Taking the Bull by the Horns in Greece

Literally, taking the bull by the horns. I saw this fresco on the Greek Island of Crete, which was the home of the ancient Minoan civilization. The Minonans thrived between 2600 to 1100 BC and were incredibly advanced. The largest structure they left behind was the Knossos Palace, which had over 1,000 rooms. Let's just say that there is nothing even close to that size and complexity on Crete today.

Knossos Palace as it is believed to have looked

Knossos Palace floor plan

Fragments of some of the frescoes that decorated the walls remain. I loved the fresco showing the Minoan sport of Bull Leaping. Not only did the Minoans wrestle with bulls, one guy did acrobatic flips on the bull's back while the other held the bull by the horns.

A reproduction of the fresco hangs on the wall in the Knossos palace (first photo at the top of the page).

The surviving pieces of the real fresco are on display in the Heraklion Archeological Museum (below).

Ancient Fresco Fragments, pieced together and incorporated in a reproduction in Heraklion
Archeological Museum

Detail of Fresco

Although the bull-by-the-horns hijacked my attention, Minoan art is best know for pottery. Check out the detail on these leaves...

...and on this octopus. Their art is known for its inspiration of subjects from nature.

These were made more than 1,000 years before Christ was born.  The Minoans had come and gone, and engineered solutions before the Romans even started to think about aquaducts and sewers.

Key to the Ancient Minoan Language (but someone needs to figure it out)

The Minoans built a thriving civilization on the Island of Crete. They lasted for over 1500 years, from 2600 to about 1100 BC.

But they disappeared. Scholars are not certain why. A popular theory is that a volcano erupted, perhaps in nearby Santorini. The destruction it caused did not wipe out, but rather severely crippled the civilization economically. The Minoans became vulnerable to invasion, which, as the theory goes, is what did them in. Although the Minoans' writings remain, and would solve many mysteries about their great history, we have no key to decipher their language. It is lost to our understanding today.

In the Heraklion Archeological Museum, an intact hieroglyphic disc is on display, suggesting that interpretation of the written language is possible, but has not yet been done.

Stumbling Onto Pre-Wedding Photography in Santorini

Santorini is gorgeous. It is a photographer's dream. It is stunningly sunkissed, blindingly white and dreamy blue. Naturally, as soon as I dumped my suitcase, I took my camera and my husband for a walk. We were staying in the town of Oia (prounced "EE-Ya"), which is the icon's icon of a hilltop town crusted with white dwellings overlooking the Aegean Sea. It is even more gorgeous than it looks in photos.

Oia's main walking street fills with crowds of tourists mid-day, as day trippers from cruise ships rush through, clicking cameras and cell phones, trying to capture the special feeling of being there.

As we strolled along, or shall I say, jostled along, the narrow walking street in Oia, we passed a bride and groom walking in the other direction.

I thought it odd to see a couple in their wedding clothes just after lunch on a Thursday, not accompanied by a throng of family or friends. Strange, I thought. Maybe they eloped? Not more than five minutes later, another couple in full wedding dress walked by. This time I stopped. I charade-motioned to them, asking if it was ok to take their photo. They consented and smiled broadly. These appeared to be alone, except for a photographer with large and professional-looking equipment draped on his shoulders.

When my husband and I reached our destination -- the Castle of Saint Nikolas, on a precipice at the end of Oia's walking street, we encountered a third couple in wedding clothes, also posing for professional photos.

It took three of these encounters to figure it out.  Apparently, we stumbled into the trend of pre-wedding travel photos, where engaged couples travel the world to have their pictures taken.  They hire a photographer to follow them around and produce a montage to be shown at their wedding.  

We watched this photo shoot. The bride got quite a workout in her hoop skirt, climbing the rocky steps and walls. 

She is not looking very happy.  I hope they find somewhere good to go for their honeymoon.

Oyster Farm to Farm Table on the Farm

What a treat! You can eat oysters pulled right out of the water, shucked, and served on a farm table en plein air. The experience is organized by Matunuck Oyster Bar in Rhode Island, a restaurant that has deservedly earned a fine reputation for locally sourced food. Its owner, Parry Raso is fundamentally a farmer. While developing his restaurant to serve only foods produced locally, he has also been cultivating farmland and oyster beds on land and sea nearby.

As an alternative to simply eating in a regular restaurant, Perry has cleverly created a "Land and Sea" program to lure curious diners to his farm. Limited to only about 30 lucky people, Perry explains to the group how oyster seeding works, followed by a guided walk through the land crop rows.

The vegetable tour concludes on the lawn, which spreads out below the 300 year old wooden farmhouse where Perry makes his home. It is perched on a spot overlooking crops in the foreground and estuary oyster beds beyond. The educational part ends and the eating part begins at a table with fresh chilled oysters, waiting to be tasted.

Oyster bar with a choice of savory sauces

After the oysters, guests are seated at a long table dressed in crisp white linen and decorated with vases of sunflowers. (Not only the guests love the sunflowers; bees do too).

Sunflower on the Table - with bee

A guest chef prepares dinner - different chefs rotate through. This week, the chef was Rick Allaire of Metacom Kitchen in Warren, Rhode Island. The main course on his menu was a delicious Striped Bass with a peppery seaweed rub. Dessert included a yummy limoncello yogurt topped by freeze dried raspberries.

As if the whole experience is not delicious and interesting enough, it's an added bonus to eat family style. Interesting people make the dinner even better.

Pencil a Poem for the Poetry Box

A little house, like a bird house on a stick, popped up on a lawn that I frequently pass. The lawn belongs to Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. This particular spot is along the Cliff Walk, facing the ocean.  A little sign staked into the ground a few feet in front of the box beckons you to open the door.

Inside the box is a poem and a little spiral notebook with a pencil tied to a string, dangling from it. Passersby are invited to write something. They do. Now that I know about the poetry box, I notice people who are curious just like me, walking up to it, opening the tiny door, and spending a few moments with it. Once you understand the power of the poetry box, you walk away with a smile on your face.

Just as your smile begins to fade, another poetry box appears on the path. 

Medellin Street Art - Muy Muy Bueno!

Riding on Medellin's public transit system is delightful. It's clean, safe, and many of the cars are new. But my favorite part is looking out the window. The street murals are gorgeous. They are huge. They wind around corners. They are bright. They are clever. And they are a constant reminder that creativity is a gift that enriches everyone who sees it.

Philadelphia Flower Show - The BEST EVENT in the WORLD

For a mind blowing, nose heaven, eye popping experience, the Philadelphia Flower Show is in rarefied air. I went to it this past weekend. It will continue until March 19. I'm not exaggerating. According to its website, the Philadelphia Flower Show has been named the best event in the world by the International Festivals and Events Association.
https://theflowershow.com/

It beat out the Kentucky Derby Festival, the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Indianapolis 500 Festival. The show is run by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and they have been doing it since 1829. It is the largest and longest running in the country. They estimate that 250,000 people visit every year. I can attest. It's crowded in the Philadelphia Convention Center.

This year's theme is Holland. What fun to see exhibits of flower-laden bicycles, beer gardens and even a giant windmill.

This is for our dear Dutch friend, Sasha!

Even the trains are Dutch, with tulips decorating the tracks

 When we had enough of the flower show, we went right through the pedestrian walkway to the Reading Terminal Market. We stopped at Shibumi Farms and got some Hen of the Woods mushrooms (thank you, Sandrine). Later, I googled these delicacies and learned that Memorial Sloan-Kettering's research suggests that they contain substances which stimulate immune system cells. Even better.

The yummy, creamy ice cream from Bassett's, however, does not offer such healthy properties. But, boy, is it delicious.

MOLA: When Used Clothing Turns to Treasure

I got curious about Mola when I saw a gorgeous handbag for sale in a shop in Cartagena. A bit too pricey for my taste, I never did forget about it. About a year later, I went back to Colombia -- this time to Bogota -- and spied some Mola. Happy me. (And I bought a Mola bag. Yay).

The complicated embroidery technique called Mola was developed by the Gunadule women of Panama and Colombia. Mola is believed to be about 150 years old and derived from body-painting practices. The women sew scraps of brightly colored cloths together by hand and then cut the strips into intricate designs. The more layers and colors, the more valuable. Note the tiny stitches in the photograph above.

The Molas are worn on blouses by the Gunadules.

And -- here's where it gets interesting for handicraft appreciators. When the women get tired of their blouses, they cut them up and sell the cloth. The Mola cloths are sought after for creating decorative pieces for sale. Mola pieces are incorporated into belts, purses, pillows, bed quilts and wall hangings.

Upscale handbag shops sell leather bags that were designed around the Mola piece.

Leather handbag with Mola insets. Birds' heads visible on the shoulder strap and only suggested in the center panel inset

The Gold Museum in Bogota developed an exhibit to showcase Molas.

Some kind of wildlife is often suggested by the patterns. The designs have evolved so that the Molas makers now incorporate contemporary themes and icons such as celebrities, consumer products and superheroes.

Spiderman Mola on a poster advertising the exposition at the Gold Museum in Bogota

Worshipping Deep Underground in ZIpaquira's Salt Cathedral

In an old salt mine in Colombia's countryside about one hour from Bogota, lies a full Roman Catholic Cathedral. Zipaquira's Salt Cathedral was created by clearing out 250,000 tons of salt and building an entire cathedral that can hold 8500 people.

For a sense of perspective, the cross is the world's largest in an underground church.

Shadowy figure in the lower foreground is a person photographing the giant cross

To get to the cathedral, a wide, well-ventilated path slowly ramps downward, until the base level of 200 meters (656 feet) is reached. Along the way, there are side chapels carved into the walls, each signifying one of the twelve stations of the cross.

And naturally, there is a gift shop (practically a shopping center - offering souvenirs along with jewelry and more) and food.