Category: Architecture

Cruising & Crete

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A BIT OF CRETE

Two days ago, we docked in Chania, a city on Crete’s northern coast.  Long before it became part of modern Greece, Chania was ruled by the Venetians and later the Ottoman Empire.  Its architecture is rich with Venetian and Moorish influences.  Since we were in port, we could walk off the ship instead of having to be tendered in.  Shuttle buses took us from the terminal up to the center of town.  We walked down then to the lovely small Venetian Harbor which is partially enclosed by a stone wall on the water side which you can walk along all the way to the lighthouse.

On the land side, there is a popular promenade which is lined with café and restaurant after café and restaurant offering Greek specialties galore.  The fortification on the water side terminates in a delicate lighthouse tower leaving just a small stretch of open water from the harbor to the sea.  We strolled along the promenade noting also the pointed roof arsenals, warehouses for the storage of ships and gear in the winter. It was Sunday and lots of folks were dining, hawkers were enthusiastically trying to entice passersby for a fishing or snorkeling cruise, and the waterfront was alive.  

At the far end of the promenade, the Chief Penguin stuck his head in the maritime museum, while I briefly checked out the Mediterranean International Bookstore.  It had a surprisingly large selection of English guide books and Greek history along with novels from the UK and the US.  I picked up a novel set in the Cretan mountains.  

Later, we walked farther into the town noting small lanes filled with shops and stalls, one all bootmakers and another just leather goods.  The market, built in 1913, was tightly closed, although we pressed our noses to the glass, as was the supermarket across the street.  A small square was dominated by a Greek Orthodox Church.  The exterior was classic in style; the interior was done in shades of blue with dark wooden side chairs for the congregation and elaborate crystal chandeliers.  Several statues also graced the square outside, but the inscriptions were only in Greek making it impossible to identify them.  

From the harbor side view, one building in particular stood out on the skyline and that was the Kioutsouk Hassan mosque with a large central dome and more than ten smaller ones. It was built in the late 1600’s.  Although we were only in Chania a couple of hours, we got the flavor of the Old Port neighborhood.

AT SEA

After leaving Chania, we sailed the Mediterranean Sea for a day and a night before arriving in Haifa, Israel early this morning.  Israel has strict immigration rules so all passengers had to exit the ship (beginning at 6:30 A.M.) and go to the terminal building a few steps away.   We went through security, showed  our passports to the Israeli officials, and got back our passports along with a small slip allowing us to be there.  We then re-boarded our ship, showing our ship ID card as we did.

 What does one do on a day you are constantly in motion?  There are more shipboard activities than usual, often a lecture or two, and the chance to just relax.  I did some reading—light novels set in various Greek isles—and the Chief Penguin and I walked briskly around the promenade deck a few times.  The goal was to get in enough steps so we could eat well at lunch and dinner and perhaps even indulge.  The food on board is so good with such variety that temptation is always at hand!

RECENT READING

The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes

Moyes writes popular fiction for women and I’ve read a number of her earlier novels.  This one was of particular interest to me because it’s about a group of librarians in the backwoods of Kentucky in the late 1930’s.  Eleanor Roosevelt was concerned about getting books and other reading material to people who didn’t have access to them and so proposed the idea of packhorse librarians.  These women went on horseback (or mules) up into the hills and mountains carrying books with them.  They were not usually trained librarians, but readers or lovers of books and/or adventure, who were paid modestly for their efforts.  This novel focuses on a few of these women and the challenges they faced both from the men in their lives and in the town and their struggles with the rugged terrain and the weather.  I found it an absorbing story.

Lighter Fare Set in Greece for Cruising or the Beach

The Summer House in Santorini by Samantha Parks

The Honey Farm on the Hill by Jo Thomas (Crete)

Note: No photos here given very slow WiFi speeds. Text ©JWFarrington.

Cruising: Sorrento & Pompeii

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CRUISING

From Rome, we went by car to Civitavecchia to board our cruise ship.  It’s about an hour’s drive from the center of town through the countryside to a rather plain, but functional, cruise terminal. Here, after being given a card for Boarding Group 1, we sat in one of the many rows of folding chairs until it was time for check-in.  They opened the counter about 20 minutes early and thus, we were boarding the ship and in the dining room before noon.  

As is the custom, you board, staff take your picture and then give you an ID/key card for your room, and then direct you to the dining room for lunch.  As you approach, wait staff are standing by to offer you a glass of champagne.  We were escorted to a lovely table by the window.  I had the Cobb salad which was done chopped style and excellent, while the Chief Penguin indulged in a hamburger, a rare treat.  After lunch, we sat and read until our stateroom was ready.  

ANCHORED OFF SORRENTO

We cruised overnight to Sorrento which is on the west coast of Italy and situated near the Amalfi coast.  We had scheduled an early morning (8:00 A.M.) tour to Pompeii with our travel companions, Ellen and Bob. Consequently, we were up early and waiting to get the 7:30 tender to town.  The tender departures were delayed so it was slightly after 8 when we arrived at the dock in Sorrento.  Tour guide Clelia and driver Michael were waiting for us.  Sorrento is built on a cliff above the sea with very narrow streets and many switchbacks up and around to get out of town.  Add in lots of traffic and Michael’s skill and fortitude were much appreciated!  It took about an hour and a quarter to get to the Pompeii ruins.

Modern Pompei is located in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, a volcano that is still active today.  The ancient city of Pompeii at its base was buried under 13 to 20 feet of ash and pumice by an eruption of the volcano in 79 A. D.  It is the ruins of this town that can be toured today.  Over the years, Pompeii was settled and inhabited by Italians, Greeks, Etruscans, and later Romans.  It was a rich city and in the ruins, one can see evidence of art and sometimes elaborate decoration.  

Spaces where human remains were found were injected with plaster to recreate the shape of the body.  Examples can be seen preserved in glass cases along with rows and rows of urns and jugs of varying shapes and sizes.  I’ve visited other ruins in Italy (Roman Forum), in Mexico City, and elsewhere, and found Pompeii to be one of the most interesting, both because of what was preserved and because of the mosaics and other art.  Without Clelia, this would not have been as informative or as enjoyable an experience.

Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington.

Mexico City: Architecture & Food

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BARRAGAN’S CASA GILARDI

Today we were on our own with no tours. We did, however, have a late morning reservation to visit Casa Gilardi. Born in Guadalajara in 1902, Luis Barragan was a noted Mexican architect. He worked in a minimalist style and favored very bright colors. His studio is a small museum also in the city, and the last house he built in the late 1970’s, Casa Gilardi, is open for visitors by appointment. Real people live here and one of the sons of that family gave us a brief history of Barragan and the house.

Interior of Casa Gilardi
Red and blue walls next to pool of water


There are almost no furnishings or personal items on display; instead you focus on bright blue and red walls bordering a pool, a hallway that glows in yellow, and on the exterior walls painted an intense magenta and a deep purple. On the open air upper deck, the house envelops a jacaranda tree whose light purple blooms stood out against the magenta wall which is also a backdrop for three tall cacti. Inside is some warm wood flooring, a large leather sectional sofa in a living room and a small wood dining table for four, but that’s pretty much it for furniture. It was fascinating to watch the play of light and shadows on all the colored surfaces, but not a place I’d choose to live.

Outside veranda, Casa Gilardi

DINING OUT

We had lunch at a very popular seafood restaurant in the Roma section of the city. Following our usual pattern, we checked what time Contramar opened and when we noted noon, figured we could arrive about 12:30 for our 1:30 reservation. This way we could assuage our hunger (breakfast for us is always early) and be there ahead of the crowd. And by shortly after 1:00, the dining room was almost full!
The menu had seafood and fish in many forms from whole grilled fish to spicy shrimp soup to tacos of all sorts to seafood salads. We sampled the octopus salad (quite lovely), shrimp soup, the fried kingfish tacos, and their margaritas. All tasty. The Chief Penguin then ordered the traditional flan which he enjoyed. I’m not a fan of flans; to me, it’s of a piece with floating island, rice pudding, and tapioca, all of which I find too bland.

Octopus salad

We attempted to walk back to our hotel and went a few blocks only to discover that not only are all the museums closed on Mondays, but also the big Chapultepec park which is the most direct route to our hotel. Thus stymied, we called an Uber. Fortunately, there are a lot of Ubers in this city and we have now Ubered around four or five times. And, compared to cities like New York, the fares are cheap!

Later we took a walk in Lincoln Park, a small oasis of green with a well equipped children’s play area, and then, for a change of pace, had an early evening nibble at Lardo. This casual Italian restaurant serves lots of small plates plus a few entrees. Not being too hungry, we grazed on mixed olives and almonds, tasty stuffed zucchini blossoms (a rare delicacy), and a mini tomato pizza topped with a few capers and anchovies. Just enough to get us through the night.

Note: All photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Cultural Cuba: Art, Music et al (#3)

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MONDAY, JAN. 28

Art in a storm

Metal mosquito sculpture on exterior of art factory

Last night was more of an adventure than we anticipated.  As scheduled, we arrived at the Cuban Art Factory, a repurposed cooking oil factory with exhibit galleries, a movie theater, and performance space, for a tour by a young staff member.  He explained that the factory had been empty for more than 30 years and that they had to renovate it before opening several years ago.  They now offer programming every evening from Thursday to Sunday and draw 2500 guests.  There are nine bars scattered about and a private restaurant on the top floor.  

We toured two levels of art and were impressed by the range of photography and paintings, much of it focusing on social issues.

Full length wall mural for which I didn’t get the artist
Carlos Marx by Lazaro Saavedra
Part of a larger piece showing people at ease by Toirac & Marin

It had begun to rain and on the way upstairs to Tierra for dinner, we were briefly outside in the rain. We walked through one area of tables and then through a glass door to our table.  We ordered drinks and then watched the teeming rain cascade off the plastic covering of the space next to us.  It streamed down repeatedly and suddenly everything went dark.  The tables all had candles, and most everyone around had a smartphone with a flashlight for reading the menu.  Meanwhile I watched more rain pour off the plastic tarp roofing in the next room and hoped that there would be no dire consequences.  

Our drinks eventually arrived and we ordered the rest of our meal.  Although there were no salads to be had, surprisingly, this kitchen and waitstaff working by flashlight and candles, were able to produce fish and chips and a chicken Thai dish that was very good!  Despite the pounding rain and the lack of illumination, no one left the dining room prematurely.  Joining us at the table was William Acosta, an up and coming young painter, who is doing very well.  He previously did sculpture, but found painting to be easier to create (supplies have to be ordered from abroad in advance) and more salable.  He is represented by art dealers in New York and San Francisco and other cities and will be a part of the Havana Biennial (big art show) in April.

It was still raining hard and dark as we left the restaurant and carefully picked our way down the several levels of stairs, iPhone flashlights in hand, to board our bus back. It was dark all the way and the hotel too was dark.  The rain was so heavy that we had puddles on our stone floor from the wind and heavy rain that came through one window and under the door.  With no light (it was already 10:30 pm), we went to bed and were reassured when the ceiling fan whirred to life around 2:30 am.  

Insights from a Journalist

On Monday morning, we had awonderful talk on Cuba from the perspective of an American journalist Marc Frank, now with Reuters who previously worked as a reporter for ABC News.  Author of Cuban Revelations, he has lived in Havana for more than 20 years, is married to a Cuban woman, and has both a daughter and a stepdaughter.  Instead of PowerPoint, he had props or toys, as he called them, to illustrate his talk:  a water bottle for the U. S., its cap to represent Cuba, and a small red funnel with line markings he used to describe different periods in Cuba’s history.

Initially he told us that he had been awakened at 3:30 am by a phone call from someone in the Dominican Republic informing him about the tornado in Havana. He didn’t believe it at first, but other calls followed.  This was the first most of us knew that last night’s weather had been a particularly strong and destructive tornado and the first one in Havana since 1940. Mr. Frank was a fount of information and insights, amusing, and easy to listen to.   We had several morning presentations during our trip, and since we were a small group, these were easily accommodated in the hotel’s outdoor garden area.

Architectural tour

The rest of the morning was devoted to a walking tour with noted Cuban architect, Universo Garcia Lorenzo, who is also a professor of design.  

Passionate about his calling, he led us on a delightful stroll down the Paseo del Prada describing the architectural styles and history of the buildings on either side of the promenade and also took us into the lobbies of two hotels.  He and his architect wife renovated the Hotel Telegrafo named for the first telegraph station.

Professor Garcia Lorenzo

They retained the style of the original façade and added two stories which have a simpler more contemporary look to them.  The lobby inside was gorgeous, on one side very modern and on the other more traditional with the original stone arches and a lovely soft toned mural.  The other hotel, Hotel Sevilla, was also grand and beautiful, but totally different in style.  It was a great presentation!

Exterior of Hotel Telegrafo

Lobby seating in Hotel Telegrafo

Lunch and afternoon touring

Lunch was at the famous and old restaurant, Paladar La Guarida, in a building that, although in need of repair, has an impressive winding staircase.   The dining rooms have ochre walls covered with historic photos and memorabilia.  We got several small appetizers—squash soup, tiny fish taco, eggplant caviar in a cream sauce, and a spinach crepe filled with chicken in a mild raspberry coulis. 

Three of the appetizers: soup, taco, and eggplant

These were followed by a choice of entree:  baked lemon chicken, grilled fish, pork, or lobster.  I had the chicken and the Chief Penguin the fish, and both were very good. On the table for all were bowls of white rice, Moors & Christians (black beans and rice), boiled yucca, and fried plantains.  Dessert was a tiny taste of lemon pudding and crumbled cookie and a small mound of chocolate pudding.  Mojitos to start as usual.  Very tasty lunch and again plenty of food!  Those who know me well know I’m a foodie so I’m always ready to describe what we ate!

After lunch we visited the famous Revolution Square, a wide-open paved space surrounded by government buildings and monuments.  It is here that in January 1998 one million Cubans came to hear Pope John Paul II say mass and here also that Fidel Castro delivered a six-hour speech.  There is something to see in all directions:  next to a tall tower a statue of Jose San Marti, philosopher and poet and probably the most famous person all Cubans relate to, and black outlines of the faces of Che Guevara and another revolutionary, Camilo Ciengfuegos, on the Ministry of the Interior and the telecommunications buildings.

Jose Marti statue
Che Guevara mural

The next stop was lighter in mood as we stepped back in time to the historic Hotel Nacional.  Dating to the 1930’s, it attracted international visitors and performers from around the world.  In the lounge are large posters, one for each decade from the 1930’s to the present, with photographs of some of these personages.  Everyone from Churchill and Obama to Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. 

Our last stop of the day was a huge arts and crafts warehouse on the Malecon with stall after stall of t-shirts, leather handbags and wallets, cigars, and the like, plus at the back, rows and rows of Cuban drawings and paintings.  

Percussion, anyone?

In the evening two teachers from the Havana Music School demonstrated several different percussion instruments. Then they taught us the techniques for playing them: clava, washboard gourd, and maracas.  Having mastered these, or not, we then tried to incorporate salsa dance steps with the instruments.  Several of us were very adept at one or the other, but only one person seemed able to do two things at once—play and dance simultaneously!

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved)