Thursday, March 26, 2009
QUE VIVA ESPANA
(The title of the post QUE VIVA ESPANA is the name of a spanish Hit song in passadobles rhytm).
When I was a school girl in a little town in north-east Roumania, I knew a very musical family of gipsy descent. All the members of this family could sing, dance, and play the violin and/or the accordion. None of them had any formal musical education, except one of the daughters , Maria, who had won a scholarship to study at the conservatory in the county town, afterwhich she went on to study vocal music at the Music Academy in the capital city, where she eventually graduated as an opera singer.
Needless to say she was the Gem of her family and the pride of her little native town.
As an opera performer, Maria was a constant choice and favourite for the part of Carmen ( the protagonist of Bizet's famous opera) due to her mezzosoprano voice , her looks (dark hair, dark eyes. olive skin), and her flexible and sensuous body. She was a great success in the role of Carmen ( the gipsy from Sevilla) and appeared on stage in many world opera houses.
Well, the trouble with her, was that she could not draw the line between her personal life and her role on the stage.. While on a tour in Spain, performing in the role of Carmen, she decided to stay there and not return to Roumania. She fell in love with a bullfighter (like in the opera's plot) and neglected her career.
After a few years, she came back home, ill and with no money. Her elder and married sister persuaded her to come and stay with her and family in the county town for as long as she needed. I didn't see her anymore, but I heard things about her spanish affair. It appeared that the bullfighter had dumped her and got custody of their child. She tried to fight back, but with no success as the bullfighter had friends in high position. This destroyed her completely. At a certain phase, she felt threatened, wanted to leave Spain and return to her country of origin, but she had trouble with the roumanian communist authorities as she was considered a deserter artist.
The story doesn't have a very happy end , but it ended not so badly considering the circumstances. Maria recovered from her illness, and got a job as a choir girl at the Opera . Moreover , with help and good will from various factors, she succeeded in establishing some connection with her child in Spain.
[My Mom used to say to me and my brother:" Don't go too far from your source". Maria got carried away ,went perhaps too far - away from her family, her country, her career- and she was forced by Fate to learn her lesson the hard way].
Sunday, March 22, 2009
..where the earth ends and the sea begins..
Cabo da Roca is a cliff standing out from the Atlantic Ocean. It has a lighthouse, a cafe with a gift shop where one can get an attractive certificate to mark his visit on the rock, and a monument with a plaque bearing the following inscription in portuguese :
It was very windy up there on the day of my visit , and despite the dramatic beauty of the place, I was eager to buy the certificate as a memento and leave as soon as possble, especially as the topic of 'suicide' was brought up by someone among the visitors, and I felt quite bad about it. It was the edge of the cliff , the raging waves of the Atlantic ocean, and the isolation of the place , that triggered the discussion .
My thoughts in those moments, led me to a nurse at our public family clinic in my hometown - a skillful nurse and a kind , smiling person. I was shocked one day to hear the news of her death. It appeared that after being at her husband's grave, she drove her car over a nearby cliff facing the Mediterranean Sea - and that was the end of her.
She was not the depressed sort of woman and she had a lot what to live for. She was blessed with children and grandchildren , and was very appreciated at the clinic where she worked. And yet she felt she could not face life without her husband (a note in her handwriting was found , and that's what it said).
I read somewhere on the Web that suicide occurs when there is "imbalance of pain versus coping resources". Well it seemed indeed that her Pain was much greater than her abilities to cope with it. How tragic !!!
Palace of Pena
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Zigzag on the way up
panoramic view from Sao Jorge Castle
On the morning of my heading for the castle, I noticed at some point on my track, a young woman walking unsteadily, as in a zigzag . Her shoes appeared to be of a good quality ,with a good solid shape and flat heels, so I suspected she was either under the influence of alcohol, or she had some neurological problem affecting her legs , in which case she should have taken a cane with her for support, or even better, taken the bus. But ,what do I know .
I felt the urge to approach her and give her a hand but something stopped me from doing that; perhaps it was my shyness with strangers or some unpleasant inner feeling about her. Anyway, I walked slowly behind so that I could keep an eye on her in case she stumbled . When we finally reached the top, I addressed her with a smile and said something like "We did it, maybe we should rest for a while " She returned me a smile and said in a somewhat broken English , that she was not tired at all , on the contrary, she felt full of energy ,and ...having said that she just vanished from my sight.
I had a 'crowded' agenda for that day which included visiting places on foot, by bus and by tram, and so I entirely forgot about the lady. In the late afternoon hours, tired and hungry, I entered an eatery and ordered a portion of grilled sardines and a glass of beer. ('Grilled sardines' is a very popular dish in Portugal during the summer months , till the end of October. These are not the canned variety sardines but freshly caught ones, cleaned, brushed with olive oil and grilled on a small charcoal fire for only several minutes each side. It's delicious. One serving has about six sardines and it comes with a small salad and bread, or with some other additions}.
When I lifted my head from the plate, I saw her. What a coincidence, I thought. She was sitting at a table not far from mine. I couldn't see what was on her plate, but I definitely could see a....large bottle of wine near it. And yet, even after this revelation, I was not sure alcohol was behind her zigzag walking that I witnessed in the morning of that day.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
"Young Girl Putting On The Stocking"
In Portuguese , the name of the naked young woman statue is: 'Menina Calcando a Meia' -'menina' -meaning "girl'. Well, she seemed rather a big girl , in a very sexy posture. Anyway, the statue looked beautiful , and so did the contrast between its light color and the lively color of the greenery around.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Attractions and "attraction" in Lisbon
On the day of my visiting the above mentioned sites, I stopped at an outside cafe for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. While sipping my coffee and enjoying the scenery, two women approached the place looking for a table. The younger woman had no eyes, no orbits. It was a tough sight. All the heads turned in her direction. She could not see the looks , but I was sure she felt them, and she was aware of the fact that in her condition ( and not wearing black sunglasses as she didn't have earflaps either) wherever she goes she immediately becomes an "attraction" .
Two things came to my mind: one that she was probably a victim of the Thalidomide drug for morning sickness , prescribed to pregnant women in the sixties. This drug caused women to give birth to babies with missing limbs and/or various deformities. The other thing was , that ironically, the whole scene at the cafe 'went well' with the fado singing that could be heard in the vicinity ( 'fado'- portuguese sad, soul-tortured songs that could move the audience to tears. The famous portuguese singer Amalia Rodriguez was the most outstanding representative of this music genre).
And then , a third thing crossed my mind : that it is in moments like these that we don't want to resemble movie stars and models; we just want to be ourselves, simple, plain looking people, and with intact organs . It is in moments like these that we thank God for what we have and ask Him to take care and protect those less fortunate people, like the young eyless woman who was sitting at the cafe table in the Belem quarter of Lisbon.
Tower of Belem- facing the river
Monastery of Jeronimo
Friday, March 6, 2009
A night at Vila Real de San Antonio
Two days after our arrival in Lisbon, he got an unexpectedly urgent message concerning his mother's condition and was asked to take the plane to Buenos Aires without any delay. I decided, sadly, to go on with the tour without him, and that required some change of itinerary. On the whole it turned out to be a smooth, enjoyable tour except for one very traumatic event.
Here it is:
After several more days in Portugal, I decided to go to Spain for a week , and then return to Portugal for a direct flight back home.
I don't remember exactly why and how that happened, but the fact was I took the wrong train from Lisbon and got off at the wrong frontier point for Spain (it was a border town in the southerneast tip of Portugal), and at a very wrong time- in the late evening hours.
The place looked deserted, the tiny office at the railway station closed, no living soul around .The only sound heard was that of barking dogs coming from what I imagined was a nearby fishermen village on the outskirts of the border town of Vila Real de San Antonio. I headed towards the village to find myself a place for the night. I approached some houses that had the sign 'Pencao' (pension, guest house) , rang the bell, knocked on the door. Nothing. No one would open the door or window to me. They just shouted something like ' it's full', 'no vacant bed' etc..
I was completely in shock. They could have directed me to another pension or helped me in some other way. Afer all , it was dark outside and me just a young female carrying a suitcase. But no. No opening of doors, no attempt to help.
I kept on going and looking for some sign of a hotel or pension ,when suddently I came upon a guy who had the looks and clothes of a respectable middle aged gentleman . I tried to explain to him my situation in the few broken portuguese words that I possessed, and asked for information on accommodation for the night. He was very polite and ...invited me to his house, but before I could even answer with a 'yes' or 'no' to his invitation, his hands were all over me . I panicked and started running back to the railway station. Once there, I found some bench and had myself seated on it . I made up my mind to wait here for the morning. It was cold , I felt tired and sleepy, but I made an effort to stay awake all night, as I had to keep an eye on myself and the suitcase.
I had plenty of time to think about what had just happened to me, and I realized that this was a border town , and as such it had different rules and codes of behavior. There was probably a lot of smuggling and illegal activity going on here on both sides of the river, and people were afraid to open their doors. As for the middle aged "gentleman" - unfortunately, this sort of people trying to take advantage of a person in distress, can be found everywhere.
In the morning , I took my suitcase , glad to leave the area. and started to walk in the direction of the Guadania river. It took me about 15-20 minutes to reach the ferry terminal. Upon arrival at the terminal,, I bought a ticket, showed my passport to the border authority man ,and didn't even once look back to see the place in daylight.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Genius of the human mind
But when I travel I look for the genius of the human mind which displays itself in innumerable ways: channels and bridges that connect seas and lands shortening distances and making transport easier (Corinth Canal in Greece): vast open-air theaters that bring culture to the masses (Epidaurus amphitheater- Greece), fine architecture of public buildings and homes, impressive monuments to glorify heroes of the past (monument of the Discoveries in Lisbon), parks and gardens of rare ingenuity (the Generalife Gardens in Granada) etc...
Europe, considered the craddle of human culture and civilization, has it all over in: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, France, you name it - and from Europe it got to other parts of the globus through european immigration and/or colonialism.
It seems the genius mind can do a lot about Nature ,Science, Music, Art, but little about People. There's still much ignorance, poverty, disease, chaos among people in many parts of the world and, unfortunately, it doesn't look as if this situation is going to change in the future.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Chalkis port on the Euripus strait
Chalkis ( Halkis) the main town of the greek island of Evia (Euboea), is situated on the Euripus strait. The town is connected to the mainland Greece by "the sliding bridge" at the narrowest point of Euripus strait.
Euripus ( or Evripous) strait , about 8 km long, is famous for its special current tide phenomenon which is not fully understood yet. It has strong currents that change directions every seven (or more) hours a day. Ships are allowed to pass when the tide is slack.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Amazing Epidaurus, silent Bourtzi
Epidavros, the ancient, greek circular theater with its fine acoustics , aesthetics ,and stone seats, is still in use today. Many plays, concerts, and festivals are held here. Despite the strong sunrays and climbing through the site (almost like in Mycenae) , it was a very rewarding visit.
Naplio- Bourtzi Castle (fortress)
(Naplio - the greek capital before it was moved to Athens).
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The citadel of Mycenae
Archaeological / historical sites require that the visitor be well equipped: a hat to protect from the hot sunrays, strong shoes to help with the climbing of hills and the wandering among ruins, a bottle of water etc.. Well, I usually defied the rules. I liked to feel feminine, light as a feather, free of any attached accessories. Surprisingly, the tours in Greece and in some other countries were quite successful and no harm was done to me. I enjoyed every moment and overcame any challenge with no special effort.
Mycenae was one of those challenging places: no shade, steep climb, ruins etc...
Ancient site on a rocky hill
Many come to this mystical place
Friday, January 30, 2009
Old Corinth and the Corinth Canal
The ancient city of Corinth (NE in the Peloponessus on the Gulf of Corinth) was a rich , influential city. Ancient ruins at Old Corinth include: the temple of Apollo, a roman amphitheater, the marketplace, fountains.
Most of ancient Corinth
The canal appears as a blue strip and measures are: length - 6.3 km, width- 21 m, depth- 8m, height of the cliffs flanking it - 63m.
The Corinth narrow ship Canal
Monday, January 26, 2009
Delphi and the Oracle
Delphi is a very dramatic place. The drama is provided by the domineering Mt. Parnassos (today a famous ski center) and by the ancient archeological site with its sanctuary of Apollo, an ancient theater, a museum, etc.. In the classical Greek world, the sanctuary of Apollo was house to the Oracle delivered by the 'Phytea', the priestess ( an old speckless woman). The Oracle spoken in riddles, was interpreted by the priests of the temple and directed by them to the people who came from all over Greece to hear the prophesies of the Oracle and consult it before major undertakings.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Cape Sounio
Sounio - what a lovely name, sounds romantic too. The place is famous for its sunsets .People gather at the temple on top of it to watch the sun go down in changing colors of yellow, red, and orange. It also offers , on a clear day, a panoramic view of surrounding islands in the Aegaen Sea such as the nearby greek islets of Makronisi and Patroklou
Temple of Poseidon, the God of Sea in mythology
Boats on the sea
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lycabettus Hill- - Athens
I like hills. They were the main attraction in my childhood town in Roumania. I liked the excitement of climbing up to the top, the panoramic view of the town bellow, the feeling of being close to the sky and God.
In ancient Greece there's the concept of "sacred hill" - the acropolis, with its superbly designed temples and stone air-open amphitheaters. I like that too.
Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in Athens and offers a good view of this densely populated city. It is cone shaped , and pine trees cover its base. One can walk via stairs ot take the funicular to the top.
Lycabetus Hill in the middle of the capital
Monday, January 12, 2009
ATHENS - The Acropolis..and more
Athina - the greek word for Athens - reminds me of the famous greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassiss. His first wife and his only grandaughter were both named Athina.
I have a little theory (supposedly, not original) : I think everyone is born with a certain Luck which goes with him/her from the cradle to the grave. In-between there are ups and downs, but a person's life usually ends more or less within the same kind of Luck it started with.
The "Rise and Fall" of Aristotle (Ari) Onassiss seems to be a fairly good example. Son of greek refugees, he worked as a liftboy, as telephone operator, and then his Luck gradually changed. He became rich, successful and famous through commerce with tobacco and ships. He married Athina (Tina), the daughter of a greek shipping magnate, whom he later divorced, had a long love affair with the world's greatest opera singer, Maria Callas, married late USA president John Kennedy's widow ,Jacky Kennedy, bought an island, had connections with Heads of States, Kings, etc.. and then, when in the third phase of his life, his Luck changed again.
His decline (personal , not financial), reached its bottom with the death of his son Alexander (25) in a plane crash. Onassiss never recovered from the tragedy of his son's death. He didn't live long enough (died three years later) to face another tragedy, that of his daughter Christina's death (37) .
And what became of the two Athina-s ? Athina (Tina), Onassis' divorcee ,died a year after her son's death.
The Acropolis (upper city)
The Acropolis, the upper city
A place of major temples
From the Acropolis one can get a superb view of the city with its outstanding landmarks: the Olympic Stadium, the Zappion , the National Gardens , etc.. Below the Acropolis is the ancient theater of Dionysos and the well-preserved temple of Thissio.