On Friday we made the six hour gorgeous drive (eight hours with stops) south through the southern Alps of Austria (scattered with old castles) to the Veneto, the north-eastern part of Italy. It was our first big trip with Ellie potty-trained and she did an amazing job!
We arrived in Padua, Italy, around 5pm and happily left our coats in the car as we walked around the town and visited three significant churches.
We visited the tomb of the Evangelist St. Luke, who was a doctor, and prayed for all doctors we know.
We visited the majestic Basilica di Sant'Antonio (Basilica del Santo), which houses the corpse of the town's patron saint, St. Anthony of Padua. We saw his tongue, which is incorrupt - signifying the perfect teaching of the Church that had been formed upon it.
Finally, we visited the Church of St. Leopold Mandic, which houses this saint's incorrupt body. We were very fortunate to pray beside his body, which Pope Francis had brought to Rome last month for the Year of Mercy and the commissioning of the official 'missionaries of mercy'.
We then drove about thirty minutes to Vicenza where there is a U.S. Army base. This past December several of the Army wives came up to the Kartause for a retreat with the Franciscan Sisters. After meeting the women there they offered to let us visit. They were the most wonderful, generous hosts during our two nights and Sunday morning there.
On Saturday morning we took a 40-minute train ride to Venice. Venice is built on 117 small islands and has some 150 canals and 409 bridges. We rode on a vaporetto (water bus) down the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square). I didn't really notice an odor from the water (possibly because I have a cold) but at one point Ellie did exclaim, "It smells like horse poop." The smell certainly didn't keep us from having an amazing day!
After a delicious lunch and then passing through the Door of Mercy at St. Mark's Basilica and spending an hour in Adoration with our Lord as the two kids slept, we visited the Church of St. Zacharias (Chiesa di San Zaccaria).
Then we went on a gondola ride!
Passing under the famous Bridge of Sighs.
We then walked about 30 minutes back to the train station through the beautiful, windy roads of Venice, stopping for gelato along the way.
The next morning we went to the Army Base for Palm Sunday Mass (it was so strange to see American money in the collection plate!). And then to the Commissary to stock up on the items you can't buy in Austria - including peanut butter, chocolate chips, Vanilla extract, Goldfish crackers, and Mac & Cheese!
Ciao!
