Catacombs - Day 6

Tired little traveler...

Another early start as we got up at 3 a.m. to get to the airport for our flight to Rome. After arriving at the airport, we learned that we could have slept another hour since there weren't even employees there to check us in! We flew Austrian Airlines from Salzburg to Vienna. It was a little propeller plane that was pretty bumpy going over the Alps , but once again I was awed by the Alps and the view from above was even more impressive than from the train. We continued on a bigger plane to Rome. One fun thing was that on both of the Austrian Airlines flights, they gave Baylie little toys to keep. Pretty cool.

We got to Rome around 9 a.m. and took a taxi to the catacombs. This was my fourth time to Rome, but my first to the catacombs. It was definitely worth the special trip. I was glad since I think my mom was tempted to stay in Vienna or take a side trip to Prague, but she was equally impressed by the catacombs. Just the drive to the catacombs is noteworthy as it goes down the Appian Way which was the principle road in Rome and one that used to be flanked by crucified Christians (think Spartacus). The catacombs are such a maze of ancient hallways lined with openings where Christians were buried. It would be so easy to get lost there. We were only able to see a very small portion of it and yet it seemed like so much. It was fascinating to see the remnants of marble facades and frescoes. Carrying Baylie up and down the steep stairs and through the narrow passageways was an adventure. I think she was a little disconcerted by how dark and dank it was.

I really liked our guide because he kept reminding us to think of these early Christians who gave their lives for their religion. He was a priest from Manila and was captivated by Baylie. At the end of the tour he wiped his hand across her forehead and gave her a blessing.

We weren't able to take pictures, but here is a link that resembles the postcard I purchased.

We took a taxi back to the airport to catch our Alitalia flight back to Milan. That portion of the trip was a bit frustrating and we spent a great deal of time waiting in lines and then the flight was delayed, but I can't complain because we didn't get bumped a single time. Plus, the Alitalia plane was the nicest one we flew in and had real air conditioning. I think it was the first time I've gone an hour without sweating to death since we got here.

Interesting side note is that at Malpensa I had my second brush with disapproval of our adoption when a black woman (I think she was from the U.S.) looked at me and vehemently shook her head. I chose to focus on all the other people oohing and ahhing over Baylie.

We took the hour-long bus ride from Malpensa Airport to Milan Central Station and then the 30 minute train ride to Pavia. David met us at the station where I learned that it was so late, the busses were no longer running. My parent's hotel is right by the station, but our dorm is across town. David said it was a 15-20 minute walk, so I figured what the heck. 30 minutes later the dorm was finally in site and I was exhausted. It's been a very busy few days. I think David was glad to have time to focus on his composing and he even declined to push our twin beds together since he sleeps better without me and Baylie. Hmm, maybe I'll let HIM sleep with Baylie and I'LL sleep better...

Well, It's now 5:53 a.m., so officially, Day 7 and I am a dork for still being up. I was going to let myself "sleep in" until 8. Tomorrow we're jut hanging around here in Pavia and then heading for the Italian Riviera in the early evening. We have an apartment with a private beach booked in Moterosso al Mare in Cinque Terra (this is what happens when the hotel is full and your husband speaks Italian - how awesome is that?!). We hope to also make side trips to Monaco and Nice.

Update - 6:11 a.m. and now I have to recharge David's laptop because I've used all the battery. I can't leave it charging because the converter will burn up the plug - so it looks like I'm an even bigger dork!!

Salzburg - Day 5

The train ride from Munich to Salzburg is breathtaking. It goes through the Alps and much as I love the Rocky Mountains, they just can't compare to the majesty of the Alps. They are massive and powerful, pocked with crystal blue lakes surrounded by little villages.

Salzburg has officially been added to one of my favorite places to visit. What a beautiful place. The city is small so you can walk everywhere and there is so much to see. There are palaces, gardens, a hillside castle, scenes from "The Sound of Music," and Mozart's influence is evidenced everywhere. My friend who served a mission in Austria told me I had to eat Wienerschnitzel (essentially pork milanesa) and Mozart Kugel (yummy chocolate). I managed to eat both.

One thing I learned was that the Bayles/Batchelor family will never move fast enough for Austrians. It seemed like we were always being told to hurry. We took a classical tour in the morning. The sights and information were great, but there wasn't time to see anything and our guide got frustrated with us at one point because we were five minutes late (okay, I HAD to go to the bathroom...). It was also a little offsetting to be answered with "of course" and "obviously" to most of our questions. We figured it was just a language/culture issue and tried not to let it bother us.

After that, we decided to cancel our afternoon tour and just explore the city for ourselves. That was the best decision! We were able to wander and meander through the cobblestone streets, walk across the River Saltz (Salt) and ride the funicula to the top of the mountain to see the fortress there. It was a very relaxing and full day. I could have easily spent more time in Salzburg. I think I'll have to take David back so he can feel the spirit of Mozart that permeates the city.

Baylie update - despite being drug to and fro by train, bus and plane, Baylie had a great time. She was always the center of attention (she's adorable and was the only person with cornrows for miles around). She has now realized that she is the center of attention and consequently has started to flirt and perform. Unfortunately, she got attacked by mosquitos in Pavia and her face, neck, hands and legs are filled with bites. It's really sad.

One interesting note is that we have seen a lot of Muslims in Salzburg. Far more than anywhere else we've traveled (except for maybe London). A lot of them wear burqas. I always smile at the women and am pleased they smile back. I think before I knew Sania I would have avoided making eye contact because I wouldn't have realized that basically they are just women like me. One man did make me uncomfortable though because he asked a couple of times what Baylie's name was and where my husband was. My mom and dad were right there, but he seemed very interested in the fact that my husband wasn't with me. I made sure he knew that I was married, but that my husband was in Italy. I'm not sure if he thought I was a single mother or if it was a race issue or if he was just being friendly and it came across oddly. It was an interesting interaction.

Germany/Austria - Day 4

Okay, so really it's Day 6 and I'm back in Italy, but I'm trying to go in order...

On Wednesday morning, my parents, Baylie and I got up at about 4 a.m. and headed back to the airport. (David helped us as far as the train station since I was worried about taking the bus by myself.) We flew on Lufthansa from Milan to Munich, Germany. Flying standby can be very stressful since you only get a seat if the flight isn't full, but we have been lucky with all of our flights so far. We got our seat assignments right away. The European carriers have a little seat belt that hooks onto the parent's seat belt and then wraps around the lap child. Why don't we use those in the U.S.? It seems like such a smart idea.

I don't know what I expected from Germany, but I was pleasantly surprised. Even just flying over, it was so orderly and beautiful. the fields were all plowed and lined out in straight rows. I have never been in such a clean country. The train station was spotless! The homes reminded me a lot of Switzerland. I loved the steep roofs and the window boxes.

We took a train just across from the airport and headed to the Dachau concentration camp. To be honest, I felt guilty that the only thing I was doing in this beautiful country was visiting the very worst part of its history. It seemed unfair. I wish I had more time to see additional sights, but our time in Germany was short and I had always wanted to visit a concentration camp.

Just prior to the trip, I had read Night by Elie Wiesel (thanks Erin) and seen the movie "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," both of which I highly recommend. I don't think any amount of study could make the horrors of a concentration camp come to life like actually walking the paths those prisoners walked. Even doing that, it was impossible to comprehend. I drove up to the camp in a comfortable bus and had a milkshake and sandwiches at the cafe afterwards. I couldn't hep but think of the irony of there being a cafe on the grounds of the camp.

I am often struck by two things 1) man's ability to be so cruel to his fellow human beings and 2) man's unbelievable desire to survive even in the worst of circumstances. Some of the things that hit me the most at the camp were the railroad tracks that led up to the door, the open grounds where they would hold roll call, the showers/gas chamber and the crematorium. The pictures and stories that were told throughout the museum on the grounds were so sickening. It's hard to imagine how some people can still believe that the holocaust never happened. This experience is something that I am still absorbing. It was something that I was unable to process completely at the time of the visit.

Showers/Gas chamber

Crematorium

Work will make you free.

After our visit to Dachau, we headed to the main train station and took the train to Salzburg. We arrived at our hotel - a Marriott Residence - where we crashed in soft, comfortable beds after taking deliciously warm showers. It was so nice to be in such a comfortable hotel.

Italy - Day 3

We're finally here! We left Provo at 4 a.m. on Sunday morning. My parents, Baylie and I caught a flight from Salt Lake to Houston at 6:35. (David was on a confirmed ticket to leave Monday and didn't have to worry about getting bumped off the flight. We left a day early since Monday's flights were full.) My parents got first class and I was alone with Baylie in economy (as a pass rider, she can't fly first until she's 7 years old). Fortunately, she slept the whole way. Movie: "Escape to Witch Mountain," cute, but I'm glad I didn't pay to see it.

Once in Houston, we got bumped off two flights before making the third. We were all in economy class, but my mom and I got to sit together. It was a good thing because Baylie was super active - good, but active. We got to Newark around 8 p.m. We were actually glad we were spending a night in Newark instead of continuing on to Italy the same day. That would have been hard on Baylie. It was nice to get a good night's sleep. Movie: "17 Again," okay, but not that great.

David joined us Monday night for our flight to Italy. He said the flight from Houston had been so full they had to compensate customers so they would wait and take a later flight, so it was good we had left the day before. My parents flew BusinessFirst (Continental's front cabin on international flights) and the rest of us were in economy. We got to sit in the bulkhead row and it had a bassinet, so once Baylie finally fell asleep we were able to lay her down. It was a nice break for my tired arms. The flight was just over 8 hours, but it didn't seem that long. I didn't actually make it through a single movie.

Once we got to Malpensa airport it was an eternal, very hot, very expensive, bus ride to the Milan central train station where we caught a train to Pavia. The train was only about 25 minutes. My parents checked into their hotel and the rest of us headed to the dorm. It's definitely a dorm with two twin beds, but it's got a little kitchen and private bathroom, so it's all good. We were going to take a quick nap, but it turned into several hours. By then we had missed dinner and ended up dining on saltines...not what I had envisioned for my first dinner in Italy. Worst of all is the swarms of mosquitos. Italian mosquitos are vicious!

But we're safe, sound, clean, cooled off and all is well. Tomorrow Baylie, my parents and I head for Munich, Germany, to see the Dachau concentration camp and then on to Salzburg, Austria. After that we're going to see the catacombs in Rome (we've already seen the other sights there) and then we head back to Pavia. Hopefully we make all our flights! That's the hardest part about flying standby.

Baylie's been a real trooper, but her clock is still on U.S. time which is proving very interesting. Best of all, she got her first stamp in her passport!

Tri and Tri Again

So once again my brothers and dad were absolutely amazing at a triathlon. This one was the Echo tri up by Park City. It was a beautiful day for a race and the guys were fantastic. They all placed in the top 20 for their age groups.

And most awesome of all - my dad took first place for his group! Once again I have to point out he's 64 and has a titanium knee.

As for me, it was pretty strenuous walking back up the hill to our car...

Are you kidding me??

I love the Fail Blog, especially since I realized I could set it to only show the G-rated fails. But this one just makes me mad.

Martin's Cove

I am a descendant of Ephraim Knowlton Hanks. He was a rather colorful character and a true mountain man. He was an original owner of the Park City silver mine and there is a small town in Utah named after him - Hanksville. He was one of the rescuers of the Martin Handcart company.

I have always wanted to visit Martin's Cove and learn more about this company and their rescue. This year we decided to go as a family. It was a wonderful experience. I was suprised and honored at the reaction we got whenever the missionaries who serve there learned we were descended from Eph. He is held in great regard there and they tell many stories of his life. Mostly I was humbled as I learned more about the sacrifices made by these early members of my religion and how they gave up everything, even their lives, to follow a prophet of God. It was a very spiritual experience.

Mostly I just loved being with my family, and I loved Baylie being able to play with her cousins.