Join Thor and me as we enjoy the Big Island’s beautiful Painted Church and more highlights along the road.
NOTE: After way too many months without travel, Thor insisted on an R&R escape to Hawaii this April. He’d been keeping on eye on the very careful Covid-19 precautions in the islands, and the testing required before flying there. And now that we’re both fully vaccinated, we took the plunge – literally, for some snorkeling in the healing sea, as well as exploring the Big Island and Kauai. After this detour (series started April 24), I promise I’ll finish up my Virtual Italy Vacation series soon!
Back and forth from our favorite snorkeling spot at Honaunau Bay next to the Place of Refuge (see previous posts), we’d been noticing the sign for an almost-hidden turnoff to Painted Church Road. So after we finished a seaside picnic the second time, we headed up to check it out.
On this part of the coast, the hillsides are lush with tropical plants overhanging the narrow road. I’ve never before seen a palm tree grow in circles!
This roadside produce stand was sold out, but the pendant datura blossoms were abundant. A friend once tried to talk me into partaking of the hallucinogenic blooms, but I declined. I never did hear if she tried and survived.
Around a curve, and there it was — the Painted Church, officially St. Benedict’s Catholic Church and still used for services. The plain little wooden church, built in the late 1800s, houses quite a surprise inside.
But first, the gardens with a peekaboo view to the sea and a Madonna.
A serene cemetery.
And a tribute to Father John Velge, the Belgian priest who (from 1899-1904) painted the interior with frescoes illustrating Bible stories and episodes involving saints. Since many people at the time could not read or write, the illustrations helped them understand religious teaching.
Thor literally ducked under the entrance lintel…
…and came up short before the painted aisle and ceiling.
The frescoes start with the story of Cain and Abel, with Eve trying to revive her son Abel, murdered by his brother.
This one is labeled “The Writing on the Wall.” Anyone know the story?
The Temptation of Christ:
And “Hell.” Unfortunately, this image was faded, but you can still make out a scary Devil and those suffering beneath him.
After the drama inside, the garden offered tranquility, gorgeous blooming jacaranda trees, and a replica “Pieta” at the end of Stations of the Cross along the sloping lawn.
Wild orchids.
On along the road…
…we enjoyed this sign for Kona Lisa Coffee. (Both Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci get nods along this road.) This is a famous coffee-growing region of the island.
Next week: Visit the smoldering Kilauea volcano and the lava flow from the eruption in 2018 that destroyed homes and villages on its way to the sea. Plus petroglyphs!
*****
You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Cafe is available in print and ebook: The Ariadne Connection. It’s a near-future thriller set in the Greek islands. “Technology triggers a deadly new plague. Can a healer find the cure?” The novel has received the Chanticleer Global Thriller Grand Prize and the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction. Sara has recently returned from another research trip in Greece and is back at work on the sequel, The Ariadne Disconnect. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
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