tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53325178423746488792024-02-20T05:55:48.973-08:00Goulash BlogThis blog talks about my travels, my design inspirations and my creative process.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-57053999333658117772014-09-14T17:35:00.000-07:002014-09-14T17:35:49.882-07:00The Museum of Broken Relationships<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably the most interesting of the quirky museums that I've seen on my travels, (the Paprika Museum in Hungary and the Opium Museum in Thailand make the list) The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia is a fascinating collection of hysterical and heart wrenching memorabilia from relationships from around the world. Romantic relationships, of course, are well represented, as are relationships between children and absent fathers, deceased mothers, and those destroyed by abuse and drugs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Some of my personal favorite highlights from the museum are: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The museum also has some excruciating reminders of what a cruel world we live in:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although this exhibit was the first one that I saw when I walked in, I like to think it was actually the last and was the museum's happy ending:</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-52238775820664113702014-08-23T09:28:00.002-07:002014-08-23T09:28:40.637-07:00Impending Senility<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I promised more information on Antoni Gaudi, the renowned architect of the magnificent Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Gaudi was born in 1852 and died in 1926. His works are mostly found in Barcelona and are in the Catalan Modernism style. His passions in life and his influences in his work were architecture, nature and religion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Gaudi rarely drew plans of his work, but preferred to create three-dimensional models. "Gaudi had a deep appreciation for his native land and great pride in his Mediterranean heritage. He believed Mediterranean people to be endowed with creativity, originality, and an innate sense for art and design. He described this distinction by saying, 'We own the image. Fantasy comes from the ghosts. Fantasy is what people in the North own. We are concrete. The image comes from the Mediterranean' ". *</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At the beginning of the twentieth century he worked on many projects simultaneously. These works show his shift to a more personal style inspired by nature. One of his most memorable projects, to me, Park Guell was an unsuccessful urbanization project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Due to my impending senility, I am referring you to a website for photos. (Cleared cards out for next trip, can't find files on easy drive, can't find cards that I cleared...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gaudi/barcelona-gaudi.html">http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gaudi/barcelona-gaudi.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From 1910 on, Gaudi dedicated himself</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to his work on Sagrada Familia, which remains unfinished to this day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On June 7, 1926, while taking a walk, Gaudi was struck by a passing tram and lost consciousness. As he had no identification on him and was shabbily dressed, he did not receive immediate aid and died a few days later. His remains are interred within Sagrada Familia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can read more about him on Wikipedia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaudi">*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaudi</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As my next adventure is quickly approaching, and my next glass project will come from Pittsburgh...I don't expect to make a trinket about my Spanish trip for awhile.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Coming soon: Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro & Bosnia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Goal for next trip: take better notes...not that I can read them, anyway, blog while on trip or shortly thereafter...while I can still remember the trip!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-53705193899213645162014-07-23T11:57:00.000-07:002014-07-23T11:57:29.231-07:00Ay Macarena!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last church--I promise! Bob and I have been lucky to be in Catholic countries (See Holy Week in Costa Rica) during times of religious celebration. We just happened to be in Seville during the Festival of the Macarena--yes the city and the celebration honoring (and inspiring the song!) the Virgin of Hope of Macarena, a wooden image of the Virgin Mary, depicting her grief and piety during holy week. Of course...from what I gather there seems to always be a festival in her honor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The feast of the image is celebrated in December of each year. It seems that, in Spain, religious images are repeatedly venerated, this one on Dec. 20 in 1962, February, 1963 and again in May of 1964--when the image was moved to the Cathedral of Seville--which is what I assume they were celebrating when we were there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">She is known as the patroness of bullfighters, is always depicted with a tear dripping from her eye. Images of Our Lady of Sorrows are often depicted in dark blue or black. This one has never been depicted this way, except for during the funeral of the Matador El Gallo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks to Wikipedia for this information. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_Hope_of_Macarena">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_Hope_of_Macarena</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town is also draped in beautiful shawls in her honor:</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-52938126108121413922014-07-12T12:33:00.000-07:002014-07-12T12:38:14.648-07:00It's My Blog...and I'll Post What I Want to...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not yet leaving Spain...just taking a small detour to...Pittsburgh? Another class at the Pittsburgh Glass Center with the amazing Robert Mickelsen <a href="http://www.robertmickelsen.com/">www.robertmickelsen.com</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">and his assistant, the equally talented Lisa Demagall <a href="http://www.lisademagall.com/">www.lisademagall.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I am thinking and working larger this time. Thinking a hanging sculpture, app. 30 inches wide, 7 feet tall and 12-15 inches deep. Multiple pieces. Of course, I only got part of the first piece finished, and as it is taking a detour through New York and Pennsylvania before returning to me, I will probably start additional pieces before finishing the first one. And you all know how that goes for me...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My inspiration for the technique that I am using is a sculpture that I went to see in Grand Rapids last December...or was it a year ago last?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway...the artist is the very talented Anna Skibska <a href="http://www.annaskibska.com/">www.annaskibska.com</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZZb8YPEMk1Cy-dMFH7OCQM9ybtRZZ-W5Uw2_SUgLmB35SBUQLxulalkQTJRHRgSg4vCSieK8pX9tq49cYg_4yoeYN7VdZ1ipCKWi0SWWyrKPVaqbjmbf9Fk7GRLcIC7VJzKuG8agadQ/s1600/Skibska1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZZb8YPEMk1Cy-dMFH7OCQM9ybtRZZ-W5Uw2_SUgLmB35SBUQLxulalkQTJRHRgSg4vCSieK8pX9tq49cYg_4yoeYN7VdZ1ipCKWi0SWWyrKPVaqbjmbf9Fk7GRLcIC7VJzKuG8agadQ/s1600/Skibska1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zZgfQO2xgUy5K2xyqiAu1T9nZYjRv76NzksOELzFJR10s8GzgAG-8BadB4t9RBcU1VWAv71IGBU6sUtj8NUUkMu7ARdbZW94lkb4dr1tBoKdQ3CxOfsfxO05nmYc-o9XNLLZhY2Jayo/s1600/Skibska.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zZgfQO2xgUy5K2xyqiAu1T9nZYjRv76NzksOELzFJR10s8GzgAG-8BadB4t9RBcU1VWAv71IGBU6sUtj8NUUkMu7ARdbZW94lkb4dr1tBoKdQ3CxOfsfxO05nmYc-o9XNLLZhY2Jayo/s1600/Skibska.jpg" height="125" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I'm posting progressive views of my starting point for my sculpture. It will grow from both top and bottom before it is finished. I will make additional pieces and hang them (probably over the next several years!) and post pictures as they become available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And now...to mine...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROWbe9GUWmtpni0CHnHDPt106Zjp7Xi-GMibizJLtCreifPduwA5Pz_9hqQ8v8277_zJuk-ei-KypRETD1sq-baExhGQRQnPjhyphenhyphenveHDsO9JwQztQNDqxPYySzLcGBRBo5H0tQQzREURY/s1600/1A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROWbe9GUWmtpni0CHnHDPt106Zjp7Xi-GMibizJLtCreifPduwA5Pz_9hqQ8v8277_zJuk-ei-KypRETD1sq-baExhGQRQnPjhyphenhyphenveHDsO9JwQztQNDqxPYySzLcGBRBo5H0tQQzREURY/s1600/1A.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMcDRYA3kSK4IcXcY9CbjwsNF1Sh3IT_m3NWtsnNNDNjDpEf-BjNgwcuq07RzU4gmFxKuQ0E_BESwLGW8VEZyqYkbS3xkLA1kmJnt80F-6PYGa1S2VMfiy-HnUqGSBo-fjHOquLi7qw8/s1600/1B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMcDRYA3kSK4IcXcY9CbjwsNF1Sh3IT_m3NWtsnNNDNjDpEf-BjNgwcuq07RzU4gmFxKuQ0E_BESwLGW8VEZyqYkbS3xkLA1kmJnt80F-6PYGa1S2VMfiy-HnUqGSBo-fjHOquLi7qw8/s1600/1B.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First the basic framework and a bit of texture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next comes just a bit of color:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NjQeTKvQf6GydDT40XE_YiiTQ7arxaCRNb6kYHk-YsGm-jJAJnhVupnve5RZOuDDxWDc6l1fLEefRaOj5AVmAans_sZPsW3BV5nrGhZxLbrqxZERVb0ON6azmyFCP8E-9h6CbpYiQ4Q/s1600/1A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NjQeTKvQf6GydDT40XE_YiiTQ7arxaCRNb6kYHk-YsGm-jJAJnhVupnve5RZOuDDxWDc6l1fLEefRaOj5AVmAans_sZPsW3BV5nrGhZxLbrqxZERVb0ON6azmyFCP8E-9h6CbpYiQ4Q/s1600/1A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then another layer and a bit of texture. Now it's about three layers deep, but that could still change, too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, finally...as far as I got:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Valley of the Fallen is a memorial to those killed during the Spanish Civil War. Many find it to be eerie and distressing, as some feel that it is Franco's shrine of victory, as opposed to a memorial to those lost on both sides of the conflict, in fact more than 11,000 are buried on its grounds. Franco is also entombed within the basilica...which is a sore spot for many. It is an architectural feat as well, as it is carved into the rock at the base of the mountain. Walking in you are flanked by giant angels on both sides, which I found to be artistically spectacular. As photos are not allowed inside, I am referring you to photos from the web. Unfortunately there are not many interior shots there, either.</span><br />
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<a href="http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEV1F.E6NTJRwALNFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0MWoxNW52BHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1NNRTM5OV8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcsaoffblock&va=valley+of+the+fallen+spain+madrid"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEV1F.E6NTJRwALNFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0MWoxNW52BHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1NNRTM5OV8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcsaoffblock&va=valley+of+the+fallen+spain+madrid</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a more in depth discussion, please visit:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://spanishsabores.com/2012/03/25/visiting-valle-de-los-caidos-valley-of-the-fallen-spain/">http://spanishsabores.com/2012/03/25/visiting-valle-de-los-caidos-valley-of-the-fallen-spain/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then visited St. Thomas Church in Toledo, where, remarkably, the only part of the church that we visited was the corridor which housed one of El Greco's masterpieces, "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz", which was breathtaking in its richness and almost sparkling depth of color.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">photo courtesy of Wikipedia: </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burial_of_the_Count_of_Orgaz"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burial_of_the_Count_of_Orgaz</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day took us to the Great Mosque/Cathedral of Cordoba, which was a surreal hybrid of a mosque/church.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mosque was built during the tenth century, when Cordoba was in its glory as the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus, one of the wealthiest and most powerful cities in Europe. In AD 1236 the city was conquered by King Ferdinand, who had the mosque consecrated and constructed a cathedral in the middle of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">While the Moors partook of cleanliness and brought running water and soap to Spain, the Spaniards were still dumping chamber pots out of the windows. They believed that filth kept the evil spirits away...so they rarely bathed. You would think they'd be kissing the the Moors' sweet-smelling feet...but, no.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We visited Jewish ghettos in practically every city that we visited in both Spain and Portugal,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">a bit of an odd feeling as they drove the Jews out in the 15th century.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We also visited an old Jewish Synagogue, now a national monument, but at one time served as (what else!)...a Catholic Church.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Portugal, we visited, perhaps the most interesting church of all. As Portugal is a relatively poor country, the church was (refreshingly!) in a sad state of disrepair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Books of interest: <u>The Last Jew</u> by Noah Gordon</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-27288776989133013112014-06-13T07:56:00.002-07:002014-06-13T07:58:23.459-07:00And More Freakin Churches...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After travelling with Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure Travel for some time, I'd thought I'd seen enough churches to last me a lifetime...after 3-4 they all seem to blend together...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Welcome to Spain and Portugal...delightful in many ways, but mostly for its unique and varied places of worship.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My personal favorite, of course, is Barcelona's famous Sagrada Familia; its construction started in 1882, by the architect Francisco de Paula del Villa. Its construction was taken over by Antoni Gaudi* in 1883. When Gaudi died in 1926 the project was only 15 percent completed, and it is under construction today and completion is not expected before 2026.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For further information on its history and construction, please visit:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_instit/historia.php">http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_instit/historia.php</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZGpXfQ7hLPOMZuvFXueQgSI-ay8eSplWnHG4uPa0fxRV6wBD3-auFgeI7c61uHELCDbcTATV3Jo0RexZqTlykNNcXqgaoFYuZsJIe5XCO6nanEcnNVfNw-43zfAriQ8El3cWxNcIaHM/s1600/Gaudi3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZGpXfQ7hLPOMZuvFXueQgSI-ay8eSplWnHG4uPa0fxRV6wBD3-auFgeI7c61uHELCDbcTATV3Jo0RexZqTlykNNcXqgaoFYuZsJIe5XCO6nanEcnNVfNw-43zfAriQ8El3cWxNcIaHM/s1600/Gaudi3.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZlxnS_RP__LMiocmvhNa1f-H1Hg0Wgp2b7VbRbHWsInA5MbzKIAuBWbIBGtHlZrbPANeZeEalTsEhQ6DcHThTj_F9BqwkxeL8Y-NLan9qEACFHSteWW9_BkXnpr7bkg_3hH36WKox4c/s1600/Gaudi4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZlxnS_RP__LMiocmvhNa1f-H1Hg0Wgp2b7VbRbHWsInA5MbzKIAuBWbIBGtHlZrbPANeZeEalTsEhQ6DcHThTj_F9BqwkxeL8Y-NLan9qEACFHSteWW9_BkXnpr7bkg_3hH36WKox4c/s1600/Gaudi4.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And...my favorite photo from the whole trip, taken inside the cathedral. I went back inside after leaving to see Gaudi's grave, which I couldn't find! When I entered, I saw the light streaming through the windows and draping the interior:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> ...to be continued...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">*As he is the reason that I went to Spain (Filipa--he was all I knew! Much, much more to love about Spain & Portugal), I will elaborate further on Gaudi in another post.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-3384810417092658312013-12-20T09:59:00.000-08:002013-12-20T09:59:09.336-08:00Thailand's Disneyland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I don't read much in preparation for our trips, after three days on a bus, as we were approaching our destination of the White Temple, I was expecting to see, perhaps what was left of a very ancient, very heavenly, eternal (I know...another church!) and awe-inspiring edifice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What I saw was--alright--it was gorgeous--a creation by Thai artist Ajarn Chalermchai Kositpipat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My first thought, upon approaching the "temple" is that it would make one heck of a wedding cake. The pictures don't do it justice, as it is covered in mirror tiles and really sparkles in the sunlight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It is, as an art project, no less than spectacular. It was started in 1997, at the complete expense to the artist, who doesn't charge admission and takes no corporate donations so that he remains free to pursue his own artistic vision. He expects it to take 90 years to complete and has a team of apprentices to continue after his death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As at any proper Buddhist temple, you must remove your shoes to enter and no photographs are allowed inside. (You also must remove your shoes when entering the restrooms both here and at other temples, which somewhat turns me off to religion!) Inside you can expect to see a regal Buddha and monk, scenes of both heaven and hell, as well as Spiderman, Batman and Michael Jackson, among other deities and the eyes of the demon with George Bush and Osama Bin Laden seen within them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I, personally, find Hell much more interesting than Heaven:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjallb5PwT4q-dbwtlajqauxT2Qrv1WFbBkeFEZASoHmatPa1CgIccvozawwNvUiV6Q53oT4kazXtmEMXaAnRQeiso_BpVcnCjvUAsRBNrWsGLZ6nh09P-Vram6200mbbwYmHz3OlXu4PQ/s1600/WT6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjallb5PwT4q-dbwtlajqauxT2Qrv1WFbBkeFEZASoHmatPa1CgIccvozawwNvUiV6Q53oT4kazXtmEMXaAnRQeiso_BpVcnCjvUAsRBNrWsGLZ6nh09P-Vram6200mbbwYmHz3OlXu4PQ/s1600/WT6.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MvcQJG1vPK4/UrR9_dnyD7I/AAAAAAAABEg/sLteL_C5W7U/s1600/WT7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MvcQJG1vPK4/UrR9_dnyD7I/AAAAAAAABEg/sLteL_C5W7U/s1600/WT7.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In reading to prepare for my blog post...I found something that I missed there, the golden toilet, "the most beautiful toilet". I guess I'll have to go back.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-38440974874078238632013-12-16T12:25:00.000-08:002013-12-16T14:48:28.190-08:00Who is Fat Buddha?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't know how much blogging I will do about Thailand, as I didn't find it to be the most inspiring trip. I've mentioned Overseas Adventure Travel before, our preferred tour company. They take pride in advertising that they're groups are "travelers" as opposed to "tourists"...getting immersed in the cultures as we do. Although there were a few delights along the way...most of what we saw seemed very tourist-trappy. Perfect weather and a wonderful group of co-travelers made it an enjoyable trip. Both Bangkok and Changmai were interesting to visit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One very interesting part of the trip for me was the visit to a Buddhist monastery and a talk by a Buddhist monk. He spoke about the Buddhist religion and reaching Nirvahna, a lot of which I remembered and some that I didn't. He did mention the "fat Buddha", which I remembered learning about in Art History. He called it a Chinese version of the Buddha. I remember, from my classes, that he was not actually a Buddha, but a god called Hotei.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I knew then what my first blog post from this trip would be about, but since further research...I guess Buddha is whatever you want him to be.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9RW3wRHp7Tn0Ueq9YTTr3scC66HTPxK2kO1zzCvtqnCiHLqmq1H9hSqKULSIqyEin9vA_xi6jXghx9dWTbmXeGMVf08g8s4HUFc6ahyphenhyphenNVTflfHCNcuwCeEhnN_sqXMUP1GNHN4pdoAc/s1600/Buddhas3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9RW3wRHp7Tn0Ueq9YTTr3scC66HTPxK2kO1zzCvtqnCiHLqmq1H9hSqKULSIqyEin9vA_xi6jXghx9dWTbmXeGMVf08g8s4HUFc6ahyphenhyphenNVTflfHCNcuwCeEhnN_sqXMUP1GNHN4pdoAc/s1600/Buddhas3.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to Wickipedia, "Budai" or "Hotei" is a Chinese folkloric deity. Almost always shown smiling or laughing he is also known as the "Laughing Buddha". In Chinese culture he is considered a symbol of contentment. In Chinese history he was an eccentric Chan monk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">According to Japanese tradition Hotei's origin lies in Chinese Taoism/Buddhism. He is known as one of Japan's "Seven Lucky gods". Reportedly based on a real person, "he is commonly depicted bald, smiling, with a big belly, bulging ears and a large sack and fan in his hands. He is further known as the "god of contentment and happiness, guardian of children and patron of bartenders." Source: <a href="http://buddhist-artwork.com/">Buddhist-artwork.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Fat Buddha is also a Marvel comic! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/hotei.shtml">http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/hotei.shtml</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-81801546194327442462013-07-06T11:12:00.000-07:002013-07-09T09:15:20.122-07:00Pandanus or Screw Palm Tree<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of you asked to see (again!) the original photo of the trees that inspired my design.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Robert, you were also right. I believe it is also called the Hala tree!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Please </span><span style="color: blue;">"Like" my Goulash Designs Facebook page. If you already "Like" refer a friend who becomes a new "Like" and drop me a line to let me know. If I get 100 new "Likes" I will be giving away a string work pendant, similar to my Pyramid Pendant. The pendant will be given away by a random drawing of the new Likes and referrers. Deadline is July 31.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-12095687040640637952013-07-04T18:59:00.000-07:002013-07-05T04:03:15.478-07:00Costa Rican Trees--Finished!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday and today I finished my trees; Robert said they were called hau trees. I don't remember asking when I was in Costa Rica and, the hau trees that I've founed on the internet do not look like this and I can't find any similar on the internet. I will find out though!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">...Anyway, first thing I did yesterday was remove the bridges from the shoots at the bottom of the tree, and added a few branch stumps. Then I removed the crossbar that held the working handle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next it was time to make the leaves. Here I decided to add some color, so I used transparent green and some opaque yellow. Then I made a tree topper onto which I put the leaves:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we put the leaf groups on (I say "we", because without Robert's help I wouldn't have been able to do it!)..,.and</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZ73XD63LKxx57gMFUH1Tc1dWJxSTlYK6a61Wt0cso8LTFmwR_-DLj0WqgW5PBN3hk_HPZUgcE9q7dGYl1P81GDy-dvbIUcWwbrHYTuEwDCNRRPr1Jw_i6T50yktgyB29toAIhyphenhyphenFctFw/s1600/fini.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZ73XD63LKxx57gMFUH1Tc1dWJxSTlYK6a61Wt0cso8LTFmwR_-DLj0WqgW5PBN3hk_HPZUgcE9q7dGYl1P81GDy-dvbIUcWwbrHYTuEwDCNRRPr1Jw_i6T50yktgyB29toAIhyphenhyphenFctFw/s320/fini.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also learned in class of a very inexpensive, low-tech way to give borosilicate glass a frosted finish. Much cheaper than a sandblaster, and am considering frosting the trunk of the tree and leaving the leaves shiny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What do you think?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you again, Robert, for a fabulous class and all of your help!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-22430578403103070962013-07-02T19:00:00.000-07:002013-07-02T19:00:56.660-07:00Those Trees...In Progress!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am spending the week in Pittsburgh with the amazing Robert Mickelsen. <a href="http://www.robertmickelsen.com/">http://www.robertmickelsen.com/</a> . This is only day two of class and already I've accomplished which was to me, last week, the impossible! You remember my trees which I posted a few posts back. First step is a simplified drawing:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkLyw2k7rLppgQkulaiT46r1JTrPfrGFh9FC9BpN52oZCX7EQ-yJqKMkHu2lMUclpAJ-EdaJZTLa0su3jwY0OF_OTfB1ETeDM9t7tlmen01wkknV-Aj70qVP2_8yLYdsm-6ayJLrC9ZM/s1600/trees+drawing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkLyw2k7rLppgQkulaiT46r1JTrPfrGFh9FC9BpN52oZCX7EQ-yJqKMkHu2lMUclpAJ-EdaJZTLa0su3jwY0OF_OTfB1ETeDM9t7tlmen01wkknV-Aj70qVP2_8yLYdsm-6ayJLrC9ZM/s320/trees+drawing.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That accomplished, I hit the torch and formed the trunks:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next I make the shoots that come off the bottom of the trees and then I start to attach </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">them. Note: what you're now seeing as the top of the tree is actually the bottom!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapedKDfLAGo_PUvY9Thz7DpjhW0u5W0qNHwaSd0RHnW2iQ8FZT4PS8bKwnPj9hc41ug1sIbZajWqcLXnbas_XfFVpmjJPuWI3T2cxViyAZKMLJQShsX-chgoXJRyjwCetOPM2EZ2Di-w/s1600/Trees2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapedKDfLAGo_PUvY9Thz7DpjhW0u5W0qNHwaSd0RHnW2iQ8FZT4PS8bKwnPj9hc41ug1sIbZajWqcLXnbas_XfFVpmjJPuWI3T2cxViyAZKMLJQShsX-chgoXJRyjwCetOPM2EZ2Di-w/s320/Trees2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now the shoot system is almost finished. The horizontal bars will come off as they're just for support.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP4D1SaOnbyLqTp1xuY5787Ziv_1FuC0SsEZ0tyB1Z5Wzf01lVJRYcS55YPx9WQfnqUxH2OFw77F2D8ACA5QweHs4ReKRxUD9Z2mZQUt4pu1qSHeL5VWHZq5IJ8OKRRlonfpTW_GPkWY/s1600/Trees5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oya="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP4D1SaOnbyLqTp1xuY5787Ziv_1FuC0SsEZ0tyB1Z5Wzf01lVJRYcS55YPx9WQfnqUxH2OFw77F2D8ACA5QweHs4ReKRxUD9Z2mZQUt4pu1qSHeL5VWHZq5IJ8OKRRlonfpTW_GPkWY/s320/Trees5.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomorrow: the leaves.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-35667171505420984352013-06-24T08:21:00.002-07:002013-06-24T08:21:28.600-07:00Goofing off Again!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven't made any glass in too long...so I haven't been posting either. Just started going through photos for my class next week with Robert Mickelsen </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/calendar/2013/7/1/lifeforms-creative-natural-imagery-in-lampworked-glass-july-1-5">https://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/calendar/2013/7/1/lifeforms-creative-natural-imagery-in-lampworked-glass-july-1-5</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">and memories and the urge to blog have returned, so...where did I leave off? One of our most interesting stops--and definitely the most "interesting" of tour leaders was at the Don Juan Bautista organic farm. Our guide there (I've forgotten his name!) was definitely entertaining, a bit of a psychopath and definitely a "Don Juan" himself! We saw, smelled and tasted a variety of exotic fruits and vegys and learned, in a very entertaining way, how they're grown. Most of which I probably don't remember! I'm sharing some of my photos from there and maybe one or two taken by our tour guide, Erick!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Don't remember what this slimy looking fruit was called, but it separates apart like pomegranate seeds. You eat both the outside and the inside. I didn't taste it...it smelled like ass!</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I would only do this for chocolate...the cacao bean!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">...and more cacao...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRW1WNmLPHd0Ou-rWxYE-nI5qnx8je5Cs6TToMPjk1PDuWFz5DzkevLqrRZhCapmRrIORFIx3sbugUS7ZTq5BU3V2uoPh5tkTQd5Rjrta9zXot-utO9b-YisuY1_l8nIt9xlnPT3FRxhA/s1600/organic+farm12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRW1WNmLPHd0Ou-rWxYE-nI5qnx8je5Cs6TToMPjk1PDuWFz5DzkevLqrRZhCapmRrIORFIx3sbugUS7ZTq5BU3V2uoPh5tkTQd5Rjrta9zXot-utO9b-YisuY1_l8nIt9xlnPT3FRxhA/s200/organic+farm12.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-cjcbDApfQ/UchgL8V_zLI/AAAAAAAAA_E/a6wDJ6jASuI/s1600/organic+farm13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-cjcbDApfQ/UchgL8V_zLI/AAAAAAAAA_E/a6wDJ6jASuI/s200/organic+farm13.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think the ones on the right are the cacao blossoms!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The most fun to process...and to drink was the sugar cane juice...just like rolling metal! Lot of work, though.</span><br />
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...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and, of course we have bananas:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those yellow blossoms are future bananas...and they grow upwards from there.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-24473167378048187462013-04-29T07:17:00.000-07:002013-04-30T07:24:39.596-07:00Those Trees....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OAT--the group that we do most of our travelling with is not known for staying in five star resorts. Especially on a trip called "Real Affordable Costa Rica" I wasn't expecting much when it came to our hotels. We covered a lot of ground--6 hotels in 12 days. Each one was nicer than the last. One was actually an adult sleep away camp, cabins and all. I wouldn't call it luxurious, but it was a beautiful camp. More on that in a later post...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">...Anyway, I was more than shocked when we pulled up at our second rainforest resort...and got off the bus at the Chachagua Rainforest Resort. Both the rainforest and the resort are listed in the book, "1000 Places to See Before You Die".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our OAT tour leaders keep surprising us and one afternoon our guide Erik, assisted by our driver put on a cooking class for us. We had previously purchased ingredients at local markets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And...the results of our efforts...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yummy before dinner snack with a guanabana martini! This was followed by a lovely sunset. Photos are a bit fuzzy, but I had a few drinks in me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Oh yes...and the lost photo...don't know if this one is the one that Photoshop ate or the second best one that I found later. I am thinking of doing a small glass sculpture of trees, though I have to say my larger boro pieces have cracked. I am going to attempt, perhaps with some work with a new boro friend...</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-73675065800292952752013-04-17T07:26:00.000-07:002013-04-17T07:26:19.631-07:00A Trip of Firsts...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Costa Rica was definitely a trip of firsts. My first time white water rafting--okay, so the waves were wimpy--I can still say that I did it! The guide only had to grab me to prevent me from falling into the water once! So...definitely a mild trip. First time I saw Bob in a bathing suit--and there will be no pictures because he was upset with me for even mentioning it. I still can't promise that I will refrain from posting a pic of him cooking though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you know that OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) has the cure for fear of heights?* I also managed to walk the 860-foot suspension bridge over the Rio Sarapiqui:</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">See...I'm even happy...as long as the bridge isn't bouncing. I even glided over the trees on a zip line:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It really wasn't bad. Can't say that it's something I'd want to do again, though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">*Machu Picchu</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-766993735977973552013-04-10T07:38:00.000-07:002013-04-10T07:38:25.540-07:00Holy Week in Costa Rica<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holy week in Costa Rica was a treat for the senses. Our first full day in San Jose was Palm Sunday, so our first stop was church: Crowds waving palm fronds and handing them out, and even a pageant:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't think we got to see Jesus...but, is he the guy in the purple? (Sorry! I'm a Jewish girl!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On Good Friday we rode by (an enactment...I hope!) of the crucifixion. Didn't get a picture...but read about it in the news</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every home had a crucifix in front of it. During Holy Week, draped in purple, after Easter, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't know what this was about...</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-48124051594615584272013-04-07T06:56:00.000-07:002013-04-07T06:56:07.902-07:00Costa Rica--Previews of coming attractions!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Costa Rica was definitely</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a trip of firsts: my first white water rafting adventure--always wanted to do, first zipline--not so much! First time I (and maybe the world!) have seen Bob in a bathing suit and (drumroll) the first time I saw Bob cook. He'll never get away with that again. I have pictures!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Other highlights included a visit to an organic farm with a very entertaining tour leader, exquisite resorts--a shock, considering this trip was called "Real Affordable Costa Rica", playing in mud with the group...stay tuned.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-79023717112511196682013-01-24T07:49:00.002-08:002013-01-24T07:49:41.463-08:00Royal Flying Doctors and The School of the Air<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Australia is a large continent geographically and its population is mostly concentrated in the large cities. Central Australia, by contrast is very sparsely populated. Until our visit there, I'd never thought about how people live in these remote areas. How do they get medical care? Where do they go to school?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These two questions were answered for us during our visits to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and The School of the Air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides free medical services to people who live and work in remote parts of Australia. Each plane is outfitted like a flying emergency room. They are ususlly staffed by a nurse and a pilot. In more remote areas they also have planes equipped as intensive care units. According to the Australian government's website, in 2005 the organization treated 234,783 patients, an average of 643 a day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The School of the Air provides education to children who live in remote communities. It was established in 1948 in Alice Springs. After a few years the School of the Air was officially established. Before this time, children in remote areas would either have to attend boarding school or complete their lessons by mail. In 2005 there were more than sixteen schools of the air located in Australia. Each teacher tries to visit the home of each student once a year and the children and their families try to meet once each school year. The rest of their contact is over the computers. This schooling costs the Australian government approximately $10,000.00 per student.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/royal-flying-doctor-service">http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/royal-flying-doctor-service</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/school-of-the-air"> http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/school-of-the-air</a> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-59027878127851505922013-01-16T12:23:00.000-08:002013-01-16T12:23:33.501-08:00Burnie Beans and Aboriginal Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A burnie bean is a bean from the Monkey ladder vine which is found in wetlands and rainforests in Australia and other parts of the world. They grow in huge pods, up to 6 feet long. They look much like a flattened buckeye. They are used by the aboriginal people, as well as others in jewelry as well as in other objects. The name comes from the fact that, when the beans are rubbed together they produce heat. The beans are inedible, they are highly toxic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Aboriginal folk law says that to carry a burnie bean brings good luck, as well as a connection to mother earth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">On my post titled "Back to Work" I committed to making some Burnie bean beads, which I did--one just went into the kiln. In my mind I don't have a shaky hand and I always think that I can do anything that I put my mind to--which I can't. My first burnie bead is acceptable--but hardly exciting! I am also obsessed with my "Ice" technique and have little interest in doing anything else at this time. I am also thinking of getting away from beads and jewelry and into some more sculptural pieces.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As to my work sometimes not resembling what's in my mind's eye--I will no longer talk about my ideas for my projects, but post them as they grow. So...on that note...I do have myt next project in mind, but won't spill the beans til it is further along. Also, as it was 110 degrees in Australia for much of our trip, to translate any of that into "Ice" will take some doing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So...on that note... I post one picture of my version of a "Burnie Bean":</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hPSPW_7eHfU/UPcKsAQN0RI/AAAAAAAAA2E/4bBkNlzJHTg/s1600/Burniebead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hPSPW_7eHfU/UPcKsAQN0RI/AAAAAAAAA2E/4bBkNlzJHTg/s320/Burniebead.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and on to some more travel memories--while I can still remember them!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you to:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.beachbeans.com/descriptions.html">http://www.beachbeans.com/descriptions.html</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.janbalgallery.com.au/">www.janbalgallery.com.au</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-38490161515362244652013-01-03T10:29:00.000-08:002013-01-03T10:29:09.522-08:00Burnie Bean Beads<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first Burnie Bean beads are out of the kiln. They're not bad, but, the first thing I thought of when they came out of the kiln was Suzan Rezac and her favorite word: "Bigger!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The burnie bean that I modelled them after is about 2 inches in diameter. My beads came out quite a bit smaller.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">More on burnie beans and some photos in my next post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.suzanrezac.com/">www.suzanrezac.com</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-54652191615241370762012-12-30T09:29:00.000-08:002012-12-30T09:29:08.103-08:00Back to work!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Between vacation and Christmas I've found a lot of excuses to goof off. Back to work! Time to make some glass--as you can see, I'm not yet committing to jewelry but, that's probably where this is going! But...as soon as I said that I started thinking...maybe a mosaic. Made of Aboriginal designs in glass. I like it! One thing nice about it--it can be as large, or as small as I like! As they will be made on mandrels--I can take them off of the display (frame?) one at a time, or in groups, and string them into groups to wear. What an idea!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This could keep me busy for months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A bit of background: Traditionally, Aboriginal artists used ochre, a crumbly hard rock that is colored by iron oxide. It comes in colors from yellows to dark reddish browns. Many Aboriginal artworks are found on rock overhangs and caves. We visited Emily Gap, where we learned the story of the Three Caterpillars:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfCUXNsnkdr8jiDHO-bzoGaExiiW47KsA7pTdlBzd8drh_MkovwjHhyphenhyphen8Rx9c16UX0Zr2j3Su4LmOoltQipNUlWaO86B0ifbarI-hrL8t6YYUSvBOBkOQXgCzSXvPz46OTkNbLdSQn26Y/s1600/Emily+gap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfCUXNsnkdr8jiDHO-bzoGaExiiW47KsA7pTdlBzd8drh_MkovwjHhyphenhyphen8Rx9c16UX0Zr2j3Su4LmOoltQipNUlWaO86B0ifbarI-hrL8t6YYUSvBOBkOQXgCzSXvPz46OTkNbLdSQn26Y/s320/Emily+gap.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N29BXIjsD3k/UOB1QJfpkPI/AAAAAAAAA0g/-LGoH3hH46Y/s1600/EG1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N29BXIjsD3k/UOB1QJfpkPI/AAAAAAAAA0g/-LGoH3hH46Y/s200/EG1.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_Uw7gE3ekGMVu5q4z9gUOWwYfSs2jnkXKHWkxN0DRWYIbN6JxP08D-iGOOk6RoyIrauQf7KG0K0JiSU5TmNwYX-v624gyXOf1wC1abCGBe6-1lzyv_-psrfBpnVnPqT9h_aw9rThQfY/s1600/EG4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_Uw7gE3ekGMVu5q4z9gUOWwYfSs2jnkXKHWkxN0DRWYIbN6JxP08D-iGOOk6RoyIrauQf7KG0K0JiSU5TmNwYX-v624gyXOf1wC1abCGBe6-1lzyv_-psrfBpnVnPqT9h_aw9rThQfY/s200/EG4.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kAcFsCTydVg/UOB1dMmn2EI/AAAAAAAAA1E/55D-aAHf0aY/s1600/EG6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kAcFsCTydVg/UOB1dMmn2EI/AAAAAAAAA1E/55D-aAHf0aY/s320/EG6.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-4PKTVXxxM/UOB1g_J29XI/AAAAAAAAA1M/phgDmp-7hZs/s1600/EG7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-4PKTVXxxM/UOB1g_J29XI/AAAAAAAAA1M/phgDmp-7hZs/s320/EG7.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today there arre many forms aboriginal art, some made of the traditional orchres but many today are available in acrylic paints and gouache as well. Rock painting, bark painting and canvas paintings are all popular today. Traditionally, Aborigines produced a type of aerial landscape, meant to tell a traditional "Dreaming" story. Although the same symbols appear in many paintings, the Aboriginal people have kept their their meanings secret.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you to:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/symbols.php">http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/symbols.php</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and</span><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australian_art">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australian_art</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-7634059753960208482012-12-26T11:59:00.001-08:002012-12-26T11:59:28.176-08:00Dining Like an Australian<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My last post was actually our second day in Australia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First day in Melbourne. Tired, but we spent a lovely afternoon enjoying Melbourne, walking, visiting galleries and museums. Had a light lunch ast a sidewalk cafe and watched the world go by.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nj_pmahONNs/UNtGrtcx8AI/AAAAAAAAAzE/ihhyCZaM2rw/s1600/juggler2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nj_pmahONNs/UNtGrtcx8AI/AAAAAAAAAzE/ihhyCZaM2rw/s200/juggler2.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6_zFsDn7K_I/UNtHNTGSyuI/AAAAAAAAAzU/S04I5IW4bp0/s1600/M2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6_zFsDn7K_I/UNtHNTGSyuI/AAAAAAAAAzU/S04I5IW4bp0/s200/M2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-BRcuVsJOsrNHveB5Y6aDNHw0_HUVDchnHBoQQJUFH83w2b2k-jHxFnOwIA8ngqNSYJmY7Z9tZ-pCHMq5rbtdH3tqUF7_dQU55_f-HxG2IOOGpCcxy9pxV1TrUabW33naMZ28aLWQA0/s1600/M4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-BRcuVsJOsrNHveB5Y6aDNHw0_HUVDchnHBoQQJUFH83w2b2k-jHxFnOwIA8ngqNSYJmY7Z9tZ-pCHMq5rbtdH3tqUF7_dQU55_f-HxG2IOOGpCcxy9pxV1TrUabW33naMZ28aLWQA0/s320/M4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That evening we met up with our group for a welcome dinner. I dined on kangaroo. It was yummy! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWZ6asaoUSS-8eILvT99qGfOb0B0a9n46IJwQQSbRSP7SAoO27BxbQx58dPMNDwWiIyrdRTV7G9u1vVE5ImnnePF4UnpIBlr2x8NTr4BjvE0m9M2MrXSPNo4088CIx-xurva0kZMWRIE/s1600/Ks+&+emus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWZ6asaoUSS-8eILvT99qGfOb0B0a9n46IJwQQSbRSP7SAoO27BxbQx58dPMNDwWiIyrdRTV7G9u1vVE5ImnnePF4UnpIBlr2x8NTr4BjvE0m9M2MrXSPNo4088CIx-xurva0kZMWRIE/s320/Ks+&+emus.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had we gone to the animal park first, I probably wouldn't have tasted it. It's kind of, like when I was a kid, the thought of eating Bambi (and guinea pigs in Peru!) I also tried dromedary sausage--not so good.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-26132321075663250372012-12-11T11:30:00.000-08:002012-12-11T11:43:13.121-08:00Why I love Australia!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off: I don't want to offend anybody but, in many of the countries that we've visited it seems like all they build are churches. I've seen some magnificent ones, interiors and exteriors that are breathtaking, truly awe-inspiring. As many as two or three a day on some trips, which was why, on day one of our trip to Australia, I was delighted to visit "The Old</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Melbourne Gaol" (prison!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It has housed some of Australia's most notorious criminals, such as Ned Kelly, played by Mick Jagger in the movie--bet you didn't know that!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM0rw4SZW1eU6Bhlp5mVixJyktNwRQNyTIFTlXPtkjWfPG8xDe_e6H1CFK15I1SIjDlEF8dtwwodm6Yiaxw4VEtqP1hmmZvCyhIjLxgFdoPrHkIAPvdBJND5V9p5TYbl_IT7tFRR_X1A/s1600/P1080989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM0rw4SZW1eU6Bhlp5mVixJyktNwRQNyTIFTlXPtkjWfPG8xDe_e6H1CFK15I1SIjDlEF8dtwwodm6Yiaxw4VEtqP1hmmZvCyhIjLxgFdoPrHkIAPvdBJND5V9p5TYbl_IT7tFRR_X1A/s320/P1080989.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also displays death masks of all the prisoners who were executed there. they were executed by hanging, then beheaded for study of the skull. It was believed, at that time, that you could "read" heads, by feeling for dents and protrusions in the skull. These variations in skull shape could predict personality types, including criminal behaviour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The museum also prominently displays death masks of its executed prisoners</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdZBtoqH2JMyhc5naaqVRuCV7UNAr0csq-VixjcyRqZZsDuVZWm-4d_2XRn2jqAeZcxp8lY-7-UB4xcL66AxnIIIcY5sSgCvjvxrc_K9U9Wf1gdTqUd9hUhCJWaFgBDBnAkvknwLozNQ/s1600/Mprison6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdZBtoqH2JMyhc5naaqVRuCV7UNAr0csq-VixjcyRqZZsDuVZWm-4d_2XRn2jqAeZcxp8lY-7-UB4xcL66AxnIIIcY5sSgCvjvxrc_K9U9Wf1gdTqUd9hUhCJWaFgBDBnAkvknwLozNQ/s200/Mprison6.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along with the discovery of gold in 1851 came an influx of population and, with it an increase in crime. It also housed up to twenty children at a time. Infants and small children were allowed to stay with an incarcerated parent. Some were imprisoned for their own protection. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBw33OUPOOiiJpWEIMR9RL3VbgFDTZMUYEpXq-SLPjptEZcqsmyD7zVc0tI1Rr9vMp6lAbio5jAE6wX-kqRJIM3Xg-JHgF1l081U898JJdZ5hAh6wcmQSAfyDGj3ruRCqlZGdCK9QgyE/s1600/female+ward.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBw33OUPOOiiJpWEIMR9RL3VbgFDTZMUYEpXq-SLPjptEZcqsmyD7zVc0tI1Rr9vMp6lAbio5jAE6wX-kqRJIM3Xg-JHgF1l081U898JJdZ5hAh6wcmQSAfyDGj3ruRCqlZGdCK9QgyE/s320/female+ward.JPG" width="218" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information--and better photos--please visit:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/">http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can also rent it out for parties:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/events_functions_and_weddings">http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/events_functions_and_weddings</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After this...we went to church:</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-83486845690417671942012-10-24T06:04:00.000-07:002012-10-24T06:04:09.276-07:00Relic Art Exhibition Reception on November 4th. | Batavia Fine Arts Centre<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Come see me...and my Year of the Dragon at Relic on November 4!</span><br />
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<a href="http://bataviafineartscentre.org/press-release/relic-art-exhibition-reception-november-4th">Relic Art Exhibition Reception on November 4th. | Batavia Fine Arts Centre</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please also visit my updated website at <a href="http://www.goulashdesigns.com/">www.goulashdesigns.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Susan</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-59922168965107377662012-09-15T08:54:00.000-07:002012-09-15T08:54:53.126-07:00A bientot, Paris<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61fCFtUUBoBc7LoEKZ3phXk7UOdFhIxUGKzco3cDIZt_jvh36Na3dEjcGdVq3hx16EkiSFYIMJKKXQgbgd4cIniUFscWnwRs6wjIlUt98muWIMyTYwZL7zEx6V9ycV8DPfS9N61SrVIk/s1600/Bird+on+branch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61fCFtUUBoBc7LoEKZ3phXk7UOdFhIxUGKzco3cDIZt_jvh36Na3dEjcGdVq3hx16EkiSFYIMJKKXQgbgd4cIniUFscWnwRs6wjIlUt98muWIMyTYwZL7zEx6V9ycV8DPfS9N61SrVIk/s400/Bird+on+branch.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5332517842374648879.post-54521108837413678582012-09-12T08:41:00.002-07:002012-09-12T08:57:37.057-07:00Another Bird in the Bush...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a third firing of my white bronze bird, I've given up on it and have reformed it in Metal Adventures Bronze metal clay. It's drying to be put into the kiln. I've made a new perch and branch for it--this time in copper I hope, from scraps that I recycled. Having been previously recycled, I'm hoping that they come out. If not, my birdie will not have a perch! Pictures coming in a day or two.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And, on that note I am returning to France and our last day's visit to the Louvre. During the first week that we spent in France we ended up in front of the Louvre on a Tuesday when the museum is not open. I remember asking myself then, why anybody would put a large glass pyramid in front of the Louvre. It seemed so out of place to me. After visiting it from the inside, though, I've changed my mind. The view from there out is quite interesting.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4RMTgi4SsKg/UFCoFqVffXI/AAAAAAAAAvM/1XelG45i51w/s1600/LP1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4RMTgi4SsKg/UFCoFqVffXI/AAAAAAAAAvM/1XelG45i51w/s200/LP1.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfzKKDO_xbUvhTprk_uMA770_ualIx571KMtN1B4CepYdEB6Nce2tPQwXqAkeFKjEFgYAwdJ52fJigvd8_pTlocFMsN6D92djocx4oiVAv3i-c47nElbnQSoiALOVafFTDENdaV7Ndm8/s1600/LP2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfzKKDO_xbUvhTprk_uMA770_ualIx571KMtN1B4CepYdEB6Nce2tPQwXqAkeFKjEFgYAwdJ52fJigvd8_pTlocFMsN6D92djocx4oiVAv3i-c47nElbnQSoiALOVafFTDENdaV7Ndm8/s200/LP2.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTo2hWxNX5lS8Lcilt8wDU8AkB9N0DHMDM_3zKfAOjNFGGX-D_3zcWnQ6iHcu33Pp-8bDdxSnH9BvSbCl424hT_Zfi3dWSNOW-uyb0qo-PKYTjlhbatxcc_nb_llqiKdUgZKRc932PHw/s1600/Louvre+Outside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTo2hWxNX5lS8Lcilt8wDU8AkB9N0DHMDM_3zKfAOjNFGGX-D_3zcWnQ6iHcu33Pp-8bDdxSnH9BvSbCl424hT_Zfi3dWSNOW-uyb0qo-PKYTjlhbatxcc_nb_llqiKdUgZKRc932PHw/s320/Louvre+Outside.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My apologies to IM Pei.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went to the Louvre on our own, because our tour group was visiting the Louvre in the afternoon and we wanted to spend more of the day there, as we had already seen a great deal of Paris. We got there early and beat the crowds. Walked in the front door and had no lines. We even got to see the Mona Lisa and many of the Louvre's other highlights without any difficulty.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQo1joMbnGWuVXtxMsfD5jahsyTsz7YCwFrGKFVLoDHvZiLCF0LxUNWK61itA67I1dJJA-tkgvGdKNO_7iD4lfvUVYp9aIToRpVYbB8Sdg1_6oqHgmVXX6s3IKp7yTHnIS8NCTyEOu5M/s1600/Louvre+Indoors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQo1joMbnGWuVXtxMsfD5jahsyTsz7YCwFrGKFVLoDHvZiLCF0LxUNWK61itA67I1dJJA-tkgvGdKNO_7iD4lfvUVYp9aIToRpVYbB8Sdg1_6oqHgmVXX6s3IKp7yTHnIS8NCTyEOu5M/s320/Louvre+Indoors.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We covered a lot of ground, but by no means all. We couldn't even find the Oriental collection and ended our visit in the Egyptian section. My first thought on that was, "I've been to Egypt--what can they possibly have that I haven't yet seen?" Once I'd got there, though, I felt at home. If I could be in love with any country or culture, that is it. I hope that I get the chance to visit again, and that all that I have loved about the country and culture survives.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've warned you that I'm open to visiting (in my blog) again--and again!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383378381948659482noreply@blogger.com0