Goodbye to two more wonderful missionaries

I really don't like transfers.  We get these wonderful missionaries and fall n love with them, and then they get transferred to other parts of Italy, and we seldom get to see them again unless they get sent to Rome.  We have been able to see Elder Ostler and Elder Phillips and Sister Ghio in Rome!

Wednesday night, we went to Donna Sophia's, for Pizza with Elder Line and Elder Sorensen, 

and Sister Webster  and Sister Knudsen, and also with several of our favorite English class students.

Next week is Sister Webster's birthday, so Martina had a beautiful journal made for her with her name personalized on the front.  Sister Webster is famous for her prolific journal writing.  She was thrilled to receive such a beautiful gift.

Of course they made me cry when I had to say goodbye to them.  I will really miss both of them.  They are exceptional missionaries.  Sister Webster's Italian has gotten so good.  I can't believe she was brand new just 4 months ago.  She is always happy and positive.  Her skin is the classic southern bell fair white skin.  But wih our southern Italy sun, she is now a darker shade of white than she was when she arrived here!  I believe you could say that she has got a tan!  She is now on the other side of Italy, in Fogia.  She has one of the best companions in the whole mission.  Sister Fossa is Italian, and is such a good teacher.  She and her brother are both serving in the Rome Mission.  Their  mom and dad both were missionaries and she has an incredible testimony and great spirit about her.  She was in our zone, when she served in Pozzuoli last year.  So Sister Webster will have a great opportunity to have her Italian get perfect!

Saying goodbye to Elder Line was too hard.  He seems like a son to us.  He has an incredible strong spirit.  He loves basketball, yet he is so humble.  He is very quiet and doesn't need to be in the limelight.  But he is constantly asking questions to whoever he is near, that makes them feel important.  

I always wanted to feed him because he loved my food!  I am really going to miss him!

                                           We had a lot of fun Pdays together.  

                    Bye bye Sister Webster and Elder Line.  We will truly miss you!

Days #7 & 8 Caserta and Rome

Thursday morning we packed up from our heavenly place and headed for Rome.  Lizzy sat in the back of their rented van, with the girls.  They had many things to keep busy with for the drive.  

We did one stop on the way, at The Reggia Casserta.  This palace has 1200 rooms.  It was the largest palace in Europe when it was built in the mid 1700's.  It has gardens and fountains to equal Versailles.  It was built about the same time period as Versailles.  The King who had it built never spent even one night in it, as he was made king of Spain before it was completed and he moved his residency there of course.

The grand staircase is gorgeous. There are giant lions flanking the top of the staircase. 

 The girls wanted to see where the kings throne room was and where the king and Queen rooms were.

They were disappointed to not find the Queens room.  We did find a little guest room.  But they were not excited.

We did find a picture of one of the Queens whose name was Queen Maria Isabella.  We got the two Isabella's picture together.

Charlotte was very sad that there was not a Queen named after her!

As we headed to Rome there were beautiful clouds in the sky, with the threat of rain.  We only got a few drops but it cooled off everything nicely.  

When we arrived in Rome, we met the Steurers for dinner and we picked up a package from them for Elder Line that was in the office.

We had yummy shrimp.  The girls wouldn't eat it but they did hold it for a picture.

We found our bed and breakfast place (that didn't actually serve any breakfast), but it was in a convienient location and had a pool for the girls.

We got a good nights sleep and woke up Friday for a day of sight-seeing  in Roma.  We drove to the metro station and took the Metro to St Peter's.

We got in line at St Peter's to see the Basilica.  

We were there with thousands of other tourists.  The line moved quickly however and it wasn't too hot.

But Charlotte and Isabel weren't thrilled with waiting in line to see a huge church!  The Basilica is certainly impressive and has a lot of beautiful statues.  Our favorite is Michalangelo's "Pieta". The bronze canopy is huge up by the alter and the duomo is really beautiful.

The favorite thing for the girls was the water fountain right outside the basilica where they could get a drink.

Charlotte was a lot happier once we were on our way out of St Peter's square.

There were several street demonstrations that were interesting as we walked along the streets in Rome.

We went and saw the Pantheon which was built about two thousand years ago.

We also walked over to Trevi Fountain.  Unfortunately the fountain was turned off for cleaning.  But Roland was pretty surprised to see some famous boxer named Manny Pacquiaio there, who is from the Phillipeans. I didn't know who he was, but Roland sure did.

We all had lunch at McDonalds.  Not my choice, but the girls were so happy to get a happy meal and get something besides pasta or pizza!

We made it home, a little tired, but no one would admit it, because Isabel and I were having a contest to see who would say "I'm tired" first.  So we both held out until the very end when I had to say it first!

The girls swam for one last time in Italy.

We ate out at a family owned restaurant close to our bed and Non breakfast.  It was really good.  I had homemade ravioli that was incredible.  We ended the night with a game of Settlers that Lizzy brought.  Paul won, which made him happy.

We got up early and took them to the airport.  

 Charlotte pulled the biggest suitcase in all by herself.  She is a pretty independent girl.

They got off on time and we just heard from Roland that they arrived safely in Detroit.

What a wonderful week we had with them.  I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to make memories and draw closer to Charlotte, Isabell, Lizzy and Roland.

Days #5 and #6- Cilento Coast

South of the Amalfi Coast, is the Cilento Coast.  We found a fun Agritourismo about 1/2 mile from the beach for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Tuesday morning we had a tour of our favorite Caseficcio where they make Mozzarella di Buffala.  Everyone got to try their freshly made mozzarella.  The little ones are called Bocconcini.  

After that, we drove to Paestum, where the very old Greek Temples are.

                    I got this cute picture of Charlotte taking pictures of everything. 

We then drove to Casal Velono where we had a delightful bed and breakfast place.  The girls mainly wanted to go to the beach and to the pool.  So that is what they did for two days straight.  Hung out at the beach and the pool.

On Wednesday, the forcast was for rain straight after 10:00 am.  So we got to the beach by 9 so we could have at least an hour for the girls to play in the sea and on the beach.  

But it didn't rain a drop until 10 pm.  So the girls were at the beach for four hours and then in the pool for another five hours. 

             The pool was so pretty.  The girls loved playing in it.  I liked looking at it!

                              By the end of the day they were both pretty tired!

We had a buffet breakfast in the morning and then at night we had a five course meal which was very good.  Our eating area was under a flower surrounded covered veranda that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea.

The weather was the perfect temperature, not too hot and humid.  Just right.

The first morning we had breakfast, Isabel didn't like any of the choices.  Her mom told her she had to choose at least one thing.  Here is her total breakfast!

Charlotte loved the Nutella, and licked hers all gone!

   The rest of us really liked the home made goat cheese and the homemade pastas.

    We would go here again in a heart beat.  The rooms were comfortable, with airconditioning if we needed it.  The grounds were beautifully manicured with gorgeous stone and brick pathways everywhere.  It was a lovely retreat.