Fri March 09 2018  —  e-mail Manfred

Giro d'Italia continued. Rome, Naples and further.

Flag Italy

Sunday, May 20 2007

2 years, 9 month, 28 days

Camigliatello, Italy

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

Land Rover 50,203km

Trekking 335km

Ferry 803km

Train 238km

Other cars 29,297km

(MB307 3,230km)

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > europe > italy > 20070520-camigliatello

There's not many places like Firenze/Florence.

Map, Italian journey.

Download GPS (KML) track/waypoints.

Already some 24 years ago on my own hitch hiking through Europe Florence attracted/fascinated me, especially its cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore with its green and white marble and brick cupola. I remember those "cool" people that sat on its steps, soaking up the light of the setting sun. In peoples back the dome's colors shine and glimmer. I have come back many many times with all those women in my life. And it always takes your breath when you turn one street corner and then he is there. Enormous.

By and large Florence has maintained its magic. Just a pity, but the boys would not understand standing in line for an hour to get into the Uffizi Gallery. I have been inside many times before. Maybe we return some day. Maybe then the boys understand the inside as well.

But maybe then the masses of tourists will require us standing in line even longer. Florence on Wikipedia.

Firenze/Florence basilica, Santa Maria del Fiore
Firenze cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore.
Firenze/Florence basilica/cathedral/dome, Santa Maria del Fiore
Firenze duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore.
Firenze/Florence basilica/cathedral/duomo
detail.
Firenze/Florence Piazza Signoria
Firenze. Piazza Signoria.
Firenze/Florence, Palazzo Veccio, Piazza Signoria
Firenze. Palazzo Veccio.

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No Piazza like Il Campo in Siena.

Wikipedia.

Siena, Il Campo
Siena, Il Campo.

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Chianti Classico, Brunello and Vino Nobile.

In Castellina in Chianti, I buy a bottle of Chianti Classico Reserva 2000, 100% San Giovese they claim. And we settle early for a fresh Tagliatelle and pomodoro sauce of huge, fleshy, fresh and some dried tomatos, well spiced with peperoncini, creamy through prime virgin olive oil.

After Siena the next morning we move on to Montalcino for tasting and buying Brunellos and later in the day to Montepulciano for some Vino Nobile, all those brands indicating pure San Giovese. But still, even better then tasting and buying is getting there, driving the country of hills of vineyards and olive plantations and those tall trees lining the roads.

Montepulciano, Tuscany/Toscana, vineyards, blue sky.
Montepulciano in back.

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Gubbio.

Really glad we have made the journey. Wikipedia.

Gubbio Piazza Grande
Gubbio Piazza Grande Palazzo Consoli.
Gubbio Piazza Grande
Gubbio Piazza Grande, Palazzo Consoli

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Assisi.

Some sacred feel overcomes me when I enter the San Francesco basilica, then descend into the lower a bit more ancient part of it and I hold my breath when going further down the steps to the krypt and then stand right in front of the saints tomb. Wikipedia.

Assisi, San Francesco
Assisi San Francesco.
Assisi, street
Assisi.
Assisi, street
Carrying David.

Carrying the kids proves really efficient. Entering churches, busses and trains is so much easier. And the boys know well when is their time to just be quiet and sleep.

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Perugia.

Cool town, with lots of students an tourists sitting on the cathedral steps drinking beer. We do likewise. I think this is where I'll sent my boys to university.

Its hilly location requires a good effort with a double pram, But it proves worth it. Wikipedia.

Perugia, evening sky, church and houses, Italian architecture
Perugia.
Perugia, evening sky, houses, Italian architecture, centro storico
Old town.
Perugia, evening sky, houses, Italian architecture, centro storico
... complete mediavel.
Perugia, steps cathedral, people drink beer
Perugia cathedral steps.
Perugia, steps cathedral, Hasna breast feeds Daniel
Perugia.

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No cathedral like Orvieto.

So glad we stopped here as well. Wikipedia. The whole line opposite the duomo is for seating. And people sit down, astounded by the beauty, inhaling the view of what they thought impossible. We too spend a good hour alowing the impressions to settle.

Orvieto, grande cathedral
Orvieto. duomo.
Orvieto, grande cathedral, crowd
Orvieto, grande cathedral

Orvieto, grande cathedral
Orvieto cathedral/basilica.
Orvieto, grande cathedral
Orvieto, grande cathedral
Orvieto, grande cathedral, Hasna quite facinated
Hasna fascinated.

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Time that we get to Roma/Rome, the Vatican.

Rome/Roma, San Pietro/St. Peter pillars/columns and tourists
Rome columns and tourists.

Never before in Italy I went that far south. Wikipedia.

And Rome only - would take a lifetime to explore. And we spend only a day. It is pretty difficult entering by car, and leaving it somewhere half secure, but still easier then taking the bus with a double pram.

Well it is Rome where I feel at home. This is the capital, big enough, Romans open enough. It will have to be Rome then where I send my boys to university.

In St. Peters we go to pains and climb the 300 and something steps to the top of the cupola with the two boys. You have to make an effort when you want to be close to heaven/god.

Inside the kypta in front of Karol Wojtyla's tomb an aura of sainthood, something mystical/sacred is exhaled. I did not agree with all he said but he undoubtedly was a very impressive personality of the 20th century.

There is many sights and towns that we did not see on this Italian journey, or just rushed. But just one I really regret not having seen. The Sistine Chapel. The place where they vote the pope with its Michelangelo frescos ... We will come back to Rome.

Rome/Roma, San Pietro/St. Peter
Rome Vatican San Pietro.
Rome/Roma, San Pietro/St. Peter coloums and statues
Rome, Vatikan, St. Peter.
Rome/Roma, San Pietro/St. Peter pillars and statues
Rome, Vatikan columns and statues.
Rome/Roma, San Pietro/St. Peter view from top.
Rome San Pietro, view from top.
Rome/Roma, San Pietro/St. Peter Hasna and twins.
... with the boys.
Rome/Roma, little street, sunlight and flowers
Later we wander round town.

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Napoli/Naples.

A couple of things indicating we are approaching Naples: We come from the north following the Tyrrhenian Coast. Clandestinos of African origin and police looking for them, some patches where prostitutes line the streets and 3rd a lot of rubbish piling up on street corners as if not collected for weeks (which is true/a strike/a dispute of where to dump it).

None worries us much. Rather where will we spend the night? Most campsites are yet to open. So we drive across Naples, around its bay, some 30km after in Vico Equense just before Sorento we find the very hospitable San Antonio Camping.

We come back to Naples by train, carrying the boys in cloth. They're so quiet, cooperative, just sweat a bit in their sleep when being carried.

Naples is cool, the food superb and cheap. But you want to live in Rome, not the province. Naples on Wikipedia.

Napoli/Naples, Vesuvio/Vesuv, Hasna
Vesuvio seen from everywhere from the Golfo di Napoli.
Napoli/Naples, Vesuvio/Vesuv, Hasna
After a day driving. Vesuvio in back
Napoli/Naples, rubbish uncollected, because of a strike.
Rubbish piling up in Naples streets.

Napoli/Naples, centro storico
Centro storico/old town.
Napoli/Naples, centro storico, socialist bookshop
Libri socialistici.
Napoli/Naples, centro storico, old town, obese women
Obesity problem.

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Pompeii.

Napoli/Naples, Pompeii, Vesuvio/Vesuv in clowds, field of Poppy,
Vesuvio as seen from Pompeii, seems far away.

We also return to Pompeii by train again carrying the boys.

Wikipedia.

Pompeii, tourist, arch and columns, bad weather clowds.
Pompeii and tourist.
Pompeii, statue, columns, blue sky.
Pompeii and statue.
Pompeii, workshop, plastified human corps.
Plastification.
Pompeii, workshop, plastified human corps, amphorae.
So much else remains in workshops.

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Amalfi Coast.

Amalfi Coast
Is it worth the hassle?

Busloads of toursits, where do they all come from? Unless I arrive by helicopter or yacht, I won't come back here anymore. Overrated and they say overpriced, and rendered disgusting by the busloads ....

And they did not alow us through on the Costiera Amalfitana on our way to Positano. Well they hate camper vans. So do I.

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Paestum. this is Greek.

A must see, timed it well for evening light, been lucky with weather. Strong winds push away the last clowds. It rains a bit still, but air is clear. And there are fewer tourists around here. Fewer the further we go south. Wikipedia.

Paestum, Greek Temple, ruin, shadows.
Paestum.
Paestum, Greek Temple, ruin.
Paestum. So many columns outside Greece.
Paestum, Greek Temple, ruin.
Paestum detail.
Paestum, Greek Temple, ruin.
An impression of what it might have been.
Paestum, Greek Temple, ruin.
Light is good, no tourists. Quiet

Tyrrhenian Coast, sea.
Morning, Tyrrhenian coast.

Next morning, first morning that is bright as it should be. The wind has blown strongly, pushed away all clowds. We see a sea, we envie a beach, but it should take a little longer till we'd actually get onto one.

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Camigliatello Silano.

We reach a first final destination on the 19th of May: Camigliatello near Cosenza in the Sila, a mountainous, un-mediteranean mountain massive in the heart of Calabria. It rains constantly. End of May temperatures at night just around 5°C. This is very normal, Hasna's uncle explains. "It's just July and August that sees sun. In winter we have up to 3 metres of snow". There's ski slopes nearby.

Abdekader has left Morocco a long time ago, and settled/married just here. He speaks Calabrese fluently and has become Italian or rather Calabrian in so many other ways. In his macelleria (butcher's) he makes a great prosciutto Silano and his salcicce is said to be the best in in town.

And red wine here comes in 5 and 10 litre bottles.

Abdelkader Jabrazko.
Abdelkader Gianfranco Jabrazko.
Abdelkader Jabrazko, Salcicce.
Salcicce.
Abdelkader Jabrazko, Salcicce.
more Salcicce.

The Giro d'Italia continues.

Am I boring you yet?? The real stuff, the African journey resumes in September.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > europe > italy > 20070520-camigliatello

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