Before Christmas in the Holy Land

Israel. Every year we make a first “winter” trip to Lake Kineret and just today, on Christmas Eve, I invite you to visit these ancient Holy places.

The Sea of Galilee, or simple, Kineret bear no close relation to Christmas but we come here to visit some churches and to stay in solitude on the bank of lake when only the rustle of bird’s wings disturbs the silence.

Before Christmas, vicinities of Kineret attract not only me. I speak about Christian pilgrims. Buses are drive up to the entrance of Roman-Catholic church situated on Mount of Beatitudes one after another, people go out the bus and stand still. They arrived to the place where have aspired to come for many years and now they stand on the Mount of Attitude, on the place where the Sermon on the Mount has been said a thousand years ago. Believers hold prayer books in their hands because they arrived to Mount of Beatitudes to offer up the prayer to the Lord.
 

 

Roman Catholic Franciscan Church, which you see in photos, was built in 1938 and the building isn’t of great historical value. The other is attracting to me here. There is a gallery along the church’s perimeter. The church’s walls keep a cool where it is possible to seek shelter from the scorching Israel sun. Near the church you will find the places for prayers and people settle down on benches, look at lake and imagine events that took place here almost millennium ago.

The amazing view is opening to the Lake Kineret and the Greek Church of Twelve Apostles and Capernaum from here. The Orthodox Church we’ll visit another time but Capernaum partially should be seen today.

Time flies quickly, it seems to me that I hardly have time to bypass around the place, sometimes stop, or sit down on bench in a shade, but my husband call me, it is time to continue the travel.

Capernaum.

The new memorial upon the traditional House of St Peter was built by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land in order to shelter the archeological remains of the Insula Sacra. The Memorial was planned by the Italian architect Ildo Avetta. The main bulk of the building, which is hovering over the remains of the House of Simon Peter the fisherman, conveys in some way the image if a boat. The same idea is suggested by the wall decorations made up of stylized fish, waves and nets. The four wooden panels inside the Church are the work of the artists Raoul Vistory (the blessed Virgin entering the House of Peter and St Peter on a boat) and of Giovanny Dragoni (the Crucifixion and Jesus on the House of Peter). The mosaic of the altar (of Enzo Rossi) combines the biblical theme if the manna in the desert and of the multiplication of loaves.

The Memorial was dedicated by Card. Lourdusami on June 29, 1990. That date was engraves on the plinths if the façade; BEATO PETRO APOSTOLO – A.D. MCMXC DICATUM (Dedicated to the blessed apostle Peter on June 29. 1990).

In Christmas days, every church has its own Crib with figures telling the bible story of Jesus Christ’s birth. Such Crib I find in church dedicated to St Peter in Capernaum. I photographed it especially for you and it is my first gift.

The second gift is a poinsettia, the Christmas Star growing at Mount of Attitude. Real poinsettia with flaming red bracts, for what it is named the Christmas Star, blaze among rich greenery at the Mount of Beatitudes in the Holy Land.

Café Museum. The Centenary History of Interior

Austria, Vienna. Today we’ll continue the trip along Wien River to Schönbrunn Palace. Last time we stopped off at building Secession and today, before to pass through Nashmarkt, will step aside from our route and take a rest in Café Museum.
The Café Museum was opened by Ferdinand Rainer in 1899. He chose an ideal place close to Secession, Academy of Art, Opera, the Wien Musikferein and Wien River and Café immediately become one of the most popular places among artists and musicians. 

To create inner design, the famous architect Adolf Loos was invited.  Inner décor has been made in minimalist style and had a pure and unornamented design. The Café was furnished with marble tables, well-known nowadays bentwood chairs by Michael Thonet, and has been lighted up by simple lamps.

In 1906 new owners invited a young architect Zotti to design a café garden, and later, in 1930, he reversed design which has existed till 2003. You see in photo details of interior of those years.  

In 2003 the initial design created by Adolf Loose was returned but, unfortunately, the economic crisis of last years concerned the Viennese cafes as well, and in 2009 Café Museum practically lost the visitors and was under the threat of closing. The new owners became the famous family Querfeld and they have taken changes again to Zotti’s design with some modern changes. I don’t know if will be Café Museum differs from others belonged to Querfeld family (well-known Cafés Landtman, Moart, Hoffburg and others), but today, coming to this historical café I remember the persons who came here for more than centenary history of Café Museum. The famous artists, who liked to come here to discuss new ideas, to argue about and certainly to drink coffe. The café witnessed two wars, but continued to receive visitors. And today we enter in Café Museum.

It was a really hot day, I settled on a cozy red sofa. I’ve seen a fruit cocktail in menu but it served together with ice cream. I didn’t want an ice-cream so the dish was changed according to my taste, only fruit.  Also I’ve ordered a topfen (cheese) cake with raspberry and a soda water with lemon. It was quite dietary lunch.

I spent almost an hour and half here and even had a time to read a little. In the beginning I’ve not intended to advise visiting of this café but while I was writing this note and have chosen the photos, I decided to invite you to visit Café Museum in spite of the fact that you won’t find any new cakes or salads different from other cafes. Simply drop in Café Museum to take breath and have a rest from Viennese impressions in old walls which liked to visit Gustav Klimpt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Otto Wagner, and, certainly, Adolf Loos.

Austria, Vienna. Secession building and “Mark-Anton Group”

I come back to the story of route which we began travel the last year. I’ll remind, the start point became Karlskirche, and today we still stayin’ Karlsplatz and stand in front of building of Secession. It is a difficult task to tell about Secession as the building itself and movement of Secession are described in every tourist guides and it’s real challenge for me.

I’ve looked through the photos took at different years and have chosen some ones that attached along with well-known views to my today’s post. First: “Mark-Anton Gruppe” situated on the right hand of Secession. The second: I’ll maintain my telling about Secession movement with some last year’s photos as illustration of close connection of generations living in different time. A little bit “hooligan” but continuing to break moral principles of society.

In spring 2010 the Exhibition by Christoph Büchel “Raum für Sexkultur“, was held in Secession.  Artist represents an installation decorated as a room of Vienna Swinging Club. Unfortunately I returned to Vienna at the end of April and couldn’t visit it. I haven’t even  chance to tell about as Secession official web site didn’t published the report yet and there is an announcement “coming soon” till now but nevertheless, there was something that remained about exhibition up to the autumn. In front of entrance niche there was an original poster and we can enter the building crossing (passing going) “between legs of the naked girl”.

 

Now, it is time to mention about Secession movement. It seems to me, that this remark will set all on the places and it will clear why similar exhibition are pertinent in Secession.

Vienna Secession was founded at the end of 19^th century and the members of it were Gustav Klimt, Koloman Mozer, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Oskar Kokoshka, Egon Schile and other artists.  I believe these names speak about much. Even who only saw movie “Klimt” can imagine an atmosphere and ideas of those years without effort. These artists have torn with traditional concepts of art and have created new association, which we name Vienna Secession since then. Approximately at the same time Joseph Maria Olbrich has designed exhibition pavilion Secession. Today the building of Secession named a key work of Viennese Art Nouveau. Everything was designed and made by group members and even decorative vases in front of entrance are the art objects.

It is getting clear now, why the “Mark Anton Gruppe” sculpture is situated on the right hand of Secession. Originally the sculptural group was established temporarily on this place and there are no any explanation inscriptions about this decision. The choice of place was hot debated and in result the sculpture was established near Secession temporarily (I remind, it was a time of active development of vacant territory of Karlsplatz) but the commission never discussed this question in future and we see “Mark Anton Gruppe” at the same place.  The sculpture was created by Secession member of Arthur Strasser and probably this fact became the main reason of the choice of place near Secession. The Sculpture was created especially for a world’s fair in Paris, 1900.

Now, about Secession building a little. The building occupies the area 1000 m². Walls represent massive cubic blocks; however these rather rigid geometrical lines soften the curves indoors. The round dome is executed of 3000 gilded bronze laurel leaves (laurel leaf is the dominant symbol of building) and 700 round berries. The entrance area is decorated by the masks of the three Gorgons, which symbolize architecture, sculpture and painting. The motto of Secession movement is written above the entrance of the pavilion: “To every age its art, to art its freedom”. The building was damaged by bombs during WWII and set on fire by the retreating German army). Today we see renovated building of Secession.

(information about building and a photo of destroyed Secession from official web site of Secession).

Genoa and Euroflora Flower Show

Genoa. I wanna tell about this trip though we visited Genoa five years ago. We planned a trip to this city especially because in 2006 the flower show took place in Genoa. In spring of 2011 the show was held again (the Euroflora take place every five years) so today I recall Euroflora 2006.

We went to Genoa on Italy Liberation Day. When we arrived at train station, we definitely were glad that bought tickets the day before but yesterday we were wondered really, why the terminal device the places in different compartments but not at the same. While we were waiting the train, I’ve paid attention to the girl who again and again unsuccessfully tried to buy ticket to any train to Genoa but every time the answer was the same – no free places. In this case there is only way: to buy ticket without a place and pass the time (one and half hour) standing or sitting on the own bag out of compartment. We took places and the train has left to Genoa. Soon I’ve tried to go out of compartment to look at magnificent views on the opposite but couldn’t make any steps. People sat on a floor or stood so densely I should step through them.

In one and the half hour about we walk down the platform at Genoa and it seems that all Italy goes somewhere this day.

I’ll remind that Exhibition Euroflora took place in Genoa these days and organizes of this event met visitors already at station. The special marks lead step by step to an assembly point where it was possible to buy entrance tickets, get the full information about exhibition and take a bus running between railway station and exhibition.

But in the beginning we decided to walk through Porto Antico (we missed of the sea during the some days in Milan) and to stroll a little through narrow streets of old Genoa. You see an Old Genoa beacon and the replica of Columbus galleon “Neptune” in photos. This galleon was especially built in 1986 for movie “Pirates” of Roman Polansky and after was transferred to the Genoa’s Porto Antico.

But my place to remember in Genoa become the Garibaldi street exactly because it impressed me most of all. Take a look at some photos.

So little by little we reached expocentre, bought entrance tickets (tickets cost 10 € in 2006 but this year the entrance tax was doubled) and come in the first pavilion.

And now I’ll tell about exhibition Euroflora 2006. For the first time this flower show was held in 1966 and in 2006 the ninth edition of amazing worldwide event took place in Genoa. The leitmotif of Euroflora 2006 was: water as the primordial source of life and precious natural resources.  The giant waterfall was created at main pavilion and a lot of fountains and, speaking the modern language – water gadgets or jeux d’eau.  Certainly, it was impossible to ignore fishing village Portofino situated nearby. Nearby so closely that speaks: Genoa and Portofino are in stone’s through one from another. The creation of one of the participants is devoted to Portofino (photo with an old boat on sand).

There were a lot of visitors at show, so much that it was very difficult to take photos.  At least, we reached the pavilion where were on display the creations of famous florists. I examined all in details and noted also the familiar name to me – Swedish florist Swedenson (he read seminar “Cascade bouquets” at my florist college.  

Since old times Genoa was an entry gate to the Ligurian region so: "the sea became one of the new entries at Euroflora 2006 with the reconstruction of an “old America” port and with a boat filled with plants. It has been a fascinating step back into the history of spices, herbs, and fruits like tea, coffee and cocoa, date palms and banana trees, all of which came to Europe sown through the centuries from the farthest corners of the Earth"

We spent day up to the closing at exhibition and then returned to city center; strolled a little along quay and left for Milan. Certainly, it isn’t enough, only day in Genoa, but I’m ready to tell more and more as Genoa impressed me so much.