Sea Day, November 29, 2024

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. Although I teased in my Thanksgiving video that “We were trading turkey for pasta”, there was no turkey to be traded. The fare of the day, and every day, in this part of the world is pizza. Arguably, the Best in the World!

Mount Vesuvius, associated with the mythology of Hercules, lies on the coast of Naples. It is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because 3,000,000 people live near enough to be affected by an eruption. This is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world. Yet, the devoted Italians remain in this region. Why? Because the mineralogy of Mount Vesuvius produces soil extremely rich in potassium. So rich in fact that four of the top ten tomato breeds are produced in this region of the world. The Italians are quick not to export these tomatoes but keep them for home consumption. (This same soil produces outstanding lemons used in the famous Limoncello Italian liquor) Pizza here is served with only three ingredients to maintain the purity of taste: tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil. The crust is also always slightly charred to mimic the mineral taste of their soil.

The architecture of Italy is also awe inspiring and as you look at the mosaic floors you realize that you are walking the same floor that Michelangelo walked during his years of painting the frescos in the Sistine Chapel. This includes Michelangelo’s’ four years painting the ceiling and six years painting The Last Judgment on the wall at one end of the chapel. St. Peter’s Basilica, where Michelangelo’s Pieta is located is also beautiful Baroque architecture.

Some feel that this display is too gaudy and represents the cozy relationship between the Church and State where many artists were supported by the Church, including Michaelangelo. But one cannot fault the Church as this was multiple centuries before our modern smart phone and even centuries before the invention of photography in 1800. People could not download an image; they had to travel. This was the Church’s desire to witness to the world the wonder of God’s creation.  “Art, aside from being a credible witness to the beauty of creation, is also a tool of evangelization … through art – music, architecture, sculpture, painting – the Church explains and interprets the revelation of God’s creation. (taken from the Vatican website)

A fellow passenger shared with me that on one of her tours the tour guide shared that just last week she came to work at 6 a.m. one day to give a private tour to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who paid $9,000 for the privilege to avoid the crowds (cheap if you are worth $230 billion, I guess). Now this is not a commentary on Jeff Bezos, who I think is a brilliant businessperson who I appreciate for allowing me to order a book and have it arrive at my door the next morning. But rather a commentary on celebrity status. Remember, before Netflix, Elvis Presley had to rent an entire movie theatre so he could watch a movie with his daughter, Lisa Marie.

I’ve shared that when I travel, I like taking pictures of people than places. Standing on a crowded bus, waiting at a busy intersection or maneuvering a conversation with someone who speaks a different language thrusts me into humanity that celebrity would not allow. If you, like I, believe that we are all created by God, although some of the people I have met may seem to be distant relatives, they are not. They are my brothers and sisters. As I’ve stated before: God has no cousins, only children.

The pizza is delicious, the architecture is beautiful, but it is the people who are God’s masterpieces. I believe that if we could all only recognize that fact that there would be less prejudice, less bias, and that we would be more tolerant and live in more harmony with each other.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for God’s people. His masterpieces.

Thanks for travelling with us.