art – John Collings

The Chronicles of Georgia

Sometimes when I am traveling, I spend so much time seeing what a town has to offer that I miss one of the bigger, more exciting features just outside of the city. Tbilisi has just one of these structures, the Chronicles of Georgia. Out on Keeni Hill just north of the city stands this massive structure of Stonehenge like pillars. It is hard to miss when you start traveling out that way, and it just begs to be visited.

The structure looks like it comes from a time before, but in reality, it is a relatively newer monument. Construction of the Chronicles started in 1985, and it was never completed, but enough of it was put up that it still is fascinating to come and look at. After climbing up the stairs to the structure, you are instantly immersed into the culture of Georgia as the pillars depict different aspects of it as well as some the country’s more famous participants.

A closer look reveals that there are actually two different stories being told. The base of each pillar has up to four different reliefs depicting important stories from the Bible; whereas, the upper portion of the pillars has stories from the history of Georgia. The Bible stories were pretty easy for me to figure out because I am familiar with them, but the Georgian stories came with no context, and there was no information up there that helped to bring their stories to life. I have searched all over the place to see if I could find something that would give me more insight into the kings and queens I was looking at, but I still can’t find anything.

Despite this shortcoming, it is still an impressive spot to visit, especially if you are moving on to other parts of the country, such as the wine region or the mountains. It is a quick stop that you could easily spend thirty minutes to an hour at, and feel like you have really enjoyed it. Though you might not know the stories, the detail of the carving is still fun to explore, and talk about. The views up there are also spectacular, and there is an old church that is worth the time to explore as well.

From a distance, it may look like it is off the beaten path, but in reality, it is only a little detour from a regularly scheduled tour. It is so fascinating that it should eventually become a part of that regularly scheduled tour, so you might want to make it a part of yours if you come to Georgia.

A Small Hop Can Take You a World Away

Some times life can get really busy, and it is hard to find time for yourself. It feels as if people are pulling you fifteen different directions, and you have to navigate all of these requests at once or fall further behind. During these hectic times of the year, there is some times a small reprieve that is given to you, and you want to make the most out of that time. It helps to get away for a bit and see a different perspective, but it is not always easy to get that perspective with the time that is given to you. A whole change of environment and culture is not just right around the corner, but if you can squeeze in that change of scenery, I would highly recommend it because it will do you a lot of good.

I am lucky to have this as an option in my life at this time. Right now, I am living in Amman, Jordan, and though I love the country, and people a lot, I do need that escape from time to time so I can get a new perspective on the place I am living. The best opportunity to get this dramatic change for me is to hop on a short flight and land on the island of Cyprus where I exchange an Arab culture for a European one. Within a short time I can look at green fields instead of desert landscapes; I can drink good wine instead of mint tea; I can eat Greek inspired cuisine instead of Lebanese.

It is not just these small things that allow me the escape that I am looking for by taking that small flight. It is also a completely different culture with a completely different vibe. Now, I love the people of Jordan. They are friendly and have a great pride in their culture, but as somebody that comes from a different part of the world, I still feel a little like an outsider. Though traveling a short distance away, I will still feel like an outsider, but now, I am able to go around and marvel at the unique sights that have not become commonplace because I see them everyday. It becomes an exotic vacation where I am creating memories instead of making it through the week so I can enjoy the weekend.

I also get to partake in unique experiences by making this little trip. These always seem to be a part of those places that are a short distance away. In Oregon, it is the mountain lakes, and beautiful hikes that the state has to offer. Colorado has those hikes as well as some of the best skiing that the world has to offer. Cyprus has a bunch of quaint European towns to explore as well as a wine country that is fun to travel through and from time to time experience what it is like to try my hand at making some of the wine.

No matter where you live, I am sure there is some place nearby that allows you the opportunity for you to escape your daily grind. I feel lucky that this place is Cyprus for me. It is nice to escape if only for a long weekend. It makes going home a pleasurable experience again because I can get away for just long enough to make me realize how much I have when I get back.

Until next time, I hope you get to enjoy that close by escape as well.

Is Murano Worth It?

Don’t be fooled. You are not looking at a picture of Venice. This is an island very close to Venice and usually associated with a visit to this historic site. If you ever walk down the streets of Venice, you will find many shops selling the very expensive blown glass sculptures. These small pieces of art come from this other island where artisans come to show their hands at this craft, and if you want, you can take a short vaporetto, water bus, ride out there to see how it is done. You just need to find one of the buses that will take you out to the island of Murano, and you can see where all of this blown glass comes from.

The big question is whether the trip is worth it. It is not that far of a ride, and when you get there, you will be able to see more shops selling more intricate pieces. It is fun to look at the art, but the island has the same kind of feel that Venice does, only on a smaller scale. If this is a type of art form that you are interested in, there are displays that you can witness to watch how they create it. If you get tired of looking at art, there are places where you can grab a gelato, or a nice Italian meal, and when I went out there, the crowds were a little smaller than the ones I experienced on Venice. So for these reasons, it is a nice day trip to take if you find yourself staying in Venice for an extended stay.

But this comes with a warning. The way you got out there is the way you have to get back. The vaporettos only come every twenty minutes, and that is if they are running on time. There are a lot of stops along the way, and at a certain time in the afternoon, they start to get packed. I was there during the off season in March, and I had to wait for four different boats before I was able to squeeze onto one. I also left at 2:30 in the afternoon thinking that it would be before the crowds got there. I could not imagine what it would be like during a rush hour, or during the height of the tourist season. The point being if you go out there, you might find yourself stuck in line for a long time trying to get back to the main island.

To be clear, I really enjoyed the afternoon I spent on Murano. It was fun looking at the glass sculptures, and I had a great lunch. My frustration came when I tried to leave the island. The feeling I got from the island could have easily been found on Venice without the frustration of having to travel both ways to get there. Murano is not a must see, but for a certain select group of people, I could see why they would want to go there. If you are one of those people, please make your way out there, but try to plan it to avoid the frustration of trying to get back. Make sure you are on the stop that picks up passengers first, or leave later in the evening where there is not a mad rush to get back to Venice. It is the one thing that can make the time there not worth it, but otherwise, it can be a lot of fun to experience what all the noise about the Murano glass is all about.

Thanks for listening, and until next time, enjoy your time traveling.

In God’s Cathedral – Around the World Day 18

I got to know a little more of Lisbon by exploring a different neighborhood than I did last time, the Bairro Alto. Even though I really enjoyed the Affama neighborhood, I thought that this one had more character and there was a lot more to see here. The most memorable one was the Carmo Convent. I was able to see it from my vantage point at the Sao Jorge Castle because it sticks out like a blemish on a teenagers face when you scan the city. It is the ruins of an old cathedral that sits in the middle of town begging for people to visit.

Basically, back in the day, this cathedral was the center of the Catholic Church in Lisbon, but on November 1st, 1755 a terrible earthquake hit the town, leveling many of the structures there, this one included. It also caught on fire, and all that is left is this husk of what once was a great cathedral. The city of Lisbon has turned the insides into a park, leaving the remains behind for anyone to tour if they find themselves in this corner of the world. All of the people who were buried there still remain, and the rectory has been turned into a museum with a collection of great art from all over the world. Viewing this art work made me contemplate the nature of art and how it holds up over time.

Being in Europe, I have seen a lot of art. It is kind of what you do while you are out here. Some of it has really stuck with me because of its magnificence, and I am always surprised at how it is collected in museums, palaces, and cathedrals. Every time I think I have seen it all, something else pops out to surprise me such as this mosaic of John the Baptists at the Church of Sao Roque. At first I passed it off as just another holy painting, but upon further inspection I realized that it was a bunch of tiny stones put together to create this masterpiece. Where else but Europe would I be able to see something like this.

But as I toured the neighborhood more I found that art did not need to be collected in only these places. It was all around me. I went into the Cervejaria Trindade because it was an old monastery that was turned into a bar, and had the only porter I have found since I have been out in Europe. Of course, I had to try it. But the bar also had a collection of old painted mosaics all over their walls that dated back to when the place was one of worship and reflection. It is a tribute to the people of this great city that they would keep this artwork for people to enjoy centuries later even if it wasn’t in a place where I would expect to find it.

I started to wonder if art was all around me no matter where I went. Of course there is a lot of graffiti on the walls of the city, and some of it is just a waste of spray paint, but there have been a few that I have been impressed with. There are the simple vendors with their collections of painted scenes that they are trying to sell to make a quick dollar. And then there are the people who get creative with their artwork. I would have never thought of knitting a colorful cozy for a children’s bike and then displaying it from my patio for the whole world to see, but if I really looked for it, these were the kind of things I could find on my stroll of this part of the city.

It is what I really love about being out in Europe. Everywhere I look there is someone expressing themselves through their art. Some of it will last through the centuries, and some will pass away with the times, but it is all around me. It is why I am always looking around me to see what other exciting thing I can see. It is all under the same roof that is left behind of the Carmo Convent, and it is the whole collection of this art that makes up the city of Lisbon.