Scotland

Most people wonder where my last name comes from: Ogilvie. It just sounds strange. However, my family has a proud heritage in our Scottish roots that date back hundreds of years. I cannot even recall how many times my father would point to our family crest and warn me to never take my future husband’s name. Besides being super annoying, I wanted to see Scotland for myself.

So one day, for a whopping ticket of 43 Euros, I went to Edinburgh with my father. Goal number one: find the street that said Ogilvie. It wasn’t that hard. Situated on a picturesque street of olden houses the tall sign stood with out last name on it.  The moment was like a glimpse back in history. But it was just that-a moment. What were we to do with the rest of our time?

There were so many places to visit, and my father and I literally took the first cab that went by and said, “take us to your favorite location.”  I would describe it as Italy, but only a thousand time cleaner. One of our first stops was Edinburgh castle. It was a magnificent site, situated on the top of a rocky and winding hill. The huge stone made me imagine the amount of time and work put forth to creating such a place. A mighty fortification of Scotland’s kings and queens, it was built in 1617 in honor of James VI. Unfortunately, the entrance fee was a bit steep, and my father and I decided to save our money for a mighty Scottish feast.

That hike up the hill was one I would never like to have to redo, and it created an enormous hole in my stomach that craved anything and everything. After randomly selecting another cab, we chose to eat at a cozy restaurant situated on the outskirts of the capital. I chose the traditional “ hungry man.” Thinking I could eat ten different types of meat on a platter that had to have been at least a foot long, no Thanksgiving meal could compare to how overly full I felt. Not to mention the haggis that didn’t sit too well. Needless to say, I was happy to call a cab back to the hostel.

Vietri sul Mare

Now I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Amalfi coast, probably by means of a tourist guide book.  One of my favorite locations along this Mediterranean coast is the peaceful yet exquisite town of Vietri sul Mare, literally meaning “glass on the sea.” Located here are many small shops build in or along the rocky hillsides. These shops contain famous polychrome ceramic handicrafts, whose first records date back to the XV century. My mother and I loved collecting these handmade pieces, and over the years they lined our countertops and shelves. Unfortunately, most tourists never really appreciate the rich history this locations holds; the concept of showing off their foreign ceramics back home holds more importance.

Call me old fashioned, but I love to just sightsee. Trust me  when I say it is a work out touring Vietri sul Mare. Like many Italian cities, the buildings date back hundreds of years, and still stand to this day. The town has Etruscan origins and played the important role of outpost for centuries on the sea for commercial traffics with the hinterland. Occupied by the Romans, we find numerous archaeological artifacts that lie in the  village of Marina. Of these remains, the Church of St. John the Baptist, built in the XVII century in late Renaissance style, stands on the top of the town. It is built of a single nave and topped with the very popular dome covered roof. All along the sides are remains of majolica tiles. Outside stands a tall bell tower. Inside the church, there stands a fine marble altar of the XVII century, a coffered ceiling in gold, a statue of the Saint in alabaster, and a crucifix painted on wood of the XI century. It’s not uncommon for there to be ancient churches in Italy. However, this one stood out to me, showing off the skill and craft of the people in its designs. It’s almost sad to see this place becoming a sort of mall, laden with overpriced crafts, while masterpieces like this church are overlooked.

sources:

http://www.njcharters.com/nj_charters_blog/2009/03/vietri-sul-mare-italy-amalfi-coast.html

Taking in the Beauty

I love the shore. No, I don’t mean Jersey shore or those overcrowded beaches where it’s hard to take two steps without bumping into the person next to you. I love shores around islands, where you can hop on one boat and merely glide to the next. My favorite part has to be parking your boat on a pier and merely climbing off to explore some of the most famous tourist attraction sites that people pay thousands to experience.

I think back to a hot summer day in August. It was beautiful outside, but we needed to get out. So my friends and I decided to go to a trip down to the Naples bay area. Why not rent a boat? Now when I say boat I mean one of those small engine, four people boats that you always try to fit more in than possible. I was surprised the thing didn’t topple over when we congregated all on one side.

Our day started off just cruising around the coat of the Naples area. We were surrounded by islands and rocky caves that called out our names to explore. The biggest islands surrounding us were Capri and Ischia, two of Italy's most popular island destinations. To us, they were a challenge. We made eye contact with a fellow Italians cruising by us, and the race was on!  Who could get to Ischia first? I cannot even begin to explain the exhilarating feeling of racing through those waters. The boat hit the waves, and for a couple seconds it felt as though we were sailing through the air.

After grabbing a traditional “pizza napoletana” we decided to explore the enticing caves. No scrapped hands or bloody feet stopped us. As if we were small children again, we screamed out to the top of our lungs “helloooooo!” Just to hear the echo.

We did not find treasure. We did not spend a fortune to rent one of those high powered engines either. We simply enjoyed the beautiful scenery and company of everything around us. To me, that si something money can never buy.

A Looming Threat

So how many of you can say they climbed a live volcano? I have traveled up this winding trail more than once. I love the outdoors, and to climb this structure and look down upon history is an exhilarating feeling. Vesuvius has erupted more than 50 times in 79 A.D. It is renowned for burying Pompeii and the nearby Herculaneum. What many people forget is that after Pompeii was buried, the volcano continued to erupt every 100 years. It did enter a 600-year time frame of quiescence. However, its destructive power was seen again in 1631. It has been silent since 1944, causing it to give off a very looming air of fear. Though, people seem to forget its power as they flock in large tourist groups around the mountain. Its great power and destructive tendencies, along with the thrilling mystery of its next eruption, cause people from all over the world to come and snap pictures.  

Living not too far from this mountain, I was constantly reminded of its exceedingly overdue eruption. On the naval base in Naples, we were constantly reminded of evacuation plans if it were to erupt. Living right by the water, there was no question that our homes and life as we knew it could be swept away by a title wave from the explosion. We all knew, though, that if it were to erupt again, there would not be enough time to evacuate us all. I can’t help but to think of all that pressure building up inside. The type of eruption of Mt. Vesuvius is not the typical lava depicted scene portrayed in cartoons. During eruption a column of varying material that has built up over time is ejected into the air. It creates a mushroom cloud of suffocation that eventually coats all land surrounding it. The debris then is spread by the wind for hours after. In summary, southern Italy might cease to exist if this volcano decided to come to life again. So you might want to think twice before joining that tour guide group to climb its mighty sides.

sources:
http://www.angelfire.com/mi/penny101/info.html