Oct 31
Happy Halloween! New England seems to decorate for the Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving really well – maybe it has something to do with our close proximity to Salem and Plymouth. I particularly like these pumpkin-headed scarecrows in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The entire downtown is decorated with these 8 feet tall, black clad, wiry fellows. They’re spooky but not very much, since some of them are dressed in old black concert tees.
Oct 25
While in Maine, we hiked through Bradbury Mountain State Park. The trails were incredibly well marked and mildly to moderately difficult depending on which legs and loops you choose to take. It was such a gorgeous, clear day – perfect for being outside which you can hopefully see from the pictures below. I had so much fun hiking in the woods that I entirely skipped the outlet shopping haven of Freeport just 6 miles away. (Like I said, it was a gorgeous day!)
Recently, I took some time to explore Southern Maine. Besides great fall foliage, hiking and lobster (which were all also part of my trip!), the state is known for its majestic lighthouses. I was able to visit a few including the beautiful one at Cape Elizabeth outside Portland. This lighthouse in particular may already be familiar to lovers of American art.
American realist painter Edward Hopper (1882-1967) may best be known for his psychological urban scenes (like Nighthawks and Chop Suey) but he also painted lovely landscapes. Over the course of nine summers between 1914 and 1929 spent in Maine, he produced numerous oil sketches and watercolors exploring the coastline and its small villages. These soft and calm images seem somewhat incongruous with what I encountered in Maine where the coastal environment was rocky, rough and stark.
Do you think this is this Montana, Arizona or in fact Rockland, Maine? – Edward Hopper, Lime Rock Quarry II, 1926, watercolor, private collection
Unmanned delicious stuffed mussels along the pier in Canukkale
While art and history usually drives most of my travel choices, I do like to eat well while I’m on vacation. The flavors become so linked to my memories that one good bowl of tzatziki sends me to the beach in the Southern Peloponnese or a perfectly crispy wienerschnitzel reminds me of the sunny little garden cafe filled with Viennese office workers out to lunch. I dream of recreating these things. I do my best to attempt them over the first month I’m home and then on other random weekends when I get a craving for proper Guinness stew.
As if the ancient Roman city of Ephesus wasn’t already amazing, there is a separate museum within the site that lovers of art and history must see. The recently excavated and partially restored Terrace Houses are located in the center of the site. Homes of some of the wealthiest citizens were built on this valuable real estate (ie. across from the ancient public toilets!) which is evident today in the extensive mosaic floors and frescoed walls. The artwork dates from the 1st century BC to the 7th century AD with several homes torn down and combined into a small basilica during the later part of that period. Remnants of indoor plumbing throughout the homes are also visible.
Daydream Tourist 