...:::Brunei Trans Africa:::...

Saturday 29-9-07

'Buon giorno Italia"

The lights of Bari greeted us in the morning.

Bari ahead JAMBO in the ship, ready for Italy

   Another hour later, we were on the "Autostrada" the highway, heading to Roma. We reached the city's traffic around noon. Oh boy
   the Romans drive! But never mind, we wanted to spend at least a few hours here in the most famous of all cities.
   Rome was founded 2,700 years ago. It had an immense impact on the world. Many European languages are based on Latin, many
   political and legal systems follow the ancient model. Buildings all around the world utilize the styles and techniques of the Romans.
   Many Sculptures and buildings are in their beauty unsurpassed. And Rome is very old.

   By mid 2nd century B.C. Rome controlled already the West Mediterranean, defending it with its massive armies. Peasants who's land
   have been destroyed by Hannibal's invasion (another one!) flooded Rome, followed by slaves and freedmen from conquered land such
   as Greece. The population swell already to 500.000 (more than my beloved Brunei today). There was plenty work for them.
   Constructing roads and bridges, markets, temples and aqueducts (slight gradient channels feeding water to the city from the
   mountains, some over 80 km long and still standing today). In 44 B.C. that is 2100 years ago, famous Julius Cesar became "dictator
   for life!" Which unfortunately lasted another month then he was assassinated. Civil war followed and only when Augustus became
   Rome's Emperor the Empire expanded. In the third century A.D. it reached it's limits and left their legacy in temples and buildings of
   which we have seen a few.
   They imitated the classical styles of Ancient Greece but developed at the same time their own forms based on the arch the vault and
   domes.
   During the middle ages Rome went into decline. But recovered spectacular in the 15th century and for over 200 years the greatest
   artists of the Renaissance and Baroque lived and worked here. You find works of Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael and Cellini,
   they build palaces, decorated and created masterpieces, works of art so valuable that no one can buy them.
   The live was lavish, banquets last up to 10 hours, public bath in Diocletian times (298 A.D.) held hundreds of people. Not only to keep
   clean. They had bars, libraries, barber shops, brothels and sport facilities.
   Provinces send the taxes regularly, the army held them in check, and this system allowed the creation of art, nowhere else seen on
   our planet. To see all of Rome one needs several month, perhaps a year.

The famous Coliseum Triumph arch of emperor Septimus Severus

   The Coliseum, Rome's greatest amphitheatre was commissioned in 72.A.D.It had space for 50.000 spectators, same as a football
   stadium today. Deadly gladiatorial combats were staged here for spectators to see free of charge. "Panem et cercenses" was a Latin
   saying. Meaning give the people "bread and fun", then you the leader can do almost what you want and get away with it.

            In 3nd century A.D. the roman empire stretched widest.                             another view of the coliseum
              Over North Africa, Middle East, Spain and UK

One of the hundreds of fountains 2000 year old viaduct and the gate

   We did not have much time to exploring Rome. That will be another event. However we like to give you an indication with some
   details, what a master mansion, a sculptor, we call him a genius, is able to create. He must have a vision of the final work in front
   of his eyes at all times and transferred his vision through his hands by hammer and chisel into these sculptures and relief's.
   Pleasing you, honorable reader with details, hard to find elsewhere. The expressions, frozen moment of struggle, despair, of hope,
   pain and agony. You find the beauty of youth, and the fading life. This artist was a gifted man.

And with a grim faced ,he sits above all.

   We were not able to trace the sculptor and the meaning of all. If you dear reader know who and what it is, please send a mail.
   Surely it must be famous.
  On house walls you find these sculptures, maybe it is part of a family, maybe generations. These persons have lived.

seen on house facades

   Leaving Rome behind, we traveled along the west coast up north towards Pisa. When night feel we had the finest Italian spaghetti
   before we retired in "Hotel de La JAMBO exquisite" at a rude parking lot on the shores of the Tyrrhenian sea. A streetlight shone
   over us.

Next by, another mobile home. It took not long three cats hung around the camper. "They must have had fish for dinner" said Harun.

   Soon the " MIAU" concert, begun. When one jumped up their bonnet to look into the kitchen, a man appeared in his underwear,
   banging with a frying pan to scare them off. Escaping the danger the cats went quick under the van. The camper man satisfied,
   returned the door, with the serious " you cannot do with me what you like" face and disappeared behind the door,"schramm"
    it made and was locked. "MIAUUU" it now came from under."MIAUUU" for a 5 minutes, then two cats appeared and
   jumped onto the bonnet again. The painful cry of hunger was heard. "MIAUUUU". Now, the door flew open the angry man emerged.
   Swoop! the cats were under the van. We noticed now only a quiet and careful "Miau" coming from under. He went back in. The sooner
   he was bedding, hoping for a lovely dream, the cats were on the bonnet. We all know, how smart a camper man is as he has to face
   many situations. Learning meanwhile that they likely will escape under his van, the "defender of his sleep" appeared with Mamas
    broom. When the door open, the cats at once, flee under. "I get you!" He shouted.
   Bending slowly down to locate them, the man called them now. "Mietz Mietz Mietz'. But cats are smart too." why would he,
   who had chased us before, suddenly become so kind ?" They sat there and complained: "Miauuu" As much as he tried, the broom
   handle was too short to get them and when he was close they moved to the farther side. Again dear reader, we know camper men
   are experienced fellows. Therefore, he commanded his wife out. She was to go to the other side and with a "gshht gscht" get the cats
   closer to his broom for the final devastating blow. We were now curious and followed the unfolding events discretely behind our
   curtains. A feather duster in hand the curlers in the hair, she stood heir man! Eh, we mean woman.

   The camper man pocked wild with the broom under the van until -by chance it seamed- he hit one of the cat. Now dear reader it is
   hard to believe but so it was. The cat jumped wide and landed between the legs of the woman. She shriek, stepped back and in the
   haste, fell, landing with a splash in the mud. Poor lady in this night of horror; as this is September and the rains have set in. " Help".
    she cried in desperation. The camper man in underwear whisked around his home to rescue her and - slipped. The broom was flying
    then he too, landing almost fast as a jumbo jet next to her. It was sad to look at them crawling back into the camper, looking like
    chimney cleaners. Not long after we heard again from under the van "Miauu, Miauu".

The cats would not have got any fish bones from them, that is for sure.

Sunday 30-9-07

   Pisa 300 km away, famous for the leaning tower, was our next stop. He was built over centuries. It was worked on it and stop again.
   As in business or marriage, what you build on weak foundation will not stand. When the builders realized that the sand was too soft
   to hold the weight, they tried to correct it on the upper part. If you look close you can see it, the tower goes back into vertical a bit.
   It did not help, the tower continued to lean more and more. In recent times, they have pumped concrete under, to have finally the
   required strength, and that should solve the problem for ever. But the tower is leaned. It has it's good too. Over a million Tourist's
   come per year, to see the mistake and the cathedral ,also a masterpiece of architecture.

                         This was the picture of sweat! We stopped where we are not allowed, for the "JAMBO in PISA" photo.

The PISA complex close up of the tower

And here we present you with the reason why mostly tourists come. To hold the leaning tower!.

                      But what no one of them realizes is, that it is a babies heel avoiding the fall. Here is the proof!

It is only 8:30 a.m. and see the masses flowing into the area already.

   From Pisa on the West coast, we crosses Italia to East via Bologna, and reached Venice by afternoon. A ferry took us to Venice.
   JAMBO was parked in a Caravan camping ground. As with Rome, one cannot tell about the 1000 years history of Venice as trading
   nation in a few words. But let us look a bit into it.
   Venice is build in a lagoon. "She is a miracle between the sky and water" say the books. The history begun with Attila the king of the
   Huns. His armies devastated Venetian cities and villages and drove the survivors of his massacres into the lagoon islands. That was
   around 450 A.D. Over time, first build up centers were formed having political and business organizations. Despite attacks from
   mainland and pirates, the people were able to survive. They already build "campi, calli and fondamenti"( canals bridges palaces,) when
   Attila the Hun and other barbarians lived their destructive and meager life in miserable sheds.

   A populace was molded in its own spirit and strength. Today it offers Europe and the world its splendor of presence. Princes and
   dodges govern in the times back then, true men who knew how to rule. From their time tell letters of profound love of liberty and nobility
   of the soul. From Venetian shores the great navigators and explorers, Caboto, Da Mosto, Querine, set sail, and from here young
   Marco Polo set for a marvelous journey to mysterious China. The souls of great artists were inspired like Giovanni Bellini, Tiziano
   Vecellio,Giovanni Battista Tioepollo and many more. In the pallazi you could hear the music of Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Galuppi and others.

On the facades of the pallazi you discover today the exalted hand of men who loved Venice.

   In 810 A.D. They rejected submission to Constantinople (Istanbul today) and conquered their complete independence. In the 13th
   Century Marco Polo, merchant, traveler and narrator stands out. He took the name of Venice to every where, even into the heart of
   China. Venice became a glorious power, sailing and trading as far as the Middle East. They continue to conquer. Along the Adriatic
   Sea first, then with the crusades in which Venice created new channels of commerce. It filled the Venetian galleys with
   enormous treasure looted from the Middle East. At the end of 1700.A.D. Napoleon Bonaparte arrives and the Republic surrenders.
   Today she is imbedded in the Italian Nation.

approaching Venice, the tower St. Marks Campanile. build over 1000 years ago

Soft is the underground..... Venice on an ordinary day

Due to motorboat traffic the city suffers and buildings deteriorate. Further, springtides flooded several times the city. Now floodgates
are constructed. Should water rise due to southerly storms in the Adriatic sea, these gate will close the lagoon to protect the city.

Torre dell' Oroligo (renaissance tower) build 1499 A.D. The old Procuratorie from 1500 A.D.

Gondolas carry tourists. for extra pay the gondoliere sing for you "Oh sole mio.." Narrow alleys between the houses.

attractive displays lure the tourist to spend; and there are plenty of them

Pigeons, almost as many as tourists. For one Euro (B$ 2.30) you buy some food for them then one may sit on the head

Gondolas awaiting passenger and a beautiful Ponte crossing one of the many canals

The serious photographer and one of her objects

But no one sees these two. We passed twice. The Japanese woman was waiting-obviously broke. Who want his name written in
Japanese anyhow? A crazy idea she had. Maybe she is desperate, but then go wash dishes. That is sure money.

   And the black humility? On the first approach we did not want to give, seeing the shoes in fairly good condition. But the
   conscience kept nagging. We came back to check it out. She was no more there. "Whoever you are, forgive us please, if you are truly
   suffering."
   When the sun sunk to the horizon we returned, it was too little time in Venice, but yes, we will come back.

Monday 1-10-07

We were early up for the final 280 km north to Austria and my hubbies home in the mountains. The weather was nice. Cruising over
bridges and through tunnels we reached home around noon.

Highways cutting through mountains. A 2 km long tunnel has only four fans to transfer air. ( How many has the consulting engineer
installed in our Kiarong underpass which is 60m long?)

A Bridge intersection. Italians are masters in road building

Our stop was temporary as we planned to have look at the world greatest spectacle for two weeks, the Oktoberfest in Munich.

It is Ramadan, so we were evaluating should we go at all. But then ourselves not participating we thought to see what is all about should not be a problem..

If you like to read more you have to click Germany