Christians, martyrs, and Popes.

This underground area consisted of tunnels and passageways carved out of soft rock, with niches in the walls to lay the corpses.Some theorize that Christians used these tunnels to hide during persecution. However, the air inside would have been toxic due to decaying of corpses. Plus, the location of these catacombs were known to the Romans. Although the stench must have been difficult to breathe, small chapels were carved out of the rock for families to have a memorial service. In one of these small chapels, Father Dan led us in Mass which we offered for all those still being persecuted today for their Christian faith.

After the bodies were laid, the niche was sealed with slabs of tile. Beautiful frescoes were painted on the wet slab that depicted images of Christianity we still recognize today, like the cross, fish, or Mary holding baby Jesus. One of the rooms, on the left, was completely hidden for centuries until archeologists found it. This room was very well preserved, and was probably used by a noble family.

Europe Trip - Italy, Day 7

Our 2nd day in Italy was spent in Rome focusing on the early formation of Christianity in the 1st & 2nd centuries going all the way back to the apostles. Peter, one of Jesus' 12 disciples, was an evangelist to the Jews. He preached of Jesus' teachings all the way to Rome, where he was eventually crucified (upside down) inside the city since he was not Roman. The church built over his burial site is now known as St. Peter's Basilica.

Next to St. Peter's Basilica is the Vatican. Members of the Swiss army guard the entrance to the Vatican (where the Pope lives). Everywhere else in Italy you see the Italian police or the Italian army, but not here. Vatican City is considered it's own country, separate from Italian rule. The guards are from Switzerland and have been wearing this uniform for over 500 years.

Paul, one of the great writers of the Bible and an evangelist to the Gentiles, was a Roman citizen and well educated. His teachings led to the conversion of millions to Christianity and help guide the foundations of our Christian faith. Out of respect for his Roman citizenship, Paul was beheaded outside the city of Rome around 67 AD. The church on the right was originally built this exact size soon after his death in anticipation of all the visitors and pilgrimages. It's interior is very simple, but beautiful. Now known as St. Paul's Basilica, this church is also built over his remains.

Europe Trip - Italy, Day 6

Our first day in Italy was spent in the town of Assisi about 2 hrs drive north of Rome. It's located in the beautiful Italian countryside with small towns or villages every 6-7 miles. These towns all had something in common: a walled town built near the top of a hill with a fortress and 2nd wall at the very top for it's citizens to retreat to if the town was being attacked.

Here is the fortress of Assisi. We didn't tour the fortress because we spent so much time in the little town. A man from this town in the 11th century renewed Christians by his humble, simple life of poverty and helping the poor. He later became known as St. Francis of Assisi.

Before he died in 1226, Francesco was already widely known for his message of peace. After his death, the community knew they needed to build a church large enough to hold all the visitors, and to the right was that church.

The fresco paintings on the inside are absolutely beautiful, and have survived for 800 years.

After touring the town and church, we walked off the main path to find an Italian restaurant filled with local residents. The dinner was a delicious 3 course meal with plenty of wine.

Europe Trip - Czech Republic, Day 5

On Saturday, there was a festival going on in town at one of the market squares. So, we decided to walk around a bit. They had little tents and booths set up selling all kinds of trinkets, foods, etc. with some great music.

After a while, we decided to do what the local Czechs did and enjoyed a beer.

Then, I kept seeing all these people eating something like a cinnamon roll. As we began walked around, these booths kept showing up everywhere like vendors selling funnel cakes back in the US. I just had to try one.

They are called Trdelniks, and are quite tasty! It's dough wrapped around iron poles and cooked over hot coals. When done, they roll it in sugar, cinnamon, toffee bits, and almonds.

Europe Trip - Czech Republic, Day 4

We arrived in Prague hoping that several people spoke English. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The first language here is Czech, then Russian, and finally English. We even had to use a Russian map to learn their metro, trolley, and bus systems. Fortunately, Eric can speak some Czech and he was able to get us around town.

The town of Prague is beautiful! If you can look past the graffiti on the buildings, the charm of this once-communist country comes to life.

We saw lots of fountains, statues, and churches stemming from the Hapsburg Austrian empire.

And yes, they have a beautifully preserved castle, too! This one we decided to fork over the money to tour. I loved it, but Eric would have rather spent the entrance fee on another bowl of goulash.

Below is a view of Prague from high on a hill by the castle.

Europe Trip - Germany, Day 3

The churches are well-preserved, and this one in Weseke was absolutely beautiful! World War II destroyed much of Weseke because of it's close proximity to The Netherlands. Allied war planes would drop their "payloads" before leaving German territory, and this town took the brunt of that. Parts of the church, including the baptistry, survived, so it was neat to see where our family worships and has been baptized for generations.

After our tour of Weseke, we headed to Bernhard-Niessing where Ludgar Muggenborg works. This facility makes the most beautiful wooden doors I've ever seen with the old-fashioned key holes. I brought home a brochure eventhough I'd never be able to afford one of these doors in our home. :)

We then headed to the town of Gemen and saw this beautiful castle surrounded by a moat. You might think it's been preserved as a museum, or possibly a hotel, but instead, it's used as a Christian youth center for retreats. How awesome would it be as a teenager to spend summer camps here?

Europe Trip - Germany, Day 2

The town of Weseke is small and very clean. Their flower gardens are beautiful, and are a source of pride.

Their cemeteries are equally as beautiful and well manicured.

Eric loved the town so much he decided to make a speech from the town's "onion", or pulpit in the city's center. Do you see a potential mayor here?

Europe Trip - Germany, Day 1

Eric & I decided to take a trip to Europe, just the two of us, to meet extended family across the globe. Our first stop was Germany, where we enjoyed the hospitality of our relatives. I loved seeing the home place, a dairy farm in Weseke.

Here, my great-grandfather Henry Mueggenborg (spelling was Americanized) lived & worked before migrating to the US. This farm is still a family business today.

To the left are the Muggenborgs in Weseke, Germany, our extended family that we hope to see again in a few years!

On the right are the Oklahoma, Iowa, California, Michigan, Texas, and South Carolina Mueggenborgs from the US that decided to make this family trip to Germany. Oddly, most of us didn't know each other prior to the trip! Now, I feel so blessed that they are family, no matter the miles or generations between us.

Julia's first soccer game!

Today at 11 Julia played her very first soccer game. Thanks to the coaches (Dad and Ashlyn), their team was able to get the first win of the season! The total score was 4-2, but who counts? IT's all about them having fun, playing hard, getting a grin on their face, running through the tunnel, and having a snack at the end!