Hadrian's Villa

The ruins of the villa of Roman Emperor Publius Ellis Hadrian in Tivoli, Italy. Built 118-134 AD.

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Olive trees on the path up to the ruins

 

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Part of the border wall, the Wall of Poecile


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Poecile


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The Centro Camerelle

 

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The Small Thermae (the smallest of three baths)

 

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Figure at the entrance to the Canopus

 

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Two images looking at the entrance of the Canopus


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The alligator at the Canopus

 

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The Serapeum of the Canopus

 

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Looking back from the Serapeum

 

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Wilson (and Ruth) admiring the view

 

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Caryatids

 

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Headless

 

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Same alligator, different angle


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The Praetorium

 

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Another bathhouse


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On the way out

 

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Ruin hidden in the woods

 

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The Temple of Venus

 

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Looking out over the land below

Click here for full size images that really show the splendor of the villa

We were only here for three - four hours and missed a lot of the Villa... on the list for a return visit!

December 6, 2022





Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Italy

Villa d'Estes

A 16th- century villa in Tivoli, near Rome, famous for its terraced hillside Italian Renaissance garden and its profusion of fountains. Construction began in 1560 for Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este. Wikipedia has a nice article on the Villa's convoluted history.  

Inside the villa

Frescoes, statues and paintings

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Hercules fighting a lion

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View from the patio leading to the Gardens


The Gardens and Fountains

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Little fountains leading down to the gardens

 

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Another small fountain in a grotto


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The Fountain of the Organ (‘’Fontana dell’Organo’’)

is one of the most famous features of the garden; it was described and imitated throughout Europe. Work on the masonry structure began in 1566. The fountain itself was made by the French fountain engineer Luc Leclerc and his nephew Claude Venard. After the death of Leclerc, Venard invented the ingenious mechanism of the water organ, which was installed in 1571.

The fountain was the first of its kind, and astonished everyone who heard it; when Pope Gregory XIII visited the villa in 1572, accompanied by his court of cardinals and princes, he insisted on inspecting the interior of the fountain, to learn if someone wasn't concealed inside making the music.

A massive masonry arch behind the fountain, the ‘’castellum aquae’’ or water castle, conceals the water reservoir and the hydraulic machinery of the fountain. The original design featured a grotto in the niche of the arch, with a view of the twenty-two pipes of the organ. A statue of ‘’Mother Nature’’ or the ‘’Ephesian Diana’’ was placed in front of the arch in 1569; it now has its own fountain in the lower garden.

The water creating the music arrived first at the top of the ‘’Castellum aquae’. It went first through a series of whirlpools, which mixed air with the water; then it dropped down a pipe into the ‘’camera aeolia’’, or wind chamber, where the air and water were separated; the water turned a wheel, rotating a cylinder which opened the valves of the twenty-two pipes, so the air could pass through the pipes and make the music. (thank you, Wikipedia)

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The ‘’castellum aquae’’ and hydraulics have been replaced with an actual pipe organ


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Looking down from the Fountain of the Organ


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Fountain of the d'Este Eagles

 

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Looking away from the gardens


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Three masks of The Hundred Fountains. When built they were white marble but time has worn them. 12_22 tivoli vde DSC00193 -1
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The boat with an obelisk mast, symbolizing the Tiburtina island in the Tiber, below the statue of Rome Triumphant


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Looking out from the exit

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Someone famous? An untitled sculpture

The full-sized images are a much better look. Click here!

Amazing villa. We only had time for a couple of hours there. I didn't capture a lot of this amazing place. 


December 6, 2022






All around Rome - 2022

A day traveling around Rome.

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Stone Door

 

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Wear caused by water makes it look like he is losing lunch


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Famous Fountain Di Trevi

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Postcard view

 

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What you actually see

 

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What you actually see !


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Office building entrance and self-portrait

 

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Spanish Steps, famous scalinata (monumental staircase)


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Sign at a park


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A few Roman scenics

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Obelisk
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Street scene


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Lots of obelisks in Rome

 

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Pantheon- a temple dedicated to all the gods

 

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Fire hose outlet with accompaniments

 

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A little fuzzy; shot through car window

 The Colosseum

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Postcard view

 

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What you actually see


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Ruins in black and white

Click here to go to all my Rome images

December 5, 2022


New guests in 2023

Welcome to 2023!

Our quiet pond, usually occupied by a small quackery of ducks and a few other birds, has seen an influx of visitors over the last several days. The visitors include seagulls, pelicans and an alarming number of turkey buzzards (over thirty yesterday). Thus far this morning only the ducks and a couple of pelicans are out and about.

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These guys, observing in a corner away from the maddening crowd, are part of our usual menagerie.
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Turkey buzzards... why are they visiting?
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Like at the beach, when it gets too crowded, some leave...
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Meanwhile, the turkey buzzards circled in the air currents above the pond, looking very ominous.
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01/09/23
 


A Drive around Rome: Part 1- The Vatican

The first stop on our drive around Rome was the Vatican. 

Almost an overwhelming number of people, but our driver took us to a less-used entrance to St. Peter's Square. We were told the line into St. Peter's Basilica was so long that almost half the people in line might not make it in before everything closed that night.

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Ruth about to be engulfed by the only group that were not tourists

 

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If you look very carefully at the right background you can see the line to get in.


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Wilson guarding a fountain. Does he look like a Vatican Guard?

 

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Another view with people


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St. Peter's Basilica, a traditional view

 

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Another view of the fountain, no Wilson but better lighting.

 

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A side street beside the Vatican

 

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A very nice upscale tourist shop and art gallery


 12/05/22


What do you do...

when you're quarantined in your ship stateroom due to COVID and everyone else is ashore having fun?

You watch the crew watching the crew do a drill deploying one of the giant rafts.

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That big raft came out of one of the little drums next to it.

 San Juan, Puerto Rico

12/20/21


A Rock reveals itself...

Arrived at the British territory of Gibraltar last night.

Our first view of the famous Rock of Gibraltar was...

underwhelming.

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It was a rainy, very windy morning.

 

The weather and accompanying visibility very gradually improved...

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Better, but not nice enough to go ashore and wander.

 

Finally, in the afternoon just before we sailed away, we got a full view of the Rock of Gibraltar

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12/11/22


Western Europe Wine Quest

Images and the story of our June, 2022 Western Europe Wine Quest...

06_04_22 cruise DSC08517_DetailJune 4, Day One: France: La Havre, Honfleur

06_05_22 cruise DSC08580_DetailJune 5, Day Two: France: Saint-Malo

06_06_22 cruise DXO_0859 -1June 6, Day Three: The Big Dinner

06_07_22 cruise DSC08695_DetailJune 7, Day Four: La Rochelle, France

06_08_22 cruise DSC08771 -1June 8, Day Five: Morning walk to a church

06_08_22 cruise DSC08784_DetailJune 8, Day Five: Finally Wineries

06_09_22 cruise DSC08881_LocaltoneJune 9, Day Six: Place Des Quinconces

06_09_22 cruise DSC08921 -1June 9, Day Six: Out of Business, Bordeaux

06_10_22 cruise DSC08962_DetailJune 10, Day Seven: Wine and Cider, Spain

06_11_22 cruise DSC09120_DetailJune 11, Day Eight: The Last Two Wineries, Basque Country Spain

06_09_22 cruise DXO_0933_DetailWater, clouds, and Light

See full size images at my gallery site: https://billterry1.smugmug.com/Places/Western-Europe-Wine-Quest-2022/


Rome and Tivoli were amazing...

Rome and Tivoli were amazing...

now its off to sail the ocean blue

(lots more images, these are an appetizer).

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Rome

 

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Ruth... and Wilson... throwing a coin into the famous Fontana di Trevi (the actual coin is just above her right hand)

 

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Tivoli: Roman Hadrian's Villa

 

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Tivoli: Villa D'Este

 

December 5-6, 2022


Spain: Day 8, June 11: The Last Two Wineries

The Last Two Wineries...

Bodegas Baigorri

In Basque country, an amazing underground winery,

seven levels, six underground

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Views from the above-ground entrance,
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Scenic with cloud reflections at the entrance moat

Underground:
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The wines: we went together with our group and bought a case shipped to us in September

 

Bodegas Casa Primicia

Views of Laquardia township from the vineyards
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Lunch in the vineyard

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Hidden Rose


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Explaining the wine

 

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Outdoor cooking using cut grape vines
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Great company!!!!

See full size images at my gallery site: https://billterry1.smugmug.com/Places/Western-Europe-Wine-Quest-2022/

For all our trip stories, go here: https://www.billterry1.com/2022/07/western-europe-wine-quest.html


June 11, 2022