Morevieto

Orvieto 27 Dec 2007

After lunch, Katie, Maggie, and I went off on our own. Our goal was to reach St. Patrick's Well. We would get there, but first we needed to look at some awesome vistas and stuff. Remember, Orvieto is a walled city on top of a hill. It is bound to have some beautiful views - belevederi, if you will.

When first we reached the wall, we were greeted with the above view: a house clinging to the edge of the hill. I think it's cool that that green spot is their back yard. It make my back yard look like a pile of puke - and I have an awesome back yard!

Not only does their yard rock, but they have cute widdle puppies.

Another puppy.

The above image is part of the fortifications comprising Orvieto's public park. This would be a fun place to play capture the flag (or Quake 4 in real life). Not all of the paths connect. There are little nooks and crannies that lead to different battlements, overlooking others. To boot, there are stunning views all around.

Katie and Maggie on another battlement.

Another view.

Remember: I am in Italy. This graffiti is in English. My guess is that the target audience is the English speaking crowd. My other guess is that the artists has limited English ability. Result: I get a giggle.

Another stunning view.

This view includes the top of the aforementioned St. Patrick's Well (center-left). St. Patrick's Well, aka il Pozzo san Patrizio, is actually a giant cistern, created to allow Orvieto to withstand a siege. The "Well" is a marvel of engineering. First, it's 175 feet deep - that's, like, 17 storeys - dug out of solid rock... in the middle age. THAT is a feat. On top of that, it was designed with a double helix ramp down to the bottom, allowing constant traffic of empty and full buckets. Observe...

Looking down.

Looking across.

Looking up.

Ruins of an Etruscan temple.

I love how the succulents just survive outside in Italy.

One of the local crafts in Orvieto is woodcarving. There are many cute examples of the craft throughout the town. Here is one featuring a cute widdle kittie.

Again, what's with the creepy Santas? This Santa looks like he has been lynched! He is SUPPOSED to look like he is climbing in an upper storey window. That's pretty creepy, too. To me, there's something about commanding a flying sleigh pulled by flying reindeer, that gives Santa license to enter our houses without out knowledge. This Italian burglar Santa is just creepy. I'm glad that he was hanged.

Picturesque street.

I like this photo. What doesn't come across is the fact that the door (and the corresponding knocker) is very small. (I suppose the PC way to refer to a small knocker is to say that it is petite. I like knockers of all sizes and shapes.) Nonetheless, I think this is a very cute photo of Katie. Don't you agree?

Wild Boar and the Antichrist

Orvieto 27 Dec 2007

As we were strolling down the Via del Duomo in Orvieto, I saw the above visage hanging from wall in front of a store. The word for "Wild Boar" in Italian is "Cinghiale." There were, reportedly, cinghiale living in the vicinity of San Francesco, so we were instructed not to leave garbage outside. Anywho, I am a pushover for taxodermy. The cinghiale piqued my curiosity.

I really wanted to shop at this store. Sadly, by the time I had the opportunity to shop there, it was siesta, so the store was closed. I hate siesta, by the way. Sure, I like the IDEA of siesta, but it proves enormously inconvienient for tourists. I did not have any place to go where I could take a nap. I was using the limited number of daylight hours for sightseeing. Inability to visit specific stores, museums, and churches during the peak hours of the day is not for me. That being said, Orvieto is part of the Cittaslow (or slow city) movement, a concerted effort to slow down the pace of life. I would LOVE to be a part of this. Sadly, I live in a society (The U S and A) that does not easily facilitate these values. Being unaccustomed to doing NOTHING for 2 hours after lunch, as appealing as that might sound, makes for poor sightseeing. Perhaps this is not the best approach to life in an area where the primary economy is based on tourism. Then, again, in Summer, when there's no dearth of daylight hours, I would probably quite enjoy an imposed two hour break from sightseeing, which I would be COMPELLED to sit in a cafe sipping on Orvieto Classico or enjoying an espresso (in not so espresso fashion).

Orvieto Cathedral. The facade is in the Gothic style. It is particularly striking. I want to draw your attention to the bas-relief sculptures by Lorenzo Maitani.

Most of the sculptures depict stories from Genesis. (That would be the biblical story, not the band. The band, Genesis, is - or, rather, was - very popular in Italy. Nonetheless, so is Roman Catholicism, hence this is the book, not the band.)

By the way, here's Katie standing in front of Orvieto Cathedral. If you look closely, you can see both my and Maggie's reflections in Katie's sunglasses. I took a similar photo in Vienna in 2006.

Back to Maitani. This is the fourth pillar (from the left, stupid!). It depicts the last judgement. The figures on top of the line are the saved. Those below are the damned. Let's zoom in, shall we?

Although the subjects are suffering, it is remarkable at how realistic their human forms are depicted. Full frontal male nudity is an oddity in Medieval bas-relief sculpture. Damn those damned!

On to the interior. The whole building is stripey. I don't know how I feel about stripey. I like stripey when it is on stockings (VERY hot!). I don't like it so much on churches (not so hot).

Nave!
Stained glass. Notice the formica glazing toward the bottom. That's not glass. That's stone!

Interior bas-relief. I particularly like the background. The artist makes it look like a drawing. It's got perspective!

The stripey even extends to the outside. Interesting, but not hot.

One of the chapels in the Orvieto Duomo is covered in frescos by Signorelli. Sadly, I was not allowed to take photographs inside this chapel, so I had to use images that I found online (citations below).

http://www.wga.hu/art/s/signorel/brizio/0ceiling.jpg

This particular fresco depicts a demon speaking evil to the Antichrist. Of course, Signorelli, as was consistent with Renaissance Humanism, by depicting the Antichrist as a preacher, influencing the crowds to do evil deeds, was really criticizing some officials in the Roman Catholic church. I like to think of the Antichrist representing "preachers" who attempt to stear their flocks toward fundamental evil. Examples of fundamental evil, in my book, include hatred of their fellow man, demogoguery, and idol worship. In my opinion, no greater evil exists than variations on Evangelical Christianity in which is preached discrimination against homosexuals, liberals, Muslims, and humanists. Such congrgations are often guilty of demogoguery in favor of politicians (The President, perhaps) or even the preachers, themselves (Rod Parsley, I'm looking your way). Televangelism, in fact, seems to be a perfect example of idol worship. (Of course, if you need your money changed, you can get that done in the temple of some of these mega-"churches," some of which have their won ATMs.)

http://www.initaly.com/regions/umbria/pix/duomo/orvieto6.jpg

Perhaps the funniest part of these images is the fact that the depiction of the Antichrist bears a striking resemblance to yours, truly. My hair is not quite that curly, but the unkempt beard is a dead giveaway.

http://www.hellhappens.com/Antichrist-1.jpg

After the Cathedral, we sat down for a delightful meal at a local restaurant. Although the quality of the fare was more than passable, what truly stood out about this restaurant was the dramatic artwork. This photo depicts the head of an equestrian statue, comprised, primarily, out of what appeared to be driftwood. The afternoon would prove to be an exciting adventure. More to come.

Approaching Orvieto

Orvieto 27 Dec 2007

Isn't this a beautiful view, a belvedere, so to speak? We saw this view out of the car window as we were descending to the valley containing Orvieto, one of the best preserved central Italian hill towns. I fell in love with this view at first sight. My love was so substantial, that I demanded that we stop the car so I could capture it. Easier said than done. I found that, to avoid having the frame cluttered with trees, I needed to perform some rather dangerous acrobatics. As it turns out, the best vantage point was from a bridge. The road we were on had no berm to speak of. Due to the unpredictability of Italian drivers, I found it necessary to climb on the outside of the bridge's guard rail - one handed - in order to capture this photo. Although I was only about 15 feet above the ground, a fall would have, nonetheless, been a bad thing. I was genuinely in danger of personal injury. At the same time, of course, I felt that I was less in danger than I would have been had I remained on the road side of the barrier (as opposed to the drop side). I feel a great degree of accomplishment from this photo, as a result.

Sadly, about a quarter mile down the road, the local park department provided an "official" belvedere, so I risked life and limb for no good reason. (It was still fun.)

The Montanaros

Katie and I. I am not being coy. We were being photographed by two cameras and I was smiling for the other camera. There are precious few photographs of myself among my photographs, so I decided to include this one. Judging by the amount of time that it is taking for me to go through all of my photos (granted, I took 2,250), I expect that it will be some time before I get the chance to view others' photos, which might include yours truly. Onward to Orvieto!

The Cave

The Cave

San Francesco 27 Dec 2007

I just can't get over the view down that valley. It would become my mission to reach that valley and photograph San Francesco from that angle. Today, however, would have a different mission. I had noticed what appeared to be the mouth of a cave right next to the driveway gate. In walking down the driveway, I would snap a few photos of the farm animals and rustic scenery. Enjoy!

Here is a wider view of San Francesco from the driveway.

Horseys!

Success! The Cave! It took some clumsy negotiation through brambles, but I managed to approach the mouth of the cave. Deep down, I was hoping to find an extensive system of caves. Part of my wanted to have discovered a Dungeon's & Dragons style dungeon, perhaps something like the Mines of Moria or even Shelob's lair. Sadly, the cave only went back about 10 feet. In all likelihood, however, it had been carved out of the soft stone centuries earlier, possibly as early as the Etruscan times. It was cool find, notwithstanding. I wanted something deeper, though. Better luck next time, Bo!

Thus Spake Zoroaster

I love the New York Times. Generally, it can be trusted to maintain a high quality of journalism. Occasionally, however, like everybody else, the writers from the New York Times choose to cut corners, pander to the less informed, or, at worst, can be woefully underqualified for their assignments. Consider the following article/blog posting:

January 10, 2008, 10:24 am
Tata Nano: The World’s Cheapest Car
By Richard S. Chang
Tags: Nano, Peoples Car, tata motors
Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors, displaying the Nano in New Delhi on Thursday. (Photo by Money Sharma/European Pressphoto Association)

Tata Motors today took the covers off the world’s cheapest car — the Nano.

Over the past year, Tata has been building hype for a car that would cost a mere 100,000 rupees (roughly $2,500) and bring automotive transportation to the mainstream Indian population. It has been nicknamed the “People’s Car.” Over the course of the New Delhi Auto Expo, which began this week, anticipation had grown to fever pitch.

With the theme from “2001: A Space Odyssey” playing, Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors drove the small white bubble car onto Tata’s show stage, where it joined two others.

The Tata Nano could sell for around $2,500. (Photo by Raveendran/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
“They are not concept cars, they are not prototypes,” Mr. Tata announced when he got out of the car. “They are the production cars that will roll out of the Singur plant later this year.”

The four-door Nano is a little over 10 feet long and nearly 5 feet wide. It is powered by a 623cc two-cylinder engine at the back of the car. With 33 horsepower, the Nano is capable of 65 miles an hour. Its four small wheels are at the absolute corners of the car to improve handling. There is a small trunk, big enough for a duffel bag.

“Today, we indeed have a People’s Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions,” Mr. Tata added. “We are happy to present the People’s Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility.”

The base price for the Nano will be 120,000 rupees, including road tax and delivery. Higher level models will cost more and come with air-conditioning. Sun visors and radios are extra.

The nearest priced competitor is the Maruti 800, which costs roughly twice as much as the Nano. In comparing the Nano to the Maruti 800, Mr. Tata said, “It is 8 percent smaller — bumper to bumper — and has 21 percent larger seating capacity than Maruti 800.”

The Hindustan Times reports reactions from a couple of Tata’s competitors, Maruti and Hyundai:
Jagdish Khattar, a former head of Maruti 800 manufacturer Maruti Udyog Ltd., says it’s too early to say whether the Nano will overtake the original.

“It’s a good product but it’s still too early to say whether it will overtake the 800 because it caters to a totally new market segment,” he said while watching a live telecast of Tata’s press conference after unveiling of the Nano.

But clearly, at least one other manufacturer was worried.

An official of Hyundai Motors, which unveiled an LPG version of its Santro Thursday, was more circumspect.
“We definitely see it as impacting our sales,” he said in halting English, preferring to maintain anonymity.
Anand Mahindra, managing director for Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors’ primary competitor, said before the unveiling, “I think it’s a moment of history and I’m delighted an Indian company is leading the way.”

The Nano will go on sale in India later this year with an initial production run of 250,000 a year. Tata says it will offer the Nano in other emerging markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa within four years.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/tata-nano-the-worlds-cheapest-car/index.html?hp

I posted the following comment. Its approval is currently pending.

"With the theme from “2001: A Space Odyssey” playing?" Come on! The song is entitled "Also sprach Zaranthustra." It was composed in 1896 by Richard Strauss in honor of the book of the same title by Friedrich Nietzsche. Not only is the piece a magnificent fanfare (as can be clearly seen in the film, 2001: A Space Odyssey), but Zaranthustra, better known to the West as Zoroaster, was the founder of a major religion based in Iran and... (wait for it... wait for it...) INDIA!!! There have been many notable Zoroastrians in the world from actor Persis Khambatta and singer Freddy Mercury to industrialists Jamshetji and Ratan TATA, the founder and current head of TATA MOTORS!!! Do your research, people!

Of course, I'm excited about the Nano. I hope that America, as well, embraces energy and resource effeciency in our transportation. However, is it too much to ask that journalists understand their references?

Dead Man's Check

This story appears in the New York Times. I find the imagery to be almost Pythonesque. When all is said and done, however, it is a little pathetic and sad. Oh well. C'est la vie.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Dead-Mans-Check.html

A Corpse, a Check, a Bizarre NYC Crime

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 10, 2008

Filed at 7:24 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Detective Travis Rapp has seen his share of corpses, but this was new: two men wheeling a rigid, pale body down a Manhattan street in a red office chair, drawing a crowd of suspicious onlookers.

Looking out the window of the restaurant where he was having lunch, Rapp initially assumed ''it was a mannequin or a dummy,'' he said. ''I thought it was a joke, honestly.''

A closer inspection showed that it wasn't. The man was dead, and two of his friends had hauled his corpse to a store to cash his $355 Social Security check, police said. They were arrested before they could get the money.

The bedraggled suspects, David J. Dalaia and James O'Hare, were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday night. Police said the men, both 65, were petty criminals with long histories of heroin addiction and arrests dating to the 1960s.

The trouble began Tuesday when Dalaia and O'Hare tried to cash Virgilio Cintron's check at a store in Hell's Kitchen on their own, police said. The man at the counter told them that Cintron had to be present to cash the check, so they went back to his apartment, which one of the suspects shared with the dead man.

Cintron was apparently undressed when he died, sometime within the previous 24 hours. Police said Dalaia and O'Hare proceeded to dress him in a faded T-shirt, pants they could only get up part way, and a pair of Velcro sneakers. They threw a coat over his waist to conceal what the pants couldn't cover, police said.

They then put him on the office chair and wheeled the corpse over to the check-cashing store.

The men left Cintron's body outside, went inside and tried to cash his check, authorities said. The store's clerk, who knew Cintron, asked the men where he was, and O'Hare told the clerk they would go and get him.

At about the same time, Rapp spotted the men and confronted them as they were trying to haul the body into the store. He said that even after he identified himself as a police officer, O'Hare told him, ''I have to get my friend in here. I have to cash his check.''

He ordered the men to back away from the victim. They feigned surprise when paramedics declared him dead, Rapp said.

''When they said, 'Your friend is dead,' they said, 'Oh my God, he's gone?'''

The scene played out on a busy Manhattan street as several people watched.

''I saw this guy sitting in this chair with his head back. He looked very dead,'' said Victor Rodriguez, 38, who was working at a nearby restaurant when he saw the commotion outside. ''He looked very sick. His eyes were closed. He wasn't moving.''

Little is known about Cintron, 66, who apparently died of natural causes. An autopsy proved inconclusive, the medical examiner's office said, and his body hadn't been positively identified as of Wednesday afternoon.

Relatives told police that he had recently been hospitalized for Parkinson's disease. Police said his rap sheet was long, with arrests for burglary, assault and drugs. Locals said that Cintron and O'Hare often frequented a food pantry down the street.

A telephone number listed for Cintron at the apartment he shared with O'Hare went unanswered. Police said they didn't have an address for Dalaia or attorney information for him or O'Hare.

Regardless of what happens to the defendants, they can take solace in the fact that they fooled one onlooker with the dead man disguise.

''He went in regular clothes. I didn't even know he was dead. I thought he was alive,'' said Gerit Ahemed, a clerk at a nearby deli.

Ciao Roma! Bus Tour

Ciao Roma! Bus Tour

Roma 26 Dec 2007

Rome is a huge metropolis. In many ways it feels like a combination of New York City and Washington DC. There are many tight little streets and alleyways, much like NYC, but just like in DC how no building may be taller than the Capitol building, in Rome, no building may be taller than the dome of St. Peter's, so there are zero skyscrapers. (What does this tell us about priorities?). What makes Rome so different (and wonderful) is that it literally is The Eternal City. People have lived continuously on this spot for thousands of years. Consequently, there are historical sites EVERYWHERE. It is a historian's wet dream. I am a historian. Take that as you will.

On December 26th, we wound up in Rome for the first time on the trip. I had never before been to Rome. I was a Roman virgin, so to speak. For the benefit of us innocents, we decided to take a take a bus tour of the major sights, in order to get our bearings. The bus company was called "Ciao Roma!" For those of you NOT in the know, in Italian, "ciao" can mean both "hi" and "bye." So, we said "hi" to Rome via bus conveyence. I should forewarn the reader. Most of these photographs were taken through the window of a moving bus. I am quite proud of the job that I did, all things considered. Nonetheless, please forgive me the occasional slight out-of-focus image or substandard framing job.

The bus tour began at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the oldest churces in the Western world. This Romanesque tower (a relatively recent addition) helped me to locate the church amidst the otherwise labyrinthine streets of Rome. We will return to this spot once the bus tour is over.

The above photo depicts a typical Roman street. I chose to include this image to underscore how much Rome is like any other modern metropolis. This photo could have been taken in Paris or Boston. I promise that it was in taken in Rome. Scout's honor.

The bus stopped at a traffic light, and I snapped this photo. Just on the other side of this fence lies a set of 2,000 year old ruins. Rome is full of ruins. Everywhere you look: Ruins. Again, I am a historian. Take that as you will.

These photos signify my first glances of The Colosseum. I like that it is old, but as coliseums go, I was not all that impressed. 60,000 spectators? Tops?!? That's like a Division II college stadium. WTF? Apparently, the ancient Romans never heard of Ohio Stadium.

The proper name for this structure is, of course, the Vespasian Amphitheater. All joking aside, it was a rather impressive structure. Sadly, they no longer feed Christians to lions for the amusement of tourists. After having spent multiple days unable to visit the best sites due to religious holidays (on my vacation, no less), I could have really used a good Christian eating.

Frankly, I'm quite amazed at how well this photo turned out. One can barely see the reflection of the opposing window. Good job, Bo!

This is the Arch of Constantine. I hope, some day, to have a triumphal arch dedicated in my name.

The bus drove by the Circus Maximus. I can just image Ben-Hur battling Jame's Bond's souped up Astin Martin (or some other type of vehicle with hidden tire-slicing hubcaps - maybe a chariot). Otherwise, it's a big park.

This is a side view of the Circus Maximus. Honestly, I find the ruins to the east to be far more interesting than an old abandoned race track.

Here's another view of the Vespasian Amphitheater. This time, the bus drove the other way around, so the people seated on the port side of the bus could take a gander.

In a city that once housed the seat of the Roman Empire, is anyone surprised that the Italian governmental buildings are replete with Neoclassical glory?

This would be the Piazza Venezia. The column of Trajan can be seen in the background. I also want a column.
This is Mussolini's window. They called him "il Duce," which basically means "the leader." I prefer to refer to him as "il Douche."

The bus passes over the Tiber (Tevere) by means of the Ponte Vittorio Emmanuelle. That is the Castel San Angelo in the background.

St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro). That's the Michelangelo-designed dome to the left and the Bernini designed colonnade to the right. Somewhere in the buildings behind the colonnade, a former Hitler Youth member is wearing a dunce cap.

Big columns. Cittá del Vaticano. Bernini. Look it up.

Frankly, I was unprepared for how temperate the climate of Italy can be. It was December in Europe. I was expecting snow. Instead, I got citrus trees. Can you beat that?

As promised, the bus tour ended at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This church features an ancient basilica floor plan. Check it out...

This simple columns-supporting-flat-wooden-roof plan would be the basis for most churches in the Western world. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the oldest remaining early Christian basilicas. The building dates to the 5th century. Although it has had some superficial renovations over the years, the overall plan of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore remains, more or less, unchanged since before the fall of the Roman Empire.

Pendentive!

Look at the statue of this joker. I think he looks insane.

Look at the corpse of this joker. I think he still looks insane.

Dome!

Ambulatory!

Nave!

So, I'm, like, walking around this basilica, suddenly, Katie tells me to look down, and low and behold, I'm about to step on the final resting place of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. He is one of my favorite sculptors. It was nice to visit his grave.

So, we finished our first evening in Rome by taking a shuttle bus from Termini Station (above) back to Ciampino Airport (where the car was parked). Termini Station was one of the last big building projects of the Fascist period. Is there any doubt that this building was designed by Fascists? Damn. Anywho, the shuttle bus was double decker, and I raced to the top and managed to snag a seat in the very front. There, I wound up in conversation with a girl named Olesya from Britain (of Eastern European descent). It was fun to speak English to someone new. I should email her...