My life is a strange one. I awoke the other day convinced I was in the Amazon (where I was in February) only to be surprised by the view out my window, which was of Sorrento Italy rather than Brazilian rain forest.
This morning dawn breaks over a large pond spotted by waking ducks and geese occasionally orating with an annoyed honk. It is a warm November morning, in North Carolina, over a glassy pond, lined with green grass, sprinkled with evergreen needles and small inconspicuous summer homes.
I have always had a weakness for the south, with its warm weather, warm light and year-round vegetation. The south has a charm I have always found appealing… but about 1 billion zillion inhabitants, of the small buzzing variety, that I don’t.
In America, we move. We move across town, across the state, across the country. Perhaps, unlike Europe, because it is so culturally similar, we find it easier to just pick up and go.
I remember when I was little my mom had friends all over the country, and that seemed very odd to me. How did all these people wind up all these places? And in my five year old mind, where friends were a dime a dozen, why bother keeping in touch with all these people so far away if long distance calls were soooooo expensive?
Between my sisters and I, just counting since we each turned eighteen, twelve years ago, we have lived in Santa Barbara, Philadelphia, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Miami, Hanover New Hampshire, New Bern North Carolina, London and Edinburgh Scotland.
In the past few days I have visited each my sisters, one in Hanover and now the other in North Carolina. I love them both incredibly. I see they are both lonely in the small towns they have been lured to.
I want one of those transporters from Star Trek where in a heart beat you can travel to the far regions of the world, Santa Barbara to Hanover, in a moment just for coffee.
I worry, and know, that my sisters and I are unlikely to live in the same state, time zone, or possibly even country ultimately.
I love to travel, but there is nothing like hanging out in front of the television with your sister.
So as I sit her enjoying dawn on the pond, cool are all the places I have been and stupid is being able to take my sisters with me.
Since I am on vacation, I plan on making up for lost entries. (The integral word in that sentence is 'plan'.)
Friday, November 10, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Venice Erotic Art Museum
Before I entered the Venice Erotica Museum, a blog thought crossed my mind, namely as taboo as erotica is, I would never admit to having gone to the museum let alone publicize my trip in my blog.
What changed my mind? The quality and truly tasteful nature of the museum, the fascinating historical exhibit and the incredible intellectually stimulating art. (OK, maybe stimulating wasn’t the best word choice.)
A quarter of the museum was Venetian history beginning with the first anti-prostitution law in Venice on October 10th, 1266. It covered historical sexual topics in Venice from 1266 until now, topics such as the perception of homosexuality through various positive and negative phases and prostitution’s open and shadowy cycles.
In a lot of ways it illustrated the entrenched dichotomy of the city between staunch Catholicism on one side and the more gluttonous sinful nature of the citizenry in stories of madams, casinos, houses of ill-repute and their famous clientele.
I liked the history of Venetian homosexuality. I remember in ninth grade learning about the island of Lesbos, from which the word lesbian comes. The school I attended did not censor our young eyes. I changed schools after that year, and from Rome to modern times, it was as if, in my historical education, homosexuality vanished from the earth. The existence of homosexuals throughout history is overlooked in education and seen as inappropriate, perhaps with the exception of Oscar Wilde who we can hardly ignore.
Homosexuality existed throughout human history and had an impact on our history. The impact is sometimes bizarre though. Fearing that Venice was headed into moral disrepute due to a climb in homosexual preference, the city actually built bridges with gaps, so men could look up, when passing beneath the bridges, and see up woman’s skirts. During this same period, prostitution was actively civically encouraged in the belief that with access to women, men would not become homosexual.
Historical medical documents were also on display such as Ninomania (Nymphomania) published in 1775 which said one of the causes of nymphomania was a cold wife. Another book on display, Onanism published in 1758 was regarded as the first text to assert that masturbation was a disease that could cause homosexuality and various afflictions.
The museum had a number of pieces dedicated to famous love stories from history. All of which I found so poignant I quickly forgot them all. (Venice is romantic enough; you don’t need to read love stories.)
There were also pictures of all the ‘hidden in plain sight’ erotic art around the city of Venice. There are graphic placards and reliefs in the most religious artistic displays of the city which I would not describe as erotic, but just plan pornographic. It is amazing that St. Mark is depicted just a few feet to the right of one particular display. (Can’t get your teens interested in the artistic value of St. Mark’s, get them to go looking for the porn hidden in the art.)
This was my favorite piece in the museum. It is attractive to look out and in an instant conveys a modern, salient point with dramatic clarity. Much of Julian Murphy’s work was of this intellectual caliber.
This is another piece, selected at random, to give you a taste of some of the works of art.
Cool: A surprising fascinating museum of the beaten path in Venice.
What changed my mind? The quality and truly tasteful nature of the museum, the fascinating historical exhibit and the incredible intellectually stimulating art. (OK, maybe stimulating wasn’t the best word choice.)
A quarter of the museum was Venetian history beginning with the first anti-prostitution law in Venice on October 10th, 1266. It covered historical sexual topics in Venice from 1266 until now, topics such as the perception of homosexuality through various positive and negative phases and prostitution’s open and shadowy cycles.
In a lot of ways it illustrated the entrenched dichotomy of the city between staunch Catholicism on one side and the more gluttonous sinful nature of the citizenry in stories of madams, casinos, houses of ill-repute and their famous clientele.
I liked the history of Venetian homosexuality. I remember in ninth grade learning about the island of Lesbos, from which the word lesbian comes. The school I attended did not censor our young eyes. I changed schools after that year, and from Rome to modern times, it was as if, in my historical education, homosexuality vanished from the earth. The existence of homosexuals throughout history is overlooked in education and seen as inappropriate, perhaps with the exception of Oscar Wilde who we can hardly ignore.
Homosexuality existed throughout human history and had an impact on our history. The impact is sometimes bizarre though. Fearing that Venice was headed into moral disrepute due to a climb in homosexual preference, the city actually built bridges with gaps, so men could look up, when passing beneath the bridges, and see up woman’s skirts. During this same period, prostitution was actively civically encouraged in the belief that with access to women, men would not become homosexual.
Historical medical documents were also on display such as Ninomania (Nymphomania) published in 1775 which said one of the causes of nymphomania was a cold wife. Another book on display, Onanism published in 1758 was regarded as the first text to assert that masturbation was a disease that could cause homosexuality and various afflictions.
The museum had a number of pieces dedicated to famous love stories from history. All of which I found so poignant I quickly forgot them all. (Venice is romantic enough; you don’t need to read love stories.)
There were also pictures of all the ‘hidden in plain sight’ erotic art around the city of Venice. There are graphic placards and reliefs in the most religious artistic displays of the city which I would not describe as erotic, but just plan pornographic. It is amazing that St. Mark is depicted just a few feet to the right of one particular display. (Can’t get your teens interested in the artistic value of St. Mark’s, get them to go looking for the porn hidden in the art.)
This was my favorite piece in the museum. It is attractive to look out and in an instant conveys a modern, salient point with dramatic clarity. Much of Julian Murphy’s work was of this intellectual caliber.
This is another piece, selected at random, to give you a taste of some of the works of art.
Cool: A surprising fascinating museum of the beaten path in Venice.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
30 in Monte Carlo
I turned 30 in Monte Carlo.
Work has been crazy hectic, so I have not written much.
But here are some pictures from the day before my birthday.
Me in front of the famous Monte Carlo Casino.
Monte Carlo Casino
Monte Carlo Harbor
This is my ship. The colorful pattern in the foreground is a helipad. As if to accentuate the money in Monte Carlo, not even a helipad can be regular concrete.
Helicopters are a recurring them in Monte Carlo. In case you need to get anywhere, it is good to have your trusty helicopter on your yacht. (This is not as uncommon as you think. We see this frequently in warmer ports.) The arrow points to a helicopter on the back of a yacht.
So where do you take the helicopter on the yacht too? Well to lunch of course. Check out the restaurant valet in front of this outdoor cafe.
(Ok, actually it is just a display helicopter for sale. Kind of like cars you see at malls sometimes.)
This is a harbor shot of Monte Carlo from the ship.
The day after my birthday I went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I am a sucker for historical science and engineering. I don't really know why but I love this stuff. So the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a real highlight for me. It was built over a two hundred year process, and for the last 800 years everyone has been trying to fix the lean. I am very glad I got to go. There is also a Baptistery on the site. It, like the Leaning Tower and the adjacent cathedral, leans as well. The Baptistery is a round building with a dome ceiling. It is like the biggest and best shower in the world! The sound resonance strikes you dumb.
This woman walked into the center of the Baptistery and sang a single note. After she sang the note, the sound continued to resonate richly. She then harmonized with herself on another note. She did this for several notes. It sounded like a perfectly harmonized professional chorus of 140 people singing various pitches. It was if I was sitting in the best acoustical location in a major musical performance hall. I imagine a choir at the Sydney Opera House. Considering the extensive sophistication of acoustic architecture currently, this thirteenth century structure is a marvel.
Anyway, me at Pisa, to prove I was actually there....
Work has been crazy hectic, so I have not written much.
But here are some pictures from the day before my birthday.
Me in front of the famous Monte Carlo Casino.
Monte Carlo Casino
Monte Carlo Harbor
This is my ship. The colorful pattern in the foreground is a helipad. As if to accentuate the money in Monte Carlo, not even a helipad can be regular concrete.
Helicopters are a recurring them in Monte Carlo. In case you need to get anywhere, it is good to have your trusty helicopter on your yacht. (This is not as uncommon as you think. We see this frequently in warmer ports.) The arrow points to a helicopter on the back of a yacht.
So where do you take the helicopter on the yacht too? Well to lunch of course. Check out the restaurant valet in front of this outdoor cafe.
(Ok, actually it is just a display helicopter for sale. Kind of like cars you see at malls sometimes.)
This is a harbor shot of Monte Carlo from the ship.
The day after my birthday I went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I am a sucker for historical science and engineering. I don't really know why but I love this stuff. So the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a real highlight for me. It was built over a two hundred year process, and for the last 800 years everyone has been trying to fix the lean. I am very glad I got to go. There is also a Baptistery on the site. It, like the Leaning Tower and the adjacent cathedral, leans as well. The Baptistery is a round building with a dome ceiling. It is like the biggest and best shower in the world! The sound resonance strikes you dumb.
This woman walked into the center of the Baptistery and sang a single note. After she sang the note, the sound continued to resonate richly. She then harmonized with herself on another note. She did this for several notes. It sounded like a perfectly harmonized professional chorus of 140 people singing various pitches. It was if I was sitting in the best acoustical location in a major musical performance hall. I imagine a choir at the Sydney Opera House. Considering the extensive sophistication of acoustic architecture currently, this thirteenth century structure is a marvel.
Anyway, me at Pisa, to prove I was actually there....
Friday, September 08, 2006
Clues To Where You Are
Look around you and see the things. They hint to where you are. The shape of four walls, the color of carpet, or things on a shelf, they all give you clues to where you are.
I have an office, and many things in my office tell me that I am in my office. Unlike most rooms in the world, this tells me nothing of where I am on the planet. This same office can be virtually any where on 2/3s of the planet.
Likewise, as I wander through accounting and sales, rarely are there any clues to where in the world Mika is.
Then the other day, like something out of some strange commercial, these little bright yellow boxes seemed to pop up everywhere. They were on virtually every desk.
They were made of heavy-weight high-quality paper with beautiful gold script adorning the top. They were not a proper square box, but rather maybe eight inches by four inches and maybe three inches deep. The bottom was just slightly narrower than the top.
And they were scattered askew, on virtually every desk.
So I asked where they came from.
Apparently, these fine Belgium chocolates were being given out as people left the ship.
Had I known this, I would have left the ship, a lot. I mean many many times. And then again. And some more.
But, anyway, now I know; yellow boxes are the clue that I am in Belgium.
OK, end of that story.
Beginning of next.
So I am sitting on Deck 12, on the aft terrace enjoying a lovely dinner with my co-worker when the ship gets a fly by from an F-16. (I was told it was an F-16. I personally wouldnít know an F-16 if it was sitting in front of me with tall letters on the side saying, "Hi. I am an F-16.") This much I know for shore, um, I mean, sure. It was a jet, with a glass enclosure, wings (which I am sure the pilot appreciates) and it was amazingly fast.
(I mean, they were giving away chocolate in Belgium, of course I would have gotten off the ship!)
Apparently we were cause for some fun at the near by base because they circled us quite a few times. (There were two.) One fly by came amazingly close. The lag between the physical location of the jet and where our hearing would place it was exceptionally long given how close the jets were. The time lag emphasized, and indicated, their significant speed.
So let me recap my dinner. I had turkey, salmon, a lovely cucumber dill salad, a refreshing cold mandarin soup, in Scotland, on the terrace of a six-star cruise ship complete with F-16 air show.
I live an amazing life and am thankful for it everyday.
(And to provide the full genuine Scottish experience, it was 55 F, windy, gray and cloudy and started to rain.)
It was amazing.
End of story.
Brief interlude, who wouldnít get off a ship for Belgium chocolate?
Beginning next story, though, it is not really a story so much as a comment.
Shaving in the bow of a ship on moderate seas takes considerable talent. Just thought you would like to know.
End of comment
Next story.
I attended my sisters wedding this weekend, which was perfect. (In case you are unaware, I feel the specifics of my personal life are not for my blog, so no further details of her incredible wedding here, except for humorous story bits.)
So, as I live on a ship, shopping for the appropriate wedding wear is a bit difficult. (Though apparently all you have to do for chocolate is get off in Belgium.)
I sent an email home to my sister requesting black sandals, size seven and a half, with a 1.5 inch heal or more.
What I got was three inch stilettos, patent leather, and a style any dominatrix would appreciate.
Now, as a married woman, I somewhat expect that my sister will try to marry me off.
I thought she would at least wait until she was married. I had to walk up the aisle with those shoes on, and even the groom noticed them and comment on them. (You know something is up when a man notices shoes.)
It is not quite the image I would choose to give potential suitors.
I feel bad actually. My sister busy planning her wedding, ran out and got exactly what I said, "sandals, size seven and a half, with a 1.5 inch heal or more." I am sure they looked great in the box. (We are different sizes so she did not try them on.) Everyone laughed about the shoes, and I donít think she took it in the good humor way it was intended.
I got a great story out of it though, so I very much appreciate the dominatrix brideís maid shoes.
Stupid:
o 3 hour security lines at Heathrow, this is nothing like a free box of chocolates
o Lost luggage, especially when the actual suitcase was not yours
o The airline saying they have no record of your tickets and requiring you to pay again
o Your credit card getting mysteriously declined when forced to pay again for tickets you already paid for, twenty minutes after the plane was to leave.
Cool: Fortunately the second card was accepted, the plane was delayed an hour, and my luggage with my brideís maid dress made it on that plane. (It was the return journey the luggage was lost.)
And a recap:
Cool:
o A mysterious rash of yellow boxes which indicate we are in Belgium
o An F-16 dinner show
o My finely honed shaving skills
o My sisters amazing wedding and, the humorous dominatrix brideís maid shoes
This entry is dedicated to Kathy De La Cruz, who inspired me today, and also to all those bright yellow little boxes in the world, especially near Belgium.
I have an office, and many things in my office tell me that I am in my office. Unlike most rooms in the world, this tells me nothing of where I am on the planet. This same office can be virtually any where on 2/3s of the planet.
Likewise, as I wander through accounting and sales, rarely are there any clues to where in the world Mika is.
Then the other day, like something out of some strange commercial, these little bright yellow boxes seemed to pop up everywhere. They were on virtually every desk.
They were made of heavy-weight high-quality paper with beautiful gold script adorning the top. They were not a proper square box, but rather maybe eight inches by four inches and maybe three inches deep. The bottom was just slightly narrower than the top.
And they were scattered askew, on virtually every desk.
So I asked where they came from.
Apparently, these fine Belgium chocolates were being given out as people left the ship.
Had I known this, I would have left the ship, a lot. I mean many many times. And then again. And some more.
But, anyway, now I know; yellow boxes are the clue that I am in Belgium.
OK, end of that story.
Beginning of next.
So I am sitting on Deck 12, on the aft terrace enjoying a lovely dinner with my co-worker when the ship gets a fly by from an F-16. (I was told it was an F-16. I personally wouldnít know an F-16 if it was sitting in front of me with tall letters on the side saying, "Hi. I am an F-16.") This much I know for shore, um, I mean, sure. It was a jet, with a glass enclosure, wings (which I am sure the pilot appreciates) and it was amazingly fast.
(I mean, they were giving away chocolate in Belgium, of course I would have gotten off the ship!)
Apparently we were cause for some fun at the near by base because they circled us quite a few times. (There were two.) One fly by came amazingly close. The lag between the physical location of the jet and where our hearing would place it was exceptionally long given how close the jets were. The time lag emphasized, and indicated, their significant speed.
So let me recap my dinner. I had turkey, salmon, a lovely cucumber dill salad, a refreshing cold mandarin soup, in Scotland, on the terrace of a six-star cruise ship complete with F-16 air show.
I live an amazing life and am thankful for it everyday.
(And to provide the full genuine Scottish experience, it was 55 F, windy, gray and cloudy and started to rain.)
It was amazing.
End of story.
Brief interlude, who wouldnít get off a ship for Belgium chocolate?
Beginning next story, though, it is not really a story so much as a comment.
Shaving in the bow of a ship on moderate seas takes considerable talent. Just thought you would like to know.
End of comment
Next story.
I attended my sisters wedding this weekend, which was perfect. (In case you are unaware, I feel the specifics of my personal life are not for my blog, so no further details of her incredible wedding here, except for humorous story bits.)
So, as I live on a ship, shopping for the appropriate wedding wear is a bit difficult. (Though apparently all you have to do for chocolate is get off in Belgium.)
I sent an email home to my sister requesting black sandals, size seven and a half, with a 1.5 inch heal or more.
What I got was three inch stilettos, patent leather, and a style any dominatrix would appreciate.
Now, as a married woman, I somewhat expect that my sister will try to marry me off.
I thought she would at least wait until she was married. I had to walk up the aisle with those shoes on, and even the groom noticed them and comment on them. (You know something is up when a man notices shoes.)
It is not quite the image I would choose to give potential suitors.
I feel bad actually. My sister busy planning her wedding, ran out and got exactly what I said, "sandals, size seven and a half, with a 1.5 inch heal or more." I am sure they looked great in the box. (We are different sizes so she did not try them on.) Everyone laughed about the shoes, and I donít think she took it in the good humor way it was intended.
I got a great story out of it though, so I very much appreciate the dominatrix brideís maid shoes.
Stupid:
o 3 hour security lines at Heathrow, this is nothing like a free box of chocolates
o Lost luggage, especially when the actual suitcase was not yours
o The airline saying they have no record of your tickets and requiring you to pay again
o Your credit card getting mysteriously declined when forced to pay again for tickets you already paid for, twenty minutes after the plane was to leave.
Cool: Fortunately the second card was accepted, the plane was delayed an hour, and my luggage with my brideís maid dress made it on that plane. (It was the return journey the luggage was lost.)
And a recap:
Cool:
o A mysterious rash of yellow boxes which indicate we are in Belgium
o An F-16 dinner show
o My finely honed shaving skills
o My sisters amazing wedding and, the humorous dominatrix brideís maid shoes
This entry is dedicated to Kathy De La Cruz, who inspired me today, and also to all those bright yellow little boxes in the world, especially near Belgium.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Images Of A City
There are things in places one never expects. Here are images of a city; and I have a challenge for you, guess the city.
A beautiful pink building with incredible white accents and strong square white columns, I so wish I could name the shape of the windows. I love the combination of curves and straight lines.
This overly ornate building displays a consistent contrast of this city to say most modern cities. Rather than austere gray granite buildings decorated with equally ornate flourish, this one boasts vibrance, in blue brick.
And a close up in of the detail:
This building is just plain confused and yet surprisingly attractive. A bright dirty yellow, it could be in Santa Fe. The color is unexpectedly similar to the natural color of the stone in Athens, hence the relief seems fitting; it relief could easily be 2200 years old and in Athens. Yet the relief on the rounded structure is so contrary to the straight lines of Athens. The square flat windows and cheap black railing, kill an otherwise interesting fusion of designs. The flat roof is also an odd choice.
And another blue brick building, the color quite similar to the color found on Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg. In black and white, one would quickly assume was in New York. Imagine if it had a personality, it energetically rebelling against the austere nature of such conformity. This building too has the ridiculously elaborate facade.
The same building, close up. Notice the fantastic combination of a round window so seamlessly within straight lines. The curved balcony is such an easily over looked feature which is critical, or it would simply be too much. Just the window and balcony alone could be in any modern building, but found in such a crazy traditional building, and to be so well infused, it is just amazing.
Again, ornate beyond belief, with large faces and for a change wicked spires, the color seems contrary to what looks like a bit of a scary building. This building displays the city’s theme of animated color on a traditionally styled building, ornate facade, curved windows and straight lines.
The same building, the roof line up close. She looked like Lady Liberty. I can’t help but notice that all these building, unlike again New York, have perfectly maintained façades which are sparkling white!
Any guess of what city this is? What is most remarkable about the above buildings, is most are on the same block. The architecture is consistent throughout the city.
This next picture is taken of a stairwell looking up. Notice the asymmetry of the shape. If not for the beautiful paintings on the ceiling, I am not sure the asymmetry would be so beautiful. The stairs were a hard stone, contrary to the soft color of the ceiling. The brown is the banister and the gray design is actually the railing. I believe this was in the Rozental Architecture Museum.
I just plain liked the dragons standing guard of this entry way. It is such an unnecessary detail which adds such a rich flavor.
So what age do you think the city is?
I will change you beliefs now with this modern building standing like a sail beside a modern bridge. The bridge and modern building are walking distance from all the buildings shown above.
Think it is a modern city?
And I will shatter those beliefs with a 500 year old church, unusual for its open cupola.
This city has a benefit that most European city’s cannot boast. It was nearly untouched by either World War. This all the buildings above, late nineteen century early twentieth stood, unlike many of their likes built throughout Europe.
The city is Riga in Latvia. Latvia is again a country I never expected to see and I am glad I have. It has a surprising art community. Riga has a charming small canal lined by a part on either side running through the center of town. It is gorgeous. The buildings are surprisingly eclectic which I imagine in the ten below winters are the only warmth that can be found outside.
Latvia is a transition spot between Russia and Europe, and a member of the European Union. They note of their ancient to pre-soviet seafaring trading relations with all nations in the Baltic.
The country boasts its quiet peaceful transition from the Soviet era to current freedom. Perhaps its colors are a rebellion to Soviet discipline, perhaps it is a strive for the warmth of the Mediterranean, perhaps it is an aim to emulate the colors of Russian nobility.
It uses the Latin font as opposed to the Cyrillic found in Russia. The language is Latvian which does not resemble the Russian language. The two million inhabitants all learn English as part of their education. (I am so appreciative of the English Empire, the winning of the Second World War, and the invasion of Hollywood for getting the rest of the world to speak English so I can be a lazy and learn nothing.)
Its president is Canadian! How strange is that! But of course, she is of Latvia decent. Her parents were refuges and they were very involved in that ‘famous’ Canadian Latvia community.
A beautiful pink building with incredible white accents and strong square white columns, I so wish I could name the shape of the windows. I love the combination of curves and straight lines.
This overly ornate building displays a consistent contrast of this city to say most modern cities. Rather than austere gray granite buildings decorated with equally ornate flourish, this one boasts vibrance, in blue brick.
And a close up in of the detail:
This building is just plain confused and yet surprisingly attractive. A bright dirty yellow, it could be in Santa Fe. The color is unexpectedly similar to the natural color of the stone in Athens, hence the relief seems fitting; it relief could easily be 2200 years old and in Athens. Yet the relief on the rounded structure is so contrary to the straight lines of Athens. The square flat windows and cheap black railing, kill an otherwise interesting fusion of designs. The flat roof is also an odd choice.
And another blue brick building, the color quite similar to the color found on Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg. In black and white, one would quickly assume was in New York. Imagine if it had a personality, it energetically rebelling against the austere nature of such conformity. This building too has the ridiculously elaborate facade.
The same building, close up. Notice the fantastic combination of a round window so seamlessly within straight lines. The curved balcony is such an easily over looked feature which is critical, or it would simply be too much. Just the window and balcony alone could be in any modern building, but found in such a crazy traditional building, and to be so well infused, it is just amazing.
Again, ornate beyond belief, with large faces and for a change wicked spires, the color seems contrary to what looks like a bit of a scary building. This building displays the city’s theme of animated color on a traditionally styled building, ornate facade, curved windows and straight lines.
The same building, the roof line up close. She looked like Lady Liberty. I can’t help but notice that all these building, unlike again New York, have perfectly maintained façades which are sparkling white!
Any guess of what city this is? What is most remarkable about the above buildings, is most are on the same block. The architecture is consistent throughout the city.
This next picture is taken of a stairwell looking up. Notice the asymmetry of the shape. If not for the beautiful paintings on the ceiling, I am not sure the asymmetry would be so beautiful. The stairs were a hard stone, contrary to the soft color of the ceiling. The brown is the banister and the gray design is actually the railing. I believe this was in the Rozental Architecture Museum.
I just plain liked the dragons standing guard of this entry way. It is such an unnecessary detail which adds such a rich flavor.
So what age do you think the city is?
I will change you beliefs now with this modern building standing like a sail beside a modern bridge. The bridge and modern building are walking distance from all the buildings shown above.
Think it is a modern city?
And I will shatter those beliefs with a 500 year old church, unusual for its open cupola.
This city has a benefit that most European city’s cannot boast. It was nearly untouched by either World War. This all the buildings above, late nineteen century early twentieth stood, unlike many of their likes built throughout Europe.
The city is Riga in Latvia. Latvia is again a country I never expected to see and I am glad I have. It has a surprising art community. Riga has a charming small canal lined by a part on either side running through the center of town. It is gorgeous. The buildings are surprisingly eclectic which I imagine in the ten below winters are the only warmth that can be found outside.
Latvia is a transition spot between Russia and Europe, and a member of the European Union. They note of their ancient to pre-soviet seafaring trading relations with all nations in the Baltic.
The country boasts its quiet peaceful transition from the Soviet era to current freedom. Perhaps its colors are a rebellion to Soviet discipline, perhaps it is a strive for the warmth of the Mediterranean, perhaps it is an aim to emulate the colors of Russian nobility.
It uses the Latin font as opposed to the Cyrillic found in Russia. The language is Latvian which does not resemble the Russian language. The two million inhabitants all learn English as part of their education. (I am so appreciative of the English Empire, the winning of the Second World War, and the invasion of Hollywood for getting the rest of the world to speak English so I can be a lazy and learn nothing.)
Its president is Canadian! How strange is that! But of course, she is of Latvia decent. Her parents were refuges and they were very involved in that ‘famous’ Canadian Latvia community.
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