Update no.804

Update from the Heartland

No.804

22.5.17 – 28.5.17

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

            To all,

            Lest we ever forget . . . please remember all those immortal souls who gave their last full measure in the defense of freedom, as we celebrate Memorial Day.  God bless them all.

            Oh my, I leave for a couple of weeks and the world turns to . . . well, I think everyone can complete the sentence.  I spent way too much time on the travelogue [803A/D] and I am struggling to catch up.  I will not attempt to recover the news events of the first half of May, and I am way behind on this week.  So, we shall see how far this one gets before publication time.

            A solo terrorist suicide bomber struck circa 22:30 BST, Monday, 22.May.2017, after an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.  The explosion killed 22 innocent, mostly young people including children plus the suicide bomber and injured 116 others, some with life-threatening injuries.  ISIL has claimed responsibility.  The British security services quickly identified and publicly disclosed the bomber was involved in a terrorist network.  Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) raised the threat level to critical, indicating they suspected other attacks were imminent.  They moved quickly to arrest individuals associated with the bomber or the network – 14 so far with more expected.  Unfortunately, someone in the U.S. Government with access to such information prematurely and without the consent of HMG publicly disclosed the name of the bomber, calling into question the security of sensitive information shared between governments.  Regrettably, this is not a new phenomenon; Prime Minister Winston Churchill and HMG of the day were seriously concerned about the notorious inability of the United States Government to protect highly sensitive information.  The classified information security controversy aside, our hearts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those who were injured and lost their lives in the incident.  May God rest their immortal souls.

            President Trump suffered yet another defeat as the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond refused to reinstate his executive order on immigration and travel ban.  The Judiciary continues to cite Trump’s inflammatory campaign rhetoric as the statement of his intentions.  The administration has yet to indicate their intention to follow-through with an appeal to the Supreme Court.  He has found no support within the Judiciary, and I suspect he will not find a sympathetic Supreme Court, either.

            Unknown gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on a bus carrying Coptic Christians to a monastery in southern Egypt, killing at least 20 people, in the latest attack on the minority Christian community in Egypt.  The bus was headed to a monastery in the city of Minya, some 190 miles south of the capital Cairo.  There have been no claims of responsibility, as yet.  This attack follows suicide bombings at two Coptic churches on Palm Sunday in which at least 45 worshipers were killed.  This appears to be religious intolerance within Egypt, but this could easily be defined as another terrorist attack of concern to all of us.

            A friend and frequent contributor to this humble forum offered the following missive regarding events this week.
“Thank you for your thoughtful words.  The nation still reels at the horror of it all.
“We have armed police and soldiers on our streets – completely unheard of in the U/K. We suffer as you, the French, the Dutch, Belgium people and yesterday Coptic Egyptians. When will these misguided young people see the horror of what they are dispensing?  Is creating revulsion part of human nature that most of us have overcome.  Certainly human history is utterly littered with the most appalling crimes against fellow mankind.  What is the answer?  How can we eradicate this urge to kill from humanity?  Questions, questions Cap. Is there an answer, or are we, mankind, destined to eventually destroy all we have, including our blue planet.  Does anyone know the answers to these questions?”
To which, I replied:
            This too shall pass.  We will never forget.

            “When will these misguided young people see the horror of what they are dispensing?”  Short answer: When the bad guys realize they cannot win and their supply of sacrificial fodder is drying up.  We always knew or should have known this was going to be a very long war. 

            “Is creating revulsion part of human nature that most of us have overcome?”  Short answer: yes; I’m afraid it is an element of human nature that socialization and civilization has enabled the vast majority of mankind to overcome.  Unfortunately, there are bad men who have refused to learn, either by choice or happenstance.

            “Certainly human history is utterly littered with the most appalling crimes against fellow mankind.”  Regrettably, history is replete with such examples: the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, Hitler’s Aryan genocide, ad infinitum ad nauseum.

            “What is the answer?”  Short answer: faith in freedom, persistence of purpose, and perseverance in our defense.

            “How can we eradicate this urge to kill from humanity?”  See answer above.  Civilization has overcome the majority of those urges.  The prime examples must be modern Germany and Japan.  Bad elements within their societies of the day committed unspeakable crimes against humanity, but they are far better countries today for that trauma.

            “Is there an answer, or are we, mankind, destined to eventually destroy all we have including our blue planet?”  There are always answers.  We shall ultimately prevail over the bad elements among us.  That is part of our heritage, our history.  This too shall pass.

            “Does anyone know the answers to these questions?”  The answers are within us.  We must hold on to our faith that good shall always overcome evil with persistence and perseverance.

            In the realm of ridiculous legislative initiatives, it would be difficult to find a more ludicrous bill than Texas House bill 4260.  The bill was filed and introduced on 10.March.2017, by Texas State Representative Jessica Christina Farrar of Houston.  The title of the bill as introduced is: An Act relating to the regulation of men’s health and safety; creating a civil penalty for unregulated masturbatory emissions; short title: Man’s Right to Know Act.  The bill has been referred to the State Affairs Committee with no further action, as yet.  The text of the bill includes §173.009 that requires a digital rectal exam and rectal MRI prior to prescribing “Viagra,” and §173.010 that imposes a US$100 civil fine for each and all ejaculatory “emissions outside of a woman’s vagina, or created outside of a health or medical facility” and “will be considered an act against an unborn child, and failing to preserve the sanctity of life.”

            To be frank, I am conflicted beyond my opening objection.  The Press is reporting that Representative Farrar’s initiative was intend to satirize Texas legislative efforts to regulate the bodily functions and private medical procedures related to a woman’s reproductive system.  I do not and cannot support either.  The bill is just as ridiculous as the myriad woman’s reproductive rights legislation.  They are all invasions of a citizen’s fundamental right to privacy.  I understand Representative Farrar’s frustration with the ridiculousness of her colleagues’ actions regarding a woman’s reproductive rights, but this is not acceptable for a host of reasons.  Even worse, I imagine there are more than a few of her colleagues who will actually support Texas House bill 4260 since they undoubtedly believe masturbatory emissions are a sin against God.  Every citizen is entitled to her / his beliefs and choices in life; no one has any right to intrude upon any citizens fundamental right to privacy.  Masturbation is a private activity; it is NOT an issue for the public domain.

            I hope this bill never makes it out of committee, and equally, I hope the Texas legislature will stop, cease and desist from their penchant to intrude into a woman’s biological functions and the medical procedures associated with those biological functions.

            I want to give President Trump credit for pressing Allies to assume greater responsibility for their defense and fulfilling their contributions to NATO.  I have long objected to the assumption that the United States and specifically the taxpayers of the United States are the world’s benefactor since the days of the Marshall Plan [1947 & sub.].  The public statements regarding peace between the Israelis and Palestinians are positive, and the belligerents appear to be responding.  If his initiatives achieve results, he should and will receive praise and support from me.

            Unfortunately, it was his public conduct during his first overseas trip as president that induces my revulsion and must draw my condemnation.  From his pushing the Montenegrin Prime Minister aside since only he deserved to be in front with chest puffed out to the ridiculous “alpha male” handshake with the French President, he is establishing himself as our Ugly-American-in-Chief.  If his conduct with other world leaders is what he means by “American First,” then I say emphatically, no thank you.  I was literally disgusted watching him and his puffed-up, narcissistic, egocentric conduct.  We do NOT need another Ugly American, and especially one as the prime representative of the United States of America.

            As a supplemental, I will strongly urge caution and considerable skepticism regarding all these “backchannel” overtures between the Trump campaign, transition and administration.  Backchannel communications, i.e., outside the normal government communications apparatus, have been common for a long time.  The most famous backchannel communications link was a very personal conduit between Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt that existed before the war in Europe began until Roosevelt’s passing.  Another quasi-backchannel was the Cold War Hot Line between the President and Premier of the Soviet Union.  The question to us remains, were these overtures authorized by the President?  Timing is also a key element of these inquiries.  If they occurred prior to Trump’s inauguration and were intended to undermine President Obama and his administration, then such initiatives would be ethically, morally and legally wrong.  We still do not know enough of the content and timing of those initiatives.  That said, Trump’s public statements during the campaign raise considerable suspicions; yet, I just urge caution until we know more.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.803 & prior:

From Update no.802:

Comment to the Blog:

“I hope ‘everything stays to plan’ during your hiatus.

“That statement from the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee that they see no evidence that General Flynn complied with the law is remarkable. I do not remember anything like it.

“Trump freely uses an audacity that few others possess. That can be an advantage in politics, but it must have substance to support it. Trump's ‘positions’ rarely deserve even that term, much less serious consideration.  His tax ‘plan’ simply rehashes vague proposals from the long-disproved ‘trickle down’ economic notion.

“Trump has taken a shot at our best ally and major trading partner, Canada. Note that we have the longest unguarded border in the world with Canada.  We should; they're a great nation and neighbor.  At times like this, I wonder if Trump is fully conscious.

“As I write this, Congress has passed a budget resolution to get us to October 1. No money has yet been designated for the insane wall idea.

“Trump appears completely unaware of international relations. ‘America First’, were it a real idea, ought to protect the well-being of the United States. Offending every developed nation will come back to bite us as surely as mosquitoes in that swamp he said he'd drain.”

 . . . to which I responded:

            Re: “everything stays to plan.” Time shall tell the tale.  I’ll report on outcome in a couple of weeks.

            Re: “Flynn.”  Remarkable indeed.  I do not recall anything even close to comparable.

            Re: “Trump's . . .  tax ‘plan’.”  If it had been anyone other than Trump, I would have thought it was a joke . . . or at best, some thoughts about tax reductions.  It certainly is NOT a plan.

            Re: pissing off our allies.  Who knows what his intentions are?  I certainly can see nothing rational in his actions so far.

            Re: “America First.”  Agreed.  As I said, his notion of “America First” is to piss off as many allies as he can and bully everyone else.

            This is going to be a very long four years.

Note: I received numerous comments to my travelogue [803A/D].  The comments were personal and not appropriate for this humble forum.  I must acknowledge all those who offered comments and thank everyone for your interest in our travel adventure.

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                        :-)

Update no.803D

Update from the Heartland

No.803D

1.5.17 – 21.5.17

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

To all,

            Update no.803D – This is travelogue installment four of four.

Day 11

[Dis-Day]

Civitavecchia, Lazio, Repubblica Italiana:

[Rome]

Wednesday, 17.May.2017:

05:00:

            The ship docked at the Rome Cruise Terminal of Civitavecchia (Old City) in the busy port facility.  I happened to be up and writing on this humble journal as we approached the port.  Another large cruise ship and several large ferries arrived behind us.  The maneuvering was in very close quarters, but the process was handled expertly and orderly.  We went up to the Lido Deck (16) for a leisurely breakfast, and then back to our stateroom to wait.  We were supposed to vacate our stateroom by 08:00, but we stretched that to about 08:30.  Thank goodness for digital books, I had the last book of Martin Gilbert’s eight volume biography series on Winston Churchill to read on my iPhone (since the iPad had been out of commission since Day 2); this one is big enough to last me until home, along with taking notes, as is the case with such books.

09:30:

            After staging in the Symphony Dining Room on Plaza Deck (5), our group (Pink 3) was called for disembarkation, and we were off.  The lot of us (roughly three dozen) would be spending at least one night at the Albergo Savoia (Hotel Savoy) on Via Ludovisti not far from the U.S. Embassy in Rome.

            The traffic out of the port and on the Autostrada up to the outskirts of Rome was easy and free flowing.  The farm fields that have been producing food for millennia were well tended.  Fields of ripening wheat, vegetables of all kinds, grass for hay, olive trees (although no large orchards I could see), and of course vineyards of grape vines leafing out well.  We knew we had reached Rome when the traffic choked the flow.  Security procedures had already been implemented in advance of President Trump’s planned visit to Rome, before the G-7 Summit in Palermo, Sicily, later this month, which made matters worse in that part of the city.  Heavy armed army personnel are stationed at most if not all of the government facilities in Rome and many of the monuments in the city (of which there are more than a few).  Traffic in the vicinity of the Embassy and as a consequence the hotel was terrible, and the city traffic police were NOT happy.  We were entertained outside the hotel by a young, female, police officer who was quite animated with her gestures, protests and instructions; she certainly appeared to be a no nonsense person, who got things done.  Princess Cruise Lines had one group of passengers arriving (us) and another group departing for the ship, which meant three large tour buses on narrow city streets made smaller by cars and motorbikes parked on both sides of the street.

11:30:

            Of course, as would be expected in such circumstances, our room at the Hotel Savoy would not be ready until 15:00.  We checked our baggage into the hotel’s storeroom and settled into a nice lounge to wait our planned afternoon excursion.

12:45:

            Our driver for the remainder of the day, Jean Lucca (same company as Roberto in Livorno), arrived early to fetch us.

            We drove past the Palazzo del Quirinale (the presidential palace), reportedly the largest building in Italy, the second largest in Europe, and the ninth largest palace in the world.  The palace is 20 times larger than the White House.  I guess bigger is better.  I cannot imagine how long it would take to learn navigation of a building that size.

            The Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland), also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II), celebrates the unification of Italy as a country in 17.March.1861.  The monument dominates Capitol Hill.

Altar of the Fatherland

[file: Rome Fatherland 170517.jpg]

This is a terrible, unflattering image of the monument, but it shall have to suffice; it is the best I have.  Also, at the base of the monument, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded by a duo of military men rotated among the national services every four hours, 24/7, come rain or shine.

            To the right of the fatherland monument (off frame) lays Piazza de Campidoglio and the National Museum (not visited, unfortunately).  Michelangelo designed the square.  On the backside of the square is an impressive overlook of the ruins of the Roman Forum, and beyond the forum is the Coliseum (tomorrow).

            The iconic Fontana de Trevi (Trevi Fountain) offers a magnificent backdrop for a happy snap of the woman I love.

Jeanne at Trevi Fountain

[file: Rome Jeanne Trevi 170517.jpg]

Pope Clemens XIII inaugurated the fountain on Sunday, 22.May.1762.  The fountain was refurbished in 1998, and featured in a few cinema films.  If we could exclude the mass of humanity around the site, Trevi Fountain would be a very peaceful place for contemplation.

            The Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti (Stairway of the Trinity of the Mountains), more commonly known as the Spanish Steps, connect Piazza di Spagna with the Chiesa delle Santissima Trinità dei Monti (Church of the Most Holy Trinity of the Mountains).

Spanish Steps

[file: Rome Spanish Steps 170517.jpg]

Neither one of us felt the urge to ascend those 135 steps.  I am not sure why the Spanish Steps garnered such attention, but hey, at least we were there.

            The Colonna di Marco Aurelio (Column of Marcus Aurelius) in Piazza Colonna with a detailed spiral relief sculpture celebrating the battlefield victories of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in Marcomanni, Quadi and Samatians (today lower Germany and Eastern Europe, north of the River Danube).

Column of Marcus Aurelius

[file: Rome column 170517.jpg]

This is not the best side of the column from a solo image perspective, but it was the best for the light.  I tried to get the best image of the column relief detail.  The following image is the best I have from a slightly different angle.

Column Relief

[file: Rome column relief 170517.jpg]

The small rectangular openings along the column are actually windows to light the interior stairway.  I am fascinated by the history this singular column represents and would love to study the symbology included in the carvings.

            The Pantheon began as a Roman temple dedicated to all gods and completed in 125 AD, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian.

Pantheon Dome

[file: Rome Pantheon 170517.jpg]

The claim to fame remains the dome is the world's largest, unreinforced, concrete dome.  The 8.8-meter diameter oculus sits at the apex of the upper half of a 43.2-meter sphere, interior surface of the dome.  The aggregate used in the concrete varies from fairly dense at the base to significantly less dense toward the top.  The Roman Catholic Church converted the Pantheon to the Chiesa di Santa Maria e dei Martiri (Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs), still in use to this day.  The engineer in me is fascinated with such structures.

            By this time, Jeanne was really not feeling well.  She passed and stayed in the van with Jean Lucca, while I took a tour of Piazza de Navona (Navona Square) and Basilica de Santa Maria de Navona.  The long plaza contains three fountains, the center of which is the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) in front of the basilica.

Fountain of the Four Rivers

[file: Rome Navona 170517.jpg]

            Jeanne was running out of gas.  I wanted her to see Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses.  She agreed to gut it out for just one more stop.  Jean Lucca drove us to Basilica de San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains), with a rather non-descript exterior.

Moses

[file: Rome Moses 170517.jpg]

The dominant attraction of the church is Michelangelo’s magnificent sculpture of Moses.  The sculpture is not well lit; so, all the images I took from multiple angles do not present the sculpture adequately.  Jean Lucca told us the story that when Michelangelo finished the statue, he knocked on it a couple of times and said, “Why don’t you speak?”  I have no idea whether the story is true, but it does make for a good story; the statue is incredibly detailed and life-like, so much so that he looks like he could speak.

            We were spent and asked Jean Lucca to drop us off at the hotel.  We invited him to dinner with us, but he declined.  He did tell us of a nice ristorante (restaurant) near our hotel that served good food and opened earlier than 19:00 – Ristorante il Pomodorino.

16:15:

            After finally checking in, getting our bags into our room and sorting the safe operation and power supply (we had to borrow an adapter and converter from the hotel; Europe uses 220 VAC), we set off to find the restaurant.  Confession: I thought I understood Jean Lucca’s directions, but apparently I did not.  This reality added to our exhaustion and frustration.  We looked at a couple of local cafes without success.  In the end, we elected to have a small dinner in the hotel, rooftop restaurant, as it was getting late for us; it was a good meal, nonetheless.  Jeanne had an insalata Caprese, and I had an excellent paccheri pasta dish.

Day 12

Roma, Lazio, Repubblica Italiana:

Thursday, 18.May.2017:

08:30:

            Jeanne was still not feeling well.  We considered cancelling the day’s activities.  Eventually, she agreed to go as long as she was able.  A new driver . . . this time Mauricio . . . retrieved us at the hotel.  We needed to make a quick stop to pick up a packet of AA batteries, since I was unable to recharge the batteries for my camera (charger did not like the hotel power supply).

            First stop on this day was the Coliseum, AKA Flavian Amphitheater.  The original name in Roman times was Amphitheatrum Flavium.  It was completed and inaugurated in 80 AD, during the reign of Emperor Titus.  In its heyday, it held upwards of 80,000 spectators.

The Coliseum

[file: Rome Coliseum 170518A.jpg]

Of all the images I took, I chose this one, since it best represents the original and the new construction to restore the site.  The new construction helps stabilize the remaining original structure.  The image also shows the on-going restoration work that continues to this very day.

Coliseum Layers

[file: Rome Coliseum 170518B.jpg]

I like the second image, as it shows the layering of the structure and the scale of the building.

            Our next stop was the Circus Maximus – the first and largest Roman stadium.  It became the model for other similar (smaller) stadia throughout the Empire.  It was 621 meters long and 118 meters wide, and held 150,000 spectators.  Very little of the original stadium remains today.  The stadium was used for horse and chariot races, festivals and other sporting events.

Circus Maximus

[file: Rome Circus 170518.jpg]

The ruins of the imperial palaces on Palatine Hill can be seen on the far side of the Circus Maximus, behind Jeanne and Cap.  Jeanne was not doing well by this time, so she put on a brave face, but she was going downhill.

            The Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums) is a necessary step to visit the Sistine Chapel, these days.  [Just an ancillary side note: I do not recall that requirement on my previous visit – 1969.]  We were advised to get tickets prior to our visit.  The tickets specified an entry time.  We found NO indication there was any metering of attendance.  The mass of humanity was the worst encountered since the Barcelona Immigration Hall (Day -1).  That said, the tour of the Vatican Museums was carefully laid out and organized for an orderly flow; I cannot imagine this amount of people moving through the museums without the routed tour guide.

The Gallery of Maps

[file: Vatican hall 170518.jpg]

Absorbing the whole of the experience, the most fascinating to me was the Galleria delle Carte Geografiche (The Gallery of Maps).  The blue panels on the sidewalls are maps of different geographical areas of interest to the church, thus the gallery’s name.  Yet, it is the ornate artwork of the long, continuous ceiling that captured my attention.

            The pièce de résistance for this adventure was the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) at the far end of the walking tour.  I had seen the Sistine Chapel frescoes in 1969, during my first class midshipman cruise aboard the fleet oiler USS Mississinewa (AO-144), before the restoration.  The ambitious restoration project began in 1979 and was not completed until 11.December.1999.  I wanted a good high quality image of the restored frescoes.  They do not sell them in the gift shop.  They prohibit photography inside the chapel.  So, I resorted to the old axiom: it is easier to seek forgiveness than to gain permission.

Ceiling Fresco

[file: Vatican Sistine 170518.jpg]

I surreptitiously took a half dozen images with my iPhone.  The image above was the best of the lot.  The colors are more brilliant than the image displays, but at least it is not blurry or out of focus.  Well, at a minimum, we have an “I was there” picture.  The sea of humanity in the chapel made enjoyment of the artwork and symbology more difficult to appreciate.  I was also concerned that I was pushing Jeanne too far.  We worked our way back out.

            Regrettably, we had to pass on the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano (Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican).  We missed Michelangelo’s La Pietà.  C’est la vie!  It was a struggle for her to get through the Vatican Museums; it was not fair to Jeanne to keep pushing her.  I did not want her keeling over on me. Jeanne was not feeling well, so we cut the day short at 14:00, and asked Mauricio to take us back to the hotel.

            We took a nap.  The rest did Jeanne good.  My nap was shorter than usual for me, as writing beckoned me.

            I followed Jean Lucca’s directions more precisely this time, and we had a very nice dinner at Ristorante il Pomodorino . . . well worth the several blocks walk.  For anyone visiting Rome in the future, I highly recommend il Pomodorino, Via Campania 45/e, Roma; you will not be disappointed.

            We called it an early night – one more sleep.  It will be a very long day tomorrow.

Day 13

Roma, Lazio, Repubblica Italiana:

Friday, 19.May.2017:

            As fate would have it, I woke up at 02:30, and started plinking the keys.  The last couple of days have been action packed and I am way behind on my documentation.

04:00:

            Yep, I set my alarm – a rarity for me in the last few decades; but, I did not trust my wakey-wakey instinct this time.  As it turned out, both of us woke before the alarm sounded.  Fortunately, we were already prepared, so a quick refreshment shower was all it took.

05:15:

            We departed the hotel by bus, organized by Princess Cruise Lines, for Aeroporto Internazionale Leonardo da Vinci [Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO)] {AKA Roma-Fiumicino}.  There were three other couples with us on the bus.  Surprisingly, there is very little traffic on the city streets at that hour.  We got one last tour of the sites on our way out of the city.

06:10:

            We arrived at the airport.  This was my first experience at Fiumicino – a very modern, sophisticated airport with lots and lots of marble . . . at least the international terminal.

07:10:

            It took us an hour to check in, drop off our bags, get our boarding passes, and make our way through customs and passport control.   We were departing from gate E39.  My impression: I think the layout was intended to stimulate shopping, rather than move people . . . you weave your way through the duty free commercial area and shops are everywhere.  The other impression, beyond the shopping inducement, is walking . . . lots of walking with lots of corners to turn, no straight shot anywhere.

09:15:

            This was our scheduled departure time on American flight 239 to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) – a B777-200 aircraft.  We began boarding at 08:25, pushed back at 09:10, and took off on time. Apparently, the upper level winds were less than forecast, as we gained quite a bit of time during the trans-Atlantic crossing.  Once we made landfall at Newfoundland, the pilot began a series of significant deviations, presumably to avoid weather. One disadvantage of these seat back, personal entertainment systems is we have to have the window shades down for optimal viewing, which means I could not look outside to keep track of the weather; the shades stayed down the entire flight.

13:24 [S] CDT:

            Even with the deviations, we landed one hour early, against a schedule 14:25 arrival time.  We had a short ground wait to allow three other aircraft to move before the gate was ready to receive us.  This was the first time using the new Automated Passport Control . . . impressive I must say.  You answer the requisite customs declaration questions at a kiosk rather than the old handwritten forms of yesteryear.  I had applied for the Global Entry program, but the earliest interview date was in late August, but Global Entry makes an individual a trusted traveler and supposedly makes the immigration and customs process even faster.  I picked up our bags, went trough Customs and checked the bags in for the last leg home, all complete by 14:22 – a dramatic difference with what we experienced in Barcelona on the way over.  By 14:35, we were at our departure gate to Wichita.

            We boarded the last flight on time at 15:55, had a ground stop for an unspecified maintenance problem, and took off at 16:40, versus a scheduled time of 16:25.  We landed at Wichita at 17:45, picked up our bags and took a taxi home, since Aspen was working.

Wichita, Kansas, United States of America:

Friday, 19.May.2017:

            We arrived home at 18:15 [S] CDT.  I got the bags inside, took a quick shower to wash off the dust from a road well traveled, and we both went to bed at 19:00, and were soon unconscious after a 21-hour, very long journey.  The adventure was done.  While memorable, it is so good to be home with the affection of our dogs.

Postscript notes:

            One general observation: Jeanne is able to talk to other folks readily and easily, and about anything under the sun.  It is rather amazing to watch her.  I have deduced I must be anti-social or overly cautious; it has never been easy for me to go up to some person I do not know and just talk to people without a purpose or message.  I have no problem with public speaking or public intercourse on topics of history, aviation or politics, but I have never been comfortable with social exchange.

            In closing this rather lengthy tome, I will note that we took several thousand pictures between us, with our camera and both iPhones.  I could not possibly include all of the images.  I reduced every image from 2-3Mb to < 100Kb in size to save space.  I tried to select just one image per site visited, but even that was a lost cause . . . just too much interesting stuff to see, experience and learn.  The final file is 4 Mb in size.  If anyone would like a copy of the file, simply let me know, I would be happy to send it along for your use.

Fini

Update no.803C

Update from the Heartland

No.803C

1.5.17 – 21.5.17

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

To all,

            Update no.803C – This is travelogue installment three of four.

Day 8

Kotor, Montenegro:

Sunday, 14.May.2017:

            We changed our clocks back to Central European time {time zone [A]} during the night.  I woke up and got up at 03:00 [A].  I pulled the curtains on the bed half of our compartment and stepped out on the balcony to check on conditions – dense fog and everything was wet.  The ship’s foghorn sounded every two minutes on the second for five seconds duration.  Our stateroom is aft of midship and the compartment is well insulated, which meant the required periodic foghorn sounding did not disturb Jeanne’s sleep.  So, there was no early morning writing session outside on this particular morning, but the writing inside was quite productive.  I have 1.5 sections left to write, and then it is on to the last chapter of Book VI.

            The fog lifted sufficiently and morning nautical twilight had begun, when we passed at 04:50 [A] the flashing light marking the entrance to Kotor Bay.  There are not a lot of lights on the northern shoreline of the approach, but lights were clearly visible underneath the low overcast on the ship’s bridge cam.  I had never been to the Balkans (other than Greece), this should be an interesting day.  The area is quite mountainous, very much like the fjords of Norway.  I was surprised at the depth of the harbor and the scale of mountains, as well as the tight quarters at some portions of the entry, at one spot only 300 meters across.  The beam of the Royal Princess is 47 meters, so very little maneuvering room.

our guide = Silviana; driver = Sasha

            Our first stop on our cruise-sponsored, guided tour was the medieval fortress of Budva on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.  According to our guide, Budva is a big summer resort town that swells to several times its normal size during July, August and early September.  I chose this image from Budva since it is a good juxtaposition of old and new.

Ancient Greek & Roman Cemetery of Budva

[file: Budva Roman cemetery 170514.jpg]

This small monument is just outside the main gate of the old walled city.  When they were excavating for the new hotel / casino in the background, they unearthed a more than two millennia old, ancient Greek and Roman cemetery.  The people of the city decided to preserve the site as the builders constructed the hotel.  I thought churches abound in Wichita, but in Montenegro, the frequency of churches has been raised to a much higher level.  Both in Budva and Kotor, there seemed to be a church at every third or fourth building (I exaggerate, but not much).  There was always a mixture of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, often in close proximity to each other.  I chose this image:

Holy Trinity Church in Budva

[file: Budva church 170514.jpg]

A large earthquake caused the crack in 1979.  Another large earthquake in 1667 also caused damage to the old structures.  I cannot say the damage was repaired, but the crack was filled in.  Seismic activity is not common, but it does occur.

            We returned to Kotor to visit the old city in the early afternoon.

Kotor

[file: Kotor 170514.jpg]

The image above shows one of the high mountains behind the city, on the right side of the image the left tower of Saint Tryphon Cathedral, built in 1166 AD, the main church (of many) in Montenegrin towns, and on the left of the image, Drago Palace, once the residence of the ruling family of Kotor.

Saint Tryphon Cathedral in Kotor

[file: Kotor St. Tryphon 170514.jpg]

The two bell towers were twins until the earthquake of 1979 knocked down the left tower.  They rebuilt the damaged tower with recovered stones, but could not find sufficient matching stones, so the left tower is now two meters shorter.  The city medieval fortifications included a rather intriguing wall and bastion strong points.

Kotor City Fortifications

[file: Kotor city wall 170514.jpg]

The trees, modern buildings and the shoreline promenade in the foreground are outside the city walls.  St. Tryphon Cathedral above is in the center of the old city.  The wall fortifications extend well above the city in a large triangle, spanning just around the whole image immediately above.  The Illyrian fort of Castle St. John sits at the very apex (top center) of the triangle.  We were informed there are 1,218 steps in the zig-zag pathway to the top, and it takes 45 minutes up and 45 minutes down (not counting rest stops for old folks like me).  We were not curious enough to pick up the challenge.

            One last note from our visit to Montenegro, this sculpture from the Kotor Maritime Museum is representative of many similar inlaid sculptures on old structures in the area, at least in Kotor and Budva.

Venetian Winged Lion

[file: Kotor winged lion 170514.jpg]

The winged lion was the symbol of the Venetian maritime empire and indicates the influence of the Venetians in the region.  In this particular example, the Venetian symbol is shown with the depiction of St. Tryphon – the patron saint of Kotor.

            The weather was near perfect for the evening departure from the fjord.  Consistent with the tight spaces of the fjord anchorage, the captain moved the ship forward slightly before he used the bow and stern thrusters to turn the large ship 180º in place and head out the same way he came in.  The transit took two hours to complete.  We exited the fjord at nearly sunset and headed south toward Cape Leuca, Italy.

Day 9

At sea:

Monday, 15.May.2017:

            We enjoyed a pretty low key, relaxing day.  I had another wine tasting event at mid-day.  This events selection was:

1.  Prosecco Villa Sandi (sparkling wine) 50^th edition (Italy)

2.  Woodbridge Chardonnay (United States {California})

3.  Zeni Valpolicella (Italy)

4.  Simi “landslide” Cabernet Sauvignon (United States {California})

5.  Rex Goliath Moscato (Chile)

Of this lot, I preferred the Cabernet.

            For me, it was a good writing day.

            We approached the Strait of Messina at dinnertime.  At least, the overcast was high and comparatively thin.  The port side on our transit north was presented to Sicily.  I watched and watched the base of Mount Etna while Jeanne was finishing her preparations for dinner.  Low clouds obscured the peak and crater of the volcano.  This is the best image I could get of the famous volcano, given the weather conditions of the afternoon.

Mt. Etna, Sicily

[file: Mt. Etna 170515.jpg]

That is the northern edge of the caldera, poking out above the clouds.  Some of those clouds appeared dark, which induced me to wonder whether the volcano was still smoking after its latest eruption began on 15.March.2017, with nearly continuous mini-eruption still on-going.  Luckily, the peak (caldera) poked out of the clouds a few times before we lost sight behind a closer ridgeline.  When I could see the peak clearly, there was no sign of volcanic activity I could see.  Circa 21:00 [A], we passed the volcanic island of Stromboli on our port side.  Stromboli is often called the lighthouse of the Mediterranean, since it has been in near constant low-grade eruption and lava flow.  Yet, on this transit, I could not see any signs of volcanic eruption.

Day 10

Napoli, Campania, Repubblica Italiana:

[Naples, Pompei]

Tuesday, 16.May.2017:

            The Greeks founded the port city of Paestrum in the 6^th century BC and eventually Neopolis (New City); today the port & city are known as Napoli in Italian (Naples in English).  As the Roman Empire grew, the port was subsumed by the Romans and remained Roman until the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5^th century AD.  The area changed hands many times until liberated by the Allies in 1943.

Guide = Alessia; driver = Leno

            Mount Vesuvius last major eruption occurred in 18/23.March.1944, however its most famous eruption occurred on 24.August.79, during the reign of Emperor Titus.  This is the culprit.

Mt. Vesuvius from Naples Port

[file: Naples Vesuvius 170516.jpg]

The light conditions were never quite good enough to show how close modern buildings have come to the volcano; poor image, I know, but it is the best one I could get that day.  Let it suffice to say, buildings can be seen as high as a third of the way up from the base to the summit.  Hopefully, the volcano will remain dormant and someday be declared extinct.  Given the earthquakes experienced on the Italian peninsula, that hope seems to be remote.  Pompei is not located as close to the volcano as many of the modern structures, however conditions that day two millennia ago did not favor Pompei, Herculaneum, Nuceria, Oplontis or Stabiae.  Herculaneum was the only town of the five to be buried in lava; the others were buried in ash and cinders.

            Here is another view of Vesuvius from the main forum in Pompei.

Main Temple at Pompei & Mt. Vesuvius

[file: Pompei Vesuvius 170516.jpg]

The above image shows the remains of the main temple to Juno, Jupiter and Minerva, looking north to Mt. Vesuvius.  Just geographically, most of modern Naples is closer to the mountain than Pompei is.  As our guide Alessia like to say, “Pompei was not destroyed; it was preserved,” when it was buried beneath meters of ash and cinders.  The pyroclastic flow from the eruption burned everything flammable and buried everything else.

Roman Woman Victim

[file: Pompei woman 170516.jpg]

The cast displayed above was a young, pregnant, Roman woman who perished and was frozen at the moment by the ash.  The combination with rain made the material like plaster.  This is only one of many recovered from the excavations over the years.  FYI: that is our guide Alessia on the right and Jeanne in pink.

            Pompei was a commercial center and a resort town of its day.  Wealthy families from Rome and other cities had vacation residences in the city.  One of those villas among the shops and other buildings is shown below.

Residence of Wealthy Person in Pompei

[file: Pompei residence 170516.jpg]

The floor mosaic signifies a wealthy family lived there.  The rectangular, marble, shallow pool in the foyer collected rainwater from a comparable opening in the roof that once covered the dwelling.  The columns and the garden beyond, further indicate the wealthy of the family.

            I cannot possibly describe how prevalent selfies were among the masses of people we came across on this trip.  It did not matter what location, circumstance, nationality . . . everyone was taking selfies.  Occasionally, it became really annoying.

Cap & Jeanne at Pompei

[file: Pompei selfie 170516.jpg]

Jeanne and I were no exception.  We felt the urge.  Here we are at the forum in Pompei.  Life is good.

Street Sign for Brothel in Pompei

[file: Pompei brothel 170516.jpg]

            As an interesting little side note, the image above shows a paving stone on the pedestrian street of Via dell’Abbondanza with a phallus to signify the shop to the right was a brothel for those visitors and inhabitants so inclined to need the services of a professional.  Can you imagine a city in the United States (well, other than rural Nevada) having a street sign that proclaimed “Brothel Here.  Get your treats inside.”  Substantial erotic artwork was uncovered during the excavation; apparently, sex was an important part of Roman life back in the day.

            We returned to the ship in early afternoon, took a shower, and then a nice, good, power nap before dinner.  After dinner, we packed up our stuff.  Our baggage had to be outside our stateroom by 23:00, for the handlers to stage it for disembarkation.  We also had to cash-out our cards; Jeanne managed to win a few dollars in the on-board casino during our voyage.