Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler
In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
|
The
National Archeological
Museum in Naples, Italy
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Currency Converter
It was a few days into our
stay in the
metropolitan city of Naples, Italy, when we decided to visit the National
Archaeological Museum here.
I know it's an absolute
heresy to say we did not go to either Pompeii nor Herculaneum.
But seriously, the trains
going there were so crowded (we don't do crowds well) it felt like we were in a
cattle car; Hot, sweaty, and nose-to-nose with other passengers for over an
hour.
All my life I have wanted
to visit Pompeii, but I had to have a discussion with myself about this.
I realized that what I
truly wanted to see... were all the items that were taken out of both
of these apocalyptic sites.
Endless rows of empty
buildings and vacant streets weren't going to do it for me. I wanted to
experience the handiwork, the mosaics, and the marble carvings of a once truly
great Empire.
The front of the museum
Getting there wasn't so easy.
It wasn't far
from our hotel,
and we wanted to walk. We had the location on our Google maps, so that seemed to
be a snap.
But because the streets were so winding, and
the buildings were so tall, we kept losing connection. Or the map would direct
us one way but we'd find out we were meant to be on the next street parallel.
I'm sure you have experienced this yourself
using this app.
Finally, we arrived!
Young woman carved in marble holding our
tickets
The entry fee was $20Euros per person, plus
an extra $2Euros to see the Greek exhibit.
This is a total of about $24USD which we paid
for at the entrance of the museum.
This young woman was nice enough to hold our
tickets for this photo.
The skilled use of draped fabric in this
marble carving
One of Italy's most important and renowned
museums, this Archeological Museum houses an exceptional collection of
artifacts.
Although these pieces from antiquity come
from various archaeological sites in southern Italy, most particularly this
museum focuses on the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
This is why I was so keen on visiting.
Various statues of men
These statues were buried by the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
Romans idealized the human
body and in these statues, the musculature and the idea of male strength or
female beauty were emphasized.
The detail and artistry were spectacular.
The god Jupiter and goddess Juno
In Roman mythology, Jupiter (also known as
Zeus in Greek mythology) and Juno were married.
Jupiter is often depicted with an eagle who
is his emissary.
He is considered to be king of the Roman gods
and the eagle is a symbol of power, authority, and sovereignty.
It was believed to be Jupiter's sacred bird.
Juno was the goddess of marriage and the
protector of women.
Having said that, Jupiter had many affairs
and their marriage was a turbulent one.
Hercules
Hercules is a legendary hero known for his
incredible strength and numerous heroic exploits.
In Greek mythology, Hercules was the son of
Zeus (Roman god Jupiter) and Alcmene, a mortal woman.
His divine parentage granted him
extraordinary strength and abilities.
Another statue of Hercules
Hercules was known for his physical prowess,
but he was also characterized by his bravery, determination, and intelligence.
He was a complex hero who
struggled with his own flaws and sought redemption for his past actions.
A bust of Hercules
The name "Hercules" has been used throughout
the centuries to denote strength and power.
And his image is frequently
used as a symbol of that power in art, literature, and even popular culture.
Marble statue with detail
This is an ordinary Roman and the carving
shows everyday detail of how Romans dressed at that time.
He has on flowing robes and open-toed
sandals.
It was because of the high quality marble
sourced from both Italy and modern-day Turkey that these intricate carvings and
lifelike detail were able to be shown in the sculptures.
Roman fresco
Frescos are paintings done on walls with wet
plaster.
As the plaster dries, the paint becomes
permanently embedded and its longevity is ensured.
Inside hallway and outside garden
There is a lot of natural light in this
museum. Here you see
the long hallway abutting the beautiful gardens outside.
There are benches to sit down and a lovely
fountain.
Words engraved in a marble pillar
I am unclear if this engraving is a
modern-day restoration or if it is original.
I had thought it was Latin or Greek, but it
was untranslatable.
Wonder what it says?
Thoughts?
Man and woman
It's hard to know what the story is with
these two people depicted here.
Are they Mother and Son? Brother and Sister?
Friends? Neighbors? Lovers?
Unsolved mystery.
Carving on the side of a Roman tub
We spent quite a bit of time looking at this
marvelous carving.
There is a story being told here, and one can see the god Neptune with his
trident who is the god of the sea. He also presides over rivers and fresh water
springs. With this
carving on a Roman bathtub, that would make sense.
Neptune was also the
brother of Jupiter and Pluto. Pluto being the god of the underworld, and with
the person in front on his side, perhaps that is some story being told about
Hades as well.
It's a spectacular
sculpture with such detail!
Ancient Roman mosaic
Preserved by sediment or ash, this mosaic
still shows marvelous detail and color.
Showing a common, everyday scene one sees
fruit, bread, wheat, and other flora.
Mosaics were made from colored stones and
glass and took patience, time and skill to make.
Stairwell inside the National museum
This museum had several floors and room after
room of exhibits. We
probably stayed over 2 hours, and still did not see everything on display.
Billy and Akaisha in the stairwell
Here we are standing in the stairwell in
front of a Roman soldier.
This was an amazing museum.
You can purchase tours online or walk about
freely yourself.
Would we recommend you to visit?
Absolutely!
__________
The National Archaeological Museum
Piazza Museo, 19
Easily accessible by metro (line 1 stop 'Museo'
or line 2 stop 'Cavour')
Open daily but closed on Tuesday
For more stories, photos and videos of
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About the Authors
Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their time, and who doesn’t
want to mindlessly follow the crowd.
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