Athens, Greece
As I write, I'm perched on our hotel bed, facing the evening star hovering above the Acropolis, while the church bells sound 6:00 (over and over), and Jeremiah and Jon throwing the frisbee in the Plaka below. The sky is that brilliant, post-sunset blue, and Venus is shining brightly above the well-lighted Parthenon. Wow!
That said, Athens is quite a contrast from Italy's Cinque Terre and Venice! We had 2 blissful weeks of very low car exposure! In the 5-Terre, as the Italians say, private cars aren't in most streets, but there are plenty of taxis and utility vehicles. Still, people use wheel barrows to haul things around, and garage is dragged down steep steps in heavy duty bags. Other items are pulled up with ropes and pulleys to upper floors. Narrow, steep stairways are carved into the hillside. I LOVED wandering through them! The small towns were perfect for me, because I really couldn't get lost! (Usually I can get lost quite easily.) Although the towns grew on us, they didn't quite live up to what we had imagined: hiking from town to town, quite and solitude. Quite the opposite, and this was the OFF season! Magic was still found, often when least expected: mojitos made from fresh lemons and mint while watching the sunset over the Mediterranean from high above Vernazza; a friendly waiter bringing Jeremiah some homemade raviolis just because; finding a deserted cove near the wharf of Cornelia to swim; ferry rides; grandmas knitting as they watch the sea; delicious pastries and fun conversations about wine and coffee; and Jeremiah playing violin with an Italian man in Vernazza. We enjoyed the slower pace, and tried not to count our dwindling "EU" days too carefully.
We stopped in Pisa on our way to Venice. We stayed near the tower so we went early and late to avoid the crowds of people posing for pictures as the held up the tower. There was a jewish cemetery right next to the Tower's Plaza...no information about it; it was closed. I was fascinated by its prominent location. After the museums and tower, it was our requisite down day...laundry, etc. We're finding we are needing more of these days to do nothing as our trip goes on.
We left for Venice in the morning...I LOVE VENICE!!! From the moment we arrived, I found it exquisite! Maybe this was because I was bracing myself for the throngs of tourists that detracted from the Cinque Terre, and thought I'd have a similar reaction to Venice. I think I could have stayed the rest of our trip right there. I think it was because there were NO CARS. People walked, or they drove boats! They smiled, waved to each other, sang, shouted greetings, pulled wheelbarrows...people didn't seem to mind moving around boxes of things on boats. One morning, on my early morning walk, a person was pushing a big wheelbarrow, going door to door to pick up garbage...SINGING and shouting greetings, laughing! REALLY! Maybe its the way the light reflexes, or the sea air? I think its that people are out and about, not in their cars. Oh, and the dogs don't have to worry about getting hit, so they just walk along, doing their own thing. Next time, I'm bringing the dog!
We did most of the touristy things, but one of our favorite times was something we hadn't planned to visit: The Biennale. We didn't really know what it was, nor had we known about it. It is a bi-annual international art symposium, with displays from about 88 countries. WOW, it was incredible! But, the BEST part was just happening upon a huge room filled with original chalkboard drawings from 1923 by Rudolf Steiner. I could have stayed in that room for hours! Jeremiah loved going from building to building as well, never knowing what surprises were waiting for us. The other incredible one was from Italy: weavings that were absolutely astounding. It was hard to leave not seeing everything, but our minds and hearts were full.
Jeremiah and I visited the Jewish Museum and took a tour of the synagogues of the Old Ghetto. Venice was the very first ghetto in Europe, and it is surmised that this is where the word originated. More stories of Italians protecting their fellow citizens: the Doge refusing to hand over the names of the Jews in Venice to Hilter; and two beautiful memorials to the Jews taken away to camps.
It was hard to leave Venice and Italy, but we were excited for the adventure of a 34 hour ferry ride down the Mediterranean (still, no cars!). Believe it or not, it went all too fast! Sleeping in our little cabin was very comfortable. We met a lovely family from New Castle, Australia, who we hope to see when we are there. And here we are, gazing up at the Acropolis, going back further in time. I still can't quite believe that I get to finally see and experience these places!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Our days in Tuscana come to an end
It's been quite a whirlwind of Tuscan hill towns, medieval and renaissance art, Medici's, churches, piazzas and walled cities. The red-tiled houses, stone walls and towers are a constant part of the landscape. We've had lovely days, and days that felt like we were spinning our wheels a bit. We are actually missing work, believe it or not! We had to take some time to regroup and make some different plans for after our days in lovely Italy come to an end. But for now, we've been able to let the architecture and history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance seep into our souls.
Our Tuscany Hill Town Tour: We broke down and rented a car in Florence because we longed to get out of a city and into the hills. We spent 4 days at a 4th generation winery in Chianti. From there we visited: San Gimangiano (I might have spelled that incorrectly), the town of towers; Volterra, a lovely, ancient walled city; Sienna, and Lucca. They all had roman ruins, and/or Etruscan ruins, as well, showing the layering of cultures and passing of time. Even today, each town seemed to have its own flavor and specialties. I especially love those tiny winding streets! We pondered the effort it took to built and protect such walls and towers, and what being surrounded by walls might do to a culture. What will be layered on top of our buildings and walls?
While on a drive around to smaller hill towns, we stopped at an old abbey, now owned privately. We happened to get there right in time for a tour. The tour guide was lovely, and we found it so interesting to learn about the history of this small abbey, who's monks brought the Sanviovese (spelling?) grape to Chianti. But also, what did they store in their safe? SALT, of course (we've learned a lot about the importance of salt on this trip)! This, we learned, is why in Tuscana, they don't bake their bread with salt--because those darn Pisans charged so much for salt. The monks, however, were well off, and had plenty of salt of their own. We also got to see an invention of Leonardo da Vinci...a flour sifter. Very cool! It was interesting to learn that the first private owner was Jewish and was deported to a concentration camp during WWII. He survived, and his family still owns and runs the winery.
During much of our trip in Italy, we have sought out the works of Michelangelo Buonoroti. We have seen his paintings, architectural achievements, and of course, sculptures. So, we could not be this close to Carrara and not see the marble quarries where he obtained much of his stone. We had to arrange a guide because the area is really not set up for tourists. We had the nicest tour guide, Nicola, who met us and drove us around to various points of interest. We learned the history of Carrara, saw tiny quarry towns, and saw the mountains being carved for their marble. It was the perfect way to cap off our study of Michelangelo!
I am now sitting on the roof of a hotel in Pisa, as the Torre Pendantare fades into the evening sky. It is something else to see the Leaning Tower, even though we've seen it so many times in pictures etc. I tried to drop a golf ball and a bowling ball off the top, but the guards stopped me just as I was about to let go! DARN! So much for the science part of the curriculum! Maybe we'll try again, but we'll be sneakier. We send our love and best wishes to you all! Love, Shana, Jon and Jeremiah
Our Tuscany Hill Town Tour: We broke down and rented a car in Florence because we longed to get out of a city and into the hills. We spent 4 days at a 4th generation winery in Chianti. From there we visited: San Gimangiano (I might have spelled that incorrectly), the town of towers; Volterra, a lovely, ancient walled city; Sienna, and Lucca. They all had roman ruins, and/or Etruscan ruins, as well, showing the layering of cultures and passing of time. Even today, each town seemed to have its own flavor and specialties. I especially love those tiny winding streets! We pondered the effort it took to built and protect such walls and towers, and what being surrounded by walls might do to a culture. What will be layered on top of our buildings and walls?
While on a drive around to smaller hill towns, we stopped at an old abbey, now owned privately. We happened to get there right in time for a tour. The tour guide was lovely, and we found it so interesting to learn about the history of this small abbey, who's monks brought the Sanviovese (spelling?) grape to Chianti. But also, what did they store in their safe? SALT, of course (we've learned a lot about the importance of salt on this trip)! This, we learned, is why in Tuscana, they don't bake their bread with salt--because those darn Pisans charged so much for salt. The monks, however, were well off, and had plenty of salt of their own. We also got to see an invention of Leonardo da Vinci...a flour sifter. Very cool! It was interesting to learn that the first private owner was Jewish and was deported to a concentration camp during WWII. He survived, and his family still owns and runs the winery.
During much of our trip in Italy, we have sought out the works of Michelangelo Buonoroti. We have seen his paintings, architectural achievements, and of course, sculptures. So, we could not be this close to Carrara and not see the marble quarries where he obtained much of his stone. We had to arrange a guide because the area is really not set up for tourists. We had the nicest tour guide, Nicola, who met us and drove us around to various points of interest. We learned the history of Carrara, saw tiny quarry towns, and saw the mountains being carved for their marble. It was the perfect way to cap off our study of Michelangelo!
I am now sitting on the roof of a hotel in Pisa, as the Torre Pendantare fades into the evening sky. It is something else to see the Leaning Tower, even though we've seen it so many times in pictures etc. I tried to drop a golf ball and a bowling ball off the top, but the guards stopped me just as I was about to let go! DARN! So much for the science part of the curriculum! Maybe we'll try again, but we'll be sneakier. We send our love and best wishes to you all! Love, Shana, Jon and Jeremiah
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Amazing Italy!
Between being so busy, and not having easy access to internet, much time has passed since my first post! Our 3+ weeks of travel has been full of one event after another. We started our time in Italy with a week in a wonderful port village of Orbetello, in Tuscana. Here we attempted to learn a piccolo of italiano. Four hours of sitting listening Italian was a bit rough, but we treated ourselves to gelato (there will be a gelato theme throughout Italy) and a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Bellisimo! We loved the feeling of this village; families filled the piazza, especially on Friday and Saturday; kids played soccer with fathers and grandfathers; cafe and wine shared in the warm Mediterranean air. SO lovely! We walked around ancient roman homes and temples, through Pinyon forests, and on limestone cliffs. We met such wonderful people as our teachers and hosts. We hope to return and visit so many things we missed!
We almost went north from Orbetello, avoiding Roma altogether. The thought of a big, busy, loud city after such serenity was not appealing for Jon nor myself, but Jeremiah insisted. "We can't be THIS close and NOT see the Colosseum!" We are so glad that we listened to this sage advice! We got completely soaking wet in a rainstorm while in the Roman Forum, but managed to get dried out in the Colosseum. The Senate House was very impressive, as were the random marble columns and capitals strewn randomly around the area. However, the Colosseo was amazing! The immensity of the task and scope of the building is mind-boggling!
That was our first day in Roma. Yesterday, we decided to do our own walking tour and we followed the tourist route. We all agreed that the biggest surprise was the Pantheon and the Jewish Ghetto. The Pantheon is spectacular! The dome which inspired Filippo Brunelleschi's duomo was exquisite in its grace and beauty. (We were wishing we had been there during the rain storm the previous day, both for shelter, and to witness the torrents of rain coming into the building.) A marvel of art and architecture.
We then headed over to the old Jewish Ghetto. Suddenly, there was hebrew writing, kosher restaurants and a synagogue! We learned that the Jews in Rome were neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardic, but Italiano, the first Jews to leave Israel after the destruction of the Temple. The ghetto was created in 1555 because the Pope did not like the idea of Jews and Romans living side by side. Roughly 8,000 jews lived in a small 7 block area. The gates were unlocked in the morning, and locked again at night. They could only work making clothes or as money lenders. Yet, they created a richness that was displayed in a lovely collection in the museum. The ghetto was opened when Italy became a country, no longer under the Pope. It was at this time that the temple was built, with the help of the Italian community. It is a beautiful building with a square dome (to distinguish it from the churches) and a rainbow ceiling, to remind us of the promise made to Noah.
During WWII, when Hitler invaded, he demanded 150 kilograms of gold in 36 hours to not take the Jews away. The whole community, Italians and Jews, contributed their precious gold, and met his demands. Soon after, however, Hitler rounded up 2,000 of the 8,000 residents. The rest were saved by being hidden by local residents. Luckily, the occupation only lasted 9 months, so many of the Jews hidden were saved. The synagogue survived because Hitler had made an agreement with the Pope not to bomb Rome and its many monuments. After a PLO terrorist attack, the Italian government provides security for all the Jewish sites Italy. You can look up more information on Rome's Jewish Ghetto if you are interested.
We have one more day in Rome, and then we hop on il treno to Venezia. (Venice) Caio!
We almost went north from Orbetello, avoiding Roma altogether. The thought of a big, busy, loud city after such serenity was not appealing for Jon nor myself, but Jeremiah insisted. "We can't be THIS close and NOT see the Colosseum!" We are so glad that we listened to this sage advice! We got completely soaking wet in a rainstorm while in the Roman Forum, but managed to get dried out in the Colosseum. The Senate House was very impressive, as were the random marble columns and capitals strewn randomly around the area. However, the Colosseo was amazing! The immensity of the task and scope of the building is mind-boggling!
That was our first day in Roma. Yesterday, we decided to do our own walking tour and we followed the tourist route. We all agreed that the biggest surprise was the Pantheon and the Jewish Ghetto. The Pantheon is spectacular! The dome which inspired Filippo Brunelleschi's duomo was exquisite in its grace and beauty. (We were wishing we had been there during the rain storm the previous day, both for shelter, and to witness the torrents of rain coming into the building.) A marvel of art and architecture.
We then headed over to the old Jewish Ghetto. Suddenly, there was hebrew writing, kosher restaurants and a synagogue! We learned that the Jews in Rome were neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardic, but Italiano, the first Jews to leave Israel after the destruction of the Temple. The ghetto was created in 1555 because the Pope did not like the idea of Jews and Romans living side by side. Roughly 8,000 jews lived in a small 7 block area. The gates were unlocked in the morning, and locked again at night. They could only work making clothes or as money lenders. Yet, they created a richness that was displayed in a lovely collection in the museum. The ghetto was opened when Italy became a country, no longer under the Pope. It was at this time that the temple was built, with the help of the Italian community. It is a beautiful building with a square dome (to distinguish it from the churches) and a rainbow ceiling, to remind us of the promise made to Noah.
During WWII, when Hitler invaded, he demanded 150 kilograms of gold in 36 hours to not take the Jews away. The whole community, Italians and Jews, contributed their precious gold, and met his demands. Soon after, however, Hitler rounded up 2,000 of the 8,000 residents. The rest were saved by being hidden by local residents. Luckily, the occupation only lasted 9 months, so many of the Jews hidden were saved. The synagogue survived because Hitler had made an agreement with the Pope not to bomb Rome and its many monuments. After a PLO terrorist attack, the Italian government provides security for all the Jewish sites Italy. You can look up more information on Rome's Jewish Ghetto if you are interested.
We have one more day in Rome, and then we hop on il treno to Venezia. (Venice) Caio!
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