The smallest country in the world

When we walk past the border checkpoints of Vatican city we noticed that we are close to the smallest country in the world. Actually, it is encircled by 2-mile border with Italy. 

One week ago I went to Rome for job, and on the way back, in the early evening, I took two pictures of Vatican Square. Tourists weren't there, as the Italian government hasn't eased Covid restrictions yet.

Yesterday the Japanese restaurant, Kokusai, here in my town, delivered the food that we had at dinner. It was really delicious! We look forward to getting Japanese food once again next month.

The cups of Italian cappuccino here below weren't served in Vatican City and its surroundings. I already mentioned the nice waitress who like writing "Good Morning" ("Buon giorno" in Italian language) on top of milk surface. 

As it is known, cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that originated in Austria with later development taking place in Italy. The cake in the picture below also is of North Europe origin.

Have a nice weekend! 

Underground Naples

A dear blogger friend from Oregon (US), Nicole, always enjoys reading posts about Naples (South Italy). That's why I show a few pictures which I took one month ago while I was spending my holiday in Naples (the 1st week of the new year). 

The 1st picture here below shows the Naples underground entrance. The underground city spreads below the entire old town, as the subsoil of Naples is crossed by a large network of  tunnels, tanks and old watercourses. The guides took us on a journey through 2400 years of history, marked by works of Greek and Roman periods, up to the modern age.

In the 4th century BC the Greeks gave life to the underground cisterns to cope with the water supply and to find the stones they needed for buildings.

During the WWII the underground cavities became shelters against aerial bombing.

The mysterious labyrinth of cavities is located below Naples historical alleys. 

 

The last picture below shows a path of the big urban green space, located in the middle of Naples, where I sometimes enjoy running and walking.    

Have a nice weekend and stay well!

Still in Naples, the Fontanelle cemetery caves

In 1656, after a plague had reduced Naples population from 400,000 to 150,000, a former quarry became a burial site. Another great accumulation of the indigent dead seems to have been in the wake of the cholera epidemic in 1837. According to the tradition of religion, the huge chamber, dug deep into soft stone, wasn't a consecrated soil.

In this unique site in the world, which is rich of history and legends, local women have been cleaning some skulls with the aim of assisting their souls in reaching heaven, in exchange for protection. Devotion to the skulls still exists today, as members of the local community think skulls may be able to deliver wishes.

Visiting underground Naples' cemetery caves is not a macabre experience or dark tourism. The Fontanelle cemetery (that's its name) is both an historical site to visit and a place for meditation.   

If you go to Italy, don't forget to visit Naples 💀👀💖

New year's eve in Naples

I hope Naples will not be crowded on New Year's eve, as I will be here (in Naples) until the 5th of January. The train from Rome to Naples was too crowded yesterday,  as many young people didn't respect social distancing rules 😷🤨

I had breakfast at the Gambrinus, which is heir to the ancient Neapolitan tradition. It is at least since 1800s that in Naples coffee is more than just a drink. Since Gambrinus was born it has been the meeting place of intellectuals, politicians, and businessmen.

Happy New Year to you 🥂

Snow in Northern Italy

After the II world war Piaggio SpA, an Italian motor vehicle manufacturer, made the first model of a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle. Since its 1948 introduction it has been offered in a series of body configurations. With more than 70  years of history and success, Piaggio is a brand recognised in numerous areas of the world. It is the absolute market leader in India in this specific product field.

This morning a friend of mine, who live in the Alps mountains (the Northest part of Italy), has just sent me a photo of his house covered with snow. Actually, it is not the view of Italy that first comes to mind. 

Have a nice weekend!

Renault 4

In my previous post I mentioned Citroën 2cv after I had seen an old one while I was walking. This morning I saw another old one: it is Renault 4, which had been produced from 1961 to 1992 by the French car maker Renault. I was happy to see that old car, as it was the car I used to drive when I was 20 years old. 

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Renault 4, that's its name, the French manufacturer has created the "Suite N. 4" that has maintained the same dimensions and external lines of  the original model. 

While I was walking I also took pictures of two of the oldest stone fountains. These two small town's landmarks, which were both built in the late 16th century, provided water supply for horses and donkeys.  

At the local market I saw an easy way to enjoy fresh tomatoes in late Autumn 🍅

Have a nice Sunday :-)

Rome in late Autumn

This week, on a rainy thursday in late Autumn, I went to Rome for job once again. I hate wet socks, that's why I put in a change of socks while I was there. It seems people who live there are able to ride those manual scooters also on rainy days 🛴 ... but abandoned manual scooters along Rome's sidewalks were so dangerous.

I soon noticed that Christmas decoration were already there along many streets and squares. 

On the way back, while I was walking along an historical alley of the town, I saw a Citroën 2cv on the cobblestones. It's an old car manufactured in France from 1948 to 1990. In the late 1970s the Citroën 2cv was a very popular car. It has always been so colorful, al least two colours.

I also took the next two pictures in Rome:  refurbishment of a historical building (Ministry of Finance) and an urban green space, which provides psychological relaxion and supports physical activity.

The last picture above shows that on the 42nd parallel lemons are already on branches. Lemon is an excellent source of vitamin C.

Good morning

This morning I had cappuccino at the coffee bar near my house. After the waitress had prepared the cappuccino, she wrote "good morning" ("buon giorno" in Italian language) on top of it.  There was a small Italian flag painted on the cup handle.  I thought people who love their job are always kind. One week ago she made another decoretion while she was making cappuccino and coffee cups.

The picture below shows a mural that I saw while I was walking along an alley in the older part of the town. It's easy to see it was painted recently, as the woman in the mural wears a masks :-)

With regards to the mask just above mentioned (and social distancing rules), I am sorry to hear that while many people inoculated with both doses are reporting symptoms of Covid-19, scientists in South Africa have just warned of a new strain of Covid-19 ... Just in time for 2022. EU and UK say they have restricted travels from the South African region to their countries. On the one hand, the effects on the economy of the new detected variant may be devastating, because of its multiple mutations. On the other hand, today "Moderna Inc." share price is rising by 22.45% ... 😦

God Bless the South African people. 

The old town of Tolfa

On 7th of May I already wrote (and published) a short post about Tolfa, which is a small town located in the hills not far from Rome. Yesterday I went there once again for job. This journey gave me the opportunity to enjoy the old side of Tolfa and its characteristic stone houses.

The first picture above shows the hills surrounding the small town of Tolfa completely covered with oak trees. That's why many houses have fireplaces and wood heating systems, which reduce emission from fossil fuels. 

While I was walking through Tolfa's old narrow alleys, I noticed that each house had its typical wooden door.

I really had a great time there, as I didn't hear any car noise. 

Have a nice weekend!

Mid Autumn

 Just a pictures taken this morning on a sunny Saturday in mid Autumn.

The name of the tourist facility showed above is "Riva di Traiano". It's a port located in Civitavecchia (70 Km North from Rome), which is home to many cultural and sporting events that attact sailors from over Italy. Inside the port are numerous shops, coffees, restaurants, sailing clubs and leisure facilities in addition to parking for both users and visitors.

On Tuesday, 9th of November, I went to Rome for job. After I had finished the task, I walked through the oldest part of the Italian capital. 

While I was walking through the narrow streets of the most lively area of Rome, I discovered typical restaurants, cafès, art galleries and specialized shop.

Have a nice weekend!