Ok, it is set. Some alterations were done, well it is a big change. It will still be “Kirsty” but with a twist and that is going from Aviemore to Aberdeen and taking the night boat North to the Shetland Islands. From the Shetland Islands South to the Orkney Islands and in Thurso taking the Kirsty route again.
To my opinion could be as interesting as New Zealand and my last trip to Alaska. Now hope I will manage to travel in June.
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Yesterday evening I got me a new proposal for Scotland/Ireland from the travel agency, which was almost 10% more expensive. They state because I did not answer them within 48 hours. Be aware they send me the proposal Friday evening. Normal people are away in the weekend or are at least not reading the mail, so I answered them rather early Monday morning on the previous proposal. But as written they say the answer was too late so now it is much more expensive ... I think bad behavior, most probably resulting in not organizing with this company. I will reveal the name in the entry when they do not come up with a better proposal.
Just to end it correctly visiting the St. Pietro square at the vatican again, especially while it is a perfect day, 8 degrees and very sunny. I did not some fast shopping close to the Vatican and had a last Espresso Doppio (actually a bit more ..). Checking out at the hotel paying way too much for the drinks from the minibar and getting my private driver to bring me to the Fiomucino Airport. Checking in was very fast and even through customs was fast, so I was rather early near the gates. First people I saw were the other family from Gaia (Portugal) and I had a last Cappuccino (my first in Italy) and joined them to their gate.
My verdict
Overall I think Rome is one of the most interesting and hectic cities I have ever seen. Being here six days and trying to do and see as much as possible also is wearing you out, walking all day, only going in the hotel to sleep, it is a tiring experience but also a very rewarding one.
I also think some things are less nice. Most Italians we met, in the tourist spots, but also in the hotel and at the restaurants were not very nice. If compared e.g. to Portugal, or the USA, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and the Scandinavian countries (just to mention a few countries I recently visited) they are rude, non inviting and bad mannered. This seriously lowers the overall score.
There are so many interesting spots, it is difficult to mention the best. I think the Church St. Maria in Trastevere was my favorite. Doing the Vatican Museum with only a few people in was the second best. The rest was also very interesting, like the Trevi Fountain at night.
The food I had was less than expected. I have had much better food in the north of Italy, in Tuscany and near Genoa it is much better.
One other serious issue, there are way to many tourists .. and yeah I know I am one of them :-).
Overall I would give Rome eight out of ten, when considering the behavior of the Italians … the score is going down …
Will I come back? I think I will as so many things I did not see, or I did not see in-depth.
OK, now it is almost over again, back to Amsterdam, back to work.
Early start to get in before the cue becomes unacceptable we visited the Colosseum. It is a major achievement and I compared to the Ajax Arena in Amsterdam, it is so much more.
The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD[1] under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
From there we went into the near by Forum Romanum. We bought the combined ticket already in the Colosseum, so not cues for us. Today the weather is much better, actually is was rather Sunny, giving it a Summer atmosphere. The Forum is very big, so we could not see it all, but we tried to at least visit the most interesting parts.
The Roman Forum (Latin: Forum Romanum, Italian: Foro Romano), sometimes known by its original Latin name, is located between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill of the city of Rome, Italy. It is the central area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed. Citizens referred to the location as the "Forum Magnum" or just the "Forum".
The oldest and most important structures of the ancient city are located in the forum, including its ancient former royal residency, the Regia, and the surrounding complex of the Vestal virgins. The Old Republic had its formal Comitium there where the senate, as well as Republican government began. The forum served as a city square and central hub where the people of Rome gathered for justice, and faith. The forum was also the economic hub of the city and considered to be the center of the Republic and Empire.
The area of the forum was originally a grassy wetland. It was drained in the 7th century BC by building the Cloaca Maxima, a large covered sewer system that drained into the Tiber River, as more people began to settle between the two hills.
According to tradition, the forum's beginnings are connected with the alliance between Romulus, the first king of Rome controlling the Palatine hill, and his rival, Titus Tatius who occupied the Capitoline hill. Accordingly, an alliance formed after combat had been halted by the prayers and cries of the Sabine Women. Because the valley lay between the two settlements it was the designated place for the two peoples to meet. Since the early forum area was mostly pools of stagnant water the only accessible area was the northern part of the valley which was designated as the comitium. It was here that the two parties laid down their weapons and formed an alliance.
The forum was outside the walls of the original Sabine fortress, which was entered through the Porta Saturni. These walls were mostly destroyed when the two hills were joined.
The second king, Numa Pompilius, is said to have begun the cult of Vesta, building its house and temple as well as the Regia as the city's first royal palace. Later Tullus Hostilius erected the Curia and enclosed the Comitium. In 600 BC Tarquinius Priscus had the area paved for the first time.
Over time the Comitium was lost to the ever-growing Curia and Julius Caesar's rearranging of the forum before his assassination in 44 BC. After Caesar's death Octavius finished the work.
Many of the forum's temples are from either the kingdom or the Republican era. Many have been destroyed and rebuilt several times.
We had a rather good dinner before we went to the Spanish Steps again, where my friends had to leave as they departed today again to Portugal. I joined them to Termini Station and got them their tickets while they got their luggage. Just one minute before their train left the station we met to hand over the tickets. I left the other family at the Spanish Steps, to have them have their family evening and me a night off :-).
As I did not visit the St. Pietro itself yet, this was the plan for the evening. Being late has some advantages, as there is no big cue. It took me about 15 minutes to get through the scanners and get in to the Basilica.
There is so much to see, but it is by far not the appealing Basilica I visited, but the grandeur is evident. Especially with the Pietà from Michelangelo and the statue of St. Pietro (St. Peter), which most people kissed or at least touched.
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), officially known in Italian as the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is the symbolic "Mother church" of the Catholic Church and is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom". In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession.
Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.
St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage, for its liturgical functions and for its historical associations. It is associated with the papacy, with the Counter-reformation and with numerous artists, most significantly Michelangelo. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age.[6] Contrary to popular misconception, Saint Peter's is not a cathedral, as it is not the seat of a bishop. It is properly termed a papal basilica.
Pietà
La Pietà (1499) is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture by the renowned artist Michelangelo Buonarroti, housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. It is the first of a number of works of the same theme by the artist. The statue was commissioned for the French cardinal Jean de Billheres, who was a representative in Rome. The statue was made for the cardinal's funeral monument, but was moved to its current location, the first chapel on the right as one enters the basilica, in the 18th century.
This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. The theme is of Northern origin, popular by that time in France but not yet in Italy. Michelangelo's interpretation of the Pietà is unique to the precedents. It is an important work as it balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism. The statue is one of the most highly finished works by Michelangelo.
Ending with the best pizza slices I had in Rome.
Today it's New Year's Day, meaning he Pope will do a mass and will bless all people live from his quarters at the Vatican. I was early, the Portuguese were "late", but they told me the Pope waited for them to arrive as he started from his private quarters the minute they arrived. It was rather busy at Piazza St. Pietro, all these people wanted to see the Pope and/or getting his blessings, I think, although I am not religious, that it was a special moment.
Actually this was a bad day. It was raining Cats and Dogs all day and we just walked most of the time through the city using our umbrellas we bought earlier.
About these umbrellas. If there is a drop of rain, from every corner Indian people are swarming the streets to sell the umbrellas. Although not very expensive and you can bargain, 2-3 euro is possible, they are also crap. You can see that the next day (or even earlier) as most are broken and many garbage collectors are full of these broken umbrellas. This product is to say the least not green at all, as next day you "need" to buy another one.
One of the more interesting areas we came across was Campo de' Fiori. Campo dei Fiori is a rectangular piazza near Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy, on the border of rione Parione andrione Regola. Campo dei Fiori, translated literally from Italian, means "field of flowers." The name was first given during the Middle Ages when the area was actually a meadow.
In Ancient Rome the area was unused space between Pompey's Theatre and the flood-prone Tiber. Though theOrsini established themselves on the south flank of the space in the 13th century, until the 15th century the square remained undeveloped. The first church in the immediate vicinity was built during the pontificate ofBoniface IX (1389-1404), Santa Brigida a Campo dei Fiori; with the building-up of the rione, the church has now come to face that part of the former Campo that is now Piazza Farnese. In 1456 under Pope Callixtus III, Ludovico Cardinal Trevisani paved the area: this was part of a greater project of improvement of the rione Parione. This renewal was both the result and cause of several important buildings being built in the surroundings; in particular, the Orsini palace on Campo dei Fiori was rebuilt. The Renaissance Palazzo della Cancelleria can be seen in Vasi's etching, rising majestically beyond the far right corner of the Campo.
Campo dei Fiori itself has never been architecturally formalized: the illustration above shows that the edge of the façade of the 17th-century Palazzo Pio offers no finished formal front in the direction of the Campo. Instead, the square has always remained a focus for commercial and street culture: the surrounding streets are named for trades—Via dei Balestrari(crossbow-makers), Via dei Baullari (coffer-makers), Via dei Cappellari (hat-makers), Via dei Chiavari (key-makers) and Via dei Giubbonari (tailors). With new access streets installed by Sixtus IV— Via Florea and Via Pellegrino— the square became a necessary corridor for important people passing between the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano and the Vatican, thus bringing wealth to the area: a flourishing horse market took place twice a week (Monday and Saturday) and a lot of inns, hotels and shops came to be situated in Campo dei Fiori.
Capital punishments used to be held publicly in Campo dei Fiori: in Vasi's etching the tall permanent gibbet stands in the horse and cattle market. Here, on 17 February 1600, the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burnt alive by the Roman Inquisition because his ideas (such as heliocentrism) were deemed dangerous and all of his work was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Holy Office. In 1887Ettore Ferrari dedicated a monument to him on the exact spot of his death: he stands defiantly facing the Vatican, reinterpreted in the first days of a reunited Italy as a martyr to freedom of speech.
The theologian and scientist Marco Antonio de Dominis was also burned in this square, in 1624.
The demolition of a block of housing in 1858 enlarged Campo dei Fiori, and since 1869 there has been a vegetable and fish market there every morning. The ancient fountain "la Terrina" (the "soupbowl") that once watered cattle, resited in 1889, now keeps flowers fresh. Its inscription: FA DEL BEN E LASSA DIRE ("Do well and let them talk") suits the gossipy nature of the marketplace. In the afternoons, local games of football give way to set-ups for outdoor cafés. At night, Campo dei Fiori is a popular meeting place for young people, both Italian and foreign.
As most interesting places were closed the day was long and trying, not the best day at all, but hey that is most of the time the same for New Years Day :-).
Vatican Museum
Well I did not know where to meet, according my friends at Piazza San Pietro, well actually I had to meet in front of the museum, which is a Km from where I was. In the end we were just in time to meet the guide and to get in without have to go in the very long cue. I do not understand why people do wait 2-3 hours when they already know they go to the museum without organizing tickets over the Internet. To my opinion such a cue is by far not quality time :-(.
What can I say about the museum and the Sistine Chapel … it is all rather overwhelming. But that is not only due to the many art objects, but also due to the sheer amount of people. The day we choose (actually this was the only day we could ..) was a special one (31st of December) and closing was early, so lot's of people in. This day some 20.000, yeah 20.000 … meaning you are in a cue all through the museum and the chapel. But for a first time this was OK. At that time said to myself I should come again. But … after we had a small lunch in the Vatican Cantina :-) we were able to do the excursion again, and guess what … almost no one there as the museum was closing. We had to hurry though, but this fast re-entry was great, we even were in the Sistine Chapel with only a few people, compared to a flock of birds in a narrow space earlier.
Sant'Angelo
From the Vatican we walked to the river, passing my hotel and checking out the Castel Sant-Angelo. The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian, also called Adrian's mole, was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 AD and 139 AD. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, with a garden top and golden quadriga. Hadrian's ashes were placed here a year after his death in Baiae in 138 AD, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138 AD. Following this, the remains of succeeding emperors were also placed here, the last recorded deposition being Caracalla in 217 AD. Also buried there were the bones of Julia Domna and her son Publius Septimius Geta. The urns containing these ashes were probably placed in what is now known as the Treasury room deep within the building. Hadrian also built the Pons Aelius facing straight onto the mausoleum – it still provides a scenic approach from the center of Rome and the right bank of the Tiber, and is renowned for the Baroqueadditions of statuary of angels holding aloft elements of the Passion of Christ.
We did not go in, instead just crossed the river and walked up to Piazza Navone, where a fair was held, giving little to no view on the piazza itself, but presented a good atmosphere.
Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in first century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence it was known as 'Circus Agonalis' (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to 'in agone' to 'navone' and eventually to 'navona'.
Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred to it from the Campidoglio, the Piazza Navona is now the pride of Baroque Roman architectural and art history. It features sculptural and architectural creations: in the center stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini; the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi; and the Pamphilj palace also by Rainaldi and which features the gallery frescoed by Pietro da Cortona.
The Piazza Navona has two additional fountains: at the southern end is La Fontana del Moro with a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta (1575) to which in 1673 Bernini added a statue of a Moor, or African, by Bernini, wrestling with a dolphin, at the northern is the Fountain of Neptune, Rome (1574) created by Giacomo della Porta. The statue of Neptune in the northern fountain, the work of Antonio Della Bitta, was added in 1878 to make that fountain more symmetrical with La Fontana del Moro in the south.
At the southwest end of the piazza is the ancient 'speaking' staute of Pasquino. Erected in 1501, Romans could leave lampoons or derogatory social commentary attached to the statue.
During its history, the piazza has hosted theatrical events and other ephemeral activities. From 1652 until 1866, when the festival was suppressed, it was flooded on every Saturday and Sunday in August in elaborate celebrations of the Pamphilj family. The pavement level was raised in the 19th century and the market was moved again in 1869 to the nearby Campo de' Fiori, which we visited the next day.
Giolitti Ice
It was time to head over to one of the best Ice cream makers of Rome and that is Giolitti. Giolitti is a well-known café, pastry shop and ice cream parlor in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1890 by Giuseppe and Bernardina Giolitti and operates at two locations: via Uffici del Vicario near the Pantheon and in E.U.R.. It is still owned by the same family.
The café is most famous for its ice cream (gelato), which comes in dozens of different flavours produced according to secret recipes. The rare flavours include champagne, cassata siciliana, ricotta, marsala custard and rice. The Giolitti family has several times refused to sell its brand and recipes to large dairy companies. The café is popular with both tourists and locals and is listed in many guide books.
Spanish Stairs
After a perfect Ice cream time to walk again, this time to the Spanish Steps. Although less impressive than expected, with al tourists present a perfect scenery.
The Spanish Steps (Italian: Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti) are a set of steps in Rome, Italy, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the church of Trinità dei Monti. The Scalinata is the longest and widest staircase in Europe.
The monumental stairway of 138 steps was built with French diplomat Étienne Gueffier’s bequeathed funds of 20,000 scudi, in 1723–1725, linking the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, today still located in Palazzo Monaldeschi in the piazza below, with the Trinità dei Monti above.
Following a competition in 1717 the steps were designed by the little-known Francesco de Sanctis, though Alessandro Specchi was long thought to have produced the winning entry. Generations of heated discussion over how the steep slope to the church on a shoulder of the Pincio should be urbanized preceded the final execution. Archival drawings from the 1580s show that Pope Gregory XIII was interested in constructing a stair to the recently-completed façade of the French church. Gaspar van Wittel's view of the wooded slope in 1683, before the Scalinata was built, is conserved in the Galleria Nazionale, Rome. The Roman-educated Cardinal Mazarin took a personal interest in the project that had been in Gueffier's will and entrusted it to his agent in Rome, whose plan included an equestrian monument of Louis XIV, an ambitious intrusion that created a furore in papal Rome. Mazarin died in 1661, the pope in 1667, and Gueffier's will was successfully contested by a nephew who claimed half; so the project lay dormant until Pope Clement XI Albani renewed interest in it. The Bourbon fleur-de-lys and Innocent XIII's eagle and crown are carefully balanced in the sculptural details. The solution is a gigantic inflation of some conventions of terraced garden stairs.
Time for dinner, hm … that took some time as it was now 21.00 at New Years Eve. Luckily we found a pizzeria which also had some other food, which was actually rather OK, although the waiters many times put wrong plates in front of us. let us say it was hectic but nice.
Piazza del Popolo
Raining Cats and Dogs and the party still had to get started. It is not nice when you go to Piazza del Popolo and the weather is like shit, but with my friends we had a great toast on 2010.
The weather got a bit better after the Fireworks and we headed down to the Trevi fountain again, where a nice party was going on. Time to get the Metro and go and sleep, almost 03.00 in the morning.
We agreed to meet at 18.00 so I had all day to visit some parts of Rome. I just started walking along the river Tiber towards the center (although there is no real center, or there are many). I already saw many interesting buildings ending at the outside of the Colosseum. So close it is a magnificent ancient architectural masterpiece, and will go in later. I took one of the buses to get me to Via Appia, an ancient road which extended in the past for 500 Km to the south. These days only the first part from Rome is maintained and treated as touristic spot.
The Roman army depended for its success on the use of bases in which to prepare for battle and to refresh and re-equip afterwards. Bases allowed the Romans to keep a large number of soldiers in the field waiting for the opportunity to strike. However, the bases needed to be connected by good roads for easy access and supply from Rome. The Appian Way was used as a main route for military supplies since its construction for that purpose in the mid-4th century BC. The Appian Way was the first long road built specifically to transport troops outside the smaller region of greater Rome.
There is still a lot to see, and I decided to visit the San Sebastiano fuori le mura (Saint Sebastian outside the walls), or San Sebastiano ad Catacumbas (Saint Sebastian at the Catacombs), is a basilica in Rome. Up to the Great Jubilee of 2000, San Sebastiano was one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, and many pilgrims still favor the traditional list. Under the church there are the catacombs. Catacombs are ancient, human-made underground passageways or subterranean cemeteries composed thereof. Many are under cities and have served during historic times as a refuge for safety during wars or as a meeting place for cults. The first burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie beneath San Sebastiano fuori le mura, in Rome. The derivation of the word itself is disputed and it remains unclear if it ultimately derives from the cemetery itself or from the locality in which it is found. There is no doubt however that the San Sebastiano catacombs are the first to be referred to as such.In these … more than 100.000 people have been buried. As the guide told us as land was expensive so they had to burry the dead under the ground. Later most people were cremated.
I walked most of the road back to the last bus stop at the Appia itself and from there took the bus to the last stop, the Termini Station.
The first big church I visited was S. Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri and to my opinion also one of the most interesting. The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs at the Diocletian Baths, the last great architectural project from the genius of Michelangelo. It is a monument to history, to faith, to art and to science.
The basilica was created by the will of Antonio Lo Duca (Duca or Del Duca), a Sicilian priest devoted to the cult of angels. Lo Duca, who was born in Cefalù in 1491 and died in Rome in 1564 expressed his passion from a young age when he was appointed choir-master of the Palermo Cathedral (1513 – 1515). During this time whilst teaching choir to a group of clerics, he discovered an antique painting of the Seven Princes of the Angels which had miraculously re-emerged after centuries of neglect in the small Church of Saint Angelo .
He went to Rome in 1527 and became chaplain to Cardinal A. Del Monte who was uncle of the future Pope Giulio III. He succeeded in securing recognition of the devotion to the Seven Princes of the Angels as well as composing a Mass for them.
After the death of the patron cardinal (1533), Antonio became chaplain to the Cardinal of the Count of Cifuentes who was ambassador to the Emperor Charles V. Since his arrival in Rome , Antonio had hoped that the Mass of the Seven Angels would be officially approved. But his attempts proved to be in vain even after the arrival of Pope Paul III Farnese. In fact, he was to receive appointments and prebends from the Pope which sent him back to Sicily .
After a few years he returned to Rome and became chaplain of Saint Mary of Loreto at Trajan's Forum. It was in this church that, during the summer of 1541, he saw a vision: a “light whiter than snow” emerging from the Diocletian Thermal Baths and at the centre were the seven martyrs (Saturnino, Ciriaco, Largo , Smaragdo, Sisinnio, Trasone and Pope Marcello). From this moment on, Antonio was convinced that a temple dedicated to the Seven Angels must be built in the middle of the majestic thermal ruins. He marked the columns of the great ancient tepidarium hall with the names of the seven angels (Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Jeudiele, Salatiele, Barachiele and Uriel). He began to entertain the idea of building a church dedicated to the Seven Angels and the Seven Martyrs. However, he did not have the support of the then Pope Paul III.
In 1543 he went to Venice to print the booklet for Mass, prayers and angelic images. At this time he commissioned a painting of the Virgin with the Seven Angels which was a copy of an existing mosaic in the Basilica of Saint Mark. Today the painting can be found in the centre of the apse, behind the high altar of the Basilica.
When he returned to Rome as rector of the Orphans of Saint Mary in Aquiro, he continued to frequent the Thermal Baths with two ideas in mind: to transform them into a Church and to create a college for Orphans. Once again Pope Paul III did not agree. Antonio had to wait for the arrival of Pope Giulio III del Monte, nephew of Cardinal A del Monte for whom he had previously been chaplain, to fulfil his dream. In fact, in 1550 the Pope ordered the Vicar of Rome, Monsignor Filippo Archinto, to sign the decree for consecration of the Church with the name of Saint Mary of the Seven Angels.
The enthusiasm in fulfilment of his dream was cut short by the Pope's nephews who drove Antonio out of the Thermal Baths and transformed them into hunting and riding grounds instead. After the short Pontificates of Marcello II (22 days) and Paul IV Carafa, the new Pope, Pius IV Medici finally fulfilled Antonio's dream in the most majestic and solemn way. With a Papal Bull dated 27 July 1561 the Pope ordered the construction of a church in the ancient Diocletian Thermal Baths. And, in a ‘Brief' (issued immediately after conceding office to the Carthusian monks of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem ) it was given the name “Beatissimae Virgini et omnium Angelorum et Martyrum.”
Trevi Fountain, the present one
In 1629 Pope Urban VIII, finding the earlier fountain insufficiently dramatic, asked Gian Lorenzo Bernini to sketch possible renovations, but when the Pope died, the project was abandoned. Bernini's lasting contribution was to resite the fountain from the other side of the square to face the Quirinal Palace (so the Pope could look down and enjoy it). Though Bernini's project was torn down for Salvi's fountain, there are many Bernini touches in the fountain as it was built. An early, striking and influential model by Pietro da Cortona, preserved in the Albertina, Vienna, also exists, as do various early 18th century sketches, most unsigned, as well as a project attributed to Nicola Michetti one attributed to Ferdinando Fuga and a French design by Edme Bouchardon.
Panorama of the Trevi Fountain.Competitions had become the rage during the Baroque era to design buildings, fountains, and even the Spanish Steps. In 1730 Pope Clement XII organized a contest in which Nicola Salvi initially lost to Alessandro Galilei — but due to the outcry in Rome over the fact that a Florentine won, Salvi was awarded the commission anyway. Work began in 1732, and the fountain was completed in 1762, long after Clement's death, when Pietro Bracci's Oceanus (god of all water) was set in the central niche.
The asso di coppe Salvi died in 1751, with his work half-finished, but before he went he made sure a stubborn barber's unsightly sign would not spoil the ensemble, hiding it behind a sculpted vase, called by Romans the asso di coppe, "the "Ace of Cups".The Trevi Fountain was finished in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini, who substituted the present allegories for planned sculptures of Agrippa and "Trivia", the Roman virgin.
Pantheon
Not checking the map, just walked, stumbled upon the Pantheon and the very nice square in front. Although a bit noise, with so many tourists and a few street musicians, it gave a very nice atmosphere.
The Pantheon (pronounced /pænˈθiː.ən/ or /ˈpænθi.ən/, Latin: Pantheon, from Greek: Πάνθεον, meaning "Every god") is a building in Rome, built by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD. A near-contemporary writer, Cassius Dio, speculates that the name comes from the statues of many gods placed around the building, or from the resemblance of the dome to the heavens. Since the French Revolution, when the church of Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, was deconsecrated and turned into a secular monument, the Panthéon, the generic term pantheon may be applied to any building in which illustrious dead are honoured or buried.The building is circular with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft). A rectangular structure links the portico with the rotunda. It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs" but informally known as "Santa Maria Rotonda."
Trastevere
As I said I would arrange a restaurant for tonight I Walked to Trastevere (the other side of the river Tiber) to check for a restaurant. There are many in a relatively small area. But first I visited … kerk Santa Maria Trastevere, a beautiful small church, to my opinion the best I have seen so far. Not the biggest, not the most decorated, but all in all a great scenic holy place. I checked out some restaurants and found a nice one where it was possible to reserve for 10 people. I think it is much easier in Rome, compared to Amsterdam, maybe because the families are larger?Walking back I send some SMS'es to my friends to where to meet, we did in front on the Pantheon. It was/is almost like meeting family :-). I also met the other family of five, seems to be a very nice group all together.The kids wanted to go to the Trevi Fountain first, making the total walk tough, as it was in the opposite direction of where to eat. Some time later we walked back to the restaurant (2 Km) and had an OK dinner. We parted our ways and agreed on the meeting time for the following morning at the Vatican.
Flying out almost empty to such a busy city is strange, but also nice having three seats. It took some time to get my luggage and after customs I had to wait for half hour for the hotel's driver to meet me. It was a short ride (not busy on the highway and in Rome itself) to get to the hotel. The hotel itself is OK, although the 4 stars remind of something that is long gone. Room is ok, bed is hard and there is a lot of noise coming in from the road. On the way to the hotel I already passed the Vatican so I immediately went out, first to get some dinner (it was around 22.30) and later to view the Vatican from the outside. Dinner was OK, Spaghetti e Vongole and it was still rather busy at the main square (actually almost a circle) in front of the Vatican. There I also saw the biggest Christmas stable scenery I have ever seen. Back to the hotel and tomorrow meet my Portuguese friends.
OK is is rather early to think about, but as written in an earlier entry I think Ireland will be my next Summer Holiday destination. Most of the time I am arranging everything myself, but I have found an agency working with vouchers for B&B's and I think this might be a very good alternative.
They also have an interesting planned trip "Most of Ireland".
Translated it's like this:
The 12-day itinerary Most of Ireland:
Day 1:
Arrival in Ireland, transfer to Dublin. You stay one night in a B&B in Dublin.
Day 2:
From Dublin, drive to Kilkenny. Here you have enough time to see all the sights of this medieval town and to explore her famous and majestic Kilkenny Castle, the medieval St Canice's Cathedral and the whiskey brewery Smithwick of 1710. You stay two nights in a B & B in Kilkenny.
Day 3:
Today you drive a spectacular route along the south coast of Ireland that takes you through the Wicklow Mountains back to Kilkenny. In the Southeast, visit the Waterford Crystal Factory, Duncannon Fort and the Hook Head peninsula. In the breathtaking Wicklow Mountains is one of Ireland's major attractions, Glendalough, an ancient religious establishment surrounded by beautiful nature.
Day 4:
Today discover the interior of Ireland to mysterious places like the Rock of Cashel and the Athassel Priory. From here, travel along a portion of the South Coast known as one of the most famous Gaelic-speaking areas of Ireland. Through the port of Cobh in Cork you arrive. You stay one night in a B&B in Cork.
Day 5:
Leave Cork and a beautiful drive along the coastal route to known fishing and sailing towns of Kinsale, Clonakilty, Bantry and Glengariff. Pass the Beara Peninsula through the spectacular Healy Pass and arrive in Killarney. You will stay three nights in a B&B in Killarney.
Day 6:
Today, drive the world famous Ring of Kerry "on the Iveragh Peninsula. The many attractions such as the Kerry Bog Museum, Staigue Fort, the House and the Skellig Islands Derrynane will make this trip an unforgettable experience.
Day 7:
A day at the beauty of the Dingle peninsula to explore. So you can enjoy a stroll along the picturesque fishing port and the many souvenir shops in Dingle, the spectacular Slea Head drive route, with magnificent views and many prehistoric and Celtic remains of a boat trip in search of Funghi the dolphin, who has been in the Bay Dingle 'lives'.
Day 8:
From Killarney you drive to Tarbert and cross the Shannon River by ferry. In County Clare, visit the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. From here you drive a scenic route through the fascinating landscape of slate, called the Burren. At the end of the route arrives in Ballyvaughan. You stay two nights in a B&B in Ballyvaughan.
Day 9:
Today you drive a magical route through the Connemara. This area is known for its magical lakes and mysterious landscapes. The route takes you past the world famous National Park, the stunning Twelve Bens and the picturesque town of Cong.
Day 10:
From West coast to coast, crossed the Irish Republic today two very special places where you pass, Clonmacnoise with the remains of a religious city, and after Brú Bóinne (Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth), a valley full of Neolithic remains. You arrive in Dublin where you again two nights stay in a B&B.
Day 11:
A whole day and night in Dublin with sufficient time for any sightseeing. If you can not just visit 'standard' highlights like the world famous Trinity College, the Guinness Brewery and St. Patrick's Cathedral, but you can also stroll through the Phoenix Park, a selection of museums, fine dining on the south banks of the River Liffey, and end the evening with a pint or two in the Temple Bar nightlife area.
Day 12:
Transfer to airport for departure.
Although extremely early to think about ... I might opt for a close by and much cheaper Holiday in Summer 2010. Ireland is high on the list. It is a mix of sceneries of what I experienced last years and has a lot of culture to add to that.
About Ireland from Wikipedia:
Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɪrlənd/ ( listen), locally [ˈaɾlənd]; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen); Ulster Scots: Airlann, Latin: Hibernia) is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain. The sovereign state of Ireland (official name Ireland, description "Republic of Ireland") covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) covering the remaining one-sixth of the island, located in the northeast.
The first settlements in Ireland date from around 8000 BC. By 200 BC Celtic migration and influence had come to dominate Ireland. Relatively small scale settlements of both the Vikings and Normans in the Middle Ages gave way to complete English domination by the 1600s. Protestant English rule resulted in the marginalisation of the Catholic majority, although in the north-east, Protestants were in the majority due to the Plantation of Ulster. Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. A famine in the mid-1800s caused large-scale death and emigration. The Irish War of Independence ended in 1921 with the British Government proposing a truce and during which the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, creating the Irish Free State. This was a Dominion within the British Empire, with effective internal independence but still constitutionally linked with the British Crown. Northern Ireland, consisting of six of the 32 Irish counties which had been established as a devolved region under the 1920 Government of Ireland Act, immediately exercised its option under the treaty to retain its existing status within the United Kingdom. The Free State left the Commonwealth to become a republic in 1949. In 1973 both parts of Ireland joined the European Community. Conflict in Northern Ireland led to much unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s, which subsided following a peace deal in 1998.
The population of Ireland is slightly under six million (2006), with nearly 4.25 million residing in the Republic of Ireland and an estimated 1.75 million in Northern Ireland. This is a significant increase from a modern historic low in the 1960s, but still much lower than the peak population of over 8 million in the early 19th century, prior to the Great Famine.
The name Ireland derives from the name of the Celtic goddess Ériu (in modern Irish, Éire) with the addition of the Germanic word land. Most other western European names for Ireland, such as Spanish Irlanda, derive from the same source.
This week some interesting parties, Saturday the Pinoke Gala. Next week I will be in Berlin again for Online Educa, where we have a booth with one of our partners for their product SharePointLMS. With Christmas I am at home with my family and for New Year's Eve I am traveling for the first time to Rome. Returning beginning of January to hopefully start a better year.
link: Weebly - Website Creation Made Easy
My Alaskan ship was big, but this one ...
MS Oasis of the Seas is a cruise ship in the fleet of Royal Caribbean International. At approximately five times the size of the Titanic, the ship displaces the Freedom-class cruise ships (also owned by Royal Caribbean) as the world's largest passenger vessel, carrying 5,400 passengers. The ship was completed and delivered to Royal Caribbean on October 28, 2009. Two days later, it departed for its intended home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Its maiden passenger-carrying voyage is expected to take place on December 1. The ship will operate year-round cruises to the Caribbean.
Oasis of the Seas will offer passengers features such as two-story loft suites, an amphitheater with poolside performances, zip-lining, a mini-golf course and a carousel.
The Royal Promenade will have many of the same features as the ones found on the Voyager and Freedom Class ships, but there are some new amenities. These include a skylight; that will let natural light flow inside from above, and the Rising Tide bar, which is a bar that will move between three decks of the ship. There will also be a shopping mall of sorts aboard, with some shops and cafes including: a champagne bar, Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's Pizzeria, a Close Shave men's groom and barber shop, clothing, jewellery, a general store, and a bar. The space will still be the length of a football field but the width will be 19 meters, more than two times the width of both the Freedom class Royal Promenade and Voyager class Royal Promenade.
I am back from my weekend to Mannheim. It was fine weekend, although rather busy at the roads. It took my an hour longer to get there, driving back even more but that was partly because I did touristic route.
Saturday we visited the center of Mannheim to do some shopping. I bought several headsets for the office to use with Skype.
The afternoon we went to the Odenwald for some hiking. Perfect weather and great Autumn colors, although I think we were a week too early.
When arriving at the parking lot an ambulance was arriving to help an old lady who fell on here face. Her husband did not know what to do, so we drove their car to the Hospital.
The Sunday as said taking the touristic route. I went to Winningen first, taking a scenic Mosel
route to Koblenz and from there partly along the Rhine to Bonn. At Cologne a traffic jam as in the Netherlands. But all together not that bad. Great weekend, good food, good wine, great weather and nice company.
Will be driving to Mannheim again to visit my sister. Hope it will not be so busy on the roads, Holiday here and in Germany, so you might not know. I already see several traffic jams.
Not sure yet what we will be doing, but going into the mountains is a favorite pastime as is eating and drinking. But Mannheim itself is a very nice city to shop.
About Mannheim
Es ist eine schicksalsreiche und wechselvolle Geschichte, in der die „heimliche Hauptstadt der Kurpfalz“ ihr heutigen Stärken als urbane, offene und tolerante Handels- und Dienstleistungsstadt entwickelte: Seit Kurfürst Friedrich IV. von der Pfalz im Jahre 1606 den Grundstein zum Bau der Festung Friedrichsburg legte, musste die Stadt insgesamt vier Mal nach Zerstörungen wieder neu aufgebaut werden. Stets erhalten geblieben ist jedoch das einzigartige gitterförmige Straßennetz der Innenstadt. Deshalb kann sich in Mannheims City auch niemand verlaufen. Denn wo in anderen Städten Straßen die Namen berühmter Menschen tragen, gibt es in Mannheim stattdessen Buchstaben und Zahlen. Das Rathhaus findet man in „E5“, das Stadthaus in „N1“. Mannheim wird deshalb auch von vielen einfach „die Quadratestadt“ genannt. Und oft hört man den Mannheimer sagen: „Ich geh mal ums Quadrat“.
For the last few year I have been away with New Year's Eve, to Oporto, London, New York and Otley. I like these days as amsterdam is way to busy at the night itself and most of the time a mess afterwards :-).
This year it will be Rome. It is rather strange I never visited one of the most famous placs in Europe (and the world) and will make up now.
I arranged me I think a nice hotel, the Atlante Garden Hotel, conveniently located near some hotspots.
The Hotel Atlante Garden enjoys an enviable position very close to the Vatican City, Saint Peters and the Castle Sant'Angelo. A bit further away but still within a 15 to 30 minute walk I will find the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon probably some of the finest pieces of Roman Architecture that remain! So all of the major sights are within easy walking distance, I hope and I'd like to do all by walking as you miss a lot when travelling by Metro or otherwise.
I think it will a memorable visit, although not all major attractions will be open nor will I get tickets for in those days. But it will be my first visit and most probably will need a second one anyway.
A new list. Some I have not been, most I have though. I think I miss some interesting cities, like Boston (USA), Stavanger (Norway) and Wellington (New Zealand).
From a investigation made by students for surprisetickets:
from a perfect weekend in Otley, where I met my friends again. Good weather, good food (Indian and typical English) and English Ale to drink, made it a very enjoyable weekend.
Saturday morning I was at a Ju Jitsu (Ju Jutsu) training, in the afternoon we went for a hike around the Chevin. The Chevin is the name given to the ridge on the south side of Wharfedale in West Yorkshire, England, overlooking the market town of Otley.
The Chevin is largely covered in attractive old woodland and heathland. It is a part of the Carboniferous Millstone grit group. A Roman road ran along the top of the Chevin, part of the road that linked Eboracum (York), Calcaria (Tadcaster) and Olicana (Ilkley), perhaps on the same route as the modern road, Yorkgate, or perhaps about 800m to the south.
The highest point of the Chevin, Surprise View, reaches 282 metres (925 ft) at grid reference SE204442. This point offers extensive views of Otley and Wharfedale, and has an adjacent car park. It is the site of a beacon, and a cross is erected at Easter.
The name comes from the Brythonic 'Cefyn', 'Cefn' or 'Cefu' meaning a 'ridge', or 'ridge of high land'. The root name informs other hills, such as The Cheviot in Northumberland, and the Cévennes in France.
After their son's football match on Sunday afternoon it was almost time to fly home again.
And yes I am back for some time now :-).
This weekend as writen I will be in Yorkshire, UK, in a small town called Otley near Leeds.
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the British Isles. Because of its great size, functions were increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have been subject to periodic reform. Throughout these changes, Yorkshire has continued to be recognised as a geographical territory and cultural region. The name is familiar and well understood across the United Kingdom and is in common use in the media, the military and also features in the titles of current areas of civil administration such as Yorkshire and the Humber and West Yorkshire.
Within the borders of the historic county of Yorkshire are areas which are widely considered to be among the greenest in England, due to both the vast stretches of unspoiled countryside in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors and the open aspect of some of the major cities. Yorkshire has sometimes been nicknamed God's Own County. The emblem of Yorkshire is the white rose of the English royal House of York, and the most commonly used flag representative of Yorkshire is the White Rose on a dark blue background, which after years of use, was recognised by the Flag Institute on 29 July 2008. Yorkshire Day, held on 1 August, is a celebration of the general culture of Yorkshire, ranging from its history to its own language.
About Otley
The town dates from before Roman times, and belonged to the Archbishopric of York. Otley is close to Leeds and thus may have formed part of the kingdom of Elmet. The southern flank of the Wharfe valley which lies above Otley is known as The Chevin a term that has close parallels to the welsh term "Cefn", meaning ridge and may be a survival of the ancient cumbric language. Reference is made to Ottanlege and Scefinc in c.972. The suffix -ley comes from the Anglo-Saxon -leah which means clearing and was first documented in relation to Otley in 1086. In the same year, reference is made to the woodland to the south of the settlement. Remains of the old Archbishop's Manor House were found during the construction of St Joseph's RC Primary School near the River Wharfe. The town formed an important crossing point of the River Wharfe and was an administrative centre in the wapentake of Skyrack in the early medieval period, and this importance continued with its being the seat of the Mid-Wharfedale Urban District council up until the local council reorganisation of 1974.
The first church was built there in the early 7th century. In All Saints Parish Church there are the remains of two Early Anglo-Saxon crosses, one of which has been reproduced for the town's war memorial. Buried there is an ancestor of the 19th century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the grandparents of Thomas Fairfax who commanded Parliament's forces at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644. In the graveyard of the parish church stands a replica of an entrance to the Bramhope Tunnel, a monument to those killed during its construction.
Otley is a market town and has held a regular market for more than a thousand years. Market days are Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and there is also a Farmers' Market on the last Sunday of every month. Documented history for the market begins in 1222 when King Henry III granted the first Royal Charter. Cattle markets are still held at the Wharfedale Farmers' Auction Mart on East Chevin Road although the Bridge End Auction Mart closed a number of years ago and has now been demolished.
Thomas Chippendale, the famous furniture maker, was born at Farnley near Otley, and his statue stands in the town next to the old Prince Henry's Grammar School in Manor Square that he once attended. The current site of Prince Henry's Grammar School is in Farnley Lane.
J.M.W. Turner, the famed painter, visited Otley in 1797, aged 22, when commissioned to paint watercolours of the area. He was so attracted to Otley and the surrounding area that he returned time and time again. His friendship with Walter Ramsden Fawkes made him a regular visitor to Farnley Hall, two miles from Otley. The stormy backdrop of Hannibal Crossing The Alps is reputed to have been inspired by a storm over Otley's Chevin while Turner was staying at Farnley Hall.
The Wharfedale Printing Machine was developed in Otley by William Dawson and William Payne. An early example can be seen in Otley Museum.
Famous Methodist preacher John Wesley was a frequent visitor to the town in the 18th century. Allegedly his horse died in the town and is buried in the grounds of the parish church. Its grave is marked by an unusual toblerone-shaped stone, also known locally as the "Donkey Stone". In his Journal for 1761 we read, "6 July Monday; In the evening I preached at Otley and afterwards talked with many of the Society. There is reason to believe that ten or twelve of these are filled with the love of God." One of the main streets in Otley (Wesley Street) is still named after him.
