Day 8: Venezia... The END

The last day has arrived. For those who are just checking in, our other Italy posts can be found below:

Intro
Day 1: Milan
Day 2: Lake Como
Day 3: Bellagio, Bergamo, etc.
Day 4: The Cinque Terre
Day 5: Tuscany
Day 6: Siena and Civita
Day 7: Rome

Rome and Venice aren't very close together. We had to do quite a bit of driving in a short amount of time. We stopped in Florence to spend the night on day 7 and then continued on to Venice the next day. We were lucky to have great weather for most of our trip, but the last day it finally rained (quite a bit). But the rain didn't bother us. We just threw on some ponchos and enjoyed the beauty of Venice.

I've heard some people say that Venice stinks or isn't all that great. Those people are crazy. Even in bad weather, it was romantic and unbelievable. When I first saw it from far away it looked like something that you would see at Disney World ...times a million. It is just crazy to look out on the water and see these beautiful buildings floating on top of the sea. You can get lost in the maize of bridges and meandering little alleys that connect everything together.

The Grand Canal

Raining on the Grand Canal

The Rialto Bridge in the background

No gondola rides for us. If I'm going to be in a boat with a paddle...I sort of want to be the one paddling. Is that weird?

Maybe it was the haze from the rain, but it felt like being in a dream...or a movie.

Our only picture of St. Mark's square.

Andrew, looking mighty fine in my favorite white shirt (it's not my white shirt...just my favorite ;))

After this, we stopped at Iper again, and stocked up on our favorite foods that are difficult/impossible to find in the States (you guys, Barilla is holding out on us! They have so many amazing sauces that you can only buy in Italy!). We also took a detour so Andrew could show me one more city he served in, Monza. 

It was cool to see kind of a more normal, non-touristy city. This is where Andrew would do a lot of street contacting.

After this we drove around FOREVER to try and find an open gas station. It was honestly so frustrating. At about 1 or 2am we parked our rental car at the airport and slept in it for few hours until it came time to leave for our flights. 

And then we left.

And I was sad. But also happy to finally be seeing my boys. Those last couple days I was really heart sick for them. As much as I loved Italy, I don't think I could have gone another day away from them.

I just have two more things to say about this trip.

1. TRAVEL! I'll admit that Andrew is more of a travel bug than I am. It gave me great pain to think about how much just the plane tickets cost and everything else we could have done with that money. But in the end, I have been converted to traveling. The reason is because traveling (when done right) can give you experiences that are priceless. Experiences and lessons learned from broadening your view of the world, are things you can take with you when you die. They can enrich your life and help you realize things that might go unnoticed in daily life. Of course, I realize that many people aren't in a position or time of their life where travel is possible (we could not have done it without my wonderful sister watching our kids). But if it is, seize the day and DO IT. If it isn't, plan and prepare for a time when you can. Even if it is just one dream trip. 

2. As I looked at all the incredible, art, architecture, and design (not to mention tasting culinary masterpieces) I was reminded that these beautiful, amazing things didn't just happen. They were created. People thought about them and had a plan. Someone decided, "Hey, let's paint this building yellow" or "I think we should line these steps with clay pots," or "why don't we build our village on the top of the highest hill around". People who are intelligent, imaginative, and thoughtful (and perhaps thinking of practical military defense strategies ;)) have created such great beauty in the world. That was very apparent in Italy.

Recognizing this and then beholding the great natural beauty that was everywhere, I felt my testimony grow that God is, in fact, the great Creator. I just can't believe that our world is so beautiful by chance. That it just showed up somehow without someone taking the time to thoughtfully create it. I believe that it was intelligently and carefully planned, crafted and created for us, so that we can remember God's love for his children every time we recognize the beauty of the world.

I'm not only amazed by the natural beauty that Heavenly Father has made but also that we are His children and likewise we have those same capacities for imagination, creativity and patient craftsmanship. It is so apparent to me whether I see beauty in a natural form or man-made form, that it is ultimately God's gift to us.   So somewhere, in my sometimes clumsy hands, lies the power to create something beautiful, functional, and lasting. It is hard for me to recognize most of the time, but I know that power exists because I am a child of God. It is His gift to me. Italy made me so much more grateful for that gift.

The end.