The Road To Potenza (Potency) - Part 1

As we pulled out of Reggio Calabria we were consumed with the beauty of the scenery. Reggio Calabria sits on the banks of the Strait of Messina right across from Sicily. The night we spent in Reggio Calabria had us in awe of the beauty of seeing the lights of Sicily across the water of the strait. But it didn’t compare to the beauty of the view we had as we climbed the mountain leaving Reggio Calabria.

As we ascended, the scenery became more and more beautiful. We all intended to sleep the whole trip. “The Well” was the only one to go to sleep pretty quickly. He was TIRED from cutting up so much. The rest of us couldn’t stop looking at the glory of God revealed in creation. But, the higher we went up the mountain, the more nervous “Running Feather” became. She doesn’t do heights nor darkness very well (more about the darkness later). So, she went to sleep – or at least feigned it.

“Mad Max” drives very differently from “John.” “Mad Max” isn’t afraid to put the pedal down and get on up the road. His driving made all of us a bit nervous. So, “The Diva” and “Red Bird” went to sleep so they wouldn’t have to watch as we rode. This left “Chicken On Bikes” and me to do all the “oohing” and “aahing.” We tried to take advantage of all the “photo ops” – moments when the scenery warranted a photo.

Southern Italy has so much history and charm. Clearly, the people there live very simple lives. The houses are built to last for centuries. No wooden frames here… these homes are made of solid concrete with iron rod reinforcement. Many homes burn wood for heat. This is the way of southern Italy.

Soon, we started seeing snow-capped mountains. Oh, what majestic beauty they possess! We rode on cliffs; through tunnels and around some of the most beautiful mountains we had ever seen. Then, more snow-capped mountains. Soon we saw mountains wearing clouds for halos. Still, more snow-capped mountains. Then we were riding through areas where snow was still on the ground. Soon we realized that we were on a snow-capped mountain. We saw that halo again… then noticed it was getting closer… and closer. Of my God – we drove into the cloud. What an awesome experience… driving into a cloud on a snow-capped mountain.

Eventually we reached Potenza – which actually means “Potency”. It looks like something you would see in a movie. A city built on a mountain without destroying the mountain. Streets are all either on the incline or decline. This busy, bustling city is packed with people driving their small, mini cars (Opel, Fiat, Renault, etc.), navigating these steep streets with reckless abandon. The view and atmosphere are incredible.

We pulled up to the Parco Del Seminario. Based on the name, I figured that the place was a renovated or remodeled seminary. I was close. We actually stayed in an active seminary. And, in the classic tradition, this wasn’t at all a place of luxury. This was a “get close to Jesus” moment for us.

The establishment clearly believes in conservation. After checking in, we headed to our rooms. The lights in the hallway were turned off – and there was no sunlight entering in to brighten your pathway. It took us a while to find the light switches. And when we found the switch and cut the lights on in the hallway, to our utter surprise, they only stayed on for about 30 seconds. Before we found our rooms, the lights turned off and we were in the dark again. You should have heard “Running Feather” scream as she crouched in the corner, holding on for dear life to whoever she was able to get her hands on. Poor thing. That was a FUNNY moment! When we got to the rooms we discovered that they were just as cold as the hallways, which were just as cold as the entrance to the building, which was almost as cold as the snow-covered mountain. In other words, NO HEAT! Well, to be more precise, they don’t run the heat all day. And we were checking in at the wrong time. There was no heat running in the rooms at that time of day. And, this place doesn’t have central heat. It was pipe heat – like steam heat. So, the rooms weren’t going to heat up quickly. And, marble floors are quite beautiful to have in your room – but it sure is cold to walk on.

By now, we were all very hungry. So, “Mad Max” took us on an adventure walking through the streets of Potenza at 3:30 in the afternoon in search of a restaurant. What we learned as we walked along was that Italians – especially those from Southern Italy – believe in siestas. And once siesta is over, most of the restaurants close because they don’t get any business. And they don’t open again until about 7:00 PM. We walked about a half-mile downhill through the snowy streets only to find nothing open. So, we turned around and headed back UP the mountain. By God’s grace, on the way back we found a spot open. We were so grateful!!

After these experiences, we weren’t in the best of moods. We were ready to get to the church, do the concert, come back to this cold seminary and quickly fall asleep so that we could get on our way to the next place.

Little did we know that our lives would change that night!

Tune in tomorrow to find out what happened.