Gary Kirkpatrick | Gary J. Kirkpatrick Art and Travel Blog

Churches of Thessaloniki: Panagia Archiropiitos

July 7, 2024October 2, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 2019

Panagia (Mary) Archiropiitos might be named after a icon of Panagia Hodegetria said to have miraculously appeared. Archiropiitos means ‘not made by hands.’ The church dates from the 5th century. It is a basilica, meaning it has a center aisle flanked by a side aisle on each side (some basilicas have two side aisles on each side). The current entrance has three arches. The ionian capitals are exquisite as are the green marbles. Fire damaged frescoes depict the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.

Photos by Peg:

Avove: mosaics in the arches between the church’s 24 columns

Churches of Thessaloniki: Agia Sofia

July 7, 2024October 1, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

The Agia Sophia dates from the 8th century and is modeled after the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (4th century), also still standing. Photos by Peg.

The Ascension is shown in the dome.

The church was converted into a mosque after the city’s absorption into the Ottoman Empire in 1440. Here you can see the remains of the minaret. You can see the arch in the Islamic style versus the Roman style which is rounded.

Thessaloniki, co-capitol of Greece, 315 BCE

July 7, 2024September 29, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

October 2, 2019

Thessaloniki is the capitol of the Macedonian region of Greece (not the country called North Macedonia), the second-largest city in Greece. In Greek it is referred to as the co-capitol of the country, a position it also occupied in the Byzantine Empire alongside Constantinople. Founded in 315 BCE, it was named after the half sister of Alexander the Great. It was once home to a large Jewish community, some of whom came when expelled from Spain. It was devastated by the Nazis. Of the 49,000 shipped to death camps, only 2000 returned.

Also of historical import: the Apostle Paul preached in the Upper City and developed contacts that led to his letters to the Thessalonians that constitute two of the Bible’s 27 books. The city was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912, almost 100 years after the Greeks successfully fought to escape Ottoman control.

There are many Byzantine and Paleochristian monuments, Roman and ancient Greek agora just two minutes from our place, the churches Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki, Acheiropoietos, Panagia Chalkeon, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. You can see the fine equestrian statues of Alexander the Great and Constantine. The Archaeological and Byzantine Culture Museums are major attractions. The latter is a purpose designed building that flows smoothly between exhibits. There are paintings dating from the 1500-1600’s whose vivid colors jump off the wall. The bright red lips, as if lipstick were applied, attracted my attention immediately. It was not just one painting but many with this characteristic. I finally found a way to get my new mobile phone to get a good image in the dim lighting, which I then brought out further with GNU photo editor, which I use for all of the editing I do. The red on the lips was even more pronounced than what I have been able to produce.

The Archaeological Museum has many of the fine examples I have seen of pottery, gold, silver and paintings.

Scenes from the Old Testament of Joseph, 1687

The White Tower, a symbol of the city, has 6 floors with a gallery dissecting the city’s long history in each one. It also affords great views of the huge bay and the city’s hills. The Thessaloniki Concert Hall is home to the opera. There are two symphony orchestras. There is an annual International Film Festival. The city reportedly has the highest concentration of cafes and bars in Europe. Judging by my experience so far, this is not an exaggeration. Coffee shops, bakeries, gyros (kebab) places, traditional Greek as well as a wide variety of other restaurants all abound. People walk about eating or sit outside in the mild and pleasant late September weather. The waterfront has 12 thematic gardens and parks.

View from the White Tower. The boat offers a tour of the harbor for the price of drinks

Viking in Dokkum 2

July 7, 2024September 23, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

This is my second rendition of our boat in front of one of the two old windmills in the tiny town of Dokkum in Friesland, the northeast province of the Netherlands.

Viking in Dokkum 2, water color, 8 x 8″, 20 cm x 20 cm on Arches paper

Farewell to Downton Abbey

July 7, 2024September 22, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

While we were in Zwolle we went to see Downton Abbey, the movie, at the luxurious new theater. As you may have already noted, the movie added to the story but did not cut any new paths. In fact it is a reinforcement of the absurdities caused by the Englishclass system. Among the lesson of the superb television series: you can not marry outside your class, you can not rise from lowly origins, you can not have sex outside of wedlock. Both of these norms were breached, causing great consternation. The absurdity was exposed in another way in the movie.

Spoiler alert! I am about to share the main plot.

The movie starts with a notice from the royal family (as a Republican in the English sense, I do not capitalize ‘royal’) advising of a pending visit. This was not a request but never mind that for now. The family and staff burst into action. The family – get those duds ready to show off. The staff: get the meat, veg and wine ordered. As the visit nears, word comes that the royals will be bringing their own servants. These arrive several days in advance with their noses in the air, ordering the family’s staff to simply stay out of the way. The staff is deeply offended, as to them serving the king was to be the highlight of their lives.

So incensed at losing the opportunity to put meat on a plate and pour a glass of wine for over-indulged (if genteel) guests who by this time were basically figureheads whose job it was to be spoiled and cut ribbons that the staff hatched a plot to displace the royal (pain in the ass) servants. Sleeping droughts, locked doors in remote bedrooms and the like were all painstakingly put in place so staff could cook a goose and carry it upstairs on a platter set before celebrities who were born into the position, not there by merit.

Nonetheless this is a fine farewell to the series, and I fear to the acting career of Maggie Smith, one of the finest actresses to ever grace the stage. My ode to her:

Zwolle

July 7, 2024September 20, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 18, 2019

There is evidence of inhabitation in Zwolle (meaning ‘hill,’ a cognate of ‘swollen’) during the Bronze Age, circa 6000 bce. The Franks occupied the area during Roman times. The city dates from 800 CE. In the area around the hill upon which the city there are four rivers, IJssel, Vecht, Aa and Zwarte Water. The city center still shows its octagonal defensive formation. Zwolle joined the Hanseatic League in 1294. In the 15th century its wealth grew exponentially from trade. Thomas à Kempis, noted religious author, spent most of his life at the Augustan monastery that once stood here.

The city’s center of 125,000 is a superbly crafted mixture of the old and new. There is new construction that blends in well with the older brick structures. It is a shopping zone with residential areas nearer the edge. It is surrounded by the moat, where we sit on our boat just a moment away from the scene below, where there is much of the construction in brick to match the old.

Zwolle at night, followed by a day shot of the same general area:

Then there is the really old:

Another example of the new but this is outside the old center.

Like everywhere we have been, there is a friendly and often festive atmosphere, the festiveness pronounced in the summer when people more readily enjoy socializing outdoors. The restaurants are busy, with lots of outdoor seating. Few people use tobacco so one is not bothered. Bikes galore run up and down the streets except in pedestrian only zones, which most bikers respect. The young, the old, the in between, the infant, all come to town on one type of bike or another.

There is easy banter with the people you meet. The Dutch not only understand American humor they gave serve it on their own terms. A waiter came to ask if we needed help with the Dutch – we have become fairly well versed on the menus – and I said I could translate into English for him. I pointed to something labeled “Mixed Platter” and I said, “Now in English we would say “Mixed Platter.” That’s a subtle joke (I am not claiming it is a good one), but he got it. Peg ordered that very thing. I commented, “You will need help with that,” referring to what looked like a large order. He climbed in next to me and said, “I’ll be glad to help.”

Latest news from our time in the Peace Corps

July 7, 2024September 3, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September, 2019

We were in Peace Corps Panama 2009-10. We worked with coffee producers. Some were using organic methods, switching after deeming chemicals too toxic for workers and the environment. One, Lito Lezcano, developed organic products to fertilize and fumigate the plants, which were shade grown under platanos and other trees. One of the things we did was search for a better outlet for Lito’s product and anyone else who cared to participate. Peggy was talking to another volunteer one day, mentioned this effort and he and his wife in fact were planning to import Panamanian coffee into their Vermont store. In fact they did and we bought some once when we passed by, and we stayed in their house a few nights while they were gone.

Lately Lito began selling directly to the public. His product is called Cafe Don Lito, and is some of the finest I have ever had, and that’s going some, as I have lived in Italy, Spain, France and other European countries I consider to have the finest products.

Photo of their ad shot, my comments on Instagram and their reply in English.

Don Lito was interviewed on Panamanian Television

Don Lito interviewed

In a Hopper Cafe

July 7, 2024August 30, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

“In A Hopper Cafe” is another in the series echoing the work of American artists Edward Hopper, this one inspired by Hopper’s ‘Chop Suey. Strong lines contrast with fuzziness in the figures, hard lines with soft, outdoors with the indoors, the comparative focus of the indoor scene with the uncertainty of whatever lies beyond with but a slim barrier of safety.

We are social creatures. Our connections keep us informed. Yet we are also separate. We have to reach across space as well as other barriers, whether the barriers be based in culture, gender or other factors.

Dokkum, crawling under bridges

July 7, 2024August 27, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

August 25, 2019

In 2000 we came to Dokkum, a small town in Friesland, the northeast section of the Nederlands. It has two thatched roof windmills whose sails are lit at night with a subtle purple light.

File source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joure,_straatzicht_met_kerk_foto4_2011-04-26_17.19.JPG

File source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dokkum,_straatzicht4_foto1_2009-09-19_13.04.JPG

On the way to Dokkum we stopped in a tiny town called Wijns (wines). There are 258 residents as of the last official count. Many were in the small park next to the restaurant, which was booked for lunch and had no reservation space for dinner, although we got in as it turns out there is a section reserved for those without reservations – who would have thunk it? Children frolicked in the canal. Women changed clothes behind trees and sun bathed topless. Boats loped past. Sheep plead for dinner, not to be it.

Wijns, a small village near Dokkum, pen and ink, Company, 6″ x 8″ 15 x 21 cm

To the southeast there is a route back to Leeuwarden, rather than the route we took to get here. There are 7 or 8 bridges that are barely high enough to pass under. We have to come to a complete stop and kneel on the deck as we pass under the bridge. Many of the bridges are lined with kids who dive or jump into the water on this hot day. At one bridge two older teens climbed onto our swim platform, talking to us as we proceeded. It was getting too far for a swim back to the bridge when they saw people coming towards us on a small boat. They asked for a ride back and were welcomed aboard. They swam over to the craft.

Southeast of Dokkum, barely three inches/8 cm to spare

We came to a mooring that promised shade for the remainder of the day. We had just this boat with two people and a gaggle of noisy Canadian geese for neighbors. Wine and cheese on the deck!

Waves droves us back

July 7, 2024August 23, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

August 15, 2019

After a night in Lemmer, on the Ijsselmeer side of the lock, we ventured forth onto the Ijsselmeer with Force 2-3 winds predicted. It all went well enough in the protected area, with just a slight chop as you would expect from that level of wind. Once we left the protected area waves began to build and soon we were in 1/2 meter (about 18″) waves. This is not enough to cause discomfort in our boat. However after about 30 minutes we were in 1 1/2 meter waves and Force 4 winds. Our progress slowed dramatically, the bow forced well up to get over the waves, air making the ride very uncomfortable. We discussed turning around for a few minutes when a bit of flat water appeared so I opened the throttle fully and made the turn as quickly as possible hoping to avoid some severe rocking. Suddenly it seemed as if the water was flatter and we rode comfortably back to Lemmer.

My concern was only our discomfort but also that the pounding we were getting would stir up dirt in the bottom of the fuel tanks and clog the fuel filter. Changing filters, especially for the first time for me on this boat, would not have been fun. I changed the filters about a week later and I am extra glad that I did as it took a few times to get all the air out of the system so the engine would start. Diesels will not run if there is any air in the fuel as the injectors will not pop the fuel into the cylinders. It took about 10 minutes of trying to get the motor going, and this was while in a quiet mooring. In a rough sea with sea sickness a real possibility, it would have been much longer.

We paid another 5 Euros to pass through Lemmer’s narrow canal running through the center then headed for an island near Woudsend. We met friends at a good free mooring at which to wait out the wind. After a day or two we went to a mooring on the lake. We fought the wind to moor and just stayed a night. There is a better mooring close to Joure, so we moved there the next day. Joure is the home of Douwe Egbert, founded in Joure in 1753 as a general store by Egbert Douwe and Akke Thijssesa, later moving into coffee, tea and tobacco. Their son Douwe and his wife Ymke Jacobs took over. The company is still in the family. The aroma of coffee permeates the air in the area of the plant, sitting on the outskirts of town. The original shop is now part of the museum complex.

Joure’s central street is lovely, as you can see in the photo. While we were there one of the bars had live rock and roll music – the lively group played Jail House Rock while we were there – with a enthusiastic crowd spilling onto the sidewalk in the sun.

The next day we moved to Sneek, mooring in front of the Waterpoort, the fabulous gorgeous gate facing the canal.

Waterpoort, Sneek, Nederlands pen and ink, Company, 6″ x 8″ 15 x 21 cm

Dating from the 10th century, Sneek (pronounced ‘snake’) was built on a sandy peninsula at a waterway called the Magna Fossa, built when the now extinct Middelzee became silted. There was a dike at the juncture, reflected in the street layout and names such as “Hemdijk”, “Oude Dijk” and “Oosterdijk”. While we were there I was also allowed to visit the Gamma, so I could repair the mast clamp which was damaged by the pounding in the Ijsselmeer. The Gamma is a retailer of bolts, nuts, screws, tools, paint, wood, etc. I went by bike as its over a mile. It was a ride made longer by the wind and threats of rain.

Sneek seems to be a center of entrepreneurial activity. A major clother CandA was founded in the city in 1867. There is quite a bit of industry in the city to this day, including a candy factory, steel, rope and machinery production.