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....)

Ginko Leaves in Nara

Train to Nara

Beautiful Gardens in Nara

Next stop for us was Nara, birthplace of Japanese culture and first capital (710-784). In fact there are so many fascinating and ancient sites, the area is UNESCO Heritage listed.  Interestingly for us, this city was the eastern-most stop of the famed Silk Road, the ancient trading route between Asia and Europe. (We have since been following another section of this famous route on our Turkey travels in Bursa last year.)

Making good use of the train station across the road from our hotel, we took a local train (a 45 minute ride) to start our walking tour of this very famous city.  We did our best and covered (in no particular order):

Temple Ticket

Amazing building - always busy

Todai-ji Temple houses the Great Buddha, a huge bronze statue, in an even larger wooden building.  This charming, yet mysterious Great Buddha stands 16m (50') high and dates from the Edo period.  There were earlier versions of Cosmic Buddha, sadly destroyed over the centuries by fire and earthquake. This current one, all 437 tonnes of him, is still quite magnificent.

The building the Buddha is housed in dates from 746 and its dark, solid time framework adds to the overall mood.  The columns are so huge, that one with a hole at the base attracted a line of giggling school children waiting in turn to squeeze through it.  It is believed that those that can make it are ensured enlightenment. 

Perhaps that’s a good thing when your only 10!

Deer have Right of Way & Insatiable Appetites

Surprise! We know where you store those goodies!

On our way out, we passed the fierce temple guardians, bronze statues cast by the famous master, Unkei (1150-1223) and headed through the famous Isui-en Garden (Meji Era) and on to the Deer Park.  As we strolled we were met by lots of tame Sika deer, said to be messengers of Shinto gods. 

The deer were certainly not afraid to demand food. Warning - keep your bag closed!  We walked our legs off yet managed to only cover a small area of this attractive 1250 acre parklands. 

Deep in the park is the Kasuga Shrine.  It is considered the most beautiful Shinto shrine in Nara, and features some 3000 antique stone and bronze lanterns; a real feast for our eyes.

On our way back to the station through streets lined with fluttery leafed Ginko trees, we paused to look at a local pottery shop and then admire the beautiful Kofuku-ji Temple (710) with its distinctive three and five storey pagodas or tiered towers.

A typical Japanese pagoda has a square plan, rises 3 or 5 storeys and supports a spire of Rings of Heaven.  The ground floor is usually used for shrines and images, whilst upper floors provided observation platforms.  Each level is suspended around a central pole which allowed it to resist earth tremors.

Another busy day - another train ride back to Kyoto....

A Scenic View

Contemporary Period (1912-current)

Modern Domestic Architecture

Kyoto Station

I’m not intending to discuss post war or modern Japanese art given that we were seeking traditional textiles in an ancient capital.  However one structure that could not be easily missed in Kyoto was its Station.  Built in 1997, it stands a towering 16 storeys.  Our hotel was just across the road from this imposing structure and we gradually began to love it.  After all, it was central to our daily commutes and housed an impressive department store.   Not that we could fit into any of the clothing on offer but the massive food hall ensured we managed to eat well (on a very tight budget) and exposed us to the eating habits of locals.  From it we also had a view of the Kyoto Tower (1964).  Dubbed the “burning candle”, it offers views over Kyoto at a price.  We settled for the observation deck of the Kyoto Station, but I won’t forget those stairs or steep elevators too soon!

Although not modern, whilst on the topic of architecture it is worthwhile noting the features of Japanese Pagodas, a style developed to suit local conditions once Japan had shaken free of Chinese and Korean influence.  A typical Japanese pagoda has a square plan, rises 3-5 storeys, up to a height of 150 and supports a spire of Rings of Heaven.  The round floor is usually used for shrines and images, whilst upper floors provided observation platforms.  Each level is suspended around central pole which allowed it to resist earth tremors.

Bicycles are still very popular.  This station parking space attests to that!

Life About Town

There's more to Luxor than just really old monuments. Here's a few examples: 

Surprising Gems of another heritage

Inspiring Floor Tiles

Chinwag to Locals on the Corniche

Having a few friends over to dinner (no, they did not get up on the tables)

Pomp & Splendour: Ancient Thebes

We arrived in Esna to take the lock through to Luxor only to find that it was closed for cleaning and that probably meant “lack of water” too.  So we bussed down to Luxor to visit the huge Karnak temple complex, including the Temple of Amun-Re.  Amun was the chief Theban deity of the New Kingdom and the site of Karnak was the great capital of Thebes. 

Amazing detail in the carving

This is an amazing complex loaded with additions and changes over time – meaning 2000 years.  Although we had guide & Egyptologist, Nagwa, somehow the dynastic pharaohs lost us all in a seeming jumble of (jaw-dropping) temples, sphinxes, obelisks, statues and ruins.  Hatshepsut, the first woman pharaoh, had a Red Chapel built to house sacred barks and Ramesses II built the Temple of the Hearing Ear.  We wondered how you could possibly worship the scarab beetle, loved the idea of a hippopotamus goddess and noted that even sacred geese had a sacred lake to play on. 

Scarab Beetle - Khepri, the dawn form of the Sun God Ra

A feeling of monument fatigue overtook us - we were slipping into dangerous overload, so a carriage ride around town was just the ticket.  Needless to say we bypassed an interesting silver shop and made a mental note for later.  We walked back to our bus parked near the Temple of Luxor (thankfully closed – our heads were spinning), so it was back to Miss Melodie for our last night aboard. 

Carving on Hatshepsut's second obelisk

Luckily we had been purchasing a great little guide book series, Egypt Pocket Guides written by Alberto Siliotti (2002, published by the American University in Cairo Press) over the course of the tour.  They are very informative, don’t waffle and have helpful illustrations, maps and photographs.  They also fit neatly into a handbag/day pack and are a handy reference before, during and after monument visits.  So when our little eyes started to glaze over with the incredible amount of information our wonderful guides bestowed upon us, we could fill in all those missing bits…. without appearing to be academics gone mad!

Ram-headed sphinxes

Our friendly driver

Nubian Sunset

We had plenty of time to sit on Melodie’s rooftop sundeck, order drinks from the bar until sunset, and eat leisurely dinners.  This was essential recovery after visiting some of the major archaeological sites along the Nile.

Dramatic Night at Kom Ombo

Our first stop had been an evening tour of Kom Ombo (235 BC), a temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and falcon god Haroeris.  It is the only known temple that is split along its longitudinal axis with at one time, a double entrance pylon.  Mummified crocodiles add subtle interest to the interior of this Ptolemaic temple that is highly decorated with massive “papyrus” columns and medical texts, amongst other things.  We were told that Cleopatra could have bathed in the waters of the temple’s deep wells, although most likely, it was priests, who used it for their ablutions.  We didn’t have a guide with us for this monument so I eavesdropped.  This little exercise made me appreciate that Egypt attracts travellers the world over and how professional the docent system is.  Watching the sun go down over this ancient complex allowed us just a glimpse of its former grandeur.

Relief work on one of the massive Kom Ombo colums

Having established the fact that Kom Ombo was on the right bank and we indeed were travelling down the Nile in the right direction (it’s an Antipodean thing!), Miss Melodie pulled into the east bank at Edfu.   Egyptian myth tells us that this site was where Horus met Seth in battle to avenge his father’s death (Osiris) and regain his rightful heritage; establishing a renewal of royal authority.  

The Temple of Horus has entrance pylons that are the second largest (at 36m high) in Egypt.  Construction began during the Ptolemaic Dynasty in 237 BC, however it took some 180 years before it was finished.  Discovered in 1860, it remains one of the best preserved of the ancient sites.  The granite statues of Horus, the falcon god are a testimony to their magnificent craftsmanship as is the wooden model of Horus’ sacred barque.  Carved reliefs and hieroglyphics show us that the temple had a library and a chamber where recipes for making incense and perfumes were inscribed.  

Temple of Horus at Edfu

Pink columns at Edfu

Plop Art. Seriously?

Just when you think you’ve heard just about everything (Is that really possible in these days of mass media?) I read of an urban sculpture described as “plop” art.  Wiki of course, has a definition but in essence it is public art that does not sit well in its urban environment.  “It’s been just plonked”.  So does that make it bad art?  Or perhaps architects, town planners, city workers etc. are to blame for not making integration easier.  

Seriously though, some of these artistic offerings are causing a little bit of frisson between the relationship of art and architecture, and statements about what is culturally acceptable.  Ah, now that’s more to the point!  So who is making these decisions?

Plop was used to describe Niki de Saint Phalle’s sculptures that enthusiastically grace New York Ave in Washington DC.  Washington is very formal, rather reserved and a tad grey.  That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the place.....  But there isn't a coffee shop on every corner and we did have to walk a fair way to find a restaurant or two, so it wasn’t surprising that at times the streets seemed empty, even dull.   

So, to see these colourful and energetic figures tingling with joie de vivre, almost skipping down New York Avenue was a bit like watching a natural energy (like kids at play or koi at feeding time- you know the kinda thing!).  Strange bedfellows maybe but to me, the works add another dimension to an already complex Washington. 

As to art that has come to a bad end, or bad art that has come to an end - perhaps not!  An acceptable solution I’ve seen for seriously bad art to be preserved for all time (just to make sure we are remembered at our worst) is the MOBA.  No relationship to the MOMA, but what a great way not to take ourselves too seriously.  When you’re done with that, join the queues to visit one of Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museums.  No one could possibly be offended there (because it’s cloaked in four walls?).

(As an aside, plonk used to describe sherry or fortified wine, popular pre-dinner drinks a few years ago.  We Aussies are wine and beer drinkers now, but some still say "it's a bottle of plonk".  Usually a cheap one!  Here's cheers and enjoy a tipple or two for the New Year celebrations.)

A New Life...

A new day and a new start for an old blog.   Textile Tourist's early years will be "under construction" for a little while as I massage all the old posts into this bloggersphere.

You may notice that I've ended up with 2 of each post, some published and some not! That was after weeks of trying to import the old files and getting nothing. If you want to have a bash at importing, then try this advice from Classical Bookworm. Even us non-geeks are left with some hope!

This rather valiant effort should make life a little easier for all the fleet, particularly the Web Controller. Meanwhile, enjoy this for some inspiration!

Splendid and captivating: A decorated Monastery in Nepal

Inside the Frame

Inspiring Guggenheim spiral

His Captainship had been summonsed to a meeting of like-minded blokes, so GS was free….free to wander museums and galleries.  First stop, the Guggenheim, Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece.  Inside was a fabulous display - a Kandinsky retrospective featuring almost 100 of his colourful and energetic canvases.  Kandinsky’s works had been Wright’s inspiration for the design of the building some 50 years ago.  It is hard to believe that these modern works were dated between 1896 and 1944.  I could have stayed for a week but hurried on not wanting to miss the Met.

Dizzy Heights

Just a little further down 5th Ave is the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  A vast Gothic structure built in 1874, the Met is credited with being one of the world’s largest art galleries.  It was into this vast space that I wandered; with little time and without a plan of action.   After meandering through the sizable Egyptian section, it slowly dawned on me that this was not a display of collected objects.  Everything, including architectural pieces was real. Overcome, I negotiated my way to the busy café and whilst sipping coffee came up with a plan.  Guided tours had been advertised at the main entrance.  Albeit that would only cover a fraction of fraction of the exhibits, but at least I would understand what I saw.

A Very Grand & busy Met

At exactly 2.15pm our guide expertly led us on a tour of royal furniture and stately European rooms 17th & 18^th C.    I busily admired furniture, fittings, paintings, carpets, textiles and decorative bric-a-brac.  “This is Marie Antoinette’s desk”, said his Guideship.  “Fabulous job of the room”, I said.  “Who does the set designs?  They must spend a lot of time researching to get it looking so real.”  “It is real”, he said.  Gassssssp!  Apparently some “rooms” came to the US by way of wealthy New Yorkers who imported them into their apartments.  Later, they donated them to the Met.  Oh, to have an unfashionable drawing room once used by Louis XIV!  After the tour, I managed to find my way over to the American Wing, recently refurbished to include several period rooms.  Best of all, I could stand in a Frank Lloyd Wright room seeing it as if he had “just stepped out for a moment”. 

I have vowed to come back......

Great Design everywhere you look

 

Charming Traces

Classic (in the French Colonial style) & Modern

Our accommodation in Hue, the Saigon Morin Hotel, was a wonderful example of colonial architecture from the era of French colonisation (1858-1956). The style itself is charming and admirably suited to a tropical lifestyle (read: no concrete boxes with installed aircon). 

The Morin Hotel had been built in 1901 by businessman, Mr Morin and photographs of guests from this era grace the walls. It has been updated since then (aircon etc) but still retains its period charm. For those interested, a detailed history can be found on the hotel's informative web site.

In 1858, Danang was captured by the French, along with Saigon (1861). The southern part of Vietnam was annexed as a French colony. Catholicism & Westernisation that Minh Mang had so opposed had finally infiltrated. Nguyen Anh's rise to power and rise of the Nguyen dynasty (1792-1883) had rested upon French support.

Elegant Notre Dame Cathedral

And there was even something of an earlier history; French and Chinese power struggles and intrigue had plagued the court since the early 1770's. The French, on occupation, renamed their area, Coochin China. Later, they moved into the north (renaming it Tonkin) and central areas (renamed Annam).

One positive outcome of the occupation is an abundance of colonial architecture ranging from grand cathedrals to humble shop houses. Earlier examples of this style can be found in Saigon. We visited Notre Dame Cathedral (1883), Saigon's largest church; the fabulous almost art deco Post Office (Buu Dien); and the white facade of the Opera House (1899) that just screams culture! Our Hotel, the Grand on Dong Khoi Street, also dates from this era. Dong Khoi, a street renown for shopping, used to be known as Rue Catinat before 1954. (Read "The Quiet American" to be better acquainted with Rue Catinat.) The Grand Hotel has been operating since 1930's and it seems that the French have never left!

Bach Dinh (1909)

Nearby Vung Tau was known as Cape Saint Jacques during the French occupation. It provided a stunning sea-side resort for Saigon residents. Villas from the period are plentiful and thankfully many are restored or about to be. Perhaps the most interesting however, was the elegant Bach Dinh or White Villa (1909). Set in beautiful gardens up high on the Nui Lon hillside, the White Villa was built by French Governor-General Paul Doumer as his summer residence. By contrast, it was later said to be used to fire the first shots in anger against the French (1820). The villa has also seen life as a palace, a place of "refuge" for various kings and presidents, and finally its latest reincarnation as a museum.

It is a showcase of elegant colonial design and has fabulous views over the coastline and out to sea. I loved the style - open air and relaxed. I loved the detail - the shutters, the colours, the tiles and the balustrading.  I really loved the tiles - so French!  

The Villa is also the repository for a priceless collection of blue and white Ching Dynasty ceramics (mmm, my favourite colours) found in a shipwreck off the coast in 1990.

In the grounds, large muzzle-loading canons rest side-by-side with an elegant outdoor dance patio, resplendent with Italianate statues. 

On the day we visited, a crew were busy filming a music video...a romantic little ditty. Pity about the noisy Aussies in the background taking the micky (that means offering helpful advice.)  In this case to newly weds....  Helpful?  Maybe not!