Vilnius, Lithuania

The Baltics!  Or as everyone in my family kept calling them... the Balkans!  No, no, no... Lithuania is not in the Balkans.  It's in the Baltics!  Near the Baltic Sea!  No, not near Montenegro or Serbia, but way up on the other side of Poland.  Believe it or not, just north of the capital city of Vilnius is the geographic center of Europe.  In Lithuania!  You really do forget how large Scandinavia is!

Beware, this might be a long post because Lithuania is JUST. SO. DELIGHTFUL.

After an uneventful flight to Vilnius (which has a very modern airport), we had to wait in the airport a bit because our Airbnb wasn't going to be ready for another hour or so, and rather than wait outside with suitcases in an uncertain area near our apartment (would there be a restaurant?  What would we do with our bags?), we decided to wait in the airport.

I am not sure I've ever had a better cappuccino in my life.  The kids devoured the pastry.  This little place was just outside of baggage claim.  It's sad that the rest of the world doesn't make cappuccinos like this, with the exception of Italy of course.

Finally we waited long enough to get into our Airbnb, so we took a cab into the old town area.  The kids claimed to be really tired.  They didn't want to do sightseeing.  They were so tired.  They just wanted to rest and nap.  Which is all code word for "I want to play Roblox on my tablet."  So we said, "You can stay here and NOT play on your tablet since you're SO tired.  We will go downstairs and have a frosty."  And yes.  He insists.

Ok this is better.  The building behind me is our apartment.

Finally we went back and got the kids from their 30 minute rest.  Grant is contemplating whether this pigeon is friend or foe.

Vilnius manhole covers. Yay!

It was a nice day so our first stop was the Republic of Uzupis.  This translates to "the other side of the river."  This little self declared republic was an artists haven within Vilnius that claimed independence in 1997. Believe it or not, you can actually get your passport stamped here!

Uzupis is quirky and fun.  And look at that low water level.  Ok.  We will go down and try to get a spot on that swing.

Cross the bridge and Grant is the first Bailey to enter the Republic of Uzupis!

There are usually several people down in the Vilnia River, most vying for the swing.  Be careful with your feet though, because there's lots of broken glass bottles in the low lying water.

I wonder if someday, they will know how special it was to have their feet in the Vilnia River in the Republic of Uzupis.  They will likely never do this again.

And then suddenly... the water started to rise on the Vilnia River.

One of the symbols of Uzupis is the Uzupis Mermaid.  In 2004, she was knocked free and floated down river during a flood, but they were able to find her and put her back on her perch.  I think I'm pretending to be a mermaid here.  Or maybe my hubby just caught me enjoying the warm sun on my face and cold water on my feet.

Meanwhile, the water just kept rising!  All we could figure, since it was a sunny day and hadn't really rained in the last couple of days was that they released water from a dam upstream.

Of course, the quickly rising river meant we were forced out as it got somewhat deep and we wanted to keep our pants dry!  They will display art pretty much anywhere in Uzupis, including IN the river!  That's a giant, cut in half head. I'm not sure about their floodway regulations in this little country... do you think they did a No-Rise certification for this?  (Sorry... I nerded out there for a moment!)

 The pretty little mermaid (although not THAT little mermaid!)

Walking through Uzupis to try to find the Constitution, we came across the Angel of Uzupis, whose creator also created the Uzupis Mermaid.

Alas, we came across the Constitution of Uzupis!

This Constitution is brill.  They range from the serious ("No one has the right to violence") to the fun, ("A dog has the right to be a dog.") to the mix ("Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.")

I don't know who the little girl on the left is.  But honestly.  VOLUMES.  Little girls all over the world are really quite similar.  Look at their body language.  Reading intensely.  Arm across the waist.  Hand up near their mouth.  "Everyone has the right to understand."  "Everyone has the right to understand nothing."

Probably my best shot at seeing the whole Constitution, without glare, distractions, shadows or blocking reflections. 

The Constitution of Uzupis is laid out along this wall in 23 different languages.

You could probably spend a week in this tiny little self-declared country and not see everything!  We decided to go find where our passports could get stamped (and excitingly, we were able to find an Uzupis magnet!)

Camera hanging from a stick at the tourist information office.  Maybe they caught it with a fishing pole!

If you've got a piano out for anyone to play, Todd won't hesitate to play the one song he knows on the piano!  People loved it though, and were taking pictures of him!

One (wo)man stage.  Complete with a teal bowling ball and a pink rug.  Crooked photo courtesy of my cute little daughter.  Sass courtesy of my mother.

Painted walls in Uzupis.

The river was still somewhat "high" (or higher than it was before we got our feet wet), so we went to check out the river again in another spot in Uzupis.

In Uzupis, it's ok to just sit down by the river and enjoy the day.

I like places that make my visual sense go into overdrive.

The Republic of Uzupis is a big supporter of a Free Tibet, a country like itself that is longing to be free.  This monument to that sits in the park near one of the bridges that will lead you back to Vilnius.

Alas, it was time to leave the Republic of Uzupis.  Until next time, Uzupis!

The Literature Wall in Vilnius is an homage to the poets and writers of Lithuanian literature.  The pieces rotate over time. We passed by this on our way back to Cathedral Square.

Tattoos. Maybe you don't love them, like my mom and my husband.  But I love them.  I love the idea of a persons story on their body, all of their journeys, love and scars written like a scarlet letter that they wear proudly.  (Can you see the pictures of the people and their tattoos in the windows?)  

Hooray for pretty manhole covers and toenails!

Vilnius, do you love me, are you riding....

Vilnius by day.

Ok, it's not Bamberg and it's weirdest creepy baby doll head ever.  But let's call this one a contender with it's creepy witch doll heads.

As we walked down Pilies Street toward Cathedral Square, we found these (university students?) kids (I can say this...) playing in their Street Life Big Band.  Good times with their American hits and multiple instruments!

In Cathedral Square, you can see the Monument to the Grand Duke Gediminas.  He was the Grand Duke of Lithuania back in the early 1300s. At the time, this area was much larger, encompassing land that stretched over to Minsk and down to Kiev and Bratislava.  Interestingly, he was a Pagan but currently about 77% of Lithuania is Catholic.

The Bell Tower of the Vilnius Cathedral was shut down and used for storage during the Soviet years.  I am 100% sure that this tower is leaning, but I can't find anything to back this up other than a few blogs where people claim that it is leaning.  It's definitely leaning.

Randomly, in front of the Vilnius Cathedral was a little mock Iron Throne.  Of course, he had to scheme with Littlefinger in order to retain his throne as the King of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms.

I know I already showed you the Bell Tower of the Cathedral, but this shot was just too good not to share.  (One of Todd's of course!)

Naturally, it's summer in Europe so everything is under scaffolding, including the Cathedral.  But the Pope is coming, the Pope is coming!

Gedimino Street feels like Paris to me.  It juts out from Cathedral Square to the west.

Also in Cathedral Square is the AMAZING Stebuklas plaque.  This means, "miracle" in Lithuanian.  It was the "start" (or maybe the end?) of the Baltic Way, where 2 million people formed a human chain from Tallin, Estonia to here in Vilnius, Lithuania on August 23, 1989 to show solidarity for the independence of the Baltic nations.

Legend has it, if you stand on the "miracle," make a wish and turn around three times, your wish will come true!  Of course, we all had to do it!

For dinner, which we went to early because we had gotten up so early and were really tired, we went to this fun "cave" restaurant called Etno Dvaras on Pilies Street, not far from where we were staying.  I was able to get the zeppelin dumplings from my scratch off food map.  Grant discovered that he LOVED zeppelin dumplings, and then proceeded to order them everywhere he went for the rest of the time we spent in Vilnius!

We made it an early night on our first night there, on account of our getting up in the 2 am hour the day before.  In the morning of our second day, we woke up to a sunny day!

After a little breakfast in our apartment, we headed for the Gediminas Castle Tower.  The main entrance was partially closed, so you had to walk around the construction.  In our walk, we found this SUPER cute little statue dedicated to the Lithuanian hound!

Look at this sweet face!

Time to hike to the Gediminas Tower!  This looks like a man made hill to me, but alas, it's not.  (Minus the fill they've had to put in to prevent rock/mud slides).  Normally there's a funicular, but it wasn't working when we were there.  No problem, we like to hike!

For a small fee, you can go into the tower and learn about the history of not just the tower, but also of Vilnius and Lithuania.  The tower was built in the 14th century, although the present one is partially from the 15th century as part of the Upper Castle.  There were several other towers, but most were destroyed in the war with Moscow in 1655.  This one kind of withstood the war, so it was rebuilt.

I loved this visual of the Baltic Way.  So I know at least one or two of my readers were born long after I was, so you're probably wondering how they could even set up something of this magnitude way back in 1989, since no one had internet or cell phones.  They used little portable radios to know exactly when the human hand chain was going to happen.

Such a powerful image and peaceful protest.

The goal of climbing the tower is to get to the top, where the views stretch for forever.

On top of Gediminas Tower, you can see the Three Crosses.  Legend has it that seven Franciscan Friars were beheaded on this spot in the 1300s.  The first crosses were put here in the mid 1600s, but have been replaced many times.  In 1916, concrete crosses were placed here (as opposed to the obvious wooden crosses) but were torn down in the 1950s by the Soviets.  Religion was not allowed under Soviet Communism as atheism ruled.  However, in 1989 during the revolution, the crosses were replaced. 

Across the river from the old town is the very modern new part of Vilnius. 

Looking to the west though, you see views of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania with Cathedral Square behind it.  You can also see the Cathedral Bell Tower on the right.

Airplanes shoot over the Lithuanian flag on the top of Gediminias Castle.

The castle grounds are under construction, but the walk down wasn't too bad. It's a little slippery, so hold onto the railing!  I saw a few people slide on their way down!

After we went to Gediminias Castle, we walked through Cathedral Square on our way to find some lunch!

Out in front of the Lithuanian Drama Theater, which we passed by after we finished a great lunch at Boom! Burger, you see the Feast of Muses, Drama, Comedy and Tragedy.

Our next destination was the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania.  This statue outside was made from (now unused) Lita coins.  When the economy went crazy with the fall of the Soviet Union, the Lita, which was the currency of Lithuania at the time, tanked and became worthless.  Eventually they switched over to the Euro, so this statue was made from 75,000 fifty Litas cent coins and it weighs more than 450 kg, which is almost 1,000 pounds!

This is a great museum with a great history of money dating back to when shells were exchanged as a currency for goods.  My favorite bill in the above photo is the "Funfzig Millionen Mark." Or the "Fifty Million Mark" from Germany.  It's amazing to me that inflation can escalate so quickly that this type of currency is required!

SUPERLATIVE ALERT!  The Guinness Book of World Records has certified that the Million Cent Pyramid is Officially Amazing.  It's the largest coin pyramid in the world!

At one point, nearly three and a half million Litas were equal to only ONE EURO.  For reference, today, one Euro equals about $1.16.

The money museum has a little quiz at the end. If you get a certain percentage right, they print a bill with your face on it.

I'm literally worthless.  And I don't really know how to make any other kind of face, apparently.  On my translate app, "Vienas Mustinis" translated to "One Bang."  More bang for your buck?

After we left the money museum on our way back to Cathedral Square, we found this cool skateboard bench!

The Cathedral and it's bell tower.  I find it funny the Cathedral has a real Greek feel to it with all of the columns.

We wandered around the square for a bit before heading back to the actual Cathedral.  We hadn't been inside yet, so we decided to peek in (it's free!)

Simple and pretty.

A wider view of the Vilnius Cathedral.

Outside, a bride was having her wedding photos taken (you can't see her groom, but he's on the other side of the column she stands next to.)

Since we were in the neighborhood, we decided to climb the terrifying stairs to the top of the bell tower.  It's only 4.50 Euro for adults and 2.50 Euro for kids.  I wear a 7.5 shoe and I needed to walk sideways on these stairs.  They were narrow and steep!

You walk up some stairs to a floor that has some historical information and interactive games to play with.  You can look straight up and check out the wooden beams on the multiple floors where the bells live.

Grant and I were having a blast watching these girls do trite Instagram photos in front of the bell tower.  I'm sure they didn't know we were watching them on camera!

No need for unoriginal Instagram photos when your husband takes photos of you banging a gong unknowingly.

Grant got a little crazy and broke the wooden hammer for the bells. Ooops.

He looks so handsome in the sunlight, seemingly deep in thought and listening to the pre-recorded tower history audio.

We then decided to climb to the top of the tower to check out the bells.  They sit 50 meters up from the ground and it was about 4:45 when we were there, so we decided to wait on the famous 5 pm bells.  There was an older couple from New York up there who waited with us!

Meanwhile, the view from the tower down Gedimino Street was beautiful!

 We waited up top for the bells to start because the kids were afraid it was going to be too loud.  It was pretty loud, but not so bad if you put your fingers in your ears.

See?  Loud but fun.

It was such a beautiful day for pictures in Vilnius!  Honestly though, isn't that tower leaning?

Lithuania is in celebrating the birthday of the Republic of Lithuania which was declared at the end of World War I.

And the Bailey's are celebrating with them!

Hello from the streets of Vilnius!

We were on our way to the Rimi for some snacks and drinks for the following day's bus ride to Riga when we passed the city hall in Simonas Daukantas Square.

After we got our snacks and drinks, it was back to the apartment.  It was kind of early, so we hung out with the windows open and enjoyed watching the people walk by below us.  I noticed this sign, which clearly means "this is a place where you can high five your friends with little jumping dogs around you."

The sunset on this particular evening was so beautiful!

The sun beams seem to be exploding behind the bell tower of St. John's Church (not the same bell tower as in Cathedral Square - this one was right behind our apartment.)

The very next morning, we took the Lux bus to Riga.  Super easy, super cheap, actually a really decent bus complete with TV screens in the back of each seat.  Some movies they offer are in Russian, but some are also in English.  We spent two lovely days in Riga before heading back to Vilnius on the third day for one more night in Lithuania.  When we returned, we got stopped for a passport check at the Latvia-Lithuania border.  Interesting, because both countries are EU and both are members of the Schengen.

Rural Lithuania, with its quirky little towns full of tin roofed brick houses, is where I find a little old lady sitting in her raincoat, potted flowers for sale in front of her; the town's cemetery as a backdrop with the multitude of graves pressed together in a small plot of land.  The fields, a mix of tan and green and mostly flat, dotted with white storks and an occasional cow under a tree, all sit under gray skies and along damp roads.

This trip to Vilnius, we stayed very close to the train station, which was great because it meant we didn't have to lug our bags across the city or catch an expensive cab.  But it did mean we had to walk a bit to get into the old town.  On our walk in, we came across the Catholic Church of All Saints.  

Yes and please to THIS!  This church was built between 1620-1630 (you know, when America was getting settled after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock!)

Sir, you have a sword in your skull.

We're gonna give this church mad props for it's sculptures.

PLUS, who knew that marble came in BLUE!?!  Ok the red, gray, pink and tan I have seen before.  But this blue!  I'm sure it's not authentic, but it certainly was pretty!

Once again... as we left the Church of All Saints, Todd had to bend in half in order to leave.

I knew there were Stolpersteins in Vilnius, so I was on the hunt for them. I finally found one as we left the Church of All Saints.  This boy was born in 1927 and like Anne Frank, chronicled his time in the Jewish ghetto before he was shot with his family in 1943.

The final sight we wanted to see was the kid friendly portion of our trip... naturally, to the Museum of Illusions!  This museum was great!  It's not huge, but it has enough to see to keep you entertained for a couple of hours.  

Bet you're wondering how they shrunk me!

Hahahahaha!  I really don't have any words for this silliness!

I always wondered what it would be like if I grew a beard!

Will the real Natalie Bailey please stand up?

3D art is so much fun!

Light shadow love.

The flash captures your shadow and then it remains on the wall for a short period of time.  Enough time for you to high five your own shadow!

 I'm starting to think she only has one face!  (Gee, I wonder where she gets this?)  She was pulling the boat out of the painting with her OWN HAND!

Don't let him fool ya!

He's taking hand stand push ups to a whole new level.

"Would you be prepared if gravity reversed itself?"  (Bonus points if you know that movie!)

We all had a little too much fun in the bathroom!  (If I had a dime for everytime I said that...)

 

Oh, what a feeling!  When you're dancing on the ceiling!

This one is only for tall people!

Wait, how did I get right side up in this photo!  (Hint:  CrossFit!)

Doing flips on the bed!

Oh my goodness this room was hilarious.  Watching Lithuanian cartoons like it's 1981.  Todd and I were both like, "Our living room looked nothing like this!"

 See, THIS is where Natalie has learned to do that face.  Well, she gets it honest!  I don't even know what he was doing here in the 1980s living room, but it made me laugh!

Honey I shrunk the parents!  This is when they declared that they were now the parents and we were going to get pizza for dinner.

Time to go find some dinner.  The Church of St. Casimir has one of the most beautiful domes.  The church was built in 1618, but the pretty crown on top wasn't added until the mid 1700s.  Interestingly, during the time after World War II, it was converted to a Museum of Atheism.  In 1991, after Lithuania regained it's independence, it once again became a Roman Catholic church.

Gang symbol door knobs in Vilnius.

For dinner, we went to Meat Lovers Pub, which was excellent (not just because they had Bulleit bourbon!)

We got a big kick out of their menu (no paper menus, only on the wall,) particularly the "Bloody Snack."  We just couldn't bring ourselves to even ask what that might be!

Meanwhile, Todd was busy dreaming of Christmas.  We always bring paper and colored pencils for the kids to entertain themselves before we eat.  Sometimes Daddy does some coloring, too!

I believe this is celosia plumose, or cock's comb.  It was very colorful and I don't think I have ever seen this flower before!

On our way back to the apartment for our last night in Vilnius, we were treated to a hot air balloon show!  Hot air ballooning is a big deal in Lithuania, and has been hugely popular since it had been banned during the Soviet years.

The balloons actually travel over the old town area, which is apparently quite rare since most places have a ban on balloon travel directly over the city.

It really was just a beautiful sight.  If I ever get over my fear of heights, I might try this one day.  I searched for average prices and it was out of my price range (370 Euro for four people!) but I'm sure it was worth it!

Alas, we had to leave our great Baltic adventure.  I would definitely say that Vilnius is one of my favorite places that I've visited thus far.  Definitely a top five city for me.  I'd love to get out and explore more of the countryside.

Until next time, Lithuania!

Kristall Palm Beach, Nuremberg, Germany

When your eldest child goes away to sleep over camp for a week, it's only fair to find fun things to do with your youngest!  And when temps in Bavaria reach the low to mid 90s and no one has air conditioning, you hit up the coolest and nearest water park... Kristall Palm Beach!

It's a waterpark, so obviously I didn't get a TON of pictures.  But maybe I can provide a few tips to the next person about how it might differ from other waterparks.  But first... a picture of my buddy Grant at the entrance!  

It helps if you know ein bisschen Deutsch before you go to Kristall Palm Beach.   The people at the front desk where you pay don't speak any English.  Which was fine, I got through that with no problem.  They will ask you if you want to purchase the extra package for the Sauna (just listen for the word Sauna, it translates.)  Just say nein!  It was about 38 Euros for Grant and I to go for the entire day.  He wasn't a huge fan of the slides, so we probably could have gotten away with the four hour package, but you never know.  When you get your ticket it, scan it, go through the turnstile and an employee will direct you to the locker room (before giving you the run down of the days activities, all in German!)  I just responded with, "Gut, danke!"  When you go into the locker room, you will need your ticket to get a (free) locker.  Enter it like this, then lock your stuff up and take the wrist band key with you.

The wave pool was one of our favorites.  At 30 C, even I would get in this!  In fact, nothing here was so cold that I wouldn't get in.  Which was great, because I don't know what Grant would have done otherwise!  The wave pool is kind of the heart and soul of the park, and the waves run for about 5 minutes on the top and bottom of every hour.

We rode a couple of the slides, hung out in the wave pool, and enjoyed the outdoor 32 degree C pool (it's like bath water! Heaven!) before we went outside for some lunch near the 29 C pool.  Uh oh Kristall Palm Beach.  You're starting to scare me with your "cold" pools.  Lunch wasn't bad - some currywurst and some pizza.

This pizza was massive and he ate all but one piece of it.  How does he do that???

Behind us there were trampolines, places to play in the sand and a big playground.   He loves jumping (I even call him my little jumping bean!)

After lunch, we did some swimming out in the 29 C pool (not as bad as I thought it would be) because it was one of those "crazy river" pools that they love so much here in Europe.  It's basically a big whirlpool, and you get caught up in the quick currents.  We had the best time and laughed so hard at how fast it was and how often we got separated!  

Then we came back to the wave pool and.... what the... is this spring break in Cancun?!?

"Mommy, take a picture!  I'm covered in soap!"

We went one more time back to the slides (which I didn't get any pictures of because phones and water slides don't mix.)  In the slide area (not pictured), there are some slides for younger kids (Voyager, Explorer and Black Hole) and then some faster slides for older kids.  While the younger kid slides are pretty decent, there isn't enough water running through them to push a human being, and they aren't sloped enough for gravity to do the trick.  So unless you're somewhat strong to manually move yourself along, you're likely to get stuck.  

Grant was very frustrated that he kept getting stuck in these slides, so I convinced him to go on Saturn with me.  I know, I know... we broke the rules when we rode the slide together -- and we paid for it when he bonked his head on the inside of the slide.  But this slide was GREAT!  I enjoyed Saturn and it's three slides in one feature.  If you lay back and get a good head start, it was really fun.  It was the last slide of the day for us, unfortunately.  Grant wasn't having ANY of it!  Next time, I'll bring my fearless daughter Natalie who will ride all the slides with me!

But we still had a lot of fun in the wave pool!  And the outdoor crazy river pool!  And the really warm outdoor pool!

A suggestion if you plan on going here:  Leave your larger bags in the locker room, but just inside the entrance to the wave pool area, there is a section of smaller lockers.  Your large bags won't fit in here, but if you want cash and your phone nearby, I suggest you get one of these smaller lockers.  Unfortunately, Kristall Palm Beach is not "up with the times" in that they don't have wrist bands that allow you to charge to an account.  You need to pay for everything in Euro.  But how does someone who has been in a pool all day keep Euro on them?  That's where these small lockers come in.  Leave your locker key, phone and cash in the small locker for easy access.  Meanwhile, you can leave your towels, sunglasses and shoes by the chair you select. 

Allegedly, the largest rock crystal in the world at 7500 kg.  It was purchased by the sister company of the German Gemstone Society in Stein (the town this water park is located in.) from the Minas Gerais part of Brazil.  I literally can't find anything to back up this claim, but it certainly is big!  And you know I love superlatives, so I'll just pretend this is true!  This just sits in the lobby area, so if you want to see it, you don't even need to pay for a ticket to enter the water park.

Finally, at about 4:45, we decided to call it a day.  We had spent over 6 hours there, and if you aren't riding many slides, that can be enough!  Even Grant admitted he missed his sister today (wait, Mommy isn't fun!?!)  I can't wait to go back with the whole family!

Until next time, Kristall Palm Beach!

Padua, Italy

If you are Roman Catholic, you likely know all about the patron saints and which ones you pray to for intercession for certain reasons.  The patron saint of lost things/lost causes is St. Anthony of Padua (in Italy, they call it Padova).  Since Padua is just a quick half hour train ride from Venice, we decided to do a little day trip to see one of my favorite patron saints! 

Padua is a VERY old city.  It was founded in 1183 BC (yes, I said BC) although it didn't really become a part of Rome until the mid 40s BC.

Graduation refreshments, because the University of Padua is nearby.  Are the plates of spaghetti that big, or are the students just really small????

We decided to go to the church first, since it was why we went to Padua. The Basilica of St. Anthony (also known as il Santo) was built in the early to mid 1200s, just after St. Anthony died.

My cuties have lost a LOT of things over the years, so it's only fitting we go give thanks to St. Anthony.  See those glasses on Natalie's face?  That's pair #2.  We're still waiting to find pair #1.

Photography is not allowed in the Basilica.  But I love a good tender moment when my hubby is praying.  (Sorry St. Anthony, I know this isn't your rule though!)  Anyone can walk right up to St. Anthony's tomb and get some quiet reflection time and pray.  You can even touch the marble that he lies in.

Ooops, my phone must have accidentally taken a picture of the ceiling above the grave of St. Anthony!  Isn't it beautiful!?  St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal with the birth name of Fernando Martins de Bulhoes to a privileged family.  He died at the age of 35 in Padua, and is buried here.

This is what St. Anthony's burial place looks like from the side.  With a woman who is appropriately dressed in front of it.  Remember to cover your knees and shoulders, women!  There's also a drop box (on the left) for prayers to St. Anthony.  Behind me, you can write a note, and then leave your prayers in the box.

St. Anthony died young from ergotism, which was a fungus found in certain grains, such as rye.  Noticing the skeleton at the top of this, I thought maybe this had something to do with his death.  But then I noticed a couple of sad looking men, a chicken, a bunch of books, and two busts.  It could be a statue dedicated to the things St. Anthony is patron saint to... such as shipwrecks, poor people, animals (lower animals... is a chicken considered such?) and of course... the books representing his importance as a preacher.

St. Anthony was known to be a fantastic preacher.  Thirty years after his death, his coffin was opened and while his body was gone (except his bones), his tongue remained intact.  It now is on display for you to see in a gold reliquary (behind the glass in the picture above) along with his jawbone and his vocal chords.

The outside of the Basilica of St. Anthony is as pretty as the inside, with it's diverse mix of Gothic, Byzantine and Romanesque features.

I know in 15 years or more, we will have no idea what the war between the pigeons and the seagulls means (in fact, I'm not quite sure what it means now... but it's something Grant has invented).  Apparently this pigeon, with his purple hue hanging out outside of the Basilica of St. Anthony, is one of the generals of the pigeon gang. The more rare the color, the more important they are.

I had a plethora of blue hydrangea at my wedding, on my centerpieces and in my bouquet.  It's definitely my favorite flower.  I have a fantastic mess of them at my current home. (Exhibit A:  This picture was taken before the 95 degree heat in Germany took most of my flowers.)

Exhibit B:  But look at this picture in Padua of the vibrant neon pink colors!  What Ph do I need to get those colors!?  So many colors!  I wish I had a green thumb.  I'm an expert at killing plants!  My hydrangeas were pretty, but not as pretty (and as long lasting in the heat) as these are.

I know summer is supposed to be high season in Italy but... this.  

We strolled past some of the buildings at the University of Padua on our way to find some lunch.  The university was founded in 1222 and is the 5th oldest (still active) university in the world.  Galilleo taught here in the late 1500s and early 1600s.  Did you know that the first woman to ever receive a Ph.D. earned one at the University of Padua?  Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia got her degree in philosophy in 1678.  

Walking through Padua, we passed a travel agency.  AWWWWW!  They were advertising the ship we had just been on (although with a different stops.)  The kids were sentimental.

The Torre delgi Anziani is the first thing you see if you are heading toward the Piazza della Frutta.  In English, it means the Tower of the Senior Citizens (or Elderly.)  It was originally likely built in the 1100s, but of course, due to earthquakes and other various reasons (sewer systems!) it had to be rebuilt several times.  A lot of the materials are original, however.

Between the Torre delgi Anziani and the Palazzo Bo stood a few pieces of contemporary art by Gaetano Pesce.  The sign next to it said, "La Maesta Tradita is a monumental sculpture of a woman wrapped in a mantel (that's coat in German, so I guess that's what they meant) of shreds of flesh, a sort of maternity mat.  A queen of a chain, a symbol of slavery to which thousands of women all over the world are sadly still subjected.  In its forms, the sculpture reflects those of the iconic armchair and mother, seated on a throne but suffering, as suggested by the ball tied to the foot by an Up 5, designed by Gaetano Pesce in the late 60s of Paleolithic Venus, symbol of fertility and sacredness."  Well, that's the translation, anyway!  The title translates to, "The Betrayed Majesty."  It references the "iconic armchair and mother" which was one of his most famous works of art (that will turn 50 years old next year in 2019.)

On the other side, with the ball and chain.

Interestingly, Pesce is a bit more known for his architecture than his art.  He was obviously quite controversial when it came to art (which I love!)  I read up a bit about him after our trip, and his views on art and life were fascinating.  In one interview with Damn Magazine (yes, that's the name! Awesome!), he said, "The specialisation is a castration. It happens in your life that you have curiosity, and curiosity can go everywhere, and if you are curious about space you do a project of architecture, if you are curious about music you make a piece of music. The idea that you must respect and stay in a certain area is very American. And I wonder if this is a need for security, because you want to keep knowledge only here, and then someone else is there, and there is never a transversal connection, which is very bad." 

I love what he says above, because I have the gypsy gene.  I don't want to stay in one place and learn just one thing.  The world is too big for that.  He goes on to say, "The most important characteristic of our time is communication. We have so much information that it allows us to move between one media and another. I was always like that – also because I am bored easily, and so when I do something for a week or a month, then I need to change. It’s also a way to stay fresh. Interrupting routine is a way to have new ideas. In my life I’ve been involved with music, with the theatre, I was involved in other things. I believe they give me a capacity to have a work that is not superficial." 

Although he might be known for his architecture, he certainly didn't stay in that field permanently.

This is SUCH a funny story.  Another of Pesce's works was next to La Maesta Tradita, and we all stood around contemplating what we thought of it, and perhaps the meaning of the work of art.  At last, I announced, "I think it looks like a headless mermaid on a cross!"  And Grant (age 8) stops and says, "Mommy, that's Italy!"  (And then I face palm and walk away slowly with a tucked tail.)

He was right, of course.

Notice how the meaty (and mighty) Sardinia has fallen on the ground beneath Sicily.

Palazzo Bo is the center of the University of Padua and the location of the anatomical theater.  Galileo's chair/podium is here!  

SOME say that Ragione Palace has the largest roof in Europe that doesn't have any support columns.  I'm not sure of that. It was originally built in 1218, but got a bit bigger in the early 1300s.  Ragione means "reason" in Italian, and it's named this because it used to be a courthouse.  "The law is reason free from passion." (Come on, name the movie!)

This palace sits in the Piazza della Frutta, or Square of the Fruit because the market is here, and has traditionally sold plenty of fruit (and vegetables!  And now fish!)

If you think you can't find a quiet street in Italy in the summer, you're wrong.

Piazza dei Signori with the Torre dell'Orologio in the background.  That translates to "Square of the Gentlemen" in Italian.  This is where a lot of political celebrations occurred. This clock tower was built in the early 1300s and the clock was installed in 1428.

Back to the Ragione Palace to have a drink.  Come on.  Don't you know by now this is how we operate?

I know.  You probably get tired of this.  But I truly think they are the cutest (only when they aren't fighting).  You think the same about your kids, and that is ok!  Your kids rock, too!  I only hope my kids can appreciate someday that we had sodas in the piazza in front of the Ragione Palace in Padua.

Blinky and Inky.  Or Natalie and Grant with Blinky and Inky.  I'm fairly certain they called these guys some other names.  Do they have other names? 

In Padua, Roman ruins still stand from the turn of the millennium.  (Not surprising since they became a part of the Roman empire not long before that.)  Did you know that Padua was the setting for a good part of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew?

After our short ride home, we grabbed some local dinner in the Mestre area (at the Hostaria Vita Rossa) while the kids had McDonalds … and then, after they were in bed, we watched some World Cup!  France played Belgium and beat them 1-0.  There were a bunch of French people there and they were super excited (although we watched most of the game from our room!)

Until next time, Padua!