Beyond the grime and graffiti (Naples Part 2)

Naples is Italy's third largest city and sad to say the most forgotten & possibly neglected.
The streets were rather filthy and unsafe, and the state of the city is sadly quite a shame.

Nevertheless, the "safest" area to explore would be the historic centre- a UNESCO site, which has many police officers patrolling.

Beauty pervades the old city if we can only look past the derangement..

Castel dell'Ovo...

Probably the safest place in Naples... where I found comfort and refuge in..

The only tiramisu & espresso I had on this trip.. sadly..

Typical building in Naples..

I wish Naples would clean up its act one day and perhaps, it will be worthwhile again to visit for the pizzas!

Read about Pizza Hunting in Napoli (Part 1) here

The Magic of Egypt (Part 3)

Crossing the vast dessert, we made our way to Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt. Abu Simbel is  one of the most famous ancient Egyptian monuments after the Pyramids and Sphinx and is listed as a UNSECO World Heritage Site.

This temple that stands now was relocated in its entirety in 1968 from been submerged during the creation of the Lake Nasser, which is an artificial water reservoir formed after the construction of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River.

In the early days, ancient Egyptians could only reach the temple in their sails as the dessert route was inaccessible.
With worship being paramount to their lives, the ardous journey was not a deterrence to them.

Meeting the temple built by the mightiest of the pharaohs, Ramses II, the four colossi of himself carved out of a mountain is nothing short of magnificent.

The closer i walked towards it, the smaller i felt (in every sense).
The sheer size glorified the power and pride of the king during his reign.

(Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside the temple.)
Walking into the temple, was a humbling experience as i felt my insignificance walking through the towering row of statues leading into the main altar.

(source: google images)

The interior though less spectacular than its facade also has no wall left untouched; intricately carved with egyptian gods, rituals and beliefs.

The thing that intrigued me the most is how on the every 22nd February and 22nd October annually, the first rays of the rising sun will penetrate the temple and illuminate the Holy Quartet (except Ptah on the left).

(source: google images)

The significance of the dates are still a mystery but they are believed to be the anniversaries of Ramses's coronation and birth.
How they aligned the sun to light the temple altar is definitely an architectural genius considering the technology available in that era.

I marvel at the workmanship of the carvings.

Abu Simbel is worth the travel- journeying through the vast dessert for hours to actually seeing the temple itself has been an unforgettable experience for me.

Another one off my bucket list. :-)

On the way, don't forget to enjoy the breath-taking view of the Lake Nasser ...

and in Aswan, also do savour the Nubian cuisine unique to the region. 

A satisfying lunch it was with a view to boot!

Pictures taken with a Panasonic Lumix Camera.

TBC...

Read The Magic of Egypt (Part 2)

Read The Magic of Egypt (Part 1)

Today's Daydream...

Petra, Jordan

Source: Adam R

The Holy See, Vatican City.

Through ages, the chapel has always been a place of safety and refuge from the stormy seas of life, where people can come together for worship and prayer or simply for peace and contemplation.
And that was one of the things the Holy See stood for being the centre of Christianity.

That morning, we rose up early and like earnest pilgrims making our way through Rome into the Vatican City. We revered the Divine in His magnificent ways and set out early to pray for blessings for our lives. We wanted to avoid the crowds as always and decided that we were going to reach early.

It is a good idea to have an early lunch before entering the Vatican in case the queues are long.

When in Italy, we ate as much pasta as we could. Obviously! 

It was 11am and the queue was already forming. 

The St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City is the site of the tomb of Saint Peter and also a pilgrimage centre for Roman Catholics all over the world. Today, the Pope (head of the Church) lives there. The city is not only the smallest city in the world, it is also listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Whether for religious or touristic purposes, the Vatican City is a must-go destination worthy to be on the bucket list.

We got into the queue under the blistering noon sun. We waited in line for about half an hour (apparently quite a short wait) 

After my first visit to the Basilica in 2004, I learnt that to enter the Cathedral it was compulsory to the dressed appropriately like visits to any religious institutions. Both males and females must have their shoulders covered and shorts were not allowed. (Basically, not to show skin) Many tourists had to buy make shift paper trousers to wear at a hefty price (obviously the best time to capitalize on desperate tourists!) if they wanted to enter the Cathedral. 

Although it was a hot summer, we made sure that we were dressed appropriately and took no chance to be turned down by the guards of the cathedral. 

Statues on the balustrade. 

The ceiling of the entrance. 

Intricate details. 

What we all hope to receive from the pilgrimage or our visit...

Inside the chapel...

The St Peter's Basilica is said to be the father of all the cathedrals as it lived up to his grandeur and magnificence. Every part of the cathedral was lined with details. I particularly liked this dome ceiling of angels. 

The Basilica also holds the Pieta, the original Michaelango sculpture of Mary holding the crucified Jesus. 

I felt so privileged to be in the largest church in the world.

Inside the Basilica...

The statue of St Peter.

Startled by these details!

The Apse, which is elaborately decorated by Baroque work. There sits the supposed chair of Saint Peter. 

The Truth will set us FREE!

Compassion.

Wished i knew more about what the statues stand for.

Every painting, statue and mural has a story/teaching to share.

This one is about Jesus revealing himself to a nun. 

The mercy of Jesus upon people. 

Gateway to Heaven?

Decided to send some greetings from the Vatican to friends back home as we prayed for blessings for all!

Roamed around the Vatican City!

What i call the Fountain of Love!

Being in the St Peter's Square, I can't help but think about the movie Angels and Demons!
Always wonder how they managed to film all those scenes with so many tourists always.

I realized i missed out visiting the Sistine Chapel! I guess the angels are calling me back again one day!

The Vatican City welcomes all whether you are there to pray or just simply to admire the beauty that is created by the faith of the people in the form of the Basilica. 

May all beings be blessed!