16 April 2012 - Korcula, Croatia

Kula Zaherlan Gate of Korcula

Korcula Side Street

Marco Polo work

Marco Polo Tower, where he was imprisoned and wrote his Journal

SV Marks Cathedral

Revelin Gate of Korcula

Pstry Shop for local goodies - the only one mentioned in Lonely Planet guide books

The Flood...

Vijecnica - Townhall of Korcula

SV Milhovila Church

Lone open store in rainy Korcula

Downhill lane in Korcula

This laundry may take a while to dry...

According to ancient legend Korcula was founded by the Trojan hero Antenor in the 12th century BC, the same hero who founded the city of Padua in Italy.

He definitely picked a pleasant spot on the Dalmatian coast, where the central Dalmatian archipelago made up of about 1000 alluring islands, is separated by the Strait of Peljesac from the mainland...verdant, mild climate, protected by the Dinaric Alps. Even today vines, olives, fruit and vegetables, as well as large pine forests grow in abundance, some on hundreds of terraces carved into the mountain sides.

Korcula town sits on a tiny horse shoe shaped peninsula, tranquil and picturesquely surrounded by high walls and strong defensive city gates, crammed with residential houses, churches and official buildings with a rabbit warren system of narrow lanes and stairs. One may cross the entire town (depending on one's stair climbing speed) in five minutes. Styles range from Romanesque and Gothic to Venetian Renaissance.

The Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Hapsburg Empire, the Venetian Empire, the Napoleonic Empire all occupied or owned this area at one time or another. Then Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajewo June 28, 1914 - igniting the First World War.

The creation of Yugoslavia (Southern Slavic Nation) came afterward, and Marshal Josip Tito ruled it until the bloody wars amongst Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo and Slovenia broke the artificial state up...at the cost of thousands of horrific deaths.

Marco Polo (1254-1324) is one of it's most famous alleged residents. Allegedly he was called Marko Pavlovic. Young Marco's teenage years were not spent texting, he accompanied his father Nicolas and his uncle, Maffeo, on a long journey to China, following the Silk Road. Later on, he was taken prisoner by Genoese forces during the naval Battle of Korcula between Venetian and Genoese republics. He spent his incarceration in a tower in Korcula, where he wrote the book 'Millions', a Renaissance kind of blog about his travels. No one read his blog, but his cell mate, Rusticello, pirated the story and wrote 'The Travels of Marco Polo', which was read - and mostly believed to be fiction - by the entire known world and made Marco famous.

Korcula is proud of it's history. Moresca and Kumpanjija and Mostra, spectacular knight fights/dances going back to 1300 are still performed weekly/annually, accompanied by bagpipes (!!!). Processions staged by period costumed 'brotherhoods' snake through town each year. In 1214 Korcula established the 'Korcula Statute' one of the oldest legal documents in this part of Europe.

We had anchored just off Korcula, tendered ashore, in reasonably clement weather with a bit coolness to it.

As soon as I began my tortuous clambering up/down and up/down through this town without a bit of flat street or sidewalk, deafening thunder shook the ancient walls and reverberated off the nearby mountains. Just had time to duck into a local 'patisserie' offering a taste of Croatian almond cookies, before the waterfall commenced. The one time I leave my trusty umbrella aboard - it pours buckets! Water follows gravity rules, and Korcula peninsular is a bit of a mound, and soon the stone steps outside were converted into lively cascades collecting all the run off from 'higher up' rivalling the best 'water features' in any park. Only Wellington boots would have kept ones feet dry - maybe. A flock of chattering Japanese tourists floated past, umbrellas keeping their hair dry, but not protecting their nether regions, and took shelter under the awning of a tourist store. The owner, hoping that the awning would not collapse under the downpour, arrived with a broom to poke the canvas swimming pool above, with the result that all those non-buying Japanese were totally drenched from above as well.

After the flood subsided somewhat, but rain and squalls continued, I skipped over into said tourist shop and bought a $ 6 umbrella with my (how lucky) earlier ATM withdrawal of local currency. The umbrella withstood the onslaught - barely - and I sloshed off to further discoveries. Korcula seemed almost deserted except for a few hardy waterlogged die-hards, who visited the local museum, Marco Polo tower, scant cafes and even scanter shops, who had kept their doors open. Count me in, I 'did the town' and warmed up with a hot chocolate in one of the cafes. Wanting to spend my last remaining Croatian Kuna (named after a tiny local rodent like a small marten) I entered the ***star Hotel Korcula to savour some of the local brew/vine. However, the ever so correct waiter pointed out, that my chosen area was reserved for diners - the place was empty except for one local family - and I was welcome to use ‘the bar’. The latter was emptier than a catacomb, as well as colder and darker, and the Grand Terrace with advertised view of great sunsets was rain soaked still, so I skipped my attempt at Local Elegance and spent my Kunas on a couple of postcards, taken in sunny weather of course.

Despite tempestuous weather, I found it a pleasant stay (some people took a 'scenic boat tour' of the Dalmatian Coast seeing nothing but rain-streaked boat windows) which convinced me that Korcula must be very attractive, if even thunderous rainfall does not diminish it's charm.

However, despite Hollywood and it's 100 Dalmatians, I did not see a single spotted dog the entire day.

21 April 2012 - Pompei, a city emerging from the ashes

Pompeii Main road and stepping stones in background

Apollo gracing Pompeii Forum

Main Square of Pompeii

Plaster cast of Victim

Pregnant girl protecting her newborn

Man crouching and covering his face with his scarf

Man dying not from stomach ache, but rain of hot ashes

Wall Painting in Pompeii Public Bath

Wall Frieze in Pompeii Bath

Roman Wash Basin as large as a horse trough

Pompeii Marble Tub and steps

Wall decorations in Pompeii Bath

Living Room of a wealthy citizen

Invitation to a night of pleasure

Pompeii Pizza Oven

City Square in Pompeii

Limoncello Raw Materials, big as soccer balls

Downtown Naples, facade of apartment building

See Naples....and die

This one saw Naples and died...

Adios Vesuvius

Going once, going twice....and still going

21 April 2012 , Naples, Italy

It was to be Sorrento, but it finished up being Naples. The sea had kicked up so much overnight, that the open anchorage at the foot of the cliffs, where Sorrento clings to the mountain, turned anchoring and tendering ashore out of the question. Naples had a vacant dock, somewhere in the commercial part of the port, adjoining the ghetto district of town, and that is where we headed instead.

However, some of the original ex Sorrento excursion destinations remained the same, as Naples is merely one mountain away, which separates the good from the bad and ugly.

Naples means 'neo polis' in old Latin, New City, which is located in Campania, originally called 'campania felix', Land of Happiness.

The famous blue of Naples Bay spreading out into the Thyrrenian Sea was absent today, although rain seems to be holding off and the sun peeked through clouds intermittently. Mount Vesuvius, said to be erupting every 70 years or so, was asleep, although due for another awakening any minute. The last big burp was around 1944, I believe. Ever looming threat of earthquake, toxic gases, lava and ashes do not keep Neapolitans from illegally constructing their houses on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, which sounds like Californians building on fault lines, or Hawaiians building next door to red hot lava flows. Ever hopeful humanity....

In August 79 AD the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum were not quite that fortunate. Vesuvius had been rumbling for a while, the earth had been shaking off and on, some residents of both towns had left for safer ground (even they knew 'the signs' of bad things in the offing) but many others remained.

To their misfortune, eternalised under the emissions of Vesuvius' caldera, they succumbed within minutes of the beginning of a disastrous end to poisonous gases (sulphur) and a rain of hot ashes. Within two hours both cities were covered in 60-80 feet (?) of ashes (Pompeii) and lava (Herculaneum).

Plaster casts made from skeletal finds and hollowed spaces in lava and ash show the agony and speedy death of some of the victims. 2000 have already been found, more are still in their volcanic grave. Heartbreaking images of a 16 year old pregnant girl protecting her swollen belly, a man covering his mouth from ash and gas with a scarf , a man supine and overcome with poisonous gas, another clutching his belly suffering from a stomach ache. (Plumbing was constructed of imported lead from Britannica, which caused most Romans to suffer from lead poisoning)

Both cities were extensive for their times, and Herculaneum functioned as a summer resort to the wealthy of Rome.

Pompeii is laid out similar to modern cities, with running water and sewage, public baths (tepidarium calderium and frigorium), paved streets with 'stepping stones' to get across in rainy weather, and 'cat's eyes' in between paving stones to reflect moon and starlight during the night for improved orientation of their citizens.

Ruts in the ancient paving stones show where hundreds of chariots travelled up and down these streets. The distance between wheels must have been convenient, as modern trains still use the same gauge for laying rails.

Peoples' homes were laid out around pleasant courtyards (atria), with guest rooms, living quarters and kitchens, and a host of pleasure and sleeping quarters. Fountains graced entry halls paved with mosaic floors, depicting chained and teeth-baring dogs with the inscription of 'Beware of Mean Dog'.

Walls were painted with various scenes of daily life, and over the years re-painted again with different scenes of life, reflecting the changing decorating styles of the lady of the house. Thus, many homes had layers and layers of paintings on the walls - Martha Stewart of olden times.

Apart from forums, which served as universal open discussion, lecturing and debating venues, there were temples, plazas, victory arches, and agoras (shopping centres on the grand scale).

Most homes had no street side windows, as Romans were jealous of their privacy. The only building with windows facing the street was the local house of prostitution (there is one in every Roman city), to allow the ladies within to display their charms to the clients outside.

The only advertising of the business other than the windows, is a highly visible carving of an erect penis 'con testiculos' placed above one of the upper windows. Allegedly there were more than 30 pleasure rooms inside, each one dedicated to specific versions of the equivalent of a Roman Kama Sutra (sex a la carte) and fees were around 25 cents per session. Unfortunately the famous erotic mosaics of Pompeii were nowhere to be seen, however, dozens of touristy postcards depicting 'classic poses' from the hidden antique illustrations were sold just outside Pompeii City gates.

Herculaneum was a smaller settlement than Pompeii, but housed the Roman superrich. As it was covered under a layer of lava, it was perfectly sealed and preserved for posterity to uncover its excessive riches. Unfortunately Herculaneum was 'discovered' be looters before scientists could put a stop to it, and start archaeological unearthing of a more responsible kind. As lava is tougher to remove from buried treasure, not all was lost. Entire streets, lavish mansions, perfect mosaics and wall paintings are unearthed daily and show the sophistication and excesses of decadent Rome in perfect preservation.

I only visited Pompeii, large parts of which are still hidden underground, some are now the foundation of the New Pompeii adjoining the archaeological site. The New version does not look quite as luxurious as the old one.

Sorrento promised to be a romantic and idyllic visit on the Bay of Naples. Naples proper appeared all but idyllic. Although a city with many historic buildings and monuments, witness to a richer past, it now seems dilapidated and poverty stricken. Dirty and depressing - at least the districts into which I ventured. The second world war fighting dropped several thousand bombs onto the city destroying almost all of it, and replacement buildings are no more than decaying (60+ years later) ruins themselves.

I did not reach Spaccanapoli (the Naples Divide) which is said to be the most picturesque and charming quarter of Naples. However, surrounded by so much neglect, poverty and misery it would only be a temporary relief from a sad ugliness that pervades the City.

The infamous Neapolitan Pickpockets seemed absent, no one was mugged or robbed. But a few dead rats on our pier made up for the lack of petty thieves.

Upon casting off, the sun lit up distant Mount Vesuvius, with it's gentle slopes reaching far into shore side towns and villages, and even into the ever retreating sea. Those villages themselves may be subject to archaeological research, if Vesuvius sends another super heavy load of ash and lava sea-ward.

A couple of miles out, Prinsendam performed one more of her SAR (Search and Rescue) attempts. The upturned hull of a sailboat was bobbing around on choppy seas. Shore side communications revealed, that it had been afloat and abandoned since some time (apparently victim to an unfinished regatta), and that a salvage company would come out and sink it (??), to remove the 'hazard to navigation'.

From here we headed north to Rome...which I covered out of sequence somewhere else in this 'jump around the Med' blog. Well, sometimes one has to write, whenever the muse nudges and memory is fresh...

20 April 2012, Taormina, Sicily

Mount Etna under snow

Street scene inTaormina

View from Greek Theatre over the Bay of Taormina

Main Square in Taormina

Lizard sunning himself in Greek Amphitheatre

THE DOGFATHER

Side Alley in Taornima

Taormina Ceramic Souvenirs



City Hall Taormina, beautiful sienna colouring



City of Taormina

Fishing Boats on Naxos Beach

Delphina gracing Naxos Beach

The snow-capped cone of Mount Etna just wore a small cloud hat when we sailed into Giardini Naxos, the tender port to Taormina.

Naxans, the original inhabitants, settled here around 800 BC. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans played smaller or larger parts in the town's history and left their mementos.

Mount Etna, the best known volcano of Eastern Sicily gives it a spectacular background. It has erupted around a dozen times in the last forty years. In 1971 and 1983 rivers of molten lava destroyed the two highest stations of the skiing funicular. Just a week ago, it coughed again, and a streak of black lava mars the snowy white upper flanks of the mountain.

Just half an hour away, on the side of Monte Tauro sits Taormina, which was established by the Greeks as Taormenium. The remnants of a Greek Theatre with impressive acoustics and an even more impressive view is carved into the mountain above the town of Taormina. It is the second largest Greek Theatre, second only to the one in Syracuse. The acoustics still work, despite the fact that only 'ruins' remain, as one of the visitors proved with an energetic rendering (trained baritone voice) of "Oh, what a beautiful Morning". This earned him enthusiastic 'bravos' from every Latino somewhere in the many seats of the amphitheatre...especially from the Italian kids in the 'bleachers'.

Charming streets are lined with ochre and sienna coloured houses, a converted Greek 'cella' (enclosed space) is now a photogenic church. Restaurants, bistros and wine bars abound, chic small shops offer fashionable clothing, and artisans sell the famous Taormina ceramics, fine olive oil, and Sicilian sweets (almond cookies to die for). One gets lost in the alleys and back stairways, hidden corners and dead ends - and all is delightful, especially as the sun bathed the entire scene in bright Mediterranean light.

Winston Churchill loved it here, D.H. Lawrence lived here several years, Goethe found it a paradise, and the modern glitz and glamour crowd pays frequent visits. One of the more exclusive hotels offers Coca Cola (how plebeian!) for 18 Euros a glass, so one needs to be an upper echelon celebrity to qualify for that refreshment. Other more modest bistros and trattorias without a view of Mount Etna and the azure sea charge something more reasonable for wine, pasta, pizza and frutti di mare....all delicious!

The feared and famous Mafia Corleone Family lived just around the mountain, in a small sea side village. The last surviving grandmother died a few years ago, Cosa Nostra has moved on to bigger cosas. But t-shirts with Marlon Brandos glowering face adorned with the invitation of 'baccio mi mano' (something like that, meaning 'kiss my hand') are on sale in souvenir shops. Well, as Godfather, he made that offer to many of his minions. An offer, none of them ever refused. It they would have, they would have finished up inside a family produced concrete block at the bottom of the sea.

A wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable slow day, after the frenetic and frantic visits of the last few stops.

Roma - the Eternal City

Please forgive the dreadful formatting - Blogger came up with something 'NEW AND IMPROVED' and it is truly awful to manage on a blog....

A few images of the Grand City of Rome

One of the many impressive church facades

Trevi Fountain Detail

The Coliseum in all its antique splendour

Triumphal Arch beside Forum and Coliseum

Detail on the Triumphal Arch

The Marble Foot, as large as a Grand Piano

Fight of Triton with an Octopus, calamari here we go!!

Ponto Castello di Angelos

Piazza Venecia Monument

Interior of Panteon, now a ROman Catholic Church

Canadian Consulate to the Holy Sea

Rome and Civitaveccia 22. April 2012




Romulus and Remus, the legendary foundling twins, raised by a she wolf were the mythical founders of Rome. Romulus must have been the stronger of the twins, as he is the one to give the Eternal City it's name in 753 BC. The business about the wolf maybe a myth, as Prostitutes of Antiquity were called LUPA, she wolfs. And it may well have been a lady of ill repute who raised those famous babies, who are oftent shown suckling a she wolf on so many statues.

The Etruscans ruled it until 500 BC, when the Roman Empire started its expansion all around the Mediterranean and Europe and Britain. Caesar Augustus was in power between 27 BC and 14 AD, by which time Rome was the Capital of the Roman Empire and as such considered the centre of the known world. 323 AD the city started to decline, when Constantine transferred his capital to Byzantium. 410 AD saw invasion and victory by Alaric, and then various Barbarian tribes descending from north of the Alps.

The middle ages brought back some of the antique glory of Rome with the increase of power of the Papacy.

The City's remarkable history is reflected in its numerous historic buildings, which have been erected over the millennia. Whether it is the Coliseum, venue for horrific entertainment during some of the more cruel reigns of Nero and Caligula. The former famous for his thumbs up/down judgment of competitors as well as his fiddle playing when Rome was in flames, the latter for making his horse a Senator. One of them, maybe Aurelius, financed and completed building the Coliseum in 80 AD with fees for use of public toilet (in his unforgettable quote he defends his strategy saying: money does not stink), and the custom of charging for using public facilities has survived to this day. The Coliseum held 50,000 spectators, becoming more and more depraved over the centuries and getting high on increasingly violent mass entertainment...sounds like Antique hockey with a twist.

One Roman philosopher coined the phrase to 'give them bread, not games' - probably spoken in one of the many intellectual debates held in the adjoining Forum, which sounds like an early day NDP party candidate pre Vancouver Olympics.

Well, it is said, when the Coliseum falls, Rome and the world will soon follow.

The Romans built 50.000 miles of paved road all over Europe beyond the Alps and around their extensive Empire, which gave raise to the quote that 'all Roads lead to Rome'.

For the ones who like Romance, be it known, that the word springs from medieval tales of chivalry, which were generally written in Latin, a 'Romance' language.

One of the most impressive and preserved buildings in Rome is over 2000 years old, the Pantheon, built in 27 BC by Agrippa. It originally served as an important Roman temple, but now is a Catholic church - all in its original shape.

Later centuries brought Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque Art and Architecture to the City, which is now an incomparable showcase of human history and creativity.

Names such as Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarotti Simoni - better known as Michelangelo - left his mark on magnificent marble statues (La Pieta i.e. created when he was 21 years of age - teenagers take note), paintings (Sistine Chapel) grandiose Public Staircases, which are all over Rome.

Bernini, another world famous sculptor created St Peter's incomparable Square and the army of marble statues watching over it. Galleria Borghese houses magnificent collections of Titian, Raphael, Corregio, Caravaggio and Boticelli Paintings.

Rome is an immensely walkable city, with new surprises around every corner, whether it is the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps or the gargantuan Piazza Venetia Monument or the lesser known but equally marvellous treasures throughout the ancient city. One literally trips over Antiquity every step.

Cafe, Bistros, and of course Le Shopping satisfy every taste, and the whole thing is connected through an efficient Metro and Bus system, albeit most of the old city is reserved for pedestrians; and there are thousands of them...visitors and residents alike. Whoever is crazy enough to drive, drives a FIAT (Fix it again Tony), or a Smart Car, or anything that is compact enough and can be parked in the tiniest empty space on a sidewalk or niche between antique walls.

The somewhat muddy Tiber River separates the City from the Vatican. Beautiful Bridges span it, and one plans one's walks to cross at least a few of them.

The Vatican is the smallest independent state in the world, ruled by an elected monarch (The Pope, Bishop of Rome). The walled enclave of about 108 acres with approximately 800 residents - mostly catholic curia - makes up for its small size with immense wealth, some of which is evident in the grand Basilica of St Peters, and more is hidden in vaults, museums and who knows where.

In hopes of returning to this captivating City I tossed ONE coin into the Trevi Fountain, which is allegedly the minimum required from the usual THREE to ensure an Arrividerci Roma.

May the Coliseum stay standing for a few more millennia or centuries...Rome needs to live up to it's Eternal Status for a while longer.