Splendid Sunday!

We had a splendid Sunday in Verona.  First of all, there was sunshine!  Beautiful, bright, warm, lovely sunshine.  What a joy to see the sun! 

We had hoped to attend a mass (messe in Italian) today, but we had to report to the hospital before 10, and the buses don't have a full schedule on Sundays.  We left our apartment at 8 to catch an 8:30 bus, since the buses only run once per hour.  At the hospital, they did not finish with us until 11:30, so by that time, we had missed the opportunity.  Hopefully, next week!

Even without a formal service to attend, we did find other wonderful, affirming ways to spend our day.  We found a park, and after three long weeks without a place to really play, Anna played!  She ran, she jumped, she climbed, and she even found her favorite thing -- a swing!  It was so therapeutic for Anna to get to really be a kid and just play.  She loved every minute of it.  The old Anna was back in full force!

After playing at the park, which was near the hospital, we headed back to our apartment for lunch.  Our apartment is just off a famous Verona locale - Piazza Erbe.  Today, Piazza Erbe was host to some kind of medieval festival.  People were in costume and were exhibiting things like looms, grinding stones, metal working, wood working, and all other sorts of relics from a time gone by.    It was fun to walk through the crowd (and my, it was crowded!) and see the exhibits.

 

 

Once we had lunch, we headed back out to enjoy the sunshine.  Papa and I got a tourist pass to visit the famous churches.  We had previously talked about doing this, but the rain and snow have kept us indoors.  Today,we were delighted to visit St. Anastasia Basilica and the Duomo Cathedral.  The artwork and sculptures were phenomenal!   I have never been to Western Europe before, so I have never seen anything like this except in the history books.  Awe-inspiring!  I sometimes wonder if, in our efforts to modernize things, we have forgotten to make sure that the grandeur due the Creator and and the Savior are properly on display.  No question here - grandeur is present!  These locations don't allow for photography inside, and in respect for the solemnity of these locations and for their rules, I abided by their requests.  Trust me, though -- magnifico!

We also just walked the streets around the old part of Verona.  So many of the places we see each day are so picturesque - exactly what you would imagine when you think of Italy.  Quaint and charming!

We ended our long day out with a stop in a little cafe just for a moment to rest and sit.  Papa's knee has been bothering him at times, and we may have overdone things a bit today.  I ordered a hot chocolate for Anna.  They brought her this.  It was like cake mix in a cup!  I have never seen anything quite like it.   It really could not be sipped as a drink (although I suspect my sweet tooth child, Lucy, would have managed!).  Anna ended up using it as a dip for a cookie.

Tomorrow, we will be at the hospital most of the day.  Anna will have a repeat CT scan.  This usually takes awhile because they do it under sedation, and everything seems to take a long time in general  -- they share that with American hospitals.  I also understand the doctor has ordered a bandage change.  I originally thought Anna would get them off, but they tell me they will be doing a step-down type bandage.  It will apparently still cover the whole head, but it won't be the compression type bandage she has now.  I am hoping they will make some effort to clean her hair a bit -- she's been in that bandage for two weeks!

Tomorrow will mark the beginning of our two-week countdown to Anna's ABI activation.  It's not to early to start praying!  I can hardly wait.

Amy