HALF-TERM BREAK HIGHLIGHTS

We love family adventures! We went to Lake Como and Milan for Half-Term Break. Beautiful scenes, rich history, and good eats. We had a great time.

Some highlights...

We flew to Milan on Sunday morning and took a few trains to Lake Como. We stayed in Como for a few nights and visited Bellagio and Varenna daily. We took the water taxi out in the morning and returned in the evening. Very. Cool.

It was beautiful! Slightly rainy and a little cool, but a lot of fun to see. Thomas made Elizabeth try Lake Perch and it will be the last time she tries it. Interestingly, the cuisine in Italy varies regionally and much of the food in Como was fish, while Milan was richer and heartier BBQ meats and risotto.

Milan was fantastic! We took the train from Como, dropped the bags at our hotel, and spent the day exploring.

Our favourite parts were seeing The Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci and touring Duomo.

Duomo was wild! So much history and beautiful architecture. A sight to see. We spent most of a day hiking around the building and learning the history inside and underneath...

Before there was Duomo, the Cathedral of Milan, or the original Milanese church, existed long before. During Easter of 387, Ambrose of Milan baptised Augustine of Hippo right here! Augustine was impressed with the preaching of Ambrose. Ambrose had a vision for the church as rising above the ruins of the Roman Empire and preached and theologised with great power. Augustine encountered his ministry and was brought to faith and then baptism. Our tour guide even pointed out that Ambrose baptised Augustine by immersion...and now here stands a Catholic Church!

We treasured every moment getting to visit the famous "Last Supper" painting by Leonardo da Vinci. This was painted on the wall of a monastery for the monks to look at while they ate their meals. The kids couldn't get over the fact that the monks cut off the bottom of the painting to make a door! Shepherd was wondering what they did with the feet of Jesus! Better than the painting was the message it represents: Jesus came into this world to be a servant and to die so that anyone who believes in him might live. It was such a special moment to see this in person.

While Rome was still our favourite, we loved getting to experience Northern Italy as well. Como, Milano, and Duomo ranks near the top.

We love being able to explore Europe on short flights! In just two hours, we were back in London, rested and ready for the next season of ministry.

So grateful for the rest and refreshment.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26