Showing posts with label Travel (Not Synth Related). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel (Not Synth Related). Show all posts

Monday, 29 September 2014

Safita - Syria - The White Tower

This was a trip I made back in 1999.
I wonder if the tower still exists ????

Built by the Knights Templar during the Crusades. In French its know as Chastel Blanc (Arabic: Burj Safita or Safita Tower‎).




A page from my travel diary.


felt-tip pen sketch.

In 1999 all that remained of Chastel Blanc was the central tower or donjon.
Originally it was surrounded by two defensive walls which were typical in Crusader architecture.
When this drawing was done, the tower was a Greek Orthodox church dedicated to St Michael. 
I wonder if it's been converted to a Mosque, destroyed by ISIS, or bombed by who knows who???
All very sad.

 The White Tower was both a chapel for the crusader knights & a fortress. It's 28 metres high and has walls 3 metres thick.




Safita's location on the Mediterranean coast of Syria
This pic was taken in 1905 by Gertrude Bell

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Saturday, 30 August 2014

Lake Titicaca

Titicaca or Titiqaqa is a lake in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia


 We stayed on an island on the Peruvian side. Very kind & hospitable people.  Traditional dress. Last night on the island.
Cooking is a simple yet wholesome affair.
Lovely food.
These are islands on the Bolivian side. They are made of reeds & mud. They float on the lake surface.


 A demo of the island's makeup.




 People live, grow food, etc etc on the islands. It's quite amazing.

 It's been a dog of a day.

 Poor guinea pig


 Too cute to eat.
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Sunday, 17 August 2014

MUSEO FRIDA KAHLO

The Frida Kahlo Museum (in Spanish it's called the Museo Frida Kahlo) is one of the must sees when you visit Mexico city. It is also known as the Blue House (La Casa Azul) after its cobalt-blue walls. You can find it in the Colonia del Carmen neighborhood of Coyoacán in Mexico City.


 It's a moving tribute to Freda. She was born (1907) & died here.The home is today a museum dedicated her art (& tragic) life. She spent the last 13 years of her life there.

The house is built around a central courtyard with garden space in a French-style.
It gives a good glimpse of how wealthy Mexican bohemian artists and intellectuals lived during the first half of the 20th century.


Freda spent much of her childhood here and this is where she developed her sense of social consciousness. Her connections to the communist party are well documented. During the Mexican Revolution, her mother would open the windows of this house in order to donate supplies to the Zapata army. 

In 1918 she was struck with polio. This left her with one leg shorter than the other. And when she was 18 a tram accident almost killed her. She spent over 2 years in hospital and never totally recovered. This was a very painful period in her life, full of casts and orthopedic devices. It was however a blessing in disguise as in order to pass the time & communicate her anguish & pain she began to paint.




The museum is decorated with lots of Mexican folk art, Kahlo’s own personal art collection, pre-Hispanic art, photographs, postcards and letters.There are also works by José María Velasco, Paul Klee and Diego Rivera (her husband).




This wing was added on by Diego Rivera (volcanic stone and shells).

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