Last night after work, I was peacefully doing yoga at home when all of a sudden, I heard this horrible cacophony. I went to the window to see what it could be. It turned out to be two people with bagpipes standing right outside my apartment building. Is this the equivalent of Christmas caroling here? I don't know. No one was gathering around to enjoy the concert.
Anyway, although these people were technically playing the bagpipes, I wouldn't call them musicians. In fact, it was as if two people who had never seen or heard bagpipes before had picked them up on the street and randomly started poking at them and blowing into them. There was no discernable melody or harmony, and they were not in unison. It was just loud noise. What was that about?
Eventually they went away. (Actually, they were there for a mercifully short amount of time.) Maybe people tipped them to stop playing.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Fashion consciousness starts early
Today, on my way home from work, I saw a mother pushing her approximately 18- to 24-month old daughter in a stroller. The little girl had a pacifier in her mouth. She was also wearing fashionable and beautiful knee-high leather boots.
Italian women begin their fashion consciousness training early in life, I guess.
Italian women begin their fashion consciousness training early in life, I guess.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Montepulciano, Tuscany
Want to see a great view? Head to the Tuscan hill town of Montepulciano.
You may have heard of Montepulciano's famous wines. The grapes are grown in the vineyards around the area. Maybe that's one in the view below.
The town is made up of neighborhoods called contrade, each of which is represented by its own flag.
You know when you've crossed into a different contrada when you notice the change in flags.
The contrade compete each year in a bizarre uphill wine barrel-rolling contest called the Bravìo delle Botti. Afterwards there is a procession in 13th-century dress. We weren't there on race day, though. We enjoyed the sight of the flags anyway.
You may have heard of Montepulciano's famous wines. The grapes are grown in the vineyards around the area. Maybe that's one in the view below.
The town is made up of neighborhoods called contrade, each of which is represented by its own flag.
You know when you've crossed into a different contrada when you notice the change in flags.
The contrade compete each year in a bizarre uphill wine barrel-rolling contest called the Bravìo delle Botti. Afterwards there is a procession in 13th-century dress. We weren't there on race day, though. We enjoyed the sight of the flags anyway.
Pienza, Tuscany
Haven't had the chance to blog for a while. Will try to post photos taken over this past stretch of time.
Pienza is a picturesque town in Tuscany. We went there on a day trip this summer with friends. Here's a corner of the main piazza.
Like many medieval and renaissance-era towns, it has a surrounding wall. This wall has a pleasant walkway alongside.
Another viewpoint of the wall:
This couple seems to be enjoying the view.
Pienza is a picturesque town in Tuscany. We went there on a day trip this summer with friends. Here's a corner of the main piazza.
Like many medieval and renaissance-era towns, it has a surrounding wall. This wall has a pleasant walkway alongside.
Another viewpoint of the wall:
This couple seems to be enjoying the view.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
It's getting chilly
Got back from Milan on Monday evening, and it had turned cold in Rome. This will be the first week that I haven't worn sandals every day since we arrived in June.
It's not freezing or anything. Supposedly it's 61 degrees Farenheit (16 C) now and will go down to 44 (6.7 C) tonight. It's cold enough in the office to require wearing a jacket. See, one cannot turn on the heat in Italy until the government says so. In Rome, that date is November 1, and the heat can only remain on for 12 hours per day. Even in your own private home.
An Italian told me that they have to conserve energy because they import so much oil and gas from Russia (rather than produce their own energy supply, I guess).
Good thing we brought sweaters and mittens!
It's not freezing or anything. Supposedly it's 61 degrees Farenheit (16 C) now and will go down to 44 (6.7 C) tonight. It's cold enough in the office to require wearing a jacket. See, one cannot turn on the heat in Italy until the government says so. In Rome, that date is November 1, and the heat can only remain on for 12 hours per day. Even in your own private home.
An Italian told me that they have to conserve energy because they import so much oil and gas from Russia (rather than produce their own energy supply, I guess).
Good thing we brought sweaters and mittens!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sutri
About an hour from Rome is a town called Sutri, which is chock full o' Etruscan archaeological sites. There are also some Roman ones about, such as this amphitheater, which dates from 53 BC.
The Etruscans, as you might already know, predated the Romans. They built a Necropolis (cemetery) in Sutri. Sarcophagi and urn niches are carved into tufa rock.
Horses grazed in the field we passed by. That's the modern (medieval) town in the background.
Inside a cave is a church called Madonna del Parto. Some believe it was originally an Etruscan tomb, then converted into a mithraeum, a temple to the Persian god Mithras (commonly worshipped in Roman times).
One of the town squares features a fountain and a clock tower.
The Etruscans, as you might already know, predated the Romans. They built a Necropolis (cemetery) in Sutri. Sarcophagi and urn niches are carved into tufa rock.
Horses grazed in the field we passed by. That's the modern (medieval) town in the background.
Inside a cave is a church called Madonna del Parto. Some believe it was originally an Etruscan tomb, then converted into a mithraeum, a temple to the Persian god Mithras (commonly worshipped in Roman times).
One of the town squares features a fountain and a clock tower.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Ostia Antica
There's a town just outside of Rome called Ostia Antica. It was a village sometime in between 1000 and 700 BC, but then later grew to be a city. Now it is a large complex, a whole town's worth, of archaeological ruins. We visited there in on a beautiful day in July.
As we walked through the grass and wildflowers that grow around the ruins, our feet crushed wild mint, releasing its fragrance into the air. I wish there was a way to post that pleasant smell on the internet to share it with you! Oh well, guess we'll just have to share photos instead.
The amphitheater is still in use. Concerts are held there during the summer.
Walls of many buildings are still standing, 2000+ years after they were built. There are also still floor mosaics, although most have been reconstructed.
This one depicts Neptune and his team of seahorses, as well as other sea creatures.
We happened to come across the secret room where they store their spare capitals.
The public latrine featured rows of seats. The hole beneath each seat was to allow space for the user to insert a sponge-on-a-stick for wiping. Apparently these were reused by all -- ick. However, it is impressive to know that the toilets did flush. Water from an aqueduct flowed continuously through to wash away waste.
As we walked through the grass and wildflowers that grow around the ruins, our feet crushed wild mint, releasing its fragrance into the air. I wish there was a way to post that pleasant smell on the internet to share it with you! Oh well, guess we'll just have to share photos instead.
The amphitheater is still in use. Concerts are held there during the summer.
Walls of many buildings are still standing, 2000+ years after they were built. There are also still floor mosaics, although most have been reconstructed.
This one depicts Neptune and his team of seahorses, as well as other sea creatures.
We happened to come across the secret room where they store their spare capitals.
The public latrine featured rows of seats. The hole beneath each seat was to allow space for the user to insert a sponge-on-a-stick for wiping. Apparently these were reused by all -- ick. However, it is impressive to know that the toilets did flush. Water from an aqueduct flowed continuously through to wash away waste.
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