April 4th - Pompeii and the Sorrento Peninsula

The view of the Bay of Naples on our way to Sorrento

Karissa was the first to spot Vesuvius from the air

Okay, so I'm miserable at keeping this thing up to date!!  Confirmed.  We got back about two weeks ago from a 10 day trip back to Italy.  We have tried to cram all of our big and "south" trips into the late winter/early spring to catch some warmer weather.  We succeeded on our previous two trips to Italy and Greece and managed to catch another wonderful wave of weather - no rain whatsoever and warm, beautiful days.

Our little street where we "lived" and the apartment interiorI have to admit that this trip was probably the most beautiful scenery we have seen along with Switzerland.  We flew into Naples on Easter Sunday (after hunting Easter eggs of course) and took a special tour type bus to Sorrento - about an hour and 15 minutes around the bay.  Naples is the most densely populated city in western Europe so we couldn't get out of there fast enough (real Mafia town).  All we saw out the bus windows were somewhat dilapidated high-rise apartment buildings with balconies laden with drying laundry!!  It was pretty depressing.  Everyone we had talked with said that Sorrento was the place to stay.  Now we understand!  It is still quaint but definitely "cleaned up" for the tourists.  It's a mecca for the Brits and there were lots of them there as the British kids were on school holiday that week as well.  Our kids enjoyed getting to converse with other English speaking kids for a change!

Sorrento itself sits right on the coast and most of the shoreline along the peninsula consists of cliffs that plunge into the sea.  We arrived with our entourage of suitcases on wheels and had a 10 minute walk over cobblestone streets to our apartment.  What we didn't realize is that we arrived right in the middle of the "passeggiata" - the distinctively Italian nightly stroll.  EVERY Italian in Sorrento was walking or shall I say meandering down the street.  It is a ritual where you go out before your late dinner and see and be seen.  Not exactly easy maneuvering for our group of 9 (4 people and 5 suitcases!) who didn't know for sure where we were going!  Anyway, our two bedroom apartment was right in the middle of town and turned out to be huge.  It even had it's own balcony for drying our own laundry (P.S.  Make sure you know the people below you quite well if you happen to drop undergarments onto their balcony, oops ;) ).  The nightly stroll amazed us because when we went out again later it was even crazier and people were just walking right down the street with their strollers etc.  Forget the cars and scooters.  It was truly a cultural awakening!

The intact mosaics were incredible.Frescoed walls still standing after 2000 years

 It feels like a real city, streets and allOn our first full day we took the train to Herculaneum.  A city that was right on the ocean at the time of Vesuvius' eruption in 79 A.D.  Unlike, Pompeii, it didn't get demolished, it was just buried by about 95 feet of hot mud and ash!!  Many historians think it is much better preserved than Pompeii as the houses are so intact that there are second stories still remaining.  It's pretty weird though because they built a new city right on top of the buried city.  So, the excavation is significantly smaller because there is modern city built all around it and they can't get to the rest of the archaeological site!  It's just like a 100 foot deep pit in the middle of this urban sprawl.  Along with "Scavi di Ercolano" we went to the MAV Museum an interactive museum about the ancient site.  The girls loved it - it was all high tech and they got to "dust off" frescoes and mosaic floors, "wade through an ancient pool",  walk through computerized recreations of some of the buildings.  It really made it a lot of fun for them.

Upon our return to Sorrento that night we happened upon
Jhonny's Pizza (yes, that's how it's spelled).  Jhonny gave us quite a
show with his dough and wood burning oven.  He's won a number of awards for his frisbee like
moves (rolling it down his outstretched arms etc.) and also won our business for 4 nights during our stay (anything
to get Karissa to eat dinner - excuse me, I think the proper word would be
"inhale" in this particular case!).  It was a lot of fun and quite appropriate since that area of Italy is supposed to be the birthplace of the pizza.  Thin and crispy!

 Jhonny, throwing our dough!

Greece in March

Well, I am only a month behind - still haven't finished my posts on Rome but decided to go with Greece while it's fresh on my mind.  Originally Jay was going to go on his own to do some work at Corinth but the more I thought about it the more I couldn't stand not joining him.   So, we took the girls out of school and headed there by Swiss Airlines on the 12th.  (Dayna captured some pretty cool views of the Alps from the air.)  The trip  ended up being voted one of our favorite trips so far (our trip to Switzerland is still ranked #1).  We stayed the first 3 nights in an apartment at the Greek Bible Institute, a school run by a DTS grad in a suburb of Athens.  They gave us the royal welcome and we got to live like a local - riding the bus into Athens, going to the market etc.  The girls enjoyed interfacing with the students there from all over the world and also made a new kid friend - Erastos - the son of one of the professors.  He coached them on the finer points of soccer there on the school grounds.  Dayna also participated in a ladies quilting group at the school with some of the local Greek women.  She ate up the attention afforded a little blonde girl in a country with all dark hair!!

We spent our first full day in Athens at the Acropolis.  It wasn't crowded at all and the weather was pleasant and partly sunny.  We enjoyed a picnic lunch overlooking the city - a crowded and dense panorama.  We are so spoiled with space in the U.S.!!  A hike up to the top of the neighboring hill - Filopappos Hill provided some great views of the Parthenon.   We found Athens much nicer than when we were there in 1988.  A lot of improvements took place for the Olympics in 2004 including the nicest subway stations we have seen-complete with ancient artifacts displays.  Other than the stray dogs EVERYWHERE (which were there in '88 as well!) we felt safer walking all over the city.  They have really made the area around the Acropolis and Agora very friendly with outdoor cafes, pedestrian only streets and even a playground!  It's amazing that the Athenian kids grow up playing in the shadows of such famous
monuments!!

Our second day of touring Athens included a trip to the National Archaeological Museum which was chock full of some incredible artifacts.  It was pretty amazing and overwhelming.  It really is an incredible museum and you could spend days there.  After that and lunch at McDonalds (Jay gets his American style coffee and the girls get their burgers) we went to the newly opened Acropolis Museum which holds many of the original items from the Parthenon.  Architecturally the building is amazing and is designed with incredible views of the Parthenon.  (You can see the modern museum in the background of the picture above with Dayna) The top floor is a re-creation of the Parthenon using many of the original pieces that have been recovered.  It was pretty interesting and sad to see how many pieces are missing to the British Museum!  Unfortunately they don't allow photography in the Museum so we can't bore you with any pictures!



We ended the day with the all important souvenir shopping (hey, they have to have some payback for putting up with touring ruins and antiquities!) and ice cream (NOT to be compared with Italian gelato!).  Jay was yearning for American coffee after he endured a cup of Greek coffee with its 1/2" thick layer of grounds at the bottom.  Although it was a quick tour through Athens we were ready for some open space - the allure of the city had worn off...on to Corinth.

Rome in February

The girls started "Fasching Break" on Feb. 13 but Jay was taking a German class so we didn't get to leave for Rome until Thursday the 18th.  We flew out of Stuttgart for an hour and a half plane ride on German Wings - kind of like the Southwest Airlines of Germany.  It was actually cheaper than taking the train and much faster!!  We stayed for six nights in an apartment right on Piazza Barberini (see above for a view from our balcony) in the heart of the ancient city.  It was a bit of a challenge contending with the noise at night but the convenience and fun of being in the heart of things was worth it!  Rome does not sleep!

The ride in from the airport with Mr. Enzo (a great old Italian employed by the lady who owns the apartment) was exactly as I remember - Romans drive like they talk - lots of movement!!  At first I thought that maybe there was a law saying that you had to straddle the white line!!  They are crazy drivers and it took us forever to get to the apartment - it has become an extremely congested city and everyone loves to use their horn!!  We couldn't believe that we only saw one accident while we were there.  There are cars and scooters everywhere.  Parking is a nightmare and the Smart cars even squeeze by parallel parking in a new way!!



That first night we got settled, got some groceries at a little market and took off down the street a few blocks to the famous Trevi Fountain.  It became a nearly nightly ritual as you'll see from future posts!  The night was nearly 60 degrees and every person in Rome was out on the streets - they come alive at night!!  They stroll!

On our first day, we got up and walked a few blocks down a different street to the Spanish Steps. (In the picture you can see the obelisk down the street from our balcony) It is another famous place to sit and watch the crowds, we enjoyed the same and were especially pleased when the sun came out.  We did a little window shopping on the Via Condotti (the most exclusive shopping street in Rome) and enjoyed the guys selling roasted chestnuts along the street.  We had some lunch and then boarded the bus to Piazza Venezia.

Piazza Venezia sits at the base of the "wedding cake" monument to Vittorio Emmanuel - the first President of Italy.  He had it erected much to the chagrin of most Romans and it's considered the sore thumb of Rome because it is so big and opulent in contrast to the fabulous ruins around it.  We climbed its step to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and got some good views.  Around the corner we climbed the steps up to the top of the Capitoline Hill - considered to be the center of the Ancient Roman world and where we get our word "capitol" as in Washington D.C.  The piazza was designed by Michelangelo and was beautiful with it's patterned paving and great statues.  From the top of the hill we got a great look into the ancient Forum including the Arch of Septimius Severus from A.D. 203 and the Sacred Way.

From there we walked down the street toward the Colosseum from A.D. 80 built by Emperor Vespasian.  We rented the audio phones and headed right in.  It was a great time to be there as the lines were very short and the weather was really pleasant.  The girls enjoyed climbing around the great structure and we even saw some real live gladiators!!  Its pretty amazing to think that it's so old.  The reason it's half there is because it was plundered of its marble, bricks and statues to build other buildings after all of the games were outlawed (first the gladiators and then the wild animals fights were finally banned in 523 A.D.).  We headed home on the Metro which took us right to Piazza Barberini - when in Rome do as the Romans!

February Update

Well, it sure looks like everyone but Vancouver got their share of snow - even you Texas friends for a change.  The girls were bummed they missed seeing a big pile of snow in our backyard but the novelty of snow has kind of worn off!!  Our latest snow venture has been borrowed skis for both the girls.  A friend lent them skis for the season and the girls have been practicing their moves on the hills in the neighborhood.  Just one problem - no lift!!  The first few times I played "lift', then I got smart and said if you want to ski you have to take the skis off and carry them back up.  It's a chore.  This has got to be the most powdery snow Jay or I have ever seen and it's pretty deep.  Walking in it is a workout!  Dayna is ready for a lift - "it's too much work"!  Karissa keeps going and looks pretty good actually.  I hope to take them to a little slope (with a lift, thank you!) in the next day or two.  We'll see if I have the patience for it.  If you have ever skied you know that the mastering the lift can be just as difficult as skiing!!

We're being told this is the snowiest winter they have had since '78 or '79.  I guess it's better than ice!! Needless to say here are more pictures of us enjoying it (trust me though, we are not nearly as delighted with it as the kids!).   The pictures are taken right around our apartment and the kids in the apartments have had a ball.  We have literally spent hours in the snow with many of our neighbors which has made it more fun.  Jay has even gotten into the action but has had his share of tumbles which we all enjoy immensely.  The sleds are a little small!  It is so interesting because even old people go out and go sledding (without even having kids in tow).  Yesterday Dayna lost a boot and a man at least 70 helped her at the bottom of the hill.  He and his little wife were just out for a Sunday afternoon jaunt down the hill!!  The Germans are very active - much more active than Americans and very few people go to the gym.  Their exercise is just a part of their daily life and culture.

We haven't ventured too far from the neighborhood all winter since they really don't use snow plows very much.  We see quite a few spinning tires and even the Autobahns just get shut down altogether!  My friend picked her parents up from the Frankfurt airport the other day and the trip took over 7 hours instead of 2 1/2.  Now we know why Germans all buy snow tires!!  The poor mail carriers just gut it out on their bikes - no mail cars or trucks.  Talk about getting your exercise while you work and we have incredible hills on top of it!!  People ride their bikes year round.  "No such thing as bad weather in Germany - just bad clothes" as the Germans say!



You'll especially enjoy our bakery and note the yummy pretzel Dayna is devouring - they are a mainstay around here.  Everyone pops into the bakery and munches on something as they walk.  Jay has said he's never seen so many people eating while they walk!!  These bakeries are fabulous and we really have so few like them in the U.S.   Our supermarket bakeries pale in comparison.  Everything is so fresh.

Before the girls' week long holiday, they had a Fasnet/Fasching party at school on Friday.  All the kids got to dress up.  The Germans use a ton of face paint and they get really creative with it.  Part of the tradition is to cut off neckties from men's necks so that's why the auditorium is decorated with neckties.  Dayna opted for the most unpretentious costume - she was an Amerikaner.  Karissa got into the vampire scene.  Lots of Indians which cracks us up.  Even the teachers dressed up - the principal looked just like a Klu Klux Klan member - not something typical for the U.S. administration!!  The cultural differences are so interesting.



We head out to Rome on Thursday and hopefully some warmer weather.  Until then...

Fasnet

One of the things that we have come to understand about the difference between Europeans and Americans is their deep sense of tradition.  We forget how "new" the U.S. is compared to Europe.  This past Sunday we rode the bus downtown to attend the Fasnet (or fasching as they call it in the north of Germany) parade in the old city or Alstadt.  Fasnet is celebrated in the weeks prior to Ash Wednesday and it has Catholic roots.  Think New Orleans Carnival (Carnival, "carnem levare” (to remove meat)).  Since Baden Wurttemberg(the state we live in) has historically been a Protestant state our Fasnet citywide celebrations are in their infancy but other cities like Cologne have been celebrating for many years with wild parades and such before the 40 days of Lent start.

Since there seems to be some animosity between the Protestants and Catholics here we got major mixed reactions about Fasnet - the Catholics were "you've got to go to this parade" and the Protestants replied with "what parade?" or "Oh, we don't celebrate fasnet".  We decided it was a rare opportunity to witness an unusual cultural event.  As you browse through the pictures I think you'll understand why I chose the word "unusual".  This is not your typical American parade with marching bands in uniform, beautiful floats, or clowns.  It's all about letting loose and having fun before the Lenten fasting, however, the roots of the celebration go back to pagan times, when there were seasonal
celebrations designed to drive out the evil spirits of winter and
encourage the coming of spring and good crops. Ugly wooden masks are worn to
scare away these evil spirits.  Since these heathen traditions could not be suppressed by the Church,
they were gradually supplied with new symbolism and adapted to the
Church calendar.  There are clubs that work on these elaborate costumes and travel to various Fasnet parades to participate.  Lots of witches and smoky, sulphur smelling brew!  (I'm thinking the chicken get ups have something to do with encouraging spring??) I haven't been able to come up with any answers on the significance of some of the things - they all wore basket woven shoes, many wore bells (to scare away the spirits?) and most carried a tin cup.  But again, some cities have been having this celebration for over a thousand years - who even remembers why?  It obviously isn't that important or I would think it would be widely publicized!!

One of the most interesting things is that the parade participants play tricks on the crowd.  Stuffing confetti down people's back, picking people up and throwing them over their shoulder, stealing hats, stealing shoes off people's feet, and the worst was smearing bystanders with black face paint.  Karissa and Dayna both got smeared but they actually grabbed Karissa and carried her down the route - she was smeared from her hair down to her neck.  Although she looks happy in the photo taken from home she was mortified when it happened.  I felt so bad for her.

It was quite festive and many people in the crowd dress up too.   Since we were newbies, we didn't dress up (imagine that?!).  If you dress up, you get more candy, but we got plenty.... a highlight for the girls.