Aegean Sea destinations

I was so grateful to be invited by my parents to cruise from Venice to Istanbul. Stoping along the way in Croatia, Montenegro, a handful of islands in Greece before hitting a couple of ports in Turkey.

Needless to say I had boats on the brain.

Virtually throughout the Aegean area, numerous islands large and small emerge from the clear blue waters. These are the mountain peaks of Aegeis, the name given to a now-submerged landmass. At the dawn of European history, these islands facilitated contacts between the people of the area and of three continents. Throughout the entire Aegean shoreline, bays, ports, and shelter creeks are abundant. These facilitated the task of seamen traveling in the Aegean Sea, making longer voyages possible at a time when shipbuilding was in its infancy. Maritime history and lore are abundant- including some claims of the lost city of Atlantis residing here.

Murano Glass

After having learned the basic techniques of glass blowing in Australia, I was excited to visit the famed Italian artisans and learn of their techniques.

Venetian glass is a specific method of glass production developed and refined over many centuries in Venice, Italy, primarily on the island of Murano. It remains a world-renowned centre for colourful, elaborate glass of the highest quality and craftsmanship – be it in glassware, mirrors, chandeliers, or beads and jewelry.

My first question upon visiting a Murano glass blowing facility was simply, why here? In 1291 the small independent art glass factories that were flourishing in Venice were moved across the lagoon to the island of Murano where they were to remain to this day. The stated aim of this measure was one of safety due to the risk of furnace fires engulfing the over populated Doges city, which was largely constructed of wooden buildings.
 In part this would be a sensible precaution, but it also served to keep production isolated away from the prying eyes of competitors. To insure that the glassmaker’s secrets were never revealed, harsh sentences were to be meted out to individuals who leaked secrets to foreign nationals, or left Venice without official permission. This isolation of craft bread a competitive creative that yielded many innovations in the field (and ensured a remarkably high standing in society).

train travel Hungary, Czech Rep. and Austria to Italy

Church Bell Fabrication- Innsbruck, Austria

Ever wonder how those gigantic bells at the tops of cathedrals and town halls in Europe are made? A visit to the Bell Museum and Grassmayr Bell Foundry in the middle of Innsbruck, Austria, can help to answer that question.

In early times, when a town produced a bell it was a momentous occasion in which the whole community would participate.

Bells intended to be rung are usually made by casting bell metal of copper and bronze and are of a size appropriate for the pitch the bell is intended to produce. 

Fine tuning of metal bells is achieved on a lathe where a precise amount of material is removed from the inside of the bell in order to produce a true tone with correct harmonics.

czech republic

Sgraffito - Hungary

Sgraffito is a technique of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface. 

As a simple native art old examples of sgraffito can be found in many regions, largely in the eastern countries of Europe. Interestingly, the use of sgraffito was common in the creation of housing façades for the purposes of early advertising.

Rome, Italy

I made a quick trip to Rome to meet my brother Ronald for a fast paced romp through some of Rome's more obscure museums and attractions. Rome is breath taking and rich in visual, historical and religious interests. I was especially impressed by our hunt for the best gelato in Rome!

Rome, Italy- Puppetry

In ancient Greece and Rome clay dolls, and a few of ivory, dated from around 500 BC, were found in children's tombs. Comedy was introduced to the plays as time went by, and ultimately led to a church edict banning puppetry. Puppeteers responded by setting up stages outside cathedrals and became even more ribald and slapstick. Out of this grew the Italian comedy called Commedia dell'arte. 

When Rome was overrun by barbarians and puppet theater vanished, it was the traveling puppeteers who kept the art and the craft alive. Troupes of puppeteers, jesters, jugglers and entertainers breathed new life into the world's tales and histories, as they moved from place to place and puppets found a home in folk art.

Athens, Greece

I fell in love browsing antiques shops in Athens to find old paintings, especially of boats, which are a staple of Greek folk art. Paintings of water scenes appear everywhere, from local tavernas to luxury hotels.

a special find while wondering around the old town below the Acropolis, was this little folk art museum and cafe. Possibly the strongest espresso in Greece and lots of little treasures. 

the brambles of Ireland

Dingle Fine Leather Workshop

In the quaint peninsula town of Dingle, during a cold week in February, in Holden Leather-goods warm workshop, I learned all I could about producing fine handbags. 

Most tools and methodologies have not changed for generations, yet the design potential seems limitless.

There is something sensual about leather work but don't be fooled there is also a ton of engineering that goes into the fabrication.

In the end I produced a great messenger bag with a pretty pink lining. I also lost all feeling in a couple of my fingers for about 3 months. The learning experience was well worth it.

http://www.holdenleathergoods.com

Irish Countryside

Exploring the rolling hills of Southern Ireland by car is both beautiful and haunting.  The Irish countryside is rich in ecclesiastical ruins and relics from many periods which poignantly reflect a troubled past. 

Dublin, Ireland

What trip to Ireland is complete without paying homage to some of the historic distilleries. Bonnie and I made sure to visit the home of Jameson for a tour and tasting during my birthday adventure in Dublin. Needless to say, many of my pictures were a bit blurry after the tasting… should have spent a bit more time in the Maturation room instead of the pubs later.

Spain

Spain fell in my travels at the very point I craved a fine art fix. I spent most of my time here traveling from city to city visiting as many art galleries and museums as my mind (and feet) could handle. Here are a few snaps of exteriors since I won't bore you with all my art finds inside the walls.

Toledo, Spain - Sword Production

In 5th century B.C., falcata swords were forged in Toledo by Iberian blacksmiths. They are made with an iron blade inside the exterior design that is made to increase the bluntness of the slash. They were chosen by Hannibal's army and the Roman legions adopted them after witnessing their quality the hard way. The superior swords' fame reached far and wide. Even Japanese Samurai would come to Toledo to have their Katana and Wakizashi forged.

The secret is in its fabrication. The simultaneous forging of hard steel with high contents of carbon and soft steel at very high temperatures (almost 1500 degrees F) obtains the deadly mechanical properties as well as a better fastness to wear.

adeus Portugal. It was a pleasure.

Lisbon Grafiti

A graffiti display in Lisbon was listed among the top 10 best street art in the world, by London-based newspaperGuardian. The worldwide street art scene, illustrates how urban art can confront social and political issues in a powerful uncensored way,” the Guardiancritic wrote. The work I saw was no exception.