Daydream Tourist

Nov 4

What do Europeans think of the Greeks now?

It almost doesn’t seem possible that the fate of Europe’s, and potentially the World’s, financial future may be riding on the Greek economy. Like many, I’ve been watching the recent news coverage eagerly hoping restraint and austerity combined with German generosity would lead to a reasonable resolution of the EU economic instability. With the news of a potential Greek vote on the loan offer (and its subsequent dismissal), I was wondering if an anxious Europe had had just about enough of Greece. What do other Europeans, bound by a collective economic and political system but different cultures, think of the nation that clearly seems most incapable of pulling its own weight? While I don’t think I know the answer, I saw a little bit of personal opinions surface while in Greece.

In September, we had dinner at a small restaurant in Kardamyli along the Southwest coast of Greece. One of three couples there, we were essentially dining on the front deck of our Head Chef/Head Waiter Gregory’s home. He was incredibly hospitable and entertaining making jokes the whole time. The food was of course amazing – I have been craving zucchini fritters ever since that meal! In chatting with Gregory after dinner, we learned that he had been a school teacher in Athens who retired a few years ago at 50 and moved home to start a restaurant. With his government pension, he was now halfway through building this home/restaurant and was enjoying following his dream on the rural coast of Greece.

After we were all served courses of amazing food and pitchers of wine, the British couple was the first to finish and head out. As they were presented the bill, Gregory announced that they owed 40,000,000 Euro. They laughed and handed over 45 Euros promising to be back the next night. The Belgian couple finished next and was given their bill for 35,000,000 Euro. They were not nearly as amused by Gregory’s joke.

“Didn’t we already give you people 35 million Euro?” the man responded. Unphased, Gregory reiterated how good the food was, how lovely the sunset had been and how perfect this evening beach air was for strolling. “Surely this evening is worth 35million?” he quipped back, not dropping the joke’s pretense.

“No,” the diner replied. “It is not nearly worth that much.” Leaving 35 Euros for dinner, the Belgian couple departed.

Oct 31

Bolshoi Theater Reopens

The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the historic center of Russian ballet, reopened Oct 28th after undergoing 6 years of renovation. A gala performance was held to celebrate the occasion which included an entirely Russian program with Russian performers. The honored guests of the evening included President Dmitri Medvedev.

In total, $700 million was spent to meticulously restore the historic theater. As a result of the renovation, the artists’ dressing space has been increased, the acoustics have been fine-tuned and improved technology has been incorporated into the theater mechanics. At the same time, original art and architectural elements ranging from stucco work to door handles have been restored to their original 19th-century appearance having been removed in Communist era revisions. Below are images from the reopening while more images of the renovations can be found on the Theater’s website.

Russia is a trip I hope to take some day – starting in Moscow and working my way through the countryside to St. Petersburg. Capping off my perfect day in Moscow, with any luck, will be a performance at the Bolshoi. There is something so appealing about the great European opera houses. Aside from the elegant styling of the interior art, the opulent surroundings hearken back to an age where being seen at the theater was a quintessential social event. Performances are also guaranteed to feature world-class talent. Where else, for instance, would you go to see the best ballet in the world other than the Bolshoi? Thankfully the Theater has been fully restored and can resume performances in its traditional home.

Exterior of the Bolshoi Theater illuminated for its reopening gala Oct 28, 2011 (Photo: AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and his wife Svetlana (R) applaud the reopening ceremony of Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia (Photo: EPA / Vladimir Rodionov / Ria Novosti / Kremlin Pool)

Bolshoi Theater seating (Photo: EPA / Maxim Shipenkov)

Theater foyer during the reopening gala (Photo: Reuters/Anton Golubev)

Oct 27

Mysterious Bull Legs

Four-legged winged bull in the Khorsabad Court exhibit (Photo: Oriental Institute)

I was recently in Chicago and decided to get off the beaten path and visit the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. It’s a great, albeit small museum covering Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt and other ancient near Eastern civilizations.

One exhibit area is domonated by pieces from the court of King Sargon II who ruled Assyria from 721-705 B.C. In the center is a 16ft tall winged bull with a human head. This sufficiently impressive piece along with its twin would have guarded a city entrance.

Looking more closely at the bull figure, it appears to have been made for viewing from very specific angles and not so much in the round. In the image above, the bull has four legs when you look straight on, but if you move 90 degrees, there are two symmetrical legs under the head. From the right angle, you can see that there are 5 legs!

This protective bull genie has an extra leg!

The Louvre also has some 5-legged Assyrian human-headed winged bulls. It just goes to show that you should look carefully at art.

Oct 25

How to see the Greek President on your vacation

When I travel there are certain things I plan – like making hotel arrangements before I depart or reading up on the sights. I am not however someone who plans out every hour. In fact, I like to wander some which is how I happened to get 10 ft from the President of Greece last month. Let me explain…

On our second day in Athens, we wandered through the (rather touristy) shops of the Plaka and happened across Hadrian’s Gate and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It was around 6pm so the sun was getting low in the sky and giving off that gorgeous orange sun-light. We walked through the ruins as the sun slipped below the Acropolis.

Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens as the sun was setting

We left the park just before it closed at 8pm. I heard oompa music in the city park across the street and followed it thinking we could see an outdoor concert. There was a brass band standing in a large courtyard. I could see tents set up off to the left. Families were milling about, kids were dancing to the music and I guessed it was some public festival.

Brass band and families enjoying the music

The music came to a stop. A group of well-dressed people began lining up in front of the band. One woman even had a huge bouquet of flowers. Next, 6 or so unmistakable special security officers (tall, in suits with ear pieces) began running around. At this point the crowd started getting more dense. Everything looked ready for some arrival but we waited for another 10min or so. I was then able to look up in my guidebook (discreetly of course) the yellow building behind us which was the Zappeion, an all-purpose event center.

Volkswagen Passat - The Presidential Car of Greece (Photo: cargurus.com) Technically this is the 2008 Lux addition but I thought it fits better with the story

Finally, four motorcycles come racing up on the right followed by a black four-door Volkswagen Passat. An older man got out, shook hands, received the flowers (which one of the security guys threw in the trunk of the car – very classy) and made his way to a seat near the podium. The TV cameras got into place and the crowd shifted to circle a small area of 60 or so seats in front of the podium. A visibly nervous man got up to speak; even though his remarks were in Greek, I could still tell his voice was wavering. My attention started to wain but I did catch him saying “UNICEF” and “Yuri Gagarin”. A second older man, that I had not seen yet, got up to talk. I kept whispering to my hubby, what is going on here?!

Speaker #2 - I still have no idea who this man is...

We wandered into a tent next to the podium which was filled with, of all things, Yuri Gagarin and Russian Space Program memorabilia. At this point I wondered the VIP from the car was perhaps the cosmonaut Gagarin himself. Moving further from the podium and into the fair, there was a informational booth. I grabbed a program and waited to talk to the attendant.

Booklet from the information tent, it reads "Book Festival Zappeion"

In my best Greek I asked, Καλησπέρα, μιλάτε Αγγλικά? Or, Good evening, do you speak English? (An essential phrase!) She did, and so I asked who had arrived to speak. She said, “Karolos Papoulias, the President of Greece. He is well loved by the people.” My jaw dropped, surely something had not translated correctly. We wandered back to the podium.

I’m use to American politicians who have an army of secret service agents that keep spectators in defined zones and aren’t allowed to just wander around the VIP. Also, isn’t Greece facing severe austerity measures? Where are the protesters if this is the President?

Finally, the President said a few short remarks and returned to his seat. He was joined by the second speaker in the Russian Space tent for a private tour. Here’s where I got the best photo of him.

President Karolos Papoulias being shown the Yuri Gagarin exhibit

Since my camera has a delay, most of my pictures look like the one below. I think it is time for a new camera.

Slow camera = 6 photos of hair and not the President

The President came out of the tent, through the crowd and right past me. In a bubble of security guards, he walked down the festival street past the book vendor stalls. I followed along behind him. I loved watching people’s reactions as he past by or they looked up and there he was. It was touched to see little old ladies come up to him and just start chatting. The conversations seemed pleasant and I could see admiration and a little awe in their faces. Eventually, the President stopped by the UNICEF booth to buy a book and one other stall to say hello. At the end of the street, his Passat awaited. After shaking the nervous man’s hand one more time, he was off with his 4 motorcycle escort.

Afterward, we still couldn’t believe what we had witnessed. We kept going over and over the details while we ate dinner. It seems so surreal to just happen across the President of a country in such an un-orchestrated environment! At least the Greeks attending the festival seemed to be just as surprised as us but were also respectful and amused by the President’s visit. I guess Karolos Papoulias is “well loved” by his country after all.

Oct 19

Auction Day 2: The Sale

The Skinner European and Decorative Arts auction spanned two days. I watched some live and overall it was quite calm and orderly. Bidders in the room came and went but usually there were only a dozen or so active at one time. Some were clearly some “professionals” (antique shop owners? interior designers?) but there were also “private citizens” like me. There were 8-12 employees on the phone with buyers. Another two were handing all the active on-line bidding. With 1300+ lots, things moved at a pretty good pace but I followed along without a problem.

It was interesting listening to the bidding volley back and forth. Here was one of my favorite exchanges from the auctioneer:

“So we’ll open at $700. $700 where?”

“$2100 online”

“(Laughing) $2100 is even better. Do I have $2200?

Lot 3, Fine Yellow Gold, Cloisonne Enamel, and Stone-mounted Carved Rock Crystal Bowl (Photo: Skinner, Inc.)

Sadly, I wasn’t present for the most exciting item of the auction: a carved crystal bowl with a gold, enamel and stone base. It was a delicate piece and had an auction estimate of $8-10, 000. It sold for $201,450 including the buyer’s premium! That’s incredible! Other items going above their estimates included a 18th century French screen, a 19th century wooden Dionysius copy (which I presume is a rarity), and a painted porcelain plaque. There were also many items that sold below their estimates so patience would have really paid off if you were looking to buy.

Lot 1127, Portrait of a Lady and Her Maid (Photo: Skinner, Inc.)

I was happy with one of the predictions I made during the preview session. I really liked the early Spanish colonial Portrait of a Lady and Her Maid. It was detailed and had a dark palate characteristic of its era. There was also a wonderful naivete to it as evidenced by the woman’s face, upheld arm and her awkward position in a very non-linear chair. This was a beautiful piece of folk art and I knew the $300-500 estimate was too low.

Lot 590, Georges Doussot's La Plage en Ete (Photo: Skinner, Inc.)

Of course, there always has to be the “one that got away” and in this case it was a lovely Impressionistic French beach scene from 1964. I loved the bold colors, the composition and that you could still see the bare tan canvas since it wasn’t completely painted in. Doussot’s style started out more somber and eventually became very cartoonist and child-like so this painting was a great treat. I had bid more aggressively for another item and so I missed out on this one.

The good news is, I did buy a painting! (If you recall, I left conservative bids on four items.) I am really happy with it and the final auction price. I am currently enjoying it on my wall! Maybe I’ll write about it soon once I can do some more research on the piece and the artist. Overall I had a great time at the auction and would recommend it to anyone with interest in art, history or the antiques industry!