Busy Traveler

Istanbul Archeology Museum

The Istanbul Archaeology Museum opened in 1891 to try to slow the smuggling of antiquities out of Turkey. And what antiquities they’ve got!  Extras are even scattered around the grounds.

The collection of sarcophagi dates as far back as the 4^th century BC. The most famous one is the huge Alexander Sarcophagus. It didn’t actually contain Alexander the Great—it depicted his career in great detail. You can even see some of the original paint!

But I was touched more by the Mourning Women sarchophagus.

Two ancient temples were reconstructed with remnants of their friezes and amazing Roman mosaics.

One building on the site is a magnificent tile museum, housing gorgeous examples of Turkish tile work.

Among the treasures in the Museum of the Ancient Orient building:

One tablet of The Treaty of Kadesh, the oldest recorded peace treaty:

The Ishtar Gate, built by Nebuchadnezzar in 575 BC:

A cuneiform tablet from 2700BC, among the world’s first known writing examples: 

And a tablet from the 6^th century AD, that talks about Jesus and Christianity:

We were amazed and overwhelmed.

 

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

One of the highlights of our trip was the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. This beautiful cathedral’s third incarnation (built in 537) signaled to the world that Constantinople was the center of Eastern Christianity. It was the largest cathedral in the world for 1000 years.

Some of the beautiful Byzantine mosaics were destroyed by Latin soldiers during the Fourth Crusade, and others were covered with stucco by Muslims. Luckily, this helped preserve them. The face of one of the angels has been uncovered, but the other three are still covered with stucco and iron.

 

         

The mosaic depicting Empress Zoe presenting Constantinople to Jesus gives rise to many legends about why the faces were painted over. My favorite is that the original depicted her first husband, which was painted over with the face of her second husband, and then her third. She was supposedly vain, so I assume she also had her face repainted to be more flattering. Whichever is the case, it’s a lovely work of art.

In 1453, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople and converted the Hagia Sophia to a mosque, adding minarets and the huge Islamic calligraphy discs, and replacing the altar with a mihrab pointing to Mecca.

This mix of Christian and Islam elements was really interesting to us because we saw the opposite juxtaposition in southern Spain: the Catholic church constructed chapels in the middle of huge Moorish mosques.

We admired the exterior from different views and in different light.  It never failed to impress us.

 

The Adamson House, Malibu, CA

We found this little gem right on the beach in Malibu during another beautiful day in Paradise.

The original inhabitants grazed livestock among hundreds of acres along the beach and on the bluffs. Can you imagine this beautiful area being a ranch?

 

 

The daughter of the rancher and her husband (the ranch foreman) built this home in 1930. It is a beautiful specimen of the Spanish Colonial style so popular in California. When drillers discovered a deposit of unique clay on the property instead of the oil they were drilling for, the lady of the manor decided to start a ceramic tile factory. She employed local women only, many of them from the Chumash tribe who were the original inhabitants of the area.

The Malibu tiles, as they were known, we used to great effect in the home, from an intricate “Persian rug” complete with fringe to Mediterranean style fountains.

 
 

Photography is not allowed inside the house. See the website for photos of the interior.

The exterior and grounds were also gorgeous.

 

So if you get tired of the celebrity glitz of Malibu, stop by this place right on Pacific Coast Highway and experience a bit of history in relatively pristine surroundings.

http://www.adamsonhouse.org/

Trip to Chicago: Museums

My favorite feature of the large cities of the world are the museums and public art. Chicago is no exception. We visited the following three museums on our trip.

Art Institute of Chicago

I always go to the Art Institute when I’m in town, but Steve and Emily hadn’t ever been there, so we had to remedy that! The Impressionist collection is world-renown and very impressive. It’s always fun to visit these friends. 

I was enthralled with the hall of Hindu and Islamic Art.

I wanted to see the new Modern Art wing and its beautiful view. Unfortunately, it was a sunny day and the sunscreens were down, obscuring the view a bit. It was still a bright lovely setting.

Museum of Science and Industry

Our Science Girl couldn’t wait to check this one out. And Steve and I also like a dose of science, though I found I much preferred the “science” to the “industry”. The beautiful building is one of the few that survives from the 1893 Columbian Exhibition (World's Fair). 

My favorite exhibit was the Storm Science hall where fantastic interactive displays illustrate the forces behind lightning, tornadoes, and avalanches.

The “Inventing the Future” exhibit had several examples of ingenious inventions such as wearable computer clothing that track your vital signs and technologies that interact with you and respond to your movements (by a Fellow of UT-Austin!).

In the Medical hall, Emily was excited to see the display about the HER2 gene connected with aggressive breast cancer…exactly what she is helping to research in the lab! I was very impressed with the fun and interactive ways science principles are demonstrated and taught here.

Museum of Contemporary Art

I came to this museum while Emily and Steve went to the zoo. It was a good trade-off for us all. The Calder exhibit was displayed gorgeously, but photos weren’t allowed. Here is a sanctioned photo from artknowledgenews.com taken before all of the 60 works were installed:

His mobiles and small sculptures were great fun, and the bio on him indicates he thought people took art too seriously so his mission was to show what fun it could be. I didn’t realize that he was one of the first artists to do “reclaimed” art – using junk and second-hand items for his work. Born of necessity during WWII, it became a habit the rest of his life.

The exhibit across the hallway of artists who were influenced by Calder was second-rate. I guess there was only one Alexander!

And what contemporary art museum would be complete without weirdness? Yes, those are Christmas ornaments in the foreground and popcorn in the rear.

The Calder exhibit travels next to the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas from Dec. 11 to March 6, 2011.

Reading selection: CMA mini-website about Alexander Calder: www.mcachicago.org/calder/#/artist
Art Institute of Chicago: www.artic.edu/aic
Museum of Science and Industry: www.msichicago.org
Museum of Contemporary Art: mcachicago.org

Still want to see:
The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design: www.chi-athenaeum.org/main/about.html
Loyola University Museum of Art: www.luc.edu/luma/

and many more…

Day in the Finger Lakes Area, Part 2: Glass Masterpieces

This was my #1 choice to see this trip. Everything I’d heard about the Corning Museum of Glass was true, and then some! www.cmog.org

We were awed by the artistry and the variety of these treasures.

 

We spent a lot of time in the Contemporary/Sculpture gallery.

 

But time was running out (The museum closes at 5PM in the off-season.) and we had to race through the rest of the museum. The exhibits are arranged by the location and time period of the artists.

Ancient and Roman

 

Islamic World

 

 

Asian

Early European

 

Later European

American

Crystal

 Paperweights

Modern

 

And we didn’t even make it to the Tiffany exhibit or the demonstration studio.

I took photos like crazy until my memory card was full. Next time, I’ll make sure to allot most of a day to inspect the galleries and will sign up for the glassblowing class.

If you are anywhere near the Finger Lakes area, do NOT miss this museum!

 

Copyright 2010 Beth Schrader

Getty Art Museum, Los Angeles

Finally! I’ve been salivating to see the Getty since it opened. The Getty on the Hill sits next to the 405 overlooking LA. Parking is $15, but then you ride a tram up to the museum and the entrance is free. I assume some sort of mass transit will deposit you at the tram stop. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The views at the top are amazing…from the hills to downtown LA to the ocean.

The complex is made up of several buildings, housing the permanent collection, exhibits, offices, conservation labs, and cafes.

We first checked out the European Paintings. The galleries were painted deep colors and the collection was impressive, of course...all the art money can buy.

It was such a beautiful day, we spent most of our time outdoors. Every step brought a new view: white curves of the limestone-and-marble buildings against the bright blue sky…

Monumental sculptures set in simple gardens with great views…

And lovely gardens, including this floating azalea labyrinth:

...and the cactus garden:

This place is must if you are anywhere in the LA area. I can’t wait for a return visit.

Copyright 2009, Beth Schrader

Long Beach Aquarium

The day after the conference, we visited the aquarium. It provided the soothing, meditative zone we hoped for.

It’s not the biggest or best aquarium I’ve been to, but they had a great collection of jellies.

I fell in love with these little sea dragons that look like weeds. (This one is in the middle of the photo.)

Divers were in the tropical tank feeding the inhabitants. These sting rays were all over the window. We were fascinated to watch them breathing and eating. Scary, right Emily?

Copyright 2009 Beth Schrader

Cooperstown, NY

If your male friend is dying to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, sigh and tell him that you’ll sacrifice your day for him. Drop him off and then go have fun!
www.baseballhall.org

Cooperstown has done a wonderful job for those of us who would rather do other things. In fact, you first stop should be the Chamber of Commerce to pick up the “Ladies Guide to Cooperstown.”
www.cooperstownchamber.org
www.visitingcooperstown.com

The restored buildings, landscaping, and cute shops make it a pleasant town to stroll in. 

Make plans for breakfast or lunch at the Cooperstown Diner. This tiny gem is a local favorite, so there might be a wait during peak times. But it’s worth it! They are justifiably known for their burgers, which are huge and delicious. I really liked my breakfast plate of eggs, bacon, and an amazing grilled corn muffin. Everything that came out of the tiny kitchen looked and smelled fantastic.

136 1/2 Main Street
607.547.9201
www.cooperstowndiner.com 

Fenimore Art Museum

James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans, came from an influential family in…Cooperstown! The museum is located in a 1930s neo-Georgian mansion on the site of Cooper's early 19th century farmhouse. This beautiful building houses a world-class collection of American paintings, folk art, historical artifacts, furnishings, and Native American art.

The grounds are lovely and overlook Lake Ostego, the famous Glimmerglass of James Fenimore Cooper’s writings.

Highly recommended!
5798 State Highway 80
www.fenimoreartmuseum.org

The kids would love the Farmers’ Museum where they can bob for apples, feed the animals, and watch blacksmiths at work.
www.farmersmuseum.org

We enjoyed the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard. It was apple season—yummy! The apple cider doughnuts will drive you wild!
www.flycreekcidermill.com

Our favorite places to shop were Schneider’s Bakery (fantastic cookies) and the Savor New York store (food, soap, linens, and dog goodies from the Empire State).

www.savor-newyork.com

Meet up with your baseball fan at the Ommegang Brewery and discuss your day. Only you can decide how much enthusiasm about Cooperstown you’ll let show after sacrificing your day!
www.ommegang.com

Copyright 2009, Beth Schrader

Bend, OR: Restaurant and Museum

Victorian Café

This café is consistently voted “Best Breakfast” by locals and I see why! My Crab Benedict was amazing and the home fries were way above average. The café is only open 6AM to 2PM, but they serve breakfast the whole time and add lunch around 11. It’s an old funky house, very Austin-y vibe, with a pretty little outdoor patio shaded by huge trees. I intend to work my way through their menu and I suggest you do the same when in Bend!

1404 NW Galveston Ave
(541) 382-6411

High Desert Museum

This well-regarded museum just south of Bend consists of several halls and a few outdoor areas. In some of the halls are Native American art, tools, and clothing.

 

Other halls present dioramas of pioneer life, a spooky dark mine, and the kids’ favorite: a teepee.

Can you believe the Forest Service used these in the ‘30s to fight wildfires?

 

The outdoor nature trail passes by an otter pool and a birds of prey exhibit. Because I was there during the heat of the day, the critters were comatose.

I HIGHLY recommended this museum for school-age children! The pre-schoolers seemed bored, except for the teepee and the animals.

www.highdesertmuseum.org