pyrroulas

Buenos Aires, Argentina

2010-12-29T18:19:00.011-05:00

Last month I visited Buenos Aires for a few days. Here are some of the photos I took there. As usual, click on any thumbnail for the full-size picture.
This post is dedicated to our favorite greek-argentinian, apos.

Over the Andes, flying Santiago-Buenos Aires	Taking a break…	La Boca, the working class neighborhood	A presidential guard
From the windows of the Casa Rosada, the Presidential Palace	Inside the Casa Rosada	Casa Rosada	The 67 m high Obelisco
The Teatro Colón, one of the great opera houses	Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)	Santo Domingo; San Telmo neighborhood begins here	Squares in B.A. have facebook pages!
The Ministry of the Army	Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Belen, in San Telmo	The Buenos Aires cathedral	The goth, haunted-looking School of Engineering
Nuestra Señora del Pilar, outside La Recoleta Cemetery	At the Recoleta Cemetery	Sic transit gloria mundi	Evita Peron's grave, in the Duarte family lot, La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery	At La Recoleta Cemetery	The 60 ft high "Floralis Genérica", by Eduardo Catalano (2002)	The School of Law, at Recoleta
On the The Argentine National Congress	What would a latin american capital be without a demonstration!	The Mausoleum of José de San Martín, the leader of independence	The Argentine National Congress

More inflight pics

2010-04-25T20:55:00.013-05:00

During my recent trip to Athens for Easter, I spent a good deal of my flight time taking pictures, as usual! Here are two of them.
The first one^* is the Rio-Antirrio bridge. Rio is to the right (and south), while Antirrio is to the left (and north). The Rio castle is also visible, just to the right of the bridge.
The second one⁺ is a spectacular view of New York city. Manhattan, with its parallel Avenues, is visible in the center of the photo. At Manhattan's center, in the shape of a dark rectangle, one can see Central Park. Left and bellow, lies Bronx, while further to the back is Queens and Brooklyn. To the right of Manhattan lies Jersey City. Further back, and to its right, is Newark, NJ.
(Click the thumbnails for a full size version of each pic).
^*Flight IB 3885 (ATH-MAD)
⁺Flight B6 22 (JFK - SYR)

A rose

2009-12-13T02:44:00.027-05:00

Some of the most moving, beautiful, and touching music has been written for Christmas carols. Many christmas songs and carols have become part of our culture, whether one is religious or not.
And since there are so many good carols, it is difficult to chose a "favorite" one. Still, I will mention one of my favorites: Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen, or, as it is usually known in english, Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming. For my greek friends, there is no commonly used translation: this is not one of the carols that have become known in Greece, despite the fact that many other western carols are as popular in Greece as in any other country.

Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen was originally a german chorale, and it probably originates in the middle ages. Michael Praetorius wrote the most commonly used harmonization in 1609. (Look up any hymnal and his name is prominently featured - he wrote many of the hymns that are used up to this day). It is not one of the "top 10" carols, but it is pretty commonly heard in german and english/american churches and carol services. Here is a nice rendition by the Regensburg Cathedral Choir.

One of the most interesting and beautiful settings of this chorale was written by Brahms. It is the eighth of his Eleven Chorale Preludes for organ, op. 122, composed in 1896 but published in 1902, after he had died. These were Brahms's last compositions (poignantly, the very last one is the chorale prelude O Welt, ich muss dich lassen, "Oh world, I must leave you now"...).
It is written just for the manual, and thus can be easily played on the piano too. It is a very unusual chorale, as the melody is rather hidden, alternating between the voices and played on the weak beat, becoming rather difficult to discern. The whole effect is sweet and romantic, and a little bit sad I think. It is one of the most cherished pieces of the organ repertoire.

Eleven Chorale Preludes (1896, Published 1902), Op.122: Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen, played by Peter Hurford

I first heard the Brahms setting when I was a child, on BBC short wave radio, and I was immediately captivated by it. Many years later, it was the first organ piece that I learned to play (and one of the very few), at the Bigelow chapel of Mt. Auburn cemetery in Cambridge, MA. The organist there let me practice on Tuesday evenings, when the chapel was not in use. He had even given me a key to the place - to a greek, 20-year old kid he had never seen before! God bless him!

Busoni wrote piano transcriptions for six of the Brahms chorale preludes, including Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen. These are less known than his famous Bach transcriptions, but they are certainly worth checking out.

Merry Christmas!

Always on My Mind, All over the world

2009-11-13T02:43:00.013-05:00

The Pet Shop Boys, my favorite group, will be performing in Athens and Thessaloniki in a few days, as part of their Pandemonium Tour. For my friends in Greece and for all the fans of the PSB, here are some of the photos I took during their concert in Boston, on September 5th, at the House of Blues. The pics were all shot with my cellphone. (Click a pic for a larger version.)

Athens - Bird's Eye View

2009-08-25T16:18:00.004-05:00

Last full day in Athens for this summer....
Looking forward to the fall - one of the nicest things in the Northeast US is that we have four distinct seasons.

I took this pic while flying Athens-Ioannina a few days ago, using my camera's zoom function (click the photo for a larger version). See how many monuments and landmarks you can pick out!
Here is another one, using a wider angle.

Provincetown 2009

2009-07-21T10:32:00.015-05:00

Provincetown: Nothing like it in the world!
Photographs taken during the 4th July week, during my annual vacation in Ptown.

Click pics for larger version

Late Spring in Upstate New York

2009-06-10T22:56:00.012-05:00

Summer has almost arrived in Upstate New York. Here are some pictures I took during the last two weeks. (Click the thumbnails for a full size version of each pic).

Young Mallard	Canada Geese	Young Blue Jay
Green Lakes	Niagara Falls	Dark-eyed Junco
Tiger Swallowtail	Chipmunk	Taughannock Falls

Bird's eye view, part 2

2009-04-23T21:51:00.148-05:00

I recently posted some of the photos I have taken over the years while looking out of an airplane's window. Here are some more.
(Click the thumbnails for a full size version of each pic).


		Rio bridge (2004)

Manhattan, NY		Miami Beach

Isthmus of Corinth	Chicago	Windsor Castle

The island of Sazan (Saseno, Σασων)

2009-03-24T13:17:00.021-05:00

One of the standard air routes between Athens and western Europe takes a path just west of the Albanian coast. If you are seated on the right side of the airplane, you can see the city of Vlorë (italian: Valona, greek: Αυλών). The Bay of Vlorë is bound by the characteristic Karaburun peninsula, beyond the tip of which lies the small island of Sazan (it. Saseno, gr. Σάσων - Sáson).

This tiny island, who has an area of just 5.70 km², is a very fascinating curiosity in modern greek history, as it is one of the rare instances when Greece voluntarily ceded any of its territory (in 1914, to Albania). I first learned about this from my father when I was a teenager, and since then, every time I fly past it I think of the strange fate of Sazan.

Σασώ, as it was known in antiquity, was already mentioned by Polybius in a military episode taking place in 215 BC. Part of the Roman and Byzantine empires, it was captured by the Anjou of Naples in 1279, and was held by Albanian lords in the 1300s, often under the protection of Venice. The Ottoman Turks captured it around 1400, but it belonged to the Venetians by 1696. From then on, it follows the fate of the Ionian Islands, which were eventually given to Britain in 1815 as an autonomous republic under British protection.

In 1864 the Ionian Islands were given to Greece. That's when Sáson/Sazan becomes de jure part of the greek state. However, Greece did not try to make its presence felt on the uninhabited island at that point, and never tried to occupy it. In fact, Ottoman Turkey reestablished its presence there by building a lighthouse in 1871. During the Balkan Wars, the greek navy captured Sáson on 8 November 1912, almost fifty years after it was legally transfered to Greece. In early 1914 though, after the great powers finalized the borders of the newly independent Albania, Greece was asked to cede the island to Albania. The greek government introduced the relevant law proposal (of just two articles) to Parliament, which voted on it on 28 May and published it on 7 June. The greek guard of twenty-five soldiers left the island on 2 July 1914. Thus ends the greek presence on Sazan.

That was not the end of the story, by the way. Italy took possession of the island in 1920 and kept it through World War II. It was formally restored to Albania in 1947, and was used as a base of the Soviet navy until 1961. It is currently used by Albania and the Italian coast guard in their efforts against illegal migration and contraband traffic.

So, next time you fly near Sazan, think of all its adventures, and, especially if you are greek, of its strange fate! (The photo of Vlorë, the Karaburun peninsula, and Sazan was taken during a flight from Athens to London).

Sources
Σπυρίδων Λάμπρος, Η νήσος Σάσων, Νέος Ἑλληνομνήμων, τόμος 11, σελ. 57-93 (1914).
Petrit Nathanaili, L’ île de Sazan (Saseno), Balkanologie, vol. VI, no 1-2, p. 41-46 (2002).
L'occupazione dell'isola di Saseno ed i reati commessi sull'isola, Prassi Italiana di Diritto Internazionale.
Wikipedia: Sazan Island (in english), Saseno (in italian).

Statues in Madrid

2009-03-15T02:54:00.005-05:00

One of the striking things that I notice when I visit Madrid is the impressive statues positioned on top of various buildings. While this is not a feature unique in Madrid, I haven't seen them in such great numbers in any other city that I have visited. Most of them depict heroic or mythological compositions and are made in a neoclassical, realistic, or art deco style. They certainly catch one's attention! Some of the photos that I took last week can be seen here (click on the picture above for a full size version).

But perhaps the most unique one, whose location happens to be rather easy to miss, is an eye catching representation of what would appear to be a Fallen Angel (i.e. Lucifer, the devil) or perhaps Icarus. It is located on a building at the corner of Calle Mayor and Calle de los Milaneses, about half-way between Puerta del Sol and the Almudena Cathedral. As it turns out, it is "Ni Ícaro, ni el diablo", according to an interview of the artist who created it in 2005, Miguel Ángel Ruiz. Its title is, funnily enough, Accidente Aéreo, Air Crash! Of the many photos that I took, I chose to post this one, as I like the contrast between the green patina and the ochre background.

Some other pictures, of a different theme, from my previous visit to Madrid can be seen in this post.

Bird's eye view

2009-03-03T14:21:00.028-05:00

One of the things that I like when I fly is the views that one gets to enjoy. I always request a window seat and have my camera ready to go. Here are some of the pictures that I have captured. For this posting, I have concentrated mostly on greek themes. (Click the thumbnails for a full size version of each pic).

Halifax, Nova Scotia	Greenland	Boston Harbor
Galaxidi & Itea Γαλαξίδι & Ιτέα	Halkida Xαλκίδα	Ioannina Ιωάννινα
Μornos lake, Vardousia & Giona mntns Λίμνη Μόρνου, Βαρδούσια & Γκιώνα	Alkionides Bay, Porto Germeno Κόλπος Αλκυονίδων, Πόρτο Γερμενό	Kalymnos Κάλυμνος

"Pianism personified"

2009-02-11T00:55:00.009-05:00

For anyone who happens to like both piano music and history, few twentieth century personalities can match the fame of the Polish pianist, composer, and statesman Paderewski. Polish national hero Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) was "the most publicized, most admired, most successful and most legendary pianist after Liszt", as Harold Schonberg writes in The Great Pianists (a must-have book for any lover of piano playing). Firmly rooted in the 19th century tradition of pianism, he composed romantic piano music in the salon genre, very melodic and pleasant, though not particularly original. He was a fervent patriot and in 1919, following Polish independence after World War I, he became prime minister. He represented his country at the Versailles peace conference that settled european affairs at the aftermath of the Great War. Such was his fame as a pianist, that when Clemenceau, the French prime minister, met him at the conference, he famously said "So now you are Prime Minister of your country. What a comedown!"

Mazurka in B flat major, from Danses polonaises, Op. 9 No. 4, played by Karol Radziwonowicz (LDC 278 1073/75)

Critics and fellow pianists were not always kind in their opinions of him, as he was not a great technician and blurred rhythms too much, even for the lax standards of his era. Moreover, he persisted appearing in public into his old age, long after his best days were past. What he had was nobility of tone, grace, a magnetic personality, and a "poetic haze" that was difficult to resist. Some of his problems with technique were due to the fact that he didn't really receive competent instruction till he was relatively old. His love of music was profound, but technique did not come natural to him, contrary to most great pianists. He had to work very hard to temper his limitations. During his first american tour, in 1891, he practiced 17 hours a day. The hysteria that women in his audiences displayed (his dazzling handsome looks helped too!) was reminiscent of Liszt or of the rock stars later in the 20th century.
Nonetheless, his concerts were so successful that he became very rich. He was very generous with his money and donated much of his fortune to charities and to Polish causes.
He died in New York two years after Poland was overcome by nazi troops, while heading the Polish parliament in exile, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His remains were reburied in Warsaw in 1992.

J S Bach

2009-02-02T02:21:00.014-05:00

One of my earliest and continuing musical fascinations is organ music. It started when I was fourteen (14) years old, when a colleague of my father's gave me, as a Christmas gift, a vinyl LP record (Archiv 2565 002) of organ music by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). It was a very fortunate introduction to the great works of Bach, as the LP, produced in 1971, was by a great german organist, Helmut Walcha (1907-1991), playing on the Grand Organ of the St Laurens Church, Alkmaar and the organ in the Church of Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune, Strasburg. With his magnificent and at the same time subtle playing, Walcha remains to this day my favorite Bach organ interpreter. That old LP, which I still have, is in fact a selection from the complete recording of Bach's organ works by Walcha. Many years later I bought the 12-CD set. It remains in print and is still available today. Among the pieces featured on the record is the Pastorale, BWV 590, one of my favorite not-so-known Bach works, and several of his famous chorale preludes, written on themes of lutheran hymns. Among them, one that I find very moving is Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 (I call to you, Lord Jesus Christ - Κύριε, εκέκραξα προς Σέ) which Bach composed around 1713 and is part of the Orgelbüchlein collection of 46 chorale preludes.

I think that, in the right mood, it can bring tears to one's eyes. It was memorably used by film director Andrei Tarkovsky in his 1972 masterpiece Solaris. BWV 639 is one of the Bach chorales transcribed for the piano by Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924). Busoni's Bach transcriptions are among the most performed pieces in the transcription repertoire, and it has been recorded by many famous pianists. It is played here by Dinu Lipatti (1917-1950).

Since that Christmas, many years ago, I have been exploring the organ repertory and I have developed a liking for composers and pieces from the Baroque, Romantic, and modern eras. But Bach's works retain a special place in my heart.
(The score of Busoni's BWV 639 transcription pictured here was published by Breitkopf & Härtel and is in the public domain. The full PDF can be had here).

To kokoraki - Το Κοκοράκι

2009-01-09T05:38:00.010-05:00

When it comes to songs, one thing that always attracts my curiosity is non-greeks singing greek songs. One of the most humorous such cases is Donald Swann, of the legendary 50's and 60's Flanders and Swann duo, singing To Kokoraki (Το Κοκοράκι - The Cockerel), a satyrical traditional greek song. Before joining Michael Flanders, composer and pianist Donald Swann (1923–1994) studied modern languages in Oxford, and during World War II served in Greece "whose music and culture became a life-long passion and influence". In that sense his admirable rendering of To Kokoraki is not surprising.
Still, I think it's no small feat, as even native greek speakers can easily trip over their tongues trying to imitate the required animal sounds and going through the repetitions of this funny song.

This 1959 recording is from their musical revue At the Drop of a Hat. Swann's handwritten notes on the song are interesting themselves, with all the words mimicking the animal voices carefully written out. Greek listeners will easily recognize the tune, as it is a children's favorite and has been recorded many times. In Ζήτω το ελληνικό τραγούδι Dionysis Savvopoulos made a version where each animal voice was performed by another artist.
Perhaps the most famous Flanders and Swann song is the The Hippopotamus ("Mud, mud, glorious mud"). You can check out a couple of versions here - with a russian interlude - and here.

Ten years and counting

2009-01-01T15:19:00.004-05:00

Ten years have passed since the adoption of the euro as the common currency of many European Union countries. Today, sixteen EU countries and three "microstates" (Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican) are officially using the euro. A few other countries use the euro unofficially or without formal agreements with the EU.

Beyond the economic implication of the euro introduction, which I won't discuss here, I'd like to mention the excitement and opportunities that all these new coins have provided coin collectors and enthusiasts. As every participating country has a distinct design on the coins' obverse (the coins have a common reverse), there are nineteen different versions for each euro coin denomination. On top of that, one should add the commemorative, circulating 2-euro coins that have been issued regularly since 1994 (fifty-one, by 2008. The first one is pictured here, issued by Greece for the 2004 Olympics).

The euro coins of Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican have attracted particular attention, as their low mintage numbers have led to a huge collector demand and high prices. Vatican euros especially are very highly sought after.

Happy New Year!

Glad tidings for Christmas and a happy New Year!

2008-12-22T18:25:00.005-05:00

George Wesley Bellows (1882-1925)

Love of Winter
1914
Oil on canvas

In January 1914, George Bellows wrote to a friend: "There has been none of my favorite snow. I must always paint the snow at least once a year." Soon after, on February 13, a major blizzard hit New York City, inspiring the artist to paint Love of Winter. In the work, he used bright reds, yellows, and greens to intensify the winter scene and broad, slashing brushstrokes to convey movement, wind, and speed. The energetic group of skates and onlookers, composed of people of a range of ages and social classes, reflects the diversity of public parks and leisure activities in early-20th-century New York City.

Painting photographed and text copied at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Click for larger vesrion

Flying

2008-12-18T09:44:00.013-05:00

A couple of pics captured earlier this week. Sunrise at the airport at Syracuse, NY,
and evening over Chicago, IL.

(click the pics for a larger version).

2008-11-17T21:25:00.004-05:00

Rarely have both the left, the right, and the libertarian leaning part of popular opinion agreed on something as much as they did in disliking the "bailout" for the banking industry. The left, because the plan directs money to a part of the financial system always regarded as rich and well compensated. The right, and certainly the libertarian, because they believe that it runs counter to the principles of free economy: if you did not do well, you should fail. (Whether the bailout was necessary or not is another matter).
This editorial cartoon by Tom Toles captures the popular feeling pretty well!

ΜΠ = B

2008-11-07T00:19:00.007-05:00

Some of the greek and greek-cypriot newspapers' front pages the day after the US election. Even if one hasn't learned the greek alphabet in a physics or math class, the new president's name should be pretty easy to spot!
(click the pic for a larger version)

formerly known as the "ninth planet"

2008-10-29T02:49:00.003-05:00

Softening the blow of IAU's 2006 decision to strip Pluto of its planet status, an IAU committee, "has suggested that small, nearly spherical objects orbiting beyond Neptune should carry the "plutoid" tag", reported the BBC recently. Pluto is now a "dwarf planet", along with other solar system bodies like Ceres (who got promoted from asteroid), and recently discovered Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
Many people are still fuming at IAU for Pluto's demotion and were not satisfied with the "plutoid" consolation. Among them is Alan Stern, the principal investigator of New Horizons, the NASA mission to Pluto, launched in 2006, and scheduled to arrive in 2015. Said, Alan Stern: "It's just some people in a smoke-filled room who dreamed it up," he told the Associated Press. "Plutoids or haemorrhoids, whatever they call it. This is irrelevant."

Seeing red...

2008-10-06T15:41:00.003-05:00

My red-claw shrimp (Macrobrachium sp.) died yesterday, one and a half year after I got it. It was one of the liveliest inhabitants of my aquarium, always interesting to observe, especially when feeding - it had a huge appetite - or when it was chasing the fish away. I have to get a new one as soon as possible! This photo was taken last fall.

The end of summer...

2008-09-18T01:17:00.017-05:00

A couple of pics from last month.
Sunset over Paros, as seen from Naxos.
And orange spoon-sweet, at a kafe in Syros.

Provincetown 2008

2008-07-14T12:30:00.033-05:00

Morning, afternoon, evening, night...

Click pic for larger version

A domestic partnership that discriminates? No, thanks!

2008-03-16T18:47:00.004-05:00

Created by a friend in Greece, and posted in dozens of greek blogs today:

In Greece gays, lesbians and transexuals know about discrimination. They face it daily from their families, in their social lives and in the professional field.

But sometimes, all it takes is a single straw to break the camel’s back.

According to press reports, the greek government is preparing to introduce a domestic partnership ‘contract’ EXCLUSIVELY for unmarried heterosexual couples. We do not believe that a mere ‘contract’ can resolve the issues same-sex couples face or ensure their fair treatment under the law. However this discriminatory proposal is a direct contravention of the greek Constitution, as well as european human rights treaties. Especially since same-sex couples already enjoy legal rights in 18 european nations.

The aim of this intervention is to make sure that european institutions, human rights organisations, websites and weblogs from around the world learn about these proposals. What we ask for is equal rights for all. Nothing more and nothing less. This time around we will not sit idly by. This time around we will not keep silent.

GREEK BLOGGERS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Steet signs of Madrid

2008-01-17T14:35:00.000-05:00

Roofs of Barcelona

2007-12-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

Egg nog!

2007-10-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite concoctions appears on market shelves this time of year: egg nog! Much has been written about it, including reviews of the various brands one can find. Here is one from a friend's blog and another one from the New Yorker no less. Most egg nog sold in supermarkets is non-alcoholic, so I usually like to have mine with a little bit of brandy/cognac and a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Turn them off!

2007-08-29T13:40:00.000-05:00

Remember the standard overhead "Fasten Seat Belts" and "No Smoking" signs that light up when planes take off or land? Since smoking has not been permitted in planes for many years now, some airlines have eliminated the "No Smoking" sign from their newer aircraft. The picture is from a US Airways Airbus A330, where a more modern message is now displayed!

Beds in economy class?

2007-08-20T03:56:00.000-05:00

Lufthansa, the largest german airline, "is conducting an online poll of its customers to gauge interest in the idea of introducing an economy sleeper cabin on its long-haul flights", according to recent articles in the news. The Daily Mail considers the idea as "a cross between a school dormitory and the sleeping quarters on a troop ship". Its new nickname for the airline, sardine air, says it all!

First view from space

2007-05-12T11:36:00.000-05:00

This is the first photo of Earth from space, taken by a camera onboard a V-2 rocket, launched October 24, 1946. It shows the view from an altitude of 65 miles. An article from "Air and Space" tells the little known story and has a link to a fascinating clip from that launch. These views of the earth from space came years before Sputnik first went into orbit.

The Queen

2007-05-02T13:33:00.001-05:00

Fifty years after her visit to Virginia for the 350th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, Queen Elizabeth is repeating the visit for the 400th anniversary. Many things have changed in these 50 years, including the effigy used for the obverse of the coins of the United Kingdom. The first portrait was adopted in 1953, the second in 1968, the third in 1985, and the current one in 1998. Maundy coins are the exception, still bearing the original 1953 portrait.

Let it snow!

2007-03-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

Ski season started late in the Northeast this year, with an unusually warm first part of the winter. But since January we've had good snowfalls and favorable ski conditions. Now the season is almost over, but there is still enough snow around: here is the snow depth in the Northeast on March 18th. (Check out more interesting maps at the National Weather Service's Regional Snow Analyses website).

My new blog

2007-03-01T00:31:00.000-05:00

This is my new blog!