This week we have a lot of ground to cover, so lets get stuck in....lots of edumacational links here today too so please click away.
We are joined again by our good buddy Ashok.
Greg opens with his story from this weekend, where he ventured to a kick boxing match and managed to survive being assaulted visually by the Play Boy babes who insisted on standing in front of him.
Simon then tells us all about his most recent trip. This one was a goodie for him, as it was to a family wedding in Plymouth England.... The evening meal on the first night there was close to the Mayflower spot, where the pilgrim fathers sailed from so he took his wife to see that.....again. They also walked past Plymouth Hoe, where Francis Drake was when the Spanish Armada were spotted. "Let me finish my game of bowls first."
Also, as a bit of extra bonus information.....do you remember from history that he landed in California too.......
The wedding was held in a 17th century house. It was built in the 1680's.
Simon's favorite memory was in his sister's kitchen the morning of the wedding hanging out while the ladies got their hair done. it was bloody marvelous.
After the festivities were over with they drove to London, to catch a plane to Rome, but not before a quick visit to Bath, originally a Roman town, with a sulphurous hot spring. Then they drove by Stonehenge, only a slight detour, to stay at Heathrow for flight next day.
Then they flew to Roma. Ciao!
Since it was August a lot of Romans were on holiday themselves and some businesses were shut down but there were plenty of tourists there, so they planned ahead and bought tickets online beforehand for most sites.......good travel tip BTW......
Have been to Rome several times so missed some of the more obvious sites, like the Colloseum and Forum (down town for ancient Rome), however we revisited some of our favorite places (buildings, piazzas and statues). Our second hotel was actually right next door to this church, one of our favorites. In it is where Bernini's astounding statue of Santa Teresa is.....and it is truly stunning to behold in the flesh..........and he carved it in his 20s.
Visited the Vatican and went into Sistine Chapel of course and onto St Peters. Glorious, but hardly pious and Christ Like. But again, wow, all the same.
What the hell, here's a list of some of the favorite spots not listed above.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galleria_Borghese. More Bernini.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rape_of_Proserpina_(Bernini) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_and_Daphne_(Bernini) Lots of other stuff to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Navona to see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_dei_Quattro_Fiumi (Watch Angels and Demons)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musei_Capitolini
We have to mention this dude though as he's featured in a lot of roman statues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius
Then we move onto discuss a few other sticky subjects, because a lot of shit has been going on in the world since the last podcast.
Pakistan flooding. What's happening with the assistance and aid to them, the impact of terrain, and of course the Taliban.
We ask the rather difficult question of......
Where's the Muslim world donations? What about saudi Arabia, Kuwait?
We close by discussing, briefly, the NY Mosque and all the influences at play here.
(Cordoba House/http://www.cordobainitiative.org/)
The planed mosque is going to be built 2 blocks away from ground zero of 911. It is being proposed and planed by a group names after the site of the initial conquest of Spain (Cordoba) and plans to be dedicated on September 11th, 2011. Coincidence you think?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100816/pl_yblog_upshot/news-outlets-split-in-describing-mosque
Anyway, a packed program, but either way......here it is.
BMSMA!
G, S and A.
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