IF I WERE FIRE If I were fire, I would burn the world; if I were fire, I would storm. If I were water I would drown. If I were God, I would send it to the core. If I were pope, then I would be joyful, so that all Christians would like intrigue. If I were emperor, I would …
Read More »HUGO VAN DER GOES (1430/1482), FLEMISH PAINTER: Landscapes and observational acuity, with the swirl of feelings, in a tormented soul
THE TIMELESS BOOKS: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
So begins Pride and Prejudice: it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. That it is what you can read inside a novel by Jane Austen’s, witty comedy of manners – one of the most popular novels of all time – that splendidly civilized sparring …
Read More »TRIP TO SCANDINAVIA: The tenth section, by Mo i Rana to Narvik
Ready for our tenth day in Scandinavia? Well, today a path undemanding – just 350 km – that will lead up to Narvik, the port (or rather, “the door”) to the islands of Lofoten and Vesteralen. Released from Mo i Rana, Rana travel along the great valley of meadows and forests of birch, but we will have to make a …
Read More »LUIS DE MORALES (1509/1586), SPANISH PAINTER: Shades of Leonardo in religious themes
BETWEEN THE GARDENS OF WILLOWS: Poetry, by William Butler Yeats
BETWEEN THE GARDENS OF WILLOWS Among the gardens of willows I and my love we met. Strolling through the gardens of willows with his white legs snow. He invited me to take love so easy, as the leaves grow on the trees. But I did not agree, I was young and crazy. In a field on the banks of …
Read More »JEAN CLOUET (1480/1541), French painter: Master of portraits, celebrated for the depth and delicacy of his shades
INNISFREE, THE ISLAND ON THE LAKE: Poetry, by William Butler Yeats
INNISFREE, THE ISLAND ON THE LAKE I will arise and go now, go to Innisfree, and build a hut there, made of clay and reeds. Nine rows in beans will have there, a hive for the honey bees, and I’ll be in the clear just buzzing bee. And I’ll have a bit ‘of peace there, for peace comes down …
Read More »SLEEP FOR A LITTLE: Ancient Irish Poem
SLEEP FOR A LITTLE Sleep for a little, a very little while and fear nothing. Man to whom I have given my love sleep here, deeply, deeply I will watch over your rest. My heart would break with grief if I should ever lose sight of you. To part us would be to exile the body from the soul. So …
Read More »THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE: Poetry, by Paul Durcan
THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE When I push the cart around the supermarket, I am the center of the universe; up and down the aisles of beans and juices, I am the center of the universe; I live just is not important; I’m a lover dumped is not important; that swimming in my work as a fish out of water …
Read More »CAIQUE OF THE AMAZING: Holiday on a chartered boat, in the Aegean Sea
Renting a caique to navigate the Mediterranean Sea? One intriguing idea, but you will need to consider two important things: it is an experience that you will have to share with strangers (in a confined space); is an experience that you can start with a tour operator, or by choosing a gulet offered for rent privately. I’ll I can talk …
Read More »THE ENCHANTED MOUNTAIN, THOMAS MANN: The colors of the disease, death and sexuality
The Magic Mountain is a complex portrait of western civilization, during the first decades of the twentieth century. In his narrative, the mix of prose and poetry, makes this novel like a fresco, not of color, but of words, those written in 1924 Thomas Mann. That novel – born since 1912 as a short story – from a brief stay …
Read More »A WONDERFUL MOVIDA ?: When the evening overlooking the table, but only for a drink
Coincidentally, last night while I was with some friends at the bar, I listened to the conversation that took place next to our table. No, I’m not a snoop, but next to us talking so heatedly for something special. It was impossible not to hear. I had arrived by bicycle, in a bar in Milan – on the shore of …
Read More »PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER (1525/1569), DUTCH RENAISSANCE PAINTER: Master of landscapes and peasant scenes
FAREWELL: Poetry, by Fan Yun
POETRY OF FAREWELL To the east and west the walls of Luoyang, long I salute the passage of time. Before she left the snow that seemed flowers, Now come the flowers that seem to snow. (Fan Yun) http://www.amazon.com/Sunflower-Splendor-Thousand-Chinese-Midland/dp/0253206073
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