Are We Ready?

Welcome to our blog, where hopefully you will get some of the inside scoop on our travels and (mis)adventures through Italy and Greece as
they unravel...uh....unfold. "We" is myself, Macrina, and my Mom Colleen, (a good sport!) and my children Emma (11) and Basil (3, yes, that's right, 3!). My husband Christopher does exist and will be joining us about halfway through our travels with our priest, Fr. Nicholas and a few others. Since he is going to Mt. Athos, we will only overlap for about 10 days.

We are very thankful that our pilgrimage is not starting out this way. Although I broke my leg just 4 weeks ago, it has healed quickly. Yes, I'm still hobbling, but my leg is not in a cast, nor am I in a wheelchair! I'll just have to stay out of the way of those Italian drivers!

Our basic itinerary to begin with is as follows:

• Tues. June 17, arrive Rome about 4PM
• Wed. - Tour of Ancient Rome (Forum, Palatine Hill, Colloseum) & Catacombs
• Thurs. - more Catacombs & Vatican
• Fri. - trip out to Ostia Antica (ruins of the old port for Ancient Rome) and train to Ravenna
• Saturday - Mosaics!!! (what else?!) Well, maybe the beach... and some good pizza
• Sunday - hopefully pop into a Catholic church briefly, then catch the overnight boat to Patras, Greece.
• Mon. - Thurs. on Zakynthos Island with dear Geronda Chrosostomos at Monastery Eleftherotria
  
• Fri. - on to Sparta, exploring Mystras
• Saturday - Sun.- in Malevi for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Staying at the monastery.
• Mon. June 30 - hooking up with Nikos and Maria in Athens
• Tues. 2:45AM Christopher comes in
• Wed. - Fri. ???
• Fri. - Sun. probably Athens
• Mon. -Tues. probably Andros
• Wed.-Thurs.-Fri. probably Thessaloniki, at Panorama monastery.
  
• Sat.-Tues. Meteora & maybe Larissa
• Wed. July 16 back in Athens with Maria
• Thurs. fly home

God only knows how much of this we will get through! I will try to check in and update here as often as I have a little time and we can find an internet connection. I will fill in a lot more when we return home in mid-July.

Please keep us in your prayers. We can certainly use it! We will have lots of time for prayer and we will remember you as much as we can. We plan to visit many holy places and people, tracing the steps of the Apostles as well as many many saints. Most of these places I have been before, but we are also in for some new experiences.

When I last went on a journey like this, 12 years ago right before my marriage, I learned that when you go as a pilgrim, with your spiritual eyes awake and your heart guided by openness to God's will and whatever is revealed around you, something much deeper and more profound than a "vacation" happens. This time around, for sure I will be putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak. Traveling with my mother and two children, not to mention my own gimpy leg, will be very different than being a carefree 20-something on a final fling. We pray earnestly for God's guidance and abundant goodness to be revealed to all of us along the way. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip and we begin with hearts full of anticipation and joy (and a little trepidation, truth be told!)

A sleepy Macrina who still has about 100 things to do before I can go to bed tonight! Signing off in cool, comfortable Port Townsend.