VILLA d, ESTE, Tivoli

Villa d' Este, a masterpiece of the Italian garden designated by Unesco as a world heritage site, with its terraces and impressive concentration of fountains, water jets, and water powered musical instruments.  Above you have seen pictures of this spectacular garden in Tivoli. President & Sister Kelly serve as the Mission President of the Italy Rome Mission.  A beautiful location with good friends. The pictures tell the story of this bueatiful garden 35km northeast of Rome.

Trip to Malta August 5-7 2011

On Aug 5-7th I was asked to travel to Malta to Audit the Malta Branch financial records. 

Elder & Sister Tilley from England are serving as Senior Missionaries in Malta.  Sister Valentine & Sister Tilley in a narrow Malta street.

Above is a picture of a local cathedral.  Notice the two clocks.  Legend is one clock was set for the correct time and the other was set to the wrong time to confuse Satan.  Good luck with that!

Picture of our church in Malta.  The chapel is upstairs and holds approximately 50 people.  The Tilley couple live in the back of the church.

Malta is an island and former province of Great Britian.  You still see the British influence throughout the island.  They continue to drive on the left side of the road.

Everywhere you look in Europe is several thousand years old.  Malta is no exception.  The ocean views and sights are breathtaking.

Malta is a small island with less than 400,000 residents but they are packed into a few very populated areas.  The Mediterranean Sea is beautiful with amazing clarity.

Elder & Sister Valentine at attention with one of the Malta Guard

Several of the Rome missionaries enjoy a wonderful Sunday meal complements of Sister Valentine.  We love to be with the young enthusiastic missionaries. It makes us fell young.  (most of the time)

Not exactly like Colorado roads but close!

Just before transfers Sorella Urban and Hicks invited us to their apartment for dinner.  Sister Kelly & Elder & Sister Burt also joined us.  Two wonderful young sister missionaries.

Their humble apartment in Rome was large enough for the group if Sister Kelly sat on the bed.  The food and company was very good.

Sister Valentine invited some of the departing missionaries to our apartment for Sunday Dinner.  Sister Jones and Sister Pickett, sitting on the couch live a short distance from our apartment.

One of Sister Valentines wonderful meals cooked the Italian way.  What a treat to rub shoulders with young faithful missionaries everyday and to have them in our Italian home.

 

Our picture with Brother & Sister Calabrese and their grandson.  Brother Calabrese is the Rome Stake Patriarch and volunters eveyday to work in our mission office.  We would not be able to manage 55 apartments all over Italy without his experience and dedication. 

One of the departing missionaries was Elder Rappelle.  He served as an assistant and worked with us in the office.  We hated to see him leave but the new assistants are equally great.  Picture in front of the mission home.

Birthday Party and Vatican Visit

OnWednesday June 15th we had a mission tour with a General Authority.  Above and below are about 50 misionaries lined up for lunch.  What a great group of amazing young men and women.

Marilynn of course prepared an amazing meal for my Birthday and had Elder and Sister Burt over.  Would you expect anything less from Sorella Valentine?

St. Peters Square.  These columns surround the square.  There are 284 columns, 56 ft. high.  Topping them are Bernini's 140 favorite saints.  Each saint is hand carved and is 10 ft. tall.

This  is St. Peter's Basilica.  The atrium itself is bigger than most churches. The huge white columns on the portico date from the fourth century.

The obelisk in the center is 90 feet of solid granite weighing more than 300 tons. Originally erected in Egypt more than 2000 years ago, it was later moved to Rome by the emporor Caligula.

Above is the world famous "Pieta."  Michelangelo was 24 years old when he completed this Pieta of Mary with the dead body of the Savior taken from the cross.  Michelangelo lived in the 1500's.

Anziano Valentine standing in front of the Basililica and looking over St. Peter's square.

Elder & Sister Burt with Sister Valentine getting ready to board the Metro.  The trains and subway are the only way to get around Rome and see the sights.  Driving in the downtown area is extremely difficult and parking is impossible.  The busses and trains are very convenient.

 

Sitting in St. Peter's square enjoying probably the biggest tourist attraction in the world.  It would be impossible to describe the enormity of it all without seeing it in person.  It is awe inspring to think of the history that has happened on this spot.  Likely both apostles Peter and Paul where martyred and buried here. 

We only had enough time to see the square and the Basilica.  On a future visit we will spend more time in the museum and the Sistine chapel.  Rome has so much history it is difficult for American's to relate to these two thousand year old sites.

Our Trip to Buccjnjano

             Below are a variety of pictures from this beautiful ancient community. The contrast

              between old and new was amazing when you notice many of these homes now have a satelitte dish attached.

                                         You are looking at a pathway that a cart would drive
                                               on. Also there are pots of flowers everywhere.

                                               We saw a motor scooter go down the steps.

                                       Most of the doors to the homes are this size and smaller

                                                   The people 1000 years ago were very short

                                     

                                     Brother Guidara showing us his tool shed and the large
                              garden he tends.  He also has an olive tree orchard in his back yard

Sister Valentine loves children whether they are Italian or American

Sitting on the back Veranda eating homemade Gelato with this three

generation family.

Saturday afternoon we drove north from Rome approximately 50 kilometers into the Italian countryside. Elder & Sister Burt was our tour guide.  We walked the narrow cobblestone streets of this very old fortress like community.  This bueatiful old structure is still occupied by many families who call it home.  A post card picture of Italy's countryside should be taken here. The streets are only wide enough to allow the ancient horse drawn carts to travel them.  After a walk around the community we visited a wonderful member family that lives nearby.  The grandparents live on one side of the house and the daughter with her husband and children live on the other side.  The grandparents just returned from a two year temple mission to the Swiss Temple.  They welcomed us with open arms and some homemade Gelato.  How much better could a Saturday afternoon be?