buildings – Page 5 – Notes from the Cape

Published November 21, 2010

The Grand Canal, Venice

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The Grand Canal in Venice is the easiest way to get around Venice. It basically divides the city down the middle, with most taxi and bus services running on it.

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There are only four bridges that you can use to cross the canal, however it is a small city; so you never really find yourself stuck on the wrong side of the canal. Venice is remarkably compact, you can easily cross it on foot in less than an hour, and by using the water-bus (Vaporetti) in about 1/2 hour.

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Although it is difficult to get an original shot of the canal that has not been taken 100 times before, it is truly a beautiful location for some great shots.

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Temple of Hercules Victor

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The Temple of Hercules Victor in Forum Boarium was originally thought to have been a temple of Vesta. Although the temple is in the middle of Rome, the marble used to build the temple was from Athens!

The temple is located in the oldest forum in Rome, as was built around 2BC. Driving past the temple is a little strange, because on the one side you have a wonderful garden, and on the other a large and busy freeway. But then I suppose that can be said about many of the sites and places in Rome, whereby you can drive past an archaeological dig right next to an office building.

In case you are wandering, Hercules was the protector of the olive trade.

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Published November 15, 2010

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum was the commercial hub of the ancient Roman world. This was where you would go to do anything from buying a few pigs, to visiting the Senate House to file a legal document. This is where the center of Roman Law was debated, and where citizens could petition Caesar.

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The Forum was also the home of many temples paying homage to the various gods, and where the famous Vestal Virgins kept their eternal flame burning (of course they were beaten if they let it go out!).

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It is also where Julius Caesar was killed, the spot is marked by a small grave, and to this day is covered with notes and flowers.

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Trevi Fountain, Rome

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The famous Trevi Fountain in Rome. Although the fountain is really beautiful, this is the part of Rome that made me feel most uncomfortable. There were hordes of people in a rather confined area, and far to many shady vendors walking around. It just felt like a ripe place for some pick-pocketing.

Having said all that, we didn’t have any problems. The fountain is very beautiful, made up of water gushing over wonderfully carved marble statues and figures, creating both a soothing and cooling effect.

The popular story has it that if you throw a coin into the fountain, your return to Rome is assured. Although I did not throw a coin into the fountain, I certainly plan to be go back to Rome.

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St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

Vatican City (like the rest of Italy) is incredibly accessible and aware. It is also free to disabled people. Lois and I bought tickets online several weeks before our visit, which is the best way to avoid the entrance queues. Anyway when we arrived, they promptly sent us to the front of the queue’s, refunded our tickets, and gave us complimentary tickets. You can easily spend several days in the museum’s alone; there is simply so much too see, from Egyptian mummies, to frescos, artwork and astonishing statues. The highlights of the museum’s themselves being of course the Sistine Chapel. Alas, I do not have any photos of the Chapel because they asked us to refrain from taking pics inside, which I respected.

I was however allowed to take pictures inside St Peter’s Basicalica, so here are a few highlights.

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The outside of one of the most beautiful dome’s in the world.

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The dome from the inside of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, designed by Michelangelo. Although he died before it was complete.

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Detail of the artwork and architecture. The writing is over 7 feet tall.

More detail

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Finally, Michelangelo’s Pieta. The Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus.

HDR Travel

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Published November 6, 2010

Newlands Cricket Stadium

I was presenting at a training session at one of the meeting rooms in Newlands Cricket Stadium today, and I just happened to have my camera with me :-)

Here are two photos.

Click on the photo to get some of the detail (but it is really big)

The first is a stitched perspective of the stadium, and the second of the main stand.

Cape Town Travel

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Published November 1, 2010

A day in Pompeii

Firstly a warning: the train station in Napoli has three planform three’s. Yes that is correct; different platforms serving different lines, but with the same number. We figured this out the hard way.

Having said that, the trip from Napels to Pompeii is about 45 minutes, and only costs about 5 Euros return.

Ok, now to Pompeii. It is a wonderful place to visit. The street are almost 2000 years old, and the preservation in some of the buildings is staggering condidering the age, the volcanic eruption they faced, as well as the prior earthquake. It is sobering to walk the streets that Roman citizens walked just after Julius Caesar was emperor of Rome.

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Temple

While the ruins are very well maintained, you need to consider the age of the roads and pavements, so you are going to both walk and get very tired legs. In some aspects it is more like walking up a mountain than walking through a town.the pavements are very uneven, but the walking is well worth it.

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Arch

The preservation is staggering. The Romans made buildings to last 2000 years, whereas in some places in South Africa we can barely manage to make houses last for more than a few months (but I digress).

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Water arch

This arch is interesting in that it held water in the top of the arch. This was used to increase the water pressure in the city; much like the tall water towers we use today in cities.

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Take out

This was a take out restaurant; the marble slabs would have been the food preparation and serving counters.

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A typical road in Pompeii

A day is more than enough to plan for a trip from Naples to Pompeii (even from Rome if you plan for a long day). We spent about 5 hours there. While we could have been there for longer, we felt that we had seen plenty. Don’t be deceived by the walking distances in the city; remember that it was a city for 2000 citizens, and probably even more if you included the slaves. It is a big place!

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The Great Theatre, Pompeii

This theatre is the mid-sized theatre in Pompeii, holding about 5000 people. The small theatre can only hold a few hundred, while the amphitheatre could hold the entire city of 20000 people.

A (reasonably) modern church poking out behind the ruins of Pompeii

I have crossed Pompeii off my list, but yes I would love to go back in a year or so.

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Published October 30, 2010

Royal Pavilion, Brighton

The Royal Pavilion in Brighton is the strangest place. By appearances, it looks like an exotic middle-eastern palace. The architecture is stunningly intricate, consisting of vertical columns, and ornate spires, making you feel like you are standing in the middle of Indoa. However you are in fact standing in the middle of Brighton, UK.

The pavilion was built for King George IV (regent at the time) between 1784 and 1811. Being far from London (at least before the train service), it was used by him for his dirty weekends with his “long-time companion”, Mrs Fitzherbert.

If you are in Brighton, visit the Pavilion, or at least sit for a few minutes in the wonderful gardens around the back and enjoy the architecture.

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Published October 30, 2010

Restaurants in the lanes, Brighton

The lanes in Brighton are a wonderful set of pedestrian roads and alleys filled with little restaurants and shops. It is a complete maze, and very easy to get completely disorientated and lost in them.

However getting lost is part of the experience, you will simply another interesting little shop.

The shops used to be the fishermen’s cottages, and they still retain a lot of their character.

There is also daily ghost walk, where you learn about the murders, lovers, ghosts and haunting in and around the lanes. It is a little cheesy, but for 5 pounds it is a fun 90 minutes.

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Published October 27, 2010

Beach houses in Brighton

These beach houses remind me very much of the Muizenberg beach houses. Well that should not really be a surprise since the Muizenberg beach houses are based on the ones in Brighton.

However while Muizenberg has about 5 houses, in Brighton there are rows are rows of them, literally hundreds of them in a long ling all the way from the Pier through Hove into the next village.

If you plan on buying a hut you had best start saving; they start at 11,000 pounds!.

By the way, the rules dictate the colours that the houses are painted, but you are free to paint the door whatever colour suits you.

One of the many daily commuters in Brighton cycling past the famous beach huts.

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