Pompeii Italy

Pompeii is an ancient Roman city in the Campania region of Italy. Nearby is Mount Vesuvius, which erupted in 79 CE. The volcanic ash covered the city and preserved so much of life nearly 2,000 years ago. It was rediscovered in 1748.

Even before entering the old city, I was impressed by the sheer size of Pompeii.










The design and quality of sound in the Odeon Theatre is impressive.

I felt somewhat connected to the past whilst walking along the old streets.
















As the guide pointed out, if you look closely, you can see the evidence of chariot wheels.

Impression of Chariot wheel Pompeii/ G Sutton 2019

The Roman plumbing skills are well known and impressive to see.

Fountain at Pompeii

Location of underground water system (the drain is modern)

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Old house pipe





The Roman spas are also quite famous. Following are scenes from Pompeii showing the structures beneath the floor.




The sex slaves in the brothel (latin word, lupanare, wolf den) served the visiting traders and is not far from the baths. Phallic symbols displayed on the walls and carved in the stones of the street point the way to the brothel. There are ten stone beds each located in a room. Colourful explicit sex scenes have been preserved, which apparently served as a menu. The available history indicates the girl sex slaves were purchased from east. Apparently, much of the erotic art has been taken by private collectors.

Bed in Pompeii brothel

Brothel sign in a Pompeii street

The Pompeii forum is hard to capture in photos. Here's a few to give you a sense of the size. Also refer to the panorama photo at the top of this post.

































Some of the preserved finds from Pompeii are on display here, whilst others are in museums.

Some Romans continued Greek religious practices-- here's the Temple of Apollo with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

















Some thoughts

Although I appreciated the guide for her experience in leading us to some of the highlights, which saves new visitors a considerable time, I would have liked more time.

Now I would like to visit the archeological museum in Naples to get a better look at the artifacts.















There are refreshments near the entrance to the old city of Pompeii.
It can be very hot and there is little to no shade.





There are toilets near the Pompeii city exit and in the restaurant near the entrance.

More information on visiting Pompeii http://pompeiisites.org/en/

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Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

My Books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

Publications (many free downloads)

     

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)

     

  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)

Venice Italy

We awoke to see the rain decorating our hotel window, but we headed to Venice (Italian, Venezia) as planned. Despite the grey skies, the boat ride to the city was awesome. The boat from the mainland parking area takes visitors to a dock a few bridges walk from the entry to St Mark's Square.

Approaching Venice by boat

Rain at hotel Poppi near Venice

We headed to a Murano glass factory, which was close to St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco)--so many brilliant and expensive examples of their work. (Link- about Murano glass). Tip- there are no charge toilets in the factory showroom.

St Mark's Basilica was first built in the 800s then rebuilt in the 11th Century with facade work dating to the 12-15th centuries. It has been the cathedral of Venice since 1807.  The Basilica was too big to capture in a photo so I took a short video clip. It's outer height is 141 feet. In 2019, there was no charge to enter the Basilica but the lines can be long. (Link to Basilica website)

On St Mark's Basilica, there's a lot of artistry to appreciate -- here's a few examples.


































Restaurants and shops vie for tourists attention as they examine the other old buildings in St Mark's Square.

We headed through the arch beneath the clock on a quest to find the famed Rialto Bridge--it's the oldest of the four bridges over the Grand Canal in Venice. It was first built in the 1100s and rebuilt a few times since then. Tip- look up to see signs on buildings pointing the way to Rialto Bridge at one end of Venice and St Mark's at the other end.

At the Rialto Bridge

Here's a view of the canal and surrounds from the Rialto Bridge.

We were booked on a gondola ride for 11:00 a.m. We were fortunate the rain held off -- we were told the gondoliers do not work when it's raining. We shared a boat with four others so we got the photo at this top of this post from a fellow traveler. Here's a short video of the experience--you can hear the musician in the neighboring boat. Only one comfortable seat per gondola. I didn't shoot a lot of video so I could enjoy the experience.

I'll add a Venice collage below.

Notes

Restaurant service in Venice and elsewhere in Italy is slow so it depends how much time you want to spend having a relaxing lunch versus other experiences.

Toilets (WC symbol) can be found throughout the city and in restaurants. In the city you will need Euro coins for the WC.

Maps of Venice can be confusing because of the multiple narrow lanes. The two orienting points mentioned above are very helpful (Rialto Bridge, St Mark's Square).



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Florence Italy

Ponte Vecchio across the Arno River in Florence Italy / G Sutton 2019

Florence, Italy has been labeled "The Cradle of the Renaissance." Certainly, the old city contains many treasures visible on the streets and in world-class museums.

Our starting point on our last visit was by the statue of the poet Dante Alighieri outside the Basilica of Santa Croce, which is the place where many familiar men are buried-- Rossini, Machiavelli, Galileo and Michelangelo--for example.

There's so much art in the Uffizi Gallery that it is difficult to choose what pictures to share. We were there nearly four hours and that wasn't enough. Suggestion. Do get in line early because it can soon get crowded. If you are pressed for time, skip the slow service museum restaurant, but do walk out on the terrace and enjoy the views.

The seven panel paintings illustrating traditional virtues capture eyes and cameras as you enter the room. Sandro Botticelli painted Fortitude in 1470.

Sleeping Hermaphrodite has his own room. You can't enter the room--were they worried we'd wake him up?

Sleeping Hermaphrodite

Whilst looking at the walls and statues on pedestals, it's hard to remember to look up.

The complexity of some religious art scenes offers an intriguing glimpse into perspectives on familiar stories a few centuries ago (http://janbrueghel.net/object/calvary-florence)

Calvary by Jan Brueghel 1604, Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Outside, in addition to the Piazza di Santa Croce pictured near the top of this post, there are many fountains and squares.

Here's an overview video of Piazza della Repubblica, Florence, Italy.

The statue of David by Michelangelo in the Galleria dell'Accademia is indeed impressive. I didn't take this video, but we did see the statue and other works in the gallery.

Hotels and restaurants in Florence are expensive so we stayed in nearby Montecatini along with many other visitors.

Pizza dinner in Montecatini

Note

I found the locals helpful to point us in the right direction for a landmark such as a plaza.

The Uffizi staff weren't very helpful. Check out their website to see if you qualify for a free admission. Keep asking how to use their fiddly audioguide- make sure it works before leaving the area.


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CAPRI Italy

There's no doubt about why the small island of Capri attracts so many tourists as there is beauty on and surrounding the long-inhabited isle.

We took an early morning boat to Capri from Sorento and joined a tour to see as much as we could in one day. We were the first up the Monte Solaro 12-minute chairlift ride to the village of Anacapri.

Chairlift at Capri / Geoff Sutton 2019

Here's a short video of the ascent to the top.

The views from the top are spectacular and the cool morning breeze was invigorating.

It is possible to use ancient steps to ascend the mountain.

We walked about the village of Capri -- a garden area has a plaque remembering an early resident- Caesar Augustus.

Nearby is a medieval Carthusian monastery dedicated to St James.

We had lunch near the touristy square marked by a bell tower.

We descended to the pier via the funicular and boarded a one-hour cruise around the island.

People were all over the boat viewing the natural beauty on small screens.

Then again, seeing the beauty again reminds me that a day in Capri is well worth it. Following are a few more photos.

Famous Rocks at Capri / Geoff Sutton 2019

The Clear Blue Sea at Capri / Geoff Sutton 2019

A short video of one of the caves by the sea as viewed from the boat tour around Capri.

Travel notes

• Locals pronounce Capri as KAP-ree not cah- PREE.
• It was a crowded island by mid-morning- glad we were advised to start early.
• I prefer to see things without a guide, but I am glad we had one here to ensure we quickly and smoothly moved from one setting to another.
• Chairlift- hold on to your items- we saw caps and water bottles on the ground below.
• Boat ride around the island. On our tour, the island scenes were on the starboard (right) side with god views from the stern (rear).
• Funicular- downhill views are blocked by the car in front unless you take the front car. The cars can be crowded with standing room only.
• It's possible to get sandwiches and drinks from a market near the clock tower--if you wish to save time and money.
• There are benches around the island.
• There are public toilets near the clock tower- euros needed.

See the other cities we visited in ITALY

Connections

My Page    www.suttong.com

My Books   AMAZON     GOOGLE PLAY STORE

FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

Publications (many free downloads)

     

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton   (PhD)

     

  ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton   (PhD)

ASSISI Italy

We arrived in  Assisi on the St. Francis Festival Day, which is celebrated October 3-4. Crowds of worshippers were present, which added to our appreciation of the city. St. Francis is the patron saint of Italy.

There is an upper and a lower church.

Upper and lower church at Assisi

Assisi Lower Church

St. Francis of Assisi (San Francesco d'Assisi; Francesco) was born about 1181 and died 3 October 1226. His tomb is below the lower church. He is the founder of the Franciscan Order and he is credited with organizing the first live nativity scene.

Tomb of St Francis

The upper church (Basilica di San Francesco) is known for scenes of St Francis life and biblical scenes. The frescoes are by Giotto and other artists (See Britannica entry).

The people and pageantry add richness to the whole experience.

Along the picturesque pathways of Assisi are shops and restaurants.

Assisi is high above the verdant Umbria countryside in the Province of Perugia, Italy.

This short video gives a sense of the crowds at the festival in 2019. A lot of folks were smiling and laughing--nice to see people having a good time.

Experience the sound of the church bells while viewing the church grounds and countryside in this short video.

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See the other cities we visited in ITALY