Why I Chose This Goal: Why not. In today's society it seems that kindness is a lost art form. Holding a door, letting someone go aghead of you in the super market line, heping someone out who is a little short at the check out counter.
What I Did: I did five acts of random kindness.
Monday, September 22, 2008
101 in 1001-- Item 8 No Potato Chips for 15 days
Why I Chose This Goal: I love potato chips... greasy, crunchy salty potato chips. But as everyone knows they can't be too good for you- can they?
What I did: While in Italy I didn't eat chips for over three weeks and still haven't had any since coming home.
What I did: While in Italy I didn't eat chips for over three weeks and still haven't had any since coming home.
101 in 1001-- Item 61 Visit Italy
Why I Chose This Goal: I had visited Italy twice and with K going there for Reserve Duty it seemed like it would be a good place to visit again.
What I Did: I flew out and landed in Rome on 8/30/08. We visited Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Paestum, Rome and then flew to Greece for four days in Athens and Delphi.
What I Did: I flew out and landed in Rome on 8/30/08. We visited Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Paestum, Rome and then flew to Greece for four days in Athens and Delphi.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
My Five Things
1- We're getting packed and ready for a trip of a lifetime to Athens, Greece. We'll be flying tomorrow... on September 11... I'm not too keen on that.
2- I've taken the better part of the day to relax, check e-mail and do laundry. I had two tous scheduled with ITT, but they were cancelled. Instead I went to see the Underground myself (one tour was scheduled for that) and went to Sansevero Chapel. That day I was going to visit Caserta on the cancelled tour.
3- I've been scratching out ideas for my next novel and will be incorporating some of the characters and scenes I've seen and photographed here in Italy.
4- We watched several movies here over the last ten days: "Reign Over Me", "The Princess of Thieves", "The Jane Austen Book Club" and "Vantage Point".
5- I caught the latest football news... MSU wins, Lions lose, Chargers lose, and my fantasy team won it's first game.
2- I've taken the better part of the day to relax, check e-mail and do laundry. I had two tous scheduled with ITT, but they were cancelled. Instead I went to see the Underground myself (one tour was scheduled for that) and went to Sansevero Chapel. That day I was going to visit Caserta on the cancelled tour.
3- I've been scratching out ideas for my next novel and will be incorporating some of the characters and scenes I've seen and photographed here in Italy.
4- We watched several movies here over the last ten days: "Reign Over Me", "The Princess of Thieves", "The Jane Austen Book Club" and "Vantage Point".
5- I caught the latest football news... MSU wins, Lions lose, Chargers lose, and my fantasy team won it's first game.
Day 10: The Naples Underworld
I took a walking tour of the Naples underground. Naples has three layers of civilizations built one atop another. Greeks, then Romans and then today's Naples. The tour took us down 120 feet below the city streets to the greek era. The Aquaducts that we toured supplied water for not only Naples but for many towns arond Naples Bay.
The system was closed for good in the 1880s due to a cholera epidemic. World War Two saw it modified with steps added to access the cisterns and reopened as a bomb shelter. The wells have all been sealed up with 5 meters of trash and garbage- except for the well opening pictured here.
Two cisterns were filled with water to show what it must have been like. You might not think this would be interesting- but in fact I found it fascinating. Clean water is something we take for granted today. Small, little men were employed to crawl into these aquaducts to keep them clean.
Notice the two photos of German war artifacts. The last photo is of a print shop I happened to walk past. The shop was about 10' x 12'. How often have you ever walked past a printing press like this?
The system was closed for good in the 1880s due to a cholera epidemic. World War Two saw it modified with steps added to access the cisterns and reopened as a bomb shelter. The wells have all been sealed up with 5 meters of trash and garbage- except for the well opening pictured here.
Two cisterns were filled with water to show what it must have been like. You might not think this would be interesting- but in fact I found it fascinating. Clean water is something we take for granted today. Small, little men were employed to crawl into these aquaducts to keep them clean.
Notice the two photos of German war artifacts. The last photo is of a print shop I happened to walk past. The shop was about 10' x 12'. How often have you ever walked past a printing press like this?
Day 9: Sansevero Chapel
This private chapel is hidden down a narrow corridor in the middle of the old part of town, just off the Spaccanapoli. It has several incredible scupltures on display. I arrived just before ten o'clock and enjoyed the quiet of the early morning before the city came alive. Although taking photographs is not allowed, I downloaded some stock internet photos to illustrate the wonderful art inside.
Days 8: Street Scenes in Naples
I was out wandering the streets of Naples on the way to visit the San Servero Chapel. Here are some of the sights I saw while out and about. Some grafitti, advertisments, mixed with a protest march. Some window shopping, church domes and clean laundry hung out to dry. More shops, road repairs and a man in a shiny golden suit.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Day 7: more Museums, more Art, more Sore Feet
It was another marathon art day. Although it wasn't as rigorous as yesterday. We were up early to get down to the Piazza Municipale part of town near the port district. We rode the funiculare up to the Vomera plateau and enjoyed a spectacular view of the city at 9 a.m. First we visited the San Martino art museum. A former monastery, it is now home to lots of paintings and art. However the many chapels are decorated with spectacular frescoes and paintings that rival the best in Europe.
Below are:
1- The king's coach.
2- On the patio at San Martino with St Elmo's Castle in the background.
3- A huge nativity scene that had over 1,000 ceramic figurines.
4- Another painted version of the Pieta.
Then we traveled back down the funiculare to the port and toured the Royal Palace.
5- The Grande Staircase into the Palace.
6- The Queen's Chapel.
7- Famous gowns from productions at the San Carlos Royal Theatre.
Below are:
1- The king's coach.
2- On the patio at San Martino with St Elmo's Castle in the background.
3- A huge nativity scene that had over 1,000 ceramic figurines.
4- Another painted version of the Pieta.
Then we traveled back down the funiculare to the port and toured the Royal Palace.
5- The Grande Staircase into the Palace.
6- The Queen's Chapel.
7- Famous gowns from productions at the San Carlos Royal Theatre.
Day 6: Museum Day
Today was a Museum day. We took the Metro up to the National Archeological Museum. They are the first four photos below. That's K and I with some statues. A mosaic taken from the ruins of Pompeii. The last is of a statue that uses two types of marbles.
We then walked uphill to the Art Museum at Capodomonte Royal Palace. We passed through a fruit and fish market on the way. There's a live octopus in one of the buckets there (trust me).
The last two photos show off some of the art. Lots of pots and one of the many, many, many paintings by Italian artists.
We then walked uphill to the Art Museum at Capodomonte Royal Palace. We passed through a fruit and fish market on the way. There's a live octopus in one of the buckets there (trust me).
The last two photos show off some of the art. Lots of pots and one of the many, many, many paintings by Italian artists.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Day 5: Isle of Capri
The Island of Capri lies off the Amalfi coast, a short boat ride from Naples. We took a hydrofoil that shortened the crossing from 80 to 40 minutes. Capri s known for it's famous Blue Grotto, beautiful views and expensive hotels. The one pictured here rents you a room fro $1,500 a night.
The Blue Grotto was very nice. The islad has sunk over the past several decades (or the water has risen?) and now only a row boat can navigate the small entrance. Even then only at low tide and with everyone in the boat ducking down.
A large and well cared for botanical garden is fond on the "other side" of the island and was financed by the German philanthropist Krupp.
The Blue Grotto was very nice. The islad has sunk over the past several decades (or the water has risen?) and now only a row boat can navigate the small entrance. Even then only at low tide and with everyone in the boat ducking down.
A large and well cared for botanical garden is fond on the "other side" of the island and was financed by the German philanthropist Krupp.
Day 4.5: Downtown Municipali
K and I took a bus down to the city center and walked around the area called municipali. From the top of the page there is the Castle Nouvo (New castle) and the inside of the Galleria Humberto I. The Piazza Plebiscito (People's plaza) has the dome shaped San Francesco di Paola Church (Modeled on Rome's Pantheon) on one side and the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) on the other. The royal palace has statues of famous Italian kings (like Victor Emanuelle II pictured here) alog the entire side facing the piazza. The final picture shows what Neopolitanos enjoy most after a busy day at work... passagietta (the evening stroll around town before dinner). We ate at a Chinese restaurant and enjoyed the change of pace.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Day 4:Ercolano
Ercolano was a sister city to Pompeii. By that I mean both were buried by the hot volcanic ash and pyroclastic mud from the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Interestingly enough, this old Roman city is found downtown, with an active and thriving town right on the edge of. In fact, much of the ancient town is still to be found 35-75 feet below the current city. Erculano was a smaller, more affluent city than was Pompeii, and because of the intense heat and mudslides, was better preserved than Pompeii. Wooden beams, cloth and other organic meterials have been found here.
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