A day trip to Pompei

Last Sunday I went on a day trip to Pompei, close to Naples, it was an important and lively Roman city in the past, up to 79CE when it was buried by the lava coming out from the volcano Vesuvio after its explosion.
We, my friends and I, had a fun time there and thanks God it was a sunny day which allowed us to look at every single corner of this ancient city and tan our faces!
Along with us there was a girl from Germany to whom I talked for a long time only in English!! poor her! I was really talkative.
I hope I was helpful to her and managed to give her the right information about Pompei since we didn't join any guide.
I wish to show you some pictures that I took

In the following photo you can see a big pond whose real name is impluvium where the rainwater fell down through a special hole(compluvium) in the roof.




The photo on the left displays a wonderful mosaic on a wall of a house named the Venere in the shell, indeed it shows
Venere one Goddess praised by the Romans.
I'm really impressed when I saw its excellent
conditions after lots of centuries.


In the next pictures two mosaics are shown but they were part of the floor ! I didn't expect this but I suppose they were put up only in the riches' houses.












Evidences of Pompeii's final moments were buried and and preserved by the volcanic debris.
Archaeologist reconstructed the victims' bodies by filling the rock cavities left behind after decomposition with plaster, it gives us a frozen time picture of that scaring moment!



Other ruins of Pompei
Anyway we can't live tranquil because the threat of a possible blast, eruption keeps alive and our scientists say that it will be much more intense than the first one !
I'm really scared of hearing this because i wouldn't like at all if someone, in the future, built a statue showing my last breath !

Thanks Zsofia for correcting me

When they speak in English...

I was wondering how our politicians speak in English and by surfing the web I came across some
videos... what a naff example ! :(

For the left party: Rutelli



and Prodi (our current prime minister)




For the right party: Berlusconi (this man was also our prime minister and could become again I hope he has improved his English..)



For who doesn't suffer from heart diseases

Easter foods II: Pastiera

Hi folks,

I gave you my word to speak about Pastiera...

Pastiera is a Neapolitan dessert and there are many tales around this delight.
One of them says that this sweet was born in the quiet of a nunnery. An unknown nun wanted to make a dessert which was able to bring the scent of the orange trees planted in the garden of the nunnery to the people.
She mixed the white and soft sheep milk cheese with a bit of brown seed corn which grows from the ground and points toward the sky, then added the eggs, symbol of a new life and in the end some orange flower water and eastern spices.
In Naples there is a funny challenge among the housewives, every one wants to be the best and thinks to have the unique and original Pastiera recipe !!
I like it very much and these days have been literally fattening days I have been eating loads of things from tortano, through the chocolate eggs to the Pastiera...
I'm scared to check my weight :-) but How can I resist ?

Thanks to Zsofia for her corrections

Easter foods I: Casatiello and Tortano

We make a very tasty food called in our lingo "casatiello" or "tortano", it is a ring shaped salt pie, heavily filled with pieces of salami, boiled eggs, sheep milk cheese and bacon.
It is a delicious salt pie but I suppose you'll get fat easily if you eat it every day because its dough is based on lard !!
The rumour says its name comes from the word "caso", which means in our lingo "cheese" that you can find in a huge amount in it.

This type of food carries out different Easter symbols, indeed among its ingredients there are sheep milk cheese and eggs, the first is made of sheep milk as its name suggests but the sheep milk also is the primary nutriment of lamb which is an Easter sign at least for Catholics.
The eggs are the symbol of birth, and Jesus after his death is born again.
In the end, there is the shape, I said like a ring because the ring should remind us of the torn crown which tied Jesus' head.
Between casatiello and tortano there is a delicious difference the first has some eggs upon it covered with a cross (as you can see in the picture) made of the same pie's dough, these crosses reminde again of Jesus' cross.

Next time I'm going to speak about the casatiello counter part : Pastiera

Thanks to my dear Zsofia for correcting me

English Podcasts

Hi guys,
I was looking for some English podcasts to listen to when I drive my car or go to university by bus or tube.
I found English as a second language website and I think it provides a useful archive of podcasts.
Every podcast is categorized thus you can choose among five categories the best one that fits your needs and download it for free, there also is a learning guide concerning the podcast, unfortunately they aren't free :(
Anyway I honestly suggest them.