A toast or two

Best Bar Moments in Venice

I was watching a show last night, a food competition, and one of the judges said the dessert took him back to Harry’s Bar in Venice, where the Bellini was invented. It was one of those few times where I got transported too. Remembering that I had blogged about it, I pulled up the post. 

Ah, yes... what I hadn’t remembered was that the doodle I did, while sitting at the bar, is still in my possession. As is often the case, when someone asks about my doodles, I had offered it to the bartender. I had forgotten that he would only make a photocopy of it to keep, that he refused to accept the original. 

While the memory of my overall experience is strong, I realize I might enjoy seeing this on my wall. I suppose I now have a mission to find the original, to frame it. Once I do so, it will evoke good memories. 

While I do have small objects gathered on my epic 2009/2010 trip (a cushion cover, a small leather pouch, a little knife, etc), I never did frame the things I intended to. A result, perhaps of not having my very own walls, until a year ago. Now I feel home. Now I am inspired to do so. 

So, the world apparently needs me

Came across this in my journal, written in Florence, in 2009. Kind of an interesting coincidence...

Three times in the last week or so, I have been told, “The world needs you.” - twice in these exact words yesterday. 

One was the guy who owns the Il Papiro shop and let me make my own paper, then chatted with me for a long time on his craft. 

The other was after I met Alesandro, the artist I met a few days before and went back to visit yesterday (I bought him a gelato and we chatted for an hour or so).

The other was the palm reader in Roma - though not in those exact words.

This is something I am reflecting on.

French Man Bequeaths Money to Hermitage Cats

 I trust you have heard about the cats that reside in the basement of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia?

On the off- chance you haven’t, there are 50 of them, and their job is to keep the rodents at bay. They have three caretakers and their very own Press Secretary.

Now a Frenchman has donated a tidy sum to pay to for their care an needed upgrades to their abodes. Although he has been named in some media, he made the donation anonymously and prefers to stay that way. 

Whoever he is, I like his kind heart.

Read more in the New York Post.

So glad to be out of the travel industry

Every day that goes by, I am more relieved to be out of the travel industry.

Yes, it was fun for awhile, and aside of the fact that it left me broke (avoid this field unless you have a pension, spouse or are mortgage-free with cash reserves), I did learn a lot. I met a lot of interesting people, planned some great trips and stretched myself, but it is best that I have moved on. My initial relief came early-COVID, when the industry was desecrated, but I am so glad to not be part of what is happening today. 

I feel sick to the stomach every time I hear about someone off vacationing in the sun. Are you kidding me? What are you thinking? Even if you don’t care about yourself, how dare you risk others with your privilege? While others stay home and act responsibly, doing their part to put an end to the pandemic, what makes you think it is “ok” to satisfy your own self interests? I am less angry than confused. I am baffled and truly don’t get it.

So it is with this perspective that I am glad I am not being asked to help people book flights. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live with myself. 

I have been feeling this for awhile, but it has been magnified in the last few days as I have been receiving targeted marketing for tour operators offering packages complete with COVID and quarantine insurance. Get away, feel safe with all these protections, there has never been a better time to go, blah blah blah... WTF???? 

It turns my stomach.

I get it that all businesses are doing their best to survive and rebuild, but this is despicable. 

I could have never sold travel in this environment and I know now that it would have been toxic to me to be around this all the time. 

So I am more than done with the travel biz. I’ll never go back to it.

Any travel in my future will simply be my own, when it is safe to do so. And it will probably be modest and close to the ground, organized by me, myself and I. 

What I miss most about travel is the simple stuff, hanging out like a local in cafes, staying for a month or so somewhere, soaking up the vibe, seeing a museum or two a week, living the experience. 

I am in no hurry to travel though. This is a time to lay low, and be patient. For now, I savour the many travel experiences I’ve had. There is still a lot of enjoyment to be had there.

US Capitol art damage

Despite the outrageous assault on the US Capitol, damage to the artworks in the historical building was surprisingly minor. Curators have been on the ground inspecting the damage and starting restoration, but it could have been so much worse.

I can’t decide whether the thugs didn’t know what they were surrounded with (so paid no attention to the works) or did know (and restrained themselves)... probably the former, but who knows. But I am always glad when art is protected.  

Read more in this topic:

New York Times

Art News

Semaphore

I love a new-to-me word. Recently, it was semaphore. 

Around New Year’s Eve, I was telling a colleague about the time I was living in downtown Vancouver, in a high-rise, and on New Year’s morning I saw a woman’s long, elegant evening gown flapping in the wind, perhaps thrown aside near the window in the wee hours, where it slipped out, and then caught. It was the old BC Hydro building, so there were no balconies, so I don’t even think they knew it was there. I always imagined the confusion and mystery they ensued.

My colleague said, perhaps it was a signal known to few... perhaps it was a semaphore.

Courtesy of Britannica: 

Semaphore, method of visual signaling, usually by means of flags or lights. Before the invention of the telegraph, semaphore signaling from high towers was used to transmit messages between distant points. One such system was developed by Claude Chappe in France in 1794, employing a set of arms that pivoted on a post; the arms were mounted on towers spaced 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km) apart. Messages were read by telescopic sightings. Modern semaphores included movable arms or rows of lights simulating arms, displayed from towers and used to signal railroad trains. Semaphore signaling between ships, now largely abandoned, was accomplished by persons who held a small flag in each hand and, with arms extended, moved them to different angles to indicate letters of the alphabet or numbers.

Cincinnati's unused subway

 It’s almost beyond belief: the city of Cincinnati sits atop a 2.2 mile subway system, complete with tracks and stations, that has never gone into service. 

Construction was put on hold in 1920, when resources were diverted to the war effort. Afterwards, priorities shifted and the project was abandoned. It seems there has never been the public interest or political will to resurrect it. 

Even today, as the city plans for transportation, it is building a streetcar system. Yes, above ground, on top of those unused tunnels. 

Read more on Atlas Obscura.

David Hockney's pool-less lockdown

David Hockney is spending his COVID lockdown in his home in France, sans pool. So what does the artist who is known for his iconic paintings of pools do with his time? 

"This year 2020 I have just been working on my iPad depicting the arrival of spring, which will be shown at the Royal Academy in London in March 2021 and in October at the Orangerie in Paris. This is 118 pictures but I have gone on making them and will finish up with about 200 for the whole year...” [read more].

Happy New Year 2021

I'm attempting to resurrect my blog, without leaving Blogger. I have a new iPhone and it seems I finally have a device I can create on. Will see how it goes. SO glad to see a new year. I am not alone in this sentiment, I know. Happy New Year!