Rome was built on 7 hills mostly on the left bank of the Tiber River- Quirinale, where their modern government is located, Esquiline, Viminal, Caelian and Aventine and 2 other hills. They form a crescent shaped plateau of historical fame. In its center is Palatine Hill with the imperial residences of Ancient Rome and in the northwest, Capitoline Hill. All of these hills are surrounded by marshy, mosquito-infested lowlands (sounds like Florida) which contributed to their downfall. The Tiber River bends 2 times around Rome at the Ponte Cavour, and at the island of Tiberius, which is rich with history.
Due to the presence of active volcanoes Rome was settled much later than Sicily and Sardinia. Even Tuscany and Umbria were settled earlier. The Etruscans of maybe Asia Minor had contact with Mesopotamia and moved onto the coast of Umbria around 1200-1000BC. Within 2 centuries they overcame Tuscany and Campania. Rome at this time was only a sheepherding village and profited from the ancient salt way of commerce. Salt was worth more than gold then. By 600BC the Etruscans arrived and the small tribes of Rome were swept away. The best of Asia Minor and Greek culture arrived with gold tableware, jewelry, bronze urns, and terra cotta statuary. Italy was called Latium and Rome was made the government seat. Actually, Rome is an Etruscan name and the kings of Rome had Etruscan names: Numa, Ancas, Tarquinius and Romulus and Remus. Therefore, the forced peace and mixing of Latin tribes and Etruscans blended to become the Republic of Rome and the ancestors of all Italians now.
Legend has it that Romulus and Remus were 2 brothers who were cared for by a she-wolf. They created Roma on the 7 hills above the Tiber River. There is no historical eveidence of this, but the story is enjoyable.
By 510-250BC the Romans and their Campanian allies threw out the Etruscans with their language and religion, but much of their culture remained because they had assimulated it as their own over time. A lot of Etruscan bloodlines still exist in Tuscany today.
The Roman Republic believed in many gods. The Senate ruled and their armies fought victoriously. Rome had well-maintained military roads and a well-defined hierarchy of military commanders. By 49BC Italy ruled all of the Mediterranean area. Julius Caesar conquered Gaul and became a dictator and consul (which is almost like a king) for 10 years. On 3/15/44BC Brutus stabbed Julius Caesar to death; therefore, Beware the Ides of March!!! By 49BC, Marc Antony assumed control, but met and fell in love with Cleopatra while trying to annex Egypt into his Republic. He was tricked into marrying Octavious' sister, Octavia, when he really loved Cleopatra. Being unfaithful to Octavia and openly marrying Cleopatra he was defeated by Octavius at the Battle of Actium. Augustus Octavius, born in 63BC and adopted by his great uncle, Julius Caesar, became the first Roman Emperor reigning from 27BC-14AD. His reign began the "Golden Age" of Rome and led to the "Pax Romana" with two centuries of peace. The ruins of his Forum of Augustus and his Domus Augustana are still here.
During Augustus' reign Rome reached unheard of heights and he turned a city of brick into one of marble. Rome had some very good emperors: Augustus, Claudius, Trajan, Vespasian and Hadrian, but there were at least four corrupt ones: Caligula, Nero, Domitian, Caracalla.
Decay of moral values, excesses and scandal were so prevalent that by the 3rd century AD there had been 23 emperors in 73 years. This was the era when Rome's citizens spent all day at gladiator games or at the imperial baths. By the 4th century Diocletian came into power, enforced the imperial power, heavily taxed the people and divided the empire into two halves : the east and west.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Holy Land and Ancient Greece; 5/3 - 5/22
5/3/2011
Today we flew to Rome, Italy on USAIR and Daddy really surprised me with an upgrade to first class!!!
We flew to Charlotte and had a long layover, but we slept on the last leg over the ocean. The seats are extremely comfortable and they lay back like lazyboys to sleep and your can choose your most comfortable position! I thought they were worth the extra money, but Daddy had trouble sleeping. But then he can sleep pretty good in a regular seat.
5/4/2011 Tuesday
Our arrival in Rome was at 3:30 AM, eastern standard time, which is 9:30 Rome time. It was sunny and in the 70s. The hotel was Leonardo da Vinci in a nice section of Rome. Our room was 335 and even had a bathtub, which is not common in Europe. After a short nap we ventured out into the subway at Lepanto to explore. Two stops later at Piazza Spagna, which means Spanish Plaza, we arrived at the Spanish steps and the Ristorante alla Rampa that Carolyn and Don recommended. We ordered Chianti, tomato capresse (with mozzarella and basil), veal scallopini, pasta with mussels, shrimp, clams and calamari. Delicious! They had a huge refrigerated cabinet filled with ice and fresh seafood!!!
Throughout the meal we had to keep asking for the olive oil and balsalmic vinegar. Somehow, they only left it at the table for 7 minutes, then gave it to somebody else. The waiter said,"Can't stay all night here!" There was a musician playing an accordian on the steps just outside the porch of the ristorante. We recognized the song,"It's Amore".I asked for cannelloni for dessert, which is always on Italian-American menus. "No do!!! Cannnellonis are Sicilian only. Don't serve in Roma!"
We walked to the Spanish Steps, built in 1723 to link the Church of Trinita dei Monti with the chic shopping district on Via dei Condotti below. It is a baroque staircase designed by Francesco de Sanctis in the 18th century. At the foot of the steps is a fountain designed by Bernini's father at the end of the 16th century and said to have the sweetest water in Rome. We saw many people actually drinking from it. It was surprising because we wouldn't do that in the states! They say there is no reason why anyone in Rome should ever be without water! This piazza is named for the Spanish Embassy which used to be housed here. It was designed by an Italian architect in 1723-1725, but totally funded by the French to have access to Trinita dei Monte at the top. It should be called the French Steps! Keats, of Keats-Shelley fame, lived and died here at the age of 25 in 1821 of Tuberculosis . Tomorrow Ray and Carol arrive at the hotel. We plan on eating at Ristorante alla Rampa tomorrow night also.
Today we flew to Rome, Italy on USAIR and Daddy really surprised me with an upgrade to first class!!!
We flew to Charlotte and had a long layover, but we slept on the last leg over the ocean. The seats are extremely comfortable and they lay back like lazyboys to sleep and your can choose your most comfortable position! I thought they were worth the extra money, but Daddy had trouble sleeping. But then he can sleep pretty good in a regular seat.
5/4/2011 Tuesday
Our arrival in Rome was at 3:30 AM, eastern standard time, which is 9:30 Rome time. It was sunny and in the 70s. The hotel was Leonardo da Vinci in a nice section of Rome. Our room was 335 and even had a bathtub, which is not common in Europe. After a short nap we ventured out into the subway at Lepanto to explore. Two stops later at Piazza Spagna, which means Spanish Plaza, we arrived at the Spanish steps and the Ristorante alla Rampa that Carolyn and Don recommended. We ordered Chianti, tomato capresse (with mozzarella and basil), veal scallopini, pasta with mussels, shrimp, clams and calamari. Delicious! They had a huge refrigerated cabinet filled with ice and fresh seafood!!!
Throughout the meal we had to keep asking for the olive oil and balsalmic vinegar. Somehow, they only left it at the table for 7 minutes, then gave it to somebody else. The waiter said,"Can't stay all night here!" There was a musician playing an accordian on the steps just outside the porch of the ristorante. We recognized the song,"It's Amore".I asked for cannelloni for dessert, which is always on Italian-American menus. "No do!!! Cannnellonis are Sicilian only. Don't serve in Roma!"
We walked to the Spanish Steps, built in 1723 to link the Church of Trinita dei Monti with the chic shopping district on Via dei Condotti below. It is a baroque staircase designed by Francesco de Sanctis in the 18th century. At the foot of the steps is a fountain designed by Bernini's father at the end of the 16th century and said to have the sweetest water in Rome. We saw many people actually drinking from it. It was surprising because we wouldn't do that in the states! They say there is no reason why anyone in Rome should ever be without water! This piazza is named for the Spanish Embassy which used to be housed here. It was designed by an Italian architect in 1723-1725, but totally funded by the French to have access to Trinita dei Monte at the top. It should be called the French Steps! Keats, of Keats-Shelley fame, lived and died here at the age of 25 in 1821 of Tuberculosis . Tomorrow Ray and Carol arrive at the hotel. We plan on eating at Ristorante alla Rampa tomorrow night also.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
, 4/5 - 4/10 Montana
Today we visited 5 properties around Livingston, Montana and Paradise Valley. We didn't go as far as Emigrant where we rented the house for a month last year. The first property was absolutely gorgeous, but had 5 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. That sounds like a lot of work and why do we need a house that big? It had a geo-thermal heating and cooling system, was the last property on the road and had an incredible view of Livingston and the Yellowstone River. It was extremely well built with a virtually maintenance-free exterior, but had a small family room because it was built as a bed and breakfast. Therefore, it had an awesome kitchen!
Monday, April 4, 2011
The flights to Bozeman, Montana were uneventful, just long. Our layover was in Minneapolis/ST. Paul, Minnesota. The ride was a little bumpy on this leg of the journey due to the winds and we landed in Bozeman in the wind. But Montana is known for it's winds. We are supposed to meet with the real estate agent at 2:30, but he didn't have any lined up for today. Tomorrow we are to view 6 properties in and around Livingston and Paradise Valley. We drove down to Chico Hot Springs, but we didn't stop. Hopefully, we can do that later in the week, we are pretty tired from little sleep the previous night and the long full flights.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Sunday, February 27th, 2011.
We had to get up early to eat breakfast and get Sofia down to the ski school. She was a little scared, but she did okay. It was bitter cold outside and we were freezing because we weren't wearing our ski snowsuits. Sofia did fine but her face was really wind burned! So were some of ours. By the time we arrived back at the house Andrea, Jeff and Conner and Jeff's brother, Doug, were at the house. We made roast beef, mashed potatoes and green beans for dinner. Tomorrow Andrea will watch Conner and Zachary while the rest of us go skiing or snowboarding. Then I will watch the little ones while Andrea, Jeff, Jon and Doug go snowboarding.
Skiing was a hoot! You realize how out of shape you are when you get on the skis. There are muscles that you haven't used in years that you need in order to ski; especially when you end up on a flat section of the slope and you haven't gotten your speed up! We did several of those! By the time we arrived back at the house we were whipped!
Skiing was a hoot! You realize how out of shape you are when you get on the skis. There are muscles that you haven't used in years that you need in order to ski; especially when you end up on a flat section of the slope and you haven't gotten your speed up! We did several of those! By the time we arrived back at the house we were whipped!
Saturday, February 26th, 2011.
We arrived at the house around 3:30 PM on Saturday. It was 62 degrees in Denver and 1 hour later the temperature was down to 28 degrees. UNREAL!!!! The trip took about 1 and 3/4rds of an hour. Jon, Jenn, Pat and the kids arrived 2 hours later. The house is awesome! It is a green house with monthly electric and gas bills of only $60.00. The architect from California made use of every inch of space. here are So many nooks and crannies with places to store things. There is not one inch of unused space! The floors are hardwood and heated instead of a duct system. It is a small development of 25 houses on 2 streets, with plans for more to come. Above the garage is a separate wing with a bunk bed made of a queen bottom and a full top bunk. Then there are 2 fold out couches. Jenn, Pat and the kids will stay there. Andrea, Jeff and Conner will stay in the main section of the house with us in a big room with eaves perfect for the placement of a crib. The rental agency provided us with 2 pack'n plays and 2 highchairs. It is pretty cold outside, but the house is very warm. We had to open the windows in our bedroom at night to be able to sleep. But then you really hear the trains that come through about 2 AM and the coyotes howl quite a bit!
Our supper tonight was pizzas from Costco. Jon chose the living room that turns into a bedroom. That's the coolest room in the house. There is an eight person hot tub on the back deck and the snow is piled high all around. The driveway is covered, but has been plowed. Between the main house and the wing is a really awesome mudroom that is huge. The garage is heated also! The house is furnished really nice. The owner and builder from California named Clark dumped lots of money into these houses. The furnishings are all upscale and very comfortable. Tomorrow Sofia attends a ski school and Andrea, Jeff and Conner arrive.
Our supper tonight was pizzas from Costco. Jon chose the living room that turns into a bedroom. That's the coolest room in the house. There is an eight person hot tub on the back deck and the snow is piled high all around. The driveway is covered, but has been plowed. Between the main house and the wing is a really awesome mudroom that is huge. The garage is heated also! The house is furnished really nice. The owner and builder from California named Clark dumped lots of money into these houses. The furnishings are all upscale and very comfortable. Tomorrow Sofia attends a ski school and Andrea, Jeff and Conner arrive.
Our Colorado Trip Feb. 25th to March 5th, 2011.
We were to fly out of Jax airport at 1:15 on Friday, February the 25th. The flight was completely booked, so we gave up our tickets for the next flight out. Because of that we flew out 2 hours later and received a comp for our original tickets and $300.00 each for giving up our seats. So instead of flying to Nashville then to Denver, we flew to Tampa, to New Orleans to Denver and arrived there 2 hours later than originally planned tickets. What a deal! We didn't have anything to do in Denver anyway. We cannot get into the rental house until Saturday at 4PM. So we went to eat at Ted Turner's Montana Grill. I had a bison burger and Daddy had a grilled chicken sandwich.
Our night's stay at the Hyatt Hotel was really good. Such a nice hotel room, a good mattress and a continental breakfast the next morning. Then we had to find the closest Costco and Walmart for food for the house for the week. We bought lean ground beef, frozen chicken breasts, Italien sweet sausage, brats, frozen meatballs, pasta, tomatoes, romaine, puddings, ice cream, soda, wine, beer, chips, cookies, yogurt, flour, sugar, olive oil. We will have spaghetti, meatballs, chicken parm, roast beef, tacos, soup, turkey sandwiches, salsa ,pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
Our night's stay at the Hyatt Hotel was really good. Such a nice hotel room, a good mattress and a continental breakfast the next morning. Then we had to find the closest Costco and Walmart for food for the house for the week. We bought lean ground beef, frozen chicken breasts, Italien sweet sausage, brats, frozen meatballs, pasta, tomatoes, romaine, puddings, ice cream, soda, wine, beer, chips, cookies, yogurt, flour, sugar, olive oil. We will have spaghetti, meatballs, chicken parm, roast beef, tacos, soup, turkey sandwiches, salsa ,pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
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