31 May 2015 ~ Ravello

Listening to: Ryan Bingham ~ Hands of Time (Live at SxSW 2015)


Hired a car one night to go to Ravello from Naples. It was a beautiful drive to get to the Amalfi Coast.

Ravello has served historically as a destination for artists, musicians, and writers. Its scenic beauty makes it a popular tourist destination, with several shops in the central square.

Renowned for it's ceramics, the colors leap out at you as you pass by.

View of the sea from the Villa Rufolo.

A beautiful, balmy evening to enjoy a glass of wine...

lemon risotto for entree...

and a fried fish/vegetable plate for main. The breading on the fish was so light and the vegetables were crispy with the perfect amount of sea salt.

25 May 2015 ~ Remains of Pompeii

Listening to: The Concretes ~ Forces

The Pompeii Town Square was home to the Temple of Zeus, where this bust remains, including Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

Those that did not flee the city of Pompeii in August of 79 AD were doomed. Buried for 1700 years under 30 feet of mud and ash and reduced by the centuries to skeletons, they remained entombed until excavations in the early 1800s.

As excavators continued to uncover human remains, they noticed that the skeletons were surrounded by voids in the compacted ash. By carefully pouring plaster of Paris into the spaces, the final poses, clothing, and faces of the last residents of Pompeii came to life.

The casts are reportedly no longer made as they destroy the delicate skeletons within.

Here is a broken sundial from the Temple of Apollo.

22 May 2015 ~ Mount Vesuvius

Listening to: Amy Helm ~ Rescue Me


Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii in A.D. 79. Because the city was buried so quickly by volcanic ash, the site is a well-preserved snapshot of life in a Roman city.

 It is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. Last eruption: 1944.

15 May 2015 ~ Pompeii

Listening to: The Abyssinians ~ Thunderstorm

The city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania. Pompeii, and many villas in the surrounding area, was mostly destroyed and buried under 13 to 20 feet of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The excavated city offers a snapshot of Roman life in the 1st century, frozen at the moment it was buried.

The theater and "gladiator" sporting area.

The façade of a house.

The original pizza oven.

Drinking water.

Columns.

Frescos.

12 May 2015 ~ Naples, Italy

Listening to:  Jackson 5 ~ ABC

The last weekend before leaving London I traveled to Naples, Italy for a short holiday weekend.

I stayed at the Grand San Lucia hotel across from the Castel dell'Ovo, or Egg Castle. The castle's name comes from a legend about the Roman poet Virgil, who had a reputation in medieval times as a great sorcerer and predictor of the future. In the legend, Virgil put a magical egg into the foundations to support the fortifications. Had this egg been broken, the castle would have been destroyed and a series of disastrous events would have involved the city of Naples.

Had dinner at one of the restaurants, and tried a rose wine.

Picture perfect.

The grilled octopus salad was very delicious.

As was the mozzarella and prosciutto. I did eat pizza 3 times (once per day) but I didn't take any pictures for some reason.

Here is the view of the castle and harbor from my hotel room.

8 May 2015 ~ Farewell to Africa

Listening to: Tweedy ~ Fake Fur Coat


A beautiful sunset over the Zambezi River.

The local hippo came out to feed. The staff said this hippo has no friends. How sad.

One last opportunity to shop. No one brought back any animal horns or pelts or other body parts.

I'm heading home from London today. Yeah!

7 May 2015 ~ Victoria Falls (by Helicopter)

Listening to: Misty Miller ~ Little Drummer

A helicopter is a great way to see a waterfall. Here is the flight path we took.

And the machine.

All strapped in and ready for take-off.

Just magnificent.

http://youtu.be/OaGV_V-WGvg

http://youtu.be/aK1rw3Kwph8

http://youtu.be/BTUgRwpu2hM

1 May 2015 ~ Victoria Falls (via Foot)

Listening to: Gregory Isaacs ~ Night Nurse


I fixed the first video from yesterday's post. And yes, they are technically baboons.

Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders), has a height of 355 ft at the center.

While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is classified as the largest, based on its width of 5,604 ft and height, resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. Victoria Falls is roughly twice the height of North America's Niagara Falls and well over twice the width of its Horseshoe Falls.

Here's a very short video to give a little closer experience.

http://youtu.be/CbRhcWKJvqs

This bridge connects Zambia and Zimbabwe. The unpainted side is the Zimbabwe side.

David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer, is believed to have been the first European to view Victoria Falls on 16 November 1855 from what is now known as Livingstone Island, one of two land masses in the middle of the river, immediately upstream from the falls on the Zambian side. My friends went out into the island, but I chose not to.