A Cultural Weekend

I lived in Cleveland, Ohio, from the time I was six, until I was 22. After I married, I moved to St. Louis, Missouri. From my moves, I learned one important lesson - to take advantage of the area where I lived, and see the sights.

I now live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rivers, bridges, and tunnels divide the city. People who live in the South Hills have to come through a tunnel to cross bridges to get to the North Hills area and visa versa. Some people never even venture out of the area, or their comfort zone. Cleveland is much the same in the fact that there is an East Side and a West Side. I grew up on the West Side of Cleveland, and my family seldom ventured into the East Side.

A few months ago when I was in Cleveland, visiting a friend, we took in the sights of Cleveland. I had been to the Italian Cultural Renaissance Gardens in University Circle, located along East Blvd., and Martin Luther King Drive. We went to see the Gardens in early spring. Besides, I had written a story about the Gardens, submitted the story to an Italian/American magazine, and it was accepted. The editor asked for more photos of the Gardens.

The Gardens are located on both the upper and lower levels. There are about 26 other Nationality Gardens along the area, and a few more are in the planning stages. As for the Italian Gardens - don't let gardens throw you. It is more of a cultural garden with replicas of Italian fountains, walkways, sculptor pieces, and plaques, honoring Italians and their heritage.

Our second stop, we visited St. Paul's Shrine located on 40th Street and Euclid Avenue. The church is old and also home to the religious order of Poor Clair Sisters, a cloistered order, who spends their time in prayer.

St. Paul's is beyond beautiful. It is like what heaven might be and it felt very peaceful inside. I had read about this church in a book called, Stalking the Divine by Kristin Ohlson. That was the reason that I wanted to see the church and experience what the writer did. While sitting in one of the pews, that were polished and gleaming, I saw all the religious painting on the ceilings and walls. Everything sparkled and seemed fresh and new like the life-like statues, and beautiful stained glass windows. I felt in awe and peace. Just like the writer felt as she described the interior of the church. I also felt that it was worth seeing and so much more.

The next day we visited Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland's 141-year-old cemetery that once used to be an arboretum and outdoor museum. It is definitely old but beautiful, and anyone can be buried there. There are a number of important people that are buried in the cemetery, like: James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States, John D. Rockefeller, philanthropist, Carl B. Stokes, first African American Mayor of Cleveland, and Eliot Ness, famous for going after Al Capone, and for being the first police commissioner in Cleveland.

A number of flowering trees were in bloom - cherry trees, tulips, magnolias, dogwoods, and others showing off a variety of spectacular colors as well as wonderful fragrances. The day we drove throughout the cemetery was Daffodil Sunday, where 100,000 daffodils were in bloom throughout the cemetery and along one particular hillside area. It was all beautiful and spectacular!

The weekend was delightful and a part of Cleveland that I hadn't really seen before. If anyone is thinking of planning a small trip to Cleveland, check out Cleveland's Cultural Gardens, St. Paul's Shrine and Lake View Cemetery. I promise that you won't be disappointed.