June 12, 2016

We enjoyed a grand buffet breakfast before getting a taxi and meeting Kate's Greek friends Penny and Tessa at the Acropolis Museum. The museum sits adjacent to the Acrpolis, which is huge, beautiful and striking. The museum itself is built over the old Greek roads and shops that led up to the Acropolis. The beautiful entryway is made of glass so that you can look down at the old ruins, continuing to be excavated. The actual angle and shape of the museum was made in 2009 to replicate the size and angle of the Acropolis. Once inside the rooms on the second floor replicate the floor plan of the Acropolis. Large columns are spaced similarly to the old with many of the original stone carvings placed on the inside-outside walls. Must of the stone sculptures are the originals, however where pieces are missing, new plaster replicas are placed so that the visitor may see and experience the original temple. It is truly spectacular.  Inside we enjoyed looking at ancient pottery and other statues found inside and outside of the structure. We also learned about the Gods worshipped at the temple. The stories related to the Greek Gods and Greek mythology. It has been many years since I heard many of the stories.

After enjoying many hours at the museum we walked down the walkway to a wonderful Greek restaurant. Penny ordered salads, breads and olives and we each ordered an entry. I had a Greek Gryro that was amazing. After spending a couple hours at lunch we took a taxi back to the hotel. We also made arrangements with our taxi driver to return to pick us up to go to the airport on Tuesday.

Doug, Mary Lou, and I took naps while Kate visited with her friends. We then met for conversation and drinks, followed by a gorgeous view of the Acropolis from our 8th floor window of our hotel restaurant.

Message of the day: The Greek statues represented human struggle. The early Greek people were looking for a way to be in relationship with their God's and to make sense of their lives and there struggles. That sounds a lot like the purpose of our faith and out chuches today.

June 11, 2016
 We awoke early this morning. We have to disembark by 8:00 a.m.  We had to have luggage out in the hall by dinner last night. And so there was not much to do this morning.  As with everything on the cruise it all went like clockwork this morning.  We were off the boat with our luggage and porter with a taxi in a matter of minutes. Trying to tell the non English speaking taxi drivers the hotel name and being understood was another matter, so was loading the wheelchair into the car. I find that all of the men are quite sure they know more than me, even though they have never seen or touched this chair before. Finally they allow me to collapse the chair and put it into the trunk.

When we arrived at the hotel they did not have an accessible room for us. I showed the young woman  my paperwork and in the end she said she would see what she could do. I told her it would not be good for Doug or the hotel if he fell in the bathroom. I was not pleased.

Kate's friends picked us up and took us to the southern coast to see Poseidon's Temple built around 500 B.C.  It was beautiful overlooking a bay. We then went down the hill to have lunch at an authentic Greek restaurant. They ordered family style and it was delicious. We sipped ouzo and ate Greek salads, fish, breads, dips, and sauces. Men came by the table playing the accordion and the lyre. It was delightful!

We returned to the hotel around 6 to find they had an accessible room for us. That was good or we would have had to had words. We took a nap and a brief walk, then Kate went to dinner with her friends and Mary Lou, Doug and I had drinks, snacks and chatted before heading to bed and doing a bit of unpacking.

Message of the day: Beauty is timeless and ageless.

June 10, 2016 

Today we are staying on the ship. It is our last day. We are taking time to enjoy all the amenities of the ship. The crew decorated our door with balloons and a poster for our anniversary and our waiter brought us a cake. It was very thoughtful.

I took some time to reflect on the last 2 weeks. We certainly have been walking in the steps of so many that have come before us. A major theme that stands out is how much the same we all are as yesterday and today as well as cross culturally today. No matter which country we land in we find how similar our lives are. No matter which religion we practice we are one people, one God, Muslim or Christian. 

We have loved going to bed at night to the sound of the water and waking up the next day in a new port and new country. It has been truly wonderful!

We took time today to say goodbye to the new friends we have made from London, Tasmania, Australia, Philippines, India and Peru. They have all enriched our lives. Everyone on the ship provided us great service and support. This is a lifestyle I could get use to. 

Message of the day: Give thanks each day for the people who enrich our lives!

June 8, 2016.

This morning we had 2 excursions planned.  Kate was going to go with Doug on an accessible tour of Ephesus and I was going on walking tour of Ephesus, the Virgin Mary's home and the tomb of the Apostle John. There was some confusion and I had to leave Doug waiting for Kate, not knowing if he would be on his own.  That made me very nervous.

My trip was amazing.  Apparently according to archeological remains, the apostle John brought Mary, Jesus' mother to Ephesus after Jesus died.  The small house she lived in has been restored and there is a holy well next to the stone house.  It is a beautiful wooded area. It is really an unbelievable feeling to know that I am standing where Mary lived, and was cared for by the Apostle John.  After lighting a candle and praying, I dipped my hands and arms into the water and then bought 2 bottles to bring some back with me.  The water is often associated with healing.

We then went to the the ancient city of Ephesus that is now an archeological sight.  Walking through the old city brought many of the stories from the Bible to life.  We saw where Paul spoke to the 2000 in the amphitheater and where he was jailed.  We saw how rich and sophisticated this ancient culture was in it's design and lifestyle

We then left for St. John's Basilica and while it is now in ruins we were able to pray at the tomb of St. John and imagine his life in the days after he left Jerusalem.

Kate never caught up with Doug and he ended up going on his own with only 2 others on an accessible tour.  All is well that ends well.  Doug made it back safely and was in the company of some very good people.

Message of the day; The lives of a young girl and two very common men, changed the lives of so many and continue to work in our lives, because they were willing to listen to their own calls and respond with yes. This had to have taken a good deal of trust and faith.

June 9, 2016

It is Thursday night.  I have been writing the blogs on my iPhone upon returning to our room at night, usually after 10.  I have no access to the Internet because we have no connection at sea.  I write the blog in notes quickly to capture the day.  Today, in the port terminal there was a cafe with a wireless connection.  I bought a cappuccino so that I could connect to the wireless.  I quickly  uploaded the last few days of entries with no editing because I do not know when I will get a connection again.  I think the next time will be in Athens.

Today is a day that we had so looked forward to.  We spent the day in Istanbul.  It is an ancient city, once called Constantinople.  It is where East meets West. The city is very beautiful with an enchanting sea port, green trees and foliage, impressive mosques and nice people.

Doug and I took a tour with two others in an accessible van.  It was like having a private tour.  We first saw the sights in the city by van and then took a break to have Chai (tea) and Turkish cookies.  Very nice.  We then visited the Hagia Sophia.  Rick Steves' says ' it has been called the greatest house of worship in the Christian and Muslim worlds; Hagia Sophia (meaning house of the Holy Spirit) the Great Church of Constantinople.  It was built in 537 on the grandest scale possible, it was later converted to a Muslim mosque by the conquering Ottomans and now serves as Istanbul's most impressive museum."  It is truly incredible in size, age, and mosaics. It is larger than St. Peter's 

We then went to the Grand Bazarre that is famous.  I allowed myself the opportunity to haggle over prices which is really not my style, but hey you have to give it a try if you are in Istanbul.  I ended up with Doug in the doorway of a little shop about 5 feet by 5 feet, drinking Turkish tea and having table clothes and table runners displayed for me by a very convincing young man.  He must have shown me 30 cloths I made a deal, getting 2 beautiful homemade cloths. It will be a wonderful memory that will bring a smile to my face each time I think of it.

Two more disciples rest in Istanbul, Phillip of Bethsaida and James often called James the Lesser. We have now been where 8 of the 12 have preached, served, suffered and died. We are indeed walking in the steps of many who believed in Christ, in a God, more powerful, more present and more life giving then anything they had known before.  They all went on to do extraordinary things.

It really is a beautiful city. It is very green and very clean. There are 3 large bridges that remind me of the bay bridge in San Francisco. There Mosques everywhere. Twice we heard the call to prayer. 95% of Turkey is Muslim.

Returning to the ship we had a special dinner to celebrate our 21st Anniversary. The crew were delightful and charming, helping us to celebrate.

Message of the day: Tonight at our anniversary dinner, Doug and I talked about our life together. We have learned to have faith in things unseen and to trust the God who is calling to us and caring for us. Indeed calling to all, in many different languages and cultures.

June 7, 2016: I am trying to write this blog entry on Wednesday night because the battery on my phone died last night.  But yesterday was a spectacular day and I did not want to miss recording some of our experiences.

We landed on the island of Crete this morning.  I have long heard of Crete and looked forward to spending some time here.  Crete has a very long history.  As an island in in the Mediterranean there have been many different occupiers of the island that have influenced there history and culture.  

The island is most known for some of the food they export.  Olive groves are very important here.  They have many different kinds of olive oil and we leaned how to select the one that is best for us.  We also taste some delicious olives and olive tapenade.

We took a motor coach up a mountain to a Monestary.  This Monestary is considers a sacred plane by the Vatican.  At the Monestary they have an icon of the Virgin Mary.  There are known miracles associated with the icon.  People come from all over to be healed.  There is a story that the Turks tried to steal the icon and bring it to Istanbul.  However when when it was taken is disappeared and reappeared back at the Monestary.  The people say is flew. So the Turks tried to steal it again.  This time they wrapped it in a marble column and tied chains around it.  It again returned (flew) back to the Monestary.

Today, while praying for healing, people wrap the chains around themselves.  Many are said to be healed.  While there we prayed for Doug's healing using the chains.

Message for the day; God provides what we need.  The terrain was difficult for the wheelchair and there were many barriers.  Edward from the ship stayed with us and helped us with every difficulty.

June 6, 2016: Today is Monday, the third day of our cruise.  It was a sea day.  That gave us the opportunity to sleep in a bit and have a lovely brunch with anything we could possible want to eat. After breakfast we took some time to explore the ship.  Each day we find new areas that we did not know existed.  Then we had a British lunch in the pub with a Guinness. We then went to a lecture on "The Last 30,000 Years of Art History". The lecturer was fantastic and we learned a lot! That was followed by a nap, time at the spa, happy hour on our balcony, listening to music, and dinner at the buffet. Then returned to our room to watch a documentary on the island of Crete that we will be visiting to tomorrow.

Days at sea are restful. No where to go, nothing we must do. We only need to relax. 

Message for the day: Look at the vastness of the sea, appreciate those who had the courage to explore beyond what they could see.

June 5, 2016.  Today is Sunday, and we woke pulling into the. Port at Naples.  It s just like you would imagine an old world Italian post city to be. Built on the hills, you see an old monte start at the top of the hill and house of all colors below, with buildings of all shapes at the base of the hills leading up to the water.   Off the shores you see island shrouded in a light fog.  Just in front of the ship is a very old castle. The water is blue and the sky is too.  It is lovely.

We dress and head for breakfast with more choices then you could ever dream of having.  The food is al so delicious.  We eat and then Mary Lou, Doug and I stroll into town.  Kate stays on the ship to catch up on some work and to rest.  We first explore the castle, going into the ancient chapel with fading frescos and lovely old statures along.  Then we wander up the street to explore the vibrant medieval city,  When looking for a bathroom we came upon this typical Italian pizza restaurant with outside seating and wonderful waiters. Naples is famous for pizza and so we had to try some.  Of course it was wonderful.  We wondered down some more streets before finding our way back to the ship.  It was fun just to meander and be a part of the people

Returning to the ship and after a nap I found the spa and spent 2 hours soaking in the whirlpool, the sauna, the steam room and warm water beds. It was heaven.

Then it was time for dinner and entertainment.  I had a wonderful Morrocan Chicken and the rest of the group had shrimp and steak.  Each of us had a different desert, each fabulous.  Then we Doug and I went to listen to some 60's nd 60's music while Kate and Mary Lou went to do a little shopping.

What a day! It was so relaxing and beautiful!

Message of the Day:  Life is beautiful. Slow down and enjoy it.

June 4, 2016:  It is Saturday morning, our last morning in Rome.  The driver will pick us up to to go to the ship at 11:00. Andrea and his father, the owner of the apartment are coming at the same time to help us with our luggage, collect the money for the facet and meet the plumber and also to tell us good bye. While Doug got ready I quickly put our belongings together and then took to the streets to find an ATM and an Italian pastry.

The good news is that I got quite a few steps in looking for an ATM.  But as luck would have it none of them near our hotel were working (all owned by the same bank).  On the other hand I did find 2 delicious pastries that had a lemon filling and two bottles of wine to take on the ship.  It was a very productive last walk on the streets of Rome.

Saying good bye to the apartment and Andrea was a little sad.  He and his Dad were very sweet and so helpful.  They followed my directions this time, helping Doug walk down the stairs and letting me take care of the wheelchair.😊

It took about an hour to get to the ship with our driver.  He dropped us off right at the loading zone.  Within 30 minutes we were checked-in and on the ship. We are ready for smooth sailing.

The ship is beautiful.  Our room is bigger than most because it is handicap accessible.  We have lots of room to move around.  We have a lovely balcony.  After a tasty buffet lunch and a short nap, Kate and Mary Lou came to our room for a champagne toast to the trip and to sit on our balcony for a last look at our port and to plan our excursions for the next few days.

Tonight we went to dinner around 7:00.  We have a very funny and helpful waiter from the Phillipeans.  We are hoping to be in his section everynight.  Dinner was amazing.  We had a rum infused daiquiri soup. I had salmon and a chocolate flourless cake for desert.  Oh my, it was amazing and I am stuffed!

We finished the evening with some entertainment in the the Princess theater. We are now back in our room. I have the door open and am listening to the ship moving through the water as I write this blog tonight.  It is peaceful and quiet. Doug is ready for bed. He is is happy and and enjoying himself.  I see more energy in him these last few days then I have for some time. I am grateful.

Message of the day: Taste and see!  Live in the expectation of abundance.  And Doug says "keep on traveling".

Ahhhh, Friday night in Rome and we have just returned from a street side cafe.  We had fettuccini bolognese, wine, dessert and listened to the sounds of Roma.  Kate bought a watercolor of the Capital from a street vender walking by.  An African man on the street gave Doug a turtle for good luck.  We will miss Roma.

We began our day with an espresso while gazing out our apartment window at St. Peters and then took a taxi to the Colosseum.  Getting out of the taxi we stood in front of the Constantine Arch and appreciated it's great beauty and the meaning behind it.  It represents the Roman Empire becoming a Christian nation.  There were crowds everywhere.  The lines were incredibly long both for tickets and to get into the Colosseum itself.  I was trying to figure out how we were going to make this work before Doug got to hot and tired, when a guide walked up to us and told us people with disabilities may enter with their families and that we would not have to wait in line.  I was so grateful.

Doug loved the Colosseum. He loved the opportunity to be in a place he had only read about.  There was an elevator to take us to the third floor.  We gazed out over the ruins, seeing where gladiators had fought animals and other men.  We imagined how elevators had lifted the animals on to the arena floor.  We read in our Rick Steves' book how the gladiators would ask Caesar if the person should be allowed to live or die, thumbs up or down.  Funny, people today continue to have a fascination with others dying.  Think of all the TV shows with  this theme.  The drama at the Colloseum lasting over 500 years may have been the beginning of reality TV.

Then "a funny thing happened on the way to the Forum".  Doug's battery died.  I did not realize he had not charged it the night before.  I had to push the electric chair all the way to the Capital to get a taxi.  Thankfully we made it with the help of Mary Lou.  We go back to our apartment a little earlier than expected.  Me a little sweatier than expected!  We grabbed some lunch from the restaurant down the street and took a nap, at the classic Roman time, 3:00 pm.

After some recharging (for ourselves and the battery) we caught another taxi with Mary Lou and Kate and went back to the Forum.  Even though Rick Steves assured us it would be open till sundown, it was not.  No worry.  We strolled along the sidewalks overlooking the Forum and looked down into the ancient Roman remains.  It was still very impressive and interesting to ponder life so long ago.  So much is different, yet so much the same.

After a short taxi ride home, we sit writing the blog, looking up at St. Peter's one more time and listening to the sounds below.  In the morning we leave for our cruise. The driver will pick us up at at 11:00 and we will board the ship at 3:00.  We anticipate about an hours drive to the ship.  The next leg of the journey is about to begin.

Message for the day: Be thankful for all that is given us.

It is Thursday night.  Where is the time going?  We are thoroughly enjoying Roma, as the Italians say.  Our apartment is just above several little different stores and restaurants.  We look out our window and see the Vatican, we open the windows and hear and smell the sights and sounds of Roma.  I am enjoying using the few words I know in Italian to communicate.  The bumpy Roman cobblestones remind us of all of the people who have walked here before and they give Doug a good jarring in his electric wheelchair.


Today we slept late, ate our left over chocolate croissant and made an espresso.  Then we strolled (walked and rolled) to the Vatican museum.  It is about a mile away.  Having a disability came in handy today.  We did not have to wait in line (it was raining outside) to get in.  Doug and I had free entry and Kate and Mary Lou were able to go with us.

Downside?  Yes!  Once there Doug decided he should use the bathroom.  As it turns out it was quite the wild goose chase to find an accessible bathroom.  After several failed attempts and many steps later and at least 30 minute we found it.  I walked to find an attended to unlock the door and when I came back Doug was gone. I was bewildered.  Well after 5 minutes at least, he came reappeared coming out of the men's bathroom.  I thought I had lost him to the mystery of the museum but he just had to pee!

We arrive shortly before noon and were one of the last ones out at 6:00 pm.  There is much to see.  The art and history is inspiring.  With the rain outside and summer vacation it was incredibly crowed.  We were wall to wall people in the Sistine Chapel, never the less it was awe inspiring.  You look up imagining Michelangelo painting the ceiling in such incredible detail.  You look to our sides and see the story of Jesus and the life of Moses, we look on the floor and see the beautiful mosaic ties.  Art is everywhere. The story of God in our lives is written in pictures. You want to linger longer but know there is still much to see.

Even having been in the museum in March, it was still like walking through for the first time.  There is so much. You see sculptures, painting, tapestries, gold and silver communion vessels, tables, fountains, lanterns, ancient glass, wooden carvings, and more, from ancient times long before Christ through the 18th century.  All works created by human hands.  The grandeur  of the displays and the number of pieces overwhelms the spirit.

As weary pilgrims, having traveled a full  day like a time traveler through time we returned to our apartment for a glass of wine and time to reflect on where we have been.  We are inspired by the gifts we have been given as human beings and thankful to all who have lived fully, sharing there gifts of talent with others to come long after them.

God's message today: When we live fully we not only bless our own lives we bless others.

It is Wednesday, June 1, 2016.  It is hard to believe it is Wednesday already.  This morning we made a plan that Kate and Mary Lou would go early to the get seats at the Pope's Audience and we would follow a half hour later so Doug would have less time to wait.  Bad idea.  There were probably more than 40,000 people there and they had us go through an alternative entrance.  Just as we were coming up to the side gate the Pope went through in his Pope Mobile about 15 feet away.  Wow, that was a surprise.  He has the most delightful smile.

The service lasted about an hour.  A very small amount of it was in English.  The good news is that all the major languages were spoken and so everyone could understand some of what was said.

Now the bad news,  following the service we spent more than an hour and a half trying to find Kate and Mary Lou in the large crowd. Finally giving up we headed for the Holy Doors and to tour St. Peter's Basilica.  

I just asked Doug what he would say about the experience. He said, "For me, it was just the beauty of the place.  I did not anticipate how many statures there would be or just how gorgeous it could be.  There is so much to look at, ponder over, that it is a bit overwhelming."  

Kate and Mary Lou just came in and I asked them what they thought.  Mary Lou says it was overwhelming and very spiritual, she got goose bumps.  Kate says that even though she has been there before it was still incredible.

We sit now looking out at the great Dome from our apartment.  The history outside of our window is striking.  So many have traveled here.  So many pilgrims have journey here for so many reasons,  Wars have been won and lost for the sake of what we believe. We are touching history and a part of it.  

Finally before I close I want to mention the kindness and consideration of others.  The Italians go out of there way to help Doug to get into rooms, elevators, restaurants, clearing the crowds and checking to see if he is okay.  I am finding my worries that surrounded the trip are disappearing.  Doug loved the day, the people and the wondrous works of art in the Basilica.

Message of the Day;  You will be surrounded by throngs of angels....and so we have been.

It is Tuesday night, the end of our first full day in Rome.  Doug and I awoke very late...12 o'clock noon.  Kate and Mary Lou woke at a normal time.  Doug could not sleep on the plane or fall asleep last night.  I fitfully slept as he got up and down.  Finally when he fell asleep at 3:30 I was wide awake.  This did give me time to set up the wi-fi and post the second day of the blog, finally falling asleep at almost 5:00 am.  I guess we have not adjusted to the time change!

The afternoon started out a little slippery, literally that is.  When Doug was trying to take a shower the drain clogged, and started spilling onto the floor and Doug then fell getting out of the shower.  That certainly was an exciting start to the day.  Luckily he was okay if not wet, but the handle on the bidet did not fair so well.  

We ate a light brunch and then left for the Vatican, stopping at the Visitor's Center  for American Bishops to get our tickets for Mass with the Pope tomorrow morning and tickets to pass through the Holy Doors.  This being a Jubilee year, the Pope is honoring  priests this week.  There are priests every where, speaking all kinds of languages.  Doug rode an electric portable lift into the American Bishop's visitors center where we obtained our tickets.  It was a little scary when he first got on, but once on, it was a beautiful thing. 

We stopped for lunch at a little sidewalk cafe.  There is a cool breeze in the air, it is a warm 75 degrees.  Perfect weather. We were forced to wind our way through a narrow mideval street in search of a an accessible toilet.  Much to our relief we found one in a bakery and Getali shop.  I had a lovely vanilla with Baley's liquor.  Kate had a limoncello with limoncello gelato. Hmmmm! Mary Lou wanted pineapple and gelato, but only got the pineapple, they missed the gelato!  Darn, that was an essential ingredient to miss.

We strolled back to the Vatican, to wonder at the 400 ton columns, the 140 saints surrounding us and the ancient 2000 year old 90 foot, 300 tons of granite obelisk sitting in the center of the square.  We wonder at the meaning.  Rick Steve's says that it was originally erected in Egypt and that it witnessed the fall of the pharaohs to the Greeks and then to the Romans. He goes on to say " Today, it watches over the church, a reminder that each civilization builds on the previous ones. "Let's hope we continue to grow and change and don't keep repeating the mistakes of the past."

We return home, to drink some wine, share some stories and prepare for our audience with the pope tomorrow AND passing though the Holy Doors. Looking forward to all of that!

Today is Tuesday in Rome.  We have arrived!  The airplane trip was better than feared.  We were not sure how Doug would do and he did fine, even enjoyed the trip.  I had some frustrations with dealing with the airlines and the electric wheelchair.  Even though I had notified them and had approval for the battery, at each stop they made me take the battery off of the chair, taking that part of the chair apart and carry it with me on the plane.  In trying to be helpful, they would try to take it apart and open and close the collapsing chair, while not knowing how to do it.  Me, always concerned they were going to break it and then what would we do?

We had the most gracious help in London and in Rome upon arrival at each airport.  They helped us to get to our next gate and when landing in Rome stayed with us through baggage and even helped us find our driver and load into the car. Our driver delivered us to our apartment directly across from St. Peter's Basilica.  Andrea, the owner and his father were waiting for us. They greeted us in true Italian style with great enthusiasm!

Andrea and I had been communicating for the past weeks through email.  He told me that there were a few steps into the apartment, but that he could overcome this.  I imagined he would put in some kind of ramp.  But oh no....He and his father, with great excitement thought they could lift Doug and the 50 pound wheelchair up the stairs. Thy proceeded to do that...half-way, grunting and groaning and with much loud Italian talking. Oh, I wish I had a picture.  Finally they decided they should start again and went back to the bottom, 3 steps. I told them that is was okay,  Doug can walk with my help.  So slowly we made it up the steps and back into the chair.  Fifteen more feet and we are at the elevator.

Oh my, the door to the elevator cannot be more than 20 inches wide and it can only hold 2 maybe 3 people and we have a wheelchair and 4 large suitcases.  And here I thought I had prepared for every important detail.  Andrea and his father try to push Doug and the chair in.  Nope, it is not fitting.  I am trying to intervene and say wait, he can walk, I will collapse the chair. It is hard to get a word in edgewise though with all the excitement and enthusiasm.  Finally, Doug steps into the elevator, I collapse the chair and get in and we go up the elevator.  I am still scratching my head trying to figure out how they thought we were going to get Doug in and our each day.

See, it is a pilgrimage.  There has to be struggle.

The apartment is perfect.  We have 2 bedrooms, a sitting room with table and chairs and a small kitchen with a terrace to hang the laundry.  Each room has a view of St. Peter's Basilica and loud traffic noise from the street below. Ahhh....we are in Roma!

We take to the streets, to have find pizza and toast our arrival with a class of vino!

Today we leave for Rome. While I have been preparing for days and months to go to Rome, there was still much to do with all of the last minute details. These details seem to take more time than expected. Finally I got the car packed with luggage, dog bed, dog water fountain, carry-on, dog, leashes, treats, wheelchair, walker, cane, a bag of items for Anna, a bag for Kate, checks to deposit that came in the mail yesterday, and Doug in the car. I go back in the house and leave notes for the neighbor taking care of the fish and notes for the cleaning lady. We are 15 minutes later then I wanted to be.  I jump in the car, start the engine and notice that the sprinkler system has not come on. Darn!  Out of the car back in the house, out to the garage and fiddling with the system that apparently does not want to follow my directions. I give, I will ask my son in law if he can figure it out. It looks good to me!

We head for Star. Tom and the kids are taking us to the airport. Kate and Mary Lou are meeting us there. We stop at the bank to deposit checks and Zamzoes for 25 pound of Doug food. When we get there Tom is waiting. Anna and Tom help me unload all of the stuff for the dog, arrange the luggage,put up the seats for everyone in the van and we wait. Kate and Mary Lou show up 45 minutes later.

We hurriedly take her cats into the house, load the car with the luggage and people and head out. Poor Cole has no where to put his feet because the wheelchair is in front of him. We are like sardines, but we will make it. We get to the airport, unload and Kate realizes she forgot her carry-on. Tom jumps in the car, heads back to Star where Kate has left her keys in Mary Lou's car to drive to Nampa to her house to get the carry-on to drive back to the airport. 

Meanwhile the airlines is concerned with the wheelchair battery which they had previously approved after lengthy conversations on the phone. 

We grab some lunch, I have a beer, and wait for Tom. Finally at 3 I say we are heading to the plane. It is Alaska and we take off at 3:50. We go through Security and which is a big deal with carry-on, walker, and wheelchair. They tell Doug he cannot take the Bag Balm. The woman at TSA tells me that I can leave it with someone in the lobby. I go back out give the Bag Balm to Anna tell her good bye again go back through Security again and Doug waiting, tells me he wants gum. I go get gum. While I am paying they call Doug's name and want him to come to the gate immediately. We get there as fast as we can and they tell us they were just going to close pre boarding. 

We hurry outside to the small Alaska plane. They have a ramp up to the door but it is not wide enough for the chair. We have to get Doug strapped into a little transport chair, meanwhile I am helping the flight crew to collapse the wheelchair. We get into our seats, everyone is boarding. Kate and Mary Lou make it on the flight. Then the baggage guy tells me he has to detach the battery. I say we have never done this, I don't know if it can be done. I tell him if he breaks it our trip will be ruined. He says he will see what he can do. They are getting ready to shut the doors and the head of baggage comes  in holding the battery. He shows me how he disconnected it and assures me it will be ok, handing me the battery. He walks away, I say a few choice words.

The flight attendant announces they have complimentary craft beer. It does not come fast enough!

Tomorrow morning, Doug, my sister Kate, friend Mary Lou,  and I leave for one of those lifetime trips.  We will be journeying to Rome to spend 5 days and then boarding a cruise ship and sailing to Naples, Crete, Ephesus, Istanbul, and then Athens. Even after months of preparation I can hardly believe we are about to leave on this wonderful adventure.  For days now, I have been trying to decide if I should blog this journey or simply go, enjoy and remember.  A big question for me has been wondering if this is a pilgrimage or a vacation.  And finally, I have decided it is a pilgrimage.

My husband Doug has MS, for him to be able to make this trip has taken a great deal of planning as well as encouragement. Because of the unpredictability of the control he feels over his own body and his great fatigue,  leaving home for a few hours, let alone days, or traveling overseas seems almost too much.  But his heart and mine say go.

Before this diagnosis of MS, everything Doug and I did together at home, in the community and in travel could always be tied back to an expression of our faith and our call to serve God.  We met in the Formation for Ministry and were ordained together.  We served as clergy together for many years.  And now we will travel to Rome, to Naples, to Ephesus, to Istanbul (the old Constantinople) and end in Athens.  We go to walk in the steps of the disciples that came before us.  And so it is that I will call this a pilgrimage. I believe that as God has called us in the past to seek a deeper knowledge of truth and to see and know something we could not imagine, God is now calling us to this new experience.  And so tomorrow we leave on pilgrimage; to touch a relic, to see a vision, to hear an oracle and to experience the divine in a three dimensional space.  We leave with anticipation and trepidation, knowing that this journey will have challenges as all pilgrimages do.  This one with  the challenge of the disease.

I pray now that the wonderful experiences will far out-way the struggle and that the struggle will lead us closer to the divine.  May it be so...