Gitane, Little Doggie

Or little alligator. Not sure why he is nailed to the wall go Cafe Gitane, a French-Morocan cafe in the base of the Jane Hotel in NYC. There was no alligator offered on the menu.

The Jane is an affordable choice in Chelsea on the Hudson, with rooms for two going at $125. But you get bunk beds in a room that measures 5'6" wide by 7' long and shared bathrooms. A little like a train, without all the stops and starts.

Wei Wei All the Way Home

Unexpectedly came upon an exhibition of Ai Wei Wei, the Chinese artist, in the Grand Army Plaza in front of the Plaza Hotel in NYC.  Surrounding the Pulitzer Fountain, this circle of Chinese Zodiac Heads is based on the 12 animal heads that functioned as a water clock-fountain in the European-style gardens of  Emperor Qianlong at the summer palace of Yuanming Yuan outside of Beijing.

In 1860, French and British troops ransacked the summer palace and the heads were pillaged.

Chinggis Khan

This a view of a new stainless steel sculpture of Chinggis Khan and his horse that is 120 feet tall in the middle of a valley. The small black bits above the horses mane are people!

Chinggis is the proper way to say Genghis, which can mean 'ocean' - in this case an ocean of grass that stretched from China to the Danube River and into Persia. He united the warring Mongol tribes and created the largest empire ever. Ruthless, yes, but also responsible for advances in civilization such as trade, diplomacy, meritocracy, and a tolerance for different religions. For a good overview, read 'Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World'.

BTW, John Wayne played Genghis Khan is a movie called 'The Conqueror' with Susan Hayward as his wife.

Ulanbaatar Wood

Not the same as Norwegian Wood, but very colorful. This is some sort of platform/guard station/religious contraption on the grounds of the Ganantegchenling Monastery. The greens and ochres snap in the endless blue sky supported by the golden brown dust of the hills.

Gandantegchenling

Monastery, of course, located in Ulaanbatar, Mongolia. Created in 1838 as a center of Mongolian Buddhism, it was damaged and closed in 1938 by Stalinists.

In 1990, with the Mongolians in charge of their own future, they set about restoring this important site, including rebuilding the 88 foot tall copper with gold plating Buddha. Many of the buildings are Tibetan style. Well loved part of Ulaanbatar.

Strada Nova for New Year

The Strada Nova (New Street) in Venice was completed in 1871 and created a generous 10 x 400 meter new pedestrian thoroughfare.  We were on our way to nowhere in particular in the light cold rain on a weeknight of Carnevale, when out of the mist came the apparition of local Venetians on their way to the opera.

They do exist (I think).

Vini da Gigio a Go-go

The evening after our arrival, after checking in, braving the tens of thousands in San Marco's for the Angel's Flight beginning Carnevale, and stumbling jet lagged throughout the dark and cold, we arrived at this oasis of warmth and light.  Chestnut pasta with duck sauce, sarde en saur, razor clams - molte been!

We carried the warmth and light back to our beds and drank deeply of the wines of Morpheus.

Corte Sconta (the Hidden Court that we found)

After making reservations months in advance for Al Covo and wandering in biting February winds in the rather deserted Castello, we found out that Al Covo is closed on Wednesdays! So we went over to Corte Sconta nearby and had an unbelievable meal. The seafood appetizer was four courses of all types of seafood - bream carpaccio, spider crabs, razor clams and other assorted bits fresh from the lagoon.

The courtyard as seen above was a cheery, sunny space, but as it was too freakin' cold, we warmed ourselves visually.

Home-er-Stimson

A short street on the East Side of Providence, Stimson Avenue is a feast of fine design from the cornucopia of architecture era 1880-1930. Many styles, all done well. This big honkin' mama is an excellent essay in brick wing walls and green stained shingles well worth a careful reading.

Aardvark (Oops, I Mean Armadillo) & Guts

From a trip to the RISD Nature Lab, it seemed as tho this creature had an interest in the guts almost spilling out of the hominid model nearby.
BTW, both armadillos and aardvarks have no external testicles, unusual for a mammal. Seems like a good idea.

Observe Griffith Observatory

Griffith J. Griffith (the man so nice they named him twice) used his possibly ill-gotten mining gains to donate 3000 plus acres to Los Angeles to form Griffith Park (or more properly, Griffith J. Griffith Park).

After shooting his wife in the head (she survived) he spent two years in the pokey, and through his will gave money for the construction of the Greek Theater and the Griffith Observatory. The architect was John C. Austin, who also designed LA City Hall, and did not shoot his wife in the head or elsewhere.

Lucky Thirteen

The Thomas Peckham House on Benefit Street was begun before 1824 with later additions. I am not sure how many family members the building housed, but it is now the repository of thirteen condominiums. Not a bad exemplar for a medium sized apartment building.