Bird of Paradise in the garden of the Villa Communale
Fountain in the same garden
Little church in centro (we will have to go back and identify it!)
Palazzo in centro
Monday, December 11, 2006
Images of Salerno
Bell Tower of the Church of the Annunziata
Bird of Paradise in the garden of the Villa Communale
Fountain in the same garden
Little church in centro (we will have to go back and identify it!)
Palazzo in centro
Bird of Paradise in the garden of the Villa Communale
Fountain in the same garden
Little church in centro (we will have to go back and identify it!)
Palazzo in centro
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Bonfires & Immacolata celebration
The procession with the Madonna and the first of the bonfires
Lighting the torches
A bonfire with a boat and life preserver going up in flames near the beach
Torch bearers lighting the large bonfire
The Largest of the Bonfires
Lighting the torches
A bonfire with a boat and life preserver going up in flames near the beach
Torch bearers lighting the large bonfire
The Largest of the Bonfires
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception 12.8.06
What a day this has been! We went to bed early last night and set our alarm for 2am so that we could walk down to Marina di Vietri and see what was happening. We knew there was to be a procession from the church and bonfires on the beach. As usual, we had seen the posters and read the schedule but we still weren't really sure of the what, where, when and how part of this event. We asked a few people and followed a few others uphill to the Chiesa when the bells starting chiming and a band came down the steps of the church, playing a lively marching band-type tune (not the serious religious hymns one might expect for a procession, but more like music that would accompany a parade), followed by the parish priest and a group of local men carrying the statue of the Virgin Mary on their shoulders. Flowers surrounded her and a halo of lights shone brightly above her head. Intermittently the band took a break and the group of faithful recited the words to the “Hail Mary” in Italian over and over as they wound their way through the little streets and down towards the center of town.
There ended up being three bonfires, each one larger than the last, until finally, near the beach they had created a very large one, in the shape of tall Christmas tree, built of slats of wood with dried tree branches affixed to it. A group of young men and boys carried long poles with old socks and rags tied around them. Another doused them with gasoline, while an older man kept shouting “Poco! Poco” (a little bit! a little bit!) and the torches (and the area around their feet as well) shot up into flame. The torches were heaved onto the piles (what do you call a bonfire before it is a bonfire???) that had also been doused with a flammable liquid and the tree shape erupted into flames. As it burned, sparks of red lit up the night sky like fireworks. The procession with the Madonna then made its way back up the hill to the church to celebrate Mass and we turned instead towards home and our warm bed. With all the fires and flames, it seemed more like a pagan celebration than a serious religious event but it was thrilling to watch.
We were told later in the day from our neighbor that this year’s bonfires were not as huge as normal, since the city was also planning a “fitness” event and there were tents set up along the beach where normally they would have the bonfires. They seemed plenty big to us but we wondered how it might have been without this competing event. (Note: Saturday it rained all day, washing out the fitness event. We suspect the Madonna may have gotten the last word.)
It was amazing to see how many people turned out for this event literally in the middle of the night. By 5 or so we were back in our bed and slept until around 9:30 in the morning when the sound of hammering from upstairs woke us up! Apparently, Piero is doing some work on the second bedroom in their apartment. Their son and his wife are expecting a baby soon and they are getting things ready. We were glad that he waited until late to get started so we could catch up on some sleep!
As Bob and I were lingering over our morning coffee and looking at our photos from last night, Martine rang our doorbell and invited us to come upstairs later to join their holiday celebration. She also asked if she could borrow a few chairs and our tables, which we gladly offered.
Around 1:30 we climbed up the stairs to their apartment and were introduced to the whole family! We had already met their son and his wife who live with them (the expectant parents!) but had the opportunity to meet several other members of the extended family and enjoyed talking with them all and eating the wonderful meal that Martine prepared. Everything fresh from the sea, we had octopus (polipo), squid (or cuttlefish - seppie in Italiano) sardines, salmon, shrimp and more. And those were just some of the appetizers! We ate spaghetti in a tomato sauce with more polipo and seppie, followed by a fritto misto - a mixed plate of fried fish that was delicious. The cakes and deserts were to die for and the wine flowed freely, as Piero kept filling our glasses. We were positively tipsy by the end of the meal. Boy did we speak good Italian by this time! At least our inhibitions were lowered and we felt like we could anyway!
There were many questions for us, why were we here, what did we do in the states, what will we do when we get home, did we have children and where did they live. They really don't understand us Americans who live so far from our family members and why on earth we would want to be so far away from them all this time. They are very curious about America and the way things are there as we are of their life and traditions. We learned that while in former generations babies were always named for their grandparents, that this is changing and no longer the case. As in many homes in the states, the division of labor is still mostly as it has always been, the women in the kitchen cooking and preparing, then cleaning up afterwards, the men in the dining room, relaxing over their glasses of wine. But the young men did help serve and clear, making sure all their guests had everything they needed. It was a very fun afternoon. Everyone helped take our tables and chairs back down to our apartment and we said our goodbyes. We hope we will see them again, they were lovely people who made us feel welcome and we appreciated it very much.
Now we are relaxing in our apartment. Bob took a nap and I've been posting and writing. The Christmas season is officially here. All the lights will be lit in all the cities and we will try to make the rounds to see them. In less than two weeks my sister and nieces will be here and we can't wait.
We'll post some photos of the bonfires and wish you all a Buon Natale!
Rosemary e Robert
There ended up being three bonfires, each one larger than the last, until finally, near the beach they had created a very large one, in the shape of tall Christmas tree, built of slats of wood with dried tree branches affixed to it. A group of young men and boys carried long poles with old socks and rags tied around them. Another doused them with gasoline, while an older man kept shouting “Poco! Poco” (a little bit! a little bit!) and the torches (and the area around their feet as well) shot up into flame. The torches were heaved onto the piles (what do you call a bonfire before it is a bonfire???) that had also been doused with a flammable liquid and the tree shape erupted into flames. As it burned, sparks of red lit up the night sky like fireworks. The procession with the Madonna then made its way back up the hill to the church to celebrate Mass and we turned instead towards home and our warm bed. With all the fires and flames, it seemed more like a pagan celebration than a serious religious event but it was thrilling to watch.
We were told later in the day from our neighbor that this year’s bonfires were not as huge as normal, since the city was also planning a “fitness” event and there were tents set up along the beach where normally they would have the bonfires. They seemed plenty big to us but we wondered how it might have been without this competing event. (Note: Saturday it rained all day, washing out the fitness event. We suspect the Madonna may have gotten the last word.)
It was amazing to see how many people turned out for this event literally in the middle of the night. By 5 or so we were back in our bed and slept until around 9:30 in the morning when the sound of hammering from upstairs woke us up! Apparently, Piero is doing some work on the second bedroom in their apartment. Their son and his wife are expecting a baby soon and they are getting things ready. We were glad that he waited until late to get started so we could catch up on some sleep!
As Bob and I were lingering over our morning coffee and looking at our photos from last night, Martine rang our doorbell and invited us to come upstairs later to join their holiday celebration. She also asked if she could borrow a few chairs and our tables, which we gladly offered.
Around 1:30 we climbed up the stairs to their apartment and were introduced to the whole family! We had already met their son and his wife who live with them (the expectant parents!) but had the opportunity to meet several other members of the extended family and enjoyed talking with them all and eating the wonderful meal that Martine prepared. Everything fresh from the sea, we had octopus (polipo), squid (or cuttlefish - seppie in Italiano) sardines, salmon, shrimp and more. And those were just some of the appetizers! We ate spaghetti in a tomato sauce with more polipo and seppie, followed by a fritto misto - a mixed plate of fried fish that was delicious. The cakes and deserts were to die for and the wine flowed freely, as Piero kept filling our glasses. We were positively tipsy by the end of the meal. Boy did we speak good Italian by this time! At least our inhibitions were lowered and we felt like we could anyway!
There were many questions for us, why were we here, what did we do in the states, what will we do when we get home, did we have children and where did they live. They really don't understand us Americans who live so far from our family members and why on earth we would want to be so far away from them all this time. They are very curious about America and the way things are there as we are of their life and traditions. We learned that while in former generations babies were always named for their grandparents, that this is changing and no longer the case. As in many homes in the states, the division of labor is still mostly as it has always been, the women in the kitchen cooking and preparing, then cleaning up afterwards, the men in the dining room, relaxing over their glasses of wine. But the young men did help serve and clear, making sure all their guests had everything they needed. It was a very fun afternoon. Everyone helped take our tables and chairs back down to our apartment and we said our goodbyes. We hope we will see them again, they were lovely people who made us feel welcome and we appreciated it very much.
Now we are relaxing in our apartment. Bob took a nap and I've been posting and writing. The Christmas season is officially here. All the lights will be lit in all the cities and we will try to make the rounds to see them. In less than two weeks my sister and nieces will be here and we can't wait.
We'll post some photos of the bonfires and wish you all a Buon Natale!
Rosemary e Robert
Friday, December 08, 2006
A few more watercolors
A street corner in Salerno (urban sketches)
Red Pears in my hand-made watercolor journal
Red Pears in my hand-made watercolor journal
Salerno 12.7.06
Salerno 12.7.06
We've spent a few more days now in Salerno and on further exploration we have come to really enjoy wandering around the historic part of the city. Now that it is Christmas time they have hung large balls of greenery with red berries on all the old lampposts and it's very charming. Down the main shopping street (the newer part with less charm) they have overhung gigantic white balls with bits of plastic fluff sticking out all over and dotted with lights. The stores are overflowing with gifts and the streets are crowded with shoppers. I prefer walking through the historic center, the old part of the city, where the streets are narrow and jumbled and there are still craftsmen in their small shops finishing furniture, making shoes, even a clothier who makes men's suits where the bolts of fabric are displayed in the windows. There are also clothing shops and jewelry stores etc and I stepped into a Pasticceria and admired all the candies and cakes and was sorely tempted. I may have to go back and buy one for our Christmas celebration!
We found the Garden of Minerva the other day and even though it was a Monday and it was supposed to be closed the man working there let us in and we took a look around. It cascades down the hillside towards the sea with all these terraces and stairways covered with vines. Another guy working there told us we should come back in the spring and we plan to do that. We think it will be spectacular. The views of the harbor and the city were wonderful.
There is a lot of restoration work going on in Salerno and much is sorely needed. But the more we explore, the more interesting places we find. Like the public garden where we ate our lunch today. We ordered a couple of paninis from one of the alimentari (grocery stores) and sat on a park bench in front of the fountain. The Bird of Paradise are blooming and the white agapanthus is about to. There are large banana palm trees and large trees of different varieties. It is well tended and a very pleasant place to relax and get off your feet, after hours of wandering the cobblestone streets.
All in all, we have been here in this area for little over a month now and keep finding interesting places. Tonight we are going to get up in the middle of the night and walk down to the Marina. It's the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and here in Italy it officially marks the beginning of the Christmas season. There are processions and festivities in many cities. Here, there is supposed to be a procession from the church down to the sea culminating in bonfires on the beach. We even took a nap this afternoon so we can stay up late. It starts around 3am!
Here are just a few images of Salerno
Keys in a shop in Salerno
Fruit and vegetable shop in Salerno
View of Salerno's harbor at night
We've spent a few more days now in Salerno and on further exploration we have come to really enjoy wandering around the historic part of the city. Now that it is Christmas time they have hung large balls of greenery with red berries on all the old lampposts and it's very charming. Down the main shopping street (the newer part with less charm) they have overhung gigantic white balls with bits of plastic fluff sticking out all over and dotted with lights. The stores are overflowing with gifts and the streets are crowded with shoppers. I prefer walking through the historic center, the old part of the city, where the streets are narrow and jumbled and there are still craftsmen in their small shops finishing furniture, making shoes, even a clothier who makes men's suits where the bolts of fabric are displayed in the windows. There are also clothing shops and jewelry stores etc and I stepped into a Pasticceria and admired all the candies and cakes and was sorely tempted. I may have to go back and buy one for our Christmas celebration!
We found the Garden of Minerva the other day and even though it was a Monday and it was supposed to be closed the man working there let us in and we took a look around. It cascades down the hillside towards the sea with all these terraces and stairways covered with vines. Another guy working there told us we should come back in the spring and we plan to do that. We think it will be spectacular. The views of the harbor and the city were wonderful.
There is a lot of restoration work going on in Salerno and much is sorely needed. But the more we explore, the more interesting places we find. Like the public garden where we ate our lunch today. We ordered a couple of paninis from one of the alimentari (grocery stores) and sat on a park bench in front of the fountain. The Bird of Paradise are blooming and the white agapanthus is about to. There are large banana palm trees and large trees of different varieties. It is well tended and a very pleasant place to relax and get off your feet, after hours of wandering the cobblestone streets.
All in all, we have been here in this area for little over a month now and keep finding interesting places. Tonight we are going to get up in the middle of the night and walk down to the Marina. It's the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and here in Italy it officially marks the beginning of the Christmas season. There are processions and festivities in many cities. Here, there is supposed to be a procession from the church down to the sea culminating in bonfires on the beach. We even took a nap this afternoon so we can stay up late. It starts around 3am!
Here are just a few images of Salerno
Keys in a shop in Salerno
Fruit and vegetable shop in Salerno
View of Salerno's harbor at night
Cava dei Tirreni, Presepe 12.2.06
Cava is the town up the hill from Vietri. It's quite a lovely city and the only one I believe in this part of Italy with arcaded streets. It felt a little bit more like Padua or Mantua than Salerno and southern Italy. Many of the shops there are somewhat upscale and there is a whole pedestrian area making it nice to walk around and not dodge cars. The interior of their Duomo is completely under restoration but they had a big sign that advertised their "Presepe Monumentale" so we had to check it out.
Presepe, if you don't know, are the nativity scenes they do here in southern Italy. But not just the manger scene, entire cities are created with, of course, the nativity as the main event. In Sicily we went to a small town in the mountains called Monterossa Almo for what they call "Presepe Vivente," which means a live nativity acted out with real people dressed in period clothing and it included all the townspeople making cheese, bread, the shoemaker, the tinker etc. and it was amazing. We felt as if we had traveled back in time, walking through the ancient streets, peering into doorways on homes that seemed built into the very mountains. (If you want to look in the Archives for December 2005 you will find my writing and our photos from Monterosso Almo.)
We weren't sure what to expect of this one in Cava but it was very charming, though with hand-carved figures and not life size. The man who guided us in told us that some parts of this display were made in the late 1700s and 1800s, if we understood him correctly and has been continually added to and expanded throughout the years. Some appeared quite antique and beautiful. We walked through a maze of rooms with a different scene in each one, representing the history of Italy as well as the birth of Christ. They had the Normans, the Arabs, all the craftspeople, the peasants and the nobility, all costumed and lovingly placed to create a mood, like gigantic room-sized dioramas. We took a few photos but aren't sure you can really appreciate them; the lighting was very dim in there but hope you can get the idea.
We enjoyed Cava and are sure we'll go back again. We found an Erboristeria there and we were happy about that. This is one of those health food/healthy hair and body care shops and it is the only place we have been able to find oatmeal here in Italy. The grocery stores don't even know what we are talking about and direct us to the cold cereal aisle.
Scene with woman on her terrace
Figurine of an Arab man
Another of the scenes in the Presepe at Cava
Close up of shepherds and "contadini" in Nativity scene
The grand finale: the Nativity Scene. Some of these figures are true antiques.
Presepe, if you don't know, are the nativity scenes they do here in southern Italy. But not just the manger scene, entire cities are created with, of course, the nativity as the main event. In Sicily we went to a small town in the mountains called Monterossa Almo for what they call "Presepe Vivente," which means a live nativity acted out with real people dressed in period clothing and it included all the townspeople making cheese, bread, the shoemaker, the tinker etc. and it was amazing. We felt as if we had traveled back in time, walking through the ancient streets, peering into doorways on homes that seemed built into the very mountains. (If you want to look in the Archives for December 2005 you will find my writing and our photos from Monterosso Almo.)
We weren't sure what to expect of this one in Cava but it was very charming, though with hand-carved figures and not life size. The man who guided us in told us that some parts of this display were made in the late 1700s and 1800s, if we understood him correctly and has been continually added to and expanded throughout the years. Some appeared quite antique and beautiful. We walked through a maze of rooms with a different scene in each one, representing the history of Italy as well as the birth of Christ. They had the Normans, the Arabs, all the craftspeople, the peasants and the nobility, all costumed and lovingly placed to create a mood, like gigantic room-sized dioramas. We took a few photos but aren't sure you can really appreciate them; the lighting was very dim in there but hope you can get the idea.
We enjoyed Cava and are sure we'll go back again. We found an Erboristeria there and we were happy about that. This is one of those health food/healthy hair and body care shops and it is the only place we have been able to find oatmeal here in Italy. The grocery stores don't even know what we are talking about and direct us to the cold cereal aisle.
Scene with woman on her terrace
Figurine of an Arab man
Another of the scenes in the Presepe at Cava
Close up of shepherds and "contadini" in Nativity scene
The grand finale: the Nativity Scene. Some of these figures are true antiques.
Cilento Coast, Cava dei Tirreni and Salerno 12.08.06
The Cilento Coast 12.03.06
It's late Sunday night, December 3, 2006. We spent a pretty quiet day at home today and only went out this evening for a little stroll around Vietri. We walked a lot this week and just needed a day of rest I guess.
Earlier this week we took a drive to the Cilento Coast. It begins south of Paestum and the scenery along this stretch of coast is very beautiful. We stopped at Martine's coffee bar on the way out of Vietri and got some advice from Antonio who owns the Salumeria in Marina di Vietri, near the coffee bar. We ended up taking out our map and having him write down directions to get there and were on our way.
We stopped along the way at different stretches of beach to walk along the sand and pick up pretty colored rocks and admire the interesting shapes of the mountains along the way. We saw a sign on a house that said "Vendita Olio d'Olive" and bought a bottle of olive oil from a young woman in her pajamas! We had to stop on the road to let the sheep go by and took a photo of the shepherd who really seemed to look the part.
We saw villages right on the sea and up on mountaintops, strange little towns nestled here and there and some lovely places with broad promenades and small shops along the main roads. We made a big loop that took us down the coast on small roads that hugged the coast and then inland to the autostrada. It was a lot of driving for Bob and we were gone all day, returning home well after dark.
Cilento Coast, hills and castle
Palinauro's port
Red boat on the beach, Cilento Coast
(to be continued Cava d’Tirenni)
It's late Sunday night, December 3, 2006. We spent a pretty quiet day at home today and only went out this evening for a little stroll around Vietri. We walked a lot this week and just needed a day of rest I guess.
Earlier this week we took a drive to the Cilento Coast. It begins south of Paestum and the scenery along this stretch of coast is very beautiful. We stopped at Martine's coffee bar on the way out of Vietri and got some advice from Antonio who owns the Salumeria in Marina di Vietri, near the coffee bar. We ended up taking out our map and having him write down directions to get there and were on our way.
We stopped along the way at different stretches of beach to walk along the sand and pick up pretty colored rocks and admire the interesting shapes of the mountains along the way. We saw a sign on a house that said "Vendita Olio d'Olive" and bought a bottle of olive oil from a young woman in her pajamas! We had to stop on the road to let the sheep go by and took a photo of the shepherd who really seemed to look the part.
We saw villages right on the sea and up on mountaintops, strange little towns nestled here and there and some lovely places with broad promenades and small shops along the main roads. We made a big loop that took us down the coast on small roads that hugged the coast and then inland to the autostrada. It was a lot of driving for Bob and we were gone all day, returning home well after dark.
Cilento Coast, hills and castle
Palinauro's port
Red boat on the beach, Cilento Coast
(to be continued Cava d’Tirenni)
Cilento Coast images
The hilltop town of Camerota, along the Cilento Coast
Sunset in Sapri, Cilento Coast
Boats reflecting in the turquoise waters at Palinauro
The Cilento Coast
A shepherd tending his sheep, Cilento area
Sunset in Sapri, Cilento Coast
Boats reflecting in the turquoise waters at Palinauro
The Cilento Coast
A shepherd tending his sheep, Cilento area
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Amalfi Duomo
A friend asked if we had a photo of this church in Amalfi. Is this what you are looking for?
For our friends who are fans of Eddie Izzard
If you love Eddie Izzard as we do and know the video "Dress to Kill" you will understand this image. If not, it just proves that we are occasionally goofy.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Rosemary's views of the region
One of the things we see from our apartment.
Rosemary's impression of Paestum's abandoned train station
Rosemary's impression of Paestum's abandoned train station
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
We can post photos again Dec 5 2006
Thanks to the warm and friendly people of this region we can once again publish our photos.
Two days ago we went into Salerno to find a Mac technician. On our previous trip to Salerno I had seen a Foto Agenzia/Giornalistica (stock photo agency/photo journalists) called Tano Press (www.tanopress.it). I thought that they should know who could assist us with our computer. They were extremely nice and found the address and phone number of the place for us to go and even called to make certain that someone was in.
We then went to meet with the technician at PowerPrint (www.powerprint.it) Pietro who spoke very good English, which was very fortunate because our Italian would not have been sufficient to explain the problems we have been having. We left our computer with him overnight and reclaimed it tonight and I must say for a very reasonable price all of our problems were resolved.
Grazie mille to all of the wonderful people who helped.
P.S. If you need any professional photography of, or from Italy contact Tano Press. The work we saw on their walls was very impressive.
If you need any Mac repairs or digital printing while in Salerno go to Power Print.
Here are some of the photos we've been wanting to show you!
One rock at a time
Two days ago we went into Salerno to find a Mac technician. On our previous trip to Salerno I had seen a Foto Agenzia/Giornalistica (stock photo agency/photo journalists) called Tano Press (www.tanopress.it). I thought that they should know who could assist us with our computer. They were extremely nice and found the address and phone number of the place for us to go and even called to make certain that someone was in.
We then went to meet with the technician at PowerPrint (www.powerprint.it) Pietro who spoke very good English, which was very fortunate because our Italian would not have been sufficient to explain the problems we have been having. We left our computer with him overnight and reclaimed it tonight and I must say for a very reasonable price all of our problems were resolved.
Grazie mille to all of the wonderful people who helped.
P.S. If you need any professional photography of, or from Italy contact Tano Press. The work we saw on their walls was very impressive.
If you need any Mac repairs or digital printing while in Salerno go to Power Print.
Here are some of the photos we've been wanting to show you!
One rock at a time
Paestum & Museum Nov 28 2006
A chapel to a Greek God partially buried
"The Diver" The top of a tomb. The painting faced inside the tomb and is only one of five beautiful paintings that comprise the entire tomb and are preserved in this museum. The diver depicted here is passing from this realm into the afterlife.
A piece of a fresco depicting bulls
This is a decorative detail form the edge of a building. Unfortunately the head is missing.
"The Diver" The top of a tomb. The painting faced inside the tomb and is only one of five beautiful paintings that comprise the entire tomb and are preserved in this museum. The diver depicted here is passing from this realm into the afterlife.
A piece of a fresco depicting bulls
This is a decorative detail form the edge of a building. Unfortunately the head is missing.
Paestum Scavi & Museo Nov 28 2006
Even when we are lost we stumble on great things. This is obviously the old train station for Paestum
Temple Cerere 500 b.c.
Temple Neptune 550 b.c.
Anfiteatro
Cerere Temple
Temple Cerere 500 b.c.
Temple Neptune 550 b.c.
Anfiteatro
Cerere Temple
Atrani
The Atrani Duomo- for the M. C. Escher fans this is one of the towers he painted while in Italy.
A family enjoying the seaside on a Sunday afternoon
This is the exact location of Atrani along The Amalfi Coast Road
An artist and her pet geese working on the beach in Atrani
The clocktower in the main piazza of Atrani
A family enjoying the seaside on a Sunday afternoon
This is the exact location of Atrani along The Amalfi Coast Road
An artist and her pet geese working on the beach in Atrani
The clocktower in the main piazza of Atrani
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Paestum 11.28.06
(so sorry, we are still not able to post photos but we are working on trying to resolve this problem. I just wanted to keep things moving and eventually (hopefully!!) be able to show you some images.)
A day in the ruins of Paestum
Paestum is the site of the only well-preserved Greek temples outside of Sicily. If you have been following our blog, you know that we have visited all of those! Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta. All wonderful. Each site different from the other. We enjoyed every one. There is something so incredible about the first time you see these majestic golden stones against a brilliant blue sky and we wondered if it would be anticlimactic after those first visits to ancient Sicilian temple sites. It was not. Paestum was founded around 600 BC by Greek colonists, became Roman in 273 BC, began to decline by the 1st century BC, and was done in finally by malaria. Eventually it was abandoned and was swallowed up by the forests and swamps and completely forgotten. No one went there, fearing for their lives. It was only discovered again in the 18th century if you can imagine that, stumbled upon while they were building a road. We imagine that in Italy you can barely stick a shovel in the ground without hitting some archeological site.
Most of the excavations have been carried out as recently as the 1950s and I assume are still going on. The city itself seems huge. The ruins sit on an open plain, most of the trees having been cleared. There are still some wonderful huge umbrella pines and cypress and it is quite spectacular. We are fortunate to be here at this time of year as there were only a handful of other tourists wandering about and we practically had the place to ourselves. We arrived around 10am and were the last to leave around 4pm! The weather was gorgeous and the light, especially in the late afternoon was spectacular. It was so quiet, so serene, we felt so peaceful just to sit there and look up at these remarkably intact temples, all the columns standing, interior walls as well, without a single piece of scaffolding in sight. We toured the entire site, left for a few hours to have lunch and visit the museum that has on display all the finds they excavated - the jars and statues and the carvings from the temples themselves and some wonderful, unique, funerary frescoes, like the famous Tomb of the Diver (actually symbolic for journey to the afterlife).
The drive there was less than stellar along this straight stretch of the Gulf of Salerno. It still amazes us that there can be this amazing sea and yet the architecture (and I use this term generously) that runs along the coast can be so dreary and downright depressing. You would think they could fix up this area and make a wonderful seaside resort area but no, not exactly, and it simply astonishes and disappoints. We intend to drive further south of Paestum, along the Cilento Coast, which is supposed to have an attractive coastline.
Today the garbage trucks picked up the garbage! We began to notice on Sunday evening that the piles around the overflowing collection bins seemed to be multiplying. On Monday we thought perhaps they had not come yet and the weekend garbage was heavy. We knew that there were garbage strikes in Naples but didn't realize it reached down here as well and have not been happy to see it. Yesterday we asked Martine about it and she told us that sometimes they go on strike because there is no place to put the garbage. We don't totally understand this phenomenon and were not at all happy to see the piles and piles of trash along the roadsides, getting bigger and bigger. But this morning a garbage truck passed by our street here and seemed to be picking it all up. Yeah.
This morning we plan to go to Cava de'Tirreni. We stopped there one afternoon when all the shops were closed and want to go back. It looked like a nice place for a wander and it's very close to Vietri, just up the hill in fact.
A più tardi!
Rosemary e Roberto
A day in the ruins of Paestum
Paestum is the site of the only well-preserved Greek temples outside of Sicily. If you have been following our blog, you know that we have visited all of those! Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta. All wonderful. Each site different from the other. We enjoyed every one. There is something so incredible about the first time you see these majestic golden stones against a brilliant blue sky and we wondered if it would be anticlimactic after those first visits to ancient Sicilian temple sites. It was not. Paestum was founded around 600 BC by Greek colonists, became Roman in 273 BC, began to decline by the 1st century BC, and was done in finally by malaria. Eventually it was abandoned and was swallowed up by the forests and swamps and completely forgotten. No one went there, fearing for their lives. It was only discovered again in the 18th century if you can imagine that, stumbled upon while they were building a road. We imagine that in Italy you can barely stick a shovel in the ground without hitting some archeological site.
Most of the excavations have been carried out as recently as the 1950s and I assume are still going on. The city itself seems huge. The ruins sit on an open plain, most of the trees having been cleared. There are still some wonderful huge umbrella pines and cypress and it is quite spectacular. We are fortunate to be here at this time of year as there were only a handful of other tourists wandering about and we practically had the place to ourselves. We arrived around 10am and were the last to leave around 4pm! The weather was gorgeous and the light, especially in the late afternoon was spectacular. It was so quiet, so serene, we felt so peaceful just to sit there and look up at these remarkably intact temples, all the columns standing, interior walls as well, without a single piece of scaffolding in sight. We toured the entire site, left for a few hours to have lunch and visit the museum that has on display all the finds they excavated - the jars and statues and the carvings from the temples themselves and some wonderful, unique, funerary frescoes, like the famous Tomb of the Diver (actually symbolic for journey to the afterlife).
The drive there was less than stellar along this straight stretch of the Gulf of Salerno. It still amazes us that there can be this amazing sea and yet the architecture (and I use this term generously) that runs along the coast can be so dreary and downright depressing. You would think they could fix up this area and make a wonderful seaside resort area but no, not exactly, and it simply astonishes and disappoints. We intend to drive further south of Paestum, along the Cilento Coast, which is supposed to have an attractive coastline.
Today the garbage trucks picked up the garbage! We began to notice on Sunday evening that the piles around the overflowing collection bins seemed to be multiplying. On Monday we thought perhaps they had not come yet and the weekend garbage was heavy. We knew that there were garbage strikes in Naples but didn't realize it reached down here as well and have not been happy to see it. Yesterday we asked Martine about it and she told us that sometimes they go on strike because there is no place to put the garbage. We don't totally understand this phenomenon and were not at all happy to see the piles and piles of trash along the roadsides, getting bigger and bigger. But this morning a garbage truck passed by our street here and seemed to be picking it all up. Yeah.
This morning we plan to go to Cava de'Tirreni. We stopped there one afternoon when all the shops were closed and want to go back. It looked like a nice place for a wander and it's very close to Vietri, just up the hill in fact.
A più tardi!
Rosemary e Roberto
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Meeting the landlords 11.24.06
(still not able to post photos so I hope you won't get bored with just my writing but we are trying everything we know and searching for technical assistance)
Meeting the landlord
As I have written, we've have been trying to meet our new landlords. In each of our other apartments this has happened upon our arrival, since we had arranged to rent these places directly from the owners. This place was a different story. We had had a difficult time finding something in this area we could afford and finally used an agent to help us. His contact was yet another middle man here in Vietri and we didn't even know who owned this place but were determined to try to find out. We just felt that it was important since we would be living here for several months, for them to know who we were and vice versa. Make it more personal I guess. Our neighbors upstairs said they were friends with the owners of our apartment who also owned the hotel down the road. The apartment was missing some things when we arrived and Nigel (our agent) delivered on his promise to provide many. But we were still waiting for someone to fix the bathroom window that wouldn't close securely and the front door lock that didn't seem completely secure when locked from the outside (when we are inside the apartment there are 3 different locks on the door - making us feel a bit like living in the Bronx although everyone says this area is very safe.)
We went to the hotel to look for the Signore several different days, at different times of the day, when we thought of it and each time we were told he was not there. Perhaps in the morning? Perhaps in the afternoon? Perhaps tomorrow? Then finally one of the guys gave us a business card for the ceramics shop the Signora, his wife, runs in centro and we went in search of her there. But then she was not there! We found her son working in the shop and told him we wanted to meet his parents and that there were some problems we needed to talk to them about. He was very nice, said he would tell his mother and they would take care of the problems.
We received a phone call that same afternoon from the Signora, very kind, very nice, sorry she had not met us yet and certainly she would send someone to assess the situation and fix what needed to be fixed. We misunderstood and thought she was coming herself with a repairman. Instead, a second son with another guy came (Thanksgiving day in fact!) and they looked at the lock and went off to find something to replace it with. Just as I was putting my thanksgiving dinner on the table, they returned and proceeded to change out the lock on the door. A few screws were left sticking out, a few looking a bit questionable, but they made it fit. It seemed to work. But aesthetically, well, it left a bit to be desired. We stopped in the shop the next day and talked with her. How did it go, she asked us. Were we happy? Reluctantly I responded that it was OK, but not great. She came back herself later on with another repairman, looked at the lock and told him to fix it. Looked at the window and told him to fix that too. He brought in a plastic bag, overflowing with tools and proceeded to go to work on the window. First with a small sledgehammer, a welder, assorted large and small metal tools, drills, and a rather large grinder. We were certain we would need someone to replace the glass before he was through! After much wringing of hands and upturned palms, shrugging and talking under his breath, amazingly, he fixed the window! It is a casement window with one of those latches that you pull up and out to open and the catch was not catching. I don't know what he did, but he fixed it. It now works like a charm. I must admit we were skeptical that he knew what he was doing. But I guess he did. Then he went to work on the new lock and fixed that too. Now the screws are down in place like they should be and it works perfectly.
I'm just delighted that we have finally met her. She seems very lovely and we appreciate the fact that as soon as we told her directly of these issues, she took care of them right away. And just knowing who she is and where to find her makes us feel more comfortable. We weren't so sure about this middleman guy and how effective he was going to be.
Next issue, getting our residency changed from Verona to Vietri. We showed her the kind of form we needed, that would say we are renting an apartment from her. It seems she has never had to do this before and had to speak with her husband and see what they needed to do. We have been legal this whole time and want to make sure we stay that way. We probably should have already done this and we did ask Nigel about it when we arrived but as we are still waiting, we figured we would go right to the source. Hopefully it doesn't end up being a problem. We'll see. Piano piano (slowly, slowly).
It's interesting here. The whole tax situation. Taxes are very high for businesses we have been told. It's terrible, they say. And some people have an interesting way of dealing with it. They fudge on stuff. They don't ring up quite the whole amount. We bought fish at the market one day. It cost 5 euros. The receipt she gave me said 4 euros and she laughed a little sheepishly and said "sconto" which means discount. Same thing at a little pottery shop. I paid 15 euros for a small candle holder. He rung up 10. "Sconto" he said. But not a discount for me. A discount for them, since they have to pay the tax on the full amount on the receipt. And they are required by law to give you one.
We hope to get our paperwork soon so we can at least apply for the residency here. Knowing how long it took in each of the other cities we have lived in for the official residency certificate to arrive, we are certain we will be long gone before it is final but we will at least have applied and that is as good as having it. We have our carta d'identita, (identity cards) and permesso di soggiorno (permits of stay) good until April so all the other necessary paperwork is in order. We only have four more months left to our adventure. Hard to believe we are looking at the tail end of this journey now. Really hard to believe.
With more to come,
Rosemary and Bob
Meeting the landlord
As I have written, we've have been trying to meet our new landlords. In each of our other apartments this has happened upon our arrival, since we had arranged to rent these places directly from the owners. This place was a different story. We had had a difficult time finding something in this area we could afford and finally used an agent to help us. His contact was yet another middle man here in Vietri and we didn't even know who owned this place but were determined to try to find out. We just felt that it was important since we would be living here for several months, for them to know who we were and vice versa. Make it more personal I guess. Our neighbors upstairs said they were friends with the owners of our apartment who also owned the hotel down the road. The apartment was missing some things when we arrived and Nigel (our agent) delivered on his promise to provide many. But we were still waiting for someone to fix the bathroom window that wouldn't close securely and the front door lock that didn't seem completely secure when locked from the outside (when we are inside the apartment there are 3 different locks on the door - making us feel a bit like living in the Bronx although everyone says this area is very safe.)
We went to the hotel to look for the Signore several different days, at different times of the day, when we thought of it and each time we were told he was not there. Perhaps in the morning? Perhaps in the afternoon? Perhaps tomorrow? Then finally one of the guys gave us a business card for the ceramics shop the Signora, his wife, runs in centro and we went in search of her there. But then she was not there! We found her son working in the shop and told him we wanted to meet his parents and that there were some problems we needed to talk to them about. He was very nice, said he would tell his mother and they would take care of the problems.
We received a phone call that same afternoon from the Signora, very kind, very nice, sorry she had not met us yet and certainly she would send someone to assess the situation and fix what needed to be fixed. We misunderstood and thought she was coming herself with a repairman. Instead, a second son with another guy came (Thanksgiving day in fact!) and they looked at the lock and went off to find something to replace it with. Just as I was putting my thanksgiving dinner on the table, they returned and proceeded to change out the lock on the door. A few screws were left sticking out, a few looking a bit questionable, but they made it fit. It seemed to work. But aesthetically, well, it left a bit to be desired. We stopped in the shop the next day and talked with her. How did it go, she asked us. Were we happy? Reluctantly I responded that it was OK, but not great. She came back herself later on with another repairman, looked at the lock and told him to fix it. Looked at the window and told him to fix that too. He brought in a plastic bag, overflowing with tools and proceeded to go to work on the window. First with a small sledgehammer, a welder, assorted large and small metal tools, drills, and a rather large grinder. We were certain we would need someone to replace the glass before he was through! After much wringing of hands and upturned palms, shrugging and talking under his breath, amazingly, he fixed the window! It is a casement window with one of those latches that you pull up and out to open and the catch was not catching. I don't know what he did, but he fixed it. It now works like a charm. I must admit we were skeptical that he knew what he was doing. But I guess he did. Then he went to work on the new lock and fixed that too. Now the screws are down in place like they should be and it works perfectly.
I'm just delighted that we have finally met her. She seems very lovely and we appreciate the fact that as soon as we told her directly of these issues, she took care of them right away. And just knowing who she is and where to find her makes us feel more comfortable. We weren't so sure about this middleman guy and how effective he was going to be.
Next issue, getting our residency changed from Verona to Vietri. We showed her the kind of form we needed, that would say we are renting an apartment from her. It seems she has never had to do this before and had to speak with her husband and see what they needed to do. We have been legal this whole time and want to make sure we stay that way. We probably should have already done this and we did ask Nigel about it when we arrived but as we are still waiting, we figured we would go right to the source. Hopefully it doesn't end up being a problem. We'll see. Piano piano (slowly, slowly).
It's interesting here. The whole tax situation. Taxes are very high for businesses we have been told. It's terrible, they say. And some people have an interesting way of dealing with it. They fudge on stuff. They don't ring up quite the whole amount. We bought fish at the market one day. It cost 5 euros. The receipt she gave me said 4 euros and she laughed a little sheepishly and said "sconto" which means discount. Same thing at a little pottery shop. I paid 15 euros for a small candle holder. He rung up 10. "Sconto" he said. But not a discount for me. A discount for them, since they have to pay the tax on the full amount on the receipt. And they are required by law to give you one.
We hope to get our paperwork soon so we can at least apply for the residency here. Knowing how long it took in each of the other cities we have lived in for the official residency certificate to arrive, we are certain we will be long gone before it is final but we will at least have applied and that is as good as having it. We have our carta d'identita, (identity cards) and permesso di soggiorno (permits of stay) good until April so all the other necessary paperwork is in order. We only have four more months left to our adventure. Hard to believe we are looking at the tail end of this journey now. Really hard to believe.
With more to come,
Rosemary and Bob
Friday, December 01, 2006
Problems with Blogger
We are having problems posting photos to our blog. We are getting worried and are frustrated but when we go select the photo icon to post photos, nothing happens. Zip. Zero. Zilch. We haven't been able to post any photos since last weekend. It seems like text goes OK but not the photos. We have sent emails to Blogger but so far no response. So we are thowing this out to the universe. Anybody with suggestions, we welcome them. We are sorry for this and hope you will check back with us to see if we have been able to solve this problem. Or please, if you know anything about this and can shed some light, by all means, we want to know.
Rosemary & Bob
Rosemary & Bob
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