Tagged With "Ancient Rome"
Comment
Re: Whitby - North Yorkshire Coastal Town
I haven't been to Whitby in years...thank yu for the memories!
Comment
Re: Whitby - North Yorkshire Coastal Town
Camping on the pig farm beyond the abbey in the sixties �� But loved it. A fine wee nugget of a port town that never seems to lose its charm - there's no room, unlike sprawling cousins of Scarboro, Brid and Filey
Comment
Re: Herculaneum, 79 A.D.
Thanks for the trip, PortMoresby, it looks like a fascinating place to visit. Those Romans certainly knew how to build a city..
Comment
Re: Herculaneum, 79 A.D.
Pompeii has never attracted me, for a number of reasons...but I think you have just sold me on Herculaneum. It sill have to wait a while, sadly, but it is on the list.
Comment
Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #11
My first response to the picture was that it's the "C"-word location in Rome near my "Frutta Fresca" Pic of the Day noted 10 days ago. That would be the most obvious, hence, likely not it. Maybe the one in Verona.
Comment
Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #11
Puzzle Master - Clarification needed - Port Moresby suggested 4 locations - Rome, Verona, Arles, and Nimes. Did the Puzzle Master receive a submission via email with a commitment to only one answer ? TravelandNature simply supplied information in response to a question. TandN does not participate in the puzzles; they are too hard. Artsnletters followed the Puzzle Masters instructions "you can e-mail your answer to suggestions@travelgumbo.com . On Friday night, the vault will be opened, and...
Reply
Re: Spring Honeymoon Help
Congratulations SueZee! We're delighted in your marriage, and you've picked a great country in which to honeymoon. May is not too early to go to Italy, although pack a light jacket just in case. The crowds won't be there yet and you'll save some money when compared to the peak summer season. Where to go is very much a matter of taste. Most definitely you need to go to Venice and I'd say spend at least 5 days here, maybe with a day trip or two (such as to the glass making island of Murano or...
Comment
Re: And the tallest US building goes to?
The judges have chosen the "fairest in the land". I would be happy to tour both buildings. The ingenuity of architects and engineers never ceases to impress me. Some buildings that I have particularly enjoyed touring - the World Trade Center and the Rockefeller Center in NY, the dome of St. Peter's in Rome, all of St. Paul's in London, the Reichstag in Berlin and all of the small historical buildings at Greenfield Village, Michigan.
Comment
Re: Capital of Culture Series: Liverpool
In a way, most of the places in the world worth visiting have some history of being "dirty, industrial" places--that's where people cluster and societies are forged. The ancient cities of the Middle East and Greece, and Rome itself were like that! We recently visited the excavated Roman city under central Barcelona, and were surprised to see how much of the area in the center of the ancient city was given over to commercial laundry, large-scale dye works and industrial-scale wine-making. The...
Comment
Re: Rome bars tourist buses from center
I sympathise with the authorities in Rome. On a recent visit to Berlin we found the constant stream of sight-seeing buses a real nuisance. Whether the ban might have unintended consequences, such as an increase in car traffic, is another question.
Comment
Re: Heads Up for Travelers: Iceland's Volcanoes May Disrupt Travel Again
There can be an up side to travel during an eruption. My plans proceeded during the 2010 eruption and the first result was a southern route to Rome and a spectacular view of the Pyrenees, flying parallel to them. I learned how big those mountains are, had had no idea. After arrival in Rome I immediately booked sleeper compartment tickets from Budapest to London (already had Rome-Budapest), to replace the flight I'd booked. As it transpired, the flight ban was over by the time I got on the...
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#45)
Well, it's Saturday night, and time for a review of progress so far, guys! Yes , a bank. Yes , a big time gap between the two sculptures. No , not in Rome, San Francisco, New York. Free Hint: It's not in North America.
Comment
Re: An Hour from Rome
Thanks for that. Been to Rome several times on business and for pleasure...now I should think about spending some time outside..! )
Comment
Re: An Hour from Rome
Two more Wednesday items on Rome fringes coming in the next weeks, that you might enjoy, too. And thanks.
Comment
Re: An Hour from Rome
Seems to me you're not the first to approach Rome by steps...I remember having to learn and recite a long poem about how "Lars Porcena of Clusium is on the march to Rome." Perhaps, these days, Horatius is a more gracious gatekeeper, though...
Comment
Re: Autobahn driving hazards: ducks and planes
It must be duck season in Europe! Moments after I posted the story above, I found an Italian weekend story, with video, of Rome police holding up traffic in the Italian capital. A passerby posted a video of the action, and now, perhaps, ducks will replace cats in internet popularity. Anyway, here's the story, with the video embedded near the bottom
Comment
Re: Jiuxian Ancient Village, Guangxi, China
Your images create the feeling of a ghost-town. Fascinating old place!
Comment
Re: Jiuxian Ancient Village, Guangxi, China
I have a habit of photographing places empty of people, even when there are people around. I wait. But in this case, there were very few, that I saw anyway, compared with the number of buildings. The reason may, in part, be that it's in an agricultural area so residents may have been off working somewhere. But I'm sure it is an underpopulated place and the disrepair of some buildings adds to the impression. I loved the place.
Comment
Re: Jiuxian Ancient Village, Guangxi, China
I tend to like photos with fewer people in it -- preferably none, although sometimes people add a sense of scale and color to an image. I can see why you loved the place. It has a real (as opposed to fake) charm to it. Thanks for sharing the photos!
Comment
Re: Jiuxian Ancient Village, Guangxi, China
This conversation reminds me of a day I was photographing a very popular garden in England and I was waiting for one woman to get out of the frame. What I hadn't noticed as I watched her was that a group was forming behind me, not impatient with me, but waiting with me. Finally, a woman said "come on, move along" to the woman taking her time, who was too far away to hear, and we all laughed. It was a very nice moment with a group of very nice people, as garden people tend to be. I did...
Comment
Re: Jiuxian Ancient Village, Guangxi, China
I hope I would have turned around and snapped a photo of that patient group of people waiting! A colorful collection of flowers, I suspect!
Comment
Re: Jiuxian Ancient Village, Guangxi, China
Colorful they may have been but my film was black & white.
Reply
Re: Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
I get booksellers' e-newsletters and paper catalogs and run across interesting travel-related items from time to time. Many are on remainder sites so "quantities are limited" but when a post is fresh here, you'll likely get it if you want it. Spotted today in the Daedalus Books catalog is one by Ian Buruma, Bad Elements: Chinese Rebels from Los Angeles to Beijing , " a dissident's eye-view of the world's most secretive superpower, observing, "Strange things happen when Chinese dynasties near...
Reply
Re: How do you buy your travel?
There's been no mention, that I noticed, of consolidators for multi-segment air travel. I've had great success over the years using Airtreks and now, after a number of bookings, have a "relationship" with an agent there. The only job of a consolidator is to find their clients the cheapest fares point to point and string them together to make a unique personalized trip. They use airlines with which they have contracts for the lowest fares so, short of a spectacular sale, will, as far as I can...
Member
BradJill
Member
mike03
Comment
Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other (Part 2). Dambulla
This is a remarkable place but the radiantly smiling kids make even the Golden Buddha look a little shabby. Great pics.
Reply
Re: Tips on Traveling with Parents
I traveled with my mom when she was around that age, and in much the same way - I was the tour guide and she was along for the ride. I did all the work - ALL of it - and she paid for both of us, so I considered it an excellent deal. She did have some ideas where to go - "I haven't seen Italy, Austria, or Switzerland." But we also went to Amsterdam, Bruges, and Paris (she had been to Paris before but wanted to get up close and personal with the Eiffel Tower). I got to pick where to take her...
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 09, 2014: Roadside produce stand, Southern Sri Lanka
"When in Rome do as the Romans do" Cicak. You don't find toast - you find bread ! Then you toast it on a Toasting fork by the fire ! Afghan bread has no firm crust and tastes similar to the Armenian lavash bread. It has a dense and rich taste.
Comment
Re: Where Gumbo Was #11: The Arena of Arles and the World of Rome
The remains of Rome are great to see, it cannot be denied, but it's those lovely little bridges that will be the target when I go to Arles. And I will, no doubt. The village within the walls reminds me of the "anfiteatro" in Lucca Italy. It was filled by houses until the 19th century when it was cleared, leaving the ring of buildings on the perimeter and creating the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. I had the good fortune of renting a large apartment in the perimeter ring of buildings, overlooking...
Comment
Re: A Week in Lucca
I love the looks of Lucca in your pictures...and I'm fascinated to hear the history of the amphitheatre. When I first saw in Arles that the Roman colosseum there had become a fortress and a village in the years after the fall of Rome, I thought it was interesting and singular. Since then, I've heard of more, and realized the logic of it. As "Roman order" broke down after the 5th century, moving into an existing defensible space must have occurred in many places; what is unique about Arles,...
Comment
Re: Park of Monsters, Bomarzo, Italy: Where Gumbo Was #47
I really enjoyed visiting the whole area around Viterbo. It is a really laid back place. Not like Rome, Florence or other high traffic places in Italy
Reply
Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
What an interesting group of islands. Thanks so much for this article. Wondering - Do people get around mostly by boat ? Is English widely spoken ?
Reply
Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
Hello F-car, people mainly use their cars to get around, which is a pity as the roads are not the best and there are far too many cars for the roads to cope with. There is an extensive bus network which I found more preferable to driving. Boats are used more for leisure but there are many fisherman who make their living from the sea. Although the Maltese have their own language, English is widely spoken and visitors get by without problems. Many locals also speak Italian (them being our...
Reply
Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
Thanks so much Island Man.What a great post! I'll definetly include a visit to Malta in my future travel plans.
Reply
Re: Tips on Getting FF Seats.
That's good advice in her column! I've often had success calling back when I didn't get the "right" answer the first time helps...and the night shift often has the most experienced agents. Other useful tips, aside from being the most pleasant if sadly disappointed customer they've had all day: Plan early, book early. If you really want to fly to Paris in late July on the cheapest FF tickets, your best bet is late August: the airlines generally open seats 330 days ahead, and if you can be...
Blog Post
More Frequent Flier changes in the air
The world of award travel and elite perks continues to shake and shift. Delta, which like United, has switched for next year to awarding flight miles based not on distance but on price paid for ticket—a move that hurts many frequent...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 29, 2014: Winter in Sorrento
Mid-December and moving north from Egypt and Malta, Sorrento was our base for a few days before heading for Rome and home. The weather was mild, as the potted flowers on the doorstep attest, mostly overcast with an occasional shower....
Blog Post
Be careful where you make your mark!
A Russian tourist was recently fined 20,000 Euro for defacing one of Italy's most beloved national symbols, the Colosseum, in Rome. It's said to be the fifth act of vandalism to that ancient structure this year. The Russian man...
Blog Post
Following the European Beer Trail: Oktoberfest to Sorrento
To answer your question. Yes, Italians drink beer. It’s not a well-known pastime of Italy, however it is becoming more common. But before we get to Italy let me tell you about my beer adventure that led me to central Italy. I started the...
Topic
Watch those search engines: the big ones are not always best!
I was just booking a one-way trip from Barcelona to Marseille for next summer hoping to use some points sitting on a bank-based (but not airline-affiliated) card. Imagine my shock when the ticket (which I knew should cost about $89) showed up as...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 21, 2014: Hadrian's Wall, England
1,450 miles from Rome was the limit of the mighty Roman Empire in 122 AD when the Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain and took the decision to build this massive stone wall in order to consolidate his rule and the geographical extent of his Empire....
Topic
Spring Honeymoon Help
My BF and I are getting married in May, and we're getting a group present from the family--15 days in Italy! We think we want to go in Northern Italy, but is late May too cold for there? Also, we don't want to spend the whole time running around...
Topic
Best Restaurants
I read a lot of food magazines (Saveur, Bon Appetit, etc.) and they are always on top of what's trendy in food and wine...but I'm a little along, and not so interested in the newest thing, because mostly it's a lot of fuss and soon gone. I'd like...
Blog Post
Left Bank of the Tiber
I’d looked online for an apartment for my week in Rome, until I was sick of the thought of going. At some point I came across a recommendation for a women’s hostel in Trastevere (Tras TAY veree), on what I came to think of as...
Blog Post
An Hour from Rome
I’d never been to Rome. I can’t tell you why, but for some reason I’d just never gotten around to it. I guess the best explanation would be to point out there are lots of places in the world. After a friend...
Blog Post
A Day Among the Ruins
I chose Ostia Antica for a day trip from Rome, rather than the much longer trek to Pompeii. Aside from a few school groups, I had this remarkable place almost to myself. I realized that there’s a different crowd on...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 10, 2015: Pantheon, Rome
The Pantheon is a memorable building, whatever the circumstances of finding oneself there, but this day was particularly notable. Right after I took these pictures I turned and came face-to-face with a Dutchman, a stranger until the day...
Blog Post
PortMoresby in Italy
January 4, 2014: Frutta Fresca, Roma February 19, 2014: Herculaneum, 79 A.D. April 2, 2014: Gallery: Day Trip to Barga April 9, 2014: ...