Saturday, July 29, 2006
Ventimiglia, Italy, 26 May 2006: Friday Market
By the Beach
  Ventimiglia, just across the Italian border, is about an hour's train ride from Nice. The old town virtually sits on the Mediterranean Sea. From here, a wide expanse of white pebbly beach stretches eastwards - the modest beginnings of the Italian Riviera.   |
  Friday is Market Day. Seaside stalls hawk local produce and knock-off imitation goods. Visitors flock here, drawn by 12 Euro/kg Parmigiano Reggiano and 9 Euro/kg sundried tomatoes, etc - available at twice the price on the French side of the border.   |
  Restaurants and cafeterias are plentiful; meal choices, unlimited. However, nothing beats the simple pleasures of freshly-baked lasagna and ice-cold aqua on a hot afternoon. |
Labels: food, Italy, market, sea, Ventimiglia
Eze, France, 29 May 2006: Eze-Village
Walled Mountain Fortress And Nietzsche's Path
 Eze, a fortified village built on the peak of a rocky hill (460m above sea level) overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, is renowned for its expansive panorama. From Nice Gare Routiere, Bus 112 plies the Moyenne Corniche all the way up to Eze-Village, midway between Nice and Monaco: a 15-minute ride. From the bus-stop, climb a short way up an incline to the entrance of the famous Hotel Chevre d'Or. Bear right, and you'll suddenly find yourself transported back in time, immersed in the medieval surrounds of Eze-Village.   Spiralling cobbled passage ways going uphill and downhill, never flat, encircle Eze-Village. Houses with ancient stone masonry face one another across narrow streets, barely a few metres wide. The sky is glimpsed between overhanging rooftops. For more salutory vistas, dine at the verandah of the Chateau Eze, once owned by the Prince of Sweden, which reputedly gives the best views of the French Riviera. At a price.   |
 To the right of the Hotel Chevre d'Or entrance, there is a little path, Nietzsche's Path, that goes round the hill face to reach Eze Bord-de-Mer, a seaside village at the base of the hill. A small clearing opens up a short distance down the path. From here, look right to see the exquisite terraced gardens that buttress Eze-Village.   Nietzsche, the writer-philosopher, used to climb up the path (a good one-and-a-half hour's brisk work; 45 minutes going down), and was especially inspired by the scenery. Here, he formulated major parts of his magnum opus Also sprach Zarathustra.     Eze Bord-de-Mer waits invitingly at the other end of the path. From here, take Bus 100 back to Nice. Alternatively, catch the train that runs along the Cote d'Azur.  |
Labels: Cote d'Azur, Eze, France, history, nature, sea
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Monte Carlo, Monaco, 28 May 2006: Formula 1
Grand Prix Rally
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 All over Monte Carlo, tall barricades block public view of the race track. Grandstand seats cost a few hundred Euros each. Other vantage points - bridges, terraces - are zealously guarded. No one gets past these keen-eyed officers without a valid ticket pass.   |
 For the determined, it is still possible to steal a peek of the racing action for free. Follow the crowd uphill to a knoll overlooking the port. The outdoor dining area of a cafeteria at the peak offers a panoramic view. The race begins. The air reverberates in a long guttural roar as cars thunder past. |
Labels: Cote d'Azur, event, Monaco, Monte Carlo
Monday, July 10, 2006
St Paul de Vence, France, 29 May 2006: Fondation Maeght
Modern Art In The Forest
 One kilometre, or a 15-minute hike, from the medieval walled city of St Paul de Vence, Fondation Maeght houses an important modern art collection. The museum's clean lines and distinctive parabolic roofs blend gracefully into the tranquil forest surroundings.   |
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The museum's garden is a treasure trove of sculpture. Animal-like totems stand solemnly in the shadows as soft sunlight filters through the dense foliage. A small chapel sits at the garden's end. Brague's stained glass window lets in coloured light. Trickling water bubbles through the innards of Bury's fountain, bringing the articulate steel limbs to animated life. |
Labels: architecture, art, Cote d'Azur, fountain, France, museum, sculpture
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Beijing, China, 16-19 February 2006: Imperial Palaces
Forbidden Palace & Summer Palace, In Winter
  The Forbidden Palace was the seat of Qing dynastic rule for over 400 years. Guardian lions and fantastical rooftop beasts stand in perpetual vigil, casting magic protection over the Manchu emperor and his royal retinue. Emperor Qian Long reigned 60 years. His calligraphic inscription Zheng Da Guang Ming - Incorruptible Righteousness - hangs above his throne.  |
  Believed to ward off evil charms and spirits, auspicious red is everywhere. Palace walls and courtyard gates are coated in burnished crimson hues. Delicate ceramic tiles with recurring floral peony motifs adorn walls and columns.   |
  The Imperial Garden, behind the royal palaces, edges the northern palace wall. Within its compact compound, stylized rock sculptures, miniature pavilions and countless ornamental trees, centuries old, are meticulously laid out, no doubt after strict Feng Shui principles. |
  The Summer Palace, Yi He Yuan, was rebuilt following Western army ruination, using war funds expropriated by the infamous Empress Dowager Ci Xi. It became her summer Xanadu. Palaces were erected on Wan Shou Shan - Longevity Mount - and on the banks of Kunming Lake at its base. Temples built for imperial religious edification dot the landscape. Times have not been kind. Beheaded Buddha statues are scarred reminders of zealous cultural purification in the 60's.   |
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 A long gallery Chang Lang connects the pavilions ringing Kunming Lake. Strolling, I chance upon these women playing cards. With impenetrable quiet concentration. |
Labels: Beijing, China, history, lake, palace, religious site
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These are the 30 countries that I have ever set foot on. Airport stopovers don't count!
