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The unique blend of unspoiled natural beauty and beaches and the finest surviving temples of Ancient Greece, makes Sicily a vacation destination like no other. For theatre enthusiasts, Ancient Greek Drama is also available in Syracuse.

The ancient Greek playwright Euripides (480 to 406 B.C) wrote works of tragedy and drama regarding mythological characters and Greek heroines. Picking out from his prolific list of works, this year in the Greek Theatre of Syracuse, The Trojan Women and Hecuba will intrigue the audience from 11th May to 25th June.

Euripide’s play analyses the fates of the royal women of Troy who are at the hands of Greek conquerors who under the pretext of saving Helen, are more deeply concerned by the rat race dominated by pride and personal ambition. In this milieu, Eurpide makes of Hecuba the central figure of the two works, the homonym tragedy Hecubas and the Trojan Women.

At the end of the Trojan War after ten years of harsh fight and traumatic losses, the victorious Greeks, led by their king, Agamemnon, and the great soldier Odysseus, have destroyed the city of Troy and are returning home with the women of Troy enslaved as their war prize, amongst which there is Hecuba, who once was queen of Troy. The play begins with Queen Hecuba devastated by the war and agonizing over the death of her husband, the king, her sons and her grandson.

However, although being a spoil of war herself, she manifests her strong character and superiority as from the beginning by shouting at the women enslaved on the shore. Moreover she hates Helen for bringing so much misery to her city and her people. Hecuba decides to share the burden of war and all throughout the play she imparts her pain but at the same time gaining strength by planning a horrific revenge. Hecubas impersonates the continuity of the disorder that war brought. The spectator witnesses the gradual decomposing humanity of this dethroned queen. The tragedy emphasises the transformation of this character form a matriarch and grieving mother to a cruel being.

Last year’s protagonist in the same Greek Theatre was Antigone (by Sophocles) who for twenty years accompanied her father; she is the personification of grace and patience. In contrast to Hecubas, she chose to be courageous after the great disaster of her youth without being menacing. In Antigone it was God’s justice to be proved powerful in the constant battle between human and divine law. In Hecubas, attack, war, honour and revenge play a key role in Euripide’s work. Moreover, the audience will realize that history repeats itself and that people are incapable to prevent more of the same from happening as if humans have an innate inclination towards war and battle, thus instead of learning a lesson, like Hecubas, human beings tend to do worse and perpetuate devastation and causing more pain hence getting trapped in vicious circle.

It is interesting to highlight that in the Port of Syracuse the Athenian fleet has been destroyed in the last action of the Peloponnesian War. Prisoners were taken in the latomie (stone quarries) placed nearby the Greek Theatre where many died of hunger and hardships. However, Plutarco says that many survived because they could recite pieces form Euripide’s works. Knowing if this really happened is secondary to the fact that poetry can save our life.

Angela Rossi
bbsicilia@virgilio.it

More Details about SICILY TOUR, SICILY HOTELS, SICILY TRAVEL here: http://www.sleepinsicily.com/ Committed to international travel indicating accommodations where to stay and where to rest.

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Chicago is famed for a number of things, but many people don’t associate the city with its amazing park district. This is a shame because with more than 7300 acres of parkland, encompassing 552 parks, 16 lagoons, 33 beaches and housing one of the world’s largest fountains, it is truly a great place to visit.

One of the most impressive and popular landmarks is definitely the Buckingham Fountain. The fountain is a great draw for tourists when it is turned on in April to signal the onset of summer. Constructed of Georgia pink marble, the attraction was first opened in May 1927 and still puts on spectacular 20 minute displays every day from mid April through to early fall, on the hour every hour between 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The displays consist of all the fountain’s 134 jets shooting approximately 14,100 gallons of water per minute, with the center jet shooting 150 feet into the air accompanied by a tremendous light and music presentation.

The fountain was originally designed by Edward H. Bennett, influenced by the Latona Basin in Louis XIV’s gardens at Versailles, to represent Lake Michigan with four sea horses, created by Marcel Loyau, to symbolize the four states that touch the lake.

The fountain was dedicated to the people of Chicago in 1927 in memory of Clarence Buckingham, the late brother of Kate Buckingham who commissioned the creation of the structure. Kate Buckingham had a vision to construct a fountain which created the effect of “soft moonlight”, and she worked tirelessly with the fountain’s many technicians to test out a variety of colors for the glass filters and different water currents in order to produce a mystical, ethereal feel to the whole piece.

The pond life around the area is often teeming with frogs, herons, and dragonflies, and the shrubs are frequently filled with resting migratory birds; the lush prairie region is also embedded with native grasses and wildflowers, making the Park District of Chicago a beautiful and serene place to go to while staying in the city. It is within easy distance of the Sears tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, with its new Skydeck, the up market Merchandise Mart Mall, which will make even the most enthusiastic of power shoppers happy, and luxury hotels like the fabulous Conrad Hotel - so you can get a taste of nature but enjoy all the luxury and amenities that a big city can provide.

Andrew Regan is an online journalist who enjoys socialising at his local Edinburgh rugby club.

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1. What is a condo hotel or condotel?
Think of a condo hotel (also sometimes called a condotel or hotel condo) as buying a condominium, although one that is part of a four-star caliber hotel. Therefore, as an owner, when you are on vacation, you’ll get the benefit of more four-star services and amenities than you’d get in a typical condominium.

2. What types of services and amenities are found in condo hotels?
If you can imagine the niceties you’d find in an upscale hotel, then you can picture a condo hotel. Among the features are often resort-style pools, full-service spas, state-of-the-art fitness centers, fine dining restaurants, concierge services and room service.

In some locations, like Las Vegas, you’ll find condo hotels with their own casinos, retail areas, and entertainment venues. In places like Orlando, you’ll find condo hotels with their own water parks and convention facilities.

3. What is the difference between a condo hotel and a traditional condominium?
The big difference between a hotel and a condo hotel is that a hotel typically has one owner, either individual or corporate, but a condo hotel is sold off unit by unit. Therefore, a 300-room condo hotel could have as many as 300 unit owners.

4. Is it evident to hotel guests whether they’re staying in a condo hotel or a traditional hotel?

A hotel guest will likely never know that the hotel has multiple owners because the property is operated just like a traditional hotel and often under the management of a well-known hotel company like Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, Trump or W. Also, each of the individual condo hotel units will look identical in design and d

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