Joking aside…this is one of the most comfortable places on the 'net for me, we all seem so alike in our interests. I’m curious as to what other interests you guys have, if you feel like chatting. Not to the degree that you make yourselves identifiable or anything like that.
So what else are you interested in? other languages and literary traditions? do you collect rare teas? I don’t know guys.
My name is Scribo and I study Homer and punch people in the face.*
I like to read Austrian economics, history, philosophy, Catholic theology. I do traditional liturgy and Gregorian chant. I’m not an athlete but I do some light hiking and cycling to keep in shape. I used to be a soccer fan, but I’m not interested any more.
Ah dear, I was really hoping for more replies … Who can read through all the introductions? And those mostly have a focus on Greek & Latin anyway. Nice try though.
I am kind of new here, but I do loads of stuff besides Classics.
I am a huge film fan, and just trying to watch every movie out there, varying from older movies (like Citizen Kane) to newer movies (Pulp Fiction and stuff). Beside that hobby, I am really into learning Italian. Through constantly trying to improve my vocabulary, I hope I can get myself ready for my major in Venice.
I have a girlfriend for over a year now, and spending time with her is just a god’s gift. She’s the sweetest girl ever and really into the stuff I do. Luckily she’s kind of into movies as well, so that’s great. Next summer we’ll go camping in Italy for 17 days (I’ve done this sort of holidays since as long as I can remember).
Sportswise: I like to run, and I have done two half marathons so far, and hope to get myself into shape for another one soon (maybe one in Italy!)
I like cycling, walking holidays (I did several long distance paths in Britain) and philosophy of mind. The most time consuming (apart from work maybe) and cutest occupation in my life at this moment is my two and half year old son.
How do you choose a campsite with relatively few mosquitos? They are the most aggressive insects I have ever seen. It takes them all of 5 seconds to find you, all of .1 seconds to bite you, and .2 seconds to flee the scene, circling back 15 seconds later. Italy’s dirty little secret as far as I’m concerned and it should be in bold on page one of every guide book. If you look closely at those pictures of the Italian countryside, you’ll notice there are never any people in them! One time we had a beautiful garden in a Duecento (!) villa and couldn’t use it. So much for my fantasy of being a Ghibeline aristocrat for a day. We were thinking about Sicily this year, but I’ll be taking two industrial strength nets. Hotels and apartments are not safe!
Classical Arabic music (late 19th-early 20th c., particularly in Egypt & Syria)
and PC gaming are my other interests. Don’t have enough time to pursue Greek
studies these days.
Well, I completely agree with you about the guide-book thing. Guess it’s an adapting kind of thing. Lake Ledro in North Italy lies a bit higher, just south of the mountains. Those spots are known for their relatively small amount of insects flying around and sucking the blood out of you at any opportunity they get .
My advice would be: try to find a campingsite that has an above 100m altitude, near mountains, and preferably not near a lake or near the sea. But this campingsite is just really awesome, and it’s only for like 10 days.
Last option you could do: change blood haha. Or eat less sugar!
I’ve been to Sicily and had no bad mosquito experiences at all. Also did a bicycle trip last year (along the Via Appia) from Rome to Brindisi and was not bitten by any. Perhaps the fact that my trip was in June may have had something to do with that. My worst mosquito attack was during a holiday on Corfu: was covered with red spots.
We like to go in September to take advantage of lower prices and smaller crowds. I think a bike trip would be fine. The problem is when you stop moving or go to bed. I’m convinced that continuously inhabited Italy has provided ideal conditions for them to evolve to inflict maximal pain and suffering on human beings. I’ve seen mosquitos in many places. Usually they are slow and lumbering loners that might bite you once at night. Italy’s are lightning fast, travel in packs, and are happy to bite you repeatedly.
I’m an Italian expatriate, born in the province of Ferrara, in the Po river valley, where mosquitoes are ferocious. Malaria was endemic way before my time, but thanks to DDT it was eradicated. Thalassemia is still common, since those suffering from it are more resistant to malaria.
Learning Ancient Greek is the main thing that I do so I am struggling for a what else.
To keep my hand in with Serbo-Croat I am reading a novel by Ivan Ivanji but as it is a historical novel on the Emperor Julian (aka the apostate) even here there is an Ancient Greek connection.
I have been thinking of visiting Greece this year and mosquitoes are big reason for me to make my visit now. DDT may have been the way that malaria was eradicated but it is a health service that prevents its return and with austerity makes it questionable whether it can do the job now. So the pessimist in me is saying that it may be best to visit Greece now while it is still malaria free.
That’s pretty cool, one day I’ll probably pick up Croatian. Gore Vidal also has a novel on Julian by the way, its not THAT bad on re-reading it recently and actually enjoyable.
Its weird, in the last day or two my girlfriend has insisted on us going to Italy in the next few months. I guess she can claim legitimate research reasons. Which sounds fun…except that it means re-activating my Italian. Which is going to suck.
I seriously suffer from mosquito bites in the summer (in Greece), I mean..seriously. There must be something about me specifically since its not a family thing. The worst has been staying with some friends on Spetses where my hand actually got swollen ridiculously. On Crete, weirdly, I was perfectly fine. Just me and the goats, chilling out. If I have to stay in Athens in the summer (where it is worse) you can get these “snake” things…Green curly things which you can burn and it keeps the mosquitoes away.
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