Mumble, mumble…

RA at work. Image from Section of Randomness, click for link

Perhaps someone wonders why I have not written anything yet about Mr. Francis Dolarhyde. Frankly speaking, I have nothing to say about him. Well, that’s not absolutely true: Richard Armitage makes an amazing work, his commitment to the role is evident in every single frame, from the movements in his body to the swallowing up of a Blake’s drawing. The problem is that I don’t connect with the story; I have not seen the series from the beginning because it’s not my cup of tea. It’s very well done, there’re many and admired actors working in it, but it’s not my genre.

In the meantime I’ve read the book to understand better Dolarhyde. I bow once more to RA craftsmanship, he’s nailed it. But I don’t get touched by the story, I’m sure that, wouldn’t it be for the series I’ll forget the book in about a week (I definitely prefer Mr. Harris when writing Roman novels as Pompeii or Imperium). When I watch each episode I don’t scream, I don’t jump on my chair and it doesn’t ignite in me the usual FRRA (fan related recreational activities) such as editing, fanvids, etc. etc.

Is it something bad? Not at all. Richard Armitage is always, in my opinion, the best actor of his generation, has made an amazing work and I sincerely hope he will be granted some award for his Francis Dolarhyde. But, to come back to “my romans”

De gustibus non disputandum est

When in Rome… Journey through Ancient Rome (Caesar’s Forum)

The visit begins in Trajan’s forum. This is the view from Via dei Fori Imperiali

Visitors gather in Trajan’s forum.

Another view of Trajan’s forum, with the monumental column built by Apollodorus to celebrate the triumph of Trajan in Dacia. The column is as high as the hill that was demolished to make room for the forum.

View of Trajan’s market from the forum. The semicircular form of market and its buildings was created as a buttress to sustain the part of the hill that was not demolished for the forum

After crossing via Dei Fori Imperiali through a subterranean passage open only recently to the public, the interactive visit begin. The remaining wall of Venus Genitrix’s temple opens and offers the visitors a glance to Ceasar’s forum as it was.

The forum’s colonnade hosted many different activities. This is a recreation of the “argentarius” (money lender) shop

Not only money lenders, but also school lessons were held under this portico. These are the reproductions of several graffities discovered in the walls made by students. Some are in cursive latin. Checking my notes I have identified the abecedary and… a sentence upside down..

a b c d e f g i

I am able to read this fragment only upside down: aeneas et aaa (?)

Thanks to the lights and 3D projections, a fountain comes to life

The colonnades of the forum. These are the actual remains in one side…

 

… and in the other, the projection of how it looked… During a rainy day. The spots on the ground were raindrops, such a pity that the camera has not captured this perfectly

The walks ends in front of the curia, the old Senate. As all the remaining Roman buildings it stands still because it was used as a church. A projection of the empire under Caesar.

How the curia was during the empire.

After the visit, a walk up to the colosseum. Still magnificent.

 

Good intentions

I’m a procrastinator, sometimes lazy (depending on circumstances), and I usually have a hundred different plans that I never put in practice. As unfortunately I have not the budget to repeat last year’s trip to Northumberland, I have decided to use these holidays to put order in my books. I have two libraries at home; I need to buy another one and, in the meantime, the “small” one needed and urgent intervention. I’ve filled two plastic bags with useless stuff that was parked there because I didn’t bother to throw it away and finally it has the look of a library. check this out for a BEFORE and AFTER confrontation

I have a dedicated shelf now for part of my books about ancient Rome, with three stones collected in Castelgandolfo’s lake which probably formed part of a Roman Villa some centuries ago.

My Pérez-Revertes are together, in good company of other Spanish writers…

… and in the “International Shelf” there’s still place for a couple more.