40 YEARS!!! WHAT A JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  WE DID IT!!!!!!!! 40 YEARS ' MATRIMONIO '
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE WENT TO MONTE FALCO FOR A 4 DAY CELEBRATION, AS OUR WORLD TRAVELING OCEANA LUNA HAD HER 11TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!

 WOW!!! ANDREA UP GRADED US TO THIS SUITE...WE DON'T HAVE A BATHTUB IN CAPITOLA OR SPELLO SO YOU CAN SEE MY SURPISE OPENING THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TIME TO DESCEND---FILLED WITH LIGHT!

TIME TO DESCEND...WE ARE FILLED WITH LIGHT...

WE ARRIVE AT SACREDNESS

                     DOOR TO THE CHURCH

       FRANCISCAN SYMBOL OVER THE DOOR

 AT THE LEFT WE ENTER A LONG HALLWAY
WHICH HAS NEWLY PAINTED FRESCOS THAT
LEAD TO THE CHAPEL WHICH HAS THE SPOT WHERE FRANCESCO RECEIVED THE
                       SACRED    STIGMATA

                     SO SILENT AND SIMPLE

                               SACREDNESS

 I WAS ALONE--NO TOURISTS--THE LIGHT ON
                    THE SPOT...SO MOVING!!!

 MONTE LA VERNA IS VERY!!! HIGH UP.......

          

 YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE AND CLIMB WHAT FRANCIS CLIMBED TO GET TO THE SPOT WHERE HE RECEIVED THE WOUNDS...I DID IT, BUT LARRY TOOK ONE LOOK DOWN AND
                                  PASSED!!!!

                      BENEDIZIONI TUTTI!
                      BLESSINGS TO ALL!!!

OVERCOME, AGAIN, BY THE 'POVERELLO'...FRANCIS

THE SANCTUARIO CONSISTS OF THE CHURCH
THE CONVENTO FOR THE FRIARS AND THE SACRED PLACES FRANCIS STAYED IN...
HIS ' LETTO ' OR ROOM...WHERE HE PRAYED...WHERE HE RECEIVED THE STIGMATA
...AND THE VIEWS OF BEAUTY THAT INSPIRED HIM AND GAVE HIM STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO PURSUE HIS DREAM: TO BECOME ANOTHER CHRIST. AND SO IT HAPPENED HERE. HIS PRAYER WAS ANSWERED...

                      OUR RIDE UP, UP, UP!!!

 LORENZO TAKES A MEDITATIVE WALK UP...

          THE LIGHT TELLS US DUSK IS ON THE WAY       

 FRANCIS CAME HERE FOR THE SILENCE
AS MUCH AS FOR THE BEAUTY...SO DO WE

                              BUONA SERA

                               FRANCESCO!

MONTE LA VERNA

PARKED DOWN BELOW LARRY WALKS AHEAD TO THE TOP OF LA VERNA...

WE ARRIVE AROUND 5...THE LIGHT IS TELLING US THE DAY IS COMING TO DUSK...

AS WE ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE SANCTUARIO WE ARE GREETED BY THIS HUGE BRONZE STATUE OF FRANCIS HOLDING A BIRD AND SPEAKING WITH A LITTLE ONE...

MONTE LA VERNA IS WHERE ST.FRANCIS RECEIVED THE STIGMATA..THE WOUNDS OF CHRIST... OUR FIRST VISIT WAS IN  1995. ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY WE TOOK THE 2 HOUR DRIVE ON SUCH A LOVELY DAY...IT IS HIGH ATOP A HUGE MOUNTAIN...MONTE!!...IN TUSCANY. HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF OUR 'PILGRIMAGE ' TO ONE OF THE MOST SACRED PLACES IN FRANCISCAN HISTORY...

OUR JEWEL CALLED SPELLO IN THE BACKGROUND...SEE HOW TALL THEY GROW!! LARRY AMAZED....

SUNFLOWERS AT LAST!!!

DID YOU KNOW THAT SPELLO IS THE
SUNFLOWER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD??????
WE HAVE SEEN BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS FOR YEARS BUT DUE TO THE TWO MONTHS OF RAIN AND COLD APRIL AND MAY WE SAW NONE...THEN ONE DAY LARRY SAYS: " LOOK OUT THE WINDOW!!! "  HERE IS WHAT WE SAW....MAGNIFICENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!