Travel – Page 24 – Gregory Scott Blog

Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 6

I have been looking forward to today because this was our Richard the Lionheart day.

After breakfast, The Wife and I went up on the deck to read and take in the scenery as we traveled up the Seine toward Les Andelys.

One of the unique joys of a river cruise is sitting on the deck of the ship with a glass of wine watching the towns, castles, fields and people move by at a gentle pace.

Les Andelys is a area along the northern bank of the Seine about 25 miles from Rouen. Richard the Lionheart built the castle there—Chateau Gaillard—in 1198, and at the same time constructed the town (Petit Andely) and church.

Interestingly, this is one of the few churches we’ve seen in France not named after Mary. This one is named the Church of our Savior—well done, Richard.

Richard is a fascinating character. He was a descendent of William the Conqueror. He was a crusader and great military strategist, who struck fear in one of Islam’s greatest leaders, Saladin, and restored the hopes of Christendom following the devastating defeat at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. He was also a great leader, who inspired confidence in the men under his charge. He is a great study in leadership. Continue reading “Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 6”

Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 5

Inside WTC's church — Inside WTC’s church

Today the rest of the cruisers set out for a tour of the Normandy D-Day beaches.

It’s a great tour that no American should miss if in Normandy.

The Wife and I have been to Normandy though and so arranged a private tour to the towns of Caen and Bayeux to revisit events from 900 years prior to the D-Day invasion.

In Caen we toured what’s left of the walled town and castle built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, originally known as William the Bastard. That’s a tough name to overcome. It just goes to show it doesn’t matter how you come into the world but what you do once you are here that matters. Also, you may recall the Jewish religious leaders accused Jesus of being a bastard. (John 8:39-42).

Anyway, the church where he worshiped is still there, thanks to some preservation and renovation. And no, the tourist information desk you see in the pic was not part of the church when William worshipped there. Continue reading “Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 5”

Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 2

We spent our morning on a walking tour through Le Marais, the historic district of Paris.

We saw the remains of the 12th century that had protected Paris, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Victor Hugo’s house in Place des Vosges, the mansion where Mozart stayed while performing in Paris, and tucked away on an otherwise insconspicuous side-street, a Jewish memorial commemorating the Righteous Among the Nations—those who at great personal risk took action to protect Jews from the Holocaust during World War II.

The names of the Righteous were listed on a wall ironically juxtapositioned across the street from a small plaque on a government building acknowledging the responsibility of The Vichy Government in the deportation (and ultimate murder) of thousands of Jews during World World II. The acknowledgement on the plaque was dated December 15, 2001. Our tour guide told us it took that long for the French to formally acknowledge their complicity in the Holocaust. It began with one of the great appeasements in history and ended in genocide. Slippery and steep is the slope of moral compromise. Continue reading “Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 2”

Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 1

2015-07-09 17.53.00 — My view on the plane

Day 1 of a travel journal blog is always a travel day. Today was no different.

There was a little excitement though. My 83 year-old mother-in-law crashed the security gate at the airport in Houston.

By crashed I mean she walked through the scanner and through the plastic gate the TSA agent had placed there to keep people back.

She said it was an accident, but I think she had secretly read the GSB blog about America’s security measures in response to terrorism and was engaging in a act of civil disobedience.

By the soveriengty and favor of God The Wife and I were “randomly” selected for pre-clearance and did not have to go through the porno-screener or strip before government representatives to prove we didn’t intend to blow-up the plane. Of course they could have just asked us if we loved Jesus and avoided the whole charade. Continue reading “Seine River Cruise Travel Journal—Day 1”

Carolingian & Crusader Travel Journal: Epilogue

The trip is over and we are back home.

I’ve had a few days to reflect.

If there is a common thread between the First Crusade and the Carolingian Renaissance that is applicable today for Christians it is the importance of Christian leadership to the kingdom of God.

But for the Church, the Middle Ages would have been a dark ages.

The Church, through its system of monasteries preserved a common language (Latin), preserved classic literature through its libraries and copying of manuscripts, created new literature and art, and provided for the education of society.

What other government or institution in West would have been in a position to do that? What other government or institution did so? The answer to both questions is “None.”

Charlemagne was a visionary. He recognized the importance of education, even though he never learned to write (he could read). He established schools in every dioceses, and he expanded educational opportunities to those outside of the nobility so that education was available not just based on birth but merit. Continue reading “Carolingian & Crusader Travel Journal: Epilogue”