From Venice to Verona to Lake Garda

Today, 7000 runners participated in the Venice Marathon! The course took the runners right through the city of Mestre where we stayed. So, I got up and went for a run just so I could say I ran on the same morning, in the same city, about one-tenth of the Venice Marathon. Needless to say, you didn't see me on tv!

We left Mestre and drove the autostrade and arrived in Verona for lunch. Verona is, of course, the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliette - a fictional story that apparently many tourists think is real. I am just guessing that's the case since we saw them getting their pictures made beside the "fictional" home of Romeo. (We did not look for Juliette's "fictional" balcony.) I indulged my interest in seeing churches - popping into the ones that were open and either free or cost just a few euros. Since the art seems to be mostly from the same 150 year span, 1450 - 1600, I like to see how the churches feel. Some are more depressing, while some seem more inviting, more worshipful. One I visited today is still an active church and the lady who was the host invited me to go into the basement to check out the "lower church." I felt right at home! It was simple, had great acoustics, and had just the basic benches and a simple altar. I read in a brochure that the church meets down in the lower church during the winter. I bet they do that so they don't have to heat the upper church. Anyway, we loved Verona! It was a city with a family feeling.

Perhaps the highlight of the day for me was getting to go inside the Arena of Verona. This Arena was built in 30 A.D. - the same year Jesus began his ministry. It held 30,000 spectators who watched all kinds of contests, including gladiators battling wild beasts. It is the third largest Roman Arena (the Colosseum in Rome is larger) and, remarkably, is still used as a venue for opera and other musical performances today! After seeing the highlights of Verona (and eating a gelato) we drove about an hour to the small town of Torri del Benaco on the edge of beautiful Lake Garda. I had looked for a place where we could go to experience a different side of Italy - up in the lakes and mountains region. So - we just poked our finger on the map and drove to Lake Garda. And I have to say - we could not have chosen a more magnificent sunset view if we had researched for weeks. (We also stepped out of character and came here without

hotel reservations, but that worked out too. We are in a hotel that has had many famous guests including Winston Churchill, Vivian Leigh, and Maria Callas, and the King of Spain.)

Now, I must say, I do love the churches of Italy. I find them fascinating and awe-inspiring and I can sense that God has been there. But there is nothing in any church I have seen in all of Italy that can     

hold a candle to just one of God's sunsets!!

And when I saw this sunset on Lake Garda I knew for sure that God is indeed here right now!!!