Albanian Costumes

Saranda. Albania 
21^st August 2014

Walking the robust Fortress

Crowning a massive hill in the Albanian hinterland beyond Saranda is the robust fortress of Ali Pasha (13^th c) and wealthy town of Gjirokastra. 

This is the site of an imposing Ottoman settlement including distinctive tower houses built by wealthy landowners, narrow cobbled streets of the old town and a busy bazaar, now bursting with tourists. 

Gjirokastra has been a UNESCO World Heritage town since 2004 and slowly, restorations are underway, particularly of some of the grand old mansions. 

Ethnographic Museum

One of the striking family mansions in the Albanian town of Gjirokastra was the birthplace of Communist Dictator, Enver Hoxha.  It has now been set up as an ethnographic museum.  Our guide, Demir showed us though and explained how large families (30 or more) would have traditionally lived in various rooms.  This of course, meant a wonderful display of textiles and costumes.

Interestingly, family members slept on mattresses rather like futons, which were put away during the day, giving rooms multiple functions.  It made me realise that the concept of a global village enclosed by a web of trade routes (in this case, Silk, Spice etc) is certainly not new.

(note the shoes)

Reminiscing

Corfu
12^th August 2014

Various pot-shots are seen on the façade to the right

While exploring the narrow cobbled streets of Corfu Town, we walked into an exhibition of Asian artefacts in the Palace of SS Michael & George. It was a stunning collection with a huge photo of my favourite building, the Taj Mahal. This was also an instant reminder of how much we were missing home. 

We moved through the exhibition halls and watched a young local lad absorbed in photographing everything in the museum, curtains and fireplaces included.  He’s either a budding Nat Geo photographer or a very cool cat burglar!.  Included in the display were a couple of very fine Uzbeki silk ikat coats and some small, hand-woven carpets.

Another hall held some delightful drawings of Corfu from the 1800’s.  Particularly interesting were the drawn versions of today’s panoramic photographs.  The artists' take on perspective was inspiring to say the least.  (Sadly, no photos were allowed.)  The building itself is being restored and the grandeur, both internally and externally of the Venetian building is evident.  At the front though, it is possible to see the damage done from cannon and rifle fire during turbulent times.   Its setting between the fort and town with a wonderful green park to the front allow us some understanding of how life must have been for those fortunate to be Corfu nobility.

Soothsaying in Delphi

Delphi
26^th July 2014

 

 Delphi is without doubt an experience not to be missed.  It underscores not only the principle of good real estate (location, location, location) but the value of dramatic effect.  In its time, Delphi was most certainly stage managed well; the result being its reputation and wealth celebrated widely.  It was considered the centre of the (Ancient Greek) world.

 

 As with many ancient sites, items of value are maintained properly in a museum and Delphi’s is a small gem.  Textiles of course, have not survived but we were able to grasp something of the splendour and glamour, of wealthy citizens from the exhibits.  Diaphanous gowns, robust body armour and exquisite gold jewellery.

 

Costumes & Armour

Nafplio
23^rd July 2014

Bourtzi appearing to float in Nafplio harbour

Nafplio's narrow cobbled streets

We took a few days to explore the Peloponnese by car.  Nafplio was most certainly on our list; it is another wonderful Greek town full of narrow cobble lanes with loads of atmosphere (and rather nice shops!). 

Our visit to the Archaeological Museum housed in a lovely Venetian mansion was well worth the time.  Their collection provided succinct but interesting information about a range of sites we had visited over the Argolis Region, Peloponnese. 

Highlights were a Mycenaean suit of armour (1400 BC) with a leather helmet decorated with boar tusks and terracotta face masks, used in Dionysus festivals, found in Tiryns. (These masks were vaguely reminiscent of those worn by New Guinea mud-men.) 

Nafplio is the kind of place you could happily wander all day or sit sipping cooling freddo-cappucino at sidewalk cafes.  I did find time to sneak into an impressive Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation Museum with a fairly extensive collection of traditional costumes, embroideries and household items.  Sadly, Greece has a turbulent history and many family textile heirlooms were sold off in hard times.  This is an excellent museum and well worth visiting.

 

Life in the Bronze Age

Museum of Mycenae
21^st July 2014

Cyclopean walls & Lion Gate

Discovering Mycenae, a Bronze Age civilization dating 1550-1200BC, is another feather in the cap of Heinrich Schliemann (who you’ll remember from Troy, of course).  Enthused by his rich findings on the basis of Homer’s epics, he also uncovered the grave and fortress of Agamemnon in 1874 deep in the Greek Peloponnese. 

Agamemnon's gold death mask

Aside from wandering the citadel with its famous Lion Gates, we were able to visit immense tholos tombs, built like beehives to house the (important) dead.  In one of these, Schliemann confirmed Homer’s description of the city as “rich in gold”, uncovering the wealth of Agamemnon.  

We spent time in the nearby museum which houses some of the most interesting finds from the site and reveals how sophisticated this civilization was.  Clay tablets inscribed with writing afford us insight into life within the complex and decorated dwellings depict hunting and battle scenes, religious activities and processions of court ladies. 

Sadly textiles did not survive (hardly surprising!) but we are at least able to glimpse their lives from remaining artefacts. Most engaging was decorated pottery, ornamental utensils and ornate jewellery made from precious stones and gold.  

  

Yarning on Poros

Poros
14^th July 2014



Poros is one of those memorable Greek Islands.  Small in size, with a picturesque white village climbing a steep hill behind, it is a busy port town catering to a wide range of international and local tourists – without being too fussed about it.  It’s also well protected and for many, a pleasant escape from the summer’s strong Meltemi (winds). 

Walking the town one morning, we found this fine example of guerrilla knitting, also known as yarn bombing.  Hardly in keeping with everything Greece, but a wonderful surprise.  There was a little information, mostly in Greek, but I was unable to track down if it was part of an exhibition or just an element of surprise in what is invariably a traditional village. 

(We have our own guerrilla knitters on Dangar, hence my interest.  Perhaps we could sister-village knitting groups with them?)

 

Mesmerizing Xysta

Chios
4^th July 2014

Negotiating Mestra's cobbled streets

On the Greek Island of Chios we managed to tour two of the famed mastic villages.  Mastic, or a gum resin is still refined from odd, scrubby trees that grow in the south.  It’s most famous use was in the manufacture of chewy sweets, and considered by the ladies of Istanbul’s harems something of an aphrodisiac. 

We bussed firstly to Mesta and took an hour to walk through this labyrinthine medieval and well-fortified village.  Cobbled streets, under vaulted tunnels of two storey houses, lead to a leafy town square set out with many eateries and a large Baroque style 18^th c church.  Whist walking, we spotted a small craft shop, replete with loom.  We were treated to a display of very fine weaving and allowed to wander through the cave-like premises, presumably once a home.
 

Xysta in Pyrgi

From Mesta, we bussed to Pyrgi.  Here, village houses are covered in xysta, or a mesmerising mix of geometric patterns cut into white plaster.  Inside the maze of these fascinatingly decorated houses, we stumbled on the remnants of ancient village walls and just off from the village square, a complete surprise, the tiny, fresco covered 12^th c Ayii Apostoli.  It was the xysta however that caught my quilter’s eye, so I spent our remaining time taking (lots of) photos of these amazing designs. 
 



(We're in Albania at the moment and having trouble loading photos on a slow internet connection.  Coming soon....)

Whilst Shopping in Gosford

Caroline Bay Quilters

I'm not sure how I found out about it but the Gosford Regional Art Gallery (in itself a wonderful place to visit) had a showing of quilts in early April this year.  Of course, I should have been getting ready for Sunday's lunch - I had the Randwick Girls up for a little Island time.  But I remembered I had to do a bit of "shopping" on Saturday and skived off early to catch this lovely exhibition by the Caroline Bay Quilters.

I'm going to try to get a place at Quiltsmith to do Linda Butcher's fabulous Tea Caddy Parade Quilt.  Just perfect for my Indian friendship blocks (waiting patiently in the UFO box).  Lovely show, lots of hard work!

To Market To Market

Adding Kilos

I’m talking baggage limits here! 

We had been fortunate to have covered quite a few markets in our tour of Japan – by design or accident – and were disappointed not to have argued for a triple luggage limit on the flight home. (Can you do that?)  Markets in Kyoto are a textile shopper’s heaven. (My notes remind me that we felt an earth tremor whilst at To-ji Temple Market.  Perhaps it was a sign.....)

Our last morning was spent at the bustling To-ji Temple monthly market, Kobo-san.  Sadly, we only admired the Momoyama period buildings if our eyes strayed momentarily from stall after stall of fascinating goodies.  (Held on 21^st)

 

Earlier in our tour we had visited the Chion-ji Market (1234) which has a reputation for food and handmade clothes.  I think we found piles of old kimonos for display.  How many can one person have?  (Held on 15^th)

To-ji Market

   

We had also stumbled across the Myoren-ji  Market, a low key affair but non-the-less most interesting.  This market had the feel of a very local experience and whilst we didn’t buy much (well, perhaps some of us were more restrained than others!), it was worth stopping in.  We descended upon a local fabric store very near to this market.  I dare say it was an interesting experience for the owners too! (Held on 12^th)

Miyagawa (Takayama) Morning Market is a daily affair held in the old town area along the river.  Stall holders sell flowers, vegetables, preserved foods like pickles and the odd rather lovely souvenir. 

Takayama Market

Having unearthed a few bargains at To-ji Temple, we made our way back to the hotel to repack our bags (redistribute the weight – how did we manage to fit so much into them?).  Then it was back to the Kansai International Airport to head for home.

This is my disclaimer!  Memory is a funny thing and whilst I have a clear picture of some days, others are fuzzy. In pre-digital times, I didn’t take nearly enough photos and of course now regret not having kept a decent journal – simply because you do forget!  I hope therefore to have included everything but am open to “corrections”.  It was a fantastic journey and a great experience.  What better introduction to world textiles could one have….

Kansai (with luggage!)

Not the best of photos but nice to see our new home from above