A short ferry ride from Naples is the colorful Ischia Porta. Gateway to the island of Ischia which was our home base for exploring the Amalfi Coast. A beautiful little island with much to offer but most famous for its thermal springs which are believed to have a therapeutic and healing effect. I cannot attest to this as we did not visit any of them but the island itself is very laid back and that was […]
This was well-worth the visit! The castle itself is about 2500 years old and has had numerous inhabitants including peasants, royalty, nuns, and prisoners, to name a few. It was an easy walk from our hotel with a great view of the castle from the beach and a nice walk across the bridge which connects it to the mainland. The views from the top of the castle are stunning and you can see 360* around providing […]
Once a thriving ancient Roman City, on the ill-fated day of August 24, 79 AD, Pompeii and about 2,000 of its residents were buried under tons of volcanic ash by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. While since then there have been a number of natural disasters with much higher death tolls, the enormity of this at that time was mind boggling. In fact, Pompeii is still an active excavation site where new artifacts are being uncovered to this […]
The Roman Forum was the central area of the city around which ancient Rome developed. Here was where commerce, business, prostitution, cult, religious activities, and the administration of justice took place. I found it to be a little disappointing. The buildings are a hodgepodge of old and new and, although it was part of our Colosseum tour, it was not that interesting to me.
The Colosseum was amazing to visit but I cannot even begin to comprehend what actually went on here back in the day. Originally named The Flavian Amphitheatre, it was once used to entertain the public with free games and could accommodate more than 55,000 spectators. Games were held for a whole day and started with comical acts and ended with fights to the death between animals and gladiators who were usually prisoners or slaves. Archaeologists believe […]
The Capuchin Crypt or “Church of the Bones” is located near the Piazza Barberini under the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini in Rome. It contains the skeletal remains of 3,700 Capuchin friars buried by their order. While it’s not meant to be macabre, it’s comprised of six separate chapels each containing thousands of bones displayed in various ways. Some are nailed to the walls in intricate patters, there are full skeletons mummified in their […]
Although you are not supposed to take photos inside the Sistine Chapel…I have been known to sometimes break a rule or two (not proud….just saying). From my lap with my lens pointing up, I managed to get just this one photo. Not too bad for a lap shot don’t you think? The crowds can be a bit overwhelming and being herded into the room a bit underwhelming but despite all that, once inside, it’s absolutely […]
Magnificent is the one word I would use to describe St. Peters Cathedral. With the largest interior of any Christian church in the world (holding up to 60,000 people), it is truly a site to behold. You could very easily spend an entire day here and whether you choose to explore every nook and cranny of beautiful religious artwork and history or just sit in quiet solice you will not be disappointed. My personal two favorites are […]