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Explore a multitude of World Heritage sites in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta—considered the crossroads of this complex history.
Select a Departure Date Select a Departure Date May 24 - Jun 1, 2020 (Available) Jun 7 - 15, 2020 (Available)
Number of Passengers Number of Passengers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Starting at: $4,595 * Price includes special offer Make a Reservation Ask Us A Question or Call 855-330-1542
Voyage from Rome to Malta
Aboard the Le Bougainville
9 days from $4,595
departure Select a departure May 24 - Jun 1, 2020 (Available) Jun 7 - 15, 2020 (Available) passengers Number of Passengers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Tour Extensions
TOUR BROCHURE
WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY
Smithsonian surpasses any organized trip we have taken in the past several decades.
- Irving R.
The Voyage from Rome to Malta is a fabulous experience, from the chance to walk around the ruins of Pompeii, to cruising on a beautiful ship along the Amalfi coast, to touring phenomenal ancient Greek sites in Sicily, and visiting the absolutely beautiful island of Malta.
- John J.
JOURNEYS DISPATCHES
A Q&A with Expert Ross King
A Q&A with Expert Cassandra Potts Hannahs
A Q&A with Expert Grant Nel
A Q&A with Expert Michelle Thaller
See All Journeys Dispatches ››
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Activity Level 3: Moderate / Active
Expectations: Ocean-going cruise that may pull into a pier for embarkation and shore excursions and may use tenders at some ports. Excursions will be at a moderately active pace during the mornings or afternoons and some days will require early morning departures (8:00 or 8:30 a.m.). Daily activities of two to three hours each day. Some standing and walking for periods of time (up to two hours) during outdoor activities and tours, city tours, and museum visits. Walking two to three miles will be over sometimes difficult terrain, such as cobblestones in towns and many archaeological sites. The longest coach transfer is approximately 50 minutes (from Sorrento to Pompeii).
Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit, lead active lives, are comfortable participating in long days of activities, and expect some physical exertion.
Rome Pre-Cruise Option — 4 Days, 3 Nights
Capital of the ancient Roman Empire and a World Heritage site, the "Eternal City" of Rome is the perfect start to your Voyage of Ancient Empires. This majestic city showcases spectacular landmarks from its centuries as a center of power, culture, and religion. See its ancient monuments, including the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Enjoy a tour of St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, including the recently reopened Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel. Accommodations for three nights are in the deluxe The Westin Excelsior Rome Hotel, minutes from Piazza di Spagna and the Villa Borghese gardens, and located on the most well-known street of the capital, the famous Via Veneto.
Malta Post-Cruise Option — 3 Days, 2 Nights
The magnificent fortified city of Valletta was founded in 1566 by the French Grand Master of the Order of the Knights St. John, after their victory over the Ottomans in the Great Siege of Malta. This World Heritage site was one of the world's earliest planned cities and today an open-air museum of architecture from the 16th century onward, including splendid examples of baroque, neoclassical, and modern styles. Visit the ornate 16th‑century St. John's Co‑Cathedral, inside the church, enjoy seeing masterpieces such as Caravaggio's The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and Flemish tapestries designed by Sir Peter Paul Rubens. Tour the 18th-century Palazzo Parisio, known as a "miniature Versailles" for its magnificent gardens and interior, featuring a grand staircase of Carrara marble. Visit Mdina, Malta's medieval capital, and the nearby domed Mosta Church. This island influenced by so many ancient cultures—from the Phoenicians and Carthaginians to the Romans, French and British—is a fitting end to the Mediterranean's ancient empires. Accommodations are for two nights in a deluxe hotel, offering convenient access to Valletta's highlights.
Pre-Cruise and Post-Cruise Options are available at additional cost. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation.
Le Bougainville
Launched in 2019, Le Bougainville is among a new fleet of luxury expedition ships launched by the Ponant cruise line, along with sister ship Le Dumont d'Urville. These ships combine revolutionary design and a new standard of luxury.
Spacious, Ocean-view Suites and Staterooms
Each of the 92 elegant suites and staterooms features a private balcony, while Grand Deluxe Suites have a bay window and spacious private terrace. The deluxe, air-conditioned staterooms and suites (up to 484 square feet) have two twin beds that convert to one queen-size bed. Each cabin has a private bathroom with shower (bathtub in a limited number of staterooms) and the luxurious amenities of a fine hotel, including individual climate control, satellite flat-screen television, wireless Internet access, safe, minibar, full-length closet, writing desk/dressing table, and plush robes.
Chic and Casual Dining
International and regional cuisine is served in the stylish, spacious indoor-outdoor restaurant in a single, unassigned seating; at the casual pool deck grill; or from 24-hour room service. Continental and buffet breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon tea, and a four-course dinner are served daily. Wine is served at your table during lunch and dinner and complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included throughout the cruise.
Spacious Public Areas, Intimate Atmosphere, and World-Class Service
The warm and inviting public areas accommodate all passengers comfortably. Enjoy sweeping views from the Observation Lounge and Main Lounge, both of which open to the outdoors, and lectures, cultural performances, or film screenings in the state-of-the-art theater. For your convenience, Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship.
The ship also features the first luxury underwater observatory, the Blue Eye, a multisensory underwater observation lounge that incorporates decor and technology to immerse you in the beauty of the ocean's ecosystem. Here, you can observe fascinating marine life through the large subaquatic windows while digital screens and the specially designed global listening system relay the sights and sounds beneath the ocean surface.
Other amenities aboard ship are a Sun Deck, swimming pool, beauty salon, spa and sauna, fitness room, and two elevators. In addition, there is a three-level marina platform with complimentary kayaking and snorkeling equipment, as well as 10 easily accessible Zodiacs.
The highly trained, English-speaking international crew are personable and attentive, and the ship has an infirmary staffed with a doctor and nurse.
The newest additions to a fleet that has been awarded the prestigious "Clean Ship" designation, a rarity among ocean-cruising vessels, these expedition ships are designed with energy efficient, advanced eco-friendly features that protect fragile marine ecosystems while providing a safe and comfortable voyage.
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Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History
By: John Julius Norwich
Critically acclaimed author John Julius Norwich weaves the turbulent story of Sicily into a spellbinding narrative that places the island at the crossroads of world history."Sicily," said Goethe, "is the key to everything." It is the largest island in the Mediterranean, the stepping-stone between Europe and Africa, the link between the Latin West and the Greek East. Sicily's strategic location has tempted Roman emperors, French princes, and Spanish kings. The subsequent struggles to conquer and keep it have played crucial roles in the rise and fall of the world's most powerful dynasties.Yet Sicily has often been little more than a footnote in books about other empires. John Julius Norwich's engrossing narrative is the first to knit together all of the colorful strands of Sicilian history into a single comprehensive study. Here is a vivid, erudite, page-turning chronicle of an island and the remarkable kings, queens, and tyrants who fought to rule it. From its beginnings as a Greek city-state to its emergence as a multicultural trading hub during the Crusades, from the rebellion against Italian unification to the rise of the Mafia, the story of Sicily is rich with extraordinary moments and dramatic characters. Writing with his customary deftness and humor, Norwich outlines the surprising influence Sicily has had on world history—the Romans' fascination with Greek civilization dates back to their sack of Sicily—and tells the story of one of the world's most kaleidoscopic cultures in a galvanizing, contemporary way.This volume has been a long time coming—Norwich began to explore Sicily's colorful history during his first visit to the island in the early 1960s. The dean of popular historians leads his readers through the millennia with the steady narrative hand of a master teacher or the world's most learned tour guide. Like the island itself, Sicily is a book brimming with bold flavors that begs to be revisited again and again.Praise for Sicily"Suavely readable . . . The very model of a popular historian, [Norwich] writes to give pleasure to the common reader. And what pleasure it is."—The Wall Street Journal"Entertaining on every page . . . There is something ancient and sorrowful in Sicily, 'some dark, brooding quality,' just as captivating as its spellbinding history or its beautiful and varied landscapes, from beaches to lemon groves, pine forests to volcanoes. . . . The most amiable and freewheeling of guides, Norwich will always find time for the amusing anecdote."—The Sunday Times"Utterly engrossing . . . written with passion about the art and architecture of this magical island, filled with gossipy tidbits and sweeping historical theories."—The Daily Beast "Dazzling . . . Norwich is an elegantly graceful and entertaining storyteller."—Richmond Times-Dispatch "Charming . . . richly nuanced history relayed with enormous fondness."—Kirkus Reviews "A brisk and always-lively tour."—Open Letters Monthly"Norwich is deeply in love with Sicily. [His] boundless affection has inspired a determined effort to understand its painful past. The result is impressionistic, as love often is."—The Times"Norwich sketches personalities vividly. . . . He does the island and the reader a generous service in providing such an amiable introduction."—The Sunday Telegraph "Norwich tells [Sicily's] long, sad but fascinating story with sympathy and brio."—Literary Review
Pompeii: The Day a City Died
By: Robert Etienne
In an illustrated survey of one of the most fascinating archeological discoveries in history, an expert on Pompeii uses photographs, maps, reconstructed city plans, mosaics, and drawings to provide a vivid portrait of life in this Roman city.
Italy: Monuments Past and Present (Monuments Past & Present)
By: R. Staccioli, A. De Franciscis-Bragantini
This informative volume shows Italy's most important monuments as they look today and, via overlaid illustrations, as they were once upon a time. The book surveys the history and archeological highlights of Rome, Sicily and Pompeii.
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Sicily
By: DK Travel
Visit and explore Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and stop by Valle dei Templi, hike Mount Etna, and eat authentic caponata.Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Sicily. • Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance. • Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights. • Floor plans and guided visitor information for major museums. • Guided walking tours, local drink and dining specialties to try, things to do, and places to eat, drink, and shop by area. • Area maps marked with sights. • Detailed city maps include street finder indexes for easy navigation. • Insights into history and culture to help you understand the stories behind the sights. • Hotel and restaurant listings highlight DK Choice special recommendations. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Sicily truly shows you the country as no one else can.Recommended: For a pocket guidebook to Sicily, check out DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Sicily, which is packed with dozens of top 10 lists, ensuring you make the most of your time and experience the best of everything.Series Overview: For more than two decades, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides have helped travelers experience the world through the history, art, architecture, and culture of their destinations. Expert travel writers and researchers provide independent editorial advice, recommendations, and reviews. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more.DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide. Visit TravelDK.com to learn more.
Fodor's The Amalfi Coast, Capri & Naples (Full-color Travel Guide)
By: Fodor's Travel Guides
Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for more than 80 years. Abundant color photos, combined with thorough coverage, bring one of Italy's most beautiful destinations to dazzling life. The Bay of Naples and neighboring Amalfi Coast epitomize southern Italy at its best: in one concentrated area travelers find spectacular natural beauty, world-class art, rich history, and that quintessential Italian zest for living.This travel guide includes:· Dozens of full-color maps · Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks· In-depth breakout features on exploring Capri by boat; Naples' main thoroughfare, Spaccanapoli; and the Neapolitan Baroque· Major sights such as Pompeii, Positano and the Temples of Paestum· Coverage of The Amalfi Coast; Capri, Ischia and Procida; Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula; The Bay of Naples and NaplesPlanning to visit more of Italy? Check out Fodor's country-wide travel guide to Italy.
The Mediterranean in History
By: Brand: J. Paul Getty Museum
In this richly illustrated volume, eight distinguished historians explore the facts, themes, and epochs of the history of the "Great Sea": the physical setting; the rivalry between Carthaginians, Greeks, and Etruscans for control of sea routes; unification under Rome and the subsequent break up into Western Christendom, Byzantium, and Islam; the Crusades; commerce in medieval times; the Ottoman resurgence; the rivalry of European powers from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries; and the globalization of the region in the last century.The book departs from the traditional view of Mediterranean history with its emphasis on the influences of physical geography. Instead it regards physical context as a staging ground for decisive action with, at center stage, human catalysts at all levels of society—from great kings and emperors to the sailors of medieval Amalfi to the Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492. The authors describe how these groups interacted with one another across the sea, enjoying commercial and political ties as well as sharing ideas and religious beliefs.
The Great Siege of Malta: The Epic Battle between the Ottoman Empire and the Knights of St. John
By: Bruce Ware Allen
In the spring of 1565, a massive fleet of Ottoman ships descended on Malta, a small island centrally located between North Africa and Sicily, home and headquarters of the crusading Knights of St. John and their charismatic Grand Master, Jean de Valette. The Knights had been expelled from Rhodes by the Ottoman sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, and now stood as the last bastion against a Muslim invasion of Sicily, southern Italy, and beyond. The siege force of Turks, Arabs, and Barbary corsairs from across the Muslim world outnumbered the defenders of Malta many times over, and its arrival began a long hot summer of bloody combat, often hand to hand, embroiling knights and mercenaries, civilians and slaves, in a desperate struggle for this pivotal point in the Mediterranean.Bruce Ware Allen's The Great Siege of Malta describes the siege's geopolitical context, explains its strategies and tactics, and reveals how the all-too-human personalities of both Muslim and Christian leaders shaped the course of events. The siege of Malta was the Ottoman empire's high-water mark in the war between the Christian West and the Muslim East for control of the Mediterranean. Drawing on copious research and new source material, Allen stirringly recreates the two factions' heroism and chivalry, while simultaneously tracing the barbarism, severity, and indifference to suffering of sixteenth-century warfare.The Great Siege of Malta is a fresh, vivid retelling of one of the most famous battles of the early modern world—a battle whose echoes are still felt today.
Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World
By: Roger Crowley
In 1521, Suleiman the Magnificent, Muslim ruler of the Ottoman Empire, dispatched an invasion fleet to the Christian island of Rhodes. This would prove to be the opening shot in an epic clash between rival empires and faiths for control of the Mediterranean and the center of the world. In Empires of the Sea, acclaimed historian Roger Crowley has written a thrilling account of this brutal decades-long battle between Christendom and Islam for the soul of Europe, a fast-paced tale of spiraling intensity that ranges from Istanbul to the Gates of Gibraltar. Crowley conjures up a wild cast of pirates, crusaders, and religious warriors struggling for supremacy and survival in a tale of slavery and galley warfare, desperate bravery and utter brutality. Empires of the Sea is a story of extraordinary color and incident, and provides a crucial context for our own clash of civilizations.
The ancient Mediterranean
By: Michael Grant
This book covers the subject matter of ancient history from the dawn of civilization to the 4th Century A.D. and the division of the Roman Empire. It uniquely treats the ancient world as a unit in time and also, a unit in space - in geological terms. Michael Grants demonstrates how the classical cultures of Greece and Rome drew on their own past.
By: John Hooper
Washington Post bestsellerLos Angeles Times bestsellerA vivid and surprising portrait of the Italian people from an admired foreign correspondent How did a nation that spawned the Renaissance also produce the Mafia? And why does Italian have twelve words for coat hanger but none for hangover? John Hooper's entertaining and perceptive new book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Fifteen years as a foreign correspondent based in Rome have sharpened Hooper's observations, and he looks at the facts that lie behind the stereotypes, shedding new light on everything from the Italians' bewildering politics to their love of life and beauty. Hooper persuasively demonstrates the impact of geography, history, and tradition on many aspects of Italian life, including football and Freemasonry, sex, food, and opera. Brimming with the kind of fascinating—and often hilarious—insights unavailable in guidebooks, The Italians will surprise even the most die-hard Italophile.From the Hardcover edition.
Naples and the Amalfi Coast (The Silver Spoon)
By: The Silver Spoon Kitchen
The newest addition to the popular Silver Spoon cookbook series provides a culinary guide to one of Italy's best-loved regionsNaples and the Amalfi Coast takes readers on a rich gastronomic journey through a perennially appealing, visually stunning region of Italy. The delightfully authentic dishes featured include fennel biscuits and other locally beloved antipasti, such classics as pizza Margherita, and an array of mouthwatering desserts. Chapters spotlight key produce and ingredients, from buffalo mozzarella from Benevento and tomatoes from San Marzano to lemons from Sorrento. Beautifully designed, with vivid colour photographs throughout, this gorgeous recipe collection is destined for both kitchen shelves and coffee tables.
Naples Declared: A Walk Around the Bay
By: Benjamin Taylor
A lively, elegantly concise historic tour of Italy's city by the bayAn invaluable addition to the art of literary travel writing, Naples Declared presents an informative and compulsively readable account of three thousand years of Naples history. From the catacombs of San Gennaro to the luminous paintings of Caravaggio to the ruins of Pompeii in nearby Campania, renowned author Benjamin Taylor takes readers on a stroll around the city Italians lovingly call Il Cratere. Gracefully written and full of good humor, wisdom, and amusing anecdotes, Naples Declared is a wholly original work that will be welcomed by anyone seeking to know more about the art, culture, and history of this fabled place.
The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found
By: Mary Beard
Pompeii is the most famous archaeological site in the world, visited by more than two million people each year. Yet it is also one of the most puzzling, with an intriguing and sometimes violent history, from the sixth century BCE to the present day. Destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 CE, the ruins of Pompeii offer the best evidence we have of life in the Roman Empire. But the eruptions are only part of the story. In The Fires of Vesuvius, acclaimed historian Mary Beard makes sense of the remains. She explores what kind of town it was―more like Calcutta or the Costa del Sol?―and what it can tell us about "ordinary" life there. From sex to politics, food to religion, slavery to literacy, Beard offers us the big picture even as she takes us close enough to the past to smell the bad breath and see the intestinal tapeworms of the inhabitants of the lost city. She resurrects the Temple of Isis as a testament to ancient multiculturalism. At the Suburban Baths we go from communal bathing to hygiene to erotica. Recently, Pompeii has been a focus of pleasure and loss: from Pink Floyd's memorable rock concert to Primo Levi's elegy on the victims. But Pompeii still does not give up its secrets quite as easily as it may seem. This book shows us how much more and less there is to Pompeii than a city frozen in time as it went about its business on 24 August 79.
Ancient Sicily: Monuments Past & Present (Monuments Past and Present) (Spiral bound) - Common
By: By (author) Emanuela Borgia By (author) Gaetano Messineo
This new book in the popular Monuments Past and Present series explores historic sites in Sicily, illustrating important monuments and districts as they appear today, with overlays indicating how the sites are thought to have looked in ancient times. The book begins with a brief history of Sicily from its early contacts with Minoans and Myceneaens, through its division between the Greeks and Phoen...
A House in Sicily
By: Daphne Phelps
This is the captivating memoir of a resourceful woman who started life anew in the "most beautiful house in Sicily." For fifty years, at Casa Cuseni in the small Sicilian town of Taormina, Daphne Phelps has extended her English charm and warm hospitality to seasoned travelers and professional escapists as well as to writers and artists like Tennessee Williams, Bertrand Russell, Henry Faulkner, and Roald Dahl. This memoir tells their story, and hers. It begins in 1947 when, thirty-four years old and war-weary, a modest Englishwoman arrived in Taormina with little Italian, less money, and a plan to sell the property she had unexpectedly inherited. Instead, she fell in love, not just with the airy quarters of the golden stone house on a hillside but also with a community and its way of life. To save Casa Cuseni from certain demolition, Daphne converted her enchanting inheritance into the wondrous pensione that for nearly half a century she has run with the blessing of every Taorminan from the local silk-shirted godfather, Don Ciccio, to Concetta Genio, her steadfast cook, housekeeper, and friend. "A loving portrait ... of a vanishing way of life." - New York Times Book Review; "The often humorous clash of cultures ... [and] the stories of the ordinary Sicilian men and women who populate the pages that make this book, and this place, so special,... so thoroughly alive." - Chicago Tribune.
Midnight in Sicily: On Art, Food, History, Travel and la Cosa Nostra
By: Peter Robb
A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the YearA New York Public Library Best Book of the YearFrom the author of M and A Death in Brazil comes Midnight in Sicily.South of mainland Italy lies the island of Sicily, home to an ancient culture that--with its stark landscapes, glorious coastlines, and extraordinary treasure troves of art and archeology--has seduced travelers for centuries. But at the heart of the island's rare beauty is a network of violence and corruption that reaches into every corner of Sicilian life: Cosa Nostra, the Mafia. Peter Robb lived in southern Italy for over fourteen years and recounts its sensuous pleasures, its literature, politics, art, and crimes.
On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal
By: Mary Taylor Simeti
An American woman residing in Sicily for the past twenty years portrays the Sicilian landscape and customs—both rural and urban—from the perspectives of both a "foreigner" and a resident.
Ironfire: An Epic Novel of Love and War
By: David Ball
From the acclaimed author of Empires of Sand comes a mesmerizing new adventure that Jean Auel cites as "crowded with events that both forecast and mirror the conflicts of today." Sweeping from the drawing rooms of Paris to the palace of Suleiman the Magnificent to the dark hold of a slave ship racing across the sea, here is a dazzling story of love and valor, innocence and identity, an epic novel of the clash of civilizations on a barren island where the future was forged.The Mediterranean, the sixteenth century: Lying squarely in the midst of the vital sea lanes between the Christian West and the Ottoman Empire in the East, and ruled by the ancient Order of the Knights of St. John, Malta will become the stage upon which the fate of the world turns. For one of its sons, the hand of violence strikes swiftly, when young Nicolo Borg is seized by Barbary slavers and launched on a remarkable journey to the court of the supreme ruler of the Muslim world. Renamed Asha, plotting his escape even as he swears allegiance to the god of his masters and is schooled in the arts of culture and war, the innocent boy will be transformed into one of the Sultan's deadliest commanders. For Nico's beloved sister, Maria, his loss fires her hatred for the knights who did nothing to save him and her dreams of escape from her stifling home. As the headstrong girl grows into a fierce beauty, she will capture the attention of one man in particular, Christien de Vries, a surgeon-knight torn between duty and desire, caught up in Malta's frantic preparations against the coming Ottoman storm. Around Nico and Maria are men and women who will share their destinies: Dragut Raïs, a brilliant corsair, arch-rival of the knights…Giulio Salvago, a priest in full flight from his carnal nature…Alisa, a young beauty hidden away in a harem…Jean de La Valette, the master knight who is Malta's only hope for survival.As the mighty Ottoman fleet bears down on the tiny island, as Nico Borg makes his way back to his homeland at the helm of a warship, Ironfire moves inexorably to a shattering climax where all will face ultimate justice in the murderous cauldron of siege warfare. Brilliantly capturing the crosscurrents of a storied age, Ironfire is historical fiction in the grand tradition, a stirring realization of a pivotal moment in time that irrevocably shaped the world we inhabit today.From the Hardcover edition.
The Leopard: A Novel
By: Giuseppe Di Lampedusa
Set in the 1860s, The Leopard tells the spellbinding story of a decadent, dying Sicilian aristocracy threatened by the approaching forces of democracy and revolution. The dramatic sweep and richness of observation, the seamless intertwining of public and private worlds, and the grasp of human frailty imbue The Leopard with its particular melancholy beauty and power, and place it among the greatest historical novels of our time.Although Giuseppe di Lampedusa had long had the book in mind, he began writing it only in his late fifties; he died at age sixty, soon after the manuscript was rejected as unpublishable. In his introduction, Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi, Lampedusa's nephew, gives us a detailed history of the initial publication and the various editions that followed. And he includes passages Lampedusa wrote for the book that were omitted by the original Italian editors.Here, finally, is the definitive edition of this brilliant and timeless novel.(Translated from the Italian by Archibald Colquhoun.)
Pompeii: A Novel
By: Robert Harris
BESTSELLER - "Terrific... gripping... A literally shattering climax." -- The New York Times Book Review All along the Mediterranean coast, the Roman empire's richest citizens are relaxing in their luxurious villas, enjoying the last days of summer. The world's largest navy lies peacefully at anchor in Misenum. The tourists are spending their money in the seaside resorts of Baiae, Herculaneum, and Pompeii. But the carefree lifestyle and gorgeous weather belie an impending cataclysm, and only one man is worried. The young engineer Marcus Attilius Primus has just taken charge of the Aqua Augusta, the enormous aqueduct that brings fresh water to a quarter of a million people in nine towns around the Bay of Naples. His predecessor has disappeared. Springs are failing for the first time in generations. And now there is a crisis on the Augusta' s sixty-mile main line—somewhere to the north of Pompeii, on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Attilius—decent, practical, and incorruptible—promises Pliny, the famous scholar who commands the navy, that he can repair the aqueduct before the reservoir runs dry. His plan is to travel to Pompeii and put together an expedition, then head out to the place where he believes the fault lies. But Pompeii proves to be a corrupt and violent town, and Attilius soon discovers that there are powerful forces at work—both natural and man-made—threatening to destroy him. With his trademark elegance and intelligence, Robert Harris, bestselling author of Archangel and Fatherland, re-creates a world on the brink of disaster.
24x36 World Wall Map by Smithsonian Journeys - Tan Oceans Special Edition (24x36 Paper Folded)
By: Smithsonian Journeys
Swiftmaps is proud to partner with Smithsonian Journeys to bring a new and exciting World Map series to the American marketplace. Featuring eye-catching bold and vivid colors complemented with rich vintage tan ocean tones that will make this the perfect reference piece --- sure to stand-out and highlight any home or business wall. The precise detail and digital accuracy shows color-matching visual shaded 3D relief and other physical features without sacrificing the maps readability. Now printed on high-quality 80 lb. paper and professionally FOLDED in a compact 8x10 inch size. FEATURES: 1) Africa centered allowing viewers to see continents complete and intact 2) Clearly labeled country and city names for easy location 3) Latitude and longitude indications 4) Shaded relief of ocean and land topography 4) Desirable Miller Projection. The Smithsonian Journeys wall map series serve not only as a handy reference piece, but as an eye-catching accent for any room or office. NOTE: each map is professionally folded to 8x10 inches and when unfolded the map is 24 inches high and 36 inches wide.
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Optional excursions available at additional cost
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In accordance with the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Secure Flight program, for all international tours, passport information is required, including the following: Full name as it appears on your passport, Date of birth, and Gender (for further information, please visit www.tsa.gov).
For tours that include round-trip international airfare: If you provide incorrect information to the ticketing agent, or if you use a passport different from that originally cited, you will be responsible for charges associated with the ticket's reissue.
A deposit of $1,000 for a cruise tour reservation, and $200 per person for the pre-program option and/or $200 per person for the post-program option, unless otherwise noted, is required to reserve a space on a tour. All payments may be made by credit card or check to the tour operator. Deposits are applied to final payment of the tour price.
Final payment is due 95 days prior to departure unless otherwise noted. Balance is due upon invoicing. If full payment is not received by the final payment due date, your place cannot be guaranteed on the tour.
Any registration received within 95 days of departure is considered "on-request" and is subject to specific confirmation. Some tours are more restrictive. Payment in full must be made immediately by credit card, or by check sent by overnight mail to the tour operator, before confirmation is possible.
Once confirmed, cancellation fees apply as set forth below. If confirmation is not possible, all payments made will be refunded in full. Late registration confirmation procedures apply to any participant who is transferred from the wait list to the tour within 95 days of departure for that tour.
For additional information, please contact a Reservations Specialist at 1-855-330-1542 Monday - Friday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Eastern Time), at SJReservations@si.edu or SmithsonianJourneys.org.
A Note about Costs
All prices are based on two persons sharing a room/cabin. All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars. Tour costs are based upon current airfares, tariffs, currency values, and on the basis of a presumptive minimum number of participants. While we will do everything possible to maintain the listed prices, they are subject to change. Due to fluctuations in oil prices on e.g. internal flights, cruises, etc., a fuel surcharge may be added to your tour fee, but after final payment no surcharges except for increased governmental taxes will be imposed. Details and costs will be advised prior to departure.
If the tour of your choice is fully subscribed, you may choose to be placed on a wait list by contacting a Reservation Specialist at 1-855-330-1542 Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Eastern Time), at SJReservations@si.edu or at www.SmithsonianJourneys.org/Contact. Individuals on the wait list will be contacted if space becomes available and can inquire about tour status by contacting a Reservation Specialist. If you choose to withdraw from a wait list, please notify us.
Following enrollment, a participant's withdrawal from the tour for any reason, including, but not limited to, illness, injury, family engagements, work-related issues, or geopolitical concerns regarding crime, terrorism, or health issues, etc., will be deemed a cancellation. Please understand that there will be no exceptions to our cancellation policy.
Per person cancellation fees are based on date of written notice to Smithsonian Journeys. Tour operator will refund on the following basis:
Cancellations within 7 days of booking: Full Refund (unless it is within final payment date, 95 days before departure)
Cancellations after 7 days of booking: Full Deposit Retained
Cancellations made within final payment date, 95 days before departure: No Refund
Cancellation by Smithsonian Journeys: Full Refund or Credit
If you have scheduled your own air and your flights are delayed, if for any reason you are prevented from joining the tour on the scheduled departure date and time, or if you choose to leave the tour early, we cannot provide a full or partial refund or credit toward a future tour. Smithsonian Journeys reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrollment and when a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning is issued for the destination.
For tours that include round-trip international airfare, rates are based on economy class from designated departure cities as shown. Airfares from other cities are available upon request. Airline upgrades at additional cost may be available on request for the international portion of your flight. If an air schedule requires an overnight stay in a gateway city, or otherwise because of a flight delay, the cost of the overnight will be at your expense. For tours that include round-trip international airfare, we will be happy to help with arrangements.
Air Service/Tickets Purchased Independently of the Tour
International and domestic air schedules are subject to change at any time. If you make your own airline reservations, we recommend that you do not purchase nonrefundable tickets or tickets with high fees for changes. We urge you to check airline cancellation fees before purchasing airline tickets since international departure times and flights can change. Neither the Smithsonian Institution nor the tour operator accepts liability for cancellation fees related to domestic or international airline tickets.
For the convenience of our travelers, Travel Guard provides an on-tour Insurance Plan. On-tour emergency evacuation insurance (up to $100,000), medical expense coverage (up to $25,000), dental expense coverage (up to $500), travel medical assistance and worldwide travel assistance (U.S. Residents only). It also includes up to $25,000 medical and up to $500 dental expense coverage, and 24-hour worldwide travel and medical assistance. Please click here to view complete coverage details. Please visit www.TravelGuard.com/SmithsonianJourneys or call Travel Guard at 1-800-208-6142 to learn about additional (optional) coverage.
The Evacuation/Repatriation provides coverage for emergency air and ground transportation due to a serious illness or injury. You also have worldwide access to a 24-hour travel assistance hotline if you need help with lost documents, cash transfers, and other travel-related problems.
Travel Documents and Information
Participants are responsible for obtaining any documents required for their participation in the tour such as a valid passport, all visas, vaccination certificates, and any other documents. If you are a U.S. citizen and your tour requires a visa or other entry documents, we will send you the appropriate information after you make a reservation. Failure to obtain documents does not negate the terms and conditions, and any extra costs incurred for rerouting or delay due to travel without the necessary documents will be the participant's responsibility. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please contact your embassy or consulate to ensure you obtain the proper documentation.
For certain international departures, a passport valid for at least six months after the completion of your tour, and/or with at least six blank visa pages, is required for U.S. citizens. The U.S. Department of State no longer will add visa pages into U.S. passports. Applicants in need of additional pages in their valid passports must obtain a new passport. For more information on how or where to apply, please visit Travel.State.Gov/ApplyEarly or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778/1-888-874-7793 (TTY/TTD).
For more information about traveling to destinations abroad, we strongly recommend the "Learn about your destination" section on the U.S. Department of State travel website www.travel.state.gov. For medical information, we strongly recommend contacting the Centers for Disease Control at (877) FYI-TRIP or www.cdc.gov/travel
Physical and Medical Considerations
To enjoy the travel experience, participants should be in good physical and mental health. All tours require an element of walking (up to two miles per day over uneven terrain) and of climbing stairs, often without handrails. Participants should have sufficient stamina to keep pace with an active group of participants on long days of touring. If you have any questions about your ability to participate in a tour, please call us at 855-330-1542. Any physical condition, diet, or special request for accommodation must be identified in writing on the Personal Information Form when the reservation is made. Some tours have additional information regarding physical and medical considerations, which may be discussed with the Reservation Specialist at 855-330-1542.
Please be aware that health care standards, facilities, and services abroad may be different or even inadequate for treating certain health conditions. It is essential that you inform us in writing (on the provided Personal Information Form) of any existing condition for which you may require medical attention or accommodation during the tour. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of our participants; however, services of a personal nature cannot be expected or guaranteed. By forwarding the deposit for pre-registration or registration in full, you affirm that you do not have any physical or other limitations that would create a hazard for yourself or other participants or would require adjustments to the tour for other participants.
Itinerary or Program Modifications
Smithsonian Journeys strives to improve tour itineraries and their features. If improvements can be made, or unforeseen circumstances beyond our control make changes necessary, at our sole discretion, we reserve the right to vary itineraries and to substitute elements of the tour. These elements include, but are not limited to: hotels, staff, itinerary changes, speakers, experts, places visited, and services for any stated in the itinerary. Every effort will be made to carry out the tour as planned but alterations may still occur after the final itinerary has been sent to you. Please note that weather and other conditions may force changes to the advertised sailing schedule on cruise tours. The ship's captain has the authority to change the ship's schedule. Smithsonian Journeys and the tour operator reserve the right to substitute motorcoach transportation use, hotels, inns or lodges for cruise accommodations if necessary due to weather, water conditions or levels, other events of force majeure, mechanical, or other conditions beyond their control.
Smithsonian Journeys chooses hotels based on a combination of location, service, atmosphere, and price. On adventure tours and tours in out-of-the-way places, best-available hotels are used. Tour prices are based on two persons sharing a room with a bath.
Singles and Roommates
Hotel rooms are always reserved for single participants when they are available; however, the number of single rooms available on a tour may be limited. Therefore we recommend that you register early. Please note that a single supplement will most likely apply for a single room. If you are traveling alone and wish to share a room/cabin, we will do our best to find someone of the same gender and smoking preference to share with you. If you are matched with a non-smoking roommate, it is mutually agreed that you cannot smoke in your hotel room/cabin. When a roommate cannot be found, a single supplement will be charged. Please note that the single rooms in many foreign hotels may be smaller than those to which you are accustomed.
All tours except family journeys, are designed for adults. Some may be suitable for children 16 and older. Regardless of age, children must pay full price unless otherwise noted, moreover, a parent or guardian must accompany those under 18.
Special Travel Arrangements
Participants may wish to extend their stay in the group hotel either before or after the tour. Our tour operator will work with you on these arrangements, dependent upon space availability. Your pre-tour bulletins will further explain all options.
Should you decide not to participate in certain parts of the tour or use certain goods included in the tour, no refunds will be made for those unused parts of the tour or goods.
This paragraph relates solely to the tour operator (Thomas P. Gohagan & Company). You agree that any dispute between you and the tour operator (but not between you and the Smithsonian Institution) concerning, relating or referring to these Terms and Conditions, the brochure or any other literature concerning your tour, or the touritself, shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§1-16, either according to the then existing Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or pursuant to the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (JAMS). Such proceedings will be governed by substantive (but not procedural) Illinois law and will take place in Chicago, IL. The arbitrator and not any federal, state, or local court or agency shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute between you and the tour operator (but not between you and the Smithsonian Institution) relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, conscionability, or formation of this contract, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of this contract is void or voidable. By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you (and we) are waiving our right to a trial by jury.
Any action or legal proceeding against the Smithsonian Institution in connection with your trip shall be brought only in a United States federal court of competent jurisdiction.
Participants on tour may be photographed or recorded (audio and video) for the educational and promotional purposes of the Smithsonian Institution and Smithsonian authorized third parties. This content may be used in marketing publications and posted on websites to promote Smithsonian Journeys without compensation to the participant. Participants who prefer that their name, voice and/or image not be used must notify us in writing prior to the beginning of the tour. Smoking Policy For the comfort of all participants, we ask that there be no smoking during all group activities, including excursions and meals in certain hotels or aboard ship. There is no smoking aboard the ship, and some hotels may not allow smoking anywhere on the property. Your pre-tour bulletins will provide further information.
READ CAREFULLY: RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT AND LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
Smithsonian Journeys tours are organized and administered by professional tour operators hired as independent contractors. The use of designated tour operators allows the Smithsonian to offer travelers a wide array of educational travel opportunities. The tour operator books services of independent suppliers for transportation, accommodations, and other services. Neither the Smithsonian Institution nor the tour operator is liable for personal injury, death, property damage or accident, delay or irregularity arising out of any act or omission of these suppliers. The Smithsonian Institution and the tour operator reserve the right, without penalty, to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in their judgment, conditions warrant, or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of tour participants.
The Smithsonian Institution and its designated tour operator also reserve the right, without penalty, to withdraw the tour announced, to decline to accept any person as a participant in a tour, or to require any participant to withdraw from the tour at any time (including, but not limited to inappropriate or offensive behavior) when such action is determined by tour staff to be in the best interests of the health, safety or general welfare of the tour group or the individual participant.
Dates, schedules, tour details, and costs, although provided in good faith based on information available at the time of publication on the website, in the brochure or catalog, are subject to change and revision.
Thomas P. Gohagan & Company and its employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors or trustees, successors and assigns ("Gohagan") and Smithsonian Institution and its Regents, officers, employees, representatives, agents, successors, and assigns ("Smithsonian") do not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your tour including, for example, lodging facilities, airline, vessel, or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service or entertainment providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors. As a result, neither Gohagan nor Smithsonian is liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity or of any other third party.
In addition and without limitation, neither Gohagan nor Smithsonian is responsible for any injury, loss, death, inconvenience, delay, or damage to persons or property in connection with the provision of any goods or services whether resulting from, but not limited to, acts of force majeure, acts of government, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, bites from or attacks by animals, insects or pests, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind or the threat thereof, sickness, illness, epidemics or the threat thereof, the lack of availability of or access to medical attention or the quality thereof, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, mechanical or other failure of airplanes, vessels, or other means of transportation, or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart timely or safely.
AS A CONDITION OF ACCEPTANCE OF ANY APPLICATION, EACH APPLICANT MUST AGREE TO THE STATEMENT SET FORTH BELOW:
The undersigned has read carefully the Responsibility Statement and Liability Disclaimer set forth above, the schedule of activities for this tour, as well as the terms and conditions of application and participation including the Dispute Resolution paragraph as set forth in the tour materials, and recognizes and accepts any risk associated with the tour as well as the conditions, including the refund policy, set forth in the tour materials. The undersigned further acknowledges that there are many risks and uncertainties inherent in any travel tour, including but not limited to weather, flooding, and high/low water levels, acts of force majeure, the hazards of various modes of transportation, forces of nature, acts or omissions of foreign governments, terrorism, war or insurrection, theft, other criminal conduct, illness, bites from or attacks by animals, insects, or pests, inadequate medical facilities and difficulty in evacuation to same, and damage to persons or property due to the negligent acts or omissions of tour staff or others. In consideration of, and as part payment for, the right to participate in the tour, the undersigned, on behalf of himself, his dependents, heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, agrees to release the Smithsonian Institution, its Regents, officers, employees, representatives or agents, the United States, and the tour operator and its officers, employees and agents, from liability for personal injury, death, property damage or loss suffered by any person in connection with this tour, even if caused by the negligence (but not the reckless, willful, or fraudulent conduct) of the Smithsonian, the United States, and/or Gohagan. In addition, by registering for this tour, the applicant certifies that he or she is mentally and physically capable of full participation in this tour. By registering for a Smithsonian Journey, the participant agrees to the Responsibility Statement and Liability Disclaimer and the Terms and Conditions herein.
Cruising the Rivieras of Italy, France, and Spain
A Cruise of the Adriatic and Aegean
© 2020 Smithsonian Journeys. All rights reserved. 855-330-1542

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
SGM | Names of potential investors released following vote
Posted:Wed 23 Sep 2020
Author:Colin Henrys
The Wrexham Supporters Trust Board would like to thank all members who took part in the Special General Meeting yesterday (Tuesday September 22) and took the time to vote.
As confirmed this morning, 97.5% of voters (1,223 members) voted in favour of the Resolution.
As a result, talks with the proposed bidders will now continue and we are in a position to confirm the two people interested in investing in Wrexham AFC.
Rob McElhenney is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter, best known as the creator of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Ryan Reynolds is an award-winning Canadian actor, writer, producer and business entrepreneur whose credits include Marvel's Deadpool.
In due course, Mr. McElhenney and Mr. Reynolds will put forward their vision for Wrexham AFC and proposal for members to vote on at a second Special General Meeting.
DRAGON CHAT | Join this week's Zoom meeting
PREVIEW | WREXHAM V DOVER ATHLETIC
RE-ARRANGEMENT | Eastleigh v Wrexham


text:
Q: dbunit in phpunit is not truncating the tables I am currently using PHPUnit and DBUnit for my project. I have a problem in DBUnit because DBUnit PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_TestCaseSrc class does not seem to be truncating the existing data on the test db. So this makes my insertion tests fail after only working for one time.
I am using mysql and here is my code :
abstract class Generic_Tests_DatabaseTestCase extends PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_TestCase
{
    // only instantiate pdo once for test clean-up/fixture load
    static private $pdo = null;

    // only instantiate PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_DB_IDatabaseConnection once per test
    private $conn = null;

    final public function getConnection()
    {
        if ($this->conn === null) {
            if (self::$pdo == null) {
                self::$pdo = new PDO( "mysql:dbname=db;host=localhost", "root", "pass" );
            }
            $this->conn = $this->createDefaultDBConnection(self::$pdo, "db");
        }

        return $this->conn;
    }
}

class DbopTest extends Generic_Tests_DatabaseTestCase
{
    private $db;

    protected function setup(){
        $this->db = null;
    }

    public function getDataSet(){
        return $this->createMySQLXMLDataSet(dirname(__FILE__) . '/../rows.xml');
    }
    ...
}

So how can I fix this problem? What is it that I do wrong here?

A: I came across this issue myself and this is how I resolved it after a bit of digging into the PHPUnit sourcecode.  It looks like the default behavior for the PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_TestCase class is to return PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_Operation_Factory::NONE().  For what you need, and how the PHPUnit document seems to imply how it's supposed to work, you'll want to override the method to return PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_Operation_Factory::TRUNCATE().
Luckily, this is fairly straight-forward.  You just need to add the following to your TestCase class.
protected function getTearDownOperation()
{
    return \PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_Operation_Factory::TRUNCATE();
}

Before this I was manually truncating tables in my Teardown() method, but I think you'll agree that this solution is much better.

A: If you override the setUp method, PHPUnit won't automatically call your getDataSet method. You need to take care that you call the parent::setUp method as well, otherwise PHPUnit does not know what to do ;).

A: Not expecting many too kudos for this answer, but I have spent several hours trying to figure out why one of my test database tables was not getting truncated, causing the same duplicate entry error described above. My getDataSet() looked like
function getDataSet() {

    $files = array('languages','interpreters','interp_languages',
        'interp_events','deft_events',
           //etc
    );

    $dataSets = array();
    foreach ($files as $file) {
        $dataSets[] = new PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_DataSet_MysqlXmlDataSet(
         $this->files_dir."/$file.xml");
    }

    return new PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_DataSet_CompositeDataSet($dataSets);
}

and the technique was working fine on other test classes. It happens that I inadvertentely left out one of my xml data file names from $files, therefore DbUnit was not loading that data file, ergo not truncating the table. But because there were plenty of rows left over in the table from other tests that were using that same data file, it was not obvious (to me) what was happening.
Hope it saves someone else from tearing her/his eyeballs out some day.

A: You need to have a getDataSet() method otherwise PHPUnit assumes you have no data to fixturize.
http://www.phpunit.de/manual/3.6/en/database.html

The getDataSet() method defines how the initial state of the database should look before each test is executed. The state of a database is abstracted through the concepts DataSet and DataTable both being represented by the interfaces PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_DataSet_IDataSet and PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_DataSet_IDataTable. The next section will describe in detail how these concepts work and what the benefits are for using them in database testing.
For the implementation we only need to know that the getDataSet() method is called once during setUp() to retrieve the fixture data-set and insert it into the database. In the example we are using a factory method createFlatXMLDataSet($filename) that represents a data-set through an XML representation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Jessica was born and raised on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. In 2006 she moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia and found her love and passion for the hospitality industry. After being away from her hometown for ten years, she was ready to come home. Like most islanders, she has that "marsh mud between her toes" and was ready get back to her Eastern Shore roots.
Kayla was born in Alexandria, Virginia but she moved to Chincoteague in 2005 and has lived on the island ever since. She loves the island and everything it has to offer and cannot imagine living anywhere else. She has over 10 years experience in the local service industry and is very proud to have become a Chincoteague Resort team member.
Jackie was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and spent most of her childhood growing up on the Island. She has been married for 25 years to her husband, George, and they are very proud parents to four children (Brandon, William, Kamryn and Landon). In her free time she likes to plan her next family cruise to the Caribbean!
Megan was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and has been coming to Chincoteague her whole life. She loved the island so much that she finally decided to move here in 2015. A 2017 honor graduate of University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Megan found her home with Chincoteague Resort Vacations shortly afterwards.
Dawn was born and raised in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She loves the country life and everything that comes along with it. There is nothing better than the smell of freshly cut grass and the fields of manure! In January 2017, after 17 years at her previous job, Dawn took a leap of faith and joined the team at Chincoteague Resort Vacations.
Charlie was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. His grandfather, "pop", had a family vacation home on Chincoteague, which the family would visit every summer and holidays during his childhood. Charlie bounced back and forth between Baltimore and Chincoteague before the island became his home in 1993.
Nicolette was born in NY and relocated to the wonderful small town of Chincoteague Island during her young elementary years. As a 3rd generation property manager (grandmother, mother, and now herself), it was only natural that after graduating high school she continued her education in the Real Estate field.


text:
An Explanation Of Eucharist (Communion)
The following is excerpted from our WorshipTraining.com Essentials RED Course ebook, Bearers Of Memory: Essentials In Worship History. We also have a Free Communion Liturgy (for a limited time) for contemporary churches available over in the WorshipTraining Cafe.
Communion And Imagination
Mother Theresa once said, "When you learn to meet God in the bread and the cup, you can learn to see God in the poor." In other words, she was suggesting that it is our capacity to imagine in worship that can lead to our capacity to imagine in social action. Embodied in her simple life in our generation, Mother Theresa drew the link between the symbolic acts of worship that occur within the Church proper, and the acts of social transformation that stem from their flourishing in the human soul.
The Language Of Eucharist
Celebrating the Eucharist (or communion) is the daily, weekly and seasonal reenacting of the themes of the Passover meal – namely that the God at the center of the universe became flesh and blood, and offered Himself to defeat death, disarm sin, resurrect the lifeless and restore the cosmos to its original purpose.
For the Church worshipping throughout history, it is no overstatement to say that the celebration of the Eucharist has been the primary and central act of Christian worship for almost 2000 years. All other worship actions have pointed to it, and the act of communion has sacramentally welded the Church together throughout intense seasons of forgetfulness of our purpose and mission in the world.
In addition to these ideas, Eucharist is perhaps the most participatory act of worship we see throughout Church history. The engagement of human beings around a table, eating bread, drinking juice, smelling, hearing, touching, tasting and reflecting the Story of Christ's life, death and resurrection is a powerful theme throughout worship history.
The Christian Language Of Eucharist
We have perhaps some of the most vibrant language related to worship in the New Testament surrounding what we call the Lord's Supper.
For Christians throughout time, the New Testament themes of the Lord's Supper still resonate among us. The Eucharist:
Commemorates that God has acted as Savior to penetrate of all of human history, from creation, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, through our present, and to the final consummation (Acts 2:46-47)
Reminds us that we are part of the communion of saints in the family of God (1 Cor. 10:16)
Persuades us that a sacrifice has occurred to right the world (John 1:29)
Speaks of the presence of Christ among us (John 6:51-58)
Welcomes us to experience the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13)
Looks forward to the eschaton (1 Cor. 11:26)
Early Church Usage Of The Eucharist
For the Jews, the concept of table fellowship was an important cultural idea. One did not eat with those whose lifestyle one did not endorse. One did not sit to eat with enemies, nor with those who had disgraced one's family name. Jesus, however, literally turned the table on table fellowship. Eating and drinking with tax collectors, prostitutes, drunkards and run-of-the-mill sinners was a theological statement embodied in his physical actions.
"The God who eats with these people is the God who embraces all of humanity in its beauty and brokenness," his meal time habits would say; "He recognizes that all have sinned, and He draws near to bring new humanity to those who seem to be the worst off in society."
This new paradigm of table fellowship led to some of the early Church's most powerful statements of community. Now, not only had a former prostitute been baptized by a wealthy woman of tremendously differing social strata, but now they were declaring their essential "family" relationship by eating and drinking together at meals! What had brought them to this table of thanksgiving, this table of reconciliation and shared hope?
Jesus had brought them together, and their meal was a declaration that, just as God had caused the angel of death to pass over His people Israel in Egypt, so too death would now pass them by destroyed by the power of His resurrection life at work within.
Early Christians would share meals together, enlisting singing, the sharing of the apostles' letters, prayer and mutual support as essentials at their table of worship. The Eucharist was originally known as the "agape feast," or a meal that signified unconditional love between God and humankind, and humankind and one another. This meal was a central, defining act of worship for the earliest Christians, a commemoration of the Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before stepping toward his final hours this side of the tomb.
This commemoration looked deep into the past of the Jews, remembering that God would provide the sacrificial Lamb that would "take away the sins of the world." For the earliest believers, every gathering around this table was a celebration of resurrection life – that the true light had come into the world, and darkness had not overcome it. The agape feast looked toward the age to come, where no more tears would be shed as they were in this dark world, and all would enjoy unblemished fellowship with God and with one another.
In other words, for the early Church, the Eucharist was built around a celebration of resurrection, not primarily a revisiting of the death of Jesus. This is a later development in the approach to communion. Early believers reclaimed, every first day of the week, the Easter story – and the meal together, remembering Jesus' words, was their primary act of resurrection remembrance.
The word "eucharist" is simply from a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving." For the early Christians, they were thanking God for, and commemorating, Jesus' life, teaching, death and resurrection in the eucharist, reminding themselves of God's mighty acts through human history, being persuaded that a final sacrifice had been made for the world, speaking of the presence of Christ as they ate, welcoming the Holy Spirit in their midst and looking forward to the Kingdom coming in all of its fullness on earth.
The Eucharist In Worship Throughout Church History
Given communion's centrality to the worship of the church across the ages, one can only imagine the myriad permutations that the actual symbolic act has taken as the Church has kept the breaking of bread and the taking of the cup a central expression of its worship life.
From the early Church meals, the Eucharist took on more symbolic (and possibly smaller and shorter) forms in the centuries of the persecuted Church. Then, with Constantinian Christianity, the Eucharist gained massive buildings and public displays to accent its mystery and beauty. This brought with it, throughout the medieval era, an errant magical significance being placed on the elements by clergy. The wine could not be spilled as it had actually become (in essence) the blood of Jesus, and the crumbs from the bread could not fall to the ground as it had literally become the flesh of Christ through the priest's blessing.
The Reformation challenged many of these extremes with its emphasis on the priesthood of the believer, the centrality of scripture, and justification by faith – and not by doing all the right religious worship gymnastics.
When the Reformation came to fruition, there remained deep disagreement between many of the Reformers as to the exact nature of what happens in the Eucharist (a disagreement that pitted Luther and Zwingli against one another). For Luther, the elements were invested with the spiritual substance of the body and blood of Christ; i.e. the body and blood of Christ were in, through and under the substance of the elements though not changing them physically (consubstantiation).
For Zwingli, that was a silly idea. The term "transubstantiation" – the view that the elements actually transformed into the body and blood of Christ, was the Roman Catholic view, and was established as a sacramental idea in the 12th century. From here, various reformers rejected transubstantiation, embraced consubstantion, or, like the Quakers, rejected all symbolic action altogether.
By the time of Luther, Christians had been used to centuries of the Eucharist primarily resting in the domain of the clergy's altar, and therefore the common person would only take communion a few times per year (maybe four, at the major festivals). While Zwingli kept this the pattern, Luther pushed for a weekly communion given his sense of its vital importance to worship. Under Luther, some Eucharist services could last up to three or four hours.[1]
Following from the Reformation, the Church has taken the last 500 years to further process what actually happens during communion, with what frequency it should be taken, and what types of elements are acceptable. In many contemporary Christian worshipping communities in the West, communion is often largely forgotten as a central language of worship for the Church. In Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and other more liturgical traditions, it retains its historical centrality as the primary act of corporate worship.
Eucharist Throughout Church History
It is not uncommon for humans, let alone Christians, to overstate the importance of something in order to keep its' meaning alive. One might suggest that some of the more "magical" language surrounding what happens in the Eucharist throughout Church history was intended to retain the mystery of our intimacy with Christ that can occur when one participates with a heart to encounter God in the elements.
Sometimes symbols, given their rightful meaning, can indeed welcome us into a sense of beauty and mystery in a way that words cannot. On the other hand, some have suggested that the taking of the Eucharist literally delivers salvation to the individual. Christians have taken many sides on this idea historically, but suffice it to say that the memory of what occurred in and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus has usually remained of infinitely higher importance to the Church than the form the Eucharist takes.[2]
Eucharist: What We Can Glean Today
On some levels, the multi-sensory and participatory nature of the symbolic form of taking the Eucharist may be among the most important themes we can draw on for today, in addition to the content it adds to our worship life. In an age that elevates personal experience above any form of objective truth, the Eucharist is an inherently visceral and physical action that may provide the most holistic worship bridge to the postmodern sensibility.
Given that the Eucharist originated in a meal together, we can reach into our past to revisit how we do communion in light of its origins. Larger meals may be a fresh approach to the Eucharist in contemporary churches, in church buildings or in homes. Additionally, the emphasis on the Eucharist being primarily a celebration of resurrection life, light and hope entering the world is another vital reclaiming that can and should occur in the contemporary Church.
If we can find our way through our church backgrounds to see communion in a fresh light, we may find one of the most powerful worship tools of the two millennial old Church in our hands once again – this time inviting the world to a feasting encounter at the Table of the Resurrected Lord.
[2] It is important to note here the difference between magic and true worship. Magic, one might say, is the quest to manipulate divine forces in order to accomplish one's own will. Whether by symbolic action, incantation or mantra, symbolic actions can take on the spirit of magic moreso than the spirit of worship. True worship, on the other hand, might be stated as being a yielding to the divine will, in order to see Another's will accomplished. In the first case, magic is defined by the will of the person doing the spiritual action. In the second, worship is defined by the will of the One worshipped – in this case, the Lord Jesus.
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UUtheVote Phonebank Listings
We're so glad you want to phonebank! UU the Vote is partnering with Black and LGBTQ-led groups and organizing a coalition of UU congregations and organizations to mobilize and support Georgia voters.
Scroll on down and find a date and time that works for you. See about all of our Georgia Run-Off work at uuthevote.org/georgia.
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Checking in with our People Phone Banks January 21, 2021 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM ET Join us in calling our 5,000 plus UU the Vote volunteers to thank them for their work and check in on what's important to them as we move into the next chapter of our organizing to build the world we dream about. Start a deeper conversation about what matters to them most, and what's next for us. Share what this work has meant to you and be a part of something amazing as we grow in community and commitment. Training on the script will be provided. Please be thinking of a personal story that reflects how you're feeling about your involvement with UUtheVoteand your UU faith. This phone bank will be on ThruTalk.
Phonebank: Checking in with our People Phone Banks January 24, 2021 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM ET Join us in calling our 5,000 plus UU the Vote volunteers to thank them for their work and check in on what's important to them as we move into the next chapter of our organizing to build the world we dream about. Start a deeper conversation about what matters to them most, and what's next for us. Share what this work has meant to you and be a part of something amazing as we grow in community and commitment. Training on the script will be provided. Please be thinking of a personal story that reflects how you're feeling about your involvement with UUtheVoteand your UU faith. This phone bank will be on ThruTalk.
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Gabriela Hearst Men's Fall 2023
Wal-Mart to Trim HQ Positions
The retailer has turned its eye to cost-cutting.
By Sharon Edelson Plus Icon
Sharon Edelson
Senior Editor, Specialty Retail
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With pressure from investors mounting amid sagging share prices, Wal-Mart has been taking measures to reduce its costs and raise profits. The latest move has the retailer reportedly planning hundreds of job cuts at its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters starting as early as next week. The nature of all the jobs could not be learned, but is said to include senior manager positions. The retail giant has about 19,000 employees at its headquarters.
Other efforts to cut costs have included charging suppliers for shelf space at its warehouses and negotiating with vendors to try and get lower prices in light of the falling Chinese yuan. Suppliers are realizing savings due to the dollar's favorable exchange rate against the yuan and Wal-Mart wants a share of the savings on manufacturing in China.
Wal-Mart's stock has declined 24 percent this year. It was down .02 percent to 64.83 percent on the New York Stock Exchange today in early trading.
Wal-Mart's woes are many, including lackluster momentum in its U.S. Business and uneven results in its international division. At the same time, the retailer has invested in technology and raised the wages of sales associates in April to $9 an hour, which has weighed on earnings.