“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." Confucius

Thursday 19 July 2018

Velletri and Rome


Our home here at Velletri is enormous and somewhat formal.  Set in a 2 acre semi formal garden it has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms,  a conservatory, lounge room, TV room, sitting room, dining room, study/library and of course a kitchen.  There is an elderly  gardener who works 4hrs a day and security patrols at night. Permanent residents are only caged hens, caged cats and 2 dogs...we feel very uncomfortable about the cats and dogs....no caring human company for them.

There are 2 downsides..no internet and only 1 remote for the security gate and  with only 1 entrance to the property this  causes logistical issues for us when out training.

In the area are

1. lago Nemi which is a water filled old volcano where Emperor Caligula used to play with boats.  Clumsy early attempts to raise 2 of these boats from the bottom of the lago (and they were enormous)  plus a fire in 1944 in the warehouse that eventually housed them means that very little original things are still around..but there is a museum of replicas and things that survived despite everything.
2. Castel Gandolfo..location of the Pope's summer palace and the first ever post box.  This Pope doesn't use the Palace and so sadly there were no Swiss Guards but also no hordes of tourists and thankfully no difficulty finding a parking spot.
the first letter box in the world

Pope's summer residence


bicycles outside all the cafes and restaurants seemed to be the theme there

Also in some suburb or other (found while lost!)





and very close to where I stayed last time I was here..the genuine article..a Roman Road as tramped by the Roman legions..the Appian Way....from Rome to Brindisi





So..today we were at Rome..a city I've visited twice before but since Alex has never been a 3rd visit was a somewhat reluctant no brainer.  We went part way in a hop on hop off bus but realised it wasn't going where we wanted and where it went when I was here 7 years ago, so  we also did alot of walking.  Different also was the  large presence of armed soldiers at many of the popular old sites..didn't see them at the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps...actually I could barely see the fountain it was so crowded!  I thought I'd read somewhere that people were'n't now allowed to sit on the Spanish steps...they were..but not on the central part.



I think I need a rest from people doing selfies and actually people in general!!!  well tourists  at least.

We are, of course , NOT tourists!!!😑😊

No usual  Rome pix from me,
instead:

not quite sure what it is actually!

2 seater

4 wheeled 1 seater..no rego plate....!



So many motorised sand shoes in town!

and finally..a typical Rome tree scape

Apparently one of the Emperors...probably not Nero or Caligula..order the trees along the roads  to be pruned to create this design so as to provide shade for the soldiers.  for anyone interested the podcast  "The History of Rome" by Mike Duncan is brilliant.

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