marble | Krauss-ing The World

Limassol

Posted on January 23 by krauss-ingtheworld

I take the bus first thing from Paphos across Cyprus to Limassol, but I arrive in the pouring rain. I wait it out, drop my luggage at the hostel, and catch the bus out to the ancient greek city-state of Kourion. The Greek amphitheater has Roman renovations, and much of the Roman ruins here feature early Christian era villas. They have symbols, classic gladiator motifs and mythology displayed on mosaics.

The remaining Roman marble pillars stand tall against the Mediterranean Sea, its edge lined with steep cliffs. One pillar has a corkscrew pattern I adore. I have to backtrack through the park to exit, which is annoying, and it’s hot under the sun, but I finally make it up to some more ruins.

The remains of heating systems for roman baths

A Roman stadium, just the remains of a wall in an oblong oval shape, is on the path. There is a nature trail, so I leave the hot road in favor of the scrub forest filled with wild thyme and sage. I see a kestrel overhead and a black snake slithers across the path out of sight.

On the horizon, shining in the sunlight against the dark storm clouds, is the Temple of Apollo. This site has been in use since ancient times, then became an early Apollo shrine. The Greek portico got a Roman upgrade by Emperor Trajan, who added his own additions to the temple. Legend has it that whoever touches the sacred altar of Apollo gets cast into the sea. I didn’t take my chances and kept my distance—but got close enough to appreciate the details. Some more remains of Roman bath heating systems are on display.

I hurry back as the rain begins to pour, sprinting downhill to shelter from the storm. I wait for the bus to take me back to town as the sun returns.

The downtown area is charming in the “old center”. It seems quite modern with trendy cafes and a modern agora filled with restaurants. I walk along the harbor to watch the sunset as I check out the sculpture garden; it’s a bit too abstract for my tastes. I have a delicious chicken Tikka wrap and walk along the Greek-style monuments. There is a large mosque and a church that I admire from the outside. I stop for some loukamades (greek donuts) that I customize with riccota, honey and cinnamon—a divine combination.

The city is pretty cool and I’m glad I decided to stay the night.

Pompei

Posted on January 26, 2022 by krauss-ingtheworld

I thought Rome was amazing with its sporadic ruins woven throughout the city. Now imagine my delight to see a whole village!
Though heavily restored, the ash from Vesuvius, towering in the background, preserved much of the infrastructure as well as many amazing frescoes and features. I gasp and catch myself saying “wow” out of awe so many times exploring the frescoes in the houses of the wealthy merchants, featuring mosaic tiles decorating the floors.

The village is huge, accommodating 20,000 people, and I get lost many times. I start out at the amphitheater, find myself in the main theater, and then finally I stumble upon the forum to start the Rick Steves Audio tour (not a sponsor). It is awesome seeing the temple remnants and many bronze statues as well.

The columns still stand, the brick structure remaining with a marble veneer rubbed away (not all columns used expensive marble)

Some casts of bodies found of the 2000 who died during the eruption are on display. It is a bit morbid, but the houses are more of a celebration of their lives.

The deep grooves are from chariot wheels eroding the road over the centuries

Many roads have bumps to cross the street easier when wet. The brothel is even open for a tour, displaying mosaics of different sex positions, perhaps suggestions for different service offerings. Warning: Not safe for work!

Thermopolium is an eating area where dishes would be kept in the holes

The house of mystery is awesome.

So is the last house I tour, the House of Cryptoporticus. I go up two stories through an underground crypt with mosaics of the Iliad. Having Greek art was seen as classy, and most of the frescoes I see around the patios display Greek themes.

***

Nearby Herculaneum, preserved in mud, features what feels like more of the same buildings. Because of the different mechanism of preservation, wood and other organic material is preserved, which can be seen as door and bed frames.

There are some beautiful mosaics, preserved bath houses, and giant villas; Herculaneum was much wealthier than middle-class Pompei. I enjoy being able to visit the whole thing in 4 hours, including a museum with a poorly timed boat passing by Vesuvius at the time of eruption. The hull is intact, and many beautiful jewelry pieces were found aboard, including these snake bangles. I’m impressed by the details on all the jewelry as well.

Moving In

Posted on November 9, 2021 by krauss-ingtheworld

Finally I am able to check into my apartment, finding I have to do a fair bit of cleaning up and rearranging myself to remove the dust/mold I am allergic to. The noise in the apartment isn’t great, but it’s not noisy at least from the street, and the yapping dog next door isn’t as big of a deal as expected.

I spend a good chunk of time grocery shopping and getting settled before finally venturing out on Tuesday to the Scandicci fair. Here I am in heaven as I sample the various different parmesan, truffle spreads, marinades, and peppers. I also try these circular biscuits that come in all kinds of flavors. I also try a warm Hungarian pastry cone, covered in cinnamon, which helps keep me warm on this surprisingly cold autumn evening. Florence went from summer to winter very quickly, with little time to prepare for the cold. Yet the mosquitos somehow persist…

I enjoy the city a bit more and go for a walk up to Festiola, the old residence of the Medicci family, and a roman and Etruscan settlement. I am in awe of the old Etruscan wall and ruins around the city so casually, as if it is a small park or a garden, but it is a historic monument. The charming houses almost all bear some sort of crest, and the steep hills roll up even more charming alleyways. The view of the city and sunset is spectacular, and I am coming to realize the immensity of the Duomo dominating the Florence skyline.

Watching the sunset from the church in Fiesole

Getting out of the house as my mold reaction is getting worse, I take advantage of the sun to walk the length of the river in the city. There is no place to walk down along the river except at the end, which appears closed off to club members. I find it open somehow and walk along to the old bridge, spying some ducks and beautiful views of the opposing riverbank, but it is nothing special as I walk all the way to the end along the cement. I am disgusted by all the trash, but it is nice along the top with all the tourists.

The true highlight is the trip to the coast. Taking the train to Viareggio, a birding friend leads a few of my classmates and I to a gorgeous pine forest, unable to access the lake and being shooed away by an old Italian woman. Difficult to maneuver at first, we eventually find our way into the park Migliarino, which I’m surprised to discover is a UNESCO site. We see lots of unique birds, like a yellow capped cutie (Regulus ignicapillus) and long-tailed tit, a beautiful bird. I also see many birds of prey, like a European kestrel and a falcon. Flocks of wood doves and partridges fly overhead as we scramble across the cut pine stumps. Lizards dart about, and butterflies flutter around the clearings.

A group of wild boar can be hear in the bushes feeding, and a row of piglets trot across the path. There footprints are visible in the fresh mud, along with the scat of a fox and a burrow. I see my first row deer, a male with big antlers watching from a distance, almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Another, a female, stops in the path before quickly darting off. I adore the gorgeous coat, and they are quite smaller than the deer I am used to.

The beach is absolutely gorgeous, with the marble mountains in the distance. It makes sense there are so many marble statues in Florence! I enjoy running around the city a bit more and appreciate all the old buildings now that I have the time with my apartment, and I am grateful for the close location to the train.