Usai

Dear Friends

I was a bit excited in arriving at the Civico Museo Archeologico of Bologna, because I was aware of its  Usai mummy  (not to be confused with the black mummy of the same Museum or with the Tashwinat black mummy  of Uan Muhuggiag studied by the Italian archaeologist Savino Di Lernia ) and that a qualified archaeologist would have provided valuable information about it. Entering the Museum I was disappointed in learning that the mummy was visitable (see the last images), but the archaeologist was absent. The Egyptian section of the Museum  is wonderful (see the images), but I was delight when the director of the Museum joined me. She gave me a high qualified lesson about Usai his rank, his life and the harduous problems he poses us today: how to move and turn safely his mummy, his past radiographies, his modern tomography , the risks of a genealogical DNA test . Let me say that I still feel me honored by this uncommon experience.

Salutations
Giancarlo

 

 

 

 

Bologna

Dear Friends

a long awaited deal pushed me to get off at Bologna. Ideally connected now to Munich by relaxing direct trains, it was obvious to me, during the trip, to go to a half a day long time ago in which I was there for the first time during my university studies. Too few time at that time for trying to learn its secrets ! This time a bit more time, allowed me to appreciate the solid and concrete life style of its past and present inhabitants reflected by its ancient and recent buildings and the erudit einfluence of its ancient University . Distinctive feature: its porticoes, which allow to travel kilometers sheltered from bad weather for reaching interesting shops, museums, good restaurants and churches.

Saint Petronius of Bologna bless you.

Salutations
Giancarlo

 

 

Coccinellidae

Dear Friends

coming back from holidays in Brittany, I remarked that an unexpected visitor has settled my apartment, a quiet member of the family of the Coccinellidae . It let me puzzled in the attempt of identify it because of its eighteen black spots on its orange elitrae. May be that it is a Harmonia axyridis , which exhibits a large number of alternative manifestations. In any case it was an interesting subject for imaging through my Digital Microscope Camera . Through the imaging it manifested its intimate nature and the Digital Microscope Camera its reduced depth of field (see the images). Comment from your side and help in identifying it are welcomed. 

Happy 2017
Giancarlo

Tour du Monde en solitaire 2016

Dear Friends

frequently is repeated that Italians is a people of saints, poets and navigators, but recently the last acceptance appears lost. In fact, let me to congratulate and whish a well deserved Happy 2017 to the French navigator Thomas Coville for his Tour du monde en solitaire of last year, accomplished in much less then the 80 days of Phileas Fogg of Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne . In fact, his navigation skills, his fragile but rapid trimaran Sodebo Ultim (see the images in the Brest harbour) and the favour of the elements allowed him to leave Brest and to come back in 49 days 3 hours 7 minutes and 38 seconds after having crossed three Oceans and circumnavigated Antarctica . Comments are welcomed.

Happy 2017
Giancarlo