Basilica de San Miniato al Monte sits on a hill high above and overlooking Florence. The sight from its plaza is glorious. All the great buildings of the city are within one awe-inspiring look. Within that look is more than the sight, it is the knowledge of the grand sweep of history that is within view–centuries of rulership and art ooze from the buildings. We are at the Basilica for the evening vespers of the monks who reside there and to which the public is allowed to witness. They are singing the ancient Gregorian chant in the crypt below the main altar in which the brothers who have died over the years are buried. The tombstones of the deceased monks form the floor upon which the pews sit. Because the Basilica is stone and marble with no heating and the weather outside cool, the interior is dark and cold. The voices singing the liturgy echo throughout the Basilica. All is quiet except the voices, and it is a touching experience. WEG

Beautiful Italy–A Fond Farewell

How do you say in a few sentences what a trip of a lifetime means? This trip exceeded all of our dreams. We have laughed and teased each other all the way through ITALY.

I can easily say that we have learned more about history and the hard working people who came before us with a passion for the beauty of the art that they would only be a small part of completing…beautiful masterpieces that would take hundreds of years to finish and yet , they would see their part to fruition. I thought of how our own lives are much the same…part of a beautiful masterpiece in God’s tapestry.

We have been to the Arno River, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and even Lake Garda….what a treat to see so much of God’s beauty.

Randy and I both said that this was in the top three vacations of our life….we are so grateful to have had this time to be with the Graumann’s and share in their encore life. Melisa Standly