No picture this time.
Happy Happy Joy Joy. It is 8AM at Viale Giulio Cesare 94. I am awake and refreshed. Yesterday was so grueling that I may forget much of what went on. My last post was from Frankfurt [I think]. Swiss Air was a charm. Our flight to Zurich was 45 minutes and we had the best airline meal yet. It was only a snack, really but the choice was a sandwich of roast beef or cheese. Both were excellent, especially washed down with some champagne. Our flight to Roma, 1.5 hours later was equally pleasant. Save for one other passenger we had the entire first class cabin to ourselves [maybe 30 seats?] and we had two delightful attendants for our cabin. The back of the plane was packed; there wasn’t an empty seat. As we were leaving the plane one of the attendants brought Jim a bottle of local [Swiss] red wine with which to remember our flight. Our luggage [I’d forgotten how much there was] arrived, our driver was there and we headed for passport control… there was no one there! We walked right out the door with no inspection at all. We didn’t even need to show our “papers.” Already, I love Roma. Our driver was a short swarthy fireplug with “let’s get this show on the road” attitude. He handled our bags like they were filled with cotton candy; we piled into his nice new Opel mini-van and we were off. Veloce, preciso e perfecto. We tore through the city streets stopping once or twice at intersections or lights. Does anyone here follow traffic laws? It was great. We arrived at our hotel around midnight. There were more steps than were described in the ads. The hotel is nice; the staff is nice; so far there are no complaints. I now wait for my companions to stir. It will be a lazy day of exploring our temporary home and neighborhood. Ciao.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Three August
Three August
We left Chicago last evening on a United 777. The dinner was fine. The breakfast was wanting. The staff was patronizing or just plain tired. It was lovely to lie out in a wide seat and sleep for several hours. I woke to the sunrise flying over the Bay of Biscay. Everyone was still asleep and we had 4 hours to go. Arriving at Frankfurt was an affirmation of all the stories I’ve heard about it. Badly designed, difficult to navigate and unfriendly people put us off on trying to see anything else of this country. Ilsa of the SS guarded the gate of the lounge with an iron fist explaining what we could and could not do. Ilsa was a short dumpy German-speaking Philippina who obviously enjoyed her job. We will try to find a restaurant in the airport and have a decent meal before we set out for Zurich and then Rome tonight.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
One August
We drove down 101 at 2PM narrowly avoiding Ironman cyclists careening down Dry Creek Road. The traffic wasn’t too bad save for the usual Cotati Grade slowdown which often extends through Petaluma. It is mostly SUV's large and small. It appears that America is embracing this recent influx of small “so-ugly-they’re-cute” pintsized SUVs. There is of course the Element, the most popular of the breed. But the Soul, Vibe, Scion XB and the Chevy HHB [?] are almost as plentiful. My favorite is the Cube which resembles a dwarf bus with a load in its pants.
We settled in at the Comfort Inn and Suites for a short rest and headed out to dinner at the Sherman. This upscale seafood eatery is in an old riverboat which is semi-permanently docked in a slough off of Airport Blvd. We were seated at a table overlooking the Bay and the flight path of arriving planes. The setting is beautiful; I just wish we were there later to see the lights.
The food was very good. Jim and I had Nieman Ranch pork chops in a cabbage confit with fingerling potatos. Craig had a Crab Tower which had a foundation of avocado floaring in a moat of mango puree. The body was cubed mango that was topped by a shredded crab turret. Dotty had Oysters Rockefeller which she declared divine. We shared a warm spinach salad not unlike Willi’s wonderful creation. Friendly and courteous staff, a jazz pianist and the lovely curve of the deck with its brass fittings and picture windows charmed us all. Now it is to bed after a long day.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Athens
We visit Athens on Monday, 24 August arriving at 8AM; we leave at 6PM. The port, Piraeus, is south west of the city of Athens.
Athens the capital and largest city of Greece, is one of the world's oldest cities; its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. It has a population of 745,514 [2001]. A bustling and cosmopolitan metropolis, Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece. It is rapidly becoming a leading business centre in the European Union. In 2008, Athens was ranked the world's 32nd richest city by purchasing power and the 25th most expensive in a UBS study. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it welcomed home the 2004 Summer Olympics.
It is very likely to be very hot. We will have a driver guide to take us to the Benaki Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. Alas, the New Acropolis Museum which just opened on 20 June, is closed on Mondays. I was so looking forward to seeing it. We will try to, at least drive by. We plan to have lunch on the roof of the Grande Bretagne Hotel which looks across at the Acropolis. We may leave further exploration until we arrive. 38 days and counting
Athens the capital and largest city of Greece, is one of the world's oldest cities; its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. It has a population of 745,514 [2001]. A bustling and cosmopolitan metropolis, Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece. It is rapidly becoming a leading business centre in the European Union. In 2008, Athens was ranked the world's 32nd richest city by purchasing power and the 25th most expensive in a UBS study. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it welcomed home the 2004 Summer Olympics.
It is very likely to be very hot. We will have a driver guide to take us to the Benaki Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. Alas, the New Acropolis Museum which just opened on 20 June, is closed on Mondays. I was so looking forward to seeing it. We will try to, at least drive by. We plan to have lunch on the roof of the Grande Bretagne Hotel which looks across at the Acropolis. We may leave further exploration until we arrive. 38 days and counting
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Kusadasi/Ephesus
We arrive at Kusadasi, Turkey on Sunday 23 August at 7AM the ship departs at 7PM.
Kuşadası is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast. The primary industry is tourism. The city stands on a bay with the Guvercin Ada peninsula sticking at one end, and the Kaz Dağı Mountain at the other. The name comes from 'kuş' (bird) and 'ada' (island) as the peninsula has the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea). Since Byzantine times it has been known as Ephesus Neopolis, Scala Nuova, becoming Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century. We will take a private tour of Ephesus. Ephesus was a city of ancient Anatolia. During Greece’s Classical Period it was located in Ionia, where the Cayster River flows into the Aegean Sea. It belonged to the Ionian League. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John might have been written here. It is also the site of a large gladiator graveyard. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which was destroyed by the Goths in 263. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected a new public bath. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbour slowly filled with silt from the river. Today the archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selçuk. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction, partly owing to their easy accessibility. Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins East of the Mediterranean. Only an estimated 15% has been excavated. The ruins that are visible give some idea of the city's original splendor, and the names associated with the ruins are evocative of its former life. The theater dominates the view down Harbor Street which leads to the long silted-up harbor. The Library of Celsus, whose facade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces, was built ca. AD 125 by Gaius Julius Aquila in memory of his father, and once held nearly 12,000 scrolls. Designed with an exaggerated entrance — so as to enhance its perceived size, speculate many historians — the building faces east so that the reading rooms could make best use of the morning light. A part of the site, St. John's Basilica, was built in the 6th century AD, under emperor Justinian I over the supposed site of the apostle's tomb. It is now surrounded by Selçuk. The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is represented only by one inconspicuous column, revealed during an archaeological excavation by the British Museum in the 1870s. Some fragments of the frieze (which are insufficient to suggest the form of the original) and other small finds were removed – some to London and some to the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Other other features we will try to visit include The Odeon - a small roofed theatre constructed by Vedius Antonius and his wife in around 150 A.D. It was a small salon for plays and concerts, seating about 1,500 people. There were 22 stairs in the theater. The upper part of the theatre was decorated with red granite pillars in the Corinthian style. The entrances were at both sides of the stage and reached by a few steps. The Temple of Hadrian dates from the 2nd century but underwent repairs in the 4th century and has been re-erected from the surviving architectural fragments. The reliefs in the upper sections are casts, the originals being now exhibited in the Selçuk Archaeological Museum. A number of figures are depicted in the reliefs, including the emperor Theodisius I with his wife and eldest son. The Temple of Domitian was one of the largest temples on the city. It was erected on a pseudodipteral plan with 8 x 13 columns. The temple and its statue are some of the few remains connected with Domitian. The Theater, at an estimated 44,000 seating capacity, it is believed to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world. The Tomb/Fountain of Pollio - erected by a grateful city in 97 AD in honor of C. Sextilius Pollio, who constructed the Marnas aqueduct, by Offilius Proculus. It has a concave facade. There were two agoras, one for commercial and one for state business.
Kuşadası is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast. The primary industry is tourism. The city stands on a bay with the Guvercin Ada peninsula sticking at one end, and the Kaz Dağı Mountain at the other. The name comes from 'kuş' (bird) and 'ada' (island) as the peninsula has the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea). Since Byzantine times it has been known as Ephesus Neopolis, Scala Nuova, becoming Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century. We will take a private tour of Ephesus. Ephesus was a city of ancient Anatolia. During Greece’s Classical Period it was located in Ionia, where the Cayster River flows into the Aegean Sea. It belonged to the Ionian League. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John might have been written here. It is also the site of a large gladiator graveyard. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which was destroyed by the Goths in 263. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected a new public bath. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbour slowly filled with silt from the river. Today the archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selçuk. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction, partly owing to their easy accessibility. Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins East of the Mediterranean. Only an estimated 15% has been excavated. The ruins that are visible give some idea of the city's original splendor, and the names associated with the ruins are evocative of its former life. The theater dominates the view down Harbor Street which leads to the long silted-up harbor. The Library of Celsus, whose facade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces, was built ca. AD 125 by Gaius Julius Aquila in memory of his father, and once held nearly 12,000 scrolls. Designed with an exaggerated entrance — so as to enhance its perceived size, speculate many historians — the building faces east so that the reading rooms could make best use of the morning light. A part of the site, St. John's Basilica, was built in the 6th century AD, under emperor Justinian I over the supposed site of the apostle's tomb. It is now surrounded by Selçuk. The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is represented only by one inconspicuous column, revealed during an archaeological excavation by the British Museum in the 1870s. Some fragments of the frieze (which are insufficient to suggest the form of the original) and other small finds were removed – some to London and some to the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Other other features we will try to visit include The Odeon - a small roofed theatre constructed by Vedius Antonius and his wife in around 150 A.D. It was a small salon for plays and concerts, seating about 1,500 people. There were 22 stairs in the theater. The upper part of the theatre was decorated with red granite pillars in the Corinthian style. The entrances were at both sides of the stage and reached by a few steps. The Temple of Hadrian dates from the 2nd century but underwent repairs in the 4th century and has been re-erected from the surviving architectural fragments. The reliefs in the upper sections are casts, the originals being now exhibited in the Selçuk Archaeological Museum. A number of figures are depicted in the reliefs, including the emperor Theodisius I with his wife and eldest son. The Temple of Domitian was one of the largest temples on the city. It was erected on a pseudodipteral plan with 8 x 13 columns. The temple and its statue are some of the few remains connected with Domitian. The Theater, at an estimated 44,000 seating capacity, it is believed to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world. The Tomb/Fountain of Pollio - erected by a grateful city in 97 AD in honor of C. Sextilius Pollio, who constructed the Marnas aqueduct, by Offilius Proculus. It has a concave facade. There were two agoras, one for commercial and one for state business.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Santorini
We arrive in Santorini on Saturday, 22 August at 8AM and depart at 9PM. Santorini [the name, from the 13th Century, honors St. Irene] is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It is also known as Thera (or Thira), forming the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands. The two major cities are Fira [Thíra] (pop. 12,440) and Oía. The island slopes downward from the outer cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. The capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. Santorini has no rivers, and water is scarce. Until the early 1990s locals filled water cisterns from the rain that fell on roofs and courts, from small springs, and with imported assistance from other areas of Greece. In recent years a desalination plant has provided running, yet non-potable, water to most houses.
We have yet to decide on an itinerary for this port. By all reports it is usually horribly hot and crowded. There are three ships arriving on the 21st, we are the only one arriving on the 22nd and none are coming on the 23rd. Furthermore it looks like they all leave on the day they arrive so we will be the only ship in the harbor on the 22nd.
We will probably take the tram to Fira and cab to Oía where we will shop, bask, sightsee etc.
We have yet to decide on an itinerary for this port. By all reports it is usually horribly hot and crowded. There are three ships arriving on the 21st, we are the only one arriving on the 22nd and none are coming on the 23rd. Furthermore it looks like they all leave on the day they arrive so we will be the only ship in the harbor on the 22nd.
We will probably take the tram to Fira and cab to Oía where we will shop, bask, sightsee etc.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Koobface
Well, it appears to be a newly morphed version of the old Koobface worm from last year. Just google "koobface" for more info. There is also apparently a new variation which is attacking MACs. It was written up in BBCNews today. So be diligent. I was able to get on Facebook on my Mac just now so it looks like Facebook doesn't even know it's going on. Don't open anything from me or anything from anyone you don't hear from often. I just ran a thorough scan and did a system restore to Friday's settings and still no Facebook access. I can't find anything new on the web either. I wonder if there is a "real time" virus reporting site out there. I can't find one.
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