Train Breaks Down

Train Breaks Down
Most beautiful picture from taxi as we wind down the road. Taxi finally picked us up on the side of the road after 1-11/2 hrs waiting for train waiting to move again. Never happened.

The Brothel

The Brothel
One did not say a word when entering the brothel; they just pointed to a picture. The beds were made of cement. Most uncomfortable looking things that I've seen.

Plaster Cast

Plaster Cast
Archeologists made plaster casts from the space left by the deteriorated body of volcano victim

IL Porcelino

IL Porcelino
Looking wind blown, I need to visit this little guy so that I can return to Florence someday.

Florence Dinner Out

Florence Dinner Out
Danilo and Prof. Mustafaga at our end; we held our own eating and drinking the wine.

Florence Night Out

Florence Night Out
Nicole, Prof. Mustafaga, Danilo, Clint and Ben are at this end of the table. We ate our share; the other end could not compete and they were one stomach up on us.

Florence Night Out

Florence Night Out
Ben and Clint the eaters of the group

Florence Night Out

Florence Night Out
John, Eric & Dana

Florence

Florence
View from roof-top cafe'

View from the Spanish Steps

View from the Spanish Steps

Door Contest

Door Contest
My door (301) won 1st prize - 10e phonecard. Incorporated pictures from home and grapes, figs and olives ( the products of Italy)

Danilo prepared for Florence

Danilo prepared for Florence
The height of Italian male fashion

At the Colosseum: I said no; but we got sucked in anyway for 5e

At the Colosseum: I said no; but we got sucked in anyway for 5e
Pamella's gladiator fright

Florence

Florence
Santa Maria del Fiore - We attended Mass in this church. Haven't figured out how to rotate on this program yet.

Day 1 in Rome

Day 1 in Rome
The Colosseum

Wk #2 Class: 225

Wk #2 Class: 225
Uh- how many? No, no, I"ll take the picture; you guys go on. 120, 121, 122. . . 125!

Wk #2 Class: 225

Wk #2 Class: 225
On the balcony of the museum

Wk #2 Class 225

Wk #2 Class 225
The She-wolf Myth: It is believed that a she-wolf found the two babies abandoned in a cave; she went on to nourish them to survival. They grew up known as Romulus and Remus. It is said that Romulus founded Roma and Remus either died or he founded Sienna (the myth is not clear about Remus).

Wk #2 Class: 225

Wk #2 Class: 225
Venus or Cleopatra? Recently, archeologists concluded that this is Cleopatra and not Venus. She is made of white marble, and the face is more in the form of Cleopatra. She is believed to date back to 1 bc. Archeologists found two clues to the identity of the sculpture. 1) the serpent on the vase indicates that she is of royalty (difficult to see in this picture; and 2) the crease from under the bust down to the belly button indicates that she recently gave birth. I believe that the sculpture of the piece is unknown. The iconography of the piece is that she became Marc Antony's wife. Even after financing his crusade, Cleopatra represents the downfall of Marc Antony. The argument presented against Antony is that he was a rogue for leaving his wife to be with Cleopatra in Alexandria; according to Wikipedia, it is said that he "went native." When summoned to Rome by the Emperor, he ignored the summons.

Roma City Scape

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Week 5 Class 325

What is the meaning of leisure and how does Italian leisure differ from American leisure?

For most Americans, leisure means recuperating and gearing up for the next day or week. Too often, even while enjoying their leisure time, American employees are working at home to finish work that they didn't complete while at work. Big business is demanding more and more from their employees. They keep them attached through cell phones day in and day out; you damn well better not stand around and chit chat; they demand that one employee do the work of three or four employees; and they are allowing more work to be taken home for completion. So, ends family life.


When I walk around Italy, I am amazed at the relaxed atmosphere in the workplace. In the TIM store they were having a caffe'; In Albano, employees walk outside to chat with people walking down the street and smoke. Watching the people in Albano, I've come to believe that taking the family for a walk or going to the piazza after coming home from work is a form of leisure for Italians. I saw several "grandmothers and daughters taking a stroll" (Smiles) arm in arm and it brought back the old days when we saw this more often in the US. In Gandolfo piazza last night, two grown men were twirling the jump rope while a girl and her two brothers jumped the rope.
The other night while getting ready for dinner, I heard a dad jump out and startle his kids and their friends and they yelled: "Papa!" and laughed. It really is refreshing.

Overall, I think that Europeans travel internationally far more than Americans as a form of self improvement; however, Americans like to travel their own country to see its wonders.

For me, it is about taking the animals outside to play and blow off the stink or working in the flower garden, so that during the summer, I can sit and enjoy the beauty of the flowers, trees and birds sharing food. Bird at feeders are actually polite. They take a seed and fly away so that the next bird can have a seed.

Our itinerary included the Borghese gardens this week. They are beautiful and well manicured. While there, I found Via del Girgio Washington which surprised me. Then, I walked over to the Museum of Modern Art and it was closed :-( After that, I went for lunch and found a park bench to sit on and read. It was an extremely relaxing day.
Posted by at
Labels:

1 comment:

  1. professor MMarch 29, 2010 at 10:04 AM

    Pam, nice work on the blog. I agree that other Europeans travel often. I'm not sure the same can be said of the Italians.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)