I remember as a kid reading about the Code of Hammurabi from 1800 B.C. – one of the oldest examples of writing ever deciphered – and was fascinated by it. The thing that intrigued me most was that it was a codified set of laws that imposed obligations not just on the ruled, but also on…
The very word Graffiti comes from the Italian word for ‘scratchings’, and there have been examples of graffito in Rome since the city’s earliest days. Which makes the discovery of Space Invaders graffiti on the Viale Vaticano somehow both heart-warming and hilarious. ‘Tags’ are everywhere in modern Rome – in fact, the Metro trains…
Anyone who has travelled has had the experience – you go to a tourist attraction and find that it has, in fact, attracted tourists. So many tourists that you are lucky to get a glimpse of the attraction itself. And that’s when your fellow tourists become the most interesting thing. We had this experience…
I guess it’s somehow appropriate. The Vatican is not, strictly speaking, part of Rome (it is a separate city-state, an enclave inside Rome – and not part of the greater Italy that surrounds it). And so we shouldn’t be surprised that the ‘Armed Forces’ of the Vatican aren’t Italian. And aren’t in fact ‘Armed…
Here’s a question – what’s the difference between eating outdoors and spending time in prison? Nothing – they are both ‘Al Fresco’. Sort of. Al Fresco is the Italian phrase meaning “in the cool air” .. and for much of the world, the phrase has come to mean “Eating outdoors – particularly on the pavement…
Good morning, all, and welcome to 2017! This week’s series of pictures are from Rome, the Eternal City. We start with one that is not quite what I was expecting – the Circus Maximus. When I hear the name, I’m reminded of chariot races like that in Ben Hur, with tiers of seating for 150-thousand people, and spectacles…
This week’s series of pictures have been those that remind me of some favourite quotes – .. and we’ll end the week with one about today – Christmas. “Mankind was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The deals of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive…
“The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want.” Today’s quote, of course, is biblical – it’s Jesus speaking, from the book of Mark. The same line also comes up in Matthew, and in John – but in those versions, we don’t get the “and you can…
Song dynasty writer Liu Yi once wrote “Reading ten thousand books is not as useful as travelling ten thousand miles.” Now, I’m not sure that’s true – because I’ve seen a number of travellers who would have been better off to stay at home, given how little they have learned in their journeys. I am…
“… and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.” I can’t say that seeing Multnomah Falls in Oregon transformed me into Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit – but I have to say, my immediate impression was…
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