Italy Blog Post 4

We were planning on taking to ferry to Ischita, but we missed it.  After some debate, we decided to wait until tomorrow to get a full day in on the island.  So we just started walking through the town.  We stumbled upon a tourist info centre and the lady directed us to an Colosseum built in 100 A.D., the site of numerous Roman events including battles between gladiators and animals.  It is Easter weekend and the site was not being visited by many people.  At one point, we were in the bottom of the Colosseum and there was a silence that was haunting.  We ended up playing a game of hide and seek.  The kids just loved it.  What a great experience!

We got up early today and took the train to Pouzzili and then took the boat to Ischita. We went to a super nice resort called Nogombo. It is set in the hillsides surrounded by trees and plants. There are geothermal tubs all over the place with different themes and water temperatures.  They also had a Turkish bath. Hot water heated by the earth pours out of the wall in two locations and brings the room temp up to 55 degrees. We sat in bean bag chairs on a deck overlooking the resort and the ocean. It was a great day of rest and relaxation. 

Of course, any day in Italy is not complete without Gelatto. So on our way home, that is exactly what we got. And of course, any day in Italy is not complete without some pizza and wine. So that is exactly why we did. Love this place!

Money can't buy me happiness...

Wealth vs. happiness: True cost of change in Qatar up for debate

By: VICTORIA SCOTT | 9 HOURS AGO | 20 COMMENTS

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Mike L / Flickr

Has Qatar’s vast wealth brought Qataris happiness? That’s the question posed by journalist Matthew Teller, in a recent BBC feature that argues the country’s rapid growth has actually left its native residents frustrated, overwhelmed and afraid.

In the article – a transcription of an audio piece for BBC Radio 4′s From Our Own Correspondent – Teller asks a number of Qataris to share their feelings about their country’s immense growth, and its effect on their lives.

“We have become urban,” Dr. Kaltham Al Ghanim, a sociology professor at Qatar University, told Teller. “Our social and economic life has changed – families have become separated, consumption culture has taken over.”

Meanwhile, a Qatari woman in her 60s tells Teller of the “beautiful simplicity” of her youth, before the country’s oil brought it untold prosperity:

“We were self-resourceful once. It’s painful to lose that family intimacy,” she said.

On Twitter, some expats this morning appeared to agree:

But not everyone found the article to be thought-provoking, or accurate.

In a post on his blog this morning, David Roberts, a lecturer at King’s College London and author of the soon-to-be released book, Qatar: Securing the Global Ambitions of a City-state, accuses Teller of writing yet another “drive-by Qatar article.”

He writes:

“Indeed, what a nightmare it must be for graduating Qataris to ‘be faced with 20 job offers.’ Really, with this sentence, the article jumps the shark in a naked attempt to magic up controversy where plainly none exists.

As for a sexagenarian Qatari woman complaining that life used to be ‘beautifully simply,’ I don’t know where to start. Suffice to say that I imagine that today’s air-conditioning, education for her children, exponentially wider opportunities for all, trips to London for holidays, and trips to Frankfurt for medical treatment might begin to help her reconcile her awful modern existence.”

Still, Teller points to the country’s high divorce rate, growing obesity epidemic, dissatisfaction with employment opportunities for graduates, the country’s class system, and a loss of key cultural and family values as evidence that many Qataris are not wholly comfortable with the rate of change.

He ends his piece with the thoughts of an American anthropologist currently living in Qatar:

“Have some sympathy for Qataris.  They’ve lost almost everything that matters.”

Italy Blog Post 3

Our trip got off to a rough start.  Some random guy took our luggage and loaded it on the train for us.  When I went to tip him five Euros, he demanded ten.  I told him that five was all he was getting from me and we had a pretty solid standoff on the train.  I could tell that this wasn't going well and I just wanted him to leave so I gave him the change in my pocket and told him to get lost.  Geez!  Who thought that tipping someone could be such an ordeal.

The train ride from Rome to Aversa was nice. Right through the countryside past old relics from centuries past. 

We have arrived in Lucrino, just outside of Naples.  We are staying at our friends house for the next few nights.  On our way, our friends Dad who picked us up from the train station took us for a quick tour of the area in order for us to get a lay of the land.  He showed us the inside of an old volcano and the ancient Roman thermal baths where the water gets heated from the mantle of the Earth.  We are in an area where active volcanoes once dominated.  One of the volcanoes appeared out of no where in just one week.  Since the land is so tectonically active, the old Roman town that was once on top of a cliff is now under water and it is a major scuba-diving attraction.  

Once at the house, we settled in, got groceries...and a few bottles of wine! 

The next day we headed into Naples. What a crazy place?  Old narrow streets loaded with cars and people. We went to the Museum and the Vale of Christ.  Look it up on the internet. It is an incredible, almost unbelievable sculpture.  One of Naples' claim to fame is the hand made nativity characters.  If you want a Lady Gaga figure next Christmas, here is the place to get it.  We also visited the Pompeii museum in Naples.  Here you will find a large selection of paintings from Pompeii, and a whole bunch of sculptures including a 20 foot sculpture of Hercules!

We made a brief top in Pozzuoli, a beautiful town right by the ocean. We walked a zillion steps yesterday and we were due for a gelato. 

Ahreevaderchee!

Italy Blog Post 2

Yesterday was our last full day in Rome. We had another great day of weather. Sunshine and mid 20s. A nice change from the blazing temps of Qatar.


We decided to go to the Vatican and climb up to the top of the dome. Even with the lift there is still 320 winding steps to climb. At one point because of the angle of the walls, it feels as though you are climbing up sideways. We got to the top and took in the view for just a few minutes before heading back down. The crowds are a challenge, but everything seems to keep moving. I find it hard to believe that they let people climb up to the top because there is only one way in and one way out.  It breaks every fire code that exists.


After that, we went inside the church. Impressive. It is hard to believe that the structure was built long before modern technology. Cranes for example! Amazing. 

We ended up going back to the Colleseum area end walked around some if the surrounding ruins. Lots and lots of history and people.  It is unfortunate but there are annoying salesmen from India pushing cheesy slime toys.  We were sitting there taking in the sights and at one point we had three guys trying to tell us something.  Linds was already done with them.  I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but when I begin to get short with people it is time for them to leave.  I let them know that they were not welcome and they left. 

 By our apartment there is a community known as Trestevere.  We have fallen in love with it!  We had dinner at a wonderful Ma and Pa restaurant. It reminded me a lot of my Grandpa Piva's place. Nic-nacs everywhere. We stuffed ourselves, grabbed a gelato and headed home to rest. 

Off the Naples today!