SHARING WITH ME

We were to go and see the Australian exhibition this afternoon, but Swanie bowled me over. If anything, she is beautiful and square young lady and certain subjects are tut-tutted....so when she suggested that we went to see «Sexual Nature» - the sexuality of animals, I could have been struck down by a feather. Animals and the two legged human variety apparently do not come under the same banner. This is a moving exhibition which has come from the National History Museum in London. I don’t think anyone will disapprove if I take their article discreetly from the home page. Sexual Nature leaves little to the imagination. From the moment visitors enter the exhibition’s sensual low-lit environment, they’ll see and hear mother nature at her most sexually active as we explore how animals do it. Visitors will see courtship rituals and seduction techniques, from moonwalking manakin birds to present-giving dance flies. They’ll also see the aggressive side of sexual nature and discover some ...

Many years ago my father told me that from his point of view, the Japanese did not have a sense of humour. He must have known something as he lived in the country for over ten years, worked there and spoke the language fluently. For over ten years, I too went back and forth from France working with the Japanese but really never understood if they were sending me up or being very serious. Was it black humor? After years of to and fro, one Japanese colleague finally asked me to dinner at a sensible hour, 7pm and not at 5pm. Women’s dining time. I thanked him and he added, «You are no longer an object of desire so I can ask you out late.....» Charming. I had just had my 40th birthday but he wasn’t to know that. During the same visit it was hot and I asked to go out and buy a suitable Tshirt. The young woman accompanying me took me to a second hand «grandmother’s outlet». I scowled and asked her how old she thought I was - «very old» she answered» - «like my grandmother who is 55». Getting...

The Bee's Hotel One of those gray Parisian days when the night closes in before 5 and the skies are ominous. It was the last day of an annual FIAC display (International Contemporary Art Fair) in the Jardin des Plantes. I wandered down. I felt like one of the many school children dashing around the gardens looking for the sculptures. I only came across three or perhaps four, but there were a couple of other oddities which amused me. Then I heard a passer by comment ....."looks as if they have already taken most away" Oh well, have to wait to see  what next year brings.  A discovered stone formation FIAC FIAC FIAC FIAC ?

A far cry from «Botswanian» elephants or «Cappadocian» lava sculptures were the two exhibitions I saw this week on my return. I must admit I was anxious to see something in the art line again. My list of exhibitions to see is long so somewhat surprising that I started off with two which really did not send me into raptures. The Raphael at the Louvre This was the period in which his style attained its full maturity, marking without a doubt the apogee of the Italian Renaissance. All of the works presented—church altarpieces, paintings for private devotion,  official portraits contrasted with remarkably subtle portraits of friends, as well as a selection of the artist’s most beautiful drawings—attest to Raphael’s extraordinary inventiveness, technical perfection, and unequaled sense of grace. (from the Louvre home page in English ) Guilo Romano and Franscesco Penni (assistants), I knew nothing about, but although I know that Marielle who joined me after our art classes will go ...

Earlier in the year, I had visited the Egean coast in Turkey with a group.             Excursions organized by the Turkish industry at a very competitive price for the service given. A wise move of the government to keep the many tourist hotels and ressorts full the whole year around. The return is when possible that purchases should be made for carpets, gold and leather goods. I had bought a reversible suede/leather three quarter coat in April which is far too sophisticated for me so may replace it this time with what I want. The previous guide,  you may remember, had scolded the group as few articles had been bought. It was a group of teachers who are not highly paid in France and if they chose the trip in question it was because of the price. I guess that meant that Ibrahim  didn't get too many commissions either. Add caption If I had chosen to do a second trip of this nature it was to come to Cappadoce - my ...