Rhodes can be connected to several things, though it is apparently not in any way connected to Rhodes scholars. One of the many things Rhodes is known for is the Colossus of Rhodes, which none of us got to see during our visit. This is because no one has seen it for thousands of years, yet we’re all still talking out it.

This statue, when it stood, was over 30 meters high and was one of the tallest, if not the tallest, statue in the ancient world. For this reason it was hailed as one of the seven wonders and used as a beacon for the people of Rhodes who saw it. Unfortunately, it is said that the statue broke at the knees and fell during an earthquake. There are rumors as to what happened from there, but we all know that the Colossus disappeared.

But did it? Tourist ships still sail to Rhodes where there are restaurants named after the statue with weak imitations out front. History teachers still tell their students about this structure being one of the seven wonders, and few people know the other six. Even the Statue of Liberty that stands on American soil is said to be “The New Colossus.” Rhodes will always have its grand connection to the Colossus and the people will always remember it, though none of us have ever seen it.

One of my favorite moments of the trip was the 20 or so minutes we spent in the theatre in Ephesus. The theatre holds such historical and Biblical significance through its mention in Acts 19. It was really incredible to be sitting in the stands where hundreds of people sat thousands of years ago.

I don’t know much about what took place in this theatre except that once the stadium seats were filled with people yelling “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” The scriptures say that they yelled these words for two hours in an outrage over words Paul had spoken. We sang two hymns to our God (one upon request from the crowd) and then had to leave. It is strange to think of the echo Paul must have heard on that day rather than the beautiful echo we heard while we sang. Instead of praise to God he heard the echo of the voices of idol worshipers who wanted him dead. None of them knew God, but instead worshiped what was popular in that area at the time.

Today the market outside the theatre is filled with scarves and post cards, rather than silver images of Artemis. But I can imagine what it was like to be Paul.

There was so much about the Acropolis in Athens that is remarkable, but the Parthenon, or the temple to Athena, is what I found most fascinating.  When our tour guide was telling us about all of the advanced architectural elements of the temple I was amazed. Each column is a different size, the roof curves, and widest point of each column is near the bottom but not the bottom. All of these things and more were added either for structural soundness or for merely making the building more appealing to the eye. The second reason is even more impressing to me than the first. The fact that the men working on this amazing structure cared so much about the beauty and majesty it would hold just as much as they did about being remarkably well made. This temple stood the test of time by being used as a temple, then a church, and then a mosque. Now it stands to be viewed by tourists, though its precision has been damaged by Turkish ammunition.

Sometimes life is so hard. One time a boy told me I was dumb for bringing my Bible as the book to read after the TAKS test and in middle school I didn’t get to go to the popular girl’s birthday party because it was a sleepover on Saturday night and my mom would not allow me to miss church.

I’m so persecuted.

Well, that’s not true at all, but modern day Christians often feel that we are being hard pressed on every side. We do not even consider what the Christians of the first century had to endure. Being hung on a cross, set on fire, eaten by lions, or beaten really makes my being made fun of for carrying my Bible seem trivial. I’ve never had to worship in secret much less fear for my life and yet I do not share the gospel the way the early Christians did. I have brought one person to Christ and the people of the first century who were suffering the ultimate persecution of torture were overwhelmed with converts.

Why do we fear? What are we so scared will happen?

We need to stop acting all oppressed and speak up. Maybe someday we’ll be in the same situation as the early Christians of having an abundance of converts. Maybe someday…

This story shows just how much myths and stories play a role in the lives of the Greeks and Romans. I sort of read this as a story within a story. It’s the story of the Trojan horse, which we are all familiar with because it became a story of pride for the Greeks that conquered the Trojans. Within this story that is being told about the Trojan horse there is the story that Sinon is telling the Trojans. If so much weight was not placed on tales, myths and the goings-on of the gods then Sinon’s tale to the Trojans would not have worked. Sinon went to them with a story that they absolutely must let this wooden horse into their city gates in order to insure the safety of their people. As the story has it, strange snakely actions reaffirmed Sinon’s words and ensured the horse’s entrance into the city. This story within a story very much displays how much emphasis the Greek and Roman people place on the stories they tell.

Yesterday we saw the painting the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. I thought it was a really wonderful display of the work of the time period. It was religious, and yet it was so incredibly detailed and developed beyond the works of the medieval time. It was a piece that was very characteristic of the northern renaissance as an expansion of medieval times, rather than a return to greek and roman art.

Something else I found interesting about the detail is what exactly the artist put detail into. I do not know whether or not the piece was commissioned or painted for pleasure, but it is my view that if a church commissioned an alter work I would make a simple rendering of the crucified Christ and Mary and call it quits. The artist went into so much detail on this painting that there are hundreds of different species of flowers present in the painting all in distinguishable detail. He also chose a scene from Revelation in which thousands of people are present and he actually portrays a vast number of these people, all adoring the Lamb. I just find it very interesting what the artist chose to portray, and I wish I knew why.

I always thought the Mona Lisa was really over rated in all it’s fame. I almost wanted to “stick it to the man” and go to the Louvre but not go see the Mona Lisa just to prove how unspectacular I thought it was.

Well, I went to see the Mona Lisa. I couldn’t let myself pass up the once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m very glad I didn’t. I was the only person not taking a picture or shoving my way to the front.  Finally the crowd did thin and I was directly in front of the Mona Lisa, the most famous work of art in the world.

I was stunned. In person she was beautiful to me. The painting was more than just a well painted portrait, but it was beautiful and mysterious. While standing in front of her I actually understood the fame of the Mona Lisa, which at first I was stubborn to admit. Well ok, everyone, it’s a really marvelous painting.

Paris was one of the first places we went that was just overly touristy. Everywhere we went there were people who were just like us who were there to see the same things. It made the experience a little less scary, but at the same time it rose a question for me. What do the people who actually live in Paris feel about us and the things we all come to see?

Do the people of Paris climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower every once in a while just to see the view? Is it still special to walk into Notre Dame or is it just annoying that the church down the street is always full of foreigners coming to take pictures? Do the people of Paris buy any of those oil paintings we go so crazy for?

I know that some of the natives of Paris work jobs that embrace Paris’s tourist nature, such as merchants, artists and … crepe makers…. But what do the rest of them think of our presence and of the presence of the tourist wonders around them? I don’t know that I will ever have my question answered. I just thought I’d let you ponder that.

The very first impression we received of Paris was of the metro station.  This honestly took my completely by surprise. Though we have been using European travel methods for over a month now, this method was even more different than the rest. When Americans sometimes struggle to carpool to school the Parisians will shove a seemingly impossible number of strangers into a subway car and act natural.

The metro is so much a part of Parisian life that musicians and artists can find work within it and beggars go there to find their money. It was also incredible how well they navigated the system. Though it only took us a few days to get the hang of it, there were people who seemed to have the schedule and stairways memorized because of their frequent travels. I guess if we traveled it enough we would be the same way.

I just thought the impact the metro had on their culture was interesting.

This week we not only visited Mozart’s house, but also a place in which Mozart held a concert before the queen. After going through the Mozart house I it was really astounding to me that I could be in a room that was not only ridiculously beautiful, but in which Mozart had performed his music before a queen.

I find many things remarkable about Mozart.  First, he was so incredibly young when he began composing wonderful, world renown pieces of music. He was truly one of a kind, not only in his day but even in the modern world. We have so much technology to do excellent composing, yet we are often not as advanced as a 15 year old Mozart.

Second, it amazes me how wide spread Mozart’s fame really went. At age eight he was performing before the queen in the palace in Vienna, while most people of the day never came close to anyone royal. This insane talent he had got him so far and his music is still famous, yet we do not place as much emphasis on the arts the way the Mozart family did. I loved learning about how he came to be the composer he was, the people who had influence over him and the people he had an influence over. Hpefullly American society, and society in general, will return to a time where beautiful music is emphasized and loved.