Venice, February-March 2003Grand Canal, early evening. I never tired of seeing the city - well, over four days, one wouldn't; but I could see myself spending years there just exploring.
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Venice, February-March 2003This complicated image is another attempt to capture different layers of reality in reflections. There's the shop interior AND exterior; and the reflection of the Grand Canal, gondola nicely positioned. I suppose there could be copyright issues regarding the set of postcards outside the shop; but really they're too small to worry about. Also it's a look at classical and commercial Venice in comparison.
the W()RD
The W()RD today is AWAY.
I'm off to Svaneti on Saturday, June 2 for about 3 weeks. While Magti is currently modifying its cellphone towers across Georgia to allow 3G internet, this process has yet to reach Svaneti, so I'll be unable to blog directly from there. However, rather than have the blog sit idle and lose many viewers, I'm going to post enough drafts to have at least one new post daily added, by someone else on my behalf, while I'm away. This will keep the blog fresh even in my absence. I will hopefully have one stab at satellite interent access on the trip, from Mestia, Svaneti's capital; so I'll try to add some trip notes from there in mid-June.
I realise now that the posts I've drafted for friends to post for me while I'm away from the internet will all have the date of drafting on them - May 31, 2007. Oh well. Not much I can do about that, I think. But you, dear viewer, will still see new material daily as long as they keep on posting for me.
Off we go... stick with me, it'll be worth it.
I'm off to Svaneti on Saturday, June 2 for about 3 weeks. While Magti is currently modifying its cellphone towers across Georgia to allow 3G internet, this process has yet to reach Svaneti, so I'll be unable to blog directly from there. However, rather than have the blog sit idle and lose many viewers, I'm going to post enough drafts to have at least one new post daily added, by someone else on my behalf, while I'm away. This will keep the blog fresh even in my absence. I will hopefully have one stab at satellite interent access on the trip, from Mestia, Svaneti's capital; so I'll try to add some trip notes from there in mid-June.
I realise now that the posts I've drafted for friends to post for me while I'm away from the internet will all have the date of drafting on them - May 31, 2007. Oh well. Not much I can do about that, I think. But you, dear viewer, will still see new material daily as long as they keep on posting for me.
Off we go... stick with me, it'll be worth it.
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Venice. From the bottom up:Masks in a shop window
Canal tourists
Seafood market
Gondolas (handmade, costing c. US$100 000 to buy and c. 50 Euros per hour to ride)
Mystery woman
A view from the tower on St Mark's Square, mercifully ascended by lift (I waited to be first in line that morning, having seen how long the wait gets later in the day)
Another favourite reflection, the most successful of my Venice window shots. I link this one to the 20th century Dutch graphic artist MC Escher, a favourite of mine, for the way in which it mimics his play with different layers of reality in one image.
the W()RD
Yes, I know I didn't have a W()RD yesterday. Quite busy this week planning a 3-week trip to Svaneti...
This information comes from Wikipedia.org
Venice has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). Together with Padua (Padova), the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000).
Venice's nicknames include "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light".
This information comes from Wikipedia.org
Venice has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). Together with Padua (Padova), the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000).
Venice's nicknames include "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light".
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
More from Tbilisi, December 1999, as I discovered it.Lowest, a night shot (tripod-mounted slow exposure) of the Old City.
Then two large sculptures of women's faces that I think are wonderful.
Mother Georgia above one of the Old City's many churches.
The Old City during the day, similar angle to the night shot below.
Above, the city's founder, King Vakhtang Gorgasali, with Metekhi Church.
Monday, 28 May 2007
Another thing Venice is famous for is its glass. So at bottom today we have a bauble reflecting the city.Next up, St Mark and the Winged Lion (his symbol, found throughout the city).
Above that, an endearing sculpture whose story I don't know, sorry.
Next two - playing with reflections.
Above - another favourite, shop window.
the W()RD
The Sinking of Venice
This information comes from wikipedia.org
The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wood piles (under water, in the absence of oxygen, wood does not decay) which penetrate alternating layers of clay and sand. Wood for piles was cut in the most western part of today's Slovenia, resulting in the barren land in a region today called Kras, and in two regions of Croatia, Lika and Gorski kotar (resulting in the barren slopes of Velebit). Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The buildings are often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring.
Six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus preventing sediment from filling the area around the city. This created an ever-deeper lagoon environment.
During the 20th century, when many artesian wells were sunk into the periphery of the lagoon to draw water for local industry, Venice began to subside. It was realized that extraction of the aquifer was the cause. This sinking process has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. However, the city is still threatened by more frequent low-level floods (so-called Acqua alta, "high water") that creep to a height of several centimeters over its quays, regularly following certain tides. In many old houses the former staircases used by people to unload goods are now flooded, rendering the former ground floor uninhabitable. Thus, many Venetians resorted to moving up to the upper floors and continuing with their lives.
[There are plans to save Venice, but it remains in dire straits.]
This information comes from wikipedia.org
The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wood piles (under water, in the absence of oxygen, wood does not decay) which penetrate alternating layers of clay and sand. Wood for piles was cut in the most western part of today's Slovenia, resulting in the barren land in a region today called Kras, and in two regions of Croatia, Lika and Gorski kotar (resulting in the barren slopes of Velebit). Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The buildings are often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring.
Six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus preventing sediment from filling the area around the city. This created an ever-deeper lagoon environment.
During the 20th century, when many artesian wells were sunk into the periphery of the lagoon to draw water for local industry, Venice began to subside. It was realized that extraction of the aquifer was the cause. This sinking process has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. However, the city is still threatened by more frequent low-level floods (so-called Acqua alta, "high water") that creep to a height of several centimeters over its quays, regularly following certain tides. In many old houses the former staircases used by people to unload goods are now flooded, rendering the former ground floor uninhabitable. Thus, many Venetians resorted to moving up to the upper floors and continuing with their lives.
[There are plans to save Venice, but it remains in dire straits.]
Sunday, 27 May 2007
Carpet showroom, old Baku, Azerbaijan, June 1999I had just moved from St Petersburg, Russia to the capital of former Soviet Azerbaijan, and didn't yet know it but was bound for Georgia. My 6-month stay in Azerbaijan was, of course, interesting - being that its Islam is Shiite and it is just north of Iran, I expected its women to be dressed as Iranian women would be, head to foot in black. Ah, but this country was only recently (1991) independent from the USSR... so, more like anything goes dress-wise, particularly in cosmopolitan Baku.
I admit that Azerbaijan didn't grab me photographically the way that Georgia has, but I did my best to find things worthy of my lenses.
The city of Baku is "only" about 1000 years old, but has a beautiful old quarter, where I found these carpets on display in the open air. In both frames the upper right area has a symmetry-breaking Lenin carpet.
Going waaay back to December 1999, just after I had moved from Azerbaijan to Georgia. Immediately there was new inspiration in Tbilisi.From the bottom, a view of the city from Nariqala fortress - the absence of the huge Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity) Cathedral across the Mtkvari River dates this frame, as its construction had not yet begun.
Metekhi Church reflected in the Mtkvari - it's not always this peaceful or clean, but has its moments. The church was used as a prison in Soviet times.
The poet Etim Gurji, famous for work in Georgian, Armenian AND Azeri languages. (Yes, it took a bit of maneuvering to get the Kartlis Deda - Mother of Georgia - statue exactly into position.)
Above, a new view across the Mtkvari from Tbilisi's Botanical Gardens, May 2007, showing Tsminda Sameba dominating at right, with the Azeri Mosque left of centre and left of that, Metekhi church again.
the W()RD
What vital substrate for painting first appeared in the Canal City?
Canvases (the common painting surface) originated in Venice during the early Renaissance. These early canvases were generally rough.
La Biennale, the most important art festival in the world, is held in Venice; bi-annual, hence the name:
http://www.labiennale.org/en/
Canvases (the common painting surface) originated in Venice during the early Renaissance. These early canvases were generally rough.
La Biennale, the most important art festival in the world, is held in Venice; bi-annual, hence the name:
http://www.labiennale.org/en/
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