Washington Monument - Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument – Washington, D.C.

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Hi Folks,

I took my chances with the Agency and visited Washington D.C briefly. I could not believe my eyes when I saw this beauty. I always thought that my old pal, Viking Leif Erikson and my acquaintance Christopher Columbus were the first people to discover North America but surely I was wrong. I also thought that Asterix and the Great Crossing is a fictional comic book but little did I know. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo should be respected as great historians as they were the first persons to reveal the little known historical event: Gauls discovered the New World in the year 50 BC. How amazing is that! I am still not convinced that Asterix and Obelix are real historical persons but the Gauls who visited North America must have had magic potion which gave them superhuman strength. Otherwise they could not have been able to build this c. 555 feet (169 meters) tall obelisk. In 1889 the obelisk was named Washington Monument to commemorate George Washington. George was a little bit petty and I am sure that he would have wished that the nation had built something gigantic in his honor instead of renaming a historical site after him.

-Gart

Tenerife - Canary Islands

Tenerife – Canary Islands

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Hi Folks!

It was a bit chilly in Dublin; Madrid was mildly breezy; Tallinn and Warsaw were wintry; but St. Petersburg was just freezing. The Agency was on to me. It made me want to move my dancing feet. So I took refuge in Tenerife. Now the sun is shining and the weather is sweet. To the rescue, here I am in Canary Islands. And I want you to know ya where I stay.. ..

Monday morning, here I am
Wednesday morning, I tell myself a new day is rising
Friday morning, here I am
Want you to know just where I stand

When the morning gathers the rainbow
Want you to know I’m a rainbow too   #BobMarley #SunIsShining

-Gart

Tenerife - Canary Islands

Tenerife – Canary Islands

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood - St. Petersburg, Russia

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood – St. Petersburg

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Hi Folks!

Or would ‘Privyet droog!‘ be more appropriate. Listen to the official soundtrack for the post here: RussianFrontier.

Some claim that the image of the Wild East filled with countless assassinations is a myth generated primarily by western media and agitators in social networks. Well, this may be news to you but the Wild East is reality in St. Petersburg and to the east from there. Alexander II, the former emperor of Russia, was assassinated and the grieving Russians built this church as a memorial right on the spot that was stained by Alexander II’s blood. The church is called the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The Russian tradition to build a church on a crime scene has apparently been limited only to the blood of royal family. I would assume there being little hope that a church will be built on Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge where Boris Jefimovitš Nemtsov was shot.

-Gart

Elephants Walking Through Grass - Nick Brandt

Elephants Walking Through Grass – Nick Brandt

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Hi Folks!

All the youtubers out there might know this already, but please let me tell you what’s going on in the photo and state the obvious:

“Alright, so here we are in front of the, uh, elephants. Uh. The cool thing about these guys is that, is that they have really, really, really long, um, trunks, and that’s, that’s cool. And that’s pretty much all there is to say.” #MeAtTheZoo #YakovLapitsky

Nick Brandt’s Elephants Walking Through Grass (2008) first of all saved me a trip to Africa but also saved the elephants a trip to a zoo, and for that I and the elephants thank you Nick!

Video related: MeAtTheZoo

[ Edit: Elephants Walking Through Grass (2008) is certainly not the only art piece by Nick Brandt that captures nature as it is – wild and captivating. Artsy’s Nick Brandt page provides visitors with Brandt’s bio, over 50 of his works, as well as up-to-date Brandt exhibition listings. You may access Artsy’s Nick Brandt page through this link: Artsy’s Nick Brandt page. ]

-Gart

Palace of Culture and Science - Warsaw, Poland

Palace of Culture and Science – Poland

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Hi Folks!

The Palace of Culture and Science is a gift from the Soviet Union to the people of Poland. And understandably its reputation is controversial, but in my humble opinion the building is magnificent. The Palace of Culture and Science is the tallest building in Poland and possibly the eight tallest building in Europe. The grotesque appearance of the Palace dominates the skyline of Warsaw. In 1967 the Palace hosted Rolling Stones’ concert, which is considered the first concert held by a major rock band in the East, behind the Iron Curtain. I managed to get a ticket to the concert but to my regret I caught the flu on the same night and stayed home. Luckily I was fit on the night Leonard Cohen performed in the Palace in 1985. What a voice, what a night! I wish you could have been there too! Some clever little devil gave the Palace a nickname the Elephant in Lacy Underwear, a perfect articulation for this monument representing Stalinist architecture with a touch of Polish historicism and American art deco. And that brings me to my travel plans: I will be viewing elephants in their natural habitat in the end of February, so stay tuned.

-Gart

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu - Madrid, Spain

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu – Madrid

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Hi Folks!

This is Real Madrid C.F.’s mythical stadium and a glimpse of Madrid’s skyline. Santiago Bernabéu is the place where legends are born and dreams are shattered. The cylinder shaped tower attached to the stadium is actually a silo used to store CR7’s hair gel. I still remember the first match on the stadium back in 1947 like it was yesterday. There was no need for the silo or hair gel back then.

-Gart

Fat Margaret - Tallinn, Estonia

Fat Margaret – Tallinn, Estonia

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Hi Folks!

Tallinn is one of the most exciting capitals in Baltia, right after Riga and Vilna. And this grey tower is the landmark of the Old Town. It’s called Fat Margaret. Poor Margaret, she would have deserved a nicer building to carry her name. Just kidding folks. Tallinn is fantastic! The town has a fascinating history as it’s been under dominance of many kingdoms. It was none other than Soviet Russia, which tried to suppress the proud Estonians. After the collapse of USSR, Tallinn has prospered.

-Gart

Bray Head - Ireland

Bray Head – Ireland

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Hi Folks!

I sang, “As I was goin’ over the Cork and Kerry mountains. I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin’.., ” when I hiked over the Wicklow Mountains along the Cliff Walk from Bray to Greystone (Bray Head). And suddenly I tumbled over the Europe’s First geocache (GC43; 53d 11.478′ N, 6d 04.818′ W). I just couldn’t believe my luck. I mean what are the chances, One in a Million. So, I continued my hike to Greystone singing, “… Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da. Whack for my daddy-o. There’s whiskey in the jar-o”. And I ended up in The Happy Pear, a fine health food restaurant held by David and Stephen Flynn. They had gotten everything right in The Happy Pear. They even served Eye Candy for the ladies – much like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in Twins (1988), but on a whole different level.

-Gart

Beach Picture, Esko Tirronen

Beach Picture – Esko Tirronen

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Hi Folks,

I really hate it when I get sand in my beard. The best way to get sand out of beard is to avoid getting it in the beard in the first place. In my experience, art museums may be the most convenient places to enjoy beaches. And you simply cannot argue with me if you have seen Esko Tirronen’s Beach Picture (1977). If you are planning a beach day in an art museum, do not repeat my mistake: most museums do not appreciate bathers and bikinis. As you may see from the picture, beaches are crowded on a sunny day so remember to bring your own deck chair.

-Gart

Trinity College Library Dublin

Trinity College Library – Dublin

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Hi Folks,

When I was studying in Trinity College Dublin, the Old Library’s (Trinity College Library) main chamber called the Long Room did not look the same. I believe it was in the 1860’s when Long Room’s roof was raised. I am not completely against the change but I preferred the lower roof. The Long Room was cosier back then. And it was definitely a more quiet place for studying. There are not many libraries that attract people as much as the Trinity College Library does. The archive includes a few books that I consider my favorites but are hard to find elsewhere. I highly recommend the fiction novel Book of Kells. Be sure to place a hold on the Book of Kells in good time. There is only one copy and it’s quite popular.

-Gart