Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans

Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans

From the Independent Newspaper, London, 29th August 2008.
PA Report.

The American Dream is alive and the nation can be better than it has been during the last eight years of President George Bush, Barack Obama said as he accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Delivering the most important speech of his life to more than 80,000 people at an open-air stadium in Denver, Colorado, Mr Obama left no doubt America was ready for change and said it was time for voters to stand up and say: "Eight is enough!"

"I get it," he said. "I realise that I am not the likeliest candidates for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington. But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's about you." Mr Obama confronted every criticism made by Mr McCain and the Republicans of his campaign and the Democrats head-on, from his ego and rock star status to his lack of foreign policy experience and his tax policies.

"If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have," Mr Obama declared, referring to his rival's notorious temper and criticism of his own lack of experience. "America, we are better than these last eight years," he said. "We are a better country than this." Mr Obama, who made history on Wednesday as the first African American US presidential nominee of a major party, said: "This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive." The 47-year-old Illinois senator said his Republican rival John McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, had "voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time".

"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 per cent chance on change," he said. Mr Obama, whose keynote address at the party's 2004 convention shot him to fame, gave his 44-minute acceptance speech last night 45 years to the day after Martin Luther King Jr inspired the world with his "I Have a Dream" speech.

"America, we cannot turn back," he said.

The final day of the convention was moved outside to the Invesco Field stadium in a bid to show his candidacy extends beyond the politicians who have dominated the convention so far. Ten supporters, including some who donated only $5 (£2.72), were invited to join Mr Obama backstage beforehand and watched his speech from the front row. At the end of a convention dominated by the issue of unity between Mr Obama and his former rival Hillary Clinton, the Democrat received the loudest applause when he embraced the idea of coming together.

"The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook," he said. "The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America." Mr Obama said America needed to restore its "sense of higher purpose" and "the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort."

The Democrat also confronted the McCain campaign's accusations over his ego and celebrity status. He said his grandmother Sarah in Kenya had worked hard so that he could have a better life and "poured everything she had into me. I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine," he said. Striving to dismiss criticisms that his lofty, inspirational campaign consisted of empty rhetoric, he set out "exactly what change would mean if I am president".

He pledged to cut taxes for 95 per cent of all working families, end US dependence on oil from the Middle East within 10 years and create jobs for Americans. America's troubled economy and its national security were his central focus. He said he had "made clear we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights" and added: "John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even go to the cave where he lives." Mr Obama went on: "As commander-in-chief I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home." He offered details of his plans for energy and education, health and the climate crisis and pre-empted criticism he was a liberal who believed in "spend, spend, spend. I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow," he said. Mr Obama added that America's failure to respond to its challenges were "a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W Bush".

It was time for Republicans to "own their failure", he said. "It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for President of the United States." Fireworks erupted over the stadium as Mr Obama was joined by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, at the end of his speech. A bid to get most of those packed into the stadium to form the world's largest phone bank - text-messaging thousands more to boost voter registration for November's general election - also underscored how the Obama campaign has harnessed modern technology to garner support in what polls indicate will be a close race between Mr Obama and Mr McCain for a place in history as the 44th president of the United States. At the end of a convention dominated by the issue of unity between Mr Obama and his former rival Hillary Clinton, the Democrat received the loudest applause when he embraced that theme.


He said some critics dismissed such suggestions as "happy talk", but he said that when rivals did not have any fresh ideas, they "use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from," he said. "You make a big election about small things." Mr Obama used his speech to confront every criticism made by Mr McCain and the Republicans of his campaign and the Democrats.

"These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States." He also described his former rival Hillary Clinton as "a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours". He even echoed Mrs Clinton's passionate speech on Tuesday night when he said: "I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's about you."

Striving to dismiss criticisms that his lofty, inspirational campaign consisted of empty rhetoric, he set out "exactly what change would mean if I am president". America's troubled economy and its national security were his central focus, with pledges to cut taxes for 95 per cent of all working families, end US dependence on oil from the Middle East within 10 years and create jobs for Americans. "We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. As commander-in-chief I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home."

He also detailed his plans on energy and education, health and the climate crisis. Mr Obama then pre-empted criticism he was a liberal who believed in "spend, spend, spend". "I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow," he said. Mr Obama added that America's failure to respond to its challenges were "a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W Bush".

It was time for Republicans to "own their failure", he said. "It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for President of the United States."

Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans

Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans

From the Independent Newspaper, London, 29th August 2008.
PA Report.

The American Dream is alive and the nation can be better than it has been during the last eight years of President George Bush, Barack Obama said as he accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Delivering the most important speech of his life to more than 80,000 people at an open-air stadium in Denver, Colorado, Mr Obama left no doubt America was ready for change and said it was time for voters to stand up and say: "Eight is enough!"

"I get it," he said. "I realise that I am not the likeliest candidates for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington. But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's about you." Mr Obama confronted every criticism made by Mr McCain and the Republicans of his campaign and the Democrats head-on, from his ego and rock star status to his lack of foreign policy experience and his tax policies.

"If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have," Mr Obama declared, referring to his rival's notorious temper and criticism of his own lack of experience. "America, we are better than these last eight years," he said. "We are a better country than this." Mr Obama, who made history on Wednesday as the first African American US presidential nominee of a major party, said: "This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive." The 47-year-old Illinois senator said his Republican rival John McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, had "voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time".

"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 per cent chance on change," he said. Mr Obama, whose keynote address at the party's 2004 convention shot him to fame, gave his 44-minute acceptance speech last night 45 years to the day after Martin Luther King Jr inspired the world with his "I Have a Dream" speech.

"America, we cannot turn back," he said.

The final day of the convention was moved outside to the Invesco Field stadium in a bid to show his candidacy extends beyond the politicians who have dominated the convention so far. Ten supporters, including some who donated only $5 (£2.72), were invited to join Mr Obama backstage beforehand and watched his speech from the front row. At the end of a convention dominated by the issue of unity between Mr Obama and his former rival Hillary Clinton, the Democrat received the loudest applause when he embraced the idea of coming together.

"The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook," he said. "The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America." Mr Obama said America needed to restore its "sense of higher purpose" and "the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort."

The Democrat also confronted the McCain campaign's accusations over his ego and celebrity status. He said his grandmother Sarah in Kenya had worked hard so that he could have a better life and "poured everything she had into me. I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine," he said. Striving to dismiss criticisms that his lofty, inspirational campaign consisted of empty rhetoric, he set out "exactly what change would mean if I am president".

He pledged to cut taxes for 95 per cent of all working families, end US dependence on oil from the Middle East within 10 years and create jobs for Americans. America's troubled economy and its national security were his central focus. He said he had "made clear we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights" and added: "John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even go to the cave where he lives." Mr Obama went on: "As commander-in-chief I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home." He offered details of his plans for energy and education, health and the climate crisis and pre-empted criticism he was a liberal who believed in "spend, spend, spend. I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow," he said. Mr Obama added that America's failure to respond to its challenges were "a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W Bush".

It was time for Republicans to "own their failure", he said. "It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for President of the United States." Fireworks erupted over the stadium as Mr Obama was joined by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, at the end of his speech. A bid to get most of those packed into the stadium to form the world's largest phone bank - text-messaging thousands more to boost voter registration for November's general election - also underscored how the Obama campaign has harnessed modern technology to garner support in what polls indicate will be a close race between Mr Obama and Mr McCain for a place in history as the 44th president of the United States. At the end of a convention dominated by the issue of unity between Mr Obama and his former rival Hillary Clinton, the Democrat received the loudest applause when he embraced that theme.


He said some critics dismissed such suggestions as "happy talk", but he said that when rivals did not have any fresh ideas, they "use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from," he said. "You make a big election about small things." Mr Obama used his speech to confront every criticism made by Mr McCain and the Republicans of his campaign and the Democrats.

"These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States." He also described his former rival Hillary Clinton as "a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours". He even echoed Mrs Clinton's passionate speech on Tuesday night when he said: "I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's about you."

Striving to dismiss criticisms that his lofty, inspirational campaign consisted of empty rhetoric, he set out "exactly what change would mean if I am president". America's troubled economy and its national security were his central focus, with pledges to cut taxes for 95 per cent of all working families, end US dependence on oil from the Middle East within 10 years and create jobs for Americans. "We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. As commander-in-chief I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home."

He also detailed his plans on energy and education, health and the climate crisis. Mr Obama then pre-empted criticism he was a liberal who believed in "spend, spend, spend". "I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow," he said. Mr Obama added that America's failure to respond to its challenges were "a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W Bush".

It was time for Republicans to "own their failure", he said. "It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for President of the United States."

Capri

Few names have as much romantic associations as the “Beautiful Isle of Capri”, a byword for beauty and luxury since Roman Times. Long a hang-out of the rich and famous, who own sumptuous villas with arresting views, or who anchor their purring yachts in the Marina Grande, Capri has fixed itself in the collective imagination as a place where one might set foot for a few hours, but never settle; a place one can see but never really touch; a bit out of reach unless one has money or power. And yet, beneath the glitz, is a charming Island, with a storied history, where one can spend a day (or two or three!) and come away well-sunned, all appetites sated and the soul re-invigorated. But...in summer, Capri is swarmed by tourists, and the locals are in full "tourist" mode - professionally friendly but detached. Visit Capri in the off-season if you can.


The approach by sea whets the sense of anticipation whether you go by ferry or launch from Naples or Sorrento along the Bay of Naples overlooked by the brooding precence of Mount Vesuvius or along the chequered Amalfi Coast. Here, braced by the salt air a wondrous vista unfolds of deep eroded ravines, villages tucked into the clefts for shelter and defence, Saracen watch towers and implausibly steep terraces groaning with the heavy lemon fruits of Amalfi which make the famous Limoncello. Here we can be in awe of the spectacular coast as we head towards Capri and the Isola Gallo Lungo, once the home of Rudolf Nuryevev but in antiquity these were the islands (Sirenum scopuli; three small rocky islands) where, according to the Greek poet Homer, Ulysses was enticed and held captive by the mystical song of the Sirens. Visitors will still be seduced by the Sirens and the Amalfi Coast today.

"You will come first of all to the Sirens, who are enchanters
of all mankind and whoever comes their way; and that man
who unsuspecting approaches them, and listens to the Sirens
singing, has no prospect of coming home and delighting
his wife and little children as they stand about him in greeting,
but the Sirens by the melody of their singing enchant him."

Homer, (Odyssey XII, 39).

Then Capri comes into view, a mysterious prescence in the ocean with a definite sculptural quality which is both enticicing and mysterious, surrounded by Cliffs and sea rocks with the two (originally) fortified towns of Capri and Anacapri on the heights at the centre to protect them from the frequent visitations of Barbary Corsairs and others. And then at the end of the island facing towards the Bay of Naples you can envision the palace from which the Emperor Tiberius Caesar ran the empire which stretched from the atlantic Ocean to the Arabian desert, from the Pillars of Hercules to Judea. Here on this island in the centre of the sea which they named “Mare Mediteranea” – The Middle Sea where one man ruled from a palace named after their greatest deity Jupiter, the “Villa Jovis.” It was 2,000 years ago the largest house in the world and if it was still standing today it would still have that title. But to our modern mindset Capri was a vision of romantic escapism as epitomised by the song made famous in the 30’s by island resident Gracie Fields;

“Twas on the Isle of Capri that I found her,
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree,
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming 'round her,
Where we met on the Isle of Capri.”

Not to mention Noël Coward’s jolly ditty about the matronly English widow "who discovered in the nick of time that life was for living".

“Just for fun, three young men
Bowed low to Mrs Wentworth- Brewster
Said "Scusi", and abruptly goosed her,
Then there was quite a scene,
Her family in floods of tears cried, "Leave these men, Mama"
She said, "They're just high-spirited, like all Italians are"
And most of them have a great deal more to offer than Papa
In a bar on the Piccola Marina “


Capri Town

Capri is an island which some people love and some people hate. Those against the island are generally those who arrive for a daytrip, and find an expensive commercialised destination crammed to bursting with other daytrippers. Others, however, love the combination of island simplicity, natural beauty and busy glitz. And if you stay overnight, you'll find a different Capri. After the last daytrippers leave, a kind of exclusive peace settles over the island as those who are privileged to be staying overnight emerge for their evening passeggiata, or to sip drinks on the famous little square, the Piazzetta. The principal Capri tourist attraction is the island itself; its views, its rocky seashores and its scenic charm. There is plenty of good walking - or strolling - to be done as you explore the island.



Top scenic panoramas include views of the Bay of Naples, the Faraglioni Rocks and the Gardens of Augustus. From the mid-19th century onwards, following the “rediscovery” of the Blue Grotto, Italian and foreign visitors flocked to the island, attracted by the climate, the inhabitants’ hospitality and the colours and magnetic atmosphere of the places. Artists, intellectuals, writers, exiles, eccentrics and wealthy visitors chose it as their permanent or seasonal residence, contributing to form the highly varied cosmopolitan international colony that has made the name of Capri famous throughout the world. Capri is a saddle-shaped island that sits about 7.5 kilometres from the tip of the Amalfi peninsula and 17 kilometres due south of Naples. Mount Tiberio rises to 334 meters at the eastern end, and Mount Solaro peaks at 589 meters on the western end. Marina Grande (big marina) sits on the north shore and Marina Piccola on the south, connected by a traversing ridge. The City of Capri clamours up the hillside around and behind the Marina Grande, and the town of Anacapri sits on a verdant plain on the western flank of Mount Solaro.

Marina Grande

There are two towns on Capri; Capri town itself, which is in the centre of the island, and is where most of the hotels are located, and Anacapri. Although the two towns are scarcely three miles apart, the centuries-old antagonism between the two sets of townsfolk endures. The Capresans no longer routinely refer to the Anacapresan women as faticatore e puttane ("drudges and whores") as they did only 50-odd years ago, but they still poke fun at the Anacapresan dialect. The Anacapresans, for their part, cling to the high ground both morally and literally, believing that even their air is superior.


Piazzeta, Capri Town

On either side of Carpri Town there are two ports, the Marina Grande (large port) and the Marina Piccola (little port). Ferries from Naples, Sorrento and Amalfi arrive at Marina Grande from where you have two choices. You can take the special short island buses which twist around the windy road to Anacapri or you can take the Funicula up to Capri Town. If you take the latter option the top station on the funicular is beside the centre of Capri Town, the Piazzetta, the pedestrian square from which all the island routes radiate. From the station on top you can also take the distinctive island buses to Anacapri, they join the route from the Marina Grande about a mile down the road. Now something else you need to know about Capri. In summer these are the only roads where traffic is allowed and then only buses and taxis. Everywhere else is pedestrianied with only electric golf carts and handcarts allowed. This adds greatly to the peace and quiteness of the island but makes intra island transport akward. The small buses are painfully crowded and the taxis are special stretched softops with three rows of seats which take 7 passengers but are eye wateringly expensive. But nothing is cheap on this island, a cappucino will cost 5 euro, a pasta 20 euro and the mainly 5 star and rather luxurious hotels are upwards of 300 euro a night.

Funicular Railway

For shopaholics, Capri town is a dream, with all the big designer names and expensive boutiques. Almost every Capri visitor makes the trip to the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto. Like the island itself, it tends to split its visitors in two - those who find the blue-lit cave an unforgettable experience, and those who find the jostling boatsmen and extortionate prices a rip-off. A boat trip around the island, though, is a more rewarding experience. You can admire the coastline and the island's other grottoes in a leisurely fashion. In Capri Town, you find the Piazza Umberto I, more a courtyard than the usual expansive "main square". Around it is arrayed the Cathedral, the Bishop's residence which is now a municipal office building, the Torre dell'Orologio (bell tower) and a number of cafes, restaurants and shops.

From the Piazzetta the natural route is to head down the Via Tragara which is the most famous and best liked walking rote in Capri: along it there are many elegant villas. It ends with a panoramic terrace facing the Faraglioni Rocks (“I Faraglioni, the three enigmatic, pale-ochre limestone colossi”), the view of Capri known the world over. From Tragara's terrace you can enjoy also a wide view over island's southern side, featuring Marina Piccola, underneath the steep face of Mount Solaro, in the middle of which is found the enormous cavity of Grotta delle Felci (Grotto of the Ferns). The whole area called Tragara extends from Mount Tuoro's western slope to the plain of Occhio Marino (Sea Eye), situated behind the Charterhouse. Here also, overlooking the old Roman harbour you will find the Punta Tragara, where Churchill & Eisenhower first met. This former private villa, designed by Le Corbusier, stands above rocky cliffs at the southwest tip of the most desirable panorama on Capri. It is now a seriously 5 Star luxury hotel. It was here Eisenhower & Churchill met before the Allied invasion of mainland Italy at Salerno. Visiting Salerno today you may feel they did a fairly comprehensive job on bombarding the town

Faraglioni Rocks


Punta Tragara

On the way down there on the Via Tragara you first come to The Certosa of San Giacomo (Carthusian Monastery). It was founded in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, secretary to the Queen Giovanna I of Naples. This beautiful building is famous in its own right but the Carthusian Monastery is best known to visitors for the famous perfumes of Capri which are produced there based on the natural flora of the island.

Carthusian Monastery

Here you will also pass where Paolo Neruda lived in the beautiful “Casa di Arturo” belonging to Edwin Cerio, writer and engineer. This episode in his life is imortalised in the film “Il Positano” but obviously his exile was not as frugal or as isolated as depicted in the movie. The Chilean poet took the name of the murdered Czech socialist, Jan Neruda, as his nom de plume and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. At just 19 years of age he published his first book: Crepuscolario. In 1927 he entered the diplomatic service. He lived through the experience of the Spanish civil war of ‘36-’37 which indelibly marked the poet’s soul. Pablo Neruda came to Capri in 1952 with his lover, the Chilean singer Matilde Urrutia. On the island During his period in Capri, Neruda’s collection of love poems “The Captain’s Verses” was published. He was the Chilean ambassador in Paris in 1973 when America engineered the coup which brought down the democraticaly elected government of Chile, killed the President Salvador Allende and installed the brutal dictatorshio of Augusto Pinochet. He died later that same year.


Il Poeta del Poppolo

Heading onwards you then come to the site of the Gardens of Augustus and Via Krupp, which were by the German magnate steel Alfred Krupp. His Villa Krupp is on the height above you and it is joined to the sea and the Marina Piccola by the beautiful winding Via Krupp. The road was built in 1902 and characteristically zig-zags its way to Marina Piccola. According to architect R. Pane, it proves "that even a road can be a work of art". The Gardens of Augustus are built on the site of a villa of the Emperor Ovctavian Augustus on the "Fondo Certosa" (Certosa Estate), which Krupp purchased from the monastery. The provide a relaxing waypoint and a beautiful viewpoint on this spectacular island coastline.

View from Gardens of Augustus


Via Krupp

Anacapri basks on the hill above Capri, and is a quieter, more 'normal' town. Apparently, and despite being inland, Anacapri was hit harder by invaders than Capri Town (another source of competitiveness). The Saracens dragged the menfolk off to sell as slaves, and raped the women, the consequences of which can still be seen today in the faintly Moorish features of many Anacapresans. Their "smouldering looks" and "wild beauty" were certainly appreciated by the visiting German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius in the 1850s, and his enthusiastic, not to say libidinous reports helped to fuel an invasion, this time peaceful, of northern Europeans. Anacapri became a colony of artists and writers, and still has a bohemian vibe, even if mass-produced tourist tat is far more in evidence than original art.

The best art in modern Anacapri is in the Villa San Michele, once the home of the Swedish doctor, philanthropist and ornithologist Axel Munthe, who crammed it with antiquities. The villa San Michele is located on the north-eastern side of 'Anacapri, 327 metres above sea level. Here was an ancient Roman imperial villa, whose ruins were preserved by Axel Munthe and are now to be found in the garden. In the area there were the remains of a medieval chapel later moved to its present position by Munthe himself. San Michele was Munthe's residence between 1896 and 1910. The fanciful architecture was meant as a perfect environment for the collections of its owner, and at the same time, served to enhance the beauty of the landscape. The buildings and the collections reflect a Romantic, Symbolist taste, typical of that century. Accommodation in Anacapri is generally cheaper, although you're still not far from the hub of things, and there is a regular bus service. From Anacapri you can take the chairlift up to the top of Monte Solare and enjoy the views before the trip back down (on foot if you're so inclined).


Blue Grotto

Capri started occupying an important role in the political and military matters of the Roman Empire when Ottaviano, not yet Augustus, landed here in 29 BC and, struck by the incredible beauty of the island, took it from Naples, in exchange for Ischia. After Ottaviano, the Emperor Tiberius resided on the island for a decade and it was from Capri that he managed the interests of the Empire. The presence of the two emperors on Capri notably influenced the island architecture and the development of the urban area. The advanced engineering and building capabilities of the Romans, resulted in the construction of the port, sophisticated drainage and water storage systems, farms, habitations, and the twelve Imperial villas listed in the nineteenth century by the native historian, Rosario Mangoni. Fine examples of the Roman period are Villa Jovis, Villa Palazzo a Mare and Villa Damecuta, whilst, in a much less evident form, one finds traces of the era in Villa Tragara, Villa d’Unghia Marina, Villa del Colle San Michele, Villa del Castiglione, Villa Truglio a Marina Grande, Villa di Aiano, Villa di Capo di Monte (now Villa San Michele), Villa di Timberino and Villa di Monticello in Anacapri. Tiberius built a series of villas at Capri, the most famous of which is the Villa Jovis, one of the best preserved Roman villas in Italy. In 27 CE, Tiberius permanently moved to Capri, running the Empire from there until his death in 37 CE. According to Suetonius, while staying on the island, Tiberius (accompanied by his grand-nephew and heir, Caligula) enjoyed imposing numerous cruelties and sexual perversions upon his slaves.




Villa Jovis

The most important of the island's twelve imperial villas, Villa Jovis was built in the First Century AD and discovered in the Eighteenth Century under the rule of Charles of Bourbon. Dominating the promontory that extends from Grotta Bianca Point to Caterola Point, the villa, which covers an area of 7000 square metres, towers over the valley looking out to Cesina. Originally built as a fortress, the centre of the villa housed a number of cisterns designed to collect rainwater, used both as drinking water and as a reservoir with which to supply the baths located to the south, along with an open portico. These baths were heated by braziers and divided into the traditional frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium. The eastern side of the villa contained a number of reception rooms, while the northern side accommodated the imperial quarters. These were completely isolated from the rest of the building, but connected by ramps and stairways to the triclinium and loggia. The latter, based on a rectangular design 92 metres in length, was primarily designed for taking the air and admiring the breathtaking vista of the Gulf of Naples, stretching all the way from Ischia to Campanella Point.

In his Aeneid, Virgil states that the island had been populated by the Greek people of Teleboi, coming from the Ionian Islands. Strabo says that "in ancient times in Capri there were two towns, later reduced to one." (Geography, 5, 4, 9, 38). Tacitus records that there were twelve Imperial villas in Capri (or Capreae, as it was spelled in Latin). Ruins of one at Tragara could still be seen in the 19th century.

The etymology of the name “Capri” comes from tle Latin “capraeae” (goats), not from the Greek “kapros” (wild boar), even though numerous fossile remains of this animal have been found on the island. Inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, when it was joined to the mainland, the island was first Greek and later Roman. In the 7th century it was raided by the Saracens and in the centuries thate followed it was dominated by the Longobards, Normans, Anjouins, Aragonese and finally the Spanish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the island came back into fashion, in unison with Naples’ period of great political and artistic pride, thanks to an active diocese and the privileges conferred on it first by the Spanish and later by the Bourbons.

Romantic Capri!


Grand Hotel Quisisana

Capri, in addition to being blessed with an incredible natural beauty, boasts a history which increases even further the appeal of the island. isitors to Capri are often surprised by the quantity and variety of walking routes on such a small island. Along these pathways, tourists can choose to immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of a coastal village, inhabited by fishermen and sailors; explore the marine caves; walk through masses of sheer rock and peer over precipices which drop dramatically into the sea; saunter through the patches of land cultivated by the country dwellers, planted with olive groves and orchards of lemon and orange trees; or stroll through the center of Capri with its otentatiously luxurious boutiques, elegant hotels, artists studios, churches, and the remains of Roman villas. One of the magical things about Capri is that, even in peak season in August, when the roads are crowded with tourists, one can always find a solitary spot in which to rest, or a hidden bay where to take a swim in the crystal clear waters.

The atmosphere here, due to Capri's seductive powers, is sophisticated and cosmopolitan. It has long been a hang-out for writers and artists, a few of the top order, but most, second-raters. Somerset Maugham wrote a short story, The Lotus Eaters, about the island. Today it is still a special place with beautiful hotels filled with the ghosts of famous former guests, superb views over the bewitching Bay of Naples, romantic and perfect Bellinis sipped on terraces by moonlight and an ability to elicit your gratitude as improbable amounts of euros are discretely removed from your wallet! Capri - it's a kind of luxury and it's the kind of luxury you should give yourself at least once in this life.

See also;

Caprese.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/06/caprese.html

Amalfi Coast.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/02/amalfi-coast.html


Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto

travel

Capri

Few names have as much romantic associations as the “Beautiful Isle of Capri”, a byword for beauty and luxury since Roman Times. Long a hang-out of the rich and famous, who own sumptuous villas with arresting views, or who anchor their purring yachts in the Marina Grande, Capri has fixed itself in the collective imagination as a place where one might set foot for a few hours, but never settle; a place one can see but never really touch; a bit out of reach unless one has money or power. And yet, beneath the glitz, is a charming Island, with a storied history, where one can spend a day (or two or three!) and come away well-sunned, all appetites sated and the soul re-invigorated. But...in summer, Capri is swarmed by tourists, and the locals are in full "tourist" mode - professionally friendly but detached. Visit Capri in the off-season if you can.


The approach by sea whets the sense of anticipation whether you go by ferry or launch from Naples or Sorrento along the Bay of Naples overlooked by the brooding precence of Mount Vesuvius or along the chequered Amalfi Coast. Here, braced by the salt air a wondrous vista unfolds of deep eroded ravines, villages tucked into the clefts for shelter and defence, Saracen watch towers and implausibly steep terraces groaning with the heavy lemon fruits of Amalfi which make the famous Limoncello. Here we can be in awe of the spectacular coast as we head towards Capri and the Isola Gallo Lungo, once the home of Rudolf Nuryevev but in antiquity these were the islands (Sirenum scopuli; three small rocky islands) where, according to the Greek poet Homer, Ulysses was enticed and held captive by the mystical song of the Sirens. Visitors will still be seduced by the Sirens and the Amalfi Coast today.

"You will come first of all to the Sirens, who are enchanters
of all mankind and whoever comes their way; and that man
who unsuspecting approaches them, and listens to the Sirens
singing, has no prospect of coming home and delighting
his wife and little children as they stand about him in greeting,
but the Sirens by the melody of their singing enchant him."

Homer, (Odyssey XII, 39).

Then Capri comes into view, a mysterious prescence in the ocean with a definite sculptural quality which is both enticicing and mysterious, surrounded by Cliffs and sea rocks with the two (originally) fortified towns of Capri and Anacapri on the heights at the centre to protect them from the frequent visitations of Barbary Corsairs and others. And then at the end of the island facing towards the Bay of Naples you can envision the palace from which the Emperor Tiberius Caesar ran the empire which stretched from the atlantic Ocean to the Arabian desert, from the Pillars of Hercules to Judea. Here on this island in the centre of the sea which they named “Mare Mediteranea” – The Middle Sea where one man ruled from a palace named after their greatest deity Jupiter, the “Villa Jovis.” It was 2,000 years ago the largest house in the world and if it was still standing today it would still have that title. But to our modern mindset Capri was a vision of romantic escapism as epitomised by the song made famous in the 30’s by island resident Gracie Fields;

“Twas on the Isle of Capri that I found her,
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree,
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming 'round her,
Where we met on the Isle of Capri.”

Not to mention Noël Coward’s jolly ditty about the matronly English widow "who discovered in the nick of time that life was for living".

“Just for fun, three young men
Bowed low to Mrs Wentworth- Brewster
Said "Scusi", and abruptly goosed her,
Then there was quite a scene,
Her family in floods of tears cried, "Leave these men, Mama"
She said, "They're just high-spirited, like all Italians are"
And most of them have a great deal more to offer than Papa
In a bar on the Piccola Marina “


Capri Town

Capri is an island which some people love and some people hate. Those against the island are generally those who arrive for a daytrip, and find an expensive commercialised destination crammed to bursting with other daytrippers. Others, however, love the combination of island simplicity, natural beauty and busy glitz. And if you stay overnight, you'll find a different Capri. After the last daytrippers leave, a kind of exclusive peace settles over the island as those who are privileged to be staying overnight emerge for their evening passeggiata, or to sip drinks on the famous little square, the Piazzetta. The principal Capri tourist attraction is the island itself; its views, its rocky seashores and its scenic charm. There is plenty of good walking - or strolling - to be done as you explore the island.



Top scenic panoramas include views of the Bay of Naples, the Faraglioni Rocks and the Gardens of Augustus. From the mid-19th century onwards, following the “rediscovery” of the Blue Grotto, Italian and foreign visitors flocked to the island, attracted by the climate, the inhabitants’ hospitality and the colours and magnetic atmosphere of the places. Artists, intellectuals, writers, exiles, eccentrics and wealthy visitors chose it as their permanent or seasonal residence, contributing to form the highly varied cosmopolitan international colony that has made the name of Capri famous throughout the world. Capri is a saddle-shaped island that sits about 7.5 kilometres from the tip of the Amalfi peninsula and 17 kilometres due south of Naples. Mount Tiberio rises to 334 meters at the eastern end, and Mount Solaro peaks at 589 meters on the western end. Marina Grande (big marina) sits on the north shore and Marina Piccola on the south, connected by a traversing ridge. The City of Capri clamours up the hillside around and behind the Marina Grande, and the town of Anacapri sits on a verdant plain on the western flank of Mount Solaro.

Marina Grande

There are two towns on Capri; Capri town itself, which is in the centre of the island, and is where most of the hotels are located, and Anacapri. Although the two towns are scarcely three miles apart, the centuries-old antagonism between the two sets of townsfolk endures. The Capresans no longer routinely refer to the Anacapresan women as faticatore e puttane ("drudges and whores") as they did only 50-odd years ago, but they still poke fun at the Anacapresan dialect. The Anacapresans, for their part, cling to the high ground both morally and literally, believing that even their air is superior.


Piazzeta, Capri Town

On either side of Carpri Town there are two ports, the Marina Grande (large port) and the Marina Piccola (little port). Ferries from Naples, Sorrento and Amalfi arrive at Marina Grande from where you have two choices. You can take the special short island buses which twist around the windy road to Anacapri or you can take the Funicula up to Capri Town. If you take the latter option the top station on the funicular is beside the centre of Capri Town, the Piazzetta, the pedestrian square from which all the island routes radiate. From the station on top you can also take the distinctive island buses to Anacapri, they join the route from the Marina Grande about a mile down the road. Now something else you need to know about Capri. In summer these are the only roads where traffic is allowed and then only buses and taxis. Everywhere else is pedestrianied with only electric golf carts and handcarts allowed. This adds greatly to the peace and quiteness of the island but makes intra island transport akward. The small buses are painfully crowded and the taxis are special stretched softops with three rows of seats which take 7 passengers but are eye wateringly expensive. But nothing is cheap on this island, a cappucino will cost 5 euro, a pasta 20 euro and the mainly 5 star and rather luxurious hotels are upwards of 300 euro a night.

Funicular Railway

For shopaholics, Capri town is a dream, with all the big designer names and expensive boutiques. Almost every Capri visitor makes the trip to the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto. Like the island itself, it tends to split its visitors in two - those who find the blue-lit cave an unforgettable experience, and those who find the jostling boatsmen and extortionate prices a rip-off. A boat trip around the island, though, is a more rewarding experience. You can admire the coastline and the island's other grottoes in a leisurely fashion. In Capri Town, you find the Piazza Umberto I, more a courtyard than the usual expansive "main square". Around it is arrayed the Cathedral, the Bishop's residence which is now a municipal office building, the Torre dell'Orologio (bell tower) and a number of cafes, restaurants and shops.

From the Piazzetta the natural route is to head down the Via Tragara which is the most famous and best liked walking rote in Capri: along it there are many elegant villas. It ends with a panoramic terrace facing the Faraglioni Rocks (“I Faraglioni, the three enigmatic, pale-ochre limestone colossi”), the view of Capri known the world over. From Tragara's terrace you can enjoy also a wide view over island's southern side, featuring Marina Piccola, underneath the steep face of Mount Solaro, in the middle of which is found the enormous cavity of Grotta delle Felci (Grotto of the Ferns). The whole area called Tragara extends from Mount Tuoro's western slope to the plain of Occhio Marino (Sea Eye), situated behind the Charterhouse. Here also, overlooking the old Roman harbour you will find the Punta Tragara, where Churchill & Eisenhower first met. This former private villa, designed by Le Corbusier, stands above rocky cliffs at the southwest tip of the most desirable panorama on Capri. It is now a seriously 5 Star luxury hotel. It was here Eisenhower & Churchill met before the Allied invasion of mainland Italy at Salerno. Visiting Salerno today you may feel they did a fairly comprehensive job on bombarding the town

Faraglioni Rocks


Punta Tragara

On the way down there on the Via Tragara you first come to The Certosa of San Giacomo (Carthusian Monastery). It was founded in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, secretary to the Queen Giovanna I of Naples. This beautiful building is famous in its own right but the Carthusian Monastery is best known to visitors for the famous perfumes of Capri which are produced there based on the natural flora of the island.

Carthusian Monastery

Here you will also pass where Paolo Neruda lived in the beautiful “Casa di Arturo” belonging to Edwin Cerio, writer and engineer. This episode in his life is imortalised in the film “Il Positano” but obviously his exile was not as frugal or as isolated as depicted in the movie. The Chilean poet took the name of the murdered Czech socialist, Jan Neruda, as his nom de plume and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. At just 19 years of age he published his first book: Crepuscolario. In 1927 he entered the diplomatic service. He lived through the experience of the Spanish civil war of ‘36-’37 which indelibly marked the poet’s soul. Pablo Neruda came to Capri in 1952 with his lover, the Chilean singer Matilde Urrutia. On the island During his period in Capri, Neruda’s collection of love poems “The Captain’s Verses” was published. He was the Chilean ambassador in Paris in 1973 when America engineered the coup which brought down the democraticaly elected government of Chile, killed the President Salvador Allende and installed the brutal dictatorshio of Augusto Pinochet. He died later that same year.


Il Poeta del Poppolo

Heading onwards you then come to the site of the Gardens of Augustus and Via Krupp, which were by the German magnate steel Alfred Krupp. His Villa Krupp is on the height above you and it is joined to the sea and the Marina Piccola by the beautiful winding Via Krupp. The road was built in 1902 and characteristically zig-zags its way to Marina Piccola. According to architect R. Pane, it proves "that even a road can be a work of art". The Gardens of Augustus are built on the site of a villa of the Emperor Ovctavian Augustus on the "Fondo Certosa" (Certosa Estate), which Krupp purchased from the monastery. The provide a relaxing waypoint and a beautiful viewpoint on this spectacular island coastline.

View from Gardens of Augustus


Via Krupp

Anacapri basks on the hill above Capri, and is a quieter, more 'normal' town. Apparently, and despite being inland, Anacapri was hit harder by invaders than Capri Town (another source of competitiveness). The Saracens dragged the menfolk off to sell as slaves, and raped the women, the consequences of which can still be seen today in the faintly Moorish features of many Anacapresans. Their "smouldering looks" and "wild beauty" were certainly appreciated by the visiting German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius in the 1850s, and his enthusiastic, not to say libidinous reports helped to fuel an invasion, this time peaceful, of northern Europeans. Anacapri became a colony of artists and writers, and still has a bohemian vibe, even if mass-produced tourist tat is far more in evidence than original art.

The best art in modern Anacapri is in the Villa San Michele, once the home of the Swedish doctor, philanthropist and ornithologist Axel Munthe, who crammed it with antiquities. The villa San Michele is located on the north-eastern side of 'Anacapri, 327 metres above sea level. Here was an ancient Roman imperial villa, whose ruins were preserved by Axel Munthe and are now to be found in the garden. In the area there were the remains of a medieval chapel later moved to its present position by Munthe himself. San Michele was Munthe's residence between 1896 and 1910. The fanciful architecture was meant as a perfect environment for the collections of its owner, and at the same time, served to enhance the beauty of the landscape. The buildings and the collections reflect a Romantic, Symbolist taste, typical of that century. Accommodation in Anacapri is generally cheaper, although you're still not far from the hub of things, and there is a regular bus service. From Anacapri you can take the chairlift up to the top of Monte Solare and enjoy the views before the trip back down (on foot if you're so inclined).


Blue Grotto

Capri started occupying an important role in the political and military matters of the Roman Empire when Ottaviano, not yet Augustus, landed here in 29 BC and, struck by the incredible beauty of the island, took it from Naples, in exchange for Ischia. After Ottaviano, the Emperor Tiberius resided on the island for a decade and it was from Capri that he managed the interests of the Empire. The presence of the two emperors on Capri notably influenced the island architecture and the development of the urban area. The advanced engineering and building capabilities of the Romans, resulted in the construction of the port, sophisticated drainage and water storage systems, farms, habitations, and the twelve Imperial villas listed in the nineteenth century by the native historian, Rosario Mangoni. Fine examples of the Roman period are Villa Jovis, Villa Palazzo a Mare and Villa Damecuta, whilst, in a much less evident form, one finds traces of the era in Villa Tragara, Villa d’Unghia Marina, Villa del Colle San Michele, Villa del Castiglione, Villa Truglio a Marina Grande, Villa di Aiano, Villa di Capo di Monte (now Villa San Michele), Villa di Timberino and Villa di Monticello in Anacapri. Tiberius built a series of villas at Capri, the most famous of which is the Villa Jovis, one of the best preserved Roman villas in Italy. In 27 CE, Tiberius permanently moved to Capri, running the Empire from there until his death in 37 CE. According to Suetonius, while staying on the island, Tiberius (accompanied by his grand-nephew and heir, Caligula) enjoyed imposing numerous cruelties and sexual perversions upon his slaves.




Villa Jovis

The most important of the island's twelve imperial villas, Villa Jovis was built in the First Century AD and discovered in the Eighteenth Century under the rule of Charles of Bourbon. Dominating the promontory that extends from Grotta Bianca Point to Caterola Point, the villa, which covers an area of 7000 square metres, towers over the valley looking out to Cesina. Originally built as a fortress, the centre of the villa housed a number of cisterns designed to collect rainwater, used both as drinking water and as a reservoir with which to supply the baths located to the south, along with an open portico. These baths were heated by braziers and divided into the traditional frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium. The eastern side of the villa contained a number of reception rooms, while the northern side accommodated the imperial quarters. These were completely isolated from the rest of the building, but connected by ramps and stairways to the triclinium and loggia. The latter, based on a rectangular design 92 metres in length, was primarily designed for taking the air and admiring the breathtaking vista of the Gulf of Naples, stretching all the way from Ischia to Campanella Point.

In his Aeneid, Virgil states that the island had been populated by the Greek people of Teleboi, coming from the Ionian Islands. Strabo says that "in ancient times in Capri there were two towns, later reduced to one." (Geography, 5, 4, 9, 38). Tacitus records that there were twelve Imperial villas in Capri (or Capreae, as it was spelled in Latin). Ruins of one at Tragara could still be seen in the 19th century.

The etymology of the name “Capri” comes from tle Latin “capraeae” (goats), not from the Greek “kapros” (wild boar), even though numerous fossile remains of this animal have been found on the island. Inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, when it was joined to the mainland, the island was first Greek and later Roman. In the 7th century it was raided by the Saracens and in the centuries thate followed it was dominated by the Longobards, Normans, Anjouins, Aragonese and finally the Spanish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the island came back into fashion, in unison with Naples’ period of great political and artistic pride, thanks to an active diocese and the privileges conferred on it first by the Spanish and later by the Bourbons.

Romantic Capri!


Grand Hotel Quisisana

Capri, in addition to being blessed with an incredible natural beauty, boasts a history which increases even further the appeal of the island. isitors to Capri are often surprised by the quantity and variety of walking routes on such a small island. Along these pathways, tourists can choose to immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of a coastal village, inhabited by fishermen and sailors; explore the marine caves; walk through masses of sheer rock and peer over precipices which drop dramatically into the sea; saunter through the patches of land cultivated by the country dwellers, planted with olive groves and orchards of lemon and orange trees; or stroll through the center of Capri with its otentatiously luxurious boutiques, elegant hotels, artists studios, churches, and the remains of Roman villas. One of the magical things about Capri is that, even in peak season in August, when the roads are crowded with tourists, one can always find a solitary spot in which to rest, or a hidden bay where to take a swim in the crystal clear waters.

The atmosphere here, due to Capri's seductive powers, is sophisticated and cosmopolitan. It has long been a hang-out for writers and artists, a few of the top order, but most, second-raters. Somerset Maugham wrote a short story, The Lotus Eaters, about the island. Today it is still a special place with beautiful hotels filled with the ghosts of famous former guests, superb views over the bewitching Bay of Naples, romantic and perfect Bellinis sipped on terraces by moonlight and an ability to elicit your gratitude as improbable amounts of euros are discretely removed from your wallet! Capri - it's a kind of luxury and it's the kind of luxury you should give yourself at least once in this life.

See also;

Caprese.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/06/caprese.html

Amalfi Coast.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/02/amalfi-coast.html


Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto

travel

The Origins of Black August

Wendover, Buckinghamshire.

Wendover High Street

Seen from the Vale of Aylesbury the reason for Wendover’s existence becomes obvious. It is set into a cleft in the Chiltern Escarpment providing a natural route through the hills at a point where the ancient Anglo Saxon Icknield Way which runs from the Wash to Salisbury bisects the route from London. It is framed on either side by over 7,000 acres of mature woodland criss crossed with bridle ways and footpaths including the 84 mile long Ridgeway which follows part of the old Saxon road. Nestling in a gap in the Chiltern Hills there is much to enjoy in and around Wendover with its historic buildings, many restaurants and country walks which attract visitors from London just 45 minutes away by train. On the direct rail route from Aylesbury to London Marylebone and with easy road access, Wendover is in the Metropolitan Green Belt and Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is well situated to give the city-tired visitor a peaceful interlude in the pleasant Home Counties. Wendover is situated in the Chiltern Hills just a few miles from the county town of Aylesbury. It is on the A413, 3 miles from the A41 and 17 miles from the M25 making the village easily accessible by road.


Wendover offers much to both local people and visitors with the countryside around being very popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Apart from the Ridgeway Path, the National Trail that passes down the main High Street of Wendover, there are 33 miles of public rights of way and bridleways criss-crossing the parish. These paths will take you over the open chalk downland of Coombe Hill with its impressive monument to the Buckinghamshire men who died in the Boer War, or to the shaded Wendover Woods on Boddington Hill belonging to Forest Enterprise. There is a short two mile walk to the pretty hamlet of Dunsmore and in the spring you can enjoy the carpet of bluebells, or enjoy the shaded woods on Boddington Hill belonging to Forest Enterprise. Here the visitor can enjoy specially prepared cycle routes, all ability walks, barbecue sites as well as play areas for the children.

Clock Tower

Wendover was first mentioned in the Doomsday Book in 1086 where it was referred to as "Wendovre". Before then, it was also mentioned in 970 in the will of the Aeldorman of Wiltshire and Hampshire. Wendover was initially a very small market village which was mainly a base for agricultural industry. The market has been held since 1199 during the reign of King John, and is still held every Thursday. Other forms of work in Wendover would include lace making and straw plaiting. Wendover is a town full of buildings of historical interest which appear to have hardly altered over the years. Many of these can be found in the streets surrounding the High Street. The Cold Harbour cottages which exist on the Tring road date back to Henry VIII when he gave them to his wife Catherine of Aragon.

Wendover is renowned for its Public Houses which are scattered throughout the town, and seem almost disproportionate to its size. During 1577, an inventory was made of all of the public houses and Inns, and Wendover is recorded as having one tavern and eight Inns at that time. This could be due to the fact that the town was placed so strategically close to London, and yet far enough for those travelling via coach or horse back to need to stop and refresh. One of the oldest Public Houses in Wendover is the Red Lion, originally named the Lion. Records date it back as far as 1670 although it is likely to be very much older. Initially it was used as a fine Coaching Inn and as a meeting point for the local councillors. Another ancient coaching Inn is The George & Dragon which was recorded in 1578 and is placed near the centre of the town was another popular place for people to stay on their way into London.

Red Lion

In common with the Celtic village plan seen in much of Buckinghamshire the Church is outside the town as with plague and fever victims it was considered better to have the church and graveyard just outside the built up area. St Mary's is steeped in history and church has been at the centre of the community for over 700 years. Although it is certain that a church has existed on the site since the 12th Century, the present building dates mainly from the early and later parts of the 14th Century. It consists of a tower, nave, chancel, North and South aisles, North and South porches and chancel aisles (the North side now being St Mary's Centre). The building was restored in 1838-39, 1868-69 and in 1914. The fittings are mainly Victorian with some excellent examples of stained glass. More recent improvements include new glass doors, a bell ringing floor and lighting. In mediaeval times the rood cross was venerated as a place of pilgrimage. During the Civil War, Cromwell's troops camped in the church (you can still see the graffiti!) and in 1799 the first penny savings bank in the country was started in the church vestry. For generations the church has participated in the main events of life - babies are baptised, young people are confirmed and couples are married and at the end of their lives they are laid to rest in the churchyard. One pleasant tradition appreciated by visitors and walkers on the Ridgeway is tea and homemade cakes which are served in St. Mary’s on summer Sundays to raise funds to repair this venerable old church – what you pay is left to your discretion.


St. Mary's Interior




Lych Gate

Walking along the picturesque High Street visitors can be unaware that one of the most attractive features is the short half mile walk southwards on the many paths which emerge between the buildings on this ancient street. Head inwards towards St. Mary’s Church and you come across a charming area with a babbling brook, weirs and fine old houses peeking discretely over hedgerows where you can spend an unhurried afternoon strolling around Wendover taking in the 13th Century Parish Church of St Mary, Hampden Pond, Heron Path and the green parkland of the Witchell.

Thatched Cottages High Street



Hampden Pond

Walking to the far end of the High Street and over the bridge by the station over the railway line and the bypass which thankfully keeps the traffic out of the town you come to a forest path on the left for Coombe Hill. This is a hill in The Chilterns, located next to the hamlet of Dunsmore and overlooking Aylesbury Vale. It is not to be confused with another Coombe Hill on the flank of Haddington Hill, some two miles to the north-east. The majority of the hill (an area of 106 acres (43 ha)) once formed part of the Chequers Estate but was presented to the National Trust by the United Kingdom government when they were given the Estate in the 1920s.The summit of the hill is 852 feet / 259.7 m above sea level and is the highest point in the county of Buckinghamshire. Near the summit is a monument, erected in 1904, in memory of the 148 men from Buckinghamshire who died during the Second Boer War. The monument was almost totally destroyed by lightning in 1938 and was rebuilt the same year. The original bronze plaque and decorations were stolen in the 1980s and were replaced with a stone plaque and iron flag with the remainder of the decoration being created from bronze. For all its small height Coombe Hill provides an impressive viewpoint with Oxford (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-in-oxford.html ) visible on the horizon on a clear day.

Wendover from Coombe Hill


Coombe Hill Monument

On its left flank you look across towards a church on a volcanic outcrop at Ellesbororough and an ancient Saxon fort known as Cymbeline’s mound. In the valley in between is a handsome Tudor House, this is Chequers, the country residence of British Prime Ministers which has received many distinguished guests over the years. Chequers is an Elizabethan mansion in the Chiltern hills near Wendover, and was given to the nation by Lord Lee of Fareham under the Chequers Estate Act 1917, which came into effect in 1921. Its estate contains about 500 ha/1235 acres of farmlands and woods. The mansion dates from 1565 or earlier, but was extensively altered by Lord Lee, under Reginald Blomfield. It contains a collection of Cromwell portraits and relics. Interestingly you can get a closer view of Chequers by walking the public footpath which goes through the grounds in front of the house, a slightly surreal experience as the “bushes” move as hidden cameras follow your stately progress!


Chequers with Coombe Hill in the background

On the far side of Wendover are the former woods of Halton House, once owned by the Rothschild family whose mansions surround Aylesbury Vale. Situated on the northern edge of the Chiltern escarpment this wood affords spectacular views across the Aylesbury Vale. It is owned by the Forestry Commission and managed by Forest Enterprise, an executive agency of the Commission. You can explore all of the 325 hectares of mixed coniferous and broadleaved woodland and each year it hosts a woodcraft festival where woodcraft traditions of willow basket and fence making, woodcarving, charcoal burning and bodgering (chair making) are showcased. On the far side of the woods is the Hale Valley where the vineyard owned by Anthony Chapman produces one of England’s best wines on the chalky south facing slopes which are similar to the topography of the Rhine Valley wineries.


Halton House


Salon Halton House

Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a financial wizard, started as a penniless Jewish orphan in a Frankfurt ghetto. Between 1798 and 1821 he scattered his five sons (represented by his five arrows) into the major European countries. One remained with him at Frankfurt, but others went to Vienna, Paris and Naples. Nathan, the third son and the red haired genius of the family, came to England, and set up a London bank. Wherever the Rothschild’s settled, they flourished, making good reputations and huge fortunes for themselves - the English family being amongst the most successful. The land at Halton were inherited by Mr Alfred de Rothschild, Nathan’s middle son, who almost immediately set about creating what he called 'An English Chateau modelled on modern French lines' which was built by Cubitts and finished in 1883. It is interesting to compare the house with Waddesdon Manor (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire.html ) built at the same time by a second cousin, where the Rococo decoration on the interior walls is of wood, whereas here it is of plaster. Visitors here are often surprised lo learn that the mansion is only just over a century old Photographs are displayed in several places showing the house as it was in the late 19th century. Although praised for his taste, Alfred was a musician and a collector of paintings and objects of art many rooms appear to have been filled with a mixture of heavy, fussy, Victorian furniture, dainty gilt and tapestries eighteenth century pieces and heavy draperies and massive plants. A resident Hungarian orchestra was maintained and outside there was also a private circus, a skittle alley and skating rink to entertain the guests. Amongst who visited were Edward VII, the Shah of Persia, Patti, Melba and Lily Langtry. The Rothschild’s were the plutocrats of their day and Alfred Rothschild was famous for his house parties where he would travel by private train in the blue and yellow family colours having first withdrawn (from his own bank) £1,000 pounds in cash for expenses. The mansion is now the Officer’s Mess of RAF Halton and its impressive staircase served as the stairs of the “Presidential Palace” that Madonna descended in the movie “Evita.”


RAF Halton

The Grand Union (formerly the Grand Junction) canal, as its name implies, was designed to be part of a system of canals linking with each other rather than a single canal. Indeed, many waterways make up the integrated Grand Union Canal as it is today, forming a main artery to link the prime routes from London and the south to Birmingham and the Potteries. The main line runs effectively from the River Thames at Brentford westward to Cowley Junction (access to the Slough Arm) then north and North West to the midlands.

Tring Summit Grand Union Canal


Wendover Arm

The Grand Union Canal ascends some 380 feet from its junction with the River Thames until, after a climb of 56 locks in over 36 miles, it reaches the two and a half mile long Tring Summit. Here the descent northwards towards Braunston commences. The Tring Summit was completed in 1797, in advance of the main line to north and south. As this stretch of water was to supply the needs of the canal on both sides of the summit it became imperative to find sufficient water; the first Act of Parliament for the canal stated the need for a feeder from the north side of the Chiltern Hills behind Wendover to the summit level. The Wendover Arm became the first of several feeders to the summit level.

Work started on the construction of the Wendover Arm in the summer of 1793 and followed the 390 ft. contour line to join the summit of the Grand Junction Canal at Bulbourne Junction on the Tring summit level. After construction of the Arm had started, it was soon realised that little extra expense would be incurred in making the feeder navigable and authority to carry out this work, costing £13,000, was obtained in 1794. Although the Wendover Arm was primarily built to supply water for the locks at Marsworth and Cowroast it was served by many wharves along its length sending local produce to the London markets and also receiving coal, timber and manure for use on the land. Commercial traffic on the Grand Junction Canal increased very rapidly - the canal was the "M1" of its day - so much so that a great number of reservoirs were built in the Tring area to collect water for canal use.

Winter Woodland at Dunsmore

But the life of the Arm was short. By 1802 there was a considerable loss of water through the banks and the canal was closed for repairs to be carried out. By 1841, 20 locks of water were being lost per day through leakage, and extensive repuddling over a length of four and a half miles was carried out. To no avail, however, as by 1855 some 25 locks of water were escaping. The Arm was closed in 1904. The reservoirs remain as nature and angling reserves and have the beneficial side effect that drinking water locally is Chiltern spring water.

One such reservoir about a mile from Castle Caldwell is Weston Turville reservoir which is fed by the Chiltern springs and is home to the Aylesbury Sailing Club and the Prestwood Anglers Club. The reservoir was constructed in 1795 to supply water to the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal. It is now owned by British Waterways and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. The reservoir contains reedbeds, which are scarce in Britain and are a very important habitat for water birds such as Shoveler and Water Rail. It is of national importance for the over-wintering Shoveler, and it is also the only site in Buckinghamshire where Water Rail regularly breeds. The reservoir was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986.

Weston Turville reservoir

Today, embraced by woodlands and with its atmospheric high street with thatched cottages and antique shops Wendover is an attractive and busy town which has much of interest and has maintained its sense of community. Just 45 minutes from central London it continues to be a fine place to live and to attract walkers and visitors to ramble over the hills, browse the shops and replenish themselves in the many restaurants and fine old pubs. And as you leave these establishments you may think you hear the wheels of the London stage coach and its weary passengers relieved to have travelled unharmed through the notorious highwayman infested Chiltern Hundreds and looking forward to bed and board in the coaching inns lining the High Street.

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