Praised be Jesus Christ!
So, I did get back from Poland alright and it was definitely my favorite thus far. I honestly don't know if anything can top it.
Unfortunately, I don't have time to give you a detailed update right now (except that we went to Our Lady of Czestochowa, Auschwitz/Berenau, Karakow, Divine Mercy Shrine, Nowa Huta, and Wadowice) because next week I have five midterms in two days, which equals lots of studying. I'm staying back during this two day weekend, so hopefully I'll get something posted before we go to Rome and Assisi. And yes, pictures will be coming.
God bless you!
February 24, 2011
February 16, 2011
To the Czech Republic! Anglika?
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Anglika-- not Anglican. That's how I asked people (if I remembered) if they spoke English. Thanks Regina for teaching me that-- it doubled by Czech vocabulary! (The only other word I knew was Nonka, which means no, if I remember correctly from junior high...)
After trying to go to bed early, we woke up at 4:30am to hop on the bus at 5am which the university graciously provided for us to go to Prague! (They also gave us a map, but other than that, we were on our own.) We stopped at a gas station on the way and remembered that none of us know Czech. But we slept on the bus and did some homework, so we were ready to go once we got there.
First we went to find the Jewish part of town and on the way we found the Astronomical clock (well, we thought it was, but it turns out it wasn’t) and a Hussite Church, which looked just like a Catholic Church, except for the Blessed Sacrament being absent. Then we found Jewish Town, but since it was Saturday, their Sabbath, most everything was closed. But there was a Slovak store with beautiful handmade wooden Matruska dolls and eggs. Then we walked across the river and got lunch at café. From there we went to the Prague Castle and saw the changing of the guard (which we missed in London). We didn’t go in the castle, but we went in to St. Vitus Catholic Church.
Then we tried to find out way to Our Lady Victorious where the Infant of Prauge is; however, we were directed in the wrong direction/ there was a language issue, so we had to walk in a big circle back to where we were before, but we got to see some beautiful shots of the city. When we finally made it there, we found a Christian store with beautful, cheap religious statues. After stopping in the Church, praying in front of the Infant, and looking and the Church museum (which featured different outfits of the Infant), we went back across the river for dinner.
Along the beatiful St. Charles Bridge, there were artists and vendors. We at dinner in a Jewish town at Restaurace U Vltavy and got to eat Fried Cheese, which is like a giant mozarella stick (it’s a Prague specialty). Afterward we went back to the bus and headed toward Gaming.
A couple of interesting occurences:
1) We saw peacocks and peahens up close and personal when we took a “shortcut”, which was just a garden/courtyard area.
2) We found a store called Shakespeare!!! And it had books in English and French in it!!!
3) They have a fake.. well… I’ll be nice. It’s an Eiffel Tower Replica.
4) We did not go in the 5-floor discotech/dance club place, but we saw it.
5) Claire…. She took another picture with a street performer. When does she not!?!?!
Although we enjoyed seeking the beautiful city of Prauge, we were so exhausted and glad to get back to the Kartause-- and hear German again!
February 11, 2011
Skiing in the Alps
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Today was our optional ski trip and it was lots of fun. I've never been skiing before in my life, but Fr. Brad and some other experienced skiers from FUS helped us with some basic moves and then took us up to the beginner slope. It was harder than what I expected, and I took a couple tumbles and lost my ski a couple times, but no harm done. And I was very glad for my skating skills, because they were very similar as far as turning, stopping, and fighting to stay up to keep from falling. After lunch, Fr. Brad took Jenn, Maryanne, Mary, and me up to another beginner slope which I guess was more of the next level slope-- but we were in the Alps, so that means it's harder than it is in the US. But it was so much fun-- definitely a good challenge. Then we did the first beginner slope one last time and turned in our skis and everything.
Needless to say, we are a bit worn out-- it takes a lot of knee and thigh strength. We will definitely sleep well tonight, which is good because we have to leave at 5 am for Prague!
Today was our optional ski trip and it was lots of fun. I've never been skiing before in my life, but Fr. Brad and some other experienced skiers from FUS helped us with some basic moves and then took us up to the beginner slope. It was harder than what I expected, and I took a couple tumbles and lost my ski a couple times, but no harm done. And I was very glad for my skating skills, because they were very similar as far as turning, stopping, and fighting to stay up to keep from falling. After lunch, Fr. Brad took Jenn, Maryanne, Mary, and me up to another beginner slope which I guess was more of the next level slope-- but we were in the Alps, so that means it's harder than it is in the US. But it was so much fun-- definitely a good challenge. Then we did the first beginner slope one last time and turned in our skis and everything.
Needless to say, we are a bit worn out-- it takes a lot of knee and thigh strength. We will definitely sleep well tonight, which is good because we have to leave at 5 am for Prague!
February 08, 2011
London
Praised be Jesus Christ!
I'm sorry I'm so behind on posting pictures and updates-- it does take up good chunks of my time to post and post pictures. And, my plug for my computer has decided that it doesn't want to work anymore, so my access is a bit more limited now.
So, another very quick update.
London. I really don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, but it was not Salzburg-- aka, it is not your fantastical European city full of beauty. It is more like visiting a historical city in the US, such as Boston. But I did have a grand time with Julie, Claire, Regina, and Markita. We missed a couple trains, and almost had to pay a fine on one of them, and flew over France. The sisters we stayed with were from Malta and they were very sweet. We learned a bunch about how God provides for us. Claire and I went to see King Lear by the Royal Shakespeare Company (last showing-- it was fantastic, by the way), but we had to walk back to the Tube (metro) at night. We were waiting for the players to come to sign my program, and we ran into a young Christian english man about our age who was also waiting to get his signed. And we were all going back to the Tube station, so we had a male escort to walk with us back through Camden Markets (kind of a scary place-- at night).
The next day we went to the British National Museum, the Globe Theatre (huge highlight!), Westminster Abbey for Evensong (Anglican version of Evening Prayer), and then sightseeing after we went to a pub and ordered fish and chips. We went to see Big Ben, London Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral (the little old bird woman from Mary Poppins), Tower of London, and Westminster Cathedral. On our way to the Cathedral, we ran into 3 Franciscan Friars who also had the same destination as us, and they were giving us suggestions as to where to visit in Poland and Italy.
On Sunday, we said goodbye to the sisters (Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus), and headed toward Westminster Cathedral for Mass, but stopped by Buckingham Palace on the way, where we saw some of the regiment on horseback with red capes and swords. Mass was beautiful. It was sung by the boys' choir and it was a solemn Mass, so some was in English, some was in Latin. Then we grabbed some food at a grocery store and got on our bus for the airport. Again, we barely missed the train, but we weren't expecting to make it anyway, so it wasn't a huge loss. But we got back to the Kartause at 2:15am on Monday after providentially meeting up with a group from Vienna at the same train station.
This weekend: Ski trip Friday and Prague on Saturday.
I'm sorry I'm so behind on posting pictures and updates-- it does take up good chunks of my time to post and post pictures. And, my plug for my computer has decided that it doesn't want to work anymore, so my access is a bit more limited now.
So, another very quick update.
London. I really don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, but it was not Salzburg-- aka, it is not your fantastical European city full of beauty. It is more like visiting a historical city in the US, such as Boston. But I did have a grand time with Julie, Claire, Regina, and Markita. We missed a couple trains, and almost had to pay a fine on one of them, and flew over France. The sisters we stayed with were from Malta and they were very sweet. We learned a bunch about how God provides for us. Claire and I went to see King Lear by the Royal Shakespeare Company (last showing-- it was fantastic, by the way), but we had to walk back to the Tube (metro) at night. We were waiting for the players to come to sign my program, and we ran into a young Christian english man about our age who was also waiting to get his signed. And we were all going back to the Tube station, so we had a male escort to walk with us back through Camden Markets (kind of a scary place-- at night).
The next day we went to the British National Museum, the Globe Theatre (huge highlight!), Westminster Abbey for Evensong (Anglican version of Evening Prayer), and then sightseeing after we went to a pub and ordered fish and chips. We went to see Big Ben, London Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral (the little old bird woman from Mary Poppins), Tower of London, and Westminster Cathedral. On our way to the Cathedral, we ran into 3 Franciscan Friars who also had the same destination as us, and they were giving us suggestions as to where to visit in Poland and Italy.
On Sunday, we said goodbye to the sisters (Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus), and headed toward Westminster Cathedral for Mass, but stopped by Buckingham Palace on the way, where we saw some of the regiment on horseback with red capes and swords. Mass was beautiful. It was sung by the boys' choir and it was a solemn Mass, so some was in English, some was in Latin. Then we grabbed some food at a grocery store and got on our bus for the airport. Again, we barely missed the train, but we weren't expecting to make it anyway, so it wasn't a huge loss. But we got back to the Kartause at 2:15am on Monday after providentially meeting up with a group from Vienna at the same train station.
This weekend: Ski trip Friday and Prague on Saturday.
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