Saturday, April 20, 2013

R is for Rome. A-Z Challenge Continues.

Roger Broders (1883-1953)   Dover Press.
This poster will give you a different picture of Rome.  The date is 1921 and looking through the Arch of Constantine, we can see the Colosseum, some goats in the foreground and a rather pastoral scene. If you were to visit Rome today, the Colosseum is in the middle of the city.

In Ancient days, the Romans used parts of other sculptures and arches to make new commemorative arches.  This is called spolia.  And you thought re-cycling is new?  Constantine's arch is partly made up of older structures and was dedicated in 315 AD to celebrate Emperor Constantine's victory over Maxentius during the battle of Milvan Bridge.

This is what is fascinating about archeology -- ancient puzzles.  This part is from the ? century; this one depicts what emperor?  And what event? An ancient I-Pad.

Arches have been used through the centuries to commemorate special events and honor heroes with processions and parades.  Ancient Rome used these extensively, and some are still used in recent history.   Constantine's arch was the finish line for the 1960 Olympic marathon.

Paris, Lyon, Mediterranean also known as PLM was a French railway and the poster (1921)  is advertising an express train from Paris to Rome via Lyon.

When is the last time you took a train to a vacation spot?  (not a commuter train).

18 comments:

  1. The last time I took a train was when we lived in California. It was 1988, and my husband and I took Amtrak from San Jose down to Los Angeles. For no other reason that we wanted to do it :)

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  2. I hope you enjoyed it. Those last minute week-end trips are fun and trains are so relaxing.

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  3. I took an overnight train from Naples to Milan. It was a fun experience.

    visiting from A~Z challenge

    http://wearinglemon.blogspot.com

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    1. Two cities I have not visited, but hope to someday. Thanks for stopping by.

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  4. We took a train between Moscow and St. Petersburg last year. I had booked the train online and we travelled independently. So - at the Moscow train station we were trying to figure out which platform we needed to be on. A nice Russian sailor (?) came up and tried to help. After we determined that we were both talking about the same time and train number, he told us which platform we needed. We hauled all our luggage there, boarded the train and had the most amazing trip! The train was modern, fast and very efficient. We arrived in St. Petersburg in probably less time than a flight would have taken (travel to airport, etc.) and we were able to see countryside on the way. Fortunately, we had booked a "transfer" to get us from the train station to our hotel. Great experience!

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    1. Thanks for your long blog -- love them, like having a real conversation. I notice that you are connected to the "Google Friends Connect" thing which I have never understood and now I know someone who can explain it. :)

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    2. Sorry, I have NO idea of how I became a Google Friends Connect person. I guess I was logged in to another account, and then when I tried to post to your blog, it wouldn't let me do it, until I "joined". I'm not sure any of us really need it.

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  5. ah rome, now there is a city I'd like to see...someday!

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    1. P.S. I've nominated you for a Liebster Award, which you don't have to accept if you don't want to.

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    2. Dear Wicked Writer: Earlier, someone else nominated me for this award. So, what do I do? I cannot do this now, but will be able to devote my full attention to the award after the challenge and after May 11th. I do appreciate it.

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  6. I love trains - all sorts. But your post made me remember the train ride from Albany, NY to Albuquerque, NM. I think I was seven years old then. Looking out the windows as the scenery changed from the Alleghenies to the Rockies, with some flatlands in between was wonderful. My mother (I now realize) deserved combat pay!

    Lovely post!

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  7. You reminded me of a train trip I took long ago with my five year old son to California. He insisted on taking all his stuffed animals. I could imagine them falling all over the place so I tied them together, one to another. He draped them over his arm and we never lost one! Thanks for stopping by.

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  8. LOL...right you are about re-cycling. In days gone by it was done all the time, as a means of not being wasteful, and a means of saving money. Then we became a throw away rich society and they had to re-invent it.

    A-Z

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    1. Ask any teenager if he or she would wear "used" clothes or a used skate board, etc. Watch their reaction. Thanks for your comment Sandy.

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    2. Sandy, reading back on this comment -- you know I meant buy a used skate board, not wear one :)

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  9. I don't know why your posts don't appear on my Dashboard even though I'm your follower :(

    A recurring thought I've had is how landmarks such as the Colosseum are like the immortal fathers of a place- they witness the people and events of every generation.

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    1. Ghadeer, I cannot scroll down on your comments section so I cannot leave comments. I tried a few things, but nothing worked. I am sorry :(

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  10. Ghadeer, don't know why the dashboard does not work. I will try and check it out. Meanwhile, your writing is so lyrical, landmarks are like sentinels.

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