Not going to Vienna

Nola explained guilt as something that couldn't be explained.

At least that's the way it sounded to me.

Nola was raised a Catholic, a girl with three older brothers.

Even if I hadn't done anything wrong I'd lie and make up a story to tell the priest at confession, Nola said.

Nola's now liberated, but she had a difficult time with the profusion of Catholic Churches we saw as we biked through Eastern Europe and with the little handcrafted shrines by the side of the road that mark the entrance to so many of the villages.

Jesus is everywhere here, Nola says, and always on the cross.

I wondered if she'd read Freud's book, "The Future of an Illusion", but didn't say anything about it, not wanting to make her feel guilty.