Making historyCredit: Public Domain Making history "They go up diddley up-up, they go down diddley down-down …" So goes the classic song from the 1965 flim "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines," a comedy about a fictional 1910 aviation contest to fly from London to Paris. The early inventors and aviators who dreamed that people could fly made many painful mistakes, but their vision, perseverance and faith — a lot of faith, really — led in time to modern aircraft and the aerospace technologies that have opened up the skies for exploration. Here are 8 of the wackiest flying machines from the very earliest days of aviation, most of which were actually able to get off the ground, at least briefly — unlike the elegant, but flightless, French "Marquis' Multiplane" of 1908, shown above. 2 of 10 Chinese war kite, 500 B.C.Credit: Public Domain Chinese war kite, 500 B.C. Kites large enough to carry a man were first used in China thousands of years ago, mainly for military observation and sometimes as a punishment for errant soldiers or prisoners. The Chinese general Kung Shu-Pan, a contemporary of Confucius in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., is recorded as having "himself made an ascent riding on a wooden kite in order to spy on a city which he desired to capture." The kite was shaped like a bird, and could stay aloft for three days and three nights. In 1282, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo described how authorities at a seaport would strap an unwilling victim onto a large rectangular kite, and send him aloft to determine the wind direction (a bit like a weather vane) and the best time for ships to set sail. Kites continued to be used for military observation at different times and places right up to the time of the earliest balloons and airships. Powerful lifting kites were used as a fairground attraction developed by the Wild West showman and aviation pioneer Samuel Franklin Cody, including very large bat-winged box kites that could lift several people in a gondola to altitudes of several thousand feet. Observation kites were also used by the British in the Boer War in South Africa in the 1890s. The British used several war kites designed by Cody from 1906 until they were replaced by observation balloons and aircraft during World War I. 3 of 10 Clockwork Flying Dragon, 1647Credit: Public Domain Clockwork Flying Dragon, 1647 The Italian inventor and early scientist Tito Burattini demonstrated a flying model glider that he called the "Dragon Volant" (Flying Dragon) at the court of the King of Poland in Warsaw in 1647. From contemporary descriptions and later drawings of device, such as the one shown above, it may have been made from cloth or paper stretched over a wooden frame, with four flapping wings driven by springs. In 1648, Burattini launched the Dragon Volant once more, this time with a cat aboard, for a brief but surely turbulent gliding flight, thereby establishing a tradition followed by the animal astronauts of the American and Russian space programs in the 20th century. It’s reported that Burattini was unable to convince the king to finance a full-sized version of the Dragon Volant, large enough to carry himself, but he was certain that "only the most minor difficulties" would be involved in landing his mechanical dragon if he could get off the ground. 4 of 10 Emergency parachute, 1783Credit: Public Domain Emergency parachute, 1783 Several inventors seized on the idea of a parachute long before anyone ever got one to work, including Leonardo Da Vinci in the 15th century, who drew a pyramid-shaped parachute that he described as "a tent made of linen of which the openings all stopped up … [a man] will be able to throw himself down from any great height without suffering any injury." In 1595, the Croatian inventor Fausto Veranzio published a design for the Homo Volans, or "Flying Man," a parachute based on a ship's sail, with material stretched across a square wooden frame with ropes. History does not record all the painful flight experiments that must have followed, but on Dec. 26, 1783, the French inventor and scientist Louis-Sébastien Lenormand made what is considered to be the first successful decent by parachute, from the tower of the Montpellier observatory, shown in this 19th-century illustration. Lenormand thought his invention could be used in an emergency to escape from the upper floors of buildings in case of a fire, and for his public test flight, he descended safely from a height of about 82 feet (25 meters) using a parachute measuring 14 feet (4.3 m) across, with a wooden frame of spokes like an umbrella, covered with silk. The crowd in front of the observatory for the demonstration included the balloonist Joseph Montgolfier, who had pioneered the first manned air balloon flights with his brother Etienne just a few months earlier in the same year. 5 of 10 Aeron dirigible, 1863Credit: Public Domain Aeron dirigible, 1863 American airship pioneer Solomon Andrews first flew his Aeron dirigible, or steerable airship, over Perth Amboy in New Jersey in 1863. The pilot then flew over New York City in 1866, making it as far east as Oyster Bay, New York. Andrews also wrote to President Abraham Lincoln, offering the use of the Aeron in the American Civil War, but the government reportedly showed little interest in the idea. The Aeron had no engines, but used a wing-shaped compound gasbag design and steering vanes that let Andrew control his height, speed and direction by what he called "gliding under gravity" — using speed to create lift as the airship alternatively sinks and rises. Andrews' ideas inspired later experimental airship designs and these vehicles remain promising concepts for several experimental airship designs today, such as the Airlander Hybrid Air Vehicle, which gets some of its lift from lighter-than-air gas and some from its shape and motion. 6 of 10 Artificial Albatross 1868Credit: Public Domain Artificial Albatross 1868 French inventor Jean-Marie Le Bris was inspired to build his graceful piloted gliders by watching the flight of the albatross during his sailing voyages around the world. He studied the anatomy of birds, and the phenomenon of lift created by their wings. Hoping to take flight himself using the same phenomenon, Le Bris built a glider, named L'Albatros Artificiel, inspired by the shape of the bird he’d seen on his travels. In 1856, Le Bris successfully flew his "Artificial Albatross" on the windy beach of Sainte-Anne-la-Palud, near the extreme eastern point of France. The aircraft was placed on a cart towed by a horse, which gave it enough speed to reportedly reach a height of 330 feet (100 meters), flying for a distance of 660 feet (200 m), and landing at a point higher than his point of departure, a world first for a heavier-than-air aircraft. In 1868, with the support of the French Navy, Le Bris experimented with a lighter version of his Artificial Albatross with better control, by distributing his body weight — the principle used in modern hand gliders and parasails — and wings that could tilt. This image of Le Bris and the later aircraft in the city of Brest in 1868 is thought to be the first photograph of a flying machine. 7 of 10 Aerial steamer, 1875Credit: Public Domain Aerial steamer, 1875 The aeronautical design principle of "if it won’t fly, add more engines" found early expression in the first attempts to build powered aircraft in the late-19th century, when steam engines first became small enough to be practical in aeronautical designs. In 1875, Thomas Moy successfully flew the unpiloted "Aerial Steamer" tandem-wing aircraft, shown in this image, which was powered by a 3-horsepower steam engine that drives large twin propellers. The aircraft weighed almost 210 pounds (100 kilograms) but was able to fly for very short distances under its own power, about 6 inches (15 centimeters) off the ground, tethered above a circular track built in a former ornamental fountain at Crystal Palace in London, in the United Kingdom. 8 of 10 Otto ornithopter, 1894Credit: Public Domain Otto ornithopter, 1894 Many early flight pioneers looked to birds for inspiration, and reasoned that since birds flap their wings when they fly, then the same technique might work for human flight. Leonardo Da Vinci drew a design for a mechanical wing in the early 15th century, and many designs for what became known as ornithopters — aircraft that flap their wings — were proposed in the 18th and 19th centuries. One inventor in France in the early 1800s reportedly used an ornithopter attached to a small hydrogen balloon to make small hops. This image from 1894 shows the German aviator Otto Lelienthal with his human-powered ornithopter. Lelienthal had become famous in Germany after making a series of successful early glider flights, and he hoped his muscle-driven "kleiner Schlagflügelapparat" (which translates to "little flapping apparatus") would enable him to fly like a bird. But he was killed in a crash while flying a fixed-wing glider in 1896, before he could complete the development of his ornithopter design. Today, scientists recognize that the way birds use their wings to fly depends on a highly evolved lightweight physiology and flying senses that let them control their wing shape and surface texture, and finely adapt it to efficiently produce the lift they need at any moment. Some scientists are now studying how the brains of birds, bats and insects can handle such complex information about flight with only small brains, and hope that such "bio-inspired" research can teach them more about efficient flight for aerial drones. 9 of 10 Cornu helicopter 1907Credit: Public Domain Cornu helicopter 1907 French flight pioneer and bicycle maker Paul Cornu made the first free helicopter flight in this remarkable contraption on Nov. 9 1907. The primitive helicopter has two rotors mounted one in front of the other, and the pilot sat between the rotors, with the 24-horsepower petrol engine between his knees. Steerable control vanes were included under the rotors, but they didn't seem to work, and the pilot steered mainly by rocking the helicopter from side to side, and moving the nose up and down. The first flights were made with the helicopter tethered to the ground, but in time Cornu was able to make several free-flying hops of up to 6 feet (2 m) in height, and only long enough to learn that the machine was almost uncontrollable. Cornu abandoned working on his prototype helicopter soon after those first experimental flights, and eventually returned to making bicycles for a living. 10 of 10 Ads by Revcontent You May Like Ambala Girl Gets 4 Shades Fairer in 14 Days by Using This 1 Weird Old Trick! Fit Mom Daily Amazing Vehicle Tracking Device Taking India By Storm Trackr Ambala Guys Are Using This Crazy Method To Get 5 Shades Fairer In 14 Days! Fit Mom Daily "I Found My Love On This Dating Site" Top Dating Sites India Diet For Lazy People! Up To 20 Kg In 4 Weeks! No Diets Or Sport Are Needed! Authority Nutrition Fast Weight Loss! 30kg Decrease In 1Month Is Easy! No Diets Or Sport Are Needed! Thehealthsite 1 of 10 Advertisement A Message from Aruba Defeat Network Chaos Take this simple quiz to discover the superpowers you'll need to tackle the biggest obstacles facing your network. SEE MORE Ads by Revcontent Trending Today Dating In Ambala? These Dating Sites Really Work, Try Them Top Dating Sites India She Got 5 Shades Fairer in 2 Min Dr. Ankur Walia Ambala Guys Are Using This Crazy Method To Get 5 Shades Fairer In 14 Days Fit Mom Daily Amazing Vehicle Tracking Device Taking India By Storm Trackr Single Older Women Want To Date Men Over 40 Senior Dating India The food - worst enemy of fat! -21kg in a month, no sagging skin! Simple Indian Recipes Kites large enough to carry a man were first used in China thousands of years ago, mainly for military observation and sometimes as a punishment for errant soldiers or prisoners. The Chinese general Kung Shu-Pan, a contemporary of Confucius in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., is recorded as having "himself made an ascent riding on a wooden kite in order to spy on a city which he desired to capture." The kite was shaped like a bird, and could stay aloft for three days and three nights. In 1282, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo described how authorities at a seaport would strap an unwilling victim onto a large rectangular kite, and send him aloft to determine the wind direction (a bit like a weather vane) and the best time for ships to set sail. Kites continued to be used for military observation at different times and places right up to the time of the earliest balloons and airships. Powerful lifting kites were used as a fairground attraction developed by the Wild West showman and aviation pioneer Samuel Franklin Cody, including very large bat-winged box kites that could lift several people in a gondola to altitudes of several thousand feet. Observation kites were also used by the British in the Boer War in South Africa in the 1890s. The British used several war kites designed by Cody from 1906 until they were replaced by observation balloons and aircraft during World War I.
Friday, 7 October 2016
Up She Goes! 8 of the Wackiest Early Flying Machines
Making historyCredit: Public Domain Making history "They go up diddley up-up, they go down diddley down-down …" So goes the classic song from the 1965 flim "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines," a comedy about a fictional 1910 aviation contest to fly from London to Paris. The early inventors and aviators who dreamed that people could fly made many painful mistakes, but their vision, perseverance and faith — a lot of faith, really — led in time to modern aircraft and the aerospace technologies that have opened up the skies for exploration. Here are 8 of the wackiest flying machines from the very earliest days of aviation, most of which were actually able to get off the ground, at least briefly — unlike the elegant, but flightless, French "Marquis' Multiplane" of 1908, shown above. 2 of 10 Chinese war kite, 500 B.C.Credit: Public Domain Chinese war kite, 500 B.C. Kites large enough to carry a man were first used in China thousands of years ago, mainly for military observation and sometimes as a punishment for errant soldiers or prisoners. The Chinese general Kung Shu-Pan, a contemporary of Confucius in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., is recorded as having "himself made an ascent riding on a wooden kite in order to spy on a city which he desired to capture." The kite was shaped like a bird, and could stay aloft for three days and three nights. In 1282, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo described how authorities at a seaport would strap an unwilling victim onto a large rectangular kite, and send him aloft to determine the wind direction (a bit like a weather vane) and the best time for ships to set sail. Kites continued to be used for military observation at different times and places right up to the time of the earliest balloons and airships. Powerful lifting kites were used as a fairground attraction developed by the Wild West showman and aviation pioneer Samuel Franklin Cody, including very large bat-winged box kites that could lift several people in a gondola to altitudes of several thousand feet. Observation kites were also used by the British in the Boer War in South Africa in the 1890s. The British used several war kites designed by Cody from 1906 until they were replaced by observation balloons and aircraft during World War I. 3 of 10 Clockwork Flying Dragon, 1647Credit: Public Domain Clockwork Flying Dragon, 1647 The Italian inventor and early scientist Tito Burattini demonstrated a flying model glider that he called the "Dragon Volant" (Flying Dragon) at the court of the King of Poland in Warsaw in 1647. From contemporary descriptions and later drawings of device, such as the one shown above, it may have been made from cloth or paper stretched over a wooden frame, with four flapping wings driven by springs. In 1648, Burattini launched the Dragon Volant once more, this time with a cat aboard, for a brief but surely turbulent gliding flight, thereby establishing a tradition followed by the animal astronauts of the American and Russian space programs in the 20th century. It’s reported that Burattini was unable to convince the king to finance a full-sized version of the Dragon Volant, large enough to carry himself, but he was certain that "only the most minor difficulties" would be involved in landing his mechanical dragon if he could get off the ground. 4 of 10 Emergency parachute, 1783Credit: Public Domain Emergency parachute, 1783 Several inventors seized on the idea of a parachute long before anyone ever got one to work, including Leonardo Da Vinci in the 15th century, who drew a pyramid-shaped parachute that he described as "a tent made of linen of which the openings all stopped up … [a man] will be able to throw himself down from any great height without suffering any injury." In 1595, the Croatian inventor Fausto Veranzio published a design for the Homo Volans, or "Flying Man," a parachute based on a ship's sail, with material stretched across a square wooden frame with ropes. History does not record all the painful flight experiments that must have followed, but on Dec. 26, 1783, the French inventor and scientist Louis-Sébastien Lenormand made what is considered to be the first successful decent by parachute, from the tower of the Montpellier observatory, shown in this 19th-century illustration. Lenormand thought his invention could be used in an emergency to escape from the upper floors of buildings in case of a fire, and for his public test flight, he descended safely from a height of about 82 feet (25 meters) using a parachute measuring 14 feet (4.3 m) across, with a wooden frame of spokes like an umbrella, covered with silk. The crowd in front of the observatory for the demonstration included the balloonist Joseph Montgolfier, who had pioneered the first manned air balloon flights with his brother Etienne just a few months earlier in the same year. 5 of 10 Aeron dirigible, 1863Credit: Public Domain Aeron dirigible, 1863 American airship pioneer Solomon Andrews first flew his Aeron dirigible, or steerable airship, over Perth Amboy in New Jersey in 1863. The pilot then flew over New York City in 1866, making it as far east as Oyster Bay, New York. Andrews also wrote to President Abraham Lincoln, offering the use of the Aeron in the American Civil War, but the government reportedly showed little interest in the idea. The Aeron had no engines, but used a wing-shaped compound gasbag design and steering vanes that let Andrew control his height, speed and direction by what he called "gliding under gravity" — using speed to create lift as the airship alternatively sinks and rises. Andrews' ideas inspired later experimental airship designs and these vehicles remain promising concepts for several experimental airship designs today, such as the Airlander Hybrid Air Vehicle, which gets some of its lift from lighter-than-air gas and some from its shape and motion. 6 of 10 Artificial Albatross 1868Credit: Public Domain Artificial Albatross 1868 French inventor Jean-Marie Le Bris was inspired to build his graceful piloted gliders by watching the flight of the albatross during his sailing voyages around the world. He studied the anatomy of birds, and the phenomenon of lift created by their wings. Hoping to take flight himself using the same phenomenon, Le Bris built a glider, named L'Albatros Artificiel, inspired by the shape of the bird he’d seen on his travels. In 1856, Le Bris successfully flew his "Artificial Albatross" on the windy beach of Sainte-Anne-la-Palud, near the extreme eastern point of France. The aircraft was placed on a cart towed by a horse, which gave it enough speed to reportedly reach a height of 330 feet (100 meters), flying for a distance of 660 feet (200 m), and landing at a point higher than his point of departure, a world first for a heavier-than-air aircraft. In 1868, with the support of the French Navy, Le Bris experimented with a lighter version of his Artificial Albatross with better control, by distributing his body weight — the principle used in modern hand gliders and parasails — and wings that could tilt. This image of Le Bris and the later aircraft in the city of Brest in 1868 is thought to be the first photograph of a flying machine. 7 of 10 Aerial steamer, 1875Credit: Public Domain Aerial steamer, 1875 The aeronautical design principle of "if it won’t fly, add more engines" found early expression in the first attempts to build powered aircraft in the late-19th century, when steam engines first became small enough to be practical in aeronautical designs. In 1875, Thomas Moy successfully flew the unpiloted "Aerial Steamer" tandem-wing aircraft, shown in this image, which was powered by a 3-horsepower steam engine that drives large twin propellers. The aircraft weighed almost 210 pounds (100 kilograms) but was able to fly for very short distances under its own power, about 6 inches (15 centimeters) off the ground, tethered above a circular track built in a former ornamental fountain at Crystal Palace in London, in the United Kingdom. 8 of 10 Otto ornithopter, 1894Credit: Public Domain Otto ornithopter, 1894 Many early flight pioneers looked to birds for inspiration, and reasoned that since birds flap their wings when they fly, then the same technique might work for human flight. Leonardo Da Vinci drew a design for a mechanical wing in the early 15th century, and many designs for what became known as ornithopters — aircraft that flap their wings — were proposed in the 18th and 19th centuries. One inventor in France in the early 1800s reportedly used an ornithopter attached to a small hydrogen balloon to make small hops. This image from 1894 shows the German aviator Otto Lelienthal with his human-powered ornithopter. Lelienthal had become famous in Germany after making a series of successful early glider flights, and he hoped his muscle-driven "kleiner Schlagflügelapparat" (which translates to "little flapping apparatus") would enable him to fly like a bird. But he was killed in a crash while flying a fixed-wing glider in 1896, before he could complete the development of his ornithopter design. Today, scientists recognize that the way birds use their wings to fly depends on a highly evolved lightweight physiology and flying senses that let them control their wing shape and surface texture, and finely adapt it to efficiently produce the lift they need at any moment. Some scientists are now studying how the brains of birds, bats and insects can handle such complex information about flight with only small brains, and hope that such "bio-inspired" research can teach them more about efficient flight for aerial drones. 9 of 10 Cornu helicopter 1907Credit: Public Domain Cornu helicopter 1907 French flight pioneer and bicycle maker Paul Cornu made the first free helicopter flight in this remarkable contraption on Nov. 9 1907. The primitive helicopter has two rotors mounted one in front of the other, and the pilot sat between the rotors, with the 24-horsepower petrol engine between his knees. Steerable control vanes were included under the rotors, but they didn't seem to work, and the pilot steered mainly by rocking the helicopter from side to side, and moving the nose up and down. The first flights were made with the helicopter tethered to the ground, but in time Cornu was able to make several free-flying hops of up to 6 feet (2 m) in height, and only long enough to learn that the machine was almost uncontrollable. Cornu abandoned working on his prototype helicopter soon after those first experimental flights, and eventually returned to making bicycles for a living. 10 of 10 Ads by Revcontent You May Like Ambala Girl Gets 4 Shades Fairer in 14 Days by Using This 1 Weird Old Trick! Fit Mom Daily Amazing Vehicle Tracking Device Taking India By Storm Trackr Ambala Guys Are Using This Crazy Method To Get 5 Shades Fairer In 14 Days! Fit Mom Daily "I Found My Love On This Dating Site" Top Dating Sites India Diet For Lazy People! Up To 20 Kg In 4 Weeks! No Diets Or Sport Are Needed! Authority Nutrition Fast Weight Loss! 30kg Decrease In 1Month Is Easy! No Diets Or Sport Are Needed! Thehealthsite 1 of 10 Advertisement A Message from Aruba Defeat Network Chaos Take this simple quiz to discover the superpowers you'll need to tackle the biggest obstacles facing your network. SEE MORE Ads by Revcontent Trending Today Dating In Ambala? These Dating Sites Really Work, Try Them Top Dating Sites India She Got 5 Shades Fairer in 2 Min Dr. Ankur Walia Ambala Guys Are Using This Crazy Method To Get 5 Shades Fairer In 14 Days Fit Mom Daily Amazing Vehicle Tracking Device Taking India By Storm Trackr Single Older Women Want To Date Men Over 40 Senior Dating India The food - worst enemy of fat! -21kg in a month, no sagging skin! Simple Indian Recipes Kites large enough to carry a man were first used in China thousands of years ago, mainly for military observation and sometimes as a punishment for errant soldiers or prisoners. The Chinese general Kung Shu-Pan, a contemporary of Confucius in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., is recorded as having "himself made an ascent riding on a wooden kite in order to spy on a city which he desired to capture." The kite was shaped like a bird, and could stay aloft for three days and three nights. In 1282, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo described how authorities at a seaport would strap an unwilling victim onto a large rectangular kite, and send him aloft to determine the wind direction (a bit like a weather vane) and the best time for ships to set sail. Kites continued to be used for military observation at different times and places right up to the time of the earliest balloons and airships. Powerful lifting kites were used as a fairground attraction developed by the Wild West showman and aviation pioneer Samuel Franklin Cody, including very large bat-winged box kites that could lift several people in a gondola to altitudes of several thousand feet. Observation kites were also used by the British in the Boer War in South Africa in the 1890s. The British used several war kites designed by Cody from 1906 until they were replaced by observation balloons and aircraft during World War I.
Monday, 3 October 2016
FORUM ROMANUM – TRAVELS IN ROME PART II
Forum Romanum Surroundings of Forum Romanum in Rome Surroundings of Forum Romanum in Rome, Image Source – Shutterstock Located to the west of the Colosseum is the birthplace of the Roman civilization. Walking down Via di Fori Imperiali, we turn left and go down the hill to visit ‘the most famous meeting place in the world.’ The political and economic hub of the ancient Roman Republic was originally a valley between the Palatine and Capitoline hills. This marshy area was drained in the 6th century BC by constructing an enormous sewer called the “Cloaca Maxima” and developed as the center of Roman public life. Ruins of Forum Romanum Ruins of Forum Romanum, Image Source – Shutterstock Important structures like law courts, temples, memorials were built during the period of the Roman Republic. The word “Forum” in Latin denotes a marketplace and is derived from “ferre” which means ‘to carry’. There were different fora for different wares like Forum Boarium(cattle market), Forum Olitorium (vegetable market), Forum Piscarium (fish market), Forum Vinarium (wine market) etc. The Forum Magnum (large marketplace) later came to known as Forum Romanum and became the focal point of commerce, politics, religion and social life. Tempio del Divo Giulio Walking down to the main square of the Forum, we come to the temple dedicated to Julius Caesar. He was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 B.C. by Cassius, Brutus and other senators who accused him of becoming a dictator. The shrine which is also known as the Temple of the Comet star was built by his grand-nephew and heir Augustus Caesar. The original temple is now in ruins but a semi-circular apse marks the site of his cremation. The appearance of a comet during the games organized by Augustus sometimes later was taken as the soul of Julius Caesar who had ascended to heaven. Augustus used the cult ofDivus Julius and got coins minted in his name to consolidate his own power. The ruins of the shrine are scattered on the ground in front of the apse. Nearby is the Rostrum from where Mark Antony delivered his famous speech and read out the Will of Julius Caesar after the assassination. I could imagine the dramatic funeral scene as Antony’s speech immortalized by Shakespeare in his play “Julius Caesar” rang in my ears – “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him…..” Tempio di Dioscuri Temple of Dioscuri Temple of Dioscuri – Forum Romanus, Image Source – Shutterstock The three imposing marble columns of the Temple of Castor and Pollox remind us of the cult of the divine twins or Dioscuri. According to legend, the divine twins led the Romans to victory against the Latin tribes at Lake Regillus in the 5th century B.C. They appeared in the Forum where they watered and washed their horses at the spring of Juturna near the temple of Vesta. Basilica Julia The ruins of the foundations of Basilica Julia are scattered over a large rectangular area. This was once a huge ornate structure built by Julius Caesar after he subjugated the Gallic tribes in 1st century B.C. It was completed by Augustus after Caesar’s death. The basilica housed law courts and administrative offices. Basilica Aemilia Forum Romanus Bascilica of Aemilia Forum Romanus Basilica of Aemilia The ruins of Basilica Aemilia remind us of a bygone era when a ‘basilica’ was not a church but a public building which served an official and judicial function. The Basilica Fulvius Aemilia was built on the site of Tabernacle in ancient times. These were shops built of bricks and rented out to tenants by the state which indicates that the site was also a market-place. These tabernacles were later turned over to argentarii or money changers and bankers. Their business was destroyed by fire in the 3rd century B.C. These tabernacles were later rebuilt as argentariae novae. The Roman censors Fulvius and Aemilius built the basilica in the 2nd century B.C. Many changes were made to this basilica over the centuries. Curia Julia Forum Romanus Curia Julia Forum Romanus Curia Julia, Image Source – Shutterstock Built by Julius Caesar, this was the senate house of the Roman Republic. After it was destroyed in a fire, Diocletian restored the building in the 4th century and the brick facade survives even today. This structure is also known as Chiesa di Sant’Adriano al Foro dedicated to the Christian martyr Saint Hadrian of Nicomedia. In the 7th century, it was converted into the church of Saint Hadrian by Pope Honorius I. The Italian government acquired this and an adjacent convent in 1922 and deconsecrated it restoring it as an ancient monument. But many of the frescoes were destroyed or damaged during the restoration. The dome of the Chiesa dei Santi Luca e Martina rises adjacent the Curia. This is dedicated to Saint Martina, a Christian martyr of the 3rd century. The church was rebuilt in the 17th century. Arco di Settimio Severo Arch of Septimius Severus Forum Romanum – Arch of Septimius Severus, Image Source – Shutterstock The three-way marble arch of Septimius Severus was built in the 3rd century to commemorate the victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his sons over the Parthians in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. Nearby stands a tall Corinthian column-‘Colonna di Phocas’ dedicated to the Byzantine emperor- which once supported a gilded statue. The Column of Phocas is the last honorary monument constructed in the Forum. Phocas is also remembered as the ruler who bequeathed the pagan temple Pantheon to the Catholic Church .
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
TRAVELING THE WORLD BLIND: AN INTERVIEW WITH DAN
The ability to see all the beauty in the world – from a sunset over the mountains to the mist of a cloud forest to the crystal blue waters of Thailand – is something we often take for granted. Personally, I’ve always wondered what would happen if I were lose the ability to see it. Would I have the fortitude to carry on? How would I adapt? I mean, I’ve never even sprained a finger! A few months ago, I received an email from a reader named Tyler, telling me about how he travels with his friend Dan, who is legally blind (he suffers from extremely low vision). I was immediately inspired by Dan’s story. Born sighted, he started going blind in his teens but adapted and didn’t let it stop him from traveling.
The more Dan, Tyler, and I talked, the more I knew this story had to be shared on the blog. Though I recognize the irony in sharing a text based interview about traveling blind, nonetheless, here is Dan’s inspiring story – and some very wise advice for us all:
Nomadic Matt: Hi Dan! Thanks for doing this! Tell us about yourself!
Dan: I’m 31, from Nobleton, Canada. I started going blind when I was a toddler. A family friend noticed that I was sitting abnormally close to the TV, desperately trying to look at all the awesome planes in Top Gun. I ended up getting a prescription for absurdly thick corrective lenses like Mr. Magoo.
Dan: I’m 31, from Nobleton, Canada. I started going blind when I was a toddler. A family friend noticed that I was sitting abnormally close to the TV, desperately trying to look at all the awesome planes in Top Gun. I ended up getting a prescription for absurdly thick corrective lenses like Mr. Magoo.
When I was seven, I was kicked in the back of the head by accident by a friend of mine and ended up with a detached retina, leaving me blind in my left eye.
In 2008, the vision in my right eye started to go red. I was told that my right eye’s retina was coming off. For the most part, the surgery to repair the tear was a success, but the scar tissue wasn’t healing properly. I had two more operations over the next two years, but the recovery process was slow. For a large chunk of that time I was totally blind, as I had a patch covering my recovering eye. At first, I was incredibly light-sensitive. It wasn’t until much later I was able to regain some, mostly blurry vision – but with the added bonus of retinal scar damage!
After a recovery and long fight with depression over losing my vision, I realized that I had a choice: adapt or stagnate. I chose to adapt, better myself, and to just keep moving forward.
What it’s like to live a life with a vision disability?
Dan: For me, living with a disability is something I’m almost used to, though there are always challenges. For example, my only big requests for my former housemates were to keep cupboard doors shut, not leave knives in the sink (I’d prefer to keep all of my fingers), and not leave anything on the floor that wasn’t there before.
Dan: For me, living with a disability is something I’m almost used to, though there are always challenges. For example, my only big requests for my former housemates were to keep cupboard doors shut, not leave knives in the sink (I’d prefer to keep all of my fingers), and not leave anything on the floor that wasn’t there before.
It’s really the little things that are difficult, and that can honestly be embarrassing. With low vision, you quickly learn to mistrust anything made of glass, specifically glass doors. Who knows where they are, if they’re open, or even if they exist at all!
Many public and private buildings and services simply aren’t accessible by their nature. One case being train stations: I can’t see the board with the arrival/departure times, or the platforms. Usually there is assistance available but my pride and independence mean I try my hardest to navigate situations myself. I use an iPhone to take a photo of the train times and zoom in on it, letting me move at my own pace. Using a small, high-resolution screen lets me have a better look at the world around me without having to get within inches of the subject.
What’s fuels your passion for travel?
Dan: My passion for travel comes from my family. Both of my parents are nomadic at heart. My father traveled all over the world in his youth for various reasons, eventually leaving his native France to come to Canada. My mother is a brilliantly independent woman who travels across Canada and beyond, speaking on behalf of the Lions Foundation of Canada, an organization that provides dog guides to people with a wide range of disabilities, not just the blind.
In fact, she’s totally blind and travels with a dog guide herself. Our disabilities aren’t really connected on a hereditary level. She’s been totally blind since before I was born, and has worked with dog guides since 1989. She’s a huge inspiration to me and a major part of why I do my blog and YouTube channel.
Beyond family, I travel for the people. You can’t walk through a hostel without a happy Australian sticking their hand out with a “how’re ya goin’?” I realized people are genuinely curious about my vision, my cane, and my travels. I feed off of their curiosity, and I love being in a position to tell stories. I just love learning about how the person across from me got to be across from me.
What challenges did you face traveling with low vision? Were some countries easier to travel in than others?
Dan: Luckily for me, Western Europe (where I mostly travel) tends to be fairly accessible. While it’s nearly impossible to retrofit a thousand-year-old church with accessible ramps and touch tours, to their credit, most have usually made some sort of effort. Sometimes it’s as simple as a large-print or braille guidebook, or sometimes you’ll have a full-blown exhibit in which people can feel the objects on display.
Dan: Luckily for me, Western Europe (where I mostly travel) tends to be fairly accessible. While it’s nearly impossible to retrofit a thousand-year-old church with accessible ramps and touch tours, to their credit, most have usually made some sort of effort. Sometimes it’s as simple as a large-print or braille guidebook, or sometimes you’ll have a full-blown exhibit in which people can feel the objects on display.
When I first started traveling back in 2012, I had the most difficulty in Barcelona. I was still learning how to work with abnormal street crossings. Anyone who has been there can attest that, for better or worse, their intersections are octagonal. It’s also insanely busy.
But then I went to Morocco. We made a video about it, but holy cats, Barcelona is like walking through an empty grocery store by comparison. Imagine all the vendors calling out to you, the cars and scooters going at road speed wherever they want, the scammers coming up to you with their sleight-of-hand and silver tongues. Imagine holes in the sidewalks, beggars splayed out and blocking pedestrian traffic, and the heat. Combine that with the din: the noise of all those people and cars, the music blaring from shops and stalls and cars, the shouting of hawkers. Now imagine that with one hand occupied holding a cane and only half of your vision, and that blurry, foggy, and tired. Morocco was, understandably, intense for me.
I know this a stupid question but how do you manage to travel if you can’t see? Do you always have someone with you? Like, what are the mechanics of it?
Dan: I’d say my travel style is very much like most other backpackers’ but slower. For example, say I’m taking a train from Vienna to Munich. I know the train is at 11:00. So, what I do is find the display board. Any ounce of clarity I may have with my vision sort of peters out after a few feet so what I do is find as large a group of people as I can. If they’re all facing the same way, they’re probably staring at the train timetable board. I’ll look the same direction they are and find the inevitable big, black, square blur. I figure that this is the train board, take a picture of it with my phone, and shuffle away to a quieter, calmer area. I’ll then have a gander at the photo and find my train’s time at my own pace.
Dan: I’d say my travel style is very much like most other backpackers’ but slower. For example, say I’m taking a train from Vienna to Munich. I know the train is at 11:00. So, what I do is find the display board. Any ounce of clarity I may have with my vision sort of peters out after a few feet so what I do is find as large a group of people as I can. If they’re all facing the same way, they’re probably staring at the train timetable board. I’ll look the same direction they are and find the inevitable big, black, square blur. I figure that this is the train board, take a picture of it with my phone, and shuffle away to a quieter, calmer area. I’ll then have a gander at the photo and find my train’s time at my own pace.
I like to travel with another person, but it’s more because I’m a social person than I need assistance. I’m currently on the road with one of my best friends, Tyler. He’s been a hugely integral part of Three Points of Contact, a passionate traveler, talented musician, and natural videographer. He and I met four years ago while he was working in Lyon, France, and became friends straight away. There are few people out there I would trust as much to travel with.
What specific advice do you have for low-vision or blind travelers? What are some important logistics to consider?
Dan: The best advice I can give to them is the same as I’d give to anyone: use common sense and trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, make it known, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to change your situation. For the most part, people are good and naturally look out for us, because the cane is an internationally recognized symbol of blindness.
That’s a double-edged sword, though: we’re also easy targets so trust your gut. Get out there and travel, show people you can pull it off the same as anyone else, no matter how poor your eyes work.
What kind of resources are there for blind or visually impaired travelers on the road? Is there a network out there? Meet-ups? Communities that you could join?
Dan: Blind or low-vision travelers are living in a fantastic time to be abroad. Services and support groups are easily accessible on the Internet, and many organizations reach across the world. In Canada we have the CNIB, the UK has the RNIB, and across the planet are other resources and contacts for the blind. By contacting these resources, you can find accessible routes, get in touch with transit specifically for people with low vision, and simply have a support net if required.
Dan: Blind or low-vision travelers are living in a fantastic time to be abroad. Services and support groups are easily accessible on the Internet, and many organizations reach across the world. In Canada we have the CNIB, the UK has the RNIB, and across the planet are other resources and contacts for the blind. By contacting these resources, you can find accessible routes, get in touch with transit specifically for people with low vision, and simply have a support net if required.
Resources that aren’t blind-specific, like Facebook and Reddit, are excellent to connect with other disabled people as well. Couchsurfing is fantastic to meet people who are willing to show you around, even if you don’t crash at their home. Creating contacts and asking questions expands our range of movement!
Do your family and friends support your traveling escapades?
Dan: My family is a well-traveled bunch. My sister and I were lucky enough to explore Europe more than a few times growing up. My mother travels all over Canada doing speaking engagements, and my father is originally from France and has been all over the world. Even my grandparents have been circling the globe for over 50 years. So, it really came as no surprise to them in 2012 when I announced I was going on the road.
Dan: My family is a well-traveled bunch. My sister and I were lucky enough to explore Europe more than a few times growing up. My mother travels all over Canada doing speaking engagements, and my father is originally from France and has been all over the world. Even my grandparents have been circling the globe for over 50 years. So, it really came as no surprise to them in 2012 when I announced I was going on the road.
They were, of course, nervous at first. But they also knew that trying to dissuade me from the idea would be futile: I’m stubborn and they know it. My parents, my sister, and my extended family have all been incredibly supportive since the first rumblings of this idea.
Can you tell us about your next adventure?
Dan: After this current trip in Europe is over, I have no idea what my next port of call will be. I’m really drawn to Australia and New Zealand, Japan, and the lower half of South America. But truthfully, I think it’s time for me to explore my own country. Canadians travel the world because it’s so hard and expensive to visit our own, which is a shame. It’s the second-largest country in the world, and we see woefully little of it.
Tyler may join me for a part of it and our friend Amy (a Chicagoan who features in a few of our Portugal and Spain videos) has expressed interest in joining for a leg as well!
What’s on your bucket list?
Dan: I’d absolutely love to learn to sail. I’ve got this image in my head of catching the wind and feeling a control over a boat like no other. With any luck I’ll have the opportunity next summer to give it a go out on Lake Ontario.
Dan: I’d absolutely love to learn to sail. I’ve got this image in my head of catching the wind and feeling a control over a boat like no other. With any luck I’ll have the opportunity next summer to give it a go out on Lake Ontario.
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