JERUSALEM - HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS, DIVERSE

I am in Jerusalem for work and it is my first time here. It is culturally diverse, has deep historical & religious importance plus extremely complex geopolitical issues. So much of its history is alive and on display. Many religions see it as the epicentre of their beliefs... the stories differ somewhat ..... yet often they revere the same shrines of importance ....... surely this means our similarities are far closer than our differences, and somewhere we should be able to find a point to agree upon and respect each others differences.  

View of East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlements 

A street in the Armenien quarter in the Old City - largely unchanged for centuries

Architecturally monumental Dome of the Rock in the Old City

 The seemingly unending views from the ancient Masada Palace in the Judean desert. In the midst of an arid hostile desert, this 2000+ year old palace was built on top of a plateau by Herod the Great, between 37 & 31 BCE. The isolated site encompasses an armoury, bath house, palace, storerooms to hold food for months and a sophisticated water aqua duct system. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE where the Zealots were able to resist the might of the Roman army for 2 years, and in the end chose mass suicide rather than surrender.

A significant amount of this palace remained intact when it was excavated in 1963.

This star signifies the actual birth place of Jesus Christ underneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Jerusalem - even though there are large amounts of tourists visiting this shrine, the church and cave of the manger are very moving in their simplicity & religious significance.

A section of the wall in East Jerusalem which divides the city - incredibly sobering in its presence, dividing communities from each other, plus from education, health and commercial services. Until you see this for yourself and have someone explain the extent of it and its impact, no international news service can possibly make you understand the emotional, physical psychological & commercial impact this wall has already had and no doubt will continue to have in the future.

We can only hope......

The Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem

This photo was taken in the home of a Palestine Refugee in Sheikh Jarrah Jerusalem, where they have to maintain 24hr vigil in their home to retain possession 

The remains of 2 different synagogues in Capernaum which is situated on the Sea of Galilee. The Bible cites this as the home of Jesus after he left Nazareth. The black basalt rock in this photo is the remains of the synagogue which Jesus is said to have taught in.   

Food Markets in Italy

I am back in Italy for work and as always, it is wonderful to be here. One of the first things we always do, no matter which Italian city we arrive in, is to take an early morning walk to the local food markets. A fix of local produce always satisfies - the gorgeous looking fruit that is every bit as tasty as it appears, the fabulous array of cheese, in particular Buffalo Mozzarella which is undoubtedly my favourite, and the wonderful prosciutto and meats - all these things are definitely on my shopping list. Food markets in any city are some of the best places to wander, not just to see the produce but to also engage in the local life, as unlike the major monuments, churches and museums, markets always have more locals than tourists. 

And as a Designer, I do love this amazing attention to detail in regards to presentation! How beautiful do these food products look! I mean it is only lentils/dried beans/paprika etc but they look like something an artist would paint masterpieces with. Presenting spices with artfully cut pyramid shapes, or figs with beautiful leaves to separate them so that each individual one is special - it makes food an art form and eating an event. I think this is so integral to the Italian way of life and I feel goes a long way to negating the whole concept of fast food, over eating and long term cold storage of produce. 


Some of the Food Markets to visit in major Italian cities are
Rome: Campo dei Fiori - Piazza Campa de' Fiori - morning fruit veg & flower markets
Florence: San Lorenzo Market - Piazza S. Lorenzo to Via dell'Ariento, around Basillica San Lorenzo, & Sant' Ambrogio Piazza Ghiberti and Piazza Sant'Ambrogio, the market is both indoor and outdoor - smaller than San Lorenzo but probably more local customers 
Venice: Rialto Food Markets amazing Fish Fruit and Meat (previously mentioned on this blog)

CONTRASTS OF LIFE IN ISTANBUL

I was recently in Istanbul for 2 weeks - my 2nd visit to this amazing city and what a pleasure!! The visual contrasts constantly surprise and delight me - women totally covered in Muslim dress next to Western women wearing a great deal less; the regular, call to prayer, over the public address system whilst tourists stroll the streets and the local people persistently try to entice you into their shops; the incredible 3500year old structures in the Hippodrome alongside a young Turkish boy driving a toy motorised car - it is constantly a visual feast that invigorates the senses and at the same time a wonderful lesson in acceptance and understanding.

When you visit, it is vital to enjoy the Turkish tradition of visiting a Hamam - better still, don't just stop at one visit go to many to compare the service, the architecture and wonderful peace and tranquility found inside the Hamam. The Hamam, a public bathhouse, is a tradition of social interaction that has endured for centuries. I know its considered a rather "touristy" example, but I visited Cerbemlitas Hamam several times and thoroughly enjoyed lying on the ancient marble, staring at the domed roof where the sun penetrated the star shaped "skylights". Built in 1584, it is fabulously calm oasis in the midst of the noise and frenetic pace of Sultanahmet - in fact as you lie on the cool marble slab it is hard to believe you are in the same city. This is definitely one practice I would love to be able to enjoy on a much more frequent basis! 

Photo from www.cemberlitashamami.com

The friendly people, the significant architectural sites, the ancient history and the modern design focus of this city are very real reasons to plan a visit.

Isle of Capri

View from my balcony

The Isle of Capri  is an incredibly picturesque island off the Amalfi coast and definitely worth a visit - but my advice is, don't just come here as a day trip, you need to stay a few nights as the true beauty of this island is captured in the evening when the thrones of day trippers have left and tranquility descends upon the island.  

        

One doesn't even need to do a great deal here, just stroll the streets, swim in the crystal blue waters off the rocky outcrops, have a leisurely lunch, and do some of the wonderful hikes over the island. The bougainvillea, oleanders and petunias that cover the island are magnificent and add a vibrancy that I find captivating. 

I took this photo of a superb flowering bougainvillea that covered an entire building - the intensity of colour is amazing and certainly gives this building a wonderful appeal! (The architecture of the building is rather ordinary but this makes a huge difference)

Amalfi Coast & the "Walk of the Gods'

I find it extremely hard to beat the delight of an Italian Summer - the heat of the summer sun that tans without burning, long days, lazy lunches with afternoon siestas and a general relaxed atmosphere that pervades every facet of life. In any Italian city/town/village, no matter the size, the piazzas and streets are filled with the intoxicating sounds of children laughing & playing - I challenge you not to smile when listening to it! One can not help but be lulled into this pleasurable way of life - the exact reason why I love being here at this time of year. (Though in honesty, I don't think I have come across a time of year that I don't like!) As a tourist, I think people often spend days "ticking off the to-do list", but in any foreign city I feel one of the most productive things to do is to just relax into their way of life - drink, eat and partake in the "Passegiata" - the Italian time honoured practice of meandering the main streets, soaking in the life around you. To me this is the true Italian way of life and is why their lifestyle is so enviable - there is a simplicity, an honesty that belies our Australian life of acquisition of "things". 

I am currently in Praiano/Positano - looking out on a superb view of the Mediterranean that is definitely one of life's "must see" views and I am clearly enjoying the Italian summer life. I am actually working, assisting in running a busy conference, but it is a wonderful way to work surrounded by such amazing views.

View from Nocelle a town high in the hills above Positano 

The ancient watch towers on the coastline of Positano

Positano main beach with sheer cliffs and hotels above

A few days ago I walked "Senterio Degli Dei"  ("Walk of the Gods") a wonderous name for a superb 2.5hrs walk from Bumerano to Nocelle along the Amalfi Coast that takes in the most spectacular views. I did it with a group and our guide Giovanni who pointed out the amazing terrain plus the local flora and fauna along the way. It was not too difficult, a few steep climbs often with stairs and interspersed with long pathways, high in the hills above the coastline. At the conclusion in Nocelle we had lunch in a little trattoria called Santa Croce - thoroughly wonderful home cooked pasta with incredible views over Positano - bonus was that everything I ate and drank was in credit after such a long hike! (as opposed to the rest of my days here!)

The start of the "Sentiero Degli Dei" (the "Walk of the Gods")

 Views along the path

 We were walking through the clouds at one point which although masking the view at times, did help to  reduce the temperature

View of Positano from Santa Croce restaurant where we ate at the conclusion of the walk 

FERRAGAMO MUSEUM FLORENCE

If you love design and colour and appreciate hand worked craftsmanship, one place worth a visit is the lesser known Ferragamo museum in Florence. Situated in the basement of Palazzo Spini Feroni, Via Tornabuoni n. 2, the museum was opened to the public in 1995 by the Ferragamo family in an effort to illustrate Ferragamo's artistic qualities and the important role he played in the history of shoe design and international fashion. Besides photographs, patents, sketches, books, magazines and wooden lasts of various famous feet, the museum boasts a collection of drawings by Ferragamo from the end of the 1920's until 1960, the year of his death. It is a wonderful spectacle and is certainly worth a visit to see the genius of the man who created them.

BACK IN ITALY ON GOOD FRIDAY

I have just booked to go to Italy for work again on Friday, so will be there for Easter. I love any time in Italy, but Easter is particularly beautiful - the passion of the ceremonies, celebratory Sunday lunch and the change of the season as Spring bursts into life, are 3 easy reasons to spend time there (does one need any reasons?). I love to wander the streets, watching Italian families celebrate together while I soak in Italian life.

I will spend a few days in the superb Cortina D'Ampezzo area, where I have previously spent a great deal of time for work. The area has spectacular scenery with the imposing Dolomite mountain range surrounding the picturesque alpine village. The skiing is superb, though I won't be skiing at this time of year (even though several of the runs are still operating), but rather I will be sorting out a few work issues.

Spectacular Dolomite Mountains taken from Pocol (5kms from Cortina D'Ampezzo)

Then I will be working in Venice for a week, so a beautiful place to be again. I can happily wander the small calle (streets) for days, so together with my new camera, I will post about some of my discoveries.