As we ascended higher, we travel backward from spring to winter.
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Two Seasons
As we ascended higher, we travel backward from spring to winter.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Frescoes at Runkelstein Castle
After becoming enchanted with the story of Ötzi, we headed toward the outskirts of Bolzano to visit Runkelstein Castle, or Castel Roncolo. Built in 1237, this castle features frescoes from the Middle Ages that depict famous figures, like King Arthur and Tristan and Iseult, and scenes from the lives of royalty. The well-preserved frescoes in the inner chambers impressed me; everywhere I looked, more details presented themselves, from the facial expressions on the figures to the intricacies of the clothing to the animals that seemed so integral to the lives of their owners.
The complexity of the frescoes may be the reason that some of them were left incomplete. In addition to the major scene of a joust in the above picture, the borders are ornately decorated with symbols for different groups and feathery flourishes. I can only imagine that this artwork took years to create.
We tried to hold hands like this as we walked through the chambers. Very fancy.
Great Italian art, he is.
Click!
Then, we headed over to the restaurant for some Easter-inspired dishes. Ben had Gröstl, which is a specialty of South Tyrol: beef, potatoes, onions, butter schmalz, and a big egg on top. Bacon-topped coleslaw came on the side. For me, it was pasta with a lamb ragù - expertly seasoned and so, so good.
The view from our walk home - I'm so grateful for this experience.
Friday, April 5, 2013
On Meeting a 5,000-Year-Old Mummy
Note: This post represents a bit of a departure from my typical posts. Instead of purely focusing on our travels, I'm focusing on another man (!), and his name is Ötzi. After spending time with Ötzi, I felt inspired to do a more informational post. Hope you enjoy!
Also, you will view pictures of a mummy. Plan your meals accordingly.
*
Bolzano Bozen's bi-lingual status isn't the only reason it's an interesting city to visit; Bolzano also boasts a museum dedicated to a 5,000-year-old mummy named Ötzi.
The South Tyrol Museum of Archeology tells the story of Ötzi, a man who lived in the Ötztal Alps in what is now Northern Italy. In 1991, two German hikers happened upon his body, and after contacting authorities, a team assembled to excavate the corpse and his belongings. Once out of the ice, scientists began studying the "Ice Man," and as they ran more tests, they realized that the corpse was older than they originally thought - a thousand years older. Ötzi became the oldest human corpse ever found.
Getting in: We decided to visit the museum right when it opened at 10 o'clock. On previous days, lines had formed in the late afternoon, and we didn't want to waste time waiting in a line. There are too many museums to visits and too many gelato flavors to sample for that! We arrived at 9:50, and an Austrian family joined us soon after. Being the reserved Americans (not an oxymoron) that we are, we waited for the doors to open. But not this robust Austrian man! He tried the door and then used the intercom. The doors unlocked, he laughed with good-natured pride, and we entered the museum in mummy-beholding anticipation. The receptionist must have thought the man on the intercom was making a delivery, because she kind of looked shocked that a group of people entered the museum, say, two minutes before it was set to open. As my mother would say, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil." Lessons learned? 1. If you're a customer, it never hurts to ask for what you want. 2. You can't keep Austrians waiting. They won't let you.
The first floor of the museum set the stage for meeting Ötzi on the second. To put Ötzi's time period in perspective, the museum had a timeline that noted major events in Earth's history. Ben had to pose with his predecessor, Lucy. And check out those neon-colored humanoids in the background!
Because Ötzi is a wet mummy, the temperature and humidity of his chamber need to be closely regulated. Despite the smallness of the viewing window into Ötzi's chamber, we were able to notice his tattoos, veins, and even some body hair. I'm not going to pretend that we didn't stand in line two (or three) times to spend more time looking at him. It was astounding.
After prying ourselves away from Ötzi, we had a look at the clothing and supplies that were discovered with him. Note that the photos of Ötzi and his belongings are from the museum's website since no photography was allowed on this level of the museum. If you're interested, the website details each of the items found with Ötzi, and offers great information about the research done on him. Do you want to know about the contents of Ötzi's stomach? What about the blood in his veins and his blood type? All this and more on the website.
Multiple choice: The above photo is ___.
a.) an axe with a copper blade b.) a dangerous cane c.) rewriting history books d.) a primitive tool for primitive lobotomies
So, a.) and c.) - Ötzi's axe blade is indeed made of copper, but because scientists have dated Ötzi's existence to over 5,000 years ago, they now know that the Copper Age in Europe began one thousand years before the old estimates. All by finding one artifact...
If you answered b.) and/or d.), really?
Ötzi wasn't messing around in the mountains; the man knew how to dress. These leggings were found on Ötzi, and they're made from goat hide and deerskin string. We could actually see fur on the leggings.
In addition to the sewing on the leggings, viewing the dagger and sheath really drove home the fact that Ötzi was a skilled craftsman. If something broke on his journey, he had to be able to repair it. For him, it meant the difference between life and death. Each of his belongings seemed to have been made from different types of animals, wood, and grains. He obviously had naturalistic intelligence and used his resources wisely. He made the most of what was available.
It reminds me of how little I know about surviving. Could I build a fire? A shelter? Could I protect myself? Find food?
Could you?
Well, the Ötzi story isn't completely filled with axes and craftsmanship. Why?
Because Ötzi was MURDERED. What? I know!
About ten years after he was discovered, an X-ray found that an arrowhead was lodged in his shoulder. They believe that this wound killed Ötzi. To make the museum a bit interactive, clipboards were attached to a wall where one could write her interpretation of how Ötzi died. We added our stories, natürlich. My favorite was from an Irish visitor, and it read: "Ötzi was murdered by his best friend Chika - he was jealous of his smooth hair and dagger collection. He -(Ötzi) - died with dignity." Another great one that Ben translated for me said that Ötzi was killed by dinosaurs, and the "arrowhead" they found in his shoulder is actually a dinosaur tooth.
I'm not so sure that these young writers came to their conclusions based on the evidence available (as good researchers do), but some points must be given for creativity.
And the lifelike model of Ötzi that ties everything together.
- Select photos and information via.
Also, you will view pictures of a mummy. Plan your meals accordingly.
*
Bolzano Bozen's bi-lingual status isn't the only reason it's an interesting city to visit; Bolzano also boasts a museum dedicated to a 5,000-year-old mummy named Ötzi.
The South Tyrol Museum of Archeology tells the story of Ötzi, a man who lived in the Ötztal Alps in what is now Northern Italy. In 1991, two German hikers happened upon his body, and after contacting authorities, a team assembled to excavate the corpse and his belongings. Once out of the ice, scientists began studying the "Ice Man," and as they ran more tests, they realized that the corpse was older than they originally thought - a thousand years older. Ötzi became the oldest human corpse ever found.
Ötzi's body survived because the snow and ice of the Ötztal Alps that covered him prevented decomposition and disturbance from predators. His location, deep in a gully, also protected him from the movement of the glacier, which essentially flowed over him. Despite our changing climate over the past 5,000 years, several fortunate circumstances preserved Ötzi, and he in turn has provided scientists with mountains (pun-intended) of data and insight into what life was like thousands of years ago.
Getting in: We decided to visit the museum right when it opened at 10 o'clock. On previous days, lines had formed in the late afternoon, and we didn't want to waste time waiting in a line. There are too many museums to visits and too many gelato flavors to sample for that! We arrived at 9:50, and an Austrian family joined us soon after. Being the reserved Americans (not an oxymoron) that we are, we waited for the doors to open. But not this robust Austrian man! He tried the door and then used the intercom. The doors unlocked, he laughed with good-natured pride, and we entered the museum in mummy-beholding anticipation. The receptionist must have thought the man on the intercom was making a delivery, because she kind of looked shocked that a group of people entered the museum, say, two minutes before it was set to open. As my mother would say, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil." Lessons learned? 1. If you're a customer, it never hurts to ask for what you want. 2. You can't keep Austrians waiting. They won't let you.
The first floor of the museum set the stage for meeting Ötzi on the second. To put Ötzi's time period in perspective, the museum had a timeline that noted major events in Earth's history. Ben had to pose with his predecessor, Lucy. And check out those neon-colored humanoids in the background!
After prying ourselves away from Ötzi, we had a look at the clothing and supplies that were discovered with him. Note that the photos of Ötzi and his belongings are from the museum's website since no photography was allowed on this level of the museum. If you're interested, the website details each of the items found with Ötzi, and offers great information about the research done on him. Do you want to know about the contents of Ötzi's stomach? What about the blood in his veins and his blood type? All this and more on the website.
Multiple choice: The above photo is ___.
a.) an axe with a copper blade b.) a dangerous cane c.) rewriting history books d.) a primitive tool for primitive lobotomies
So, a.) and c.) - Ötzi's axe blade is indeed made of copper, but because scientists have dated Ötzi's existence to over 5,000 years ago, they now know that the Copper Age in Europe began one thousand years before the old estimates. All by finding one artifact...
If you answered b.) and/or d.), really?
Ötzi wasn't messing around in the mountains; the man knew how to dress. These leggings were found on Ötzi, and they're made from goat hide and deerskin string. We could actually see fur on the leggings.
In addition to the sewing on the leggings, viewing the dagger and sheath really drove home the fact that Ötzi was a skilled craftsman. If something broke on his journey, he had to be able to repair it. For him, it meant the difference between life and death. Each of his belongings seemed to have been made from different types of animals, wood, and grains. He obviously had naturalistic intelligence and used his resources wisely. He made the most of what was available.
It reminds me of how little I know about surviving. Could I build a fire? A shelter? Could I protect myself? Find food?
Could you?
Well, the Ötzi story isn't completely filled with axes and craftsmanship. Why?
Because Ötzi was MURDERED. What? I know!
About ten years after he was discovered, an X-ray found that an arrowhead was lodged in his shoulder. They believe that this wound killed Ötzi. To make the museum a bit interactive, clipboards were attached to a wall where one could write her interpretation of how Ötzi died. We added our stories, natürlich. My favorite was from an Irish visitor, and it read: "Ötzi was murdered by his best friend Chika - he was jealous of his smooth hair and dagger collection. He -(Ötzi) - died with dignity." Another great one that Ben translated for me said that Ötzi was killed by dinosaurs, and the "arrowhead" they found in his shoulder is actually a dinosaur tooth.
I'm not so sure that these young writers came to their conclusions based on the evidence available (as good researchers do), but some points must be given for creativity.
And the lifelike model of Ötzi that ties everything together.
- Select photos and information via.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
When it Rains on Vacation
When it rains on vacation, ______
- pose amidst wet Art, wet Vespas, and wet cobblestones.
- check out the bike lane and discuss the attributes of the bikes you'll buy when you're home.
- speculate as to which century Education resembled the façade of the Bolzano School Museum.
- dream about pink lemonade and sherbert.
- comment on how cute it is that Nemo and his dad are spending time together every time they get anywhere near each other at the Naturmuseum Südtirol.
- realize that you now know what Homer Simpson's brain looks like.
- contemplate your existence.
- marvel at radial symmetry.
- stare Death in the face at the Municipal (Stadt) Museum.
- play scary make believe.
- try to win a Krampus photo contest.
- warm up next to some fancy Kachelofen.
- order "ein Stück Tiramisu, bitte," and then look unhappy?
- smile in front of the Mussolini-commissioned Fascist victory monument and a twisty tree. Later, find the translation of the Latin inscription and shudder a little bit. The values of research, I'll tell ya.
- bask in the beauty of perfectly brilliant yellow flowers.
- remember that you still have obligations to a bridge in Salzburg.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
When We Said Buongiorno/Guten Tag to Bolzano/Bozen
Although I always hoped that I'd have the opportunity to travel, I never thought that it was more than just wishful thinking. I grew up hearing stories about where my relatives came from in Europe and about the struggles they faced as immigrants in the United States.
On my maternal side, my grandfather's family came from Italy, and my grandmother's family came from (the former) Czechoslovakia and the Austro-Hungarian empire. I still don't know if I'm more Austrian or Hungarian, although I saw a girl who looked mysteriously like me on the train to Budapest. At any rate, Ben and I knew we wanted to visit Italy from the minute we decided to move to Austria; his last name ends in a vowel too. Capisce?
Our journey took us to Bolzano/Bozen in northern Italy. It's the capital city of Südtirol, or Alto Adige. Why am I writing all the names in two languages, attentive reader? Well, after World War I, the city left Austrian hands and became Italian. Its history of Austrian and Italian possession is very evident in the city today. Around town, Italian and German float off the tongues of the locals. It seemed like almost everyone could speak Italian and German, and in many cases, English too. All of the signs are in German and Italian. Even though I knew we were in Italy, it was a little hard to believe because the two cultures and languages are so intertwined.
Our train went through the Brenner Pass on its way to Italy. Doesn't really look like spring has hit the Alps yet, huh? In the last two pictures, you can see what's called Lawinenschutz, or Alpine avalanche protection.
But once through the Brenner Pass, the scenery changed. Say hello to the Dolomites and to a field of grapevines.
Apfelstrudel in Italy? Yes, especially when ordered in German.
Illuminated magnolias in the main square reminded us of spring's arrival.
This dog, who joined us for a digestif of grappa, received about 1,000 pets, sat on Ben's foot, and stole my heart. When his owner came to collect him, she asked in German if we would like to take him home. Ben said, "yes, no problem," and then she laughingly said, "one problem," as she kissed him and took him from our lives forever. We need a dog. We need a dog. Repeat.
Also, we meet a cool Swiss gentleman who couldn't believe that Ben was American and spoke German so well. That's always good to hear. He told me that he met his wife in Milan and that she did "this" (*mimicked his hands being tied together*), and he still hasn't found the key.
The friendliness in Italy shocked me, as I've become accustomed to Salzburg and how people keep to themselves. Cultural differences, man.
A presto!
On my maternal side, my grandfather's family came from Italy, and my grandmother's family came from (the former) Czechoslovakia and the Austro-Hungarian empire. I still don't know if I'm more Austrian or Hungarian, although I saw a girl who looked mysteriously like me on the train to Budapest. At any rate, Ben and I knew we wanted to visit Italy from the minute we decided to move to Austria; his last name ends in a vowel too. Capisce?
Our journey took us to Bolzano/Bozen in northern Italy. It's the capital city of Südtirol, or Alto Adige. Why am I writing all the names in two languages, attentive reader? Well, after World War I, the city left Austrian hands and became Italian. Its history of Austrian and Italian possession is very evident in the city today. Around town, Italian and German float off the tongues of the locals. It seemed like almost everyone could speak Italian and German, and in many cases, English too. All of the signs are in German and Italian. Even though I knew we were in Italy, it was a little hard to believe because the two cultures and languages are so intertwined.
Our train went through the Brenner Pass on its way to Italy. Doesn't really look like spring has hit the Alps yet, huh? In the last two pictures, you can see what's called Lawinenschutz, or Alpine avalanche protection.
But once through the Brenner Pass, the scenery changed. Say hello to the Dolomites and to a field of grapevines.
After arriving, we quickly checked into our hostel and headed into town.
For our first dinner, we went to Weißes Rössl/Cavallino Bianco/Little White Pony. Being a teacher, planning is a way of life, so, naturally, I spent some time reading reviews on Trip Advisor to come up with an eating itinerary. Do you do this, or am I the only one? Anyway, this restaurant had great reviews, and it did not disappoint. I had pasta carbonara with speck, which is a cured ham and a specialty of Tyrol. Ben had spinach spätzle with ham. Lecker/Delizioso.
Illuminated magnolias in the main square reminded us of spring's arrival.
This dog, who joined us for a digestif of grappa, received about 1,000 pets, sat on Ben's foot, and stole my heart. When his owner came to collect him, she asked in German if we would like to take him home. Ben said, "yes, no problem," and then she laughingly said, "one problem," as she kissed him and took him from our lives forever. We need a dog. We need a dog. Repeat.
Also, we meet a cool Swiss gentleman who couldn't believe that Ben was American and spoke German so well. That's always good to hear. He told me that he met his wife in Milan and that she did "this" (*mimicked his hands being tied together*), and he still hasn't found the key.
The friendliness in Italy shocked me, as I've become accustomed to Salzburg and how people keep to themselves. Cultural differences, man.
A presto!
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