Italy
Bevagna, Italy – Medieval feast at Le Gaite
Bevagna is a small town in Umbria. It’s a charming and picturesque walled town, that was an important place in ancient Roman days, situated along the Via Flaminia. It’s also home to a festival called Mercato Delle Gaite. For a few days each spring, the town is time-warped back to the middle ages.
If you visit during this time, you’ll find quite a different place than normal! The townspeople are all dressed in medieval garb, and the locals are very much into the spirit of the event. As you wander through the streets, you’ll find all sorts of unusual activities underway…
Rome Italy – Chariot racing at Circus Maximus
What if you could travel back in time to witness Roman chariot racing at the Circus Maximus in ancient Rome?
The Ancient Romans knew how to make their politicians work for THEM, and often demanded “bread and circuses” from political candidates. Gangs were seen rioting through the streets in celebration of their favorite charioteer’s victory. Fights broke out between the fans of victors and losers. Sound like modern day fans at the Super Bowl? No, these sports fanatics were celebrating the victorious Roman chariot racing at the Circus Maximus about 2,000 years ago.
Using music to learn a language
What is it about melody that helps us memorize words and lyrics?
This can be explained by “earworms,” which are melodies that get stuck in your head. Advertisers use this with catchy melodic jingles. Now you can use the same technique to help you learn a foreign language.
Rome: Eternal city 100 years ago = deja vu!
I just ran across these old archive photos of Rome tonight, that appear to be at least 100 years old. Photographs from tourists in my great-grandparents’ days. Cool, eh?
Pompeii, Italy: The Mystery of the Scottish Ale
After a hot, sunny morning exploring the amazing ruins of Pompeii, Italy, I decided to stop at their snack bar for lunch.
An icy cold beer sounded like just the ticket, but I was mystified to find that the only beer they had was a Scottish strong ale. Since when do Italians drink Scottish ale? …
Rome, Italy: Shady side of the Spanish Steps
click for larger image
This was a perfect day in Rome, Italy — assuming you like abundant amounts of sunshine and heat! I walked all over the city (at least it felt like all over), and saw many of its famous sites. A great thing about Rome is how walkable… Full article…
Wooden throne buried by Vesuvius
An ancient Roman wood and ivory throne has been unearthed at a dig in Herculaneum, an ancient city near Pompeii. Like Pompeii, Herculaneum was destroyed in 79 AD, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
The throne was found during an excavation in the Villa of the Papyri, the private house formerly belonging to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law…
So there we were… on streets paved with flowers
This is from some footage I took a couple of years ago during our Italy trip. I just tried iMovie on my Macbook for the first time, and here’s the result. After languishing on my PC for a couple of years, these images finally see the light of day! (And… Full article…
Space alien fires in Italy
A 2-year government investigation into a series of electrical fires in an Italian village has produced a remarkable finding. According to leaked copies of the preliminary report, the most likely cause is aliens from outer space…
Ancient Etruscans came from Turkey?
The Etruscans were predecessors to the Romans. They were an unrelated people whose sophisticated culture ruled a sizable portion of what is now Italy, centuries before the Romans arrived on the scene.
There’s been a long-running controversy about the origins of the Etruscans. (Also about what eventually happened to them, but that’s a different story.) They’re definitely an ancient culture surrounded by mystery!
