mebtravelling

Baroque Revisited

16 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in 2013, 2013, Italy & Sicily

In Italian Days, Barbara Grizzuti-Harrison says that one doesn’t have to appreciate ruins to appreciate Rome, but the Baroque? She insists that there’s no loving Rome without loving this fluid, over-the-top period in Church and art history: “otherwise you will think Rome is florid and vulgar and recoil from its extravagance.”

In Trastevere, I visited the Baroque for Ceci —

Around the corner from the Pantheon, I posed before Bernini’s elephant on Tommy’s birthday, and made some poor Englishman take my picture —

After that, I ran over to the Contarelli Chapel in S. Luigi dei Francesi to see this Caravaggio for Matthew:

Callinf of Matthew, SLuigiFrancese

However, it probably wasn’t until yesterday in Palermo that knew I was a convert — in the way I think Charles Ryder means, when he describes Brideshead as his “conversion to the Baroque.”

From this, and this…to this other

11 Mar 2013 1 Comment

St Paul can be beautiful in winter

There is, though, nothing quite like a Tulip Tree in Northern CA this time of year (thanks for the Drive-by, Jans)

The conclave begins tomorrow, so as soon as I checked in at my convent, I took the #89 down to Piazza S. Pietro to see how things were getting on. Nobody seemed to need my help, so I settled for watching the scrambling and setting-up, the [loud] dropping of pieces of scaffolding…

The piazza is as full of jumbotrons as it is of pilgrims this afternoon, and inside the basilica, cameras and chairs are going up.

Some of the papers here are saying that if there is white smoke by Wednesday,it’s an INsider; if the smoke doesn’t turn white until Thursday or later, it will be an OUTsider. On RAI 1, I just heard “Scola then Dolan.” In Montreal, the media today suggests that it could be Oeullet, because he would be the compromise candidate. Who knows? As they say,”HE WHO ENTERS THE CONCLAVE AS POPE, LEAVES AS CARDINAL”

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Back to Bless School

15 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in 2013, Ananda/Shantivanam & Environs Tags: Ananda Ashram, Bless School

THE WELCOME:
Despite showing me at my less-than-attractive best, I think this short video catches the spirit of the day: some slightly bemused (ME), ever gracious (them):

Instead of teaching students in random classes, I asked this year to work exclusively with the teachers, 12 young women from nearby villages. They teach children, also from surrounding villages, who are between 3 and 10 years. I decided to teach them some Poetry (my term!) -writing. Mostly, we did Formulaic, or Pattern Poems: acrostic, catalogue (saving ourselves for the Cinquain and the Haiku…maybe next year). We posed with Senthil, Director of Bless School. Ananda Ashram supports the school, and Senthil also oversees day-to-day (and month-to-month, in terms of finances) life at the ashram. He has more than once come patiently to my rescue: innumerable bus,taxi, and Inter-India plane Q&A sessions;nearly-instant cell phone re-charging: 500 Rupees, about $9.00, gets me through nearly a month; expert slip-bolt repair: one night during the pitch black of an electrical cut,I somehow slipped out the bolt,irreparably, it seemed to me. That was the night I used duct tape on my hut door (against those night critters).

Relieved to be shaded from the mid-morning sun, we got to work right away in the outdoor classroom.

If laughing with (at?) the teacher is a gauge of success, we had some!

Someone snapped this photo of one of our finished products…

And after a morning of class, lunch!

Back to Ananda

10 Jan 2013 1 Comment

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in 2013, INDIA 2012-13

Eventually, you slow down at the ashram, but for me, at least, it’s not really by choice. For example —
I spent the better part of my second day here running – no, that’s a lie; in 90-plus weather, only the cattle run, and that’s only because the cowboys-on-bikees prod and shout.

(-Note to Self: INSERT video when a computer appears with the capability of showing the cattle movement a few dozen meters from the hut )

Back to my “Running” theme: I had found fresh bat droppings in my room the first evening after dinner. I kept vigil throughout the night, hearing all manner of sounds,mostly scratching (geckos) and scurrying (spiders? the odd piece of paper?).

At breakfast the next morning, the Naturalist in our crew, familiar with my various phobia of two years ago (mainly, non-existent rats) came to have a look. RESULT: Geckos, 3; Bats, 0.

IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK!

Sister Shirley is still here, still possessing her perennial smile, which belies the rigorous life the Camaldolese sisters, brothers, and priests live at the ashram.

And I’m here, too – at last!

One of the great delights of this place is [entirely unsolicited] Room Service:colder-than-lukewarm afternoon juice.

Why Dubai?

31 Dec 2012 2 Comments

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in Dubai/India

I arrived at the world’s largest mall at feeding time in one of the tanks. Did I just write tanks? The aquarium capacity is ten million liters; it purports to contain 33k [sic] fish, so I wasn’t surprised to see I scores of people having their photos taken in front of a Guinness World Record sign…which might mean I took this video at the world’s largest aquarium.

Since it’s practically next door to the Mall, the world’s tallest building, Birj Khalif, was on my A-List . At a little over 800 meters, it does seem iconic of this newly-and-extravagantly wealthy city.

I saw it later that night, and later still (several photos down),watched NYE fireworks

Meanwhile, back at Dubai Mall —
I’d estimate having seen about 1/8 of the 1,200 shops. There are the usual – rows of Van Cleef & Arpels-like shops; every Gap in existence; an entire wing devoted to shoes; two food courts, as well as slow food restaurants; coffee shops, from Starbucks and Gloria Jean’s, to… are you ready, Minnesota( 3rd photo down, & you may have to squint…)?

On New Year’s Day, the beach near where I stay was full of both Emirati and expats, all on holiday.

It wasn’t until walking home from the beach that I remembered how far I was from Kansas. In this video, there is more static than Call to Prayer, but you get my drift

One day I went over, via abra, the wonderful wooden boats that ferry workers and tourists, to visit the gold, spice, and textile souks

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I fingered these necklaces, trying to guess where the clasp was, or why the bands holding the beads weren’t elastic, for easier putting on/taking off, then – of course! Realized I was fingering prayer beads.
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One last photo of the Lawrence of Arabia-likeness of the place (aka Sean Connery, Alec Guinness):

In NYC with M.I.B.II

03 Dec 2012 1 Comment

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in Back in the U.S. of A.

Mary Irene is much of what drew me to New York this time, and she is perfect, just perfect.

Saturday, overcast and blustery, Mary, Leilani, and I went looking for a little dessert.

At Columbus Circle, I encountered an old Siena friend:

I’m staying in the downstairs apartment, where I count a half-dozen bookshelves, overflowing. Looking over my laptop for something to read, I can of course write the only thing that comes to mind,i.e. that It’s [mostly] Greek to me.

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THE CHRISTMAS MARKET? PURE MAGIC

This last photo is a sort of Homage to The Briel Kids, for all those times they’ve watched – will continue to watch – Macaulay Caulkin get Lost in NYC:

Il Palio E Vita (#3)

01 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in PALIO, SIENA

Ten years ago, we lived in the contrada of Leocorno, the Unicorn and attended our Dante seminar in the contrada of Torre, the Tower. Some of our program professors/administrators had been baptized into Onda, the Wave. We thought our loyalties were divided for Palio back then.

And now? We’ve lived for 3 months in the contrada of Selva!

Like everybody else in the city last night, members of the Contrada of Selva seemed pleased as they marched “Indianos” back to his stall after the Prova. The trainer will sleep in the stall, with youngsters from the contrada, the self-appointed guards just outside.

Afterwards, for old times’ sake, we decided on dinner in Leocorno. As in every other contrade’s streets, and as for every other important occasion, the lights and flags have mysteriously appeared – literally, overnight. It feels like a long time ago since we first saw this happen this year — for St. Catherine, in April.

Since we lived there in ’02, Via Pantanetto has, much to the amazement of the rest of Siena,transformed itself. One of two Chinese restaurants in the city is here; numerous Kabob cafés have sprung up; I picked up some brilliantly colored Tamil Nadu bracelets at the street’s Festa last week. The stores run by lovely Asian women have provided us with everything from blouses and hot-weather skirts, to our trusty shopping cart.

And dinner?El Gringo

“IL PALIO E LA VITA” #2

30 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in PALIO, SIENA

In their aqua suits,Volunteer Vets and Vet Techs (I THINK that’s what their badges said) are a colorful group, and watchful. I saw one injury, and it wasn’t to a horse: because the Mossiere (Starter) hesitated for a second when he dropped the <canape, to signal the start of the race, 2 of the jockeys flew over the heads of their horses. A minute later, several Misericordia (EMT) pushed passed me with one of the jockeys: a broken finger! These professional bareback-riders are slight, steely-eyed men, and while the broken finger kept out the contrade of Chiocciola’s rider this morning, everybody expects him back for tonight’s Prova.

The Mossiere (Starter):
√ He will be the only person in the Campo not to watch the race. As soon as he drops the canape – it could take several minutes or an hour to get a “Fair Start” – he will be immediately escorted out of the Campo by Polizei, then driven from the city. As people here say, “He’ll be at the city walls by the time the race ends!”

Although still something of an exercise in futility, the occasional video is the best way share Palio. CONTEXT:
The canon goes off 4 times:
√ to call the horses from their contrada stall (17 contrade, 17 stalls…also 17 churches, 17 museums, 17 fountains, but I digress).
√ to signal the clearing of the track: hawk-eyed polizei and tireless track-sweepers (mostly women, this year) stride onto and around the racecourse; once the track is cleared of people and debris, the contrade capitani and the mossiere walk to the starting line.
√to call the horses and jockeys from the inner courtyard of the Palazzo Pubblico.
√ to announce the end of the race: a winner has been declared.
Having heard the first canon, we ran to the Campo and arrived with the horses (and their jockeys and trainers); I was standing idly by, when the next signal boomed.
(this one’s really more for listening than viewing!)

These moms and kids from the contrada of Tortuga have some the best seats in the house!

After the Prova, sprayers and tampers go to work, preparing for the next one.

“IL PALIO E LA VITA” #1

30 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

“PALIO” refers, first of all, to the banner which the winning contrada will claim after the race on Monday. This year’s palio is an homage to St Francis of Assisi, with a realistic image of his much-mended habit. The palio must always include a portrait of the Virgin (top-left corner, this year), as the race is run in her honor – July for the Visitation, August for the Assumption. In addition, it must present the black and white insignia of the city, as well as the symbols plus colors of the 10 contrade (of the city’s 17) racing.
This year, the 10 symbols are sewn into an olive tree (top, just under the black and white colors of Siena): Tartuca, Selva, Onda, Aquila, Chiocciola, Bruco, Drago, Nicchio, Giraffa, and Leocorno.
I snapped this photo last week, during the palio’s unveiling at the press conference in the courtyard of the Palazzo Pubblico.

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Roads Less Travelled

24 Jun 2012 2 Comments

by mebtravelling - West to East, then back to the West, then -- in SIENA

Siena is fantastically warm, mostly with Palio fever: processions, parades, drummers, flag-tossers. Then there are the drawings: for the horses, for the race positions,all of them with that uber-exuberance of the various contrade. I mean, I’m breathless just listing what goes on day and night, and of course I haven’t mentioned the construction. To our NEH group: the bleachers are going up around the Campo, the mattresses are already tied up along the S. Martino curve. We think the dirt for the track will start arriving any day.

The current freneticism of Siena is in glorious juxtaposition to countless places we’ve visited in the past couple of months. We’ve so often been the only ones in a museum, chapel, church, or road, that it’s been like owning the world, or at least a part of it, for awhile.

LET’S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING…

Breakfast is anytime between 6 (at the apartment) and 8 (on the Campo). Nothing beats getting the best table for cappuccini on the greatest piazza in Italy. Except for those first souvenir stalls rolling in, the place is empty.

When we walked to the bus station one morning, the sidewalk artist was just measuring out his section of sidewalk; we found his chalk “Girl With the Pearl Earring” nearly finished when we returned in afternoon.

Leonardo is in the Cypresses, don’t you think?

We’ve spent time in several hilltowns: Montalcino,Cortona,Pienza, Radicofani,Volterra; at some point during a trek through each one, a top-of-the-world view like this one from Montepulciano appears and more or less nudges my camera out of its case.

We were at Brother Jerome’s place in Vicchio a few days ago.
Alone in the kitchen, Ann is considering what to prepare for breakfast. Eventually, we “prepared” by getting Jerome to take us into town for a morning coffee/pastry.

One of the highlights of our visit was meeting Jerome’s current assistant, young artist, William Massey

In the afternoon, he demonstrated the most recent lesson he’d learned from Jerome.

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***************************** POLAND *******************************
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We also recently visited Brother Milton in Krakòw, an incredible city worth a re-visit. I took some photographs at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and if you’ve been there, you’ll understand why I won’t be posting any pictures here. Even after years of studying and reading Holocaust literature, I was unprepared for the sheer scale of it all.
Seventy-plus starkly empty chairs in Krakòw: among other things, the monument represents the furniture tossed out of windows and doors by Jews who were being driven from their homes to wait for the trains to Auschwitz and other camps. Just over 56 thousand Jews were living in Krakòw before the war; our guide told us there are now “about 300.”

Returning that evening from Auschwitz to Krakòw, I passed this sign and wondered about the history of the club.

Once again back in Siena, we continue to visit the Campo in the late afternoons: Campari Spritz, very fine.

QUESTION: How do we know this father is Italian?
ANSWER: He talks with his hands!

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