Venezia!!!!!!

August 31^st, 2011

Ahh Venice, such a wonderful city! I was so excited to finally be arriving in such a renowned metropolis. This beautiful city built on the water doesn’t have any motorized vehicles except for boats! There are hundreds of bridges and water-taxis at your disposal instead!

I arrived in the early afternoon to St. Mark’s Square and to my shock and amazement I found that most of the square was partially under water due to the coming in of the tides. I could not believe what I was seeing! All the stores just brought out mops and platforms. This was an every day occurrence that was just a part of the Venetian lifestyle.

Bustling vendors, swift moving tourists sloshing through the flooded pathways, and dozens of pigeons, surrounded the square. It was quite a scene. You could see the Byzantine influence scattered across all 118 islands connected by the snaking web of 150 canals and 400 brides.

The characteristic winged lion of St. Mark could be seen every few feet as it symbolized the city’s emblem. The richly decorated Basilica San Marco stood next to the great square, built as a Greek cross with several eastern domes; it truly exemplifies the Byzantine influence on the metropolis. The Basilica is so richly decorated that it really embodies its name, the “golden church.” Inside the great beauty stand bronze statues captured from the Hippodrome of Constantinople and intricate mosaic tiling of the domes and floors.

It provides the perfect setting for the great Venetian composers like Vivaldi and Monteverdi. Beyond the breathtaking beauty, the acoustics inside this masterpiece are so unique that the musical works of these great composers do not sound the same when preformed elsewhere.

This beautiful city is so unique and I truly enjoyed my time exploring its pathways and distinct culture. The famed Gondola ride was fantastic and picturesque. The boat ride through the web of winding canals gave me deeper insight into the city of Venice and a greater appreciation of the ancient tradition. The agile craft maneuvered swiftly and with such ease through the tight turns and narrow canals. The personalities of the Gondoliers alone were hilarious. I swear I couldn’t stop laughing. They sang some Dean Martin, explained the history of Venice, and even hollered at one another, cracking jokes the entire way. What an experience!

By the time the day was through I had managed to explore Venice and their gelato stores-that desert was the best ice cream I have ever had! The lunch was amazing! I don’t think I can ever get used to regular food again after my adventures in Italy! The pasta is really something else. But alas, all good things must come to a close. I had reached the final chapter in my European adventure. It was time to go home and to get back to fencing. Ciao Italy!

As always, I would love to here your feedback and questions! Please leave your comments below!!!!

Courtney Dumas

To the Ruins of Pompeii

As I entered the ancient city of Pompeii, I was in awe of how well structured and organized the town was. The city was literally frozen in time. We explored the city and saw their amazing engineering feats and organizational skills. They utilized aqueducts to transport water to the city. Not only this, but the villagers of Pompeii had built water heaters to heat the water from the aqueducts to create spas without the assistance of natural heated springs!

The columns and buildings were mostly made of bricks with mortar to hold them together as well as lava rock. But the really interesting thing was that all of the buildings, both inside and out, were covered in stucco over the brick and painted with bright colors that have since faded due to sun exposer and polluted rainfall.

The mosaic patterns were also so detailed and extensive. I could not believe how the citizens of Pompeii could have created such beautiful works of art solely by hand! This city was just so different from anything else I had ever seen. There were literally complete skeletons that had been taken out from the compressed ash with the help of a plaster to preserve the shape and integrity of the find. You could see the teeth on some of them they were so detailed!

After 2 hours spent scurrying all over Pompeii, we moved on to the Amalfi Coast. We ate lunch in Sorrento at a great pizza place in the middle of town. From there we drove around the city and Positano. The coast was beautiful and then we even saw some Italian movie being filmed in the area. The city was very pretty and was nice and quiet-a nice change of pace from some of the other cities we have ventured into.

By 4pm it was time to head back to the boat. We came back and relaxed before we went out to the deck for a nice buffet dinner looking out at the sunset.

Courtney Dumas

Welcome to Rome

Hello Rome! What an amazing city! I spent the entire day with my family traveling the ancient city by motorcar, visiting all of the historic sites. Everything was so beautiful and so cultured. Rome was such an ancient city and such a contrast from the architecture in the US. And I was surprised and happy to see how green the city was. There were trees everywhere and it created a beautiful atmosphere for the already breathtaking Italian capital.

Our guide took us through the city chronologically, beginning with the ancient times and our first stop, the Circus Maximus. Not much is left to show of this once great arena, but the shape and some of the land markers are still there. I felt as though I had travelled back in time to the age of the Roman Kings and Emperors.

From there we travelled to the huge Coliseum. I could not believe how much of it was still intact after all of this time and after so many had pillaged it for its stone and metal throughout the years. It really was a sight to be seen. I could just imagine the entire structure covered in marble and the stadium filled will energized people screaming and cheering for the gladiators or for the beasts. It was something else.

As we travelled throughout the rest of Rome, the same thought kept coming to me. I was just in awe of how well each building was made and the craftsmanship and care that was put into every single structure. The attention to detail was amazing! The paintings, the sculptures, the murals, the churches, the ruins, the fountains, the list goes on and on. But they all were like a time warp and they all had such detail that I could not imagine how long each project must have taken!

The most amazing and painstakingly beautiful attention to detail that I saw was by far the Vatican Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. The sculptures and paintings by Michael Angelo were breathtaking. The ceilings were painted with a 3D effect, the domes painted with such feeling and emotion, and the sculptures were so lifelike. I have never seen a more ostentatious building in my life, but boy was it a site to be seen!

By the end of the day I felt like I had learned a lot, but I still felt a little sad and discontent. Rome was such a great city and it is one of those places that you really need to spend three days there at least to truly explore the entire city. I loved Rome and would live there in a heartbeat. The city was just so pretty and historic. I really hope that some day I get the chance to come back and visit this beautiful destination again!

By the time we got back to the boat and got settled in our cabins it was dinnertime. Everyone was very tired from the hustle and bustle of moving quickly from location to location, so we took our time at dinner. I wanted to make sure I got in my cross training before the gym closed so I hustled back to the room to change. I had a pretty good workout, focusing mostly on weightlifting for the night. I made sure to work my arms, legs, and abs all in the half hour before the gym closed for the night. Below is the workout, Ciao from Rome!

1)   Bicep curls-15lbs  (6 sets of 12reps)

2)   Tricep extentions-10lbs  (6 sets of 12reps)

3)   Walking lunges-40lbs in each hand  (6 sets of 12-each leg)

4)   Shoulder press-15lbs  (6 sets of 12reps)

5)   Sit ups-50  (2 sets)

6)   Push ups-15  (2 sets)

7)   Medicine ball squat ab twists-15lbs  (2 sets of 50reps)

Courtney Dumas

Destination Italy!

We had an early start on Monday this week. The cruise docked at about 6 and we were off the boat and on the busses for the tours around Italy by 7am.  I went on the tour around the Cinque Terre region in the Italian Riviera. I got the opportunity to visit the Italian countryside and learn all about its amazing culture!

It was a blazing hot, but great fun. We hit the shops and toured the quaint little towns. I had to use some of my Spanish to try and communicate with some of the locals, but I got around all right.

We toured the Riviera and learned all about the special wineries that were terraced on the mountainsides by the ocean. All of the work had to be done by hand. The local farmers couldn’t use machinery since heavy machinery would damage the grapes. Now that’s tough labor and a good workout! One of the types of wine they made even takes 2 years before it is ready to be put on the shelves.  

By the end of the day I was exhausted, it was over 95 degrees with 90 percent humidity. The tour had taken us around the different towns and we visited the “lovers lane” that connected two of the towns that otherwise would have taken 1 hour and a half to get between. The site seeing was fantastic and Italy is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen! The waters were clear and the surroundings amazing!

We finished the day with a dinner on the porch with a great view of the sunset as we left port. Our next stop, Rome, should be fantastic! I will be visiting all of the usual sites and much more! I will make sure to take plenty of pictures!

Courtney Dumas