Afternoon sun

 This is the walk in front of my apartment. I saw more people walking today than usual. The second picture is the view from my balcony this afternoon. There was bright sun but not enough to melt all of the snow. With freezing temperatures tonight it will be get icy. But no school on Tuesday so another "play day." - Nancy

American School of Rome in the Snow

After hot chocolate and a pastry I walked across the street to AOSR to take pictures. It was a quiet winter wonderland. It is strange to have a snow day in Rome. I had one in Alaska but only because the storm knocked out electricity. I just got a text message that all schools in Rome are cancelled again tomorrow by "Order of the Mayor of Rome." It is supposed to freeze tonight so streets will be very icy in the morning.  - Nancy

Snow Day in Rome

View from my balcony

Last night I got a text message that school would be cancelled by "Order of the mayor of Rome". All schools in Rome were cancelled for Monday Feb. 26. The forecast was for light snow. I expected to wake up to a light dusting and was surprised to see about 3 to 4 inches of snow. So I bundled up and went for a walk to the local cafe and had hot chocolate and a pastry. Many in the neighborhood had the same idea. It was a busy cafe. It supposedly only snows about every 10 years in Rome. My lucky year! -Nancy

Another view from my balcony

Exploring Salerno

Before we headed to the train station we explored a bit in Salerno. Part of the time is was pouring rain. We had lunch and a pastry in a local shop. A local meat and cheese shop has lots of cured hams hanging in it. The water front has a lovely walking path. Salerno is a large shipping port. We saw many shipping containers and hundreds of cars that had probably arrived for sale in Italy.  - Nancy

Marble in the Crypt

Besides the frescos the walls of the crypt of the Cathedral in Salermo have gorgeous inlaid marble. -Nancy

Crypt of Salerno Cathedral

 It only cost one Euro to go to the crypt and it was an amazing room. Heidi and I were the only visitors the entire time we were there. It was really interesting to determine what each picture was from the Gospels. It was like have an extended Sunday School lesson.
The crypt, believed to house the remains of Matthew the Apostle, is a vaulted hall with a basilica-like plan divided by columns. It was restored under design by Domenico Fontana and his son Giulio in 1606-1608, with marble decorations added in the 18th century. All of the ceiling frescoes are painted by Belisario Corenzio and depict scenes from the Gospels. The captions are what I think the scene is from in the Bible. Another viewer might have a different idea of what the scene is. - Nancy

Peter in boat.

Jesus changes water to wine at wedding banquet.

Jesus feeds the five thousand.

Healing of Lazarus

Woman in caught in act of aduletry and casting the first stone.

Jesus and the money changers at the Temple

Cathedral in Salerno

Begun by Robert Guiscard in 1076 the Duomo was consecrated by Pope Gregory VII in 1084. In 1688, the architect Ferdinando Sanfelice remodelled the interior of the Duomo in the Neapolitan Baroque and Rococo styles. A restoration in the 1930s brought it back to an appearance similar to the original one. The Duomo is a symbol of the Italian Renaissance because inside is the tomb of Pope Gregory VII who rejected German domination of the Holy Roman Empire. The Duomo was damaged in World War II when, as part of the Operation Avalanche, the Allies landed in Salerno in September 1943. The most striking external feature is the bell tower (mid-12th century), with small arcades and mullioned windows, standing 56 m high and in Arabic-Norman style. It contains 8 large bells.
The entrance has a portico with 28 antique columns whose pointed arches, with lava rock intarsia, show influence of Arab art, and contains a series of ancient Roman sarcophagi. (from Wikipedia)- Nancy

Beautiful Mosaic Pulpits

Main Alter

Bus to Solerno

Waiting for the bus in Amalfi

On Tuesday morning Heidi and I took the bus to Solerno to do some sightseeing and then get the train back to Rome. It was a very overcast and rainy day. Just as in Oregon there is a different view and appreciation of the sea on a stormy day.- Nancy

View on way to Salerno

Ceramics shopping in Vietri sul Mare

On Monday it was still raining so we took the local bus Northeast to the the village of Vietro sul Mare. It is known for ceramics and has lots of shops. The hour bus ride was scenic and the town is compact for exploring.

In the village of Maiori we passed some floats parked from the carnival there. The float on the far left is a caricature of Donald Trump with the Russian Kremlin behind him. Guess that is a hint of what some Italians think about Trump.  -Nancy

Cathedral in Amalfi

After taking a shower and warming up we went exploring and saw Amalfi Cathedral. It is a 9th-century Roman Catholic cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo. It is dedicated to the Apostle Saint Andrew whose relics are kept here. - Nancy

Rainy Day Hike in Amalfi

Heidi and I had planned to hike a trail called the Path of the Gods but it was a rainy day and the cliff tops were socked in with fog so we decided to hike up a trail into a valley out of Amalfi. It rained lightly and then heavier for the entire hike. There were lots of step. We went by deserted iron mills.The hill sides had many lemon groves that had wither green of black netting over the tree. I was cold and wet when we got back to our lodging. -Nancy

Bus trip to Amalfi

Heidi and I took the local train to Sorrento and then the local bus to the village of Amalfi where we stayed for three nights. In the village of Positano we encountered the local carnival parade.  There were beautiful views all the way along the road that hugged the cliffs high above the sea. "The Amalfi Coast is a 50-kilometer stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula. It’s a popular holiday destination, with sheer cliffs and a rugged shoreline dotted with small beaches and pastel-colored fishing villages. The coastal road between the port city of Salerno and clifftop Sorrento winds past grand villas, terraced vineyards and cliffside lemon groves." from Google it. 
We arrived in Amalfi before dark and before the rain started. - Nancy

Positano

Coast by Positano

Village of Amalfi