Cahokia Mounds, the Late Woodland Culture September 28, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Air Tickets, Cars, Europe, Museum, Rail Pass, Sightseeing, Tickets, Tour, USA , 2commentsThis 2,200-A0 (890HA) site is situated just to the east of St Louis, in southern Illinois, close to Collinsville (not, confusingly, near the town of Cahokia). It is the remains of a large city and ritual complex which was first occupied around AD 700, developed, flowered, declined and was abandoned by AD 1500. At its peak it covered some six square miles (1,550ha) and had a population of about 20,000. It was certainly the largest community in prehistoric times in what is now the USA, and its influence extended for great distances. (more…)
Teotihuacan, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Street of the Dead September 28, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Destination, Egypt, Geographic, Guatemala, Hotels, Map, Mexico, Museum, Round The World, San Juan, Tickets, Tour, Travelling Bag, Trip , 3commentsThis great and urban and religious centre, 30 miles (48km) northeast of modern Mexico City, was given its present name by the
Aztecs who encountered its awesome ruins. In Nahuatl, the language the Aztecs spoke, Teotihuacan means ‘place of the gods’, or, ‘the place of the creation of the gods’. This great site, dominated by two pyramids, was ‘regarded by the Aztec as the original source of civilization and government, and the place where cosmic order was established.” In Aztec myth, Teotihuacan was where Nanahuatzin, a dying god, jumped into a ceremonial fire which the four creator gods (representing the Four Directions) were too fearful to enter. (more…)
The Ruined Mayans City of Chichen Itza continue… September 22, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Central America, Destination, Hotels, Mexico, Museum, New York, Sightseeing, Tour, Trails, Trip , 3commentsThe Caracol (the name means ’snail’ because of the structure’s appearance and interior winding staircase) exemplifies this involvement with Venus in particular and the heavens in general. The structure consists of a cylindrical tower on a two-tiered rectangular platform, and it was probably Mayan originally with later Toltec- influenced additions. The upper part of the tower has crumbled, giving an appearance coincidentally reminiscent of modern domed observatories. This probably helped speculation over a long period about possible astronomical aspects to the building. Some of this speculation has been shown by fairly recent research to be wrong, but Anthony Aveni can now claim that Chichen Itza is one of ‘the most secure examples of the incorporation of a horizon-based astronomy in architecture’: (more…)
Disappeared Inca Empire Supremacy CUZCO part 1 September 19, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Cars, Chile, Cuzco, Destination, Flight Schedule, Sunblock, The Nile, Travel Clinic, Travellers Cheque , 2commentsMore than merely the capital of the Inca empire, the very name ‘Cuzco‘ in Quechua, the language of the Incas and still spoken today, means navel. It was the navel of the Inca world, the omphalos of their empire which at its height stretched over 2,000 miles (3,200km) from Chile in the south to Colombia in the north. It was both an administrative centre and holy city, and is said to have been conceived in the shape of a puma, with its head at Sacsahuaman, the great fortress of cyclopean stonework on the northern edge of modern Cuzco. (more…)
Avebury Village & Related Megalithic Sites: Remarkable Monument, Ceremonial Landscape part 2 August 12, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Destination, Europe, London, Memorial, Rail Pass, Sightseeing, Tickets, Tour, Travelling Bag, United Kingdom , 2commentsThe whole was covered with soil, each step of the chalk cone being filled and smoothed into the overall profile of the hill except the top one, which was left as a terrace or ledge running about 17 feet (5m) below the flat summit. Today this terrace is clearly visible on the eastern side of the mound, although the western part of the circuit is less distinct. Whether this was deliberate, or due to erosion by the prevailing southwest winds, is unclear. But the segment of the hill between terrace and summit is significant, as we shall see. (more…)
Avebury Village & Related Megalithic Sites: Remarkable Monument, Ceremonial Landscape August 12, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Airlines, Destination, Europe, Hotels, Memorial, Sightseeing, Tickets, Tour, Trails, Trip, United Kingdom , 3commentsThe two great henge mountains of Stonehenge and Avebury are only about 20 miles (32km) apart in Wiltshire, yet each has its own surrounding ceremonial landscape containing many other monuments. All are entered as site number 96 on the World Heritage List, but here we will describe each of these major monuments and landscapes in turn. (more…)
Egypt Ancient Thebes & its Necropolis continue… August 3, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Egypt, Flight Schedule, Memorial, Museum, Restaurant, The Nile, Tour, Trip , 6commentsHawkins crossed the Nile to the necropolis. This complex of mortuary temples and tombs hewn out of the living rock served many periods of ancient Egypt and covers a large area. The whole landscape is dominated by a remarkably regular pyramidical mountain. Atop it are the remains of a prehistoric mound, predating dynastic Egypt. It is difficult for a geomantic researcher not to consider that the shape of this peak was an important factor determining the Egyptians’ initial choice of this area as a major necropolis. (more…)
Egypt Ancient Thebes & its Necropolis August 3, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Air Tickets, Cairo, Destination, Egypt, Hotels, Library, Memorial, Museum, The Nile , 5commentsThebes is the Greek name given to what was an ancient capital of Egypt, now most simply identified as Luxor, on the east side of the Nile about 370 miles (600km) south of Cairo. On the opposite side of the river is the great necropolis that includes the famed Valley of the Kings. (more…)
I travel in Rome June 21, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Bangkok, Hotels, Las Vegas, Museum, Restaurant, Sweden , 1 comment so farArriving in Rome from Bangkok at the end of January 2007, I experienced a sense of euphoria at the sight of the umbrella pines, the perfect architectural proportions of an old farmhouse, the ruins of a medieval tower. We spent mostof our time in the city simply recovering from the flight and adjusting to the change. But we did see Caravaggio’s St. Matthew triptych in San Luigi dei Francesi, or as much of it as possible in the thirty-second installments purchased by inserting coins that slowly switch on the ceiling lights. Alva and I were back in the city in May 2007 on our way to Magna Graecia, of which I knew little more than Paestum, visited with Stravinsky. My objective in 2007 was to see the Villa Giulia, which had been closed for many years. In April the Stravinskys and I explored the Etruscan tombs and their frescoes systematically, going almost daily to Tarquinia and the other great sites in a car provided by the Rome Radio, and no less frequently to the Villa Giulia. A madness for things Etruscan was afloat at the time, and the King of Sweden, one of its victims, lived above me on the top floor of the Hassler Hotel at night, but worked in an excavation during his days. (more…)
Ambitious attempt: CASERTA continue… June 15, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Air Tickets, Aquarium, Art Gallery, Coliseum, Destination, Dolphinarium, Flight Schedule, France, Gymnasium, Hotels, Italy, Library, Museum, Oceanarium, Planetarium, Restaurant, Round The World, USA , add a commentImmediately opposite the Great Staircase to the west stands the chapel, which, at the king’s request, repeats the scheme of its counterpart at Versailles. Although Caserta evokes Versailles in concept and ambition, this is the only part of the palace that directly imitates its French predecessor. As at Versailles, the main theme is stated on the gallery level, where coupled Corinthian columns march in stately procession towards the apse. But despite this common feature, the characteristically French ambulatory has been omitted and the proportions of the whole have been to some extent lowered.
The central peristyle also leads to the royal apartments that occupy the south front and the short wing leading to it. (more…)
The relentless uniformity of the bays of the south facade of the Escorial continue… June 3, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Austria, Europe, Library, USA , add a commentThe church itself is a central-plan building focusing on four great piers that support a hemispherical crossing dome. The general scheme of the interior follows the example of St Peter’s in Rome, but the architect has transposed the details into a solemnly majestic key, his personal interpretation of the Doric order. The enormous scale, the relative absence of ornament and the unrelenting austerity of the granite surfaces produce an awesome, almost suffocating effect. Fortunately this tension is relieved by the presence of a number of outstanding works of art, which act as aesthetic oases, so to speak. The east wall is entirely filled by a great retable designed by Giacomo Trezzo of Milan, incorporating paintings by Pellegrino Tibaldi and Federico Zuccaro and sculpture by Leone and Pompeo Leoni. (more…)
River Thames bank: Historic royal palace of Hampton Court continue… June 1, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Europe, London, USA , add a commentThe splendour of Henry VAT’s enlargements can be assessed in the Great Hall, built in 1531-6 to replace Wolsey’s smaller hall. So eager was Henry to see the room finished that he ordered the workmen to labour throughout the night by candlelight. The interior of the hall, which measures 97 by 40 feet, is dominated by an imposing hammer- beam roof that recalls the pioneer example in Westminster Hall, London. Another remarkable ceiling of Henry’s time is the wooden fan vaulting added to the Chapel Royal in 1535-6. Here the carved and gilded pendants stand out against a dark blue ground powdered with stars. The royal pew of the chapel leads to an L-shaped room asso¬ciated with the tragic fate of Catherine Howard, Henry’s fifth andsecond-to-last wife. (more…)
River Thames bank: Historic royal palace of Hampton Court June 1, 2008
Posted by dodo in : England, Europe, Jerusalem, London, Museum, Spain , 4commentsThe historic royal palace of Hampton Court stands on the north bank of the River Thames about 11 miles west of Charing Cross in London. This large complex is in fact two palaces in one, for as one moves eastwards from the west front the Tudor wings built in the time of Henry VIII yield to later work designed by Sir Christopher Wren for William and Mary. These two halves represent two distinct and important periods in the history of English architecture—the late medieval Perpendicular style tinged with Renaissance elements and the English Baroque affected by French and Italian influence. Yet overall unity is preserved by the use of warm-toned brickwork and the more-or-less symmetrical balancing of successive low wings. (more…)
The Doge’s Palace continue… May 30, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Greece, Museum, Paris , add a commentLinking the palace to St Mark’s basilica is the Porta della Carta, the main entrance to the courtyard. (The name of the gateway seems to derive from a later custom of fixing public notices on to it.) Its richly carved decoration (begun in 1438) was designed by Bartolomeo Bon and his son Giovanni. The central panel of the doge Francesco Foscari kneeling before the Lion of St Mark was renewed in the 19th century, after its destruction during the Napoleonic occupation of Venice; but the figures of Justice, Strength, Temperance, Prudence, Charity and of St Mark are all original works of the early Renaissance style in Venice. In its original state, the surface of the gateway was richly coloured, with blue and gold predominating. (more…)
Hampton Court: A fine combination of the Tudor and English baroque styles continue… May 26, 2008
Posted by dodo in : England , add a commentIf the unspoiled Tudor character of much of Hampton Court is one of its greatest gifts to us, we owe it to the decision of William III to halt the rebuilding of the palace after the death of his Queen, Mary II, in 1694. In celebration of the Glorious Revolution which had brought them to the throne, William and Mary had been rebuilding rapidly since 1689 from the plans of their Surveyor of Works, Sir Christopher Wren, and these plans extended to a reconstruction of the entire palace, preserving only the Great Hall. Sir Christopher would have given us a palace with two great courts on two different axis, at right angles to each other ; and the architecture of that palace would have been varied and delightful, with a domed silhouette and many subtle recollections of Mansart and Le Van. The designs, in Wren’s own hand, exist and one wonders why they were not carried out. A possible answer is that they did not quite sufficiently resemble Versailles. (more…)
Hampton Court: A fine combination of the Tudor and English baroque styles May 26, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Embassy, Europe , add a commentHampton Courtis a very big palace — so big that it is quite possible for two people to have clear and precise images of it, for both images to be correct and yet for each to be totally different. It is possible to remember Hampton Court as a Tudor palace and to forget that, as such, it has lost all its state apartments. It is possible to remember Hampton Court as a great work of Sir Christopher Wren and to forget that as such it-is only a fragment of his whole design. Hampton Court shows us two architectural worlds, standing back to back, each robbing the other, but each so imposing as to carry absolute conviction.
The palace can be approached either from the Henry VIII end or from the William and Mary end. The Henry VIII end is near the river; seen across the water the palace provides the noblest panorama of Tudor architecture to be found anywhere, although the mind’s eye must supply many more lead-tipped turrets and golden vanes than are there now. (more…)
Fontainebleau: A hunting lodge which saw four centuries of French history May 21, 2008
Posted by dodo in : England, Italy, Library, Museum, Paris, USA , add a commentThe huge and magnificent forest, the fresh water springs, its proximity to Paris, and its convenience as a halting place between the capital and the Loire valley, all pointed to Fontainebleau as the ideal site for the residence of a dynasty of kings passionately fond of hunting and obliged to make constant journeys round their domains.
Already in the twelfth century Louis VI, le Gros, built a dungeon there ; then Louis VII erected a chapel which is believed to have been consecrated by Thomas a Becket as he fled from the wrath of his master, Henry II of England ; St Louis founded a monastery to which Charles V, le Sage, added a `library‘, and this group of buildings encircles the Cour Ovale. (more…)
Aranjuez: Philip II’s leafy palace on the banks of the River Tagus May 14, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Airlines, Art Gallery, Austria, Beach Resorts, Destination, Europe, Granada, Gymnasium, Hotels, Library, Lodges, Memorial, Museum, Portugal, Restaurant, Spain, Sunblock, Travel Gear, Travelling Bag, USA , add a commentAranjuez, at the confluence of the Tagus and Jarama rivers, about thirty miles south of Madrid, is the most celebrated of the rare oases which break the arid monotony of most of Spain. The air resounds with the noise of rushing water, the trees are the finest in southern Europe and the nightingales (which were Philip II’s chief regret during three years’ absence in Portugal) are as renowned as the strawberries and asparagus from its market-gardens.
In the Middle Ages the land belonged to the knights of Santiago, whose Grand Master, Lorenzo Suarez de Figueroa, erected a castle there in 1387. When Ferdinand and Isabella merged the Grand Mastership in the Crown, the property passed with it. Charles V converted the building into a hunting-lodge, which Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera, the architects of the Escorial, replaced by a palace for Philip II. (more…)
The Alhambra: Cool courtyards of the Moorish kings overlooking Granada continue… May 12, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Airlines, Beach Resorts, Destination, Granada, Hotels, Italy, Lodges, Round The World, Travel Insurance, USA , 3commentsToday, stripped bare and despoiled, scarcely any furnishings remain to remind us of this well organised palace life.
Until the day when the Cross of the Reconquest was planted on the Torre de la Vela, much of the history of its development is uncertain. The summit of the Asabica, the Moorish name for the hill on which the Alhambra stands, was certainly fortified from ancient times and grew in importance in the ninth century, when this region was dominated by the Emirs of nearby Cordoba. Formerly it faced a similar fortification on the opposite hill of Albaicin — the palace of the Berber chieftain Zagui ben Ziri, a descendant of the Royal Family of Tunis. In 1238 Mohammed ben Alhamar, vassal of the Christian King San Fernando, occupied Granada, having first seized the fortified citadels of Jaen, Baeza and Guadix. (more…)
The Alhambra: Cool courtyards of the Moorish kings overlooking Granada May 12, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Air Tickets, Airlines, Beach Resorts, Cars, Destination, Greece, Hostels, Hotels, India, Library, Lodges, Memorial, Motel, Museum, Travel Insurance, USA , add a commentIt is the imaginative setting of the Alhambra which stars the originality of the Arabs and not only demonstrates them as being decorators of genius but, above all, eminent poets in the siting of their fortresses. Seen from the heights above Albaicin, the rectangular geometry of the twenty or more towers shows a magnificent Cezanne-like rhythm of descent down to the ravine below. Though sharp black stabs of tall cypress trees give some hint of the many hidden courtyards, yet for all its intricacies the Alhambra remains secret and even austere, as compared with any trellised and domed rose-pink Moghul palace. Together with the gardens of the Generalife, the setting of this unique citadel is further enhanced by a magnificent backdrop — the perpetual white-capped brilliance of the Sierra Nevada, shimmering against the cloudless turquoise sky. (more…)
