From Istanbul to Paris

It's been a long time since my last post and I've been back in the USA for awhile.  I made a video slideshow about part of my trip through Europe.  More to come.

Viva Italia!

I used my remaining vacation days to visit Italy for a couple weeks. I took about a thousand pictures, but here are some of the better ones. Get ready for a lot of pictures of sculptures.

You can't help but notice this imposing building, Il Vittoriano. It was built to honor Victor Emmanual, the first king of unified Italy. Construction started in 1911 and completed in 1935. Romans refer to it derogatorily as "the typewriter" because of the shape.

I was lucky enough to stay in an apartment in this amazing neighborhood located in the Jewish Ghetto. Rome's Jewish neighborhood is one of the oldest in Europe.

I went on a bike tour along the Appian Way. The Appian Way is an ancient Roman road that connected Rome with Brindisi in the south. After the defeat of Spartacus in 71 BCE, the Romans crucified the 6,000 survivors along the 200km section from Rome to Capua.

Wholesale wine store along the Appian Way. 1.5 liters for €1.70. My only regret was that I did not have a bigger backpack.

The Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum) is just as impressive as I thought it would be.

My buddy Gage and I attended a gladiator school where we learned the training and fighting techniques of gladiators.

The Pantheon was much more impressive than I imagined it to be.

Even though Italian wine is phenomenal, I had to have an Italian beer every once in a while.

The Capitoline Wolf. This sculpture depicts Romulus and Remus being nursed by a she-wolf. The wolf probably dates back to the 5th century BCE and Romulus and Remus probably date to the 15th century CE. According to legend, Romulus and Remus were the sons of the king of Alba Longa. Their father was deposed and they were thrown into the Tiber River to die. They were raised by a wolf and then some shepherds. When told of their true identities, they formed an army and retook their father's throne and decided to found the city that would become Rome.

This is a sculpture depicting the Emperor Commodus as Hercules from 192 CE. You may remember Commodus from the movie Gladiator. The plot is not accurate at all, but he really did fight in gladiator matches.

The Capuchin Crypt is one of the weirdest places that I have ever seen. It is located in tiny chapels beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. It contains the skeletal remains of 4,000 bodies believed to be Capuchin friars arranged in intricate patterns.

On the Ides of March, I visited the place where Caesar was probably murdered.

I was not expecting to get fantastic micro-brewed beer, but I found Open Baladin. By far the best beer and burgers that I have had in a long time.

This is Michelangelo's famous sculpture, Pieta. It is located within St. Peter's Basilica.

View from the top of St. Peter's Basilica.

No matter where I go I always seem to find something Armenian. This a statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator. He was instrumental in converting Armenia to Christianity. In 301 CE, Armenia became the first nation to make Christianity the official state religion.

The Sistine Chapel was awe-inspiring. It interested me so much that I started reading about it and doing some research. A new theory suggests that hidden illustrations of anatomy can be found throughout the paintings in the chapel. It is suggested that the image where God is reaching out to Adam is actually a cross-section of the human brain. "God" only knows what the best Ninja Turtle's (Michelangelo's) message was. You can read more about this theory here.

Tebowed Tebow to the Jets.

The Trevi Fountain. It is said that if a visitor throws a coin into the fountain, they are bound to return to Rome. It's estimated that 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain daily.

I found Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by accident. I was just wandering around and saw a small church that looked interesting. I went inside and discovered the sculpture.

Roman Aquaduct

After Rome, I traveled by train to Naples. I didn't take any good pictures of Naples, but Pompeii is nearby. This is the forum of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

I had to sneak into the area where I took this picture.

At Pompeii, with Vesuvius in the background

This juice box wine was the worst/cheapest wine I had in Italy, but it was still far superior than anything that is produced in Armenia. I decided not to buy it again after I saw a homeless guy passed out on a bench with about 20 of these boxes strewn beside him.

Typical lunch in Naples. Margherita pizza and Peroni beer.

The catacombs of San Gennaro. San Gennaro is the patron saint of Naples. The catacombs are enormous.

This is a mosaic from Pompeii. It depicts Alexander the Great's victory over the Persians.

The Farnese Bull is a large sculpture that was unearthed in Rome in 1546 CE. It is thought to date from the 2nd century BCE. It is located in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

This was carved out of marble! Veiled Christ, by Giueppe Sanmartino, is by far the most stunning sculpture that I have ever seen. Veins can be seen, as well as the wounds on his hands and feet.

Tebowing in the Holy Land

I recently spent 2 weeks in Israel. Here are a few of the highlights in no particular order.

The Western Wall (aka Wailing Wall). This wall is believed to be part of the Second Temple that was built by King Herod in 19 BCE. The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans.

The Western Wall on Friday at sundown. It was absolutely packed. The fence separates men and women.

This is the spot where it is believed that Jesus' body was prepared for burial after the crucifixion. Everyone was touching it, so I thought it couldn't hurt.

Found this place in Bethlehem. Better than the real thing.

The security barrier separating the West Bank from Israel. Getting back into Israel from the West Bank was crazy: 2 x-ray machines, 3 metal detectors, and a lot of guards with guns.

Baptizing myself in the River Jordan. This is where Jesus was supposedly baptized by John.

This is the olive grove where Jesus was supposedly betrayed by Judas. Carbon dating on some of the trees confirm that the trees are over 2,000 years old.

Shayna and me on the Mount of Olives with the Old City in the background. Immediately behind us are Jewish graves. It has been a gravesite for over 3,000 years and has over 150,000 graves. According to the Bible, those buried on the Mount of Olives will be the first to be resurrected when the messiah comes.

This is the "exact" spot where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is located within the Church of the Nativity.

Hummus is legit.

The Dome of the Rock is on the Temple Mount. It was built around the Foundation Stone in 691 CE. The Foundation Stone is the holiest site in Judaism because it is believed to be where the Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Second Temple. For Isalm, it is the spot where Muhammed supposedly ascended to Heaven with the angel Gabriel. It is also supposedly where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son to God. Non Muslims are not allowed to go inside.

Dome-bowing.

The Damascus Gate. One of the entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem.

Tebowing in the Crusader tunnels in Akko. Akko is a fantastically preserved city in the northern part of Israel.

This is supposedly the spot where Jesus was crucified. It is located within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Bethlehem street.

The Baha'i Gardens in Haifa are 18 garden terraces around the Shrine of the Bab on Mt. Carmel. The Baha'i Faith is one of the world's youngest religions. It might be the most tolerant religion in the world.

I wonder how many people were tricked into thinking that Armenian "Pizza" is actually good.

We attended an Armenian service at the Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem. For such a small population in Israel, the Armenian Church has a surprisingly large presence in Jerusalem and Israel.

Akko sea wall facing the Mediterranean.

In most Israeli bars, happy hour means 2 for the price of 1.

Trying to read the Lord's Prayer in Armenian.

Tomb-bowing.

Inside a Crusader fortress in Akko.

We Couchsurfed in Haifa with this awesome family. I think this was the seventh day of Hanukkah.

Best part about Israel: Guinness on tap everywhere.