Lover of Wine – Travel along on our adventures – DAVID & JANEEN

Several years ago, we visited Pompeii and were so amazed to see those ruins and all the artefacts that had been recovered.  Recently there was a PBS special about an excavation which revealed another home and explored the people who might have lived there and what they did.  Truly amazing stuff actually.  Having been to Pompeii, it seemed like a reasonable thing to visit Herculaneum.

Like the nearby city of Pompeii, Herculaneum is famous as one of the few ancient cities to be preserved nearly intact, as the solidified material from the volcano that blanketed the town protected it against looting and the elements. Although less known than Pompeii, it was the first and, for a long time, the only discovered city that had been covered after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.  Unlike Pompeii, the mainly pyroclastic material that covered Herculaneum under approximately 66 feet of carbonized ash and preserved more wooden objects such as roofs, beds, and doors, as well as other organic-based materials such as food and papyrus.

According to the traditional tale, the city was rediscovered by chance in 1709, during the drilling of a well. In the years following the site’s uncovering, treasure seekers excavated tunnels and took artifacts. Regular excavations commenced in 1738 and have continued irregularly since. Today, only a fraction of the ancient site has been excavated. The focus has shifted to preserving the already-excavated portions of the city rather than exposing more.

Smaller than Pompeii with a population of circa 5,000, Herculaneum was a wealthier town. It was a seaside retreat for the Roman elite, and this was reflected by the extraordinary density of luxurious houses featuring lavish use of colored marble cladding, frescos and marble tile floors. Buildings of the ancient city include the Villa of the Papyri and the so-called “boat houses”.  These “boat houses” would have been on the beach prior to the eruption.  Afterwards, the shoreline moved over a mile away.  Within the “boat houses”, the skeletal remains of at least 300 people were found.  It has been suggested that these people were waiting for a ship to arrive and evacuate them from the city.  Unfortunately, the ship was unable to make it and they all perished together.

Also, within the boat house, was a boat that was more than 9-meters long, it was about 2.2-meters at its widest point and with a maximum height of about 1-meter from keel to gunwale. It would therefore have been much like a large modem gozzo boat which is a traditional fishing boat still seen in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Today, when visiting Herculaneum, you drive through the Italian towns of Ercolano and Portici which lie above the former site.  It is a very different feel than Pompeii as the site is so surrounded by the current city unlike Pompeii which as a lot of open space around it.  Regardless, the significance of what happened in these places is clear to see and relatively easy to understand.  All those people and the dreams they had snuffed out as a result of the volcano.

Our next stop was the Island of Sicily more specifically, the port of Catania.  Catania is the second-largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population.  The city is located on Sicily’s east coast, facing the Ionian Sea at the base of the active volcano Mount Etna. 

Founded in the 8th century BCE by Chalcidian Greeks in Magna Graecia, the city has weathered multiple geologic catastrophes: it was almost completely destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1169. A major eruption and lava flow from nearby Mount Etna nearly swamped the city in 1669 and it suffered severe devastation from the 1693 Sicily earthquake.

During the 14th century, and into the Renaissance period, Catania was one of Italy’s most important cultural, artistic and political centers.  It was the site of Sicily’s first university, founded in 1434.  

The central “old town” of Catania features exuberant late-baroque architecture, prompted after the 1693 earthquake, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There were also elephants, sculpted in lava rock, on soccer shirts, and at one time indigenous to the island. 

 Our excursion today was a Chef Led Market tour and lunch.  Walking through the historic part of town, our guide gave us insights into how the city was reconstructed after the 1693 earthquake – where it was virtually obliterated, so the city started with a blank slate.  As a result, the city has wide avenues, straight lines and buildings no taller than 4 stories.

Paths through the vegetable and fish markets, however, remain cobblestoned and narrow. The group was unable to pass up sweet treats of pistachio, but were whisked through persimmons, lemons, zucchini, and sardines.

Towering higher than the buildings is the music of Bellini, musician of Operas born in Catania and in the early 19^th century beloved for his flowing melodies. He died in mysterious circumstances, alone and far from his Sicilian home.

Several stops along the way featured delicious treats (Sicilian arancini and cannoli) to sample.  After our break, we picked up the pace and headed to our lunch spot.  Ostier Vinoteca, where had lunch with wines complementing each course. Each course was authentic Sicilian dishes using only seasonal and local ingredients from the island.  We enjoyed the hospitality of the vinoteca’s friendly owner and its chef.

After finishing lunch, we headed back to the ship to relax get ready for our next adventure.

Chef Eva Mulligan – she did cooking classes on board the ship too.

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We had two ports of call in Greece – Corfu and Katakolon.  At our first stop, Corfu, we got off the ship and boarded a coach for a panoramic drive through the interior of Corfu toward the beach-blessed village of Paleokastritsa.  Along the way we saw the historic part of town and learned about its history.  

The Island is defined by rugged mountains and a resort-studded shoreline. Its cultural heritage reflects years spent under Venetian, French and British rule before it was united with Greece in 1864. Corfu Town, flanked by 2 imposing Venetian fortresses, features winding medieval lanes, a French-style arcade and the grand Palace of St. Michael and St. George.  However, we just motored through all of this on our way to our lunch spot, the Golden Fox.

The Golden Fox is located at the top of the mountain with really nice views back to the bay.  While sitting on the veranda of the family-owned restaurant we admired the views. The menu featured homemade dishes prepared from recipes that take full advantage of the local ingredients. The offerings included classics such as pastitsada, a slow-cooked beef stew that is served over pasta, some local mussels and an interesting salad mix.  They also provided some local wines (red and white) which were just OK, nothing great.

After lunch we headed out to visit a shop where various souvenirs were available.  On the whole this was not one of the better excursions we have had.

The next day, after sailing down the coast of Greece, we docked in Katakolon.  No excursions planned and Janeen stayed aboard while I wandered along the three streets of town.  Big purchase – an espresso and a couple of post cards.

The major take away for the last two days, besides the beautiful weather,  is that we can say we have been to Greece and that’s about it.

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We left Croatia and crossed over the Adriatic Sea to the coast of Italy – Bari.  Several years ago, we had driven along the Adriatic coast of Italy and about when we got to Bari, we turned right and headed to the other side.  Not sure if we actually made it to Bari or not, but no matter we weren’t going to go there anyway as our trip today was to the city of Matera.  Comprised of two districts – Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano is well known for the ancient cave dwellings which have been habited since the Paleolithic period.

To describe Sassi as “one of the most unique landscapes in Europe” would be an understatement.  The coach dropped us off in the more industrial section of the city and we began our walk passing by the more traditional shops and local markets.  However, once through the more modern section of town we came upon the spectacular view of the cave dwellings.

The Sassi originate from a prehistoric troglodyte settlement and are suspected to be among the first human settlements in Italy. There is evidence that people were living here as early as the year 7000 BCE.  These homes were dug into the calcarenitic rock (a type of limestone) itself. The streets in some parts of the Sassi often run on top of other houses. The ancient town grew up on one slope of the ravine created by the Gravina river. 

Beset by extreme poverty and riddled with malaria, the unhealthy living conditions were considered inhuman and an affront to the modern new Italian Republic.   In the 1950s, the government of Italy forcefully relocated most of the population of the Sassi to areas of the developing modern city.  However, people continued to live in the Sassi, and Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago.

Until the late 1980s this was considered an area of poverty, since many of these houses were, and in some cases still are, uninhabitable. The current local administration, however, has become more tourism-oriented, and it has promoted the regeneration of the Sassi with the aid of the European Union, the government, and UNESCO. 

We visited one of the cave homes which is showcasing how the inhabitant’s lives would have been, complete with fixtures and fitting. The entire family (on average six members) including animals like donkeys, chicken, and pigs lived together in the cave and it has been furnished as it would have been in those days. 

Materans also worshipped in cave churches, many of which are adorned with frescoes painted directly on the rock.

The entire area is really quite amazing and certainly not at all what we had expected to see.  After our walking tour we reboarded our bus and headed back to the ship.

In the fall of 2017, we visited some Greek and Roman Ruins at Paestum on the western side of Italy.  Today we are visiting Salona, an ancient city and capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia along the Adriatic Sea in Croatia.  This too is a architectural site (now) of classic ruins from so long ago.  Salona was once the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and is now largest archaeological park in Croatia. Its size is evidenced by the imposing walls with towers and gates.

The forum with temples, the amphitheater, and the cemetery with the Salonitan martyrs.  This was a  city with over 60,000 inhabitants, and according to legend, the birthplace of Emperor Diocletian. 

Salona is first mentioned as an Illyrian city in 119 BCE and the city had already constructed walls by then. The Romans took this place in 78 BCE, and under Augustus’s rule expanded the walls and city. It became the administrative seat of the Dalmatian province of the empire. When the emperor Diocletian built his palace in Split at the end of the 3rd century CE, he was attracted by the proximity of Salona. This great history all broke down in the 7th century when the city was razed by the invading Avars and then the Slavs. The inhabitants fled to take refuge within Diocletian’s old palace walls and to the neighboring islands, leaving Salona to perish.

Wandering through this empire of ruins is an evocative journey into the age of emperors, gladiators and Christian martyrs. Although many ancient treasures in Salona are now on display in the Archaeological Museum in Split, there are a surprising amount still on site. Numerous sarcophagi are scattered throughout the area.

After our tour of the ruins, we reboarded the bus and headed for our walking tour of Split.

Split historically known as Spalato is the second-largest city of Croatia, after the capital Zagreb, the largest city in Dalmatia and the largest city on the Croatian coast. It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is spread over a central peninsula and its surroundings

The city was founded as the Greek colony of Aspálathos, named for the profusion of the flowering shrub known as “broom”. In the 3rd or 2nd century BCE and in 305 CE, it became the site of the Palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. It became a prominent settlement around 650 when it succeeded the ancient capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia, Salona. After the sack of Salona by the Avars and Slavs, the fortified Palace of Diocletian was settled by Roman refugees. 

Diocletian’s Palace was built at the end of the third century AD as a residence for the Roman emperor Diocletian, and today forms about half of the old town of Split, Croatia. While it is referred to as a “palace” because of its intended use as the retirement residence of Diocletian, the term can be misleading as the structure is massive and more closely resembles a large fortress: about half of it was for Diocletian’s personal use, and the rest housed the military garrison.

Split became a Byzantine city while later it drifted into the sphere of the Republic of Venice and the Kingdom of Croatia, with the Byzantines retaining nominal control. 

For much of the High and Late Middle Ages, Split enjoyed autonomy as a free city of the Dalmatian city-states, caught in the middle of a struggle between Venice and Croatia for control over the Dalmatian cities.  With various rulers taking control including Napoleon, Habsburg, Austrian Empire, Yugoslavia and finally as the independent country Croatia. 

The Temple of Jupiter is an ancient Roman temple located to the west from the Peristyle Square, the centerpiece of Diocletian’s Palace. Like the rest of the palace complex, it was built between 295 and 305. The ancient temple was afterwards converted into a Christian baptistery dedicated to St John the Baptist, which might have happened as early as the sixth century.

It really seems as if we are on a Games of Thrones tour as once again, we are visiting a city where they filmed a portion of the action.  A part of season four was filmed, in part, in the palace basements as they were used as the setting for where Daenerys keeps her dragons.  

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Today is another country – Montenegro.  Considered to be one of the most recently recognized countries, Montenegro separated from Serbia in 2006.

Its 25 municipalities have a total population of 633,000 people in an area of 5,333 sq mi. It is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, Croatia to the west, and has a coastline along the Adriatic Sea to the southwest.  The capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is the Old Royal Capital and cultural center.  Our visit was to Kotor and the village of Lastva.

After taking a shore boat to the pier, we climbed aboard a coach for the ride to Lastva.   

This quaint village has managed to preserve its authentic rural charm but has also evolved into a favorite getaway location.  Virtually all the resident have moved to the Kotor (or its surrounding area) making Lastva a living museum.  The residents continue to take pride in their village while living somewhere else.  With narrow and rustic roads lined with stones and extremely archaic architecture, Lastva serves as a living reminder of traditional Montenegrin culture.

The village has about 20 stone houses, all of which are very simply built. In the majority of the village yards, you can see the trellises of grape, interior gardens, stone benches and some water cistern. The village church, Saint Maria Church, is dedicated to the Birth of the Holy mother of God and was built in baroque style.  While services are not held on a regular basis, it is open for visits.  Special services are held through the year to celebrate various key dates within the community.  

Adjacent to the church is an old olive oil mill and press.  This press was a community operation with crews dedicated to the working of the system until as late as the 1980s.  The mill and press were all hand operated and required a LOT of work.  

While no longer in operation, it could be restarted with little difficult just a major cleaning would be required.

After visiting the mill, we went to the community center and had some traditional snacks including red and white wines plus a grappa.  While we had our snack, we were entertained by a couple of locals playing.   

Also, in the community center, were some paintings from some of the local artists along with information about the overall history of the community.

Once our snack was completed, we returned to the bus for the ride down to the historic old center of town, Kotor. 

The old Mediterranean port of Kotor and its fortifications were built during the Venetian period between 16th and 17th centuries. Together with the overhanging limestone cliffs, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive landscape.  

Characterized by winding streets and squares, its medieval old town has several Romanesque churches, including Kotor Cathedral. It’s also home to the Maritime Museum, which explores local seafaring history.

Since the early 2000s Kotor has seen an increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted to the natural environment of the Bay of Kotor and, of course, the old town of Kotor. Kotor is a World Heritage Site dubbed the Natural and Cultural-Historical Region of Kotor.

After our bus adventure, we entered the old town through the Sea Gate.  Kotor has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic.  Once through the gate, we were immediately in the town square with its medieval architecture very apparent.  The ancient walls which stretch for 2.8 miles circle the city.  Our guide walked us through the streets past the Duke’s Palace, the Arsenal and the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon.  

It also seemed like there was a restaurant, jewelry store, souvenir shops at every turn.    

Of course, Kotor also played a role in the Game of Thrones where its beautiful scenery of the Bay of Kotor is featured along with shots of the old town and the historic fortifications.  (I guess I really am going to need to watch this series after seeing all the places where it was filmed).

After an At Sea-day, we found ourselves pulling into the cruise port for Dubrovnik Croatia.  Needless to say, we have heard many people describe this place and it certainly meets all of the expectations we had.  It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations ,in the Mediterranean and the proof was the two other ships docked when we arrived.  With a population of just over 41,000 it is small and clings to the side of the mountain.  However, the old Town is clearly the high point with its medieval architecture and fortified walls a delight to see.

After getting off the ship and joining our guide, Iva, we headed to an overlook to get a good look at the City.  The Old Town is situated within the formidable City Walls with more modern building spreading and climbing the mountains adjacent to the Port.  Listed as an UNESCO list of World Heritage Site, in recognition of its outstanding medieval architecture and fortified old town, Dubrovnik is a treat.

The history of the city probably dates back to the 7th century, when the town was known as Ragusa.  The prosperity of the city was historically based on maritime trade; as the capital of the maritime Republic of Ragusa, it achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, as it became notable for its wealth and skilled diplomacy.   

Over the centuries, lots of different rulers took control of the area – Republic of Venice, Napoleon, Habsburg Monarchy to name a few.  After WW I, it was included in Yugoslavia.  Croatia remained part of Yugoslavia until the war of independence in the late 1980’s.  This conflict ended in November 1991, when Croatia became an independent country. Unfortunately, the Croatian War of Independence resulted in some significant damage to Dubrovnik with many of the historic buildings being damaged or destroyed.  However, the old town’s protective walls seemed to have remained relatively undamaged and the historic buildings were rebuilt and the Old City has become one of the Mediterranean’s top tourist destinations, as well as a popular filming location.

There are basically three gates into the Old Town – we entered through the Pile Gate (‘pee lay”) and entered right on Stradun or Placa (whose name derives from Venetian, and means “large road” or “wide road”), the main street of the town.  

Our guide walked us around viewing the buildings and describing the pathways we might take to explore.  Passing any number of shops (clothing, various gift shops, restaurants and a bunch of places selling jewelry) we found our way to Romanesque-Baroque Assumption Cathedral where we viewed its outstanding collection of gold and silver reliquaries.  

Within the Cathedral, treasury shows clearly the numerous connections Dubrovnik had with the main seaports in the Mediterranean Sea. The treasury holds 182 reliquaries holding relics from the 11th to 18th centuries; they were encased by local masters, Byzantium, Venice and the Orient. Its most important object is the gold-plated arm, leg and skull of Saint Blaise (patron saint of Dubrovnik). 

From there we viewed the exquisite Venetian Gothic Sponza Palace (The Sponza Palace, also called Divona, is a 16th-century palace. Its name is derived from the Latin word “spongia”, the spot where rainwater was collected).  The Palace is one of the few buildings in the old town to survive the 1667 earthquake, the Sponza Palace was built from 1516 to 1522 as a customs house, and it has subsequently been used as a mint, treasury, armory and bank, it features classical columns and detailed carvings.   Currently there is a small museum which houses a lovely collection of Renaissance paintings that features local and Italian masters.

1,940m in length, and with three entrance gates, six fortresses, and a series of towers, the city wall’s structure itself holds just as much fascination and wonder as the views. It is possible to walk along the top of the entire circumference of the City Walls but the number of steps and the inclement weather kept us from making that trip.  We will save that for another visit.

Dubrovnik was the primary filming location for King’s Landing, one of the most prominent cities in the world-famous television series Game of Thrones. Due to the inherent beauty of the city’s Old Town, the production didn’t need to build scenery or sets nor rely on obvious special effects.  But Game of Thrones isn’t the only mega-franchise to film in the city. Segments of Star Wars: The Last Jedi were also filmed in Dubrovnik. Parts of the Old Town also provided the setting for casino planet Canto Bight. 
       

Our second scheduled tour was to Mdina.  However, prior to arrival we made a couple of stops.  Leaving Valletta, we headed to the Dingli Cliffs, located off the village of Dingli on Malta’s western coast, at around 253 meters above sea-level. These cliffs represent the highest point of the Maltese islands.

The cliffs propose a majestic sight; the views overlooking the terraced fields underneath and the panorama of the vast open seas.  Given their impressive height the cliffs can be considered as natural forts, since no attacker can approach the island from the west.

Located at this site was a small chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalen – and dates from about 1575!  Unfortunately the chapel wasn’t open for viewing.

Our next stop, prior to getting to Mdina was a visit to the San Anton Botanical Gardens, located in the village of Attard.

These beautiful gardens were built in the early 17th century by Grand Master Antoine de Paule to complement his summer residence; San Anton Palace, which is located at the perimeter of the gardens and which today serves as the residence of the Maltese President.  

The gardens have several pathways surrounded by fountains and ponds which are inhabited by families of ducks, swans, peacocks, peahens and turtles and encompass a large variety of trees and flowers from around the world. Of course, due to the time of year, there wasn’t a lot of color around but it was a pleasant spot to stop and walk.

Mdina is a fortified city and served as the island’s former capital, from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of 250, but it is contiguous with the town of Rabat, which takes its name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 11,000 – and was originally a Roman City. 

Mdina is located at the top of a hill and has been inhabited since prehistory. A Phoenician colony known as Ann was established around the 8th century BCE, sharing its name with the island and presumably acting as its capital. During the Punic Wars, the town was acquired by the Romans and renamed Melita after the Greek and Latin name for the island. Greco-Roman Melite was larger than present-day Mdina. It was reduced to its present size during the period of Byzantine or Arab rule. Following a 9th century massacre, the area was largely uninhabited until its re-establishment in the 11th century as Madīnah, from which the town’s current name derives. Mdina then continued to serve as the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530. Mdina experienced a period of decline over the following centuries, although it saw a revival in the early 18th century during which several Baroque buildings were erected.

Largely maintaining its medieval character, Mdina remained the center of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities with property passed down between families and from generation to generation. It never regained its pre-1530 importance, however, once Valletta became so dominant.  Due to the medieval character, it has been used for a number of TV and Movie sites including the Game of Thrones (which we have never watched). 

Not surprising, there are local wines available around the Island.  Janeen took a particular liking to a different kind of Spritz – Instead of an Aperol Spritz she discovered a Maltese Spritz.  This is made from local cactus (prickly pear) liqueur.  

So, of course, I had to buy a bottle for later and following Rule #2 (Eat Local) she bought a prickly pear to eat. Unfortunately, the fruit was not as sweet as it will become as the harvest wouldn’t be for a couple more months

In July of 2023, I booked a Christmas Market River cruise for the entire family for November of 2024.  This original group of 8 has now grown to 19 friends and family who will all gather together in Cologne Germany to board a UniWorld river boat, S.S. Antoinette, to visit a number of ports along the Rhine River ending in Basel Switzerland.  Along the way, there will be an opportunity to visit lots of Christmas Markets, see a bunch of historic places and of course enjoy all being together. 

After having booked this trip, and while we were on Oceania cruising South America, I booked a three-week cruise in the Mediterranean for October.  The start of that adventure has resulted in our flying via Paris to the island of Malta.  All of these adventures necessitated getting a long term stay visa that allows us to stay in Europe for 6-months.

Our first stop, on this Grand Adventure was Malta – where we are scheduled to board the Oceania Cruise ship, Marina.  We arrived 4 days prior to departure of the cruise allowing us an opportunity to explore the Island.

Malta, is an island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea which has been along various trade routes for thousands of years.  As a result, Maltese society has been molded by centuries of foreign rule by various powers.  In the mid 1800’s British took control of the Island and the resulting British influence is apparent (driving on the ‘wrong side’, red telephone boxes, English as the major language to name just a few).  The island become completely independent in the mid 1970s. 

Valletta, the Capital of Malta, is a relatively new city – having been expanded and developed by the Knights of Malta in the late 16^th Century.  Valletta has become a vibrant port of call and became our home base for several days prior to boarding the ship.  The city is Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture, though the Second World War left major scars on the city.  The city was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980. 

We joined a walking tour of the city to learn more about its history and to visit a number of interesting spots.  As a fortified city, built by the Knights of St John in 1566, its history spans almost 5 centuries. We passed by many of the original fortifications, went through at least a couple of City Gates and viewed the golden sandstone architecture.  Throughout the entire walk we were surrounded by narrow streets with any number of tourist shops and restaurants. Valletta was developed by “immigrant” Templer Knights who chose to fortify Malta as a port. The island capital was originally Mdina, more inland.  Administration of the island was carried on from Valletta by the Grand Marshall of the Knights of St. John for centuries.  They continued hospice care as well. They also used Arab water management and garden techniques to continue olive and wine agriculture. 

One of the highlights was visiting the St John’s Co-Cathedral (It’s a Co-Cathedral because there are two cathedrals on the island and the Bishop is responsible for both locations). 

Construction was completed in 1577 with a major redo of the interior due to earthquake in the late 1600 resulting in a more Baroque style.  

Inside the church are two paintings from 1608 or so done by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, more commonly known as Caravaggio.

The painting depicting The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist by Caravaggio (1571–1610) is the most famous work in the church. Considered one of Caravaggio’s masterpieces, the largest canvas he painted and the only painting signed by the painter. On the left shows the painting in the spot it was designed to be placed.

 Saint Jerome Writing is second painting by Caravaggio both painted while he was on Malta in 1607 or 1608. A LOT more about Caravaggio later in our adventure. 

If you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned as there will be lots more coming.  

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