Category: Italy
Five Facts You Never Knew About Pompeii, Italy
You wouldn’t expect a city that was buried in 20 feet of ash and pumice nearly 2000 years ago to be making headlines today, but Pompeii has proven that it still has a few surprises waiting to be unearthed.
Thanks to what must rank as the world’s oldest TripAdvisor review–“I had a great meal”—scrawled on the wall of an ancient Italian villa in October 79 AD, we now know that the volcanic explosion that destroyed Pompeii took place two months later than historians have always thought. The graffiti was recently unearthed during new excavations in the ill-fated city, where an estimated 16,000 people perished when Mt. Vesuvius blew its lid.
Previously, the cataclysmic eruption was dated to August 24, 79 AD, according to a letter written by a witness named Pliny the Younger (which would actually make a great name for a rapper). Experts are now chalking the discrepancy up to medieval monks (who were notoriously fond of their mead) who transcribed Lil’ Pliny’s letter. Apparently, they didn’t know their August from their October. Whoops!
Here are five more facts about Pompeii–touching on everything from phallic signposts to quirky personal hygiene–which your high school textbook never revealed…
Every year, 2.5 million tourists make the pilgrimage to Pompeii, to walk among the ruins and tread the same cobbled streets as this city’s ancient denizens. They come to touch the two-thousand year-old bricks and marvel at the wealth of recovered artifacts, including casts of many of the volcano’s victims, frozen in time as they drew their last breaths.
The man who made the city come to life for me is Salvatore Spano, a guide who has been leading tours of Pompeii for more than 40 years. He’s a walking Wikipedia, a master of historical minutia, but I’ve boiled down his wealth of knowledge to a wee list of “Top Five Entertaining Facts,” which you can whip out at your next cocktail party to amaze and delight your friends…or bore them into a hasty retreat if they overstay their welcome and threaten to empty your liquor cabinet.
I’ll let you be the judge. Read on. (more…)
Top Ten Tips for Tourists in Rome
Timeless tips to help you endear yourself to the locals, find the most authentic food, and avoid getting scammed in Italy’s Eternal City.
The Trevi Fountain. Credit kirkandmimi via Pixabay
Exploring the ancient ruins and bustling streets of Rome tops millions of travellers’ “must do” lists. But let’s face it. The Italian capital can be overwhelming. The unfamiliar language, seemingly endless rows of restaurants, and fear of pickpockets and taxi drivers who might take you for a ride in more ways than one may leave even the savviest visitors feeling trepidatious.
The Vatican. Credit Julius_Silver via Pixabay
Tour guide Kylie Savage once walked in your shoes. Following a passion for Michelangelo, the Australian ex-pat relocated to Rome several years ago. Today, she’s happy to share her hard-won expertise in avoiding potential pitfalls and making the most of Italy’s alluring capital.
Read on for Kylie’s top ten tips for tourists in Rome.
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Sweetheart Escapes at Europe’s Most Romantic Hotels
Sure, it’s all heart-shaped chocolate boxes and perky red roses on Valentine’s Day. But how do you resuscitate romance after those blood red blooms have wilted and the giddy high of champagne bursts like a bubble, leaving only a hangover behind?
Read on for four prescriptions for passion that will help you pump new life into a flaccid relationship long after Cupid has flown the coop with his Valentine’s Day Viagra.
Romantic sunset dinner for two on a private island? That should do the trick. Courtesy San Clemente Palace Kempinski Venice