Thursday, April 30, 2009
Italian Update
We're about to leave Italy and travel to Spain, starting in Barcelona and working our way through the country. We have lots of pictures and stories to share from our last few days in Italy, including visits to Florence, Venice, and Milan, which we'll post as soon as we can. Thanks to everyone for your comments and for reading!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Rome about Town
Our journey in Rome took us to some of its greatest hits, as well as some of its lesser known treasures. Because nothing in Rome is unknown. Unless it's underground. But we'll eventually find it.
The Colosseum is Rome's largest building. Built as an amphitheater, it could hold between 50,000 to 70,000 people.
Before arriving in Rome, we knew many of the sites charged a Caesar's ransom to enter, so we had to be selective about where we would visit. But then Italy said, "Hey, let's have a week of culture and make everything free!" (Well, not everything. Just all the museums and many of the archeological sites.) So they did and it was and we saw everything. Like the inside of the Colosseum.
The Arch of Constantine was built in 312 A.D. by, guess who, Constantine. Apparently he did something great. Talk about insecure. Why does he always have to build a monument when he wins a battle?
A view of the Roman Forum with a clearer sky. The Colosseum can be seen in the background.
Beautiful flowers, including wildflowers and roses like these, could be found all over Rome. And maybe even on a few desktop screens in Austin...
The Fontana di Trevi, or Trevi Fountain, is a beautiful sight, especially at night (although it seemed nearly every visitor to Rome had the same idea we did). Legend holds that throwing a coin into the fountain ensures one's return to Rome. A second coin guarantees a wish. We, of course, each threw a coin (or two) over our shoulders into the rushing waters!
Michelangelo's Moses is displayed in the church San Pietro in Vincoli, or St. Peter in Chains. It was originally intended to be a much larger piece containing 47 statues, but the monument was never finished. As an interesting money-maker, the church charged 50 cents to light the monument for about one minute. It became a huge game among the hoards of tourists to see who would cave in first.
The church was built to house the chains, pictured here, that imprisoned St. Peter in Jerusalem.
The Spanish Steps were built to connect the Piazza di Spagna and the church Trinita dei Monti. Ironically, the 138 steps were funded by the French. The poet John Keats lived in a house just to the right of the steps, which you can barely see in the edge of the picture.
This is the angel, the angel, the angel.
The angel guards the bridge, the bridge, the bridge.
The bridge leads to the fort, which guards Vatican City. The end.
The Pantheon is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, having been built and dedicated in 27 B.C., and rebuilt around 126 A.D. It houses the tombs of Raphael as well as several kings of Italy.
The Pantheon's dome and facade have served as inspiration for many other structures throughout the world, including the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Here, Julius Caesar spoke his famous last words: "Et tu, Brute?" That's right, Caesar was killed right here. And Shakespeare saw the whole thing.
One of two beautiful fountains in front of St. Peter's Basilica. The Piazza di San Pietro was designed by Giovanni Bernini, a renowned sculptor and architect.
We had one more visit to (great gelato) St. Peter's Basilica in us. We wanted to (get more great gelato in XXXL servings) see the Basilica with the sun setting behind it, and were not disappointed (the gelato was bigger then ever!)
The Colosseum is Rome's largest building. Built as an amphitheater, it could hold between 50,000 to 70,000 people.
Before arriving in Rome, we knew many of the sites charged a Caesar's ransom to enter, so we had to be selective about where we would visit. But then Italy said, "Hey, let's have a week of culture and make everything free!" (Well, not everything. Just all the museums and many of the archeological sites.) So they did and it was and we saw everything. Like the inside of the Colosseum.
The Arch of Constantine was built in 312 A.D. by, guess who, Constantine. Apparently he did something great. Talk about insecure. Why does he always have to build a monument when he wins a battle?
A view of the Roman Forum with a clearer sky. The Colosseum can be seen in the background.
Beautiful flowers, including wildflowers and roses like these, could be found all over Rome. And maybe even on a few desktop screens in Austin...
The Fontana di Trevi, or Trevi Fountain, is a beautiful sight, especially at night (although it seemed nearly every visitor to Rome had the same idea we did). Legend holds that throwing a coin into the fountain ensures one's return to Rome. A second coin guarantees a wish. We, of course, each threw a coin (or two) over our shoulders into the rushing waters!
Michelangelo's Moses is displayed in the church San Pietro in Vincoli, or St. Peter in Chains. It was originally intended to be a much larger piece containing 47 statues, but the monument was never finished. As an interesting money-maker, the church charged 50 cents to light the monument for about one minute. It became a huge game among the hoards of tourists to see who would cave in first.
The church was built to house the chains, pictured here, that imprisoned St. Peter in Jerusalem.
The Spanish Steps were built to connect the Piazza di Spagna and the church Trinita dei Monti. Ironically, the 138 steps were funded by the French. The poet John Keats lived in a house just to the right of the steps, which you can barely see in the edge of the picture.
This is the angel, the angel, the angel.
The angel guards the bridge, the bridge, the bridge.
The bridge leads to the fort, which guards Vatican City. The end.
The Pantheon is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, having been built and dedicated in 27 B.C., and rebuilt around 126 A.D. It houses the tombs of Raphael as well as several kings of Italy.
The Pantheon's dome and facade have served as inspiration for many other structures throughout the world, including the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Here, Julius Caesar spoke his famous last words: "Et tu, Brute?" That's right, Caesar was killed right here. And Shakespeare saw the whole thing.
One of two beautiful fountains in front of St. Peter's Basilica. The Piazza di San Pietro was designed by Giovanni Bernini, a renowned sculptor and architect.
We had one more visit to (great gelato) St. Peter's Basilica in us. We wanted to (get more great gelato in XXXL servings) see the Basilica with the sun setting behind it, and were not disappointed (the gelato was bigger then ever!)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Where Would Jesus Go?
After a day in Rome, we decided to leave Italy all together. We went to Vatican City, the smallest sovereignty in the world. They didn't stamp our passports, but they do have their own postal service and currency (although it does also use the Euro).
St. Peter's Basilica and Square, where the Pope holds his weekly audience. The church was built around St. Peter's tomb, and can be seen as a literal and symbolic beginning of the Catholic Church. Soon to be featured in a theater near you (along with Tom Hanks sans mullet).
All around the edge of the square there are statues. We believe this may be the greatest gathering of stone figures anywhere. And they are all watching you. Even Jesus is there, right in the middle. A real who's who of the Catholic Church.
The church is massive and ornately decorated with statues, exquisite marble detailing, and paintings depicting Biblical scenes. The focal point of the church is directly under its dome, where the tomb of St. Peter is marked with an elaborate wooden altar.
Among the many shrines inside the Basilica, there is St. Peter (we know, we were surprised too!) Apparently, someone along the line thought it would be helpful for them to touch his foot. Now, all these years later, people will line up to run their hand over that foot, although, for his toes' sake, St. Peter probably wishes otherwise.
Massive monuments and statues of popes past line the halls of the Basilica. Several popes are entombed in St. Peter's, while many others are buried below its hallowed dome.
Michelangelo's famous work, Pieta, can also be found in St. Peter's Basilica. The artist made this expressive sculpture, which depicts the crucified body of Christ being held by his mother Mary, when he was only 23 years old. It was also the only piece that Michelangelo ever signed.
After the Basilica, we visited the Vatican Museum, a massive collection of art given to different popes and the Catholic Church over the years. As you can see in this sculpture, everyone has a fig leaf in their special space. If you or someone you know is missing their fig leaf, please, seek medical help immediately.
In so many museums they waste valuable space: the ceiling. But not the Vatican Museum, where every room would be interesting to wander through even if there wasn't any art in it.
The museum is divided into different sections. Paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from ancient Egypt all have their own areas. Then there is this room, which is large paintings of maps. It is aptly named the Map Room.
Here, a painting of Italy, is displayed in the room. This map was painted several hundred years ago (that's before Google Earth even existed, kids!).
But the coup de grace was the Sistine Chapel. And they know it because they make you walk through every single exhibit before you get there. The ceiling, painted by Michelangelo, depicts many different scenes from the Bible, including the famous scene of God reaching out to Adam.
Here's a close up. We're sorry it's upside down, but when you're not supposed to be taking pictures, you make do with what you can. (For any mothers-in-law reading this, we actually took the photo of a poster.)
St. Peter's Basilica and Square, where the Pope holds his weekly audience. The church was built around St. Peter's tomb, and can be seen as a literal and symbolic beginning of the Catholic Church. Soon to be featured in a theater near you (along with Tom Hanks sans mullet).
All around the edge of the square there are statues. We believe this may be the greatest gathering of stone figures anywhere. And they are all watching you. Even Jesus is there, right in the middle. A real who's who of the Catholic Church.
The church is massive and ornately decorated with statues, exquisite marble detailing, and paintings depicting Biblical scenes. The focal point of the church is directly under its dome, where the tomb of St. Peter is marked with an elaborate wooden altar.
Among the many shrines inside the Basilica, there is St. Peter (we know, we were surprised too!) Apparently, someone along the line thought it would be helpful for them to touch his foot. Now, all these years later, people will line up to run their hand over that foot, although, for his toes' sake, St. Peter probably wishes otherwise.
Massive monuments and statues of popes past line the halls of the Basilica. Several popes are entombed in St. Peter's, while many others are buried below its hallowed dome.
Michelangelo's famous work, Pieta, can also be found in St. Peter's Basilica. The artist made this expressive sculpture, which depicts the crucified body of Christ being held by his mother Mary, when he was only 23 years old. It was also the only piece that Michelangelo ever signed.
After the Basilica, we visited the Vatican Museum, a massive collection of art given to different popes and the Catholic Church over the years. As you can see in this sculpture, everyone has a fig leaf in their special space. If you or someone you know is missing their fig leaf, please, seek medical help immediately.
In so many museums they waste valuable space: the ceiling. But not the Vatican Museum, where every room would be interesting to wander through even if there wasn't any art in it.
The museum is divided into different sections. Paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from ancient Egypt all have their own areas. Then there is this room, which is large paintings of maps. It is aptly named the Map Room.
Here, a painting of Italy, is displayed in the room. This map was painted several hundred years ago (that's before Google Earth even existed, kids!).
But the coup de grace was the Sistine Chapel. And they know it because they make you walk through every single exhibit before you get there. The ceiling, painted by Michelangelo, depicts many different scenes from the Bible, including the famous scene of God reaching out to Adam.
Here's a close up. We're sorry it's upside down, but when you're not supposed to be taking pictures, you make do with what you can. (For any mothers-in-law reading this, we actually took the photo of a poster.)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Roman Holiday
Roma, non basta una vita! A lifetime is not enough to experience all of Rome, nor is one blog post. But we'll start here...
Rome's beginnings date back to 753 B.C. Romulus and Remus, noble twin brothers, had been sent down the Tiber River as babies by their rival and great-uncle Amulius. They were nursed by a wolf, and eventually learned of their noble birth and returned to their village. After disposing of Amulius, they took control. The family strife continued as Romulus later murdered Remus, naming the growing settlement after himself. This sculpture shows how it all began...
One of the museums we visited after first arriving in Rome was Musei Capitolini, where the remains of a massive statue of Constantine are displayed.
The Roman Forum, whose ruins are seen here, was the political, religious, and social center of the Roman world. Then, after the fall of the Roman Empire, it became a social area for cows, as the land was used for pastures and grazing.
Nothing quite like hanging out with a couple old time philosophers. Granted, they're both Socrates in this case, which gets kind of annoying because they always agree, but in the hundreds and hundreds of carved busts, it's always nice to see a familiar face.
A preview of more Roman highlights to come! (We took a rather large souvenir. The other corner of the Colosseum should be arriving at someone's doorstep any day now...)
Rome's beginnings date back to 753 B.C. Romulus and Remus, noble twin brothers, had been sent down the Tiber River as babies by their rival and great-uncle Amulius. They were nursed by a wolf, and eventually learned of their noble birth and returned to their village. After disposing of Amulius, they took control. The family strife continued as Romulus later murdered Remus, naming the growing settlement after himself. This sculpture shows how it all began...
One of the museums we visited after first arriving in Rome was Musei Capitolini, where the remains of a massive statue of Constantine are displayed.
The Roman Forum, whose ruins are seen here, was the political, religious, and social center of the Roman world. Then, after the fall of the Roman Empire, it became a social area for cows, as the land was used for pastures and grazing.
Nothing quite like hanging out with a couple old time philosophers. Granted, they're both Socrates in this case, which gets kind of annoying because they always agree, but in the hundreds and hundreds of carved busts, it's always nice to see a familiar face.
A preview of more Roman highlights to come! (We took a rather large souvenir. The other corner of the Colosseum should be arriving at someone's doorstep any day now...)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Naples and Pompeii - Dead or Alive?
After an eighteen hour ferry ride from Greece to the Italian port of Bari, we continued our journey on to Naples. From there, it was just a short train ride to Pompeii, a city well known for being frozen in time after being completely covered in volcanic ash after Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.
We both learned that Pompeii was an entire city covered and preserved by this ash, but it wasn't until we had walked block after block of city streets, seeing homes, businesses, temples, and "recreational" areas that we came to understand the magnitude of this place and what had happened so many years ago.
Because of the volcanic ash, the soil is extremely fertile. Like, so fertile that if you put a stick into the ground, it will grow into a tree by next week. We saw ruins covered in moss, grass, and other plants. Conservationists, rather than trying to hinder the growth of these plants, have taken a more practical approach by allowing the plants to grow and even cultivating gardens with plants that were common during the time of the eruption.
At this temple, a statue of the god Apollo, shown above, and another of the goddess Diana, were overlooking the courtyard. Fat lot of good that did.
Entire mosaics, sculptures, and murals like this one were found throughout Pompeii. Many have been moved to nearby museums, but this one remained in its original location inside a building.
This mosaic, displayed at the Archeological Museum in Naples, is just one of many that were found during excavations of Pompeii. These incredibly detailed mosaics included scenes of men and women, animals, and portraits like the one above.
Back to the streets of Naples, where nothing seems to have its own space. Even churches can be found snuggling against other buildings. The cobblestone roads seem to weave in and out between buildings, leaving little space for all the cars, scooters, street vendors, and pedestrians.
Inside churches, however, one is greeted with immense space, providing a welcome respite from the hectic scene just outside its doors. The high ceilings and majestic, ornately decorated walls and domes, seem to reach to the heavens.
Even in the tight spaces, some churches still manage to stand out.
If you don't have a wood-fired oven, you ain't got nothin'. Here in Naples, the birthplace of pizza, you can have a margherita pizza of your very own (homemade dough, mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce, and basil) in just five minutes. We intended to take a picture of one of the several pizzas we consumed in Naples, but we always forgot until after they were nearly eaten.
Fresh escargot anyone? Guaranteed to crawl right off your plate.
We both learned that Pompeii was an entire city covered and preserved by this ash, but it wasn't until we had walked block after block of city streets, seeing homes, businesses, temples, and "recreational" areas that we came to understand the magnitude of this place and what had happened so many years ago.
Because of the volcanic ash, the soil is extremely fertile. Like, so fertile that if you put a stick into the ground, it will grow into a tree by next week. We saw ruins covered in moss, grass, and other plants. Conservationists, rather than trying to hinder the growth of these plants, have taken a more practical approach by allowing the plants to grow and even cultivating gardens with plants that were common during the time of the eruption.
At this temple, a statue of the god Apollo, shown above, and another of the goddess Diana, were overlooking the courtyard. Fat lot of good that did.
Entire mosaics, sculptures, and murals like this one were found throughout Pompeii. Many have been moved to nearby museums, but this one remained in its original location inside a building.
This mosaic, displayed at the Archeological Museum in Naples, is just one of many that were found during excavations of Pompeii. These incredibly detailed mosaics included scenes of men and women, animals, and portraits like the one above.
Back to the streets of Naples, where nothing seems to have its own space. Even churches can be found snuggling against other buildings. The cobblestone roads seem to weave in and out between buildings, leaving little space for all the cars, scooters, street vendors, and pedestrians.
Inside churches, however, one is greeted with immense space, providing a welcome respite from the hectic scene just outside its doors. The high ceilings and majestic, ornately decorated walls and domes, seem to reach to the heavens.
Even in the tight spaces, some churches still manage to stand out.
If you don't have a wood-fired oven, you ain't got nothin'. Here in Naples, the birthplace of pizza, you can have a margherita pizza of your very own (homemade dough, mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce, and basil) in just five minutes. We intended to take a picture of one of the several pizzas we consumed in Naples, but we always forgot until after they were nearly eaten.
Fresh escargot anyone? Guaranteed to crawl right off your plate.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Buongiorno!
After a long day of travel, we arrived in Naples, the birthplace of Sophia Loren and pizza (not necessarily in that order). We have been exploring the city, as well as nearby Pompeii. Photos (and Rome) to follow shortly!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Greek Salad - A little bit of everything
Our time in Greece is coming to an end, but that just means our time in Italy will soon begin. Here’s what we’ve been up to over the last couple days.
We headed to the Peloponnese and the coastal town of Nafplio. On a nearby hillside we saw this fort, and as we traveled around the region, we noticed other forts on top of other hilltops. Just don’t see that anymore.
Sunset on Jessica’s birthday. A great end to the beginning of an exciting year…fingers crossed.
But if you thought the fun was over, guess again. Nafplio has a little, neglected carnival with a ferris wheel. How neglected, well, since our parents read this we won’t say, but when was the last time you were the only people on the ride?
The ancient site of Mycenae was built a long time ago, but these two lions have always been there, so its location has never been in question. Now, the location of their heads -- that is a mystery. The Lion Gate is actually Europe’s oldest monumental sculpture.
Archeologists found several grave sites at Mycenae, which yielded a great deal of treasure. The gold leaf breastplate from the previous post was found here. As was a graffiti message, “Diane was here.”
This is Agamemnon’s grave. Yes, that Agamemnon’s grave. Still not sure which one, then maybe someone should have paid a little more attention in high school English. Go read the Iliad!
This is the statue of Hermes of Praxiteles. The statue’s calves and its left foot were actually reconstructed out of plaster. Yet other parts were left incomplete. Strange.
We also visited Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic games. While many artifacts were found throughout the site, perhaps the most remarkable part about visiting Olympia is the amount of ruins that were discovered and still remain today, despite being plundered, destroyed, and built over for thousands of years.
Here Justin races a young boy down and back on the original Olympic track. You’ll notice Justin has a sizable lead. He was offered a head start…and took it.
The champion celebrates in front of the archway leading to the track field. In ancient times, champions were celebrated and praised with songs and statues. In modern times, sports like walking were added to the Olympic lineup. Difficult sport, just not that sexy. You can see why not all Olympic champions are celebrated the same way today as they were in antiquity.
Beyond the majesty of the ruins, we were moved by the beauty of the place. Rocks covered in ivy, beautiful wildflowers, and fragrant flowering trees covered the grounds.
The Temple of Zeus was one of the most imposing buildings in the ancient Olympic complex. Today, not much of the original structure remains intact, as you can see by these toppled columns.
Here, you can imagine the grandeur and scale of the temple from a column that has been reconstructed.
This structure housed the workshop of a famous Greek artist who sculpted many famous statues, including one of Zeus that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and was housed in the Temple of Zeus until it was stolen by Turkish invaders and was later destroyed in a fire.
Next, we’re off to Italy, the land of gelato and pizza and wine, oh my!
We headed to the Peloponnese and the coastal town of Nafplio. On a nearby hillside we saw this fort, and as we traveled around the region, we noticed other forts on top of other hilltops. Just don’t see that anymore.
Sunset on Jessica’s birthday. A great end to the beginning of an exciting year…fingers crossed.
But if you thought the fun was over, guess again. Nafplio has a little, neglected carnival with a ferris wheel. How neglected, well, since our parents read this we won’t say, but when was the last time you were the only people on the ride?
The ancient site of Mycenae was built a long time ago, but these two lions have always been there, so its location has never been in question. Now, the location of their heads -- that is a mystery. The Lion Gate is actually Europe’s oldest monumental sculpture.
Archeologists found several grave sites at Mycenae, which yielded a great deal of treasure. The gold leaf breastplate from the previous post was found here. As was a graffiti message, “Diane was here.”
This is Agamemnon’s grave. Yes, that Agamemnon’s grave. Still not sure which one, then maybe someone should have paid a little more attention in high school English. Go read the Iliad!
This is the statue of Hermes of Praxiteles. The statue’s calves and its left foot were actually reconstructed out of plaster. Yet other parts were left incomplete. Strange.
We also visited Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic games. While many artifacts were found throughout the site, perhaps the most remarkable part about visiting Olympia is the amount of ruins that were discovered and still remain today, despite being plundered, destroyed, and built over for thousands of years.
Here Justin races a young boy down and back on the original Olympic track. You’ll notice Justin has a sizable lead. He was offered a head start…and took it.
The champion celebrates in front of the archway leading to the track field. In ancient times, champions were celebrated and praised with songs and statues. In modern times, sports like walking were added to the Olympic lineup. Difficult sport, just not that sexy. You can see why not all Olympic champions are celebrated the same way today as they were in antiquity.
Beyond the majesty of the ruins, we were moved by the beauty of the place. Rocks covered in ivy, beautiful wildflowers, and fragrant flowering trees covered the grounds.
The Temple of Zeus was one of the most imposing buildings in the ancient Olympic complex. Today, not much of the original structure remains intact, as you can see by these toppled columns.
Here, you can imagine the grandeur and scale of the temple from a column that has been reconstructed.
This structure housed the workshop of a famous Greek artist who sculpted many famous statues, including one of Zeus that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and was housed in the Temple of Zeus until it was stolen by Turkish invaders and was later destroyed in a fire.
Next, we’re off to Italy, the land of gelato and pizza and wine, oh my!
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