Many Layers of Blue

Atlantic ICW #1

Beaufort, SC 18-20 Apr 2018

From the Bahamas, we hit the US East coast running, with a plan to “do” the complete ICW (Intra-coastal Waterway) between Lake Worth (Florida) and Chesapeake Bay (Virginia).  Our other challenge was to stop over in places we’d not visited before.  The textile search was on again, however, if there’s one thing I’ve learned is that many small communities don’t have/can’t sustain patchwork suppliers.  I can see why mail order is such a big deal in the US.  That said, I discovered a few interesting textile facts along the way.  So, all was not lost.

A well-kept Townhouse in historic Beaufort, SC...nice blue (just not indigo)

Let’s start in Beaufort, South Carolina.  Located on Port Royal Island, it dates from 1512 and was once a busy hub for Low Country produce.  Its delightful riverside setting drew many plantation owners who built townhouses, leaving for us today an inspiring collection of antebellum mansions. 

Did you know that the State Colour of South Carolina is indigo?  

Flag of South Carolina; public domain image on Wikipedia.

The Beaufort History Museum is located at the historic Arsenal (1798) and it's brimming over with informative exhibits.  Whilst rice was the colony’s economic mainstay building great personal fortunes, indigo is considered the crop that grew the colony in terms of land and population.  Eliza Lucas in 1742 (at the age of 16) is credited with successfully cultivating indigo.  Woad, as it was also known, was well established and growing commercially between 1747-1800.  Indigo production was greatly enhanced by indigo slaves who understood the complex task of processing the dye. 

Facts all learned from our friendly guide at the Beaufort History Museum.  Time well spent!

Indigo dyed fabrics

Spinning Wheel at the Beaufort History Museum

Canaries & Rastas

Canary Islands

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 17-30 December 2017

Having not had to check in to Madeira (we left from Lagos, Portugal), this "Completing Clearances" process led us to some interesting areas in Las Palmas; probably not ones frequented by most tourists, although not far from the seemingly endless cruise ship dock and the vast behemoths strung to it.  Luckily, we had our trusty bicycles so attending to such chores and indeed prepping up for an on-board Christmas Celebration, was easy.  Bike paths have been well planned through the city enabling us easy access, so we were soon were done with domestic duties and were able to consider time for a little light entertainment too!

Decoration on outside of  buildings in Vegueta. 
Adam & Eve clearly enjoyed draperies of the day too?

The weather was sunny or .... not!  This was not a December beach day, nor the anchorage
the place to be.  Unless you were Christmas cruzin' and dock-side on one of those enormous ships 

The Canaries, or at least that part we saw, are vastly different to Madeira – opposing planets almost.  We felt a car was essential to escape the city surrounds, but neither of us wanted to drive in the Christmas traffic, so stuck to pedal power, back roads and shops within easy reach. 

My guide book and an interesting web site described a walking tour that included the Casa de Colón (Columbus House) and, given we were following in this explorer’s wake, we rode along the grand cornishe to a small museum in nearby Vegueta dedicated to his achievements.  This building was a stately home for the first governors of the island and it is believed that Columbus stayed here in 1492.  It's not hard to imagine these Islands as an essential stop along the voyage to the New World, remembering that Columbus’ wife came from the small island of Porto Santo near Madeira.  Though the Museum is not really a textile find as such, it was interesting to see a reconstruction of Columbus’ cabin on La Niña, admire a collection of really old charts and maps and of course, do a little "snooping" through one of the area’s grand homes to appreciate how life must have been in the 1500's.  

Casa de Colón (Columbus House) main entrance

Reconstruction of Columbus’ cabin on La Niña

Breathtaking timber detail in Casa de Colón (Columbus House)

Life was not all about battles and trading ships.  Ladies of the time would certainly have appreciated silks and an abundance of natural dyes for those glamorous dresses. The Canaries once supported these industries, with a production history that goes back to the 16^th century.  Now however, the Silk Museum in El Paso is (so I’m told) the only place to find a working silk weaving studio.  Cochineal natural dye is another matter and is commercially grown on Lanzarote.  Sadly, there wasn't time to visit either venue due to Christmas closures and our hectic schedule. Well, maybe next time.

Only the best silk for this dress?

Great views from the Cathedral

Watching the dinghy fleet from the Cathedral Bell Tower

A Rainbow on Every Corner

Venice, Italy

4-17^th July 2015

Bird's Eye View from the Campanile di San Marco

Riding the Grand Canal in a Vaporetto

Beguiling Venice!  It’s so easy to be overwhelmed in Venice, especially in July – the heat intensified by huge crowds, many in holiday mode.  It’s a frenetic pace, and an island repository of visually stunning beauty housing amazing art & history in every corner, not to mention wondrous structures, old and new.  So, I quite forgot my textile challenge and, as nothing especially reminded me until we stepped off the vaporetto on Burano, I felt quite chastened.

Of course, when I say few textiles, I’m not counting rows of Italian designer boutiques, mansions crammed with all things evocative of wealth and power, religious vestments or art festivals aplenty.  It’s just that it fits in, a hand and glove story if you will, becoming part of Venice’s bold statement about itself, and you don’t want to unravel the strands.

Luxurious Velvet & Textiles on Ceremonial Gondola_Naval Museum

Only the Best Furnishings_Querini Stampalia Museum & Gallery

Mansions are full of great tapestries, lush curtains, upholstery and bedding, complimented by the sheen of silk wallpapers.  Soaring cathedrals and modest basilicas alike are adorned with humble cloth transformed into resplendent precious pieces, heavy in embroidered gold and silver threads. Have I mentioned glass?  Famous Murano is just across the lagoon and its Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro) positively drips with crystalline decadence.  I think I’ve found the modern-day home of Odysseus’s Sirens!

 

Another take on a self-guided tour of traditional fabrics of Venice can be found on this VeneziaSi site.  Yet another site (link) has a brief summary of textile history that I really wish I had read when planning my trip.  This way I might have at least discovered Cà Mocenigo and the Museum of Textiles and Costume.  Grrrr!

Punting the Inner Canals in a Gondola

Historic Homes of Cape May

Cape May is gingerbread cute.  What more can I say?  Except get out your exterior paint colour charts and live it up a bit!  Our house is a lovely shade of grey, trimmed with charcoal (not quite black).  It merges very successfully with the surrounding bush of eucalypt green and soft grey trunks.  Our local council approves.  They’re not too happy with homes that don’t melt into our nearby national parklands, sandstone cliffs and riverscape! 

Home for possums, bush turkeys and kookaburras.  Oh, and us!

So when you see homes that positively vibrate with colour and personality, it sure makes you itch.  We saw all of that and more in pretty Cape May.  We were, except for a quick trolley tour of town, on foot and only had a day or two to do chores and explore, so I didn’t “capture” as many stylish houses as I’d wished. 

One feature we just loved is that so many homes fly the American flag proudly or decorate with swags of red, white and blue. 

Candy green, pink and lemon

Architecture is just so elaborate

Grand columns

And plenty of flags

Annapolis: Old Houses

Chase Lloyd House 1769

On the way back to Deltaville VA, we stopped for the Annapolis Sail Boat Show in Weems Creek.  Yikes!  Full to the brim with cruisers and boaters!  Luckily, we snagged the last day of the show, so we were able to have a day at the show then fit in some time sightseeing around the old port district.  You would think that Annapolis is all Boat Show and Naval Academy.  Well, no!

Garden behind William Pacca House 1763

Located just a few blocks from the City Dock, is the Anglo-Palladian, Hammond Harwood House (1774) and the William Pacca House (1763-65) with its colonial pleasure garden; both open for viewing.   Photos were not allowed to be taken inside, but I must say I really liked the bold use of vivid interior wall colours. The docents were again excellent – interesting and interested in their residences.  After the tours, I strolled the colonial garden (only until recently a bitumen carpark), meeting Jeffersen, the large, black guard cat.  We exchanged pleasantries but it was either my accent or camera that appeared to irk him – so he left! 

Fall Wreath

At closing time, I made my way back from the historic district to the dock admiring some attractive and well cared for homes (from the outside!).  We were told on our tour, the city holds regular competitions for best front door decoration; baskets in Spring and wreaths in Autumn (or Fall in American speak).  I couldn’t resist taking just a few (more) photos.

Fall Colours

Up a busy Weems Creek