Tarquinia

One of Amy’s favorite places in Italy is Cerveteri. She has often taken her students there when she traveled with them from the US. However, Emily was interested in a slightly different experience as she wanted to have a viewing of the Mediterranean. So, we headed more directly west and landed in Tarquinia. We visited the modern city earlier this year with the H-P’s for lunch on the way to somewhere, but I haven’t really explored there for the better part of a decade.

We began our day at the Lido di Tarquinia, the small beach community just west of the city. During the summer season, any town with Lido as part of its name is overrun by tourists. Italians come there during August to coat themselves in olive oil and bake themselves into a stupor. At this time of year, there are only a handful of businesses open and most of the summer apartments are boarded over and vacant. It is so deserted they have even taken away the meter where you pay for your parking! We wandered the black sand beach with a few dog walkers and fishermen past boarded businesses and rows of brightly colored changing huts.

Here Emily as returning from taking a picture at the end of a stone jetty. A few moments earlier she had been so distracted by her picture taking that she ended up ankle deep as a wave caught her.

There is a nifty inset stone compass which names the winds. Each of the 8 principle points of the compass has a wind named for it. Winds from the Southeast are called the Scirocco. During the summer they bring the scalding heat of the desert. During the winter those same winds pick up humidity as they cross the sea and bring rain along with warmer temperatures.

We were unable to find anyplace open for lunch at the beach, so we returned to town to eat and then made our way to the Etruscan necropolis, or city of the dead, on a ridge outside of the current town. Here we have a view across to the hill where the original Etruscan settlement was.

Tarquinia along with Cerveteri are the two most important necropoli in the region although lesser ones are dotted everywhere, including the more immediate region of Viterbo. It is hard not to compare the two, as they are very different. At Cerveteri you get the feeling of walking in a city. It gave archeologists an important look at an Etruscan city plan. Everything is open and a visitor can walk directly into many of the tombs. Tarquinia is much more subtle. Most of the huge burial mounds are gone. What you see as you enter the site is a large field dotted with hut-like structures. Of the more than 6000 tombs that have been explored, only a few have been left on display. What is unique about them is the state of preservation of the wall paintings, some of which date back 2500 years or more. These paintings give us a glimpse of the culture and traditions of the Etruscans.

From them we can see what they would have worn, the games they would play, the ceremonies they held and even the animals they hunted and revered. In order to preserve the paintings, they have sealed the rooms and regulated the environment within. The hut-like buildings are the entrances to each of the tombs. The best you can do is to stand at the door and take pictures.

Ironically, this is very different than what the Etruscans would have done, since they would regularly visit the dead directly in the tombs in their city. It is difficult to get much better pictures due to the Plexiglas barrier and the low lighting levels.

Ferentum

It has been great having my sister visit since we have visited a couple of new places together. Close by to Viterbo are the abandoned ruins of the city of Ferentum. As is common in this area, the site was originally Etruscan and then Roman. There is an Etruscan necropolis nearby and the ruins that are most visible today are Roman. The Roman Emperor Otho was born there and remains of members of his family were discovered at the site. Its location near the Tiber and along several major trade routes made Ferentum an important city during Roman times. Even during the Middle Ages, it was a relatively thriving city. Why then, you ask, is it now abandoned when so many other towns continued to be occupied and transformed to the present day? They were engaged in a long standing pissing match with Viterbo for supremacy in the region and in 1172 the Viterbese finally defeated them and pretty literally wiped the town off the face of the earth. The Viterbese were so proud of their actions that they even incorporated the palm tree symbol of Ferentum into their own city symbols.

On our way back from Civita di Bagnoreggio we decided to stop by. You drive in along a dirt road to what was once a well maintained archeological site. Now, however, the ruins are once again reverting to a state of ruin. Our visit was accompanied by a thick layer of fog, providing an evocative glimpse of what might have been.

The Roman theater which had been partially rebuilt and used for events, is once again crumbling.

The baths which have been covered by a modern structure to protect them are in better shape. You can easily make out the hot, warm and cold pools. The original tile work, which had been cleaned and stabilized is now covered in black slime which is encroaching over the entire area.

I forgot to bring my camera since we hadn’t planned this stop, so a special shout out to Emily for allowing me to use her pictures.

Healthcare, Italian Style

Health care, its cost and how it should be paid for is a thorny issue in the US. President Obama’s health care reform, passed with what can only be described as the use of significant political capital, may ultimately be his signature accomplishment. Republicans made its proposed repeal a cornerstone of their most recent election platform. Affordable universal healthcare is the norm, rather than the exception, for much of the rest of the civilized world. Call it socialism if you like. But, here in Italy, it works!

Italians have some of the best healthcare in the world. As resident aliens, Amy and I have access to all of it at no cost to us. What little we do pay out of pocket for prescriptions and any work we chose to have done privately rather than through the state-run system is covered in full by the insurance plan provided by our US-based employer. The doctor the school uses for routine care of our students speaks wonderful English and has excellent credentials including an internship at Yale University.

Why this post at this time? Unfortunately, when my sister and her companion arrived earlier this week from the US, Max brought with him a case of the flu, which blossomed during their first two days here and laid him out on his back for the two days after that. Concerned that it might be something more, we had our Resident Director call to make an appointment with the doctor. Less than an hour later Dr. B. was at our door, evaluated Max and told us what we needed to pick up at the pharmacy. Total cost, house-call and all. Nothing. Just a smile and a handshake. Sometimes I really like Italy!

Merry Christmas

A family tradition was broken this year. My Grandfather Teveliet was born on Christmas Eve, 120 years ago. Beginning in 1992 on what would have been his 100^th birthday, my siblings and I gathered with my mother every 5 years to celebrate. This year, since I am in Italy, that was difficult. However, my youngest sister, Emily, and her partner, Max, decided to come and visit us. They arrived on Christmas Eve and we met them at the airport. Amy and I were unable to get our act together last week to marinate the sauerbraten, so we postponed our traditional German meal for one day until Christmas Day itself.

Today, following a circumnavigation of Lago di Bolsena, we served up a late afternoon meal of spaetzle casserole,

gravy,

sauerbraten,

and sauerkraut.

Happy birthday Grandpa Teveliet!

Christmas Viterbo Style

Christmas is a big deal in this officially Catholic country. It is hard to comment without sounding judgmental, but what the hey. Christmas somehow seems more genuine here. There is no “Thanksgiving” to mark the official beginning of the Christmas season, which somehow seems to push further and further toward Halloween in the US. To be certain, lights go up all over town and businesses do have Christmas sales, but it doesn’t seem like there is quite the same fervent commercial aspect to the celebration.

The season of celebration in Viterbo begins with the lighting of the Christmas tree in the Piazza della Plebescito on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the celebration of the fact that Mary officially got knocked up without the pleasure of fooling around. We were in Athens that weekend and thus missed the official celebration. Many of the main streets in Viterbo are strung with overhead lights as well.

Last night was a special commercial day in Viterbo as all of the shops stayed open until midnight with special last-minute Christmas sales. The streets were crowded with people out for a passagiata under the lights such as these above the fountain in the Piazza del Erbe.

There was live music in the main square near the tree.

Santa came riding past in a black carriage drawn by a black horse. He was preceded by a marching band playing no less than “Smoke on the Water” when they passed us and trailed by a retinue of helpers, some dressed ominously in black, hooded capes, others as elves.

Also open was an edible exhibition of chocolate. Some of the creations were fantastic including this all fondente tree with a nativity scene in the middle.

At home we have a more modest display of a tree and ornaments we found left in the apartment. Amy is delighted by the fact that the Grinch has no pants!

We are looking forward to the arrival of my sister Emily to celebrate the holidays with us. She arrives at FCO tomorrow morning.

St. Peter's and the Vatican

As surprising as it might seem, it has been years since I visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. I came close when we visited years ago with Gretchen and Chris, but stayed outside with our backpacks and other materials which weren’t allowed inside when Chris went in. Last Christmas we got within viewing distance from the top of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus trip we took with my mother and Jim, but the press of the Christmas Day crowds was more than we were interested in.

Last Sunday found us headed for Rome with Peter Kester to see as many of the sights as we could fit into a day. We disembarked at the Valle Aurelia stop and walked the kilometer around the walls, past the Vatican Museum and to the main square. Along the way we encountered a large cluster of people and officials. We waited and within 5 minutes were treated to the sight of Pope Benedict exiting the Vatican in a car. Not much to see other than a white clad figure waving to a group of nuns in a frenzy about to lose their papal virginity. Thus, Amy and I have seen both of the last two Popes.

We left quickly after he went by and found ourselves leading a throng toward the security checkpoint into the Basilica through which we passed without a hitch. The interior of the Basilica is breathtakingly vast and ornate.

The current structure was built on the site of a much smaller church which included the tomb of St. Peter. If you plan ahead and get special permission, you can travel down into the catacombs to see the remains of the many Popes who are interred there. The interior was decorated by many important and famous artists. Here Peter stands near Michelangelo’s Pieta which is, unfortunately, sequestered behind safety glass after an idiot defaced it several decades ago.

The main chapel was off limits to casual visitors as it was open to worshippers who had secured passes for a mass to be held shortly after we arrived. Based on what we saw earlier, it is doubtful that the Pope himself was to officiate. We wandered around the perimeter, stopping often to view the statuary and details of the side chapels.

For me, one of the highlights of a visit to the Basilica is a trip to the cupola. When you follow signs around to the right of the main building, you encounter a ticket booth where you can pay 5 euros for the privilege of climbing to the cupola. A few hundred stairs deposits you on the roof of the main building from which you can enter the interior of the monstrous dome which sits at the intersection of the cross shaped church. Most visitors do little more than wander around a wide balcony, high above the main church floor. You get a very different view of the church and interior of the dome.

Interestingly, you don’t even notice this balcony looking up from the inside unless your eye happens to be drawn to a bit of motion as someone moves around. As you exit the balcony on the opposite side from which you entered you can leave directly or, if you are savvy enough you can duck through a small doorway to your right to find yourself between the inner and outer skin of the dome. Winding upward another 300+ narrow steps sandwiched between rounded, tilting walls takes you to the very top of the dome. The cupola isn’t for the faint of heart or vertigo challenged. I had been before, so was aware of what I was getting into and able to brace myself for it. What you get when you finally arrive is an unparalleled view from one of the highest points in Rome. The iconic pictures of the main square are taken from this eagle’s nest.

Unfortunately, it was foggy and had rained shortly before we arrived in Rome, so visibility was a bit limited. You also get views of the Vatican which most people don’t realize exist. The country is entirely surrounded by a wall which is 10+ meters tall at most points and which you can’t see over anywhere. It is a fortress which was to protect the city state from invaders over the centuries. Inside are tranquil spaces, beautiful fountains and, at this time of year, lush, green gardens.

Pete's Quicky

Last weekend we had a whirlwind visit from our friend Pete. We have both known Pete since our Bowdoin days. He was one of the ushers at our wedding. We have kept in touch through our AD connections and using Facebook. However, as far as any of us can remember, we haven’t seen him in person since my surprise 30^th birthday party when he came down to Cary, NC. He was looking to build up some frequent flyer miles and we had invited him to visit, so he arranged to come. I picked him up at the airport on Friday morning. We spent the afternoon reconnecting and seeing the city of Viterbo followed by pizza at Il Monastero.

On Saturday we spent a rainy morning in Civita di Bagnoreggio. There Pete charmed some of the locals,

took in the foggy scenery

and dined at a local hot spot complete with wine cellar in an Etruscan cave. He thanked us for arranging a private tour of the city and for the private lunch with the owner of the restaurant. In truth, a cold, rainy December Saturday doesn’t bring out the Italians.

On Sunday we took an early train to Rome to check out the sites. We started at the Vatican, where we ran into the Pope. Well, not really, but he did go past in a car while we were standing there. We visited the top of the dome

and then paused for a rest stop on the roof of the church.

We scurried about to Piazza Novona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps before having lunch at one of our favorite places, Orso '80.

After lunch it was down to the Colosseum and then a drink in a nearby bar before finishing our day in the underground at San Clemente.

We arrived home some 14 hours later, exhausted but content. Monday morning saw us up and out by 6 am for the ride back to the airport and his trip home. It was Pete's first of what we hope will be many trips to Rome and Italy. Come back soon. Arrivederci!

Cats and Dogs

As with most European cities, Athens is very animal-friendly. We saw MANY happy pooches out strolling with their owners. But, Athens has a stray dog and cat problem. Stray cats are everywhere, wandering the streets and flitting about the archeological sites. One particularly friendly kitty at the Temple of Olympian Zeus heard the rustle of a foil chocolate wrapper and came at a dead run. He didn’t seem terribly upset that we had nothing to offer and hopped up onto Amy’s lap giving us a chance to observe his clipped ear indicating he had been fixed. So, somebody is looking out for the stray cat population. It is harder to know what is going on with the dogs. Every site has them. When you look closely, most if not all are wearing some sort of tags. Again at the Temple of Olympian Zeus there were dog houses in evidenced and the dogs were chained near the entrance. Given that they have to be safe for visitors to be around, it is doubtful that they perform any type of watchdog function. Maybe they go home with the workers, or something like that. They are too well fed and cared for to be completely stray and feral. Here are a few of our friends.

A pair of dogs at Hadrian’s Library.

A docent at the entrance to the New Acropolis Museum.

A pair of watch cats at the work zone atop the Acropolis.

A greeter at the entrance to the Acropolis.

And, a groundskeeper on the southern slope of the Acropolis.

Ancient Athens

Athens has a surprising amount of open, green space. Much of it is concentrated in and around the many archeological sites in the center of the historic portion of the city. On our first day, in addition to visiting the shopping district and the New Acropolis Museum, we wandered past a number of ruin sites. Unfortunately most closed at 3 pm, so we were limited to taking pictures from outside the fences. We had a nice overview of the ancient Roman Agora with its columns and piles of sorted architectural elements.

As I indicated earlier, the Roman Emperor Hadrian was smitten with Greece in general and Athens in particular. He didn’t spend much time in Rome, traveling to almost every corner of his empire. He was quite civic minded, rebuilding the Pantheon in Rome and erecting many temples and monuments. He built a palace complex at the ancient Olympic site to house him and his retinue. As part of his infatuation with Athens, he attempted to make it the cultural center of the Roman Empire. To that end, he sponsored the building of many structures including a library which has been partially restored.

He paid for the completion of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, a HUGE temple in the plain below the Acropolis. Little remains today except an open field with a cluster of standing columns which we viewed from afar in the sun of the first day.

And, from up close in the gray of the second day.

In gratitude, the people of Athens built an arched gate, called, of course, Hadrian’s Gate.

As part of our ticket to the Acropolis, we also gained access to half a dozen other sites. As we traveled down from the Acropolis, we decided to follow the route of the former Panathenaic Way through the remains of the Ancient Agora. The Agora was the site of the Temple of Hephaistos, seen both from above from the Acropolis and from up close.

It is in a quite remarkable state of preservation as it was rebuilt and used as a museum in the early 1900’s.The excavation of the site was overseen by the American School of Classical studies. They remodeled the Stoa of Attalos to house the finds from the excavations. It also serves to give a really unique opportunity to get a sense of what these buildings looked like in their original form. The museum was renovated and upgraded again as part of the infrastructure and cultural upgrades for the 2004 Olympic Games.

This was not the largest stoa on the original site. The remains of the Middle Stoa from the 2^nd century BC are shown below. An interesting feature of the most recent excavations by the American School is the choice to replant the ruins with foliage and trees which were known to have been available and in use by the Greeks at the time of the Agora once their work was completed. This makes a lush, green, shady venue for visitors. I imagine it would even be somewhat pleasant during the summer months, although our fall trip was certainly far superior.

One of the more interesting buildings in the Agora was the Odeion of Agrippa, built in 15 BC and used for concerts. Agrippa was one of the good friends of Augustus and served as his main general as he consolidated power.

The buildings and pictures are too numerous to describe and include. Suffice it to say, it is just as easy to become “ruined out” in Athens as it is in Rome.