Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Maze: Mission

Mission, Texas

Where is Mission? A very nice small town deep in the south of Texas, just next to McAllen, once voted All-Around American City.  Many seniors and retired people  who call themselves "snowbirds" flock from the northern states and as far as Canada to escape the winter season.  Mission is just less than an hour drive to Padre Island beach and other fishing sites.  A close-knit Filipino community have made it their home because of the beautiful weather and have found a job as nurses and teachers.  There are also immigrants from India, Japan, Vietnam and China. 

http://www.themonitor.com
Filipinos buying their favorite food at a Filipino store


Manila Bay Sea-Food Store  (Closed)





Feeding the ducks at Rio Grande River

Janie performing country music for restaurant eaters

Padre Island

McAllen Airport

The Three Kings visiting Mission at Christmas


Joseph, Virgin Mary and Jesus at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Mission


Saints Peter & Joseph Monastery














Elephants for good luck!


Ferry Junction (the only one in the US) crossing the Rio Grande River


Tata and Henry buying fruits

Oranges for the picking




Mission High School

Beautiful animal


The best juicy steaks are only found in Texas



Published 7/31/13 lib's labyrinth

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 You Know You're a Texan ...
State Flower: Blue Bonnet







 






 











Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Maze: Rome Castel Gandolfo


THE POPE'S SUMMER HOME: CASTELGANDOLFO IS A SMALL TOWN LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF ROME ON THE CITY OF ALBA LONGA IN ANCIENT LATIUM, THE BIRTHPLACE OF ROMULUS AND REMUS, THE MYTHICAL FOUNDERS OF ROME.  It's also known as Castelli Romani (Roman Castles).  Built in the 1200s, it took its name from the Gandulfi family of Genoa.





The Pope's gardens overlook the heavenly and serene Lake Albano which fills up an old volcanic crater.  It's 961 feet above sea level and 558 feet deep.  There's one very special olive tree in the garden of Castelgandolfo - King Hussein of Jordan gave an olive branch to Pope Paul VI during his trip to Jerusalem in 1964.  The King's son, the current King Abdullah, visited the gardens and saw the fully grown tree.














The walkways and roads are paved just like the Old Appian Way.  Ruins of Emperor Domitian's (81-86)
villa can be found everywhere.  It was constructed of 3 levels: the top for the servant quarters, the middle for the imperial family and guests and the bottom as cryptoportico.  It resembles as tunnel with one end open and the other closed.  Today there's a large Holy Cross there.  There's also an Antiquarium museum housing prized collection of artefacts from Villa Domitian.




Cryptoportico


Historic Dates, Papal Footsteps and Occupancies
  • 1596  The Savelli family owned it on and off
  • 1604  Pope Clement VIII (1592 - 1605) declared it patrimony of the Holy See
  • 1611  Pope Paul V (1605 -1621) told by town officials to provide water to the castle and restore Palozzolo aqueduct
  • 1623  Pope Urban VIII (1623 -1644), also known as Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, started to make home improvement and beautify the gardens
  • 1655  Pope Alexander VII (1655 - 1667) completed the work.  The Italian painter, architect, and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the gardens
  • 1700  Pope Clement XI (1700 - 1721) conferred the title of Pontifical Villa
  • 1740  Pope Benedict XIV (1740 - 1758) built the Loggia of Blessings
  • 1758  Pope Clement XIII (1758 - 1769) embellished the property
  • 1769  Pope Clement XIV furthered beautified the 7 1/2 acre garden
  • ****  Next 100 years - Invasion of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte
  • 1846  Pope Pius IX (1846 - 1878) incorporated the castle to New Italy.  His pontificate was the longest in history after St. Peter, the First Pope
  • ****  Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Pact between the New Italy and Holy See.  No Pope ever left Vatican City for a holiday in Castelgandolfo
  • 1933  Restoration began.  The Vatican Observatory, run by Jesuits, was moved from Vatican City to Castelgandolfo due to the bright lights of Rome and astronomers were unable to see the night sky.
  • 1934  Pope Pius XI placed a replica of Poland's Black Madonna of Czestochowa.  It's the Pope's first "summer" visit
  • ****  World War I and World War II
  • 1946  Pope Pius XII's first postwar visit.  He loved Castelgandolfo and died there on October 9, 1958
  • 1958  Pope John XXIII (1958 - 1963) began praying the angelus with the faithful.  Town people attend the noon angelus on Sundays
  • 1963  Pope Paul VI (1963 - 1978) made the first papal trip by helicopter (the place is a 30-minute drive from Rome).  He died on August 6, 1978, Sunday
  • 1978  Pope John Paul II (1978 - 2005), also known as Cardinal Karol Josef Wojtyla of Krakow, Poland was elected Pope on October 16, 1978.  He was the first Pope to reside at the castle in periods other than late spring or summer

Vatican Observatory

Pope John Paul II welcoming President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura when they visited Castelgandolfo in 2001.

Pope Benedict XVI meditating at the garden


Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis praying to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa


Interior of Castelgandolfo






The Papal Properties

Dr. Saverio Petrillo is the Director of the Pontifical Villas.  He's been serving the Popes and guiding the pilgrims for forty years, since the age of 18.  For more:  http://www.ewtn.com/news/blog.asp?blogposts_ID=1299&blog_ID=1  (link added 7/30/13)

There are 20 permanent residents at the villas; 60 people work in the properties - gardeners, tree trimmers, electrician and maintenance men.

There are 25 cows in the farm.  The milk and yogurt are made and sold as VillePontificie di Castelgandolfo in the Vatican supermarkets.


Previously Published  4/2/05  ALT MSN Groups
Web Page: Castelgandolfo
Recycled/New Photos Added  7/30/13


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Rome

The Eternal City

Wednesday with Pope Benedict XVI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMqDAr5sLaw 3:41

The Great Churches of Vatican City http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkrtyrXz9bQ 4:07
Trevi Fountain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzibxYOJINE 2:37

















Published  2010 libslabyrinth blogspot
Web Page: Maze Rome