Two more days until Summer Solstice!! It is supposed to be dry and sunny. We are planning a day-long drive along the north shore of Lake Erie, at least as far as Eagle, which has a lovely park with a bluff overlooking the lake, and stairs leading down to the water. The lake is at record high water level, so we may find the beach gone. There are several small towns to explore along the way, which we have not visited in many years. There is also a small brewery and taproom in Eagle, if we get there around 4 pm, when it opens.
Deb has two more weeks in the arm sling, which is really becoming a pain. She gets out of it 4x each day, but only for a few minutes. I know she is not missing the cooking, nor the dishwasher loading!
I was expecting four students today; one showed up! The lessons are paid for, so I gained some practice time and easy money. Teaching is now done until the summer session begins. It will be a very light summer for that, with only one full time student.
My movie choice for this week brought us into the 1960s avant-garde. "The Colour of Pomegranates," a Russian film from the 1960s. Meant to illuminate historical Armenian culture, the movie is not really a movie at all, but rather a series of tableaux, sometimes static and sometimes moving. There is virtually no dialogue. There is music, lots of colourful costume,s and pomegranate juice flowing. It is supposed to be a symbolic biography of Sayat-Nova, an Armenian poet. With virtually no background, we were impressed by the visuals, but left rather empty by it all otherwise. The occasional lines of poetry are uninspired at best, and largely not very moving or original. A number of short films accompany the main feature, and I will report back after watching these. There is also a full-length feature with added commentary, from 2017. However, in my opinion, if the film requires overlaid commentary, then it has not succeeded in its mission.
We also began watching a series of short nature films by French director Jean Painleve, mostly underwater. Kind of an early Jacques Cousteau. The earliest is from 1928, and they go on into the 1970s. Criterion has a lot, if not most, of his short features. We watched a Sea Urchins one from the 1950s, in colour and narrated.
Before turning to some amazing landscape paintings in the collection of the DIA, I wish to indulge my readers with one more eccentric depiction of landscape art. It also gives a nod to a favourite city, Vienna.
Tea and Coffee Service, c. 1804. Vienna Porcelain Factory.
Views are of Pavlovsk Palace and Park, near St. Petersburg.
Detail of the tray.
The teapot!!
Coffee can and saucer.
Detail of coffee pot.
Milk jug detail.
Of course a highlight of any visit to Vienna is to take coffee at one of many fine, historic places. However, I would be just as happy to stay home and use this service set!
Mapman Mike
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