Gaudi's work is not ABC

There is a story of a traveller on an organised tour who was carefully taking notes of each place on the itinerary. The tour guide noticed that occasionally the traveller would simply record 'ABC'. When asked as to the coded meaning, the traveller replied, 'Another Bloody Church'.


Cathedrals are designed to be big... impressive... awesome. And they succeed. Designed to inspire, they are a credit to the commitment of past societies, many small, which built such amazing edificies. Most took many generations to complete and almost every city has one in a prime position. The architecture is impressive with similar designs to allow tall buildings to stay upright ... for centuries.

The development of the flying buttress was a design feature discovered by the master builders of the middle ages. Masonry has excellent compression properties, but little tensile strength. Medieval architects did not have steel to reinforce their buildings, and the flying buttress allowed the distribution of forces to the ground without tension. The Romans discovered the arch and medieval builders used this architectural development to construct their magnificent edifices. These designs allowed the buildings to be light and have sunlight enter through intricate stained glass windows. These are colourful, even if one needs binoculars to see the details.

Unfortunately, one of the signs of tiring is the feeling that we have seen another bloody church, and they begin to appear similar. Which they do. And although I have enjoyed seeing them in their settings, there is that sameness that has crept into our visits.

That was ... until Barcelona.

The Sagrada Familia is a massive structure by any benchmark. It is loud and ostentatious and it appears as if the designer aimed to out-do all competition in cathedral building.

It has a great wow-factor that brings out a reaction from all who enter. Before I visited, I thought the exterior was loud and unnecessarily excessive. Why have one tall spire, when eighteen will do the job better? Twelve for the apostles, four evangelists, Mary and the yet to be built tallest one for Jesus. It is just .. too much.

Gaudi designed his buildings in the modernista style, and this one has it all. He developed a way to remove the time-tested flying buttress, and his ideas use natural elements seen during his childhood in rural Spain.

The massive columns have been transformed into tall trees, and one looks up into a forest canopy.


We walked through a giant construction site and witnessed the building of an engineering marvel. Architects are attempting to maintain integrity with Gaudi's original design, but can now use modern materials. And like the medieval cathedrals, this one has taken so far over a century to complete. It may be finished in 20 years if all augurs well. In one poignant moment, I watched an elderly engineer being guided through the construction site by younger colleagues. They supported him as they walked down the almost-completed transept, turned him around to look up, and all marvelled at the project they were honoured to be building.


Described as God's architect by some, Gaudi's cathedral will not please everyone. But it certainly impressed me. Those stained glass windows blend the colour spectrum in ways I have never seen before. And it was magnificent. Gaudi's work has influenced many, from Gehry to Dr. Seuss. If you don't believe me, go and look up the making of The Grinch movie.

I didn't want to leave and had another look around. When a guide asked me what I thought at the end of my visit, my answer was, 'After this, I can never enjoy another cathedral again'.

I have been impressed so often this year, but the visit to Gaudi's cathedral was indeed a highlight. Wow!!

Mountain Fever

This week it is Summer time in the Alps, although the photos seem to say otherwise. We are spending a few days in Chamonix, then will cross the border into Switzerland to trek the picturesque Bernese Oberland area around Lauterbrunnen.

This week is a quieter respite from the busy cultural visits of Europe's cities. Well, at least it was planned to be quieter. Up at 5.30 a.m. to beat the crowds, we crammed into a gondola to climb to a giddying 3800 metres at Aiguille du Midi. Most of the others aboard were equipped with hiking boots with crampons, ropes, and snow clothing, and we considered if we were under-prepared. The gondola rose to a height where one is affected by altitude and climbing stairs makes the heart beat much faster than expected; a warning sign to take it easy up there.

There we were, above the clouds and looking down on the beauty of the snow-capped mountain peaks around the Chamonix valley. The views are spectacular when sitting on top of this alpine world just perfect for panoramic shots. Some visitors take the gondola across the next valley to Italy.
We had planned to take a randonnée (Notice the French accent?) around the valley rim and hike in the lower reaches, with wonderful views of the valley and peaks. The hike was to see the famous Mer de Glace (Sea of ice) glacier and take the return train from Le Montenvers back to Chamonix.

The steep valley sides have been scoured with ice and snow over millennia, leaving behind boulders and rocks strewn across the path. There are warnings of dangerous rock falls instructing hikers to avoid lingering at the most dangerous spots.


There is a well visited restaurant built next to the glacier. On the station wall is a photograph showing the Mer de Glace in 1910, with a great expanse of ice passing the restaurant and down the valley. The striking thing about the photo is comparing it to today's view of an ice-free, rocky U-shaped valley. The front of this retreating ice flow has now moved one kilometre back up the valley, and like most retreating European glaciers, provides further evidence of global warming. Maybe it's best to see these magnificent structures before humans never see them again.

My Education

In times past, young wealthy English men and women went on the Grand Tour of Europe. It was seen as a time to complete their education by travel in search of Western civilisation's roots. France and Italy were compulsory waypoints to see Europe before and after the Renaissance.

This year, 2010, has been our own Grand Tour. While others did this travelling in their youth, I had to wait until the freedom years once children had left home. So, in many ways we have been making up for lost time, with a desire to visit many sites that would take many years if we lived more conveniently.

Although I am trained in the Sciences, it is the humanities that grasp my attention after work. Art, architecture, politics, language and history are all pursuits that fascinate.

Each place visited has cultural features that have been on the must-see list.
Museums, castles, art galleries, artifacts, cathedrals are all there, and we have had a tight itinerary to see this sampling of European history. Favourite museums visited include the British Museum, Scienza, and Vatican. And the Uffizi, Belvedere and Guggenheim art galleries are certainly worth the effort.

We have seen many castles in various states of condition; from the Welsh (Chepstow and Conwy) and Scottish (Urquhart) castles in poor repair to the touristy and well-maintained English castles such as Tower of London, Nottingham and Warwick castles. There are the renovated and World Heritage listed castles at Carcassonne and Zaragosa. Each has its own story weaved into the lives of famous kings and queens.

Then there are the places of worship, including Melrose Abbey, Mont Saint-Michel, York, Westminster, Canterbury, Cologne, Orvieto, Florence, Santa Croce, Siena, Pisa, St. Peter’s, and St. Mark's Basilica.

Visiting these relics, plus battlefields and scenes of famous historical events are leaving an indelible mark on me. I am being affected by their beauty, charm, and stories, each with a small segment of history's great patchwork. For the first time I am getting to sense and understand the fascinating history and not just read vicariously from across the world. And one of the most stunning revelations is the great extent and influence of the Romans across these countries.

 

Knowledge is Power

Education is all about winners and losers. Although there are many famous examples of uneducated people becoming rich and famous without education (entrepreneurs, sportsmen, etc.), the value of a tertiary education is easily measurable in terms of income and life opportunities.

It seems like everyone has an opinion in matters educational. Adults often reflect on their own education experiences and assume that should be the only model. One can hear stories that it did them no harm being sent off to some isolated boarding school from a young age, despite the fact that they cried themselves to sleep each night and felt unloved by distant parents.

Australians and many teachers have a dream of an educational meritocracy where all have a level playing field with similar chances and outcomes. While this is laudable, they also know it is not achieved, with many capable students denied educational opportunities because of their geography or family finances.

The Australian model is for good public education for all. Melbourne has very few selective entry public schools, and only available for the last four years of secondary school. However, this is also balanced with the freedom of choice principle. Private schools are the favoured option for parents wishing to remove their children from public education with the hope of providing better quality schooling.
England has more extremes of student selection. The best of English schools far exceed those in the Antipodes, while the lower end of the spectrum is much worse than the most disadvantaged Victorian schools. Take the best students from the community, and the remainder is all the poorer.

The King Edward's Foundation has a competitive examination system for Year 6 level entry and the stakes are very high indeed. There are three boys-only schools, three girls-only schools, as well as a co-educational school. Successful entry means wonderful opportunities abound for fortunate capable students. They are taught at a very high academic level with much expected of them, and these students respond well with diligent efforts and commitment to homework.

Students are fortunate to be in such a school. They are exam focused and have aspirations of entering into professions requiring tertiary courses. In one Year 7 class survey, about a quarter wanted to be doctors. All had a goal of attending university. This year the School had a record number of students had Oxford or Cambridge offers. Their names are inscribed on a wall of honour, with records dating back to the School’s 1552 foundation year – Tudor days.

Because of the great value of entry into a King Edwards school, many children are coached during their primary school years to improve their performance in entrance examinations. Some schools now have follow-up interviews to more effectively identify the naturally capable students. Because the School is generally free of problem students, the School is very relaxed on rules or dress and grooming standards.

For English private schools to receive charity tax status, they must demonstrate charity acts. King Edward’s School provides assisted places to about 30% of students, with 10% paying no fees at all. This provides an escape from poverty for competent children and is a great opportunity.

If education is about winners and losers, then King Edward’s School sets out to breed the winners. It is a highly successful school teaching highly successful boys. And it does so in style. It has been a wonderful place to teach.

Great British Food

Great British Food?? - some say it is an oxymoron. But not many dispute the opinion that the food here is rather bland: over-boiled vegetables are layed aside roasted meats and tatties - with tomato sauce to add some flavour. Puddings always come swimming in custard. This is the stodgy English food that makes this country famous for its cuisine.


However, in our travels we have enjoyed many a Full English breakfast (although why the word full is in there, I have no idea).

In England there are sixty different religions, and only one sauce.
- Francesco Caracciolo

The English contribution to world cuisine - the chip.
- John Cleese

On the Continent people have good food; in England people have good table manners.
- George Mikes

World Cup Fever

It’s Football Season!!

The country has been inflicted with a serious attack of football fever - and is feeling rather poorly.

Over the past weeks England has seen a rise in nationalism with the imminent arrival of the World Cup. The media has been steadily building the idea that this is THE year for an England win, and many reminisce of the last victory by Bobby Moore's great team of '66 - the year I left Britain. The decorated flag-waving cars pass us by as the locals show their red and white colours.


Last weekend, there was a strange intensity in the air when we were in York. Large groups of emboldened men patrolled the streets ahead of the kick-off against the United States. Not wanting to be a part of the blokey pub crowd, we headed off to the movies. We attended two different films to accommodate different tastes (basically, it was me who didn’t want to see a B-grade dance movie, so I chose Robin Hood instead), and both Saturday movies attracted a meagre combined audience of nine.

As we emerged into the night, I looked at the throng in the streets to gauge the result. The sombre faces made it obvious it wasn’t a win, but it appeared that England didn’t lose either. Upon enquiry, the disappointing draw result was hard to handle by a stunned public with its sense of entitlement.

And today the self-loathing media are on the attack, looking for someone to blame. The coach, Fabio Capello, striker Roonie and management are all targets from an angry print media. Rumours started of player disharmony and rebellion in the ranks.
And the team hasn’t even lost yet!

Tomorrow's make or break game will have all players concerned about their reputations at home; this excessive national pressure will bear heavily on their shoulders should they fail.
Here's hoping they win.

.. and North o' the border, there are World cup T-shirts reading ABE - enlarge to read details.

Back Hame wi' my ain folk

Many emigrants who departed their homeland think fondly of good times gone by and the place they left behind. And when they dream of the land of their roots, it is often images of the physical landscape that they recall so vividly. Little wonder then that many nationalistic songs contain vivid descriptions of the geology and geography of a country shared by all. Songs abound of jagged high mountains enclosing green valleys, blue lakes with bonnie banks and rivers, and wide open glens.

Far have I travelled and much have I seen
Dark distant mountains and valleys of green
Past painted deserts, the sunset's on fire
As he carries me home to the Mull of Kintyre


Scottish songs are no different, and the anthemic Paul Macartney song typifies this longing for home and landscape.

Sweep through the heather like deer in the glen
Carry me back to the days I knew then
Nights when we sang like a heavenly choir
Of the life and the times of the Mull of Kintyre

It would be wonderful to think of my own Scottish roots described in terms as tough granite so prevalent in Scotland's northern highlands. Unfortunately, this ex-pat Glasgow child of the tenements only recalls the building materials of dark mottled sandstone or decayed pebble-covered cement of cheap council houses that have crumbled in less than half a century.



I was born in Pollokshaws in the Victorian era dark tenements that were razed on the idea that new high-rise flats would better serve the poor. Instead of places where the poor could grow and flourish, they became sites of indolent gangs and wasted drug users. These flats are being brought down now that planners realise the hell-hole places they are. When the industrial work left Glasgow for overseas cheap labour, the unemployment rate soared, matched closely by rising crime rates.


We were shifted to the brand new estate of Nitshill a few miles further south. This estate bordered 'Coatsies', the large family manor of the famous Coats threadmaking dynasty. Today, Nitshill has suffered the same fate as the tenements of the previous generation, with signs of theft, despair and vandalism, and rubbish strewn across paths an indication of hopelessness.

Smiles in the sunshine and tears in the rain
Still take me back where my mem'ries remain.
Flickering embers grow higher and higher
As they carry me back to the Mull of Kintyre

Visiting the remnants of the place of my childhood makes me so grateful of the sacrifice my parents made in tearing up their roots and settling in the unknown lands of the antipodes where their children flourished. They had little to lose, but gave up what little they had for a dream of better times in far-off Australia.

The best way to escape the depressing attitudes of the tenements was to leave entirely. Now that I have returned, there is something still in me that makes me long for the place my parents called hame. But the Scotland I love will have to be the shimmering distant isle of Ailsa Craig on Girvan's horizon or the picturesque rugged highland mountains described so well in patriotic songs - not the harsh reality of Glasgow's crumbling tenements.


Mull of Kintyre, Oh mist rolling in from the sea
My desire, is always to be here
Oh, Mull of Kintyre