Tui Snider
Inquisitive world traveler who writes books, gives talks & leads tours through historic cemeteries. My homebase is Texas, where I share a goth/tiki castle with my mad scientist husband & tabby cat. For my newsletter & more visit: TuiSnider.com Baca selengkapnya🇺🇸United States
  • Ancient Brothel

    10 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    The Lupanare is one of Pompeii’s brothels. “Lupo” means “wolf.” According to our guide, the name “lupanare” comes from the bestial howls women working at the brothel made to attract customers.

    The stone beds look quite uncomfortable to me, but I suppose folks weren’t there to sleep and any cushions they had are long gone.
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  • Phalluses in Pompeii

    10 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    I’m always on the lookout for interesting architectural details. In Pompeii, a unique feature were all the penises!

    They do not all mean the same thing. Sometimes they are literally pointing the way to the nearest brothel, such as the last two in this post.

    Other times, they refer to the god Priapus. Our guide told us that the phallus over the baker’s oven is likely an appeal to Priapus for abundance.

    Also shown here are the mill stones for grinding flour, and another architectural detail. I’m not sure what it means exactly.
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  • Pompeii misc

    10 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌧 50 °F

    What a fun day we had exploring Pompeii! The first and last time I was here was 2011. Larry and I were here during our honeymoon.

    It amazes me to see tile work from 2000 years ago and have it in such good shape!Baca selengkapnya

  • Sant Agata Mural

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    If you read my entry called “Breast Pastry,” then you already know why this woman is carrying a tray with her own breasts upon it.

    The sticker next to this wall mural mimics a typical art gallery info plaque. In this case, it lists the artist as “TVboy” and says it’s from the “Museo della Strada,” aka “the Museum of the Street.”

    This is the first time I’ve come across TVboy, but it seems that he is a bit like Banksy. Here’s the info I found after following the QR code next to the mural:

    “Tvboy is a Contemporary Urban Artist based in Barcelona. Born in Palermo in 1980, he started painting in the streets of Milan in 1996. In 2004 he became known for the Tvboy character and moved to Barcelona, where he settled his art studio. He has displayed his artworks in many different countries worldwide both in the street or in gallery and museum exhibitions.”

    For more about TVboy, visit his website at : TVboy.it
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  • Veg, Meat & Fish

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    If I had to describe Catania’s open air markets in one word, it would be, “colorful.”

    I’m so curious what that purple cauliflower tastes like! As for those cuts of meat, I’m not sure what those dangling strips are, but the man in the red apron kindly explained that the dangling meat on the far left is goat.

    Must confess that I was shocked to turn a corner and see it hanging there. (I have no poker face.) Luckily, he was not offended and even invited me to take a photo.
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  • Lamppost Legend

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Our guide told me this lamppost sculpture refers to a legend about a Catania’s woman who avoided being married to a foreign invader by jumping to her death down a chimney.

    “Don’t get the wrong idea.” she added with a chuckle, “We don’t do that anymore.”Baca selengkapnya

  • Merman, Dad!

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Every time I see a merman, I’m reminded of that scene in Zoolander, where his father calls him a mermaid and he testily replies that he was a, “merman, Dad!”

    I saw these lovely mermen in Catania’s historic old town today.

    Much like the Copenhagen’s famous Little Mermaid, these guys seem to have separate legs. See what I mean?
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  • Elephant Palace

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Catania’s city hall is called the Palazzo dei Elefanti. Elephants are a common theme throughout the town. The association dates back to a Byzantine magician who rode through town on one many centuries ago.

    The A above the elephant is another reference to Catania’s patron saint, Sant Agata.

    As for the carriage, it’s used every February for the citywide celebration of Sant Agata.
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  • Breast Pastry

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Sant Agata is Catania’s patron saint. She was martyred when Romans tortured her to death for refusing the advances of one of their men.

    One of the atrocities she endured was having her breasts removed with forceps! (See painting.)

    Throughout Catania, a pastry commemorating the martyrdom of this saint can be found in cafes and bars. The dessert is meant to resemble Sant Agata’s breasts, complete with a maraschino cherry on top.

    In fact, when a cafe employee saw me gazing into the pastry case, he casually asked (in Italian) if wanted a breast!

    The treat’s official name is Casoletta or Minne di Sant Agata. We gave one a try and while it was tasty, it was very sweet. I’m glad we tried it.
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  • Mummy Saint

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    The body of cardinal Giuseppe Benedetto Dusmet is in Catania’s cathedral. Dusmet died in 1894, but after his beatification in 1988, his body was placed here for public view. A silver death mask covers his face, but you can still see his bare hands.Baca selengkapnya

  • Bellini’s Tomb

    9 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    We saw Vincenzo Bellini’s tomb today in Catania, but for some reason, our guide told us very little about him. She promised to talk about him later, but it seems like she forgot.

    I know Bellini composed operas, but I was hoping for a little more insight.

    Ah, well! I still learned a lot today.
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  • Croatian Kitties

    7 Januari 2023, Kroasia ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    I saw some handsome cats in Old Town Dubrovnik. They all seemed quite well-fed and content.

    As we strolled by the sea, I peered over the stone rail and was startled to see a cat curled up on the ledge! I couldn’t help but fret over its precarious position as it happily napped in the sun.Baca selengkapnya

  • Old Town Dubrovnik

    7 Januari 2023, Kroasia ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    We are so jet lagged! More so than usual. I blame lingering grief, although I know that wherever my dad is, he’d be happy to see me and Larry traveling.

    I read an article recently that pointed out that even when a loved one dies, our relationship to them continues. I always have Dad in the back of my mind when I travel because he loves to see all my photos.

    Even though he mainly lurked online, he would always tell me how much my photos and travelogues cheered him up. So I am comforted by that thought. I hope he is still lurking on my travel posts, wherever he may be.

    Today we wandered all over Old City Dubrovnik. Although it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s more widely known these days as the setting for Kings Landing in Game of Thrones.

    In fact, when we reached some stairs that were featured in the show, some other tourists began chanting, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” in reference to an infamous scene involving the queen being perp-walked there.

    It took some effort to get our weary selves off the ship, but I think the sun and sea air did us both some good.
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  • Larry’s Genes

    6 Januari 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    We hopped aboard the Costa Deliziosa cruise ship in Trieste. There was no time to explore this historic city, but we had to snap a quick selfie since Larry’s grandparents emigrated to America from this town!

    Perhaps another time we will be able to do some genealogical travel here on his behalf.
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