tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3615078252035661052024-03-24T00:09:31.477-07:00View From Sint PieterstraatHelene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-19869086520851006522021-02-11T14:24:00.001-08:002021-02-11T14:24:58.798-08:00A Gondola Education<p></p><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQ9UQ1t23D9ryuhIxYsih7XzN3ZRBVFuf5IpA98E5-Jh5j38OWrewJm7lTw7VsWr67hI3-ZLRqLwGRO9K9l96Br9Q1SZ3ko0nR7GDtwoQpPVbxWbajmQqpP33rCEg5gFWOYrIEeE4m9A/s576/arzana+calle.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="288" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQ9UQ1t23D9ryuhIxYsih7XzN3ZRBVFuf5IpA98E5-Jh5j38OWrewJm7lTw7VsWr67hI3-ZLRqLwGRO9K9l96Br9Q1SZ3ko0nR7GDtwoQpPVbxWbajmQqpP33rCEg5gFWOYrIEeE4m9A/w171-h342/arzana+calle.jpg" width="171" /></a></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;">If you are looking for the perfect spot to begin your gondola education, this narrow alley in the Cannaregio district of Venice is a good place to start. It's called Calle Pignate, and it's not easy to find--but it's worth the search! The second to the last door on the right, just short of the Misericordia canal, is the entrance to a remarkable little museum, the Arzanà Association's squero Casal dei Servi. A squero is a workshop where gondolas and other small watercraft are made. The Arzanà Association focuses on the rescue and restoration of the unique Venetian boats. </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The squero Casal dei Servi was in business by the end of the 15th century, and operated until 1920. There are a few other squeri in Venice, and some of them still make gondolas by hand. Squero Casal dei Servi is the oldest of Venice's existing squeri. This simple wooden building was purchased by Arzanà in 1996 to serve as its primary office and to house its extensive collection of artifacts and tools relating to the boat trade-- as well as a number of vintage gondolas and other classic Venetian boats. </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I visited the Arzanà museum with my friends Laurie and Chris on a sunny day in June of 2017. Our tour began in the interior of the museum, and ended in the workshop. The workshop was a sensory delight! The smell of old wood permeated the room. Sunlight reflecting off the canal shone through the slatted wood gate, flooding the low-ceilinged space with light.</div><div><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmmcDnwYRzB038FZc3F3topue49uHy88DqzMUUpH_SQ0BxbO97K4b2oeesUAnPtW-xOX0CO6hgfYjwlizJqyHMMpPCot8xnqB2o2XFIcsxbBQna4AUKracY7dKZGLOjCaJldbTQKeTBU/w584-h253/sq+2.jpg" width="584" /></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Our guide was Germano Da Preda, the "keeper" of the squero Casal dei Servi. He explained the function of the squero and the anatomy of a gondola, starting with the body of the boat, which is traditionally constructed with 8 types of wood! Solid oak for the sides, lightweight fir for the bottom, malleable cherry for the struts, larch for water resistance, bendable walnut for the frame, linden for reinforcement, mahogany for trim, and elm to bend alongside the walnut. Gondolas are rowed with a single oar that rests on a unique oarlock, called the forcola. The ferro is a uniquely shaped metal piece attached to the gondola's bow. It acts as a counterweight to the gondolier, who rows from the stern. The ferro also protects the gondola from damage--it's a bumper of sorts. We learned about the origin and evolution of this singular watercraft, and the traditions associated with it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YdTcZe6R5TGE2jnusxk-oh48-orkJhT6oDCAIbog-1to8p5TCnzgLDZipG5Y1UVrdwrh_QmlFHSt9wP0ubx7w87bVdP_daZOfFHIPHKuZzMEJj-7Ukm3vX0hIt2yoSjosUvTX8mu16I/w582-h286/squero.jpg" width="582" /></a></div> vintage iron ferro Germano Da Preda oars and forculas<br /><br />Every inch of the squero's walls are covered with parts of gondolas and of other small Venetian vessels. There were oars, sails, forculas, lanterns, ferros--plus boat models and equipment and tools related to Venetian boats and the art of building them. This was one of the highlights of our stay in Venice, giving us a new appreciation of Venice's unique watercraft. <br /><br />Visits to the Squero museum are by appointment only: https://arzana.org/request-a-visit/</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnz9nQ7b7tZuZUd1zphAbKPFY86b0wX5WQEPj6a4VcJ1bZNtmNsUNLnKkJP4shRmhLvjE36-CS4-B1MSV9787wjhUNdxCbYCBQYwqGZFbfYrm3c98EM59Q2J-rwlMW3i5e6L_Twuz6Bw/w584-h189/workshop+%25281%2529.jpg" width="584" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Enriched with our new knowledge of the history and art of gondoliering, we were anxious to have a ride in one of these uniquely Venetian boats. I had searched around online for the perfect gondolier, and I believe I found him! He calls himself Lucky Luca. He launches his craft from a canal near Campo del Ghetto Nuovo, also in the Cannaregio district. Luca's "gondola" isn't really a gondola--it's a sandolo. The sandolo is another uniquely Venetian boat, smaller and lighter than a gondola, and without the high metal ferro on its prow. But it was gondola-ish enough for us! Luca's sandolo was furnished with elegant, comfortable seats and its black finish was polished to perfection. The sandolo is a family treasure, passed down to him from his father. Luca was charming and informative throughout our relaxing canal tour. He described the significance of buildings we passed, and regaled us with stories of famous (and infamous!) visitors to Venice. We learned about the damage rising seawater levels are inflicting on the city's buildings. Listening to Luca talk about his beloved city as we glided along in his sandolo was pure pleasure--an unforgettable finish to our gondola education.</div><div><br /><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XRc2FtTIUIh-OM87B6Ae_5Y2zCuBWjC468FRNjpbOSyrNJrTuA4JH8ZXB7iPid7apjS7a2CpZH1VF6r8j6q-W-wRZVZfekHTeJOuTgWZEWlNV5F3WHdvpS6g2jmMyIzpFMwwbR0iXsk/s2048/luca+ladies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="2048" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XRc2FtTIUIh-OM87B6Ae_5Y2zCuBWjC468FRNjpbOSyrNJrTuA4JH8ZXB7iPid7apjS7a2CpZH1VF6r8j6q-W-wRZVZfekHTeJOuTgWZEWlNV5F3WHdvpS6g2jmMyIzpFMwwbR0iXsk/w459-h327/luca+ladies.jpg" width="459" /></a></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We had heard that "gondoliers do NOT sing for their passengers!" Disappointing news. But our gondolier (sandolier, really) did sing. Towards the end of our voyage Luca serenaded us. We were enchanted by this sweet man, singing his sweet song. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Perfetto.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='490' height='406' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzzwVibG24G56VsGs3zrE9kBW8CVaIWzztDJHfjnxVXKv3IJzcG7rIqnDhiabfdsZG505oP3d6iXTTjEdUCvg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">To reserve a tour on Luca's sandolo, email him at: lucyluca6@hotmail.com</span></span></div></span></div><span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div></div><span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><p></p></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-67923014209475402662017-11-03T16:11:00.000-07:002017-11-03T16:11:11.138-07:00Tuscan Hill Towns: Circling "San Jimmy-Johnny" & Ascending to Volterra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0gzhGQbzfPhaRPOMS3E6XbwhDN59LyjsJu8SjD35KrzwCg-NmRrJ5TQCRtmj8vynnYfPf-yaD-xjue3cyaIvoq92CRgWwmGReiltXVs98ds8B3zeranEhJV9h_4TkBeXhXfkmNwhMvo/s1600/IMG_1647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0gzhGQbzfPhaRPOMS3E6XbwhDN59LyjsJu8SjD35KrzwCg-NmRrJ5TQCRtmj8vynnYfPf-yaD-xjue3cyaIvoq92CRgWwmGReiltXVs98ds8B3zeranEhJV9h_4TkBeXhXfkmNwhMvo/s640/IMG_1647.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">San Gimignano</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One September afternoon in 2015 my friends and I headed for San Gimignano, perhaps the most famous of the Tuscan hill towns. San Gimignano is easily recognized from a distance by the 13 medieval towers that rise from within its city walls. Originally the town had 72 of these tall towers, built as status symbols by prominent 14th century families to show off their wealth and power!</span><i> </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">San Gimignano (my friend Laurie dubbed it <i>San Jimmy-Johnny</i>) was mobbed with tourist vehicles on that day, and we couldn't find a parking spot! We circled the town walls twice, searching for somewhere to tuck our car, but all parking lots were full, as was the street parking. We gave up and set our sights for Volterra,</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a 40 minute drive west from San Gimignano. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Volterra is perched high on a hilltop, with spectacular views in every direction. On the steep winding drive up to the town we happened upon a very cool sculpture- a <i>giant circle</i> that framed the picturesque hills in the distance. I later learned that it was created by Mauro Staccioli, a native of Volterra. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Many Tuscan towns were built on hilltops during medieval times, when such a position gave a defensive advantage. Steep, narrow streets are the norm, and many of these towns are still surrounded by their high city walls.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tufa fossils</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Volterra's streets were <i>really</i> steep, testing our leg muscles!</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> They are paved with local tufa, a type of limestone. To our delight, we discovered that many of the pavers have fossils embedded in them! </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The ancient buildings are built with limestone, too, giving Volterra the appealing ochre color that bathes so many of the Tuscan towns.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhthCKWPw33BQvththtuAqSQlRVZEBmtEgEarQf7qwyJBaU7i2GkyXTf3gHxIvmNzdFcFfGz3Iwqtb8cFx3PMxaCWDEXzbGCb5JcEEDc7ts7iWHFLWN2pGSqd4aSFL2vrsaL4g1sUIJA/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhthCKWPw33BQvththtuAqSQlRVZEBmtEgEarQf7qwyJBaU7i2GkyXTf3gHxIvmNzdFcFfGz3Iwqtb8cFx3PMxaCWDEXzbGCb5JcEEDc7ts7iWHFLWN2pGSqd4aSFL2vrsaL4g1sUIJA/s320/IMG_1586.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alabaster table in the Palazzo Viti </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Volterra is famous for another type of stone: alabaster. Inhabitants of this place have been carving alabaster since Etruscan times. The Guarnacci museum here has hundreds of cinerary urns fashioned from this stone as early as the 4th century BCE. We saw shops offering all kinds of things carved from alabaster, including lamp shades. In the Duomo there were alabaster windows that filtered in a soft dreamy light. Because alabaster is translucent, and can be cut very thin, it was used in medieval churches for small windows. We visited Volterra's Palazzo Viti, where we saw huge candelabras carved from alabaster, and rooms full of the rich furnishings that the alabaster trade afforded the family that once owned this wonderful place. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLxv439loKQbw0XrDsHRTWJHehitoyrKn4ykghlIQfpdCikAblhgpA6nel-atseESHdl-ZSf3vqewVmYLN9iGNgLnJgOT6z2Z7Y6AElhk6RRQXAPO7ZWqk4vTY53aWUM4Olt8O_UI6i0/s1600/alabaster+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLxv439loKQbw0XrDsHRTWJHehitoyrKn4ykghlIQfpdCikAblhgpA6nel-atseESHdl-ZSf3vqewVmYLN9iGNgLnJgOT6z2Z7Y6AElhk6RRQXAPO7ZWqk4vTY53aWUM4Olt8O_UI6i0/s640/alabaster+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alabaster in Voterra: window in the Duomo, an alabaster workshop, alabaster candelabra in Palazzo Viti</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In 1850 alabaster trader Guiseppe Viti bought his palazzo, which had been built by a Volterran nobleman at the end of the 16th century. Viti made extensive changes to the interior, and furnished it with items he bought on his extensive travels, and with plenty of alabaster treasures made in the Viti factory: tables, chandeliers, sideboards, frames, and candelabras. Viti's descendants still inhabit this fantastic place, and have opened 12 of its rooms to the public.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Palazzo Viti is enormous! This long view through a number of rooms gives an idea of its size. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At the far end, framed by the last doorway, was a curious figure...</span>a creepy blue-headed, hand-less guy with baggy purple leggings. He appeared at the end of the self-guided tour (perhaps as a warning of what would happen to <i>sticky-fingered tourists </i>who tried to escape with<i> </i>a purloined souvenir of the palazzo:) He reminds me that in recent years, Volterra has become a magnet for fans of <i>other</i> <i>creepy creatures.</i> In the popular <i>Twilight</i> books written by Stephanie Meyer, Volterra is the ancient city inhabited by the most powerful coven of her fictional vampires, the <i>Volturi</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-31014527275589143742015-11-01T09:21:00.000-08:002015-11-01T10:33:21.264-08:00A Villa in Tuscany<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Redi, in Quercegrossa</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">In September two friends and I rented this sweet villa called </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">Le Redi</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;"> in the village of Quercegrossa. It's perched on a hilltop, and the views from our terrace and windows were classic Tuscany! It was a relaxing, fun week.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">provisions from <i>Fratelli Zanzobini</i></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">Chris and Laurie flew into Florence from Boston a day before I arrived. They shopped for provisions at the Mercato Centrale in Florence. My Florentine friend Massimo had recommended a great wine shop near the Mercato named </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">Fratelli Zanzobini</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">, and my friends took his advice and made "a few" purchases from the very helpful proprietor. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;"><i>On our first evening at the villa we drank at least TWO of these bottles:)</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGcyQkQ1qGnIvHdcWAmWtxxY4O4jOU3NT0sdOq3QlcialBV_6j_PpHLMXOsAQCrUhq1eyyCTDBwosycQNDkTPaE4yJO0aR-BHYR-K00egpW7Ht_4rgh_lv6rwssroWTmw1qETNdnQJfU/s1600/IMG_1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGcyQkQ1qGnIvHdcWAmWtxxY4O4jOU3NT0sdOq3QlcialBV_6j_PpHLMXOsAQCrUhq1eyyCTDBwosycQNDkTPaE4yJO0aR-BHYR-K00egpW7Ht_4rgh_lv6rwssroWTmw1qETNdnQJfU/s200/IMG_1477.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">The villa was spacious and comfortable. We ate our dinners out most days, but one evening we hired a delightful lady named Elisa to cook for us. She made a delicious meal of pork roast and fresh local vegetables. There was also pasta, and a </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">meravigliosa</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;"> fruit tart for dessert. We enjoyed watching her prepare the meal, and of course we enjoyed eating it! Elisa also gave us lots of advice on where to shop locally, and what to see.</span><br />
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Every day we'd set out in the car on a new adventure. No matter where we went, <i>we got lost!</i> We had a GPS...<i>sort of.</i> It was supposed to work via iPhone. But the GPS was temperamental, <i>and road signs were not always helpful!</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Italian road sign is a good descriptor <br />
for the natives' wild & crazy driving style</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">We dubbed the Tuscan byways "spaghetti roads," and prayed to all the Italian saints to help us find our destination. It took a while to get used to the Italian driving style: fast, aggressive, and </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">ignoring all the rules.</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;"> Stop signs are meaningless; tailgating and passing on curves is the norm...and there are LOTS of curves in the switchback Tuscan roads! Laurie was our fearless driver. She wielded that standard shift knob like a native Italian </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">(she's of Italian descent)</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">, and gave those crazy Tuscan drivers some competition.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris and Laurie in Montepulciano</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">I've known Chris and Laurie for a long time. Chris has been my friend since kindergarten, and she and I met Laurie in high school. We'd often spent weekends together, but never had a week-long adventure like this one. They were </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">so much</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;"> fun, </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">perfect</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;"> travel companions. We had a GREAT time together, driving all over the Tuscan countryside, exploring the ancient hilltop towns of </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Volterra, Montepulciano, and whatever else we bumped into on our daily </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">viaggio.</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;"> We also visited Florence and Siena. And we had lots of laughs, </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">practicing Italian swear words on the insane drivers we encountered:)</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;"> </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Yes, the Italians are crazy drivers. </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But they are also the nicest people you can imagine: </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">friendly, generous, and welcoming. </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Molto simpatico.</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"> They are Italy's most precious asset. Italians love their wonderful country, and they are delighted when they hear that you love it, too.</span></div>
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At the end of our week together we vowed we'd return to Italy for another adventure. I look forward to enjoying more wonderful Italian scenery, food, wine, and sunsets together with these great ladies. <i>Prima è meglio è:</i> the sooner, the better.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Le Redi</td></tr>
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-51856168952926971742015-10-26T06:06:00.003-07:002015-10-26T06:06:54.608-07:00Prague: Veletrzni Palac (Trade Fair Palace)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grim looking Veletrzni Palac</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">A disappointing experience in Prague was my visit to the </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Veletrzni Palac</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> (Trade Fair Palace). This museum holds the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in the city. The artwork is housed in a huge, ugly grey hulk of a building that looks like a communist era construction. But it was built in the 1920s, in the avant grade "Functionalist" style.</span></span></div>
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The interior isn't much better- linoleum floors with industrial lighting...and color-wise, there's some strange stuff going on here: <i>pink </i>walls with <i>pink </i>labels for some exhibits- <i>disturbing!</i> There were some lovely artworks, but it seemed that they were few and far between.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few gems: Gustav Klimt and Alfons Mucha</td></tr>
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Detail from Slav Epic: <i>Holy Mount Athos</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The museum's saving grace is a cavernous gallery on the ground floor where Czech artist Alfons Mucha's impressive <i>Slav Epic</i> is displayed. Mucha created this series of monumental </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">canvases between 1910 and 1928. The 20 paintings depict the mythology and history of Czechs and other Slavic peoples. </span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is a beautiful exhibit!</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Being <i>almost alone</i> in such a vast, silent space, surrounded by Mucha's massive, <i>atmospheric</i> paintings, was an amazing experience.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alfons Mucha's <i>Slav Epic</i></td></tr>
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-6228936028856644642015-10-26T00:23:00.002-07:002016-01-15T20:59:30.065-08:00Colorful, Baroque Prague <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>sgraffito</i></td></tr>
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We arrived in Prague on a dismal cloudy day in October. <i>No problem.</i> Even on a cloudy day, this lively city is colorful and cheerful! Its ornate baroque buildings are washed in a pastel rainbow of colors. Some buildings are decorated with a two-toned <i>sgraffito</i> technique (where a surface layer of plaster is incised to reveal a lower layer of plaster in a contrasting color). Even the sidewalks are decorative, cobbled with patterns in shades of granite. Every neighborhood we explored was beautiful and well maintained. And there were crowds of people wherever we went, day and night. It's hard to imagine that this imaginative, spirited city was once under Communist rule.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Prague is a very photogenic city. Ancient towers, interesting buildings, and scenic views abound. A walk along Prague's riverfront is delightful, so many lovely things to see! Our hotel was on the eastern side of the Vltava, the river that divides Prague. High on a hill on the opposite bank is the magnificent Prague Castle, an awesome sight when viewed from the river.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entry gate to Prague Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Vitus Cathedral</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Prague Castle, founded in the 9th century AD, is a huge complex of buildings that covers more than 18 acres. St. Vitus Cathedral dominates the castle and the skyline of the western bank of the river. The Castle has 3 large courtyards and a mix of buildings within its boundaries: palaces, churches, great halls, a monastery, towers, museums, art galleries, and the state apartments. Today, the president of the Czech Republic rules from the Castle.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gdy43Xjf6mcCJvpnT081p061k83diBn9LJvVGBjub3w3rRYvWwd5ZUQjujbc_0OU19maIIAUVqrYc_vf4r60VB2tTUBxUkfd6ugXMp9M3dglDpe9evzpjLCeHhBaszxopTz-dj_k0fs/s1600/IMG_5306+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gdy43Xjf6mcCJvpnT081p061k83diBn9LJvVGBjub3w3rRYvWwd5ZUQjujbc_0OU19maIIAUVqrYc_vf4r60VB2tTUBxUkfd6ugXMp9M3dglDpe9evzpjLCeHhBaszxopTz-dj_k0fs/s640/IMG_5306+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Bridge and its Old Town Bridge Tower, viewed from the Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wallenstein Palace</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: normal;">J</span>ust below the Castle is the wonderful Wallenstein Palace and its gardens, created in the 17th century by Albrecht von Wallentstein. He was famous as the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial forces during the Thirty Years War. Albrecht only lived in this beautiful place for a year before he was assassinated by order of Emperor Ferdinand II, who suspected him of treason. Now the Wallenstein Palace is home to the Czech Senate.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR_kp7Cy8lFAJ_GrbXF7DifLTxQVaiRmAl5GQRdSSW6BnuUlLN6GSoH4WbNVoNZ9vKkCUOiUEYlw0MlhCKmBLUl8caVahOOs-uySYF_jw_RmVGwe6ZWEi4NzkSRfRpAurIJQEVJiAE8g/s1600/In_Utero%252C_%2528stainless_steel%252C_6_m%2529%252C_David_C%25CC%258Cerny%25CC%2581%252C_sculptor%252C_Prague_2013+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR_kp7Cy8lFAJ_GrbXF7DifLTxQVaiRmAl5GQRdSSW6BnuUlLN6GSoH4WbNVoNZ9vKkCUOiUEYlw0MlhCKmBLUl8caVahOOs-uySYF_jw_RmVGwe6ZWEi4NzkSRfRpAurIJQEVJiAE8g/s200/In_Utero%252C_%2528stainless_steel%252C_6_m%2529%252C_David_C%25CC%258Cerny%25CC%2581%252C_sculptor%252C_Prague_2013+%25281%2529.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cerny's <i>In Utero</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>There are statues everywhere in Prague...</i>on rooftops, </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">balconies, building corners, bridges, gates, and in the churches, of course. Many of them are from the baroque period, but Prague is famous for its contemporary public sculpture, too. Walking to the Old Town Square from our hotel we passed a 20 foot tall stainless steel sculpture of a naked woman, titled <i>In Utero.</i> It's the work of the Czech Republic's most famous contemporary sculptor, David Cerny. <i>In Utero</i> is an amusing, flashy counterpoint to its baroque surroundings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">Another of Prague's major tourist attractions is the Charles Bridge, named for King Charles IV, a 14th century emperor. Spanning the River Vltava, this 400+ year old concoction is decorated with </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">30 statues!</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the Charles Bridge, heading for Prague's "Little Quarter."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-ETIfsHGDQXjDEc3BU-1CcGV8yhuVhyphenhyphenXyOoRQx0zi0feDHYHL9fJQjtpjb-T1MOad1IlMSw1LPMhUq_JomB6NjRMC6ieu7TxGa9iICrcGoZNNqTquPB200I4vleutAGszyKdq6xFaTY/s1600/IMG_5210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-ETIfsHGDQXjDEc3BU-1CcGV8yhuVhyphenhyphenXyOoRQx0zi0feDHYHL9fJQjtpjb-T1MOad1IlMSw1LPMhUq_JomB6NjRMC6ieu7TxGa9iICrcGoZNNqTquPB200I4vleutAGszyKdq6xFaTY/s200/IMG_5210.jpg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. John Nepomuk</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of the statues has a halo of 5 golden stars. This is the martyred St. John Nepomuk, who was thrown off the bridge in March of 1393- punishment for displeasing King Wenceslas IV. John's unique halo commemorates the 5 stars that hovered over the Vltava River on the night of his death.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Town Hall's Astronomical Clock</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Prague's history is littered with the untimely deaths of people being thrown </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">off of</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> or </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">out of</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> somewhere! In fact, there are incidents in Prague's history officially called </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Defenestrations. </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This interesting term is defined as "an act of throwing someone or something out of the window." The first </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Prague</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Defenestration</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> took place in 1419 when radical Czech Hussites (followers of murdered Czech religious hero Jan Hus) threw 7 city council members from the Town Hall's windows. Those who survived the fall were murdered by the angry mob below. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site of 2nd <i>Defenestration</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">The </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Second Prague Defenestration</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"> happened at the Old Royal Palace of Prague Castle in 1618, the result of another religious disagreement. It ended on a happier note. The 3 Catholics who angry Protestants threw out of a second </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">storey window at Prague Castle survived the fall. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">Catholics claimed that the men survived because they were</span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> caught by angels;</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"> Protestants insisted that their fall was cushioned by the <i>pile of manure</i> they landed on:)</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U Fleku, a great way to end our Prague adventure!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On our last evening in the city we enjoyed a hearty roast pork and dumplings meal at Prague's <i>Pivovar U Fleku</i> (U Fleku Brewery), which was founded in 1499. This is a cozy, <i>noisy </i>place. Dark wood paneling lined the walls of our dining room, and an accordion player roamed between the tables singing traditional Czech songs. We sat at a long wooden table with other diners. The food was great, as was the signature U Fleku dark beer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-83358939834137412612015-10-16T12:31:00.001-07:002015-10-16T12:37:54.856-07:00The Coolest Barber in Maastricht<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0B8GUqMkmVNL88RTn2BLq9iOPdTqI9PhHIhwKyOebvOaPDso0ppghpzNn35epXbEa-Ac9LxYimaouJA_63R4wsW-jLloXVsWUR5xssFRFMFb42oV67Wf1M6qaXxiYqIcOmvrgeund0Y/s1600/IMG_1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0B8GUqMkmVNL88RTn2BLq9iOPdTqI9PhHIhwKyOebvOaPDso0ppghpzNn35epXbEa-Ac9LxYimaouJA_63R4wsW-jLloXVsWUR5xssFRFMFb42oV67Wf1M6qaXxiYqIcOmvrgeund0Y/s640/IMG_1371.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waiting room at Piet's</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOl5kW2Svdo53IqLVFw4XKfLqzF185oDjbInwEg3CuYtv_uhF2sJGZx0hbHuhyphenhyphenJgDRoklZxucT_6jd9OXW3XS0v5NAfj4_RV2nUhqo1uCYO4BPqCo1fuUNYFVa-ifgOhEan_LiAxv4Peo/s1600/IMG_1318+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOl5kW2Svdo53IqLVFw4XKfLqzF185oDjbInwEg3CuYtv_uhF2sJGZx0hbHuhyphenhyphenJgDRoklZxucT_6jd9OXW3XS0v5NAfj4_RV2nUhqo1uCYO4BPqCo1fuUNYFVa-ifgOhEan_LiAxv4Peo/s200/IMG_1318+%25281%2529.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My husband needed a haircut. Our Maastricht friend Thieu recommended his own barber, Piet Andela. Piet's shop is in Kapoenstraat, a short walk from our apartment. From the </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">outside it's pretty ordinary, but step inside and it's a whole different world! The waiting room contains some old stadium seats, and red and yellow chairs in the shape of hands. There were vintage kids' vehicles in the waiting room, too. That was just the beginning of Piet's eclectic collection...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26SuhhidnKEvOePpWiItzv7whIiQi36TN8P0dtAhAMWAZTusKr_WvKargjs6_CbpYeKZDL0A4moFGd15kgGRK3s_2YxUuZKcIDaOYKE6hzEzx8NVNsriyh_csYdqS4C1yhGcD88Ebpao/s1600/IMG_1317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26SuhhidnKEvOePpWiItzv7whIiQi36TN8P0dtAhAMWAZTusKr_WvKargjs6_CbpYeKZDL0A4moFGd15kgGRK3s_2YxUuZKcIDaOYKE6hzEzx8NVNsriyh_csYdqS4C1yhGcD88Ebpao/s200/IMG_1317.jpg" width="133" /></a>Piet collects and refurbishes vintage juke boxes, and he has a few of them in the barbershop. There are a variety of sculptures on display, too, including a giant mechanized switchblade knife that is in constant motion. Against the opposite wall is an odd multi-armed object, looking like a prop from a science fiction movie. Piet explained that it was once used to dry hair, but the red lights were annoying to some of his customers so he no longer uses it. But he likes the way it looks, so it has become part of his collection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> There's an old dental instrument cabinet, and a slot machine topped by a sign that says "What? Me Worry?" A curious Belgian "Eau de Cologne" dispenser hangs on the wall nearby, inviting passers-by to insert a Belgian franc to receive a refreshing spray of cologne! Other curiosities are displayed on table tops throughout the shop. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-d9kZ26FNWdhyphenhyphen6c_UBGyVpCjvHAeRztKmAwvLNbePlAybCpBFY_E1oZXWZSI-fFhBeDDyLvjvEeHy5gQ6MDtGVSmmkKC_HCqchYsSFx9SUPsuE83LicbsoouhYlo9h1URLGEvfVFjmk/s1600/IMG_1329+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-d9kZ26FNWdhyphenhyphen6c_UBGyVpCjvHAeRztKmAwvLNbePlAybCpBFY_E1oZXWZSI-fFhBeDDyLvjvEeHy5gQ6MDtGVSmmkKC_HCqchYsSFx9SUPsuE83LicbsoouhYlo9h1URLGEvfVFjmk/s640/IMG_1329+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuf59CHBoVNWamVqSbm9jFOP8pr0-B4tBkiPUgGPvJHhqEShI_T2912WiKGc7pUxNw5s03U6NNKdHcPBuFwtydXL2HJyL775tMsJKWHMVErSdp8AYkF9r3m-6bV9tD__qdd5UWJLeyH5U/s1600/IMG_1323+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuf59CHBoVNWamVqSbm9jFOP8pr0-B4tBkiPUgGPvJHhqEShI_T2912WiKGc7pUxNw5s03U6NNKdHcPBuFwtydXL2HJyL775tMsJKWHMVErSdp8AYkF9r3m-6bV9tD__qdd5UWJLeyH5U/s200/IMG_1323+%25281%2529.jpg" width="141" /></a>The unifying theme here is simple: <i>these are all objects that Piet likes.</i> He is a very interesting guy, and the conversation is lively while he is cutting hair. His English is excellent, as well as his knowledge of American culture. During Jim's visit Piet chatted about a variety of topics, everything from the Dutch royal family to Keith Richard's taking offense that he was not knighted (as was his bandmate Mick Jagger). </div>
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But the BEST thing about Piet Andela the barber is that he gives a GREAT HAIRCUT! Jim left looking much better than when he entered. Piet came to the door with us to say goodbye, and to invite Jim to return for another haircut before we leave Maastricht.</div>
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</span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-60263600018484517212015-09-10T03:40:00.000-07:002015-09-10T03:40:03.433-07:00Looking Up in Heidelberg<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strolling on the Hauptstrasse, in Heidelberg's Altstadt.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At the end of our Rhine cruise we headed for Heidelberg, home to Germany's oldest university (founded in 1386!) Heidelberg straddles the </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Necker River, a major tributary of the Rhine. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's a fun city to visit, with its many nice shops and cafes.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schloss Heidelberg towers above the Altstadt (Old Town)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The picturesque </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Schloss Heidelberg is perched</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> high up on a mountainside, overlooking this romantic city. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Construction of the castle began in the 13th century. It was later destroyed by fire (two separate lightening strikes!) and a series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries. Parts of the castle have been restored, but much of it remains a ruin. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Heidelberg Tun</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The castle cellar is home to one of the ancient city's treasures- the <i>Heidelberg Tun.</i> The tun is a HUGE wine barrel, made in 1751. It has a capacity of nearly 58,000 gallons. Its wine-storing days are long gone. Now it's one of Heidelberg's major tourist attractions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In Heidelberg I found myself always looking up! I had to look up to see the beautiful old castle ruin, of course, and to see the church towers high above the narrow streets. One afternoon when I was strolling on the Hauptstrasse, I looked up to see where bubbles floating through the air were coming from! </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A little mechanical bear was blowing them.</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> He was perched on a red chair attached to a balcony railing above my head. There was no sign to explain why the bear was there, or why he was blowing bubbles. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This mysterious bubbly bear was one more reason to love this </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">charming city.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonK2GupJjPcWfgIU3PcAh1uXFnXl8pf9nK2EEOcEYH08riry16TRRyq7bQYPWLktoIjMrY2uaRRTUkFRgetfaTVQxAlh3sZuRnUJQXMDAON6DKbyX54HHki4Q_ua-s5xPbNE2Ng8C-Oo/s1600/IMG_0633+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonK2GupJjPcWfgIU3PcAh1uXFnXl8pf9nK2EEOcEYH08riry16TRRyq7bQYPWLktoIjMrY2uaRRTUkFRgetfaTVQxAlh3sZuRnUJQXMDAON6DKbyX54HHki4Q_ua-s5xPbNE2Ng8C-Oo/s200/IMG_0633+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There were lots of other beautiful things to see on- <i>and above-</i> the streets of Heidelberg. High on the corner of one building I found beautiful mosaic portraits of famous German citizens. Religious statues adorned the corners of many other buildings. The Hauptstrasse Starbucks had a beautiful <i>Madonna and Child</i> sculpture on its corner. Not something you see at most Starbucks!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Most corner statues were of a religious nature. Some celebrated more down-to-earth pursuits:)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But the best part of visiting Heidelberg was the chance to see some of my friends who live nearby. Martin Ost brought his son Adrien into the city and we had a <i>lekker</i> snack at a very cool cafe called Urban Kitchen. Adrien is my godson. He was born in Pennsylvania while his parents were working in the states. Now they're back in Germany, so I don't get to see them so often.</span></div>
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Martin was wearing a "Johnny Cupcakes" t-shirt that I had bought him in Boston. He collects t-shirts, so every year I send him a few unique selections made in the USA. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm sure he's the only guy in Heidelberg who was wearing a Johnny Cupcakes t-shirt that day:-)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before we left Urban Kitchen, Martin told me to check out their </span><i>unusual</i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <i>rest rooms</i>, so I did (taking my camera along!) A door labeled with a word that I guessed said "rest rooms" opened into a circular area with a large stone sink in the middle. Doors off of the circular washroom were cleverly labeled to indicate which were ladies' rooms, men's rooms...and <i>whatever</i> rooms:-) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Das ist super cool.</i> </span></div>
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-79084887598007916712015-09-06T11:10:00.002-07:002015-09-06T11:10:45.491-07:00Cruising on the Rhine, Engelbert Humperdinck Country<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim's students enjoying a cruise on the Rhine.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was a chilly August morning when we boarded the boat in Koblenz for our Rhine River cruise. The sun felt good when it finally gained strength during the second hour of our pleasant trip. A waiter brought us hot tea and croissants- a perfect snack for watching the Rhine River valley go by! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We passed steep hillsides carpeted in vineyards, and </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">quaint villages with half-timbered houses facing the river</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Many of the villages had signs announcing their names. Larger towns like Boppard didn't display their names (as if everyone should know...<i>that's Boppard!</i>...no label necessary). We learned this scenic town's name because our boat stopped to pick up passengers- LOTS of passengers, it turned out. We were glad we had already staked our claim on a table with two chairs at </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the port side railing on the open top deck. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Boppard's most famous inhabitant was Engelbert Humperdinck. <i>No, not THAT Engelbert Humperdinck</i>...the one who lived in Boppard in the late 1890s, a German composer famous for his opera <i>Hansel and Gretel. </i>The E. Humperdinck most of us are familiar with was a British singer named Arnold Dorsey, who adopted Humperdinck's name in </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1965</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">("</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Please Release Me"</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <i>was one of his big hits). </i>A street in Boppard is named after the <i>original</i> Engelbert Humperdinck <i>(Humperdinckestrasse)</i>, and the proud citizens erected a monument to him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We disembarked at Bad Salzig and found our bus waiting for us. Everyone held their breath as the mammoth vehicle climbed a steep switchback road to get us on the highway to head for Heidelberg. We were amazed- <i>somehow our driver negotiated those sharp turns!</i> From the top we had a wonderful view of the Rhine. We'd love to return and cruise a longer stretch of this beautiful, <i>romantic</i> river. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-46945119407230128292015-08-24T04:57:00.000-07:002015-08-25T09:36:16.129-07:00Koblenz: Spitting Statues and a 6-Foot Thumb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Deutsches Eck in Koblenz</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHonc5PsgkbJRP6IKOVxOighBURZm8iGp40d_hsB-ByUxyfGX9M3gaAo6vQ00znerh6kPPTy2DYFYoXuIk-_qfJaexpapTG7kTkeC8w90WlYWpInjDrr17_HBv6cX7dmK0YBGZ1gNSQo/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHonc5PsgkbJRP6IKOVxOighBURZm8iGp40d_hsB-ByUxyfGX9M3gaAo6vQ00znerh6kPPTy2DYFYoXuIk-_qfJaexpapTG7kTkeC8w90WlYWpInjDrr17_HBv6cX7dmK0YBGZ1gNSQo/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jim and I are on a "study tour" trip with his students. We started the 5-day adventure in Koblenz, Germany, a city situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers (the French spell it <i>Moselle</i>). The narrow point of land in Koblenz that divides the rivers is called the <i>Deutsches Eck</i> (German Corner). A massive statue of Emperor Wilhelm I on horseback lords it over the <i>Eck.</i> On the day we visited, Wilhelm was being serenaded by an accordionist down near water level who was playing french cabaret tunes. <i>Sweet.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Behind Wilhelm's statue there's a small park with beautiful gardens and large plane trees (like our sycamores). Some trees were decorated with colorful splotches of color! Nearby is a contemporary art museum- the Ludwig Museum. I wondered if the Museum had anything to do with the whimsical tree painting. There wasn't time to tour the inside of the museum, but we wandered around in its courtyard and came upon a 6-foot tall bronze sculpture of a thumb! The detail on this giant thumb was impressive, right down to its unique fingerprint. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWVd3DWbTxb3qEUjoc8mTyO6pO5A5ocHhwa1-JEgs4s3oGUk_otC8tCmGuyQugF1ndILG5mpdVJwZ3igms0-xkqJQUKSzHYyhNWsqvWwqhCrCWq_KQb2ct3_aAs3QQYxoKAtXvUmj4XI/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWVd3DWbTxb3qEUjoc8mTyO6pO5A5ocHhwa1-JEgs4s3oGUk_otC8tCmGuyQugF1ndILG5mpdVJwZ3igms0-xkqJQUKSzHYyhNWsqvWwqhCrCWq_KQb2ct3_aAs3QQYxoKAtXvUmj4XI/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" width="182" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><br />A huge fortress dominates the clifftop opposite the <i>Deutsches Eck.</i> This is <i>Ehrenbreitstein,</i> built by the Prussians between 1817 and 1828 to protect the middle Rhine area from French invaders. We rode a cable car that crossed high above the river to get to the fort. The views from our cable car were spectacular! That ride was one of the highlights of our short stay in Koblenz. Jim wasn't interested in walking about in the fortress, so I explored it myself. I forgot to get the fortress map from Jim, so I became lost in the huge walled in space and its confusing interior corridors. Eventually I found my way out and we rode the cable car back to the <i>Deutsches Eck</i> park where we lunched at a pleasant outdoor cafe near the Ludwig Museum. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wandering about in Koblenz' altstadt (old town), I found some unusual statues. The funniest is the <i>Schangelbrunnen,</i> a statue of a "spitting boy." At regular intervals a stream of water spurts from the little guy's mouth, pouring onto unsuspecting tourists. Created in 1940, this statue is a tribute to the mischievous youth of Koblenz. In another of the city's squares- <i>Gorresplatz</i>- a towering "history column" tells the story of this Rhineland town. At the bottom of the column is a boat filled with wine barrels, representing the success of Koblenz' wine trade. A huge head projects from the bow of the boat. Like the <i>Schangelbrunnen, </i>this fellow is also spitting water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Later in the day we joined the students for a wine tasting at the Hans Mader winery on the banks of the Mosel. It was a beautiful drive along the river to reach the winery. We marveled at the steep banks planted with grapevines. How did they tend the vines and harvest the grapes on those inclines? It was all explained to us by Hans' son, the 3rd generation winemaker in the family. The steep slopes make it impossible to use machinery for the process, so all of the work is done by hand. We tasted a number of wines, both red and white. Our hosts also served us a delicious <i>Winzerplatte</i> while we were tasting: cheese, ham, homemade sausage, and slices of brown Oberlander bread. A great way to end our afternoon in the Mosel valley! </span><br />
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<br />Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-31751791178123739952015-08-21T04:01:00.000-07:002015-08-22T12:53:25.149-07:00Star-Studded Maastricht<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge star in the ancient city center welcomes tourists to Maastricht</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maastricht VVV building once served<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's an image identified as Maastricht's flag in a book called</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> the </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Wappenbuch von Meister,</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> published in Germany in 1545. It shows a man holding a red flag with a white star in the center. In 1994 a modern version of the old original Maastricht flag was introduced. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The <i>Gemeente Maastricht</i> (Municipality of Maastricht) is proud of its beautiful flag, and has adopted the star as a symbol of the city. You'll see red and white stars displayed <i>everywhere</i> here. A good place to find a selection of these Maastricht stars is the city's tourist office, or "VVV" (short for <i>Vereniging Voor Vreemdelingenverkeer</i>, which means "Association for the Traffic of Foreigners." S<i>ounds </i></span><i>like<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> a rogue kidnapping </span>organization</i>! The VVV is housed in a beautiful old building dating to 1470. Originally it was Maastricht's <i>Dinghuis</i> (courthouse).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The VVV sells maps, books about Maastricht and Limburg province, and products made in Maastricht (including <i>appelstroop,</i> a molasses-like syrup made from apples). And then there are <i>the STARS</i>...star keychains, refrigerator magnets, and red pens imprinted with a white Maastricht star. To my delight, I found bags of <i>chocolate stars!</i></span><br />
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Maastricht's <i>most famous star</i> is its talented native son, Andre Rieu. Rieu is a violinist, known for creating and conducting the <i>Johann Strauss Orchestra</i> that is well-known for its worldwide touring act. Every summer Rieu returns to Maastricht to host a city-wide party centered around a week of the orchestra's concerts. The main stage is in the <i>Vrijthof,</i> Maastricht's largest square. The VVV sells CDs of Andre Rieu's music, of course. They also sell cute little keychains with Andre's image, backed by the ubiquitous Maastricht star! I bought one to bring to a Dutch friend back in the states who was the first person to tell me about this famous <i>Maastrichtenaar.</i></span><br />
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Maastricht stars pop up in some unusual places. Last week my Dutch friend Ria took me to the grocery store, and while we were there I bought "official" <i>Gemeente Maastricht</i> trash bags. It's mandatory to put your trash in one of these special bags. The price of the pickup is included in the hefty price of the plastic sack. Trash pickup is on Wednesday in our neighborhood, the <i>Jekerquartier</i>. On Tuesday evening I opened the package of <i>Gemeente Maastricht</i> official trash bags. There were those Maastricht <i>sterren</i> again! This time white stars on a red field with the Maastricht logo and <i>RESTAFVAL</i> (waste) printed large. </span><br />
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-1930537940963358942015-08-16T04:50:00.001-07:002015-08-16T05:27:21.219-07:00Return to Maastricht<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwNUmC9Cf2C1j0s09up-Sdk2pQd8Mie0xW3nAXJ1kgtnUYXUO6fNYt-vqXBgFPvzS3NmJLsi2dYZfB00sP3CXb6aS9Ou35B_HSw00A9gwxuWyFjNjZUwprehMmei_czoRFn_u7IIDo0Q/s1600/IMG_9995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwNUmC9Cf2C1j0s09up-Sdk2pQd8Mie0xW3nAXJ1kgtnUYXUO6fNYt-vqXBgFPvzS3NmJLsi2dYZfB00sP3CXb6aS9Ou35B_HSw00A9gwxuWyFjNjZUwprehMmei_czoRFn_u7IIDo0Q/s320/IMG_9995.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fireplace doesn't work, but it is lovely to look at!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beautiful, gezellig living room.</td></tr>
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We're back in Maastricht! Our view is no longer from Sint Pieterstraat, but it is still a lovely view from the windows of our apartment. We live in a very old building, on what we believe to be the most beautiful square in Maastricht. It's great to be back here and to see that the Maastricht we got to know in 2013 has not changed much! All of our favorite cafes are still in business, as well as most of the shops we grew to love. It's still a LONG walk to the grocery store. <i>Lugging all that good Dutch and Belgian beer home can be difficult:-) </i>Right now it's time for me to head out to Albert Heijn (one of our supermarkets) to find something for dinner. No cafe dinner for us tonight, too many people in town! </div>
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<br />Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-68221031913294671612014-03-04T12:50:00.001-08:002014-03-06T07:04:23.335-08:00Maastricht: New Lives for Old Churches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polare Bookstore, <i> a religious experience</i> for Dutch book lovers.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Over the past 50 years the Netherlands has experienced a dramatic drop in religious practice. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Catholicism was traditionally the country's predominant religion, and at one time its Catholic church attendance was the highest in Europe. In the 1970s t</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">he Dutch population was 40 percent Catholic, but today only 24 percent identify themselves as Catholic. And many of those who say they are Roman Catholic do not regularly attend church. As a result of the shrinking attendance, hundreds of Catholic churches in the Netherlands have been shut or sold. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The enterprising Dutch have found creative new uses for these historic buildings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Maastricht has many re-purposed church buildings. Some house offices and apartments. A Franciscan church close to where we lived now holds the Limburg state archives. A 15th century monastery and church complex near the Vrijthof has been made into a beautiful high-end "designer hotel" called the <i>Kruisherenhotel. </i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Chic lobby of Maastricht's </span><i style="text-align: center;">Kruisherenhotel.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A former Dominican church in the center of Maastricht has been transformed into a spectacular bookstore. This church was not one of the casualties of the recent decline in Dutch religiosity. It was consecrated in 1294, but it hasn't been used for religious services since 1794. That's when Napoleon's army confiscated the property for military use. The gothic building has also been used as a town archive, a warehouse, and even for bike storage. In 2005 it was reincarnated as a bookstore, now called Polare.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A popular cafe called <i>Coffee Lovers</i> occupies the area where the church's altar once was. Sleek black metal book stacks rise three levels above the floor of the nave. From the book stack's top balcony there's a great view of the crucifix-shaped table in the center of the cafe- a modern day altar where coffee worshippers can use the free wifi or meet with friends. We didn't find many books in English at Polare, but it was still a fun place to visit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most unusual use of an old church that we found in Maastricht was on the Kesselkade, near the river. A somber looking Augustinian church there has been made into an indoor playground called <i>Funville. </i>A 30+ foot tall structure inside the church contains trampolines, ladders, and slides of varying heights for kids to enjoy. Parents can relax in a cafe lounge to watch their kids play (there's free wifi, of course). <i>Church has never been so much fun.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An indoor playground in a former church-<i> heaven for kids.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw55qc1fvLS9Bh0hO34E3gW-0MUCH_XQyHjCKX2Kc0PekejhIx22KQwKXkpymEV07h6YMYRA1Qmn5DTxt7YTGVdVBakI3i278-Iyr6Wz8hYzc6UZyGbPFaXGgM4D_VnUnFTwymQ0MJ6PM/s1600/Funville1209201014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw55qc1fvLS9Bh0hO34E3gW-0MUCH_XQyHjCKX2Kc0PekejhIx22KQwKXkpymEV07h6YMYRA1Qmn5DTxt7YTGVdVBakI3i278-Iyr6Wz8hYzc6UZyGbPFaXGgM4D_VnUnFTwymQ0MJ6PM/s1600/Funville1209201014.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funville's mammoth slide</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-14539614073124514562014-02-14T16:26:00.000-08:002014-06-19T18:49:59.323-07:00Florence Revisited<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T-h_bCRo74eor_BY4bu4RGsQ98CGHogxRxuJJlBFBUFgpkvD9qCoY98kaPEGbManZMyMIo9rF8XKpzyypqAMIBVQOPG5nMZjFIgfUDemKmnJsflYU0KK6b18czy_oSvqF1J8WjmWCOI/s1600/IMG_2280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T-h_bCRo74eor_BY4bu4RGsQ98CGHogxRxuJJlBFBUFgpkvD9qCoY98kaPEGbManZMyMIo9rF8XKpzyypqAMIBVQOPG5nMZjFIgfUDemKmnJsflYU0KK6b18czy_oSvqF1J8WjmWCOI/s1600/IMG_2280.JPG" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence viewed from the Piazzale Michelangelo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last time I was in Florence was during my junior year in college, when I spent a semester studying art in that wonderful city. I left there in the beginning of May to hitchhike around Europe with a friend. My last look at Florence was the view from Piazzale Michelangelo. It broke my heart to leave, but I knew I'd be back. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33IPSPqc-w3BroPVVdo0hitHuHUR31HPqT7yUWkQkIj_AcY-1W9891MH6uJO0f_cr-N2VzAUwTbdhyphenhyphenZDbgH2YpKqPetF1lrGHcd239yU61VDc8Q0tHpvRWAV7IyrrTqJd5OW-wcUVpZs/s1600/IMG_2255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33IPSPqc-w3BroPVVdo0hitHuHUR31HPqT7yUWkQkIj_AcY-1W9891MH6uJO0f_cr-N2VzAUwTbdhyphenhyphenZDbgH2YpKqPetF1lrGHcd239yU61VDc8Q0tHpvRWAV7IyrrTqJd5OW-wcUVpZs/s1600/IMG_2255.JPG" height="300" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Florence's famous <i>Ponte Vecchio</i> (Old Bridge) spans the Arno River</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHH6Hm4ye9g6xSsJwAywuJ8sWZP4ISWEms244GJhHCM8qx2iXeB0KkT_l7sLZdt9MS1-MQRighzX1TE9-zfzggfrcbtLlHWGkLoUYDr_GkeUDB03q7VodvS15UHrVWQVJSQNlCuBXvlQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+5.05.51+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHH6Hm4ye9g6xSsJwAywuJ8sWZP4ISWEms244GJhHCM8qx2iXeB0KkT_l7sLZdt9MS1-MQRighzX1TE9-zfzggfrcbtLlHWGkLoUYDr_GkeUDB03q7VodvS15UHrVWQVJSQNlCuBXvlQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-22+at+5.05.51+PM.jpg" height="320" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a week at the <i>Tenuta di</i> <i>Spannocchia,</i> near Siena, I said goodbye to my watercolor workshop friends and checked into a hotel in the heart of Florence. It was a short walk to the <i>Piazza del Duomo</i>, where the huge orange-tiled dome of the <i>Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore</i> <i>(St. Mary of the Flower)</i> looms above the square. Looking up at the dome and the massive concoction of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">white, green, and pink marble that it crowns, I remembered how overwhelmed I was the first time I saw <i>Santa Maria del Fiore</i>. Until then I had never seen a church that was covered in anything but wood, brick or stone. And I had never seen a church so massive in size! It was <i>so big,</i> <i>so beautiful</i>, and <i>so exotic. </i>Since then I've traveled a lot, and have seen many huge, beautiful churches. But seeing this magnificent church still has a powerful effect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a student </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had climbed up into that beautiful dome- designed by Filippo Bruelleschi in the early 15th century. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's still the largest masonry dome ever built!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>The view of Florence from up there was wonderful.</i> I wouldn't go up in the dome this trip. The line to enter the cathedral was too long. There were a lot of other places I wanted to revisit in Florence. Waiting in line would waste precious time. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiLV2hSCwWG3cwpWdhVF_QIbgAoXDW8Z0nbgr5mFrTd_h4BJ2IvgFmUGuzUC2VAb_jpEIkqWMr8Ws7JT01BHmtHsRVhWnYwyk8J2mVXpkK4FUMnhkyZZ2HKulVMyRvwXR2zeuK9laJjk/s1600/IMG_2359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiLV2hSCwWG3cwpWdhVF_QIbgAoXDW8Z0nbgr5mFrTd_h4BJ2IvgFmUGuzUC2VAb_jpEIkqWMr8Ws7JT01BHmtHsRVhWnYwyk8J2mVXpkK4FUMnhkyZZ2HKulVMyRvwXR2zeuK9laJjk/s1600/IMG_2359.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My <i>Via Pier Capponi</i> home</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visiting my old neighborhood was a top priority. As a student I had lived in a big house on Via Pier Capponi, near </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piazza </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;">della </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><i>Libertà. </i>A</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n elderly Contessa rented rooms in the house, which was her home. My room was in the front of the building, with a balcony overlooking the street. When I returned to Florence last October, I found the house easily and was happy to see that it's well taken care of. It appears that the building has been made into apartments. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGxrRWvgkGvGXTg-wr2iy1J0fw_E9r1z58btjwMulX3n9isI4OAkPRAHBzHnCOGb6xirrOFCKFA1OySjJGIrlUpOf-VxymGj3QvFNJcE5Mb84eoz0hkLDY1tDuf_FZjZflao__IFm_CY/s1600/IMG_2377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGxrRWvgkGvGXTg-wr2iy1J0fw_E9r1z58btjwMulX3n9isI4OAkPRAHBzHnCOGb6xirrOFCKFA1OySjJGIrlUpOf-VxymGj3QvFNJcE5Mb84eoz0hkLDY1tDuf_FZjZflao__IFm_CY/s1600/IMG_2377.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via Dei Servi, approaching the Duomo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I followed the same route back from <i>Via Pier Capponi</i> to the Duomo that I had walked so many times all those years ago. I wanted to relive the thrill of seeing the surreal vision of the marble Duomo looming at the end of narrow <i>Via dei Servi</i>. It is just as beautiful as I </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">remembered.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkwGrBFl0-LrQeXG0U1M32UVWyuSKiTC7j_owIiN6kBma0VLQbj11R4GI85glBCU8HdlVnXpjVoDba8GD4MDVXcAcZCq7F4SW-x15Se3l7i8jLTNWu_ojKqHdZiFDd5HZY-_Q8NyyIsE/s1600/Sandro_Botticelli_-_La_nascita_di_Venere_-_Google_Art_Project_-_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkwGrBFl0-LrQeXG0U1M32UVWyuSKiTC7j_owIiN6kBma0VLQbj11R4GI85glBCU8HdlVnXpjVoDba8GD4MDVXcAcZCq7F4SW-x15Se3l7i8jLTNWu_ojKqHdZiFDd5HZY-_Q8NyyIsE/s1600/Sandro_Botticelli_-_La_nascita_di_Venere_-_Google_Art_Project_-_edited.jpg" height="157" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birth of Venus detail</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday I spent two hours in the wonderful Uffizi Galleries. <i>The place was mobbed. </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The museum has a very large collection of religious paintings. I saw numerous <i>a</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>dorations, crucifixions, annunciations, and Madonnas with children</i> painted by a variety of Medieval and Renaissance artists.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was a relief to finally come upon Sandro Botticelli's beautiful </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Birth of Venus</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">non-religious</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> painting that <i>(</i></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by a stroke of luck)</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was not mobbed by a tour group when I entered the room. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xRi4KDLk2Ubarc7G193589f3Ll72GrFpdNItViJ5pNnuux5aB3UFQEPBbGVYXajmVU2aUz20-9WbLcZje9D9aYLDfKeUt2S8K26C7zvFzR-x2LHkMy09daeYzjA_cG8Dpdr_W7apBPU/s1600/IMG_2313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xRi4KDLk2Ubarc7G193589f3Ll72GrFpdNItViJ5pNnuux5aB3UFQEPBbGVYXajmVU2aUz20-9WbLcZje9D9aYLDfKeUt2S8K26C7zvFzR-x2LHkMy09daeYzjA_cG8Dpdr_W7apBPU/s1600/IMG_2313.JPG" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The broad windowed hallways and stone stairwells of the Uffizi were not so crowded, and they held plenty of artworks to enjoy. Many were sculptures and portraits of prominent Florentines. I was amazed by how <i>unflattering</i> some of the portraits were! Lots of big, unusual noses. Maybe the fellow in this portrait was proud of his huge crooked nose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorites was this sculpted portrait of a cardinal. <i>A profile only a mother could love.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelangelo's <i>David</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was studying in Florence, I was able visit the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> statue in the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Galleria del'Academia </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">often, using my student pass. In the winter months there was no waiting line. Sometimes I'd be the only person there, drinking in the beauty of Michelangelo's masterpiece in its tranquil setting. This time I had to share </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with a multitude, all of us looking up in admiration at the marvel that Michelangelo carved out of a single piece of white marble. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLZ9xaW4sH_IT_tE307oIWpWy3bxSc9TX9JXAbCXzNGl74QS7exbHkNAy0dd7HjgjiFvWUeA604Ji8NKKYQhBZ85s8F7sptdN5Ovn26Ddyl_SaHMjhqeO5kDZQj9hqTbWrWBEDw-2_aI/s1600/IMG_2399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLZ9xaW4sH_IT_tE307oIWpWy3bxSc9TX9JXAbCXzNGl74QS7exbHkNAy0dd7HjgjiFvWUeA604Ji8NKKYQhBZ85s8F7sptdN5Ovn26Ddyl_SaHMjhqeO5kDZQj9hqTbWrWBEDw-2_aI/s1600/IMG_2399.jpg" height="285" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Basilica di Santa Croce</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to my Italian conversation group friends Walter and Sharon (who met in Florence, and lived there for a time in the 1970s), I had a Florentine guide for three mornings. His name is Massimo- "Max" for short. Max has lived in Florence all his life. He and Walter became good friends while working as tour guides in the city's famous </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scuola del Cuoio</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Leather School) at the Monastery of the <i>Basilica di</i> </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Santa Croce</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Basilica of the Holy Cross). One morning I met Max at Santa Croce, which is the world's largest Franciscan church. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7qzrFoW_PnPrKGE1SG0RgfvcCUD_XtEoUaUFVZQlnNKBqDk6_PoBtu2Isz4NKtzxS8Ebzu5Y2bRY7U9AcX9JBaF7xSpXUGDS_J2k0chkmnOwWVsdEY4s-ohcfUwXSnGc2aSG80Wju58/s1600/IMG_2418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7qzrFoW_PnPrKGE1SG0RgfvcCUD_XtEoUaUFVZQlnNKBqDk6_PoBtu2Isz4NKtzxS8Ebzu5Y2bRY7U9AcX9JBaF7xSpXUGDS_J2k0chkmnOwWVsdEY4s-ohcfUwXSnGc2aSG80Wju58/s1600/IMG_2418.jpg" height="320" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelangelo's tomb in <i>Santa Croce</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tombs of some Florentine greats are in Santa Croce, including those of Machiavelli, Galileo, and Michelangelo. Michelangelo had promised his body to Florence, but he died in Rome. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His body was stolen from Rome and smuggled to Florence in a horse cart! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Pope, who wished to bury the famous sculptor in Rome, was not happy with the theft. But he allowed Florence to keep Michelangelo's remains.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Croce's Chapel of the Novitiate</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Basilica of Santa Croce has sixteen chapels.</i> Walter and Sharon were married in one of them- the 15th century Chapel of the Novitiate, which was built for Cosimo di Medici. A beautiful Della Robbia glazed terra-cotta altarpiece adorns the wall above the altar. <i>What a romantic setting for a wedding.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">15th century fresco above the corridor entrance</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After Max and I toured the church and its lovely cloisters we visited the leather school. The </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">scuola</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is housed in Santa Croce's former Franciscan Monastery. Its main corridor is decorated with 15th century frescoes and coats of arms of the Medici family who donated this wing to the friars. In the corridor we met Francesca Gori, a daughter of the leather school's founder. She was delighted to see Max, and arranged a VIP tour for us! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTq9YifHuFf5M-TRdPws8O2vAG4zcPJuP5PPSUFbpl13GY3VnEQUQbRAVWtsiwa9cTPzaNfaQDjqckV6x2P8K_GzElEqs62oatGzHCiDIcMimOG6u29DsVAltpaOE6fyu0vZ6YBZd0BI/s1600/IMG_2439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTq9YifHuFf5M-TRdPws8O2vAG4zcPJuP5PPSUFbpl13GY3VnEQUQbRAVWtsiwa9cTPzaNfaQDjqckV6x2P8K_GzElEqs62oatGzHCiDIcMimOG6u29DsVAltpaOE6fyu0vZ6YBZd0BI/s1600/IMG_2439.JPG" height="249" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A young leather worker gave us a demonstration of hand tooled embossing on a leather tray, using gold leaf and ancient tools from the scuola's collection. His work table was at the far end of the corridor. At the other end of the corridor, glass cases held samples of the beautiful-</span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and VERY expensive-</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> handmade leather goods that the scuola produces.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFi-nKtxmwKFJzBtk7TKX79aI0x5a_W6MOAr_pA2SR0SFTaebNwb0aT-jFWAsw_ObooXclS6BTz2Q8Vs20VJm6u8D8OblpK38PsaKVm_LgztrOHfBOCZY6y3OHpzYT39FdvjzXBFA5nA/s1600/IMG_2571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFi-nKtxmwKFJzBtk7TKX79aI0x5a_W6MOAr_pA2SR0SFTaebNwb0aT-jFWAsw_ObooXclS6BTz2Q8Vs20VJm6u8D8OblpK38PsaKVm_LgztrOHfBOCZY6y3OHpzYT39FdvjzXBFA5nA/s1600/IMG_2571.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mountain of fruit in the Mercato Centrale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning Max took me to Florence's huge <i>Mercato Centrale</i> for a <i>panino con il</i> <i>lampredotto. </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Florentines have been enjoying this</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> specialty since the 1500s. Sharon and Walter had raved about <i>lampredotto</i>, which is made from the "fourth and final" stomach of a cow. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was curious, and asked Max where I could find this culinary treat.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He took me to Nerbone's, a food stall in the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mercato</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that has been serving </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lampredotto</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> since the market opened its doors in the 1870s. The </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lampredotto</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was served with green chili sauce. Max insisted that we have a glass of red wine with it (at 11 in the morning!) It was an unusual,<i> delicious</i> lunch!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nerbone's, and its famous <i>panino con il lampredotto</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhO6mb8laib8gsCcr0YUUSYvaupA_oJdwWDtGg3twrOZzVPFMYtQoVrYBOcFdVZcW1dOexEHhBwYZPMz2hUjs_j5nb98LKFGsaQHdPkyqhnYKzWqZhl3y2mgS0EELr-DDYORTBYsCRSo/s1600/IMG_2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhO6mb8laib8gsCcr0YUUSYvaupA_oJdwWDtGg3twrOZzVPFMYtQoVrYBOcFdVZcW1dOexEHhBwYZPMz2hUjs_j5nb98LKFGsaQHdPkyqhnYKzWqZhl3y2mgS0EELr-DDYORTBYsCRSo/s1600/IMG_2529.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max at <i>Pasticceria Sieni</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the lampredotto<i> </i>lunch, Max took me to another great Florentine hangout, the <i>Pasticceria Sieni</i>. He said it was one of the best cafes in Florence for a good cappuccino.<i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I wasn't disappointed.</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Max was a great guide, <i>and lot of fun.</i> Walter and Sharon and I hope that he'll come to Pennsylvania sometime so we can show him around, and introduce him to some of <i>our</i> local culinary treats- like <i>scrapple</i> :-)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-tvZ5LEwbrZTHiIsNVinZqrgJQWu1qTJ919-idkRPybYIi3g0Zyh3aKDNcZ-AnL3aUYOAKNZuOee-nLqj0nWoU79hD6QTAkbunGg1yUdCWoFhKZmnpwhhpGlcTQOlSg5aTjsmJsOjYI/s1600/IMG_2489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-tvZ5LEwbrZTHiIsNVinZqrgJQWu1qTJ919-idkRPybYIi3g0Zyh3aKDNcZ-AnL3aUYOAKNZuOee-nLqj0nWoU79hD6QTAkbunGg1yUdCWoFhKZmnpwhhpGlcTQOlSg5aTjsmJsOjYI/s1600/IMG_2489.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Palazzo Vecchio</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On my last evening in Florence I returned to see the Duomo, and to the <i>Piazza della Signoria</i> for a last look at the beautiful <i>Palazzo Vecchio</i>- the "Old Palace" that serves as the city hall. The ancient buildings were </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">gorgeous at night, lit up and glowing against the night sky. I was sad, having to say goodbye to Florence again. But the beauty of this Renaissance city at night washed away those feelings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's an old saying- </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you can't go back again-</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> meaning that the experience is never as good when you return to a place that played an important role in your past. The saying didn't hold true for me this time. I enjoyed every moment of my return visit to Florence. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And I'll be back, beautiful Florence...I promise.</i> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-57989830472716906702014-01-21T14:26:00.000-08:002014-01-21T18:16:19.695-08:00Siena's Zebra-Striped Cathedral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQ960j4K-QL6F3Q26_22YuMnaYHu8uAhS37uUkal0Bb8cmwITVAfD2IA6JPnwgaa1RVUGLXVf-4vJyqC1N3cVw4jAbJYaKWfl9n5IUs4ZmKKvge3YTeJKMU7JVeymVLgz2jH_pSMeLaU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-19+at+10.34.38+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQ960j4K-QL6F3Q26_22YuMnaYHu8uAhS37uUkal0Bb8cmwITVAfD2IA6JPnwgaa1RVUGLXVf-4vJyqC1N3cVw4jAbJYaKWfl9n5IUs4ZmKKvge3YTeJKMU7JVeymVLgz2jH_pSMeLaU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-19+at+10.34.38+AM.png" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWEdpXVGiiBUopSqABwWJsK1fmeJcWd40sJoXXKdg2EVVKmePwKQIturcybQRw8EoqAGmHR8NeLZDQRBqwGgR3sVCPC-6AgLWRGEwpNDIFLa0VUTeCg8jGMXb28BZdjNg8cSi2rzzGQM/s1600/IMG_1901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWEdpXVGiiBUopSqABwWJsK1fmeJcWd40sJoXXKdg2EVVKmePwKQIturcybQRw8EoqAGmHR8NeLZDQRBqwGgR3sVCPC-6AgLWRGEwpNDIFLa0VUTeCg8jGMXb28BZdjNg8cSi2rzzGQM/s1600/IMG_1901.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGf3nVLKMh6eJQFMJW9AO8HukpMuBVwmaneEkTgc4x4tDpbKIP-miqMFVxtVOrvc1WclLDywIkmpvEX6c2-SLChepq638H29eUsU0ZUSIZhU0vy7-ccVao8Dl0xc0KghfObObtqlf544/s1600/IMG_1810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGf3nVLKMh6eJQFMJW9AO8HukpMuBVwmaneEkTgc4x4tDpbKIP-miqMFVxtVOrvc1WclLDywIkmpvEX6c2-SLChepq638H29eUsU0ZUSIZhU0vy7-ccVao8Dl0xc0KghfObObtqlf544/s1600/IMG_1810.jpg" height="320" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Il Campo</i>, Siena's central piazza<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Siena's </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duomo</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">di</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Santa Maria Assunta</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption) has got to be one of Italy's most beautiful churches. Its gorgeous exterior is sheathed with white marble, accented with dark green marble stripes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Striped marble-clad churches are characteristic of the <i>Italian Gothic</i> style that was popular in the 13th century when Siena's Duomo was built. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWyY2gGSCNJNf7FFF3YaeKuN4BVt99dPspIOLrPXuH1SwizKggbal3bzHRdjxDShzLMx3Nm-n3NnNkRdWa7-B-yJnhY3Braou_qine-vRCfF2nWDnZXBQ8Wbo1WM-G1C0UZh8UqULKcE/s1600/IMG_1851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWyY2gGSCNJNf7FFF3YaeKuN4BVt99dPspIOLrPXuH1SwizKggbal3bzHRdjxDShzLMx3Nm-n3NnNkRdWa7-B-yJnhY3Braou_qine-vRCfF2nWDnZXBQ8Wbo1WM-G1C0UZh8UqULKcE/s1600/IMG_1851.jpg" height="320" width="166" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWyY2gGSCNJNf7FFF3YaeKuN4BVt99dPspIOLrPXuH1SwizKggbal3bzHRdjxDShzLMx3Nm-n3NnNkRdWa7-B-yJnhY3Braou_qine-vRCfF2nWDnZXBQ8Wbo1WM-G1C0UZh8UqULKcE/s1600/IMG_1851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zebra striped columns made of black and white marble dominate the cathedral's interior. Nestled behind all those overwhelming striped columns is the cathedral's high altar, a marble birthday cake topped by a giant bronze <i>ciborium</i> (a covered cup that holds eucharistic hosts) and four bronze angels, each holding a tall candle. More bronze angels attached to columns around the altar also hold tall candles. <i>Angels, angels everywhere in this cathedral.</i> And STRIPES!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOLEoCIMhyphenhyphenaZ_DLjfkOIhNgSXPfZYnM1CwWTHfiQO9sHUpTyX0myLX5Rb2cBy_Kug96w2IMeNqI862HL46yuiivDJ_n-GvrHQeKCkZBxDBqoVraqAHdS0n7hlbVX0vtUTZqP32RGG_5A/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOLEoCIMhyphenhyphenaZ_DLjfkOIhNgSXPfZYnM1CwWTHfiQO9sHUpTyX0myLX5Rb2cBy_Kug96w2IMeNqI862HL46yuiivDJ_n-GvrHQeKCkZBxDBqoVraqAHdS0n7hlbVX0vtUTZqP32RGG_5A/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK2ef2G3CuKMznDfyvpo_ZQm_zO-Scw2pikxzxxDi-ChHuq9XmXmn2OJ4N21xWFY0C329Fa7cfHY-oCrE7PVwEgEAFcgTAw4iRtMSSNn-HpRl9nwtDDQBkvKMDjSNNwHel86KTdlleio/s1600/IMG_1856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK2ef2G3CuKMznDfyvpo_ZQm_zO-Scw2pikxzxxDi-ChHuq9XmXmn2OJ4N21xWFY0C329Fa7cfHY-oCrE7PVwEgEAFcgTAw4iRtMSSNn-HpRl9nwtDDQBkvKMDjSNNwHel86KTdlleio/s1600/IMG_1856.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pisano's marble pulpit</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Duomo's marble pulpit, sculpted in the 1260s by Nicola Pisano and his assistants, looks like a mini-carousel. Lions and lionesses prance around the base, supporting columns on their backs. The columns are topped by statues of the theological and cardinal virtues, personified. Every inch of the solid marble rail at the top of the pulpit is packed with sculpted animals and people, illustrating the <i>Life of Christ, Salvation,</i> and<i> The</i> <i>Last Judgement. </i>I</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nformation overload in marble.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like everything else in Siena's Duomo, it's over-the-top overdone…</span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and breathtakingly beautiful.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When your neck gets tired from gazing up at the cathedral's spectacular columns, frescoes, stained glass windows, and starry turquoise ceilings, you can give it a break and check out the floor.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqS4bdmgOI9ehBkOSTMI4zxKDNNWcipSVBTuWew30SdvhY1yatsnJFjKUrBSlVbHLKZQZSW9x852wb1HtMgUJWUzEDT7bnoQeCWq_9dzB5rBajEusqi5oGkVLJXMnjutHeENZtut2CwY/s1600/IMG_1823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqS4bdmgOI9ehBkOSTMI4zxKDNNWcipSVBTuWew30SdvhY1yatsnJFjKUrBSlVbHLKZQZSW9x852wb1HtMgUJWUzEDT7bnoQeCWq_9dzB5rBajEusqi5oGkVLJXMnjutHeENZtut2CwY/s1600/IMG_1823.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>She-Wolf</i> in this floor panel represents Siena, surrounded by symbols of other central Italian cities<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">detail from <i>The</i> <i>Story of Fortune</i> floor panel<br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even the FLOOR in this amazing church is beautiful.</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 56 marble mosaic panels cover the entire surface. They were created over a 200+ year time span, by about 40 artists. The panels are in all shapes and sizes, illustrating scenes from the bible, historical events, and allegories. For most of the year much </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinturicchio's <i>Canonization of St. Catherine of Siena,</i> <br />
a scene from the life of Pius II</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through a doorway to the left of the high altar I entered the Piccolomini Library, which was commissioned in 1492 to house the illuminated manuscript collection of one of Siena's favorite sons, Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (a.k.a. Pope Pius II). Never mind that the Pope's collection never made it to the Duomo…the<i> real treasure</i> in this room is the series of colorful frescoes painted by Pinturicchio, an Italian Renaissance painter from Perugia. The story of Pius II's life is the subject of 10 beautiful wall paintings. Pinturicchio covered the ceiling of this fantastic room with painted panels of mythological subjects, bordered with geometric designs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinturicchio also designed one of the Duomo's most impressive mosaic floor panels, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Story of Fortune.</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZer_eRPRYtV9-ksfdDuifkxLKCPQ79QG2htAOWfpeNuDKhMFyfJi0UR7hUvqk6_sNvL6v5hoiquQ_EknCV6Flzk9HV3gcUvVs7M_KDsih6M-KRCpQ2rhDwkmVbUhe-Ify7xuqXtLi08A/s1600/IMG_1883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZer_eRPRYtV9-ksfdDuifkxLKCPQ79QG2htAOWfpeNuDKhMFyfJi0UR7hUvqk6_sNvL6v5hoiquQ_EknCV6Flzk9HV3gcUvVs7M_KDsih6M-KRCpQ2rhDwkmVbUhe-Ify7xuqXtLi08A/s1600/IMG_1883.jpg" height="239" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Piccolomini Library</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5Ue47TafCgGF30t1sJo8yCBNomsX-HrJx93qsdR6kG4OSSSJVrrj5QkI3v2ZArdUWHQ66hEs7aPh8pelihgpHblO3z-FLthmbUgWB2AmhQNM0O8qak5ihBa9_Oz1LIFA70kKcq-p28w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-19+at+10.40.03+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5Ue47TafCgGF30t1sJo8yCBNomsX-HrJx93qsdR6kG4OSSSJVrrj5QkI3v2ZArdUWHQ66hEs7aPh8pelihgpHblO3z-FLthmbUgWB2AmhQNM0O8qak5ihBa9_Oz1LIFA70kKcq-p28w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-19+at+10.40.03+AM.png" height="200" width="190" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lavish splendor of Siena's cathedral is a reminder of the wealth and power that was concentrated in the Italian Papal States when the Duomo was built. Surrounded by all this costly beauty, you might forget that this is a <i>church,</i> not a royal palace. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On my way out of the Piccolomini Library I saw a woman kneeling in prayer on those hard marble floors. She hadn't</span><br />
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-18460477187705904172014-01-10T13:13:00.001-08:002016-05-10T14:42:53.948-07:00Tuscan Getaway: Tenuta di Spannocchia<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spannocchia's 12th century tower stands guard over the <i>castello</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road to Spannocchia</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I followed my talented friend Doris to Italy for a watercolor workshop week at a unique place near Siena called Tenuta di Spannocchia. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This tenuta (estate) is named after the S</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pannocchi</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, one of Siena's powerful banking families who were residents here as early as the 1200s. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Spannocchi family owned the </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">estate </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">until the 1920s, when it was sold to an Italian count named Delfino Cinelli. Spannocchia is still owned by Delfino's descendants.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Cinellis operate Spannocchia as a Foundation, and membership in the Foundation is required for anyone who wishes to stay in its guest accommodations. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHddKXcABinKfpKKBax2YI7wqkRVX93D3IL3LHy5e1WP0FflpjPqpVoPNHcMMrBLhQq-FRulBnaV_9M1W7XldFcsXxqKw8V81WkBFj3rc9TIFYVcMVIUpV8sMaiYRrGxKLAUYfKv03pzQ/s1600/IMG_1354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHddKXcABinKfpKKBax2YI7wqkRVX93D3IL3LHy5e1WP0FflpjPqpVoPNHcMMrBLhQq-FRulBnaV_9M1W7XldFcsXxqKw8V81WkBFj3rc9TIFYVcMVIUpV8sMaiYRrGxKLAUYfKv03pzQ/s1600/IMG_1354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is a serious </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">working farm, </i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and as guests there we felt like part of the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tenuta's</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> family. The estate's staff (and the young interns who come to Spannocchia for 3-month work/study stints) work tirelessly to keep it all running smoothly. They grow most of the food served to guests and staff right here on the property. Spannocchia's olive oil, wine, and salumi products (cured meats) are also sold at local farm markets. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1994 Spannocchia began an animal breeding program that works to increase populations of endangered domestic breeds such as Italy's Cinta Senese pig. Our group had a great tour of Spannocchia's Cinta </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senese operation. The highlight of the tour was visiting an enormous sow and the 14 cute little piglets that she'd just given birth to.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Cinta Senese Momma pig nuzzling one of her <i>cute</i> new babies <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">After becoming </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">acquainted</span><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> with these unique pigs, I was inspired to paint a portrait of Spannocchia's Cinta Senese. The tiny painting was a big hit at the art show that Doris mounted for us at the end of our workshop week.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">There are wild pigs on the tenuta property, too. They are called </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">cinghiale.</span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> We saw some crossing the Spannocchia road once when we were driving up the mountain after dark. The </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cinghiale</span></span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> are a nuisance for the </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cinta Senese</span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> breeders. It seems that the wild pigs' aim in life is to </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">get it on</span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> with the purebred </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">pigs</span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">,</span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> and they are very clever getting around the fences :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But this one-eyed cinghiale got caught! </i>His unfortunate head decorates the wall </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">above</span><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> one of Spannocchia's fireplaces. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spannocchia's rooms are comfortable, with an eclectic mix of furnishings. Old family portraits and mementos are in the common rooms and hallways. The </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">castello's</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> original 18th & 19th century decor has been preserved (and restored when necessary). The simplicity of the rooms added to Spannocchia's charm.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowBaHh_3VoSsCMEz7yAYS4tAusQmtNeboJhcO4p8pbsCEM22DiL5e9FIYvrjp3njps2P4AwPOoj3IMynmu6xEqvNEnAxuBzeXt4p1w3u2BRfkALmldrZ_azp6l5lDeoqgwuTYOdd7QVk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-10+at+1.40.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowBaHh_3VoSsCMEz7yAYS4tAusQmtNeboJhcO4p8pbsCEM22DiL5e9FIYvrjp3njps2P4AwPOoj3IMynmu6xEqvNEnAxuBzeXt4p1w3u2BRfkALmldrZ_azp6l5lDeoqgwuTYOdd7QVk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-10+at+1.40.23+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My room in the <i>castello</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My room, with its private bathroom, was in the central section of the castello.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">O</span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">h, what a bathroom!</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The wooden-seated commode <i>(</i></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">much too posh to be called a toilet</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>)</i> is without a doubt 100+ years old. Its water tank is attached to the wall high above the bowl, with a chain barely within reach. The beautiful matching sink had a skinny brass spigot that dispensed only cold water. My shower had no base, just the tiled floor of the bathroom with a drain. Shower curtains pulled around to prevent the spray from soaking the rest of the room. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My circa 1890s bathroom, fit for a<i> principessa</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I <i>LOVED </i>my quirky, elegant old bathroom. Everything worked just fine, and Spannocchia's wood burning furnace (fueled by wood from the property) cranked out lots of hot water for the shower.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was a HUGE wardrobe in my room, two very tall wooden beds, and a most unusual pale green </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">coffered</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ceiling, probably vintage 18th century.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXfDOxdseU5unI4-Lt35J7DAv2RPVcCAgIFKbeZi0Mqcf2qbK6hzEevQ9sM9rjRIoeH1tqPWurHlItX_9dJ1yn5ejQWxwc0LbLCX1QIoLXqBoLH6O5Lhr-l9kCZwsYPiluADWKef_riU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-05+at+7.39.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXfDOxdseU5unI4-Lt35J7DAv2RPVcCAgIFKbeZi0Mqcf2qbK6hzEevQ9sM9rjRIoeH1tqPWurHlItX_9dJ1yn5ejQWxwc0LbLCX1QIoLXqBoLH6O5Lhr-l9kCZwsYPiluADWKef_riU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-05+at+7.39.53+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of Spannocchia's expert chefs</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served family style on long wooden tables in a room in the castello, or on a pleasant outdoor patio if the weather was nice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meals were very good, simple recipes prepared by cheerful Italian ladies whose voices and laughter came drifting up from the kitchen each morning. Spannochia's delicious estate bottled wine was served at lunch and dinner. We ate together with other guests and the interns. By the end of the week we'd made some new friends. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5KqFJAhMw3UJgzNbBHcghPiA_KWBAq04xu87lg2HVfSFmu8LzqPObyaz6PMt74IdU1jpxwJcdKFcSAPfQqgurIXIIqEATGCminKm9ba3wVnuT3ItbnBDvpT-cASbWmrwfu-LNTBrCgs/s1600/IMG_1651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5KqFJAhMw3UJgzNbBHcghPiA_KWBAq04xu87lg2HVfSFmu8LzqPObyaz6PMt74IdU1jpxwJcdKFcSAPfQqgurIXIIqEATGCminKm9ba3wVnuT3ItbnBDvpT-cASbWmrwfu-LNTBrCgs/s1600/IMG_1651.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The watercolor workshop ladies wasted no time in finding interesting scenes to paint at Spannocchia. One morning Doris gave us a plein air painting demo, teaching us how to capture the beauty of the castello and its ancient tower on paper. After the demo we all went to work, attempting to produce our own watercolor versions of the castello. Being such a slow worker, I didn't finish my own castello painting, but the other artists in our group completed some lovely little masterpieces that day.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"> Geranium pots on the Villa's veranda Spannocchia's entrance gate</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was difficult to leave Spannocchia. Living in this rambling ancient castello for a week was quite an experience, like stepping back in time. I often got lost in the long hallways of its interconnected buildings. I'd follow the voices I heard echoing in the halls, hoping they'd lead me to the people I was supposed to meet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes I felt that at the end of one of those hallways, or in passing through one of Spannocchia's ancient doors...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelo Spannocchi<br />
(1538-1614)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> ...I might enter a time warp </i></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and </i></div>
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<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">find myself face to face </i><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with this guy</i></div>
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-58197929253585571052014-01-01T07:37:00.000-08:002014-01-01T07:37:04.496-08:00Maastricht Favorites: The Kids Upstairs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFwif3jb_wyuOCs6IdKNCrByzfRRB3FHZSb1JLXdrLPXW3C0M-6h69i20IidOZc2KEz90QErVgQrnLl34yPLl_t-CVQkvdgLBQ5fjEMDDUwDhWXvgEscI5e5UusRZcPwsfwlb1jYutIE/s1600/IMG_5604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFwif3jb_wyuOCs6IdKNCrByzfRRB3FHZSb1JLXdrLPXW3C0M-6h69i20IidOZc2KEz90QErVgQrnLl34yPLl_t-CVQkvdgLBQ5fjEMDDUwDhWXvgEscI5e5UusRZcPwsfwlb1jYutIE/s640/IMG_5604.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first lesson: cardinals and ice cream cones<br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcFN02JUwykg_tWBoELNenvbY_UYe1wVA33iZHlizxwb0CnZK3_4FqBn6Fn84h5bb9nUkbBQjngp5LiFgQoEknApZRYNKEdEPctJjvt0imyOXcGFR7bBSHeSiILIMVy60yC4rxOvc9Uc/s1600/IMG_6246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcFN02JUwykg_tWBoELNenvbY_UYe1wVA33iZHlizxwb0CnZK3_4FqBn6Fn84h5bb9nUkbBQjngp5LiFgQoEknApZRYNKEdEPctJjvt0imyOXcGFR7bBSHeSiILIMVy60yC4rxOvc9Uc/s320/IMG_6246.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our upstairs neighbor is a </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">very nice family</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, with three sons. I had brought some children's art supplies to Maastricht, and I offered to give the boys a few art lessons. They liked the idea, so we met three times for the lessons, on the first floor of our building. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I speak no Dutch (except <i>dank u wel</i> and </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">alstublieft</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">), but they speak a little bit of English so we got by with that. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The boys are great kids, <i>very funny</i>…and also very talented! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They created some </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wonderful artwork</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and had a lot of fun in the process. It was a very nice way to get to know them. I promised that when we return to Maastricht I'll give my young friends from upstairs more art lessons!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last lesson was the week before Christmas. The boys were very excited about the upcoming holiday, and they showed up wearing Santa hats. I loved that!<i> </i></span><br />
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<br />Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-35061437554522051962013-12-31T10:06:00.002-08:002013-12-31T10:57:13.806-08:00Maastricht Favorites: Sheep!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCNmjL0ha56QRkBKDbeLc5Ob7Ty9NXNOPCww1049CCTR4pRpzuhco-oCJlEOSRAIb5dwfpASxgsIPSwY6MjW8IzZNEwCmeFC4Qec7vIys9ptR0S98bNdxXOxKOYZqHB3VYfHbz9tsn_4/s1600/DSCN3227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCNmjL0ha56QRkBKDbeLc5Ob7Ty9NXNOPCww1049CCTR4pRpzuhco-oCJlEOSRAIb5dwfpASxgsIPSwY6MjW8IzZNEwCmeFC4Qec7vIys9ptR0S98bNdxXOxKOYZqHB3VYfHbz9tsn_4/s640/DSCN3227.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of all the wonderful things we experienced while living in Maastricht, seeing a flock of sheep trotting up a street in the city center was <i>the</i> </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">most amazing!</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Two shepherds and their energetic, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">very efficient</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Border Collies</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> brought traffic to a halt on November 6th, 2013 as they herded their flock of sheep up a riverside street and across the Sint Servaas Bridge to the other side of the Maas. <i>I was in the right place at the right time to see this rare event.</i> Twice a year the sheep, who are used as natural lawn mowers in several parks around the city, are moved from one side of the river to the other. </span></div>
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<br />Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-8383585462404304242013-12-30T12:22:00.000-08:002014-01-11T13:05:33.152-08:00Mont St. Michel and the Musée de la Mytiliculture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8M9FEZle5uJtrsf5EBhuHlBMpKi7Am-X4aO1IgYLaFE5n10JKh08MoiVqW8MicC8ddq3gBc0xAUXfkDqGRwQoPE2b7DkqinFwcq6c4QVdPOfaoU7RtZDQ-DhEE4rNJ0_GvoXzQkfIzY/s1600/IMG_0938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8M9FEZle5uJtrsf5EBhuHlBMpKi7Am-X4aO1IgYLaFE5n10JKh08MoiVqW8MicC8ddq3gBc0xAUXfkDqGRwQoPE2b7DkqinFwcq6c4QVdPOfaoU7RtZDQ-DhEE4rNJ0_GvoXzQkfIzY/s640/IMG_0938.JPG" height="394" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mont Saint Michel</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day our watercolor workshop instructor Doris led us on an expedition to Normandy, to visit the Island of Mont Saint Michel. On the way we stopped at the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Musée de la Mytiliculture</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Museum of Mussel Farming) that explained how Normandy's famous </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">moules bouchots</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> are raised.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1Xe7n4QfqQg-o3QAQ3WhH35HqJNZr97ZojhMvOpWgRdcvA1HDtmofY41w6Plmrkf29kUsugzaIcUkcsQy9NirbEXNs_OQM8n4awQIhsqPsTzgw8Axxw7hWXY4eEk3PGqx3T55YTSU5c/s1600/IMG_0897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1Xe7n4QfqQg-o3QAQ3WhH35HqJNZr97ZojhMvOpWgRdcvA1HDtmofY41w6Plmrkf29kUsugzaIcUkcsQy9NirbEXNs_OQM8n4awQIhsqPsTzgw8Axxw7hWXY4eEk3PGqx3T55YTSU5c/s320/IMG_0897.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mytili grown on a bouchot</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Moules bouchots</i> are mussels grown on wooden piles (<i>bouchots</i>) that are driven into the seabed.</span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The upper part of the <i>bouchot</i> is wound about with rope and netting that's seeded with mussel <i>gametes</i> that will develop into full grown mussels. The developing mussels are underwater at high tide, but exposed to air and sun when the tide recedes, giving them a distinctive flavor. The orange-fleshed <i>moules bouchots</i> grown in the Bay of Mont Saint Michel in Normandy are prized for their superior flavor and are the most sought after <i>moules</i> in France.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzXig-UXc85H463zsb4QyvcDwOIghGlDIvcDkiTMSd68FOfH_IxHHQkXL16t6_rWjmF8jZbXr7HJb8m-0npSuTxIjiNgNxVh25YhV5X1_Wf3uJQenHHLf_ONiQAaFUXy6dOUpERUTEuo/s1600/IMG_0906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzXig-UXc85H463zsb4QyvcDwOIghGlDIvcDkiTMSd68FOfH_IxHHQkXL16t6_rWjmF8jZbXr7HJb8m-0npSuTxIjiNgNxVh25YhV5X1_Wf3uJQenHHLf_ONiQAaFUXy6dOUpERUTEuo/s200/IMG_0906.jpg" height="200" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monsieur Moule and me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ3X57F4rj0kRZ0mkkyJP2t3218SWiaXCnesE2iyR2VYpfpv9pt93Qb9RM7YL_D5PWMZKD6rTq9NtTLVwSOSbmE3KGIM-4uQdel8H6oDDqbnyAGcRPTJaKexuYra8hLMuF4_YbDkQKBg/s1600/IMG_0921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ3X57F4rj0kRZ0mkkyJP2t3218SWiaXCnesE2iyR2VYpfpv9pt93Qb9RM7YL_D5PWMZKD6rTq9NtTLVwSOSbmE3KGIM-4uQdel8H6oDDqbnyAGcRPTJaKexuYra8hLMuF4_YbDkQKBg/s640/IMG_0921.jpg" height="220" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything you need to know about <i>mytili</i>, illustrated<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musée de la Mytiliculture </i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">had a large upstairs space devoted to the life cycle of <i>mytili (mussels)</i>, and the <i>bouchot</i> farming method. There was a smiling <i>moule</i> statue on the stair landing, beckoning visitors to the exhibition above. A series of amusing illustrations captioned in French and English did a good job of explaining how mussels are grown and harvested using the <i>bouchot</i> method. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were lot of photos of the process, and a <i>bouchot</i> with netted mussels wound around it. Some of us posed with a curious figure made of driftwood and netting that was decorated with seaweed and shells. This museum had a lot of "extras" that made it particularly delightful…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">…<i>including the signs that directed visitors to the restrooms:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One evening we sampled some of these delicious <i>moules bouchots</i> at a great restaurant in Cancale, a picturesque fishing village on the Bay of Mont Saint Michel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moules at restaurant <i>A Contre Courant</i> (<i>Against the Current</i>) in Cancale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>MONT SAINT MICHEL</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mont Saint Michel's distinctive form is visible for many miles around. It's a walled fortress town, built on a rocky tidal island. A solid causeway road connecting the island with the mainland was built in 1879, disrupting the flow of seawater around the Mont. Since then the part of the bay surrounding the island has silted up, leaving sand flats instead of water. To prevent further silt buildup the solid causeway is being replaced by a curving bridge. A new hydraulic dam built near the mouth of the nearby River Couesnon captures river and tide water and releases it in great flushing actions that are working to release the Mont from the silt and mud. Thanks to these improvements, it's expected that within ten years Mont Saint Michel will again be surrounded by water at high tide.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Le Grand Rue</i>, Mont Saint Michel</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mont has attracted religious pilgrims since the 6th century, when hermit monks settled on the island. Today the "pilgrims" are tourists who come from all over the world to visit this remarkable place. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <i>tourist-pilgrims</i> jam the lower part of</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>Le Grand Rue</i>, a funny name for the narrow, souvenir shop infested pedestrian street that winds its way up the center of the island. The crowds thin out as you climb higher and higher up the series of steps that take you to the Abbey church that crowns Mont Saint Michel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the surrounding sand flats from the Abbey ramparts</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Construction of the present romanesque Abbey was started in 1023. The long steep climb up stone steps to visit the Abbey is worth the effort! Views from the upper ramparts are <i>heavenly.</i> It's easy to see why Benedictine monks and pilgrims felt closer to God in this beautiful place.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abbey cloister garden</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We joined a 1.5 hour guided tour of the Abbey that went by in a flash. The English speaking guide gave us a crash course in the history of the Abbey and this remarkable island. Our tour started at the church at the top of the Mont. We visited the peaceful cloister garden next to the church, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the Abbey </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">refectory</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (dining hall). D</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">escending ancient stone steps we came to the middle level of the Abbey complex. We passed through huge rooms with vaulted ceilings that were supported by massive stone columns. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>scriptorium</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The middle level held guest chambers for visiting nobility, and a <i>scriptorium</i> where monks would copy and illuminate religious texts by hand in pre-printing press days. The <i>scriptorium</i> is a beautiful space with lots of windows and multiple fireplaces. The vaulted ceiling's supporting columns are decorated with floral motifs carved from stone. I thought this was the most beautiful room in the Abbey.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off a hallway in one of the lower levels of the Abbey we saw a giant "human hamster wheel" made of wood. It had been used to power a winch that hauled supplies up the wall of the fortress on a giant sledge. From 1793 to 1863 Mont Saint Michel was used as a prison (the French revolution started the trend, imprisoning "political offenders" in the Abbey). During the Abbey's time as a prison, teams of 6 prisoners labored two abreast to power the wheel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North wall of the 3-storey <i>Merveille</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the tour we exited via an exterior staircase that took us to a grassy terrace at the base of the 3-storey Abbey. Looking up I could pick out the windows for each of the levels that we'd explored. The ancient building has been called<i> La Merveille (the Marvel) </i>by generations of pilgrims<i>. </i>Count me as one more <i>pilgrim</i> who has marveled at this architectural wonder that's perched on top of Normandy's island of Mont Saint Michel<i>.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-4701993326597844592013-12-27T09:54:00.001-08:002013-12-31T10:53:33.932-08:00Saint Suliac and La Doyenne du Village<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone houses overlooking the Rance River in Saint Suliac, France</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the last week in September I traveled to Saint Suliac, France to join a friend from my art school days who was giving a watercolor workshop there. Her name is Doris Rice (www.dorisrice.com), and she lives in New Hampshire, near the shore, where she paints beautiful watercolors and teaches watercolor classes. There were eight of us along on the workshop, and we really enjoyed our week working and touring together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saint Suliac is a fishing port in Brittany (<i>Bretagne</i> in French), France's easternmost province. It's considered to be one of France's most beautiful villages, with its pretty stone cottages and picturesque views of the Rance River. It seems like every house in this ancient town has a different pattern of lace in its windows. The front of some homes are draped in fishnet, a unique decoration! Shutters and doors are painted in bright colors, <i>and there are flowers everywhere.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boucherie/Charcuterie Vival</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather was beautiful while we were there- gloriously sunny and warm. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were lots of great scenes to paint in Saint Suliac.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Doyenne du Village, Saint Suliac</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day when we were painting we met <i>La Doyenne du Village</i> (the oldest woman in the village), who lived in a very pretty house next door to where we had set up our easels. She was interested to see what we were doing and came out to speak to us. We learned that this lovely lady is 98 years old- surprising, because she looked so much younger! <i>Life is good in Saint Suliac.</i> We asked if we can come to her 100th birthday party, and she said of course :-) So we'll have to return in July 2015 for that very special event.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sunny terrace</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ate most of our meals in the two </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">houses</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> we were renting</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. On a few occasions we ate in village cafes, and the food was as good as any you'd find in the finest city restaurants. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morning coffee was always on the terrace. The view from our terrace was incredible! Below, the River Rance was filled with sailboats. There's a sailing school for kids close to where we stayed and we'd see its students being towed out for lessons under their colorful sails.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing school on the Rance River</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUO_sVU2meQ50VQ-7tFP2ddMpgjaXOZzExXZ9thaPIHP03lHt26j2VEkGPyfUmabWk2uvDCVe53UnjNO6ed6Itul3N9HvXzRQV994rU_6W-xnvArB2eiJrzIvqduotbDtIcTDvE2ACzaE/s1600/IMG_1178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUO_sVU2meQ50VQ-7tFP2ddMpgjaXOZzExXZ9thaPIHP03lHt26j2VEkGPyfUmabWk2uvDCVe53UnjNO6ed6Itul3N9HvXzRQV994rU_6W-xnvArB2eiJrzIvqduotbDtIcTDvE2ACzaE/s320/IMG_1178.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One afternoon we were invited for pre-dinner drinks at the home of very nice french couple who have retired to Saint Suliac. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They had generously allowed some of our group to set up easels in front of their ancient stone house, where there was a great view of the cute red <i>boucherie</i> across the street. They came out to chat, and offered the invitation. We entered their walled <i>jardin</i> through a wooden gate behind the house. The bell tower of the village's 13th century church was visible above the jardin wall, and rang out the hour as we sampled a local specialty- <i>Calvados</i> (a hard apple cider), and a delicious bitter orange liqueur made by our host and hostess. A very pleasant way to end a day of painting in the village.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was in very talented company during my week in Brittany. The other seasoned watercolorists in the group were churning out beautiful paintings every day- <i>intimidating!</i> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I learned that <i>plein air</i> painting is not easy for me; </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was <i>so slow, </i>I never completed any of the paintings that I started in the village!</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> With the help of photos I hope to finish them later on. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of <i>many</i> unfinished paintings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading home through the village<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite my difficulties with <i>plein air</i> painting, I enjoyed the week in Saint Suliac with this genial group. Doris is a <i>great</i> teacher, and she taught me a new approach to watercolor painting. We did some touring together, too, which was really fun. This watercolor workshop week was a wonderful way to get to know this beautiful little corner of Brittany.</span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-46551010439122232892013-12-26T20:11:00.000-08:002013-12-26T20:18:40.690-08:00Bruges, Belgium: The Chocolate Line<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to order in chocolatier Dominique Persoone's <i>Chocolate Line</i> shop in Bruges</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Markt Square at the center of old Bruges</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bruges, Belgium has the reputation of being "a perfectly preserved medieval town." Its streets and canals are home to a beautiful assortment of handsome old brick and stone buildings. Everything does indeed <i>look</i> to be well-preserved. While many of the town's older buildings date from the 16th to 18th centuries (a bit later than the <i>medieval</i> period) the truth is, some of Bruges' ancient looking buildings were built between the 1850s and the 1930s. No wonder they look so "perfectly preserved!"</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17th century buildings on the Groenerei Canal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even knowing that much of Bruges' architecture is <i>neo-medieval</i> or <i>neo-gothic </i>does not prevent me from loving this charming town. Its historic center is picture perfect. I visited Bruges twice in the past few months, and was just as charmed by its quaintness the second time around. Newer buildings blend beautifully with the ancient brick structures next door, and the beauty of these architectural gems is often reflected in the water of a canal, giving the viewer a double dose of lovely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are some unique souvenirs to be found here. Handmade lace is a specialty of Bruges. This Flemish town has been a famous lace-making center for hundreds of years, and it is home to a school that has taught the art of making lace by hand since the 1700s. Visitors can visit the school- the <i>Kantcentre</i> (Lace center)- to see lacemakers using tiny wooden bobbins to weave their intricate designs. There are many lace shops in the town selling lace souvenirs, but only a few sell the pricey "real thing," handmade in Bruges. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Godiva Chocolatier in Bruges</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite "handmade in Bruges" souvenir is edible: Belgian<i> pralines</i>, the most delicious chocolates imaginable! In the USA <i>pralines</i> are a different type of candy, made from nuts and sugar syrup. Belgian pralines are filled, chocolate coated confections. In the USA you can buy pricey Godiva pralines, which are very good (Godiva originated in Brussels). But the pralines that are handmade in Bruges are so much better! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Soleil</i>, with passionfruit <br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bruges has more than 50 chocolatiers, so choosing where to buy the "best" pralines is a challenge. On my first trip to Bruges I bought samples of pralines from a number of different special chocolate shops that I'd read about on the internet. All of them made their pralines on the premises. I could buy as few candies as I wished, choosing from an amazing variety of fillings. A shop called </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Chocolate Line </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was well-named.</span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was small place with a </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">line of customers</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that went out of the store and into Simon Stevinplein, the square it borders. The people in line didn't seem to be tourists. They knew exactly what they wanted, making rapid fire selections from the stacks of exotically named pralines in the store's glass cases: </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bollywood, Piaf, Lac d'Amour, Soleil</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>…</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chocolate Line's <i>praline</i> kitchen</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waiting in line was fun, because we could watch the chocolatiers creating pralines in the kitchen at the back of the shop. There was no doubt that these chocolates were freshly made! I chose 5 pralines, stealing ideas from the frenchman ahead of me who seemed to know what he was doing. These were excellent choices, each one <i>indescribably delicious!</i> I bought excellent pralines from other chocolatiers</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Bruges, too. In my opinion, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Chocolate Line's</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> confections were the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">absolute best.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dominique Persoone's <i>praline</i> <i>ballotins</i> proclaim that "Chocolate is Rock 'n Roll!"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of my second visit to Bruges I returned to </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Chocolate Line's</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> queue. I was on a mission to bring back </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ballotins</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of the best pralines Belgium has to offer to some special people back in the USA. I'd made a list of the chocolates I preferred (on my previous visit I picked up a product brochure with descriptions in English). It was amazing how fast a young girl was able to fill my order, carefully placing each selection in the purple-lined </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ballotins</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>These precious chocolate treasure boxes are going to make some of the folks back home very happy!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-64594998062124226492013-12-25T10:40:00.001-08:002013-12-25T10:40:40.385-08:00Maastricht Dressed for the Holidays<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onze Lieve Vrouwe Basilica's sweet little <i>Kerststal</i></td></tr>
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The first week in December a curious little wooden shed appeared in front of the shrine of <i>Onze Lieve Vrouwe.</i> It was all closed up, with no sign explaining its purpose. At first we thought it might be a <i>Kerstmarkt</i> stall that had wandered away from the Vrijthof in search of customers. These cute little houses have popped up in various areas of the city, selling a variety of Christmas foods and gifts. But one day the <i>Onze Lieve Vrouweplein</i> shed opened its doors, and inside was a lovely little Nativity scene decorated with evergreen and pink, purple and white stars.<br />
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This was the church's <i>Kerststal, </i>reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas.</div>
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The commercial side of Christmas is alive and well in this city, too, of course. Maastricht is a shopping Mecca, and the city dresses up to welcome visitors during the holiday season. Streets are decorated with green garlands and lights. I loved walking home from the centrum after the shops were closed and all the crowds were gone. The walk down the cobblestone Wolfstraat was very pleasant under those sparkling Holiday lights.<br />
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Our street, Sint Pieterstraat, had lighted garlands strung between the buildings. The view out our apartment windows was framed by the festive lights, which stayed on all night. <i>I miss seeing those lights. </i> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sint Pieterstraat holiday garlands, by day and by night.</td></tr>
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The Dutch Christmas season started in November with the arrival of <i>Sinterklaas</i> and his trusty sidekick, <i>Zwarte Piet</i>. Our neighbor Ralph explained that <i>Sinterklaas</i> and <i>Santa Claus</i> are two different guys. One comes from Spain and the other comes from the North Pole. The lucky Dutch kids have <i>two</i> generous white-bearded men delivering gifts to them in December!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOZCWa3SvQ2Ffabrpcuk25YXdNaJWsz2k35jKfDurrFXAOQC0CLdpdUi0CQRV0Z9Tx9aQVYqWJzsRCsufw4DDwRts0zWR8u7eFur08tU5aomMxux2X_nxZOq_40YHVSYTid0RVHr6O0c/s1600/IMG_3553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOZCWa3SvQ2Ffabrpcuk25YXdNaJWsz2k35jKfDurrFXAOQC0CLdpdUi0CQRV0Z9Tx9aQVYqWJzsRCsufw4DDwRts0zWR8u7eFur08tU5aomMxux2X_nxZOq_40YHVSYTid0RVHr6O0c/s320/IMG_3553.JPG" width="320" /></a><i>Sinterklaas</i> and <i>Zwarte Piet</i> travel by steamboat from Spain to arrive in the Netherlands (no sleigh for these guys). They make an appearance in every Dutch city, accompanied by much fanfare. Unfortunately, we were not in the Netherlands on the day that <i>Sinterklaas</i> arrived by boat in Maastricht. But we ran into him and <i>Zwarte Piet</i> in the Albert Heijn grocery store, in foiled chocolate form. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQEEEV7AWqIhHhbS4nYbOd0J8eZbNMjhjmO-XhL7euFdBep3OXUGwHPgZu-WB1imnm4DtZa6Iu39W9GW3XkkeiZp7FLyLV8_UGSpKJUvkiSq5fz5HJ-2mFVY2uyLjhvbC-KM-R6qw4v8/s1600/IMG_5610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQEEEV7AWqIhHhbS4nYbOd0J8eZbNMjhjmO-XhL7euFdBep3OXUGwHPgZu-WB1imnm4DtZa6Iu39W9GW3XkkeiZp7FLyLV8_UGSpKJUvkiSq5fz5HJ-2mFVY2uyLjhvbC-KM-R6qw4v8/s320/IMG_5610.JPG" width="320" /></a>Jim's birthday is December 5th, which also happens to be <i>Sinterklaas' </i>eve. On that night Dutch children leave their shoes out near the fireplace, along with a bowl of water and a carrot for <i>Sinterklaas'</i> white horse, <i>Amerigo</i> (which he rides across the rooftops). In the morning they find gifts in the shoes, and often the first letter of their name, made of chocolate. Our friends Ria & Thieu showed up on December 5th to celebrate Jim's birthday, sharing<i> </i>cherry <i>vlaai </i>and wine with us. They brought Jim a chocolate letter (an S for <i>Sinterklaas</i>, because there weren't any Js left).</div>
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After December 5th <i>Sinterklass</i> and <i>Zwarte Piet</i> go back to Spain and <i>Santa Claus</i> takes over. In the Netherlands <i>Santa</i> comes down the chimney, just like here in Pennsylvania. But in some European places he lands in the street, not on the roof. We know this because we saw little <i>Santas</i> climbing rope ladders on houses (like this one in Monschau, Germany).<br />
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<i>I want one of these!!</i><br />
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I hope that Jim and Kit get up soon, so we can open the presents. There's one that I know Jim will love: a little Maastricht <i>Helpoort</i> refrigerator magnet. He certainly doesn't need another refrigerator magnet (h<i>is current collection could cover 3 refrigerators). </i>But I couldn't resist this little beauty.<br />
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<i>Happy Holidays!</i></div>
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<br />Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-60476366597410379692013-12-23T02:57:00.000-08:002013-12-23T02:57:06.369-08:00Thorn: the White Village of Limburg Province<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxUzR29GqlVvR6C4mpcB07yrMGtmL0aO9Zxoxugm032ifZbp1CWr5jRaU8yH5YpBwSjA7oMChwtSp65ssAubPpt6r427a03Gz3_QOOTYUvGC5Go_5Ib7enqjzy6nCZKkGcEiMIJZN7Zw/s1600/IMG_7201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxUzR29GqlVvR6C4mpcB07yrMGtmL0aO9Zxoxugm032ifZbp1CWr5jRaU8yH5YpBwSjA7oMChwtSp65ssAubPpt6r427a03Gz3_QOOTYUvGC5Go_5Ib7enqjzy6nCZKkGcEiMIJZN7Zw/s640/IMG_7201.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Thorn's cobblestone streets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim and Thieu strolling in the White Village</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our last day in the Netherlands our Dutch friend Thieu took us to Limburg Province's famous <i>White Village</i>, Thorn. The village was founded in the 10th century as <i>Thorn Abbey.</i> The Abbey served as a convent school for unmarried daughters of rich nobility (this type of establishment was called a <i>stift</i>). The women did not take vows, and they lived in luxury…until 1797. That's when the French invaded the country and declared that the Abbey was state property. The wealthy <i>siftdames</i> fled, and Thorn Abbey was demolished. The beautiful Abbey Church is all that remains of the <i>stift</i>.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Thorn's <i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sint-Michaëlsker</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">k</span>, </i>formerly the Thorn Abbey Church</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thorn Abbey had been the major employer in the area, so the rest of the town fell into poverty after its demise. The impoverished inhabitants of Thorn moved into the large houses that had been abandoned by the <i>stiftdames</i> and their servants. A funny sign at the edge of town explains that after the French introduced a window tax, residents bricked up many of the windows in the big houses to escape paying the extra taxes. To cover the "construction scars" the townspeople whitewashed the brick houses. As a result, Thorn became known as <i>het witte stadje</i> (<i>the white village).</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thieu pointed out a pair of goat figurines in a store window in Thorn, and explained that Thorn is famous for another reason, too. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the home of two world famous amateur wind orchestras, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The <i>Koninklijke Harmoni</i> and the <i>Harmoni St. Michael. </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The orchestras are known locally as the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bokken</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(he-goats)</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">geiten (she-goats)</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. In 1993 Thorn's </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">geiten</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> won first prize at the World Music Contest, which is held every 4 years in Kerkrade, another Limburg town. The </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bokken</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> won in 1997.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In Thorn, the <i>bokken</i> and <i>geiten</i> are like clans. Just about every family in town belongs to one side or the other, and membership is hereditary. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the musical "clans" were new, competition between the two was fierce. <i>Bokken</i> and <i>geiten</i> didn't dare intermarry! But these days the rivalry has softened, and the two orchestras have joined to run the town's music school. To prevent the old rivalries from resurfacing, t</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hey never compete in the same competition on the same day</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">. And every Ascension Day, in May, they play a joint concert together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Thorn was pretty deserted on the day that we visited. We walked around enjoying the quaint cobblestone streets until the biting cold got to us. An inviting cafe that we passed, the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Grand Café ‘t Stift</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">,</span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> advertised Lindeboom beer, a brand that Jim hadn't tasted yet. We stopped in to warm up and drink a glass of this Limburg brew in the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">gezellig</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> tavern. </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Lekker.</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">We left Thorn and </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">drove</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> back to Maastricht via Maaseik, a Belgian city known for being the hometown of the 15th century painters Jan and Hubert Van Eyck. A statue in Maaseik's handsome <i>Maartplatz</i> square commemorates the famous brothers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">In Maastricht Thieu's wife Ria joined us for a farewell dinner at our favorite restaurant, Cafe Rilette. <i>A very nice way to end our last day in Maastricht.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A <i>gezellig</i> farewell dinner at Cafe Rilette</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-78602030493588406002013-12-22T04:20:00.001-08:002013-12-22T04:20:37.712-08:00Heusden: a North Brabant Gem<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windmill and houses near Heusden's tiny harbor.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the day that I visited Den Bosch I also spent a few hours in Heusden, a charming old North Brabant town. Since 1968 the inhabitants have been working to restore Heusden to its 16th century fortress form. In the tourist office there's a remarkable scale model of the town, complete with 3 tiny windmills. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heusden scale model in the VVV (tourist office)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The approach to Heusden is beautiful. We crossed green marshlands teeming with birds. Entering the town we walked on top of high grassy mounds that are part of the old fortifications, passing two windmills. It's hard to imagine that this peaceful little town was at one time in constant danger of attack.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the ground it appears that Heusden is surrounded by a green walking path, with rectangular mini-parks that jut out into the water (the Maas was diverted centuries ago to create the huge moat that encircles the town). The grassy, pointed parks are reconstructions of the 16th century <i>ravelins</i> built to protect the town.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heusden Fortress from the air, showing its pointed earthwork ravelins</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friend had dropped me off to explore the town while she was busy shuttling her kids to after-school activities. Having no map, I got lost a few times.</span><div>
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At one point I entered a narrow alley that had a street name. It led to a maze of brick walled walkways that wind their way around the enclosed back gardens of homes facing the street. An old pair of wooden <i>klompen</i> decorated the wall in one back yard.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heusden harbor's tiny white drawbridge</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the prettiest spots in Heusden is its tiny harbor, which is entered via an old wooden drawbridge. In 1908 the original harbor was filled in. Fortunately, it was restored to its original form in the 60s. This has got to be one of the world's <i>cutest</i> harbors! I left Heusden just before sunset, when the sky behind the little drawbridge was turning pink. <i>A beautiful North Brabant sight to remember.</i></span><br />
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-19155171452194759752013-12-19T05:12:00.000-08:002013-12-25T05:09:55.271-08:00How to Eat a Bossche Bol<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bossche Bol, a Dutch Delight</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail from Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>'s-Hertogenbosch</i> is a city in the southern Netherlands. It's the capital of the province of North Brabant. For short, everyone calls it <i>Den Bosch, </i>which means<i> the forest. </i>This city is famous for being the birthplace of the imaginative 16th century painter Hieronymous Bosch. One of his most famous paintings is <i>The Garden of Earthly Delights</i>, a depiction of the afterlife. This very strange painting shows scenes from both heaven and hell. Hieronymous had a unique style. <i>He was painting the surreal</i> <i>400 years before Surrealism was invented!</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides being famous for being Hieronymous' birthplace, Den Bosch is famous for being the birthplace of a </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">culinary</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">earthly delight</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> called the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bossche Bol</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. This delicious concoction is about the size of a tennis ball, with a flat bottom. The Bossche Bol is made of a hollow pastry shell that's filled with whipped cream, then coated with a layer of chocolate. It's acceptable to eat one with your fingers, but that's a messy </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">affair. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a new friend, an American who lives in Den Bosch, who treated me to one of these delicious pastries at </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Den Otter</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a wonderful patisserie on Visstraat, a short walk from the train station.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She demonstrated how she eats a Bossche Bol, with a knife and fork. That seemed like a good idea, so I followed her example. <i>Lekker!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went on a walking tour of the old streets of this fortress city. The river Dieze runs through Den Bosch, and it's possible to take a boat tour on the part called the <i>Binnendieze</i> that runs through <i>and under</i> the city <i>(b</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>innen</i> means <i>inner)</i>. The boats operate from April to October, and my friend says it's a great way to tour the old city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Many of Den Bosch's oldest buildings are made of brick, the </span>construction material of choice for<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> most of the Netherlands in the old days. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">An arch over the door of one brick house that we passed had the year 1649 carved in the stone. Those beautiful 350+ year old handmade bricks have stood the test of time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stopped in the beautiful <i>Sint Janskathedraal</i>, a massive 16th century church that is considered to be the height of Gothic architecture in the Netherlands. The interior is painted in lovely light colors, more appealing than some of the dark Gothic cathedrals we've seen in other places. </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ceiling was so beautiful. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sint Janskathedraal, 's-Hertogenbosch<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the center of the cathedral there's a crossing tower. A curious <i>eye in a triangle</i> decorates the ceiling. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was something <i>so familiar</i> about this symbol<i>…w</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here had I seen it before?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I later learned that this is </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Eye of Providence</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a symbol for the all-seeing God. It was familiar because it appears on the US one dollar bill. Also, we've seen it used in recent movies- </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">National Treasure</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Da Vinci Code</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Eye of Providence</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> has been used as a symbol of the Christian Trinity since medieval times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was another curious thing to see in <i>Sint Janskathedraal</i>. Its </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kerststal (nativity).</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following the <i>kerststal route</i> sign in the church, we came upon a series of sculpted figures. The first ones we encountered had lumpy, diseased looking skin. I suggested that these must be lepers. But I didn't remember there being any <i>lepers</i> mentioned in the Nativity story.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A welcoming kangaroo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were other statues to come. </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of them had the lumpy diseased look!</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's when we realized this must be an artistic statement. The statues were well done, but kind of creepy. Continuing on along the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">kerststal route</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> we passed between two mock-castle turrets, under a stuffed kangaroo perched on a board above. </span><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things were getting interesting.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beyond the kangaroo gate we passed through an amazing display of taxidermy. Peeking out of the impressive display of holiday greenery in this fantastic <i>kerststal</i> there was an ostrich, a llama, a badger, a small giraffe, a wild boar, a leopard, a variety of sheep and goats, some deer, a camel, an alligator…<i>a</i></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n alligator?</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like this idea. When I get home I'm adding an alligator to my Nativity Creche<i>. I hope he'll get along with the sheep, the donkey, and the three camels.</i></span><br />
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361507825203566105.post-56683212713051758912013-12-17T08:26:00.002-08:002013-12-25T18:01:31.256-08:00Dinant, Belgium: Sax and the City<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant, colorful saxophones line Dinant's bridge across the Meuse</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinant, Belgium is situated on the Meuse River, about 68 miles downriver from Maastricht (the <i>Maas</i> changes its name to <i>Meuse</i> when it crosses the Dutch/Belgian border). We stopped in Dinant on our way back from Brussels. <i>To our surprise, the city was filled with saxophones!</i> We passed a saxophone fountain on our way in, and parked near the main bridge that crosses the Meuse. Giant colorful saxophones lined the pedestrian walks on the bridge. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saxophones dance above Dinant</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above our heads, strung across the streets, were the most unusual Christmas decorations…<i>saxophones!</i> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saxophone Couque de Dinant</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Dinant's <i>Rue Grande</i> is an old bakery that sells sweet biscuits that the city is famous for: C<i>ouques de Dinant.</i> Couques are traditionally molded into a variety of forms: animals, flowers, people…and saxophones! <i>Maison Collard</i> has been making these extremely hard honey-and-flour biscuits since 1774 <i>(they are the hardest biscuits in Europe)</i>. In the back of the store there's a small museum dedicated to explaining the history and production of <i>Couques de Dinant.</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cookies come with a warning: customers are advised not to bite into them without first dipping the cookies in coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to soften them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why are <i>Couques de Dinant</i> so hard? One local story is that the citizens of Dinant didn't get along with their neighbors in <i>Bouvignes</i> (the next village). When disputes erupted the people of Dinant would throw their stale, hard bread and biscuits at the people of Bouvignes. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To improve their weapon of choice, they created this special, very hard biscuit...<i>to inflict more pain. </i></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You gotta love the Belgians.</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They come up with the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">best stories</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to explain the things they're famous for. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wide variety of Couques de Dinant to eat…or to hurl at your enemies</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK...so why are there all those saxophones in Dinant? It's because the saxophone was invented by one of Dinant's citizens- </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Monsieur Sax. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Maison de Monsieur Sax</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adolphe Sax was born in Dinant in 1814. His father was an instrument designer who had some success making changes to the French Horn. By age 15 Adolphe was designing musical instruments, too. When he was 24 he patented an important improvement to the bass clarinet design. In 1841 he moved to Paris and worked on a new set of instruments there, including a family of saxhorns, the <i>clarinet-bourdon</i>, and the instrument he is most well known for, the saxophone (patented in 1846).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The house where Adolphe lived in Dinant is gone, but an "interpretive center" called <i>La Maison de Monsieur Sax</i> that tells about his life and work stands in its place. There are examples of his musical inventions- with sound effects! You can make a "virtual visit" to this cool little place by clicking on this link: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'd like to have your picture taken with Monsieur Sax, you can snuggle up to a bronze statue of him that sits on a bench in front of <i>La Maison de Monsieur Sax </i>(he's holding a saxophone, of course).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Collegiale Notre Dame's 15th century stained glass</td></tr>
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If you visit this nice little city there's lots more to see and do. Dinant has a lovely 13th century Gothic church, </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Collegiale Notre Dame </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Church of Our Lady). Wonderful church treasures are on display in its dark, rough stone interior. Its stained glass windows are some of the most beautiful we've seen in our travels. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinant's Citadel on a cliff above La Collegiale Notre Dame</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinant is a long, narrow city, built </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">below the soaring cliffs that border the Meuse. A Citadel sits on top, overlooking the river. The city's <i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 16px;">téléphérique</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"> (cable car) will take you to the top for a spectacular view of the city and river. Or you can climb the 408 steep steps to get there, if you're feeling energetic. It was raining hard the day we stopped in Dinant, so we skipped a trip to the top of the cliff.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Le Winston</i>, a place to buy delicious frites</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Instead, we found a great little </span><i style="line-height: 16px;">friterie</i><span style="line-height: 16px;"> close to the river, near where we parked the car. We knew the <i>pommes frites</i> would be good, because Dinant is in the heart of the area where <i>pommes frites</i> were supposedly invented. The frites that we bought at <i>Le Winston</i> were <i>THE BEST frites</i> we've eaten during our European adventure. If you're ever in the neighborhood, be sure to stop in at <i>Le Winston</i> for a <i>cornet de frites</i>, with a hefty dollop of mayo.</span></span></span><br />
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Helene in Maastrichthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16658935127257659746noreply@blogger.com0