The air in Rome is bad!

Well I have been sick with acute Bronchial Asthma for several days now. It is the second time in 3 years that this has happened to me in Rome. It is due to a combination of cold and humid air we get from the sea only 35 km from the city and the other temperature patterns swirling around the City. Rome is or was originally a swamp surrounded by low hills with 2 rivers crossing it.
There is also air pollution which does not help matters much, too many cars for such a small place and buildings built for hot weather meaning all stone, marble and concrete which keeps the cool. The months of March-April are deadly in Rome, cold humid buildings poorly heated never kills the chill and the smell of damp mildew everywhere. We have also had a lot more rain in the last 2 years than is normal in winter with much colder weather, we did have snow this past winter.

I am currently taking all this medicine to clear my lungs, makes me tired and restless and have difficulty sleeping despite being tired. Hopefully this will pass in the next few days.

Picture is me last year during our visit at the Monastery of Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain, which is near the city of Barcelona.

It's not all glamour you know

Lately as I have been thinking of many things about my life and looking back, reflecting you could say, I noted that I have often put the wrong emphasis on things, what is important and what is not important. People's attitudes, response or lack of will often affect me and color the way I see things. I have to remember that everyone in this world has a different experience and some people no matter who they are may be selfish, dishonest, have insecurities and negative attitudes or just lazy. I have to simply hold on to what I believe and do my best at all times and that is really all that is required. I also have to learn to look after myself and not worry so much about others. They are just as capable to look after themselves. Taking some distance, deep breath as Mr. W. would say, I often laugh at him saying that, but in the end he is right. I have enough to do without worrying about others and their attitudes or responses or lack thereof.
Life is a two way street and people have to respond in kind, if they don't well it is because they have their own problems and it is really not my concern.

I am often bad at reading people and how their behaviour or body language can send clues of what they are really thinking. I really have to work on that. The difficulty is trying to correct a lifetime of habit into a more pro-active or defensive attitude to protect myself. Being positive or looking at things from a completely different angle can help also. Things are not always what they seem, there is often much more beneath the surface. So I need to take a fresh look or at least a different look and be more analytical of people, so that I can lead a happier life.

I have to remember that I am not responsible for everything in this world.
Help if I can. Be more positive and look on the bright side.
Many things are out of my control and I have to accept that.
Bad things happen but that is not my fault. Others have to also take responsibilities.

toy soldiers new addition

In my ever growing collection of toy soldiers I bought more in Vienna, found a little shop down a street near our hotel. It was full of stuff, old pictures, 19th century helmets of various regiments with plumes, even silver tread embroidered and plumed ambassadors bicorne, once worn as part of Court dress, lots of beautiful officers swords, both military and diplomatic. The workmanship that produced such weapons, very fine, some blades where etched with patriotic calls to duty. What was in the store must be at least 100 years old. Much of it from the last days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which also included the ex-Yugoslavia, Czech republic (then called Bohemia) and the Slovak republic which was an integral part of Hungary until 1918.

Lots of beautiful medals and large star shaped decorations and sash, all in very good condition. Probably families selling off heirlooms of days long gone.
Also of course of prime interest to me was the lead soldiers 54 mm, medium quality production. I needed to supplement my Austria contingent. I also needed a Napoleon since I now had a Duke of Wellington from my February trip to London. I also bought quite a few soldiers in London, mostly British troops under General Wolfe.
Here are a few photos of these latest additions.

Nickolas and Eleonora are home

This morning we drove out to Prima Porta to fetch Nicky and Nora who were visiting family in Capena. We were told that Nicky was kept busy by 3 bitches in heat, he looked a little thin apparently he forgot to eat. Nora also lost a bit of weight which is a good thing, all the fresh air and running around in fields. They also had 3 classes in socializing and playing with much bigger dogs, German Shepherds that is at Lisa T. who is their trainer.
In the car, Nicky slept on the back seat, while Nora was in the front looking out the window and the world going by as we drove back into Rome.

Now after having double rations for dinner and biscuit, they are snoozing away on the sofa, using yours truly as a pillow. The world is perfect.

Tomorrow I was planning to go to Florence for the day to see a cabinet maker of miniature display cases. But since I am a bit tired I will postpone the trip. These cabinets I would use for my ever expanding army of lead soldier. If I ever go to Russia on posting, I probably will get into serious army build-up.
Russia is very well known for its quality lead soldiers and beautiful craftsmanship. When I get close to the one hundred thousand mark, I will let you know.

No Kangoroos in Austria!

We are at gate B34 at Vienna Airport waiting for our flight home to Rome on Alitalia. The neat thing about this airport is that the internet access is FREE. We had a wonderful time and now we want to go home. Tomorrow morning I go pick-up Nicky and Nora at the farm. They are apparently doing well visiting with family in the countryside. Very impressed with the service in Austria and the country as a whole, we always enjoy our visits here. Luckily this is a short flight 90 minutes to Rome.

The weather throughout the vacation was a little uncertain, today per example we had hot and humid and windy and cold all day, on and off, sunny and dark clouds. No wonder people catch colds, you do not know how to dress from hour to hour.

On our last day we went to visit the Belvedere Palace in Vienna,in fact 2 palaces the upper and lower belvedere, once the Residence of Prince Eugene of Savoie-Carignan,a French noble at the service of the Hapsburg, his feat, he stopped once and for all the Turks at the gates of Vienna 1683 in a decisive battle with the help of King John Sobieski III of Poland. Thus he became a national hero in Austria and a European hero, the Pope called him at the time the Savior of Christianity. He was also notoriously gay. Had he not succeeded we would live today in a different world, less Christian and more Muslim. Prince Eugene was also a man of the Baroque age, a philosopher, an art collector and a great Statesman. This special exhibit on his life which is on until 6 June 2010 is well worth seeing. The Belvedere Palace today houses a beautiful painting collection of Monet and Manet and many other German and Austrian painters.

On his death in 1736, Prince Eugene only had one heir, a cousin, Princess Victoria, who was short, fat with beedy little black eyes and very miserly. She sold the contents of his art collection to her cousin the King of Savoie-Piedmont and the art collection ended up in his palace in Torino. If you visit Italy today you can see the collection there. The Savoie became the Royal Family of Italy in 1860.

Prince Eugene also had a menagerie of exotic animals and Princess Victoria sold off the animals to hunters for fancy hunting parties. The Emperor of Austria was a little scandalized by the attitude of Princess Victoria and society in general was disapproving of her doings, but she was the legal heir so she could do as she pleased. It is said that after the death of Prince Eugene the Austrian state started its long descent, there really was no one quite like him as a Statesman, Diplomat and Soldier.

Finally Rome Fiumicino airport, on time on a Wednesday evening, how to we know we arrived, simple as we step down from the plane unto the tarmac to take the bus which will ferry us to the terminal building, I note how driving along the runways in Rome Airport is a bit like Formula One, speeding is common, as we arrive at the terminal building, a Alitalia service vehicle is illegally parked blocking our access to the terminal door. Which other airport in the would have vehicle parked illegally.
Home sweet home.

Tuesday 25 May,Vienna

We left Salzburg Hauptbahnhof ( under massive reconstruction for high speed trains) at 11:02 on our way back to Vienna. Last night we had a very nice dinner in the restaurant of the Bristol then dessert in the bar at our table. Jokingly I said to Gunther that I would like a baked Alaska or make that two for dessert. Gunther looked a little puzzled at first and then Will told him to pay no attention to me, I was just being funny. However what we did have a soufflé with berries. The recipe calls for 7 eggs, berries and lots of sugar, it is freshly made and arrives hot from the kitchen, it was very good.

We said goodbye to Gunther and went off to bed. This morning at check out the owner came to say goodbye. We hope to return this winter for the Mozart week. The program looks interesting with the Hagen Quartet, Marc Minkowski, Philippe Jaroussky, Heinz Holliger, Sir Charles Mackerras, with music by Mozart, Schubert, Schostakovich, J.S. Bach, J.C. Bach and C.P.E. Bach.

The weather has been like in years past, a bit chilly, a bit rainy and now hot and sunny. This means we brought too many clothes and then bought shirts and ties and other things we liked, not to forget lead soldiers.

Austria like many European countries is changing rapidly, through immigration, many new Austrians are not natives, they come from Latin America, China, Sri Lanka, India, Turkey and Africa. They work in the service industry and you find them in hotels, restaurants, trains, airports and in many other areas of the economy. This movement of people is not just a North American phenomenon but very much something happening in the whole western world. This is why I am always surprised to hear some individuals speak against immigration as if it is a threat, think of it, if not for these new workers who would do all these essential jobs. It is changing the face of countries like Austria.
We should not forget that Austria was for centuries a multi-ethnic Empire, so maybe this is not so new after all.
This train per example started in Munich, Germany and now crosses Austria and with a final destination of Budapest, Hungary. It borders during its journey the Czech Republic and Slovakia. All these people were once part of one country.

Along the route from Salzburg all the train stations we cross on our way to Vienna are under re-construction including in Vienna the Westbahnhof, very impressive.

We went to Immervoll for lunch today just steps from our hotel. Very good food.
Tonite its opera night at the Volks Oper.

Monday our last day

This morning was the last performance of the Festival, we heard the Oratorio Betulia Liberata by Niccolo Jommelli, composed in 1743 for orchestra and choir, in one sentence, beautiful music but too many notes, I fell asleep and even Monsieur fell asleep, it was boring, despite the excellent orchestra and conductor Riccardo Muti and the setting in the Felsenreitschule. Afterwards we went to the Cafe Bazaar for a light lunch and then a walk up the Möchsberg which is the mountain that separates the city in two parts. The Festival hall is built partly inside of it and a big tunnel Neu Tor was cut through the rock in 1767 to facilitate movement within the city. Beautiful views from up there on this sunny and warm day.

We have our train tickets for our return tomorrow to Vienna and Wednesday evening we fly back to Rome. Will's cold is a bit better and the weather now being warm and sunny should also help.

For 2011 we are seriously tempted to come to the Mozart Week Festival in January (21-30) instead of the May Whitsun Festival, the reason being that we looked at the program and in May nothing special is happening. So we will see, in May 2011 we may do this cruise of the Baltic we have been planning for years to do from Copenhagen to St-Petersburg.