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

Remembering The Blue Pearl

Beautiful Sky Blue to remind me of Chefchaouen

Whilst on the subject of handloomed weaving, I wasn’t sure if I’d posted photos of the beautiful, traditional woollen blankets we found in Chefchaouen, Morocco (suitably measuring up to it's nickname, The Blue Pearl).  

Weavers, generally men, sit in bolt-hole shops along the narrow, picturesque streets of Chefchaouen producing blankets, cushions and rugs in the most wonderful colours.  Now, I do use the term ‘woollen’ lightly as I expect there is a scarcity of the real thing in my blanket given how inexpensive acrylic yarns are nowadays.  However, I am only guessing and have no evidence to support such a negative remark.  Further, the pillows I purchased the following year when visiting with friends are standing up well to quite some punishment on our equally well-used settee.  No sign of pilling, on the cushions or the blanket, so I may well have to eat my words. 

And I couldn't leave the cushions behind, right?

A summary of our finds on this tour through Morocco & subsequent stops in Chefchaouen are covered in earlier Textile Tourist posts which can be easily found via the Morocco 2012 link over in the sidebar.  Even more detail can be found on the Windjammer3 site (link here).  I would most happily fill my house with goodies that can be found in any of the souks we visited…but maybe, mostly the Aladdin’s cave that is Fez! 

I've just been re-reading a wonderful travel book by Eric Newby (a Brit), "On the Shores of the Mediterranean", a journey he took in the 1980's with his wife, Wanda.  The whole book is fascinating to read again, now that we've managed to visit some of the many places he's written about.  Without doubt, he captures the essence of Fez; Moroccan to the core and so culturally rich.  Visit if you can, you'll be all the better for doing so...if not a little poorer!!  

I found this photo of an embroidered Horse Cover
from Fez.  Its in Wiki along with other location facts.

By the by, even though it's Autumn here in the Med, it really is Spring (well, only just) at home.  Hence my need to tidy up & refresh the blog a little with a rather sweet, new look.  Even more links to follow when I find them again...

Get Back to Work!

November 2017

Cushion made from a small Portuguese hand-loomed rug

At this stage, it’s been so long since I’ve had the time or energy to put up a post on our wanderings that I’m just going to start with the here and now; and then slowly work back with interesting snippets when I can.  Consider this the equivalent of a cleansing ale at the end of a long and somewhat arduous year or two.

Currently we are in the Algarve; Lagos to be exact.  Our explorations to find supermarkets in Portimao brought us on a collision course with a couple of Chinese shops – positively stuffed to the brim with all sorts of things, especially those you never knew you needed.  I was searching for a yoga mat (impossible to find) to cut up and stuff into my ageing settee cushions for a bit of added ‘oomph’.  What I did find though, was floor mats, hand-loomed (in Portugal, even).  And I’ve found more in Lagos - I'm just so excited!

Blue & White hand-loomed rug

It seems that these mats, made from recycled textiles and woven on looms in villages across the country, are very much part of a Portuguese weaving tradition.  Trying to find any information is difficult due to the fact that they are considered so very utilitarian, but I do seem to recall finding some in a museum in Faro (Museu Etnografico) a few years ago now.  I’ll have to dig out those photos but that’s not going to help me give these woven mats a local name.

Yellow light does not show my blue & white quilt off but you get the drift...

In the meantime, I’ve settled on a rather nice blue & white “shaggy” number to liven up the very dull mat we have now in our bedroom.  It also goes nicely with the small blue quilt I made for the bed this year (just showing off, of course).  Another, smaller red/white & blue mat suited the guest bedroom but I hit on the bright idea of making it into a comfy cushion.  So now I have the perfect opportunity to poke around the shops in old Lagos a little bit more…

And whilst I'm shopping I can admire some
fantastic street art. Did I really find a Banksy?

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.

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....)

Rare Fibres

Blue Heaven

Like all things new, we found bus procedure a challenge at first.  We entered through the rear door and exited via the front door, dropping our coins into a clever machine near the driver as we left.  It even gave out change.  Our destination was the Nishijin Precinct and we looked forward to exploring this heritage textile district, said to be as old as the city itself.

First stop was the amazing Aizenkobo Workshop of Master Indigo Dyer, Kenichi Utsuki.  He has a particularly attractive white noren curtain hanging over his front door.  This would be our first hands on experience of a real dyeing workshop using real indigo; great vats of the stuff bubbling away, sending out interesting wafts and staining everything it touched.  Mmmmm, can’t wait!  

Kyoto shibori is known as kyo-kanoko, another of Kyoto’s lovingly handmade textiles.  I chose a pre-tied shibori scarf (no-one could wait for me to tie it myself – a few years would be needed!) for this indigo tie dying experience.  We were surrounded by artisans and apprentices – just to be sure we got it right. 

Afterwards. Mr Kenichi Utsuki showcased his tsutsugaki collection as we sat transfixed on tatami mats in his traditional kyo-machiya (wooden townhouse). The wow factor was big that day and we learned so much about traditional Japanese textiles.  Of course, we all wanted to rush home and decorate in the rustic Japanese farmhouse style with lots of indigo fabrics and tatami mats.                                

Just around the corner from the Aizenkobo studio is Nishijin Textile Centre famous for its kimono, obi, weaving displays and craft sales.  In the basement were exhibitions, demonstrations and sales of Kyoto handicrafts.  We were treated to fashion parade of stunning costumes and admired kyo-yuzen, Kyoto’s local silk dyeing before spending big….as you must whilst on holidays!

Next was the studio of commercial hand weavers to see intricate silk weaving of an obi or kimono.  The OrinasukanMuseum (a collection of hand-made textiles) was housed in a weaving factory in the Nishijin precinct.  Nishi-jin ori is a special weaving technique for silk and this textile is only made in Kyoto. The Orinasukan Museum was set up to promote and preserve Kyoto’s handmade fabrics and support original thread dyeing techniques. 

On our way back to the hotel we discovered a local market in progress and nosed our way in to see if there was anything of interest. I’m not entirely sure but can assume it was the Myoren-ji Temple, which has a market on the 12th of each month.

In Any Language

Still in the Azores....

A few traditional textile terms that I came across in the Azores which needed further exploration were:

Green Fields above the Harbour in Horta, Fiail

Manta de Retalhos.  This term is often used when describing a landscape of green fields, likening the scene to a “patchwork quilt”.  The term translates loosely as “motley” although I suspect we would think in terms of scrap or charm quilts.  Inner Blooming has a photo of her interpretation on the subject of traditional mantas or quilts, which is more to the point.  Featured are reds, blacks and whites – traditional colours. This was the closest reference I could find.

Woad, a souce of blue dye.

Colchas de Ponto Alto.  Weaving typical of Sao Jorge.  Handloomed quilts described as “high points” or webs of St George. 

Tolha de mesa (Terciera) Tablecloth

Manta de Farrapos are made on wooden looms with left over strips of colourful fabrics.  Fabrics are torn or cut into strips, joined end to end and then rolled into balls of “yarn”.  These strips are handloomed into colourful rag rugs.

Colcha (Terciera) Quilt

Cobertores are blankets and I’m presuming woollen ones at that. Pano de terra woven on Terciera were also made of wool.

Dyes grown on the islands included woad (blue), cudbear (purple) and dragon tree fruit (red). 

Pano de cozinha (Terciera) Kitchen Cloth

Cloth was typically woven from flax, linen, tow (a course linen), rags or wool on horizontal looms. 

Don’t for one minute think this was easy to put together.  What a tangled mess with too few examples (on line) and too little information, so do feel free to expand this list of traditional Portuguese weaving and quiltmaking terminology.  I am also wondering too if there isn’t some mix in the translation between blankets & quilts and woven (loomed) and stitched.  Unfortunately it’s too late now.  What is not lost however is the meaning attributed to these traditional handcrafts.  Weaving has been practised for centuries and the practice of re-use, now fashionable in our throw-away society, essential.  Patterns were traditional and most likely varied from village to village.  If you want to see some brilliant modern day interpretations though, try these by Joao Burno Videira.