SuzeBlogz

Hello NYC

Any visit to Manhattan is a wonderful experience, and, even though I come from NY, going "into the city" is a highlight no matter what the occasion. This occasion was to see one of the most outstanding plays on Broadway, "M Butterfly" starring Clive Owen (who I LOVED in The Knick on TV).

 The play is loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a Peking opera singer. The play premiered on Broadway in 1988 and won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play. It really holds you in suspense.

Before the show began and no pictures are allowed I snapped this quickie of the box seats at The Cort Theater.

After the play.....well....you can't come to the city at holiday time and not see the shops and the tree at Rockafeller Plaza. The lights aren't turned on yet but the city was aglow with lights everywhere else!

Here they are getting all the gear set up for the lighting and the TODAY NY shows.

Saks 5th Avenue has THE BEST of all. Stick around long enough & you get to see & hear the entire light performance among throngs of people. (or go to my FB page to see the video)

Street vendors are everywhere.

everyone brings their pets...this was Sasha...we made friends.

but, my favorite shot of all is the one I take every year of St. Patricks Cathedral against the modern architecture of the building next to it. Every year the picture comes out just a little differently than the one I took the year prior.

All the snaps were done on the IPhone X.

We're definitely making another trip in.

 

 

Havana Art and Color, Out & About-part 2

So, continuing on our travelogue....I hope you're enjoying the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them and seeing all of this firsthand.

We were so thrilled to eat in the same restaurant that President Obama and his family ate in....and, in the EXACT same room...Our guide Carlos sat in the Obama chair!! It's a family-owned restaurant called San Cristóbal Paladar. 

First came the tapas.

there are pictures of him and the family all over the room.

 This is a view of another section of the restaurant

 

 

 

and the beautiful dinnerware we ate on

 

but, of course, we went to galleries where there is always something for everybody. 

 

 

 

the lady below, all done with goldleafing

Out and about on the streets.......

 

 

A Street Tile

 

In front of a local restaurant...lots of gnomes!

 

This was a wall in a local restaurant bathroom

 

Hilarious signage for a bathroom door

 

 

Don't worry...We're still keeping an eye on the strays!

 

Havana Color and Art, Out and About-part 1

This might have to become a two parter....there was so much to take in, art & color-wise in Havana. I cant fill just one blog with all of the pictures I took. So....without further ado..here is some of what we saw....

 

Old sinks and tubs

Yes, you saw it here !!!!

A statue of Pope John Paul the 2nd in a courtyard in a church in Havana.

 

This was all hand made paper.

This sculpture on the grounds of Castillo de la Real Fuerza resembles the 1490 drawing by Leonardo de Vinci called Vitruvian Man.

tomorrow we'll be back for more art and color on the streets

Hey little kitty......

 

 

 

Sunrise, Sunset

Lenny took this lovely picture of the sunrise (or maybe it was the sunset...who remembers??!!?? LOL) at Morro Castle (built in 1589) which was named after the three biblical Magi. The fortress is guarding the entrance to Havana bay in Cuba. In Spanish "morro" means a rock which is very visible from the sea and therefore serves as a navigational landmark.

We visited the morro a few times for pictures, sunrise and sunset. It's definitely a place you don't want to miss.

Very often they have craft sellers there with their beads and their art

and as the sun goes down the lights in the city, across from the morro,  come up

But one of the very FUN places we visited was FUSTERLANDIA

Fusterlandia is the nickname given in Jaimanitas, a seaside town just west of downtown Havana. In Jaimanitas, artist Jose Fuster has built a creative enclave called Casa de Fuster that has spilled out into the surrounding neighborhood.

It’s no longer just his house but has expanded to include murals on other nearby buildings and walls.It is all mosaics....everywhere....on everything....and it's mind-boggling

Cuban artist José Fuster’s art is “naïve,” meaning he uses childlike crude shapes and bright colors in his untrained composition. His work has been compared to that of Picasso, a comparison that followed him in successful gallery tours across Europe.

Makes you think of Gaudi and Barcelona, doesn't it? Fuster wanted to put his artistic reality into his real-world surroundings, and he began in his own neighborhood.

 

Fuster began decorating his home in 1975 and his project grew to include his neighbors and professional offices around him.

 

There is no charge to visit, but Fuster and his neighbors (many of whom have become artists as a result of his work) will surely appreciate you buying any of their works, small or large.

 

and, of course I'm still lookin' out for the strays

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ballet, Boxing and more

We were so fortunate to visit The Cuban National Ballet School (Escuela Nacional Cubana de Ballet) which has approximately 3,000 students and is the biggest ballet school in the world and certainly the most prestigious ballet school in Cuba. It is directed by Ramona de Sáa. And, here's the kicker....Like all the Cuban educational systems, the education of the ballet in the country is free.

 

You enter this beautiful building, with its many staircases, (no such thing as elevators...you have to be prepared!) and we come to one of the beginner classes. Young students of perhaps 7-10. In addition to studying ballet, they also have a full course of regular schooling as well.

 

Not easy taking pictures of 'moving objects'!

Their teacher is very demanding and strict.

The school originally held only 900 students but it was Fidel Castro who, in a visit to the school, suggested the idea of new studio space and, after several proposals, it came to be. Thousands apply but a committee chooses only a handful of promising students many who go on to belong to the National Ballet of Cuba and tour worldwide. 

We then moved up the stairs to watch older students practice.

 

When the children break from the classes they meet up in the hallway and wait for instructions for their next class or lunch.

 

Ballet wasn't the only craft we saw. On a different day, we got a first-hand look at how Cuban boxers train in an open-air setting. You enter this little out of nowhere spot....There are few boxing rings that are more unique than the Rafael Trejo gym in Old Havana. It is sandwiched between deteriorating apartment buildings.

 The public ring is named after a Cuban law student who was killed while leading protests against the Machado presidency in the 1930's

It is home to some of Cubas elite athletes, as well as a training ground for young champions to be.

Their trainer is also well known. And, yes...the girls and the guys spar together. Whether you are an old-timer or a novice, everyone trains together.

From 1968-2000, Cuban boxers, many with links to Rafael Trejo, won more Olympic medals than any other country.

 

and....... I'm still watching out for the stray furries :)

 

 

Making Prints in Cuba

The day we arrived in Havana I just knew it was going to be a fantastic trip. The weather was great, I saw lots of old classic cars right away and the people were hustling and bustling all around me waiting for their arrivals.

Now, most of you know that I love leaving little "ART ABANDONMENT" necklaces and artwork wherever I travel to. I came with 10 small necklaces using Memory Frames (from my Ranger days), chain from various jewelry sources and photos that I found online and reduced to fit a 2X2 frame. You just pick a spot when no one is looking and place it.....then, walk away. 

Once or twice I have seen them picked up but usually, I divorce myself from waiting around because the point is 'to abandon them, with abandon.
 

But the best part of 'art' is seeing what other people do We got to visit the Taller Experimental de Grafica de la Havana where you can see Cuba's cutting-edge art workshop, unique. for its engraving processes. The artists' co-op allowed you to take pictures of their work and to buy.

We loved this crazy cat collage from artist Carlos del Toro. He uses cigar wrappers and other interesting local papers in the piece, which is on canvas. Naturally, we bought it!

Here are some snaps from other artists in the co-op. These views provide a look at their mono printing techniques, collage techniques, inlays and the various machinery and tools they use.

 

Upstairs in the studio is a lovely space with newspaper flowers hanging from the ceiling and various potted plants placed randomly around the space.

 

Yes, these are all made from newspaper.

 

and, as always...there are stray cats and dogs everywhere just waiting for food or attention!

 

My emails indicate you guys are enjoying the pictures from the trip...so...there will be more coming, of course!
 

 

 

 

Street Wise in Cuba

As I mentioned in yesterdays post.....we traveled to Cuba through a wonderful agency I found online....Espiritu travel....owned by Karin Eckhard. Karin used an excellent local guide & driver, Carlos, who squired us all over Havana, everywhere we wanted to go plus all the places he knew we'd need to see. This was a PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR called 'Havana Imagined'. We never worried about being safe....Cuba is safe....the people were friendly, kind, happy to have their pictures taken and not "in your face begging" like we've seen in places like Vietnam. And, they loved engaging in the English/Spanish language thing!

The problem with Havana is....it's crumbling....deteriorating....and that's what these lovely people are used to. Yes, there are upscale areas, of course, but, for the most part....it's OLD....

and colorful.

ENJOY

 

 

 

 

Chinese immigration to Cuba started in 1857 when Chinese contract workers were brought to work in the sugar fields. But, today, there are basically no Chinese in 'barrio chino'. Yet, interesting to note....China has become the main export destination for Cuban goods, as well as the main importer on the island.

 

 

and speaking of cats....(we were ?)...strays everywhere...I'm sure I don't have to tell you how I wanted to feed them all, neuter & spay and de-flea them one by one. I restrained myself!!!!!

 

 The city was built in baroque and neoclassic style. Many buildings have fallen in ruin in the latter half of the 20th century, but it is said that a number of them are being restored. Hard to tell.

And, Che seems revered...you see him everywhere.

 

 

 

 

(OK...that's cheating...I brought this shirt from home, but I did buy the blue one there !)

 

 

These were at one-time ventilation fans...but, none of these were hooked up...can you tell me whats wrong with this picture?

 

 

 

 

 

Teeny Tiny barbershop

 

However....

Once you move toward The Paseo del Prado, Havana the street that forms the western edge of Old Havana you can see the Capitol building and the churches and experience a more modern and upkept feel.

 

 

 

Below, the baroque architecture of Havana Cathedral is one of eleven Roman Catholic cathedrals on the island of Cuba. It is located in the Plaza de la Catedral in the center of Old Havana.

Here are some other architectural photos in and around Havana. 

 

 

 

 

A little history of the above photo of the Hotel Nacional, a very famous landmark still in use: 

The hotel was developed by the US firm of Purdy and Henderson,financed by the National City Bank of New York and designed by the New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White in a mix of styles including Sevillian, Roman, Moorish and Art Deco. The hotel was constructed in just fourteen months on the site of the Santa Clara Battery, which dates back to 1797. Part of the battery has been preserved in the hotel's gardens, including two large coastal guns dating from the late 19th Century. The hotel opened as the National Hotel of Cuba on December 30, 1930, operated by the American managers of the Plaza Hotel, Savoy-Plaza Hotel and Copley Plaza Hotel, at a time Cuba was a prime travel destination for Americans.

 

With the little "CoCo" taxis waiting out front.

 

 

and we'll conclude today's street tour with my very favorite piece of wall art yet...you'll have to look VERY closely

(if you were just offended....blame someone in Cuba...most of my followers know MY views!)

C'mon back tomorrow...we have yet to cover the Ballet school, the Gym, the sunsets, the fort, The Art Exhibit, The Taller Experimental de Grafica de la Havana (a cutting-edge workshop known for its unique engraving processes) & much more.

We've only just begun :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The People of Havana

It's always polite to ask people if you can take their picture, but, sometimes you just can't resist the urge to snap "the moment" before it disappears. So...my humble apologies to those whose faces may show up on this blog that I wasn't able to ask....you were all loved or I wouldn't have taken your picture! In many cases, however, we tipped the people whose pictures appear because, that 1 peso or so, is a lot of money to them and we were more than happy to contribute.

Here's one of my favorite snaps....this gentleman in the barber chair, was very patient while I shot numerous shots all on different settings in the camera and wound up loving this particular one. I purposely left my large SONY DSLR (& all the lenses) at home and only used my Canon SX60HS with a fixed zoom lens and my iPhone 7+. I just flipped over the blurry effect I got with my camera while his face stayed in focus.

The Malecón (officially Avenida de Maceo) is a broad esplanade, roadway, and seawall which stretches for 8 km (5 miles) along the coast. Kids and fishermen and ordinary people hang out there day and night and it always provides a wonderful backdrop for people pictures. Lenny never took picture taking seriously before this and he shot a few of these as well and loved the whole process.

I caught these 3 pictures below with my iPhone and a filter...they turned out to be one of my favorite series.

This was a very special type of trip. We went with a small group of photographers, led by Jim O'Donnell a professional photographer from Taos, NM, and a highly personalized Cuban guide, Carlos Enrique González, both representing Espiritu travel based in the U.S.  So with Jims' knowledge of photography (based on his past visits to Cuba) and Carlos' tremendous presence in the community we went into every area imaginable. Good, not so good and all the etceteras!

 We saw musicians

and kids 

and wonderful people everywhere

 

Needless to say, I took bazillions of snaps!

No time to put them into Lightroom or Photoshop or even in iPhoto.....just wanted to get them out to you to enjoy. There are much more coming....architecture, galleries, more interesting people, street art...just keep coming on back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hola, Havana Cuba

It's nice to be back on the blog again !

It's been almost a year since I last blogged but there is so much to share about our recent trip to Cuba that this seemed like the perfect place to get it going again.

I'll try to post a few pictures from different categories...today we're going to see what Havana is so famous for... OLD CLASSIC CARS !

It's like being in the land that time forgot. The city of Havana is itself colorful and yet dusty and decaying, but, these amazing vintage cars are used by almost everyone on a daily basis...many as taxis,  and are shiny and bright and well taken care of like the priceless objects they are.

The cars can be seen all over the city. Raul Castro has made it possible now for anyone to buy these cars without permission like they used to have to get when his brother was in charge.  Many of these cars have been put back together with a hodgepodge of motors, mirrors and the like. 

If you look very carefully at the snap below....you'll see I'm in this hot pink car ! We arranged to have one take us all around old and new Havana and it was a fantastic tour.

Cubans travel back and forth on the island, many carrying hard to find items to fix their cars.

This "car" below is called a "CoCo" Taxi...and as funny as it looks it can go pretty fast and lots of tourists take them back & forth to their hotels.

 

I drive a convertible at home....but this cracked me up!! A REAL ragtop if ever there was one ! 

Tomorrow we'll get to see more of the very wonderful trip.

 

 

 

The Mansion

Well, it has been ages since I last made an effort to blog, so this seems like a good time of the year to start it back up again.

Thought I'd share my exciting experience at the Mansion at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ.

The campus of Georgian Court University in Lakewood, is a Catholic institution with a focus on women’s education, and is the former estate of George Jay Gould, son of railroad baron Jay Gould.

The rooms are magnificently decorated for Christmas and at this special time of the year the University puts on a very special presentation.

Mrs. Gould's Annual Holiday Social

The Mansion at Georgian Court is aglow with cheer

and the ladies from my Brandeis group went on this special day

here are some of the beautiful rooms and decor

Your ticket allows you to hear the continuing saga of Edith and George Gould and their seven children, while celebrating the holidays as they did in the early 1900s in the magnificent Great Hall. Tea is served, petite sandwiches and delicious desserts!

In 1896, Gould bought property in Lakewood, touted for its “health benefits,” and hired architect Bruce Prince to design an estate as a second home. Gould, with his wife Edith Kingdon and their children, enjoyed the mansion they called “Georgian Court” (after its Georgian-period architectural style) for many years. After Gould’s death, his relatives sold the property to the Sisters of Mercy, who founded Georgian Court College in 1924.

The estate, which remains much as it did when it was in the care of the Goulds, is complete with a Casino building, a bowling alley, tennis and squash courts, a swimming pool, and a ballroom. It is surrounded by 152 acres of planned landscape and lush gardens.

Rumors suggest that underground tunnels connect Georgian Court’s various buildings and were used by Mr. Gould to help him engage in secretive extramarital affairs. True? Maybe—perhaps Edith Kingdon Gould happened upon a tunnel entrance and couldn’t recover from the shock when she died on the estate’s golf course in 1921.

and within the mansion is a beautiful chapel

Hope you enjoyed the journey with me.

With a new year coming, It's kind of time to get back to blogging...whadd'ya think??