This was the slate roof in Lanzo. I took many pictures in this quaint little town but this is the only one that saved. Sorry but not a lot of pictures in this post because I was using Antonella's phone camera instead of my own and her settings were different than mine.
7th of Aug 2012- Antonella and I spent much of the day in the mountains, in a beautiful little city called Lanzo. Even the train station had the most picturesque background and was not full of rails, rocks and weeds, as I have come to expect from most train stations. We spent a considerable time by a river where we ate lunch and watched kids play and others sunbathe, but the fun increased when a couple of kayakers came down the river and hung out in the area where we were. We talked for a few hours and I must say, even with the language barrier, I really enjoy my discussions with Antonella. She is a wonderful person and a true saint.
Walking through the city of Lanzo a Catholic priest, from a third story window hollered out “Bouna Setta” (Good Evening, but not sure of the spelling). We responded in kind then Antonella began talking to him and then she said, good he will let us use his bathroom. The exchange was a quite a novelty to me but enjoyed all the same.
7th of Aug 2012- Antonella and I spent much of the day in the mountains, in a beautiful little city called Lanzo. Even the train station had the most picturesque background and was not full of rails, rocks and weeds, as I have come to expect from most train stations. We spent a considerable time by a river where we ate lunch and watched kids play and others sunbathe, but the fun increased when a couple of kayakers came down the river and hung out in the area where we were. We talked for a few hours and I must say, even with the language barrier, I really enjoy my discussions with Antonella. She is a wonderful person and a true saint.
Walking through the city of Lanzo a Catholic priest, from a third story window hollered out “Bouna Setta” (Good Evening, but not sure of the spelling). We responded in kind then Antonella began talking to him and then she said, good he will let us use his bathroom. The exchange was a quite a novelty to me but enjoyed all the same.
Antonella has been sick over the last few days so she has asked me to do the driving. Each country has their unique methods of driving as well as rules. So far, in Italy, I’ve discovered a few nuances that may be of interest. A red light does not necessarily mean stop. I came upon a red light and a green arrow and in the confusion I slowed down to stop when cars started honking. Antonella informed me that the red light only means attention and I’m to keep going. A green light mean honk. A stop sign means go. Lines in the road are only suggestions. In all other European countries I’ve been too, if a person looks like they might walk near a cross walk you must stop. In Italy you are taking your life in your own hands when you cross a cross walk and if you’re not in a cross walk they get to aim at you.
My new scar. It now looks like I have 2 belly buttons... an innie and an outie :-)
21st of Aug- I have not updated lately because I am basically just living and doing house chores while on the mend. I have been painting and fixing things for Antonella. Also, I think I have met about everyone in Torino because we rarely have a night off where we are not invited to spend the evening with a friend or family member. There are a few families that get together often for fun and they have invited us over a few times and most of them speak some English so I can enjoy most of the conversations.
Antonella is attempting to teach me Italian but I am a bit slow when it comes to languages. After 5 years I never learned English and still speak American so being able to say thank you very much is the most important phrase I desire to know wherever I go.
21st of Aug- I have not updated lately because I am basically just living and doing house chores while on the mend. I have been painting and fixing things for Antonella. Also, I think I have met about everyone in Torino because we rarely have a night off where we are not invited to spend the evening with a friend or family member. There are a few families that get together often for fun and they have invited us over a few times and most of them speak some English so I can enjoy most of the conversations.
Antonella is attempting to teach me Italian but I am a bit slow when it comes to languages. After 5 years I never learned English and still speak American so being able to say thank you very much is the most important phrase I desire to know wherever I go.
This was a river in the mountains Antonella took me to. This was called the Devil's Bridge because each time they tried to build it, it was destroyed. Then an old man made a pact with the devil to give a soul to let the bridge be built. After it was built the man handed him a bag with the soul. When the devil opened it, it contained his dog. The devil was mad but didn't destroy it because he never specified what kind of soul he wanted.
Now then, let me share with you something about this most amazing woman I am staying with. She planned on me staying only a day or two at first but I was using her address to have a solar battery delivered and it didn’t arrive yet so she told me I could stay until it did. I then had to go to the hospital for 12 days, when she spent the first to evenings in the hospital with me and came to visit every day thereafter. They told me I couldn’t lift my back pack until September so I couldn’t continue my pilgrimage. She insisted I stay with her until I could go. However, I found out she was nearly out of money a week ago (about the 14th), having only about 200 Euros until she gets paid on the 27th. At that time, her friend’s mother died and she needed a train ticket to go visit. She is unemployed so Antonella bought her ticket for 95 Euros. With the rest of her money she filled up the petrol in the car and bought food for us. Now she is out of money and still a week before she gets paid. She also could not pay her car insurance so she is taking a big risk driving. However, although she lives about 5 minutes from church, a woman, whose husband was too lazy to take her to church, needed a lift. Antonella travelled about 45 minutes to pick her up. I asked her what she will do when she runs out of petrol. She quickly said she will take her bicycle to work as if it were no big deal but that is about an hour trip.
I offered to leave so I would not be a burden but she told me to not be stupid and try to leave before the doctor allowed. I asked her why she would strive to help everyone when she needs help and she said it’s what you are supposed to do. If someone needs help you help them. I told her I knew many rich people who would not offer so much. Oh yes, I needed a brace (girdle?) for my stomach because of the operation. Antonella paid 57 Euros for it. I found out, that a company I was working with in England will start sending me £50 per month since the work I’ve done for them has not paid out yet so I was able to pay her back for it but she wasn’t expecting me to pay her back.
During a later conversation she started telling me about her dreams and what she would do if she were rich. She would help everyone. I told her, that’s why the Lord would never make her rich. She didn’t understand so I explained. Before we came to this life, we didn’t want for anything; we lived in bliss knowing no pain, anger, hatred, suffering, lack, sickness, doubt, loneliness, etc. We are here to experience all these negatives so when we return to our Heavenly Father we will appreciate the love, rest, and kingdom of glory he has prepared for us. If he were to make her rich, she would use all her money to keep people from experiencing all these negatives so God may bless her for her generous heart and her many kind deeds but he won’t let her stop all the valuable experiences they will have through their suffering and also, they would have faith in her instead of the Lord. Like her friend who needed money for the train ticket, Antonella was the first person she went to for help (instead of her family) because she knew Antonella would help.
If you know the story of the widows mite, Antonella gives all she has continually. So much so that it is just a natural thing for her to go to a mission for food when she has given hers away, get the old bread from the bakery, they are about to throw out, so she can have food; or ride her bicycle wherever she goes when she can’t pay for insurance or petrol for her car. I’m sure some of you will wonder why I stay without means to help pay her expenses and increase them as well. Those who know me, know I am also stubborn enough that I would not stay with her if I thought I shouldn’t, but she has many things that needed to be fixed, repaired, upgraded and so forth. On a monetary level I expect I have saved her at least 1000 Euros and if she needs to eat at the mission then I will eat at the mission. If she ends up with only bread to eat then I will eat only bread. I still have a few things to fix once she does get paid and can afford the parts so I will stay until I have fixed everything I can.
Now then, let me share with you something about this most amazing woman I am staying with. She planned on me staying only a day or two at first but I was using her address to have a solar battery delivered and it didn’t arrive yet so she told me I could stay until it did. I then had to go to the hospital for 12 days, when she spent the first to evenings in the hospital with me and came to visit every day thereafter. They told me I couldn’t lift my back pack until September so I couldn’t continue my pilgrimage. She insisted I stay with her until I could go. However, I found out she was nearly out of money a week ago (about the 14th), having only about 200 Euros until she gets paid on the 27th. At that time, her friend’s mother died and she needed a train ticket to go visit. She is unemployed so Antonella bought her ticket for 95 Euros. With the rest of her money she filled up the petrol in the car and bought food for us. Now she is out of money and still a week before she gets paid. She also could not pay her car insurance so she is taking a big risk driving. However, although she lives about 5 minutes from church, a woman, whose husband was too lazy to take her to church, needed a lift. Antonella travelled about 45 minutes to pick her up. I asked her what she will do when she runs out of petrol. She quickly said she will take her bicycle to work as if it were no big deal but that is about an hour trip.
I offered to leave so I would not be a burden but she told me to not be stupid and try to leave before the doctor allowed. I asked her why she would strive to help everyone when she needs help and she said it’s what you are supposed to do. If someone needs help you help them. I told her I knew many rich people who would not offer so much. Oh yes, I needed a brace (girdle?) for my stomach because of the operation. Antonella paid 57 Euros for it. I found out, that a company I was working with in England will start sending me £50 per month since the work I’ve done for them has not paid out yet so I was able to pay her back for it but she wasn’t expecting me to pay her back.
During a later conversation she started telling me about her dreams and what she would do if she were rich. She would help everyone. I told her, that’s why the Lord would never make her rich. She didn’t understand so I explained. Before we came to this life, we didn’t want for anything; we lived in bliss knowing no pain, anger, hatred, suffering, lack, sickness, doubt, loneliness, etc. We are here to experience all these negatives so when we return to our Heavenly Father we will appreciate the love, rest, and kingdom of glory he has prepared for us. If he were to make her rich, she would use all her money to keep people from experiencing all these negatives so God may bless her for her generous heart and her many kind deeds but he won’t let her stop all the valuable experiences they will have through their suffering and also, they would have faith in her instead of the Lord. Like her friend who needed money for the train ticket, Antonella was the first person she went to for help (instead of her family) because she knew Antonella would help.
If you know the story of the widows mite, Antonella gives all she has continually. So much so that it is just a natural thing for her to go to a mission for food when she has given hers away, get the old bread from the bakery, they are about to throw out, so she can have food; or ride her bicycle wherever she goes when she can’t pay for insurance or petrol for her car. I’m sure some of you will wonder why I stay without means to help pay her expenses and increase them as well. Those who know me, know I am also stubborn enough that I would not stay with her if I thought I shouldn’t, but she has many things that needed to be fixed, repaired, upgraded and so forth. On a monetary level I expect I have saved her at least 1000 Euros and if she needs to eat at the mission then I will eat at the mission. If she ends up with only bread to eat then I will eat only bread. I still have a few things to fix once she does get paid and can afford the parts so I will stay until I have fixed everything I can.
This is another picture of the same river taken from The Devil's Bridge.
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