Unforgettable Venice

According to UNESCO, each day, more than 60,000 people visit Venice, which is more than  the population of that city! What scares UNESCO though is their belief that this level of traffic will affect the city adversely for according to them, the city is sinking!

The never ending crowds in Venice

I found this interesting in light of the joke made by the guide on my second trip to that marvelous city. For according to the guide, the authorities keep claiming Venice is sinking only to encourage tourists to visit before city disappears under the sea!

One of the numerous bridges 

 She however insisted that Venice is not actually sinking but the water marks you see on the buildings (the capital, San Marcos square is the lowest point) that give that impression are made by rising and falling tides. She even reinforced the point by citing examples of how  over centuries, since its establishment around 421 AD and especially between the 9th to 12th centuries when Venice was a city state, strategists in the navy were able to defeat the enemies because Venetians understood the tides and could easily lead the unsuspecting out to the Adriatic sea where they became trapped when it changed to low tide.

Well I don't know whether Venice is really sinking but I will certainly be trying
to visit that unforgettable city made up of 118 small islands (most of the islands had monasteries on them before Napoleon invaded and destroyed them) separated by canals and linked by some 440 bridges, as many times as I get the opportunity, for I can't see how one can see and enjoy all it has to offer in one lifetime!

One of the smaller detached islands

 On this latest trip, I got the opportunity to not only visit the mainland which is made up of five boroughs but also Burano, Murano and Lido  islands.

Burano island with its small population of around 9,000 is famous for its brightly colored homes which the guide told us became a tradition as the island was mainly populated by fishermen and the bright colors allowed them to be able to see their homes while they were at sea.

Colorful homes and shops in the main square on Burano island

I really did not buy that explanation, but I loved the burst of colors!

What they also have there too is internationally known hand woven lace products which just about every shop in the square carries as tourists love to buy the table cloths, place mats, clothes etc.

On the other hand Murano island is famous for fine and colorful hand made glass blown  products.

Beautiful Murano glass

This industry started around 1291 and remained a cherished family tradition for centuries but with the advent of technology this tradition is under siege but we feasted our eyes and pockets on some of the most fabulous glass blown products, some with solid gold embellishments which unfortunately we could not take any pictures of. 

However we did get to tour the factory and actually watch as the expert blew a glass horse. 

Glass blower on Murano island

This type of profession comes with a severe price however as the sand which they  use to make the glass and which they now import from France,  has to be melted at horrific temperatures in the furnace and it must take centuries of conditioning to work in such establishments!

 Lido island was by far my favorite of the independently standing islands and the favorite of Italians from all over I am told, as it borders the Mediterranean sea and has a highly developed tourism product with its wide beaches and sidewalk cafes.

Wide beaches on Lido island

 We spent two enjoyable days there and while this is the only island which allows private cars, no one needs anything more than a bicycle to get around and there are hundreds of bicycles there.

You may be a bit astonished to hear  that Lido is the only island to allow but remember, Venice is a series of islands joined together by bridges!

Lido is the only island allowing cars

To tell the truth however, it is only after this last visit  there that I have really come to appreciate the level of sophistication that led to the development of the transportation system there.

Transportation ranges from large cruise ships bringing thousands of visitors from abroad and ferries that take you all over Europe to gondolas in the canals, small water taxis which whiz expertly through the waterways and water buses.

The water bus system is extremely efficient, running  from morning to night on regular schedules with stops at permanently erected bus stations at the side of the waterways.

The buildings look even more majestic in the early morning.

Then there are the gondolas which are synonymous with Venice.

We were told that getting a licence to operate a gondola is like getting gold and despite the fact that some 400 gondolas are licensed to operate in the at least 100 canals, very few women can get a licence  and the waiting time for anyone to get a licence is 3-5 years as positions like that only become available when one of the current operators retires.

I cant think of a more majestic place in Europe with greater art, architecture and fantastic sites to visit than grand old Venice.



MORE PHOTOS OF VENICE

The gondola operator must bend down to go under the bridges when the tide is high

Joan Williams, moderator of Joan Williams Online broadcast on Power 106, describes herself as an unapologetic addict to the Jamaican outdoors. A foundation member of Fun and Thrills Adventure Club, she explores the island at any given opportunity cycling, hiking or swimming with that group, family, Jah 3 and anyone else who will have her. In 1995, she published the popular 'Tour Jamaica', and the fourth edition is now an ebook available at http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref. Contact gratestj@gmail.com.

A Refreshing Hike

Sheriff's hike to the mountains yesterday was invigorating, and refreshing and as usual,offered great camaraderie and lots of mangoes but caused a near mutiny, all inputs necessary for a great day with the icing being a wonderful breakfast at Coy's.

I suppose that it is because the dates kept changing, why only nine of us turned up, but Chuck is perfectly correct, the only way we could have completed the proposed trail in three hours, was if we had gone in a straight line!

It was interesting  none the less as it is the first time I had been up Dustry road which we often pass on the was to Maryland.  As it turns out, that road makes the distance to Irish town really short by comparison to the main road. Well actually it is not a road, but really a rough track  with bush growing in the centre in parts and on which, if you are not careful, you could end up twisting your ankle.

When you see arch cyclists like Barber Dean and Barry having to dismount in parts, you know it is really terrible and I am sure even the "off road don" Howie would have found it challenging in parts.  Incidentally, we did pass a few riders out on their way up to Newcastle, then further up we saw Barber Dean riding up with a couple guys but he turned back to join us while Barry, riding on his own,  caught us up just above Cafe Blue.

Anyway we trod on with Maurice and Karen really enjoying the mangoes from the trees all along the way after Maurice, candidate for the Survivor reality show, even got a stick to speed up the process, although he does have a mean right hand when it comes to stoning mango trees!

Not a step further , we decided right  here.

Although the proposed hike was supposed to take us to Newcastle through the shortcut then on to Greenwich and finally Hollywell  with the return journey via Hollywell's back gate down to Woodford and finally Maryland for breakfast at 10 am, shortly after we passed the turnoff to Newcastle, timekeeper Desiree pointed out that there was no way we could be get back to Maryland at 10am if we completed the proposed trail, we then had a democratic meeting and decided to go to Ras Jam instead. However after walking for another half hour and not seeing any sign of the  Ras Jam turnoff, there was a near mutiny as we were tired and hungry. So when we arrived at a little garage where that colourful mini bus that has always been prominent on the road to Newcastle was parked  apparently getting an engine overall, some of us in insisted that it was time to turn back.

The hike back was easy and very pleasant for with the sun now fully out, the mountains simply glistened and the view of the city was really great.

By the time Desiree and I  got to Coy, (we were lagging at the back and Barber Dean stayed to keep our company) we found that a number of riders had come up as well as Betty and others who drove up,  for breakfast. As usual, breakfast was really good and while a few of us left after, some stayed to cool off in the river.

Joan Williams, moderator of the Joan Williams Online broadcast on Power 106, describes herself as an unapologetic addict to the Jamaican outdoors. A foundation member of Fun and Thrills Adventure Club, she explores the island at any given opportunity cycling, hiking or swimming with that group, family, Jah 3 and anyone else who will have her. In 1995, she published the popular 'Tour Jamaica', and the fourth edition is now an ebook available at;

 http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref. Contact gratestj@gmail.com.

Police Not Effective

In the front page article in the daily Gleaner today entitled "Gun Licence requests triple" I see them quoting some crime statistics that are as bogus as they come.

This country owes a debt of gratitude to former commissioner Ellington, under whose watch murder was reduced by almost a quarter although we are no where close to what he civilised world lives with.

However, I do not think the police has been acculturised to pay any attention to other forms of crime (although one gets the impression  that only minimal attention is paid to murder anyway) and instead of devising measures to deal with these, they produce statistics like robberies being at 1311, which have no bearing on reality. I say this as I know for a fact, that police do not investigate, visit the scene or record some robberies (praedial larceny too!) reported to them  although I do not know to what extent this is so or if it is a mater of policy.

 

Take Kingston and St. Andrew, where there is a new and growing form of gun robbery being carried out in residential neighbourhoods with such precision, that a policeman told a recent victim that he thinks the gang that perpetuates it, have people with either military or police training. 

This is daylight robbery being carried out by well dressed young men  (who seem to operate in pairs but have a vehicle and driver close by) who are appearing to be  going about their lawful business in residential areas. As they do not appear threatening, no one pays much attention to them until they pounce on unwary residents and force them at gunpoint into their homes which they then pillage at their leisure, loading the loot into the waiting vehicle.

A  friend who was  the victim to such a robbery recently, told me that his quick response security personnel told him that they had received  as much as 5 such reports of this type of operation in one day recently. Another private security person told me that in one day they had received 21 calls from clients on that morning alone, although these calls were about different different types of crimes, not just the ambushes. 

So if this type of robbery is so pervasive why has the police not been putting out composite images of the young men who are carrying out these ambushes in broad daylight all over town and who do not use disguise?

I tell you why, it is because the police have no interest in solving robberies committed against ordinary citizens!) preferring instead to to put out bogus statistics thus causing people to be even less vigilant as they go about their lawful business while the hold up men have  a field day and their victims suffer grave psychological trauma in silence for months on end.

Then there are the criminals who seem to  work for some cash for gold operators. 

I wonder what percentage of persons who used to enjoy open air exercising on the streets of the city can say they have not been robbed of phones and jewellery at gunpoint or know someone who has been ?

-I have no doubt  that the tripling of requests for gun licences that the report in the Gleaner spoke to, has something to do with the grave sense of insecurity that pervades despite the billions we spend on secirtuy.

'Indestructible' Pompeii!

Mount Vesuvius hovers ominously in the background

I think from I was born I have been hearing about Pompeii.

You see, my late father just happened to have been a history buff and he reveled in the stories about ancient Greece and Rome, so naturally tales about Pompeii  which was established around the 6 to 7th century BC and which was overrun by both these colonisers at one time or the other, became part of the almost daily fabric.

According to history, Pompeii grew in importance until it was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Ad 79, and it remained buried for over 1500 years. Wikipedia also reports that Mount Vesuvius has erupted several times since then and is the only volcano in Europe which has erupted in the last 100 years.  

Our tour guide also revealed that the last eruption was in 1944 and although it is still considered one of the most dangerous volcanos in the world, some 3,000,000 people have made the surrounding areas their home. I suppose they take comfort from the fact that the oldest observatory is stationed there and everyone (residents and tourists alike) get totally free medical care once they are on Italian soil!

Quite frankly, despite this early exposure to that famed city, visiting it was never on my bucket list, however when I discovered that the Mediterranean cruise I  was taking was calling at the port of  Naples,  a mere half hour drive from Pompeii, you know who had to join that tour and it is probably the best decision I have made for the entire year too! 

The first inspiring thing I  learnt on the the tour was the fact that the tour company we were using, only used history majors as their tour guides. What wonderful news for someone who just revels in history, as no matter how many stories one hears and publications one reads, nothing beats actually walking on the soil with someone who sounds like he has actually lived during the years when the great city was a force to be reckoned with. 

These skeletons dating back 1000 years were preserved by the volcanic eruptions

And we actually saw skeletons of some of those residents who lived there before the Romans arrived which had been found  well preserved by the larva. 

A really impressive aspect of the ancient Pompeii is the grid system they used to design the streets, something so practical and relevant today that it was copied by those who designed New York city many centuries later. 

To actually walk on the streets that were constructed centuries ago with even humps that pedestrians could walk on to prevent them getting their feet dirtied and soaked by the sewage which ran freely on the streets in all those ancient cites, gave one a real insight into the brilliant thought process of those who lived so many centuries before we did.  

The streets were made with humps on which pedestrians could walk to avoid stepping in raw sewage

What is absolutely amazing about this indestructible city is that despite many assaults from earthquakes and volcanoes, so much remains behind to indicate the level of sophistication of those who lived in the ancient city or used it as a vacation destination. For example, it really bowled me over seeing the evidence that around 80 BC, while the Romans occupied Pompeii, they actually established a complex hydro system, gymnasium and even a spa and sauna. 

Wall papered family home!

At the ruins too we saw a well preserved family home with all the creature comforts of that period and remnants of a bakery.

Walking among those ruins was the experience of a lifetime.

Ruins of Pompeii

A PICTORIAL JOURNEY

JOAN WILLIAMS,  moderator of Joan Williams on Line  broadcast on POWER 106, describes herself as an unapologetic addict to the Jamaican outdoors. A foundation member of FUN AND THRILLS ADVENTURE CLUB, she explores the island at any given opportunity cycling, hiking or swimming with that group, family, Jah 3 and anyone else who will have her. In 1995, she published the popular TOUR JAMAICA and the 4^thedition is now an ebook available at;

http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389464644&sr=8-1&keywords=tour+jamaica+by+joan+williams

Contact; gratestj@gmail.com

Pisa, leaning tower and all that.

What I loved about that Mediterranean cruise I took with Disney in June 2014, is the fact that it put so many historically important places within my reach. All one had to do was take the tours to relive some of the most wonderful moment in the development of this beautiful world.

One  of the very interesting ports of call for me was La Spezia which opened up Florence, the capital of Tuscany and its most populous city as well as the leaning Tower of Pisa .

Humorous modern street art

I imagine that it is because the great Michelangelo was born in Florence why it became such an important artistic centre in Italy and the birthplace of the renaissance.

I don't know if one could ever have enough time to visit the numerous churches and museums that make that city an art lovers paradise and I did find some of their modern art quite creative and amusing.

Street art in Florence

As nature would have it, the world was almost deprived of the beautiful treasures kept  in Florence as the river Arno flooded the square with the waters rising in excess of 20 feet, in 1966.

The bridge over the Arno river was constructed in 1345

This flood not only killed many people but also destroyed millions of works or art and rare books and it is a tribute to the Italians and art lovers throughout the world including such well known names as the late Richard Burton, that so many works or art were restored.

After an amazing tour of the historic city and overwhelmed by the wealth of artistic talent that developed in the  historic city, we then took a bus tour to the leaning tower of Pisa .

 This trip should have taken us just over an hour, but unfortunately, our tour bus blew out a front tyre and it was only the expertise of the driver that saved us from disaster.

We were fortunate too that this happened a mere fifteen minutes from Pisa where the tour company had other buses, so one came for us withing half hour so we could continue our tour.

I certainly did not know that the town of Pisa with its just under 100,000 residents, was an industrial town until  I visited as I had always just imagined it to be a site in un-populated area which tourists visit for its interesting history. The city is also home to the University of Pisa which dates back to the 12th century.

To get to the leaning tower, you pass though the small town and travel along streets beautifully lined with huge trees which give the impression of it being a green area.

Once you get into the vicinity of the leaning tower, the place is full of vendors with attractive stalls and exhibitionists who perform all sorts of interesting tricks in the hope that the thousands of tourists who pass through will appreciate their outstanding feats and donate money.

It is quite a long walk from the parking area to the tower complex but there is never a dull moment as there are so many attractive souvenirs and mini shows to see along the way.

Once there, we learnt that the leaning tower is actually the bell tower of the city's cathedral  and is the third oldest building in the cathedral square. We did not get an opportunity to go into the bell tower however as one has to make reservations long on advance to do so.

The tower on which construction started in 1173,  is made from marble and is just over 183 feet tall  with 296 steps. It was not completed until around 1264 after several different builders had participated. However because the tower is built on soft soil, which is why it is leaning, no builder wanted to take credit!!

However, the fact that it leans is what has made it such a popular magnate for tourists and although there are always efforts being made to prevent it from collapsing, there are no plans to straighten it!

JOAN WILLIAMS,  moderator of Joan Williams on Line  broadcast on POWER 106, describes herself as an unapologetic addict to the Jamaican outdoors. A foundation member of FUN AND THRILLS ADVENTURE CLUB, she explores the island at any given opportunity cycling, hiking or swimming with that group, family, Jah 3 and anyone else who will have her. In 1995, she published the popular TOUR JAMAICA and the 4^th edition is now an ebook available at;

http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389464644&sr=8-1&keywords=tour+jamaica+by+joan+williams

Contact; gratestj@gmail.com

Land of wood and water

For years, this beautiful country, Jamaica,  has been fondly called the land of wood and water. However, the dry pipes caused by the drought of 2014 has left many Jamaicans seething.

I guess it is to ease our stress when these pipes are dry that we come up with variations of the land of wood and water to get a laugh.

The one that gave me a real belly laugh so i have chosen  to record it although I cannot recall who coined it is;The land of hood and water shortage". lol.

For the uninitiated, hood is another word a yard here for penis....penises. 

Beautiful Dubrovnik

The first time I ever heard of Dubrovnik was during the  civil war in 1991 when Yugoslavia was being dismantled and for a few months that city was in the news as it was being besieged and pummeled. Today, Dubrovnik is one of the twenty counties in Croatia, which with its 800 km coastline, is considered and important entrance to the Adriatic sea.

The old and new side by side

It was only when going on a Mediterranean cruise and seeing this as a port of call, that I did some  further research and realised that this had been an ancient city highly treasured by UNESCO which protects world heritage sites and it is was now a prime tourism destination and a very modern and beautiful city too. Further, the mild Mediterranean climate makes it a very attractive to people from northern climes.

The walled city

The old city I learnt was actually established  sometime around the 8th century by Greek sailors and is encircled by a thick 2 km long wall with 25 fortresses inside. Over the centuries the city was colonized by many conquerors although it did become independent for a relatively short time between the 14th century and 1808.

 The walled city which still boasts a profusion of Greek, Roman and Baroque architecture was established sometime in the 12th century became a UNESCO site in 1979 but it was a major target of the warring factions for seven months during the civil war and when you visit the old town today, not only do you see lots of bullet holes, but the vast sections that have been repaired are also obvious as the colour of the material used to carry out the repairs is much lighter than the original structure.

This fountain is typical roman architecture.

Despite this however, there is a whole lot to see and learn about what happened behind those walls in the olden days.  For example, in the town square you can stand in front of the fountain where in the 15th century not only were persons who were sentenced to death hanged publicly, but after they died, they were quartered! Yuck.

And these were religious people who never failed to build and decorate their places of worship beautifully.

Inside one of the churches in the old city

Close to the old city, is the small island of Lokrum where Maximilian once had a holiday home, but today it is uninhabited but preserved as a very important forest reserve famous for its huge eucalyptus trees. There is also an old monastery there which is now run s a restaurant.

You can rent rubber dingies at the old city and row your way over to Lokrum.

Another means of getting there too is via cable car from the fort which was built by Napoleon on the over 4000 foot hills above. The cable cars were first introduced  1964, destroyed in the civil war but reestablished in 2010.

Rowing over to Lokrum

Dubrovnik is really a beautiful place to visit if for no other reason than to see the contrast between old and new cities.

The old fort on top of the mountain overlooking Lokrum

Overlooking Dubrovnik

Inside the old city

JOAN WILLIAMS,  moderator of Joan Williams on Line  broadcast on POWER 106, describes herself as an unapologetic addict to the Jamaican outdoors. A foundation member of FUN AND THRILLS ADVENTURE CLUB, she explores the island at any given opportunity cycling, hiking or swimming with that group, family, Jah 3 and anyone else who will have her. In 1995, she published the popular TOUR JAMAICA and the 4^th edition is now an ebook available at;

http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Jamaica-Joan-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EJWCSHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389464644&sr=8-1&keywords=tour+jamaica+by+joan+williams

Contact; gratestj@gmail.com