“Let us follow after the things which make for peace!” We were humbled this week to walk where Paul (who wrote this scripture ~ Romans 14:19) walked and taught. We celebrated Daron’s 50th birthday with a Greece cruise… a lifetime dream. Started by visiting the Rome Temple (https://youtu.be/HX9K42SnQQQ) then embarked on a nighttime E-bike tour to see Rome’s fabulous sites— greatest way to tour the city! Enjoyed the best gelato of our lives (and we tried many on this trip😋) at Lake Como watching water taxis takeoff, then waved goodbye to the pizza and mosaics we found in Ravenna and boarded our ship. Swimming in Croatia by the walled city of Dubrovnik checked Mel’s top bucket list item❤️ We thoroughly enjoyed this Celebrity ship’s shows (dancing, singing, aerialists, magic). Santorini’s famous blue dome was just painted 2 days prior— it’s history was as unique and incredible as it’s black sand beaches and donkeys: it’s the remnant of one of the largest volcanic eruptions, resulting in a 2-year winter and mini ice age for the planet. Then Rhodes for breathtaking views and Old Town cobblestone streets. Then Ephesus where Paul lived and worked converting residents to Christianity, encouraging them to turn away from worshiping idols like Artemis. The Library and Amphitheater there were stunning. And Turkish rugs! Including a live demo of the process, starting from extracting silk from cocoons to the double knitted, hand-woven craft… years to make 1 rug! Finally we begrudgingly bid farewell to the endless cruise buffets, and disembarked in beautiful Athens. An evening E-bike tour included the traditional changing of the palace guards, and the original Olympic stadium heralding the final destination of Pheidippides’s famous run from the Battle of Marathon. Finally an early morning walking tour of the 2500 year old temples on the Acropolis, including of course the Parthenon. Ended the trip with an overwhelming feeling of love for all of God’s children… We basked in the countless different languages we heard, cultures we experienced, and of course… Gelato we sampled 🍨
