Picasso Exhibit in Bruges

The Lithographs

 

The Portraits

 

The drawings of his home in Cannes, France

 

 

And finally, one of his famous PEACE drawings

 

Bruges, Belgium

Oh Bruges- untouched for hundreds of years.  All cobblestones and brick buildings and canals.   It's like a Disney fairytale come to life.  I keep expecting to see Belle or Gaston come around the corner.

Lille, France

Originally for Spring Break, I had planned to fly into Brussels, spend a few days, head to Bruges, walk the canals, and then end with a week in Paris.  But then Brussels cancelled 50% of incoming flights due to safety concerns, and Aegean rerouted me to Lille, France.  

What a happy mistake- Lille is a lovely little town in northern France that I was happy to spend a few days exploring.  There is a Flemish influence, but it is a French town through and through (the international art museum only had titles and descriptions in French, so I guessed a lot).  I very much enjoyed my short time there.  

Sunset in the park on my first night

Le Merveileux, Lille's famous dessert- two meringue cookies
held together with chocolate cream, covered in chocolate
shavings.  It was marvelous, as the name implies.  

Welsh- Lille's signature food.  1 piece of brioche + smoked salmon + mustard +
another piece of brioche + 1 pound of melted cheddar cheese.

Half 13th Century Cathedral, 1/2 20th Century Church due to a bomb
during WWII.  Full name:  Cathedral of Notre Dame de la Treille

The traditional section, with a lovely private chapel at the end

The new half, with modern stained-glass and a wall made of marble
which glows when sunlights hit it.  

The guardian angel of the church survived the bombing.

Wheels and Traces

A few months ago, I saw a call for volunteers to help with TedX Nicosia.  I am so glad that I got involved with this positive, supportive, optimistic group of people.  I think I'm the only non-Cypriot in the group, but they are all so welcoming and awesome.

Today, TedX Nicosia organized a historical bike tour through the Old Town to promote the big TedX conference in two weeks.  It was called Wheels and Traces.  The Dutch Embassy was a co-sponsor (of course, b/c as I learned today, there are more bikes than people in Holland), as was the city of Nicosia.  It was a great event, full of interesting history, and I'm so glad that I played a small role in it.  

the TedX Team, plus the Dutch ambassador (in orange) and the
deputy mayor of the Municipality of Nicosia (in green)

TedX Nicosia volunteers

last stop of the tour, at the Paphos Gate

in the shadow of a minaret

At the Famagusta Gate

along the Venetian Wall that surrounds the old city, there is a hidden saint
station built into the wall, at the site where a church was destroyed by the
Venetians while constructing the wall for protection

Larnaca Beach Day

We had a three day weekend for Carnival, the start of Lent.  As most Cypriots are Greek Orthodox, we are a few months behind the Roman calendar.  A friend and I hopped a bus, and took a day trip to check out the port city of Larnaca.  It is a lovely little port city with an old Ottoman castle, and a very old Christian church that housed the remains of St Lazarus.

Larnaca Beach

complete view of the Church of St Lazarus

Gorgeous Orthodox Church of St Lazarus

Tomb of St Lazarus (who rose from the dead)

 

Greek Mosaics, 2nd-4th century

Paphos is a lovely seaside city on the southern coast of Cyprus.  In the 1960s, Cypriots archeologists discovered hundreds of mosaics, most of which decorated the floors of the homes of Greek governors in 300-500 CE.   Hundreds of thousands of tiny stones of all colors, shipped in from across the many lands conquered by the Greeks.   The Cypriot Historical Society began revitalizing them in the 1960s, and the work continues today.

Below is a sampling- the care and detail in creating these is amazing.

Marsyas being sentenced to death by Apollo for losing
a lute-playing competition

Theseus, with club in hand, and the Minotaur, about to be defeated, in the Labyrinth

the detail in these mosaics was astounding: Ambrosia holding a jug of water
for the famous "bath" of Achilles (the baby seated in the lower right)

The Four Seasons:  Winter

The Four Seasons:  Spring

Narcissis, gazing lovingly at his reflection in the pond

Observations on Cypriots

1.  They love salt.  2-3 teaspoons of salt on everything, from salads to pasta to soup.

2.  The women dress very appropriately- jeans and jackets in winter, shorts and t-shirts in summer.  This is a great contrast to Panama, where women crammed themselves into tight jeans and 6" heels to go to the grocery store.

3.  Education is very valued here.  Everyone goes to college, and many people have advanced degrees. Everyone speaks some English, most are fluent in Greek and English, and a surprising number are also fluent in Russian and/or French.

4.  Many Cypriots don't often leave the island.  Flights off island are expensive and inconveniently timed, and on-island, we have beaches, desert, mountains, skiing, diving, hiking, urban, and rural olive farms.

5. However, when they do leave, they go to London, usually for university.  Almost every Cypriot I know either grew up in London, studied in London, or has siblings currently living in London.

6. Thus, many Cypriots think Cyprus is dead boring- probably b/c their only point of comparison is the amazing bustling metropolis of London.

7.  They say "Bravo" when you agree or understand anything.  Even the man who sold me a memory foam pillow said "Bravo" when I told him that I already owned a king size pillowcase.

8. They are welcoming and kind, and I am very happy to get the chance to know them.