If you’re going to scale a volcano- make sure its active. I’ve covered Pompeii and its unfortunate end in a previous post https://thedreameroftheday.com/2016/08/09/pompeii/ but the focus was on the city more then the volcano that destroyed it. This time I was playing tour guide to my parents and we decided to get to the top.
Hiking up
A few sharp switchbacks in the van culminate in a stop well short of the rim. The journey up provides incredible views so bring a camera. Once you reach the rim you can hike most of the way around.
Looking into an active volcano
One of the most amazing things is the signs of activity- sulphuric smells and visible streams of steam and gas. In some places you could even feel the heat coming off the rock. Be sure to wear proper shoes for a hike, the rock at the top is uneven and in some cases really jagged. When teaching geography we of course spend a lot of time looking at volcano’s because they are awesome (and its required). I question why anyone would want to live next to this particular volcano, considered one of the most dangerous in the world because of the type of violent eruption it unleashes. Many people think its extinct but its actually the only volcano in Europe to fully erupt in the last century. Its a matter of time before history repeats itself in Pompeii.
The trip down was a bit quicker and we still had some time for a tour of Pompeii itself.
My hiking buddiesPompeii with Vesuvius in the background
During our time in Rome we also had time for the Baths of Caracalla (named for the Emperor who had them built) which I’d never been to before. Amazingly they were only the second biggest bath complex in Rome and after being constructed in the early 3rd century stayed active till the 6th. It took 9000 men 5 years to build and continued with additions for years after that. Invading Ostrogoths put an end to it when they cut the water supply to Rome and the Catholic Church then stripped the rest of much of its marble, statues and incredible works of art.
The old swimming pool- the holes a few feet off the ground were water pipes bringing in a fresh supplyPock marks in the marble here were for a gambling game, swimmers could relax and roll dice at the same time!
Just walking through makes you appreciate how advanced the Romans were and a bit angry that you can’t see it in its former glory.
A mock up of what the Baths would’ve looked like
The good news is the Baths are only a short walk from the Coliseum and the Palatine/Capitaline hills.
We did visit the Coliseum (of course) and this time I knew to book the tour for special access. This takes you to the upper level of the coliseum and under the arena floor, areas you can see, but not visit on the normal tour. When it comes to history Roman never disappoints.
It has been 100 years (almost to the day when we visited) since the four Canadian divisions stormed and took Vimy Ridge. Many point to this as a key moment of nation building in Canada’s young history. Canada holds an exceptional war record and gained a reputation for accomplishing victory in unlikely situations like Ypres which led to the attack at Vimy.
Vimy Memorial
The second battle of Ypres resulted in the first use of chlorine gas and the entire allied line (4 km long) broke and ran except the Canadians who single handedly held it overnight. Given my nationality there’s some bias here- so take it from the British prime minister Lloyd George after the Somme, “The Canadians played a part of such distinction that thenceforward they were marked out as shock troops; for the remainder of the war they were brought along to head the assault in one great battle after another. Whenever the Germans found the Canadian corps coming into line they prepared for the worst.”
Canadian Trench’s
So in the early hours of April 9th 1917, after 3 years of allied attempts to take Vimy and almost 200,000 casualties- the Canadians were given a shot. They took 3 days to do what the rest of the army had attempted for 3 years using a combination of new training techniques and a progressive artillery bombardment called a creeping barrage. The artillery fired just in front of advancing troops and tunnels were used to get as close as possible.
One of many tunnels
The tunnels are incredibly deep and if you visit the new centre- built for the centennial, you can descend into them, coming up in the front line trench’s. They are still being excavated and discovered and require the presence of military experts to disable explosive traps which were set 100 years ago.
Movies give the impression that no mans land (the space between the two sides) was large but actually you could toss a rock into the other trench at several points. There are craters everywhere, some from extended shelling and even larger ones from tunnel mines being detonated underground. It speaks to the hell both sides must have endured throughout the battle. Almost 4000 Canadians lost their lives on the ridge while another 7000 were injured.
No mans land crater- can see the wire of German trench just on the other sideGerman pillbox with Canadian flag marking their linesmetal shields like this one protected observers from sniper fire
The whole area is well kept and patrolled by flocks of sheep who “cut the grass” just in case any unexploded ordinance is waiting beneath the surface. I highly recommend the lamp chops.
The memorial statues and the cemeteries are immaculate and are maintained in many cases by the French as a thank you for those who died away from home. They have done an excellent job honouring those men and preserving their memory. In addition to that, the local people in Arras were very friendly and if you have the chance, stay there during your visit. I would suggest the Trois Luppars for a hotel and for transportation take a taxi- not a tour bus (cheaper and faster).
Only 16Town square in Arras
Juno Beach is a slightly more recent but still important moment in Canadian history. One of five beach’s taken in the invasion of Normandy during the D-Day offensive on June 6th 1944 and it resulted in heavy casualties. At day’s end the Canadians were halted because they were too far in front of the rest of the army. The beach itself has one well preserved bunker system and a nice new visitor centre which does an excellent job showing the lead up to the landing. The beach itself shows no memory of the attack, children play on it and people windsurf where landing craft once rolled in.
This section of the beach was known as Nan and Mike sectors respectively. Below is a map of where the defences were. The dunes in the photo above were removed by French labourers for clearer sight lines and concrete emplacements 3 metres thick were every 500 metres with overlapping fields of fire. Tidal areas were covered with traps and barriers like those seen below. They were designed to destroy landing craft and slow approach routes. The whole system was referred to as the Atlantic Wall and was built from 1942-44 stretching over 2500km.
Beach defences
The building of the wall was originally up to the individual commanders, meaning there was no uniform plan for how bunkers and defences should be built. Hitlers top general, Erwin Rommel took over and that all changed. We got to go into two bunkers, the first pre-Rommel with an obvious flaw in the design. See below- flamethrowers or grenades could be tossed through the ventilation shafts.
MASSIVE design flaw.
Rommel was smart- and some say a good man. He attempted to assassinate Hitler and got caught but this was publicly embarrassing for the 3rd Reich so he agreed to commit suicide via cyanide in return for his actions being kept secret and his families protection. This led to a lack of leadership on D-Day and may have ensured Allied victory. One of his innovations was the new bunker below with a fake ventilation shaft- throw a grenade in and it came right back out at the persons feet.
Pillbox interior
Take the time to grab a taxi out of town to the Canadian cemetery which once again is so impressively maintained by the French government. Its an emotional experience looking at not only the number of head stones but the age of the young men who didn’t make it home.
This hoody is part of a line called Veterans wear and when you purchase one the proceeds help put another plaque up for a Canadian who fought at Juno
There is a local bus that will take you from Caen straight to the Juno Beach centre and takes about 45 minutes. Take the time to explore both sites if you are in the area, its well worth it and especially for Canadians its nice to visualize something we learn so much about in school. More importantly its good to remember, lest we forget.
Known for extravagant opulence in the extreme, Versailles started as a royal hunting lodge in 1623 before being developed into the jewel of Europe’s palaces. It served as a seat of Kings from 1682-1789 when royal power dissolved during the French Revolution. Just as famous as the Palace is its builder, Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King. His rule of almost 73 years is a record for a European royal and his expenditures for Versailles are estimated at over 2 billion dollars.
The grounds at Versailles are massive and contain dozens of fountains and a private lake. For those wondering about the title- a family known as the Gobelins were the owners of a tapestry company which Louis nationalized. He also made them partly responsible for ensuring the decoration of Versailles was done entirely through French artisans and using French materials. One letter away from those Goblin decorators we all want working on our dream homes! As for the assassins, the most famous room in the Palace is the Hall of Mirrors. People underestimate the power this room conveyed to visitors at the time as mirrors were not only incredibly expensive but also a coveted secret of the Venetian government. Louis insistence that everything be made in France led to the French luring Venetian artisans to their court. Shortly after they made Louis his mirrors assassins sent by the Venetians eliminated the glass craftsmen to keep the secret of its manufacture safe.
The Hall of Mirrors also served as the site where Britain recognized the independence of America in 1783, the site where the German empire was founded in 1871 after the French fell to the Prussians and in 1919 became home to the Treaty of Versailles which started Europe down the road to world war two.
Other famous rooms include the Kings chambers, and the Royal Chapel. At the very back of the property Marie Antoinette had her very own mini palace and garden. She is most famous for supposedly saying “let them eat cake” although there is little evidence she ever said this. Sadly we didn’t have time to see this part of the grounds- something for next time!
Royal Chapel-Main FloorRoyal Chapel- 2nd FloorIncredible collection of military paintingsRoyal dining hall- courtiers would observe the royals eating dinner like we’d go see a movieKings bedroom and where Louis XIV passed in 1715
One of many fountainsFountains and a private lakeA sighting of royalty!
Edinburgh was on my list of must see cities for quite some time. I still have a lot of Scotland I’d like to see but my brief trip was a great start. Edinburgh’s layout seems to centre around the castle. To one side is a great collection of old historic buildings and Arthurs Seat. On the other is a more modern mix of pubs and shopping centres. Sadly Arthurs seat was covered in mist when I was there (typical Scotland) so I had to forgo that adventure temporarily.
Edinburgh castle dominates the city on a tall volcanic crag and has progressed from stone age settlement to medieval palace and finally the centre of the country’s capital. It was the original castle of the first Scottish Kings and although besieged several times it was never captured by direct assault but always via stealth. The reason for that becomes obvious when you see the steep rock on 3 of the 4 sides. The entrance is over a drawbridge guarded by statues of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace of Braveheart fame. That drawbridge is crossed by close to two million visitors a year and is now both a military posting and home to several military museums including the Scottish War Memorial. It features many layers and spirals upwards like a staircase through multiple gates.
Below are the front and back shots of the War Memorial- by far the most impressive building on the site and the most impactful.
Front of the War Memorial
The castle has a bloody history dating to at least the 13th century when Edward the I (Longshanks) of England came north to “help sort things out” and took it after the Scottish King died. This began a long history of conflict between the two nations with the forces of Robert the Bruce re-capturing the castle in 1314. He ordered it to be destroyed so the English could never again use it against them. The only remaining structure from this castle is St.Margarets Chapel, built in 1130 by King David I for his now canonized mother. Longshanks died with Scotland still free and this lasted till 1706 when Scotland’s Parliament voted to join England to avoid bankruptcy. He left instructions for his corpse to be mounted on a horse in armour and paraded through the castle when Scotland fell but he’s still waiting.
The Chapel from 1130
By 1335 the castle was semi rebuilt and in English hands yet again before the Scots recaptured it in 1341. In the 1360’s King David II had the castle rebuilt properly and a hundred years later James III added a royal palace. In the 1500’s Scotland’s crown jewels and royal items were moved into the castle including the famous stone of destiny (stone of Scone to the Scottish). The stone is to be sat on by a monarch as they are crowned but was captured by Edward I and moved to Westminster Abbey where it was put in his chair (still there today). The stone was most recently used for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. In 1950 Scottish students broke into the Abbey, stole the stone and returned it to Scotland. It was given back 4 months later but in 1996 the British finally returned the stone to the castle under the condition that it be available for future coronations.
The other crown jewels have their own unique story. In 1941 they were hidden in the walls of an old tower in case the Nazi’s made it across the channel. Only 4 people knew the plan and location: King George VI, the treasurer, the secretary of state and the governor general of Canada (in case the country fell). There wasn’t room for the crown in the wall so it was hidden under a royal medieval toilet.
Official dog cemetery dating to Victorian times
Mary Queen of Scots also called the castle home and gave birth to her son there. Apparently my family has some relation to her way back down the line. She was executed for treason by her cousin Elizabeth I. Her son James I was more successful and was the first joint King of England and Scotland after Elizabeth’s death. He never got the countries to unite but did survive the gunpowder plot and began the British colonization of the Americas.
Mons Meg-Biggest gun to be fired in combat in England (range of 2 miles)
The castle is an incredible trip back into history and the free tour is well worth it. Take some time to go into the memorial, its a very touching space.
In addition to the castle you can find bagpipers, kilt makers and incredible little church’s like the one below. For Harry Potter fans you have the Elephant House where Rowling wrote the first book and the graveyard where she got the inspiration for some of her characters (Voldemort and McGonagall among them). Make sure you don’t miss out on the culinary delight of haggis, tatties and neeps! I’m also told there is a section of the city that is underground and was shut off after the plague. I’ll have to tour that next time!
Stonehenge conjures up images of cloak clad druids performing moonlight ceremonies in the mist. Truth is, much of what people think they know about the henge is wrong or popular myth.
A visit to the stones should include use of the audio guide as it provides a much better explanation of what you’re looking at. It can be difficult to get to as it is literally in the middle of fields full of sheep. The one nearby street slows to a crawl as everyone but the locals gawk out of their windows. I’d recommend the combo tour from Anderson Tours. It gives plenty of time to tour around the site before heading to Bath for the afternoon. Both locations cost a fair bit to get to via train so it is actually far cheaper going by coach. It works out to about 70 pounds and includes your admissions – http://www.andersontours.co.uk/tourdetails.asp?id=7
The parentals enjoying their first trip over to Europe
Construction on Stonehenge began around roughly 3000 B.C but wasn’t completed in its current form until somewhere closer to 2000 B.C. It is surrounded by hundreds of burial mounds which are quite visible as you approach it. One of the most common misconceptions about the henge is that it was built by Druids. In fact, the henge existed long before the druids were around. Another myth is that Stonehenge was a place of animal sacrifice. It is true that animal bones have been found in and around the site but there are two reasons for this. First many of the tools used for digging out ditches were made of animal bone (especially shoulder blades and antlers). Second, the site currently holding a tourism centre was at one point a camp of up to 4000 people on the solstice celebrations. The celebrations, as well as the camp that supported the workers required large amounts of food so it makes sense that those remains wouldn’t be in short supply. Also of interest is that based on evidence from teeth found at the site people travelled from the Scottish highlands to celebrate the solstice.
Just outside the perimeter of the henge is the Slaughter Stone. During a rain storm the water collecting on it turns a light red which of course was the blood of the victims coming out over time. Eventually someone with an aversion to cool stories prevailed- the stone has a high iron content which mixes with high algae growth to make red water.
Just in front of the henge is the Slaughter Stone
Some have doubted the ability of ancient peoples to move blocks of stone weighing several tons over distances of up to 200km. Recently a group of historians recreated the task and succeeded quite nicely. While we don’t know exactly how the upper layer was put in place there is no shortage of theories. One thing I wouldn’t have noticed if the guide hadn’t pointed it out is the lego like nubs sticking up out of the upright blocks. The top pieces were hollowed out and dropped on to the standing pieces like pegs so they were secure. Essentially stonehenge is the original lego set.
One of the rock pegs-look at the top of the tallest stone
Sadly you can only get right up to the stones during special days of the year and an hour before sunset/sunrise (sign up online). This was for two reasons, the first being an increase in idiots vandalizing the site. The second is that the massive amount of foot traffic was eroding the surrounding soil too fast which could de-stabilize the stones.
Check out the base of the stone on the right- already being supported with metal inserts
Be sure to check out the little museum on your way out- it gives lots of excellent information/theories. One of the coolest theories to come out in a while is that of the super-henge. Recent ground radar technology suggests that there may be a massive henge buried under the one on the surface. Whether that theory will ever be tested given the unstable nature of the stones is something only time will tell.
Despite having lived here for a year now I still haven’t done or seen everything London has to offer and I’m not sure you ever could. Every time I go into the city I discover something new (but actually quite old). I’ve been lucky to have friends and family come through to visit and its provided a great chance to show them around.
Westminster Abbey is one of the most traditional tourist spots in London. If you only have the chance to visit it or St. Pauls I’d give Westminster the edge. It’s also quite easy to get to being right behind Parliament. Its 17 pounds for students and 20 for adults but it’s well worth spending the extra few pounds to join the Westminster Tour. The tour not only provides lots of extra information but gives access to places that solo visitors can’t experience.
Those who have visited before will know you can’t take photo’s inside the actual church but can in other parts of the Abbey. All I can say is that the inside is exquisite and should be a must see on your list. There is also a new section opening to the public, the gallery which runs 70 feet above the floor of the Abbey is being renovated for opening in 2018. This will be the first time that this part of the church has opened to the public in 700 years.
Westminster was originally founded on the site by Benedictine monks over 1000 years ago (roughly 960A.D). The area was swampy and slightly unpleasant and apparently that made for a lovely location since suffering brought them closer to God. King Edward decided this was the church he wanted enlarged and though named for St. Peter it became known as the west minster in order to avoid confusion with St. Pauls (the original, not the current one) which was the east minster. After his death King Ed became St. Ed and is now interred behind the alter while several famous medieval monarchs have their tombs on top of his to be as close as possible during the ascension (essentially ride his coat tails to heaven).
Coronations have occurred at the Abbey since 1066 when William the Conquerer started the tradition (royal weddings are also common). A new Abbey was built on the site in 1245 by Henry III and is now the final resting place of several important Brits plus 17 former rulers (and over 3000 others). Tapestries, paintings, statues, grave markers and memorials adorn every wall, corner and most of the floor. Also present is the coronation throne, under which goes the stone of destiny. After many years of borrowing (stealing) the stone it has been given back to Scotland on the condition that it be returned for future coronations. Just out from the throne is the grave of the unknown soldier, frequently covered in both poppies and wreaths. One of the newer additions in 1745 is the two frontal towers which remained uncompleted through the medieval period but are arguably the Abbey’s most recognizable feature. Despite several changes over the years the church still runs a daily service and reports directly to the monarch instead of a bishop.
Westminster inner courtyard
Following the main street in line with the Thames you will pass Whitehall and come to the Horse guards barracks/museum. The actual museum isn’t overly impressive and is also very overpriced but watching the changing of the horse guards (around 11) is well worth your time. The horse guards (or Life Guard) have stood watch at the site since Charles II was restored around 1660. They guard the traditional entrance to both St. James Park and Buckingham Palace. While the ceremony isn’t as well known as the one at the Palace it is less crowded and you get much closer. Right next door are the Churchill War Rooms where members of the government had their World War Two bunker.
Afterwards it’s a brief walk through St. James Park (my favourite place in the entire city) to Buckingham Palace. St. James Park is full of all sorts of strange birds including Pelicans and they have ice cream so there is very little not to like. Within a few minutes walk you can also be in Trafalgar Square, dominated by the large statue of Lord Nelson.
When it comes to London attractions I don’t say this often but Buckingham Palace was a bit of a let down. Its just not impressive in the same way that Windsor or the Tower of London are although I hear that the tour of the inside (available only briefly in summer) is quite good. The facilities inside are in such poor condition that the Queen is moving out so a total overhaul can be done on the site. The changing of the guard is still well worth the trip though. Be prepared with some water and go early as it gets packed and continues for a lengthy period of time.
All in all the section of London between the Thames and Buckingham Palace is quite walkable and chalk full of big sites. After dark be sure to get over to Piccadilly Circus!
I missed my appointment with the Pope but all the same my visit to the world’s smallest country was impressive. I did have the chance to visit on Christmas Eve but had to wait a few days to actually get into the museums and St. Peters. My tour was excellent and hit all the highlights including the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica. Link provided here, 44 euro’s for the whole thing and you skip the line which unlike the Colosseum is a good call since entering is the equivalent of going through customs.
Religion and politics haven’t always mixed very well and in a time of Kings the Pope’s needed their own realm, so the Vatican became it’s own nation and made the Pope essentially the King of Rome for a while. Our guide explained that it was in this building that they would hold court and live day to day. We caught a nice view of the Basilica’s dome before heading into the museums. We were told that each Pope had a certain area of interest which they collected items from. For example Greek statues, or ancient Egyptian work. Many of the unique wings in the museums are just the collections amassed by individual Popes. How the collection of priceless artifacts (belonging to other people) furthered the mission of the church I can’t say…
Many ancient statues had painted, or gemstone, eyes like the one on the left. However over time they have been stolen.
Not a carving, this is a painting done to look 3d
The map room was my favourite section of the museums, floor to ceiling maps from across Italy that were hand painted. As you can see the ceiling alone is worth going through for. One of the most interesting things about visiting the Vatican is its links to the work of Rome. As I’ve mentioned before, the fall of Rome led to a great loss of knowledge and skill. After the fall the Roman forum was turned into a cattle field and stripped of all recyclable materials by the church in recompense for the whole feeding to the lions incident. The problem was that the Church couldn’t fully replicate some of the Roman works and simply moved them en mass into their new home (the Vatican) piece by piece. Much of what is in the Vatican came far later in time and is very impressive but one can certainly see the areas where Roman work is present. As you can see below, the museums fill up early and each hall goes for quite a ways.
The painting below is of the battle of the Milvian Bridge (312 A.D) between Emperor Constantine and Maxentius. In victory Constantine started down the road to making Christianity the religion of Rome. After that it was on to the Sistine Chapel, which no one is allowed to take photo’s of. Next up was St.Peters Basilica and our guide explained that the main alter is where the Church believes Peter was crucified. The original St. Peters was a masterpiece but isn’t the one currently on the site today. One of the Pope’s decided to live on the edge and bulldoze it in favour of the Basilica on site presently. At the time it was a very controversial decision.
The above photo is of one of Michelangelo’s statues, he preferred them to painting and didn’t enjoy creating the Sistine Chapel. The reason for the glass is a visitor who charged the statue and snapped off a few fingers.
One of the 9 Nazgul from Lord of the RingsWooden altar believed to be the site of Peters crucifixion
The above door is only opened during holy years (about every 25 years) and the current Pope randomly declared one so I was lucky in my timing.
Above a man prays for death to be delayed as he comes through the window and gets caught in some curtains- a classic defence technique.
After getting over all the marble and gold plated everything I started the long climb up into the dome. Much gelato was needed afterwards for a proper recovery!
The Swiss Guard
As a brief note on the Swiss Guard, they are the official military arm of the Vatican. Everyone assumes the Swiss are peaceful but for hundreds of years they had a massive mercenary army which served most of the major European powers at one point or another. At one point King Francis I of France had over 120,000 Swiss in his army but the massacre of the guards during the French Revolution led to the large dissolution of most Swiss Units. The main exception being the unit which still serves Vatican City today.
My time in Pompeii was probably my favourite travel day of the past year. Exploring the Forum or the Colosseum was great but they were single, damaged, looks at a small part of an entire city. When people tell you they excavated the city of Pompeii I pictured a few city blocks, maybe an amphitheatre or the odd temple. What I found was literally an entire city, left almost exactly the way it was all those years ago.
Imagine what it was like,79 A.D and its a hot August day. Lots of ships are coming into the port and workers are still trying to repair the damage done by the earthquake in 62 A.D. Its 11 in the morning and most people are focused on lunch, but not for long. A loud resounding boom echoes down from the mountain, interrupting the sounds of conversation and children at play. People are coming out of their homes, clogging the streets to stare at the mountain that was by now vomiting fire into the air. Food, tools, carts and belongings were dropped as people rushed inside for shelter to escape the large bits of falling rock and the ash that descended like snow. Like lost hikers in a blizzard panicked Romans stumbled through the ash towards city gates, before succumbing one after another. Pompeii was now a ghost town, its people buried under feet of ash. Some died collecting their wealth from its hiding places. Some sought shelter in doors, dying in the shadows or crushed when their roofs couldn’t take the weight of the ash. A brave few sheltered their loved ones, dying in each others embrace. They would lie there undisturbed, in some cases for almost 2000 years.
These days Pompeii is once again a seaside town. The actual location is right alongside the old one which at the time of the disaster housed 20,000 people and served not only as a port but as a resort town for wealthy Romans. I caught a very affordable (and early) morning train from Rome. Admission to the old city is only 11 Euros but you can also get package deals to see the nearby town of Herculaneum or to pick up guidebooks/audio guides. I had a trip to the top of Mount Vesuvius on my list but was forced to abandon it because tours only left at mid day, meaning you wouldn’t have enough time to fully explore the city. If you plan on doing the new town and Vesuvius allocate two days because Pompeii requires a full one. I was there from opening to close and still didn’t see the whole city- also pick up the audio guide, it provides tons of info the signs don’t. One of the important things to realize with Pompeii is that the combination of ash and two waves of pyroclastic flow (gas, ash and rock) buried the city under 5 or 6 meters of debris. The ash hardened and formed an air tight seal preserving all organic materials. Because of Pompeii we know far more about how every day Romans lived and functioned. Pompeii continues to be a gold mine of historical information and is still a very active dig site in more then one spot. Many of the discovered bodies are on display, making the impact of the disaster a little more real. If you look closely, you can see the clothing and footwear they were wearing when they died.
I began my tour at the side entrance by the amphitheatre, far less crowded and closer to the train station. The amphitheatre is the oldest surviving example in the Roman world and is surrounded by vineyards. Archeologists preserved the holes left by root systems and replanted both the vines and the stakes supporting them in their original place. They replicated this with plants all over Pompeii, using the casts of root systems for identifying the plant type. It worked so well that Pompeii now creates its own wine.
Entry to the floor of the arena
Excellent year!
Next up was the Palestra Grande, sort of an early version of the YMCA for boys and according to some, the inspiration behind the Hitler Youth. These buildings were normally built by the Emperor or other rich benefactors for the youth of the city they favoured. Also seen are some of the family grave plots at the city outskirts. You can actually go inside and look around.
Family Crypts
One of my favourite things about Pompeii is that I could go through entire streets of houses and not see another person. Don’t just follow the provided list of must see sites, get off the traditional tour route and explore some of the houses on your own. Several amphora’s, roofing tiles and other pottery are just littering the area.
Raised streets for flooding. You an also see tracks worn into the stones by carts. Stacks of Roman roofing tile
Fancy marble stove topA restaurant in Pompeii which catered to sailors from other countries
After roaming the individual homes it was on the gladiator school and the theatres for performances (one big, one small).
Training took place in the field here, meals at the back and on the right hand side you can see small rooms where Gladiators could stay in greater comfort the night before a big fight (sort of a last meal of the day).
The Brothel in Pompeii is a major attraction and one of the things people seem to talk about a lot is the presence of penises throughout the city. Penises were a symbol of power at the time and often accompanied political graffiti on walls. They also were carved into the street and if you followed them would lead you to the town brothel. In Pompeii you would select from several rooms where graphic paintings advertised what was offered inside. Many of them still remain but if you’d like to see them you’ll have to go visit yourselves.
For those who don’t believe me…
The yellow brick road it ain’t, don’t follow it. Just past the brothel is the Forum. For those who read my last post you’ll know the Forum was sort of a main street of its day. It was home to temples, markets and political activities as well as the buildings in which those sectors of society operated. A good case could be made for it being the nicest section of the city, although the preservation is not as nice as within some of the houses.
On the right is the Temple of Jupiter’s front facade
Edifice of Eumachia
I was one of the last people left in the ancient city when it closed for the day- and what a well spent day it was. I’ve definitely got to go back for the nearby town of Herculaneum which was buried by a mud slide and is apparently smaller but very well preserved. For all the foodies, I found a small restaurant that does the best lasagne and then discovered the joy of egg nog gelato. All in all a success!
The Colosseum has never needed much of an introduction. It is an iconic landmark which can be found on almost every must-see travel list. Add in Russel Crowe’s “Gladiator” movie and the Flavian Amphitheatre (as the Colosseum is technically known) has rarely been more popular. Of course in its heyday the Colosseum was full more often then not. Having conquered much of the known world, Romans had well over 200 public holidays a year and could be found spending many of them watching games in the arena. The games were free to all, although the best seats were reserved for the most important members of Roman society. It is estimated that as many as 80’000 screaming Romans may have crammed into the arena to watch the spectacles occurring on the sand below but the arena wasn’t the first building to stand on its current site.
Originally the land was the home of many wealthy Roman families but these Villa’s burned to the ground in the great fire of 64 A.D (in which Nero is said to have fiddled). Being an egotistical maniac Nero then took the land for himself and ordered it dug out to the bedrock and flooded to make a massive artificial lake for the front of his palace. Nearby he put up the massive Colossus of Nero, a solid bronze statue of himself which apparently required 24 elephants to move into position. After Nero’s demise the Flavian dynasty came to power and in 72 A.D Emperor Vespasian began the process of draining the lake and using the bedrock as the base for his gift to the people, a new amphitheatre. The massive statue of Nero was altered to look like a statue of the sun god and moved next to the Colosseum which is where many historians think the name comes from. The Colossus led to the Flavian amphitheatre getting a reputation as the Colosseum. In 80 A.D the arena was completed by Titus, the heir to Vespasian and another member of the Flavian dynasty.
In the coming years the Colosseum would host hunts, battle re-enactments, stories from classical mythology, gladiatorial combat, executions and even naval battles. As a former lake the bedrock base allowed the Colosseum to be filled with water. In some cases hippo’s or crocodiles were added to the mix to spice things up. Hunts were done in detail, with flora and fauna from the area in question being brought in. There are records of large shows featuring rhino’s and elephants. On once occasion it is reported that a large beached whale was hollowed out, filled with gladiators and put in the middle of the arena as an ambush for the incoming party.
Here the floor is exposed, with only the back of the former arena floor now replaced. The tunnel entering onto that section is where large animals too big for trap doors arrived
The experience wasn’t simply about the show on the sand either. The colosseum had water fountains (some lines are still maintained), food/toy vendors, ladies offering certain services and even sailors hired to rig shaded awnings over the crowd. The top rim of the Colosseum had holes in it for sailors to drop poles into. They would then position their sails around the perimeter to provide shade wherever the sun was at that particular point in the day. As it moved the poles were simply picked up and moved into the next slot. Gambling was also a major pastime, since apparently someone or something dying every once in a while wasn’t entertaining enough. Historians have found board games sketched right into the arena stone, including a game very similar to back-gammon.
At the bottom right you can see a restored trap door, while in the background you see marble seats reserved for Rome’s finest. These seats had the owners name inscribed and as people died or were replaced the chiseling out of names caused curves to occur in the marbleHere you can see an example of a named seat, now carefully protected
As Rome grew weaker the era of 200 straight days of games passed and by about 500 A.D the Colosseum was falling into disrepair. In the medieval period (12/1300’s) it was fortified and used as a castle. At this point all that remained of the nearby Colossus was the base, which can still be seen today. Leading up to the modern day the arena has been used as a hospital, quarry, storage site, religious monument to Christian martyrs and even a bull fighting ring. In recent years intense preservation has taken place and even when I was there lots of construction was on going. Unstable upper portions have been stabilized and the building is constantly monitored for any sign of needed repair. Despite the ongoing work, walking into the arena for the first time is something every traveller should do at least once. The building has an aura about it, a piece of living history where misery and majesty met in one of the biggest architectural masterpieces of the day. I spent hours walking around exploring and taking it in.
You can get a good idea of the constant work needed by observing where the scaffolding is up topCorridors are often under repair and many museum like displays are being set up/maintained to provide more information on this fascinating building
Be sure to go early as it lines up fast but don’t fall for the hustlers advertising speedy tours that help you skip the line. They will yell things like “average wait time from here is 3 hours, we can get you in now”. The average wait time is in fact much shorter then they would want you to believe but do be prepared to wait longer later in the day. Water fountains and (modern) bathrooms are available inside. If you want to go into the highest and lowest levels of the Colosseum a special ticket is needed which you can get online in advance. Overall you want the combo ticket for 12 Euros which gets you into the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill nearby (as seen from the Colosseum below).
The path to the Forum
Currently the entrance above is under repair so you need to go to the right to get into the Roman Forum. Many people use their combo ticket to do the Forum and Palatine Hill on the same day. If you are a real history nut they are easily worth a whole day by themselves. An audio guide is available, but not overly well laid out. It is however the only source of info besides the sparse signs dotting the area. The Forum is massive, as is the Palatine (one of Rome’s 7 hills). The Forum was the centre of Rome’s political, economic and religious life and is home to countless temples, monuments and government buildings. The Palatine was the home of Rome’s emperors and is now a major archeological dig spot. Lets start with the Forum!
The Forum as seen from the Palatine Hill. The area is covered in the remains of temples and monuments.
The Forum was actually a swamp when Rome was first founded and extensive works were required to drain the excess water and turn it into decent land. Different temples and buildings were put in at different times, varying by hundreds of years so an exploration of the area doesn’t exactly follow a specific route and can seem very chaotic. I’m going to include some pictures and brief descriptions of a few highlights. The good thing about the Forum is that you don’t need to know anything about Roman history to appreciate what you are walking past.
Temple built by Emperor Antoninus in memory of his wife Faustina, 141 A.D
One of the most significant buildings in the Forum is the Curia where the Senate met. The photo below is a bit unimpressive from the outside but it is the one rebuilt by Julius Caesar. When I visited the inside was closed for renovations (a bit of a theme in Rome). In this building many important decisions were made, often having international ramifications.
Arch of Septimius Severus, 203 A.D, to celebrate the defeat of the Parthians
Another notable site in the Forum is the remains of the Temple of Caesar. After his death in 44 B.C Caesar was cremated on the spot where Augustus built him a temple in 29 B.C. Part of the temple alter was built with the rostra’s of Antony and Cleopatra’s ships, captured by Augustus in the battle of Actium. The largest remaining part is the cement core of the altar, seen below.
Temple of SaturnRemains of the Basilica Guilia, built by Caesar and later updated by Augustus
Below is the rostra, the podium from which orators addressed the Roman people. The name comes from the rams (rostra’s) of ships captured by the Romans in battle which were used to decorate it. Cicero, one of Rome’s most famous orators, would have addressed the people from this very spot. It is the unimpressive rectangle of brick at the front of the photo.
The temple of Vesta was one of Rome’s most important and no men were allowed to enter (except the emperor). Below is all that remains after the fire of A.D 191.
Behind the temple was the house of the Vestal Virgins, women sworn to the service of the temple and who maintained it’s flame. Punishments for breaking a vow were severe and always ended in death. Service lasted 30 years and brought wealth and honour to the priestesses. The house is lined on the side with statues of famous Vestas of the past.
There are many other monuments and temples that deserve attention and are really interesting in their own right but there simply isn’t space to cover them all so onwards to the Palatine Hill! If you are looking for some great views the top of the Palatine is a great place to get them. There is also a very interesting active dig exploring a early hut village from the days of Rome’s founding.
The remains of a house belonging to Augustus, with St.Pauls in the background. Across the street from his house Augustus built a larger house for his wife Livia. The Augustan complex was huge and takes quite a while to explore properly. This fountain was one of two in the courtyard of the Flavian Villa (the same family who funded the Colosseum)
Many of the earliest homes on the Palatine were destroyed later on by Emperors. These same men also had a taste for gardens which cover much of the Palatine but are also a source of several archaeological digs. The Palatine Stadia, seen below, was part of the Flavian Palace, as was the fountain above.
If you look in the background of the above shot you’ll see the large ovular trench that takes up quite a bit of space. It is now used for running and concerts but at one point was the Circus Maximus (think chariot race from Ben-Hur). It is currently the site of a large dig (also another theme in Rome).
My last stop on the way off the Palatine Hill was the remains of the Claudian Aqueduct, considered one of the finest in Rome. From start to finish the entire the area is a constant throwback to what it might have been like to live in ancient Rome. That said, it had nothing on Pompeii, but more on that tomorrow!
Ever since I was a kid ancient Rome has fascinated me so when I was planning my trip I knew it had to be a stop, and a significant one. I spent the better part of my undergrad taking courses on the ancient world, and you can only read about it for so long before you venture out to explore the physical remains.
It’s no wonder that the Roman Empire captures the imagination so easily. It stretched from the shores of England to the Middle East, from Germany to Africa, essentially the “known world” at the time. Its fall spawned the dark ages, thus named for the decline of culture, economics and technology left in its wake. While some historians argue this gives the dark ages an unfair reputation many maintain that things didn’t start to recover until the Italian renaissance of the 14th century.
Rome started out as a city-state, entering into conflict with other city-states of the region in the 8th century B.C. At this point we know they were ruled by a series of kings but written records are basically non-existent from the period. The generally agreed date for Rome transitioning to a Republic is 509 B.C. During this period Rome exerted control over the Mediterranean and eliminated a major rival in Carthage. The Roman Empire is generally dated to 27 B.C when Augustus officially took power although it certainly wasn’t a Republic when Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 B.C. Caesar’s death in 44 B.C set off the chain of events that saw his adopted son Octavian become Augustus and in so doing changed the way Rome was ruled. Through civil war Rome eventually split into two Empires, East and West. The Western empire fell in 476 B.C while the Eastern one existed as a shadow of its former glory (run out of Istanbul) till falling to the Turks in 1453. The period of Empire was filled with many emperors in possession of a life time supply of crazy pills (which some blame on the lead pipes of the day) and many often shortened their own lives considerably by taking the top job. While Emperor Gordian holds the record at 21 days in power I prefer Emperor Pertinax who was killed by his own bodyguards who then offered the throne to whoever had the deepest pockets.
My own trip to Rome started with a really nice flight over the Alps, an incredible view from the air! I landed on Christmas Eve and after dropping my bag it was off to explore. First stop was the Coliseum, which will be getting its own post but suffice to say that it was incredible. A top item on my bucket list and I was so content to just stare and walk around it several times. This proved tiring and delicious gelato was needed to refuel.
Near the Coliseum is the Arch of Constantine, which commemorates his victory over Maxentius at the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 B.C. When a Roman delivered a particularly impressive thumping to an enemy they were awarded a public triumph (parade) through the city. The route they followed took them through the arches, of which this one is the largest.
It’s a very short walk from there alongside the length of the Roman forum towards Trajan’s column. There is just so much to look at and take in that it’s a bit overwhelming. You can guess who erected the column which tells the story of Rome’s war with the Dacians. It features spiralling panels that tell the story (as the Romans saw things) of how the conflict unfolded. While historians think there was a statue of Trajan at the top the one currently there dates to the mid 1500’s and was placed by the Pope (it’s actually a statue of St. Peter). After visiting Rome and learning how so many monuments became run down I have a bone to pick with the Catholic Church but more on that later.
From there it was about a five minute walk to the Trevi Fountain for an essential tourist stop. Then it was off to the Vatican for a Christmas Eve stop at the world’s smallest country.
Of course the Vatican was packed and decked out with an awesome Nativity scene as well as a massive Christmas tree. Being there on that night, of all the nights was pretty special. Certainly a once in a lifetime experience.
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