Angels … Some High-Flying Fun Facts!

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Dec 25, 2022

Angels were created long ago, before the earth existed. When God created the earth, the angels began singing in applause. ​—Job 38:​4-7.

What is the purpose of angels and the extent of their powers? Angels serve as messengers of God (the word angel is derived from the Greek angelos meaning messenger). Angels can speak, sing, play musical instruments and dance but they are not omnipresent, omniscient or omnipotent and are not meant to be worshiped by us mortals.

Do angels have names and free will? The Bible only names the four Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. Other angels have names too, but they chose not to reveal them; all angels have the freedom to choose between right and wrong . . . those who chose wrong joined Lucifer who, in his rebellion, became the first fallen angel.

Do angels have feelings? Angels experience emotions such as joy and longing but do not marry; in western art they are depicted as ageless and often having a gender.

What about the baby angels? Those endearingly mischievous baby angels, known as putti or amorini — are actually quite old. Derived from pagan sources, they were originally members of Aphrodite’s train who conveyed messages of love to humans (why they always pop up around Valentine’s Day).  Renaissance artists such as Donatello and Raphael would breathe new life into them creating a new breed even more fetching and bacchanalian than their ancestors.

How many angels are there? The Bible does not state an exact number, but it attests to their vast number. In a vision the apostle John caught a glimpse of “hundreds of millions of angels.”

May this holiday season bring you good tidings, peace, joy and light!

Buon Natale, Felice Hanukkah e Felice Anno Nuovo!!!

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Italy’s Three Golden Ages

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Oct 15, 2022

Few countries can boast having ever had a “Golden Age” while Italy is the only country to have experienced not just one or even two but three golden ages!

Two thousand years ago Rome created an empire that dominated the Western world for an unprecedented four centuries. It was a triumph of engineering, artistic and organizational genius.Roman engineering genius gave us the longest-lasting monuments and buildings—as well as bridges, paved roads, aqueducts and cities—from antiquity, all of which created a sense of local community and inclusion in their time. Arenas like the Colosseum regularly hosted public entertainments that were impressive even by today’s standards.

Rome’s great legacy would help inspire Italy’s second Golden Age: the Renaissance, that 250-year creative flowering and intellectual transformation which began in 15th century Florence. Like classical Rome, the Italian Renaissance would spawn timeless artistic treasures and scientific advances. It would also celebrate human agency, an impulse that informs our modern sense of ourselves.

Italy is once again experiencing a Golden Age … though one of an entirely different nature. It’s one that celebrates the good life—La Dolce Vita—in all aspects of beauty and pleasure.

Following World War II, movies like Roman Holiday and gorgeous women like Sophia Loren (not to mention their ubiquitous leading man, Marcello Mastroianni) established Italy as the ultimate destination for romance, soon supplanting Paris as the epicenter of love.

Italy perennially ranks numero uno as people’s most desired place to visit and it’s now synonymous with fashion and design. And, no surprise, Italian cuisine ranks as the world’s most popular! The most important international modern art extravaganza—the Biennial—began in Venice. So did the world’s first film festival.

Today Italy is the world’s undisputed Lifestyle Superpower.

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Street Food & Street Art in Naples

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Feb 5, 2022

In the 20th century, cultural icons such as Hemingway, Pablo Neruda and Andy Warhol were seduced by this cinematic city by the sea. Today, trendsetting young artists and writers along with top culinary innovators are drawn to the city’s many sensory appeals. Enjoy this a passeggiata through Naples’ historic center—a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and a visual feast of exuberant street art and mouth-watering Neapolitan street foods.

For all you foodies—Naples is home to roughly 3,000 pizza makers, or pizzaiuoli. Beyond topping and crust variations, pizza can be experienced in other forms like a portable folded pizza “walletknown as pizza a portafoglia, or even a super-indulgent fried pizza!  And there’s frittatina di pasta …. yes, deep-fried pasta! Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside medallions of pasta mixed with béchamel sauce, peas and other tasty fillings. And not to be missed is a portable cone-shaped cuoppo filled with mouth-watering fried calamari, small anchovies and sardines. You’ll also find cuoppi filled with other fried goodies. The key is that the fried items are so light, dry and delectable that the paper cone doesn’t become greasy in your hand. Naples serves up some of the best caffe in all of Italy and its sfogliatella is one of the sweetest street foods ever!

Street art created by local and international artists is everywhere. Look for the landmark mural of a Madonna with a gun instead of a halo above her head is located in Piazza dei Girolamini. The arresting image is by Banksy—a pseudonymous England-based artist and the world’s most famous street artist. You will also find Sofia Loren, born not far from Naples and many and varied depictions of San Gennaro, the city’s Patron and that of the notorious Baroque painter Caravaggio who spent some of the last years of his life in Naples.

Besides its vibrant street life, Naples offers many marvelous cultural attractions. You’ll also discover elegant caffes and restaurants, boutique hotels, independent design ateliers, art galleries and bookshops—ideal for some retail therapy.

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