Castel of Salerno

I promised to my new friends from GEN (Group of the Escursionists-Naturalists) to guide them on their exploration of the Old Town of Salerno and to find the way to get hiking to the castel of Salerno. There is a road to reach the castel but it is too long and dangerous enough, too. I wanted to find a direct pass. Do you think, it's easy? No. All the passes are closed by the owners of the grounds.

The same problem we have here, on our hill. Years ago, it was possible to hike everywhere, to pick up herbs, to enjoy the wild life. Now, we can't climb the hills because there are fences everywhere.

Thinking about this excursion, I wanted to show you how was the life in a castel.
Castels could control the territory where not so many obstacles as in modern times. All the strip of the beach was clearly visible for kilometers (I measured once that the seaside of Salerno is about 6 or 7 km's long. And it's possible to see much more from the castel.

The enemies could not reach it easily from the beach side: the hill is rocky (that we have to learn during our excursion) and even if someone is able to acchieve the walls, he couls find only hostile holes throwing out arrows, stones and hot oil or water.

 

If one of the enemies could enter the door, a great hole under the feet met him (covered with the glass today).It's unpossible to jump it.

The holes in the wall here show that there was something to stay at there, but the yards are separate. So even if a group of the enemies could enter THIS yard, they do not enter other parts of the castel.

Internal rooms were not less protective. In fact, more clever governors used such fortifications as prisons -castel of Salerno, too.

(This foto of torture tool is not from Salerno)

That is why, prisoners of all times applyed to the Saints for protection (picture on the wall of the castel of Salerno applying to the S.Leonard and S. Catherine)

The Feeling of the Spring

This morning was not very happy in confront to all the mornings of the last 2 weeks when the sun was shining from the first moments it raised over the mountains. I went out to see what I have to wear for my turn in our museum and "My God!!! It's raining!!! I have not a jacket for rain! How will I turn home????"

Yes, it's true. I wanted to walk 2 km-s from Vietri this morning -and it means I needed sports wear for it. But I discovered that the "water-proof" jacket I have becomes wet when it rains...

It's sad that I'm not able to show you the profume ...of the spring that was there in the air. Well,we had not real winter this year at all. There were not those months of gloomy rains. And it was not cold, too, sincerely. But it was winter the same. I can't explain it. It was winter.



The rain of this morning was different. It had the sensation of spring. The air of spring. The feeling of spring.



We went in Salerno with the car. So, I had some time to enjoy the view of the sea before I had to go in the museum.



I went to the seaside. What I saw there were dark clouds and grey water. And infinite quantity of gulls. But there was something that the eyes could not see.



Not only me, all the persons felt that special sensation of spring that was in the air.
Everybody stopped suddenly on his/ her way, looked around and turned out own cell to make photos. I had my cell, too. But I had not the photo camera. That is why my photos are not so excellent as I wanted they are. But I don't think that even the best of the photocameras could fix the FEELING.

Blogging

I have a difficult period in my life. I can't write. I can't near the PC.

Maybe, after years I passed here, in front of the monitor, I'm simply tired. I was not able to create my working place. I was not able to change something in my life. Years ago, I had the Great Hope. I did not see a PC before I buyed one but I thought, I'm clever and persistent. ...
What can I say? Maybe, I have to change the attitude and begin to blog for my pleasure and to cancel all other blogs that were created to try to earn something.

Maybe, this depression is simply a stress of long-long period of illnesses we had. Illnesses that changed my way to see the life in one sense.
Or simply the winter creates this aura of sadness.

Maybe, I have only to go out from the dark part of bloggers' block.

"Take Joy in Simple Things"

"We need to take joy in simple things, too", wrote one of those who watched this video. And I thought this crow sliding on the roof can be a good prove that we don't need too much to be happy and to enjoy the life. I began to think about it after I've read a big article about... the bomb shelters for the End of the World of 2012 sold by a wide-ranging enterprise. They just sold 5000 bomb shelters in the US and transfered in Europe now. The price of the shelters is about $50 000 and, they say, they will allow the owners to survive after the catastrophe of Dec. 21, predicted by a Maya Calender.

Can we believe it or not, there are many persons that prepare for this event. Some people buy bomb shelters, many others prepare the ways to suicide because they are afraid of the end of the world. Hundreds of thousands go in France to wait for the event near a mountain they believe will protect all who will happen there in the moment of the catastrophe.

Sincerely, I was sure that it's unpossible to create such a panic today. There were so many End of the World promices at least during the years I remember myself. But the mankind does not change with time.

I Want to Remain Young!

First days of new year were not so carefree as we wanted. One is ill: a desirable nice girl ...coughed him in the face and infected him. He has a high temperature, now. So high that he has to lay in bed all the week. "The nice girl" is remembered with only bad words. :-)))

The other is too sad (at his 35) for the "evident signs of aging". He decided to correct the age with surgery but the operation was not very successful and he has all the face black now. We, men, want to remain young, too -he says. I don't want to become old!!!

(!!! Do you think I'm laughing? No, these are real stories of these first days of the year!)

Interesting is that the girls think not about beauty but about jobs these days. They want to travel and need money for it.

What could be the best cure for all of them, I thought? A smile maybe.



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Excellent Way to Begin the Year

It was maybe the best January,1 of my life. We began the new year on the top of a mountain immerse in the silence and deep connection with the nature.

Just before the end of the year I descovered a trekking group that explores the region visiting the most interesting and not very known places of this the zone. I participated on the excursion over Sorrento on Dec.,8 and it was the second time I wanted to go for a walk with them. This time I wanted to accustom my husband to my passion specially because he says he has to walk more to lower blood pression etc.

I have to say you, it was not so easy but I did it! He consented to go with me. The group was not very numerous, only 10 persons, I think. The climb was not too difficult even if it was hard enough for us who never move so much.

All the road was covered with "good omens" so that it was difficult to avoid them -it's because the cows passed the same way some minutes earlier. :-))) that is why I think, this year will be good for us.

Last meters were "more interesting" and we had to look under the feet than on the ruins of a castel we walked up to.

Incredible place for a settlement but the fortification was impregnable and they could control the road and the river in the valley.

Sunny, splendid, excellent day, absolute silence. Only some km-s from Salerno and other towns.

Well, some persons can not live without stupid gestures...