SHARING WITH ME

As I am slightly crackers about «large» animals, the exhibition «Beauté Animale» tempted me. Perhaps it was something I should have chosen to do with my grand daughter as we would certainly have looked at it more closely. Having a card which gives me free entrance to 90% of museums around the world also makes me a little blasé. Not of any real interest ? Leave. There is always something to discover and I naturally look for «the modern touch». However, the history of animal painting from the Renaissance onwards didn't make any impact on me. After all those old stones I was still revelling in Duncan/Picasso and could not be enthusiastic about the history of animal painting. 
 Cats before the end of the 19th century were taken more for demoniac creatures. Not trusted at all. But with the pest and rats running around the cities, they became useful beasts and entered into the family home as domesticated pets. The paintings of domesticated cats left me indifferent. As did the famous

Back from Turkey and onto Roubaix. An hour and a half door to door trip for me. The last Picasso exhibition had been in Switzerland. This time it was a very different discovery. An intimate portrait done by the photographer David Douglas Duncan of Picasso over 17 years. I had planned to do this trip at the beginning of February. 

 Inside the museum Art Deco arch Entrance to La Piscine A little about «La Piscine». Or perhaps the Pool. An Art and Industry museum located in Roubaix which is about a 10 minute train ride from Lille in the north of France. It once housed a indoor swimming pool with a very art deco interior. The pool was closed in 1985 and remodeled into a museum which opened in 2000. The entrance is rather cold and off putting but once inside it is delight I had planned to arrive from Paris at the end of the morning. Most people are eating at this time and museums tend to be pretty empty. Self portrait 1957  This was the first image that greeted me.

I maybe an old stone but I find it very difficult to relate to them. So why was I going to Turkey? For over a year now we have been receiving offers for extremely cheap trips to discover Turkey. As I had seen mine in «Beaux Arts» magazine, I was tempted because of what could be a cultural adventure. The reservation was made for last November but had to be canceled and then again for April but this time unfortunately, Pierrette needed to cancel. There was no reason for me to do so. The trip tempted me as traveling with Pierrette in an organized group would be fun. Otherwise my experience of group travel is scored at 0 and it is something I never choose to do alone. Here I was in for a full week.  

And very apprehensive about the whole deal.  1600 kilometres in a week  

We were to discover the major sites travelling from Antalya up to Ephesus on the mediterranean coast and then inland back though Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Perge and home. Apart from Ephesus the names mea