Ancient ruins are in no short supply in Rome! The Colosseum was incredible. Inside they have interesting exhibits explaining the use of the arena as well as the architecture and how it had eventually become unused. It was nice to see so much information available, and in English as well as Italian because a lot of other sites had very little information. The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill was a particularly impressive, and extensive area of ruins. They were very confusing though. We were given a map to follow but here was no signage to help guide people along the map route, and when we found a larger, stationary map along our walk, the numbering and map details actually differed to those on the map given to us at the ticket office. Between the two, it made it virtually impossible to follow the audio guide we had also paid for. This was pretty disappointing as it meant we didn't really know what we were looking at in the ruins - whether the remains of a building were a home or a temple. It was still an interesting and beautiful walk and still worth a visit. I just wouldn't expect an informative visit unless you take a guided tour.
During our visits to the different ruins we noticed that there seemed to be a lot of one particular animal living in ruins. Cats! Except for the Colosseum, every ruins we visited we saw at least one cat which started a bit of a tally for us. Roman Forum: 2, Terme di Caracalla (roman baths): 1, Largo di Torre Argentina: at least 20, and those are just the ruins I can remember the names of!
Something else there seems to be a huge amount of are fountains! Romans love big open piazzas, and what better to put in that space than a fountain! And they're never boring, plain fountains either. They're always different, featuring sea creatures, mermaids and and people. It's always an interesting experience finding yourself in a new piazza.
Unfortunately I still haven't found a new photo transfer device because I took lots of photos of fountains and cats!
Showing posts with label Recommendations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recommendations. Show all posts
Friday, 17 February 2012
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Beefeaters and beheadings
If there is one historical site you visit in London, make sure it is the Tower of London. The most enjoyable day I had visiting such a place so far!
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s after he invaded and defeated the English and became their new king. The White tower in the centre of the complex was the original building, given its name because the stone walls were white-washed to give a more imposing look. Over the next couple of hundred years the tower fortifications were expanded by medieval kings.
The tower's history is chock full of murder, power-hungry royals, beheadings and hangings. Never have I seen so much drama within one place outside the TV when grey's anatomy is on. And the thing that I loved most about the place was that, despite all the deaths and sinister goings on, the tour guides and visual displays somehow seemed to make the history almost relatable, as strange as that sounds. The exhibits weren't just dry bits of information but rather an insight into the lives of the royals, peasants and prisoners alike.
Most enjoyable was one of the beefeater tours which are operated all day by current Yeoman Warders (nicknamed, for uncertain reasons, 'beefeaters'). The beefeaters themselves are impressive when you consider the qualifications needed to even apply for the job include 20-odd years in Her Majesty's military service along with reaching certain ranks and receiving certain awards while in that service. So it's not easy to become one! Their job is to guard the tower and whatever may be residing inside, whether it is prisoners, royalty or the crown jewels which are on display there today. They still participate in many of the rituals from past times. The warder that took our tour had an amazing store of information about the tower's history and present and past yeoman warders. The tour run within the white tower by a staff member was equally as riveting, as he explained the daily uses of many rooms - including a medieval toilet chamber. I think it was those personal touches that separates the tour of London from many other historical attractions.
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s after he invaded and defeated the English and became their new king. The White tower in the centre of the complex was the original building, given its name because the stone walls were white-washed to give a more imposing look. Over the next couple of hundred years the tower fortifications were expanded by medieval kings.
The tower's history is chock full of murder, power-hungry royals, beheadings and hangings. Never have I seen so much drama within one place outside the TV when grey's anatomy is on. And the thing that I loved most about the place was that, despite all the deaths and sinister goings on, the tour guides and visual displays somehow seemed to make the history almost relatable, as strange as that sounds. The exhibits weren't just dry bits of information but rather an insight into the lives of the royals, peasants and prisoners alike.
Most enjoyable was one of the beefeater tours which are operated all day by current Yeoman Warders (nicknamed, for uncertain reasons, 'beefeaters'). The beefeaters themselves are impressive when you consider the qualifications needed to even apply for the job include 20-odd years in Her Majesty's military service along with reaching certain ranks and receiving certain awards while in that service. So it's not easy to become one! Their job is to guard the tower and whatever may be residing inside, whether it is prisoners, royalty or the crown jewels which are on display there today. They still participate in many of the rituals from past times. The warder that took our tour had an amazing store of information about the tower's history and present and past yeoman warders. The tour run within the white tower by a staff member was equally as riveting, as he explained the daily uses of many rooms - including a medieval toilet chamber. I think it was those personal touches that separates the tour of London from many other historical attractions.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Dancing the Cancan
When you walk through colourful Montmartre, it's immediately obvious that the French are far more open to the risqué side of life. The streets are lined with lingerie shops, generally of the leather and tasseled variety, also specialising in a range of latex goods. But that was not the reason we were visiting Montmartre at night. We were off to see a show at the Moulin Rouge!
On first sight, the Moulin Rouge was somewhat disappointing. I guess I had preconceived ideas of what to expect from the film, but in reality, the Moulin Rouge is quite a simple, but distinctive building. Inside, the theatre is beautifully decorated, but as many tables as possible have been crammed in to seat guests.
We had a three-course dinner, one of the set menus. Entree was stuffed Dover sole, my least favourite of the three, though that is just personal preference. My main was veal with mushroom and onion sauce, on a bed of rice. Dessert was a chocolate and coffee layered slice, topped with a tempered chocolate Moulin Rouge windmill. All delicious, and accompanied with a bottled of Jacquart champagne.
With dinner finished, it was time for the show. The last guests entered the theatre (it's possible to buy tickets only for the show and skip dinner), and the show began. I didnt't have much of an idea of what the show would involve - only vague images of the cancan. In reality, the show is so much more - singing, dancing, clowns, mimes, even live snakes and ponies. There were many costume changes, though they can't have taken long seeing as the costumes were little more than a few feathers, beads, and a g-string!
Overall, the dinner was delicious and the show was spectacular. Well worth the money, even for those on a backpacker's budget. After all, how often do you get the chance to visit the Moulin Rouge?
On first sight, the Moulin Rouge was somewhat disappointing. I guess I had preconceived ideas of what to expect from the film, but in reality, the Moulin Rouge is quite a simple, but distinctive building. Inside, the theatre is beautifully decorated, but as many tables as possible have been crammed in to seat guests.
We had a three-course dinner, one of the set menus. Entree was stuffed Dover sole, my least favourite of the three, though that is just personal preference. My main was veal with mushroom and onion sauce, on a bed of rice. Dessert was a chocolate and coffee layered slice, topped with a tempered chocolate Moulin Rouge windmill. All delicious, and accompanied with a bottled of Jacquart champagne.
With dinner finished, it was time for the show. The last guests entered the theatre (it's possible to buy tickets only for the show and skip dinner), and the show began. I didnt't have much of an idea of what the show would involve - only vague images of the cancan. In reality, the show is so much more - singing, dancing, clowns, mimes, even live snakes and ponies. There were many costume changes, though they can't have taken long seeing as the costumes were little more than a few feathers, beads, and a g-string!
Overall, the dinner was delicious and the show was spectacular. Well worth the money, even for those on a backpacker's budget. After all, how often do you get the chance to visit the Moulin Rouge?
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