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Tunisia part one

July 17, 2013

Hola ( which I learned from Sue Kelly is pronounced Ola and not Hola which I’d have known if I’d thought about it.

Our friends Sue and Ed Kelly and their Iowa friend Norm walked over from their marina in Gibraltar to visit us this afternoon and show us how to cross the border. No problem there; just walk one way from Spain to Gibraltar and the way back from Gibraltar to Spain. We’ll go back to visit them tomorrow and see their marina which was booked up so we came to Spain instead. Sue and Ed are also heading to Saint Cat’s Dock in London. They were there last year and it was their enthusiasm that convinced us and then our enthusiasm that convinced them to go back. So we’ll be seeing them on and off on our way to London.

This email is the first of several about our trip to Tunisia.

Rock of Gibraltar seen from DoraMac

Remember the TV show Wild Kingdom? Revered Ken emailed me mentioning Prudential Insurance which had the Rock as a logo but I remembered The Rock of Gibraltar from Wild Kingdom and that was Mutual of Omaha. I needed to check myself and found this confirmation.

“ When passing through the Straights of Gibraltar I could hear the radio and early TV voice of zoologist Marlin Perkins (1905–1986). I remember how excited I got as a lad to hear the Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company Rock of Gibraltar ad, which led me to many fascinating animal adventures. After the commercial, Perkins would pause with so pregnant a moment of anticipation that I would catch my breath and wait to be tantalized by the Wild Kingdom drama about to unfold.”

http://www.rrecord.com/-news/2012/2-2-12/church1.asp

Sue, Ed and Norm spent 5 hours hiking up and down. I’m hoping to talk Randal into going too. He wants the cable car so we might have to ride one way and walk the other.

DoraMac

Tunisia

For us Tunisia really was just a fuel stop on our way to other places. Randal wanted to see its famed mosaics and I’d hoped to see the oldest synagogue in Africa. And I was looking forward to its difference from Greece and Sicily. So many people we know have really enjoyed their time in Tunisia. Well we definitely filled up with diesel fuel: over 5000 litres worth. And we had a wonderful mosaics experience. We didn’t make it to Djerba Island to see the synagogue as it was too long a drive for the short time we had. And we missed the Medina and Grande Synagogue in Tunis as well as the American military cemetery in Carthage. We took a deliberate pass on Sidi bou Said which was like visiting Provincetown, MA in the summer. Too many people in too small of a space. I’m sure when artists Paul Klee, Kandinsky, Matisse, August Macke and Louis Millliet journeyed there in the early 20^th century it was a much different Tunisia than we saw. It was only in the small places like El Jem and a road side village market that we saw an “not tourist” and more interesting (for us) Tunisian way of life. If it were all changing for the better then that would be a good thing. But many folks whom we spoke with didn’t see it that way. The revolution’s promised changes don’t seem to be reaching everyone. And the tourist boom seems largely to be benefitting huge “all inclusive” hotels so small local restaurants and cafes lose out. We’d heard complaints about “all inclusive” in North Cyprus and Turkey also. I have to say that I knew nothing about Tunisia when we arrived there and learned very little from our stay. I bought 4 Tunisia books through Kindle. Two were too dumb for words and I’ve no idea yet what they’re about…..some 20 something male finding himself…in Tunisia. The blurb made it sound more as if Tunisia was the subject of the book and not the author’s ego. One book was about travels pre WW 2 with all of the stereotypes one found in those years. But he at least wrote about Tunisia. One was a not great Tunisia Guide. The most useful information came from friends who’d been there which was why we visited El Jem.

We did meet individual merchants who were quite wonderful. And between the mosaics and books/videos about mosaics Randal picked and the small pomegranate mosaic, the village market terracotta pitcher, a woven straw baskets and the El Jem Berber rug I chose, we left a great many dinars behind in Tunisia. Plus paying for all of that fuel! So Tunisia did well by us.

Our complaints were with the really pushy hawkers who make me refuse to stop and look. And with the customs/police officials who suggested that we might like to give them a gift. We suggested that we would not like to give them a gift and they did take NO for an answer. That was not our first experience with “gift seeking” harbor officials. Hopefully it will be our last. Tunisia charges no entry fees as other countries do. If their officials are so poor they must ask for gifts, I wish Tunisia would charge harbor fees and pay the officials more. Or have the money filter down so small five year old kids didn’t have to go around selling tiny jasmine flowers for hours. Mostly we encountered totally honest people. I had no problem holding out a handful of changes and letting the grocery store clerk or the veggies stand man take the amount needed. I think Tunisia is definitely worth a visit. Just plan for at least 10 days or 2 weeks to really see something of the country.

A missed road sign can be a good thing! El Fath Tunisie Marbre

This is the first mosaic workshop we visited just past the turn off to El Jem which we’d missed. The staff were kind enough to give us a tour. It was here we first noticed that most of the mosaics are assembled by women. Not necessarily designed by women, but they are the ones who put the puzzle together following the pattern created by the artist. Sometimes the artists use ancient Roman images and sometimes they create new contemporary designs.

El Fath Tunisie Marbre Mosaics display

Huge boulders become smaller rocks which become small oblong stick which get cut into mosaic pieces.

Ladies working on a contemporary mosaic made from glass pieces

A finished mosaic

Glass pieces for the mosaic in progress

Randal ever the mosaic student

Artist/teacher and student : Naceur Bouslah with Randal

I was especially pleased to see a woman as the artist.

Hungry lions

We saw this image in most mosaic shops but saw the original in the mosaic museum in El Jem

Following the artist’s pattern on this plate

Recycled bits

Left over or broken bits were used to create this contemporary piece which I quite liked.

Lunch with parking…

Just near the coliseum in El Jem hawkers point to parking spaces where you may park if you pay them in dinar one way or the other. Buy food, souvenirs …. We opted to park and pay for lunch. It was actually quite good: omelette, fries, salad with tuna, bread and mint tea for me. And there was a WC.

Father and son café: the son.

The black and white photo is his dad.

A Berber Kilim hanging outside a shop in El Jem. Now it’s on DoraMac!

I actually passed it up the first time we were in El Jem as the shop was closed. But luckily for me, the shop was open our second visit to El Jem, so I bought it. The shop owner had a “new one” in the with his other carpets but I liked the faces on this one better. From what I’ve read the colors and patterns are traditional Berber. The wool seems never to have been carded so it is quite scratchy. I think it will be a wall hanging somewhere one day.

“In contrast, the indigenous rural Berber women have a tradition of weaving short-nap, flat weave rugs or tapestries; their products fall into two categories; mergum or mergoum, which are woven and embroidered and kilim or klim which are only woven. The “Mergoum” and “Klim” are characterized by the combination of two simple geometrical patterns, the lozenge (or diamond shape) and the triangle.

Berber designs from the south of Tunisia also incorporate animal figures — most often camels. Contemporary urban, mechanized weaving is more the domain of men.

http://www.ibike.org/africaguide/textile/textile2.htm

“The Kilim has gone through a specific evolution in the area of the city of EL JEM, located at the centre of Tunisia. Originally, it was a plain cloth made of single-tint coloured strips and was used as a ground carpet. By and by, it was enriched with a decoration. It is now commonly made of wide strips, for longitudinal edges, bearing triangular and lozenge motifs; such strips surround a surface ornamented with horizontal strips which would be organized in a symmetrical manner on both sides of a central strip which is a little wider than the others. Set on a red background, motifs and strips are green, orange, black or white; they are obtained thanks to a technique based on a compromise between double-sided weaving and one-side weaving.” http://www.tunisartex.com/eng/produits.asp

The coliseum in El Jem with the sweetest faced camels I’ve ever seen. When we walked by they actually looked as if they wanted to speak to us. I restrained myself from going to pat them as the owner mightn’t have been pleased and perhaps maybe not the camel either.

Poster outside the coliseum

“The Amphitheatre of El Jem bears outstanding witness to Roman architecture, notably monuments built for spectator events, in Africa. Located in a plain in the centre of Tunisia, this amphitheatre is built entirely of stone blocks, with no foundations and free-standing. In this respect it is modelled on the Coliseum of Rome without being an exact copy of the Flavian construction. Its size (big axis of 148 metres and small axis 122 metres) and its capacity (judged to be 35,000 spectators) make it without a doubt among the largest amphitheatres in the world. Its facade comprises three levels of arcades of Corinthian or composite style. Inside, the monument has conserved most of the supporting infrastructure for the tiered seating. The wall of the podium, the arena and the underground passages are practically intact. This architectural and artistic creation built around 238 AD, constitutes an important milestone in the comprehension of the history of Roman Africa. The Amphitheatre of El Jem also bears witness to the prosperity of the small city of Thysdrus (current El Jem) at the time of the Roman Empire.

Criterion (iv): The Amphitheatre of El Jem is one of the rare monuments of its kind and unique in Africa, which is not built against a hillside, but on flat ground and supported by a complex system of arches. The monument of El Jem is one of the most accomplished examples of Roman architecture of an amphitheatre, almost equal to that of the Coliseum of Rome.” http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/38

http://www.africanworldheritagesites.org/

Modern performances in an ancient coliseum must be spectacular to see (especially as no one is being eaten by a lion.)

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In Spain; In Spain

July 16, 2013

Hola,

We arrived in Spain early this morning after the fastest, calmest (weather wise) passage we’ve had in ages. We actually had to slow the boat down so as not to arrive here before daylight. We’d hoped to have gotten into one of the Gibraltar marinas but they were full up. We are just across the border at the foot of the ROCK. I promise photos soon and the stories of Tunisia.

We must go off and find Customs and Immigration and maybe try to make it to the Queensway Quay Marina in Gibraltar where our friends Sue and Ed Kelly did manage to get a berth. They were here weeks ahead of us proving the early bird gets the birth. Or the early Angel Louise.

The good thing about this marina is that we are alongside a finger pier so no need for the passerelle. I have to say when the dock is close and level even that’s not a problem.

So I’m pooped after our 6 night passage. I promise more soon.

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Licata Part 2 Sunday morning walk with Linda

July 10, 2013

Asalama,

Ramadan began yesterday evening at sundown. •"Kul ‘am wa enta bi-khair!" ("May every year find you in good health!")

We are getting everything ship shape and it seems we’ll be aiming for Spain just across from Gibraltar. We will leave either tomorrow mid-day or Thursday. It’s a 6 day trip, the longest of our passage to London so far.

I am off to Bravo, the small grocery store a few blocks from the marina. The options are limited but they do have some fruit and eggs. We can survive on PB and J and tuna so no problem there as long as I have some fruit and veggies.

One more email about Licata then I’ll begin to write about Tunisia

It was great having Linda and Frank at the marina in Licata. Not only did we travel together to Palermo, but one morning Linda and I went off to explore Licata. Wish we’d met earlier in our stay there. We also traded dinners on each other’s boats. They were leaving Licata on their way to cross the Atlantic and then go on to the Caribbean.

Our first stop was the Church of Santa Maria Nuova . It’s hard to find in depth information in English about Licata so I can’t verify the story about the “black Jesus” having been blackened by fire. Some of you out there still working in libraries might see what you can find and let me know. It does make a good story but I’d prefer a true story.

“A visit to Licata can start from the Mother Church, completed in the early 16th century in the Renaissance style. The church has three naves with a transept, and was called "Santa Maria La Nuova", to distinguish it from the old Cathedral. The dome was painted by Raffaele Politi (1783-1870).

Among the paintings in the church, many are by Fra’ Felice da Sambuca (1733-1805). The altarpiece depicting the "Nativity of the Virgin and the Saints Peter and Paul and an Angel” is by an anonymous Flemish artist and dates from the first half of the 17th century. In the right chapel is a wooden Crucifix dating to the 15th century, the so-called "Black Crucifix"*.

* The “Black Crucifix” is a 15th century work by artists from Messina. It became black after the Turks sacked the town and burned the church – the crucifix itself was not burned but was blackened by the fire.”

http://www.italythisway.com/places/licata.php

The painted ceiling of the main church

Trompe L’oeil

Chapel of the Black Christ

I think the sign says it was made by local artisans between the 17^th and 18^th centuries by local craftsmen but the website says 15^th century made by artisans in Messina on the north east coast.

A contemporary artist working from postcards and a magnifying glass

I wish I’d have liked his work well enough to have bought one; but I didn’t.

Walking to the top of the hill to The Church of Maria SS di Pompei and Castel Sant’Angelo

“Castlel Sant’Angelo (the late sixteenth built as a fortification for the sight where you can see much of the coast.”

Almost at the church

The church was closed unfortunately as whomever this is had an appointment in town. He did tell us the short cut behind the church to the castle.

Info only in Italian.

In July 1553 the city was plundered and destroyed by the pirate Dragut, causing its decision to erect defensive walls and a tower on the Sant’Angelo hills. http://www.initalytoday.com/sicily/licata/

Licata decayed under the Saracens but flourished under the Norman, guarded by the "Limpiados" sea fort, the third one in Sicily. In 1392Licata became a demesnal town and Frederick II called it "Urbs Dilettissima". In 1542 an earthquake destroyed the town walls. In 1615 the third castle was built on Monte Sant’Angelo. In 1943 the Americans landed at Licata, starling the conquest of Sicily. On the Sant’Angelo hill in addition to the Castle there is a hypogean sanctuary and a prehistoric necropolis. http://happening.kalat.org/?q=en/node/187#sthash.WC7pPgxA.dpuf

Linda did her “my momma was born in…and my poppa was born in….so we got a special tour, cold water and hot strong coffee.

Linda swapping stories with the staff of the Fort.

Looking down from the ramparts.

Views from the fort: the huge Licata cemetery and the old harbor.

Resting before heading down from the fort to the cemetery.

This cemetery worker couldn’t recall seeing the family names Linda asked about.

It was a huge cemetery

Our friend Lee Licata said anyone with the last name Licata probably had family from Licata

Putting up a new head stone.

While hunting around for info about the Church of Maria di Pompei I found this website. http://www.conigliofamily.com/LaSocieta.htm shows a picture of America’s immigrant story linking Licata to Buffalo, New York.

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Licata # 1

July 8, 2013

Bonne nuit,

Randal and I finished our very limited road tripping around Tunisia today and I think we are a bit “tripped out.” Where once we might have fought the traffic and confusion and hawkers, yesterday and today we just had no desire to deal with it. We loved our time Friday and Saturday in El Jem. Yesterday a visit to The Bardo in Tunis was a treat for a mosaic lover like Randal. Today we enjoyed an interesting conversation with a restaurant owner in Nabeul. But the horrible traffic in Tunis yesterday (note to self: next time take bus) and the way too pushy carpet guy in Nabeul today were just too exhausting and too much of the same old same old. I am sorry we missed the Grande Synagogue in Tunis as we also missed the Synagogue in Djerba. And we also missed the cemetery for the American soldiers buried in Carthage. I don’t know why we thought everything would be easier to find. As I said in the beginning of this email, I think we’re a bit “toured out” because we’re moving so quickly from country to country. I think Tunisia definitely needs much more time than we are giving it and I do recommend it as a place to visit, just do it earlier in the year when there are fewer tourists and it’s not so hot. If the weather cooperates we should be leaving Wednesday or Thursday for Sardinia, Spain or Gibraltar…not sure yet. Will keep you posted

Licata

Licata didn’t have any pages in my Sicily Art History Culture and Folklore book. But the longer we stayed the more we discovered; like a great and cheap pizza place we found getting lost on our way to the tiny neighborhood shop that sold, among other things, salami that Randal loved. We’d discovered the salami store one Sunday while out for a walk looking for a pizza place; but missed the street with the pizza shop which might have been closed as it was Sunday. Lots closes on Sicily on Sunday. It was also great having Linda and Frank there. Not only did we travel to Palermo with them, but Linda and I did a wonderful morning walk around Licata. (Jo and Mick have been really helpful here in Tunisia, but they both work so can’t spend days off walking around or touring.)

Coincidentally I did see most of the sights listed below; most on the walk one morning with Linda.

“Among the most interesting monuments are: The Lighthouse (the third highest of Italy); Castel Sant’Angelo (the late sixteenth built as a fortification for the sight where you can see much of the coast of Licata), City Hall (Art Nouveau), the Church of Santa Maria Nuova (the ‘400 with some additions of the Baroque period, within which lies the Chapel of the Black Christ), Santa Maria la Vetere (the ‘200, the oldest church in Licata); the Carmine (‘200 complex with a church and monastery), the Church of Sant’Angelo (which houses the relics of the Saint), the baroque churches of San Francesco, of Purgatory, of SS. Salvatore and San Domenico, the baroque palaces and villas in the Liberty style.”

http://casamalerba.it

It’s everywhere, it’s everywhere!!!!

Barrels of wine

You bring your own bottle or buy a bottle or box here and have it filled with the wine of your choice. Sadly we didn’t like any of his wine though Frank had bought some we tasted and we did like it.

Maybe it was different wine when we visited.

TIM troubles with our Internet dongle

Telecom Italia Mobile. The real problem was that we can’t read Italian so according to the TIM account page it looked as if our 15 GB had disappeared in two days!!! (It hadn’t.) This young woman was as helpful as she could be since we don’t speak Italian. Google translate helped some, but when she connected us by phone to the TIM hotline and I was speaking to some “not helpful” male, I heard him say “Americans” and then the line went dead. But Maria in the marina office spent about an hour helping us figure out the problem. (We were reading the account page wrong.) This young woman was helpful too. When in Licata ask women for help!!!!!

The lighthouse as seen from DoraMac as well as the fort on top of the hill.

More about the fort later.

Duomo of Church S. Angelo

A telephoto from the boat and looking down from the hillside, but once in town I just couldn’t find it until the last day when I came close…… A regret.

Shadows and light and golden walls: lovely!!!

One morning instead of looking down the tiny side streets I walked through them and saw all of the tiny neighborhoods. Great fun and friendly people.

Our landmark intersection with City Hall and the monument to something across the way.

Model ship makers

If we’d had time we’d have looked into a model of DoraMac

Rosa Balistreri (Licata, Sicily 21/3/1927 — Palermo, 20/9/1990) was a Sicilian folk singer.

http://www.rootsworld.com/italy/balistreri.shtml biographical info about the “Italian Joan Baez.”

http://kalliopeamorphous.wordpress.com/ is an interesting discussion about Balistreri and a criticism of modern pop music.

I like that books are included in the sculpture.

Gargoyles as architecture detail on some of the buildings

Sun and shadow as you wander through the neighborhoods keeping you cool during the heat of the day.

War memorial

Climbing through the neighborhoods to the top of the hill overlooking Licata.

Calvary

After visiting the Regional Gallery of Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo with all of its Church art, these giant Agave Americana – Century Plants reminded me of images of Calvary. Century plants bloom once every 100 years.

Street lamp and stone buildings need to be captured in watercolor someday.

Frutteria

Always crazy busy. Wonderful strawberries and friendly helpful staff. So far Marmaris and Beldibi still win the fruit and vegetable contest with their assortment and quality of produce.

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Palermo horses, graffiti, and this and that finale.

July 6, 2013

Bonsoir,

I spent a good deal of the past two days speaking French. The problem is that though I studied it for years, my vocabulary is miniscule so it only worked but so well and then fell to pieces just at the important parts. Randal and I spent most of the past two days in El Jem having met the very talented wonderful French speaking Tunisian mosiacs artist Belgacem Abderrazak. We visited his shop, his atelier, and also his favorite grilled lamb joint which I won’t describe because you had to be there to see it wasn’t half as bad as reading about it would make it sound. Just remember when you pick out your lobster or other shell fish; eating fresh is definitely not for the squeamish. Better to stick to veggie burgers and cheese/tomato/basil pizza.

This email wraps up our visit to Palermo. I will get to the Licata stories eventually. Tomorrow we’re off to Tunis and Carthage. We didn’t make it to Djerba today. The one road from Sfax to Djerba was just too slow, crowded and under construction. We would have spent too much of today and tomorrow driving so just turned the car around spending a second day in El Jem. Tunis has the Grande Synagogue so hopefully we’ll see it having missed the oldest African synagogue in Dejerba. We’d like to visit the American War Cemetery near Carthage but it’s closed on weekends; but maybe Monday if it works out.

It’s 9:30 pm and I’ve been up since a little past 5 am. Time for sleep.

While we were traveling around Sicily I wrote a few thoughts into my “passage to England” journal. I wrote about the sound of Italian which is just like you hear on TV and movies. Our friend Linda says there are lots of regional accents just as in most countries, but it all sounds “Italian” to me. It’s actually lovely and musical and looks like such fun to speak that you just want to. (Until you don’t understand and they have to repeat it all again for you and then they get impatient with you which makes it sound not so pleasant.)

There were horses in the streets of Palermo…..

I took several photos which the policeman in the background noticed so he smiled which I noticed when I downloaded my photos. Lots of horses in Palermo.

Not a silk purse from a sow’s ear but a feed bucket from a straw handbag.

Got to get that’s last little bit.

There was graffiti on the streets of Palermo. I know it annoys most people and in the wrong place, like Homer’s Tomb in Ios, it annoys me too. But I’ve also come to appreciate the creativity and actual talent behind some of the images.

I found this very “somewhere traveling not in the US.” I bought some peaches and instead of a bag, the grocer tore a large piece of brown paper from a huge roll, formed a cone and put my two peaches inside. Cool!

Waiting in line to cross the road.

Barriers lined these 4 opposing corners. I wanted to cross the street so asked why the crowd of people were just standing blocking the way. Answer was, “it’s the crossing the street queue.” During heavy traffic times there’s a line with everyone waiting her/his turn to cross when the light changes.”

I’m not wild about the pink and black, but the actual image is really good.

Contrasting costumes

A wall of empty produce cartons

Bomb damage is quite the reality check.

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Tunisia road trip preview

July 6, 2013

Aslam,

Randal picked up our rental car and headed out of town vaguely knowing how to get to El Jem, our first destination. Some of the road signs made sense and some were like those old Visa commercials where the couple trades their camera for a donkey. Of course if I’d paid any attention at all during the half-dozen years of French classes we’d have been much better off. French is the second language of Tunisia. But folks are friendly and helpful and everyone tells us how safe this country is, so we picked up a man standing along the road and drove him from El Jem to his destination just before Sfax. Sfax is a fairly large town with an airport but it took us a while to find this (read as any) hotel. When we had set out for El Jem we didn’t know our final stop for the day so had no hotel plan. Tomorrow we are heading down the coast for the island of De Jerba to see el Ghriba, the oldest synagogue in Africa. As it’s will be Saturday we might not see much. But maybe Sunday morning.

Here are a few photos from our stop at one of several mosaic workshops and the coliseum in El Jem. I’m too pooped to write more.

Storks nest on power lines where perches had been added so nests could be built. There were about 2 dozen in a row.

We opted for the local road rather than highway….

Our first of many mosaic workshop stops

Women working at a glass mosaic with a modern motif

El Jem Roman Coliseum; not Disney, but real

“I’d like to give the world a Coke” are the lyrics, aren’t they?

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Street Scenes and Eating in Palermo # 2

July 5, 2013

Aslama

As soon as I hit, SEND, it’s off to the shower and get packed and ready to hit the Tunisian roads. Not 100% sure where we’re going but ..south probably to Al Djem and the Roman ruins first. Then we’ll see. I’ve one more Palermo after this and some Licata photos…so I’m beginning to feel like the white rabbit and racing like mad.

Street Scenes and Eating in Palermo # 2

Lovely garlic!

The clock on the tower is painted on!

Our favorite pizza place just almost across from our hotel.

We ate dinner our last night and then lunch the next day before heading to the bus station.

Pizza, pasta, pastry = pounds that I’m trying to get rid of here in Tunisia. So far a lovely salad Nicoise at a marina café and a grilled fish at a Hammamet restaurant Jo and Mick showed us last night.

My half of our dinner sausage pizza. Lunch we split a prosciutto, cheese, and basil pizza.

Pizza isn’t available until the ovens are fired up as we found during our lunch visit: we waited the half hour. But gelato is anytime, everywhere, any and every flavor. I actually only had it one time during our road trip and it really is wonderful creamy stuff.

Pizza plaza entertainers

We were serenaded by a violinist as one should be in Italy and tricked by a magician. Both earned some lira for their performances, hence Randal being hugged.

The pizza place plazza

Teatro Biondo, just down from our hotel http://www.teatrobiondo.it/default.aspx (Italian only)

“In the middle part of the magnificent Via Roma, one will see the church called St. Antonio Abate and right in front of it, next to the elegant neoclassical facade of Palazzo Arezzo, stand the beautiful Teatro Biondo. Founded in 1903 when Palermo was experiencing a cultural revival, Teatro Biondo was Palermo’s first opera house, also hosting circus performances. Today, the theater hosts mostly plays and many of Italy’s most famous actors and best theater companies have graced Biondo’s stage”

http://travel.aol.com/

Owner description: Teatro Biondo represents the ultimate expression of architecture in nineteenth-century Theater in Palermo, concluding a formidable urban sprawl that had had its most significant stages in the implementation of the Teatro Massimo and Teatro Politeama. Between late ‘800 and early ‘900, in fact, the city lived a particular moment of glory thanks to an enlightened entrepreneurial bourgeoisie, led by the Florio family, and a class of intellectuals.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/

The last places we visited…..

Every morning Randal and I would meet with Linda and Frank and go off around Palermo seeing stuff and then having a late lunch. Then it was siesta time with plans to re-meet for dinner about 8pm. Late afternoons I’d walk, Randal would compute and Linda and Frank would do their own thing. While out and about they found the two lovely huge Palermo theaters but Linda didn’t have her camera. So our final morning after our visit to Blue Mary, Linda and I raced over to see the theater facades and take some photos. We were back at the pizza place by noon only to wait until 12:30 when pizza was available to be ordered. After our race around Palermo she and I deserved our pizza.

Teatro Politeama on Piazza Politeama

– Politeama Theatre –

Built in neoclassical style, which was in vogue at the end of the Eighteen Hundreds, the Politeama Theatre illuminates the Piazza which shares its name. Designed as a "polytheama", or performance space for a variety of shows, its role in Palermo was to be as central to social life then, as cinema is now.

Equestrian exhibitions, gymnastics, acrobatics, operettas, plays, and social festivities were to be held and seen there. Just before the Politeama was built, moral in Palermo was low after an epidemic of cholera. The city needed a boost, and the authorities, already in favour of building a people’s theatre, encouraged construction despite budget restrictions. In fact it was completed thirty years before the operatic, more aristocratic Theatre Massimo.

Following the ancient theme of entertainment for the masses, the Politeama is structurally reminiscent of Greek and Roman traditions: circular, with ambulatories supported by Doric and Ionic columns, originally made for open air shows.

The outside is decorated with a frieze depicting circus performers. The façade is deigned like a Roman (or Napoleonic) triumphal arch, echoing the Hellenic design of the theatres of Pompeii. A bronze horse drawn quadriga driven by figures representing artistic Talents, by Mario Rutelli, gallop across the theatre roof; Rutelli was also known for the Naiads Fountain in Piazza della Repubblica in Rome.

The theatre’s construction did not run smoothly. Economic, municipal and administrative setbacks hindered building, which, for a while, was completely suspended. At its final inauguration in 1874, the theatre was still roofless. However, by 1891 it was complete, with a seating capacity of 5000, and a truly inspirational roof, facilitating fantastic acoustics, even if, by the original project, the theatre was designed to be uncovered.

Now the top floor is a museum: the Modern Art Gallery "Empedocle Restivo", used to exhibit the works of artists from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth century. http://www.italyguides.it has a 360 view of the piazza.

The dancing babies from Ally McBeal!

Teatro Massimo http://www.teatromassimo.it/index_en.php

http://www.teatromassimo.it/teatro/launch_en.swf site is quite the experience to visit

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo opened its doors to the public on the evening of 16 May 1897, twenty-two years after the solemn public ceremony of the laying of the first stone.

This took place on 12 January 1875, and ended a chequered series of vicissitudes with interminable squabbles lasting over ten years.

The international competition for the project and realisation of the opera house had been announced by Palermo Council in 1864, and its prime mover was the mayor, Antonio Starrabba di Rudinì.

For a long time there had been talk of building a big new theatre in Palermo, worthy of the second biggest city in southern Italy after Naples.

Palermo, in the second half of the nineteenth century, was engaged in getting itself a new identity in the light of the new national unity.

Cultural life was influenced by the new national physiognomy and the positive consequences of the activity of enlightened entrepreneurs like the Florios, who also made generous donations to the building of the opera house and for some years were also its no less enlightened managers.

Intense commercial relations led to the convergence and development in Palermo of interests with a European dimension and caused the city to be continually in touch with different cultural models than its own. This was the start of the Belle poque, which for the city was a time of cultural and economic rebirth which became mythical and was only to be interrupted by the outbreak of World War I.

http://www.teatromassimo.it/teatro/launch_en.swf

Scenery on sale

The Teatro Massimo puts on sale a number of scenery materials from its productions. A complete list is available through the Purchase Department. Wish we’d had time for the guided tour and perhaps a go at the scenery sale!

Lions stand guard just like the New York Public Library

Art renews people and reveals life…or something like that.

The big iron gates rode on a track to open and close

Looking back at the bust of Verdi

The performance just in front of the theater.

I think this tongue thing was the horse’s own doing. I know there are nose twitches used when a horse just won’t behave, but not a tongue twitch. Plus the horse was quite calm and relaxed even with the small crowd that was watching him get new shoes.

Getting new shoes

Pony tail and discarded shoes with rubber padding.

The smith doesn’t have a strange hair style, that’s the horses tail behind his head.

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Strolling and Eating # 1

July 5, 2013

Hi all,

We’re meeting new pals Jo (short for Joan) and Mick (short for Michael) for dinner at 7 pm. Tomorrow we’re off to see Tunisia. So I’m trying to rush through my Palermo photos before we go. So they’re a bit hither and thither.

Street scenes and Eating in Palermo

Eating was always entertaining; just because we became part of the street scene or watched it take place as we walked home from a meal. Strolling was fun too.

The restaurant our first night was, fun but the food was only okay. I’m afraid we got spoiled the first meal in Acireale with the homemade pasta and garlicy clams.

We did catch this street scene on the way home.

Wonder who ends up with whom?

The streetlights and stucco building made everything look golden.

Back at our hotel

Late morning snack

We thought we were ordering iced coffee slush but it was more like coffee flavored cool whip.

This woman was a Singaporean married to a Brit and they were lost so Linda and Frank shared what we knew.

This was a street of small shops mostly selling cooking and baking pots and utensils, but one time it must have been a Jewish section of Palermo.

A marzipan mold: unfortunately none with a pomegranate image

Lunch menu was written on the table paper

Frank had checked on this place late one afternoon and we aimed for it our first night for dinner but it was closed; only opened for lunch so we went there our second day.

Fish of the day

I remembered half way through to take a photo. It was some kind of tasty white fish with a cheese, seafood, bread stuffing. The men at the table near us had ordered it and told us it was good. And even offered a taste!

The place was packed with lines waiting for outdoor or indoor seating.

This fellow saw me taking photos and wanted his taken so I did.

All gone

By 5 pm or there abouts when I walked past, it was as if the place had never existed. They really only do lunch.

An interesting pattern book and fashion design shop

Seemingly discarded puppet theater that we passed in an alley on our way someplace else.

“The puppet theatre known as the Opera dei Pupi emerged in Sicily at the beginning of the nineteenth century and enjoyed great success among the island’s working classes. The puppeteers told stories based on medieval chivalric literature and other sources, such as Italian poems of the Renaissance, the lives of saints and tales of notorious bandits. The dialogues in these performances were largely improvised by the puppeteers. The two main Sicilian puppet schools in Palermo and Catania were distinguished principally by the size and shape of the puppets, the operating techniques and the variety of colourful stage backdrops.

These theatres were often family-run businesses; the carving, painting and construction of the puppets, renowned for their intense expressions, were carried out by craftspeople employing traditional methods. The puppeteers constantly endeavoured to outdo each other with their shows, and they exerted great influence over their audience. In the past, these performances took place over several evenings and provided opportunities for social gatherings.

The economic and social upheavals caused by the extraordinary economic boom of the 1950s had a considerable effect on the tradition, threatening its very foundations. At that time, similar forms of theatre in other parts of Italy disappeared, some of them to re-emerge some twenty years later. The Opera dei Pupi is the only example of an uninterrupted tradition of this kind of theatre. Owing to current economic difficulties puppeteers can no longer make a living from their art, prompting them to turn to more lucrative professions. Tourism has contributed to reducing the quality of performances, which were previously aimed at a local audience only.” http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/00011

In India we saw “dumbed down for the attention span of a tourist” versions of folk performances.

Imagine the performance…..

In India I could have watched the puppet show far longer than it was performed. And in Japan too.

Puppets for sale in many shops.

Lots of cyclist, so lots of bicycle shops.

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Blue Mary and Stone Eleanor : A misadventure in Palermo

July 4, 2013

Asalam,

That’s how Jo says hello and she’s lived here in Tunisia for 7 years so it works for me. Tomorrow we’re off in our rental car to see some of Tunisia. We have a map, some vague plans and too little time, so we’ll see how it goes. Ramadan starts next Tuesday which does effect some shops and restaurants, but as non-Muslims we’re not expected to observe it at all, but we are expected to be considerate of those fasting and not be so obvious with ours. (In Turkey it was pretty impossible to tell it was Ramadan and our favorite place Aciktim was always open.)

I’ve only taken a few photos so far here in Tunisia as the marina area could be anywhere. I am sure I’ll take billions on our travels.

I still have lots of photos from Palermo and this email is about my quest to see the “Blue Mary.” You are lovers should enjoy this.

Blue Mary and Stone Eleanor : A misadventure.

As I’ve written in past emails, I’ve developed an interest in “Mary” from reading authors who see her more as a woman than as a religious icon. While flipping through Sicily Art History Culture and Folklore I came across the painting “The Madonna of the Annunciation” by Antonello da Messina. The book implied that the painting (and bust of Eleanor of Aragon by Frencesco Laurana) were in the Cappella Palatina. In reality they are both housed in the Regional Gallery of Palazzo Abatellis so our last morning in Palermo we all went off to the Gallery. There was a No Photo sign but in the past that’s not always meant NO PHOTOS. I did sneak one photo of Eleanor, but these No photos signs really meant NO, so no more photos after that. My reaction to the Mary painting in real life was disappointment. There was just too little light on it so the painting looked dull. And small. I’ve read somewhere that in its original setting by a window northern light shone on it and I’m sure that would have made a difference.

Photo taken in the gift shop of the Cappella Palatina

The small shop where I bought my “blue Mary” print which you can see in the doorway below the red print.

The Madonna of the Annunciation visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC……..

“Although not as well known or documented as some of his Northern Italian contemporaries, like Fra Angelico and Piero della Francesca, the Sicilian artist Antonello da Messina (about 1430-1479) is regarded as the greatest painter to emerge from Southern Italy in the 15th century. He could do almost anything, including monumental, multipart altarpieces, but his particular genius was for the single portrait, depicted in three-quarter view, in which the intensely human play of expression on his subjects’ faces makes a connection with the viewer that few artists before or after him have managed to achieve.

The show’s centerpiece, (Metropolitan Museum of Art.) however, is not a secular but a religious painting, "The Virgin Annunciate" (about 1475-76), regarded as Antonello’s signature work. It is a widely recognized masterpiece, with an air of mystery that often evokes comparison to the "Mona Lisa," whose genius lies in the way in which a traditional icon has been imbued with the life force of a flesh-and-blood human being. The Virgin is depicted as a young Sicilian girl, wearing a bright blue cloak that covers her head, at the moment of the Annunciation, when she is told by the angel Gabriel that she will bear Jesus.

Facing the viewer – but looking slightly down and sideways – with a book on a lectern in front of her, she extends her right hand in a gesture of salutation to the unseen angel (or is she asking him to wait before formally delivering this portentous news?). The foreshortened hand, palm down, seems to reach toward the viewer in what might be a gesture of blessing. A whole speculative dissertation could, in fact, be written about this hand, which seems to have been done by Antonello with a grid of strings known as a velo, through which an object could be observed and transcribed onto a squared piece of paper. The Virgin’s face wears an expression of great serenity with just a touch of the apprehension that a teenage girl might feel who was chosen to carry out such an important commission.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/arts/design/06anto.html?_r=0

Eleanor of Aragon (1450-1493) was the daughter of king Ferrante I of Aragon (Ferdinand I of Naples) and Isabella of Taranto. In 1473 she married Ercole I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara and became the first Duchess of Ferrara.

This work is considered to be the epitome of Renaissance-era Sicilian sculpture.

http://www.wga.hu/

http://www.croatia.org/ give some interesting info about Francesco Laurana

On our way to the Galleria

Giant banyan tree near the Galeria

So we got to the Galleria and there was one of those “No Photo” signs that we decided to ignore but were told right away, NO PHOTOS. How disappointing. Most of the paintings/art work were church related. The giant painting illustrating a visit from death was quite a thing to behold. But honestly, other than Mary and Eleanor, I could have skipped the place. Randal too I’m sure. Linda and Frank seemed to enjoy it which was good as I’d sort of dragged us all there.

Restoration work

In an alcove just inside the entrance these women were working with tools resembling tweezers.

Hebrew letters on a stone slab

I’ve turned the photo so you can see it better. The slab was on the floor in the alcove. The ladies didn’t know anything about it but seemed curious about my saying it looked like Hebrew. They really didn’t speak English so I couldn’t ask them about their work or the slab with the letters.

There was another museum or piece of the Galleria around back so we went to look there. We asked if we could take photos and were told yes but later no…..

Great floor

Women in what looked to be a watercolor class.

It looked as if they were learning how to make all of the tones of each color from dark to light

I want to be in the class, what a great setting for it.

More restoration work

Love the hair!

About 40 years ago I sort of looked like her.

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Four Corners, The fountain and two churches next door

July 3, 2013

Asalam Alaykum,

We are as far north as you can be and still be in Africa. But I’ve never been to Africa before so this counts. Funny enough though, last night was the first rain we’ve seen since before we left Turkey apparently surprising everyone here too. There’s a British couple who’ve been here 7 years and they’re helping us with good info. Makes everything about a new place easier when there’s someone there to show you the ropes.

But for this email we’re back in Sicily in Palermo.

Four Corners, The fountain and two churches next door.

Plan A our second morning was to spend some hours at the Archeological Museum, number 1 on Linda and Frank’s list of things to see in Palermo. We actually walked right past it on the Via Roma because its entire front was surrounded with scaffolding and huge billboards. All of that was due to the renovations underway, not to be done any time soon that day, week or month. So we moved along to plan B, more of the Literary Walking tour: the Four Corners, The Fountain and two more churches.

“Via Maqueda, just beyond the Piazza Pretoria, intersects the CORSO at the renowned landmark QUATRO CANTI, and operatic crossroads with 4 facades bearing fountains and statues of the 4 seasons, the 4 Spanish kings, and the 4 patronesses of Palermo…” Desiring Italy

“Description: The "Quattro Canti" (Four Corners) is the traditional center of Palermo, the crossroad marking the heart of Palermo’s old historic district. Many of Palermo’s monuments, artistic churches and other sights of historical and touristic interest are located within walking distance of the Quattro Canti. Although almost everyone in Palermo calls the Four Corners "Quattro Canti", the intersection’s official name is actually "Piazza Vigilena," named for the Spanish Viceroy who had the sculptures built on the Four Corners back in 1611. Each of the four buildings that comprise the Quattro Canti, has three levels covered with Baroque sculptures that were designed by the architect Giulio Lasso. The sculptures on the facades of the four buildings illustrate various themes: the Four Seasons, Spanish kings and various patron saints of Palermo’s four old quarters.

The fountains at ground level are typically Baroque. These sculptures were actually executed by a collective of talented local sculptors of that era, among whom d’Aprile, La Mattina and Tedeschi. Thanks to years of exposure to smog and soot, the once pearl colored sculptures have been transformed into a grimy gray that has obscured some of their definition but none of their magnificence.”

Date built: 1608 http://www.fountainsoc.org.uk/fountain/73

The "Quattro Canti"

The “Quattro Canti” is the junction in Palermo. Effectively, it is the centre point of the four areas of the old town centre. You will almost inevitably pass through it and it is worth stopping for five minutes to have a look at its sculptures which were commissioned by the Spanish Viceroy in 1611. The sculptures on each of the four corners depict a variety of themes, including the four seasons, four Spanish kings and the four patron saints of the old town areas. http://www.thinksicily.com/

There was lots of traffic, human, horse, motorcycle and car, so no remote chance of standing in the center and taking photos all the way round. It was hard to find standing still space on the sidewalk. Some horses had blue, some white and some pink ear coverings.

Selling corn on the corner.

This would be a hit at RAGBRAI, the huge bike ride across Iowa where 10,000+ bicycle riders are always looking for snacks.

Early evening the corners were calmer.

B & W shot of one of the 4 corners.

The church dome at the fountain was visible from just the right angle.

From the Four Corners we walked along to the Piazza Pretoria.

“Going south-east down Via Maqueda you will come across Piazza Pretoria which is home not only to a splendid fountain but several other impressive buildings including, on the right, the City Hall. The fountain, known for generations as the “Fountain of Shame”, has an interesting history. It was originally built in 1555 by the Florentine sculpture Francesco Camiliani for a Tuscan villa owned by the Viceroy Pedro de Toledo. His son, on inheriting the villa in 1574, thought it a little too risqué for his tastes and sold it to the City of Palermo who erected it where it now stands. The large central fountain is the focal point for sixteen nude statues of nymphs, humans, mermaids and satyrs. If you imagine this being erected during the Inquisition, it is quite easy to imagine why it received its epithet, the “Fountain of Shame”.

http://www.thinksicily.com/

A “laid back” demonstration about something in front of the City Hall across from the fountain.

Around the back of the fountain and City Hall were the Churches of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio and San Cataldo, two very different churches.

“The Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana)

Behind the City Hall, there is another square, Piazza Bellini where you can see two of Palermo’s most interesting churches: the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (more commonly known as La Martorana) and the Church of San Cataldo, instantly recognizeable thanks to its trio of red domes. La Martorana was commissioned in 1143 by George of Antioch, a famous Admiral (a word of Arabic origin) of the fleet of King Roger II. Initially the church was dedicated to the celebration of Greek Orthodox rites but this changed in the 13th century when it became part of the Catholic Church. Several parts of the structure were unfortunately changed during the 17th century and many of the original mosaics were discarded to make way for Baroque frescoes. However, the surviving mosaics are amongst the most impressive ever to have been created in Sicily. Indeed, the craftsmen who were brought from Byzantium by King Roger II to work on the Normal Palace and the Duomo at Cefalu’, also contributed their art to this church. The wonderful bell tower outside is the apogee of Norman-Arab architecture.”

http://www.thinksicily.com/

“The Chiesa della Martorana in Palermo dates from 1143 and is famed for its spectacular mosaics. Its official name is Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio but it is better known as La Martorana.

The church was founded in 1143 by George of Antioch, the admiral of the Norman King Roger. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it became known as Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, "St. Mary of the Admiral." The church’s more common name comes from Eloisa Martorana, who founded a nearby Benedictine convent in 1194.

The church has seen its share of history over the years: it was in La Martorana that Sicily’s noblemen convened to offer the crown to Peter of Aragon. The facade and interior were altered considerably in 1588, during the baroque period, but thankfully the glorious mosaics survive intact and on full display.

The graceful Norman bell tower is original from the 12th century. The facade, on the other hand, is a baroque renovation of the original Norman front. Entrance is through a beautiful portico with a trio of ancient columns and double arch openings.

Glittering Norman-Byzantine mosaics from c.1150 cover the interior, including on and around the columns that hold up the principal cupola. The mosaics were overseen by George of Antioch himself, who was of Greek descent and loved the Byzantine mosaics of his homeland. Scholars think the craftsmen who designed these mosaics also did the mosaic work in the Cappella Palatina.

Even after 850 years, the colors remain vibrant: the golden background is pierced with streaks of spring green, ivory, azure blue, and red. High along the western wall is some of the oldest and best-preserved mosaic artwork of the Norman period. Just inside the entrance is an interesting mosaic of King Roger II being crowned by Christ. Roger is dressed in a jeweled Byzantine stole, reflecting the Norman court’s penchant for all things Byzantine. Archangels along the ceiling wear the same stole.”

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/palermo-martorana

The Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana) and The Church of San Cataldo

Randal put a few coins in her cup.

A noticeable mix of artistic styles…Byzantine and Baroque

According to my Sicily book this is a 12^th century mosaic of Roger II being crowned by Christ

Next door the red dome topped very austere church.

The Church of San Cataldo

“Standing next to La Martorana is the miniscule Church of San Cataldo, characterised by its three red domes. It was built in 1154 and has retained its original ascetic atmosphere perfectly. The only decoration to speak of is the original mosaic floor. It is presently the religious seat of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in Palermo.”

http://www.thinksicily.com/

La Cataldo, Palermo

Known for its distinctive red domes, the small Chiesa di San Cataldo is a 12th-century Norman church stands next door to La Martorana in Palermo, Sicily.

The church of San Cataldo was founded by Maio of Bari, chancellor to William I, during the Norman occupation in 1154. After Maio died in 1160, the interior was never completed. The church has belonged to the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre since 1937. The exterior of this small church looks like a squat stone box with small arched openings. It is topped by its most striking feature: a row of three Saracen-style, bulbous, red "golfball" domes.

The austere stone interior, with bare walls and three petite stone cupolas over the nave, evokes a strong sense of the Middle Ages. Aside from the carved capitals, the only decoration is the fine mosaic tilework on the floor. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/palermo-cataldo

The very unadorned domed ceiling.

MY Doramac

Monthly Archives: July 2013

Tunisia part one

In Spain; In Spain

Licata Part 2 Sunday morning walk with Linda

Licata # 1

Palermo horses, graffiti, and this and that finale.

Tunisia road trip preview

Street Scenes and Eating in Palermo # 2

Strolling and Eating # 1

Blue Mary and Stone Eleanor : A misadventure in Palermo

Four Corners, The fountain and two churches next door