Hello From Montreal – Part 12 – Dinner At Galianos And Celebrating Canada Day

July 1, 2006
After my official Montreal bike tour, my individual explorations of the Lachine Canal and my chat with André from Ça Roule, I decided to go for a little stroll to explore Montreal’s Port area which was hustling and bustling with celebrations on this Canada Day. I strolled out on Jacques Cartier Pier to an outdoor concert stage where two well-known Canadian singers, Kim Richardson and Sylvie Desgroseillers were enchanting the audience with Mo-Town and R&B melodies.
I walked east and happened onto a huge playground area on the little island in the Bassin Bonsecours that was a family entertainment zone. Kids were sliding up and down and in and out of a whole variety of huge inflatable slides. Freestyle skiers were jumping off a large ramp and performing summersaults and various aerial acrobatics. The whole area was packed with people enjoying themselves on a beautiful summer day. I walked up Place Jacques Cartier and into a small pedestrian street called Rue des Amables which is full of portrait artists and galleries. At the end of this little street I found my dinner destination: Galiano’s.
Galiano’s is located in a 200 year-old building on a small cobble-stoned street in Old Montreal. Formerly a “boîte à chanson” it opened its doors eight years ago. The restaurant stretches over two floors with an open area in the middle and a wooden staircase leading up to the second floor with seating on an interior balcony. The street-side patio adds additional seating capacity and ambience to this rustic restaurant.
Always a big fan of Italian cuisine, I was looking forward to a filling meal after a day packed with exercise and activities. The whole area around the restaurant and Old Montreal in general was absolutely hustling and bustling with people and everyone was in good spirits, ready to celebrate since it was Canada Day. Street performers were entertaining the crowd. At just before 6 pm it was still a bit early and I was fortunate to find a seat in the lounge area of the restaurant that features several tables flanking an arrangement of leather couches in front of the fireplace.
For a few minutes I was able to catch the owner, John Tsinas, to find out more about this culinary establishment. John is part of Montreal’s famous Antonopoulos family that owns a variety of hospitality restaurants and hotels in Old Montreal. His uncles are silent partners in Galiano’s. John’s younger brothers Manny and Peter also work with him in the business. At 40 years of age John is the oldest, and the two other brothers are each five years apart. John says that Manny is the people person and today Manny was seating customers, tryig to keep up with the sheer onslaught of customers that were just streaming into Galiano’s.
Manny is also the man with the creative ideas and he was the one that came up with the idea for lounge area and some of the new decorating styles featured at Galianos. Another new idea is to use a small balcony area above the entrance door as a location for a DJ or some live music. And a wine cellar next to the entrance is presently under construction and will be opened in the near future.
John has a lot of experience in the hospitality industry: he started working in the restaurant business at age 14 and has worked his way up all the way from the bottom. He even ran a food warehouse for McGill University which included restocking the vending machines and was a waiter at three different restaurants prior to opening Galiano’s. John added that he still thinks like an employee and because of his hands-on experience he always treats his staff members with respect. His working style is very hands-on, he says that today he will be calling out the orders in his kitchen and preparing them for the waiters.
Galiano’s is known for its Italian cuisine and its generous portion sizes. Everything is made from scratch at Galiano’s. John mentioned their signature dishes: Scaloppini alla Veronica, their Antipasto Misto, a Filetto Tre Sapori, home made Lasagna as well as their Quattro Stagioni Pizza. John recommended that I try Galiano’s Calamari Fritti. Just about 10 minutes after my order a steaming plate of juicy and tasty calamari arrived, the perfect introduction to a filling meal. I followed it up with a Galiano Salad: a huge plate of salad with cold cuts and cheese. John wasn’t kidding when he talked about huge portion sizes!
John of course had to get back to work after our little chat, but I thoroughly enjoyed my evening meal and by the time I was finished, the lineup was stretching all the way out the door and down the street. Galiano’s is obviously a favourite destination for many in Old Montreal and for me it was a great starting point for my evening discoveries which would include the official Canada Day Celebrations and a big concert in the Old Port of Montreal.
For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/montreal_galianos.htm

A Guanajuato, Mexico Vacation Still Makes Sense Even in Scary Economic Times

Though the Worldwide Economic Crisis seems to have the world in a tizzy of worry and despair, Gringos are still coming to Mexico. I remember last year at this time unprecedented numbers of Gringos were walking the streets of my adopted Mexican home of Guanajuato. The city of Guanajuato, that bears the same name as the state, Guanajuato, had swarms of Gringos that extended from late Spring into early Fall even while gloom and doom spread all over the planet.
Statistics for 2008 will be forthcoming in the Spring. But, if subjective observation is to count for anything, it appeared to all the Mexicans and American Expats with whom we spoke that 2008 seemed the year for the most visible tourists in years.
In previous years (2006-2007), the average age of tourists to Guanajuato was under 36 years old. These tourists came to Guanajuato in 2006 in groups of three family members and, in 2007, in pairs. In 2006, 35% of the tourism was Mexican regional tourists, 54% was Mexican national tourists, with a low 11% being foreign.
In 2007, there was only a one or two point increase in national and regional tourists and the foreign tourist percentage stayed the same. About 50% of the international tourism comes from the United States.
I’ve made this point often in my articles that the city of Guanajuato is not a resort town. It is not like the West and East coast Mexican cities. Nor is it like San Miguel de Allende. These towns have become dependent upon the tourist money and regard the foreigner as a source of income.
How you will be treated in one of these resort towns that has been traditionally dependent upon the foreign tourist’s dollars or euros will be radically different from how you will be treated in a town whose tourist income is predominately from Mexican regional and national tourists. To put it in the words of one American woman who actually moved to San Miguel de Allende, “This is like living on a cruise ship. There is something planned to do every moment.”
The city of Guanajuato, or the rest of the state for that matter, is not like that at all. In Guanajuato, you will see how real Mexicans live and work in their ordinary everyday lives in a city that has history and culture oozing out of every cobblestone. If you expect to be entertained like in the resort towns, look elsewhere.
However, having said that, Guanajuato is a traveler’s dreamland to visit. That, I suppose, largely depends on your motive.
Of those surveyed, 7% to 10% came to Guanajuato in 2007 to visit family; 4% to 7% came for business; 6% to 8% for historical significance; 2% to 6% ventured here for ecotourism; 65% to 78% came just for a little R & R-Rest and Relaxation.
And, let me just say that Rest and Relaxation is what the average Joe and Jane American needs in times like these. If your American life has become something unrecognizable and transformed into something you would rather not even think about, then Guanajuato is the cure for what ails your hectic existence.
Five Steps To Maximize A Guanajuato Vacation
Think creatively: You can’t possibly find a much-needed cure for your stress in Guanajuato if you try to have a whirlwind rush through the city and state.
1. Guanajuato is absorbed and not so much seen. Take time to sit and smell the foods cooking in El Jardin; listen to the music, the children playing, the donkeys braying, or the vendors hawking their wares; feel the textures of the serapes, scarves, and whatever else catches your attention.
2. Don’t fret over your lodging. Be willing to stay anywhere. Staying in the historical center is not what it is cracked up to be. If you are planning a Restful and Relaxing vacation, staying in the noise-filled El Jardin is not necessarily what you will want. Try to book a hotel outside the historical center and nowhere near churches where you will be serenaded with bell ringing virtually around the clock. An apartment vacation rental is often the better choice.
3. Be willing to limit eating out from one to three meals for your entire vacation. If you find lodging in an apartment or hostel with cooking facilities, it would broaden your cultural horizons immensely to shop in the local markets for fresh foods you can cook on your own. It is a lifesaver on your pocketbook. My wife and I employ this tactic almost always when we travel through the country. Eating out can be a budget killer.
4. To minimize the financial impact on your savings, watch the airfares like your life depends on it. If you become a little pre-vacation obsessed, you can catch a deal on the flight to Mexico. My wife is liable to check three to four times a day when we are planning trips to catch the best prices. Or, consider driving to Mexico if you live within a one or two state’s distance from the border. It isn’t as hard as you think it might be. We are getting feedback from articles and forums that more and more Americans (and even some Canadians) choose the driving options. (Check the search engines for current restrictions and documents needed to drive into Mexico.)
5. Mexico is still a relative safe place to vacation. You have to put on your best “Big City Safety” thinking caps and play it safe the entire time. For reasons totally unknown, even to God, a lot of Gringos will come to Mexico, and especially Guanajuato, acting as though they’ve crossed over into the Promised Land of Safety and Virtue. I have not only personally witnessed this behavior in both tourists and American expatriates, but have a friend who is a long-time resident of the city who was robbed. She was not only relieved of her cash but was also beaten up in the process. She thought it was safe and secure to walk home at about three in the morning.
This is a serious issue. I cannot explain why Gringos come to Mexico and commit careless and dangerous behaviors that they would not do back home in Anywhere, America. They would not try walking home in the wee hours of the morning in almost any city in America and yet when they come here, they suddenly think they can do this and get by with it.
Don’t walk back to your hotel at hours of the night where you are most likely to be robbed; don’t visit ATM machines in the late hours; don’t do anything here that you wouldn’t do back home. If it feels dangerous it probably is, even in Guanajuato.
And, if you worry about all the news reports of Narco-Traffickers in Mexico, Guanajuato is still relatively safe from that source of organized crime. The point is to play it safe and smart and you will most likely come out smelling like a rose and have good experiences to tell your friends when you get back home.
The Authentic Mexico
Some people bristle at the phrase “authentic Mexico.” They often scream at me something akin to, “What is that supposed to mean?”
What it means is a Mexico that has largely resisted the Americanization attempts of the Resort Moguls and has done things and continues doing things its own way.
Recently, Guanajuato has “acquired” a Starbucks. Now, why anyone would want to come to Mexico and drink a four-dollar, or more, specialty coffee from America is beyond me and I am wont for an explanation. But, Americanization is coming to Guanajuato as it has infiltrated the resort areas of Mexico.
Still, Guanajuato is not a resort (yet) and is full of regular Mexicans going about their regular lives trying to eek out a regular living. History, culture, and Mexican life are worth more to me to see and experience than being entertained with a Cruise Ship agenda. Guanajuato can indeed be a dreamland vacation.
Let Guanajuato be the place you spend your next vacation!
A Walk Through Mexico’s Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Tr

Travel Tips For Your Cycling Vacations In Italy

In this article we present common sense tips you can employ to ensure that you have a fun and safe vacation in Italy.
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
That’s an old cliche, but it’s true. When you travel to a different country you’ll come across different ways, different customs. It’s important to know a little bit about the culture before you visit, and of course there are common sense precautions you should follow where ever you travel.
Advance Planning
Do you need medications of any kind? Always bring the medication – and the appropriate documentation to prove you need it – with you. You may be able to get the same kind of medication in Italy – but then again you might not. Better to be safe than sorry.
Do you plan to do any driving? Find out if you can drive in Italy using your regular car license, or if you need to get an “international driving license.’ If you are not familiar with international road signs – learn them before you go. While driving, check out your route in advance so you have some knowledge of where you’re going before you try to get there. Know the rules of the road in Italy and what to do in case of accidents.
Make a list of the places and things you want to see before you go, and do research into them. Some events or museum exhibits are time sensitive, so you’ll want to make sure you’re going at the right time to see everything. Now that practically every museum and art gallery is online you can easily check to make sure if there’ll be an exhibit you’ll want to see, or if a gallery will be closed while you’re visiting.
Can you get along without your cellphone? You may be able to get a special card in it to make sure it will work in Italy. Ask your service provider about that. Will you be bringing a laptop computer? Make sure you have transformers so that you can plug in batteries to recharge, not only for computers but also for other electronic devices. And not only will you need a transformer but also a converter – to make sure you don’t burn out your appliance. Just because a plug fits into the socket, it does not mean the right voltage is going through it!
Site Seeing
You’re in Italy, and you’re seeing the sites. Depending on where you are, you will be in a crowd of other tourists. If you’re traveling with family or friends make sure that you have contingency plans in case you get separated. Distribute your money in such a way that if you lose a wallet you will not lose your vacation.
Be aware of the rules for each site you visit, and make sure you follow them. Not all of the sites you visit will allow you to take pictures, for example, and if you are inside buildings such as art galleries or museums you will certainly not be able to use a flash.
If you enter a church, be as quiet and respectful as possible. Even if there are famous for their architecture and open to tours, worshippers are still there and should not be disturbed. Be careful about using a camera in this instance.
Dinning Out in Italy
It’s a good idea to drink bottled water instead of the tap water, at any time of day. It will save you from any stomach unpleasantness.
There are some countries where you can go into a restaurant, order food, and get it “your way.” This is not the case in Italy. Don’t insult the chefs by making special requests to substitute or leave off an ingredient.
As you travel from country to country you’ll find that different regions have different table manners. You may look odd, for example, if you cut your spaghetti with a fork – the Italians wrap the spaghetti around a spoon and eat it that way. However, so many tourists travel in Italy with so many different customs that it won’t invite that much comment – you’ll probably just be considered a tourist. If you are traveling on business – that is the time to make sure you eat your food the way the Italians eat it.
Italians like to linger over their food. You will not be presented with a check – you’ll have to ask your server for it. Tipping is an accepted practice, and should be done in cash. Most of the dining restaurants in Italy are the sit down type with several different courses. If you want “fast food,” a pizzeria is your best bet.
You’ll enjoy your trip to Italy much more if you are familiar with the customs in advance, have plans to take care of every contingency, and know what you want to see and when you want to see it. Avanti!

How To Learn The Most From A Travel Experience

Brits abroad have been the subject of complaint for many years now by people from foreign countries and by fellow Brits who feel many British holiday maker’s behaviour is embarrassing.
You only have to note the packed fish and chip bars in places like Spain and Greece to realise that these countries cater to our love of batter and grease. Some restaurants are set up by natives themselves who have caught on to the trade, whilst others are run by the British themselves to please their fellow men. Whilst some people enjoy this type of holiday and often argue that they are still contributing to the tourism trade of the country, others would prefer to leave their home countries behind them for a while and delve into the core of their chosen destination.
If you are one of those people who love to experience and absorb the culture of the place you are visiting, then there are several things you can do, which will enrich your travel experience.
First of all it is a good idea to learn some simple phrases, or at least have a language book you can refer to. If you make an effort with others to speak their language, they will more often than not be delighted and help you improve. Try not to just point and speak in a really slow, patronising tone, as this can appear very rude and ignorant. Purchase a map and check out the best places to go before you get there so as to save time. Get to the know the country you are visiting, so as to understand and appreciate it to the maximum.
Tourist places are usually fantastic, well worth viewing and are therefore touristy for this reason. However, try not to limit yourself to viewing only these sights. Talk to the locals if you can, or talk to other holiday makers and try to find off the beaten track treasures. The sight may not be in your guide book, but it may turn out to be the most fantastic part of your trip. Try not to be completely ruled by time, if you see something that interests you, then stop and view it. If you are part of an organised trip, they often give you options, so feel free to utilise your choices, as much as you like. Moreover, point out things you want to do if they are not made already on offer.
When considering food, I would highly recommend sampling the local cuisine. Ask the native people what their favourites are and try them yourself. Even if the menu options seem confusing or are a little out of your comfort zone, give them a try. Furthermore, if you are visiting a place where they have different methods of eating or different social practices then try to join in as much as possible. For instance, it may be normal to eat with your hands, to use chop sticks, to bless the food or even to eat whilst sat on the floor. If you take an interest and try to fit in, the reception you receive from the locals is likely to be of a positive and welcoming nature.
It is true that some people really want to eat a variety of dishes, but simply can’t stomach them. If this is the case then stick to what you can eat but be as adventurous as possible. Ordering off market side stalls is appealing to many and is often perfectly safe, yet may completely disgust others. All that is required is your own personal judgement over food safety and what you personally think will satisfy you. Be as daring as you feel comfortable.
I would also suggest using the local form of transport, as these are often far cheaper than shelling out for taxis all the time and can be good fun. Ride the sleeper trains, pack yourself onto a crowded bus, take a tuk tuk, or even jump on an elephant. All of these experiences should enrich your knowledge of and enhance your enjoyment in a particular place.
If you are feeling highly adventurous, why not do some research before you head off on your adventures, or even once you are there and try to stay with the local people. There is no better way to throw yourself into the culture. With language and dining experiences bound to be incredibly different from your own then it will be a culture shock, but one you will never forget.
I would also suggest going abroad with an open mind. Don’t expect everything to run smoothly all the time and try to find the funny side if a bus is 3 hours late or if you get caught on a trek in the middle of the countryside. All in all, take things as they come and happy travelling.

How to Spend your Honeymoon? Italy, Tahitijpg, Anguilla, Fiji

Italy

Italy is an indisputable leader for honeymoon destinations. It goes without speaking, Italy the land of Amore! This country has can guarantee: your honeymoon will be unforgettable and romantic. Just imagine a floating Venice, you are together in a gondola, native Italian songs, than a cup of coffee – a sunset and so on… It provides great facilities for a luxurious rest! And if you are tired from canals and gondolas, you can visit enormous number of excursions!

Tahitijpg

It is impossible to find right words, while describing paradise? Actually, some people are intended to call it Tahiti! Why? May be for natural beauty or just hospitality and warn welcome to any guest and couple(especially!). If you prefer to stay on your own and to show your beautiful wife to anyone else – it is the right place for you to stay. Have a closer look at its resorts! They are destined to preserve your love and make it grow. Visiting Tahiti, don’t forget to taste a delicious Cocktail “Pearl of Tahiti”. Populations of Tahiti drink it exceptionally on special occasions!

Anguilla

Find out more and than enjoy the flawless combination of soothing calmness, a great variety of nature-oriented entertainments, and amiable islanders. Have you ever heard about Scuba? Or have you ever seen a sunken Spanish galleon? NO? Its time to repair an omission! Among day entertainments the following are the most interesting: windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba, swimming with dolphins, sailing or just incredible romantic walks on the beach.

Fiji

Fiji! Oh, I can’t even say, how much I like it! If you are fond of water, beaches, exotic and palm trees, mountain ranges sweeping to the sea, warm tropical winds, lots of tranquility and luxurious resorts scattered among its 300+ islands, you must come here! This place won’t disappoint you!

To be continued…

A Rich Wood Carving Tradition in Oaxaca, Mexico: Spotlight on Jacobo Ángeles

Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.  

 

Try searching the Americas to find creators of folk art with more form, symbolism and importance to the development and sustenance of their culture, than those of indigenous ancestry in Oaxaca (waâ??HAWâ??ka), one of the southernmost Mexican states.

 

Many so-called experts in folk art have mistakenly written that the origins of Oaxacaâ??s wood carving tradition date back fifty or sixty years, to a small number of carvers residing in one of the central valleys of Oaxaca, a few miles from the state capital of the same name.  The error has consistently been equating the recent commercialization of the art-form with its origins, and ignoring its pre-Hispanic roots and subsequent development.

 

Jacobo Ángeles lives with his wife María and two children in San Martín Tilcajete, one of three main native Zapotec villages, where most residents earn a living from carving and painting colorful figures, often generically referred to as alebrijes.  The others are Arrazola and La Unión Tejalapan.

 

At age 12 Jacobo began learning to carve from his father.  Later on he was mentored by village elders.  â??Over the past few decades our craft has without a doubt changed dramatically,â? Jacobo explains, â??with the use of more synthetic paints, a tremendous increase in the range of figures being carved, and with domestic and international demand for our carvings growing exponentially and affecting how and what we produce.  But remember, my ancestors were carving animals right here in this region before the Spanish arrived in the 1500â??s.  And we were using only natural paint colors which we derived from fruits and vegetables, plants and tree bark, clay, and even insects.  In my family we still use what we find around us to make paint for our figures, and our wood of choice continues to be the branches of the copal tree.â?

 

San Martín Tilcajete is located about a 40 minute drive from the city of Oaxaca, along a highway leading to the stateâ??s Pacific resort towns, including one of the oldest ports, Puerto Escondido.  Puerto Escondido was a hub for the export of coffee and other cash crops during colonial times, but is now a popular beach destination for Mexican and international vacationers alike.  Many travelers combine their sun and sand vacation with a visit to Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, searching out unique pieces of folk art including dance masks, pottery and clay figures, rugs and tapestries, and antiques from the colonial period forward.  And of course there are the pre-Hispanic ruins, galleries, impressive Dominican churches, museums, and renowned Oaxacan cuisine.

 

â??My ancestors used a 20-day calendar,â? Jacobo continues, â??and each day was represented by a different creature.  So every Zapotec person had an animal with whom he had a connection, and each animal had certain characteristics which carried over to the individual.  For example, the jaguar represents power and ultimate strength, the frog is characterized by honesty and openness, the coyote watchful observation, the turtle always a troublemaker prone to breaking the rules, the eagle technical and strategic power, and so on.  My people used to carve figures of just these 20 animals.  They started out as small whittlings for good luck that people would keep in a revered niche in the home, or wear around the neck as amulets.  They also carved larger figures for their children to use as toys.â?

 

After much probing, an almost forgotten story emerges of the use of decoys of wood and other materials.   Jacobo reveals:  â??My people used a variety of methods to attract different kinds of game, but for hunting birds of prey, rabbits, and deer, yes they at times used decoys.  A painted wooden snake would be placed on the ground in an area where ants had trampled the grasses so the snake decoy would easily be seen by eagles.  To hunt rabbit, my ancestors would attach a rabbit tail to one end of a straw hat, and at the other end another tail with a face painted on it.  For deer, a crude wooden deer torso with real antlers would be placed in the tall brush.  So carving was historically important to our people for not only totemic and related reasons, but it was directly related to our subsistence.  All the written records from the period of the conquest, and not just local legend, confirm the importance of woodcarving.â?

 

â??But look at what we now carve.  While in my family we still use natural paints, and still carve our totems, weâ??ve transformed a simple yet important and symbolic tradition into something very different.  In our villages we now carve many more than those 20 animals because of collector demand.  More importantly, weâ??re able to make our heritage better understood and appreciated by the world.  In our own workshop, our painting depicts designs and representations of our culture â?¦ friezes from the ancient ruin at Mitla, symbols representing waves, mountains and fertility, the totems, and other metaphors for our culture, past and present.â?

 

Indeed the world has taken notice.   Jacoboâ??s work is prominently displayed in The Smithsonian Institute, Chicagoâ??s National Museum of Mexican Art, and elsewhere throughout the continent and further abroad, in museums, art colleges and galleries.  Jacobo regularly traverses the U.S. promoting Oaxacan folk art and his Zapotec heritage, teaching in a diversity of educational venues ranging from junior schools to university departments of fine art, and as honored speaker at art exhibition openings.

 

                                      ********************

 

A visit to the Ángeles workshop, accessed by a heavily pot-holed narrow dirt road towards one end of the village, affords an opportunity to learn about this extraordinary skill-set, from Jacobo, Maria — an excellent painter in her own right — and some two dozen other members of their family who produce some of the finest quality carvings found anywhere on the continent.

 

The men do most of the carving, while women do most of the painting, but the tasks are definitely not exclusively based on gender lines. Carving is done with non â?? mechanical hand-tools such as machetes, chisels and knives.  The only time a more sophisticated tool is used is when a chain saw is employed to cut off a branch and level a base for a proposed figure.

 

Except when a special order is received, the woodworkers in the family are given artistic license to carve whatever figure they wish.  A piece of tree trunk will â??speakâ? to one of these specialists, and be the inspiration for creating a particular animal: the shape, thickness, and bends and twists in the piece come alive.  After the bark is removed, a detailed outline is drawn, defining the image with greater clarity and detail.  The sculpting in earnest then begins.   

 

â??From the female copal tree we are able to make figures out of one piece of wood, often very large and intricate.  This wood is soft and easy to work with.  The male tree is harder, and branches tend to be smaller and somewhat delicate, so we use it to make animals which we assemble in the process.â?

 

The carving alone takes up to a month, at times longer.  The figure is then left to dry for up to 10 months, depending on its overall size and thickness.  Because of the properties of copal, and Oaxacaâ??s semi-tropical climate, the wood is susceptible to termite infestation.  Accordingly, during the drying process the piece is soaked in a gasoline / insecticide mixture for several hours.  As an added assurance, itâ??s then placed in an oven, just in case eggs have evaded extermination.  â??All of our pieces are guaranteed to never have a termite problem,â? Jacobo assures.

 

Since the figures are fashioned while the wood is green and more easily workable, the wood separates while drying. â??There are a couple of members of my family whose main job is to fill the cracks before the painting begins.â?Â  For this remedial work they use wood shims as well as a sawdust-glue mixture.  But even these slivers of wood and the sawdust have been cured.  â??Weâ??re proud of our work, and never want to have any problems with any of our buyers, whether someone is spending $20 or $2,000.â?

 

In almost all cases in the Ángeles workshop, one person carves and another paints.  Once a figure has left the hands of the carver, all proprietary rights are released, and another member of the family is entrusted with the painting.  Nephew Magdaleno explains:  â??Occasionally one of my cousins will come up to me and say â??what do you think about these colors or this kind of design concept for this coyote,â?? and Iâ??ll give my feedback, but it doesnâ??t happen very often, and Iâ??m invariably pleased with the result.  For me itâ??s the form thatâ??s most important, and for whoeverâ??s painting, itâ??s the imagery it captures.â?

 

One cannot help but gasp at the sculpting genius which goes into each piece:  A starving dog scratching fleas, a bear with its paw in a honey pot, a snake constricting a wincing jaguar, a winged horse on its hinds, a woman with long braided locks and the body of an armadillo, or a deer, life-size by Mexican standards.  Thereâ??s something particularly arresting about each creation: the ever-so-flowing and realistic movement, a fanciful stance, or a familiar pose striking a chord with our popular characterization.  However the painting is anything but familiar.  No color goes untested and the intricacy of and variation in design is remarkable.

 

Theories abound regarding the beginning of the modern-day manifestation of the tradition.  Some say that because hallucinogenic mushrooms are native to this part of Mexico, drug induced revelations caused the imaginations of some to wander, ultimately becoming expressed in their carvings.  The better explanation is that knowledge of colorful, large, papier maché alebrijes or dragon-like forms which originated in the State of Mexico, eventually filtered down to Oaxaca, and were the inspiration for the fathers of contemporary painted wooden carvings.  â??You know, itâ??s not accurate to refer to what we create as alebrijes, because to the older generation of Mexicans, and to true folk art collectors, alebrijes were developed near D.F. (Distrito Federal, or Mexico City, the nationâ??s capital), and what we do is completely different.â?

 

Jacobo demonstrates how his ancestors created natural paints, historically utilized for dying clothing, painting buildings, and ceremonially as face and body decoration used for rites of passage, fiestas, prayer and other important occasions.  Today their primary use, at least in Jacoboâ??s family, is for painting the carvings.  He explains with the assistance of his machete and a tree trunk how he cuts away the reddish inside part of the bark of the male copal, allows it to dry, then toasts and grinds it:  â??This is a primary base that we use, which allows us to create a range of colors, tones and shades. Just watch.â?

 

Using his hands as palettes, Jacobo begins by placing a small amount of the powdered bark in one hand, squeezes juice from a lime, creating a brown, which he then places on an unpainted wooden owl.  â??Yes the owl is also one of our sacred creatures, the great healer, quiet and humble.â?Â  He reveals:  â??Now over time, and in the sun, this color will change or fade and be absorbed into the wood.  So what our ancestors learned to do was take the dried sap from the copal tree and heat it up with honey.  The resulting liquid is then mixed with the paint, changing the color a little; see, it becomes a deep orange â?¦ but most importantly it acts as a mordent making the color permanent, and a little shiny.â? He adds powdered limestone, and the color changes to black.  With the addition of baking soda and more lime juice it becomes a deep yellow, and with more chemical it miraculously becomes magenta.  A new base is then started, with crushed pomegranate seeds.  Magically the pulverized pink is transformed into green with the addition of limestone powder. Mixed with the magenta, it becomes navy blue. With the addition of zinc it becomes grey, and with more zinc, white.  Blue from the añil tree, indigo, is altered with the addition of bicarbonate, zinc, lime juice or the powdered lime mineral.  Corn mold, a black gooey culinary delicacy known as huitlacoche, when fermented and then powdered, yields ochre.  The red of the dried and then crushed minute insect, the cochineal, which feeds off its host nopal cactus, becomes orange with the addition of the juice of any of a number of acidic fruits. 

 

The demonstration terminates with Jacobo asking, â??what´s your favorite animal,â? following which he finger paints a rabbit from the rainbow of colors on his palms, as only Alice could have imagined. 

 

                                      ******************

 

With approximately 150 families now producing painted wooden figures in these and a couple of other smaller villages, the questions left unanswered remain:  What facilitated and drove more carvers to adopt the papier maché style of using brilliant color combinations, and how can everyone in these villages make a living from this solitary art-form?

 

As with other crafts in the central valleys of Oaxaca, their production wasnâ??t always the primary means of sustenance for the populace.  Traditionally, handicrafts were a hobby or part-time trade, beginning with very few items being sold to the odd passerby, adventurer or traveler.  In the case of rugs from nearby Teotitlán del Valle, there were trade routes that producers followed in order to effect more sales in other regions of the state, and in some cases beyond.  But the primary means of family survival was working the land and small-scale ranching.  And in the case of the carving villages, there never was a broader market, although in San Martín Tilcajete embroidered shirts, blouses and dresses were an extremely well-received craft throughout the 1960â??s and into the 80â??s.  

 

Dramatic change in production and marketing of wooden carvings had its genesis in the 1940â??s.  The pan-American highway cut through the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, reaching Oaxaca, opening up the region to the north, in particular Mexico City and the border states.  Until then Oaxaca was relatively isolated notwithstanding a rail connection. By the 1950â??s and early 60â??s Americans and Canadians were prospering from the post-war boom, credit cards had been mailed to virtually everyone, and word spread of a new kind of vacation, in a third world country, Mexico.  Jet air travel facilitated the transformation.  The womenâ??s movement meant more two income families, resulting in more disposable income for traveling.  Mexicana Airlines and Oaxacan travel agents partnered to begin offering tour packages, which further facilitated tourism to the region.

 

The hippie movement of the 1960â??s and early 70â??s brought Oaxaca to the forefront of the alternative lifestyle, with throngs of youth and their pop idols traveling to Huautla de Jiménez, then a tiny Oaxacan village, to eat hallucinogenic mushrooms with the now infamous healer María Sabina.  North American youth saw and purchased the first generation of contemporary wood carvings. 

 

By the 1980â??s, as a consequence of multiple factors, Oaxacan alebrijes had become well-established as folk art, with the market continuing to grow. The economic implication was that farmers and ranchers were able to spend more time carving and painting, and less time in the countryside and in marketplaces vending their produce and animals.   With a new toll-road opening from Mexico City to Oaxaca in 1995, access to the southern state became even quicker and easier, and safe. In good conscience, travel writers were no longer able to warn tourists about driving the switchbacks, back-road banditos, or cars overheating on secondary roads without service stations.

 

The future market for the artistry?   While the odd visitor to a Oaxacan coastal resort such as Puerto Escondido, or the more popular Huatulco, does visit the state capital and the workshops of carvers like Jacobo, most do not.  Within the next four years a new highway to the coast will open, cutting road travel time by at least a third.  Even more sun worshipers will visit Oaxaca, and marvel at the art of Jacobo and María Ángeles. 

 

Since opening their family workshop in 1996, without a doubt Jacobo and María have singularly raised the quality bar for other villagers who aspire to mirror their success.  With Oaxacan wood carvings of superior quality now well established on the world stage, and access no longer an impediment, the challenge for others in San Martín Tilcajete will be to achieve the success of the Ángeles family through production of like quality, until now eluding most.

 

A challenge for all carvers in the region is to ensure a continuous supply of copal to meet demand.  A reforestation project spear-headed about 15 years ago by the late master of contemporary Mexican art, Rodolfo Morales, continues through his Foundation.  The Ángeles family with friends and other villagers spend the last Sunday of each July, in the midst of the rainy season, planting, a part of their sustainable living effort:  ensuring an ongoing supply of raw product, cutting only branches for making figures so that the tree continues to grow, reducing waste by utilizing the slivers and sawdust in repair work and any remaining twigs and branches as firewood for cooking, and using the sap and bark in paint production.  â??And you know,â? Jacobo reminds, â??for generations weâ??ve been using the hardened sap as incense, mainly at religious cememonies.  There are even knifemakers down the road in Ocotlán, who engrave their hand-forged blades using a special ink made with the sap.  Have you visited the cuchillería of Ángel Aguilar?â?

 

For high end collectors, we can only encourage the success of all efforts aimed at maintaining the growth and development of the Oaxacan woodcarving tradition, since it satisfies and advances our penchant for and obsession with quality hand-fashioned craftsmanship.  For the artisans in the region, aside from the obvious economic importance, itâ??s part of maintaining their Zapotec heritage and illustrating the richness of the culture to the broader world.  

 

The workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles is located at Calle Olvido #9, San Martín Tilcajete, Ocotlán, Oaxaca  ( t:   951-524-9047 ;  w:  http://www.tilcajete.org  ;  e:  angeles@tilcajete.org ).

 

Vacation to Italy and Get a Major Dose of History

Known for its food, wine, people, culture, music, countryside and even the mafia – Italy happens to be one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the world.

Italy is where culture, history and traditions blend beautifully with modernity and fashion. What is interesting about Italy is that you will never find a single Italian flag, but they are still very particular about their culture and traditions – and of course soccer.

Whether your vacationing to Florence, Rome, Naples, Milan, or Venice your stay will be well worth the flight. Italy boasts several 5 star resort hotels that accommodate to every need you could imagine.

Italians are considered to be one of the best-looking people in the world. They are very proud of their past, their culture and for them it is all about family. Italians are very sociable.

They are friendly and will talk to anyone, what’s most appealing about them is their sense of good humor and wit. In Italy you will hear the various kinds of dialects and accents of Italian, which sound so melodious to the ear.

Italians have an ongoing love affair with food and fashion. The Italian food is famous worldwide and is a gastronomical to all the senses. Fashion is a very important part of the Italian culture, after all Milan is the fashion capital of the world, where haute couture is the word most heard.

Northern Italy is more educated, hectic and fast paced, where as South of Italy is rural and laidback. People in Italy love spending money on their expensive attire, be it clothes, watches, shoes, jewelry or their fast cars.

If you want to be understood in Italy, you will have to rely on your English-Italian dictionary or your gesturing skills, because English is not spoken or understood by many people there.

People in Italy have a gastronomical affair with food. Eating is a passion and an integral part of the culture in Italy. So when you are in Italy, expect to add a few pounds to your frame.

Italian food finds it roots back to different regions and is influenced by various factors. If you are looking for healthy and cheaper food, then you must venture into South Italy.

The world famous and supremely popular Pizza was born in Campania along with tubular pizza and the various tomato based pizza and pasta sauces. Even if you are one of those few people who do not like pizzas, you should try one.

The reason the Italian pizzas are popular is because of its simplicity and its fresh ingredients. Pizza margherita is the most popular pizza in Italy named after Queen Margherita.

If you are looking for food with Greek influence with figs, honey, aubergine and aromatic spices, then Calabria is the place to go. Sicily will give you mouthwatering, finger-licking desserts like cannoli, sweet cheese, chocolate and cassata pastries. And Italian ice-cream Gelato is oh so popular.

A typical Italian dinner would consist of an appetizer or an antipasto like bruschetta which is a type of herbed and spiced garlic bread; prosciutto which is cured ham and melon.

The primo piatto, which is the first main course, is usually a soup or pasta; the second piatto will have meat, chicken or fish with contorno, which is vegetable. The meal is then ended with dessert, fruits and coffee.

Rome Tourist Information: Weather in Rome, Italy

Autumn Weather in Rome

Without fail, Romans recommend that the best time to travel to Rome is from mid-September to October. Yes, it might rain, but the temperatures turn out to be quite nice, even if it is getting a tiny bit chilly at night. Almost no one recommends November, but I’ve had very good luck the last few years with weather in the first half of November.

Spring Weather in Rome

May has almost the same temperatures as October, and April, while you’re likely to feel chilly at night, is almost as good.

The effects upon tourism and the tourist industry could be numerous, though I will only mention a couple. Many people complain about hotel and apartment rates increasing, not only during the summer months, but throughout the whole year. And quite right I say, when there are 300 rooms with air-conditioning systems set to -5 degrees Celsius all day, (whilst the guests themselves are stripping off beside the pool trying to soak up every last heat ray that the sun exudes). Add to that, the fact that the hotter countries, including Italy, often experience troubles such as water shortages during the summer months. One cannot travel more than 20-30 kilometers outside of the center of Rome, without spotting a water tower; ready and waiting for such emergencies.

Then again, as a frequent traveller myself, I have to admit that I am amongst those who whinge about the cost of holidays and the annoying chamber maid that turned off my air-con again. I also complain after 3 days of staying in an air-conditioned room that my asthma is playing up and find myself, throughout the remainder of my holiday, popping anti-histamine tablets and taking my inhalers to counter the side-effects of my “cutting-my-nose-off-to-spite-my-own-face” overindulgence. (But that’s part of being on holiday is it not?) I am of course trying my best to play devils advocate. But, again in favour of hotels, the hotter the weather, the more washing of sheets and towels the hotels are required to do as people sweat and consequentially shower/bathe more, (affecting the volume of water).

As far as the industry its self is concerned, yes; people do flock in their thousands, from the colder parts of the world to the heat, as soon as the summer months arrive, BUT, when you feel like the core of your body has turned into volcanic lava, are you really going to want a 10oz Sirloin Steak and all the trimmings for your dinner; or (to use Italy as an example) a 4-5 course dinner of starter, pasta dish, meat dish, dessert and coffee/spirit? I know that I personally lose 90% of my appetite for large and hot meals in the heat. Then again I do drink more, so do the restaurants and bars rely on this to make their money?

For residents, the temperatures can cause several problems. People taking time of work due to problems such as heat/sun stroke, problems with dehydration or people generally taking days off to go to the beach. Add to that, everything in Italy slows down. The Italians are well-known for being “laid-back” and “easy with time”, but the truth is that in the summer months, it’s hard to get anything done. I know that I personally find it difficult to move some days without finding myself “glowing”. Older people in Italy are told to visit supermarkets and shopping centers to help them cool down. Last year I found myself looking forward to going to a well-known Italian meat supermarket, simply because the entire store is a freezer. The only problem was, I’d feel sick as soon as I stepped outdoors, as it was like jumping from Scotland to Italy. The heat, after the extreme cool, was thick and choking. Driving your car can be a nightmare, anywhere from not being able to plug in your seat belt or touch the steering wheel because they have been heated to melting point; to getting stuck in hot, sticky, airless traffic jams. Weeds and bushes on the sides of the road have been known to set on fire, by a combination of the sun drying them out and the heat from the tarred roads setting them alight. Occasionally there are problems with power-outages in homes and shops, because the generators, wires or transition boxes have overheated. Or how do you feel about brushing your teeth in hot water? The pros of course… if like me you are to tight-pursed that you refuse to fork out for air-conditioning, your power bill in the summer months can decrease to almost nothing in Italy. Unlike the old cold summers I used to endure when I lived in Scotland, there’s no need to have your water heater on all day to take a shower or wash the dishes. No need for heating or lights on all day thanks to the light and heat of the sun. And finally, my personal favourites, you can put away your winter duvet at nights and enjoy the reduced quantity of laundry, thanks to the fact you wear less clothes and used less bed linen.

Now in 2007. This year, June was HOT. Very hot. By far, warmer than last year, but it followed a very wet April and May. July has been up and down. I am lucky to live north of Italy in the mountains where we get some breeze; but on a trip to the south of Rome (where I used to live also), to visit friends a few weeks ago, I realised just how lucky I really am. The change in temperature from the north to the south was uncanny. There was literally a 5-10 degree drop that day between my home in the north and my friends in the south. More shocking to me, was the change in air. Being situated in the countryside here in the north, higher up and surrounded by fields and trees etc. our air is fresh and soft on the nose and throat (terrible for any one with Hay-fever, but none the less a good clean air. In the south however; my friends live in a reasonably built up area, even the countryside full of houses and small repair garages and abandoned buildings. The air is thick, smoggy and hot. My father, on a trip to visit, once described it as holding a hair dryer in front of your face and I cannot think of a better explanation.

I cannot determine whether the increase in the temperature within Italy, or the effects; are caused by Global warming, or if we are quite simply receiving a freak weather change; but as an expat in Rome, I can say that the weather change is certainly noticeable. As for the effects, well I could be right I could be wrong, I cannot know, but I would like to hope that tourism and peoples desires to visit hotter countries such as Italy will not be affected too much, as Italy is a truly beautiful country to visit and with so much to enjoy and such easy access to low cost flights and airports and with the ease of self-booking thanks to teletext and the Internet; it would be a shame for the weather to spoil it all.