The Footprints of Jesus
Trip Start
Aug 10, 2007
1
11
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Trip End
Aug 29, 2007
Punta Molara, Sardinia, Italy
Monday, August 20, 2007
We had our breakfast on the beach of Cala Librotto and then a lovely swim.
We had adopted the idea that from now on much of our trip was going to be a beach crawl.
And so we went on to the next beach of Cala Ginepro, where Rosina and I joined in with an Aquaerobics session in the sea, which was lots of fun. Loudspeakers played music loudly with an Italian commentary in between.
We sought shade at a childrens park in the trees where Rosina played lots.
We travelled onwards to the town of Siniscola to see the footprints of Jesus, or so legend had declared, but the church was closed for five hours, for lunch and siesta.
With many hours to spare, we went to the La Caletta beach to hang out in the shade of the pine trees, to eat, play cards, to draw and to write.
We returned to SIniscola, browsing the shops and buying a few things.
Then we were back at the Giovanni Baptista church. It was so full of people that we couldn't get in. So we waited outside on a stone seat with some old men.
Four younger men in smart black trousers and white shirts were there some of the time, pacing around and talking on their mobile phones. It looked so amusing that I got out my camera, though too late. Grinning with amusement, realising what humour I had seen, they disappeared into the church. It was slow dawning on me that this was a funeral and they were coffin bearers.
Out they came carrying the coffin with masses of people around them.
When we went into the church there were now only a few old ladies dotted around.
I asked a young priest where the footsteps of Jesus were, as they were not obvious, but I struggled to find the right words in Italian. He laughed and conferred with two old ladies as I tried to act it out.
It clicked at last and he took me to a stone slab set into the wall and there they were, Jesus's footprints, obviously an artistic symbolism of them really.
The priest explained that the height of the slab correlated to the size of Jesus, so then, he had been really tall, six feet or so.
There was something else of interest in the church, something the ladies were in adoration of, and it was in the aisle, a big bed with the sleeping Madonna lying upon it. The bed was beautifully decorated with praying life-size angels.
One of the ladies told us that this was Madonna of the Assumption, about to rise up into the heavens. The lady liked Eleanor and gave her two little decorated cards of the Madonna and St Giovanni, who she said had founded the first free school. To George she gave some prayer beads.
Georgie was making friends as well with a traditional lady clothed in black with a veil, who prayed over him with her rosary.
The atmosphere was warm and spiritual. It was lovely to be there.
Ellie, who had not thought visiting a church such a good idea, actually loved it once she was there.
All the ladies smiled and waved when we left.
We carried on our way to the next biggish town of San Theodoro, where we ate wood oven baked pizza's at a restaurant named after Dante.
So many tourists were in this vicinity, and as it was dark we needed to find a place to sleep. Eventually we found a posh residential area overlooking the bay of Punta Molara, where we parked up in the car and fell asleep.
