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December 08, 2010
Paris: Snow in the Rodin Garden.
"Snow is an uncommon occurrence in Paris and snow that sticks is practically a miracle." On Saturday morning ex-New Yorker Richard Nahem took photographs of white dancing on black bronze. See his work at today's Eye Prefer Paris.
R. Nahem
Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
Druids worldwide to get wild around the 21st.
For centuries, starting around the 21st of the month, Druids liked to leave the house, get wild and "put on the dog". Both warriors and mystics, Druid fighters in the woods of northern Europe came at you painted, naked, screaming, hurling weapons and curses, chanting and, well, real rowdy. Not unlike our British pal GeekLawyer after them, these folks came to play.
Even the Romans were a bit afraid of Druids--especially in what is now northern Wales. But except for celebrations of solstice and equinox four time a year, Druids are pretty quiet these days. Could a Christmas-season plant with a mythical calming influence be the reason? Well, here's a Steamboat Today (Steamboat Springs, Colorado) piece that links mistletoe to Druids.
The Druids felt the plant could protect against poisons, illness and witchcraft spells. In their time, if enemies met under mistletoe in the forest, they were required to be peaceful until the next day. This may be the origin of the custom of kissing under a ball of mistletoe as a sign of goodwill.
Isle of Anglesey: A fun Druid island in northwest Wales.
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)
The Flourishing: Caesar's Town in Toscana.
It started out as an Army Camp. Beginning around 60 BC, Julius Caesar founded the town on both sides of the Arno River as settlement for retired Roman soldiers. The mix of things that happened here after that--politics, trade, money, power, greed, literature, art and architecture--is remarkable given that Florence at heart always was, and still is, a small town nestled in the country. Only 360,000 people live in this world famous center. They are a haughty, slightly snobby (well-deserved, they've earned it) and wonderfully disassembled lot. But unlike, say, Venice, Firenze in no faded museum piece. People live in and just outside town. It's walkable for people of all ages. Humans, the humanities, art and serious global commerce now flourish here together. A major chord struck.
Posted by JD Hull at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)