Be sensible, death is at our heels!

July 12, 2010 – 4:32 pm
By Alex Henderson | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

Being in Europe and learning about the two World Wars and their development has sparked a new thought in my mind. Most of us live fairly swayed by popular points of view all the time. To steal T.H. White’s analogy from The Sword in The Stone, we are like ants in a mindless collective, always led and often in irrational directions. Times impending war are like that. Somehow we all seem to get caught up in the hysterics, the anger, the visions that are spouted by the “wise” leaders and media outlets. It happened in the First World War and it happened in the 2003 American War on Iraq. It may be surprising to find out that just about 70% of Americans favoured going into Iraq in 2003. This invasion happened amidst the anti-terrorist pandemonium created by 9/11.  The  war became hugely unpopular once the supposed weapons of mass destruction were never found (from what I understand, the pre-war evidence for these WMDs in Iraq was largely hypothetical). What happened in the First World War was in a way similar. Essentially, the times were just so that European nations and people just got pumped up for a “glorious” war. As the years passed and millions of Europe’s finest young men fell dead in the mud of the trenches, support for the war waned on all sides.

What it  seems like to me, in times preceding war we don’t think very much. We mostly feel, and not feel in a way that discerns maturely, but we feel all the wrong things. When we hear of a nation or ethnicity fearfully spoken of, or we hear of threats of terrorism, these are times in which to think deeply! Lets not run to violent responses readily. What is the enemy’s (a.k.a. “perpetrators”) point of view? How  can we try to diffuse this situation? Try to discuss the alternatives. Dismiss any haughty politicians.

Heroes

July 12, 2010 – 4:20 pm
By Daniel Thiessen | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)
We now are in Belgium and have recently been visiting some Word War I sites and memorials. First there was Vimy Ridge in France, which is technically a part of Canada, followed by Ypres, Passchendaele, as well as other sites in  Belgium. I was expecting to be mournful over the soldiers that died, or maybe to feel some nationalistic pride for Canadian achievements in the war, but instead I felt mostly anger.
This angry reaction was not to the war itself, but to the way that the memorials and tour guides portrayed the war. One of our courses on this trip is based around myth and the idea of a hero, a theme that I could sense greatly at these sites.  In my opinion, the mythical hero is what allows war to continue; this myth makes young men and women think that if they go to war that maybe they too will become heroes. This myth masks the reality of a soldier’s role which is ugly and largely full of futility. These dead soldiers are praised and idealized, but should they be?
Dan T.

A Recently Repeating History

July 12, 2010 – 3:49 pm
By Katelyn Avery | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

There is a week or so left in the trip. We’ve been in Barcelona, Rome, Zurich, and Paris. We’ve seen everything from art, to architecture,  to cathedrals, and made relevant connections between all of them. Still, this part of history that we’re seeing now is both old and new,  and strangely so. A week or so is a short amount of time but when I’m in a WWI museum, the time seems like an eternity. It grows longer when we visit the battlefields, when trees almost a hundred years old fail to hide the ugly, grass-graced craters. This is a part of our heritage that I haven’t recently thought of as rssecent. You never get the full picture from your high school history teacher, all you see are just snapshots.

But there is a strange, wholly Canadian pride that you feel while standing on Vimy Ridge (even if we admit that the French and Brits softened the place up a bit first). Canadians planned it, Canadians executed it, Canadians took it and paid the price without flinching. And I happen to be Canadian.

At the same time, this ridge, these museums and the monuments are hammering home the reality and the rawness of this war. It really wasn’t that long ago that humans declared the Great War to be the final war and that it could not happen again.

The reality is that the war did happen, and I guess I’m left wondering if something so unthinkable will come knocking on my door or the door of my children when the scars fade enough to resemble an untouchable memory of the past, like Rome or Greece.

So that leaves me – what can I do to keep it from ever happening again? It doesn’t have to be big. I just have to do whatever I’m capable of with all my heart so that someone like H.G. Wells doesn’t have to say “Every intelligent person in the world knew that disaster was impending and knew no way to avoid it.”

Katie Avery

The Privilege of Travel

July 4, 2010 – 3:44 pm
By Sara C. | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

To be honest, I was skeptical that a travel semester like this could be justified.  Travel is a privilege that relatively few people have access to, despite how it may seem to so many of us living in the Western world.  I wondered of its necessity.

Though I still could not argue for its necessity, I am much more willing to acknowledge it as an unparalleled way to learn.  (At least according to my experience.)

Whether studying Western history, literature, philosophy or biblical studies, it is impossible to avoid learning about Europe.  Much of it has strong roots here.  Already within the first two and a half weeks of the trip, I have seen things here that have brought to life various teachings from every single one of the classes I’ve taken in the past few years.

So far, I have listened as Catalonians have described their desire for autonomy.  I have seen Classical, Renaissance, and Baroque art and actually gained an appreciation for them.  I have noticed that I have been reading my Bible through a newly broadened lens in recent days.  I have had the opportunity to grapple with some of the difficult problems facing all/certain Europeans today.  I have been compelled to ask challenging spiritual questions after visiting Assisi, the birthplace of Saint Francis.  I have also gotten a better understanding of the power of language.

What a privilege this travel semester is proving to be, what a privilege.

-Sarah Coulombe

Globe Trotters

July 2, 2010 – 6:06 pm
By Monica Kadatz | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

We are on the third week of our trip across Europe and my emotions are draining, along with my shampoo, toothpaste and other necessities, and I find myself in need of a midpoint trip pick me up.  As we wind through the green landscape of Northern Italy moving towards the next stop on our journey I have found my inspiration!

I watch as the ghost like mist swifts slowly across the green mountain tops, that stretch towards the white clouded sky, and I am suddenly and gratefully reminded of why I am here.  I am reminded why I love to travel.  Why the final destination of traveling is not the full experience, but the path you take to get there is included in the journey.  I tell myself to soak in the beauty that glides past me with every mile and acknowledge my environment.  Traveling to me, reflects much of how life works.  There is anticipation, preparation, and movement; continual movement.  There is seeing, embracing, and accepting and then the realization of having to say goodbye once again.  These patterns are the patterns of my life, and they are heightened and magnified while I travel.  I love this.  It allows me to focus, analyze and truly experience my surroundings fully with every new flavour, touch and smell.  The world is a big, beautiful playground, and as I drive on a bus filled with 30 other eager globe trotters I feel extremely blessed and bewildered at my opportunity to slide through its abundance of cultures, swing amongst its wonders and run, as I do now, between its glorious mountains towards the borders that hold our next destination.

The Deepness of Art and Architecture

July 1, 2010 – 3:04 pm
By Matt C. | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

Thus far the trip has been amazing. We have visited Spain, Southern France and Italy.  As I sit here thinking of what to write the most dominant thought in my mind is how much I enjoy the architecture that we have been seeing.  Such sites as the Sagrada Familia, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Duomo in Florence and the walled city of Carcassonne have truly amazed me.  I was particular intrigued with Carcassonne and St. Peter’s Basilica.  It’s hard to explain what in particular attracted me to Carcassonne, but I believe that it was the medieval feeling one receives when walking through the city. One could almost imagine himself as a merchant arriving in Carcassonne and bustling around the city exploring the walled city’s culture.

St. Peter’s Basilica was the most impressive site that we have visited in my opinion; I especially loved Michelangelo’s Pieta that is housed there.  One thing that intrigued me while viewing the Pieta was the fact that Mary was so sad even though she knew the destiny of her son.  I then drew a connection between Mary’s sorrow and that of a parent with a dying child.  Although a parent, in this day and age, may be told how much time their sick child may have left to live it does not make their death any less tragic.  In fact it makes it harder for a parent to know of their child’s inevitable death and knowing there is nothing they can do to change the outcome.  I believe that it is so difficult for a parent to lose a child because in most cases the parent will die before his or her children.  Though these experiences and losses tear people down it is possible to grow and learn from such situations. Persisting through adversity will hopefully build an individual’s faith and establish a closer relationship with God.   Overall, it was interesting having such feelings come to the surface from these pieces of art and architecture.

Matt Caldwell

A Simple Beauty

July 1, 2010 – 3:03 pm
By Hudson D. | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

Here I am today in Venice, there I was yesterday in Ravenna at a Byzantine church from the 6th century. We’ve been moving now for three weeks and we have five more weeks of moving ahead of us. Moving, moving, moving, it’s such a large part of what we’ve been doing on this trip. You have to force yourself to calm down and contemplate even in the midst of constant motion. It’s challenging at times to have an epiphany in a thirty minute window. While this is very difficult to do at times, there is also beauty in moving from one thing to another. If it were up to me, I very well may have stayed in Barcelona for weeks or even months, but forcing me to move so quickly forces me to engage my surroundings critically and quickly. On our recent trip to Assisi we only had a couple hours to see as much of the city as we could in the time allotted. We started on the west side at the basilica of St. Francis and one of the main things I was wanting to see was the original cross of San Demiano which was at the basilica of St. Claire on the east side of town. The basilica didn’t open until two, which was also the time we were supposed to be back at the bus. Rather than sacrificing this chance to see this artifact of St. Francis’s life I decided to take the risk and catch a glimpse. I waited outside the church till two, dashed into the chapel that houses the cross, knelt before it, said a brief prayer, ran back to the bus. Even though this encounter was brief, it left a sense of simple beauty on the experience. All I remember of that church was gazing up at the cross for just a moment and that’s all I will remember and that’s all I really want to remember.

Hudson Doerge

Europe in a Nutshell

July 1, 2010 – 3:01 pm
By Laura Copping | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

I have been sitting on the bus for the past hour driving from Assisi to Venice trying to think of a word or phrase that might accurately describe my Europe trip thus far.  I have experienced so much in many different ways and have felt a variety of different emotions that it makes this task a difficult one and though it is not perfect I have chosen the word ‘overwhelming’.

I have been overwhelmed by the depth of history that belongs to each place we visit.  Standing in the Coliseum and imagining the whole place full of people watching Russell Crowe…I mean the gladiators….fight to their deaths.  Walking through the streets of Florence and experiencing the results of people in a different time which made this city a cultural hub for Europe.  Reflecting on the life of St. Francis while in Assisi and being in awe of how one life can influence and inspire so many.

I am overwhelmed by how much beauty I have seen.  In the few moments of consciousness I experience on the bus, I have seen some of the most amazing landscapes, filled with mountains and a glorious coastline.  I have walked through many beautifully designed basilicas and wandered through Gaudi’s brilliant Parc Guell with its elaborate mosaics and unique designs.  And I can’t forget about the poppies.  I have walked through fields of poppies, falling in love with how vibrantly they stand out from their background.

I have been overwhelmed by the power of some of my responses to pieces of art we have seen.  Looking in to the eyes of Michelangelo’s David and at his tense hand was the first time a piece of art really affected me.  On the contrary, I have also been overwhelmed by the times I have remained emotionally unconnected to a certain place or art piece while all around me people are experiencing the opposite.

And I have been overwhelmed by some of the relationships and connections I have made and witnessed within my class.  I have experienced safety in friends and found them to be people with which I can interact with both intellectually and emotionally.  The leaders and professors have been amazing at guiding us through the background of the pieces and places we visit and have acted as a place of grace and guidance for us students.

Needless to say, there is a lot to be thankful for and a lot to process.  With every place I go and everything I see I find myself more and more overwhelmed…but it’s a good thing, I promise!

Laura Copping

A Taste of Italy

June 25, 2010 – 9:11 am
By Cara T. | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments (0)

As I write this, the bus is silent as everyone listens to Vivali’s Four Seasons while we make our way towards romantic Venice. This represents so much of what I love about this trip. As we travel from country to country, city to city to city, we all crouch under the often scarce shade and listen to a lecture on the Sagrada Familia, hear about the life of van Gogh, randomly listen to the beautifully chilling voices of a quartet singing in a 6th century basilica as we prepare for a lecture on the mosaic behind them; the list goes on. I enjoy these occurrences and how they help enhance the way I experience a country or city, how they help me experience Europe as more than an average tourist.

One of the most striking experiences I have had so far was our trip to the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy, for a vineyard tour and wine tasting. I had been told ahead of time that the vineyard was owned by the Capponi family, one of the most prominent names of Italy next to Medici, so I prepared myself for a commercialized and crowded gift shop, but I was happily wrong in my expectations. We arrived and were greeted by a friendly smiling woman who right away brought us to this rustic picturesque building where we began with a white wine and a toast against the backdrop of an amazing view of surrounding vineyards. We then got a tour of the 17th century wine cellar joined with a brilliant explanation of the vinting process. This whole morning provided such a close connection with the region and I felt as though I received a true taste of Italy.

Cara T.

From tourist to pilgrim(?)

June 23, 2010 – 8:43 am
By Dan Snyder | Posted in Europe 2010 Comments Off

Tourism. Adventure. Journey. Pilgrimage.

Any one of these could describe the Europe trip so far. Depending on my attitude and the place that I’m at, one of those classifications could be accurate at any given time, other times it is all of the above. Seeing the pope today falls into the latter of the two.

First off, tourism. I’m not going to lie, the first thing that came to mind when I found out about the opportunity to hear the pope in the Vatican City was how awesome it would be to get a picture and then go back home saying how I’d seen Benny 16 himself.

Then the adventure began. I hunted down the details online, went to the Vatican the day before and got 20 tickets for those in our group that wanted to go. (Where my Swiss army knife was nearly thrown out by, ironically, the Swiss Guard – ask me about it if you want  to know more.)

The morning of, we woke up a bit earlier than normal and set out on our journey – tickets in hand … or pocket. Arriving in St. Peter’s Square, the crowd wasn’t as massive as I had anticipated, but even worse than a crowded square was the relentlessly blazing sun. This definitely raised the stakes – if I were just in it for a picture, I probably would have left after 2 minutes. But alas, I was there for over 2 hours and stayed for the whole address (8 language later – does that make the pope octolingual?)

What drew me into staying was the feeling of being a part of something bigger than just me, my pictures, and this trip. In the moment all I could think about was w0ndering how many languages the pope DIDN’T know and how long one bottle of water could sustain multiple people in the brutal heat. After the fact though, it hit me how much seeing the pope meant to the people there and that to some of them, this was the culmination of a lengthy pilgrimage from distant lands.

Even if seeing Benedict XVI wasn’t any kind of grand epiphany for me, it showed me yet again how important it is to try to see the world through other people’s eyes. By doing this, maybe I can come to appreciate the rituals and traditions of others in order to help me discover more of who I am as I travel along on my own pilgrimage.

After all that, my pictures of the pope weren't even that great - but here's me in St. Peter's Square right after the main event! -Dan S.