On my first day in Rome, I visited the following sites: Pantheon, Palatine Hill, Colesseum, Trevi Fountain, and part of the Forum. Yesterday, I went to Vatican City, where I toured the Sistine Chapel, explored all the other Vatican museums, and toured and attended evening mass at St. Peter's. It has all been awesome. However, I shall have to describe it in detail later, for now, I must go. Today, I am planning to visit the Spanish Steps and some of the catacombs.
After spending a relaxing week at home in the States, I'm now back in Europe, through which I'll be travelling until Jan. 16. I'm now in Rome, where I will stay until Jan. 1. The current plan is to go to Greece after leaving Rome. I'm uber-excited about getting to visit the lands of the classical world (especially in light of my classical humanities minor)!
While home, I was able to finish reading Sproul's The Holiness of God and also began-and-nearly-finished reading J.I. Packer's Knowing God (I left it at home intentionally, since I only wanted to bring one extra-biblical book with me, and since I wanted to bring something that would last me the entire trip). And so, besides my Bible, I've brought with me an abridged version of Augustine's City of God, which I've been wanting to read for quite some time.
Knowing God was an amazing book, and I would wish that every Christian might read it. The book consists of a number of essays on various aspects of God's character, what it means to know God, and how Christianity and Biblical truths should manifest themselves in the personal piety of Christians.
Taking a train from Prague, I arrived in Krakow, Poland this evening with my friend David Wiegert. We walked around the city center—which is absolutely beautiful—for awhile before we found our hostel, Mama's Hostel. It's highly recommended and is actually supposed to be the third best hostel in the world. In fact, though, it only costs $12.00 (US) per night. (Hostels are amazing.) Tomorrow looks to be an amazing day of exploration in Krakow.
My European travels began on Dec. 4, when I flew into Berlin from Stansted Airport, London. I flew with three of my friends (also Jewell students studying abroad in England). In Berlin, we met up with two fellow friends (also Jewell students studying abroad in England). We spent three days in Berlin. Next, we traveled to Wittenburg, Germany, the city where Martin Luther lived, taught, and from which he initiated the German Reformation. It was incredible and it has been my favorite place so far. In fact, in Wittenburg, we stayed in a hostel located in Wittenburg Castle—the very castle to which Luther nailed his famous Ninety-Five Theses! We also saw Luther's house, the City Church, and Philip Melanchthon's house. What a privilege it was to experience the world of those great men! Then, we traveled to Wartburg, Germany. In Wartburg, we toured Wartburg Castle, where Luther hid out for about a year in the early 1520s. There, he wrote many important works, including his translation of the Bible from Greek into German.
Next, we went to Dachau and toured the WWII Nazi concentration camp there. After that, we rode a train over night from Munich to Prague, Czech Republic. Prague has been my least favorite place, being dirty, ugly, and crowded. After a few days in prague, we rode the train to Krakow, where I am now and where I shall stay until I fly out of Krakow to London (and from there to Kansas City) on the evening of the 16th.
I'm now in Prague, Czech Republic. This city has big buildings, good food. Bye for now.
"It is an infinite sin to prefer anything to the infinitely attractive God. Therefore, hell is just."
—John Piper
