Blog @ Work

The Medici, the blog, and the volunteer

Day TWENTY FIVE of backpacking across Europe with "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  [13+]

WOW, another day in Paris. We go by chopper AND have a champagne breakfast, totally luxurious. Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLRorfkaVpw.

Lyn's a Witchy Woman says “Challenge your romantic illusions of gay Paris on a terrifying 2-hour tour of the city’s most sinister spots. Delve into the eerie mysteries of the City of Light, strolling the serpentine streets in search of spectres and spooks; stray from the beaten path with a masterful story teller, discovering unfamiliar facts about the captivating capital as you venture to sites of reputed haunting. Gain fascinating insight into the horrible history of the city when you visit mystery-shrouded sites like the Place de la Vert Gallant and the Palais du Justice. Highlights Night walking tour of Paris' ghosts, mysteries and legends Discover the dark and violent history that lurks beneath the city's sparkling facade Hear fascinating ghost stories See the Hotel de Concierge, where Marie Antoinette was once imprisoned See the old Place du Greve, where many were tortured and killed.”

King Charles IX of France, under the sway of his mother, Catherine de Medici, orders the assassination of Huguenot Protestant leaders in Paris, setting off an orgy of killing that results in the massacre of tens of thousands of Huguenots all across France. Gruesome tale. It is known as 1572 Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

Ah..Catherine de Medici, part of the infamous Medici family. I’ve read about her in the past. The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de’ Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family’s support of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, a cultural flowering rivaled only by that of ancient Greece. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leon XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe’s royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries. (Found on the Web)

Then a 1.5-hour tour of the Paris Catacombs. It’s cold, and chilly but so fascinating. We almost lose part of the group in that underground world. But luckily we are all back together for a meal and some party time. Sweet dreams all.

Prompt: Day 900. Can you believe it? What are your favorite things to blog about? Is it more fun to blog about real life or make up things from prompts? Is Blogging a habit or a big part of your life? If you stopped blogging, would you miss it? Let's make it to a 1000. We can do it. (BC)

As I am still an absolute beginner at blogging I feel I am only learning. The last two and a half months into blogging and I love it! It’s a big part of my life now. I recently set up another three blogs apart from this one. One on the writing process "All fingers and thumbs "  [18+] and two poetry blogs:
"Invalid Item"  and "In every nook and cranny"  [18+]. Since I am also taking poetry class from "The Poet's Place "  [E] I need more space to write about poetry. Hence the two extra blogs. I will not write in those every day though, but it’s good to have a place where I can go to and chill and vent and create before putting anything up as an item in my portfolio.

Why do you think people volunteer to do things and then blow it off? (BCoFs)

Volunteering has a bad connotation to it which is totally unwarranted. People think volunteering is different from getting paid for the job. It is not. All the qualifications in order for actual work have to be applied to volunteering. You have to do it like in the contract, verbally or written it’s binding nonetheless, you have to be in or on time and you have to behave in a proper way towards the organization you’re in, that is, loyalty is required. You can just as easily get sacked for a volunteer job. The very fact that you don’t get paid has nothing to do with it.

People seem to think volunteering is free, it is not. It is of free will, something totally different. Because people are thinking it’s ‘just ’a volunteering job they sometimes treat the work at hand in a sloppy, careless fashion.

You should think twice before offering to be a volunteer, it can be just as demanding as an actual job.

Day THIRTY THREE "Give It 100!"