Have you ever wanted to forgive but just didn’t know how to free yourself from the chains of bitterness?  A 2 part lecture on November 11^th and 18^th, Wednesday nights at 6:30pm is being offered by a member who developed a 7 step Forgiveness Program.  Pre-registration is requested for seating numbers; walk-ins are welcome (929-4204).  Non-mandatory free will offering.

http://www.forgivenesslady.com/

These days, Persian cats are among the most popular breeds of cat.  Well known for their gentle and sweet personalities and their long hair, Persian cats have very attractive features.  They are great companions for virtually anyone, and not very demanding.  Unlike other breeds, such as the Siamese breed, Persian breeds need very little attention.

Although white is the color normally associated with Persian cats, they actually come in a variety of other colors as well.  During competitions, they are divided into seven color divisions – solid, silver and gold, tabby, shaded and smoke, particolor, bicolor, and Himalayan.  No matter what color of Persian cat it may be, they are best noticed during competitions by their long and flowing coats. 

Persian cats should always be kept inside of the house, to protect their coat.  If they travel outside, they can easily damage their coat.  They will also need to be brushed daily with a metal comb, or their coat can become tangled, which will lead to hairballs.  You’ll need to bathe your Persian cat on a regular basis as well, to help protect his coat.  Bathing works best when the cat is young, as it will get him used to it.  Bathing should never be overlooked, as it will keep your cats coat looking clean and healthy.  Although some breeds can maintain their coats on their own, Persians can’t. Their fur is long and dense and you’ll need to groom them daily to ensure their coat stays healthy.

The Persian breed is gentle and sweet, getting along great with everyone – including kids.  They have a pleasant voice that is always good to hear.  Using their voice and their eyes, they can communicate very well with their owners.  They are very playful, yet they don’t require a lot of attention.  They love attention however, and love being admired.  Unlike other cats, they don’t climb and jump much at all.  They aren’t destructive either; they just love being admired and lying around.  A majority of the time, Persian cats love to bask in the sun and show others just how beautiful they truly are.

Although most breeds can be kept indoors or outside, Persian cats should always be kept inside and never allowed to go outside of the house.  Keeping them inside with protect their coats and also keep diseases and common parasites away from them as well.  You won’t have to worry about cars or dogs either if you keep your pet inside. 
To ensure that your Persian pet stays healthy, you should always take him to the vet on an annual basis.  If cared for properly, such as grooming, shots, and checkups, Persian cats can live as long as 20 years.  One thing you’ll need to be aware of that’s common with Persians is their eyes.  Their eyes are very big and can sometimes be too much for the cat to clean.  This is a common healthy problem with the breed, and should be checked on a regular basis to ensure that it doesn’t get out of control.

When you compare Persians to other breeds, you’ll notice that the Persians are among the easiest to keep.  You don’t have to worry about things like jumping or climbing, as Persians don’t like to do either.  All you’ll need to do is feed your cat and groom him or him on a daily basis.  Even though grooming can be quite a bit of work in the long run – it’s well worth it when you have a healthy an beautiful Persian cat.

This Italian mountain

The Cathedral is a Church of pink sandstone consecrated to winegrowing and grape-harvest. It has involved construction spanning the Early Christian, Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic periods. The campanile, built in the 16C and modernised with the addition of Gothic windows, reaches 62 m. On the right side you will see the small Wine portal, which is decorated in imagery associated with winegrowing and grape-harvest. The church used to have exclusive rights to sell wine in front of this door.

In the Dominican Church (I Dominicani), you’ll see Frescoes by Friedric Pacher and by the Giotto school. This Church was Built in a Gothic style. It was than modified and then damaged during the secularisation of 1785. You must see Saint Giovanni Chapel (after the Rood Screen) for its frescoes by the Giotto school and its cloister, decorated in Frescoes by Friedrich Pacher.

At the Franciscan Church (I Francescani), admire a sculpted wood altar and a retable by Hans Klocker. This church burned down in 1291 and was then rebuilt in the 14C and the original arches put back a century later. The interior is marked by an Altar of the nativity in sculptured wood, decorated with a retable by Hans Klocker. The charming little cloister has elegant arches decorated in frescoes from the Giotto school.

Enjoy the view

In the modern city, not far from the harbor and the Riva del Mandraccio, the Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia is surrounded by three palaces in the style of the early 1900s: the Palace of the Government, City Hall and the local headquarters of Lloyd, a maritime navigation company.

Founded in the 5C., the present-day buildings of Saint Just Basilica mostly date back to the 14C. Its facade is decorated with a beautiful rose window, a bas relief and busts in bronze, and it is dominate by a robust bell tower decorated with reused Roman columns and the statue of Saint Just. Inside there are five naves, of which four belonged to two primitive basilicas, and connected by the fifth one. A beautiful 12C. mosaic. The Virgin is accompanied by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and by the Apostles.

Finally, once in Trieste do not miss the the Miramare castle, built in 1860 to plans by the architect Carl Junker, stands on the point of a headland overlooking the coast of Trieste. It was intended for Archduke Maximilian of Austria, executed in Mexico in 1867, and his wife Princess Charlotte of Belgium, who died insane. The furniture and interior decoration are original. The lovely terraced gardens, designed by the Archduke himself, are also open to the public.

Statistical data have been disclosed in the course of the press conference that was held in the Italian Tourism Office booth of the Fair of the Tourism of Madrid. Naturally numerous representatives of receptive structures like hotel chains have participated also, tourist villages, villas and apartments, youth camp and rural tourism.

In Cagliari, the Torre del l’Elefante et Torre San Pancrazio are two towers, dating back to the early 14th Century. They are the remains of fortifications built by the Pisans who were then fighting over the possession of the island with the Genoese.

The Church of the Holy Trinity of Saccargia is in the middle of bare countryside. This is the only surviving remains of a former Camaldulian abbey. It was built in the 12th Century in layers of black and white stone and is an attractive example of Pisa architecture. The apse is decorated with Byzantine inspired mosaics from the 13th Century.

The old town of Alghero is also very popular with tourists. The fortifications encircle a network of narrow streets. The cathedral has a remarkable doorway and a campanile in the Catalan Gothic style. The 14-15th Century Church of San Francesco has a Gothic interior and lovely cloisters in golden-coloured tufa. The fishing harbour at the base of the fortifications is the embarkation point for the boat trips to Neptune’s Cave.

If you take the road route to the grotto, you will be able to take advantage of the gorgeous views over the steep slope. Neptune’s Grotto opens onto the Caccia headland. First you have to make your way down 654 steps clung tightly to the cliff. However, when you eventually see the view over the lake, you will certainly not regret the descent. The lake has a marmoreal shimmer (the Italians call it Lamarmora) in which incrustations as fine as angels’ hair are reflected.

Near Nuoro, Monte Ortobene is a popular destination. The road leads right to the summit of Monte Ortobene (3,000 feet) where there are attractive views over the region.

All in all, Sardinia has a lot to offer to the tourists who wish to discover or rediscover this part of Italy.

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Over a quarter of travelers return to destinations because they had enjoyed a memorable childhood holiday there. More than a fifth go to where they had lived or studied in their younger years.

Two thirds have a positive experience re-visiting a sentimental destination. Almost nine out of ten have such a good time they intend going back for a third time. Just eight per cent are disappointed, according to the study.

Six per cent try to re-live the memories of their honeymoon, their wedding day or engagement. A further 5.5% are motivated by the memories of a former romance.

Italy is one of the most popular ‘nostalgia’ destinations. Although new and exotic places are always popular, the classic Italian destinations are firmly set. Nostalgia has become an important element in destination choice. Ensuring one discovers new aspects of an old favourite keeps the excitement alive; and the resources offered by classic Italian destinations are almost limitless: there are just so many things to see and do in Venice, Florence or Rome, that a traveler can return there every single year of his life, and still make new discoveries.

Many people are indeed re-visiting previous travel destinations in Italy. It is important not to overlook the profound pleasure that going back to a fondly remembered place can give.

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Michaelangelo went to the Eternal City in June, 1496. He was still young, only twenty-one. It was the first step in his actual life. One of his first works there, La Pieta, executed for Cardinal St. Denis, the French ambassador at Rome, who desired to leave some monument of himself in the great city, made Michelangelo famous.

None before Michelangelo would have thought of this: the more often the work is contemplated, the more touching does its beauty become, everywhere the purest nature, in harmony both in spirit and exterior. Michelangelo numbered twenty-four years when he had finished his Pieta.

How could Michael Angelo have carved this work at twenty-four ? His knowledge of anatomy was surprising. But, above all, he was in love with art. He said once, explaining why he had not married: “I have only too much of a wife in my art, and she has given me trouble enough. As to my children, they are the works that I shall leave; and if they are not worth much, they will at least live for some time.”

When some person criticised the youthful appearance of the Virgin, and captiously asked where a mother could be found, like this one, younger than her son, the painter answered: “In Paradise”.

Upon Michelangelo’s return to Florence, Cardinal Piccolomini, later Pius III, made a contract with him for fifteen statues of Carrara marble to embellish the family chapel in the cathedral of Siena. Three years were allowed for this work. The artist finished but four statues, Peter, Paul, Gregory, and Pius, because of other labors which were pressed upon him.

Michael Angelo was then willing to undertake the making of another statue. He was allowed two years in which to complete it, with a monthly salary of six gold florins. His only preparation for the work was a little wax model which he moulded, now in the Uffizi. He worked untiringly, so that he often slept with his clothes on, to be ready for his beloved statue as soon as the morning dawned. He had shut himself away from the public gaze by planks and masonry, and worked alone, not intrusting a stroke to other hands. He was convinced that we must keep our head in solitude. Great thoughts are not born usually in the whirl of social life.

Finally, when the statue was finished in January, 1504, and the colossal David stood unveiled before the people, they said: “It is as great a miracle as if a dead body had been raised to life.” Michelangelo intended, by this work, to teach the Florentines that as David “had defended his people and governed justly, so they who were then ruling that city should defend it with courage and govern it uprightly.”

The statue of David weighed eighteen thousand pounds, and required forty men four days to drag it by ropes a quarter of a mile to the place where it was to stand in the Piazza della Signoria. Notwithstanding that the praise of the sculptor was on every lip, still there was so much jealousy among the artists that some of their followers threw stones at the statue during the nights when it was being carried to the Piazza, and eight persons were arrested and put in prison.

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A La Carte Italy Tours offer private escorted tours with expert driver-guides in all areas of Italy. Their website contains several information pages about UNESCO heritage sites in Italy.

Rome

A group of itineraries has recently been opened to the public to showcase the Rome coastal land. There is an Information Center at the back of the Roman tourist Port, in Ostia Ponente, and the reserve’s attractions are environments having various salinity levels. Several dry and wet micro-ecosystems hosting various micro organisms in a common area are quite a stunning and unexpected attraction near the city of Rome.

The Center is in the heart of the National State Rome Coastal Area Reserve and walking tours can be quite a learning experience there: wet environments, a fresh water lake and salt water inlets are encircled and sheltered by sand dunes. Visitors have a lookout and admire the pond from bird watching shelters. These shelters were placed on the walkways so that visitors could have an opportunity to spot the animal life. There are more than 200 species in this ecosystem, including duck-hawks, dabchicks, red herons, and bitterns.

The Center has more than 50 acres. It offers learning facilities. A new museum is planned as well. More natural areas will also be prepared for visitors: swamps and forests. The vegetation is representative of the Mediterranean dry bush land, but also offers variety in the form of cane, sea squill thickets, reed, reed mace, samphire, willows and poplars, typical of swampy land, which have seeded here spontaneously when that coastal area was still a huge swampland.

This is quite an improvement, since the area was previously an open-air garbage dump. Man’s intervention gave a hand to nature here and recreated the area as it looked over 100 years ago. A 27 acre lake hosting over 200 bird species is already popular with nature enthusiasts. Visitors can come to this paradise following natural paths and bridges, reaching bird watching shelters from where they can spot the numerous bird species without disturbing them. The area is still being expanded and another salt water lake is currently being prepared to complement the fresh water lake already there. The nature areas are being expanded further. The facility is designed both for adults and kids to develop their interest in nature, or just for curious visitors who are not yet acquainted with nature and wildlife spotting.

This reclaimed coastal swamp area has more than 27 acres including all water areas and islands. The walkway is only the first step of the reclaiming of that nature area. It will soon also offer a museum and a learning center. The management has focused on young people who can enjoy the Center and offer guided tours for schools. The general public can also see the Center every Saturday morning or Sunday, with a  free entry, and take advantage of interesting thematic guided tours. The Center will also have a Literary Garden dedicated to the memory of Pier Paolo Pasolini, a novelist, stage and film director; he had died in this very place. This Literary garden has been recently inserted in a larger and more ambitious Literary Park project.

The Pier Paolo Pasolini Garden is the last link between culture and nature, to bind these two Italian beauties together forever. After all, Italy offers more than arts and antiques; natural history is definitely not to be neglected and will appeal to many local and foreign tourists.

A new Pininfarina electric car – Italy, December 2007. Bollore and Pininfarina companies will create a joint subsidiary to produce a fully electric car. It will be marketed under the Pininfarina brand. The total amount of the investment is estimated at 150 million euros. The vehicle, a 4-seater, manufactured in Italy, will be fitted with the lithium-metal-polymer battery developped by Bollore. It will be rechargeable via a traditional socket-outlet and will have an autonomy of 150 miles in a city environment. It should be available from December 2008. The first deliveries are envisaged simultaneously in Europe, North America and in Japan.

Italy proud of its recovered treasures – Italy, December 2007. Thomas Hoving, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, held it for the absolute masterpiece. The vase of Euphronios, marvellous testimony of Greek painting, is now exposed at the Quirinal Palace in Rome until March. The New York museum was forced to return it, the vase having been plundered close to Rome. Italy thus exhibits 68 of most Antique masterpieces, restituted by large American museums. The statue of the empress from the Hadrian Villa, a couple of griffins devouring a hind from Apulia, a monumental divinity, found at sea, that Getty had paid in 1988 the equivalent of 29 million of nowadays dollars. Messages show tomb thieves, merchants-accomplices and museums’ negligence. All in all a good thing for art, probably.

Trevi Fountain’s treasures – Rome, December 2007. The famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, where one throws a coin the back turned to the jet to express a wish, collected not only money, but also telephone tokens, messages and even two dentures. The first denture was found in 2001 and the second last October. The caritative catholic association Caritas, in charge of collecting the coins which are used to finance its activities, also found small magnets attached to a wire, a means used to recover the coins, but only those of two and five cents. The annual value of the coins collected in the famous fountain, which had been immortalized by Anita Ekberg in Federico Fellini’s La dolce vita, is almost 1 million US$.