Mama’s sending me more history of Rome notes! And pictures of chariot grooves…whoa! Ben Hur, here we come.
Well, these are not exactly chariots as in the song, but these grooves were made, mama says, by heavy Roman chariots that travelled the via appia from Roma to Napoli and other cities through which the road ran.
That’s mama’s finger pointing at the grooves in the via appia (over 2000 years old). But the Romans were masters of road building. Our little ville in France has the via Domitia running alongside our major highway, and it continues into Spain and is still used by farmers.
This lovely design was uncovered in a villa along the via appia, over 2000 years old also. Mama loves wandering through these ancient ruins because she often find wild arugula growing between the stones. On the last jaunt, she found a damson plum tree with little perfect, sweet fruit just waiting to be picked. No one around, nobody interested. I think she’s planning another little trip out there to…er…make use of that tree.
The ruins of the villa, which had several baths–one cool, one warm and one hot. Mama says the Romans were fanatic about their bathing, as is evidenced in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.
And the baths of Diocletian, now housing a wonderful museum of Roman antiquities.
Not me, of course, but don’t you just want to jump in that hot bath and soak? Mama is a nutcake for hot pools, and many are to be found outside Rome in the countryside. She and papa once came upon a little group of hot pools where elderly ladies were soaking their rheumatism legs, but there was another smaller pool for animals, and a boy was giving his little doggy a bath.
Okay, okay, these aren’t doggies so just imagine a little terrier soaking in this.
Mama says, imagine her in this one, haha! In bocca al lupo (good luck)! There are few left except near Viterbo and at Saturnia, a 2000-year-old town that created a lovely spa with the waters nearby. But they are very sulphuric and some people are allergic to the sulphur.
Not mama. No way. She’ll jump into anything with steam coming off of it.
Well, this has turned into another travelogue but hey, what am I going to do when mama sends me all this photos of Rome?
I’m not a bath kitty myself. More a do-it-yourself-bather…
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TOMORROW–FESTA DELLA REPUBBLICA—JETS WILL FLY OVER STREAMING THE RED, WHITE AND GREEN COLORS OF ITALY!
Republic Day, also known as Festa della Repubblica in Italian (Festival of the Republic), is a national holiday in Italy on June 2 each year. It celebrates the day when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy in 1946 so their country could become a republic.
Mama says she’ll try to take a photo of those amazing jet pilots.
Well, this is not her photo but she and papa DID see red, white and green smoke and heard the jets go over at 9am this morning. WOW.
Wow, we can’t believe how old some of this stuff is. But we would pass on those baths…us kitties like to stay dry. 🙂
Frimousse would have loved to comment on your blog! But poor Frimousse died on April 10th this year and is buried in his garden, by the side of his friend RouXy, who died on February 1st.
Your Masters seem to have left you to spend some time in Rome. who takes care of you?
Oh, I have the most wonderful kitty whisperer and kitty lover and friend who VISIT me. They don’t care a hoot about mama…haha…they just knock on the door and say, Is Loulou home?
ME EITHER, LOULOU!!! I’m not a water-doggy – but those monkeys are adorable!!!!! And the ruins magnifique!!! Mama’s getting nostalgia for Roma – she wound up by the ruins several times when she was looking for something on the other end of town – but always spent an extra hour gawking in amazement. There’s nowhere like Rome!!!
Oh, to have you ALL here to play with, says mama. But I wouldn’t be there, wah.
Jan is looking at those steaming baths and is envious. Surely your mama at least dipped in her toes!
Actually, these are old pics online and now, the water’s gone…I think they worried about mosquitoes, haha.
Excellent photos. I would pass on the baths though.
Well, mama’s used to being in hot water, haha.
That’s a lot of bath posts for a kitty Loulou ! I love history and enjoyed all these wonderful pictures.
Hey, mama sends ’em and I post ’em….it’s a favour to her.
You do you, Loulou … you’re purr-fect just the way you are. I’m jealous of your Mom … those baths are beautiful! I hope she got to try one or two!
Well, they are dry now…those are old photos, but they DID look like that once long ago. The city has drained them for health purposes. They were just to visit, not to bathe in.
Bellissima! I loved Italy. I’m so glad your mamagot to go.
Yael from Playing In Catnip
Well, nice to mee tyou, Vael! Mama has been in and loved Italy for over 35 years and papa lived there for 10 years long ago. Yes, it is beautiful.