tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323865022024-03-07T14:58:35.630+01:00Where in the world is Gwannel Sandiego?In which Gwan roams the globe...Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.comBlogger702125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-78352563588961469462018-11-11T20:59:00.001+01:002018-11-11T20:59:27.643+01:00 Snapshots of Georgia<div>From Gori, we drove up the Georgian Military Road to Stepantsminda near the Russian border, a suitably romantic-sounding name for a road which, to quote Wikipedia, ‘follows the traditional route used by invaders and traders through the ages’. Its full length is 212 kilometres, running from Tbilisi to Vladikavkaz, just across the border. Its highest point, the Jvari pass, is at an altitude of 2379 meters (7815 feet). It skirts the disputed/occupied territory of South Ossetia for much of the time, although there was no sign of conflict from the road. (We did drive past a large camp for internally displaced persons on the main Tbilisi-Batumi highway, however). </div><div><br></div><div>Many trucks ply the route through Georgia from Russia to Armenia, so there was often overtaking to do, but other than that it wasn’t a particularly tricky route to drive (as a passenger, haha) and offers some beautiful scenery as it winds through the Caucasus mountains. Most of the photos below are from our return journey, starting in the north, since I was sitting on the better side of the car for photos on the way back.</div><div><br></div><img id="id_3a08_3679_e81e_ae7b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nnfX9tRkS7s/W-iKCjEYUTI/AAAAAAAAQHA/7Dwqg4j0svMXq5XAQID9C9LLvsgUvS1cwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">An otherworldly landscape on the side of the road near Stepantsminda with... cow?<br></span><br><img id="id_15de_f332_d8fd_9c4f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PpHJbXli3tw/W-iKAgPOcKI/AAAAAAAAQGk/sTqw1ey9ZRcN5GED0082R-qYbPVu9MX5QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">I actually like the whatever that wooden thing is in the foreground, sort of gives a scale to the majesty of the mountains and river valley<br></span><br><img id="id_a262_378e_9af6_bbf4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SsKrrdpgMK0/W-iKAkIwglI/AAAAAAAAQGc/8YyIF5rp9eAqEH2HV2kZPyWjrs8AYiIBwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The Russia-Georgian friendship monument (ironic), near the highest part of the road<br></span><br><img id="id_e21a_3bdd_e965_4ade" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5TUv75ec75g/W-iKBiJpsdI/AAAAAAAAQG4/cr9aTKeb3qke-iA5i0BOEgBILUbOPd32wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We happened upon a large flock of what I think are turkeys (?) on a very rough back road on the way to the Kakheti wine region<br></span><br><img id="id_edf8_4b83_57e4_b8cb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uHFKZEGUBhs/W-iKBMv3PBI/AAAAAAAAQGs/lsCjIvYdhx4j6NhRXTuVidUJOMOjURmIwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_f0cd_d820_29f_c151" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FmyuSntS31Q/W-iKBm07r8I/AAAAAAAAQG0/rQaUeQEgJEoG6e3HRxay8L8Xg9qxlcMlACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>A lonely outpost in the mountains<br><br><br><img id="id_4069_9b5d_3ab9_79a3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-79SRPy1oKhc/W-iKCh5WfYI/AAAAAAAAQHE/j9x0o_jz16A8fHtSnvTj_KkuMUji0xn7ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_f931_c513_194e_628f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ub2IyGH9uOU/W-iKAP9DB7I/AAAAAAAAQGU/Nggws83K89sWvc7gV7Iy8fGCWIChnHvygCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_270d_22af_4e42_9515" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mR3HrRk13pY/W-iKDN11Y2I/AAAAAAAAQHY/dY73mV5XZMQOEeC-avY7WNmycui0nLobACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">I like how this little gangster looks like he’s wearing a donkey disguise<br></span><br> <div><img id="id_2e99_a81d_6388_df0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fBviBb9RebA/W-iKA6Fe3wI/AAAAAAAAQGo/qqmOeGDMUHIG4bYor94TpcNou-ycZHc8ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_8845_309e_f7a0_d093" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0rcyjkSIG1s/W-iKAohOKqI/AAAAAAAAQGg/4k7CPr-xIiQZnfqzoly5tyW7IZm0KJkfgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_b1dd_497c_d1e_4e13" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z2aB8OAOwo4/W-iJ_1rJbII/AAAAAAAAQGQ/VaoK5B8rumYsrTC6z__DjR88AZgXu9ntgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_c9d4_9f1e_1835_18ee" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2m28lGJiO-U/W-iKAfz5OpI/AAAAAAAAQGY/FhmFen-Dl_Ug0hwD7na_Mj3NRCHeDNPtQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Ananuri Fortress. I wished we would have stopped here, but we thought we wouldn’t have time to fit it in along with our visit to Alaverdi Monastery later in the afternoon. It turns out Alaverdi took hardly any time to see, so we could have done both, or just Ananuri, which has a beautiful location on the Aragvi River. Next time, I suppose.<br></span><br><img id="id_780_93f0_749f_2524" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-loY2e8MR9ss/W-iKCkKzzfI/AAAAAAAAQG8/esCgSDiXvRg1Qj9D798H_zGwqtteQYcNwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div>The Zhinvali Reservoir, a beautiful man-made lake. I was surprised there wasn’t any sign of developments for camping around here. I suppose the beach on the left of the photo is pretty inaccessible.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When the Georgian roads weren’t busy being beautiful or gravelly pits, they had another key feature, which is the abundance of roadside stalls selling all manner of goods. The interesting part was that different villages or regions along the side of the road seemed to specialise each in their own product. You’d have a couple of km of watermelons, then further down a stretch of pottery, followed by bread. A lot of these goods (like pottery, bread or hammocks) don’t seem to be obviously region-dependent, so I’m not quite sure what kind of economic explanation lies behind these. They were pretty popular, too. We didn’t stop at any, but it was quite common for a car in front to suddenly veer off or on to the road from one of these stalls, usually without signalling.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Most of the next photos are from the Tbilisi-Batumi highway.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_70cd_2be6_eada_b8b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Jq1UHd2LWkU/W-iKDrQSoPI/AAAAAAAAQHk/40ZP5QgJ4Tsdk2TbfIU_A43dsnb33kQ_QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Stop here for woolly hats<br></div><div><br></div><img id="id_2cec_7ffa_d0f4_92f9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pN4gbJuaZ2w/W-iKCoaBn3I/AAAAAAAAQHI/vL6y8PqFMbIHP6vW5jiaXkv9ThPdPyF0ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">“There’s hammock hut, that’s on third. There’s Hammocks R Us, that’s on third too. You got Put Your Butt There. That’s on third. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot... Matter of fact, they’re all in the same complex, it’s the hammock complex on third.” “Oh, the hammock district!”<br></span><br><img id="id_ac67_ce8_37ba_399a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FRrNLsjqLYM/W-iKDG-VGGI/AAAAAAAAQHQ/zNg1gnmuEn4DEKYgckv9nE6jU_c451j5wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Seriously, there were a lot of hammocks for sale. Not going to lie, I kind of wanted one.<br></span><br><img id="id_3ff7_df27_15f1_74a4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eTcVJIxE21Y/W-iKDoMG0OI/AAAAAAAAQHg/mNACyqghOpsBr7oUsLeqeFExoWbbl072wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">One town was full of these “5+1” bread offers (I think it’s bread, at any rate). We never stopped, because what would we do with 6 loaves of bread. Along with the 5+1s, there was the occasional 6+1, which was surely an attempt at tomfoolery<br></span><br><img id="id_98a2_72b2_3cfd_8570" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lm9yLKK-j-w/W-iKG2EHOSI/AAAAAAAAQHc/4N_O5hHBXU805Zmi5Mvs9ITdIMRiQ5KSQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_ca7d_b372_a7d1_2155" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uVHZL619KWA/W-iKBBYA5qI/AAAAAAAAQGw/Oe-NF-OcTEs5UQY4AM-tZzqqhzZDoprbQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A Georgian coffee shop that is definitely not infringing on any trademarks<br></span><br></div></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-48896320735134309812018-09-24T15:18:00.001+02:002018-09-24T15:18:33.573+02:00Man of Steel<div>Uplistsikhe is just outside Gori, best known as the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. Embarrassing confession: when I was about 11 or 12 I wrote a righteous takedown of how friendly moustachioed ‘Uncle Joe’ was actually, wait for it, a bad guy, and somehow thought that my insights gleaned from history books for kids available in our small local library would like blow my teacher’s mind or something. Ah ah ah, the impetuosity of youth. </div><div><br></div><div>My fascination with Russian history has persisted, and even though the Stalin museum in Gori is, by all accounts, less woke than I was as a 12 year old, I still had it on the bucket list of must-sees while I was in Georgia. I say ‘by all accounts’ because there’s very little information available in English in there, so we were assessing on the general vibe. Which was pretty much ‘all hail the mighty conqueror Stalin’. </div><div><br></div><div>Quite a lot of the museum just consisted of reproductions of old photos on the walls with short captions, and most of the rest was artefacts from the cult of personality. I have a bit of a thing for Soviet kitsch as well, so I was mildly interested in dozens of Azeri Stalin rugs, although I have seen cooler Soviet stuff elsewhere. (Feel always and enormously free, anyone, to surprise me with a <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/object-of-intrigue-soviet-space-dog-jug" id="id_7099_7d8e_8b8f_9f74">Belka and Strelka rocket jug</a>.) The collection was rounded out by some genuine Stalin paraphernalia and a creepy memorial room with pictures of his coffin and what I assume is his death mask. (I recently mentioned visiting the Lenin memorial in Moscow: Stalin used to be in there too, until during the period of de-Stalinization Lenin’s widow had a convenient dream where Lenin visited her and told her he would be more comfortable in the afterlife sans flatmate.)</div><div><br></div><div>Outside the museum was Stalin’s actual birthplace, a tiny tiny hut encased within a larger memorial (that you weren’t allowed to go in) and Stalin’s personal railway carriage, which you can go in and soak up the Staliny atmosphere. It’s pretty nice, although not super lux, and was used by Stalin to go to the Yalta Conference, amongst other destinations. </div><div><br></div><div>On Gori in general, my impression from the internet was that it was quite sad and rundown, not enjoying a lot of tourist money as its proximity to Tbilisi makes it a convenient day trip destination. It was actually nicer than I expected. There is a big fortress up on the hill, which we didn’t have time to get to, and we had a really delicious meaty dinner (along with the bread and dumplings, you can enjoy copious amounts of barbecue shish kebab type things in Georgia if you so desire). We ran into some rough potholey roads on the way out the next morning, but overall Gori is really not a bad place to spend the night instead of rushing back and forth from Tbilisi.</div><div><br></div><img id="id_632c_73d8_bd90_fda3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ruQqVptIZZ4/W6jkGbR_j0I/AAAAAAAAP1A/XJPyHs6en9ArBIc80SH4IhZvTp-jI1nHwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A nice park at the foot of the fortress, not far from the Stalin museum. Not sure exactly who these giant statues were of, but I’m guessing ye knights of old. <br></span><br><img id="id_674d_52d5_db10_d775" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tr2s977pwac/W6jkF1GIERI/AAAAAAAAP1I/Q5bZB6c2FL8_Pcd1k7mOKD1r8CFrX0rhwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_c349_16e0_10ef_55ed" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hFSABr_YBtk/W6jkFK7XD7I/AAAAAAAAP0c/mXghL9RSpWMvO3RZd0LiW3N4uhee2haQwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Stalin’s wee little house<br></span><br><img id="id_7ef4_468b_825a_7953" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9JZL9i9kgMg/W6jkF9q52-I/AAAAAAAAP0w/xw0Zk0EDVnow6ijAVgNEU1eXjGJTs0M9QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The back wall of Stalin’s house inside its memorial canopy<br></span><br><img id="id_712b_521f_f19f_a8f8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zC7E8uyTEi4/W6jkFL-KyhI/AAAAAAAAP0Y/yAn-3Vkof_oHWRqwf3jv2aX-dHqZLzRUwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Just walking into the main museum gives you a good idea of the tone<br></span><br><img id="id_fd15_895f_9211_b77b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JWCH_NQrGeM/W6jkF4qxYgI/AAAAAAAAP0o/OHEeGxVtXu4_ls7dKM4ybp4FP_LxgFGgACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_29e9_1fda_7395_9e83" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Ho2C429LRA/W6jkEg17euI/AAAAAAAAP0U/X28Ga550FpAVXQsy7hVqM58phCmpfxhJwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Stalin’s death mask<br></span><br><img id="id_65e4_a8b5_e9f7_53f7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tfCJr6C6jNI/W6jkFM-0LXI/AAAAAAAAP0g/aIdYNIUhnfc36teBh96Y4YNLpPJieiwFQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Gotcha nose Winston! There’s that playful rogue we all know and love.<br></span><br><img id="id_5775_3f65_2f0f_2b3f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HnYEU-pDpuY/W6jkF8Ig7GI/AAAAAAAAP0s/EqijR3V-NnQ9tdSTN_qCopdZuq_s8jhdQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The design strongly reminded me of the Moscow metro system. I don’t know if this was a deliberate architectural nod to one of Stalin’s lasting achievements, or just the style of the time (the museum was begun in the early 1950s, not long before Stalin’s death)<br></span><br><img id="id_c351_f12a_314f_4571" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-waPtr-eM0sE/W6jkF1DYNLI/AAAAAAAAP04/V7pUIFvpcTULpS4mIjGtCWlUYNFB80XkACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Stalin’s first office in the Kremlin. I will admit there’s still a bit of a frisson for me to think “there’s the actual desk Stalin sat at”, even though I realise for many people it would be tantamount to displaying Hitler’s office furniture in a museum that doesn’t breathe a word about the Holocaust. <br></span><br> <div><img id="id_ba5b_afea_d67f_cac8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pskhVK8Pb2I/W6jkF_VWzgI/AAAAAAAAP00/_M3tksHs7uAUxlkPXNdl3Sdbk7rueGslACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Stalin’s train<br></span><br><img id="id_8823_4a1d_aa67_b231" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U8GCDtprtZA/W6jkFwiFIvI/AAAAAAAAP08/JH4HppFAj50ctmH0BczFdE-wXlXyYGphQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">It was surprisingly quite refined and elegant, not too showy<br></span><br><img id="id_3c33_1161_eeba_8ab5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z1gyIvYPc7E/W6jkFwyu_1I/AAAAAAAAP0k/mv1XqF3VXKgqz2fWIO-R_wgVcribAw2SQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>I feel it’s an interesting place to see in its own right, to see how history is still contextualised in a country that is, really, still suffering from the legacy of Russian imperialism and the Soviet Union. There’s still a sense of pride there that a boy from small-town Georgia went on to have such a profound influence on world history. There didn’t seem to be a single trace inside the museum of anything even mildly critical of Stalin - Terror, violence, purges, show trials, the gulag, the Holodomir etc., all swept under the carpet. It’s interesting in its own way that such a place still exists. I wonder if it’s kept on as a sort of curiosity for awful ironic hipster tourists like me or if there’s actually still widespread support for the guy in Georgia. (Actually, no need to wonder: on a confusing 1 - 12 scale, this research based on 2012 data shows pretty strong appreciation for Stalin particularly around his home region.)</div></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_ef81_bf96_b993_daea" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QB_lZYO7av4/W6jkEaV7N5I/AAAAAAAAP0Q/wmmGS18u7n4-sWzp-_-m-AdGp9PcEFQDgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283422947_Cartographies_of_Stalin_Place_Scale_and_Representational_Politics" id="id_2f69_310a_bfc9_12b8">Source</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br>I guess even if he’s a bad guy, he’s their bad guy.<br></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-13767542779414530612018-09-12T15:55:00.001+02:002018-09-12T15:55:11.445+02:00 The Lord’s FortressI had been a little bit back and forth on whether to go to Uplistsikhe (which means the Lord’s Fortress), since on the face of it - an ancient cave town - it sounds very similar to Vardzia, so I wondered if it was worth the effort. Turns out it was my favourite place on the trip so far. While superficially similar to Vardzia indeed, the experience was quite different. The caves in Vardzia are hollowed out of the cliff face, so you reach them by mostly narrow paths on the edge of the cliff, rarely going deep into the cave system. In Uplistsikhe, by contrast, you essentially stand on top of the hill and clamber up and down to see individual caves. This was what made Uplistsikhe so much fun - we were really just scampering about on top of this cave town like a couple of kids. And while Uplistsikhe is a lot more accessible than Vardzia, and therefore busier, the open layout meant it didn’t feel crowded. <div><br></div><div>Uplistsikhe contains structures dating from the Early Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages, although since we didn’t have any audio guide or other information, I couldn’t tell you which is which, with exception of the brick church in the middle, which was built in the 9th - 10th centuries. Arriving at the site is a surreal experience. One minute we were driving through green fields and streets hung with vines, then you turn a corner and suddenly you’re in a landscape that looks like something out of Westworld (or Utah, where I think it’s filmed). Suddenly it’s all bare rock formations, but once you’re actually up on the hill you get a vista of a lush green river valley that looks like a savanna. It really wasn’t hard to see why our ancestors would have chosen such a place to settle: shelter, defensibility, water access and presumably hunting opportunities back in the day. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_47d8_1ad_2a5a_b6b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NQWJHP4qPGY/W5kaodk4O1I/AAAAAAAAPxg/jxWYoRmlgQw0iupfothf4khj-JGMyeSfACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Arriving at Uplistsikhe, you suddenly go from this </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">To this:</span><br><img id="id_eae7_656e_4550_5304" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WbkjBK3oMHU/W5kao2kxLII/AAAAAAAAPxo/_bwwxC4Rd5sp5-uu81IsOfqwCL6kA4NXACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_3b60_31d7_d65e_d0a8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-skqiWys7BEI/W5kapCe39PI/AAAAAAAAPxs/ayTq5Y_m_nMvk6_3QB6DSOS19IprsF0BgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Some top notch site security<br></span><br><img id="id_19b0_c3d8_a05f_b6a5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Sb960_StSN0/W5kao8A7N3I/AAAAAAAAPxk/Kqhg8CW9NnAMR7ct_TEtTqkzduzu5Y3vgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Some of the fancier caves had a bit of interior decoration going on <br></span><br><img id="id_64c6_3bca_a45c_e19c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0MIoFKFBC6A/W5kaphXsplI/AAAAAAAAPxw/lJUnxkt1po8fyOI-YOEqG1L-T_8znp48wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A qvevri, the clay vessel used to make traditional Georgian wine. (Really traditional - the earliest found go back to the 6th millennium BC!)<br></span><br><img id="id_38da_fa7e_2e03_c8a4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BI9bscj1eXM/W5kaqpy786I/AAAAAAAAPx0/vNqqz2-_OkEkDeG8nB_vhKgfqnBY0Vn5wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5df7_2b2a_62b8_f17e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WS_DcCBZFto/W5karBCzk9I/AAAAAAAAPx4/E_wzLW2IkUcH2uVBAHImwUvp9Ypp4QfbACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">I can just imagine gazing at this first thing in the morning and then leaping into action to hunt a deer or something<br></span><br><img id="id_fe1_859f_89e7_83bd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rkg-Rt_xn-U/W5karl-atoI/AAAAAAAAPx8/m0kcCyitmo8ErrbEON_nXLWOcwegdqtDQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">It was hella windy up there</span><br><br><img id="id_34a7_351_aace_30f8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JJeoAfD5GTM/W5kar0guajI/AAAAAAAAPyA/u7CtcIv6DW8BTpUYTRMvSxUaCahF1V5-gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_e053_20e0_61e6_8ee0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4AFIAHvCLqw/W5kasW2hWBI/AAAAAAAAPyE/ftv3pwVjP0MAzF2_LRt2gKqR_YKY_LnhwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Visions of Dali in this rock formation<br></span><br><img id="id_e735_f1b9_6f60_c89d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-miyaMAaJDp0/W5kasco0i0I/AAAAAAAAPyI/Vbybir_U9JY1B2VEQfkVTkmMZh6DHMbIwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Premium cave real estate</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_9b92_c2e0_b289_eda6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TdwiWkF6oyo/W5katm7hS5I/AAAAAAAAPyU/oJLPznydVIwXt61aiaqEtGnwBktExx2zACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9c2a_5f26_359b_6804" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AreyKgdAHaA/W5kas_OBjJI/AAAAAAAAPyM/HYzJ4saeG1wZuqML-i5FfhAyOoJ8NZeHACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1dd0_4805_90e9_5c67" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9tTHiduNX-o/W5kauNfdbiI/AAAAAAAAPyY/KoyTeSOnqlcQ1wCT62EakgfHqT21doQ3wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_10ce_b97f_b8ec_d8b9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WLlTyERJMkw/W5kateVmjEI/AAAAAAAAPyQ/bHMbgHRAASkCYKCNEDrgAQGrzDZ1X0SpwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Tunnelling out<br></span><br><img id="id_cf83_6827_846f_4118" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kvBBJ7UOmcA/W5kaubta19I/AAAAAAAAPyc/cGuATf0yj_0trZcnrr2wjp9FhYhiFe2KwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_65dd_1ebf_cdf6_e2a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S0yarq_U-w4/W5kavNkTo2I/AAAAAAAAPyg/PnIQ87-bWVkwwXJ2GKd8PzZkevNw1r8qwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f597_793c_820c_1d23" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_UC2yc1Aq3k/W5kavEkG9zI/AAAAAAAAPyk/bywEpJd_QPEUZIyLpi3BxHrcDAsWkQKFQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Disclaimer: this actually happened in Vardzia, but I forgot to put it in the blog, so I’ll put it in here. On the way out, a Russian mother and teenage daughter semi cut in line in front of us (that thing where you’re approaching from different directions, but instead of doing the polite ‘you first’, they just put on a burst of speed to make it there in front), and the teenage girl had a small wearable speaker strapped to her leg. That part is obnoxious enough, but the really weird part is that, of all things, she was rocking out to Love Potion no. 9...??? Thankfully we were leaving while they were arriving!</span><br></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-60324205708429569482018-09-11T12:33:00.000+02:002018-09-11T12:33:23.864+02:00Prometheus undergroundThe Prometheus Cave near Kutaisi was only discovered in 1984, and hasn’t been open to visitors very long. I suppose it took the authorities a wee while to pimp that cave, since although it is very pretty, it definitely doesn’t go for a naturalistic look. Legend has it that Prometheus, tortured by the gods for bringing fire to mankind, was imprisoned here, or nearby, or confusingly, on Mt Kazbek, a four-hour drive away near the Russian border. Maybe he’s the inspiration for the trippy lighting scheme inside the caves. I think we can safely say he wasn’t imprisoned anywhere, but the scale and variety of the stalagmites and tites etc on display don’t really need a legend to make them something special.<br />
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The cave visit takes about an hour, made up of a 1060 meter walk through the cave followed by a small boat trip. Tours are offered in Georgian, English and Russian, which would have been great except it turned out they combined the tour for English speakers (about half a dozen of us) with Russian speakers (a good 60 or so of them). Yes, we had to hurry a bit to keep up with the guide, but they basically treated it as though it was a race to get through the place as fast as possible and woe betide you if you stop to take a photo on the way. One woman, instead of walking around me (which there was room to do) stood behind me shouting “idyotye! idyotye!” (Russian for go! go! - surely mere coincidence that it sounds a lot like you’re being called an idiot). It reminded me of when I <a href="https://gwannelsandiego.blogspot.com/2007/01/le-le-le-lenin-and-rest.html" id="id_74c4_d995_8db2_10c8">visited Lenin’s mausoleum</a> in Moscow. The rule there is no stopping - you just walk around his body in a circle and out. I tried to get around this by walking extra slowly but the woman behind me there yelled idyotye at me too. Whatever happened to stopping to smell the roses/examine crusty old corpses? I think I still managed to get some cool shots though, helped out by that psychedelic lighting. (#nofilter)</div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A lot of the cave looked like it wanted to eat me</span><br />
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-49739509436578500032018-09-10T11:46:00.001+02:002018-09-10T11:48:59.713+02:00 Tasty GelatiGelati Monastery near Kutaisi in western Georgia was my favourite thing of the trip until the next one (currently Uplistsikhe holds the crown). It dates back to 1106, founded by King David the Builder, who is buried there, along with a number of other Georgian royals including the famous Tamar who we met back in Vardzia. As we explored the extensively-decorated interior, I couldn’t help thinking it would be world-renowned and absolutely flooded with tourists if this was somewhere like Florence or Paris. As it was, I was fairly selfishly pleased that it wasn’t too crowded, although there was a fair smattering of tourists. The frescoes are rather weathered, but altogether it’s a really beautiful place. I don’t have much more to say on this one, but hope you enjoy the photos! (By the way, I’m having to blog this on iPad so I hope the photos aren’t too giant and/or wonky...)<div><br></div><div><img id="id_73c0_d4c0_2181_b16a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DGvP9WXKnsA/W5Y9P1zrFjI/AAAAAAAAPts/2Enr2CKuTz8pN5jtJ1avTuasdOPgwNcRACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b3dc_7a03_4b79_b0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3-W9p6hpqf8/W5Y9RSP96UI/AAAAAAAAPt0/_Yz2t17gQ7cbcBqyoDeWYhGzLfhGhbeMwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_eeb7_efb_c1e7_83fc" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AVHiQpmykRA/W5Y9RqglB3I/AAAAAAAAPt4/WOGb03W5vzwStl_crmRMXmIByn04VbkyQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8d7f_525d_7b8e_c4f3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ligf2E-1Wp4/W5Y9RcyiulI/AAAAAAAAPtw/SxcIhi0G_rERKBDe2B1_R_2FltCtC0a7wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_38b5_4e41_e50c_a049" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zLBwoAsDPR4/W5Y9Sy5HhUI/AAAAAAAAPt8/HFhmeEuWEwkjAERtxfUvH5JUiwI23DxXwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_788_6e83_5099_e62f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-52rFJRBY_gc/W5Y9TCCQJyI/AAAAAAAAPuA/Pg098vsuqXIaI_iKQuXNFy52FmqiwTGXACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2389_ae15_aed_9e9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tctq09vTXLw/W5Y9VZdOmrI/AAAAAAAAPuI/hbuuGq0VfogqVj1gUQdpGnzW5Zb468QGgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">There were really strong royal associations throughout the church. I’m not entirely sure who these two funny-looking customers are, but definitely someone important<br></span><br><img id="id_3587_3a09_ddc5_10fe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5CTLS1MqtkM/W5Y9V1tR76I/AAAAAAAAPuQ/5NAFr-X3t3Q654wZUpuzMEEo0fuiNIN2gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4ac2_f6c7_3346_cb77" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A6IiKBRnj0Y/W5Y9Us15WQI/AAAAAAAAPuE/rj_b1VzaRkwVgddg_vLsnvCZdOx8YDUoQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Ol’ Wonky-Eye Jesus in the dome<br></span><br><img id="id_868c_36d_a766_f968" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5FuvPWI9aYM/W5Y9VdJ7WeI/AAAAAAAAPuM/QAmiUbH6cA48uwG_D2LLgDnpnQFS9IVggCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9b9a_d519_c2aa_a33f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZKk_Tm23fNo/W5Y9WQVafvI/AAAAAAAAPuU/k7U-UDeT2C8ORt-JKNbGev1wpJksfF2AgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_f255_97ab_f49a_586a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cMYbNEBcOx8/W5Y9XG9PfQI/AAAAAAAAPuY/hQ3Pczawr4gCL-TUHH-Gb1ztnme-0q-ZACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6d97_dc6a_454d_c6fc" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-63V9uU87c6A/W5Y9XZm3rtI/AAAAAAAAPuc/1OyeYEQr4mAr0xxNuYfFVbq_RNIG62cpQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5bc0_25af_6097_ac97" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LmgX62pz99A/W5Y9Y4-SWnI/AAAAAAAAPuk/6TZwL0DzR442Jfza2Ud1lGKHjVrncfi2QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b39a_8d15_8df4_49a5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NS7__h1X_8nbFil09fVFMFKbM8MkW00b-khY7YqW6iQiaDmuwr43O7nXqh9WF3We-PlWTrstNiylVQLtaiBMvUM4GTE7bkTwzqfR63xhsC7Z8_6QaRVec2592PN1YKFuRAsl_w/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_17cb_f6a1_a5bf_adbd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cI5OyZ2DHvM/W5Y9Zh9VxNI/AAAAAAAAPuo/zW2ftvFfLnUtQroYi9IDBvo5yLbYi7o3gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_77b6_5815_72d4_6868" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gEDt-krfkws/W5Y9Z3KiEZI/AAAAAAAAPus/6jGJMUYI0l0l6QeXFI82IeJFCCNciVq0gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_558a_4d55_a753_343e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2rKXHC4WGjg/W5Y9ahGZ8fI/AAAAAAAAPuw/4Y-zfGGwOZMKQwrQVNlleD2-vt2oUQxvACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_283b_9473_f1fe_a823" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uFZUemtVho0/W5Y9bdw8T-I/AAAAAAAAPu0/9IqMFhV_HjI4X5etouZmpZHrSI94Tq5YQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Quite a graphic John the Baptist post-decapitation<br></span><br><img id="id_b119_f34f_9727_3fa2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m6oaLZRpI4I/W5Y9cj2oPgI/AAAAAAAAPu8/81T2C5W7HDIWySVEIFVgEyHYOCV-m3v3QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The royals again. David the Builder is on the far right</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_3d40_cac4_1ce5_88c2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KOrRn2nE0VA/W5Y9cihuQkI/AAAAAAAAPu4/U75KSRHyYHQViT7U4r4TQ9ThtXFAK3qxQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d72e_b27b_ba18_1d5e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U67PR6Zo-YU/W5Y9dfuCoaI/AAAAAAAAPvA/skRuzLx1mk03LdKP1iy_o-ww6WxlTZvvQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_32e8_cfef_277b_4688" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aKjuD2g-zPY/W5Y9dhO20sI/AAAAAAAAPvE/89n9fGblRNouriURHh-g_azoJj88ExeewCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We also stopped in at the nearby Motsameta church. I saw on the internet a few people saying that this was better than Gelati, which is overrated. To these people, I say there is such a thing as objectively bad taste and you have it and you should feel bad. Motsameta was in a pretty location, also on top of a hill, but the tiny church has been garishly overpainted/restored on the inside, and the views are not that spectacular. The church is so small that we couldn’t really go in either, as there was a mass going on the whole time we were there and a wedding party turned up just as we were leaving. Which is fair enough, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as nice as Gelati in any case.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_559b_cea5_ce59_efed" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iLZ_APMw4Eo/W5Y9eiJjshI/AAAAAAAAPvI/FXRZs3yqGjApeO_c9yMBcu0Fh1PP0-lwACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_693b_4dd6_fc60_2021" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--JFbrj30Ovg/W5Y9fddBXwI/AAAAAAAAPvQ/E0BUuN6GCkI6rpN1sl2XPa58yRY_QVzDgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Motsameta’s tacky frescoes<br></span><br><img id="id_1cdb_f863_6877_8e83" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9SKTqhBdHjo/W5Y9feeHlJI/AAAAAAAAPvM/Rya3u1Ti0Ew9bMDWNr2cWZF8EreDw2PqgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Some guy turned up with two lambs as an offering to the church. I assume for the monks to eat rather than some sort of sacrificial thing<br></span><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br><br></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-23543514875070892722018-09-07T18:00:00.001+02:002018-09-07T18:00:42.147+02:002 fast 2 4tressesAfter Vardzia, there was some debate about whether to call it a day or push on to make the most of our time in the region. We reached the compromise of just driving back up to Khertvisi Fortress and having a look from the outside. A look from the outside led to a short walk up a steep hill, which led to going into the fortress. Luckily it’s small and free and is indeed worth the small outlay on your calf muscles on the way up.<div><br></div><div>Khertvisi is one of Georgia’s oldest fortresses, originally dating back to the 2nd century BC. Legend has it that it was destroyed by no less than Alexander the Great (pretty neat). It was rebuilt and laid waste by Mongols and Turks over the years, going into decline before regaining some strategic importance in the 19th century as a base for Russian and Georgian troops. It sits high on a hill in the ancient Meskheti region of Georgia, overlooking the Mtkvari River. (I met someone who said I had very good pronunciation of Georgian place names, but damned if I know how to pronounce that either.)</div><div><br><img id="id_80dc_92c9_3f42_c39d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gxvglPu8b9E/W5Kgi8ouUgI/AAAAAAAAPrs/r7FgMvFWhI8WgiP7omPJFiD-GoD14R50wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_1f87_5331_2612_4086" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pgnTme8ky-s/W5KgjRs5pxI/AAAAAAAAPr0/ilhfDHQWscELsCiFmcMdVzLOSi3IbhG8gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_69cb_5ac3_81b0_2303" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZtzLWmHeCAU/W5Kgjrkp9OI/AAAAAAAAPr4/bs3mx_FTNIoxjmSEZBJUeY1j8IAwv1t6QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5815_a7f7_a271_209c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iJ_8mdEGrVU/W5KgjbGai6I/AAAAAAAAPrw/73bESDUT8GInZaqhdduujKYJkPKq8HNeACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_842a_cdec_ea6_6a1c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C46MjD3RBXM/W5KgkP_7S0I/AAAAAAAAPr8/kzJJq045pPQdA8ThW02e7Ml9VXm0VH8PQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_941b_cfbc_9dc0_4a23" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cWSK33sA_no/W5Kgk-jNpRI/AAAAAAAAPsA/SL_i7MyzUhgahQv9xeQ81qQOR3sAzzISwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>After the fortress, we crossed over the world’s wobbliest footbridge for a sit down and an ice cream beside the river. </div><div><img id="id_4bf8_f457_2148_ebb3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uHLxN3KWUmo/W5KgkwXPgyI/AAAAAAAAPsE/qtneG4u36jcTUObWFzx10swU7SEe7mrmQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4ca6_e161_9329_726" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tmQQIBC6IKA/W5Kgli4cmzI/AAAAAAAAPsI/rv1-1Uu9r2M9dYGCSFY2kfqNOakorZ7zwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We were amazed to see someone make the crossing on motorbike (!)</span><br><br><img id="id_94b8_e28e_bd32_d171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8K1FtF2nlpjDw8ukLGwIG3m0Y3SxZpp4IRj-rpK7nwzJI2_oZq2nmodNiCrg7invGTq0kyMUR8Bwf9MwObYRyW0R1_S0I8KaFR-B09_K2t5epk8Nc8iDZbmaf5IQvxX8pvOoe4Q/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>Cold on the piggies!</div><div><br></div><div>That night, I was struck down by the dreaded <strike>Delhi</strike> Tbilisi Belly, from sources unknown. I privately blame the beef dish that appeared on our dinner table for the second night in a row, but I suppose it could be anything. I’m a bit annoyed though. I’ve survived the likes of Albania, Ukraine, Russia, Thailand and Morocco without turning a hair, only to be laid low by Georgia! I was pretty sick for the next three days, but we bravely soldiered on, not least because we had another hotel to get to in a city 4 hours away. </div><div><br></div><div>Jules still persuaded me to visit Rabati Fortress on the way, but I’ll put the fact that I look a bit wan and am wearing the same clothes as the day before down to feeling a bit under the weather. Anyway, fortress #2 was originally built in the 9th century and called Lomisa Castle. However, after surviving attack by Tamerlane in the late 14th century, it was given over to the Ottoman Empire after the Treaty of Constantinople in 1590 and completely rebuilt. Today, its style offers a delightful little slice of the Ottoman Empire in Georgia, including a central mosque. </div><div><br></div><div>The fortress was extensively renovated/reconstructed early this decade. This usually bothers me quite a bit, but in this case it seems to have been sensitively done and the site is so pretty that if you take it on its own terms as a reconstruction, it’s still well worth a visit, even if not quite authentic. You can see pictures of the works in progress <font color="#000000" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://georgiaabout.com/2012/07/04/about-sights-akhaltsikhe-fortress/" id="id_f1e_bdeb_f335_c8ed" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">here</a> </font>(Fun fact for Francophiles and maybe people of a certain age - the reconstruction was inaugurated with a Charles Aznavour concert, as his father was born in the town!)</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_f8ac_48c1_3405_c33e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RjjwNDV5gSQ/W5KgmBQGatI/AAAAAAAAPsU/lQbqm7wxDJwkmeI53VQ8T4PkzC3lsBamQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2c53_aae_8911_459e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ewCFbfEmknU/W5Kgly1zQuI/AAAAAAAAPsQ/hd8r6qInOZA4_iwMwsSopxHgRD3FWu5FACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2e7c_8411_187c_466e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h6tUndKtFqg/W5KgmtTjoEI/AAAAAAAAPsY/g0lifgt5U4oI8z4xzmfUrtfBBQ9j9-XkwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_fea1_46a0_cbd3_464" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9-lmKEghtII/W5KgnAs0B3I/AAAAAAAAPsg/I5tu9cVDL8A_pGoKsico7MBkTTNYhlnXQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4021_82fd_5180_dfc9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oWjZrV_0Sso/W5KgnNCI4BI/AAAAAAAAPsc/WXzTIgXC_FILfqy6GUWc1jtSx5YF9gUWgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_da4b_a95_e3bc_16fe" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-or4GVl23lWw/W5Kgn046COI/AAAAAAAAPsk/R53ufMkOCv8BpwYiK3daQPmJh7b4FwYXACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2c0d_82d_a9b_8946" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zM-V05d9yZs/W5Kgom-djgI/AAAAAAAAPso/CywmbW8M7K8BGaSsSIqP2xhL9erTkkr4wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7d8d_f409_5ac4_2092" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cLH9QRiJA8s/W5KgolXG6vI/AAAAAAAAPsw/yg6PO85sLkU9R7VurAxuuQcQ2xBUCLIngCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_6d78_8095_92a2_a13f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gSpF8VNHPcs/W5Kgor-uoiI/AAAAAAAAPss/dS6ZTE9EyJMp4dkOfkEz5RNMetBzhAZrACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_896b_8f20_eba2_541b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CRiV-4Z1dYY/W5KgpbWZMsI/AAAAAAAAPs0/ukXnsBPApuQsxIaFHYIky__5HFkkwEvcwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><br><div><br></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-31780552978743293022018-09-06T19:43:00.001+02:002018-09-06T19:43:52.889+02:00Spelunking with monksMonday mostly consisted of driving some 270km from Tbilisi to our guesthouse near Vardzia, an ancient cave monastery in southern Georgia, located less than 20 km (over some big mountains) from the Turkish border, and not too far from the Armenian border either. Although for most of the way the roads weren’t too bad, it was still pretty slow going. With breaks, it took us more than 6 hours to cover it. Although you’re less likely to encounter stray cows on the highway that made up most of the way, you’re practically guaranteed to meet many Georgians who view the centre of the road as a secret third passing lane. Their technique often involves following as close as possible to the back left of the car in front, in order to bully it over to the side of the road a bit, and then they merrily proceed in the assumption that anyone coming the other way will also make space. For most of the way, the passing scenery was actually quite dull, until we turned off the main cross-country highway and got into some more dramatic terrain on the way south.<div><br></div><div><img id="id_c405_93e3_5586_d52f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3roSU6umRzk/W5FnJ65kocI/AAAAAAAAPpg/4e76DCzen9IgO8xSfGQqkZ3T8mmqaPe2ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">About as bad as the road got, on the way down to Vardzia<br></span><br><img id="id_406d_6ba8_87d9_2a45" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Na66-Eb4VdA/W5FnNqRkKAI/AAAAAAAAPpw/6R50FoHs8OAHTdLgG-9c5D7-mYCyHcVeQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_db5e_3b5d_7cc1_b747" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BXBwwr2bfKM/W5FnNkCBfoI/AAAAAAAAPps/R8awSmmPxt0wvbnNv5R_UC7VNWzb8p-0wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Apart from the alphabet, this is kind of how I imagine a carwash in Georgia the state might look<br></span><br><img id="id_7619_5a4e_6fda_6252" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-50bXrT8pJ_8/W5FnNwT9zmI/AAAAAAAAPp0/Wmi43r9hqDEa4ChzgPYtNTYPeensBYb0ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>Khertvisi Fortress</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>We finally arrived at our destination, a rural guesthouse in Nakalakevi, not far from Georgia. Here, again, we encountered some language difficulties. My Russian is just about good (or bad) enough to follow the general topic of a basic conversation, but often not enough to pull the threads together in a way that makes sense. We were greeted by the man of the house, who led us and our suitcases across the courtyard to speak to his wife, who told us a big group was coming in the next day for agritourism purposes - homemade milk, wine, fruit etc. Okay, got the drift. Then she asked if we wanted dinner - my attempts to say we wanted a ‘light’ dinner failed (I checked later and I did use the right word, but I think I mangled the pronunciation), so I fell back on asking for a small dinner. Then we, with our suitcases, were led back towards the car for a confusing spiel about the old guesthouse down the hill. It took quite some time before I was able to put two and two together and figure out that that is where we would be sleeping, displaced by the large group due to arrive the next day. Even then, I wasn’t sure whether we were expected to schlep back up to the main guesthouse (thankfully not, given the state of the road between the two). The teenage daughter, who spoke a little English, although not to great effect when all this conversation was going on, was bundled into our car to accompany us down to the other guest house. The poor thing later had to carry our dinner down the hill in buckets. I’m not sure whether school was over for the day by the time we arrived, or hadn’t started yet. Either way, it didn’t look like the most fun ever.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_57fb_16f6_6c1c_b8a0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cT5JlyEjT5M/W5FnLRYS7eI/AAAAAAAAPpk/FnMaItqF54wloaphGw7HJVrY-_hZLTo1gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">You shall not pass! Cows guarding the bridge to the ‘old’ guesthouse<br></span><br><img id="id_a39e_3879_e8fc_fc95" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kGU3rf0p8mo/W5FnNDCDe3I/AAAAAAAAPpo/wgnqfpKnbvUaPG6zGQbehmiivf7qlxlpQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>A very small-scale trout farming operation at our rural retreat<br><br></div><div><br></div><div>The next day it was off to Vardzia, the cave monastery that had brought us to this isolated corner of Georgia in the first place. It was mostly constructed during the Golden Age of Georgia in the twelfth century, including under the rule of the female King (aka Queen) Tamar. The complex is made up of 119 dwellings, with 407 rooms arranged on between eight and nineteen tiers carved from the cliff face. We spent about 2 hours there and definitely did not see more than a fraction of this, but there is only so long you can look at mostly unremarkable holes in a cliff. Plus, if you think a cave visit would be cool, temperature wise, think again. Most of the time was spent on the edge of the south-facing cliff in about 30 degree sunshine, so with that and the 53 flights of steps we climbed (thanks, pedometer), we were pretty tired by the end of it.</div><div><br></div><div>If that sounds dismissive, it doesn’t reflect the site as a whole. While the caves themselves are mostly nondescript, the overall site is beautiful and interesting, with commanding views of the valley below and some highlights such as the Church of the Dormition, which can be fairly precisely dated at between 1184 and 1186, thanks to attributes of the frescoes of its royal patrons. </div><div><br></div><div>We had read online that there is not much information on the site, which is true, and that the audio guide is longwinded and rambling, which is also true. It was useful for giving the basic gist of what you were looking at, but otherwise was pretty much the worst, with a penchant for confusing compass directions and giving the exact measurements of everything in sight e.g. ‘The fresco on the upper level of the southern slope of the western wall of the chapel measures 10 metres by 5 metres, while the fresco on the lower level is 2 by 8 metres.’ About the only interesting bit was when it was describing how the access tunnels had a system where you could roll boulders in to protect the complex against invaders, but I was too scared to go in that bit due to the roll call of measurements that made it clear you would have to crawl/stoop/shuffle through narrow rock tunnels to see it. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_7e12_a276_4d8b_c4c8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5TQRegacvto/W5FnO0wXLBI/AAAAAAAAPp4/m1PIwsJa6XUvXVZTIVgxuMs7Z-bU8Ok0wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>From afar, Vardzia looks much like that Georgian cheese we had the other day. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_72a2_ee0_7581_a8f9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pxSw-a8yXHs/W5FnPFI7rHI/AAAAAAAAPp8/X_fIN9or3n0jNjilcwondNY9Tqac8usTgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_7124_1110_9e88_ab13" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kKjCDiVQBNw/W5FnPhnN21I/AAAAAAAAPqA/hZL6msLQ-IAq_iAy1vzX6IfSdynEPLXPQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5ca8_d45e_c8b7_7692" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JD9k8QuPOio/W5FnPxQM_aI/AAAAAAAAPqE/E8D5ktDJsEku9vN1jOofEqCcWTSF30EIgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Jules encounters some difficulties with his audio guide when attempting a suave pose<br></span><br><img id="id_7c6_54ca_dd13_4473" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yikNYCWGNRg/W5FnQOm-_CI/AAAAAAAAPqI/0YyiiPjEjR0-Z61y27ZE4123JClstpoAgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2a84_62ea_ff52_377" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FFQdRFVT6uA/W5FnQk2gAzI/AAAAAAAAPqM/tXi5RrN88Bkwhcc-OB1oB1_pnt_k0vFegCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Inside the Church of the Dormition<br></span><br><img id="id_6d72_87b8_16cf_76f1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q9JF7SGalGk/W5FnQmyDHCI/AAAAAAAAPqQ/E9kL0S1GlKI7llIVplhqy5O4wiOFefo5gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Queen Tamar and her father Giorgi III. This fresco can be dated because she is depicted as an unmarried woman and the text wishes her a long life, but does not do the same for her father, implying it dates to the short window between his death and her marriage<br></span><br><img id="id_e054_4c52_9a46_a313" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7j60PxHjFqY/W5FnRakqKKI/AAAAAAAAPqU/20sG4vyCm-E1GMndkkDkqFAI1PSKf5zYQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br><img id="id_e3af_3073_388d_ed7d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IwrRqvvTpIc/W5FnRaJ-szI/AAAAAAAAPqY/_SFVnPJVoigbEXSf9VCPh03pEwH-nSVnQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_60b4_dd14_732_202a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qo-h1ZbUyAs/W5FnSbLUGTI/AAAAAAAAPqg/UKPyrl-XqGIEjAMA9rKYS5nBCg98XFlwwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_dc34_322f_22ae_d324" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GlIsDtGJV0M/W5FnTNEubZI/AAAAAAAAPqo/_JByFlw14lwC0hyKFGMRIbt6Q-6iRcBVACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_5018_1503_2ae9_d3a8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s24re861NN0/W5FnSdZxP5I/AAAAAAAAPqc/prZo8YtIZ8gEp5ELWmQ7ecppKxA4wgaPgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9d04_8b72_1560_ded5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VLRHW1qdo1g/W5FnTCcaQ4I/AAAAAAAAPqk/BmBt9cs_9oAOewdn1RmiNV-yfL6J1Vf7wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The line passing overhead is apparently still used to winch supplies up to the 5 monks who still inhabit the monastery<br></span><br><img id="id_3c8c_655_e6c_4e69" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MzeXT8Zzojo/W5FnUEOqlmI/AAAAAAAAPqw/GB4GlYtnfA8zssYspv9qpyO4AlyUScYHQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_ea19_db33_35d5_5f7f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1Ge5E7f-WWk/W5FnTkvHVbI/AAAAAAAAPqs/FHvbeaDZvrcFu6uM6lHPRYGeVs6Cd5bOgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Many birds make their home at Vardzia</span><br><br><img id="id_471c_4d54_adaf_9851" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ydvs--XwkF4/W5FnUb9rROI/AAAAAAAAPq0/5o2skoZ8VjIexoaM5dF_HxgtERKMh255wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Descending into the bowels of the earth on the way out<br></span><br><img id="id_972f_48eb_958e_da63" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s7uwIh2R_Pw/W5FnUoR1XuI/AAAAAAAAPq4/U9tMCsQ7QtYmCm22O1zitldZ1drx3KX7QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>Conquerors of Vardzia, much like the Persian army of Shah Tahmasp I<br><br></div><div><br></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-60185948296540476022018-09-05T16:25:00.001+02:002018-09-05T16:47:16.121+02:00Holy Mtskheta!On Sunday we took a day trip out to Mtskheta, the unpronounceable ancient holy city about 20 km from Tbilisi. Founded in the 5th century BC, it is where Christianity was proclaimed as Georgia’s state religion in 337, and remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church to this day. It is also a royal capital, the site of coronations and burials for most of Georgia’s kings until the end of the 19th century.<div><br></div><div>We hadn’t quite calculated the Sunday-ness of Sunday in advance, and subsequently found ourselves with some time to kill in the morning before mass ended in the city’s famous cathedral. We first walked up to the Samtavro Monastery, which has some fabulous royal tombs (photos sadly not permitted inside.) Outside, you could hear ethereal singing piped over a sound system. We were quite surprised when we went inside and found it was being produced live by about five nuns.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_b798_9332_cd7f_d69b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yMJ_OmFo5pg/W4_nLu9ozMI/AAAAAAAAPnE/y3k-8aK5o0AZtaqKDg8FTTIwYq54K0fXACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_246d_e5ee_9616_15ff" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xxXwZ1U-faQ/W4_nLGP8tLI/AAAAAAAAPm8/gbA3HH8ER08knOcEyznIiBkhS-Oq5KVtwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_cdfe_4c7c_5de5_2986" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-chD7yIVQaMU/W4_nLo583yI/AAAAAAAAPnA/c4JFXg4O6DsGsnqX1HDfSliXmBWWCKpHgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div>Still with some time to kill, we walked down to the river and enjoyed a glass of local wine with a lovely view of Jvari Monastery, our destination for later in the afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_aef0_4a50_b592_43a2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EKduz4nGtfM/W4_nLjhN7iI/AAAAAAAAPnI/-ZmC9mxNY50uDavmR08fO9bbG07tw2jRwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A street vineyard<br></span><br><img id="id_b304_87a_102e_c626" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8DidInsuG00/W4_nMpP-FRI/AAAAAAAAPnQ/4tHzE8s59vE5bKhavoBqqqWSJdyErGkxgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_12a6_64b9_aa8a_92ec" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DSNj6chWvQE/W4_nMm9H1HI/AAAAAAAAPnM/Xq2_lgozbdYzECxX76njJVXY_uGjcWX-ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>Georgian reds by the river</div><div><br></div><div>Finally it was after 1 pm, so we were free to explore the 11th century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_4f17_c36a_e05e_707a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZawZQX7vwH4/W4_nNV37OUI/AAAAAAAAPnU/u26JEu5HLEAdKOrQQmxGnvKDpw6c2BYkgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div><div><br></div><div>Legend has it that a Georgian Jew was in Jerusalem at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, bought his robe from a Roman soldier at Golgotha, and brought it back to Georgia. His sister, Sidonia, touched the robe and immediately died. As she still held it tightly in her grasp, the robe was buried along with her in what is now the cathedral. </div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_e2f3_e90d_ef10_5362" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iqDEjVKonis/W4_nQC2BbnI/AAAAAAAAPnw/cb0Tq1_GIkkGkjoLidsGg_i_beTrCIFrgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>Worshippers praying at the spot where Christ’s robe (and Sidonia) are buried.</div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The cathedral is full of beautiful icons and frescoes, most of which are unfortunately damaged due to whitewashing carried out under Russian Imperial rule, ahead of a planned visit of Tsar Nicholas I. Nicholas never actually turned up, but the damage was done.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_4c2f_ab14_47fb_d119" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ITYGX0BrJhI/W4_nN2Xz3cI/AAAAAAAAPnc/ih7lgwL3moMVuicNxX8s81_1oxbnRmfTQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A 13th century fresco of the beasts of the apocalypse<br></span><br><img id="id_b01e_cb7a_2d8c_4b6b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sIul9pOolwY/W4_nN54AprI/AAAAAAAAPnY/14SvoR43QVMjGn-lYSJjBe7XUxuw7WEHACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_7800_fa6e_1ba_8fa4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R3TAuaM_ECQ/W4_nOmUqdiI/AAAAAAAAPng/e5AqaOr81pIsHGyM7hB8gxBMcY5U8M7lQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_a743_d7c2_e26f_ed34" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pMuECQBvYdc/W4_nPF2KKAI/AAAAAAAAPnk/whhCFTzxs2IbIc9BBGN3JURY9S_GgYq1QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d6bb_2aa3_65fb_5494" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--dlZYzrf3WE/W4_nPYah49I/AAAAAAAAPno/bu8VMJHQpo0pw6COiCwwQFFaxoPSwIgZACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4f4a_82a1_77aa_f57c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zx0grr05wUc/W4_nPlKc4oI/AAAAAAAAPns/zurbu2M7sXQsk5TnFIz-o3i0H0FBZzc4ACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The tomb of (I think) King George XII, last king of Georgia. I loved the cloth effect in the marble<br></span><br><img id="id_7918_1b7_21f5_e743" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qa0EUYiTy5w/W4_nQHRY1lI/AAAAAAAAPn0/1J_qjY8oiPgfTxzKrJMiKHwulSpzMnwMgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_b777_99ab_bec1_224f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HBnKbgpff9o/W4_nQQxxBSI/AAAAAAAAPn4/PUQYhThlyGYyfXRswREnKvB66EBqLgmTwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_52af_a0b2_a3a8_e23d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uUEOgqsfSzY/W4_nQ5xuplI/AAAAAAAAPn8/Lo0hfk1K_ncGOIfXVamthhKYEfiXsmI8wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span>The cathedral also houses a mini copy of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, signalling that, while the church in Jerusalem may be the holiest in all Christianity, Svetitskhoveli claims second place.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_b967_7ea6_b8dd_9104" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J5lqrRgfz-A/W4_nRJIRkvI/AAAAAAAAPoA/yfrUte1Tv_Qlxp9vB372hm4GqoIvGfC5QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>With obligatory headscarf<br><br><br><img id="id_d4d0_47db_b226_33e4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cceGTy4macQ/W4_nRdgUvqI/AAAAAAAAPoE/dOdMLOfGGLYIbXlvUS8fP7lSLrOlhmS8gCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_9e29_85fc_5134_fd5f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dslU9pqjwTM/W4_nRlp2a3I/AAAAAAAAPoI/39fqYD3bprUrvnVGfpykud62W6VFDYVZACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>We caught a bride going in as we were coming out. I’m going to save this one in case I ever want to become a wedding photographer. I kind of imagined my veil doing something along these lines, but I ended up carrying it almost all the time through the grimy, wet streets of Brussels.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Post-cathedral, we negotiated a trip up to Jvari Monastery and on to Tbilisi with a taxi driver slash guy who was standing around on a street corner. More on this later, but Russian is so far pretty indispensable in Georgia. Which means it falls on me and my extremely poor Russian to do all the negotiating. After a lengthy conversation in which we established he would take us to Jvari, wait for us to take photos, then take us to Tbilisi, we were good to go. I knew there was going to be a catch somewhere though, which came when we pitched up on the outskirts of Tbilisi and were informed we had to take a metro the rest of the way home. Oh well, lucky the day had not been too strenuous, and we got to have a look at the Tbilisan metro system.</div><div><br></div><div>First the monastery though. They seem to like calling everything a ‘monastery’ in Georgia, even when it’s just a tiny church like this one. You don’t come to Jvari for the interior, however, you come for the fabulous view over Mtskheta. Jvari dates to the 6th century, beginning life as the site of a miracle-working cross erected by the female Saint Nino who converted one of the kings to Christianity. Nowadays it seems to mostly function as a place for Russian tourists to drape themselves in front of views of the city and rivers below.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_7ab6_2c0b_142c_7ecc" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YCG4ObJNGxs/W4_nR64FsZI/AAAAAAAAPoM/8hUJW_ZzpHEKGKOcjtPkl3Zq7mFDfyDxACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d1b_dc13_4d63_e18e" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gl3EI6iCTvE/W4_nS4Pby3I/AAAAAAAAPoQ/_QHywsm84EIIlSaP2k4xdQhZX-UzK0ZIwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>View of Mtskheta, with Svetitskhoveli cathedral in the middle<br><br><img id="id_8df6_ed6_a665_a5bc" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0zZ4ChBtB9U/W4_nS3pZDVI/AAAAAAAAPoU/swDvcNU2lsYv83oWSmsxmkcDwkZQtkWbQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_29f8_7e3_2918_fe0c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y9kGiaS9hD4/W4_nTOZTDmI/AAAAAAAAPoY/W7wXu5iEeB8kGYqg3Lf4vmsf8A1McfS0QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_bf6e_17c7_6db2_1826" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k6UhOlN8rMA/W4_nTaK3I1I/AAAAAAAAPoc/M44yl6y-eGoTo-gDtADvR-s0RXxEuGBxQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br>Doing my best ‘Russian’ pose on the walls</div><div><br></div><div>Even with the aborted taxi ride and hanging about in the morning, we got back to Tbilisi around 4ish, so had time to relax and watch the fantastic Italian GP before a lovely dinner with even better Georgian rose wine.</div><div><br></div><div>On the way there, we walked through an entire neighbourhood which seemed to be both falling down and under construction.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_5445_6d1a_6f7f_1a66" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1JSCSoxhSvg/W4_nT1-yPSI/AAAAAAAAPog/bm59LQl1QNc_YzXHRnMAuI-tJBO7x4UcQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Mother Georgia from a Tbilisi back alley<br></span><br><img id="id_8b2e_1657_b900_a5a8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ASB9EXsesTE/W4_nT8ICvOI/AAAAAAAAPok/E-VCIeDJRHgObQzrXqQCzqwSvZVT08TkgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>A burnt down church<br><br><img id="id_7f90_bf59_f45c_c521" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9hQUDxOwj8A/W4_nUfeyNVI/AAAAAAAAPoo/FsJ3NrKdL94wIxNJmmeMT6a0cZiAycpIgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Light renovations, should be done in three months<br></span><br><img id="id_81e6_d79a_8d97_9687" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Skm0B2oHTyM/W4_nUlucUOI/AAAAAAAAPos/kbE80ub9t8YoluNQuXxlcrCgrEyZkTihwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Statue of St George in Liberty Square<br></span><br><img id="id_c129_ae58_e355_cac3" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qdQfMnP737o/W4_nU5Vo7uI/AAAAAAAAPo0/FuCLJrubkJousa-3qqMspDRzyiBx9H7-QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Cheese plate at the restaurant. Top right is Imreuli, a light brined curd cheese with a bit of chew to it. Top left and bottom right are smoked and unsmoked varieties of Sukhumi, a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese, also quite tasty. Bottom left is, confusingly enough, named Gouda (what are the odds?) </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The food, wine and service were delightful but the Gouda tasted as disturbing as it looks. It’s a traditional Georgian cheese fermented inside a buried sheep’s stomach, with the wool facing in to the cheese. This was originally designed as a way to preserve some food for hard times, but lord knows why they keep on with it nowadays. Saltier than the Dead Sea, and we keep getting served it wherever we go (at least we know what to look out for now). </span><br></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-89615732990918193142018-09-02T14:29:00.001+02:002018-09-02T14:31:03.424+02:00 Midnight plane to GeorgiaBy the time we arrived at our hotel in Tbilisi, it was around 3 in the morning, Georgia time. Only 1 am Brussels time, but still, it had been a long day of travelling. A 3-hour flight to Kyiv, a couple of hours to change planes and then another 3 hours to Tbilisi. Funnily enough though, we were quite energised, so when the hotel guy suggested we go up straight away to check out the rooftop terrace, we took up the invitation for our first good look at the capital.<div><br></div><div><img id="id_2570_4e41_5c5b_c278" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZTzpaWT5fIo/W4vW7ncouqI/AAAAAAAAPko/ThgS7UD2mVsOWqJIMuy0P4OEVPKn9Mx2wCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The Narikala Fortress overlooks the city<br></span><br><img id="id_ff36_48f0_8b3c_2165" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_rikzRsufnc/W4vW8if84bI/AAAAAAAAPks/2W_KUO0yoYAFHjgXWBYzbbI6HXYJ1iLugCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The new Bridge of Peace. I can see why it’s not a favourite with everyone, but I think saying it resembles a maxi pad, as some people apparently do, goes a bit far.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">We didn’t want to waste too much of the next day in bed, so after a shortish sleep we were up in time for a 10 am breakfast at the hotel, which was a huge and delightful array of eggs, bread, cheese, fruit and something that looked like pilaf. We ate so well, we didn’t need any lunch! As usual when I visit a city, Day 1 was more or less reserved for walking around - we clocked up almost 12 kilometres. This was our main sightseeing day in Tbilisi though, so we fit in quite a lot of the main sights as well.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">First up, we visited the Sioni Cathedral, a more-or-less 13th century building with pretty, mostly 19th century frescoes.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><img id="id_6427_8f7b_f7b4_f209" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-trnWiquE5ns/W4vW9NmUdXI/AAAAAAAAPkw/qGBhRL6RKiU5DOQwZwaM8lYveqkTzi7ogCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2679_2781_68cc_e522" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qb6mi6YgzK4/W4vXChSoIdI/AAAAAAAAPk0/gLvo9fPm85YbtVE9sAW5lx-JFWljLtBfwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_62cc_d6d5_5f08_1871" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H5nmgjb_YBU/W4vXEMXxLUI/AAAAAAAAPk4/PFTV15x_vr4M-4V2o1Clyu30gb3BV06NACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br>It’s definitely wedding season in Georgia - we’ve been unwitting guests at like 3 of them already.<br><br><img id="id_7b4e_e499_accd_3ef1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fLsxfUCC6uo/W4vXHk9-zVI/AAAAAAAAPlE/0pQj-nNR9eMnRJFetpm9uMJTU1nPLzLnwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span>We stopped at the Anchikhati Basilica (no photos allowed) before heading to the national museum. We only saw the ground floor, which houses golden treasures from Georgia’s early history and pre-history. The legend of the Golden Fleece was actually supposed to have taken place in Georgia, which has long had a reputation for its gold deposits. The museum offered several different explanations for the legend, one of which is a possible technique for dredging small particles of gold from the rivers by dipping a sheepskin in the water. Whatever the truth of it, there were some gorgeous objects on display, many of which wouldn’t look out of place if worn these days.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_735a_f7e9_2712_2efb" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U-83VEEHQLg/W4vXFoOQ_LI/AAAAAAAAPk8/S8ho7BW349MnNAU5lv4OwDoUYj8AAT0EQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_4b19_cc35_f6ba_9110" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iXyntgXGm9k/W4vXHc0X3VI/AAAAAAAAPlA/e4zZCIASiNE_40CUiBkGd4XZcCo466FDwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_2711_2712_8722_6a8d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rr3rDZJkAVI/W4vXM9Q51tI/AAAAAAAAPlM/5QYchWE_U2oOH26iJ8WHsW6pCFmG8bupQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_8d15_cb06_dc2b_66d9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5LljOd89SBA/W4vXIPBMulI/AAAAAAAAPlI/Yi2suBFnfuIiCjKXz22uO0jzlxaoXp_GQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_26fc_6bb4_47ef_f5be" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1-rifIFaqW8/W4vXjqx_vsI/AAAAAAAAPl4/pB7Ucssg5mUekUReeFOZh6Z8NVJCg0ENwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Stele of Daniel in the lion’s den. Georgia is one of the oldest countries to have Christianity as its state religion (after Armenia, I think).<br></span><br><img id="id_b5bd_4724_f606_ca54" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MCI2KayrRqM/W4vXZGR1ZFI/AAAAAAAAPlo/WAy2TsYE4A0ybxnosahPAHRCN251LxCIACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>A carving of an early Georgian king presenting the church he had built. Jules made me laugh way too hard by calling him monkey man.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_9574_2d20_f241_693" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DSAwGbtbi-o/W4vXTJ6WQRI/AAAAAAAAPlU/eGJkmO6lbd0P9y12Oy0ohlUFf2Ma-CIUwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">I loved the way the fine arts museum, next door to the national museum, almost seemed see-through with its reflections of the sky.<br></span><br><img id="id_8bf5_1a1f_2798_71b2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5JGvPZZbKkA/W4vXb7Z2p1I/AAAAAAAAPls/7pZV1uHYDFAB7bBThg7OPKCuB3QCM1hQQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A patriotic Georgian street</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">From the museum, we walked back downhill a bit to the river, where you can catch a funicular up to the fortress on the hill. It’s a pretty fun short ride which costs less than a euro.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><img id="id_a4df_2b4_c37a_a827" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jBQKnYBK0ug/W4vXmsrTwjI/AAAAAAAAPmE/qLjBxczPRyoaRkKb37WA_Kos5mBZz1abACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br>The cable car plying its trade up the hill above Old Tbilisi</div><div><br><img id="id_18ab_892d_f502_b6d2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WDrbp4ft2vw/W4vXe_D18gI/AAAAAAAAPl0/G29tpRWWA1wDu4lno_K9C8GdXfJfFI6qQCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">View from the top. Our new camera is a wee bit over-enthusiastic with the blurred background effect<br></span><br><img id="id_dcb8_35d_7a43_8b4f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UiF9vekgv6o/W4vXkQRhu4I/AAAAAAAAPl8/eBfD2x9W7pYGuRzdEgvthYR09KS51O2PACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The hill also hosts a statue of Mother Georgia. No disrespect, but the one in Kyiv is still #1. (I climbed </span><a href="http://gwannelsandiego.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-5-rodina-mat-and-kiev-plage.html" id="id_2eab_8bed_a41e_1117">91 metres up inside it</a> - this one is a mere 20.)<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><img id="id_42a6_d949_7f8e_a8c5" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oUbcBpDQC_o/W4vXmOAa1SI/AAAAAAAAPmA/WgY3rNqeK5g6h4Crwuua1d7yuPq0Mqx9QCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><img id="id_d180_950b_f0bc_3109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Swu2RUaIgj8/W4vXtB-l1CI/AAAAAAAAPmU/PhUPgpZ2zZwiCJyvYoF1BjS9La2CMkLkwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Selfie on the fortress walls<br></span><br><img id="id_c1ec_1ac7_a93f_c2bd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mWttFjPLqfQ/W4vXte-S3UI/AAAAAAAAPmY/xpTmn04fVGowBd_XUbQw4XOCbIHHPhMYwCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br>We were pretty exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel, so we chilled a bit on the roof terrace, watched the F1, and then headed out in the evening for some delicious khinkali dumplings. There is a special khinkali etiquette - you grab it by the ‘handle’ up top, bite into it a little to suck out the juices, and then eat most of the rest. Apparently, Georgians will laugh at you if you manage to spill any of the juices (luckily there were none scrutinising me, although Jules did a decent job) and eating the ‘handle’ is seen as a mortifying display of extreme financial distress. We had meat, potato and cheese flavoured varieties, they were delicious!</div><div><br></div><div><img id="id_b081_c3ef_26ce_7d23" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5SKjfd7e-R0/W4vXpc6CRUI/AAAAAAAAPmM/LFT21XeMQVg9tPrSJxZr30hd1OuqlSKTgCHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 746px; height: auto;"><br><br><br></div>Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-60815608817735426432018-08-15T11:30:00.000+02:002018-08-15T11:30:17.888+02:00Honeymoon's over (as far as the blog's concerned)So here we are at last, just one month shy of our first year anniversary (zomg!) and it's my official last post of the honeymoon. For our anniversary we're off to Georgia (the country) and I'm crossing my fingers to manage to blog it live(ish) as we go.<br />
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Our last honeymoon activity (besides driving home) was a walk on the Museggmauer, the 14th century city wall which offers beautiful panoramic views of the city. Four of the nine towers on the wall are open to visitors in summer, and they're free! (Who said Switzerland was expensive?)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgZwo9FsyAKyB6FdsI3BdumToQWvGZFCxmYSUMWKGTQ6-oP8y1pcqz0znvLEuyhh1bpcqFM6XXZ0OEL6txouzKK2n02GlNkMRRdIwWWWOQFAgE0NtSY_vaKFxn2kCplMGa-V3cg/s1600/lucerne+walls+clock+tower+jules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgZwo9FsyAKyB6FdsI3BdumToQWvGZFCxmYSUMWKGTQ6-oP8y1pcqz0znvLEuyhh1bpcqFM6XXZ0OEL6txouzKK2n02GlNkMRRdIwWWWOQFAgE0NtSY_vaKFxn2kCplMGa-V3cg/s400/lucerne+walls+clock+tower+jules.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jules in front of the Zytturm (clock tower). It houses Lucerne's oldest city clock, built in 1535. My favourite fact about the Zytturm clock is that it has the "right" to chime one minute before all other public clocks in Lucerne. I'm not sure whether it goes early or the others go late, but either way, it seems prestige counts for more than accuracy in this corner of Switzerland. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3jkGiMu9rVfoQg2UTcSvYVdh42BnjCD3mNH1l2AiZl6sk-2-9XemLY1bwHMtu0L0Q9bx_hGvcZKUVuD1XBexTvJwgoXVJh8O5W28vvpNjheRuKcjIg0I2sHgRCKT_S77e9A4SQ/s1600/lucernewallsclockgiants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3jkGiMu9rVfoQg2UTcSvYVdh42BnjCD3mNH1l2AiZl6sk-2-9XemLY1bwHMtu0L0Q9bx_hGvcZKUVuD1XBexTvJwgoXVJh8O5W28vvpNjheRuKcjIg0I2sHgRCKT_S77e9A4SQ/s640/lucernewallsclockgiants.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clock's so impressive it needs a pair of giants to hold it up. It was made to be large enough for even the fishermen on the lake to read the time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbDmJl0_iVqlzskYbfOgEzHqXplF47SZLMhSKDsYRlu0L-fXBK0DfKeqVtw0pNTadqFtF4rGRL2xLSyr0yxZUvtGD7sCPtioySuL49o9NnBJg_5mS3p1WuQx-ALm1ZVm09kLPdw/s1600/lucerne+walls+clock+tower+view2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbDmJl0_iVqlzskYbfOgEzHqXplF47SZLMhSKDsYRlu0L-fXBK0DfKeqVtw0pNTadqFtF4rGRL2xLSyr0yxZUvtGD7sCPtioySuL49o9NnBJg_5mS3p1WuQx-ALm1ZVm09kLPdw/s640/lucerne+walls+clock+tower+view2.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Zytturm on the wall below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Y5XGR_69qoePpRyA9rwxlVgjZWrtri3qXsN5Bnn061InMYna0Yud1SwVQOicQwCJzcbADtHg-xoIp9LIzw1GJPlUmynMAsQqRKEsAabWbOLoTAeVgyCkewzzWhbq40lqwMbsZA/s400/lucerne+walls+mannliturm+jules+statue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jules being manly at the Männliturm</td></tr>
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The views from the 33 metre-high Männliturm are SPECTACULAR. There was a wee bit of waiting around at the top as people lined up to take the best selfies, but it's well worth it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Männliturm from outside</td></tr>
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The Schirmerturm, dating to 1420, traditionally marked the entrance to the city from the surrounding countryside. It also has some lovely views.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was mid-October by this time, still beautiful, warm and sunny as you can see, but with autumn foliage appearing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Watchtower or Heu (Hay) Tower was formerly used to store gunpowder. Disaster struck (literally) in 1701 when the tower was hit by lightening, causing the gunpowder to explode and rain chunks of stone on to the city below, causing considerable damage and some loss of life. </td></tr>
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Apart from the exploding tower, a fabulous end to a fantastic trip. I couldn't have asked for a better honeymoon, nor, of course, a better husband to share it with 😍Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-21082589866062127432018-08-12T19:04:00.000+02:002018-08-12T19:14:51.240+02:00The Dance of Death on the Spreuerbücke, LucerneSo forget about the Kapellbrücke from last time. Now we get to my favourite bridge, the Spreuer Bridge. Apart from not being mostly burnt down (sob), the Spreuer shines for its cool 17th century images of the <i>Danse macabre (Totentanz </i>in German) and its lovely sight lines. We visited it first by day, and luckily enough, walked past it by chance at night as well. I definitely recommend a night visit. It looks great lit up in the darkness and you may have the bridge virtually to yourself.<br />
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The Spreuer bridge is younger than the Kapellbrücke, but not by much. It was originally built in the 13th century, but rebuilt in the 16th after a flood. I thought <i>memento mori </i>was pretty much a medieval thing, but apparently it was still going strong in Switzerland into the 17th century. <a href="http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/urn/urn:nbn:de:hbz:061:1-77608" target="_blank">A 19th-century book on the bridge</a> (my source for translations all of the painting captions below) explains that they originally planned "scenes with a merry meaning" but changed course after "the country was visited soon afterwards by heavy calamities, as war and pestilence". Just when you think you would need cheering up! 45 of the paintings still exist out of the original 67, making it the largest known <i>Totentanz </i>cycle in existence. I think I took photos of all of them!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jules standing under the first picture of the cycle "Dance at the cemetary"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arches leading to the bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Resurrection of Death: "Upon Ezekiel did light break/And he unto the truth did wake/How by the Spirit of God, dead men,/With living flesh, are clothed again"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeJ3aLjDLSjWCfJ3hvDuXyG-7yFP_-_WEClCy31hEdUW4rQ0GfpSj12sSReWa0T649iJYMI2R5cKAmOIc-3ut1J_NdI8wElVHIurtIvwQ-4oox94WN2PhyQ7pYun5ofhl9VvgFg/s1600/lucerne+spreuer+bridge+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeJ3aLjDLSjWCfJ3hvDuXyG-7yFP_-_WEClCy31hEdUW4rQ0GfpSj12sSReWa0T649iJYMI2R5cKAmOIc-3ut1J_NdI8wElVHIurtIvwQ-4oox94WN2PhyQ7pYun5ofhl9VvgFg/s640/lucerne+spreuer+bridge+4.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dying Woman: "Death contemplated oft have I,/By day and night, my life long nigh;/No heed I give him in this hour,/Yet cometh he in all his power"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Child: "So soon a child is born, its cry/Is woe, its first plaint too a sigh./Its message thus the world does send,/That every hour a life should end."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bishop: "A consecrated Bishop, I,/Yet Death cannot elude thereby./He taketh mitre, breaketh stave,/And casteth me in the cold grave"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Duke: "Of princely blood, a Duke serene,/With courage high, and of haughty mien,/Still bold and young, of joyous grace,/Death taketh me in his embrace."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AICP3l6F49kFKxHIdrsd7Kp22ksxaCkcHG8pFzzTyygK8b91AMypJO_AMYmnMH0jAAjaivaq1tQvkvCdOYPs8Wmn_s4Ua-39Ei4iRMResT_bEggyK8oEXD3fAkLWX_JPHhcp5w/s1600/lucerne+spreuer+bridge+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AICP3l6F49kFKxHIdrsd7Kp22ksxaCkcHG8pFzzTyygK8b91AMypJO_AMYmnMH0jAAjaivaq1tQvkvCdOYPs8Wmn_s4Ua-39Ei4iRMResT_bEggyK8oEXD3fAkLWX_JPHhcp5w/s640/lucerne+spreuer+bridge+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gardener: "If kindly Nature help not art,/Planting be useless, leave thy part./For how wilt to the flowers restore/That life, which I from thee take o'er?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Duchess: "A woman fair, my tender frame/I keep, till cruel Death the same/From me doth drive, just as the blast/The beauteous rose to Earth doth cast"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZMz0b3CCYRXXhggHxFGMQ0rWvdfZIV75_Skg9Z_kA-FS_CeLqDtthgYF7gU53cS_ekF1Ih3F_KaJmZTo83tJW5O2aYwmB-S42CR83-lWiNYgvvYm7yZ1hZ5E3Em2CaccK2dWsg/s1600/lucerne+spreuer+bridge+14+swordfight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZMz0b3CCYRXXhggHxFGMQ0rWvdfZIV75_Skg9Z_kA-FS_CeLqDtthgYF7gU53cS_ekF1Ih3F_KaJmZTo83tJW5O2aYwmB-S42CR83-lWiNYgvvYm7yZ1hZ5E3Em2CaccK2dWsg/s640/lucerne+spreuer+bridge+14+swordfight.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Soldier: "Courage, good soldier! Parry well./Have care no wound my weapon fell/Imbued with serpent venom make./Must die if struck. Thy life I take."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Countess: "Hold Coachman! Spare me yet I pray,/Am not prepared, go not today./My lady Countess, Death am I,/Say me no word, away I hie."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dying Monk: "Beloved brethren, hasten all/The De Profundis doth ye call,/Death's anguish doth oppress me sore,/My cowl and sleeves are wide no more."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Prioress: "Lady Prioress, thy life is o'er./Of Heaven is open wide the door./Draw off thy spotless veil, prepare/With me the moudly grave to share."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">The Abbess: "Jesu Maria! What neareth me?/Death I did not expect to see./Must it come now, my final doom,/To Jesus I go, my bridegroom."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Queen: "Where is my King, my kingdom court?/Who fighteth for me, aideth ought?/As Death doth strike, my heart doth bleed./Each turneth from me in my need."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_8OgifhU7TdkGqTS08LZJZ0t0dfuTduV-MyqQIrwwejhL4gRCDGJBefPhuCn-ZysJ6W1ayNzYG8zX-4YQAKy7D1dRSRzY0i5Ot8DPU7OVPd_-rM8nT3PWheB7lD5D0-4tnJY1w/s1600/lucerne+spreuerbridge+priests4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_8OgifhU7TdkGqTS08LZJZ0t0dfuTduV-MyqQIrwwejhL4gRCDGJBefPhuCn-ZysJ6W1ayNzYG8zX-4YQAKy7D1dRSRzY0i5Ot8DPU7OVPd_-rM8nT3PWheB7lD5D0-4tnJY1w/s640/lucerne+spreuerbridge+priests4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Abbot: "Once of the Convent I was Prior;/Now Abbot, Primate, rise I higher./Go age and honour hand in hand,/Doth ebb the last dread hour's sand."</td></tr>
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-7547412322367679822018-08-08T18:15:00.000+02:002018-08-08T18:15:33.902+02:00The Kapellbrücke, LucerneI may be a little bit too into this bridge, but what a bridge it is. The Kapellbrücke is a covered wooden footbridge across the river Reuss which dates back to the 1300s. It's the oldest covered bridge surviving in Europe and the oldest truss bridge in the world (I'm going to pretend I know what that means and move on). What makes it particularly special, however, is the 17th century paintings which grace the inside of the bridge, depicting events from Lucerne's history and that of its patron saints. The sad part is that the bridge was set on fire in 1993, thanks I believe to a particularly crappy smoker. You can see a short video of the bridge on fire and in the immediate aftermath <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9VBGVxOcig" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The bridge was subsequently restored, but two thirds of the original paintings were lost. Only 47 survived out of the original 158 (down to 147 by the time of the fire), and only 30 have been fully restored. It's sad to see something like this destroyed, but it still stands as a unique feature of Lucerne today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fire-damaged portion of the bridge remains as a memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkpm7nstq65CzmwqbNg6RhyGZRRGK030AkfsBLf3lwGGmQuBLE0pcYI-vyJ2x5U8E1NOxO31Tk5c9jXCSyn6rX8xDMb_W0IN3yfpa1ur08RDHDSz2A3CeyDH7W6QSLea98AP63Q/s1600/lucerne+kappellbr%25C3%25BCcke+decapitation3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkpm7nstq65CzmwqbNg6RhyGZRRGK030AkfsBLf3lwGGmQuBLE0pcYI-vyJ2x5U8E1NOxO31Tk5c9jXCSyn6rX8xDMb_W0IN3yfpa1ur08RDHDSz2A3CeyDH7W6QSLea98AP63Q/s640/lucerne+kappellbr%25C3%25BCcke+decapitation3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to Wikipedia, this depicts a "local slaying"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5Iv0M0s4_H5ShzigV19zIW-FJGFvF2JTv3z_vwNPr16anuJbaXqliXeMn6tqqNYhOwz2ayDrwzPnU5Vqn4_noI7gAXp9oOfeP3n8YBkrfUSiY65xsNePDJbzJPHyS0D3bGn5OQ/s640/lucerne+kappellbr%25C3%25BCcke+demon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I presume this is from one of the saint's lives, since the decapitated head on the ground appears to have a halo on it. Not sure if the demon is carrying the slayer away or egging him on</td></tr>
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"But Gwan," I hear you cry, "there are two famous bridges in Lucerne!" Never fear, gentle readers, I will tell you all about the even more awesome Spreuerbrücke in our next exciting installment.Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-31294298912157797522018-07-17T11:30:00.000+02:002018-07-17T11:30:14.372+02:00Lakeside LucerneLucerne is lucky enough to have it all: a beautiful lake ringed with mountains, a river crossed by medieval bridges, and a chocolate-box cute old town filled with historic decorated houses. We got to enjoy all of this, albeit the mountains only at a distance and only a tiny portion of the lake front - got to leave a reason to return to the area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZLHEaw1mknNbBN_JG_gRdydIuTtOFumOBAd_CMjJNG2_p1RfQ5lNd13SK_tNiPKAIi3Nqx4cvJGZLFyISK6crA87laSsHwORxdm_ydBDKC51Ym6nO4QiN8NJli9DvL6AsCiZYA/s1600/lucerne+house+family+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZLHEaw1mknNbBN_JG_gRdydIuTtOFumOBAd_CMjJNG2_p1RfQ5lNd13SK_tNiPKAIi3Nqx4cvJGZLFyISK6crA87laSsHwORxdm_ydBDKC51Ym6nO4QiN8NJli9DvL6AsCiZYA/s640/lucerne+house+family+tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bakers' Guildhouse, now a restaurant - but you can still join the guild if you are a baker and buy a 1000 CHF share</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcRMJxZRky5Pz2EM0vXqmt2wLI6xKsRkSJaFbdeZX5YbzeB3kGy0sAHsEapPOy5pbYaYvqI4dFTTBR0xwZ5bGIYyp66XwjqMcKBy2dFe8aqr648UzQYZyjYi7VrU9lT6po6G_nw/s1600/lucerne+house+knights2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcRMJxZRky5Pz2EM0vXqmt2wLI6xKsRkSJaFbdeZX5YbzeB3kGy0sAHsEapPOy5pbYaYvqI4dFTTBR0xwZ5bGIYyp66XwjqMcKBy2dFe8aqr648UzQYZyjYi7VrU9lT6po6G_nw/s640/lucerne+house+knights2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jesuit church</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotels on the river - the building on the hill on the left is our hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZAQTKWjjsbZIq3LoaySBQrtPcT_VVl6Rjk-HtbtohbpCGMWAE5N_A_vo41MxZJapYxKHUvnuo8mlaDkfclV7vLxgNI_jYVjuTFB3d-MFwuwjSayUF3oK4sC8w2j9xEU7MTv2Fw/s1600/lucerne+pharmacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZAQTKWjjsbZIq3LoaySBQrtPcT_VVl6Rjk-HtbtohbpCGMWAE5N_A_vo41MxZJapYxKHUvnuo8mlaDkfclV7vLxgNI_jYVjuTFB3d-MFwuwjSayUF3oK4sC8w2j9xEU7MTv2Fw/s640/lucerne+pharmacy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Suidtersche pharmacy, the oldest pharmacy in Lucerne. It still operates as a modern pharmacy, but you can peep in at this wonderful window display reminiscent of ye olde days. I don't know why, but I read <a href="http://www.nightwatchman.ch/2014/07/the-window-of-old-suidtersche-pharmacy.html" target="_blank">online</a> that you can only see this display at night, so I'm very glad we stumbled upon it at the right time!</td></tr>
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We tore ourselves away from the beautiful scenery outside to spend a morning at the Rosengart Collection, which has a large amount of works by Picasso and Klee, amongst other modern artists.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6EXtS5DBLZXGjELb2HwqKQWmllaMSqP6irndd2uZMHaP25bIR_wzqQMXZdjo4IcqZQrpMxuJ3ZgiNRfvu-21onH7AHCzOd1V0UozpZQIxw6iglaDyeeDtSeS3YpyVFZvk2CD-Q/s1600/lucerne+rosengart+kandinsky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6EXtS5DBLZXGjELb2HwqKQWmllaMSqP6irndd2uZMHaP25bIR_wzqQMXZdjo4IcqZQrpMxuJ3ZgiNRfvu-21onH7AHCzOd1V0UozpZQIxw6iglaDyeeDtSeS3YpyVFZvk2CD-Q/s320/lucerne+rosengart+kandinsky.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A minimalist Kandinsky sketch</td></tr>
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Although we were there during the week, it must have been school holidays or some sort of special occasion, as the area around the lake closest to the city was taken up by a fair and packed with families. We walked a little further around the lake to find some peace and quiet and pretty views of the city and mountains. One old guy was brave enough to take a dip, but despite the beautiful blue skies we were in mid-October by this time, so I'm sure it was chilly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfc1XOrqOpspzMpTyWsT0qnXw_tsAd7-0AWUORRo2IhG1LEul3KJyLawnoWOYLoNzaM3XBIPSzdAm8sMEr4bcj6CWKTd74uF0N2VYT8nBg2N80Nufaqo4U9uk-mb3vCWiRHSeRw/s1600/lucerne+lake+selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1219" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfc1XOrqOpspzMpTyWsT0qnXw_tsAd7-0AWUORRo2IhG1LEul3KJyLawnoWOYLoNzaM3XBIPSzdAm8sMEr4bcj6CWKTd74uF0N2VYT8nBg2N80Nufaqo4U9uk-mb3vCWiRHSeRw/s400/lucerne+lake+selfie.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swans/heart</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRPI2pX8BVSXm1BNsDhOdS_Opbfn9y816-0FLvH1n9d6pseO6xK2MWXSjGcLBoSpdtMcG66vhIq8NIXgQ-YHowxpPPFlSCoFkMPrc8Pwpi33Cx3cu2naIRkmXbqvrh38wRJXJZA/s1600/lucerne+lake+swan+nip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRPI2pX8BVSXm1BNsDhOdS_Opbfn9y816-0FLvH1n9d6pseO6xK2MWXSjGcLBoSpdtMcG66vhIq8NIXgQ-YHowxpPPFlSCoFkMPrc8Pwpi33Cx3cu2naIRkmXbqvrh38wRJXJZA/s400/lucerne+lake+swan+nip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heart/broken</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbjPVuS5pAk38x2bMEe_goDa3E8FGSUnfZ3K9qZGKsgAAtEEiv6hNNvlLvDXn1dk5JWaBWBIn6ShiynIvI4lUBTaSnouQJPqE7R8AbbcFoHiu7SdnbtZqxTqvBdzdW-CPu6-JDQ/s1600/lucerne+lake+view+me5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbjPVuS5pAk38x2bMEe_goDa3E8FGSUnfZ3K9qZGKsgAAtEEiv6hNNvlLvDXn1dk5JWaBWBIn6ShiynIvI4lUBTaSnouQJPqE7R8AbbcFoHiu7SdnbtZqxTqvBdzdW-CPu6-JDQ/s640/lucerne+lake+view+me5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderfully clear lake water</td></tr>
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-36088498705008423692018-07-15T11:06:00.000+02:002018-07-15T11:06:19.287+02:00Château Gütsch, LucerneFinally, we approach the very last leg of our epic honeymoon month. Ravenna was our last stop in Italy, and we headed home via Lucerne/Luzern, Switzerland. Of course, I've heard and seen good things about Switzerland over the years, but my only prior experience was a pretty <a href="http://gwannelsandiego.blogspot.com/2007/12/grey-geneva.html" target="_blank">gloomy and miserable day in Geneva</a> which did not impress me much. Between that and the rumoured high prices (although oddly, I see in my blog from that day that I considered my Swiss shopping a "bargain" - maybe I was calculating the exchange rate wrong), I had never had a burning desire to return in the intervening years.<br />
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Well, enter Lucerne to prove me wrong. It's crazy beautiful. Let's start with the view from our hotel. We splashed out on the Château Gütsch, a Belle Epoque "castle" perched up on a hill overlooking the city. Any inconvenience of being up on a hill is balanced out by the funicular that stops right outside the hotel and takes you down to the city, which you can ride for free as a hotel guest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A suitably honeymoonish bed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from inside the funicular</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gütsch station</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning mist over the city</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting on the balcony at night, we could see the stars - something that doesn't really happen in Brussels, sadly</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night view of Lucerne from our hotel</td></tr>
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Everything in Lucerne is so picturesque, I took a million photos as you can imagine. So I'll break my posts into mini-episodes to share them with you, stay tuned!</div>
Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-78773555423251191342018-06-17T18:58:00.000+02:002018-06-17T18:58:00.453+02:00Cryptic RavennaRavenna may not be associated with Dante the way Florence is, but it is the proud owner of his bones. The "tomb" in the church of Santa Croce in Florence is really just a memorial. Dante died in Ravenna, where he was living in exile, and was buried there. The Florentines have wanted him back for a long time - in 1519, Pope Leo X even ordered his removal to Florence, but the monks of Ravenna refused and hid his bones for centuries. They were found in 1865, and his current tomb is small a modern (19th century) structure in an unassuming part of Ravenna.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dante on his bike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like a kid in a sweet shop</td></tr>
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Just next to Dante's tomb is the Basilica di San Francisco, one of my favourite of the many fantastic spots in Ravenna. The Basilica is pretty unremarkable except for its flooded crypt, which dates to the 10th century but over the years has sunk into its soft marshy foundations and flooded. They gave up the fight to keep the water out, and today it is an attraction in its own right. You have to peep through a small window - pay the small fee to turn the lights on. It is home to goldfish and lucky coins, and when we visited also featured an underwater table with stone tablecloth and goldfish bowl. This latter doesn't appear in photos I see online, so is presumably a temporary installation highlighting the gentle absurdity of the place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_JOyz9qUCUc6fcLlaQJHv8f52eKuYz2znxvOkZka6M7OTLEvHTX-vEn-KT03e2U3vPjgQaS-9jI5mRZ4q7aAF9XumWoRZDDe13qJBF8e7fLhQVw6uO_hUwItOQEoQb5nJhRTKw/s1600/ravenna+st+francesco+polenta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_JOyz9qUCUc6fcLlaQJHv8f52eKuYz2znxvOkZka6M7OTLEvHTX-vEn-KT03e2U3vPjgQaS-9jI5mRZ4q7aAF9XumWoRZDDe13qJBF8e7fLhQVw6uO_hUwItOQEoQb5nJhRTKw/s640/ravenna+st+francesco+polenta.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grave of the charmingly-named ruler Ostasio da Polenta (d. 1346)</td></tr>
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All this and we still didn't see absolutely everything Ravenna has to offer! Very much recommended.Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-83357266736703481742018-06-14T18:08:00.000+02:002018-06-14T18:08:11.982+02:00House of the Stone Carpets, RavennaThe core set of elaborately glittering golden mosaics in Ravenna are indubitably the most famous, but they are not the only show in town. We also visited the so-called "Stone Carpets", a set of Roman/Byzantine mosaics with a backstory almost as fabulous as the mosaics themselves.<br />
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You reach the House of the Stone Carpets via the next-door church of Saint Eufemia. There, you pass underground, three metres below current ground level, to an excavated Byzantine palace which was only discovered in 1993 during the (attempted) construction of an underground garage. Covering around 1200 sq metres, the 14 rooms and three courtyards of the small palace are covered with intricately patterned "carpets" in stone, as well as a couple of stand-out figurative mosaics. The mosaics were restored and the returned to their original location, albeit now in a modern excavation space that allows visitors to walk "through" the house on raised platforms. It only opened to the public in 2002.<br />
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It was peaceful and not crowded when we visited (luckily, otherwise it might be unpleasant to have to queue along the platforms), probably because it is less known, less flashy than the main sites, and not included in the combination ticket to the religious buildings. It's a nice chance to see a secular building with a more intimate and low-key mosaic decoration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lKyeDCFo9W8sQWIQA5vPpHMEHvNz2HBxaDrP04j-def8UcNeiwzDaLArG1BX4m2i4j2_tBPjG6nSbdbQZwmMCSzD66WgW7s2FTzdtrQqZXbPB59PDR0tHDe8q2VTxsUTpNryEg/s1600/ravenna+stone+carpets+dance+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="1600" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lKyeDCFo9W8sQWIQA5vPpHMEHvNz2HBxaDrP04j-def8UcNeiwzDaLArG1BX4m2i4j2_tBPjG6nSbdbQZwmMCSzD66WgW7s2FTzdtrQqZXbPB59PDR0tHDe8q2VTxsUTpNryEg/s640/ravenna+stone+carpets+dance+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dance of the seasons</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hh5L9eOCpX2-SG-HPs3u1qe4ow2V_CYW4wAcR5Ks2TDBqeIjDTEFJV_tERu6H0lzA7XnG9h_Y0Yny0usDuU3hTgslfh9Wo4NxJGcjI6cgEB7g0U-T3TM5ETFbv-nJyxS7TskJA/s1600/ravenna+stone+carpets+dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hh5L9eOCpX2-SG-HPs3u1qe4ow2V_CYW4wAcR5Ks2TDBqeIjDTEFJV_tERu6H0lzA7XnG9h_Y0Yny0usDuU3hTgslfh9Wo4NxJGcjI6cgEB7g0U-T3TM5ETFbv-nJyxS7TskJA/s400/ravenna+stone+carpets+dance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lighting didn't quite work out for a photo with the dancing mosaic</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGVpiFJ-ALkHM5vjli4kTfGHldvcwmuQYYaPtNUcbRSNEWeWiyI3ehvxV5w6ZyCNOMzPykIfPuwDrWOl-V34WrKXXEofPZFhn53wsRvczQRTTq346sJY09f-jcFeXHyLGNcb-kQ/s1600/ravenna+stone+carpets+selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGVpiFJ-ALkHM5vjli4kTfGHldvcwmuQYYaPtNUcbRSNEWeWiyI3ehvxV5w6ZyCNOMzPykIfPuwDrWOl-V34WrKXXEofPZFhn53wsRvczQRTTq346sJY09f-jcFeXHyLGNcb-kQ/s400/ravenna+stone+carpets+selfie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQOiJWSXjRUZH23DLmlQmFmdZaMltBw4BNybVcxGhCrdGNXx-0w-Td1GLdoiwP0-bPVot2_gCVWxizUEglm46U-aD5g8v_uXbBFf40isvr7rtINZDBhmgNI9fORUl2wy8BAAcYw/s1600/ravenna+stone+carpets+shepherd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1600" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQOiJWSXjRUZH23DLmlQmFmdZaMltBw4BNybVcxGhCrdGNXx-0w-Td1GLdoiwP0-bPVot2_gCVWxizUEglm46U-aD5g8v_uXbBFf40isvr7rtINZDBhmgNI9fORUl2wy8BAAcYw/s640/ravenna+stone+carpets+shepherd.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ as the Good Shepherd. This is apparently quite different from the standard representation, although none of the sites I've consulted say how exactly. I would guess his very youthful, countrified appearance</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15izovFNE1HN818UUX-R7nEpYq6ovAQ6N10i-eGU1NVPDQZ7H209G7v_AvV7IUy5xGorNkoCQ2wkJKrQ4jL58D7_-Hv1Ii_dNevxF9y8gdTXNguPBQD8dP-T-CYcOtXATPVEyqQ/s1600/ravenna+stone+carpets+view2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15izovFNE1HN818UUX-R7nEpYq6ovAQ6N10i-eGU1NVPDQZ7H209G7v_AvV7IUy5xGorNkoCQ2wkJKrQ4jL58D7_-Hv1Ii_dNevxF9y8gdTXNguPBQD8dP-T-CYcOtXATPVEyqQ/s400/ravenna+stone+carpets+view2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjK4xsZPxKhdnImx8Qz4ZE2mBHHQyH5p3Lz_cLtRmHVRtug1B3fMcqkNj4DkiRTrDmsvOLWQUHPsM7i43BXoxD64qI3E-NPKhFMlo3Y2tD1Kl37aUmeG9j9kST1lS3tSrPzUhRNA/s1600/ravenna+stone+carpets+view3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjK4xsZPxKhdnImx8Qz4ZE2mBHHQyH5p3Lz_cLtRmHVRtug1B3fMcqkNj4DkiRTrDmsvOLWQUHPsM7i43BXoxD64qI3E-NPKhFMlo3Y2tD1Kl37aUmeG9j9kST1lS3tSrPzUhRNA/s400/ravenna+stone+carpets+view3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-3445905995394589292018-06-11T17:26:00.001+02:002018-06-11T17:26:52.579+02:00Archbishop's Palace, RavennaOur last stop on the mosaic trail was at the Archbishop's Palace, now a museum, which contains a tiny oratory dedicated to St Andrew from around 495 AD. Photos were not allowed in here, so I took a couple anyway (sorry).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlrerTyQZpphg6hRzerWlAGmpUJ0nh0JTU_AQ5Iyr_zKnXgQX4cKVbXflcNZPKQpP9yZBflVRjslUH8f3KYXXtwc4hWwI25GAUOll6cc2RW53g5y_mS_hJYynaZLfjZEBC6nelw/s1600/ravenna+archbishop+ceiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlrerTyQZpphg6hRzerWlAGmpUJ0nh0JTU_AQ5Iyr_zKnXgQX4cKVbXflcNZPKQpP9yZBflVRjslUH8f3KYXXtwc4hWwI25GAUOll6cc2RW53g5y_mS_hJYynaZLfjZEBC6nelw/s400/ravenna+archbishop+ceiling.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDHFsOBcwVt7rLxjclCZ6NyNOZVegpgTZvxgDTAv70R_Tv7vISCpmovQcVo3doOzl4QxQgDMGnVkVGtJdmc0uFfxZR-tUidHZ6N1nSZlOpJk99lS2sB8nlgmqWSEambdjcGvyNw/s1600/ravenna+archbishop+jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDHFsOBcwVt7rLxjclCZ6NyNOZVegpgTZvxgDTAv70R_Tv7vISCpmovQcVo3doOzl4QxQgDMGnVkVGtJdmc0uFfxZR-tUidHZ6N1nSZlOpJk99lS2sB8nlgmqWSEambdjcGvyNw/s400/ravenna+archbishop+jesus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A militant Christ trampling the beasts</td></tr>
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The rest of the museum contains a bit of a hodgepodge of various paintings, mosaic fragments, ivories, statues etc. To be honest, I didn't find it all that memorable, but I enjoyed looking back through my photos and remembering what there was to see there. </div>
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One highlight is the reconstructed chapel frescoes by da Rimini, from the church of Santa Chiara (early 14th century)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXt6nVJaFhqpqOlcgdi-ofkboH1Vi_MgwFJ6cPKDWo6msrCGZOXJCJXBqZ9n9pB7vQPmTSlYBAz5ddnewb-KBwd1ks-DwSBOqiC5FkiTkeQJibUBQ7Zp_sPeMMTp0mNu0U0HOZFw/s1600/ravenna+museum+st+chiara+frescoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1277" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXt6nVJaFhqpqOlcgdi-ofkboH1Vi_MgwFJ6cPKDWo6msrCGZOXJCJXBqZ9n9pB7vQPmTSlYBAz5ddnewb-KBwd1ks-DwSBOqiC5FkiTkeQJibUBQ7Zp_sPeMMTp0mNu0U0HOZFw/s400/ravenna+museum+st+chiara+frescoes.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkxj6V5_Esjp9cxFNVt9dS-eAmCb6Ju8GL-XPxSzxfSRqegBe8MUYv8gXcMO95dEu0RCQjSNthIfE8pFoWjuDHGy0OK8StGsoo-vhPTC7sdVWxbU4HSyBYL98OTKKbSYuU3kkuQ/s1600/ravenna+museum+st+chiara+frescoes+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkxj6V5_Esjp9cxFNVt9dS-eAmCb6Ju8GL-XPxSzxfSRqegBe8MUYv8gXcMO95dEu0RCQjSNthIfE8pFoWjuDHGy0OK8StGsoo-vhPTC7sdVWxbU4HSyBYL98OTKKbSYuU3kkuQ/s400/ravenna+museum+st+chiara+frescoes+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTI4MOPkH186DzbApktGD1l_-Q6d8uNf4wjueXPyb9KCJSgqAjCXxQ1_e3H7vUAGrQQKlUTdH9NjBQ6Oq_qQbCDN_0vRAW2ma1zFLsXKL1P-ByIpB_W3YrGhKCGrm894Bd6gJ7hQ/s1600/ravenna+museu+da+rimini+fresco3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTI4MOPkH186DzbApktGD1l_-Q6d8uNf4wjueXPyb9KCJSgqAjCXxQ1_e3H7vUAGrQQKlUTdH9NjBQ6Oq_qQbCDN_0vRAW2ma1zFLsXKL1P-ByIpB_W3YrGhKCGrm894Bd6gJ7hQ/s400/ravenna+museu+da+rimini+fresco3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lighting and damage made them hard to photograph, but they had a delicate beauty</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaheeyYk9N5Gzrvoo0frEkOmK1SSixrra6WMNvj25nq53g2ZYj2wy4bF7PJeN318RtKxWjNd-E0g7NXP6ogVN9NYDGlh7hpmvZ97Zz1FykYFiosL9c2hyphenhyphenq0dMhrNKP_glC9HViag/s1600/ravenna+museu+da+rimini+fresco2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaheeyYk9N5Gzrvoo0frEkOmK1SSixrra6WMNvj25nq53g2ZYj2wy4bF7PJeN318RtKxWjNd-E0g7NXP6ogVN9NYDGlh7hpmvZ97Zz1FykYFiosL9c2hyphenhyphenq0dMhrNKP_glC9HViag/s400/ravenna+museu+da+rimini+fresco2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPl3AQa751JwOTr04uFsnmITCjqGZbu_UtKir3F4XEr6Id4ug9e3EoxgDSGKKeqCFG9in9Hli9s9q5xMq1rEYV901JTv-8_pw4owqyNdzj9tW1IoBC6ivQ8rwwT1ozEoma2PsFfQ/s1600/ravenna+museum+da+rimini+fresco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPl3AQa751JwOTr04uFsnmITCjqGZbu_UtKir3F4XEr6Id4ug9e3EoxgDSGKKeqCFG9in9Hli9s9q5xMq1rEYV901JTv-8_pw4owqyNdzj9tW1IoBC6ivQ8rwwT1ozEoma2PsFfQ/s400/ravenna+museum+da+rimini+fresco.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As usual, I also enjoyed taking photos of various quirky objects:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-joMpV1Vd34aYgfeyWFWp87WvTtDmSrXj1aa4T3QFDQ6demn47CmjiZk2Mey6L1Ujv_j1L2m_ZaTTdvzflg4OCKl7ofa2YnyJ8mtA_EvPXQtWJbMXmQI2-Rz-MZqsiEv-TZlnCg/s1600/ravenna+museum+boar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-joMpV1Vd34aYgfeyWFWp87WvTtDmSrXj1aa4T3QFDQ6demn47CmjiZk2Mey6L1Ujv_j1L2m_ZaTTdvzflg4OCKl7ofa2YnyJ8mtA_EvPXQtWJbMXmQI2-Rz-MZqsiEv-TZlnCg/s400/ravenna+museum+boar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sexy boar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdFGeXA-pKyiMCSCGYtzOBcLG2-JMSZ7hOCxCtZc4iY5LKjjNGYZqskUxu9AocThxBsaCtmlgTQHMpLA6fepef-4egiLhq8EUVd9Ks7gdZK1dQWwxLjrcvMOLkOMZ9s2QBmHMqQ/s1600/ravenna+museum+ivory+mermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdFGeXA-pKyiMCSCGYtzOBcLG2-JMSZ7hOCxCtZc4iY5LKjjNGYZqskUxu9AocThxBsaCtmlgTQHMpLA6fepef-4egiLhq8EUVd9Ks7gdZK1dQWwxLjrcvMOLkOMZ9s2QBmHMqQ/s640/ravenna+museum+ivory+mermaid.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sexy mermaid (hello Starbucks)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsxDT33rfhJd6Wye1FyvjqmBx4IT8qD-z-tBG9eR4atRGm5iQYu_8Mexmon5vcxd8wKbXAsLe16bgMdH4rYCniFSA_a7F347n74uAIywnIFxcV1NFSUIZplo2xRUzub8YUDOVEA/s1600/ravenna+museum+ivory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsxDT33rfhJd6Wye1FyvjqmBx4IT8qD-z-tBG9eR4atRGm5iQYu_8Mexmon5vcxd8wKbXAsLe16bgMdH4rYCniFSA_a7F347n74uAIywnIFxcV1NFSUIZplo2xRUzub8YUDOVEA/s400/ravenna+museum+ivory.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Tis but a scratch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4RJ_aVv4GaoDvsqgK9c_aEW1SLlmS03vHvKc6TVcVt_yY0uJATGhuvZQ-p_xeBVH8XYASqU4qkCd2hBDSSm2Xd63U6rpiDUgW7iv25bD3Io7QzPZSZK15KKbCCiPwitEQeEBjQ/s1600/ravenna+museum+pharmacy+jules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4RJ_aVv4GaoDvsqgK9c_aEW1SLlmS03vHvKc6TVcVt_yY0uJATGhuvZQ-p_xeBVH8XYASqU4qkCd2hBDSSm2Xd63U6rpiDUgW7iv25bD3Io7QzPZSZK15KKbCCiPwitEQeEBjQ/s400/ravenna+museum+pharmacy+jules.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pharmacy reconstruction</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04Mt1SS0NKg6lHL6lqHD1tOESu2Cn6JVoogVd4LptY4roguWJlog0XwtwHM8B2F9Q-nIRxUIXdOjyyTR2w5HMmSYFPgTA1cPsJI6GzYRl9BxuBVmwuYxuBgtsIlnA2wNJNwtJGg/s1600/ravenna+museum+wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1028" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04Mt1SS0NKg6lHL6lqHD1tOESu2Cn6JVoogVd4LptY4roguWJlog0XwtwHM8B2F9Q-nIRxUIXdOjyyTR2w5HMmSYFPgTA1cPsJI6GzYRl9BxuBVmwuYxuBgtsIlnA2wNJNwtJGg/s640/ravenna+museum+wolf.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf infestation</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcCN2q9hPKqBUvelonpmWUEQ9U1hjE7MvQuQq1ROsp2iF32X_kNA8Q46mPdQoZiadYzX4l3elPWdeIcu95G8wdv0VCgy1OQQaOb7Lz6wufu6LwyeBJf_dX2zdrHv6TaWAGkIecQ/s1600/ravenna+museum+wolves+jules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcCN2q9hPKqBUvelonpmWUEQ9U1hjE7MvQuQq1ROsp2iF32X_kNA8Q46mPdQoZiadYzX4l3elPWdeIcu95G8wdv0VCgy1OQQaOb7Lz6wufu6LwyeBJf_dX2zdrHv6TaWAGkIecQ/s400/ravenna+museum+wolves+jules.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I didn't take any pictures of one of the glories of the museum, the ivory throne of Archbishop Maximianus (who showed up in the San Vitale mosaics), and the internet doesn't seem to have many pictures of it either, but it's pretty special:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWNhGsavo6KYkbnL8Gk3SA3ytz-LacIjZTjtSOctNJa0iRXCxb38j-T9AePS-YCfDhQOx-z2-gvh2f1gKB2BkQIeaOoiyTKv3LGtnTjrOgu989RimW90dKeHwZjkfiFjHPXKeGg/s1600/ravenna+museum+throne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWNhGsavo6KYkbnL8Gk3SA3ytz-LacIjZTjtSOctNJa0iRXCxb38j-T9AePS-YCfDhQOx-z2-gvh2f1gKB2BkQIeaOoiyTKv3LGtnTjrOgu989RimW90dKeHwZjkfiFjHPXKeGg/s1600/ravenna+museum+throne.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ravennamosaici.it%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Foxygen%2Fimages%2Fslideshow%2Fmuseo_arcivescovile%2F03.png&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ravennamosaici.it%2Fmusei%2Fmuseo-arcivescovile%2F%3Flang%3Den&docid=EI85TT2WHd8IiM&tbnid=CH-RlhDY6W1hXM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiTiu2S9cvbAhWnL8AKHdLbBh8QMwhwKBIwEg..i&w=793&h=450&bih=769&biw=1600&q=archbishop%20throne%20ravenna&ved=0ahUKEwiTiu2S9cvbAhWnL8AKHdLbBh8QMwhwKBIwEg&iact=mrc&uact=8" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-62375424278869940422018-06-02T13:15:00.000+02:002018-06-02T13:23:08.560+02:00Imperial splendour: the Basilica of San Vitale, RavennaJust next to the Mausoleum of Galla Placida is the Basilica of San Vitale. It's the most cathedral-ly in feeling of all the mosaic sites we visited, thanks to its proportions and size. Construction began in 526, under the rule of the Goths, but was completed in 548, by which time Ravenna was part of the Byzantine Empire, something which is clearly reflected in its beautiful mosaics. I put about a million photos of it below because it's so pretty, especially in the chancel area above the altar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoivzyFwWHtMG8oZTEPZVvhL9x4HRWoa0KcV-VCyT_aV0MblIXMGW40Zerh1ZiSeIul9LwoCnKpGl4MCgyLyjMzS_QUBU4ue_TJEbjkST7oVE6EgK_Iqa3YPqDEauRTGxqp4sb/s1600/ravenna+san+vitale+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoivzyFwWHtMG8oZTEPZVvhL9x4HRWoa0KcV-VCyT_aV0MblIXMGW40Zerh1ZiSeIul9LwoCnKpGl4MCgyLyjMzS_QUBU4ue_TJEbjkST7oVE6EgK_Iqa3YPqDEauRTGxqp4sb/s400/ravenna+san+vitale+night.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exterior of San Vitale by night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklRyu58hCFBcso4pVNWmI5ahtusAXxaI-HapW7V5oxVYPN9Vq8hN9mWsaaFFdL1waE9hPe41iwCtbT6ro3TwL4FwyWEwn4xJloVW7lc6mz-ymEV8neO2MuEv-K21Is8juVvRy/s1600/ravenna+sanV+abel+melchisedec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklRyu58hCFBcso4pVNWmI5ahtusAXxaI-HapW7V5oxVYPN9Vq8hN9mWsaaFFdL1waE9hPe41iwCtbT6ro3TwL4FwyWEwn4xJloVW7lc6mz-ymEV8neO2MuEv-K21Is8juVvRy/s400/ravenna+sanV+abel+melchisedec.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abel and Melchizedeck offering sacrifices to the Lord</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cupola on the right is the only substantial part of the Basilica which has been redecorated. It provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the Byzantine interior. The arch between the two has a central medallion of a bearded Jesus, flanked by the Apostles and two other saints</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vault shows the Lamb of God in the centre, supported by four angels against a background of vines and small animals on a blue, green and gold ground</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two horses prepare to fight to death for possession of the cross</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the peacock beautifully fit into the co</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole Basilica glowed with a soft yellow light reflecting off the marble on the floor and walls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFfOJwjz7ZP37ACmxV9o7eJT2MAVI5H9BDXYn8dANi98swttoicT-_XBjxpvOV1UNhk-kg6xH7K-0LwO-wWCBj7BWhelFVoUrxCHEiFCNB8bAg24aW6P6WUhzLVG2BUpxFaXj/s1600/ravenna+sanV+isaiah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFfOJwjz7ZP37ACmxV9o7eJT2MAVI5H9BDXYn8dANi98swttoicT-_XBjxpvOV1UNhk-kg6xH7K-0LwO-wWCBj7BWhelFVoUrxCHEiFCNB8bAg24aW6P6WUhzLVG2BUpxFaXj/s400/ravenna+sanV+isaiah.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaiah below a depiction of the evangelist Mark with his lion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyH76g5hsarVS9TyzNqF27AhRASyxDmrnHUM-SXf412B-EeAGfn4ejBxalnDhxjtRhegVOAzvTQm0TGzbBZwdXyKWXOF8lPMjTHaYVLsku2vfTAPytna1qSVlBXb1O0NWEF5eg/s1600/ravenna+sanV+jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyH76g5hsarVS9TyzNqF27AhRASyxDmrnHUM-SXf412B-EeAGfn4ejBxalnDhxjtRhegVOAzvTQm0TGzbBZwdXyKWXOF8lPMjTHaYVLsku2vfTAPytna1qSVlBXb1O0NWEF5eg/s640/ravenna+sanV+jesus.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The central mosaic over the altar shows a younger-looking Christ, with the church's namesake, Saint Vitale, on his right, and the founder of the church, Bishop Ecclesius, on his left. Christ offers a martyr's crown to St Vitale, but it can also be interprested as an offering to the Emperor Justinian below him</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk686iYisK_twHrX6uME0U_tFDluNpI-cDiKqlnaqjwS9Tar3HWRkiiLlYooeiVM8qS7jaEz1qw5cA48NqDn509rslFANlHrDVw0b75Ji1ARcIf5P-sf-Z0b2Nvcp9DpzTDrc/s1600/ravenna+sanV+justinian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEk686iYisK_twHrX6uME0U_tFDluNpI-cDiKqlnaqjwS9Tar3HWRkiiLlYooeiVM8qS7jaEz1qw5cA48NqDn509rslFANlHrDVw0b75Ji1ARcIf5P-sf-Z0b2Nvcp9DpzTDrc/s640/ravenna+sanV+justinian.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't manage to get a great shot because of the angles, but bottom right depicts the Byzantine <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/a/justinian-mosaic-san-vitale" target="_blank">Emperor Justinian and his court</a>. He is flanked by church and civil officials, representing his central authority in both realms. However, the Bishop Maximianus, on Justinian's left is actually standing slightly in front of the Emperor, perhaps reflecting tension between Church and State. Justinian is carrying a bowl of bread for the Eucharist, implying they are processing in to the Mass at the altar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJCGZvpDfyW0f7gsO8_rsL0HzikPADbO-uC62r-RxzdLUKLIrpzUGstWqpKqJtiYnhe5pXVszO3mROQ2-E1yK5FKCZOby3_cVYewcCUatyGK8xjH_r6WQTRrP_dKN_7kb6kzL/s1600/ravenna+sanV+me+model.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJCGZvpDfyW0f7gsO8_rsL0HzikPADbO-uC62r-RxzdLUKLIrpzUGstWqpKqJtiYnhe5pXVszO3mROQ2-E1yK5FKCZOby3_cVYewcCUatyGK8xjH_r6WQTRrP_dKN_7kb6kzL/s400/ravenna+sanV+me+model.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a moody, Russian-looking model doing a photo shoot in this area when we visited. Here's my attempt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf89tpiiViEFlStotmIEVeFHneGYHHEOIRj2Jxmr-JJI3JedDoDEz68OpnSfETk_dY5rAM_DQOXnFVorOSuoJ4cOSdTvBUfbQnGdyuH0Y1F0hm51ckJggL1b-TSKkywcrqwhG/s1600/ravenna+sanV+mosaic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf89tpiiViEFlStotmIEVeFHneGYHHEOIRj2Jxmr-JJI3JedDoDEz68OpnSfETk_dY5rAM_DQOXnFVorOSuoJ4cOSdTvBUfbQnGdyuH0Y1F0hm51ckJggL1b-TSKkywcrqwhG/s640/ravenna+sanV+mosaic2.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The angels above the arch, holding a medallion, are flanked by depictions of the City of Jerusalem, representing the Jewish/Old Testament Church, and the City of Bethlehem, for the Gentile/New Testament Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwOo-Ep7Ve-X597TnesV1gb-dnO-JbwQCf4JpomuR_YFcd-sdIx4u2KokfcBCFT_SNA4JlMj_7Nf5kpVAZH7hy23ArBopx599XWeOJl223pyLxVQH8zMxanQbum6sOrS-RvsF/s1600/ravenna+sanV+moses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwOo-Ep7Ve-X597TnesV1gb-dnO-JbwQCf4JpomuR_YFcd-sdIx4u2KokfcBCFT_SNA4JlMj_7Nf5kpVAZH7hy23ArBopx599XWeOJl223pyLxVQH8zMxanQbum6sOrS-RvsF/s640/ravenna+sanV+moses.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moses and the burning bush (top) and watching his flocks (bottom)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7t3wjAPRAYJ4K3G9YNJL_FHSN_XtJH-fCTDlv8aamrAWIqjoAgFAt6kL1zJunNZD8zp8_ZP88dKC4pL6EFuy3TbZOMPYVsIfiR65ROFdIlnF-njLTcFLG1GKAUqdQG5rmN0r/s1600/ravenna+sanV+sacrifice+abel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7t3wjAPRAYJ4K3G9YNJL_FHSN_XtJH-fCTDlv8aamrAWIqjoAgFAt6kL1zJunNZD8zp8_ZP88dKC4pL6EFuy3TbZOMPYVsIfiR65ROFdIlnF-njLTcFLG1GKAUqdQG5rmN0r/s640/ravenna+sanV+sacrifice+abel2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abraham offers bread to the "mysterious strangers" (angels), before having a go at sacrificing Isaac. Above, Jeremiah stands on the right, and Moses ascends Mt Sinai on the right. Below Moses is Aaron with the Twelve Tribes of Israel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgB5DAzWt6HX7TEy97WIHu2d7iJNsFdTUVObNtd6Jhypzbmj9bMmNHL6HWZc-thdHw6_BrJ-SR2sFmSCNS6qgFNBTA2oNfx6SLNnZiGdX4sD4BPNFgIdi1wORulsIWpKP3L3S/s1600/ravenna+sanV+theodora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgB5DAzWt6HX7TEy97WIHu2d7iJNsFdTUVObNtd6Jhypzbmj9bMmNHL6HWZc-thdHw6_BrJ-SR2sFmSCNS6qgFNBTA2oNfx6SLNnZiGdX4sD4BPNFgIdi1wORulsIWpKP3L3S/s640/ravenna+sanV+theodora.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facing Justinian is his wife, the Empress Theodora, and her court. She holds the cup for the Eucharist and the bottom of her gown features an embroidery of the three Magi bearing gifts, thus associating herself with these Biblical kings</td></tr>
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-57110689896447500702018-05-13T13:27:00.001+02:002018-05-13T13:36:13.527+02:00Orthodox or Arian? Who baptised it better?As before mentioned, o<a href="http://gwannelsandiego.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/classey-lady.html" target="_blank">ur friend the Goth king Theodoric</a> subscribed to the heretical (according to the mainstream Church) version of Christianity called Arianism. Arianism rejected the standard view of Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit all being one and the same, as famously illustrated by St Patrick and his shamrock. Instead, Jesus was the Son of God, a divine being sent to Earth to save mankind by God the father, but is not himself God.<br />
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By the time of Theodoric, Arianism had already been declared a heresy for 150 years or so, but was still popular particularly amongst Germanic tribes such as the Goths, Visigoths, and Vandals. The Arian Baptistery was built at the end of the 5th century, but it had only about another 50 years to survive, before Ravenna was conquered by the Byzantines, and the Baptistery converted into a Catholic church.<br />
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Unfortunately, only the ceiling mosaics in this tiny building survive. This shows the baptism of Christ, surrounded by the twelve apostles. It looks similar to the central decoration of the Orthodox or Neonian Baptistery (below), which was built slightly earlier. One key difference is that the Arian Christ is shown as quite boyish-looking, which may be a reflection of the Arian doctrine of his lesser status. Also Arian Jesus looks a bit more like he has a bird vomiting on his head. The figure on Christ's left is a personification of the River Jordan. Overall, the Neonian baptistery, which retains much more of its decoration, is more impressive, but I prefer the simpler ceiling decoration here.<br />
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The Orthodox/Neonian Baptistery is Ravenna's oldest monument, converted from a Roman bathhouse in around 400 AD, with its mosaics completed under its namesake, Bishop Neone, in the second half of the 5th century. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building now sits about 10 feet down from street level, not because of subsidence, but because of the rising of the surrounding ground</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOW0yRW_p352qqxLtojlhc66H8eY-dsyPgZcEKrwFZlDMVCZZLrjYPbu5fupWhwEGWXtHABxNP0ySeHcSSk5b8AwtF8Hx4j6nU31E_LMxv0WoD3nAkGyACbFv44rXUh-ubhYgJ/s1600/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+ceiling2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOW0yRW_p352qqxLtojlhc66H8eY-dsyPgZcEKrwFZlDMVCZZLrjYPbu5fupWhwEGWXtHABxNP0ySeHcSSk5b8AwtF8Hx4j6nU31E_LMxv0WoD3nAkGyACbFv44rXUh-ubhYgJ/s640/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+ceiling2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dome mosaic is similar to, but more elaborate than the Arian Baptistery. It features Christ, John the Baptist and the River Jordan surrounded by the apostles, who are in turn surrounded by depictions of empty thrones, showing Christ's divinity, empty chairs reserved for the Elect in heaven, Gospel books on altars and celestial gardens. The apostles circle round in two directions, with Saints Peter and Paul meeting in the middle below Christ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ4fficJuVxpla25f1nKJ0doP3uUTnBk5ouhcAaxvmyPOjM8nTX05fan5axPSt7WBD8Wy98yvObplXl8cQDIBkQVQPqpHsASkfcJsl_SrQ8dyqs9c-nYKbBhFw7arxZaHVDBl/s1600/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+crazy+eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQ4fficJuVxpla25f1nKJ0doP3uUTnBk5ouhcAaxvmyPOjM8nTX05fan5axPSt7WBD8Wy98yvObplXl8cQDIBkQVQPqpHsASkfcJsl_SrQ8dyqs9c-nYKbBhFw7arxZaHVDBl/s640/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+crazy+eyes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Below the mosaics is a layer of stucco depictions of the prophets. I liked the stunned mullet look of the guy on the left</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEZgcqC8_kIpkBPy7wo9mE5sLanCs0awm5Fp5imWA-yupH7h2iaI_BMnmmlpoBkawQC1bnpJ7hwU92spYs5Lrtme1fv1r8CFKfZbod5aIXNLdfKY22Hw691GZRrStcWuY-kmI/s1600/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+font3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1015" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEZgcqC8_kIpkBPy7wo9mE5sLanCs0awm5Fp5imWA-yupH7h2iaI_BMnmmlpoBkawQC1bnpJ7hwU92spYs5Lrtme1fv1r8CFKfZbod5aIXNLdfKY22Hw691GZRrStcWuY-kmI/s640/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+font3.jpg" width="406" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The much later baptismal font, 12-13th century. The beautiful inlaid marble and porphyry on the wall niche behind dates back to the days of the Roman bathhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XGiFc7H-DHY_dEsxPiZY4_l5UBS7AoBMHaT5wMUsj_RA2Xw8t5ta3oy8Or2MQ4wrkXPZ5tVgX9Bm3ilFKpP4m8qWsx13STaGZXPuOARBNmPM_U3I6By9x97dA-nkfB-mApSz/s1600/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+patterns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XGiFc7H-DHY_dEsxPiZY4_l5UBS7AoBMHaT5wMUsj_RA2Xw8t5ta3oy8Or2MQ4wrkXPZ5tVgX9Bm3ilFKpP4m8qWsx13STaGZXPuOARBNmPM_U3I6By9x97dA-nkfB-mApSz/s400/ravenna+orthodox+baptistery+patterns.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The decoration on the wall arches is contemporary with the ceiling</td></tr>
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-92019276049441879312018-05-10T11:41:00.001+02:002018-05-10T11:41:32.257+02:00The Mausoleum of Galla Placida, RavennaThe Mausoleum of Galla Placida, as the Roman-sounding name may suggest, is older than the <a href="http://gwannelsandiego.blogspot.be/2018/05/classey-lady.html" target="_blank">buildings we saw in the last blog</a>, dating back to around 430 AD, and also much smaller. Legend has it it was orginally built for Galla Placida, daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, who was regent of the Roman Empire for 12 years while her son was a child. She was supposedly buried sitting up, wearing an imperial cloak, and was there until 1577, when the contents of her sarcophagus were accidentally burnt, when some tomfooling local lads threw lighted candles into the tomb to get a better look at her. That sounds like a pretty big oopsie. However, the <a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/ravenna-galla-placidia" target="_blank">story might not be entirely true</a>. It seems there was a body in there, but it was a deliberate fake put there in the 13th or 14th century as part of the general enthusiasm for relics of dubious origin. Apparently, it's more likely that she was buried in the family mausoleum in Rome, and this building was an oratory, not a mausoleum. It also holds the supposed sarcophagi of either her son or brother and her husband, Emperor Constantius III.<br />
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It is small and unassuming on the outside, hiding its treasures within.<br />
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The starry mosaic sky supposedly inspired Cole Porter, visiting on his honeymoon, to write "Night and Day". The sky is filled by more than 800 mosaic stars! The four evangelists appear in their usual symbolic forms in the corners, with apostles and thirsty dove pals in the niches below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMakam6B2-IEv1zBT3O-sLh41ylJTr-KbV8-1F9JTZk-GWuD8TX1Ex9KkwtSea8nGz_XinQY88mJ04_xJqmeuE5HDlJNsHaN1vUmn0Y62yKUGDsSPDyQJb2MpjwvtC2T2lYbl/s1600/ravenna+GP+ceiling2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMakam6B2-IEv1zBT3O-sLh41ylJTr-KbV8-1F9JTZk-GWuD8TX1Ex9KkwtSea8nGz_XinQY88mJ04_xJqmeuE5HDlJNsHaN1vUmn0Y62yKUGDsSPDyQJb2MpjwvtC2T2lYbl/s400/ravenna+GP+ceiling2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-duyvJAtvDDGhmJgUGgcNeywKP7iiN5_kaS49zQLpE44mDyE7YLLmJiSZXnRmPusyWFdkw2RPM9z6BdAFkNM3Iun8g4NZ4fjUz_2MQdeig4fm__MeLaExDoqMH_VWZhw4dIsl/s1600/ravenna+GP+ceiling3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-duyvJAtvDDGhmJgUGgcNeywKP7iiN5_kaS49zQLpE44mDyE7YLLmJiSZXnRmPusyWFdkw2RPM9z6BdAFkNM3Iun8g4NZ4fjUz_2MQdeig4fm__MeLaExDoqMH_VWZhw4dIsl/s400/ravenna+GP+ceiling3.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The windows are filled in with alabaster (not original to the building) to aid in viewing the mosaics, which feature wonderful plants, animals and patterns as well as the religious iconography</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81yPO1Jp2mJtnWqOnxC3wDyQKgERFrMWAZFarBZwvDWGxtfjGUyh7mtV9zxSjTCMwKK7xCmwh-XiwWsTSBOFoEhyiuzof0zvVBtUNuuWIGTidSC1Uwes60Y5uRTC2jp9OKwjH/s1600/ravenna+GP+deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81yPO1Jp2mJtnWqOnxC3wDyQKgERFrMWAZFarBZwvDWGxtfjGUyh7mtV9zxSjTCMwKK7xCmwh-XiwWsTSBOFoEhyiuzof0zvVBtUNuuWIGTidSC1Uwes60Y5uRTC2jp9OKwjH/s640/ravenna+GP+deer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The mosaic of the Good Shepherd is probably the most famous. The Good Shepherd was a popular theme in early Christian art, but <a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/ravenna-galla-placidia" target="_blank">this version is unusual for the time</a> as it shows a richly-dressed, royal Jesus, rather than a simple country shepherd.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8LvMKJCFlYU0CZF_cyCQ1YwsrKzGBh7xpYmzEzTmB-7aYOcBqUIxqRbDKmO0d_j4_5asghlTnK_1DKnrTJrhYygA2V1o7CUEJoJsXT6imb69rVPC2yVvgVzqhBkRxQbZdNR8/s1600/ravenna+GP+pattern3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8LvMKJCFlYU0CZF_cyCQ1YwsrKzGBh7xpYmzEzTmB-7aYOcBqUIxqRbDKmO0d_j4_5asghlTnK_1DKnrTJrhYygA2V1o7CUEJoJsXT6imb69rVPC2yVvgVzqhBkRxQbZdNR8/s640/ravenna+GP+pattern3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine the work to make this!</td></tr>
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This mosaic probably depicts Saint Lawrence, hurrying to his martyrdom on a burning griddle, holding a cross and the Bible. The cabinet on the left holds the four Gospels.<br />
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<br />Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-19423545441709972552018-05-03T18:17:00.000+02:002018-05-03T18:17:03.330+02:00Classey ladyOur first stop to the fabulous ensemble of (mostly) early Christian sites that are the highlights of Ravenna was just outside Ravenna itself, at the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe. The Basilica was consecrated in 549, and originally held the relics of Saint Apollinaris, the first Bishop (his remains were later moved to the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna proper). Much of the walls are now bare, as the mosaics were probably removed by the Venetians in the 15th century, but high on the walls and ceiling, some mosaics from the 6th and 7th centuries still remain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIY-g8Vc9k-LXTAUDgpQdbF0r3u6_SbiteF3Gj7Ig95QH16rxk2BQW9iJ4RxWJBBIdHtNotLAyll4aClQQKkN7ka5yjR0uT9tul3P6Etr697iTnVv-SC_RgsPpFB3iB5zpzwk/s1600/ravenna+classe+interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIY-g8Vc9k-LXTAUDgpQdbF0r3u6_SbiteF3Gj7Ig95QH16rxk2BQW9iJ4RxWJBBIdHtNotLAyll4aClQQKkN7ka5yjR0uT9tul3P6Etr697iTnVv-SC_RgsPpFB3iB5zpzwk/s400/ravenna+classe+interior.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFMIGMgKHrwNM-WjWxewIg9I1evBBC-WGHAhYedNrFJDazQ6cU_PqnNf1HMwiKHkTCx3V_uPhPSSfHQIMJx5MWMnJTaQZZiuXVG3nYKe40ZDznag-t6_nRtkmWh_gKbl9YDbX/s1600/ravenna+classe+mosaic+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFMIGMgKHrwNM-WjWxewIg9I1evBBC-WGHAhYedNrFJDazQ6cU_PqnNf1HMwiKHkTCx3V_uPhPSSfHQIMJx5MWMnJTaQZZiuXVG3nYKe40ZDznag-t6_nRtkmWh_gKbl9YDbX/s640/ravenna+classe+mosaic+close.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The apse mosaic features a cross with Christ's head in the centre flanked by Moses and Elijah. The lambs in the middle represent the apostles Peter, James and John</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Awv7AlHJaeoeqhp5IYL4uZ4DS2aZP7wQGKd8kC6WxE8-yxcvOua_DnE-4jvBVgaK97GvOtvRJGsm-Nl49Ou0ZCYaP38b9M626iFEiNmtSUx_91Tak1XQhhBr28NP0oglEkcy/s1600/ravenna+classe+mosaic+cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Awv7AlHJaeoeqhp5IYL4uZ4DS2aZP7wQGKd8kC6WxE8-yxcvOua_DnE-4jvBVgaK97GvOtvRJGsm-Nl49Ou0ZCYaP38b9M626iFEiNmtSUx_91Tak1XQhhBr28NP0oglEkcy/s400/ravenna+classe+mosaic+cross.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Below the cross stands St Apollinaris with his "flock" of the faithful</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8RPN-ZtmgxJTk06ORDa7y8-_wF8xjQy26DFxMFYgcqQ8vFmZM8vkz_kvrPv6FBUzEqKNH61ZBYyPy5XN8BL6ozfSHr7z7Atd95Z56lJB_FZf9prv7TN_j5ws8iwKtia2L0Jt/s1600/ravenna+classe+mosaic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8RPN-ZtmgxJTk06ORDa7y8-_wF8xjQy26DFxMFYgcqQ8vFmZM8vkz_kvrPv6FBUzEqKNH61ZBYyPy5XN8BL6ozfSHr7z7Atd95Z56lJB_FZf9prv7TN_j5ws8iwKtia2L0Jt/s400/ravenna+classe+mosaic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpprtiWc5i9iB7ooyBd98NlUPKAp6Xl5ZMBKk7wLWxkVWdyx3EXDX4sznz9H5G90E4kNZWWoNz0wJAxaZGBBkVBFXH1JtV8MTXI-mdNx-k-FZS4COw-hu47VbNLXcpv-sjoz_1/s1600/ravenna+classe+side+aisle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpprtiWc5i9iB7ooyBd98NlUPKAp6Xl5ZMBKk7wLWxkVWdyx3EXDX4sznz9H5G90E4kNZWWoNz0wJAxaZGBBkVBFXH1JtV8MTXI-mdNx-k-FZS4COw-hu47VbNLXcpv-sjoz_1/s400/ravenna+classe+side+aisle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nave contains two dozen marble pillars with carved capitals</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio8K5LHaGzdPXDCE6vnTG8_MlOrW2IOt2h7_TBhm9g75Ct7F4Ryfk8Oma_gNtM1w0rtcXoiw2mG4uyQLT91brrFu621oaA3zpV7tPu17zkKc0wLit-EN5n1i1eGbawUbPzGDA/s1600/ravenna+classe+tomb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio8K5LHaGzdPXDCE6vnTG8_MlOrW2IOt2h7_TBhm9g75Ct7F4Ryfk8Oma_gNtM1w0rtcXoiw2mG4uyQLT91brrFu621oaA3zpV7tPu17zkKc0wLit-EN5n1i1eGbawUbPzGDA/s400/ravenna+classe+tomb2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The side aisles contain a number of early Christian sarcophagi, and there are also some ancient tombstones reused as construction materials for the church</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDez-yqJbtTTht2A_TNu2GueTqWeGVnAwnFxe8uc3QpVivJZpLR60TOO4yeSlYXJppkZzOY7IcYXOTDmrKnZHTt1QPGzC2bFHh-g-WGniEBF1hQ3It7J5HdrnZFCuz527-MOn/s1600/ravenna+classe+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDez-yqJbtTTht2A_TNu2GueTqWeGVnAwnFxe8uc3QpVivJZpLR60TOO4yeSlYXJppkZzOY7IcYXOTDmrKnZHTt1QPGzC2bFHh-g-WGniEBF1hQ3It7J5HdrnZFCuz527-MOn/s400/ravenna+classe+tomb.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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From the original Sant'Apollinare, we pass to Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, which is not really newer. It was first constructed in 504 by the Ostrogoth King Theodoric as an Arian chapel (more on all that later), then became Saint Martin's in honour of St Martin of Tours (yay, Tours) who fought against Arianism (that's adding insult to injury). Finally, it was rebaptised as Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in 856 when the saint's relics were moved there from Classe due to the threats posed by pirate raids. Quite the exciting history. </div>
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If I was impressed by the Classe version (and I was) I was even more blown away by the Nuovo and Improuovo one. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC3XsPNiobvtuCvDhLutMYzaWmp2B7jj9AC54tJiFrldb7LCpsDDtNK4g4VKzaqspGzxrjIoMkeFNaQ77OIE3J4y5ESQs5GnYsmCI8Y1nNucaI1djmwJE8Kx7BE1QxUvx-kQh/s1600/ravenna+SAN+exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC3XsPNiobvtuCvDhLutMYzaWmp2B7jj9AC54tJiFrldb7LCpsDDtNK4g4VKzaqspGzxrjIoMkeFNaQ77OIE3J4y5ESQs5GnYsmCI8Y1nNucaI1djmwJE8Kx7BE1QxUvx-kQh/s400/ravenna+SAN+exterior.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that sky, sigh! </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtpcit2H02X_rUaOoiky7REYSlZ3V4HuAZ3is0-A9LtS8S-qPWQ2dzLuU79MOsxBKsLNNf88YtoaHaQhkpttbI3pp3XAWXr4mhDhQCF_gvbv-7DoCmJaTY93AMj1qcaKl8fZ3/s1600/ravenna+SAN+interior2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtpcit2H02X_rUaOoiky7REYSlZ3V4HuAZ3is0-A9LtS8S-qPWQ2dzLuU79MOsxBKsLNNf88YtoaHaQhkpttbI3pp3XAWXr4mhDhQCF_gvbv-7DoCmJaTY93AMj1qcaKl8fZ3/s400/ravenna+SAN+interior2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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The original mosaics included several which depicted Theodoric and his court or Arian themes. Many of these were destroyed or altered to more conventional Byzantine Christian themes when the church was resanctified, leaving the odd hand or foot floating out there by itself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vscQlMKgZh-0eBSTktk5IaLLaH6wxL_VAayXDFqpc9nE722zbMs2JxfSdvS6nP_k_NEfSnRQ79mch1hOOo6h28DKO8KCp1wY4AhUnVtcp3aHHhPHbGqU1Si9I7Yfdfo7sIjT/s1600/ravenna+SAN+side+virgins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vscQlMKgZh-0eBSTktk5IaLLaH6wxL_VAayXDFqpc9nE722zbMs2JxfSdvS6nP_k_NEfSnRQ79mch1hOOo6h28DKO8KCp1wY4AhUnVtcp3aHHhPHbGqU1Si9I7Yfdfo7sIjT/s640/ravenna+SAN+side+virgins.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left wall features a procession of virgins, led by the Three Magi, from the city of Classe to the throne of the Virgin and Child</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksX5lPlao6P5R-46MeThsbnMLRxj_IeOsE8oMMzTqcsPuHlbiDEBzf436-EBYk3tvuzOQGCVU4rQittTY_9nzWPj9gO3YBJ1djyzrF6zh15YkS3uZWcwpmFJpCv-ebfIdUbCQ/s1600/ravenna+SAN+classe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksX5lPlao6P5R-46MeThsbnMLRxj_IeOsE8oMMzTqcsPuHlbiDEBzf436-EBYk3tvuzOQGCVU4rQittTY_9nzWPj9gO3YBJ1djyzrF6zh15YkS3uZWcwpmFJpCv-ebfIdUbCQ/s640/ravenna+SAN+classe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic of the port of Classe (it seems pretty far from the sea now, but apparently not always). You can see by the different coloured "bricks" where elements of the original Arian mosaic was covered up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirF1x6uz4hCAKwT5U1Qoi3VQ-CKSLU_eapnTpNzx5uziGt2R3wtY-awEf-3MfTEjb7l1nd__boxHRpVER9SOu9ZiRj8XJluoLC78yaKYwlzU2n73aR9KtYv5MBRd4mxr8_52Mt/s1600/ravenna+SAN+magi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirF1x6uz4hCAKwT5U1Qoi3VQ-CKSLU_eapnTpNzx5uziGt2R3wtY-awEf-3MfTEjb7l1nd__boxHRpVER9SOu9ZiRj8XJluoLC78yaKYwlzU2n73aR9KtYv5MBRd4mxr8_52Mt/s400/ravenna+SAN+magi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Three Magi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1OUqvQ4qIbsVP5vf35oqY47_Y2fLrXUwA1Uh2xOrloOivCoxjHQPWU4cZPQ1xyzyV0aBXZKtOiO5-M73zaiacM4ZpfPHmn901m9WSO4Vm55p3NKsfk2SKRUp2Hkq9IAvPpsw/s1600/ravenna+SAN+madonna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1OUqvQ4qIbsVP5vf35oqY47_Y2fLrXUwA1Uh2xOrloOivCoxjHQPWU4cZPQ1xyzyV0aBXZKtOiO5-M73zaiacM4ZpfPHmn901m9WSO4Vm55p3NKsfk2SKRUp2Hkq9IAvPpsw/s640/ravenna+SAN+madonna.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Virgin and Child</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8RyQ1ubihRGPvmgFKCx_nzx5UTeNF70_9fTQgalCRZd6pxLhWPvkYFNYb912Hi6Ebaohqw9QOdfqg5p6NatxixpEO3rqyorhDyClS3d2F6WjPzRv9KGlD8Anh1h4WGynb1TX/s1600/ravenna+SAN+last+supper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8RyQ1ubihRGPvmgFKCx_nzx5UTeNF70_9fTQgalCRZd6pxLhWPvkYFNYb912Hi6Ebaohqw9QOdfqg5p6NatxixpEO3rqyorhDyClS3d2F6WjPzRv9KGlD8Anh1h4WGynb1TX/s640/ravenna+SAN+last+supper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up the very top of the right-hand wall are small scenes of the Passion of Christ, including Judas' kiss (far right) and the Last Supper (second from left), with various saints and prophets below</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkLbYpz-7ld9Ife9PvpvR4llqDTNhgt-6JAIMM9Yrxia7Gc6igBwkTT5dx0SkSKxbBh-QLiF2S8cFAh_MYmD1FTpuCrVML14Jty9nQmQXLwS3HNDS_7c64SMI0jbq9STTZoJW/s1600/ravenna+SAN+martyrs+jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkLbYpz-7ld9Ife9PvpvR4llqDTNhgt-6JAIMM9Yrxia7Gc6igBwkTT5dx0SkSKxbBh-QLiF2S8cFAh_MYmD1FTpuCrVML14Jty9nQmQXLwS3HNDS_7c64SMI0jbq9STTZoJW/s640/ravenna+SAN+martyrs+jesus.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right-hand wall, a procession of male martyrs go from the city of Ravenna to the enthroned Chris</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmB_OWQZH2beUvg32g0z3h2tQkRmH1799fA37xgYnX-bxjWHIjj9Q-wz6z0IHzVXp6D001J7u-LVVjwoUkR_vAh8Pcm6QvuwOWrwYV-3IyHeAVh3rf-0Fzh2mIJkk8P9-0m9s/s1600/ravenna+SAN+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmB_OWQZH2beUvg32g0z3h2tQkRmH1799fA37xgYnX-bxjWHIjj9Q-wz6z0IHzVXp6D001J7u-LVVjwoUkR_vAh8Pcm6QvuwOWrwYV-3IyHeAVh3rf-0Fzh2mIJkk8P9-0m9s/s400/ravenna+SAN+me.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0I7dxQLI8Aum22grW2AZUiHmuHgNrJ9fRaojl0a1ubvkxy8Vg6IpKlBkRmAbllhM8eBnap4BI84-tap7yC7FZzlJbV2CM8ifNmqRPHKXXL-Jzk-WqKYOgTv2qxKy6MqrBiXU-/s1600/ravenna+SAN+ravenna+palace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0I7dxQLI8Aum22grW2AZUiHmuHgNrJ9fRaojl0a1ubvkxy8Vg6IpKlBkRmAbllhM8eBnap4BI84-tap7yC7FZzlJbV2CM8ifNmqRPHKXXL-Jzk-WqKYOgTv2qxKy6MqrBiXU-/s640/ravenna+SAN+ravenna+palace.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building on the right shows the Palace of Theodoric. Portraits of his court were originally in the spaces now filled by mosaic curtains<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y5P-Z-anV1NaQ1GiQJRZk4cae6DbJDfA5_LGvAWsSsURe6UXWeyAQ74tY06jjBtL1-Z6mq9iJc7hKaZkCzuguFKzSdpUabnbwreym2hsMiX7w5K7eQwAlQBXbckLxrcuwCfK/s1600/ravenna+SAN+side+arch+madonna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y5P-Z-anV1NaQ1GiQJRZk4cae6DbJDfA5_LGvAWsSsURe6UXWeyAQ74tY06jjBtL1-Z6mq9iJc7hKaZkCzuguFKzSdpUabnbwreym2hsMiX7w5K7eQwAlQBXbckLxrcuwCfK/s400/ravenna+SAN+side+arch+madonna.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-21975945437847692992018-05-01T14:08:00.000+02:002018-05-01T14:08:46.727+02:00Ducal delightsSo I've been struggling with blogging motivation for some time, as is probably evident from the lack of posts. One reason is I'm not sure what I do on my travels is really interesting any more. It's interesting to me, but now I'm not striking out on my own, staying in hostels, penny pinching etc. it just seems like one big comfortable bourgeois self-indulgence. However, if self-indulgence is the watchword, I do miss the idea of having my posts to look back on. I'm really conscious of how fast my memories fade, especially of those little quirky moments that do still sometimes happen when travelling. Even when I was blogging regularly, I could feel how they slipped away in the days or weeks before posting, so I know if I don't make an effort, I'll probably end up forgetting the mere fact that I even visited Dusseldorf or Delft (two quick trips from the last year or two that I don't think made it on to the blog).<br />
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Since the Italy honeymoon, I've been lucky enough to be in New Zealand and South Korea, as well as a few more weekends away - notably Lisbon and Manchester. So I'm going to try to forge ahead and at least wrap up the last two stops of the honeymoon.<br />
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So, last time out, I left you in <a href="https://gwannelsandiego.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/urbane-urbino.html" target="_blank">Urbino</a>, eating delicious crescia. So let's pick things up there again. I think the two main things Urbino is known for is its lavish ducal court, particularly under Federico da Montefeltro, the duke from the famous P<a href="https://uffizi.visitflorence.com/artworks/portraits-of-the-duke-and-duchess-of-urbino-by-piero-della-francesca/" target="_blank">iero della Francesca portrait</a>, and as the birthplace of Raphael. We ticked both of these star attractions off the list in our visit.<br />
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The ducal palace is up on the hill, so you can get some pretty cool photos from vantage points around the city. Here we are walking a little on the city wall above the gate into the hill town (there is also a newer part down below, as we found in many of these hill towns, where we left the car - no thanks to driving on the steep, narrow, cobble-stoned streets of the city).<br />
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Much of the interior of the palace was a bit more sparse and forbidding than I had anticipated. I think this is quite a common thing with very old royal residences where the interior decoration of the time has not necessarily survived. Often they would travel together with their furniture between different residences, although I imagine that is a lot less likely in the case of the ruler of a city state. Most of the static decoration was on elaborately carved doors and decorated ceilings, but happily the palace is also home to the National Gallery of the Marche region, so there is still plenty to look at. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fresco that is a (very) idealised portrait of the Duke and Duchess</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more realistic image of the pair. The Duke lost an eye and the bridge of his nose in a jousting accident</td></tr>
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Although the famous Piero della Francesca portrait mentioned above is now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the collection does include his Flagellation and Madonna of Senigallia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tbk9q8jHVO9-EJPC3D_KBC_3qQ3E-6jaDqy9lLveoulcunT403-3tLBipsuDocbCz13zsWpTaBqdzK2UsYCE2xymKuw0KgwnlaX1zvUoN8HBkMfbUsY6uHlnuVFquiJ3vq0J/s1600/urbino+palace+PDF+flagellation+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tbk9q8jHVO9-EJPC3D_KBC_3qQ3E-6jaDqy9lLveoulcunT403-3tLBipsuDocbCz13zsWpTaBqdzK2UsYCE2xymKuw0KgwnlaX1zvUoN8HBkMfbUsY6uHlnuVFquiJ3vq0J/s400/urbino+palace+PDF+flagellation+detail.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail from the Flagellation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaY6YoWhQfK52809YbQnvUbAVD3pKxV4HQ5VJMtH09XWpSk-RCwU4IH8lvIm4YqQICE7kx0c7qTcp88zpZ1FTw5QPvFepK59y9-rSzGjdgBZa0q56ns8gNd9Ld_UhWSW0_pWh/s1600/urbino+palace+PDF+flagellation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaY6YoWhQfK52809YbQnvUbAVD3pKxV4HQ5VJMtH09XWpSk-RCwU4IH8lvIm4YqQICE7kx0c7qTcp88zpZ1FTw5QPvFepK59y9-rSzGjdgBZa0q56ns8gNd9Ld_UhWSW0_pWh/s640/urbino+palace+PDF+flagellation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's really quite small</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJ5AgvKUJf2cYW35hhmqlEUD3YhyphenhyphentYY7T8jbBvFFO6rQJcYrSrTXCTBtHtNPYnhaIaw94mgiSjN1KZC3ubvMWppYFmK-8GFuRGy_z9bIy02cThnm9wzeiZAcDik2XalJpds8Y/s1600/urbino+palace+PDF+madonna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJ5AgvKUJf2cYW35hhmqlEUD3YhyphenhyphentYY7T8jbBvFFO6rQJcYrSrTXCTBtHtNPYnhaIaw94mgiSjN1KZC3ubvMWppYFmK-8GFuRGy_z9bIy02cThnm9wzeiZAcDik2XalJpds8Y/s400/urbino+palace+PDF+madonna.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piero's Madonna</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqXkZOxxswy-5S7mr0dFsm-OojpndCHg7qT2ksuehO2hbsusbPsm65aChDLFy1btk0HO3_e6WHBSSfDQwxp4fzHIKix_fOahyPmGBh7ryAL3viygVgkx38oyk4uQlRkPuqyp8/s1600/urbino+palace+raphael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqXkZOxxswy-5S7mr0dFsm-OojpndCHg7qT2ksuehO2hbsusbPsm65aChDLFy1btk0HO3_e6WHBSSfDQwxp4fzHIKix_fOahyPmGBh7ryAL3viygVgkx38oyk4uQlRkPuqyp8/s400/urbino+palace+raphael.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Muta, by Raphael</td></tr>
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By far my favourite bit of the palace was the Duke's <i>studiolo, </i>a tiny room decorated with intarsia woodwork (similar to marquetry) and portraits of famous thinkers and writers. I'm not sure how well it comes across in photographs, but the detail and realism of the trompe l'oeil effects in the woodwork is stunning. I must have spent at least 20 minutes in this little 3.6 x 3.35 metre study, looking at every detail. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qQ78_ZkgI1hPoyMGF8Atw_TT-jISfnwDovu8l76VUjRAQXK8KT667laiUIlBahIYX1ndvV98JGsW_74AU43msaPDYvPIkfMJr25JYBuTeDPWnUmHcITCMc-4x4rPZ-18aadZ/s1600/urbino+palace+study2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qQ78_ZkgI1hPoyMGF8Atw_TT-jISfnwDovu8l76VUjRAQXK8KT667laiUIlBahIYX1ndvV98JGsW_74AU43msaPDYvPIkfMJr25JYBuTeDPWnUmHcITCMc-4x4rPZ-18aadZ/s400/urbino+palace+study2.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General view - note the fake open cupboard door on the lower left</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNRsEPjxLeeksVVih-13fnYwlOKyUht0Bp_cPoOflH1ID8I3yXy8JrvfJnK5gpJ6jm6WXd2A7g2swPp18gwfxEgZ612_2fxlgcTpHnY6PhNZ9ES9b4aUyMKMZkW08cqxbwJ7b/s1600/urbino+palace+study+musical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNRsEPjxLeeksVVih-13fnYwlOKyUht0Bp_cPoOflH1ID8I3yXy8JrvfJnK5gpJ6jm6WXd2A7g2swPp18gwfxEgZ612_2fxlgcTpHnY6PhNZ9ES9b4aUyMKMZkW08cqxbwJ7b/s640/urbino+palace+study+musical.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trompe l'oeil shelves with musical instruments</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvP4ZtCLsd1SDSiJaQOAbKWYMYH9ymZBEkO0M2EXepA2U1rYc_hzBKvDWBKO9t3dvDnxjBa4Ek-JiZlRXhm2scCi4CJu0MPdMSBmN1X9dZwF0vYT1-d40bXy8BUYBdLsIogFq/s1600/urbino+palace+study+squirrel+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvP4ZtCLsd1SDSiJaQOAbKWYMYH9ymZBEkO0M2EXepA2U1rYc_hzBKvDWBKO9t3dvDnxjBa4Ek-JiZlRXhm2scCi4CJu0MPdMSBmN1X9dZwF0vYT1-d40bXy8BUYBdLsIogFq/s400/urbino+palace+study+squirrel+me.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squirrel friend</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kukoEHViKIRbo2qCtt1tNOiVjnH_wkaINUsIOCH-yV2sI5HAmHFXbK8p1-RkwRD36xqBz892D42eA5RKbJLh2KTmiSk369DZYPBc8xmX2iRdwk6BTe2e0HCA_GmB6yjfn9va/s1600/urbino+palace+study+wood2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kukoEHViKIRbo2qCtt1tNOiVjnH_wkaINUsIOCH-yV2sI5HAmHFXbK8p1-RkwRD36xqBz892D42eA5RKbJLh2KTmiSk369DZYPBc8xmX2iRdwk6BTe2e0HCA_GmB6yjfn9va/s640/urbino+palace+study+wood2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fake cupboards</td></tr>
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Last up, we visited the house where Raphael was born and grew up. Things I didn't know about Raphael: his father was himself a painter (court painter to the Duke in fact), and I believe his mother was from a noble family (this is what I remember from our visit, but all I can find on the internet is that she died when he was 8. This meant that his childhood home was a lot more substantial than one might imagine from the "starving artist" stereotype (see also Rubens' house, which I happened to visit this weekend - dude must have been loaded). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyQ9Hoi9sOR8BsmZ3kQ-GQVY75JZdwpF-y7CrjEai-WdvNWrJBmzKSQEDmFpa35m9AC9_lFhBe6uiDadbpZ32j5GegeIL8i9sL20_q93-dtRKrvbeSM9zPQl-kJAy_11NpD0B/s1600/urbino+raphael+house+great+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyQ9Hoi9sOR8BsmZ3kQ-GQVY75JZdwpF-y7CrjEai-WdvNWrJBmzKSQEDmFpa35m9AC9_lFhBe6uiDadbpZ32j5GegeIL8i9sL20_q93-dtRKrvbeSM9zPQl-kJAy_11NpD0B/s400/urbino+raphael+house+great+hall.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Hall of Raphael's house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JCgH_C9TEL30LJHV8T70nQNZPLMy4doI8JCWs2wZeZjd6Aan38FegBwK52GQZeVblaWLW2C0LJ733HsOg1RQUNB7rDWzJQb7xN4lfcpbgoFdV6WG2ce0YsJLf7E5a27bqVK9/s1600/urbino+raphael+giovanni+santi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JCgH_C9TEL30LJHV8T70nQNZPLMy4doI8JCWs2wZeZjd6Aan38FegBwK52GQZeVblaWLW2C0LJ733HsOg1RQUNB7rDWzJQb7xN4lfcpbgoFdV6WG2ce0YsJLf7E5a27bqVK9/s400/urbino+raphael+giovanni+santi.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A work by his father, Giovanni Santi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftQEhAe9mFvJEg-6hW93_cNADoDYoxjUDFbZgN7u4r0KIvb1cabdLSUEbvToSHtPPV29UoOH5AQFJZ3NaNe8kRgv97hp9gZsaN_Yo7T86TEEkqVhFTEgVDmOdtm9eeMVlXsjh/s1600/urbino+raphael+house+fresco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftQEhAe9mFvJEg-6hW93_cNADoDYoxjUDFbZgN7u4r0KIvb1cabdLSUEbvToSHtPPV29UoOH5AQFJZ3NaNe8kRgv97hp9gZsaN_Yo7T86TEEkqVhFTEgVDmOdtm9eeMVlXsjh/s400/urbino+raphael+house+fresco.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresco in the room where Raphael was born. It is debated whether it is an early work by Raphael himself, or by his fathe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow1O3ZP_rVp1qzZhAh39WGf5QatkldM-mxmfB0jtj8DC_ciTZNhStc5nnPFYBsi56clriYFx6WVBc2FLMuxvUtlt_38dbVc42oKf7wU9LJ_ud2K1TVNfWGy8ZUlJ2VfgSSEza/s1600/urbino+raphael+house+tiny+boar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow1O3ZP_rVp1qzZhAh39WGf5QatkldM-mxmfB0jtj8DC_ciTZNhStc5nnPFYBsi56clriYFx6WVBc2FLMuxvUtlt_38dbVc42oKf7wU9LJ_ud2K1TVNfWGy8ZUlJ2VfgSSEza/s400/urbino+raphael+house+tiny+boar.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is here just because of the teeny tiny boar</td></tr>
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After Raphael's house, we had lunch at the Antica Osteria da la Stella, which has archival records of bills to such famous painters as Piero della Francesca, Ucello, and Raphael himself. Kind of a neat experience although I don't remember what the food was like. Good but not exceptional, I think.<br />
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In our "antique" hotel room and in the Ducal Palace, we had spotted these cool star-shaped lights which seemed to be characteristic of the region. We texted the landlady to ask where she got hers from, and she told us to go to this tiny workshop where an elderly lady makes them by hand. Pretty badass, as the kids say.<br />
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It survived the trip home as a unique souvenir of the honeymoon, although I wish we had thought to clean all the glass panels before hanging it up!<br />
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-38940752746245140362018-02-19T17:50:00.000+01:002018-02-19T17:50:16.968+01:00Urbane UrbinoAfter the Riviera, we started to head north again, to Urbino, another walled hilltop city, still in the Marche region. It's probably chiefly known for its Renaissance dukedom, and as the birthplace of Raphael. We parked at the foot of the hill, and it took quite some time to figure out how to get up into the city. I found a staircase where you can walk up inside the fortifications, but the promised elevator remained elusive. As it was a while before we could check in to our hotel, we left our bags in the car and set out to see a bit of the city before lunch. (We eventually did find the elevator to bring our bags up, you have to go inside the tourist office and pay a euro to use it, then it pops out on top of the city wall next to a cafe.)<br />
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We were staying in an "<a href="http://www.sanpolo1544.it/bedandbreakfast-en.html">antique room</a>" dating from 1544, which was pretty fun. I've never been in a hotel room with a "feature well" before!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKhBvUYJI8apY3B7278SNSthgft2GsqXJSMCKwQevuE8PYVZ-stmLX8gT8thpSxQ7Ae39UFrrRxPQCMU8fTeokUeXyqjHsm8KYtlNEOit5zDXNekXc-EkGRthwWCfHzW5tlsL/s1600/urbino+hotel+room2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKhBvUYJI8apY3B7278SNSthgft2GsqXJSMCKwQevuE8PYVZ-stmLX8gT8thpSxQ7Ae39UFrrRxPQCMU8fTeokUeXyqjHsm8KYtlNEOit5zDXNekXc-EkGRthwWCfHzW5tlsL/s400/urbino+hotel+room2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ended up buying a light fixture similar to the star-shaped one on the ceiling here. They seem to be traditional in the area, also appearing in the Ducal Palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The well</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXTnLCXgpEvmEg_au8ojV7gJq1Qf2IC0NldISnk4JhKoCUytSo92PAcPD33uVSSGsPjNNxOZBpEF8_G_5jS8p93WNZ7Eq4Gy7eV1uAj2FFfGMOx-7QWsfVFwOPlerL7rlWyVK/s1600/urbino+city+view+me2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXTnLCXgpEvmEg_au8ojV7gJq1Qf2IC0NldISnk4JhKoCUytSo92PAcPD33uVSSGsPjNNxOZBpEF8_G_5jS8p93WNZ7Eq4Gy7eV1uAj2FFfGMOx-7QWsfVFwOPlerL7rlWyVK/s400/urbino+city+view+me2.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the city walls with the Ducal Palace to the right</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the surrounding countryside from the walls</td></tr>
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Before lunch, we went to the Oratorio of St John the Baptist, a small 14th century chapel covered with frescoes by the Salimbeni brothers. It's so pretty. It's kind of unbelievable you can have these tiny little buildings filled with such treasures that no-one has ever heard of. Imagine the big deal this would be most places in the world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVZkAfxxjCiYmjI4N2IZOQLXn3kXS27UC8TS98AUb0ORcYF1dF9AUYdW7RhuwXTeDFrKWXO05kCP6X1GJkT5_FiPe280HbEdPsWG-Lzr7iXTvbmXUox4yaUWj6sX6BWgeBtgg/s1600/urbino+oratorio+JTB+frescoes+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVZkAfxxjCiYmjI4N2IZOQLXn3kXS27UC8TS98AUb0ORcYF1dF9AUYdW7RhuwXTeDFrKWXO05kCP6X1GJkT5_FiPe280HbEdPsWG-Lzr7iXTvbmXUox4yaUWj6sX6BWgeBtgg/s640/urbino+oratorio+JTB+frescoes+me.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo gives a sense of the monumental scale of the frescoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLoVNMA0WPUjdXJCexocG_X2Iiu5trFCHVe9JJttTqarSlTf051dd0W5Ba-LvBDYH6Az9KxiPbDZL0ZqwO2sPk7r3Y0eJosbpvi4mu6m2U6yLst3vmT_mHQj9SACecAuTme9Q/s1600/urbino+oratorio+JTB+panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLoVNMA0WPUjdXJCexocG_X2Iiu5trFCHVe9JJttTqarSlTf051dd0W5Ba-LvBDYH6Az9KxiPbDZL0ZqwO2sPk7r3Y0eJosbpvi4mu6m2U6yLst3vmT_mHQj9SACecAuTme9Q/s640/urbino+oratorio+JTB+panorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama of the crucifixion scene and the right-hand wall, with scenes from the life of John the Baptist</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expressive lamentations at the Crucifixion. And... is that kid kicking the other kid in the face?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ08iPm0uOAr2gtPVLh1iqxlhyDjsuxtW10wlmpMZk90memNPPvshrQgghLNnG_JBVBHdTW38OXsmLXluFgEzjV4IDEt-0mbTFlYGC_J5T3WvuWPmCUWXqqetTTfZ_bqyXTcYo/s1600/urbino+oratorio+JTB+crucifixion+horse+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ08iPm0uOAr2gtPVLh1iqxlhyDjsuxtW10wlmpMZk90memNPPvshrQgghLNnG_JBVBHdTW38OXsmLXluFgEzjV4IDEt-0mbTFlYGC_J5T3WvuWPmCUWXqqetTTfZ_bqyXTcYo/s640/urbino+oratorio+JTB+crucifixion+horse+child.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the crucifixion scene with a naughty dog</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St John the Baptist at work, with bonus dog curled up on a pile of clothes. Haven't quite mastered the "standing on top of a river" thing though</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAo5S-ktVDpoAR32ezQYp9zOCEkxw3NdlACSOSMud4km9uTiE6DzorClri1rusVV-V8nB8eOkpOiBorfczIGeNv-cXK9ByPieEwWAoSv9uQ43YTUJgiflDOkwqScbMTwdanxYF/s1600/urbino+oratorio+JTB+fresco+undress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAo5S-ktVDpoAR32ezQYp9zOCEkxw3NdlACSOSMud4km9uTiE6DzorClri1rusVV-V8nB8eOkpOiBorfczIGeNv-cXK9ByPieEwWAoSv9uQ43YTUJgiflDOkwqScbMTwdanxYF/s400/urbino+oratorio+JTB+fresco+undress.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice naturalistic detail of someone disrobing to be baptised</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR_jYR1nd-F1-XVtq7IM5VR9k9T5p3ZrbBLjvC4WY6NSdwknjshhmUaUWzM2D5EP8RdOsJtNbAO2HeqZSzZAg9HxVArlR8xiIHLbLDiWFGdtbxupLM36ztWcjpxcv6kcp_QOS/s1600/urbino+oratorio+JTB+kkk+robes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtR_jYR1nd-F1-XVtq7IM5VR9k9T5p3ZrbBLjvC4WY6NSdwknjshhmUaUWzM2D5EP8RdOsJtNbAO2HeqZSzZAg9HxVArlR8xiIHLbLDiWFGdtbxupLM36ztWcjpxcv6kcp_QOS/s320/urbino+oratorio+JTB+kkk+robes.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, it's the KKK getup from the Perugia paintings. This seems to have been how members of the confraternity dressed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBM4S0peJ4VmdtdNjZyIrSJLMbCvOjxleGYPKCYaoCFjYnfVAQhGFRtlAhwApbl7smZkXi_2dWCTKx_gz-eCt-0JoXyzxiThhpuB2hxj2LIt1YEumdfFhyphenhyphenU8GcOZxBcleEJ4X/s1600/urbino+oratorio+JTB+palace+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBM4S0peJ4VmdtdNjZyIrSJLMbCvOjxleGYPKCYaoCFjYnfVAQhGFRtlAhwApbl7smZkXi_2dWCTKx_gz-eCt-0JoXyzxiThhpuB2hxj2LIt1YEumdfFhyphenhyphenU8GcOZxBcleEJ4X/s400/urbino+oratorio+JTB+palace+view.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oratorio also offered great views of the Ducal Palace rising over the rooftops</td></tr>
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As you can see, it was a beautiful, warm day and lunch was a local speciality, crescia. Kind of like a stuffed flatbread, but much flakier. With the addition of lard in the dough, it's really more like a pastry than a bread, and 100% delicious. We went to a little hole in the wall place and queued for ages, but it was so worth it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrpbIzDEBo0hfRa7CBGoJVXXRlxfL4OMJmoJP_TVOCgsJYoM_CukRayr1dAYJjeXDEnKowJrof_t9TdhHIMUuRDmn_xahuq_ZKcKuXCPo49c2EkbDNL7YV34w4ZSHxp62S4-P/s1600/crescia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrpbIzDEBo0hfRa7CBGoJVXXRlxfL4OMJmoJP_TVOCgsJYoM_CukRayr1dAYJjeXDEnKowJrof_t9TdhHIMUuRDmn_xahuq_ZKcKuXCPo49c2EkbDNL7YV34w4ZSHxp62S4-P/s320/crescia.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo doesn't do justice to the deliciousness, but I promise you it was cheesy meaty flakey pastry goodness. We went there twice in our time in Urbino</td></tr>
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-47085812390071265882018-02-16T22:20:00.000+01:002018-02-16T22:20:13.339+01:00Tomb raiding and sunbathingOn the way out of Perugia, we stopped at the Tomb of the Volumni in the city's suburbs. It is an Etruscan tomb complex, dating back to the 2nd century BC, which was rediscovered by chance on 5 February 1840 (the day before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed!) You go in to find a staircase surrounded by gravestones, where you descend to the tomb of the Velimna (Volumni) family. This consists of a number of small chambers carved out of the rock, and still holds the family's tombs in their original positions.<br />
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The Etruscans seem particularly mysterious and shadowy to me, almost as if their history has been erased by the Roman dominance, so it was very interesting to see some of their ancient sites on this trip. The artefacts in this tomb seem pretty similar to what you think of as Roman style, but I don't know which way the influence ran. A quick look at Wikipedia shows that there was a period of Etruscan dominance over Rome, particularly in religious matters, although there is some debate about the extent of the influence, and both the Etruscans and the Romans were heavily influenced by the Greeks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMA5mqZDqN7Sak6aVvkEF80mg8RRc__MGb4KQp-YLFCk3TxdUIITjnJ4rZ5x3_DGGtzkHgv0Imxo__1M8xR7V894rxWh1sqhAZgCRbglTVU5nq-_T3wGpUIZ1fEcZXWCjr0ssF/s1600/volumni+stele.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMA5mqZDqN7Sak6aVvkEF80mg8RRc__MGb4KQp-YLFCk3TxdUIITjnJ4rZ5x3_DGGtzkHgv0Imxo__1M8xR7V894rxWh1sqhAZgCRbglTVU5nq-_T3wGpUIZ1fEcZXWCjr0ssF/s400/volumni+stele.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funerary stele in the entrance hall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the family tombs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tomb of Aurente Volumio, the patriarch of the family</td></tr>
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After seeing the Volumni tomb, the largest in the complex, you go outside, where there are around 200 more tombs, a few of which are open to visit. Beware, I got absolutely savaged by mosquitoes at this stage. The largest of these was the Bella tomb, which I don't think had much in it, but afforded me the opportunity to do my best impression of a creature of the undead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQp5wtKrszqdRzz_rLONOOtanl3ifhhb93pKJ-q6VRkXEIrvmO7AW02zwBS2KzfIQVdIHacTGJZ2XeSqty3jPPF_QQfqaudVAzCh4JEJenvxXXedy-q2sJzfML7GnKLWPLjjm/s1600/volumni+bella+tomb+selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQp5wtKrszqdRzz_rLONOOtanl3ifhhb93pKJ-q6VRkXEIrvmO7AW02zwBS2KzfIQVdIHacTGJZ2XeSqty3jPPF_QQfqaudVAzCh4JEJenvxXXedy-q2sJzfML7GnKLWPLjjm/s400/volumni+bella+tomb+selfie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the underground chamber of the Bella tomb</td></tr>
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Finally, there is a small museum which holds more funerary stele, with translations and explanations of their carvings, and a few other artefacts. It was fun to see the Etruscan language, which uses an alphabet derived from Greek and which is still not entirely understood.<br />
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From there, we drove to the Riviera del Conero on the Adriatic coast, to Portonovo, near Ancona, for a bit of beach time. It was already October by this time, so it was a bit of gamble, but it mostly paid off. There was a big storm one afternoon, which howled particularly around our hotel as it was built on a sort of stepped design so that every room had a corner balcony. But other than that, and a bit of overcast weather on our last day there, it was pretty good.<br />
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We went first to Portonovo Beach, but out of season it seems we turned up a bit early and none of the beach loungers were out. Since it was a bit rocky, we didn't fancy lying on the beach there, so just walked around a bit and then headed to Sirolo.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portonovo Bay</td></tr>
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We stopped just next to the road after Sirolo, where it seemed nice, and settled down for a swim and sunbathe. After I'd been in the water for a bit, I realised that it was absolutely PACKED with tiny jellyfish. I found an <a href="https://qz.com/1044786/a-jellyfish-population-surge-in-the-adriatic-sea-can-be-traced-back-to-a-natural-gas-boom/" target="_blank">article from last year</a> that said these were "teeming nurseries of self-cloning moon jellyfish", which some researchers claimed is linked to the increase in gas platforms in the sea, which give the baby jellyfish a nice flat surface to stick on to while they clone. It was a bit terrifying when I first looked down and saw them all over the place, but by that stage I figured I'd already been in the water for quite a while and there were so many of them that if they were going to sting me, they would probably have done it already. I still yelped every time I touched them though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the coast from our hotel</td></tr>
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We also went to a delicious tiny restaurant, the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g2205339-d1532654-Reviews-Osteria_del_Poggio-Poggio_Ancona_Province_of_Ancona_Marche.html" target="_blank">Osteria del Poggio</a>. On our food tour in Perugia, the guide told us about the fantastic reputation of deli meats from Norcia. In this part of Italy, delicatessens are often known as "Norcerias". Basically, in the north the meats from around Bologna and Parma are famed, and in the Umbria and Marche regions, this honour is given to the Norcia meats. Only one of them seems to have broken through on to the international stage, but I can confirm that Norcia deli meats are just as good. Anyway, our meal at the Osteria started with a superlative meat and cheese platter followed by rabbit gnocchi with local red wine. Definitely a culinary highlight of the trip, especially those melt in the mouth hams.<br />
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It was nice to have a bit of time to relax, read and recharge our batteries, as although we were having a lot of fun, it was also getting pretty tiring moving around all the time!Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32386502.post-38848366500468668522018-02-15T14:16:00.000+01:002018-02-15T16:47:50.744+01:00Perugia in 7 Bites: Eating in ItalyFor our last activity in Perugia, we decided to take a <a href="https://www.viadelvino.com/tour/taste-perugia-walking-tour/" target="_blank">food tour</a>. It was run by an American woman living in Perugia, who was good, and the tour group was made up of us and about 7 Americans, including 4 who were friends of the tour guide, which was a bit weird to be honest. I mentioned this somewhere before on the blog, but one of them worked at Eately in New York and wouldn't stop comparing everything we were eating to which aisle it was sold on back in NYC.<br />
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But in general, the tour, which lasted 4 hours and took us to 7 locations to eat and drink around the city, plus a bit of sightseeing and history, was a fun way to spend the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop 1 - delicious thick hot chocolate (for me) and coffee (for everyone else) with pastries for breakfast</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop 2 - cheese and proscuitto in an old cellar purportedly frequented by Perugino</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop 3 - wine and olive oil tasting. It was surprising how grassy and peppery - and bright green - the olive oils were. We bought some at a discount</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop 4 - truffles. Truffles aren't as bad as normal mushrooms, but that's about the best I can say about them. We went to eat truffle pasta AND to a truffle shop, which is entirely too much truffles if you ask me. The truffle shop, in particular, stank of them. But it was semi interesting hearing about how they find them. This box is apparently worth thousands</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My generously-truffled pasta. It was... fine... but I really don't understand why anyone would pay top dollar for this. Tastes of nothing and the truffles scratched my throat on the way down</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I evidently forgot to take a photo of our visit to the chocolate shop, where we tasted, amongst other things, balsamic vinegar-filled chocs, but you can't go to Perugia (home of the famous Baci chocolates) and not have chocolate so here's a bonus photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This doesn't look like much, but it was my favourite treat of the tour. A warm "torta al testo", a local stuffed flatbread speciality filled with sausage and something green. Broccoli rabe? Kale? I forget</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last stop, gelato. Our guide assured us it was perfectly Italian to eat gelato twice a day</td></tr>
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Some of the sights of the city we also saw on our walking tour:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabkUkCVhxSeg7duff067Z9g_NFQtpVtojBjV16UfycOgBezq_e0HeBQx6_be-56xl8tx1s5DK8bguz6c41GimDFLfeTf-GPJ63gesUWxEywQuw7VveyZEp_S7mHRRsrG5arTf/s1600/perugia+tour+jesus+satellites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabkUkCVhxSeg7duff067Z9g_NFQtpVtojBjV16UfycOgBezq_e0HeBQx6_be-56xl8tx1s5DK8bguz6c41GimDFLfeTf-GPJ63gesUWxEywQuw7VveyZEp_S7mHRRsrG5arTf/s640/perugia+tour+jesus+satellites.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beam me up, Jesus</td></tr>
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In the last post, I talked a little about the Rocca Paolina and the nice views from on top. We both completely missed that underneath is a maze of ancient and medieval squares and passageways. There is even an Etruscan gate. We would have completely missed it if not for the tour, duh. And we had the joy of one of our fellow tourists (one of those irritating "I'm Italian" American guys) asking the guide "is there some special symbolism in that sign?". It was one of <a href="https://img.safetysignsupplies.co.uk/images/product_imgs/full/432_2_1.gif" target="_blank">these</a>...<br />
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Gwanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13127784431543135980noreply@blogger.com3