Borghese and Bernini

Wayne in the Borghese Gardens

We dedicated our day to the Borghese Gallery and Gardens.  It was about an hour's walk up to the Pincio Hill where the Gardens sit overlooking the famous and popular Piazza Popolo.  We had a 1pm entrance time and were allowed 2 hours in the galleries. This was so much better than a simple entry time, which we had for the Blake in London.  Because there was not a mandated exit time at the Blake, it became so crowded one could hardly move.  Here, it was a wide-opened look at the most beautiful works.  Cardinal Scipione (Skippy from now on) was a major collector of art and sculpture, a patron of Bernini and an avid collector of Caravaggio.  This collection is beyond fabulous.  It contains three sculptures by Bernini that eclipse any other sculpture I've seen.  And, I've seen Michelangelo's David.  Bernini also completed a David who moves with the Baroque flourish of a man filled with rage.  The Rape of Proserpine, and Apollo and Daphne are marvels of workmanship. The negative, open spaces and delicate forms achieved in the stone mystify comprehension. There is also a quite nice sculpture of Napoleon's sister, Pauline, by Canova.  She is top-half naked reclining on a sofa. Asked during the posing if she was not uncomfortable posing that way, she replied, "No, it is quite warm with the stove."  No photos are allowed in the gallery so I have downloaded these for viewing pleasure.  

David

Apollo and Daphne

The Rape of Proserpini

Pauline Bonapart

No justice here with these photos, though.  One must examine great sculpture in the round. We ended the day with a walk through a small part of the extensive gardens and found Wayne a nice fountain.

Everywhere are churches, big and small.  We can't resist sticking our heads in all of them. Each and every one is a wonder to behold with unrestrained Baroque flourishes of marble, sculpture, paintings.  We found the Chiesa San Marcello al Corso on the walk home.  

Observations from a visitor:  Shoppers bring there dogs with them to the supermarket.  There are special carts with a space for the dogs to sit.  The dogs are actually better behaved than some American's I've encountered.  

 Pics at Flickr.

Fountains, Bones, Montague's, Capulet's Oh My, Oh My

Fountain of the Naiads

We began our day climbing to the top of the Viminal Hill where the Fountain of the Naiadis sits in the center of Piazza della Repubblica.  This area is where the Roma Termini is located and is home to the prestigious Teatro dell'Opera which we attended this evening.  It is also where the Diocletian Baths were located. Our central objective was the Fountain of the Naiadi's. It is one of the largest monuments in Rome, with four naked sea nymphs each wrestling a water creature.  Initially, the provocative nature of the fountain was considered obscene resulting in the nymphs being draped.  Later Victor Emanuel's wife said, "this is rediculous".  She disrobed them, and the nymphs could again breathe freely. 

Across the Piazza is the Santa Maria deli Angelico's e dei Martiri (see! Another Mary church) built in the ruins of the Diocletian Baths. The facade is the wall of the frigidarium; the interior of the church is designed by Michelangelo following the form of the Greek cross.  The transept is so large with vast cubical insets at either end that it appears almost as a nave.  The overall affect for me was one of a cube.

Fountain of the Tritans

Leaving Viminal Hill and headed to Quirinal Hill we passed the Santa Maria della Vittoria, where the noted Teresa in Ecstasy sculpture by Bernini presides.  What can I add to my admiration of Bernini's ability to make stone sing?  The sculpture is lit by natural light coming from a hidden sky light.  The whole thing resonates with emotion.

Further on in Piazza Barberinni we searched out The Fountain of the Tritans. It was beautifully set off by a waxing gibbous moon. Again, a Bernini designed fountain. It is the first of his free standing fountains meant as a dramatic celebration of a reconstructed aguaduct.  

Practically next door is the Capuchin Crypt, a completely bazaar yet fascinating space of small chapels beneath the Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccino (Ahem! Mary!) The chapels contain the skeletal remains of 3,700 Capuchin friars.  But that is not the interesting fact.  All the bones have been utilized to create decorative motifs.  No photos were allowed so one must link here to get the total effect.  Please note that every decorative aspect is a bone.  https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santa-maria-della-concezione

After a so-so dinner at la Locanda dei Pugliesi we walked across the street for the opera, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, more familiar to us as The Capulets and The Montagues in   Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  There was not a light, fun or joyful moment in this opera. At least Shakespeare let Romeo and Juliet have a night of ecstasy.  Belini's opera was one long sad event.  The singing was superb, though.  
Some pics at Flickr.

Fountains
 The Tritans in Barberini Piazza 
 The Naiads in Piazza Repubblica

Churches
 Mary of the Angles and Martyrs in Piazza Repubblica, Viminal Hill
 Mary of the Conception with the Cappuccino Chapel
 Santa Maria della Vittoria

The Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon

Our walk to the Pantheon led us through the Piazza della Minerva, which was a delightful discovery.  In the center of the piazza stands the Elephant and Obelisk, a sculpture by Bernini that sits at the base of the smallest obelisk in Rome.  A short distance on, we past the side of the Pantheon which offers the clearest view of the original foot or base of the church.  Around to the front at the Piazza della Rotunda we sat on the steps surrounding Pantheon Fountain listening to a podcast about the Pantheon.  Jane's Smart Art Guides are excellent for greater understanding of specific pieces of art.  We are sharing blue tooth ear buds which are advantageous for simultaneous listening and also avoid irritating any nearby persons.  

The interior of the Pantheon is beyond amazing.  The shear space and perfect geometric dimensions constructed 113-125 AD astounds me.  I can't even construct a decent frame with power tools.  Jane described in detail how the Pantheon was built, particularly explaining the use of materials in the dome's construction.  Inside, she led us around the perimeter to each chapel, my favorite being the tomb of Raphael.  

On the way home we sought out a small fountain, The Water Bearer.  The Visigoths destroyed the aqueducts during their 410 invasion, knowing the city could not survive without that water source.  Subsequently, water bearers would gather water from the Tiber and sell it throughout the city.  During the Renaissance the aqueducts were rebuilt to supply all the fabulous new fountains.  This put the water bearers out of business.   The fountain was created as a remembrance to these men.  It is one of the 'talking' statues of Rome wherein people would post anonymous political expressions.

Our attempt at a home cooked fettuccine carbonara was, well, not so good.  We shall try again, though.  Pics at Flickr.

Fontane e Carciofi

The Turtle Fountain

Yesterday may have been Church day, but today the fountain rules.  The Turtle Fountain is is the Jewish Ghetto just a short walk across the Tiber.  The Jewish population is Rome is likely the oldest in the world continuously existing since 161.  As it goes with Jews, things weren't always pleasant.  Conditions in the Ghetto beginning when Pope Paul IV walled off the area were horrendous. The area suffered flooding,  all rights were revoked and living conditions were appalling.  Today the area is home to the Rome Synagogue,  the Turtle Fountain, and the Portico d'Ottavia, which are ruins about 20' below street level.  It was here that we sought out Nonna Betta, the premier restaurant to have fried Jewish artichokes.  'tis the season for them.  However,  Nonna was closed and the place next door where we ate was not all that good.  Service and wine were as always, above average.  But the artichokes were over-cooked and oily.  

After lunch we headed to the Piazza Navona for a look at the fountains, particularly the Four Rivers.  This very notable and famous fountain was designed by Bernini, our favorite Baroque sculptor.  The day was beautiful with full sun and temps in the 60s.  We sat, contemplating and drawing.  While here we entered St Agnes Church (sorry no photos allowed).  Agnes was another virgin, beheaded for her purity and devotion to Christianity.  Poor thing was only 12, an age where one should stick to virginity.  

Dinner tonight was at Endo at 21.  This is a very popular place.  Last night we were in an outside line of about 40 or 50 people where seating allowed for 30 at the most.  We broke line and made reservations for this evening.  The tables are packed cheek to jowl in the tiny area.  We sat shoulder to shoulder with 5 more.  Fettuccine with sausage and ribs was a delight.  We also tried the fried artichoke again, this time with delicious results.  

Fountains and more are here.

 

Roaming in Rome's Trastevere

Santa Cecilia

We stuck to the Trastevere district today focusing on churches.  Boy, Mary is a very popular name for a church, adding to my confusion about which church is which and where it is.  The Piazza Santa Maria (see!) near our apartment is the home for Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of the oldest churches in Rome dating back to the 340s.  Most impressive were the mosaics and the coffered ceiling. Just a complete wow.   It retains its Romanesque structure. This is also where the oldest fountain flows that I mentioned 2 posts past. Rumor has it the night Jesus was born oil flowed from the ground where the fountain was built lighting lamps for eternity. Well, for eternity or until modern times when one could verify things with google.  

Our next stop was Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. St Cecilia is the patroness of musicians.  Appropriately, a beautiful organ piece welcomed us as we entered.  Playing the organ was one of the Benedictine Nuns who live in the adjacent monastery and have charge of the basilica.  Cecilia was born into a prominent Roman pagan family.  At some point she embraced Christianity, and took a vow of virginity.  In a nutshell, she got married, he converted and honored her virginity, she angered the pagans, they cut her head off. There is a lovely sculpture of her by Stephano Maderno under the alter.  He did an excellent job showing the cut in her neck.  

Our last church was Cheisa Santa Maria dell Orto (Mary? Again?). This interior was Baroque to the max.  Not one centimeter of surface was free of design.  This church was built in an area of Etruscan encampment. It is also the reference church for the Catholic Japanese community of Rome.  

Finding dinner tonight was an adventure.  We started out at a recommendation that from the obvious line outside would not suit our patience.  So, we made a reservation for the next night and headed off to find a nice touristy spot, which we did.  It was fine.  Really.  How can one go wrong with pasta and Rome.  See pics of the churches and the martyr Cecilia here. 

One Hill at a Time

Roman Forum from Capitoline Hill

We had our first official Roman meal at da Vittorio a Trastevere of pappardelle, artichokes and sausage all in a cream/cheese sauce.  My mouth is watering again!!! It served us well as an energy source for our trek across the Tiber.  We walked across the Tiber Island (the only island in the Tiber in Rome) where once stood the temple of Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine and healing.  Today there is still a hospital and basilica on the island. As it was a day of exploring for us, we had no specific plans. Crossing the Tiber we first  walked around and then to the top of the Capitoline Hill.  Here sits the Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo.  As well as museums and statuary, the hill top gives one a beautiful view of the Forum.  I discovered an interesting fact about the Campidoglio design.  Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo to design the piazza, which was to be Rome's civic center, so that it faced away from Rome and toward Vatican City.  

Down the back side of the hill, we walked the length of the Forum toward the Colosseum.  The last time we were here we could view the entirety of the Colosseum down the length of the via dei Fori Imperiali.  Today, not so much.  Large, high and very ugly walls block access and advertise where to buy tickets.  We did walk down and then returned on the other side of the street to look into Trajan's Forum and his very impressive column.

The sunset was beautiful as we left Rome, crossed the Tiber and reentered Trastevere.  A little shopping for breakfast, and we were home again.  See evidenced of our day here.

It's a Beautiful Night in the Neighborhood

Piazza Santa Maria

We spent most of today traveling.  It was a 2 hour Uber ride to Gatwick, which by some miracle the concierge noticed was our airport when I asked the best way to get to HEATHROW. OY! 

We were met by Mateo in Rome who greeted up politely and then never spoke another word on the drive in.  He did remind us of the Italian tendency to drive as if you are in the Daytona 500.  We are housed in Trastevere, which is on the same side of the Tiber as Vatican City.  It was a stronghold of the Etruscans until the Romans took it in order to control that side of the Tiber.  It was an important Jewish center until they were forced to move to the Roman ghetto on the other side of the Tiber.  Today, it remains a funky, bohemian-like area with narrow cobble stoned streets.  Our apartment is near the Piazza Santa Maria in an area filled with every type of specialty shop one could want.  The streets were brimming with people; the shop keepers were very helpful to two mono lingual people.  Our new Italian word: Enoteca or Wine Shop.  The clerk in the enoteca wanted to talk Celtics basketball.  We love it here.

The Piazza Santa Maria has what is considered the oldest fountain in Rome dating to the 8th century.  It has been moved and redesign several times with Bernini's design now in place.  This is a serendipity because Wayne has been studying about all the fountains and made a quest to visit them.  Additional media at Flickr.

The Fountain of Piazza Santa Maria

A Brexit Day in London Town

It was a day of sight seeing, art, more art, and music.  We began the day by walking the south bank of the River Thames, which is my favorite side.  One gets a clear view of Parliament from there.  Also, Shakespeare trod that shore often.  We took about an hour's walk up to the Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that offers a grand view of St. Paul's Cathedral as one crosses over.  From there we circled back another hour for our 1pm appointment at the Tate Britain to view the William Blake exhibit.  With our timed entry we expected the crowds to be controlled.  Perhaps they were, but the rooms were packed and one had to stand in a queue moving at a snail's pace to get close up views.  It was fun to see some pieces that we've only see in reproduction before.  Favorites were The Ghost of the Flea, Newton, and The Ancient of Days.  

The Ancient of Days

The Ghost of a Flea

Newton

Early evening we walked to Trafalgar Square to visit the National Portrait Gallery prior to a concert at St. Martin in the Field.  Unexpectedly we came across streets full of Brits celebrating Brexit.  They were quite boisterous and seemingly happy.  But, a little too Nationalistic for my taste.  After the Portrait Gallery, we sought out a pub for dinner and noticed for the second night that each and every pub is over flowing with young people.  they are literally falling out the doors by the dozens.  So, Pret A Manger it was.  The concert was lovely featuring Mozart's Requiem (ironic don't you think? A requiem on the eve of Brexit).  Many pics at Flickr.

Business Class is Better

British Air Lounge, Logan Airport

Our trip began with something new for us. That is, flying business class for the first time.  More than just larger seats that recline for sleeping, more than leg room and better food, more than free alcohol aboard, at Logan we have access to the British Air Lounge.  And a nice lounge area it is complete with multiple rooms of comfortable chairs, a complete bar and a complete food court where one can be served.  The food court has all the self help wine and beer one should reasonably have prior to boarding a plane. So there I sat with my glass of Chardonnay, snacking, very relaxed and somewhat better protected from the Coronavirus.  I've decided that once one goes business one never goes back.  

We arrived early morning in London, and used the day to revisit some places we love as we waited for the hotel check in.  We are staying in the Westminster area. We dropped our bags and walked along the River Thames by Parliament and into Westminster Abbey.  The weather is typical London, misty, cloudy but not freezing.  We had an early dinner of, what else, fish and chips at The Laughing Haddock and retired early to combat our jet lag in preparation for William Blake tomorrow.  

For some fairly mundane pictures go here.

Chicago! Chicago! That Wonderful Town!

Selfie at the Bean

We spent 5 days with Road Scholar immersed in art at The Art Institute of Chicago.  Each day included a lecture or two from curators on a particular period or painting.  We stayed at the Palmer House, which is 2 blocks from Michigan Avenue. All meals were provided at the Palmer and were a gourmet's delight. The Palmer is a perfect location for walking to the AIC.  We would arrive at 10am, get early entrance and have access all to ourselves.  The lectures were all excellent, informative and educational.  In addition to the AIC, we had evenings to ourselves when we attended Hamilton and Second City.  One free afternoon we spent in Millennium Park and the other I took an architectural tour. Lots of artsy pictures at Flickr.

Now is the Winter of Our Discontent.

Our lessons continued this morning with 3 intensive workshops. Embedded stage directions are found within the dialogue, ie, "I will strike you with my sword" indicates the need for a sword prop, and "thou must arise now" indicating movement.  There were no directors or stage directions given by Shakespeare.  Actors (and today's directors) must find all movement, props, proximity within the dialogue.  

Direct Address examined how and/or when the actor engaged the audience.  Blackfriars Theater uses a thrust stage, which is one that projects into the audience.  They also leave the lights on throughout the production.  All of this acts to engage the audience with the players, the players with the audience, and the audience with each other.  At the discretion of the actor, he/she may directly address the audience with dialogue, gesture or touching.  

The final, and best, workshop was a study and discussion of Richard III, the play we saw this evening.  We've seen this play several times so have a somewhat basic grasp of the plot and characters.  What benefited me from the discussion was the final take away of, "don't try to figure constantly how one character is related to another.  Just enjoy the scene, the drama happening between and among the characters.  

For the most part I have enjoyed the workshops, the people in our group and the performances.  The knowledge and experience within the group is wildly varied and that makes for a tough workshop that can satisfy all people at all times.  So, truly, we weren't that discontented.

This afternoon was free, and we went to the Woodrow Wilson birth home and the Presidential Museum. At the Wilson house where we were negatively impressed with his enhancement of legalized segregation in the Federal Offices. He was initially opposed to women's voting rights.  Not a stellar man. 

Richard III was a bit of a surprise in that it was played with comedic relief, which we thought was overdone at times particularly the murder of Clarence scene.  The audience was involved in several scenes (Direct Address).  All in all a delightful night and week.   No additional pictures today.  It was raining, and I was negligent. 

Verse and Rhetoric, Protest and Play

Staunton, VA MoveOn Rally

I feel like I'm back in Mrs. Netabel Rice's Senior English class.  Two workshops today focused first on verse and next on rhetoric.  Verse is fairly easy to grasp and to find in Will's plays.  It's either prose which uses rhetoric or verse with meter.  Our task was to see how actors decide to perform the lines by examining the meter and with regard to stress on words.  We're all very familiar with today's political and proselytizing rhetoric.   As a playwright, Will used rhetoric to help the audience to understand the character, and used it to provide the actor with cues on how to behave physically or vocally when delivering the lines.

This afternoon our workshop was on tonight's play, The Man of Mode, a restoration comedy..  The teacher, Aubrey, is a former English teacher, and it shows.  She's very dramatic, very organized and very good at engaging us all.  We got the general plot and character list of the play as well as an overview of the comedic structure.  

At 5pm we walked to the Courthouse to participate in a national event organized by MoveOn to protest Trump's firing of Sessions.  I have no respect for nor like of Sessions.  His over reach into states' rights is the worst of any AG ever.  However, I more than my opposition to Sessions is my opposition to Trump's move to begin the first steps toward firing Mueller.  Remember the Saturday Night Massacre.  There was a group of about 60-80 people there with appropriate signs, the best of which was "lock him up".  Although the crowd was not huge, the woman who organized it has vision, determination, and persistence in protecting and maintaining our Democracy.  Channel 3 appeared for a quick filming.  We had more positive honking from passing cars than I anticipated.  One of the participants said it was difficult in the area to oppose Trump.  She cries often.  

We got word that tonight's performance had been cancelled.  We can't remember ever having a theatrical performance cancelled.  It's bazaar.  Perhaps tomorrow will tell why.  Tacos at The Bistro were excellent.

Pictures at flickr.

Much Ado About Everything

Wayne Musing in the Blackfriars Theater

We have begun our immersion into all things Shakespeare.  We had two classroom sessions today.  The morning session dealt with the way in which Shakespeare's (from now on to be referred to as Will) plays moved from his hand, the foul, to a scribe who would neatly recopy, the fair copy, to the quarto, a printed edition. This illustrates all the opportunities available to somewhat change a word or intent of Will's. Our presenter, Sarah, spent time explaining how the actors of Will's time would often perform 3 or 4 different plays a week.  They had to have all that language and its intent in their heads. She illustrated how the actors listened for the cues to know when to speak. We learned how each actor was given small scroll ROLLS to hold and refer to as they acted.  Hence, roll became the actor's role. Each roll only contained an individual actor's lines with the cue above each of their lines.  The cue was the last 2 or three words of another actor.  We also had a tour of back stage, which is very tiny.  The theater is built on the same footage and design as the theaters of Will's era.  

Afternoon's class was on As You Like It, the play we saw this evening.  The teacher, Aubrey, did a great job of breaking down the plot and all the characters.  We each took a character role and spoke a short line. Aubrey explained that characters relationship to the other characters.  Yes, the play is that complicated and even silly.

We took advantage of some free time this afternoon to visit the Trinity Episcopal Church, which has 12 Tiffany Windows.  Everything is so beautiful with the fall leaves both to walk through and observe on the trees.  Inside the church we were fortunate to hear someone practicing on the organ.  

Tonight's performance of As You Like It was delightful and easily followed thanks to our workshops.  All the actors also play a variety of musical instruments.  They gave a 20 minute concert prior to the show.  This play has the most musical interludes of any of the Shakespeare plays. 
Pictures available at fickr. 

Staunton? No, Stanton

Virginia

Well, it's spelled Staunton...but you better pronounce it Stanton.  Named for Lady Rebecca Staunton, the pronunciation follows her lead.  We are here to join with the Road Scholar Shakespeare program.  We had another beautiful drive today through the Shenandoah Valley.  Staunton is the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson and home to the American Shakespeare Company.  Founded in 1747, there are 6 adjacent historic districts in Staunton. Architectural styles are mixed, much of it attributed to TJ Collins who designed or remodeled some 200 buildings.  

Our hotel, Stonewall Jackson, is adjacent to the Blackfriars Playhouse, where we will see two Shakespeare plays and one restoration play. Tonight we met all the participants over dinner.  As usual, the Road Scholar crew is interesting and interested, very well traveled, and older than normal. Tomorrow the day begins early with a lecture on Shakespeare's Globe and a tour of the playhouse. 

Stonewall Jackson Hotel

We Meet With the Obamas

Michelle Obama, National Portrait Gallery

President Obama, National Portrait Gallery

This morning we walked down to the National Portrait Gallery with the main objective of seeing the Obama portraits and to meet up with Adam.  Michelle (yes, I call her Michelle) has been moved to the 3rd floor because her popularity overwhelmed the new acquisitions space.  She has her own special guard of whom I asked, "what are the best comments you remember?"  She said that more than comments what touched her were people who came in and immediately began to cry.  She doesn't know how to comfort them. My photos do not capture the colors.   The President's portrait is much more chromatic than the reproductions show.  Perhaps his aura is simply too strong to be contained.  Wayne said it looked almost back lit.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, (a far, far too long name that can't even become an acronym) was our next visit.  We had lunch there.  They have regional cafeteria style choices.  We all went for creole with gumbo and shrimp and grits. It was very good.  The museum is packed with artifacts and information more than one could ever absorb in one visit.  It is 3 stories with each floor covering a period from slavery's beginnings to Civil Rights.  Oprah has her own special exhibition area.  Do you think she gave some money? Adam was surprised at how much I remembered and lived through in the Jim Crow era.  We enjoyed spending time with him, a too seldom activity

Tonight was dinner at the Founding Farmers, the latest hot spot in town with farm to table cuisine.  Our waiter, Curtis, was tres beau.  And the food was tres delicieux.  Atmosphere was conducive to good times.  Pictures at Flickr.

From Barnes to the Bottom Line

The Barnes Foundation

Before leaving Philadelphia we made a stop at the Barnes Foundation.  The collection there is world renowned and well deserved.  It was first Sunday free admission.  The place was packed with families.  In the past when we visited the Foundation in the suburban location the visitors were limited to about 20 a day.  This is so much better for all except for us today.  We skipped the permanent collection where the entrance line was dozens deep.  We went to the temporary exhibit of Berthe Morisot's work.  You could see the influence of Manet in her blacks and Corot in her use of light.  Her works don't really move me other than the evidence of her hand.  I'm simply not a huge fan of the Impressionists except for their influence on the approach to painting. The architecture of the Barnes including the reflection pools is sublime.  One enters the Barnes by passing the low reflecting pools.  They were particularly effective today with the fall leaves and the fallen leaves.  

On our way to DC we sharpened our perspective on Richard III through an audio tape.  He indeed was the rascal Shakespeare portrayed.  But the tape did help us understand Trump so much better.  Also, we learned that Clarence was not the innocent Shakepeare wrote him as.  Once in DC we went to the Bottom Line for a very late lunch.  A subterranean bar filled with televisions broadcasting the Redskins and Falcons, the Bottom Line was my kinda joint.  Following that beer and corned beef lunch and a quick nap, we met Adam, Maura and Vanessa for dinner at the Cafe Mozart.  We caught up on their lives and departed with plans for tomorrow with Adam. We still appreciate German cuisine as much as we always have, ranking up with Irish and English.
A couple of pictures at Flickrhttps://www.flickr.com/gp/minkcove/iG4U73

Brotherly Love

Philadelphia from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

We have ahead of us a 10 day vacation that includes stops in Philadelphia and DC and four days in Staunton, VA for a Shakespeare workshop with Road Scholar.  It was a beautiful ride down.  The wind was fierce, snatching the fall leaves from the trees, tossing and swirling them all around us.  The colors are still vibrant and grew more so as we progressed south leaving the mostly pine covered Massachusetts behind and traveling into the hard woods of the mid-Atlantic.

Our first stop was Philly where we attended a concert at the Kimmel Center.  By the time we reached Philly, the sun was out and the wind had died.  We are in the Reading Terminal Market area, which is teaming with people.  Once outdoor street markets, the city bowed to public pressure and moved all markets to the indoor facility.  Today one can find a more dynamic selection that just produce.  

The Kimmel Center is a large performing arts venue and home to the Philadelphia Orchestra.  Upon entering the Center one finds one's self in a vast space soaring 3 stories with walkways on each floor.  Rich red wood covers most surfaces.  The Verizon Hall is the main performance auditorium, and where we heard our concert.  The pipe organ is the largest in an American concert hall.  We did not hear it this evening, though. Instead we had 3 beautiful and moving pieces by Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms.  I enjoyed the Brahms most, but was also deeply impressed by pianist solo, Seong-Jin Cho, for the Mozart piece.  Specifically we heard Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, Op. 62, Mozart's Piano concerto No. 20, and Brahms' Symphony No 1.  Dinner prior to the concert was at Illegal Tacos, a most inviting little space close to the Kimmel Center.

A few photos are at Flickr. 

Au Revoir Antipodes

Yesterday, our final day in the Southern Hemisphere was spent checking out of 57 York St and checking into 67 Sussex St where the Hilton Hotel is.  Sussex St holds fond memories for me.  It is where I got too much hair cut off with Road Scholar friends, Jennifer and Betty.  It was further down the road in Chinatown, though, so I wasn’t too traumatized by the reminder.  The hotel was very nice, new and located just off Darling Harbor.  We walked to the Central area and had a great pizza.  Today we are flying home.  See you in 20 hours.  Ha.  Some things I noted along the way to remember about our trip.

1.  The wine in Australia and New Zealand is very good.  I especially was fond of the Pinot Gris.
2. Affogato: a desert of ice ream, espresso and Fra Angelico that I WILL make. We had this in Fortune of War, Sydney’s oldest pub.
3.  Rug Up phrase means to  put on a coat.
4.  In Christchurch there is a piece of the 9/11 building that was brought by US fire fighters to commemorate the earthquake.

5.  There are no screens on windows in New Zealand.

6.  In New Zealand there are few places with air conditioning, including restaurants and supermarkets

7.  In both NA and Aus you never get a check at your restaurant table.  You just go to the cashier and they miraculously know what you ate and how much you owe.  It eliminates prolonged waiting and the tipping dilemma. However, we did once walk out without paying.  Fortunately we realized it, and returned to pay.

8.  Bugs are everywhere in New Zealand.  Locals claim the unusual prolonged rains are to blame.  We were inundated with an influx of flying crickets one night, cicadas last night.  See #5
9.  Major construction for a light rail is in Sydney.  It has been prolonged and disruptive.
10. There is a free light rail in Melbourne that traverses the downtown.


New Zealand Sounds

In Search of Flinders’ Cat, etc.

Flinder’s Cat, Trim

Today we went in search of Sydney’s public art.  It’s easy to find; it’s everywhere.  Near our apartment is a small enclosed street, Angel Place, where a multitude of various styled and sized bird cages hang about 30-40 feet above the pavement.  From each cage a bird song plays.  The cages and the songs represent birds that once lived in Sydney, but have disappeared due to human encroachment.  The area is only a pedestrian pass through, which adds to the isolation and loss.  

Forgotten Songs at Alice Place

From Alice Place we walked through Martin Place past the Lloyd Rees Fountain.  Rees was an Australian artist who was very civic minded.  He partially funded the fountain in this pedestrian mall.  There is beautiful architecture here in this rather civic space that cuts north to south through the CBD. The fountain was featured in the film The Matrix.  

Lloyd Rees Fountain, Martin Place

Our next destination was the Public Library.  But we had to stop and rub il Porcelinno’s nose again before arriving at the spot where the sculpture to the memory of Trim stands.  Trim was Captain Matthew Flinders’ cat who traveled the world with him.  They circumnavigated Australia and even went to prison together when Flinders was arrested for espionage.  Trim sits on a library window sill behind a sculpture of Flinders.  A more detailed accounting of Trim’s adventures can be read at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim_(cat)

The State Library of NSW is a large reference and research library.  It is the oldest library in Australia, established in 1826.  An addition, The Mitchell Building, has an ornate vestibule and a marble mosaic map.  It was here we entered and began to explore.  There is a very modern addition that houses large computer labs filled with people.  (Not all were pursuing high minded goals on those machines either.). We wandered through, took a look at the closed Shakespeare room, and exited at Shakespeare Place to find the Memorial to Shakespeare. 

Memorial to Shakespeare

On the way home we found Frank Stella art in a Harry Seidler building, an Alexander Calder stabile sitting on a corner, and a small child hanging at another corner.  The most interesting find was the Tank Stream Fountain which paid homage to the stream that once provided water to the European settlers.  It was this stream that caused Admiral Phillips to choose Jackson Port rather than Botany Bay as the area to settle. Other than a culvert, the fountain is the only remaining evidence of the stream. 

Pictures at flickr.

Tank Stream Fountain

A Day of Rest

Royal Botanical Gardens

Our days here are short now.  We’ve pretty much hit all the top attractions and are now just enjoying the nice weather and walking in the city.  We spent most of today in the Botanical Gardens.  When we first walked in there was a large wedding party having photos taken.  Other areas were filled with kids hunting Easter eggs, families hanging out and solo yoga practitioners.  We ate our Subway sandwiches (yes, everything is still closed) and then Wayne read under a giant tree while I drew.  The wedding reception was nearby and provided some nice 60’s music.  Every now and then a flock of cockatoos would fly overhead competing with the music with their loud squawks.  Pictures at flickr.

Good Good Friday

Empty Street on Darling Harbor

The Aussies take Good Friday very seriously.  Everything was closed today.  We had nothing planned anyway so we walked to Darling Harbor for lunch.  A couple of funny things did happened today, though.   Last night at the Opera I had to revive my school teacher persona and ask a man and woman next to me to stop talking.  I actually had to say it 3 times because he loudly said, “what?”  “I’m not really into this.”  Finally his mother? consort? cougar? shushed him.  Well, suddenly today 12 hours later and in front of us (and only us) on the very empty boardwalk was the very same couple.  And, he was still yakking away and she was still telling him to shut up.  

UGG Girl

The next funny thing.  After lunch we walked back our neighborhood Coles Supermarket to shop for dinner.  For the past 7 days there has been a girl outside of Coles holding a sign for the UGG store.  When we see her we know we are on the right corner.  No matter the time of day, she is there.  No matter the time of day, she is staring at her phone.  We have never seen her raise her head, look away from her phone, wave her sign.  Her fingers spin around that keyboard in a blaze.  Today.  Today she was not there. Our first hopeful thought was we were on the wrong corner. Not so. Just no UGG girl.  And, no Coles either.  It too was closed on Good Friday.  Circling the blocks we finally found Pie Face open.  A little hole in the wall, it provided sandwiches for Good Friday dinner.  Maybe about 3 other photos of our non-eventful day are at flickr.

PS We also stopped in a 7 Eleven for ice cream and discovered that cigarettes are $29 a pack.  Yikes!  No, we weren’t buying.  Just observing a purchase.  

Mimi! Mimi!

View of Sydney Harbor from Royal Botanical Gardens

I’ll just mention very briefly that we went to the Museum of Sydney today hoping to see and learn a lot about the settlement.  What we got was one room of photographs depicting persons from the mafia and high crime era, a small room with video showing Aboriginies explaining some cultural and an area showing Australians of European ancestry who were accomplished.  The most interesting (but unexplained) thing is that the museum was built over and around the remains of Australia’s first Government House built by Admiral Arthur Phillip.  He was the Royal Navy officer who founded the penal colony.

Handa Opera

What made today wonderful was la Boheme performed at the Handa Opera.  We packed a picnic and ate on a bench in the RBG facing the harbor.  It was a beautiful setting and primed us for the most uplifting of evenings.  The Handa Opera is an open-air and all-weather event. (Thankfully it was perfect weather!)  Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia and the performers for tonight.  Their voices were magnificent.  The setting was Paris 1968 during the student protests.  Mimi (My name is Lucia, but they call me Mimi.  I don’t know why.) is probably dying of lung cancer because she chain smokes rather than consumption.  When Musetta appeared the man next to Wayne exclaimed and bumped him pointing to the stage.  Turns out it was his daughter.  We became acquainted with the people behind us because all of us could not restrain the oooos and ahs.  Fireworks, snow falling, beautiful acting and singing put it all together for an absolutely perfect evening. Pictures at flickr.

Convicts and Other Tragedies

Hyde Parks Barracks

When the British began transporting convicts to Australia, the convicts had been allowed to find their own accommodations.  But by the early 1800s it was decided to house them in a barracks to increase their productivity and improve moral character.  The Hyde Park Barracks were built for that purpose.  Ironically it was designed by convict architect Francis Greenway.  And, it was also of course built by convict labor.  Touring the facility was a moving and sad experience.  At times as many as 1400 men lived here in a space built for 600.  In 1840 convicts were no longer transported, but over the next four years over 2000 orphan girls were transported and housed here.  They were brought from the work houses of famine-plagued Ireland.  The upper class, landed Brits were a cruel bunch.  The museum has been extensively restored and conserved using innovative methods to show the history of the building.  Relics found during the excavations are on display with panoramas that explain life here.  Most moving was the room the girls slept in with trinkets they had hidden under floor boards.

Opera House

We returned to the Opera House tonight for Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.  It was in the smaller Playhouse. As sometimes happens with Shakespeare, the production was set in modern times with modern dress.  Cleopatra was portrayed as a wicked, sharped tongued spoiled bully.  I prefer Elizabeth Taylor’s refrained and aloft regal version.  Plus her make up was more better. The set was very inventive with sheer curtains opening and closing to indicate scene changes. Digital script was projected onto the curtains to indicate time and place prior to each scene change. Great fun! It was interesting how they portrayed Marc Antony as a spoiled child besotted by Cleopatra. Two of the minor characters, Ptolemy (played by a woman) and Enobarbus were the best actors in the play. Pictures at flickr.