Pax Romana Eternal

Rome has the name "eternal city", and its easy to see why. Everywhere you go, you're reminded of this cities grandiose past. Why today alone, I've seen artifacts ranging from 500 B.C to 1930 A.D. And, they are still part of the city -- the people build buildings around them, on top of them, next to them and live their lives as if these ruins were just how life really "is". It makes any other city in the world (with likely some notable exceptions) boring in comparison; no one has all of this as Rome does. It lived thousands of years ago, lived through good and bad times, and still lives today. It is in one word, eternal.

Lets start Rome off with a story about her. Picture this, you live in a beautiful Mediterranean world on the banks of a river where rolling hills, the mountains, and the flatlands are all around you. Beauty is everywhere, and part of your every day life. It never gets cold, only rainy in the winter. The summers are warm and hot (personal experience: try drinking 6L of water a day to survive. Yes, that's right, 6L.) Your food is rich, vegetable sweet, and the land is plentiful and young. Its culturally founding the Italic peoples, those who settled here in this land thousands of years ago.

You live in a center of an empire that spans the known world. You could be in a senator, a philosopher, an artist, an emperor or a slave. You are the culture that is the center of existence, of beauty and legends, poems and art, buildings that challenge the mind -- all expected of you. Statues to the deities of all kinds (Romans had nearly 30,000 of them to keep happy), monuments, staircases, oblesiks, and scrollwork -- always more scrollwork to see.

The beauty of the natural form of body, the conquest of man over man, man over animal, man over nature, all making you believe that the flesh was Nature's greatest achievement. The eccentricities, the natural precision of man flesh, the beauty and grace were what perfected the beautiful world you lived in, a paradise. [On a side note: naked male statue count, 47. naked female statue count, 8. Clearly we know which gender the Greeks thought was most beautiful. Yes, I said Greeks, the Romans "acquired" their statues -- its a long story. Also note: Greeks may like washboard abs, but seriously lacked an ideal of "horselike" attributes]

Beyond art, and to your architecture. Engineering tall monuments, colossal stadiums, defying gravity and physics so far that even today we still have not recovered from your loss O' Rome [Yet we can put a man on the moon]. Your work lasted, millennium after millennium. And in these places you held games of violence and decadence where emperors of men made you decide the living fate of another. All for fame, fortune, and self worth. Here in this beautiful blissful paradise, where the glory of your empire could be brought to you and reminded how far your bounds spread out. [Romans brought in animals from every part of the world to fight here]

Limitless were your self centered philosophies. You lavished in gardens, built palaces atop hills and temples and pillars to gods you did not know. And over time, the Romans asked questions of the stars, debated senselessly on meaningless topics, sat in cold towers of stone and believed that the center of everything revolved around you. For could it not be any other way?

And in all your secularism, your wisdom, your selfish gloating, the lust of women (or men), the greed, power, wealth and all the world's treasure and all the world's might -- at your fingertips. Alas, O' Rome, your empire of these things did not stand, for now you are simply this: crumbled statues, fallen pillars, ruined temples. All of those things you had could never stand the test of time -- for deceit, malice, contempt, greed, and decay never do.

But in your belly O' Rome, a seed was planted and it grew. And looking upon you as the center of these wicked things, the root of the problem, the planters chose you. A great mercy was shown upon you, for only 1000 years did you have to wait in silent decay. For out of this, the lair of sin in the ancient world, the a great Gift was bestowed upon you to rule again. But this time, it is not to be the same way.

Italy, a Man's Country?

So what is this Italian culture all about? Is it a man's culture? Lets take a closer look.

Italians, notably the Romans, conquered the known world at one time; and managed to rule this empire from a central location. It required wit, strategic thinking, strong men at arms, skill, and perseverance. They did it -- they conquered it all and ruled over it for hundreds of years. So, how do you top that? Its a gesture hard to overcome. You've been the top; now what else can you prove?

So, Italians just take it easy, relax a little; "hang out" more than one can imagine. Eating dinner at 12 midnight on a weekday is a common thing. But is this culture still a man's culture? Is it full of tall strong men who can carry the weight of an empire on their shoulders? Can they be dominant, aggressive, protectorate, providing and righteous? Lets examine.

On food, as mentioned, the greatest kinds are the pasta, the olive, the tomato. Beef is practically unheard of, as is pork. A salad, is "insalata" which by the way, is served before dinner, not afterwards. All these words, ending in "a" and "o" start to paint a picture of those who are what they eat.

The people are really friendly, talkative and sociable. They seemingly are always happy or engaged in very emotional conversations waving hands. They are lively; but you get the sense just not all that "with it" on the diversity sense. Sort of like living in a half-comatose state of life, they seem to be interested in their own cliques, their own people, and living a sort of homogeneous style of life. You don't see many mixed cultures here, everyone looks Italian or foreign -- that's all. And, they can tell immediately. There's simply no chance of fooling them.

The women, oh my, are absolutely gorgeous. Every one of them is amazingly beautiful -- its almost impossible to be reality. But, American Ladies -- don't be jealous -- I'd never stand any chance with them. After all, I don't own a moped (mini Motorcycle, see earlier posts); and that puts you way behind in the game. Like the French, the beauty and perfumes are all there but its the cool guys with the motorcycles who get the chicks.

Lets move on to liquor. The rough stuff, "beer" that puts hair on your chest is really not all that known for here. Instead it is called birra pronounced beer-AH. You have sweet liquers, vini (wine) of all kinds. Coffee is non-existent and instead they have these 1 shot sized expressos and cappuchinos. Lets not forget their obsession with gelatas.

The weather? Its hot over here, 35C today. Its muggy, misty, sticky, and it doesn't let up. Its tough to bear such a heat, it puts you to sleep. Italians only work six hours a day and practically four maybe five days a week. They even have a siesta time (nap time) in the middle of the day, the government regulates it. It kind of sets the mood for everything else.

So Italy, a Man's Country? Hard laborers, protectors, warriors, rulers, providers, vicious lion sacrifices. Is this is what Italy is all about? Or is it effeminate? I don't even want to tell you what my hotel bathroom comes equipped with.

I'll let you decide for after all -- tomorrow is Rome, and we'll see what they actually did accomplish and see the grandeur of masculine Italy and of course it will all be reported right here.

Impressioni Culturali di Napoli

Buona Sera! Penso il relativo circa tempo che abbiamo esplorato alcuna della coltura di questa citta , questo paese, questa gente. Che cosa compone... ahh, scusi; Naples has been around for a very long time, and the people here have a homogeneous way of living life. So, lets check out three things: their food; their atmosphere, and the way that they drive. From these, and more to come, we can piece together a puzzle -- how does a Neapolitan live, love, and die?

On food. There's really no one in the world who would tell you that Italians have terrible cuisine, and if they did -- they don't know Italy. But what makes Italian food so good? And is it really so different than American-Italian food? These are secrets we must unlock. So Bon Appetite, lets dig in.

Consistently, the Italians just know how to grow crops better than we do. Its either they have more skill in farming, or more likely, the land favors the growing of vegetables. Whatever it really is, the produce is just fantastic. No American tomato can come close to an Italian one. And since most Italian dishes are made with tomatoes, they are that much better than their Italian-American versions. Credit must be given to the vegetables of Italy, they make up everything else.

Cheese is another part of the normal diet here in Italy. Milk and butter don't usually go into the dishes but rather cheese and oil. Mozzarella is probably the most common cheese, it is served in salads too. It is squishy, having a more creamy taste than American-made mozzarella. And with tomatoes and such a cheese, Naples is the logical birthplace of Pizza. If anyone says, "Pizza isn't the same over there" -- they are wrong! As you can see, it looks the same. This pie is about the size of a large dinner plate. But, one can actually consume it all, because it is paper thin.

Gelato (Ice Cream) is the desert of choice. It is sold pretty much everywhere, in a variety of fruit flavors. It is very creamy and consequently very tasty. One must wonder why Italians are so thin seeing that they eat so many fatty things. We'll have to find out more on that, later.

Naples is Mediterraneann and it is always warm here. It rains some in the winter, but it never really gets freezing cold. Its landscape does change, but around Naples, it is like having steep mountains rise right out of the sea floor. Truly an impressive view. Neapolitans don't seem to mind their terrain. They build on everything -- with tunnels and bridges and roads going every which way.

Driving is another insight to Neapolitan way of life. A lot can be said about the cars (all small, mostly with hatchbacks) and the way they are driven. Rules of the road don't seem to apply anywhere. I guess it could be summed up with something like this, "Me first, waiting in lines is for others, and I'm looking to beat you to the front so I can get there first. If you cut me off, no problem -- I'll get you next time." Stress doesn't exist, but nor does any sense of organization. Many Neapolitan cars have moderate body damage. Oh-- and speed limits? forget those, those would get in the way you being there first.

Let me try to describe to you the differences in a comparative story. Imagine you woke up tomorrow and you decided to drive like a Neapolitan to work through rush hour. You'd get into a car, half the size of your own, and take off. At the light, you'd stop, but small motorcycles behind you wouldn't. If you leave any space at all between you and the cars in front of you -- they'd pass you by on both sides. Ok, the light is green, floor the gas and start down the road. Someone is in front of you? Pass them, ignore the white solid and dashed lines. Make a third lane out of the extra space on the right side if you can. Cut around them, don't signal -- never signal, and just drift into the left lane where there's just enough space to pass the next car. Hey, motorcycles are zooming on past you ahead, you can't allow this personal insult to happen! Ok here comes another light, stop -- and never mind if you are 1 foot or 1 inch from the guy next to you. You beat two cars this light, what a spectacular strategic victory! But, you've made two "enemies" who will calmly seek your demise for the next light, with smiles on their faces.

In America, you'd have at least twenty road violations by the time you got to your destination. You'd have seen the middle finger plenty of times, and probably you'd have someone laying on the horn for a whole minute. Heck, you may even be dead.

What a place this is, eh? There's just so much culture to absorb and digest here -- we'll just have to continue exploring tomorrow. :)

Time for a Little History Lesson of Naples

Naples, the most crowded city in Europe, is full of surprises. It is full of history dating back to 800 B.C, when the Greeks founded the city as a colony. Everywhere you go, you are reminded of the many eras that this city has lasted though. The Greeks, the Romans, the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration, and modern day Italy have all affected Naples in some way. Civilization itself can be explored just by walking around one block at a time, and seeing the ancient sites standing next to modern buildings today.

Ever has this city stood before the mighty Vesuvio (as you know it, Mt. Vesuvius). The behemoth of a volcano dominates the eastern sky line. In August of 79 A.D, it erupted, blowing out dirt, ash, rock, and molten lava. The cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii were covered in minutes; there was no chance of survival. Still does it ever loom over the people who live here -- and despite its presence, people have built cities around its base today.

Not far from the waterfront castile is this, a giant tower made of ancient bricks. It served as a look out tower and garrison to protect the city from invaders of any kind. It is only feet away from my hotel's front door. Although it isn't used for defense today, it still creates a home for small shops embedded in its sides.

Just up the road a little, after a series of small, quaint restaurants is this impressive beauty, the capital of the city-state Napoli from the middle ages through the Enlightenment. The King of Naples ruled from here in mighty palaces of stone garneshed with art, fountains, impressive statues, and archways. If you look closely at the capital, you will see Mars hovering just above the dome, to the left side. Note, you can "right click" to see the full image.

Who knows what we'll uncover next!

Day One: Welcome to Italy!

What a great day today was, and a perfect day to start this trip off on. The flight from Philadelphia arrived at 10:45am -- Italy time! (add six hours) I won't say much about the plane except: first class rocks?

Ok, so here's the scoop. I'm traveling with my boss the first few days of this week. On the way out of the Rome airport, on our way to Naples, he takes a surprise turn into the center of Rome, and I got a sneak peek of what is to come. Take a look!

The Coliseum. You'll get more shots next week, but this is it from the car window. Its amazingly close to the road, I am only feet away from it. If you thought it was out in the middle of a plaza surrounded by a fence and a parking lot, think again! Besides, what would the Romans have parked, chariots? :) I'm staying near the Coliseum next week; so expect to hear more about this tourist's gem.

We stopped at San Clement church. The church was originally built as a Roman temple in the first century. Then, Christians came and built a church dedicated to Saint Clement on top of the temple's ruins in the fourth century. In the 17th century, after years of neglect, the same site was chosen for a more modern Saint Clement church to be built on top of both of them! That's right, you have a three layer cake here: Current (seen in photo), Old Church (under it) and Roman temple (under that). The entire site has been excavated, but no photographs were allowed of the bottom two layers. To describe them in one word -- spooky.

Ok, off to Naples finally. We get here at about 7 pm, or as they say it 19 o'clock (Novedieche). The hotel is beautiful, marble everything. Even the window ledges in my room are marble. We're on the waterfront, so I took this photo of a castile that happens to be on a small island about 50 yards off of the bay. There's people all around, mostly locals. It could be likened to the South Street part of Philadelphia. Mopeds are everywhere (miniature motorcycles), lovers are kissing, food is everywhere, and festivals are happening in the town square. A lively place, no? This place is awesome.

Finally, dinner. Pizze. Its like S'barro's pizza except its 10 times better than anything you can find in the states. The Neopolitans know how to make their pizza, and let me tell you-- they have the freshest cherry tomatoes you could ever eat. I know Jersey prides herself on tomatoes, but its just unbelievable that the tomatoes here can taste like this. It is unworldly! And for the capstone of the evening, serenading bands come by the restaurant and start playing on the sidewalks with accordians, oboes, and cellos. So romantic, so.. Italia!

Feel free to post comments and e-mail me. I miss you all already! :)

The Night before the Trip

Its the day before the journey begins, and all the packing has been done. I've got everything I'll need, including some comforts of the USA with me. I've got guidebooks, learn Italian CDs, rain gear, religious paraphanelia (for blessings by the Pope), shoes, a backpack, money belt, a water bottle, and lets not forget the funny money (Euros!).

I had a final get-together with some friends, who decided to get me into trouble with as many waitresses as they could find at PJs. Their logic was, "Well, you're going to leave the country tomorrow, who is going to go after you?" LOL. Well, it is true. Tomorrow, the good ole USA is going away, and I won't be in Kansas any more -- but guys, I do have to come back to this country at some point, and I'd like to return to PJs some time!

Its going to be great. A little globe trotting destroys ethnocentricity, and allows one to appreciate different cultures. Thoughtful travel broadens perspectives. The world is a cultural yarn shop and by visiting it, one can weave a great tapestry of diversity and understanding of humanity. For, although others doesn't prize TV sitcoms, Biggie-Size Fries, and Mickey Mouse -- there are other ways, perhaps better ways, to living one's life.

So, lets go and explore the world together, right here.

Bion viaggio!

Welcome to Italia!

Are you ready to join me in a trip to Italy? We'll travel down all the little roads, wind around each street corner, take the double decker busses, and eat the most fabulous foods that she has to offer. We'll see the heart of Roman Catholicism, the ruins of a great civilization, and ponder what it must have been like to live there 100, 500, 1000, and 2000 years ago! There will be art, religion, shopping, gelato, internet cafes, expresso bars, and nutella. All the while I will be uploading photos and writing you postcards! Right here you'll join me on a journey that can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The trip begins on 23 July and goes through 4 August. For the first week, I will be in Naples on business. While there will be little sight seeing, I promise a night tour of the most crowded city in all of Europe. The second week is Rome, the Eternal City, for a vacation! The sights, sounds, and tastes of such a place will be written down, right here for you to read.

Would you like me to send you a postcard? E-mail me (see my profile, via the link to the right) your address and I will send you one or two.

Enjoy!