"Words --- so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become, in the hands of one who knows how to combine them!" ---Nathaniel Hawthorne
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Mykonos & Santorini: Nothing you could expect or imagine!
by Richard L. Weaver II
For most of the places we’ve visited on our Mediterranean cruise, I have had expectations of what we would see and fairly clear images of what to expect. Every expectation and image, however, has been proven false, and the Greek islands of Mykonos (meek-an-nos) and Santorini were no exceptions.
We sailed directly from Istanbul, Turkey, to arrive in Mykonos at noon. It is one of the most famous islands in the Aegean Sea and one of the top international tourist destinations attracting thousands of visitors every year, and it is very clear why that is. Long, white, sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, an active nightlife with people dancing and drinking until morning, and a large gay community (liberal attitudes) — to me — might be insufficient alone, to attract thousands, but when you add that to beautiful landscapes, picturesque white-painted villages, hundreds of little churches, and windmills, then it becomes an island that is hard to resist.
In Greek mythology, Mykonos was the location of the battle between Zeus and Gigantes, and the island was named in honor of Apollo’s grandson, Mykons. Many Greek and international celebrities have summer residences there.
We did not select a Mykonos excursion but chose, instead, to wander the narrow streets and alleyways. We expected to be onshore on our own for several hours, and we expected Mykonos to be a typical, historical, small, Greek village where we would find various crafts and local artisans. None of this was true. The town painted all of the pedestrian walkways with white outlines to make them look like flagstones — a major error in my mind — and the public restroom was both small and dirty. Just as there were no flagstones, there was little original artwork, the crafts were shipped in (probably from China), and there was little to hold our interest. We were in town for less than 1½ hours — having allowed 3 or 4 — and we returned to the ship by tender to rest and take a nap.
Leaving Mykonos at 8 p.m., we arrived in Santorini the next morning at 7. We were early, and because we scheduled an early excursion, we set our alarm for 5:30 so we could be in the Ocean Cafe (Deck 10) for an early breakfast. Santorini is quite a different story than Mykonos — thank heavens!
Santorini is a small, circular, archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea. It is the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands with an area of about 28 square miles and a population of about 14,000. It is today what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island.
When they say, “Santorini is one of the most spectacular islands in the Mediterrean,” the statement is true, but unless you have seen pictures, heard it described, or been there, there is no way to visualize it.
The eight mile by four mile central lagoon is a giant water-filled caldera — the largest in the world — and it is framed by two islands: Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni, and these are the youngest volcanic islands in Greece. It is into and across this caldera that cruise ships pass to reach the port area; however, it is the 984-foot-high, steep cliffs that surround the caldera on three sides that make the entrance spectacular. The port area is 1,300-feet deep and since cruise ships cannot anchor, they must keep their engines running to stay in place.
Our ship’s tenders took us to the port of Athinos — Santorini’s newest — and our excursion bus then drove us up a narrow, hair-pin laced, one-lane road, close to 1,000 feet to the top of the caldera. From the ship, looking up, you can see three villages perched on top of these enormous cliffs: Fira, the capital and most important of the villages, Pyrgos, southeasterly from Fira, and looking far to the north, Oia.
Our bus drove through Fira, out through the fields and rich, volcanic countryside, to Oia (pronounced E-ah) — the most famous of all villages on Santorini — which lies less than ten miles from Fira. Like a fishbone layout, the main pedestrian street connects its ends across the top of the cliff, with many local branches. Devastated by the 1956 earthquake, the town has not fully recovered; however, little evidence of this can be seen by tourists. Although there are numerous jewelry boutiques, handicraft stores, and souvenir shops, the town is most famous for its golden sunsets, and its narrow passageways get crowded during evenings.
Many of the homes in Oia, we were told by our guide, Kiki — a lifetime resident of Santorini — belonged to poor people in the early maritime days of the village. Today, many of these homes have been turned into hotels, and she said the tourist season lasts 8 months, and as many as 12 or 13 huge cruise ships may be found in the harbor at the same time. This can be an addition of as many 25,000 tourists at a single time! During our brief visit, there were four cruise ships. “Once the tourist season ends,” Kiki said, “the local people relax, and life returns to a very laid-back calm” for four months.
From Oia we drove to one of the many wineries on the island. The vines of Santorini are famous all over Greece. Our guide pointed out one of the vineyards, which nobody on the bus could identify. That is because grapes are cultivated in low, basket-shaped crowns, grown very close to the ground for protection from the strong winds and to help capture and hold the little moisture available. Because of the way grapes are grown and the size of the island, only limited quantities of wine are produced every year.
At the winery we sampled 3 different kinds of wine, had cheese, olives, and hard bread. The winery is located high on a cliff overlooking the caldera and offered unique souvenirs, a wonderful view, and clean restrooms.
From the winery we drove to Fira and followed an uneven stone pathway between jewelry shops, souvenir stores, and small restaurants to get to the Catholic Cathedral where the tramway up-and-down the 1,000-foot cliffs would return us to the port. It was a choice between walking down 588 steps (30 minutes), taking a donkey-ride down (20 minutes), or waiting 3 minutes for a cable car.
This was our final excursion on our Mediterranean cruise, and like the others, it was instructive, educational, entertaining, and very worthwhile. It would be impossible to have seen all that we did on this cruise and learn as much as we did as well, without our excursions or with having to negotiate our way around by ourselves. Our goal on this cruise was simply to see as much as possible given our time and financial constraints; as it turned out, each destination was, in addition, nothing we could have expected or imagined.
-----
At greeka.com, you’ll find a short description of the little island of Mykonos (plus an icon for a longer history) and 30 other icons for all the information you’ll need if this is one of your destinations. Also, there are plenty of pictures, too.
At mykonosgreece.com additional tourist information plus three or four outstanding photographs. It was on this website that it says: “For more than 40 years, gays and lesbians have found in Mykonos the ultimate holiday destination where, under the bright summer sun, in the crystal clear waters, in a cosmopolitan setting, during the adventurous night life, anywhere and everywhere, they can experience an absolute feeling of freedom . . . Hotels, boutiques, restaurants, taverns, bars and night clubs, welcome gay and lesbian clients.”
At santorinigreece.biz., there are panoramic pictures and about 30 icons to get tourist information.
The site called santorinigreece.com, looks like just another tourist site, but if you scroll down to the bottom, there are icons for geography and history, the volcano, and culture and tradition, as well as other tourist-related information. The photographs are great, and the information is just what you will want to know.
-----
Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
For most of the places we’ve visited on our Mediterranean cruise, I have had expectations of what we would see and fairly clear images of what to expect. Every expectation and image, however, has been proven false, and the Greek islands of Mykonos (meek-an-nos) and Santorini were no exceptions.
We sailed directly from Istanbul, Turkey, to arrive in Mykonos at noon. It is one of the most famous islands in the Aegean Sea and one of the top international tourist destinations attracting thousands of visitors every year, and it is very clear why that is. Long, white, sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, an active nightlife with people dancing and drinking until morning, and a large gay community (liberal attitudes) — to me — might be insufficient alone, to attract thousands, but when you add that to beautiful landscapes, picturesque white-painted villages, hundreds of little churches, and windmills, then it becomes an island that is hard to resist.
In Greek mythology, Mykonos was the location of the battle between Zeus and Gigantes, and the island was named in honor of Apollo’s grandson, Mykons. Many Greek and international celebrities have summer residences there.
We did not select a Mykonos excursion but chose, instead, to wander the narrow streets and alleyways. We expected to be onshore on our own for several hours, and we expected Mykonos to be a typical, historical, small, Greek village where we would find various crafts and local artisans. None of this was true. The town painted all of the pedestrian walkways with white outlines to make them look like flagstones — a major error in my mind — and the public restroom was both small and dirty. Just as there were no flagstones, there was little original artwork, the crafts were shipped in (probably from China), and there was little to hold our interest. We were in town for less than 1½ hours — having allowed 3 or 4 — and we returned to the ship by tender to rest and take a nap.
Leaving Mykonos at 8 p.m., we arrived in Santorini the next morning at 7. We were early, and because we scheduled an early excursion, we set our alarm for 5:30 so we could be in the Ocean Cafe (Deck 10) for an early breakfast. Santorini is quite a different story than Mykonos — thank heavens!
Santorini is a small, circular, archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea. It is the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands with an area of about 28 square miles and a population of about 14,000. It is today what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island.
When they say, “Santorini is one of the most spectacular islands in the Mediterrean,” the statement is true, but unless you have seen pictures, heard it described, or been there, there is no way to visualize it.
The eight mile by four mile central lagoon is a giant water-filled caldera — the largest in the world — and it is framed by two islands: Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni, and these are the youngest volcanic islands in Greece. It is into and across this caldera that cruise ships pass to reach the port area; however, it is the 984-foot-high, steep cliffs that surround the caldera on three sides that make the entrance spectacular. The port area is 1,300-feet deep and since cruise ships cannot anchor, they must keep their engines running to stay in place.
Our ship’s tenders took us to the port of Athinos — Santorini’s newest — and our excursion bus then drove us up a narrow, hair-pin laced, one-lane road, close to 1,000 feet to the top of the caldera. From the ship, looking up, you can see three villages perched on top of these enormous cliffs: Fira, the capital and most important of the villages, Pyrgos, southeasterly from Fira, and looking far to the north, Oia.
Our bus drove through Fira, out through the fields and rich, volcanic countryside, to Oia (pronounced E-ah) — the most famous of all villages on Santorini — which lies less than ten miles from Fira. Like a fishbone layout, the main pedestrian street connects its ends across the top of the cliff, with many local branches. Devastated by the 1956 earthquake, the town has not fully recovered; however, little evidence of this can be seen by tourists. Although there are numerous jewelry boutiques, handicraft stores, and souvenir shops, the town is most famous for its golden sunsets, and its narrow passageways get crowded during evenings.
Many of the homes in Oia, we were told by our guide, Kiki — a lifetime resident of Santorini — belonged to poor people in the early maritime days of the village. Today, many of these homes have been turned into hotels, and she said the tourist season lasts 8 months, and as many as 12 or 13 huge cruise ships may be found in the harbor at the same time. This can be an addition of as many 25,000 tourists at a single time! During our brief visit, there were four cruise ships. “Once the tourist season ends,” Kiki said, “the local people relax, and life returns to a very laid-back calm” for four months.
From Oia we drove to one of the many wineries on the island. The vines of Santorini are famous all over Greece. Our guide pointed out one of the vineyards, which nobody on the bus could identify. That is because grapes are cultivated in low, basket-shaped crowns, grown very close to the ground for protection from the strong winds and to help capture and hold the little moisture available. Because of the way grapes are grown and the size of the island, only limited quantities of wine are produced every year.
At the winery we sampled 3 different kinds of wine, had cheese, olives, and hard bread. The winery is located high on a cliff overlooking the caldera and offered unique souvenirs, a wonderful view, and clean restrooms.
From the winery we drove to Fira and followed an uneven stone pathway between jewelry shops, souvenir stores, and small restaurants to get to the Catholic Cathedral where the tramway up-and-down the 1,000-foot cliffs would return us to the port. It was a choice between walking down 588 steps (30 minutes), taking a donkey-ride down (20 minutes), or waiting 3 minutes for a cable car.
This was our final excursion on our Mediterranean cruise, and like the others, it was instructive, educational, entertaining, and very worthwhile. It would be impossible to have seen all that we did on this cruise and learn as much as we did as well, without our excursions or with having to negotiate our way around by ourselves. Our goal on this cruise was simply to see as much as possible given our time and financial constraints; as it turned out, each destination was, in addition, nothing we could have expected or imagined.
-----
At greeka.com, you’ll find a short description of the little island of Mykonos (plus an icon for a longer history) and 30 other icons for all the information you’ll need if this is one of your destinations. Also, there are plenty of pictures, too.
At mykonosgreece.com additional tourist information plus three or four outstanding photographs. It was on this website that it says: “For more than 40 years, gays and lesbians have found in Mykonos the ultimate holiday destination where, under the bright summer sun, in the crystal clear waters, in a cosmopolitan setting, during the adventurous night life, anywhere and everywhere, they can experience an absolute feeling of freedom . . . Hotels, boutiques, restaurants, taverns, bars and night clubs, welcome gay and lesbian clients.”
At santorinigreece.biz., there are panoramic pictures and about 30 icons to get tourist information.
The site called santorinigreece.com, looks like just another tourist site, but if you scroll down to the bottom, there are icons for geography and history, the volcano, and culture and tradition, as well as other tourist-related information. The photographs are great, and the information is just what you will want to know.
-----
Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
SMOERs: Words of Wisdom
Once you begin to acknowledge random acts of kindness — both the ones you have received and the ones you have given — you can no longer believe that what you do does not mannter. —Dawna Markova
Day #67 - Perform random acts of kindness.
Day #67 - Perform random acts of kindness.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
And Then Some News
There is some new news. We have had very positive responses to our blog feature, "Book Review Mondays." For that reason, we are expanding that feature to include reviews of two separate books each week instead of one. Beginning next Monday (August 3, 2009), you will see TWO different books reviewed. If you like this new addition to our blog, please let us know. Also, if you have a book you would like us to review, give us the name of the book and its author, and we'll try to get a review posted as quickly as possible. Be sure to visit our Bookworks website where you will find a wide variety of books all reviewed by our family of readers and writers. (Its one of the best ways to find gifts.)
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Thursday’s essay is the ninth in the ten-part series about our Mediterranean cruise. It is entitled, “Mykonos & Santorini: Nothing you could expect or imagine.”
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
6. “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn” (07-16-09)
7. “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I” (07-16-09)
8. “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay II” (07-23-09)
The series will cover one additionall cruise stop in Venice. The essays offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Also, if you’ve stayed with us through these 9 essays, next week on the “And Then Some News” we have a surprise. But, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I let the cat out of the bag early. Check out the And Then Some News for Tuesday, August 4, 2009, for a special surprise.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited the Mykonos or Santorini? Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Mykonos & Santorini: Nothing you could expect or imagine!
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
We sailed directly from Istanbul, Turkey, to arrive in Mykonos at noon. It is one of the most famous islands in the Aegean Sea and one of the top international tourist destinations attracting thousands of visitors every year, and it is very clear why that is. Long, white, sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, an active nightlife with people dancing and drinking until morning, and a large gay community (liberal attitudes) — to me — might be insufficient alone, to attract thousands, but when you add that to beautiful landscapes, picturesque white-painted villages, hundreds of little churches, and windmills, then it becomes an island that is hard to resist.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
-----
Thursday’s essay is the ninth in the ten-part series about our Mediterranean cruise. It is entitled, “Mykonos & Santorini: Nothing you could expect or imagine.”
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
6. “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn” (07-16-09)
7. “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I” (07-16-09)
8. “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay II” (07-23-09)
The series will cover one additionall cruise stop in Venice. The essays offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Also, if you’ve stayed with us through these 9 essays, next week on the “And Then Some News” we have a surprise. But, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I let the cat out of the bag early. Check out the And Then Some News for Tuesday, August 4, 2009, for a special surprise.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited the Mykonos or Santorini? Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Mykonos & Santorini: Nothing you could expect or imagine!
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
We sailed directly from Istanbul, Turkey, to arrive in Mykonos at noon. It is one of the most famous islands in the Aegean Sea and one of the top international tourist destinations attracting thousands of visitors every year, and it is very clear why that is. Long, white, sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, an active nightlife with people dancing and drinking until morning, and a large gay community (liberal attitudes) — to me — might be insufficient alone, to attract thousands, but when you add that to beautiful landscapes, picturesque white-painted villages, hundreds of little churches, and windmills, then it becomes an island that is hard to resist.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Weekend Words
"For, just when ideas fail, a word at the right time can work wonders for you / And save the situation. / With words you can build a system." ---Goethe
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return — Essay II
By Richard L. Weaver II
We concluded day one of our classical tour of Istanbul with a visit to the Grand Bazaar (Kapali arsi - or Covered Market) built in 1464. It is Turkey’s largest covered market with 250,000 to 400,000 visitors per day, and it is one of the biggest in the world with 64 streets and 22 gates taking up a full quarter or section of the city. The thousands of shops (close to 3,000) offer everything from glazed tiles and pottery, to copper and brassware, glassware, apparel made of leather, cotton, and wool, belly dancing costumes, alabaster bookends and ashtrays, sculptures, souvenirs, t-shirts, expensive jewelry and antiques, tea, coffee, and spices, and the biggest collection of Turkish carpets in the universe! Numerous restaurants and caf s are located throughout the market as well. In addition to providing a great shopping area for tourists, it is a vital source of goods for locals as well.
The main event of day two of our excursion was our visit to the Topkapi Palace located on the Seraglio Point a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara with the Bosporus in plain sight from many points of the Palace. The site is hilly, and it is one of the highest points close to the sea.
After the Ottoman conquest and the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II, looking for a site for his great palace, chose this one — the site of the acropolis (high city) of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium — and ordered a new palace be built beginning in 1459. Originally called the New Palace, the name was changed to Topkapi in the 19th century. The palace was completed in 1465. It lost its importance in the 17th century as Sultans chose to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosporus.
From our tour, several features of the Topkapi Palace stood out. The first and most obvious is the Imperial Gate, also known as the Gate of the Sultan which is the entrance into the first courtyard. It is a massive gate dating from 1478 but is now covered in 19th century marble and was clearly constructed for defensive purposes.
Most of our time was spent in the first courtyard because just off this beautifully landscaped garden area were the kitchens, the armory, the mint, and the treasury. The second feature of the Topkapi Palace that stood out was discovered in the treasury. Among the attractively displayed emeralds and rubies was the Topkapi Diamond — the fifth largest diamond in the world. It was truly dazzling.
The third outstanding feature of the Palace — one that we did not see — was the Harem. Whether symbolically or in actuality, we were told by both Professor Martin Binder our ship lecturer, and our tour guide, that the Harem led to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire for it symbolized the shift from military power, which had brought the Ottoman Empire to its strength and dominance, to an enjoyment of the sensual pleasures.
The Harem was home to the sultan himself, his mother, wives, daughters, sons, brothers, and the high ranking female officials who managed the affairs of the household, hundreds of maidservants, and black eunuchs. The service sections of the harem included kitchen, food cellar, baths, laundry, sick room and dormitories for the maidservants and black eunuchs. As the population of the harem increased from the end of the 16th century onwards, mezzanines and additional buildings were constructed containing bedrooms for the serving woman and self-contained apartments for the wives of the sultan. As an institution in Ottoman society, the harem reflected the secluded privacy of family life.
We could not visit the Harem of the Topkapi Palace because it required an additional fee, a separate tour guide, and additional time that we were not given by our excursion tour guide.
Our tour ended with lunch at the Topkapi Palace Restaurant where we had the best lunch we have had on any excursion on this Mediterranean cruise. After a dramatic entrance down a flight of stairs along a solid rock wall, you enter the restaurant overlooking the water. Our lunch began with appetizers that included a range of Turkish delights, followed by a fresh salad, then a light, fluffy pastry, followed by a generous meal of lamb and chicken, potatoes, and peas. This was followed by a rice-custard dessert that tasted a little like vanilla pudding, tapioca, or coconut cream — all guesses by those at our table. No matter what it was, it pleased the palate of everyone.
There was just time enough for a quick visit back to the museum just off the first courtyard, then we returned to the ship through the narrow, heavily populated streets of the city. On our way, our tour guide told us there were 17 McDonald’s restaurants within the city. I then asked him if the citizens of Istanbul had a choice between having whatever meal they desired at McDonald’s and having a traditional Turkish dinner with all the trimmings, which would they choose? His answer was quick: it depends on whom you ask. Older citizens would prefer the traditional meal, younger people would probably prefer McDonald’s. In our own ways, we are slowly westernizing the rest of the world.
Each of the electric trolley cars we passed in route to the ship was jammed with passengers, and after a 6½ hour tour this day, plus a five-hour tour yesterday, we not only saw more of Istanbul than we expected, but we had a wonderful time and learned so much. This was one of the best tour guides we have had, and it really makes a difference on these excursions.
Istanbul is such an incredible city. Although this was the “Classical Istanbul” tour, we barely touched the surface. What we saw was clean, busy, and interesting. The port is active and vibrant. Although there is a lot of traffic, and the streets are narrow, there is so much history and so many wonderful places that surround you as you travel. The contrasts between the modern and the ancient are everywhere, and they continue to fascinate.
There are so many “local” stories that need investigating, quaint cobblestone streets that require exploration, and mosques and museums that demand our attention.. We passed a whole series of small, local shops on the way back to ship — that I could only enjoy from the windows of the bus. Istanbul will forever remain a destination with more to offer, more to see, and more to enjoy. We just have to return some day.
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At Turkey, Istanbul, The Grand Bazaar, you get historical information about The Grand Bazaar as well as some photographs.
At VirtualTourist.com, the essay there on The Grand Bazaar begins with this quotation: “Probably the best way to describe the Grand Bazaar is to quote Mark Twain – "We went to the grand Bazaar in Stamboul, of course, and I shall not describe it further than to say it is a monstrous hive of little shops – thousands, I should say – all under one roof, and cut up into innumerable little blocks by narrow streets which are arched overhead." That was over a century ago, and very little has changed.
At TurkeyTravelPlanner.com, there is an areal view of the city with Europe and Asia clearly marked as well as the Bosphorus Bridge. In --addition, there are over 20 icons there to help you plan a trip to Istanbul.
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Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
We concluded day one of our classical tour of Istanbul with a visit to the Grand Bazaar (Kapali arsi - or Covered Market) built in 1464. It is Turkey’s largest covered market with 250,000 to 400,000 visitors per day, and it is one of the biggest in the world with 64 streets and 22 gates taking up a full quarter or section of the city. The thousands of shops (close to 3,000) offer everything from glazed tiles and pottery, to copper and brassware, glassware, apparel made of leather, cotton, and wool, belly dancing costumes, alabaster bookends and ashtrays, sculptures, souvenirs, t-shirts, expensive jewelry and antiques, tea, coffee, and spices, and the biggest collection of Turkish carpets in the universe! Numerous restaurants and caf s are located throughout the market as well. In addition to providing a great shopping area for tourists, it is a vital source of goods for locals as well.
The main event of day two of our excursion was our visit to the Topkapi Palace located on the Seraglio Point a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara with the Bosporus in plain sight from many points of the Palace. The site is hilly, and it is one of the highest points close to the sea.
After the Ottoman conquest and the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II, looking for a site for his great palace, chose this one — the site of the acropolis (high city) of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium — and ordered a new palace be built beginning in 1459. Originally called the New Palace, the name was changed to Topkapi in the 19th century. The palace was completed in 1465. It lost its importance in the 17th century as Sultans chose to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosporus.
From our tour, several features of the Topkapi Palace stood out. The first and most obvious is the Imperial Gate, also known as the Gate of the Sultan which is the entrance into the first courtyard. It is a massive gate dating from 1478 but is now covered in 19th century marble and was clearly constructed for defensive purposes.
Most of our time was spent in the first courtyard because just off this beautifully landscaped garden area were the kitchens, the armory, the mint, and the treasury. The second feature of the Topkapi Palace that stood out was discovered in the treasury. Among the attractively displayed emeralds and rubies was the Topkapi Diamond — the fifth largest diamond in the world. It was truly dazzling.
The third outstanding feature of the Palace — one that we did not see — was the Harem. Whether symbolically or in actuality, we were told by both Professor Martin Binder our ship lecturer, and our tour guide, that the Harem led to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire for it symbolized the shift from military power, which had brought the Ottoman Empire to its strength and dominance, to an enjoyment of the sensual pleasures.
The Harem was home to the sultan himself, his mother, wives, daughters, sons, brothers, and the high ranking female officials who managed the affairs of the household, hundreds of maidservants, and black eunuchs. The service sections of the harem included kitchen, food cellar, baths, laundry, sick room and dormitories for the maidservants and black eunuchs. As the population of the harem increased from the end of the 16th century onwards, mezzanines and additional buildings were constructed containing bedrooms for the serving woman and self-contained apartments for the wives of the sultan. As an institution in Ottoman society, the harem reflected the secluded privacy of family life.
We could not visit the Harem of the Topkapi Palace because it required an additional fee, a separate tour guide, and additional time that we were not given by our excursion tour guide.
Our tour ended with lunch at the Topkapi Palace Restaurant where we had the best lunch we have had on any excursion on this Mediterranean cruise. After a dramatic entrance down a flight of stairs along a solid rock wall, you enter the restaurant overlooking the water. Our lunch began with appetizers that included a range of Turkish delights, followed by a fresh salad, then a light, fluffy pastry, followed by a generous meal of lamb and chicken, potatoes, and peas. This was followed by a rice-custard dessert that tasted a little like vanilla pudding, tapioca, or coconut cream — all guesses by those at our table. No matter what it was, it pleased the palate of everyone.
There was just time enough for a quick visit back to the museum just off the first courtyard, then we returned to the ship through the narrow, heavily populated streets of the city. On our way, our tour guide told us there were 17 McDonald’s restaurants within the city. I then asked him if the citizens of Istanbul had a choice between having whatever meal they desired at McDonald’s and having a traditional Turkish dinner with all the trimmings, which would they choose? His answer was quick: it depends on whom you ask. Older citizens would prefer the traditional meal, younger people would probably prefer McDonald’s. In our own ways, we are slowly westernizing the rest of the world.
Each of the electric trolley cars we passed in route to the ship was jammed with passengers, and after a 6½ hour tour this day, plus a five-hour tour yesterday, we not only saw more of Istanbul than we expected, but we had a wonderful time and learned so much. This was one of the best tour guides we have had, and it really makes a difference on these excursions.
Istanbul is such an incredible city. Although this was the “Classical Istanbul” tour, we barely touched the surface. What we saw was clean, busy, and interesting. The port is active and vibrant. Although there is a lot of traffic, and the streets are narrow, there is so much history and so many wonderful places that surround you as you travel. The contrasts between the modern and the ancient are everywhere, and they continue to fascinate.
There are so many “local” stories that need investigating, quaint cobblestone streets that require exploration, and mosques and museums that demand our attention.. We passed a whole series of small, local shops on the way back to ship — that I could only enjoy from the windows of the bus. Istanbul will forever remain a destination with more to offer, more to see, and more to enjoy. We just have to return some day.
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At Turkey, Istanbul, The Grand Bazaar, you get historical information about The Grand Bazaar as well as some photographs.
At VirtualTourist.com, the essay there on The Grand Bazaar begins with this quotation: “Probably the best way to describe the Grand Bazaar is to quote Mark Twain – "We went to the grand Bazaar in Stamboul, of course, and I shall not describe it further than to say it is a monstrous hive of little shops – thousands, I should say – all under one roof, and cut up into innumerable little blocks by narrow streets which are arched overhead." That was over a century ago, and very little has changed.
At TurkeyTravelPlanner.com, there is an areal view of the city with Europe and Asia clearly marked as well as the Bosphorus Bridge. In --addition, there are over 20 icons there to help you plan a trip to Istanbul.
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Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
SMOERs: Words of Wisdom
It is a curious fact that of all the illusions that beset mankind none is quite so curious as that tendency to suppose that we are mentally and morally superior to those who differ from us in opinion. —Elbert Hubbard
Day #66 - Avoid egotism.
Day #66 - Avoid egotism.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
And Then Some News
Thursday’s essay is the eighth in a ten-part series about our Mediterranean cruise. It is entitled, “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay II.”
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
6. “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn” (07-16-09)
7. “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I” (07-16-09)
The series will cover additional cruise stops in Santorini and Mikanos (Greece), as well as Venice. The essays will offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited the Istanbul? Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay II
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
There was just time enough for a quick visit back to the museum just off the first courtyard, then we returned to the ship through the narrow, heavily populated streets of the city. On our way, our tour guide told us there were 17 McDonald’s restaurants within the city. I then asked him if the citizens of Istanbul had a choice between having whatever meal they desired at McDonald’s and having a traditional Turkish dinner with all the trimmings, which would they choose? His answer was quick: it depends on whom you ask. Older citizens would prefer the traditional meal, younger people would probably prefer McDonald’s. In our own ways, we are slowly westernizing the rest of the world.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
6. “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn” (07-16-09)
7. “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I” (07-16-09)
The series will cover additional cruise stops in Santorini and Mikanos (Greece), as well as Venice. The essays will offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited the Istanbul? Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay II
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
There was just time enough for a quick visit back to the museum just off the first courtyard, then we returned to the ship through the narrow, heavily populated streets of the city. On our way, our tour guide told us there were 17 McDonald’s restaurants within the city. I then asked him if the citizens of Istanbul had a choice between having whatever meal they desired at McDonald’s and having a traditional Turkish dinner with all the trimmings, which would they choose? His answer was quick: it depends on whom you ask. Older citizens would prefer the traditional meal, younger people would probably prefer McDonald’s. In our own ways, we are slowly westernizing the rest of the world.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Book Review Mondays
More information at Amazon.com No obligation to buy Click below: |
by Richard J. Flanigan and Kate Flanigan Sawyer
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD.
Flanigan and Flanigan Sawyer (Richard’s daughter) offer not only the health threats but strategies readers can use to lead happier, healthier, longer lives. From these doctors you get both scientific research and professional experience. There are 15 pages of notes, a complete index, and 17 pages of recipes. The thesis of the book is that we are genetically capable of living to about 85 years of age. It is, however, the choices we make in what we eat and how we take care of ourselves that add or subtract years, even decades, from that age. Their basic advice involves: 1) Lower cholesterol, 2) Lower Blood Pressure, 3) Avoid Tobacco, 4) Eat a diet rich in fish, fruit and vegetables, 5) Get exercise, 6) Maintain a healthy weight, 7) Prevent accidents, 8) Drink alcohol (daily in small amounts), 9) Take aspirin, and 10) Take a multivitamin. This book should become your bible for living a long, healthy life. It is a great guide, a wonderful reference book, and makes a terrific gift.
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Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookWorksRules.com website.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return — Essay I
by Richard L. Weaver II
We liked Istanbul better than Rome — better than any of the large cities previously visited on this cruise. There are some similarities between Rome and Istanbul. Both are large cities; both have enormous traffic problems; both have air pollution; both are thriving, active, vital cities. But there is truly something exotic about being where Europe meets Asia. Our Istanbul tour guide led us to Asia, and he gave all 42 people on our bus a chance to put our feet on the ground there.. Because there was a request to use restrooms, he led us to a McDonald’s on the Asian side — a side of Istanbul which is cleaner and more residential (but less interesting historically) than the European. Easy getting across the bridge into Asia, it took us 25 minutes in stop-and-go traffic to get back to the European side over the narrow Bosporos Strait — the body of water separating European Turkey from Asian Turkey.
Although scheduled for 10½ hours, the tour of Istanbul took place over 2 days and took a total of 11½ hours. In general, things took longer than anticipated because of bathroom stops, crowded tourist sites, and traffic congestion. Centuries ago when the narrow streets of these large cities were constructed, car transportation was never anticipated nor the huge, air conditioned tour buses.
To avoid road construction on the morning of our second day, our bus sought some interior roads on the Asian side. As we turned onto one small street a gentleman on the far end flagged the driver away, and our bus driver made an immediate right and headed slowly down a narrow street with cars parked on both sides. Soon after making this decision — the only one available at the time — he realized the street was too narrow for the bus. Our tour guide left the bus to survey the situation, and it was quickly determined there was no way the coach could make it, so, with the tour guide directing the traffic from behind the bus, the driver inched his way back so he could turn onto another street — a feat that gained the admiration, cheers, and applause of everyone on the bus. Another very difficult and sharp turn onto a narrow street gained further applause.
Our tour guide made it clear with an announcement to us all that we had just seen sights on the Asian side of Istanbul seldom, if ever, seen by tourists!
It was the “Istanbul Classical Tour,” and it began 1½ hours late because we were late getting into port. Why? “Heavy traffic through the Dardanelles” we were told. The Dardanelles is the narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Although 38 miles long, it ranges in width from only three-quarters of a mile to 4 miles. Like the Bosporos, it separates Europe and the mainland of Asia.
The skyline of the old European side of Istanbul forms the skyline silhouette on the port side as one enters the harbor. The minarets of all the mosques — including the famous Blue Mosque — offer an introduction that is both fascinating and enticing. I watched our entrance from the bow of the ship on deck 11.
On the first day of our classical tour, we visited the ancient side of Istanbul where we saw the remnants of the old Hippodrome (meaning horse path), the sporting and social center of Constantinople, capitol of the Byzantine Empire, and the largest city in Europe. Istanbul is its current name. Only a few remnants of the old Hippodrome survive, but for 1,000 years it was the center of Byzantine life and afterwards, for another 400 years, of Ottoman life.
The Hippodrome was the scene of countless political and military dramas, including rival chariot races. All that is left today is an impressive granite obelisk carved in Egypt around 1500 BC and brought to Constantinople in 390 AD. It requires a good guide with lively descriptions and a vivid imagination to realize what occurred on this spot. Venice now has the Triumphal Quadriga or Horses of Saint Mark that once adorned the Hippodrome. They date from classical antiquity, and in 1204 Doge Eurico Dandolo sent them to Venice as part of the loot sacked from Constantinople in the fourth crusade. They were installed on the terrace of the facade of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice in 1254.
In addition to the remnants of the Hippodrome, we saw the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. It’s one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the more than 20,000 hand-painted, blue Iznik tiles adorning the walls of the interior. All the decorative wall tiles in the land of the Ottomans were made in the city of Iznik (the ancient Nicaea). This mosque is recognized as “a triumph of harmony, proportion, and elegance,” and it is the only mosque in the world with 6 minarets.
The interior of this Blue Mosque is breathtaking not just because of the Iznik tiles. It is the mighty dome, the series of small domes that support it, as well as the 200 stained-glass windows that create a spectacular colored effect as you walk around the interior. It was built using the construction methods of the day — mounding the earth and sliding the pieces of the dome into place, then removing the earth bit-by-bit. Because it is still used as a house of worship, we took off our shoes to walk on the soft Turkish carpeting throughout — carpets donated by faithful people and regularly replaced when they become worn out.
Directly across from the Blue Mosque is the St. Sophia Museum (Hagia Sophia - or Divine Wisdom), a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a 1000 years. For almost 500 years it was the principal mosque in Istanbul and served as a model for many Ottoman mosques. It originated in 326 under Constantine the Great, and was rebuilt on a larger scale during the reign of Emperor Justinian whose intention it was that the new building should surpass in splendor all others in antiquity. Marble columns were brought in from temples in Asia minor, Greece, and Italy. 10,000 workers were employed in its construction, and it was, as recently as 1934 under the direction of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, converted into a museum. It is now the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul — famous for its immense dome, beautiful frescoes, and outstanding mosaics.
Our tour of Istanbul was so far-reaching and extensive that I have only one choice: to conclude this Istanbul tour in a second essay. Obviously, it isn’t just the city that demands a return!
-----
At Lonely Planet, it’s site on “Istanbul” has all the information a tourist needs for visiting the city. The site begins with the comment, “Istanbul is hot. And we’re not talking about the weather. These days, there are more happening restaurants, bars, galleries and clubs around town than there are exquisite Ottoman mosques (and that’s a lot).,” then at the beginning of the very next paragraph says: “The city’s over-abundance of important historic buildings and exciting new art galleries and museums provides visitors with more than enough to see during the day.” The site supports our observation: the city demands a return.
At Istanbul.com, there is a great deal of information as well.
-----
Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
We liked Istanbul better than Rome — better than any of the large cities previously visited on this cruise. There are some similarities between Rome and Istanbul. Both are large cities; both have enormous traffic problems; both have air pollution; both are thriving, active, vital cities. But there is truly something exotic about being where Europe meets Asia. Our Istanbul tour guide led us to Asia, and he gave all 42 people on our bus a chance to put our feet on the ground there.. Because there was a request to use restrooms, he led us to a McDonald’s on the Asian side — a side of Istanbul which is cleaner and more residential (but less interesting historically) than the European. Easy getting across the bridge into Asia, it took us 25 minutes in stop-and-go traffic to get back to the European side over the narrow Bosporos Strait — the body of water separating European Turkey from Asian Turkey.
Although scheduled for 10½ hours, the tour of Istanbul took place over 2 days and took a total of 11½ hours. In general, things took longer than anticipated because of bathroom stops, crowded tourist sites, and traffic congestion. Centuries ago when the narrow streets of these large cities were constructed, car transportation was never anticipated nor the huge, air conditioned tour buses.
To avoid road construction on the morning of our second day, our bus sought some interior roads on the Asian side. As we turned onto one small street a gentleman on the far end flagged the driver away, and our bus driver made an immediate right and headed slowly down a narrow street with cars parked on both sides. Soon after making this decision — the only one available at the time — he realized the street was too narrow for the bus. Our tour guide left the bus to survey the situation, and it was quickly determined there was no way the coach could make it, so, with the tour guide directing the traffic from behind the bus, the driver inched his way back so he could turn onto another street — a feat that gained the admiration, cheers, and applause of everyone on the bus. Another very difficult and sharp turn onto a narrow street gained further applause.
Our tour guide made it clear with an announcement to us all that we had just seen sights on the Asian side of Istanbul seldom, if ever, seen by tourists!
It was the “Istanbul Classical Tour,” and it began 1½ hours late because we were late getting into port. Why? “Heavy traffic through the Dardanelles” we were told. The Dardanelles is the narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Although 38 miles long, it ranges in width from only three-quarters of a mile to 4 miles. Like the Bosporos, it separates Europe and the mainland of Asia.
The skyline of the old European side of Istanbul forms the skyline silhouette on the port side as one enters the harbor. The minarets of all the mosques — including the famous Blue Mosque — offer an introduction that is both fascinating and enticing. I watched our entrance from the bow of the ship on deck 11.
On the first day of our classical tour, we visited the ancient side of Istanbul where we saw the remnants of the old Hippodrome (meaning horse path), the sporting and social center of Constantinople, capitol of the Byzantine Empire, and the largest city in Europe. Istanbul is its current name. Only a few remnants of the old Hippodrome survive, but for 1,000 years it was the center of Byzantine life and afterwards, for another 400 years, of Ottoman life.
The Hippodrome was the scene of countless political and military dramas, including rival chariot races. All that is left today is an impressive granite obelisk carved in Egypt around 1500 BC and brought to Constantinople in 390 AD. It requires a good guide with lively descriptions and a vivid imagination to realize what occurred on this spot. Venice now has the Triumphal Quadriga or Horses of Saint Mark that once adorned the Hippodrome. They date from classical antiquity, and in 1204 Doge Eurico Dandolo sent them to Venice as part of the loot sacked from Constantinople in the fourth crusade. They were installed on the terrace of the facade of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice in 1254.
In addition to the remnants of the Hippodrome, we saw the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. It’s one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the more than 20,000 hand-painted, blue Iznik tiles adorning the walls of the interior. All the decorative wall tiles in the land of the Ottomans were made in the city of Iznik (the ancient Nicaea). This mosque is recognized as “a triumph of harmony, proportion, and elegance,” and it is the only mosque in the world with 6 minarets.
The interior of this Blue Mosque is breathtaking not just because of the Iznik tiles. It is the mighty dome, the series of small domes that support it, as well as the 200 stained-glass windows that create a spectacular colored effect as you walk around the interior. It was built using the construction methods of the day — mounding the earth and sliding the pieces of the dome into place, then removing the earth bit-by-bit. Because it is still used as a house of worship, we took off our shoes to walk on the soft Turkish carpeting throughout — carpets donated by faithful people and regularly replaced when they become worn out.
Directly across from the Blue Mosque is the St. Sophia Museum (Hagia Sophia - or Divine Wisdom), a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a 1000 years. For almost 500 years it was the principal mosque in Istanbul and served as a model for many Ottoman mosques. It originated in 326 under Constantine the Great, and was rebuilt on a larger scale during the reign of Emperor Justinian whose intention it was that the new building should surpass in splendor all others in antiquity. Marble columns were brought in from temples in Asia minor, Greece, and Italy. 10,000 workers were employed in its construction, and it was, as recently as 1934 under the direction of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, converted into a museum. It is now the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul — famous for its immense dome, beautiful frescoes, and outstanding mosaics.
Our tour of Istanbul was so far-reaching and extensive that I have only one choice: to conclude this Istanbul tour in a second essay. Obviously, it isn’t just the city that demands a return!
-----
At Lonely Planet, it’s site on “Istanbul” has all the information a tourist needs for visiting the city. The site begins with the comment, “Istanbul is hot. And we’re not talking about the weather. These days, there are more happening restaurants, bars, galleries and clubs around town than there are exquisite Ottoman mosques (and that’s a lot).,” then at the beginning of the very next paragraph says: “The city’s over-abundance of important historic buildings and exciting new art galleries and museums provides visitors with more than enough to see during the day.” The site supports our observation: the city demands a return.
At Istanbul.com, there is a great deal of information as well.
-----
Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
SMOERs: Words of Wisdom
The pace of events is moving so fast that unless we can find some way to keep our sights on tomorrow, we cannot expect to be in touch with today. —Dean Rusk
Day #65 - Cherish all your tomorrows.
Day #65 - Cherish all your tomorrows.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
And Then Some News
Thursday’s essay is the seventh in a ten-part series about our Mediterranean cruise. It is entitled, “Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I.”
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
6. “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn” (07-16-09)
The series will cover additional cruise stops in Santorini and Mikanos (Greece), as well as Venice. The essays will offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited Istanbul? Burger King or McDonald's in Asia? (I'm kidding!) Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
Directly across from the Blue Mosque is the St. Sophia Museum (Hagia Sophia - or Divine Wisdom), a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a 1000 years. For almost 500 years it was the principal mosque in Istanbul and served as a model for many Ottoman mosques. It originated in 326 under Constantine the Great, and was rebuilt on a larger scale during the reign of Emperor Justinian whose intention it was that the new building should surpass in splendor all others in antiquity. Marble columns were brought in from temples in Asia minor, Greece, and Italy. 10,000 workers were employed in its construction, and it was, as recently as 1934 under the direction of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, converted into a museum. It is now the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul — famous for its immense dome, beautiful frescoes, and outstanding mosaics.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
6. “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn” (07-16-09)
The series will cover additional cruise stops in Santorini and Mikanos (Greece), as well as Venice. The essays will offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited Istanbul? Burger King or McDonald's in Asia? (I'm kidding!) Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Istanbul, Turkey: A city that demands a return - Essay I
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
Directly across from the Blue Mosque is the St. Sophia Museum (Hagia Sophia - or Divine Wisdom), a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a 1000 years. For almost 500 years it was the principal mosque in Istanbul and served as a model for many Ottoman mosques. It originated in 326 under Constantine the Great, and was rebuilt on a larger scale during the reign of Emperor Justinian whose intention it was that the new building should surpass in splendor all others in antiquity. Marble columns were brought in from temples in Asia minor, Greece, and Italy. 10,000 workers were employed in its construction, and it was, as recently as 1934 under the direction of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, converted into a museum. It is now the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul — famous for its immense dome, beautiful frescoes, and outstanding mosaics.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Book Review Mondays
More information at Amazon.com No obligation to buy Click below: |
by Jon Gordon
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD.
Gordon writes, “"The goal of this book is not to eliminate all complaining, just mindless, chronic complaining. And the bigger goal is to turn justified complaints into positive solutions. After all, every complaint represents an opportunity to turn something negative into a positive” If your goal is to increase your positive attitude, this is the book for you. This 155-page book is simple (some would say, “shallow”), easy-to-read, and told in storybook style, but it packs a powerful punch for its suggestions for obtaining a positive approach to life. Because it is short and to the point, it is a worthwhile investment.
-----
Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookWorksRules.com website.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Weekend Words
"He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense." ---Joseph Conrad
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much more to learn
by Richard L. Weaver II
Prior to arriving at the port of Piraeus, we had a badly needed sea day. A day of rest between excursions! We needed time to just relax. In addition to listening to two lectures — one by a professor of history, Dr. Martin Binder, an excellent talk on the “Classical Greek Empire,” and one by the tenor, Alejandro Guierro, on “The Three Tenors” — I spent time in the ship’s library, “Words,” where many of these essays on Mediterranean observations were written. Celebrity’s “Discoveries and Enrichment” series is excellent, and the lectures are well attended.
Celebrity’s “Discoveries and Enrichment” series reminded me of Grand Circle Travel’s (GCT) “Discovery Series,” designed specifically to offer passengers unique opportunities to discover local people and cultures firsthand. Although GCT offers more experiences and numerous one-on-one style adventures, the difference comes down to numbers. Celebrity had 2,067 people onboard; GCT had only about 136, which they always divided into three groups of about 45-people with a cruise director in charge of each one. The point is — and this needs emphasis — their concern over providing passengers learning opportunities is greatly appreciated.
The port of Piraeus is a busy, international port that services all of Athens. Our Acropolis and sightseeing tour began on time, and our experienced (34-year) tour guide majored in English literature at the University of Athens. Knowledgeable, with a great sense of humor, she gave us dates, rulers, and historical information that you don’t get from reading a brochure.
Our tour began by entering the city center of Athens from the southwest along Syngrou Avenue. We drove past the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, the largest Corinthian-style temple in Greece, taking over 700 years to build. We saw Hadrian’s Arch which separates the old and new Roman towns. We saw the National Gardens, the National Library and Parliament Building as well as the Panathinion Stadium built in 1895 for the first modern Olympics in 1896.
From the Panathinion Stadium, our bus took us to the Acropolis, where they expect 17 million visitors this year. The marble pathways and 150 steps to the top of the hill were slick, the weather cool and windy, the crowds dense and loud, the structures imposing and impressive, and the views out over Athens unbelievable. We entered through the Porpylea Entrace, saw the Erectheum, and the Temple of Wingless Victory.
The Acropolis is the best known acropolis (high city) in the world. It is also referred to as the “Sacred Rock.” On March 26, 2007, it was proclaimed to be the pre-eminent monument in the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments. It is a flat-topped rock that rises 512 feet above sea level.
There is archaeological evidence dating human occupation of the Acropolis (then known as Attica) as early as the Middle Neolithic Era (6th millennium BC). Once into the Bronze Age (4th to 5th millennium BC), a Mycenaeum (last phase of the Bronze age) megaron (great hall) stood on top of the hill, housing the local potentate and his family, guards, workshops, and ordinary habitations. It was surrounded by a thick wall and this early Acropolis was spared the violent destruction experienced by other Mycenaeum palaces during the Dark Ages.
There were numerous changes in the Acropolis as various factions took it over in their attempts to seize political power by coups. Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the golden age of Athens (460-430 BC), and it was during the 5th century BC that the Acropolis obtained its final shape. Construction on it began in 447 BC and it was completed in 438 BC. Decorations were added until at least 432 BC.
Information from our tour guide that I found most fascinating was about the Parthenon named after Parthena (“Virgin” or “Maiden”) Athena. It was the Emperor Theodosius who turned the Parthenon into a Christian Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was the Franks who turned it into a Catholic Church in 1204, and the Turks turned it into a Mosque in 1458.
You may wonder how it became the shell it is today? In 1687, when the Turks were using the Parthenon as a powder magazine, they were attacked by Venetian military forces of Morosini (with Otto Vilhelm Konigsmark (1639-1688) as field commander). A German lieutenant fired the fatal shot on September 26, 1687, and it reduced this crowning glory of Grecian art to a mere skeleton. The roof collapsed, and parts of the sculptures and pillars were destroyed, It is imposing nonetheless, and there is work going on that will completely restore the structure.
We were standing in the place where public speaking had its birth. On our tour of the Acropolis, we stood on the spot where Demosthenes and other citizens not only practiced, but in the Greek democracy, spoke out freely and often. The most important aspect of Greek society given to the rest of the world was democracy — stated by our tour guide, reinforcing in almost the same words what Dr. Martin Binder had told us earlier in his lecture on the Greek empire.
Given the excellent tour guide we had, it is clear that our sightseeing tour of Athens and the Acropolis could be done individually — without a tour — only with great difficulty. Knowing your way around and getting to the places you desire is tough for like other early European cities, the streets are narrow and the traffic is heavy. Even though our tour bus was big as it plied the narrow streets, it commanded an undisputed presence and negotiated easily for its right of passage, despite the yellow taxis, small cars zipping in and out, and the ever-present motor scooters. Our tour guide said, “There are many scooter accidents.”
We have learned so much. Our tour guide to the Acropolis, at the end of our tour as we were entering the port area, apologized for giving us so much information all at one time. She was right, it was overwhelming, but she didn’t need to apologize. The history and background of Greece is fascinating, to say the least. There is just so much to know and understand, and she barely touched the surface, of course. The information about the Acropolis and Parthenon in this essay gives little evidence of how much information we would have to absorb to completely understand it all and put it into the proper context.
One reason for writing these essays — especially for writing each so close to the time the excursion was taken — and for my wife taking the many photographs she did, is to preserve some differentiation. That is, the goal is to keep all of this information from becoming gray and undifferentiated. Clearly we learned so much, and yet there is so much more to learn.
-----
At www.in2greece.com, there are at least 40 icons tourists can click on to get information about Greece, the Port of Piraeus or surrounding areas.
At www.Greece-Athens.com you’ll find a panoramic view of the Port of Piraeus as well as nearly 40 icons, one of which has a variety of 360 paroramas. At its Athens website, you’ll find just as much helpful information on the city.
Matt Barrett’s Travel Guide, has an Athens Survival Guide that gives all the specifics including basic Athens information, walking in Athens, services, and additional information.
-----
Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Prior to arriving at the port of Piraeus, we had a badly needed sea day. A day of rest between excursions! We needed time to just relax. In addition to listening to two lectures — one by a professor of history, Dr. Martin Binder, an excellent talk on the “Classical Greek Empire,” and one by the tenor, Alejandro Guierro, on “The Three Tenors” — I spent time in the ship’s library, “Words,” where many of these essays on Mediterranean observations were written. Celebrity’s “Discoveries and Enrichment” series is excellent, and the lectures are well attended.
Celebrity’s “Discoveries and Enrichment” series reminded me of Grand Circle Travel’s (GCT) “Discovery Series,” designed specifically to offer passengers unique opportunities to discover local people and cultures firsthand. Although GCT offers more experiences and numerous one-on-one style adventures, the difference comes down to numbers. Celebrity had 2,067 people onboard; GCT had only about 136, which they always divided into three groups of about 45-people with a cruise director in charge of each one. The point is — and this needs emphasis — their concern over providing passengers learning opportunities is greatly appreciated.
The port of Piraeus is a busy, international port that services all of Athens. Our Acropolis and sightseeing tour began on time, and our experienced (34-year) tour guide majored in English literature at the University of Athens. Knowledgeable, with a great sense of humor, she gave us dates, rulers, and historical information that you don’t get from reading a brochure.
Our tour began by entering the city center of Athens from the southwest along Syngrou Avenue. We drove past the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, the largest Corinthian-style temple in Greece, taking over 700 years to build. We saw Hadrian’s Arch which separates the old and new Roman towns. We saw the National Gardens, the National Library and Parliament Building as well as the Panathinion Stadium built in 1895 for the first modern Olympics in 1896.
From the Panathinion Stadium, our bus took us to the Acropolis, where they expect 17 million visitors this year. The marble pathways and 150 steps to the top of the hill were slick, the weather cool and windy, the crowds dense and loud, the structures imposing and impressive, and the views out over Athens unbelievable. We entered through the Porpylea Entrace, saw the Erectheum, and the Temple of Wingless Victory.
The Acropolis is the best known acropolis (high city) in the world. It is also referred to as the “Sacred Rock.” On March 26, 2007, it was proclaimed to be the pre-eminent monument in the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments. It is a flat-topped rock that rises 512 feet above sea level.
There is archaeological evidence dating human occupation of the Acropolis (then known as Attica) as early as the Middle Neolithic Era (6th millennium BC). Once into the Bronze Age (4th to 5th millennium BC), a Mycenaeum (last phase of the Bronze age) megaron (great hall) stood on top of the hill, housing the local potentate and his family, guards, workshops, and ordinary habitations. It was surrounded by a thick wall and this early Acropolis was spared the violent destruction experienced by other Mycenaeum palaces during the Dark Ages.
There were numerous changes in the Acropolis as various factions took it over in their attempts to seize political power by coups. Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the golden age of Athens (460-430 BC), and it was during the 5th century BC that the Acropolis obtained its final shape. Construction on it began in 447 BC and it was completed in 438 BC. Decorations were added until at least 432 BC.
Information from our tour guide that I found most fascinating was about the Parthenon named after Parthena (“Virgin” or “Maiden”) Athena. It was the Emperor Theodosius who turned the Parthenon into a Christian Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was the Franks who turned it into a Catholic Church in 1204, and the Turks turned it into a Mosque in 1458.
You may wonder how it became the shell it is today? In 1687, when the Turks were using the Parthenon as a powder magazine, they were attacked by Venetian military forces of Morosini (with Otto Vilhelm Konigsmark (1639-1688) as field commander). A German lieutenant fired the fatal shot on September 26, 1687, and it reduced this crowning glory of Grecian art to a mere skeleton. The roof collapsed, and parts of the sculptures and pillars were destroyed, It is imposing nonetheless, and there is work going on that will completely restore the structure.
We were standing in the place where public speaking had its birth. On our tour of the Acropolis, we stood on the spot where Demosthenes and other citizens not only practiced, but in the Greek democracy, spoke out freely and often. The most important aspect of Greek society given to the rest of the world was democracy — stated by our tour guide, reinforcing in almost the same words what Dr. Martin Binder had told us earlier in his lecture on the Greek empire.
Given the excellent tour guide we had, it is clear that our sightseeing tour of Athens and the Acropolis could be done individually — without a tour — only with great difficulty. Knowing your way around and getting to the places you desire is tough for like other early European cities, the streets are narrow and the traffic is heavy. Even though our tour bus was big as it plied the narrow streets, it commanded an undisputed presence and negotiated easily for its right of passage, despite the yellow taxis, small cars zipping in and out, and the ever-present motor scooters. Our tour guide said, “There are many scooter accidents.”
We have learned so much. Our tour guide to the Acropolis, at the end of our tour as we were entering the port area, apologized for giving us so much information all at one time. She was right, it was overwhelming, but she didn’t need to apologize. The history and background of Greece is fascinating, to say the least. There is just so much to know and understand, and she barely touched the surface, of course. The information about the Acropolis and Parthenon in this essay gives little evidence of how much information we would have to absorb to completely understand it all and put it into the proper context.
One reason for writing these essays — especially for writing each so close to the time the excursion was taken — and for my wife taking the many photographs she did, is to preserve some differentiation. That is, the goal is to keep all of this information from becoming gray and undifferentiated. Clearly we learned so much, and yet there is so much more to learn.
-----
At www.in2greece.com, there are at least 40 icons tourists can click on to get information about Greece, the Port of Piraeus or surrounding areas.
At www.Greece-Athens.com you’ll find a panoramic view of the Port of Piraeus as well as nearly 40 icons, one of which has a variety of 360 paroramas. At its Athens website, you’ll find just as much helpful information on the city.
Matt Barrett’s Travel Guide, has an Athens Survival Guide that gives all the specifics including basic Athens information, walking in Athens, services, and additional information.
-----
Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
SMOERs: Words of Wisdom
Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come through unsought for are commonly the most valuable. —Francis Bacon
Day #64 - Treasure your thoughts.
Day #64 - Treasure your thoughts.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
And Then Some News
Thursday’s essay is the sixth in a ten-part series about our Mediterranean cruise. It is entitled, “Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn.” The other essays in the series (with their posted dates in brackets) are:
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
The series will cover additional cruise stops in Istanbul, Santorini and Mikanos (Greece), as well as Venice. The essays will offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited the port of Piraeus or the city of Athens? Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
We have learned so much. Our tour guide to the Acropolis, at the end of our tour as we were entering the port area, apologized for giving us so much information all at one time. She was right, it was overwhelming, but she didn’t need to apologize. The history and background of Greece is fascinating, to say the least. There is just so much to know and understand, and she barely touched the surface, of course. The information about the Acropolis and Parthenon in this essay gives little evidence of how much information we would have to absorb to completely understand it all and put it into the proper context.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
1. “Cruising is incredibly self-indulgent” (06-04-09)
2. “Barcelona and the French Riviera (Nice and Eze): Minds Stretched in New Directions” (06-11-09)
3. “Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Tuscania: So much history it boggles the mind” (06-18-09)
4. “The Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter’s, and the Colosseum - Our tour of Rome” (06-25-09)
5. “The Port of Napoli - Our tour of Pompei and our warning about Naples” (07-02-09)
The series will cover additional cruise stops in Istanbul, Santorini and Mikanos (Greece), as well as Venice. The essays will offer a little history, our experiences on the excursions, as well as additional insights and observations.
Share your link. Have you written anything on Mediterranean cruising? Have you visited the port of Piraeus or the city of Athens? Do you know someone who has? Can you share some insights about any of your own touring or excursion experiences with readers? What would you like to tell people who want to cruise the Mediterranean? Places to go? Things to see? Any personal information you would like to share with them? Share your link with us. We’ll post it and move traffic in your direction. And, a big “thank you,” in advance, from AndThenSomeWorks.com, for sharing your link.
Click here to LINK your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Piraeus & Athens: Learning so much, and yet so much to learn
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
We have learned so much. Our tour guide to the Acropolis, at the end of our tour as we were entering the port area, apologized for giving us so much information all at one time. She was right, it was overwhelming, but she didn’t need to apologize. The history and background of Greece is fascinating, to say the least. There is just so much to know and understand, and she barely touched the surface, of course. The information about the Acropolis and Parthenon in this essay gives little evidence of how much information we would have to absorb to completely understand it all and put it into the proper context.
And Then Some Works - see you Thursday!!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Book Review Mondays
More information at Amazon.com No obligation to buy Click below: |
by Anastasia Goodstein
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD.
In Totally Wired, Goodstein has written a superb book. It is so good that I wrote an essay using her book as the centerpiece. The essay is entitled: "Being totally wired means being more communicative and expressive." If you are a parent and you have a teenager, please read this book. This is the essay I wrote in its entirety:
I want to admit upfront in this essay that I am not totally wired; however, I spend a great deal of time at my computer, and I have written extensively about the Internet and its effect on various aspects of communication in my textbook, Communicating Effectively (McGraw-Hill, 2009).
What I want to do in this essay, more than anything else, is simply to document what is happening in our society. It will be outdated, of course, almost as I tap on these keys, but what a benchmark it establishes as technology races forward. This is an essay that will be entertaining to read ten, fifteen, or twenty years from now simply for the contrast it provides to what is happening at that time. Although teens will be totally wired, the technology will be different.
I am indebted to Anastasia Goodstein and her book, Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are Really Doing Online (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007). I sought this book for the insights Goodstein could provide in helping me write the ninth edition of the book referred to in the first paragraph above: Communicating Effectively. The characterization of teens that follows is Goodstein’s.
When totally wired teenagers today get out of bed in the morning, the first thing they do—before breakfast and before showering—is to fire-up their “at rest” computer to check for messages on their favorite community sites. They open iTunes to accompany them while getting dressed and listen to songs from CDs their friends burned for them. Before going downstairs for breakfast, they check their cell phone for both voice and text messages from their friends.
Totally wired teenagers will call or text their friends on the way to school so they know where they are and where to meet them when they arrive. To protect themselves from having their cell phones confiscated during classes, they turn them to vibrate, but they use them between classes to keep in touch with their friends and plan activities for immediately after school.
Schools have many computers, and students own their own laptops as well. Students use school computers to check their Web e-mail messages, do research for school projects, type projects and papers, and make PowerPoint presentations. Students, for the most part, are more comfortable with computers than most of their teachers, and often students end up answering their teachers’ questions and helping them figure things out.
In English, the teacher created a special website just for his classes that includes the syllabus, course expectations, brief project outlines and papers that must be downloaded, and a FAQ (frequently asked questions) link as well. One feature of the website is an ongoing, up-to-date blog which students are required to respond to using their special class names that only they and their teacher know.
This English teacher has received high ratings on Ratemyteacher.com not just because of his use of the computer but how he integrates the computer into classroom activities, maintains a daily question-and-answer page on the website where students can keep up with any aspect of the course about which they have questions, and a “contact me” link where students can contact him directly regarding problems, suggestions, or personal insights.
The algebra teacher, unlike the English teacher described above, does not receive high ratings on Ratemyteacher.com. She assigns too much homework (according to the students), sometimes embarrasses them when they don’t know answers, and calls on them when they aren’t paying attention.
Totally wired teenagers often are incredibly busy after school hours. In addition to athletics, homework takes up time, but spending time on the computer dominates. They update their LiveJournal (LJ) entries, post comments on their friends’ Ljs, instant message (IM) their friends and relatives, check their own website blog, add a new entry to it as well. They go to their MySpace profile to keep in touch with distant friends. They may even keep tabs on boyfriends’ or girlfriends’ online profiles, sometimes leaving flirtatious comments, posting recent pictures of themselves or cute photos of them together. Although they like having boyfriends and girlfriends, they realize such contacts take time.
Much time is spent, too, interspersed within all of this, sending and reading e-mail messages and text messages. If there is even a little time remaining, they may surf the Internet, enter a chat room, post a note on a message board, hang out on community sites, or just go back through all of their contacts to see answers to their questions or more recent posts. Sometimes they just relax and review what they have done.
When they are away from home, it is not uncommon to receive cell phone messages from parents who are just checking in. When they are somewhere they know their parents would not like, they lie and tell them they’re somewhere else. As long as they answer their cell phones when their parents call, they get away with it. When at parties, it is not uncommon to receive text messages from someone across the room, telling them to check out someone else, or talking about someone else who is in the same room.
When they hang out with friends, they go see movies, rent DVDs, play video games or watch others play video games, just talk as they watch for text messages or communicate with someone else on their cell phones, or listen to their iTunes or MP3. They find such multitasking comfortable and easy, and most students perform multitasking when they do their homework, work at their computer, or watch DVDs.
Today’s teenagers spend enormous amounts of time socializing with friends, love listening to music and playing games, actively use their computers for socializing, doing homework, and researching papers and projects, and find it easy getting information of all kinds from the Internet. Because of the Internet, gossip travels quickly just as negative information and mean pictures. Writing diaries, once considered a personal form of expression, has become public documentation and sharing diaries, emotional experiences, and likes and dislikes is common practice.
“There are more opportunities for teens to express themselves and distribute their work as writers, artists, videographers, or podcasters (Internet radio hosts who create audio recordings you can download from the Web)” (p. 13), writes Goodstein. There is no doubt that totally wired teens raise new issues of privacy and safety, but it may be, too, they are becoming more communicative and expressive at the same time. We live in a far more verbal world than ever before.
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Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookWorksRules.com website.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Weekend Words
"Like apples of gold in a silver setting is a word that is aptly spoken." ---The Bible, Proverbs 25:11
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Port of Napoli — Our tour of Pompei and our warnings about Naples
by Richard L. Weaver II
Everyday on this Mediterranean cruise (with the exception of sea days) included another excursion. After Florence and Rome, our next port-of-call was Napoli (Naples), and being docked, as opposed to having to be tendered in from the ship, I was able to leave the ship easily to walk directly into the city of Naples. I simply followed a main street away from the Castel dell’ Ovo (the Castle at the Port), beginning, of course, at Terminal Napoli. I walked by the Piazza Municipio, then along Via de Pretis to the Piazza Bovio, then I took the Corso to Piazze Nicola Amore and Umberto 1 to the Piazza Garibaldi — which seemed to be a grand transportation hub for all of Naples’ buses and taxis. Here, I chose to turn around and walk back the same way I had come.
At one point I saw a possible detour from the route I had previously taken, so I turned onto a side street to enjoy the small bakeries, eateries, coffee houses, and other fruit and vegetable shops. Heavily populated by locals, the air was full of smoke (most Europeans do), and merchandise and produce were still being arranged and stacked for a Saturday of potential sales.
To me, Naples was like every other very big city — and, as it turned out, I walked through the most expensive shopping area as well as the business center of the city. There was a great deal of activity; traffic was heavy; stores catered to almost any kind of interests citizens might have; vendors were just laying out their goods on tables and cloths along the sidewalks. Lady’s pocketbooks, children’s toys, and souvenirs seemed to be the predominant items for sale.
I had to hurry back to the ship in time to have a bite to eat before our planned afternoon excursion. I met Andrea in the hallway leading from our cabin, and together we had lunch.
Today’s afternoon excursion (1:30-5:15 p.m.) was to Pompei. It takes about one-half hour on a nice highway once away from the port area. On the excursion bus we passed through the entire port of Naples and along the portside of Naples on our way around Mount Vesuvius — six miles east of Naples, close to the shore, and always visible off to the left side of our coach. Mount Vesuvius is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted in the last hundred years. It is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because it has erupted many times --- there is a population of 3,000,000 people living close to it --- and of its tendency towards explosive eruptions.
Pompeii was one of the highlights of our trip thus far. Although there is much to see in the big cities, getting in and out and around them is difficult and chaotic. We have, once again, determined that big-city life is not for us. In many cases, the old cliche, “great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there,” doesn’t even apply. In some cases, they aren’t even great places to visit! That was not true about Pompeii — although all the evidence prior to getting up into the ruins themselves (the tourist buses, restaurants, canvas-covered souvenir stands, and individuals hawking their wares) might easily convince you otherwise.
The still-active volcano, Mt. Vesuvias, contributed to the sculpture of the Bay of Naples when, 1,900 years ago, on August 24, 79 A.D., it erupted and covered the town of Pompeii with 30 feet of ash and pumice stone. The city was lost for 1700 years before its accidental discovery in 1748. Its value today — besides being one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy — is the extraordinarily detailed insight the city provides into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.
Pompeii was a thriving Roman city and standing in the Forum, the center of the old city, you are surrounded by the remains of lavish temples and porticoes. The forum was an open place where all people could gather and nearby were centers of government, places of worship, and markets. As one walks the narrow stone streets, at each intersection there are raised stepping stones that ensured pedestrians could cross without getting their togas wet. Embedded deeply in these stone streets one can still see the deep ruts of the chariots, always pulled by two donkeys.
Wealthy patricians moved to Pompeii to escape the turmoil of Rome, and evidence of its prosperity is everywhere. In addition to the extensive forum, an exercise court, and public swimming pools, there were lavish baths, a bordello, temples, villas richly decorated with frescoes, and a wonderful venue for theatrical performances (all by men, not women)
As we left Pompeii and were returning to the ship, I asked our tour guide about the pickpockets and why Naples doesn’t crack down — since their reputation is tainted and visitors must all be warned. She suggested that it's impossible. This was just after she pointed out a group of Romanian gypsies living in shacks under one of the raised highways near the port.
She said that seeing gypsies is a common phenomenon throughout Europe and not unique to Naples. Basically she was defending her city, saying, in fact, “Don’t point your finger at Naples!” She said that because of open borders between countries, if the problem of pickpockets was stopped on any given day, it would only reappear the next. It is too big a problem. Finally, she said, these are poor people whose only means of survival is begging and stealing. In a sense, our tour guide’s heart went out to these poor people.
For tourists, the only good thing about the pickpockets is 1) that the problem is not hidden, and 2) you are clearly warned. Onboard ship, we were told to take no jewelry or watches of any kind into the city because, “what goes into Naples, stays in Naples.”
On my walk through the downtown area, I was constantly on the lookout for vagrants or others who might choose to rob or steal. Of course, I saw no one of such ilk; however, I should make it clear that it was morning, I was in the center of the business district and the wealthy section of Naples, and I was moving quickly.
As in everything else, tourists should be aware and cautious. I talked to one cruiser onboard our ship whose fear was raised to such a state, he chose not to disembark to go into Naples at all. Based on my own personal experience in the city, this was both an extreme and unnecessary measure.
It’s not like Naples is a crime-ridden city, and everyone you meet is trying to rob you! Poor people, vagrants, and people with negative intentions are part of (and, in part, produced by) all large cities. The problem cannot be totally avoided, but tourists can be aware and wary. Avoiding a visit to a new, large, foreign city should never take place simply on the premise that one may fall victim to a crime. Just because I found no evidence, however, doesn’t mean evidence doesn’t exist.
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At the portanapoli website, the website covers everything a tourist needs (or would seek) for information on Naples, Italy: 1) Portanapoli, 2) The City of Naples, 3) What so see, 4) Art, 5) Culture, 6) Amalfi Coast, 7) Sorrento Coast, 8) Travelling, 9) Apartments, 10) Bed & Breakfast, 11) Cheap Flights, 12) Farm holiday, 13) Groups & School, 14) Holiday villages, 15) Hotels, 16) Last Minute, 17) Religious Houses, 18) Special Offers, 19) Villas, 20) Photo gallery, 21) Webcams, 22) Wallpapers, 23) Italian cuisine, 24) Gastronomy.
At terragalleria.com, there are a number of outstanding pictures of Naples that are worth a view.
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Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L. C.
Everyday on this Mediterranean cruise (with the exception of sea days) included another excursion. After Florence and Rome, our next port-of-call was Napoli (Naples), and being docked, as opposed to having to be tendered in from the ship, I was able to leave the ship easily to walk directly into the city of Naples. I simply followed a main street away from the Castel dell’ Ovo (the Castle at the Port), beginning, of course, at Terminal Napoli. I walked by the Piazza Municipio, then along Via de Pretis to the Piazza Bovio, then I took the Corso to Piazze Nicola Amore and Umberto 1 to the Piazza Garibaldi — which seemed to be a grand transportation hub for all of Naples’ buses and taxis. Here, I chose to turn around and walk back the same way I had come.
At one point I saw a possible detour from the route I had previously taken, so I turned onto a side street to enjoy the small bakeries, eateries, coffee houses, and other fruit and vegetable shops. Heavily populated by locals, the air was full of smoke (most Europeans do), and merchandise and produce were still being arranged and stacked for a Saturday of potential sales.
To me, Naples was like every other very big city — and, as it turned out, I walked through the most expensive shopping area as well as the business center of the city. There was a great deal of activity; traffic was heavy; stores catered to almost any kind of interests citizens might have; vendors were just laying out their goods on tables and cloths along the sidewalks. Lady’s pocketbooks, children’s toys, and souvenirs seemed to be the predominant items for sale.
I had to hurry back to the ship in time to have a bite to eat before our planned afternoon excursion. I met Andrea in the hallway leading from our cabin, and together we had lunch.
Today’s afternoon excursion (1:30-5:15 p.m.) was to Pompei. It takes about one-half hour on a nice highway once away from the port area. On the excursion bus we passed through the entire port of Naples and along the portside of Naples on our way around Mount Vesuvius — six miles east of Naples, close to the shore, and always visible off to the left side of our coach. Mount Vesuvius is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted in the last hundred years. It is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because it has erupted many times --- there is a population of 3,000,000 people living close to it --- and of its tendency towards explosive eruptions.
Pompeii was one of the highlights of our trip thus far. Although there is much to see in the big cities, getting in and out and around them is difficult and chaotic. We have, once again, determined that big-city life is not for us. In many cases, the old cliche, “great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there,” doesn’t even apply. In some cases, they aren’t even great places to visit! That was not true about Pompeii — although all the evidence prior to getting up into the ruins themselves (the tourist buses, restaurants, canvas-covered souvenir stands, and individuals hawking their wares) might easily convince you otherwise.
The still-active volcano, Mt. Vesuvias, contributed to the sculpture of the Bay of Naples when, 1,900 years ago, on August 24, 79 A.D., it erupted and covered the town of Pompeii with 30 feet of ash and pumice stone. The city was lost for 1700 years before its accidental discovery in 1748. Its value today — besides being one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy — is the extraordinarily detailed insight the city provides into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.
Pompeii was a thriving Roman city and standing in the Forum, the center of the old city, you are surrounded by the remains of lavish temples and porticoes. The forum was an open place where all people could gather and nearby were centers of government, places of worship, and markets. As one walks the narrow stone streets, at each intersection there are raised stepping stones that ensured pedestrians could cross without getting their togas wet. Embedded deeply in these stone streets one can still see the deep ruts of the chariots, always pulled by two donkeys.
Wealthy patricians moved to Pompeii to escape the turmoil of Rome, and evidence of its prosperity is everywhere. In addition to the extensive forum, an exercise court, and public swimming pools, there were lavish baths, a bordello, temples, villas richly decorated with frescoes, and a wonderful venue for theatrical performances (all by men, not women)
As we left Pompeii and were returning to the ship, I asked our tour guide about the pickpockets and why Naples doesn’t crack down — since their reputation is tainted and visitors must all be warned. She suggested that it's impossible. This was just after she pointed out a group of Romanian gypsies living in shacks under one of the raised highways near the port.
She said that seeing gypsies is a common phenomenon throughout Europe and not unique to Naples. Basically she was defending her city, saying, in fact, “Don’t point your finger at Naples!” She said that because of open borders between countries, if the problem of pickpockets was stopped on any given day, it would only reappear the next. It is too big a problem. Finally, she said, these are poor people whose only means of survival is begging and stealing. In a sense, our tour guide’s heart went out to these poor people.
For tourists, the only good thing about the pickpockets is 1) that the problem is not hidden, and 2) you are clearly warned. Onboard ship, we were told to take no jewelry or watches of any kind into the city because, “what goes into Naples, stays in Naples.”
On my walk through the downtown area, I was constantly on the lookout for vagrants or others who might choose to rob or steal. Of course, I saw no one of such ilk; however, I should make it clear that it was morning, I was in the center of the business district and the wealthy section of Naples, and I was moving quickly.
As in everything else, tourists should be aware and cautious. I talked to one cruiser onboard our ship whose fear was raised to such a state, he chose not to disembark to go into Naples at all. Based on my own personal experience in the city, this was both an extreme and unnecessary measure.
It’s not like Naples is a crime-ridden city, and everyone you meet is trying to rob you! Poor people, vagrants, and people with negative intentions are part of (and, in part, produced by) all large cities. The problem cannot be totally avoided, but tourists can be aware and wary. Avoiding a visit to a new, large, foreign city should never take place simply on the premise that one may fall victim to a crime. Just because I found no evidence, however, doesn’t mean evidence doesn’t exist.
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At the portanapoli website, the website covers everything a tourist needs (or would seek) for information on Naples, Italy: 1) Portanapoli, 2) The City of Naples, 3) What so see, 4) Art, 5) Culture, 6) Amalfi Coast, 7) Sorrento Coast, 8) Travelling, 9) Apartments, 10) Bed & Breakfast, 11) Cheap Flights, 12) Farm holiday, 13) Groups & School, 14) Holiday villages, 15) Hotels, 16) Last Minute, 17) Religious Houses, 18) Special Offers, 19) Villas, 20) Photo gallery, 21) Webcams, 22) Wallpapers, 23) Italian cuisine, 24) Gastronomy.
At terragalleria.com, there are a number of outstanding pictures of Naples that are worth a view.
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Copyright July, 2009 - And Then Some Publishing L.L. C.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
SMOERs: Words of Wisdom
You can not always control circumstances, but you can control your own thoughts. —Charles Popplestown
Day #63 - Do not worry about events over which you have no control.
Day #63 - Do not worry about events over which you have no control.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.
Free 10-Day sample: smoers.com
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