With Halloween approaching, I thought I’d blog about a few of the eeriest places I’ve visited over the years. Without a doubt, the Capuchin Cemetery in Rome, Italy, takes the dubious honor.
You’ll find the cemetery, actually a crypt beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini (Immaculate Conception), on the Via Veneto near Palazzo Barbareni. The ghastly chamber reeks with decay and is divided into five tiny chapels linked via a dim passageway. The place is so weird, even Dan Browne skipped a mention in his book, Angels and Demons.
Within lies the final resting place for over 4,000 Capuchin friars who died between 1528 and 1870. Some were first buried elsewhere and then transferred here. The soil in the crypt was brought from Jerusalem. A few dozen skeletons remain intact, draped in hooded Franciscan habits. Large numbers of bones adorn the walls in complex decorative patterns; some resemble bas-reliefs, others hang from the ceiling as working light fixtures. One chapel overflows with countless leg bones and skulls.
The first room, known as the Crypt of the Resurrection, features a picture of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, framed by parts of a human skeleton. Visitors are encouraged to interpret the displays of funereal art as the Christian belief in resurrection and everlasting life.
A plaque in one of the chapels reads, in three languages, “What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be.”
I honestly can’t describe the macabre, grotesque effect, albeit with a certain artistic merit. The unearthed skeletal array makes this sacred shrine more a ghoulish tourist attraction. One needs only a few minutes to see the place, if at all.
Imagine row after row of tiny, bud-like purple flowers majestically raising their heads from green shoots. Their stalks burst free from the hard-packed rusty brown earth. The surrounding soil is covered by limestone rocks, crunching under my feet as I walk through the field. Lavender plants wave in the breeze tickling my legs, just below my knees.
I listen carefully; the field buzzes with the sound of humming bees. No need to worry, these little critters don’t bother people. They are happy and content to flutter between the thousands of blossoms, bee nirvana. The insects produce what is called lavender honey and sometimes beekeepers place hives along the edges of a field.
Provence, a glorious region in the south of France, is home to legendary lavender fields. Wild plants have grown here since the Middle Ages. The climate and soil create perfect conditions for farming the herb. While the harvested flowers yield a sweet perfume scent, the cultivated fields send a softer aroma.
I see purple haze. Tourists and locals stop their cars, get out and stare at the mesmerizing scene. They bring cameras to photograph the visual joy, but the pictures don’t capture the ethereal essence. Being among the fields, in person, is like tasting fine wine. To fully experience the moment, you must immerse yourself.
Mid- August brings harvest time but similar to grapes, readiness depends on the seasonal weather. Lavender is hand-cut and left to dry for three days in the sun before being passed through a steam press. Nothing is wasted; leftovers from pressed flowers are used as fuel for the steam producing oven.
Honey, essential oils, perfume, soaps and dried flowers are end products of the crop. Lavender honey is said to help heal open wounds; the essential oil promotes calmness. Potpourri or lavender sachets help mask odors and chefs in France sprinkle the herb in many dishes.
The territory casts a magical spell with golden sunflower fields, precariously perched hillside towns, historic sites, in cities like Avignon, and a relaxed lifestyle made famous by Peter Mayle’s books. Tour de France fans know Provence as the home of Mount Ventoux. Photographers call it paradise for the diversity of nature, colors and vistas. Artists such as Van Gogh and Cezanne found Provence inspired their creative talents.
July 20, 2009 will mark the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon. My home state of Florida has several air and space attractions which educate as well as entertain visitors.
During NASA’s early years astronauts trained at Cape Canaveral, Florida perhaps remembered as Mission Control Center. Later, training facilities moved to Houston, Texas, but the Cape still boasts the official launch site and the Kennedy Space Center.
The Kennedy Center deserves a full-day visit featuring the Shuttle Launch Experience. If you dare, board the ride that simulates the sights, sounds and the sensation of launching into space. While at the complex visit NASA’s spaceport facilities, see towering rockets and IMAX space films. Several times a day you have the opportunity to meet and talk, often a question-and-answer session, with an astronaut.
Astronaut and the American Flag on the Moon
On Thursday, July 16. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11; Charlie Duke, Apollo 16; Al Worden, Apollo 15; Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14; and Walt Cunningham, Apollo 7, will celebrate the anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch at Kennedy Space Visitor Complex, and mark the opening of a new exhibit at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, the Apollo Treasures Gallery. The new gallery showcases treasures from the Apollo moon missions. For more information go to Apollo-40th Anniversary.
Shuttle Blasts- Off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida
With some pre-planning and good weather, you might be lucky enough to watch a shuttle launch; information and dates are available at www.nasa.gov.
In Titusville, six miles west of the space center, you’ll find Kennedy Space Camp (for kids and adults) and the US Astronaut Hall of Fame. This locale houses memorabilia and tells the stories of the American space pioneers.
Visit Central Florida to taste Moon Soup at Chalet Suzanne Inn and Restaurant. Lunar Module pilot Jim Irwin grew particularly fond of the Inn’s romaine soup and chose it for his space menu. NASA freeze-dried the creamy green broth and carried it aboard Apollo missions. They make and sell Moon Soup at their own cannery on the property.
In nearby Polk City discover Fantasy of Flight, 30 minutes from Orlando. This interactive museum offers a chance to soar into the wild blue yonder by donning a helmet, goggles, and white scarf and slipping into an open cockpit bi-plane. A pilot takes you for a ride reminiscent of The Red Barron. Be sure to inquire about hot-air balloon rides, too.
Family Fun at Fantasy of Flight, Central Florida
Fantasy of Flight houses over 40 rare vintage aircraft which are often flown in weekend aerial demonstrations. Visitors can immerse themselves into a multi-sensory sight and sound journey through WWI trenches and a WWII pre-bomb mission brief. Veterans love this place.
Florida’s Space Coast, as the Cape Canaveral area is called, sits just 45 minutes east from Orlando. There are miles of pristine beaches and the largest sea turtle nesting area in the country.
The JFK library offers a fabulous re-creation in real time on the Web at www.wechoosethemoon.org. The site goes live at 8:02 a.m.on July 16th, 90 minutes before the anniversary launch of Apollo 11. Visitors can see animated re-creations of key events and browse video clips and hear radio transmissions between the astronauts and NASA flight controllers.
And if you want to plan a lunar dinner party please visit Mimi’s food blog for ideas.
With Halloween approaching, I thought I’d blog about a few of the eeriest places I’ve visited over the years. Without a doubt, the Capuchin Cemetery in Rome, Italy, takes the dubious honor.
