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Hakone – Part I

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Driving from Yugawara to Hakone proper today, up some beautiful winding mountain roads. I noticed from my last trip to Japan that when you’re out and about in a car, and you encounter gorgeous scenery, there are rarely places to pull over and enjoy the view. In Australia, lookouts seem to be everywhere there’s even a slight elevation in the road, along with some big board of information to tell you what you are looking at. Here they seem very few and far between.

Looking back towards Tokyo.

The elusive Mt Fuji! Sadly, without any snow on top… apparently it’s the first time in 130 years there has been no snow on Mt Fuji in October. Signs of rapid climate change are all around us. The hovering low cloud is reminiscent of so many iconic Japanese prints and artworks.

These guys pulled up in their car and at first I was like, ‘Hey! Way to block the view!’, but they have a cute little K-car so we forgive them.

When we arrived in Hakone, we did a quick scout out of the Hakone Checkpoint area. The Hakone Checkpoint was originally an inspection facility during the Edo period (1603-1868) and was dedicated to keeping the city of Edo (Tokyo as was) safe. There were up to 50 checkpoints scattering across the country during this era but most were abandoned when the Edo Period ended. From what I’ve read the Hakone Checkpoint is the only one that has been restored. It was rebuilt and renovated in 2007, using the traditional building tools and techniques from the Edo Period. I am planning on coming back this way in a couple of weeks to visit the site – but so not going near it on a public holiday weekend!

The little shopping street leading up the Checkpoint has many craftsman who create the traditional ‘Yosegi Zaiku’ workwork that has its origins in the mountains of Hakone. The craft has hundreds of years of history and is designated as a special Japanese cultural treasure, and utilises naturally different coloured timber laid out in intricate geometrical designs and patterns to make complex and beautiful timber products.

Hakone Karakuri Musuem – showcases the techniques used to make the Yozegi Zaiku masterpieces. There is a small museum which displays how the history of the techniques date back to the Edo period, and it was as much as 1000 years ago that local craftsmen began to gather in Hakone to take advantage of the wide varieties of wood available in the mountains here. Initially, the timbers were used to create furniture, but around 200 years ago a noted craftsman named Jinbei Ishikawa developed a technique of co-mingling different colours and grains of woods to make boards and then cut them into thin slices of timber veneer. These thin boards containing the intricate designs are then glued to various boxes, trays, coasters and what have you, to create these beautiful marquetry pieces.

Planes used to create the thin slices of timber decorations.

The work is so beautiful, and showcases some serious woodworking talent.

After checking out the marquetry and resisting buying anything to carry around for the rest of the trip, we sought out something fishy for lunch. We found a sushi restaurant near the Checkpoint, called Daimasa Honten. It was rated 4.2 on the Googles, which is damn near impossible in Japan. The Japanese are notoriously harsh on rating restaurants, they will never complain about food they are served, but they have very high standards and seem to often feel, ‘things can always be better!’ Which seems to sit with the Japanese ideals of perfectionism quite nicely. Anyway, if you’re in Tokyo and see a restaurant with over 4 stars aggregate reviews on Google, just know that’s damn near impossible – and you should go there, the food will be amazing. This place however, could just be lucky enough to have lots of western tourists visiting who are more free and easy with their praise!

I chose a unagi and tuna rice bowl, that is supposed to look like a dragon.. and while the picture on the menu was sort of dragon like if you squint at it from the right – mind did not! 😀
Nevermind though, it was super fresh and really tasty. So all is good with the world.

Yale ordered a donburi set full of all good things. All up, a delicious meal and for a fairly reasonable price (compared to what we would pay for similar in Australia, though admittedly kinda touristy priced for Japan).

After lunch, we took a drive to get to Kitanozake Saryou, and made a quick detour to a photo point on a small side road near the “Old Tokaidō ROad, Ancient Cedar Avenue”. We managed to get some beautiful views of Lake Ashi towards the famous Hakone Tori Gate, and Mt Fuji in the background. As luck would have it, one of the very touristy and famous pirate ships was coming past and made for some beautiful iconic Japanese photos.

Togendai Station – where the ships come in.

Had to do a quick stop at the konbini for some saké… and I’m always amused at the strangeness available at the local shop. Spam nigiri? Hotdog in a bun complete with ketchup and mustard, and how long has that been sitting in that bag? Yikes!

Yale found this enormous chocolate waffle ice cream monstrosity… don’t let the Yale for scale throw you off, this thing was easily as big as my hand!

While in the area for a few days, we took the opportunity to visit the Hakone Venetian Glass Musuem also known as the Hakone Glass Forest or the Ukai. It is located in Sengokuhara in the Ashigarashimo District and I thought the idea of a Venetian glass museum in Japan was going to be something seriously odd… and well, I always love me a bit of absurdity in the morning.

And all these objects are before you even enter.

This is an Insta-famous archway is made entirely of crystals. It is quite striking when the sun hits it, but today it was quite overcast.

I saw this curly white glass sculpture in the middle of the lake and was immediately reminded of Dale Chihuly’s work… but didn’t think that likely as it was a Venetian glass collection, yes? Only to walk around the corner and find a plaque confirming that yes, it is actually a Chihuly.

The Venetian Art Glass Musuem.

I don’t know what this cascade of glass flowers is called or when it was made – but it was interesting.

Glass perfume bottle in the carriage – Italy, c.1860.

Compote bowl and lid in filigrana a reticello techniques. Italian, undated.

Wine glass in filigrana a reticello. Italy, c. 17thC

Glass ship hot work. 18thC Venice.

Mosaic of Doge Niccolo Marcello. This mosaic has a portrait of Niccolo Marcello, who was Doge (admiral) from 1473 to 1474, in the centre. Marcello Marcello’s portrait was repeatedly painted by Venetian painters such as Gentile Bellini and Titian in the 15th and 16th centuries. This mosaic was probably modeled on a portrait painted in a Venetian workshop.

Bottle in rock crystal with two handles, c.16th.

Cave a parfum. c.1870.

Glass rose water sprinkler, 18-19th C.

Insense burner with painting cicada and chrysanthemums, c.1840.

Bottle enameled with figures parading, c. 1500 AD.

Core-formed glass fragrant oil bottle “arybollos” c.6thC.

Flask in opaque-white glass (lattimo), c. 16thC,

Porcelain perfume bottle decorated with florid motif. C. 1760.

Black figure aryballos fragrant oil bottle, c.6thC.

Glass bottle with decoration, c.1C AD.

Toilet bottle, c.1stC AD.

Double head glass flask, c.1stC AD.

Porlain perfume bottle with enamels, c.1891-1920.

Glass perfume bottle “boy hon Fleur’s de Pommies”, c.1919.

Pair of glass perfume bottles in an enamel case, c.1770. This portable perfume set, which was popular at the court during the reign of King Louis XVI, is an extremely elegant case made of octagonal gold with beveled corners and decorated with a tortoiseshell pattern of scattered gold stars. It contains two glass perfume bottles with gold caps. The small gold funnel in the center is used to pour the blended perfume into the bottle. This piece was made as a special order for a French aristocrat.

Set of four glass perfume bottles with ornament case. Italy 19thC.

Mirror in glass mosaics, c.19thC.

Pommander, c.1630… is this made of glass??? I’m not seeing it.

Lamps in Millefiori glass, c.1910.

The Venetian Glass Rose Garden…

All the roses are made in glass… it’s really quite pretty and unfortunately very Insta-worthy. It took some patience to get some photos without the selfie crowd about!

’Le Tre Grazie’, c.1996 : Three bubbles inside the sphere emit rainbows when exposed to light – a eulogy to purity and feminine grace.

’Compenetrazione Dinamica’, 1998. Livid Seguso, glass, marble stone.

The indoor, Chilhuly ‘Form from Light’ exhibit.

The gardens are really pretty and when the sun did peak out from behind the clouds, the sparkling in the glass forest was truly striking.

Onions and Reeds Installation, Dale Chihuly, c.1941.

Such a striking sculpture, and from the ‘40s – it’s hard to believe it’s as old as it is given the nature of the medium.

We also had a chance to go for a walk at the Hakone Open Air Museum. I am not super fond of modern art, but I think expected things to be a little less out of place than the Venetian glass!

”Sphere Mesh” – Francois Morellet, 1962-63, stainless steel.

“Tree Man” – Taro Okamoto, 1971. FRP and paint.

”Grand Striptease” – Giacomo Manzu, 1967, bronze.

“The Weeper” – Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, 1986, Trani stone. Sadly her pond was empty and she wasn’t weeping today.

”my sky hole 84” – Bukichi Inoue, 1984, stainless steel.

I couldn’t find a description of these – there were four of them, and they seemed like kami to me. I will have to look them up when I find some time.

”Big Hand” – Rainer Kriester (German), 1973, aluminium.

“Girl with Rooster” – Shin Hongo (Japanese), 1962, bronze.

”Grandson of the General” – Seibo Kitamura (Japanese), 1918, bronze.

”Eva” – Francesco Messina (Italian), 1949, bronze.

”Pavillion Sculpture” – Max Bill (Swiss), 1969, white granite.

“Van Gogh Walking Through the Fields” – Ossip Zadkine (Russian/French), 1956, bronze.
As I approached this piece, I saw the worn face and the heavy accoutrement and assumed it was going to be a heavily laden fighter with weaponry, it was only as I got closer I could see it wasn’t guns he was carry, and wasn’t until I saw the plaque that it was like, ‘Oh wow, did I read that wrong.’

”Great Prophet” – Pablo Gargallo (Spanish), 1933, bronze.

There is a world famous Picasso museum here, which is full of paintings, ceramics and even tapestries – most of which is created by Picasso himself, and some of which is inspired by the movement. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan. I can understand and appreciate the intent and important of most modern art; it’s just not that appealing to me, personally. Also – no photos. Sad panda face ensues.

”Fairy Chapel” – Satoru Okamoto and Nsenda Lukumwena, 2005, stainless tell, float glass.

Symphonic Sculpture (below) – Gabriel Loire is an 18-meter-tall tower covered entirely in stained glass made from shards of thick glass broken by hand with a hammer. “The intricate designs and patterns allow the outside light to pass through it in complex refracting motions, creating a beautiful, fantastical world.” Oddly, we have perfect weather for this – bright contrast outside makes photographing stained glass tricky.

It’s pretty spectacular… but no Saint Chapelle!! 😛

”Two Piece Reclining Figure: Points” – Henry Moore (British), 1968-70, bronze.

”Family Group” – Henry Moore (British), 1948-49, bronze.

”Miss Black Power” – Niki de Saint Phalle (French), 1968, polyester resin, paint.

“Close III” – Anthony Gormley (British), 1993, iron. I LOVE this piece! It’s so simple and yet speaks to me. The artist’s statement, not so much, but the figure itself. 🙂 ‘The artist recreated his body in iron. The rotatation and orbital revolution of the Earth produces centrifugal force and gravity binding it to the ground.’ Sure… but to me it speaks of years of exhaustion and chronic fatigue and pain.

”The Boxing Ones” – Barry Flanagan.

“Two Eggs” – ??? I have a note here somewhere…

”A Grand Story” – Giuliano Vango (Italian), 2004, Carrara marble.

“Intersecting Space Construction” – Ryoji Goto (Japanese), 1978. FRP, iron and paint – inspired by wire mesh and in praise of human connections.

“Sturm (Storm)” – Matschinksy Denninghoff (German), 1980, stainless steel.

”Spatial Dynamics No. 22” – Nicholas Schöffer (Hungarian/French), 1954-1980, stainless steel.

”Arborescence” – Jean Dubuffet (French), 1971, epoxy resin and paint.

Hakone is lovely, and slightly odd… I look forward to coming back in a couple of weeks.

Cologne

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Cologne Cathedral is enormous! Like most important cathedrals and churches in Europe, it was built on very early Christian sites. In this case, on the site where early Roman Christians met in Cologne around 300AD. The building as it exists today wasn’t started until the high gothic era – around 1248, and unlike many other cathedrals that took hundreds of years to complete, the build plans never changed.

It’s hard to imagine that everyone who worked on the construction of this magnificent cathedral all knew that they would never live to see the endeavour completed. The plan to build the cathedral was started in 1164, when there was an agreed upon transfer of some relics to the town. In 1225, the planning for a bishop’s residence and pilgrimage church were established, and the prior building (from the 9thC) was demolished. In 1248 the foundation stone was laid.

In the 1360s building work slowed down, as the foundations were completed and some areas of the cathedral were already consecrated and put to use as a church. It wasn’t until the 15thC that the south steeple was completed at a massive height of 58m tall. Around 1530, work on the cathedral came to a halt all together as most of the ground floor, the nave, the choir, transepts and two lower storeys became usable.

And it pretty much stayed in that condition until 1794 when the French Revolution troops invaded and the archdiocese of Cologne was abolished. The cathedral was temporarily used as a fodder storage room and also as a makeshift prisoner of war camp! It wasn’t used as a church again until 1801, and the archdiocese wasn’t reestablished until 1821.

Construction eventually resumed on the cathedral in 1842 to be finally completed in 1880 – and all still to the exact same plans that were laid out in 1225! Which is just unbelievable when you think about how difficult it is to get a committee of five people to agree on how a fucking bus shelter should be built these days… let alone be able to keep an enormously intricate build of this calibre, going to the original plans and specifications for over 600 years and generation upon generation of architects, stonemasons, builders and who knows how many other masters and craftsmen, involved. It’s simply amazing.

In WWII, Cologne was reduced to rubble, and the cathedral was severely damaged by numerous bombs. Entire bays of the vaulted ceilings were collapsed and various windows were blasted out. One bomb tore an enormous hole in the western facade and destroyed a supporting buttress which was hastily stored up with makeshift bricks. Due to the construction techniques though, the bulk of the cathedral was able to withstand the shock of the blasts and vibrations. At the end of the war, it stuck out of a massive field of debris and destruction, looking largely undamaged compared to the rest of the city.

These windows were created in 1884, and based on a designed by Johannes Klein. Six of the eight windows were destroyed in WWII and remade in the 1990s.

This picture does not come close to conveying the sense of enormity and proportion this cathedral has. It feels as big as the Hagia Sofia, or the Florence Cathedral, the only other medieval cathedral that I remember feeling this overwhelming sense ginormity is possibly St Peter’s in the Vatican.

Altarpiece of St Claire, c.1350-1360. Oldest existing retable that contains a tabernacle for holding the sacraments. Originally came from the former Franciscan convent of St Clare and has resided in Cologne cathedral since 1811.

The ‘swallows nest’ organ was built in 1998 to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the Cathedral.

Crucifix of Gero (because… donated by some Bishop Gero c.976). At over 1000 years old, and considered one of the first larger than life size sculptures of the midlands, it represents Christ in the moment of death, through which mankind was redeemed. The Baroque altar was added in 1683 by Canon Heinrich von Mering. The Crucifix was said to be miraculous, and has been especially venerated over the centuries.

Statue of Grace depicting Our Lady, decorated with jewellery – also known as the Schmuckmadonna (great name!).

I just can’t get over the scale of this place.

Altarpiece of St Agilolph carved timber and painted. Antwerp c.1520.
From the former collegiate church of Our Lady at the Steps (St Maria ad Gradus).

St Heribert’s Shrine, c.970. Heriberto was born in Worms to Count Hugo and Tietwista – his maternal half brother was Heinrich, Bishop of Wurzburg. Silver, gilded, gold, precious gems and enamel, Cologne. It is under glass and has a rope around it so it ws difficult to photograph – but stunning enamel work!

St Christoper statue, Tilman van der Burch, c.1470.

Intricate mosaics cover 1,350sqm of the cathedral floor and are based on designs by August Essenwein – and created and laid 1885-1892 by Villeroy and Boch in Mettlach (believe it or not!). Villeroy and Boch… not just overpriced crystal! 😉

The Altarpiece of the City’s Patron Saints – originally created c.1445 the triptych is attributed to Stephan Lochner, Cologne. The central panel portrays Adoration of the Magi flanked by St Ursula and her companion, St Gereon, partron saints of Cologne.

Altapeice of the Magi, Wilhelm Mengelberg, c.1892.

From the crypt below the cathedral:

Visitors are able to climb the 533 steps into the south steeple for amazing views over the city of Cologne. It brings you to 100m above the ground…needless to say, me and my bung knee didn’t make the climb, but Angus did.

The Cologne Cathedral is truly impressive; it’s no wonder it was included in the original 1978 listings of World UNESCO Heritage sites. It was declared endangered in 2004 as there were plans in place to build several high rise buildings close to the Cathedral, but it was delisted from being endangered in 2006 when city planners thankfully came to their senses and put a limit on the height of modern buildings near the cathedral. It would have drastically altered the city skyline had they built up right beside it.

Some clever fundraising… hearts with the flags of all nations. For some reason, people can’t help themselves but pop some coins onto their own flags. The American heart even had a bunch of USD$1 notes plonked on it.

The Cologne Cathedral also has a rather impressive collection in their Domskammer / Treasury, which was an amazing labyrinth of tunnels underground at the back of the cathedral.

Reliquary monstrance. Cologne, c.1500. Silver, copper, gilded, rock crystal and glass.

Reliquary of the Cross from St Mary ad Gradus.
Constantinople, mid-end of the 12thC. Figures, wings and ornaments, Cologne, c.1240.
This reliquary was reset in the late Romanesque times with pieces of a Byzantine relic casket containing pieces of The Cross.

Shrine of St Engelbert. Goldsmith: Conrad Dulsbergh.
Casket Designer: Jeremiah’s Geisselbruhn. Relief Designer: Augustin Braun
Cologne, 1633, silver, partly gilded.

Reliquary of St Vincent de Paul, c.1800, silver, gilded.

Reliquary of the Cross with spectacle-glass.
Workshop of Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen, 16thC. Silver, gilded, spectacle-glass.

Statue of a deacon holding a reliquary of King Melchior. 16thC, Cologne.
Silver, gilded, glass reliquary, bronze, partly gilded, silver plated, precious stones.

Hammer and trowel, Wilhelm Pullack, Cologne, c.1842. Silver and ebony.
These tools were used by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussi when he laid the foundation stone for the completion of Cologne Cathedral on 4th Sept 1842.

Shrine of the Magi, Cologne, late 12thC.
inner wooden construction of the sharing, oak, glass, copper, gilded.

Reliquary Monstrance with links from St Peter’s Chains.
Cologne, c.1500, Silver, copper, gilded, rock crystal and glass.

Necklaces/Collars of the Mayors of the city of Koln
Cologn, 1954-1955. Gold, niello gold and silver gilded on bronze and garnet.

The Domskammer really feels like you’re walking around in a medieval vault.

Left: Crosier of Philippus Cardinal Krementz, Archbishop of Cologne (1885-1899)
– Unknown artist, Rhineland, 1868, silver, gilded and enameled.
Centre: Crosier of Herman Jospeh Schmitz, Auxiliary Bishop of Cologne (1893-1988),
– Peter Oediger, Krefeld, 1893, silver, partly gilded and enameled.
Right: Crosier of Hubertus Theophilus Samar, Archbishop of Cologne (1900-1902)
– Gabriel Hermeling, Cologne 1892, silver, gilded, enamel, precious stones.

Left: Chalice Franz Christoph Mederle. Augsburg. c. 1750. Silver, gilded.
Right: Chalice, Augsburg, late 18thC. Silver, gilded.

The Lamb of the Apocalypse. Johann Heinrich Rohr, Cologne, c.1774-1780. Silver, brass, partly gilded.

Monstrance. Franz Christoph Mederle, Augsburg, 1749/51.
Pendants: c1516. Gold, silver, gilded, and precious stones.

Necklace c.1657. Donated by Archbishop Maximilian Heinrich as jewellrey for the Schmuckmadonna.
Christian Schweling, Cologne, gold, enamel, previous stones

Matching bracelet – also by Christian Schweling, Cologne, c.1657.

Processional Cross – Silver, copper, gilded, enamel and precious stones.
Enamel plates: Limoges c.1200.
Setting: Cologne, c.1220.

The Sumptuous Monstrance. Christian Schweling, Cologne, c.1657/58.
Destroyed in 1975 when theives broke into the Treasury and reconstructed by Peter Bolg 1978-1987 using original pieces. Gold, silver, gilded, enamel, rock crystal, precious stones, pearls.

Epitaph of Jakob von Crzny, Brussels, c.1518. Bronze, gilt, brass and enamel.

Bust Reliquary of St Gregory of Spoleto. Cologne, c. 1500.
Silver party gilded, gold ring with precious stone.

Bust Reliquary of St Sebastian.
Franz Wusten, Cologne, c.1875. Silver, partly gilded, enamel, precious stones.

Reliquary of St Walburga. Wilhelm Sittmann, Cologne, c.1765. Silver Gilded.

Reliquary. Johann Heinrich Rohr, Cologne, c.1766. Silver, gilded.

Two Angels as Candleholders. Cologne, c.1500, Brass, silver, partly gilded.

Left: Censer, Rhineland, c.1500, silver.
Right: Censer, Cologne, late 16thC lid, 20thC charcoal holder and foot. Silver.

Chalices all from Cologne.
Left: 15thC silver/gilded. Centre: early 14thC, silver/gilded. Right: late 15thC, silver/gilded, enamel.

Monstance, Cologne, c.1400. Silver, gilded, enamel, mother of pearl.
Donated to the Cathedral by Maria Theresia Schaefhaueun in 1846.

Electoral Sword: c.1480-90. Sheath: c.1515-1547. Cologne, Silver, partly gilded, enamel, steel, velvet.
Gothic Bishop’s Crosier: Cologne, c.1322. Silver, partly gilded, enamel.
The bishop’s crosier and the electoral sword are the symbols of spiritual and secular authority of the archbishops of Cologne. The Crosier is from the consecration of the Gothic Cathedral Choir in 1322. The sword from the reign of Archbishop Hermann von Hessen (1480-1508).

Details of above:

Chalice with paten and spoon. Heinrich J Wilma. Düsseldorf, c. 1893.
Silver, gilded, enamel, precious stones and pearls.

Chalice with paten and spoon, Franz Wusten, Cologne, c.1888. Silver, gilded and enamel.

Altar braid from the High Altar of Cologne Cathedral. Cologne, completed prior to 1518.
Silk, and gold threads. The altar braid was believed to have been bestowed by Dean of the Cathedral, Friedrich von Simmen-Sponheim. The coats of arms of his parents are appliquéd onto both ends of the braid.

Fragment of the canopy of the Madonna of Milan, Cologne, c.1280/90.
Limestone with traces of colouration.

Four apostles of the jamb of the portal of Cologne Cathedral, c.1375. Limestone
Behind: Saints Andrew, Peter, Paul and John.
Front: Angel with a bell, St Catherine, a Prophet.

Detail: the Prophet.

Prophet from the reading desk in the choir of the cathedral. Cologne, c.1300. Tuff with colouration.


Grave goods from a Frankish woman’s tomb. Located under the inner choir during renovations in 1959 were these objects belonging to a young woman of approximately 28 years old. Personal objects were burning with noble perons at that time and included these lavish jewellery items.

Rosette brooches. Gold, garnets. Frankish.

Strap tags from cross garterings. Gold and garnets.

Bow brooches, gold, garnets.

Spherical pendant. Gold, rock crystal or moonstone. Frankish.

Six Capitals – Master of the Laacher Samson, Cologne, c.1200. Limestone.

Dalmatic and stole from the Capella Clementina. Paris, c.1742. Silver fabrics, gold embroidery.

Pluvial and five mitres of the Capella Clementina, Paris, c.1742.
A forty-four piece trousseau of silver fabrics and gold embroidery.
These splendid vestments were ordered in Paris by Clemens August von Wittelsbach, Archbishop of Cologne on the occasion of the coronation of his brother, the Emperor Karl VII – 12th February 1742.

Chasuble and mantle of the Capela Clementina, Paris, c.1742. Silver fabrics and gold embroidery.

Pectoral Cross and ring. Johann Bernhardt Clausius, Frankfurt AM, c.1769. Silver, precious stone.

Burse with the Virgin on the Crescent. Germany, late 19thC. Silk, gold and silver threads.

Cope of the Angels Vestements. Germany, c.1713. Silk, gold and silver threads.

Book Cover, Johann Franz Weissweiler, Cologne, early 18thC. Silver.

Book of Hours, Early 17thC. Leather, silver, gilded, iron.

St Peter’s Banner, Wilhelm Mengelberg (design), Minna Peters (worked), Neuss, c.1899.
Cotton, silk, gold and silver metal threads, glass stones and pearls.

Magi’s Banner. Wilhelm Mengelberg (design), Minna Peters (worked), Neuss, c.1899.
Cotton, silk, gold and silver metal threads, glass stones, pearls.

Chasuble with coat of arms of the Hirzelin Family, Cologne, c.1480 (appliqué work).
Ground cloth replaced in 1963. Silk, linen, gold and silver metal threads.

Pluvial brooch with a figure of St Hubert. Gabriel Hermeling, Cologne, c.1892. Silver, gilded, enamel.

Crosier: Belonging to Johannes Cardinal Geissel (Archbishop of Cologne 1842-1864).
– Made by Gabriel Hermeling, Cologne, c.1862. Silver, gilded, enamel.
Mitre: Belonging to Johannes Cardinal Geissel (Archbishop of Cologne 1842-1964).
– Unknown artist, Lyon, c.1850. Silk, gold, glass stones .

Magi’s Chasuble. Joseph Grossé, Bruges, c.1901. Silk, gold and silver thread.

1) Mitre of Joseph Hammels, Auxiliary Bishop of Cologne, 1924-1944. Germany, c.194. Silk, gold threads, glass stones. 2) Bishop’s ring of Antiochus Cardinal Fischer (Archbishop of Cologne 1903-1912), made by August Witte, Aachen, c.1904. Gold and precious stones. 3) Crosier of Peter Josef Lausberg (Auxiliary Bishop in Cologne 1914-1922), made by Leo Moldrickx, Cologne, c.1914. Silver, enamel, precious stones, ivory, pearls.

Large Plate, Friedrich Toussaint, Aachen, c.1900. Silver, gilded, enamel.

Dalmatic, Peter Hecker (design) Cologne, c.1922. Erica Freund (embroidery), Cologne, c.1927.
Silk, gold, threads, steel, pearls and glass pearls.

Pluvial accessories. Peter Heckler (designer of the cope) Cologne, c.1922. Erika Freund (embroidery), Cologne, c.1927. silk, gold threads, steel pearls, glass pearls.

After the cathedral and the amazing Domskammer – we made sure to take a break and visit the famous Peter’s Brauhaus for pork knuckles and schnitzels! Of course. It was a really cool place, great facade on the building and they have a massive overflow dining area across the road, up the street a little and in the square – which was packed at the moment due to all the football fans that are here for the 2024 EuroCup but aren’t using the Fan Zones.

We managed to get a table inside.

I wanted to see the stained glass ceiling, and I did, but it was packed with people and it was impossible to get a photo of it without snapping all these folks mid-forkful, so, below is a pic I unscrupulously stole off the internet.

Naturally I went for a schnitzel, which was such a polite portion of food compared to Angus’ enormous pork knuckle dinner! So much potato though – didn’t eat any of it. I’m going to look like a schnitzel by the time we leave Germny… the cuisine here is not ideal for someone who doesn’t like sausages and refuses to eat bread or potatoes. 😛

Totally forgot to take an ‘after’ picture – he demolished that thing!

Aachen

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Aachen was I think originally a spa town? It is mostly known now for the stunning Aachen Cathedral and its Domschatzkammer (treasury). I’ve wanted to see both for years now, so was glad of the opportunity to break up our drive to Cologne with a stop through Aachen.

On first inspection, the cathedral looks pretty ‘normal’ on the outside, but the interior is unlike any other medieval cathedral in central Europe.

Charlemagne began the construction of Aachen Cathedral in approximately 796 AD. The design and construction is credited to Carolingian architect Odo of Metz. The date it was finished isn’t exactly known, but it was consecrated by Pope Leo III in 805 AD. Charlemagne was buried in the chapel in 814. The chapel has a storied history of pilgrims, and damage… including significant damage during a Viking raid in 881 and subsequent restoration in 983AD.

The Aachen Pilgrimage is one of the great Christian pilgrimages – comparable to those of Jerusalem, Rome and the Santiago de Compostela. Four significant relics are believed to reside in the Aachen Cathedral, which ave drawn pilgrims since 1239AD… including, the swaddling cloths of the baby Jesus, the loincloth of Jesus, a dress worn by the Virgin Mary and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist! That’ll get them medieval tourists a running!

The mosaic ceilings in here are incredible!

During World War II, Aachen and the cathedral were heavily damaged by allied bombing attacks and artillery fire. Thankfully most of the cathedral’s artistic objects had been removed for more secure storage during the war, and the underlying basic structure of the building survived the bombings. Large parts of the 14thC choir hall and altar were destroyed beyond repair. A reconstruction effort was undertaken and over the next 30 years, an estimated modern day €40 million was spent to restore the cathedral.

The octagonal central nave of the cathedral was erected as the chapel of the nearby Palace of Aachen. It was built c. 796-805 and was modelled on other contemporary Byzantine style buildings – like the Little Hagia Sophia in (then) Constantinople. The design influence is very recognisable. The span and height of the Charlemagne’s chapel remained the largest of its kind in Northern Europe for over 200 years.

The intricate mosaics are simply breathtaking!

In the centre of the octagonal chapel hangs the Barbarossa Chandelier, which was made c. 1165-1170, on the order of Emperor Frederick I and his wife, Beatrice. The chandleries was a sacerdotal offering from these patrons in honour of Mary, Mother of God, and simultaneously represented a tribute to Charlemagne.

Looking up from the floor through the Barbarossa Chandelier…

This cathedral isn’t as large as many other grand cathedrals, but everywhere you look there is intricate mosaics and gorgeous designs adorning the walls, ceilings and even the floors. It’s visually quite arresting.

The Cathedral’s main chapel with its Golden Altar piece – known as the Pala D’Oro, which was built in 1020.

The golden Pala d’Ora today forms the antependium of the high altar and has 17 gold panels with reliefs completed using repoussé techniques. The centre has Christ as the centre of the world, and he is flanked by Mary and the Archangel Michael.

The Marienschrein (the Shrine of Mary) is the primary reliquary in the centre of the main chapel. It was bestowed upon the Cathedral around 1220 and consecrated in 1239. This is where we are told the objects believed to be ‘contact relics’, are housed – the swaddling clothes of the baby Jesus, the loincloth of Jesus, a dress of Mary’s and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist. The Marieschrein is one of the most important goldsmith’s works of the 13thC and records indicate it became an object of great interest and pilgrimage almost immediately. The casket has been variously handled by many pilgrims, and used in many processions sustaining quite a bit of damage over the centuries… it was refurbished in 2000 and has been en vitrine ever since (bar a yearly inspection and cleaning).

The fabulously golden pulpit is called the ‘Ambon of Henry II’. It is in a shape built by Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor and is heavily decorated with antique bowls, ivory carvings, chess figures, reliefs of various evangelists. The ambon was moved from the octagon to its present place in 1414. It is considered a significant artwork of the Ottonian period. I love it when there are lots of information plaques about – you can learn so much, but it does make me wonder how much I’m missing at sites with less info.

So shiny! And stuffed full of large gems.

The Shrine of Charlemagne is located in the rear of the main cathedral. Ever since 1215 this shrine has held the mortal remains of Charlemagne (who karked it in, like, 814 and was canonised in 1165). The emperor’s bones are surrounded by depictions of 16 of his successors.

Everywhere you look there are beautiful motifs and decorations… pelican. 🙂

St Nicholas’ Chapel built c.1474 – it is two stories high and contains a large rosary window.

Stepping outside the cathedral, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the light – and also there’s a slight disbelief that this outwardly innocuous building could contain such amazing decorative arts. It’s somewhat surreal.

Around the corner (literally) is the Aachen Domschatzkammer – the Aachen Treasury, where all their lavish and famous artefacts are housed. The Aachen Cathedral Treasury houses one Europe’s most renowned church treasuries – a unique collection of precious works collected across the long history of Aachen Cathedral. There are objects from the late classical period, the Carolingian, Ottonian, Saturnian and high gothic periods.

Left: Charlemagne with a miniature of Our Lady of Aachen Cathedral, Rheinland, Aachen c.1460., oil on wood. With the rise of heraldry in the 12thC, Charlemagne is depicted wearing the heraldry of France and Germany, even though such devices would not have been in use during his lifetime.
Right: Charlemagne, by Wilhelm Schmitz, Aachen 1886, painted wood sculpture. Wearing Frankish clothing, a crown, orb and sword – this figure originally adorned the Altar of St Peter.

Charlemagne from the Ambon of Henry II, Master goldsmith Franz Anton Cremer, Aachen 1816/17. The relief is designed on a copperplate engraving from 1632 after the original Ottonian Ambon was damaged during French Occupation (1794-1814).

Vessel for Holy Water bearing designs of ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries. Ivory, precious stones and gilded silver, silver and bronze. West German/Lorraine, c.1000 with later handle added in 1863.

Golden Book Cover, depicting the Virgin Mary with Child and scenes from Jesus’ life. Ivory panel Byzantine, 10thC. Rhineland production – gold, precious stones, enamel, antique engraving, gems and ivory.

Winged Altarpice, with the Mass of St Gregory flanked by saints and the Virgin Mary and Child.
Central Shrine of oak, sculptures lime or poplar. Hildensheim, c.1525.

Cope brooch depicting patron saints Anthony and Mark. Gilded silver, pearls, precious stones, enamel.
Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen, prior to 1520.

Ostensories. Guilded copper.
Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen 16thC.

Reliquary, guilded silver and rock crystal. Hans von Reutlingen c. 1515.

Chalice and Paten. Silver-gilt and engraved. Aachen, 15thC.

Monstance, gilded silver, with diamants. Hans von Reutlingen, Aix-la-Chapelle c.1520.

Winged Altarpiece depicting a Passion of Christ.
Master of the Aachen Altar, Cologne, c.1515-1520. oil on oak.

Pouring Vessels – aquamantile in the shape of a lion. Cast bronze, Rhein-Meuse region, c. 1170-1180

Pouring vessel – aquamanile in the shape of a wreathed bust. Case bronze, gilded.
Aachen, c.1170-1180.

Altarpiece depicting the Crucifixion of Christ and a kneeling benefactor, Count of Sayn.
Master of the Legend of Georg, Cologne, c.1460.

Enamel panel with Christ in his Majesty. Guilded copper and enamel.
Meuse Region, c.1180, converted into a Cope Brooch with he addition of filigree work in 1870.

Crux Gremmata- Cross of Lothair.
Wooden core, gold, gilded silver, precious stones, pearls, enamel.
Rheinland – possibly Cologne? – last quarter of the 10thC. Pedestal added later c.1370-1399

Relief Panel with Jesus’ birth, baptism in the River Jordan. Ivory, Meuse region c.1100.

Chapel Reliquary with the Virgin Mary and child, Charlemagne and St Catherine.
Silver, mostly gilded, pearls, previous stones and enamel. Aachen mid 14thC.

Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne with Crown. Contains a piece of the skullcap of Charlemagne.
Partially gilded silver, precious stones, antique engraved gems, enamel crown.
Crown: Possibly Prague (?) prior to 1349.
Bust: Aachen, after 1349.

Chapel Reliquary with Christ together with the Saints John the Baptist and Stephanus.
Gilded silver, precious stones, enamel. Aachen c.1370-1390.

Arm Reliquary of Charlemagne – contains the ulna and radius from the right arm of Charlemagne.
gilded silver, enamel. Lyon, France, 1481.

Hunting Horn of Charlemagne – signalling horn.
Horn: Ivory, gilded silver. Egyptian 11thC.
Carrying Strap: velvet with stitched-on device. 14th & 17th additions.

Dagger – Hunting Knife of Charlemagne
Knife: pattern-welded irony, wooden handle with brass fittings. Anglo-Saxon/Scandinavian 8thC
Sheath: leather, gold, previous stones, glass, 11thC.

Reliquary Pendant – Pectoral Cross of Charlemagne.
Gilded silver, precious stones and pearls. Liege, Belgium, 12thC.

Lucas Madonna, pilgrims token – casting stone and cast. 17thC.

Proserpina Sarcophagus – depicting the abduction of Proserpina.
Marble, first quarter of the 3rdC AD.

Capps Leonie – Cope and Coronation Robe.
Silver velvet, silk, gold and silver thread. Gilded silver rosettes, 100 silver bells without clappers, pearls and precious stones. Location unknown, constructed prior to 1349, altered 1520.

Chasuble of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux – Priest’s Garment.
Blue silk, pearls, embroidery, gold/silver embroidery. Aachen c. 1170/80. Ground fabric renewed 17thC.

Cupboard Panels c.1881-1918. Oil on timber.
Left: Saint Victorious was a Roman military offical – depicted with a crown sceptre and imperial orb.
Centre: Saint Wenceslas (903-935) promoter of the church and consolidated Christianity in Bohemia.
Right: Saint Leonardus, lived c.500AD. Depicted as an abbot with a tonsure, chasuble and crosier.

Silk embroidery – Virgin of Mercy, depicting benefactors of Mary of Burgundy and Emperor Maximilian I of Austria. Silk, gold and silver embroidery on linen. Brussels before 1473.

Crown of Margaret of York. Glides silver, pearls, enamel, precious stones. England. C.1461.

Icon, Virgin Mary with Child. Tempura on wood. Andreas Ritzos, Crete, early 16thC.

Statuette Reliquary – Virgin Mary with Child, silver, partially gilded, amethyst. Aachen c.1280.

Cope Brooch, with the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Gilded silver. Aachen early 15thC.

Adoration of hate Child Jesus in the holiday night.
Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1520, oil/tempura on wood.

Cope Brooch with the Annunciaton to the Virgin Mary and the Saints Christoper and Cornelius and kneeling benefactor. Gilded silver, pearls and enamel. Aachen or Cologne – c.1360-1370.

Life of the Virgin Mary of Aachen – Eight panel paintings with depictions of the life of the Virgin Mary.
Master of the Life of the Virgin Mary of Aachen, Cologne, c. 1485. Oil on oak.

Ornamental Necklace.
Necklace: gilded silver, enamel, pearls. Pendant: gold, enamel. Paris or Burgundy, c.1400-1450.

Altar of Fralkenstein – winged altarpiece with Virgin Mary and Child, the saints Mathew, Erasmus, Mary of Egypt and on wings, benefactors Kuno and Werner of Kalkenstein being commended to Saints Peter and Paul. Tempera on canvas covered wood. Aachen, early 15thC.

Enthroned Virgin Mary with Child, wooden sculpture – oak with 19thC painting.
Rhine-Meuse region, early 14thC.

Reliquaries : rock crystal, precious sonnets, antique sardonyx, cut onyx, translucid enamel
All from Prague, c.1360
Left: Reliquary for a Girdle of Christ
Centre: Reliquary for a Girdle of the Virgin Mary
Right: Reliquary for the Scourge of Christ.

Disc Reliquary with relics and scenes of the Passion of Christ.
Gilded silver, pearls, rock crystal, precious stones, translucid enamel. Vienna c. 1340-1350.

Simeon Reliquary – Reliquary with the Presentaiton of Jesus at the Temple.
Gilded silver, precious stones, enamel, stone cuttings. Aachen, c.1330-1340.

Shring of Saint Spec – Relic Chest with relics of Saint Spes/Speus. Wooden chest, ivory, gilded copper, gilded silver. Southern Italy c.11th-12thC. Metal straps: Aachen, c.1165-1170.

Shrine of Saint Felix – relic chest with relics of St Felix.
Wood, silver, enamel. Italy, 11thC.

Reliquary of Saint Anastasius- Reliquary for the skull of Saint Anastasius.
Partially gilded silver, niello. Antioch, c.969-970.

Heraldic Chest of Richard of Cornwall – Wooden chest with 40 enamel medallions.
Cedar with red glaze, gilded copper and enamel medallions. Limoges, France, c.1258.

Chalices, gilded silver, filigree, corals. Hungary, 16thC.

Koormantelgespen – Cope brooches. Silver, gilded silver, and silver enamel. Hungary, before 1367.

Reliquary Chalices, gilded silver, filigree, corals. Hungary, 16thC.

Painting in gold work frame. Virgin Mary with Child in an Eastern Orthodox style.
Painting: Tempura on wood. Frame: Gilded silver, enamel and previous stones. Hungary, c.1367.

Wow, Aachen sure delivers on the fine medieval decorative art pieces. I loved every bit of it… yes, I am aware no one else is going to want to read through all this, but one day I’ll go back through it all.

Heidelberg with bonus Castle

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Heidelberg! Such a cool little town in southwestern Germany on the Neckar River. It is mostly famous as a university town. Heidelberg University was founded in the 14th century and the place, unsurprisingly, has a real student hangout kinda vibe. Lots of cafés, a bit of street art, and I understand they have amazing Christmas markets here. There is also a Literature Festival happening here at the moment, which is adding to the student ambiance – lots of people sitting in cafes reading a book of all things! The red-sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a noted example of Renaissance architecture, stands on Königstuhl hill and we plan on checking that out if time allows.

The European Cup is on at the moment and everywhere is football mad. There are bus loads of football tourists everywhere. It’s largely the reason why we are in Germany for this trip – where there is sporting events, there is event transport requirements, which is huge part of what we are doing with our US clients for the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics – study tour ahoy. The Fan Zones are really interesting study in the logistical management of inebriated patrons!

Anyway, Saturday, so sightseeing at the Heidelberger Schloss.

The ruins of Heidelberg Castle dominate the skyline over the town. It has only been partially rebuilt since it’s near total demolition in the 17thC and 18thC. It is about 80m up the northern face of the Königstuhl mountainside and you can’t miss it from the Altstadt.

The earliest part of the castle construction was started back in 1214 and was later expanded into two large castles to hold an ever expanding court in 1294. In 1537 however, a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle (photos of the split tower of the upper castle are below), and the present structures were then expanded from that time until 1650. The castle copped more damage from the Palapatine Wars and other fire incidents, and would you believe it? Another lightening bolt struck the caste in 1764, this time hitting a gun powder store, which utterly obliterated much of the rebuilt sections.

All of which is to say, that the castle is in various parts, ruins, and a hodge-podge of architectural styles from the different periods through which it was originally built, and then rebuilt after destructive events.

I love these big old fortification doors – with the itty bitty door to let people in and out without opening the whole thing.

Above: an obviously older part of the original castle.
Below: the later period Ottheinrichsbau courtyard…

Also inside Heidelberger Schloss is the Deutsche Apotheken Museum – a historical examination of the apothecary’s trade, place of work and products. It follows chronologically through from, traditional medicinal treatments to including a small glimpse at modern pharmacology. At the entrance is a showcase of this beautiful baroque pharmacy interior from the former Benedictine Abbey of Schwarzach (from Rheinmünster in nearby Baden). Beautifully preserved.

As someone with obsessive traits, I absolutely greatly appreciate and adore the orderliness of the apothecary’s store. Everything has its place and it is neatly labelled in delightfully matching jars!

Oooh… *shudder*.

The second elegant pharmacy set up was from the Kronen-Apotheke in Ulm and was built around 1820. The pharmacy owner at the time, Christoph Jacob Faulhaber (1772-1842) had a fondness for fine timber and very precise labels too – bless his cotton socks.

Around the corner from this is a Renaissance room with beautiful support columns that has the Germany Pharmacy Museum (a sort of museum within the museum) that houses an impressive drug collection full of drugs and botanicals. The walls are covered in large display cases that were made in the 1950s, and this part of the museum shares a history of the animal and plant extracts, roots, leaves, herbs and tinctures that were used to treat various ailments throughout history. Every cabinet is stuffed full of secret herbs, mysterious tonics or even poisons!

It was very interesting to look through all these old ‘medicines’ and see just how many of them were substances that we 100% now know to be utterly toxic to humans.

Part of the Drug Museum, had some rather more later period objects – most thanks to the German Bayer pharmaceutical company. Including some early penicillin etc.

The pharmacy below came from the Ursuline Monastery in Klagenfurt (modern day in south-west Austria). It was from 1730 and is an excellent example the extremely popular gold-framed baroque aesthetic of the time. The shelves are full of typical pharmacy vessels, all very colourfully decorated and coming from all different regions – faience and majolica pieces are everywhere. There are also pewter hot water bottles, and a wide variety of pharmacy equipment: scales, horn spoons, spatulas, mortars and weight sets etc. So orderly!

The canisters are beautiful!

The Herbist’s workshop/Herbarium.

Below is a pharmacist’s workshop, which is well fitted out with equipment and vessels. This installation is an example of an 18thC pharmacy, but this style was used well into the 20thC. The table in the centre of the workshop has a slot in the top, which money can be put into enabling drawers to be opened – which somewhat implies that it was potentially ‘self-serve’ in part? Or perhaps that workers were not trusted to openly access all medicines at any time, maybe?

I particularly noted the narwhal tusk (which must have been over 6’ tall/long) and was presumably kept as a novelty of natural history – and hopefully wasn’t used as a medicine?

Who doesn’t like a good taxidermied (or maybe more correctly, it’s tanned?) puffer fish. Which started a wee debate about how cool puffer fish are (FUGU!) and Angus had to educate me on the intricacies and ‘how amazeballs’ a puffer fish skeleton is. You learn something new everyday!

Below is a homeopathic pocket pharmacy from 1836… homeopathy fucking with allogenic medicine for that long – who knew? I always thought it was a recent hippy dippy, ‘I don’t believe in vaccinations’, kinda thing.

Above: a German microscope c.1869 and various lenses in a kit.
Below: early microscope slides with specimens

Benzin petroleum as a medicine… from what I could make out, it was used to clean wounds and cuts, and was also good at removing ‘fatty tissue’ >.> which is a bit vague. Additionally, it was good for cleaning out wounds that had had maggots in them… Yeuck!!

Below is the Augsburg travelling first aid kit that first belonged to a 17thC general. It is made from Ebony and fitted with finely crafted silver furniture, and filled with glass and silver vessels all containing various treatments.

The courtyard of the Schloss.

After exhausting ourselves inside the caste, we took a walk around the gardens and ramparts, getting to see first hand where the destructive lightning strikes had destroyed one of the caste’s towers.

The view back over the modern town of Heidelberg.

Back in the town centre, trying to decipher the civic art. Yep, I had nothing.

Dinner! How surprising to find schnitzel on the menu… I have a feeling this will be the first of many jagerschnitzel dinners this trip.

At the centre of the Altstadt is the enormous Gothic, Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit). It stands some 41m tall and towers over the cafe-lined Marktplatz. The belfry is so tall, and the buildings of the square are built so close that it is impossible to get back far enough to take a photograph of the main facade… though photographic composition was probably not a huge consideration when the build was started in 1398 and finished in 1515.

Inside is a beautiful, but somewhat austere interior. It was originally built as a burial place for the Electors (princes) of the Palatinate, and as a primary place of worship for the residents of the Palatinate city. The various Princes’ graves were devastated during various Wars of Palatinate Succession, so now, only the grave of the builder of the church’s choir remains in the church – Rupert I, who was a German King in charge at the time the choir was built or something? Info can be hard to come by when there are language barriers. The most interesting thing about this place was that from 1706 to 1936, it was divided into two by a dividing wall… the nave was used for Protestant services, and the choir end was used for Catholic services. Fancy that!? Protestants and Catholics sharing like proper neighbours for 200 years! Since 1936, the whole church has belonged to the Evangelical Church of Baden.

The Catholic end…

I saw this striking armoury of heraldry, presumably belonging to notable local families. A little investigation relevance that they belonged to, wait for it… “The Society With The Donkey!” Yeah, I didn’t make that up. It was also called the ‘The Donkey’, ‘Zum Esel’, ‘Ober-Esel’, ‘Turniergesllschaft zum Esel’ and ‘Nieder-Esel’ – because every Donkey Society needs a bunch of secret handshake nomenclature. I’m just totally WTF’ing at this, in case you haven’t noticed. The Donkey Society dates back to 1387 and was like a knights’ association – it actually reads a bit like a union or guild (more that than a chivalric order), and it included members of the high nobility who were important during the reign of King Rupert (1400-1410). This frieze was only discovered in 1936 when the church reverted back to Evangelical ownership. How BIZARRE!

Top left is St George and the Virgin, which are a little hard to make out.

There are lots of cute little squares dotted throughout the Altstadt which no doubt were used as market spaces initially, and house public water fountains etc.

There are loads of huge and gorgeous waterfront properties on the Neckar River, just alongside the famous Heidelberg Bridge. I wouldn’t even want to hazard a guess as to real estate values just here.

Near the Old Heidelberg Bridge is the legendary Heidelberg Monkey – according to the myth, the monkey is meant to remain people who cross it from other side to look over their shoulder at where they have come from. Whether a person is coming from within the city or living outside the city, it was supposed to remind everyone that all were equal and no one is better than their inner city/outer city dwelling counterparts. Sounds much like a ‘Northside/Southside of Brisbane’ thing to me; so I’m sure the monkey had it’s work cut out for it because, as we all know, Southsiders are far better! Represent!

This current statue – depicts a monkey holding up a mirror to passersby, and was only placed here in 1979, but apparently there has been a monkey statue at this spot documented back to the 15thC… the original one was said to have been clutching it’s butt at people, but it sadly disappeared around the Palatinate War of Succession (1689-1693). You can stand under the head of this monkey and have your photo taken with your eyes showing out from above his huge cheeks… which seems to be something every man and their dog is trying to do; it’s quite the feat to snap a pic without some random tourist standing under the monkey’s face.

Screenshot

Reckless and Unlawful people – watch out!

Loved Heidelberg… didn’t realise until it was too late, that I missed the Tun by a bee’s dick! Next time.

Musée D’Orsay

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Buying timed tickets to visit museums seems to be the necessity these days… which works okay, if you are travelling just for leisure, I guess and you don’t mind planning out your every single day of what you are doing on your vacation. But when travelling for work, and finding you might have a few hours to squeeze in something cultural – having to have pre-purchased tickets weeks in advanced leaves you at the mercy of some pretty mercenary resellers, mostly found on Trip Advisor links.

We did manage to get tickets for the morning we suddenly had available, but they were general entry and untimed, so that puts you in a different queue to get into the building, and that can mean ages waiting in lines. Thankfully at 0900 on a Saturday morning, the queues weren’t too intolerable and we were able to visit the Musée D’Orsay somewhat spontaneously after all.

Van Gogh self portrait.. another one. Oil on canvas.

Bedroom At Arles.
Vincent Van Gogh, 1888, oil on canvas… this is my favourite Van Gogh painting. I just can’t get over the texture he created which you an only see in person. This painting utterly fails to translate in reproductions.

The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise, View of the Chevet.
Vincent Van Gogh, 1890, oil on Canvas.
Mr K’s favourite. Something to do with a Dr Who episode? Huh?

Chrysanthemums.
Claude Monet, 1878, oil on canvas. Part of the Doctor Gachet collection, I quite liked this painting even though it isn’t typical of Money and has an odd perspective.

The Starry Night.”
Vincent Van Gogh, 1888, oil on canvas.

La Guinguette a Montmartre; Le Billard en bois, La Bonnie franquette.
Vincent Van Gogh, 1886, oil on canvas.

Fritillaires couronne impériale dans un vase de cuivre.
Vincent Van Gogh, 1887, oil on canvas.

Blue Water Lilies.
Claude Monet, 1916-1919, oil on canvas.

En norvégienne, also called, La barque à Giverny.
Claude Monet, 1887, oil on canvas.

Femme au fichu vert.
Camille Pissarro, 1893, oil on canvas.

Foyer de la Danse.
Edgar Degas, 1872, oil on canvas.

Not sure what to make of Degas, I’ve always admired the work and the spaces he depicted of the opera world and the ballet school always lent themselves to beautiful compositions – very elegant and feminine. As I get older though, I wonder whether he was a sneezy presence (like Trump at a beauty pageant) walking in like he owned the place and ogling half-naked, very young women… many of whom were expected to be congenial to patrons of the arts. :/

Blue Dancers.
Edgar Degas, 1893, oil on canvas.

The Ballet Class
Degas, 1874, oil on canvas.

La Place Valhubert.
Armand Guillaumin, 1875, oil on canvas.

La Dame aux éventails.
Édouart Manet, 1873, oil on canvas. The model is Nina de Callias, she was a musician and artiest herself.

City Dance and Country Dance.
Pierre-Augusta Renoir, 1883, oil on canvas.

Le Cathédrale de Rouen. Also called, Harmonie Bleue et Or.
Claude Monet, 1894, oil on canvas.

Woman with a Parasol Facing Right, and Woman with a parasol Facing Left.
Claude Monet, 1885, oil on canvas. The mondella was named Suzanne Hoschedé who was the daughter the impressionist collector Ernest Hochedé, but these were not meant as portraits. His outdoor figures were attempting to capture the landscape as the subject.

Henri-Edmond Cross.
Maximilien Luce, 1898, oil on canvas… I quite like this one, it’s amazing how much detail is conveyed with such frugal brush strokes and no blending to speak of. Beautiful.

Le Quai Saint-Michel et Notre-Dame.
Maximilien Luce, 1901, oil on canvas.

Georges Seurat’s Palette from 1891… what a cool object to have here – obviously it’s oil paint on timber.

The museum has imagery all around the place of the ‘Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte’, which is one of those annoying things museums seem to do these day to create interest – but of course it isn’t here, it’s at the Art Institute of Chicago. They do have some very small studies that were done for the painting though. These are barely A4 in size, the full painting is 2m high and 3m wide.

Circus.
Georges Surat, 1890-1891, oil on canvas. This work is considered incomplete as Surat died prematurely while working on it. I’ve often wondered about the curatorial choices that go into displaying some of these well known or important works – but apparently Surat chose this blue frame himself.

Couple dans la rue.
Charles Angrand, 1887, oil on canvas.

La Seine à Herblay.
Maximilien Luce, 1890, oil on canvas.

Entrée du port de la Rochelle.
Paul Signac, 1921, oil on canvas… this one was an unexpected little gem that I just loved. The colours are so vibrant and beautiful, and again, such beautiful texture created by the brushwork.

Jardins publics: L’interrogatoire.
Édouard Vuillard, 1894-1936, oil on canvases.

Et l’or de leur corps.
Paul Gauguin, 1901, oil on canvas. I have little affection for Gauguin – partly because I don’t really enjoy his style, but also because I think he just spent years in Tahiti shafting native women. :/

Jane Avril Dancing.
Henri de Toulousse-Lautrec, 1892, thinned oil paint on poster board.

The Robe.
c.1982, distemper on flannel (?)

The restaurant was closed but looked very funky… love the colourful chairs.

Logement prolétaire (Proletärkarsern).
Eugène Jansson, Stockholm, 1898, oil on canvas.

La pointe d’Andey, Vallée de L’Avre.
Ferdinand Hodler, 1909, oil on canvas.

Portrait de l’artist au fond rose.
Paul Cézanne, c. 1875, oil on canvas.

Hercules Kills the Birds of Lake Stymphalia.
Antoine Bourdelle, 1880-1910, bronze.

Le Belier Retif, also called, Belier African.
Antoine Bourdelle, 1909, bronze.

Monument à Jean-Jacque Rousseau…
La Philsophie (centre), with La Verite et la Nature.
La Gloire et La Musique (sides).
Albert Bartholomé, 1910, sculpture en platre

Jeunesse.
Aristide Maillol, 1910, marble.

Judgement de Paris.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1914, Platre (signed and dated Renoir).

Les Nubiens, also called, Les Chasseurs d’Alligators.
Ernst Barrias, 1894, platre.

La Roue de la Fortune (Wheel of Fortune).
Edward Burne-Jones, c1875-1883, oil on canvas.

Mercure inventant le caducée.
Jean Antoine Idrac, 1878, marble.

I didn’t get the description for this one… I liked her, even though the poor dear looks like she’s lost her portable! Selfie Queen.

Polar Bear.
Francois Pompon, c.1923-1933, stone.

Pompon famously worked with Rodin, but chose animals as his focus. This bear was one he watched pace in a cage at the zoo in the Jardins des Plantes, and was carved from a 3 tonne stone… every bit of it that wasn’t polar bear was removed and he is remarkably sleek and modern looking, even today.

We had to bail on the Musée D’Orsay, as we had skipped breakfast and were getting seriously hungry. Went for a bit of a wander to find lunch… on the way, the famous: Sorbonne University.

Lunch Bistro, chosen by Mr K;

Very nice choice. Many bistros will have a daily menu that gives you choices of two or three course meals at very reasonable prices – this is how Parisians often order their lunches, rather than a la carte. So we took that option. Jambon et fromage crépes, steak au poivre for Mr K, boeuf bourguignon for me, crème caramel for Mr K, and I spoiled myself with a crème brulee. Delicious and now we’ll be skipping dinner too!