It`s a Blue Blue Summer

So striking -- stark white cubes accented with the richest royal blue and occasional oxblood red



Blue Plus...

White plus red.

 



For little feet -- each pair touched with various shades of blue culled from nature
 

Reminiscent of a Georgia O'Keeffe painting:
strong light, limited palette, crisp geometric shades, near abstraction
 



Freshly painted door + worn trim + new growth = charm



The view around every corner



A constantly clear and intense sky, day after day after day










Images D. Sleziak





 

Of Sky and Sea: Greece Part II

On the big island of Crete, the softest blue sky melts into the azure sea

In the parched and sun-drenched landscape that is Greece, shades of khaki, ochre and silvery olive-green dominate the countryside.  Here, shunning a trellis, grapevines huddle over in mounds keeping their tendrils close and their precious fruit protected while trees grow stout as their gnarled roots claw their way into the hardened earth.  This harsh environment with precious little rain and unrelenting sun produces some of the best olives, pistachios, herbs and honey -- with such delicate and light flavours as pine thyme or orange blossom -- imaginable. 

In this land of deep sun and deeper shade, it is the vibrancy of the blue, in the sky and in the sea, that is so intoxicating.  Follow the next several posts for pairings of images that celebrate the best of this Greek light.

True Blue





 

 

Images D. Sleziak

Finding Pretty: Greece Part I

Elegance and beauty is found in the simple-lined Ionic capital fragment on display in the ancient Athenian agora
 

In the City

Athens in not a pretty town.  Like any large urban centre it sprawls out from its chaotic core, and in the summer it just feels hot and crowded and sooty.  Everyone told me so and everyone was right.  But I was looking for the pretty.  In the past, everywhere I've travelled, I've found it.  And it hasn't been just one aspect of a place, say the breath-taking architecture or a sweeping landscape, that has thrilled or inspired me, but rather the impact of the whole.  I have been dazed, excited, overwhelmed and pleased by such vastly different settings as the deep American south west to the northern reaches of the English countryside and many locales in between.  But where to find it here?  I just wasn't feeling it.

A small snapshot of pretty: a street in Athens bordering
the Acropolis where well-maintained buildings sport
soft pastel shades and ornate ironwork

To be fair, I only spent a couple of days in the capital, but rather quickly a pattern emerged and I realised, that for me, the parts are far greater than the whole.  For starters, no one can argue with the awe-inspiring power and grace of the buildings on the Acropolis.



Neatly stacked architectural fragments with Greek inscriptions sit before
the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena; built between
447 and 432 B.C., it is the earliest Classical structure on the Acroplois.

Pediment detail.

On the north side of the summit hill, the Erechteion.

A southern view of the Erectheion with the famed Caryatids,
the six maidens who support the roof of the porch.

The solid heft of the Doric order.

Capturing grace like no others before.

And once I got beyond the Acropolis, I stumbled upon many other sites of beauty and wonder, like this old Greek Orthodox church with tufts of grass growing along its roof line, giving it a forsaken air.  Inside were whitewashed wall studded with jewel-toned murals and the simplest of altars.

As I moved through the city, I began to see things like this...

contemporary artistic expressions of this time and place in Greece's history.  And least you think these are simply defaced walls, the work of bored hoodlums, Athens is known for its thriving graffiti community that tackles complex social and political issues head on.  What could be more engaging, provoking, informative and adventuresome?

At dusk one evening, as we made our way far off the beaten track and through the back alleys of the Plaka district, the old town quarter of Athens, we came across this:

And just out of sight, around the corner, was the artisit.  Here was a work in progress!  After a late dinner we returned to see if he had completed his work, and this is what we discovered...

It was at this moment I knew: I had found my pretty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images D. Sleziak

 

Saturday, In the Park

The Big Bean

As autumn slowly unfolds and the trees dip themselves in gold and red, the desire to explore new places and new spaces takes hold.  Recently, it was Chicago's Millennium Park and The Art Institute of Chicago.  In the park, it is impossible not to be fascinated by Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate, a 110-ton elliptical sculpture of polished stainless steel, and the Frank Gehry-designed pavilion.  Highlights from the Art Institute include an Edouard Vuillard painting; a Van Gogh self-portrait; Georgia O'Keeffe's Sky Above Clouds IV painting from 1965, so perfectly presented on a staircase landing; two contemporary chairs, Honey-Pop Armchair by Takujin Yoshioka, and the pleated paper Cabbage Chair by Oki Sato that is shipped to the consumer as one compact roll to be open, cut and rolled back into shape upon installation (How cool is that?); a close-up of a must-see-to-believe Jackson Pollack drip painting; and the intensely beautiful stain glass window by Marc Chagall, one of three.  Finally, no weekend visit would be complete without a viewing of George Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. 

Click on images to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images by D. Sleziak

Taking the Waters

A beautiful tile mosaic decorates a pavilion at the spa in Sliac, Slovakia



If you ever find yourself in a place with a name like Therme Vals (Switzerland), Chaudfontaine (Belgium), Bains de Dorres (France), or Wiesbaden (Germany), be sure to take full advantage of all these spa towns have to offer and "take the waters."    From Britain -- think Bath, England, once a holiday stop for Roman soldiers assigned to the far reaches of the empire -- to Greece and all spots in between, Europe abounds with natural springs heated by the earth alone.  These mineral-rich thermal waters are tapped for rehabilitation purposes and aid in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and a wide variety of other illnesses, including circulatory, digestive and skin aliments.  Enjoyed since ancient times, they are also popular for relaxation and recreation.  Soaking pools, mud baths, steam rooms and saunas, massages and wraps are some of the options that can help soothe your muscles, reduce your stress and improve your health.  For a sampling of one such site, come along on a journey to a spa in the town of Sliac, where, although you are not in Rome, you can still do as the Romans did and take the waters.

  

To Start, Let's Walk 

 

Essential to the spa experience and treatment -- daily strolls. 
Under century-old trees, benches positioned along the main promenade
encourage one to linger in the dappled sunlight

 

The main tree-lined path leads to cobble-stoned walkways

that eventually take one to footpaths that wend through

the forest.  

 

 The entire property sits high in the hills above

town, and guests can indulge in walks that range from

a few hundred metres to several kilometres.

 

 

The park-like setting outside your door

 includes mature trees and groomed yards,...

 large-scale plantings...

 

fountain courtyards, and...

 

groovy benches. 

 

Everywhere you hear the pleasant sound

of flowing water from the natural

springs running underground.

 

 



The source: numerous springs are accessible
on the 42-hectare property.  This one offers the warmest
water for drinking.  Effervescent on the tongue with a hint of
the minerals it contains, it is the best water you'll ever taste.
The water constantly flows, and guests stroll the property
with glass in hand, sampling the various waters.

 Each spring has its own identification marker.

 



 

Another fountain, another design.  This one

is popular with locals from town who hike

or ride up the hill to fill numerous bottles

for personal consumption.

The stains on the fountain speak to
the high mineral content of the water.

 

 

Let's Stay

 

Accommodations vary: Here is the grand staircase the links

the upper promenade with the lower level gardens and cafe.

To the left is the main reception area, the Palace Hotel,

and a popular indoor/outdoor cafe; to the right,

one finds the dining halls, shops and an incredible banquet facility

completely intact with original decor including banquettes,

a bandstand, dance floor, chandeliers, and etched

glass murals.  A closeup of one is pictured below. 

 

 

Influenced by the Russian futurist style of the 1920s,

this main building features wide terraces and 

marble floors.  During the evening, this space

transforms into a dance floor with live nightly entertainment.

 

Every detail is in keeping with

the modern, clean aesthetic, even the trash bins!

 

Inside one finds old-world glamour.  For instance,

women can retire to a suite of rooms that

houses facilities to iron or make small repairs

to one's clothing, a powder room and sitting room,

and water closets.  It is grand.

 

 

 Another choice of hotel, the Polana, is a Victorian-era

structure.  With a marble staircase, fourteen-foot

ceilings and spacious suites, it has a slight air of

elegant decay.  Notice the exquisite grill-work of the balcony.

A view from within.

 

 

Let's Relax

 

For serious spa treatments, book a session here at the Kupelny

Dom, or Bathing House. 

Up these stairs...

and through these doors you'll have access to

this hallway.

Private rooms for individual treatments are

behind each door.  Whirlpool baths and

deep tissue massages are popular.

You can consult with a physician who will

develop a treatment plan for you in this

sanatorium-like setting.

 

For simple relaxation, consider a 45-minute

session in a 36-degree mineral-fed

soaking pool followed by a body wrap. 

 

If you prefer more active recreation, try the

spring-fed swimming pool.  The dark opaque

colour is the result of the high iron content in the water.

Frequented by families on holiday, it provides cabanas

for changing, an outdoor cafe and lots of space for lounging.

 

Across the way, the clay tennis courts, here begin prepped

for play in the early morning.

 Afterwards, consider sipping tea on the terrace before

heading off to treatment in the Salt Cave.

 

Finally, end your visit with a memento of your 

holiday -- a picture-perfect postcard:  

Sliac Spa, established 1244

 

 

 

 

 

Images D. Sleziak