Posts Tagged ‘History’

Lost in Pompeii

Posted: June 25, 2024 in Travel
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It’s a city with no inhabitants, other than ghosts of the past. It’s also a museum and we got lost. We were given a map, yet still, we got lost. Us, well traveled, map loving, engineer and sidekick, got lost in the lost city of Pompeii.

Before I go on, I need to confess. I was a bit exhausted from exploring many dead people’s places, seeing dead people’s things, looking at dead people’s homes, and sometimes even examining dead people’s bodies.

It never bothered me before, I mean I love bones and skeletons, I have a small collection of animal bones even. But something just wasn’t right with me, while going through the mass amount of ancient places we had been to on this trip. I finally understood. Why is it ok that so many graves/tombs have been pillaged? I thought it was sacrilege to disturb a grave? I know there have been grave robbers as long as there have been dead people, but just because it’s in the name of science, a quest of archeology or the need of historic knowledge, it is still grave robbing.

I know, and I believe it too, that our soul, our essence, our spirit leaves our bodies upon death. I don’t want to be buried, not because I fear a future grave robbing, but because just like in life I don’t want to be in one place forever. Nor do I want to be in a place where no one visits and then they feel guilty for never visiting. Nope! I want my people to spread me everywhere anywhere happiness is for them. Whether it’s on a trip or at a beach…blow me into the wind, drop me on the ground…let me be free.

Did that turn dark? Well that is how I started to feel going to some of those places. Although fascinating, Pompeii is in itself a dark spot in history.

A whole town wiped off the face of the earth. All the lives gone, bap, just like that. And here we were walking on their streets, examining their homes, joking about the brothels, touching the penis, and looking at cement casts of their dead bodies. Dark, I say. History is dark.

And that’s that…off to the Amalfi Coast we drove.

Thank you for visiting

MY GNOME LITTLE WORLD.

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Rome has Big….

Posted: June 9, 2024 in Art
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Buildings. They have tons of giant, huge,  humongous old monuments, ruins, government offices l, churches, palazzos and fountains. It’s a city of oversized  pundaka-buildings. And I loved each and every one of them. A bit tired from walking up and down to them and around them though.

Rome is a city of history. It was its own empire. Julius Caesar, Hadrian, Trajan, Nero, Caligua, Constantine, all had to have more more more. So the bigger the building the better, I guess. But the art work, the skill and workmanship of them all is still to this day amazing.

And then there was just the time we spent wandering around the streets in awe and enjoying everything. Wandering is a nice way to say getting lost on the way to or fro. But we don’t think of it as “lost,” we think it is an addition to our journey, an extra adventure, and/or life leading us to explore.

This post does not truly relay Roma to you. You are dwarfed by giants, but feel at one with them. You are surrounded by beauty and feel so yourself. You are home in a way only an ancient city can welcome you.

Until next time, Roma, we have so much more to see. Would love to get to know you better.

Speaking of getting to know someone better…the next post is about getting to know long lost strangers. Family from my grandfather’s home.

Thank you for joining me and MY GNOME LITTLE WORLD along this travel journey.

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Ancient Athens with a Twist

Posted: June 5, 2024 in Art, Travel
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Ok we did drink in Athens, but that is not what I’m talking about when I say “Twist”.

The ruins are scattered about as much as the graffiti.

Every move you make, every step you take, no one is watching you, but you may run into a ruin.

Well, that is a lie, I may be watching you from one of the many sidewalk cafes!

And splattered in between and around there are sprays of paint. Graffiti, mostly tags, some political statements, and fortunately some art as well. It makes an already chaotic scene even more busy for the eyes. I will gladly say, I did not see any graffiti on any of the ruins.

Getting back to what is important…the ruins. Some still in somewhat of a building form, some partially there and some are just in piles.

The history and the stories of the people that lived back then are way more interesting, than the ruins themselves. If you ask me.

There was so much more to Athens then just ruins, history and graffiti.

Like the meat and fish market, a Soccer event and the cats!

And finding cool little spots, that have big personalities!

To Athen’s flora & fauna!

A big city of history and we just learned a tiny bit of it.

You have to spend time to go through it all because modern life lives over layers and layers of history. It may take a lifetime to peel them off.

We are in Rome now and leave tomorrow, so not sure what my next post will cover. I may do one just for Rome. Although we were here only a short time, we crammed a lot of big buildings in.

Thank you once again for visiting

MY GNOME LITTLE WORLD!!!

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Not a Gnome, but a Gnomad Goddess

The Road to Rhodes

Posted: May 24, 2024 in Art, Travel
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Like the roads in Old Town Rhodes, it started off bumpy!

Our ferry was cancelled, so we had to drive 2 hour to get to another ferry spot, and then was told we had to wait 5 hours for the next ferry. Was a bit stressed, but things turned around qwhen I saw a colony of bunnies! They were just hanging out! And then better yet, Jim got us on an earlier ferry we were told was full. We were the last to get on, but all was right in our traveling hearts.

We stayed in the medieval area of Rhodes Town. It’s beautiful, with tiny streets going off in all directions made either of river rock or marble. Ancient rock walls line these streets. It’s just beautifully confusing. You can meander the tiny streets and alleys for hours, picking a street cafe to then people watch, when your feet and legs get weary.

We did our own tour of Old Town our first afternoon/evening, including a meander inside the palace.

Our second day we took a bus to Lindos, another cute but way way smaller town of meandering foot traffic only streets and alleys. We went straight up around 30 flights of hills/stair to the amazing Acropolis. Then we meandered down around 50 flights to the beach for lunch and a cold dip in the Aegean Sea. It was smart because we had a 20 flight up climb still to do and it kept us cool.

Our 3rd day we took sail on what I thought was going to be a nice big catamaran, but nope, Jim booked a pirate ship! It was not a pirate themed tour though, they did keep us well fed and had plenty to drink. There was no walking of planks either. We went to 3 wonderful spots to swim, we jumped off the front of the boat and snorkeled, although the water was beautifully clear and blue, there were no fish. I brought bread on the 2nd stop, we got a bunch of fish and snorkeled a bit more, but the water was sooooo cold it affected my body and I opted out of the last swim spot, but Jim jumped off the top deck and swam to shore. It was mostly overcast for the day, but we got some sun for the trip back to town

Our last day, we slowly made our way up to the Acropolis in town, which is nothing compared to the one in Lindos. And then after a 2pm lunch, we lounged, and then hit a museum for our last day!

ADVICE:

I recommend staying in the medieval part of Rhodes town. Our place, St. Artemois Boutique hotel was more than awesome. Attached to the old, maybe ancient, church St. Artemois. It has only 4-6 rooms only with a pretty courtyard. Made to order Breakfast was in the courtyard and came with our $125. a night fee. Maria is a gracious host too.

I’llSTILL ADVICE:

If you don’t like cold water to swim in, do not go to Rhodes in May, even late May. Even hot out some days the water was still freezing.

We found Rhodes town and Lindos kind of crowded at times, (of course especially with cruises) but the locals said it is nothing compared to high season, which starts in June.  I don’t know if the water gets warmer later into the summer, but the air does.

Also, I recommend Lindos, it’s definitely a workout but as far as history / ruins go its cool and with a beautiful view. Maybe go with a guide to learn more about it than the few informational signs we read.

We are off to Santorini now! Thanks for visiting…

MY GNOME LITTLE WORLD.

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