The Oldest....

city in the USA, St Augustine. We were here 4 years ago celebrating my retirement. It's nice to be back. Earlier this morning we took a last short stroll around Charleston. We got to St. Augustine about 6pm, checked into the hotel and then walked into the historic district. We had dinner at La Pentola, a restaurant we ate in 4 years ago with great pleasure. The memory was better than the night's dinner. For more pictures visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/minkcove/

Charleston, Y'all

We got into Charleston around dinner time. We walked around the historic district which included the open city market, the French Quarter and a walk out the dock to view Fort Sumter. Charleston is a very beautiful city with old preserved colonial homes and multiple galleries, restaurants and performing venues. The Spanish moss hangs here and the weather is mild. The French Quarter homes remind me of Savannah with their courtyards, iron gates and architecture. The open market here is filled with local artisans and their wares as well as a lot of the typically imported junk. I bought a scala hat for Miami and Key West. We had dinner at The High Cotton, pure southern food and atmosphere.

















The Open City Market. For more pictures visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/minkcove/

The Crater

Petersburg, VA

Petersburg, VA is one of those small USA towns that struggle to prosper. The town takes advantage of it's history to attract tourists. Most of the stores are filled with antiques. And there are a few historical buildings preserved as museums: The Seige Museum, Center Hill Mansion, The Blanford Church/Cemetary. We also discovered the Hiram Coffee House which is where Edgar Allen Poe spent his honeymoon with his 13 year old cousin. It has been restored to the original look and now holds poetry readings, musical events and period coffee.

Hiram Haines Coffee House 

For more pictures visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/minkcove/

We chose Petersburg as our first stop after Philadelphia in order to see the Civil War battles that took place during the seige. It was here that Grant came when he was unable to conquer Richmond. He realized that the key to taking Richmond was to stop the supply trains that came through Petersburg. One of the most noted battles of the War took place at Petersburg when the Union soldiers who were miners from Pennsylvania dug a tunnel under the Confederate lines and planted explosives beneath their fortifications. The explosion excavated a huge crater that the Union soldiers ran into on their way to battle the Confederates. The Union was slaughtered from above by the Confederates as they piled one upon the other in the crater. Grant eventually took the city of Petersburg, 2 days later Richmond and subsequently Lee surrendered at Appomatox.

Opening into the tunnel.

8 States and 3 Days

Breakfast in the Philadelphia Double Tree hotel with the Academy of the Arts in the background.





We got on the road about 10:30 am. It was a sunny warm day with light traffic. The entire day was spent on the road except for a stop in Occoquan, VA for lunch. Occoquan is considered a suburb of DC even though it must be about 20 miles away. It is a quaint little village filled with art galleries, restaurants and shops. Once we were in the town, I remembered that my Aunt Juanita and Uncle Carlton had brought me there a few times for dinner.

A Wikipedia history tells us:
Occoquan is derived from an Algonquian Doeg Indian word, meaning "at the end of the water". Located on the Occoquan River, Occoquan was long a site of indigenous peoples' habitation. Like the British colonists after them, they relied on the river for transportation and trade, as well as fish.
By 1765, Anglo-American colonists had established an industrial settlement at Occoquan, with grist mills and tobacco warehouses. The Merchant's Mill was the first automated grist mill in the nation. It operated for 175 years until destroyed by fire.
During the Civil War, the post office passed letters and packages between North and South. River silting reduced ship traffic to Occoquan and ended its days as a port, as did the shift in traffic to railroads.
The town has survived and thrived. Today, it is a restored artists' community, with shops, outdoor dining, ghost walks, a town boat dock and more.
We got into Petersburg about 4:30 pm. Tomorrow we are going to visit the Civil War battlefields. See more photos at Flickr

Friends, Nachos and A Loss

Another beautiful sunny day in Philly. Spent a great few hours catching up on the past 27 years with my friend Michael. Michael is a great artist who attended Bard College with me. I have not seen him since about 1989. We had a nice brunch at his house. Met his partner Joe and his daughter Iris and went to see a show Michael has at a local gallery/cafe. Later, Wayne and I attempted to go to the Philadelphia Museum. But the line for entry stretched out the door and all the way to the top of the steps. With only 2 hours until closing, we promptly left.
Wayne, Atop the PMA steps.

This evening we watched the Pats play the Giants in the Super Bowl. It was a heartbreaking loss. We had a good time in the hotel bistro eating pub food, drinking beer and cheering the team. All the patrons seemed to be Patriots' fans, which made the loss less painful. But, all in all, we wished it had been a different outcome. Tomorrow we head for Petersburg, VA. See more photos at Flickr

On the Road Again, Philadelphia

We left Massachusetts today for a 2 month tour of the south and south west. Our first stop is Philadelphia. We came into the city over the Benjamin Franklin bridge from Camden, NJ. The city skyline made quiet an impression. And we had a musical welcome.

Our Doubletree Hotel is on South Broadway, or Avenue of the Arts. The nick name is apropo. Everywhere are venues for performances. We went to the Kimmel Center to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra perform Stokowski's arrangement of Bach's second Partita Chaconne, Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1, and Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade all conducted by Nicola Louisottoi. The Shostakovich solo was played by Nadja Salerno-Sonnerberg. She was great fun to watch. First she wore red velvet pants an early indicator that she was ready for battle. And battle she did, attacking the music with vigor and expressive body movements. A truly great performance. The Kimmel center is so beautiful. It is a space saturated with mahogany and formed with a nod to the cello.

We have a great corner room and can see up 3 avenues. The Kimmel Center is just below our room.

See more photos at Flickr

A Whale of a Tail

It was a most beautiful and warm day. The sun beat down on our necks as we sat aboard the Viking VIII, a whale watching boat. We were on the upper deck with about 100 people and just as many were below deck. We motored for about an hour out of Cape Cod Bay toward Stellwagen Bank, a national trust area. We were lucky today and saw dozens of humpback whales. Some of them came along the side of the boat. You could see the white fins very clearly. They all sprayed from their spouts and dove to show off their flutes. As the guide said, "you were all a little bit closer to heaven today." My Nikon's battery was dead so the photos were not so clear. This little movie is the best I could do. More Pics

The Dunes

We took an hour dune tour on the National Seashore that showed us the dune shacks. This was exciting to see; the sometime homes of writers and artists such as Eugene O'neil, Don Passos, Charles Hawthorn. Later, we went to the library to see the 12 scale replica of the Dorothea Rose schooner. We ended the day with drinks and oysters on the half shell at the Red Inn.

Yard Sale

Unbeknownst to us, this is the biannual Ptown yard sale and coincides with Columbus Day week end. The streets are packed with bargain hunters. The license plates tell us the hunters are from far and wide, Virginia, Quebec, Connecticut, etc. The weather has kissed us, a fabulous 80 degrees. We walked Ruby the entire length of Commercial Street and then stopped for lunch at Bubula's. We ate on the patio and she sat on the sidewalk next to our table sampling tomatoe and french fries. Tonight we dined at The Red Inn, thanks to Louis and Jerome's gift certificate. It is a beautiful setting overlooking the bay.

The Highlands

The Highlands is an area of the National Seashore. Located here is the Cape Light, which casts its light 50 miles out to sea. The house and light have been moved 50 yards back from the eroding cliffs to prevent its loss. We climbed to the top for a look at the fresnel and the Atlantic. Also in the Highlands area is the house of whaling Captain Penniman.

Cape Cod National Seashore

We headed to Wellfleet for lunch and a visit to the Cape Cod National Seashore. After a large plate of bbq (no trip of ours is complete without a tasting of the local bbq), we headed to the Fort Hill area of the park. It is a beautiful mixture of marsh, beach and dunes. We walked the trail and then veered off into the marsh for a closer look. Another beautiful day to behold.

Pilgrim Monument

We're taking on the role of true tourists this time in Ptown. We climbed the Pilgrim Monument today, a landmark I've observed for years but never visited. The climb is fairly easy; it's made of ramps rather than stairs. The inside corners are inlaid with plaques from all the Mass communities that donated money to the building (1920s). Theodore Roosevelt was present for the dedication.

Provincetown

The next 10 days find us in Provincetown, MA dog sitting for friends Louis and Jerome. Ruby, an Irish Terrier, is a wonderful dog. She's obedient and friendly. The house sits atop a hill in the west end of town overlooking Long Point from one side and Herring Cove from another. The lot is huge with a fruit orchard, garden and small hill top above the house. Today we took Ruby to Race Point on the National Seashore. The weather is unseasonable warm.

Vieux Lyon

Allow me to put in a plug for the Hilton Hotels chain. We stay in them whenever we can and use their credit cards for stay points. Because of this we are often eligible for upgrades or free nights. In Lyon we got an upgrade to an executive suite. Along with that upgrade comes a full breakfast (in the executive lounge), canapes & drinks after 6, tea & snacks all day, & free Internet. In addition the hotel has a gym, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath & two restaurants. All of this for almost 1/2 the cost of other places we’ve stayed which had none of the aforementioned amenities. We have a beautiful, soothing view of the Rhone and a park, Tete d’Or.

The public transportation here is superb and easy enough for us to stumble through. Today we took the #58 bus to Place Bellecour, the largest clear square in Europe. It is situated on a peninsula formed by the convergence of the Rhone and Soane Rivers. We walked from Bellecour over the Soane to Vieux Lyon, a large Renaissance district which dates back to the Middle Ages. Here are where the silk workers, Canuts, lived and worked. This industry has disappeared because of sick French silk worms and the Suez Canal. But the concierge assures me I can still find Lyon silk at the attelier.
Rising abruptly from Vieux Lyon is the Fourviere district where the Basilica Notre-Dame of Fourviere looms over all of Lyon. We took the funicular up to see the Basilica and enjoy a panoramic view of all Lyon. The Basilica draws from both Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, but is relatively new, 1872-1896. It is very ornate with 6 huge gold mosaics covering both sides of the nave.
We ate in a traditional restaurant called a bouchon, the origin of the word is unclear (it literally means cork). We had typical local dishes of salad lyonnaise & quenelle, a dumpling made of flour and egg with pike fish and a crayfish sauce.
Tonight we took the C1 tram to the Part Dieu train station to get tickets for Dijon. We are going tomorrow for a day trip. Bon nuit.

Soane River from Pont Bonaparte

2 Comments

1. kathrynlima | February 22, 2011 at 3:37 pm | Reply

   So what made those French silk worms sick? Too much brie and wine?

2. Christy | February 22, 2011 at 8:39 pm | Reply

   I don’t know. I’m just very sorry the aren’t healty and working there little tails off all over Lyon. The host in the lounge tonight said we could find some weavers working in the traditional manner in the old silk district.

Bordeaux

Today we got to test our umbrellas. But despite the rain it was 57 and not too terribly uncomfortable. After coffee at a cafe where the owner was playing 60’s English rock and dancing his way around the tables, we sauntered to the Musee des Beaux Arts. This is a small museum. But there are significant pieces and artists. It is nice sometimes to be in a small collection and concentrate more on each piece. Julia and Carolyn, thought of you 2 when I saw Matisse’s from 1898, small little landscapes & still lifes. Two Delacroix, Greece On the Ruins of Missolonghi and The Lion Hunt.

Walking around today reminded me of the Gustave Caillebotte Street in Paris in the Rain. A pictoral round up of Bordeaux. 

2 Comments

1. carolynberlin | February 20, 2011 at 9:20 am | Reply

   Ooh, ooh, ooh, little Matisses!

2. Christy | February 20, 2011 at 9:56 pm | Reply

   Yes. So small they could easily slip in a bag and go home with one. But, alas! The were under glass.

Danke Schoen, Wien

Today we took the tram to Belvedere Palace, home to Prince Eugene, conquerer of the Ottomans. He got really rich with his military deeds and built this lavish crib. Because he had no heirs, the state got the property and established Austria’s first great public art gallery. It is located high in the city and offers sweeping views of the formal gardens and the Vienna skyline. The collection holds a healthy sampling of Austrian Secession works, prime among them are the works of Gustav Klimt. Promenently displayed a la The Mona Lisa is The Kiss. It is much larger and squarer than I envisioned it. But it is a hypnotic piece that fluctuates between flat, patterned shapes and modulated, interlocking forms, between flat, frontal space and deep, expressive space. Also in the room was Judith I. There were a few unfinished pieces that were fun to analyze and guess at Klimt’s approach to composition and application. Others works of note for me were: Makart, 5 Senses and Oscar Kokoshka, Muller, Egon Schiele, Oppenheimer

We went to lunch in another coffee house. These places are fabulous. I decided to have a sausage before leaving Vienna. And then chose a desert from a showcase of deserts. Yummy. Did I mention that all the waiters are men and wear white shirts with bow ties.
Our 5 days here were not adequate to do the city justice. We never saw the Lippenzer Stallions. Performances are only on Saturdays. All that was available was exercise times. Also, I would be interested in seeing the contribution Vienna made to Art Deco. There were at least 2 major museums we didn’t have time for, The Leopold and The Albertina.
If any of you come to Vienna, i would highly recommend our hotel, The Rathaus Wein and Design. They have been so very accomodating including doing our laundry today for 10 euro. Tonight we are staying in and watching The Third Man In closing, pictures

Hello Prague

We had a most pleasant 5 hour train ride from Vienna to Prague. Spain Renfe still rules, though, as the most accommodating of trains. We thought things were looking up when a porter came by and asked us what we would like to drink. We said coffee; he handed it over and said 5.50 euros, please. Surprise!

We are back in a Hilton. Our room had fruit, wine and condiments waiting for us. The lounge had sandwiches, drinks and an array of desserts. Ahhhhh. It is located on the edge of Old Town, the heart of the city. Many of the streets are pedestrian only. The old town area leads onto the 600 year old Charles Bridge, which spans the Vltava River. On the other side of the river is the Prague Castle which we intend to visit tomorrow. The area is a bit filled with tourists, but just enough to make it cheery, not as over whelming as Venice. Brochures were offered everywhere for numerable nightly music performances from classical to jazz in churches and halls. We may change our focus from the visual to the auditory. There is a large public square with temporary grilling concessions and music. With this brief orientation we feel there is a lot to enjoy.

Vienna Kunsthistoriches

We got up bright and early, ate the amazing breakfast and hit the road by 9:30 in order to get tickets for the Lipizanner Stallion’s practice. But they weren’t selling today. So, instead we went to the Kunsthistorisches, the Museum of Fine Arts. We haven’t looked at paintings in a few days. This museum was built at the end of the 19th century. It is palatial and the star of the show. It makes Boston’s MFA look like a gate house. After all the marble, granite & other stone structures I’ve seen on this trip, I’m surprised the earth hasn’t collapsed. The top of the main stairway presents Canova’s Theseus and the Centaur. Above the stairs are works in the spandrels by Klimt & Match and in the lunettes by Makart. The collection is dominated by European 15th & 16th century works. They also have a wonderful Egyptian & Roman collection. The list of works that impressed is quite long, but here goes.

Rembrandt – 3 self-portraits, his son & his wife
Cranach – a roomful
Holbein – a roomful + Jane Seymour
Bruegel – a roomful among them the 3 cycles of the Seasons, The Peasant’s Dance, The Peasant’s Wedding, Tower of Babel
Mategna – St Sebastian
Caravaggio – Crowning of Thorns & Madonna of the Rosary
Durer – a roomful
Room after room of the Venetians – Titian, Veronese, Bellini, Tintaretto
Rooms of Rubens
Tonight we braved the underground and took it to the opera to see Ariadne auf Naxos, which was a serendipity because we saw the Roman floor mosaic that illustrated their story today at the museum. 

1. carolynberlin | March 15, 2011 at 12:47 pm | Reply

   We are going to Vienna, no doubt about it. I’ve never been and I’m so impresssed by your reports on the paintings.

2. Christy | March 15, 2011 at 3:22 pm | Reply

   It is a world class city. To do this again, I would add days in Vienna and deduct from Prague.

Vienna St Stephen’s

We are very relaxed here. Perhaps it is because, although there are impressively ornate buildings and monuments, the city is one of wide open boulevards. As such, it lacks the intimacy to tempt us with long strolls after the day’s sightseeing goal, which today was St Stephen’s Carhedral.

St Stephen’s is built on the foundations of a Roman temple. It was partially burned in the final days of WWII but is now restored. It is very light inside adding to the gothic features & soaring feeling. Mozart was married here & two of his children Christened. Only the original glass in the nave remains from the bombings. The side lights are simple panes of colored glass, which probably accounts for the light. Wayne was struck by the egotism of the master builder who had his face sculpted below the callyx.
After, we found ourselves on a very wide pedestrian-only street with plenty of shopping & eating places. There was the best hat shop I’ve ever seen. It was two floors of hats, hats, and more hats of every color and shape you could desire. There is now one less hat in that shop, Oberwalder! We stopped for coffee at the Cafe Hawleka not realizing until later that it has been the gathering place for artists over the last century. The picture below shows where we sat against the center wall. The cafe only serves coffees and a few pastries. There are only male waiters all of whom are attired in black tie, a long way from Starbucks. Before heading back to the hotel, we bought tickets for Ariadne & Aufnaxus, a Ricard Strauss opera, we will see tomorrow night. 

carolynberlin | March 9, 2011 at 4:00 pm | Reply

Wow, I just caught up on your travels, reading through the blog. It all sounds great, and you two sound like the most relaxed and yet energetic of art tourists. And now you are in German-speaking country. Are you still on schedule more or less and expecting to arrive in Berlin next Wednesday or so? I’m very excited about your coming, will probably be trailing you more than you’d like. Are you off to Prague before you come back this way to Berlin?

Weiner Schnitzel

Well, the sleeper train thing is really a misnomer. Yes, there are 2 berths for sleeping. And, yes, there is a private wc. But the idea of sleep is a stretch. Each stop was a jolt, and there was a lot of wheel screeching. We were happy that the porter had stopped by and reminded us to lock the door. Late that night someone tried twice to open the door.

Our hotel is just wonderful. Oleg would love it. Each room is created in partnership with a leading Austrian winemaker. We are in the Weingut Hillinger room. The vineyard’s wines are in the room. (for a price) And all the wines are available to taste in the bar. Even though we arrived at 10am, a room was found for us. After our tiny Italian rooms, this one is palatial. The shower alone is larger than the Milan room. And the breakfast. Oo la la. It is a treat of cheeses, pastries, meats, breads, cereals, and condiments unknown all of which is more abundant than any thing we’ve seen.
The hotel is a short walk to the old district where the museums, opera & palace are located. We oriented ourselves by walking there, having lunch in a splended Austrian coffee house, and then touring the palace apartments. I know practically nothing about Austrian history. The focus of the palace is on Franz Joseph & his wife Elizabeth (Sisi). Apparently she is quite renowned; movies have been made. She was assassinated by an anarchist.
For dinner we went to a nearby restaurant that serves traditional Austrian dishes. We had no reservations, but the bar tender said she could seat us if we didn’t mind finishing by 10pm. We said no. It was 7:30. LOL. I had wiener schnitzel and Wayne had goulash. It was delicious.