Today I walked past the site of the Yvonne Fletcher incident and thought I’d share some pictures of where this event took place, along with a little commentary, with my dear readers. I’ll very briefly recap below, but for a thorough account of the event Wikipedia does as good a job as any here. In … Continue reading
Author Archives: Justin
Deir el Bahri (A Shot of Perspective)
This photo provides a glimpse of the vast mortuary complex of the pharaoh Hatchepsut, one of the few women to rule ancient Egypt. She followed the tradition of the pharaohs and had her mortuary temple, Deir el Bahri, erected in the Valley of the Kings. The ancient Egyptians called this place the Djeser-djeseru, the “Holy … Continue reading
Quote of the Day: Thomas Cole
“If man were not insensible to the beauty of nature the great works necessary for the purposes of commerce might be carried on without destroying it, and at times might even contribute to her charms by rendering her more accessible; but it is not so. They desecrate whatever they touch. They cut down the forests … Continue reading
Monte dei Paschi di Siena: The World’s Oldest Bank
Rocca Salimbeni and Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena We are in front of the impressive former stronghold of the Salimbeni family, wealthy Ghibelline merchants and bankers. In the 15th century, their fortress home was confiscated by the Commune of Siena which placed the toll post and the “Monte Pio” later incorporated into Monte dei … Continue reading
Siena, Italy
Written: October 2010 Occurred: July 2009 Florence gets more attention, but my Italian and I prefer Siena to Florence by a huge margin. The tourist hordes can keep Florence. According to legend Siena was founded by Senius, son of Remus; the symbol of the wolf feeding the twins Romulus and Remus is as ubiquitous in … Continue reading
Quote of the Day: The ‘Positive and Creative Qualities’ of Violence
“Violence alone, violence committed by the people, violence organized and educated by its leaders, makes it possible for the masses to understand social truths and gives the key to them. Without that struggle, without that knowledge of the practice of action, there’s nothing but a fancy dress-parade and the blare of trumpets. There’s nothing save … Continue reading
English Names Are Funny
Eleonora and I passed a pub today named The Famous Cock. England is full of funny names like that. A quick review of a map revealed the following gems: Crotch Crescent, Oxford Titty Ho, Northamptonshire Wetwang, East Yorkshire Slutshole Lane, Norfolk Thong, Kent Pratts Bottom Some delightful street names can also be discovered such as … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 