Category Archives: Italy

Europe, Italy

Journalista!

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First, let me start by saying Napoli Centrale was sketchville! That train station was the creepiest place we visited anywhere during the entire Europe trip!

From Rome, we travelled by train to Naples to visit Pompeii (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and climb Mount Vesuvius. Thanks to Wikipedia I know that Vesuvius is the only volcano in Europe that has erupted in the past 100 years. It had a lot of steam vents at the crater, so it is still doing something down below the Earth’s crust (or cruth if you’re so inclined. Ah, I kill me.)

Wikipedia also says that Vesuvius “is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards explosive eruptions.” (Love that I’m quoting from Wikipedia. We all know it is such a reliable source. User generated content=100% accurate.)

Vesuvius Pompei Italy
View of Naples from Vesuvius

It is unbelievable how well Pompeii is preserved given the site was completely wiped out by volcanic eruption. The casts of the people and pets found at the site were kinda creepy and sad. The eruption lasted 2 days and buried Pompeii under 5 or 6 meters of ash. That said, I certainly wasn’t expecting a fully organized town to have been excavated. The site was re-discovered by accident in the 18th century. All of the work that is has taken to get the site to the condition it is in now is just craziness.

Jon tells me that the archaeologists are still looking for one main site or town square that hasn’t been found yet. It is kind of unbelieveable that there is a full amphitheatre that has been excavated, let alone something more significant that they are still searching for.

Pompeii Italy
Mosaic floor Pompeii Italy
Theatre Pompeii Italy
Columns Pompeii Italy

All in all, a good day away from Rome, and one of the funniest days of the trip due to our bizarre travel companions on the train ride home. The 2 dudes that spoke Neapolitan more than Italian, and the poor Journalista who had to translate for them when they were asking me how much I like Italian men. We’ll just leave it at that…

~j

ps: Pompei vs Pompeii is all very confusing.  Pompei refers to the modern city whereas Pompeii refers to the ruins.  Thanks Google.

 

Europe, Italy

The Holy See

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Templum Vaticanum Inscription Vatican City

The Holy See is the smallest country in the world with a population of just under 800 people (none of whom are permanent residents) and a total area of 0.2 square miles, but is a mighty site to see! The atmosphere of such a spiritual/religious/historic site as St. Peter’s Basilica is indescribable. It is absolutely gorgeous, and so opulent, and so humbling at the same time. We toured the Basilica for quite a while, just wandering around and staring at everything. Even the Holy Water font at the entrance was beautiful. (ps: had to google that. I knew it wasn’t a Holy Water bowl, but didn’t know what it was called!)

Crossed Keys St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City
Dome of St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City
Holy Water Font St Peter’s Basilica Vatican CIty
There was an interesting plaque on the wall as we were waiting for the elevator to the midway point of the climb to the top of the Dome.

“Praise be Jesus Christ! The elevator will take you into St. Peter’s Basilica, the heart of the Catholic Church. Make sure your clothing and your behaviour are respectful of this sacred place, built around the tomb and the memorial martyrdom of Peter the Apostle. St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. John Bosco, St. Theresa of Lisieux, S. Maximillian Kolbe, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta all prayed here. May the spirit of the holy pilgrims inspire your prayer and reflection. Peace be with you!”

 There are 320 stairs besides the “lift” to get to the top. The staircase becomes very narrow and the walls actually start curving to match the shape of the dome. Definitely one of the craziest staircase I’ve ever seen. It would be a claustrophobe’s nightmare. When we were planning the trip, I knew one of the dorky things I had to do was send postcards from the Vatican just for the postage stamp. Nuns run a little gift shop with all sorts of religious items at the top of the dome. We bought postcards, stamps, and some gifts.

View from St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City
Interior Stair Well St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City
St Peter’s Square viewed from St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City

After gawking our way through the Basilica, we went through the museum. The double helix spiral staircase in the Vatican Museum is also crazy. One side for ascending and one for descending, and it is LARGE! The Vatican Museum is the richest in the world–not surprising given that it does house the Sistine Chapel. Photos are forbidden inside the Chapel, and there are security guards all over the room to make sure all visitors are compliant.

There were people sneaking photos, but they were promptly scolded, and threatened with eviction–kind of embarrassing in an almost silent room. Tourist ignorance abounds–we saw a woman climbing on a statue in the gardens, and she was viciously yelled at by a guard. Seriously, what kind of ass climbs on a centuries old irreplaceable work of art?!?

Double Helix Stairwell Vatican Museums Vatican City
Madonna and Child Vatican Museum Vatican City
Art Work Vatican Museum Vatican City
Golden Pope Mobile Vatican Museum Vatican City
Art Work Vatican Museum Vatican City
Art Work Vatican Museum Vatican City
Art Work Vatican Museum Vatican City
Golden Pope Mobile Vatican Museum Vatican City

Only after we returned home did I find that I have a familial connection to the Vatican City since the 1600’s. Who knew?!? I’m not Catholic, but I am related to ancient Commanders of the Pontifical Swiss Guard (*scroll down, find my old last name and you’ll see what I mean. Just bizarre!) I find the Swiss Guard costume comical. Is there a sane reason why they have to wear clown suits?

Swiss Guard Vatican City
Swiss Guard Vatican City

Everything about the Vatican was impressive. The art work, the architecture, the obscene opulence, and sense of spirituality from the worshippers–there is so much more that I could write about, but I wouldn’t do it justice.

Visit for yourself, and you’ll see what I mean!
Europe, Italy

Colosseum

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Columns Colosseum Rome

We were lucky the day we went to the Roman Colosseum and Palatine Hill because it was Ladies Day and I got to go for free. Yay me!

Colosseum Rome
Colosseum Rome

Whenever we visit historical sites, my brain won’t stop wondering what the buildings actually looked like in the height of their use, and what happened that made the civilization abandon the site. I need to do some serious book learning about the Colosseum to find some answers.

Apparently the roof used to be covered with fabric as there were over 200 masts attached on the 4th level. And, there weren’t just Gladiator style events. The Colosseum was also filled with water to have mock sea battles. A book was available when we were there that flipped through what the Colosseum would have looked like in the past, and now I’m kind of kicking myself for not buying it. Who carries unnecessary books around while on vacation?!

Included in the entrance fee for the Colosseum is an entrance to Palatine Hill which has the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus. There is a ton of Roman mythology surrounding Palatine Hill. Read up on Romulus and Remus if you don’t believe me.

Palatine Hill Rome
Arch of Titus Palatine Hill Rome
Orange Tree Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill Rome
 I didn’t expect to see pine trees, palm trees, orange trees or cactus in Rome (which is dumb given its proximity to the Mediterranean!), but there were plenty of all.

And I managed to find this video on Youtube with a reconstruction. The music is uber-cheesy, but the visual (minus the digital flock of birds flying by every 10 seconds) is good.

Europe, Italy

Venice: O Sole Mio!

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Scala Contarini del Bovolo – Snail Shell Staircase Venice
Scala Contarini del Bovolo – Snail Shell Staircase Venice

Venice was supposed to be one of the high lites of the trip, but it was a supreme let down. We were really looking forward to Venice before we left Canada. Unfortunately, the weather was horrible–very very cold and super rainy. We were wearing 4 layers of outerwear some days. I bet if the weather had been better we wouldn’t feel the same way about the Venetian portion of the trip.

The city itself is awesome. We were in Venice just after carnival. There was loads of confetti littered all over the place which was kind of sad. The streets are mazed, but well signed, so fairly easy to navigate. There are no cars or even bicycles allowed on the maritime portion of Venice. Realistically, traveling by car, or anything with wheels really, would be near impossible as there are a lot of bridges and narrow pathways and stairs. Taking the vaporetti boats for transportation is sweet, but more than confusing!

Venice Transport Map

Certain stops happen at certain times of the day, or days of the week or times of the year, and dashed lines or solid lines are different times as well, and solid circles for the stops, or with the line through, under or around or God knows what they all mean! It was easily the most confusing public transportation I’ve dealt with. We managed, but had to pay very close attention to the maps. We didn’t take a gondola ride; they were uber-expensive.

Piazza San Marco Venice Italy
Venice Italy
Venice Italy
Piazza San Marco Venice Italy
 We visited all of the touristy sites. The Venice Pass would have been great if it had worked properly. We had problems with it from the start. Eventually we saw what we wanted to, and made it over to Murano, one of the smaller islands. The glass blowing demonstrations weren’t taking place during February, but it was still interesting to walk around the island a bit and check out the shops.  If it hadn’t have been so miserable weather wise, I’m sure it would have been a stellar way to spend the day.

Venice Italy
Venice Italy
Europe, France, Italy

European Graffiti

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I started collecting photos of graffiti in Paris. There was no shortage for the rest of the trip. My preference is for the stencils–not that it takes as much effort to spray a stencil as it does to spray a huge wall of street art; I just like them better. Parisian graffiti was pretty mellow for the most part. Italian graffiti had some serious anti-Bush sentiment. See if you can tell the difference.
Europe, France, Italy

Panthéon

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The Panthéon, Paris France
The Panthéon, Paris France

The first Panthéon of the trip was in Paris. The second in Rome. Both awesome!

When we arrived, the Panthéon had just closed for the day, but the sun was shining which made for some alright exterior photos. I knew it wasn’t an option to miss out on seeing the inside, so we made a point of going back.  If you’re in Paris, check it out.  You won’t be disappointed.
The Panthéon, Paris France
The Panthéon, Paris France

The Panthéon made me feel very insignificant for several reasons. The size of the building itself is magnificent. There are incredible figures buried in the necropolis–famous authors, philosophers, and scientists. The likes of Victor Hugo, Voltaire and Marie Curie to name a few. To see their tombs was both unnerving and enchanting at the same time. And then, you have Foucault’s Pendulum which is fascinating.

Foucault's Pendulum, Paris FranceFoucault’s Pendulum shows the rotation of the Earth as the pendulum swings. I’m no physics buff, so I won’t try to explain the science behind it. You do your own research!

I’ve have a short video clip I took when we were there. You can tell it was between noon and 1:00pm simply by how the pendulum swings.

“In 1851 it was well known that the Earth rotated: observation evidence included Earth’s measured polar flattening and equatorial bulge. However, Foucault’s pendulum was the first dynamic proof of the rotation in an easy-to-see experiment, and it created a sensation in the academic world and society at large.” (Thanks Wikipedia!)
Europe, Italy

Orvieto Duomo

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Orvieto DuomoWe went to A LOT of churches on the trip. Most were absolutely amazing, but none were quite as fanciful as the Orvieto Duomo (at least on the outside–clearly St. Peter’s Basilica is way fancier on the inside!).

Wikipedia has some learning for you. Abridged version–the Duomo is very glittery; when the sun shines on the front it is gorgeous. Story goes, that in Bolsena, Italy, a traveling priest doubted the transubstantiation as occurs in the Eucharist. His Host began bleeding, bled more, and stained the alter cloth. Upon seeing this miracle, the priest’s faith was restored. This alter cloth is now stored in the Duomo. During Corpus Christi celebrations, the Corporal of Bolsena is displayed on parade around the city.

Now after this Catechism lesson, here’s for the science believers! (Straight from Wikipedia, so you know it is true!)

It is only within the last ten years that the Academies of Science would not have been sorely puzzled to explain so strange a phenomenon. Now, no one thinks of denying it, since the discovery of a microscopic fungus, the spores of which having germinated in the meal or dough, offer the appearance of clotted blood.
Le Jardin de l’Epicure, Anatole France
Orvieto was exactly what we needed after the horrible experience we had in Venice. There was so much to do and see in such a little place. We toured the Orvieto underground, went to St. Patrick’s Well, shopped, had amazing gelato, and a fantastic hotel room. If you’re going to Italy–stopping in Orvieto is a must!
Orvieto Duomo
Orvieto Duomo
Orvieto Duomo
Orvieto Duomo

 

England, Europe, France, Italy, United Kingdom

The order of things…

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First, I’m sure you all suspect that I’ve lost all hand function in a tragic typing accident, not true. I’m just overwhelmed at where to start with the whole travel recap. It would have been much easier to have kept an accurate journal, or have used the internet each day. Moola doesn’t grow on trees and internet access was 2£ for 15 minutes in places.

I’ve given up trying to repost the stories that come to mind, in the order that the countries were traveled. My mind isn’t that organized.   So now you get a random hodgepodge of travels. LUCKY!

Here’s the travel route, you put your own sequence together!

Vancouver, London, Paris, Milan, Venice, Orvieto, Civita di Bagnoregio, Rome, Vatican City, Pompeii, Naples, Rome, Frankfurt, Toronto, Vancouver.

Europe, Italy

When in Rome…

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So I have not been able to update as often as I would have liked, but we have been busy sight seeing. It is BEAUTIFUL here in Rome. The weather is warm enough most of the time to wander around in a tshirt or just long sleeves.

The other day we were in the little town of Orvieto for the night and we made a day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio (google it now…so beautiful!). Well let’s just say the bus ride there…we got our dollar’s worth. The dude was driving on crazy small town Italy streets windy as all get up and he was in a full size bus. The speed limit was 50, and the one electronic meter we went by said your speed 60, and that is what he slowed down to. He was hitting the branches on the trees on the side of the road, and I seriously thought he was going to drive us into a bridge abutment. And, stop signs…all optional. He didn’t stop for a single one.

I nearly puked. Jon thought it was awesome, and that the guy must have been a Tuk Tuk driver in another life.

ps: Be on the lookout for loads of post cards. They’ve been in the mail since London.

 

Europe, Italy

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Only 7 more days to go, and it is a good thing too, because we’ve changed some of our travel plans within the last week. If we had more time to look at other interesting stops, we’d be in trouble! So now instead of London, Paris, Venice, Rome. We’re doing London, Paris, Milan (train station only–because that’s where it goes!), Venice, Orvieto, Civita di Bagnoregio, Rome.  Both new stops look super interesting. They’ll be a nice change after busy cities and tons of museums.

Orvieto’s Duomo and St Patrick’s Well look like they will be well worth the added stops on the itinerary.  The footbridge that connects Civita to the old city of  Civita di Bagnoregio is rather impressive considering there are only about a dozen people who actually live there year round!  That’s quite the infrastructure for a tiny population.  We have a couple more things to sort before we leave, but we’re pretty much ready to start packing up the back packs.  It is going to be an amazing trip.