Art Smart Roundtable: Fresco Rescue and the Problem of Venice
This article is part of the monthly ArtSmart Roundtable, a group of art-history-loving travel bloggers who post a related article the last Monday of each month. January’s topic is wall art, murals and frescoes – a favorite! For more related posts, check out the links at the end, or find us on Facebook here! If you know anything about frescoes (or even if you don’t, come to that)…you know a fresco is, essentially, a wall. When the plaster is still wet, an artist paints into it so that when dry, the painting is part of the exterior edifice. That would explain...
Read MoreSilent Boundaries: The Belfast Peace Walls
Blech. Gloomy weather. I pushed back the sagging curtains of our Belfast hotel room to reveal gray skies and drizzle – a not uncommon sight in Northern Ireland but a not-so-cheery vision for someone who has a short 2 days to effectively see the city, and hoped to do so under more upbeat circumstances (meteorologically-speaking, of course). Truth be told I knew very little about Belfast. Other than that it is the birthplace of Van Morrison (whom I loooooooove) and the city where the Titanic was built, my historic knowledge of the area was poor at best. Great job with the...
Read MoreCéad míle fáilte! It’s March 17.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day I thought I’d share some of my favorite photos from the Emerald Isle, taken between 2009 and 2010. I love being Irish (hi, Grandpa!), but today we truly ALL are. Guinness says so (see photo above). So sláinte! All photos copyright...
Read MoreThe Great Jet-Setters Pub Crawl of 2010
It was inevitable. The allure of well-worn polished wood, the sweet smell of an extra-foamy head, the low murmur of jolly voices, the perfection of lighting just dim enough to hide your lesser features. Nothing beats a great pub, at any time of day, to revitalize the spirit, moisten the palette and rejuvinate the weary body. Even if it’s only 11:00am. If I recall the blurry moments readying for our trip accurately, a pre-departure phone conversation between the 3 of us largely involved concern not over what clothing to pack, what the expected weather would be or where we would be...
Read MoreBeatles Schmeatles: There’s More to Liverpool than Strawberry Fields.
I know what it’s like. LA has been trying to wrench free of cliches for years. (Botox, implants and surfboards come to mind). It’s frustrating to love a place and hear only of what is assumed to be from outsiders. Which is why when I ventured to Liverpool a few weeks ago, I was determined to not spend my time touring the Beatles Museum or riding that silly bus that looks like a Yellow Submarine. Liverpool existed centuries before the Fab Four, it just seems that no one much bothers to take a closer look, foregoing it perhaps in favor of other English cities. Well...
Read MoreMy Love Affair with British Food
“What is a chip butty?” “Why are jackets on a restaurant menu?” “Am I actually supposed to consume something called spotted dick?” Yeah. Call me ignorant. It took a couple voyages to Blighty for me to warm to British cuisine, but not because it isn’t good – but because in the same way Europeans think American food is supersized and beefy, we Americans grow up hearing tall tales of the great blandness of English food, as well as its general unhealthiness. And while YES much of it involves frying and YES I was desperate for a giant salad and...
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