Finally from Rome

Rome is beautifully green after one of the coolest Mays in memory. Too cool for my liking but perfect for the course. We have been out and about through a week in which I did most of my lecturing. The classes went well - I added two new ones, one on Art in Rome - a topic I found useful as there is so much diverse art works around that it is good to have an idea of what happened when and what was the symbolism at work. The second new class was on the monastic idea that sin comes from what we habitually allow ourselves to think and what are the common 'thoughts' that can undermine the life of grace. That too was good work to do.

For myself I think I am finally getting used to Rome and starting to really enjoy its style. The above picture is what I like. Small alcove settings that give privacy and peace in the midst of the city. Finally I think that tomorrow night I will throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain!

The sisters on the program are a really lovely group of people. They come from all over the world, the US, Japan, Uganda, India, Kiribati and a variety of backgrounds, from dean of a university to a teacher in a village in Uganda, from hospice chaplians to youth worker attached to the courts. And all a very enthusiastic.

We went to the Papal Mass for Pentecost and even though we got there early with our tickets we were halfway down the church. One of our group is posting pictures on Flickr and is far more accomplished at photography than me so I suggest you follow her postings. She is at

www.flickr.com/photos/edithosb/sets/72157623988268479/

There is only one stained glass window in St Peter's - the holy Spirit at the head of the church. Michelangelo wanted all the other windows clear for the the play of light within. Here you see a number of our group in that play of light.

Amongst the things I have enjoyed this week have been delighful pieces of art work. For the first time ever we got into the crypt of Sts Cosmos and Damian, one of the oldest church buildings in Rome and here we saw this lovely modern crucifix. It looked beautiful in the setting with matching candles sticks.

At San Ambrogio, the marble work beneath a side altar was pointed out as being possibly the most intricate example of this sort of work in Rome. Look closely at the piece below - yes the wings of the bees are made out of pieces of different coloured, interlocking marble.

When we visited St Benedetto in Piniscula, the site believed to be of the St Benedict's family home in Rome, two art works we hadn't seen were up for view. Over the main altar was an old painting that had recently returned from restoration. It had taken years to be returned.

The other piece was a frescoe that had been painted over. It was uncovered, removed from the wall and placed on a firm background and rehung. It was an image of St Benedict I hadn't seen before...and a very pleasant one too.

This coming I should have more time for blogging so look out for posts.

This text will have to go backwards as I can't seem to move the layout of the pictures. This is the view coming into Pireus, the port of Athens in the early morning. The glorious light transformed what looked like a not particularly lovely city. The difference in beauty between the Greek cities and towns is amazing. The area where Geoffrey lives on Lesvos is delightful, while the capital Mylitene is terribly unkempt - rubbish and broken footpaths everywhere. The port of Chios which the ferry stopped at looked delightful and it is not even a tourist area. I can see no rhyme or reason to the care or neglect that people have towards their city. The ferries are enormous. On the left of the photo below are some of the 30 ton semi-trailers that were waithing to be loaded onto our ferry. At least one of the these ferries goes between Lesvos and Athens each evening and in high summer it is totally packed. I was told people will be sleeping on the floor on any free area. I had a cabin which I shared with another woman, who was returning to Athens where she lives. She was particularly stressed about the Greek economic condition and very worried about her future. She was jewelry maker by trade and presently is out of work. He husband is a lorry driver. Her son still at school.

Here is one lorry backing in. Along with the semi-trailers went cars, vans, trucks and even a father pushing in his 3 year old tricycle - trust me all in the same area. While it looked choatic, the ferried berthed, loaded and left the port with the hour. Workplace health and safety seemed non existant but all was efficiently done.

My biggest concern in the actual travelling of this trip was getting from the Port to the railway with my luggage. I thought there would be hassles but it was not to be as a wonderful woman came to my rescue at the port and took me all the way to the train platform for the airport and found out just when the direct train would be. She was lovely, kind, gentle - and is in charge of customs for the isalnd of Chios. She is finding the job difficult, even overwhelming, at present as they are intercepting about four boat loads of refugees each day. This puts the Australian situation into perspective when one realises that Chios in only one of the islands close to Turkey.

Now to the Greek sheep. They are ugly but each has a birth certificate - which they would need as no parent would want to be acccuses of producing an offspring. Each farmer has about 25 to 50 sheep which he milks. In fact the sheep are primarily for the production of cheese. Meat on the island is not good, the wool is thrown away after shearing. Geoffrey reckons that if the CSIRO could produce a merino that was good for milking the economy of Greece would be transformed. But the farmers must be making something as many of them drive Toyota Hilux-es. They go out very early about 5-6 am to milk and some also milk in the evening. Usually the farm gates and milking sheds look as though they were built by Steptoe and Son but that seems to be changing. New concrete built sheds with solar panels can be seen but still nothing ostentatious. This is not a showy society.

Having been there for the week I can see why Geoffrey is happy there. The people are kind and gracious. I found the interaction between the men particularly interesting. In the bank one day I watched the manager, a teller and a customer having an extended conversation. The gestures were so gracious, there was real emotional interaction and concern. But the other aspect I noticed amongst this people was that they were very direct. If they needed to they told you straight but without aggression.

I went to the services in the village church on a couple of afternoons. At the Vigil of Ascension there were about 14 women who exuded approval that I had turned up. After it Geoffrey and I were invited into a home for coffee by one of the women and we got shown all the wedding and grandchildren photos. Geoffrey is not the best translator. He can speak the language well of course but just doesn't realise that he needs to say in English what was said for those who don't.

Finally I now that I am in Rome I get to tell you a little about my time in Greece. Here is Geoffrey, Lord of the Manor, in front of his four roomed half house. It is at the very left hand edge of this village, which is half way up the mountain side looking out over Molyvos (Mithimna) and out to sea.

Below is sunrise in the area -

This is sunset.

None of these pictures does the area justice. The beauty of the area is a continuing source of delight to Geoffrey.

The picture below is going up to the church in Petra, where we went for Sunday Eucharist. Steps, steps and more steps are just part of the way of life. Needless to say I saw no gyms in the area - what would they need them for. What amazed me was how the elderly went up and down these steps with relative ease - the woman on the edge of this photo was not young.

Time is short but I did want to get something posted - next blog will be the sheep of Lesvos each with a birth certificate and the formidable Greek Ferry service.

Greece is different to what is on your TV at present

Dear all,
It has taken some time to get to this blog but be assured rioting violence and economic crisis has had nothing to do with it. If I had travelled a day earlier, I would have been very inconviencied by the strike which closed the airport but as I didn't, I knew nothing of the problems in Athens. Here on Lesvos Athens is a long way away, except for the shame and concern about the violence in the capital. I am safer here than I am at home.
In this part of Lesvos, the mountains met the sea and the scenery is stunning. Geoffrey is living in a small village 5kms away from, and above Molyvos - said to be one of the most picturesque towns in Greece - and I could well believe it. The village has about 180 people living in it and about 100 from the village living in Australia. As I am introduced, I get told of the relatives in Melvorne. There are some vacant houses in the villages, mostly owned by australians to whom they have been left.
Geoffrey has the house on the edge of the village but remember that they are all joined, cheek by jowl. He has four rooms plus a courtyard an storage shed. The views from his place are breathtaking, espcecially the sunset at night. The village is very quiet, except when the travelling shops, on the back of utes come round. This week we have had the clothing shop, the fishmonger (twice) and the household gadgets shop come round. Geoffrey has something to do with the villagers but not a lot - I don't think he wants to get too involved. But he has plenty of friends and contacts down in Molyvos and Petra and of course he knows all the farmers via the produce store where he works for about 15 hours a week.
Living in the village one gets a completey different view of the Greek economic crisis. I can imagine that about 30 years ago this could have been a poor place, with the chief sources on income being fish, sheep's cheese and olives - the olive oil of Lesvos is regarded as the best world wide. But since the tourist industry took off, I sense that the local population has moved into a quiet economic compfort. From what I have seen of the inside of the small houses, they are very comfortable. All seem to have two sources of income. Stefanos who I met yesterday is a public servant who also has 30 sheep which he milks daily. Other farmers who have more sheep, would also have olive trees. Some would have family who work part of the year in the tourist industry. It is very much a lifestyle. As for the economic crisis - here there is high government debt and very little personal debt - the opposite of what we have in Australia.
There are a number of expats who like Geoffrey live here for the lifestyle. Working also at the hotel that Geoffrey works at is Walter - a young american who want to use the winter to write - poetry and short stories. His wife (Greek from Athens) is an artist. So there are a number of like minded foreigners.
Yesterday I went to Vespers in the parish church, the vigil before the Vigil of Ascenion, I believe. The local priest celebrated the service at breakneck speed and did, what must have, all the various roles - in our terms - priest, deacon, subdeacon and thurifier. Discounting Geoffrey, I was the congregation. Afterwards at the coffee shop, we were told that the priest had to go down to Molyvos and celebrated that same service in two more churches as there is no priest in Molyvos due to the shortage of priests. I wonder if he had anymore congregation down there. I intend to go to the Vigil this Evening.
Tomorrow I leave the island by ferry and get into Athens early Friday morning. My flight to Rome isn't till late afternoon and I'm glad I allowed so much time in case anything does go wrong in Athens.