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Travel Feature
The Magnificent Maps Exhibit at London's British Library
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- Parent Category: Travel Info
- Category: Travel Feature
- Published on Tuesday, 22 June 2010 16:26
- Written by Eric Lurio
Britain hasn’t been successfully invaded since 1688, and then, nobody tried to burn the files. That means that the pack-rats at the archives have almost 1000 years' worth of stuff lying around.
Among these are various forms of political propaganda, both for and against the governments of their day.
Some of this stuff is considered art, and this summer, two museums, the British Library and the Tate Gallery, both in London, are mounting exhibitions of some of the best.
The first of these is the Library’s monumental Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art, which primarily focuses on the use of cartography as propaganda and tool of intimidation.
The British government, (what had been the English government before the Act of Union in 1707) would use maps as wall decoration, with humongous prints or watercolors showing the world as it was known, or at least should have been known at the time.
These monumental maps, which are mostly the only kind that were shown, were sent by kings and princes to each other to show the domains they were masters of -- a form of preening that could be sent through the post. A large map of one’s kingdom (or duke-dom or whatever) will show the hereditary leader of the next country over that you are wealthy and should be feared.
One of the more interesting pieces is a 8-by-10 foot map of Pomerania, showing the kingdom in great detail, with portraits of the King and his close relations at the corners. Unfortunately, there were problems with the printing process and it didn’t come out until their neighbors had already conquered and dismembered the place, leaving nothing but the map.
Sometimes, cartographers, or their patrons, would use their works to make a plea or suggestion. There was a globe produced in the 1580s, which showed North America as entirely British…
The first Queen Elizabeth didn’t quite take the hint, but her successor, James I most certainly did. There is also, an extremely beautiful (and scary) German map produced by Rudolph Koch for Adolf Hitler in 1933, which showed what Koch and his Führer thought what Germany should look like at the time.
Dr Peter Barber -- who curated the exhibit -- said that, had Neville Chamberlain seen the map, he wouldn’t have given Hitler the Sudetenland in 1938 and World War II never wouldn’t have happened. 
Some of the “cheaper” maps, made for schools town halls and the like, were even more propagandistic. The second oldest map there was for schools and was totally inaccurate, but the message was clear, the king of England was ruler of all the good parts of the world, and most of the rest didn’t matter.
Aside from “I’m master of my domain” angle (there’s a number of ornate maps of individual properties, suitable for one’s living room), the political commentary angle is also played up. Posters from all over Europe, using cartography as part of the iconography, because since at least since the 19th century, most people know what their own country looks like, and the enemy chomping on a silhouette of Britain or Russia is a powerful or clichéd image that works every time.
Finally, there’s Stephen Walter’s The Island (2008), drawn with what appears to be a ballpoint pen, is huge, and purports to show that London is a world all it’s own and not actually part of England (somewhat like saying New York isn’t really part of the United States). The work has been digitized, and the “Where’s Waldo?” like details can be seen with a remarkable digital “magnifying glass.”
In Part 2, we go to the Tate’s delightful Rude Britannia exhibition, which shows the history of political cartooning.
Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art
April 30 to September 19, 2010
the British Library
Euston Road, NW1
London, England
Thoughts on a Gibraltar Street Fair
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- Parent Category: Travel Info
- Category: Travel Feature
- Published on Tuesday, 22 June 2010 13:42
- Written by Eric Lurio
Some major cities have several every weekend during the summertime like in New York City -- though Mayor Michael Bloomberg is threatening to cut them down or eliminate them all together. In other places, they're an annual affair. In Gibraltar, it's the latter and is called Calentita; this year they had fireworks. It took place a few weekends ago.
For some reason, Calentita only goes back four years. Why the Ministry of Culture didn't come up with it earlier is something I forgot to ask. But this is Gibraltar, a teensy-weensy British sore on the skin of Spain, a mountain on a peninsula surrounded by a small town and a bunker-like border.
Except for a small glass factory and banks designed for tax avoidance, (and the navy) there's nothing really here except tourism, which is why one of Calentita's highlights is the introduction of the Miss Gibraltar contestants (Miss World). Pretty women are always fun to look at, and while doing so; it's interesting to ponder how this pinprick on the Mediterranean, and it's Spanish counterpart in Africa, Ceuta, fit into the bigger picture of international politics, especially the Middle East.
On the face of it, Gibraltar and Ceuta should be totally inoffensive. They are extremely tiny, and filled with friendly people who wish no one any harm and provide tourist dollars for people living on the other side of the border. But actually they're extremely offensive to their neighbors. The main reason is that they're There. It hurts the dignity of Spain and Morocco to have these tiny enclaves just sitting there figuratively thumbing their noses at two major countries.
Spain blockaded Gibraltar for most of the last third of the 20th century (they gave up in 1984) and when the Blair government in Britain negotiated a co- dominium with Spain in 2002, but the locals had to be consulted, and the referendum rejected the proposal by 17,900 to 187.
Ceuta is a slightly different matter. The Portuguese "stole" the city in 1415 and Spain took it over a century and a half later. In the only known referendum to take place prior to the 18th century, the people decided to stay with Spain when Portugal got its independence back in 17th century.
When Spain gave Morocco back most of the "occupied territory" in 1956, it kept Ceuta on the grounds that it had the city before it grabbed the rest. The Moroccan government is still fuming...
Like Gibraltar, Ceuta's border with Spain is a bunker-like affair, and there's a major illegal alien problem there. Morocco is to Europe what Mexico is to the United States, and this enclave and its sister Melilla -- a few hundred miles to the east -- are the equivalent of Tijuana or Nuevo Laredo, easy gateways to the riches of Europe. Everyone in Africa wants to pass through. The Spaniards down there feel Arizona's pain.
But getting back to Calentita... Casemates Square, right off Main Street, was filled to capacity as everyone waited for the fireworks display. I was amazed how much Spanish was being spoken. One shouldn't be though; since the border was opened, lots of Spaniards came to get work. Then it happened. I was amazed on how low to the ground they were. That plus the music and the freaky lasers made it quite an experience.
Fortunately, Spain has pretty much given up getting the Rock back, but they will never fully accept it and always resent it being British. It's been that way for over 300 years, longer than the Spanish have held it after they took it from the Moors in the 1430s.
This should be a lesson for the Middle East. Nobody is going anywhere so get used with it.
The Sun Shines on Phuket Island Environs
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- Parent Category: Travel Info
- Category: Travel Feature
- Published on Sunday, 13 June 2010 14:20
- Written by Perry Santanachote
Off the west coast of southern Thailand, Phuket Island is a paradise for beach bums and adventure seekers alike. Well known as “The Pearl of the Andaman Sea,” this tropical island is endowed with beautiful white beaches, spectacular limestone peaks and forested hills.
Avoid the overcrowded and polluted Patong Beach, which has lost its charm, and instead book a day trip to one of the surrounding mini islands.
Phang Nga Bay is a complex network of river estuaries with dense mangrove and nipa palm forests. Protecting the shoreline are limestone cliff formations that extend up to 1,000 feet out from the sea.
Touring the area in a small motorboat or canoe allows you to explore the mysteries of the mangrove swamps and take in the natural beauty of coves, bays and idyllic remote beaches.
Many of the rock formations are hollow and conceal hidden caves and lagoons. Local guides know the secret passages, but you’ll have to get out of the boat and swim. If you can handle swimming through a tight, dark cave, it’s completely worth it. You’ll find pristine white sand beaches without a single footprint, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The experience evokes a surreal feeling of traveling back in time a million years.
If you want to stay in the boat, go to a limestone island called Tham Lawd, which boats are able to pass through. Look up and check out the stalactites hanging from the ceiling like chandeliers. You may even glimpse a bat or two.
If you’re the more adventu
rous type, put on a wet suit and take a day trip to the Similan Islands. About 12 miles north at Koh Bon is a 110-foot vertical wall and a step-down ridge that goes down nearly 150 feet to the sandy flats beneath. Leopard sharks are commonly seen in this area.
Another 15 miles north is Koh Tachai, with an underwater ridge that is considered to be one of the finest dives. This spot is famous for stingrays, leopard sharks and bill turtles. Whale sharks are also known to make appearances now and again.
On dry land, a three-hour drive from Phuket is the Khao Sok Rainforest. The 460 square mile nature preserve features thick native rainforests, waterfalls and an enchanting island-studded lake. There are several trails for hiking, rivers for rafting, as well as a guided safari tour. One any given day you can expect to see wild elephants, leopards, serows, guar, Malayan sun bears, dusky langurs and nearly 200 species of birds
Finally, for those looking for a nice beach to lounge on, Phuket has endless possibilities. A popular one is Karon Beach, with its unusual squeaky sand. Yes squeaky. You’ll understand once you hear it for yourself.
Comestible Survival in Cannes
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- Parent Category: Travel Info
- Category: Travel Feature
- Published on Sunday, 09 May 2010 03:36
- Written by Ron Dicker
Where I go in Cannes after film festival screenings is dictated by two forces: my exact whereabouts and whether I can secure free grub at a seaside soiree. If 
complimentary cold rosé and hors d'oeuvres aren't in the offing, then it's time for my old reliables.
La Pizza (3 Quai Saint-Pierre) gets the publicity for attracting journos, but Xavier Pizza (10 Rue Marceau) gets my heart. French-style thin crust, stronger-than-usual cheeses and a fresh-catch bounty on its seafood pizza make it the best around. I've gotten film writers from all over the world to try this place. If it weren't for the hike, they'd eat here all the time. It sounds crazy to pour spicy olive oil over all that grease, right? You just do it and you love it.
My drinking hangout is a nondescript two-dollar-a-glass joint catty-cornered from the train station. It's called Bar Splendide, but it's not to be confused with the bar at the Hotel Splendide (4-6 rue Felix-Faure) -- a decent two-star place (or as one guide describes: "an old-style hotel that rises above the Allees de la Liberte, just a hop from the Palais des Festivals (where the annual film fest is held) and facing the Cote D'Azur; this hotel's turn-of-the-century charm goes hand in hand with modern comforts"). 
You will find reporters, flacks and marketers tipping back le vin as the night creeps on. By-the-carafe brings the tally to about a buck a glass. The more you drink, the more you ignore the shady characters emerging from the station. I sometimes bring outside food -- ham and cheese and tuna sandwiches are everywhere -- to the sidewalk tables, and I've never been hassled by the staff.
In the morning, I like to wolf down a croissant or two as I hustle to the 8:30 a.m. screening.
There is only one option as far as I'm concerned. Pains de Provence (24 Boulevard de la République), a slight climb into the foothills, serves 'em up a buttery golden brown for about a buck apiece. These could make the Pillsbury Dough Boy seek a new line of work. I get my espresso and juice for free in the Palais press bar. Hey, I'm on a budget.
For dessert, I don't want patisserie in Cannes. I want ice cream. Local stalwart Vilfeu closed its prized location on Rue des Etats Unis and now has two spots (14 Rue Bivouac Napoléon and 9 Rue Montaigne). Try the pear sorbet and the pistachio ice cream. And... You're welcome.
La Pizza
3 Quai Saint-Pierre
06400 Cannes, France
04 93 39 22 56
www.crescere.fr
Xavier Pizza
10 Rue Marceau
06400 Cannes, France
Vilfeu
14 Rue Bivouac Napoléon
06400 Cannes, France
Vilfeu
9 Rue Montaigne
06400 Cannes, France
Pains de Provence
24 Boulevard de la République
06400 Cannes, France
Hotel Splendide
4-6 rue Felix-Faure
06400 Cannes, France
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