This is off-topic for our blog, but for a good cause--our friend's niece.
Alexis is nine years old and was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was eight. She was in remission for nine months, but has recently relapsed and the cancer is attacking her bone marrow. She's looking at aggressive chemotherapy and probably a bone marrow transplant as well.
Her family would like for her to receive postcards and trinkets from as many different places around the world as possible, to let her know that people worldwide are thinking of her. They are starting a map where they will add pins for each different country and state that Alexis receives a card from.
We have noticed that our readers are spread out across the globe, and we'd like to ask you to help Alexis fill in her map and let her know that she is far from alone while she struggles to overcome leukemia. As you all can see, our son is very near Alexis' age--it is hard to imagine a child Landon's age having to fight to survive against cancer. Please join us in showing Alexis our support and love.
You can send your postcards to:
Team Alexis
P.O. Box 2811
LaCrosse, WI 54602
USA
Thank you to all of our readers across the world who continue to follow our adventures!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Rome Series, Post 2: The Palatine Hill
Our next stop on our tour of Rome was the Palatine Hill, located just across the street from the Colosseum. Be warned, the Palatine Hill is not exactly stroller-friendly. There are many uneven steps to climb to reach the top of the hill where most of the ruins can be seen. Our tour guide, as mentioned in the Colosseum post, was in training and doing the tour for free. And he was awesome! Very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of Rome, and he even threw in a little lesson on the Roman Forum at the end of our tour of the Palatine Hill! There was so much information to take in.
Legend states that the Palatine Hill is where the twins Romulus and Remus were found in a cave by the wolf who raised them. Later, Romulus would found the city of Rome atop the hill. In fact, several years ago archaeologists working near the Emperor Augustus' home came across a cave that seems to be the legendary Lupercal! You can read more about the discovery of the Lupercal here.. It is a fascinating read!
The ruins of the stadium, or the Hippodrome, are found in the Palace of Domitian which dates to 81 AD. Most people believe that the stadium was in fact used for foot races, though some historians think it served as an imperial garden made to resemble a stadium. The semi-circular structures seen above might have marked the turns in the track, or they may have been fountains. The stadium was originally completely enclosed by an arcade, but now only ruins of the columns remain. St. Agnes, according to legend, was martyred here within the arcade.
The front of the Domus Augustana, with the Circus Maximus in the foreground. Chariot races were held here. Stadium seating was originally erected between the palace and the track, and the Circus was ringed with brothels.
The palace was divided into two wings, the Domus Augustana and the Domus Flavia. The Domus Augustana was a , and the Flavia was private. Above are ruins of the Domus Flavia.
View of the room called the basilica in the Palace of Domitian. It's unclear whether this room was a true basilica in architectural sense, though the ruins do suggest it. Plutarch does mention a basilica in the Palace of Domitian, so this could be it!
Another closer view of the remaining foundations for the basilica.
Domitian's Palace was known across the ancient world for being unbelievably opulent and built on such a grand scale. These are ruins of a colonnade outside of the basilica and audience chamber.
This is what remains of the Palace of Tiberius (Palace of Caligula) which was built in the first century AD. In the 1500s, a cardinal filled in the ruins of the palace and built instead one of the first botanical gardens in Europe. The gardens are pretty, but we would have rather seen Caligula's palace!
The immense Basilica of Maxentius. Emperor Maxentius began construction on his basilica, which was to be the last of the grand basilicas in the Roman Empire, in 308 AD. He was defeated by Constantine, who later completed the basilica.
More ruins of Domitian's Palace.
The Imperial seating for Domitian's stadium events. These were the box seats from where the Emperor and his family or special guests could watch the foot races in the stadium.
The Arcus Neroeniani, an extension of the Acqua Claudia aqueduct. The Arcus Neroeniani was most likely rebuilt by Nero after the great fire of 64 AD. Nero used concrete, which quickly deteriorated, and both Domitian and Septimius Severus had to construct repairs.
The Palatine Hill is an intriguing place, wonderfully rich in the history of the Roman Empire. Wandering through the ruins really brings the old emperors to life. If you have a hard time picturing what the palaces must have looked like in their heyday, here's an artist's rendition of the Palatine Hill:
Legend states that the Palatine Hill is where the twins Romulus and Remus were found in a cave by the wolf who raised them. Later, Romulus would found the city of Rome atop the hill. In fact, several years ago archaeologists working near the Emperor Augustus' home came across a cave that seems to be the legendary Lupercal! You can read more about the discovery of the Lupercal here.. It is a fascinating read!
The ruins of the stadium, or the Hippodrome, are found in the Palace of Domitian which dates to 81 AD. Most people believe that the stadium was in fact used for foot races, though some historians think it served as an imperial garden made to resemble a stadium. The semi-circular structures seen above might have marked the turns in the track, or they may have been fountains. The stadium was originally completely enclosed by an arcade, but now only ruins of the columns remain. St. Agnes, according to legend, was martyred here within the arcade.
The front of the Domus Augustana, with the Circus Maximus in the foreground. Chariot races were held here. Stadium seating was originally erected between the palace and the track, and the Circus was ringed with brothels.
The palace was divided into two wings, the Domus Augustana and the Domus Flavia. The Domus Augustana was a , and the Flavia was private. Above are ruins of the Domus Flavia.
View of the room called the basilica in the Palace of Domitian. It's unclear whether this room was a true basilica in architectural sense, though the ruins do suggest it. Plutarch does mention a basilica in the Palace of Domitian, so this could be it!
Another closer view of the remaining foundations for the basilica.
Domitian's Palace was known across the ancient world for being unbelievably opulent and built on such a grand scale. These are ruins of a colonnade outside of the basilica and audience chamber.
This is what remains of the Palace of Tiberius (Palace of Caligula) which was built in the first century AD. In the 1500s, a cardinal filled in the ruins of the palace and built instead one of the first botanical gardens in Europe. The gardens are pretty, but we would have rather seen Caligula's palace!
The immense Basilica of Maxentius. Emperor Maxentius began construction on his basilica, which was to be the last of the grand basilicas in the Roman Empire, in 308 AD. He was defeated by Constantine, who later completed the basilica.
More ruins of Domitian's Palace.
The Imperial seating for Domitian's stadium events. These were the box seats from where the Emperor and his family or special guests could watch the foot races in the stadium.
The Arcus Neroeniani, an extension of the Acqua Claudia aqueduct. The Arcus Neroeniani was most likely rebuilt by Nero after the great fire of 64 AD. Nero used concrete, which quickly deteriorated, and both Domitian and Septimius Severus had to construct repairs.
The Palatine Hill is an intriguing place, wonderfully rich in the history of the Roman Empire. Wandering through the ruins really brings the old emperors to life. If you have a hard time picturing what the palaces must have looked like in their heyday, here's an artist's rendition of the Palatine Hill:
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| www.maquette-historiques.net |
Monday, January 13, 2014
Rome Series, Post 1: il Colosseo
In October, we took a vacation to mainland Italy and toured Rome and Florence. We took an astounding 1,129 photos in total, and have yet to fully go through and organize them. Needless to say, there was a lot to see and do, and a ton of history to be learned and re-learned in context. For easier reading and to prevent enormous posts, we've decided to post each major location separately.
And so we begin with The Colosseum, or il Colosseo.
The Colosseum, or the Flavian Amphitheatre, was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world and remains the largest in the world today. Construction began in 70 AD and was completed in 80 AD, though modifications were made over the next two decades. The Colosseum is a World Heritage Site, and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
We headed straight for the Colosseum as soon as we had dropped our backpacks in our hotel and grabbed a late lunch in the Piazza Republica. A quick cab ride took us straight to the end of the line for admission into the Colosseum.
Now this is the most important tip we have for tourists visiting Rome and other high-traffic sites: Pay for those skip-the-line tickets!!! Yes, it is significantly more expensive. Yes, you'll need to have the euro on hand in cash for most places. But it is well worth the added expense to just walk right up to the Colosseum or whatever site you happen to be visiting, instead of standing in line for, literally, hours. (Especially with small children!)
Our timing for getting inside the Colosseum couldn't have been more perfect. As we walked up to where people were milling about waiting to go inside, a young tour representative approached us and offered tickets for the last skip-the-line tour of the day which was beginning in ten minutes. Our total price for these tickets was 60 euro for the four of us, plus they threw in a free guided tour of the Palatine Hill with a tour guide in training.
You might think you have a good idea of the size of the Colosseum, until you actually see it and walk inside. It is built on a truly colossal (ha, ha) scale. In the above picture, you can see holes in the arches where bronze clamps were taken over the centuries. For a long period in the Middle Ages, after the Colosseum was partially destroyed by earthquake, many materials were removed to build other structures in the city. It was during this time that the interior stone and marble facade were stripped away.
The interior walls of the Colosseum were constructed of brick and concrete, overlaid with stone and marble. This is how many of the walls appear today. It's hard to imagine how it must have looked when the whole structure shone in brilliant white marble.
Many original decorative structures in various states of ruin remain inside the Colosseum, including this inscription, "LOSEC." Who knows what it could have been meant to read?
More photos taken in and around the Colosseum can be seen on our Flickr photostream.
And so we begin with The Colosseum, or il Colosseo.
 |
| Credits for this photo go solely to Billy, he's very proud of it! |
We headed straight for the Colosseum as soon as we had dropped our backpacks in our hotel and grabbed a late lunch in the Piazza Republica. A quick cab ride took us straight to the end of the line for admission into the Colosseum.
Now this is the most important tip we have for tourists visiting Rome and other high-traffic sites: Pay for those skip-the-line tickets!!! Yes, it is significantly more expensive. Yes, you'll need to have the euro on hand in cash for most places. But it is well worth the added expense to just walk right up to the Colosseum or whatever site you happen to be visiting, instead of standing in line for, literally, hours. (Especially with small children!)
Our timing for getting inside the Colosseum couldn't have been more perfect. As we walked up to where people were milling about waiting to go inside, a young tour representative approached us and offered tickets for the last skip-the-line tour of the day which was beginning in ten minutes. Our total price for these tickets was 60 euro for the four of us, plus they threw in a free guided tour of the Palatine Hill with a tour guide in training.
You might think you have a good idea of the size of the Colosseum, until you actually see it and walk inside. It is built on a truly colossal (ha, ha) scale. In the above picture, you can see holes in the arches where bronze clamps were taken over the centuries. For a long period in the Middle Ages, after the Colosseum was partially destroyed by earthquake, many materials were removed to build other structures in the city. It was during this time that the interior stone and marble facade were stripped away.
Today, only the bricks that lay underneath the original stone and marble can be seen in the interior of the
Colosseum. Marble and wooden benches used to ring the sides of the interior, and it's estimated that the Colosseum could seat between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. Some seats featured convenient holes in the center so that spectators wouldn't have to get up and miss any part of the events...
The interior walls of the Colosseum were constructed of brick and concrete, overlaid with stone and marble. This is how many of the walls appear today. It's hard to imagine how it must have looked when the whole structure shone in brilliant white marble.
The Colosseum is so enormous that it's very hard to get a shot of the entire arena and seating areas with a regular camera. The platform at right center was built to show where the actual floor of the arena would have been. The tunnels and rooms underneath were added after the Colosseum's completion, between 81-96 AD.
Gladiatorial fights were held for hundreds of years into the 5th century, and animal hunting continued into the 6th century. After the last animal hunt, a small church was built inside the Colosseum and the arena became a cemetery. The rooms and tunnels beneath the arena were rented out as housing and workshops until the 1200s, when the Colosseum was fortified as a castle. Eventually, beginning in the 16th century, the papacy of Rome began calling for preservation of the Colosseum.
The facade of the Colosseum is very weathered and damaged by numerous earthquakes and at least one great fire. The original pristine marble has also darkened from the pollution of modern-day Rome.
Many original decorative structures in various states of ruin remain inside the Colosseum, including this inscription, "LOSEC." Who knows what it could have been meant to read?
More photos taken in and around the Colosseum can be seen on our Flickr photostream.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Sagra del Pistacchio 2013
We returned to Bronte this past September for the annual pistachio festival, though Landon ended up going separately with his good friend Cole. The Bronte pistachio festival spans two weekends in late September/early October, and features pistachios in every possible form you can think of: pistachio gelato, crepes, bread, arancini, fudge, candy, cheese, espresso, liqueur, and even beer. Along with the various pistachio offerings to sample and purchase, there is also a wide array of crafts, produce, meats and regular cheeses--even kitchen appliances and ovens for sale right on the streets.
Here is our favorite produce stand in Bronte, it always looks straight out of a magazine and the fruit is fresh and sweet:
Of course, there was a parade with bands and people dressed in traditional medieval and Sicilian clothing.
We met up with our friends--and Landon--briefly as we were leaving and they were just arriving. Landon had spent the weekend with his friend Cole in an effort to get in all possible playtime before Cole's family moved. (Landon also got to return to Enna, which we had recently visited. To read about our trip to Enna, click here.) Here is Landon with Cole and Cole's little brother at the festival:
We didn't take as many photos this time, since we have a lot of photos of Bronte and the festival from last year. But, this was new from last year: a giant pistachio right outside the town limits!
Here is our favorite produce stand in Bronte, it always looks straight out of a magazine and the fruit is fresh and sweet:
Of course, there was a parade with bands and people dressed in traditional medieval and Sicilian clothing.
Logan fully enjoyed himself from his backpack seat, and even got a new drum. Poor Billy ended up with the drum and also several smears of gelato and candy on his back!
We met up with our friends--and Landon--briefly as we were leaving and they were just arriving. Landon had spent the weekend with his friend Cole in an effort to get in all possible playtime before Cole's family moved. (Landon also got to return to Enna, which we had recently visited. To read about our trip to Enna, click here.) Here is Landon with Cole and Cole's little brother at the festival:
We didn't take as many photos this time, since we have a lot of photos of Bronte and the festival from last year. But, this was new from last year: a giant pistachio right outside the town limits!
Friday, January 3, 2014
Calascibetta and Enna
Calascibetta and Enna are two medieval cities that sit opposite each other on their own respective mountaintops.
We had originally set out to visit Enna, which we knew to be the geographic center of the island of Sicily. A wrong turn led us up the "wrong" mountain, and we found Calascibetta instead--which happened to be a stroke of luck!
Calascibetta is a quaint medieval town featuring a Byzantine district and a necropolis. We parked the car in a piazza with a large fountain, and walked around nearly the entire city. Parking and walking was a necessity for us--the streets were too narrow to accommodate our American sedan past a certain point!
Here is the church in the piazza where we parked.
We found these cool grottos just a street over from the piazza. In the stone, there are enormous fossilized sea shells!
Looking back down the street across from the grottos.
Oh, so there's Enna! The neighboring city atop the neighboring mountain.
The view from the highest point in Calascibetta. Mt. Etna is small in the background.
Living on the edge...
Another shot of the view, just because it was breathtaking.
Chapel at the entrance to the necropolis. It has a beautiful mosaic tile floor (see second photo below) and even boasts its own relic--a lumbar vertebra, from the looks of it. The relic belongs to Sant Simone da Calascibetta, a Napoli-born Franciscan monk. You can read more about Sant Simone here.
After our surprise tour of Calascibetta, we had a few more hours until the sun went down. So, we got back on the road and headed up the opposite mountain into the city of Enna.
Enna is the highest province in Sicily, and boasts a military castle built by the ancient Sicani people. The Sicani are believed to be the oldest inhabitants of Sicily with a recorded name. The castle was later rebuilt by Frederick II of Aragon. It is possible to go inside the castle; however, we were unable to do so due to a wedding that was taking place there. Still, there is a striking natural rock formation just past the castle, on the edge of the cliff, that we were able to climb up and take advantage of the panoramic view at sunset.
We also stood at a monument that we think marks the actual geographic center of the island. We aren't sure, because an elderly man was explaining it to us, and sometimes the Sicilian dialect can be hard to understand in the older population. More recent generations are taught standard Italian in school, but many elderly Sicilians speak a unique dialect that can sound quite different.
Here we are at what we assume is the geographic center of Sicily. (If anyone can confirm this, please do comment!)
Football stadium at the top of the world (or at least the top of the visible surrounding area).
View of Enna looking toward the castle, from the top of a defense tower in the southern part of the city.
The (mostly) natural rock formation at the edge of the cliff. Parts of this may be remnants of the original Sicani structure...don't quote us on that, it's only speculation!
Here are several photos of the Aragonese castle:
Obligatory "Lion King" moment. Don't worry, he only appears to be over the railing! Billy is really several feet back.
Sunset..
The boys hanging out on the rocks!
We really enjoyed visiting both Calascibetta and Enna. We would like to go back to Enna one day when the castle is open to visitors.
More photos from this trip can be found in our Flickr photo sets.
We had originally set out to visit Enna, which we knew to be the geographic center of the island of Sicily. A wrong turn led us up the "wrong" mountain, and we found Calascibetta instead--which happened to be a stroke of luck!
Calascibetta is a quaint medieval town featuring a Byzantine district and a necropolis. We parked the car in a piazza with a large fountain, and walked around nearly the entire city. Parking and walking was a necessity for us--the streets were too narrow to accommodate our American sedan past a certain point!
Here is the church in the piazza where we parked.
One seriously narrow medieval street:
We found these cool grottos just a street over from the piazza. In the stone, there are enormous fossilized sea shells!
Looking back down the street across from the grottos.
Oh, so there's Enna! The neighboring city atop the neighboring mountain.
The view from the highest point in Calascibetta. Mt. Etna is small in the background.
 |
| Fun fact: That lake is Pergusa, which is rumored to be the site where Proserpine was taken into the underworld by Pluto! |
Living on the edge...
Another shot of the view, just because it was breathtaking.
Chapel at the entrance to the necropolis. It has a beautiful mosaic tile floor (see second photo below) and even boasts its own relic--a lumbar vertebra, from the looks of it. The relic belongs to Sant Simone da Calascibetta, a Napoli-born Franciscan monk. You can read more about Sant Simone here.
This is the entrance to the necropolis. Note the skull and crossbones symbols; they are found at the gates of all of the cemeteries we've seen here in Sicily.
After our surprise tour of Calascibetta, we had a few more hours until the sun went down. So, we got back on the road and headed up the opposite mountain into the city of Enna.
Enna is the highest province in Sicily, and boasts a military castle built by the ancient Sicani people. The Sicani are believed to be the oldest inhabitants of Sicily with a recorded name. The castle was later rebuilt by Frederick II of Aragon. It is possible to go inside the castle; however, we were unable to do so due to a wedding that was taking place there. Still, there is a striking natural rock formation just past the castle, on the edge of the cliff, that we were able to climb up and take advantage of the panoramic view at sunset.
We also stood at a monument that we think marks the actual geographic center of the island. We aren't sure, because an elderly man was explaining it to us, and sometimes the Sicilian dialect can be hard to understand in the older population. More recent generations are taught standard Italian in school, but many elderly Sicilians speak a unique dialect that can sound quite different.
Here we are at what we assume is the geographic center of Sicily. (If anyone can confirm this, please do comment!)
Football stadium at the top of the world (or at least the top of the visible surrounding area).
View of Enna looking toward the castle, from the top of a defense tower in the southern part of the city.
Gelato in a brioche, with biscotti and a wafer. This Enna gelateria does it right!
The (mostly) natural rock formation at the edge of the cliff. Parts of this may be remnants of the original Sicani structure...don't quote us on that, it's only speculation!
Here are several photos of the Aragonese castle:
Obligatory "Lion King" moment. Don't worry, he only appears to be over the railing! Billy is really several feet back.
Sunset..
The boys hanging out on the rocks!
We really enjoyed visiting both Calascibetta and Enna. We would like to go back to Enna one day when the castle is open to visitors.
More photos from this trip can be found in our Flickr photo sets.
Billy's Birthday Celebration at Borgo Antico
The agriturismo is called Borgo Antico, and it is located close to the city of Mineo. It's practically right outside of the Mineo former government housing complex, right off the SP417. (Note: Due to recent unrest among refugees living in the former government housing, it can be dangerous to drive along this stretch of the 417.)
When you are driving to Borgo Antico, it will seem that you have taken a wrong turn! The road is narrow and unmarked, aside from a small sign advertising the agriturismo. However, as soon as you pull inside the gate, you'll be surrounded by absolutely beautiful landscaping and terraces.
The view from the restaurant's patio is amazing.
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Of course, the interior of Borgo Antico was also well-decorated. It was rustic and somehow cozy, despite the large amount of space inside.
Our table was by an enormous cabinet filled with antique dishes and tableware. Obviously, Billy was thrilled with the antiques!
The food was delicious and plentiful. The price for this meal was about five euro more than other agriturismos we've visited. They served us several antipasto dishes, three pasta dishes, a meat course, dessert and fruit, and of course endless bread and wine. We tried a pumpkin pasta dish (this was in September, after all) for the first time. Very yummy fall flavors!
Overall, it was a nice relaxed celebration with plenty of food, wine, and good friends. What better way to spend a birthday in Sicily!
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