Oregon Coast Deep Sea Fishing

Newport Harbor

Photo of Newport Harbor courtesy of D. Reinhart

On my “bucket list” for many years was “deep sea fishing.”   It sounded romantic, and so, on a trip to the Oregon coast,  in July of 2007,  I scheduled the enterprise.

Departing early on the good ship “Sea Venture” from the docks by the Newport Tradewinds Charter Office,  in Yaquina Bay, we headed under the bay bridge,  out of the harbor,  into the open sea, the briny deep.

Finally, I was living the life of a sailor.

Harbor behind us,  the coast barely visible,  our dinghy rose and fell with the growing swells.   Shutting off the boat’s motor,  Captain De Mauro, dropped  anchor.  And we sport fishermen dropped  our bait into  the frigid, heaving brine.

Within minutes my rod felt the tug of an animate object and I was soon reeling to the surface my first catch of the day:   a Black Sea Bass, perhaps three pounds, in weight.

A certain peculiar nausea began in my gut.   My efforts to quelch it were nil and soon I shared with the mighty Pacific and its myriad life forms the remains of my meager breakfast.

“Sea sickness,” I was told, was afflicting me.

Focusing on the horizon gave some relief but the nausea still came and went along with the remaining contents of my stomach.  Even after my stomach was completely empty did I continue to wretch and vomit.

“Dry heaves,” I was told, was the name for this.

The romantic notion of “deep sea fishing”  was now gone and I yearned with all my heart to return post haste to my beloved terra firma.

Having made sure we each got our limit of fish,  our able Captain fired up the Sea Venture, turned it about and guided it, through the rolling, murky waves of the ocean main, back to the harbor, back to the wharf.

One high point of the trip was a whale who surfaced and blew its spout (I’m sure that’s not the official term for what whale’s do) not far off our port bow. Actually, I think it was our port stern (the terms are still a little fuzzy for me.)

My son put together a slide show of our trip which you can see by clicking this text link: deep sea fishing on the Oregon Coast.

Deruta, Italy – A Pottery Lover’s Pilgrimage

Deruta, Umbria, Italy

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org. For Creative Commons license see: creativecommons.org.

Here is a wonderful little piece about Deruta and its world famous majolica ceramics by Vicki Landes author of “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal”

By Vicki Landes

Window after window of priceless painted ceramics, a symphony of colors that dance seamlessly together, and terra cotta-colored buildings that have overlooked the area since the Middle Ages– it’s almost too much to take in for visitors of Deruta.

The sun warmly shines down on the masters that lovingly knead and massage their clay while shoppers ‘oohh’ and ‘ahhh’ over the gorgeous works of art. A day in Deruta promises a treasure trove of finds as well as the potential of making new friends – all packaged up in a relaxed atmosphere worthy of any Italian town.

Easy to find and tourist-friendly, Deruta sits right off of Autostrada E45 and immediately greets its visitors with rows of ceramic shops and ample parking. Despite housing over 200 retail stores, each offers its own elegantly unique patterns so it’s difficult to not want to see them all.

Photo courtesy of MOD, Authentic Deruta Ceramics

Stop by Cama, right off the main road, for a tour of the facility and a step-by-step journey through the process of ceramics. Cama’s proud of their family-owned company and guests of their factory will see an uncle spinning cool, wet clay into pots and pitchers while mom is sanding the seams from the dried earthenware.

Follow the circuit to witness the expert artists paint each creamy white argil into a masterpiece of color. Cama’s work has been given to the Pope so it’s without a doubt, high-quality craftsmanship.

Deruta’s Old Town also offers shoppers a delightful time but in a more charming atmosphere. Aged buildings adorned by painted tiles sit just past the city gates and scream to be noticed. Visitors pop in and out of little stores while the cheerful water fountain in the middle of the cobblestone road provides soft background music.

Shop owners greet passersby with smiles and conversation, eager to share information on their wares. Visit Mariam, whose talent is truly astounding. She sets herself apart from other Deruta artists by using shades of green and painting the outside surface of her bowls.

Stop by Rolli Reno, who paints exquisite tiles of all sizes and incorporates them into trays, key ring hooks, and frames. His style explodes with a colorful symmetry that can brighten any place it’s displayed in.

Deruta’s [Majolica] is the ‘Ceramic of Ceramics’…any piece is sure to become a family heirloom.

See pictures of Deruta and more of Europe’s hidden treasures in “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal” by Vicki Landes. Available at Amazon.com and other major bookseller sites.

Visit Vicki’s website www.EuropeForTheSenses.com

St. Louis: A Valentine’s Day Weekend

St. Louis, Missouri Capitol Building

By Angie Becker

When you think about a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway, Rome or Paris comes to mind. For my husband and me, these were not our options.

We are living just out of St. Louis and neither my husband nor I had seen the city, so we decided to plan an urban weekend adventure.

We started off a great weekend at the St. Louis Art Museum. The museum is not only free, but also boasts a beautiful collection from many genres and cultures.

Our favorites were: Keith by Chuck Close and The Mother by Pablo Picasso. We also saw a Jackson Pollock, but weren’t crazy about that one.

We ate at a number of great restaurants:

At Thai Café, we enjoyed some of the best Thai food we have ever had…try their red and green curry if you go.

Sweetie Pies is a southern café offering great soul food at great prices. We recommend their chickpeas, okra, sweet potatoes and corn bread!

At Arcellia’s Mexicana restaurant where we stopped for brunch my husband Ryan (who lived for two years in Mexico) was super impressed. We tried the Sunday specials, which were great.

Arcellia’s is 2 miles away from the St. Louis Gateway Arch and well worth the walk or drive. The waitresses, chefs (and many of the customers) all looked authentically Hispanic. (It’s always a good sign when the costumers are speaking Spanish.)

The Arch was $10/ person and it took us about 1 hour at midday to go to the top, so skip the lines and go early. There is also a great museum in the base which talks about the history of migration to the West. We learned a lot.

St. Louis is an old city, but has beautiful architecture and delicious food. I recommend 2-3 days if you like museums and food. Remember that meter parking is free after 6 and on weekends and holidays.

Angie Becker is a pediatric nurse from Salt Lake City currently spending time in Missouri to support her husband Ryan who is attending Officer Basic School at Fort Leonard Wood. Angie and Ryan are the proud parents of Jaxon, who is seven months old.

Italy’s Best Kept Secret: Maratea

Photo courtesy of Comune di Maratea

Two hours south of busy Naples lies Italy’s best kept secret–the quiet town of Maratea.

Virtually unknown outside Italy, the area has become popular for weddings, and with the Italian elite, many of whom own villas there.

Maratea sits on the Tyrrhenian sea, the only coastal port in the otherwise landlocked region of Basilicata. In ancient times the Etruscans, called Tyhrennians by the Greeks, settled on Italy’s western coast north of modern Rome in the area known today as Tuscany.

Thus, the Mediterranean that washes Italy’s western shores came to be known as the “Sea of the Estruscans,” the Tyhrennian Sea.

Maratea was first settled by another ancient people, the Oscans, who established a village here around 450 B.C. The modern country name, Italy (Italian: Italia) is derived from an Oscan word, “Vitalieu,” meaning “land of the life giving calf.”

Above the town on a craggy mountain cliff known as Mount St. Blaise hovers Maratea’s guardian angel, “Il Redentore” a 72 foot tall white marble statue of Christ, second only in size to “Cristo Redentor” the 98 foot statute standing guard over Rio de Janeiro.

Maratea’s “Redeemer” was commissioned by Count Stefano Rivetti as a gift to his adopted hometown, and carved by Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenti.

Count Rivetti also built Maratea’s 5-star Santavenere Hotel on a picturesque promontory near the town, where, in the late 50s, it became a refuge for international stars like Frank Sinatra and Richard Burton.

This town of 5,000 boasts 44 churches, which amounts to one for every 114 inhabitants.

In Maratea’s historic old town, some 2000 feet above the sea, steep cobblestone streets wind past shops where locals sell their quality wares at attractive prices.

To tourists lucky enough to stumble on this gem, Maratea is known to be friendly, unspoiled and inexpensive.

REFERENCES:

In the map at this site the region of Basilicata is outlined in red:Basilicata

Here’s a site about seaside weddings in Italy with a section on Maratea that includes some great photos: Maratea seaside scenes

Check out the photo gallery of the town of Maratea: Maratea town photos

To access the photos, click on “La Cittá” in the navigation panel on the upper left hand side, then click on “fotogallery”. (How about that, after all the words we borrowed from Latin and Italian, some words are now being borrowed from us!)

There is a great article on Maratea at Dream of Italy, The Insider’s guide to Undiscovered Italy: Maratea article

BYLINE:
Article provided by Rex Bush, webmaster of this blog’s affiliated website: Utah-Personal-Injury-Attorney.com. Click here Utah Injury Attorney to access relevant articles on injury law.

Mr. Bush spent two years in Italy back in the 70s (that’s right I said the 70s) and continues to explore his love for that land by returning often, continuing to study Italian to maintain fluency and by reading and writing about Lo Stivale (the boot).

Orvieto: In Umbria’s Green Heart of Italy

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org

If you are into attractive Gothic cathedrals Orvieto is the place for you. Its Duomo (main cathedral) took over three hundred years to build and the painstaking effort paid off big for this former Etruscan stronghold.

There are at least two Etruscan necropli (fancy word for ancient graveyard) where you can practice your Etruscan by reading the names above the doorframes of the burial chambers.

Want to see what a real Etruscan looked like? Check out the Museum of the Opera del Duomo where a typical Etruscan citizen is depicted in a well preserved fresco.

I don’t know if Etruscan wells are different from modern ones but you can decide for yourself while viewing the Pozzo (Italian for “well”)….

The train will drop you in the plain below the city and unless you are acrophobic (acrophobia is, of course, fear of heights) you’ll enjoy the ride up the funicular to the old city.

Other attractions in Orvieto include the twelve sided bell tower, the Rocca and, according to some visitors, Italy’s finest cuisine.

Umbria boasts specialty cheeses made of sheep’s milk, variously flavored with white truffles, black truffles,walnuts, local wine, black pepper and hot peppers.

If you like rare fungus Umbria is the place for you as here you will find some of Europe’s finest truffles of both the black and the rarer white variety. Truffles are potato shaped mushrooms that grow in the ground near the roots of deciduous trees. Some say they have a mild garlic like flavor.

Fresh carp, trout, perch and eel from nearby Lake Trasimeno are an important local cuisine.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org

Speaking of local cuisine there is no clear consensus on which is the best local restaurant but rave reviews abound on the Internet for “Il Sette Consoli” which has been described by its fans as “memorable” “wonderful” and “my most memorable lunch in Italy”. Here are some rave reviews of Il Sette Consoli from around the world:

“We sat outside where they have open tent structures with flowing white curtains, linen table cloths, and really nice table settings.  There was a waiter standing by at all times to take any requests.”

“I have dropped my rental car to train to Rome several times in Orvieto just to have lunch at I Sette Consoli.”

“…our wine was an amazing ’93 Riserva del Nocio, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It cost an amazingly low 18 euro. If you like big red wines — do this!!!  Including that our meal was a total of 107 euro.  We left an additional 10, the service was so professional and friendly.”

“I had fettucine with pigeon, asparagus, and black truffle; roast loin of rabbit with potatoes, sausage, and black olives; and a cheese plate of four cheeses with two marmalades.”

Il Sette Consoli
Pzza Sant’Angelo 1A
phone/fax 011 39 0763 343911
Reservations required. Closed Wednesday.

Also popular: Osteria San Patrizio

Article provided by Rex Bush, webmaster of this blog’s affiliated website: Utah-Personal-Injury-Attorney.com. Click here Utah Injury Attorney to access articles on injury law.

Salt Lake City personal injury attorney Rex Bush spent two years in Italy back in the 70s and continues to explore his love for that land by returning often, continuing to study Italian to maintain fluency and by reading and writing about “Lo Stivale” (the boot).

Ostia Antica: Ruins Provide Insight Into Ancient Roman Life

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.com

Just 15 miles southwest of Rome, a stone’s throw from the clear blue waters of the Tyrrenhian sea, slumbers one of the best-preserved of ancient Roman towns.

Though on par with Herculanum and Pompeii in terms of archeological significance, Ostia Antica is often overlooked by foreign tourists.

Serenity prevails in this splendid archeological jewell. Full of Pine trees, overgrown with grass but mostly devoid of tourists this peaceful haven seems worlds away from the frantic day-to-day life of downtown Rome.

On my first visit to Ostia Antica in the early 70s with a group of Mormon missionaries, we soon tired of observing the ruins and opted to channel our adolescent energy into an old-fashioned game of hide-and-seek, for which the Ostian ruins were ideally suited.

I’ve been back to Ostia Antica several times and each time have enjoyed the experience more. Its a peaceful place without the horrific memories associated with Pompei and Herculaneum.

Ostia was founded in 623 B.C. where the Tiber pours into the sea as one of the first colonies of ancient Rome by Ancius Marcius (Anco Marzio), the fourth king of Rome. In ancient times the Etruscans, called Tyhrennians by the Greeks, settled on Italy’s western coast north of modern Rome in the area known today as Tuscany.

Thus, the Mediterranean that washes Italy’s western shores came to be known as the “Sea of the Estruscans,” the Tyhrennian Sea.

With its prime location at mouth of the Tiber the Ostia Antica developed into the port for Rome. Goods brought in by ship were unloaded here and either stored in warehouses or loaded into smaller ships for the trip upriver to Rome.

Many stores sprang up and Ostia became popular among Romans as a place to shop. Wealthy merchants and tradesmen built lavish homes along Ostia’s broad streets. In its heyday Ostia was home to some 60,000 inhabitants.

Ostian ruins include a large Jewish synagogue and the the remains of temples dedicated to the Persian god Itra, and the Egyptian god Iside. These diverse cultural relics provide evidence of the very cosmopolitan makeup of the city.

Though often overlooked by tourists from abroad this site is a rich in archeological wealth and cultural insight. “You can gain more insight into the city of Rome from Ostia than you can from Pompeii.” says Dr Darius Arya, executive director of the American Institute for Roman Culture.

“An excursion to Ostia presents a remarkably full view of the development and identity of the ancient Roman city, both historically and architecturally. Coming to Ostia Antica is like seeing a great work of art,” emphasizes Dr. Arya, “like the Sistine Chapel, where you can just keep going back again and again and again. There’s just so much of interest here.”

After the fall of Rome and the invasion of malaria spreading mosquitos who flourished in the wetlands nearby, this working port city was abandoned and eventually buried beneath mud and sand. Often such tides of time can prove cruel, but in this instance Ostia was remarkably well protected from both erosion and stone scavengers of the Middle Ages.

Before exploring Ostia Antica’s ruins, it’s worthwhile to take a detour to stroll around the quaint medieval borgo (old town) and visit the imposing Castello della Rovere.

This is the distinctive castle, easily spotted as you come off the footbridge from the train station, built by Pope Julius II when he was the cardinal bishop of Ostia in 1483. Its triangular form is unusual for military architecture.

Inside are (badly faded) frescoes, believed to be by Michelangelo’s pupil Baldassare Peruzzi.

Gates open around 9am and close about one hour before sunset. Admission runs about $5 for the site and museum. Allow yourself a relaxing 2-3 hours in this charming site.

Via dei Romagnoli 717, Ostia Antica, Italy. PHONE: 06/56358099. www.itnw.roma.it/ostia/scavi. COST: EUR4, includes admission to Museo Ostiense. OPEN: Tues.-Sun. 9-1 hr before sunset.

Where to Eat:   Cipriani.   In a side street in the little medieval borgo near the excavations, this atmospheric small trattoria, with wooden beamed ceilings and frescoed walls, specializes in typical Roman cuisine. Via del Forno 11, Ostia Antica, Italy. PHONE: 06/56359560. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Wed.

Getting There By Boat: Two boat companies operate regular services to Ostia Antica. Both leave from Ponte Marconi (Marconi Bridge) in Rome. The trip down the Tiber takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Battelli di Roma (PHONE: 06/6789361, www.battellidiroma.it). Departures: Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 9:15, return trip from Ostia Antica: 1:30. Tickets: EUR10.

Battelli “Invincibili 1″ and “Love Boat” (PHONE: 06/56304094, www.gitesultevere.com). Daily departures at 10 AM. Tickets: EUR12 (booking essential).

By Car: Follow Via del Mare southwest, which leads directly from Rome to Ostia (a 30- to 40-minute trip). It’s best to avoid weekends in summer when Romans head for the beach and traffic can be heavy.

By Train: Regular train service links the Ostia Antica station with Rome’s Piramide Metro line B station, near Porta San Paolo. Exit the Metro and go to the adjacent station called Ostia Lido. The ride takes about 35 minutes. Trains depart every half hour throughout the day.

Information Cotral (PHONE: 800/150008, www.cotralspa.it)

Article provided by Rex Bush, webmaster of this blog’s affiliated website: Utah-Personal-Injury-Attorney.com. Click here Utah Injury Attorney to access relevant articles on injury law.

Salt Lake City attorney Rex Bush spent two years in Italy back in the 70s and continues to explore his love for that land by returning often, continuing to study Italian to maintain fluency and by reading and writing about Lo Stivale (the boot).

Perugia, Italy: Home of the Umbrian Wine Festival

Photo courtesy of Comune di Perugia

Perugia was first settled by the Umbri around 550 B.C. This pre-Etruscan people spoke Umbrian, a relative of Latin.

It was later conquered by the Etruscans and became Perusia one of the 12 city states of Etruria, land of the Etruscans. Relics from this cultural period remain in the Etruscan Well and the Estruscan wall.

It was conquered by Rome in 310 BC.

In the middle ages Perugians refused to pay Pope Paul III a tax on salt and to this day Perugians bake crisp saltless butterless bread.

The University of Perugia dates its history to 1276 (the date on the University banner) when the town council voted to establish a “Studium” and it was formally recognized as a University by the Pope in 1308.

Boasting 31,000 students the University offers courses in Perugia and throughout the Region in Assisi, Città di Castello, Foligno, Orvieto, Spoleto, and Terni.

Perugia is proud to claim a second university: The University of Foreigners where students come from all over the world to study Italian and other subjects.

Perugia hosts the Umbrian Wine Festival each year in mid-march.

Assisi is, of course, close by, and it would be a shame to come this far without visiting the home of St. Francis.

For lovers of fine ceramics, Deruta, just 12 miles (20 kilometers) south, is a center for Majolica pottery. I have a post on Deruta which you can find under the “Italy” category.

BYLINE:
Article provided by Rex Bush, webmaster of this blog’s affiliated website: Utah-Personal-Injury-Attorney.com. Click here Utah Injury Attorney to access relevant articles on injury law.

Mr. Bush spent two years in Italy back in the 70s (that’s right I said the 70s) and continues to explore his love for that land by returning often, continuing to study Italian to maintain fluency and by reading and writing about Lo Stivale (the boot).

Sicily: What’s Hot and What’s Not

Sicily: Greek Temple at Selinunte

What’s hot about Sicily? Pretty much everything during the summer months when the white hot siroccos twist their way across the sea to shower Saharan sand on the heads of Sicilians and tourists alike.

Actually, during my six months in Sicily, I never got sand in my hair but I did experience the “white hot” siroccos. One day temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius.

You can picture me in a sweat drenched short-sleeve white shirt and brown polyester pants riding my bicycle around the desolated afternoon streets of Catania and Palermo.

What else is hot in Sicily? How about ancient Greek ruins for starters?

“Temple E” is the name given by modern archaeologists (yes, archaeologists have a knack for coining colorful names) to one of the best preserved temples of the ancient Greek city of Selinunte.

Just as the Roman empire encompassed not only the Italian peninsula but also Spain, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel and other parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa so also did the empire of Greece extend beyond the bounds of the Greek Isles.

(And so does the American empire encompass pretty much the entire solar system. Just kidding you French and Arabs! No need for another Jihad.)

Magna Graecia (Latin for “Greater Greece” as in “greater metropolitan area”) was the name the Romans gave to Sicily and Southern Italy, for this region was home to numerous Greek colonies.

[Did you know there are still Greek speaking descendants of the ancient Greeks in Italy? It's mostly in the tip of the boot in Calabria. You can read an article on it at Wikipedia.]

Anyway, back to our travelogue.

Selinunte was founded by Greeks who emigrated from Western Sicily around 640 BC. It quickly became one of the most progressive and successful cities in all of Magna Graecia, second only to Syracuse in prominence and grandeur.

In 409 BC, the Carthaginians of Northern Africa, along with their elephants, were still smarting from a loss to the Sicilian Greeks in the war of 480 B.C. (Apparently, Carthaginians, like elephants, never forget.)

So they sent an army of 100,000 men (yes, that was a little bit overkill) equipped with battering rams, and with siege towers that were taller than Selinunte’s walls. (More overkill.)

After a siege that only lasted nine days, the Carthaginians broke through the walls of the city and overwhelmed the defenders.

Of Selinunte’s 25,000 inhabitants, 16,000 were killed and 7,000 made slaves. (Hopefully not sex slaves.) Only 2,000 escaped. And this is why you have never heard of any famous Selinuntians. They were pretty much wiped out in this slaughter.

Though the city never regained its former prestige it was re-populated to some degree by Carthaginians (free land) until 250 BC. At that time the Carthaginians, fighting Rome, in the first of the Punic Wars, were fleeing the Roman advance and razed Selinunte to the ground.

The ruins of Selinunte lay abandoned and desolate for nearly one thousand years until a group of Greeks (ironic, eh?)from Byzantium (modern day Istanbul) established a small village there about 700 A.D.

Alas, this settlement also met a tragic fate when, a century later, an earthquake struck Sicily, destroying the village.

(On second thought you might want to avoid this “hot spot” completely given the distinctly “jinxed” nature of its history.)

How about just checking out its location on a map? If that is good enough for you just move on to the next paragraph. If not, flee this blog.

For a Google map that pinpoints the location of Selinunte go to Selinunte Map. At this site you will also find a link to 18 Selinunte photos.

What’s not hot about Sicily? I would have to say organized crime. The Mafia began here and is still a factor in daily life though it is becoming less so with each passing year.

Article provided by Rex Bush, webmaster of this blog’s affiliated website: Utah-Personal-Injury-Attorney.com. Click here Utah Injury Attorney to visit our home page and access other relevant articles on Utah injury law.

Utah injury attorney Rex Bush spent two years in Italy back in the 70s and continues to explore his love for that land by returning often, continuing to study Italian to maintain fluency and by reading and writing about Lo Stivale (the boot).

Recession = Time to Travel!

Hotels are offering deep discounts as fearful consumers hold on to their cash to deal with concerns about the faltering economy.

Airlines are also offering some amazing bargains as they scramble to deal with a decline in passengers.

For those of you who don’t follow the herd (Warren Buffet would call you a “contrarian”) it is time to book passage to Portofino or Madrid or Las Vegas.

Jan and I took advantage of the post Desert Storm fears besetting American travelers to take a wonderful and comparatively inexpensive trip to five European countries in the Spring of 1991.

The war lasted from January 16, 1991 to February 28, 1991 but three months later Americans were still stuck at home.

Why? Because other Americans weren’t travelling.

So, if you insist on doing what everyone else is doing you too will stay home this spring and summer.

However, if you are one who thinks for yourself and you recognize that the recession has created some opportunities (every cloud has a silver lining–trite but true) you’ll be out there getting fantastic value for your travel dollar this summer at some destinations that you’ll find to be less crowded than usual.

Fun Travel Gurus Featured On “Blogs About Salt Lake City”

Our brand new blog Fun Travel Gurus is being featured on a special page about blogs relating to Salt Lake City.  Check it out at Blogs About Salt Lake City