Team Spirit

Team sports for children are known to be beneficial for all their life.  The popularity of girls playing ice-hockey has grown considerably in the last ten years.  Last Saturday we watched a game and admired the speed and courage the players presented. The ice rink is booked from morning to evening. Here the next team eagerly waits to play while the ice is getting cleaned.

On the other side the opposite team controls their impatience and is ready to jump on the ice to win the game.  It is encouraging to see these preteen players working as a team and enjoying each other.

So many aspects of this sport (on the ice and in the locker room) are an excellent preparation for their future as equals to boys/men.   We grandmothers understand it well and are pleased for them.

http://totalfemalehockey.com/dressing-room-drama/

Sap To Syrup

(Boston)  March in New England and I forgot the old tradition of 'milking' sugar maple trees of their sap to prepare syrup. Driving along a country road to Concord I got reminded of this first sign of Spring.

On a youtube video they demonstrate how to produce maple syrup and it sounds easy.........

A maple tree, a bucket, a nozzle but then a daily collecting and cooking down of a lot of sap for very little syrup.  At least one can understand the price for a bottle of syrup in the grocery store!

When snow is covering the ground - as it did last year - then snow candies can be made.  This year just warm syrup poured over pancakes is nice enough.

http://www.massmaple.org

Ha ha? Ha ha!

Versailles is not only a castle but the parc has large areas of grass and tree lined walkways. Le Notre (1613-1700) was the first landscape designer and all the following gardeners have to keep to the original plans.  Around the Grand and Petit Trianon is a continuous wall.  Long stretches of stone walls have some wide openings which allow one to see the inside gardens and the buildings.  

But then, ha ha, no way to cross the opening to enter the private grounds.  Clever and forbidding at the same time. No intruder can come in but at the same time no princess could escape.  Ha ha?  Too deep is the moat to be a laughing matter.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha-ha

Always An Inspiration

Even if there is no snow on the ground it is windy and cold in Paris.  The beauty and charme of the river, the bridges and the old buildings always inspire painters.

Creative too is to find a spot to practice without disturbing the neighbors. This musician

 played smooth scales up and down despite gloved fingers.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/paris/travel-tips-and-articles/77204

Walk Along The Marne

Just outside of Paris to the East the Marne river flows around some Islands which kept their rual character and invites one to walk along the water.  February is still winter and the air is cold and raw.

We tried to walk fast to keep warm and return to the train back to the city.

A lone fisherman prepared his bait and to see him content and bundled up, he personified the peace and quiet of the Marne area not far from busy Paris.

http://www.parisvoice.com/travel/48-cril-island-hopping

"Kulturtanter"

The Swedish expression "kulturtant" is difficult to translate.  I tried, I asked English speaking friends and could not get a good translation.  Cultur aunt?  Cultur women? Female Cultur afficionado?   nothing expresses these important women who keep up the visitor numbers to museums, who buy books, who visit book readings, who listen to lectures, who take study trips abroad, who enjoy esthetics in their homes and in their warderobe.   Some of them accept this nickname gladly, many feel insulted by it.  

Thinking of it - I am probably called kulturtant behind my back.  Does not faze me, because I am occupied looking at a painting!

Happiness is to discover a newly opened museum in Stockholm.  Find out for yourself .....

Fashion Looks Forward

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Fashion made in Sweden is becoming more important every year.  Clean lines, perfect cut, discreet  colors and quality fabric are some of its characteristics.  An exhibition in Stockholm's Liljevalchs konsthall displays in eleven galleries new themes in connection of fashion design. Among them are sustainability, technology, gender identity and solidarity all aspects which have to be considered in the future.

Though the exhibition is focused on the future, this coat by Viktor & Rolf's 2005 collection "Hana Bedtime Story" seems desirable to wear today when the weather for the next days will be below freezing.

www.liljevalchs.se        https://vimeo.com/151660466

 

View From Traneberg's Bridge

This is what we remember from our last visit in Stockholm Summer 2015.

Stockholm is built on 14 islands which are connected by 57 bridges.  Some are small and short, others - like Traneberg's bridge - are wide and high and long.  Built to be used by subway, cars, bicycles and pedestrians it is one of the main entrance ways to the city from the West. We walk to be able to enjoy the view......... in August 2015 and 

now during January 2016.  Nice proof of the difference between Summer Sweden and Winter Sweden.

Often we explain this marked difference between the seasons.  Always beautiful in a different way not only because of the long/short days or short/long nights.

One big advantage of a Winter visit is that all friends are at home in the city.  No boats to ship out to sea and no vacation to escape to the countryside.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bridges_in_Stockholm

Marketing

Sitting in the Boston VW place waiting for our car to be fixed......  Looking around in the car sales area I  

wonder how far behind these marketing people are with their idea about fun.  

Family CAR time?    And what kind of family?

Hello marketing folks, we are not in the 50s anymore!  Let us all put more effort in quality time on the T in Boston and public transportation in general.   Somebody can redesign the T train cars?

Reinvigoration

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The Holidays are over and we start a new year.  The hectic, the planning, the organization is behind us and the memories of togetherness with those we feel close to will warm us in the coming months.

This morning, unexpectedly I saw these sprouts of ..... daffodils?

Lesson taken: avoid to become dry stalks but do as the sprouts keep growing and moving forward in the coming sunshine!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

Another Green Christmas

Last year we had no snow at Christmas with cool temperatures.  This year, again no snow and temperatures in the 70s (that is 20 centigrades!).  Last year we certainly got the snow we were missing at the right time.  What will this winter bring us? 

Somebody in our neighborhood found a solution and just got some imitation of snowy winter landscape and additional snowman.  

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-6-ft-H-Inflatable-Photorealistic-Snow-Globe-with-Santa-and-Reindeer-36692/205919576

Happy Holidays!

Poinsettias are offered in all sizes and are the most popular Christmas plant. With them we can create an immediate festive decoration of any space.  They are available in every flower store and sometimes hard to choose because they come not only in the classic red and white but pink, striated or in elegantly faded red.  And now for customers celebrating Chanukah, there are even blue ones with silver glitter attached.  Psst - they are white poinsettias with blue 'make-up'.

The Winter Solstice in Boston will be on December 21 at 11:49 pm and then we have a reason to celebrate the return of longer days. Light and warmth is coming back and let us all have Happy Holidays!

Semi-Arctic Country

There is no way around the stop-over in Iceland when flying with Icelandair from Europe to the US.

This is a reason for some travelers to avoid this airline, others prefer the pause and the opportunity to walk up and down the long corridor in Keflavik airport. Sometimes the nostalgic thoughts come back from the adventure of the first trip to New York from Luxembourg ... when flying to the US was still a big adventure.  http://savvytraveler.publicradio.org/show/features/1999/19990206/postcard.shtml

Every time I see the empty landscape before landing the thought of a longer stop pops up.

Icelandair offers an up to 7 days free stop over which is tempting.  Perhaps next summer when the  snow is gone and the green moss is visible. 

Peaceful Park

The unusual mild December day invited to take a walk in the Versailles park. With the short days now all entrances will be closed at 5 pm.  We made it in time and then looked back through the large gate which is now always closed for cars to enter.  "Due to the enforcement of antiterrorist security plan,

this access is closed to vehicles." is the explanation on a big sign next to it.

And we just walked along this peaceful field where sheep were grazing and the chateaux in hiding  behind the tree line at the horizon.

Museum Island in Berlin

                              

With five large museums all owning important collections, the sculptures on the ground around them may not get the attention they deserve.  A recently installed 'monument' gives a thoughtful contrast to the other glorious 'king on horse' sculptures.     http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/museumsinsel-berlin/museum-buildings-collections/kolonnadenhof/skulpturen.html

And the graffiti next to the Bode-museum is something Jules de Goncourt has said?

Translation: "Nobody in the world listens to so many stupid things as the paintings in a 

museum have to do"

One Museum of 180

The weather is cloudy, cold and the wind mixed with rain.  Therefore it is better to just wander in the galleries of the Kunstgewerbemuseum to admire the Brandenburger Tor on a Biedermeier plate. 

http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-and-institutions/kunstgewerbemuseum/about-the-collection.html

Instead of twisting your tongue on Kunstgewerbemuseum just try 'museum of decorative arts' which can be found close to the Philharmony.

The Kulturforum in which this museum is part of has an uninviting court yard - do not get fooled,

Vive La France!

Good to be in Paris to see the stoic reaction of the people living and working here.  Live goes on and I feel that small good deeds made makes everybody feel good.  President Hollande asked everybody to 

show flags and demonstrate patriotism.  Glad to report that very few followed his advice. Some showed the tricolor in a personal way.

Of course the National buildings - like the Palais Royale - went for it and the full moon timidly went into hiding.

More Site-specific Art

There is a lot of space in the West wing in the MFA. In the east side looking up from the ground floor one discovers this bulging ceiling installation by Tara Donovan. What is this surprising biomorphic form?  A giant wasp nest?  The title "Untitled (2003)" is not informative.

Looking closer we realize that with styrofoam cups and hot glue and ingenious creativity, the artist created a sculpture which surprises and delights.

http://channel.louisiana.dk/video/tara-donovan-sculpting-everyday-materials

Site Specific Art

Often we are not aware that the paintings and sculptures on view in museums were not created with a museum in mind.  Castles, churches, living rooms or town halls were among the intended places.  In the West Wing of the MFA are now several 'site specific' installations by contemporary artists which can be seen for some months before they are removed.

Anne Lindberg http://www.archdaily.com/220724/anne-lindberg-transforming-space-with-thread
created this dreamy "pivot green blue"with threads and staplers. The changing sunlight is meant to play in these threads. The form changes depending on the angle of the moving spectator's view.

These photos can not show the magic charm. Only the visitor who walks by and looks up can appreciate this installation's allure.  Situated in the second floor of the Linde Wing! 

Large Melons

The Greek word for large melon is "pepon" which the French pronounced "pompon".  The English then said "pumpion" and the American colonists called them pumpkins. That's what they are still called in the US.

October is the month they are ripe and ready to be used in limitless ways.  Just look at the offers in one of our local grocery stores (Trader Joe's) http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer.

When I saw this pumpkin patch in front of a Wellesley church I could not resist to pick one for us.

Did I choose the right one?  If the squirrels do not nibble on it, I may transform it in a pie.....