Sunday, Apr. 30 (week 14 / day 98) Vicenza, Italy

Vicenza Military Ward

We went to all 3 hours of church, 9am to noon, in English! I didn't tell Stacia or the kids that sacrament meeting was last to avoid the begging to just go at 11am. This was an easy find with plenty of parking, a pleasant relief! We met Bishop Martinez as he was setting up chairs at 9:00. Even Americans in Italy tend to be a little more casual with time. We got to meet several members & enjoyed the meetings, although I realized the lack of language barrier made it feel less special.

We met Andy Anderson who has been in Italy for 2 years with the Army as a dentist. He's here without his wife & 4 kids because the Army never approved paying for their special family needs. Not fair. They've done a lot of flying to get together when possible. Andy was so generous to offer a guided tour of Vicenza after church. We also met the bishop's wife, Elke Martinez, a Polynesian given a German name, married to a Hispanic, living in Italy! She ran home to get a dozen eggs for us when she asked what we needed: eggs for crepes! She also brought apples to snack on. So nice.

the church building inVicenza

the military ward shares the building with an Italian ward

chatting in the hall between meetings

waiting for sacrament meeting to start

getting tips from Elke Martinez after church

Personal Tour of the Old City

After a homemade crepe lunch, the kids just wanted to stay home so Stacia & I met Andy at his house for an evening of sight-seeing, sort of a chaperoned date! He was even our chauffer so I could relax! Andy has done a lot of traveling around while living in Italy with a goal to hit every Hard Rock Café in Europe. It's hard to believe he still doesn't mind showing people around. He took us to the main hot spots in Vicenza & told us a little about the history of the area.


web pic of the Rotonda near Vicenza

We learned about the famous architect Andrea Palladio who lived in the Venetian Republic during the 1500s. First we stopped at Villa Capra or simply "La Rotonda" which is the prototype of about 20 similar buildings that Palladio designed in the region. This design is what inspired Thomas Jefferson for his Monticello in Virginia, combining the Greek columns in front & the Roman cupola on top.