Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Emir Tankiz



The beauty of the Hamam in this "Khan" in the Souk al Attarine, in the Old City,
where Al-Quds University's CfJS is located...


U Thant

The hall of the house where the party was happening betrayed the job of the hostess...

East Jerusalem, near the Rockfeller Museum ...

Marcel Proust


The smiling veiled "jeunes filles en fleur"... Jaffa turned Balbec...

Mere Poularde

The Mont Saint Michel's tradition of "omelette" re-interpreted by Middle Eastern kitchen fusion artists...
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Naum Gabo


Some construction work is just that: constructivism...
Building a fly-over in Jerusalem

Vladimir Illich Ulianov


Some paintings would rather not to have been acquired by nomadic diplomats...

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Saint Anthony of Lisbon


Fist time I see sacred ustensils of a Roman Catholic Mass waiting patiently in the last row...
(St Anthony's Church, Jaffa)

Wong Kar-wai


I know nothing about "My Blueberry Nights" starring Jude Law and Norah Jones at Cannes..

At lunch today the blueberry pie was the star itself...

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Albert London


"War-room" of a TV station, just round the corner of Chimichanga restaurant...

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Abdul Malik ibn Marwan

Today I woke up early to make sure I would find the access to the the Haran al Sharif open.
Ten years ago I visited the magnificent interiors of the Mosques. Presently it's not possible. How sad...

Umar ibn al-Khahab


There it is: "the" Dome par excellence, in its full glory...

Louis Pasteur


Parmalat meets CocaCola... ( The old lady selling these in the souk was quite reticent in having me taking a photo.. Afraid of a lenghty pursuit in Court for infringement of copyright law?.. )

Untitled *


Near-blasphemous use of architectural detail... (Old City, Al-Quds)

* all the names of persons associated to blasphemy that came to my mind would offend at least one group of people ... This post will remain "untitled" I'm afraid...

Alexis II

(Restaurant "Baibar" at Jaffa Beach)



Having a son christened at the Novodevichi Monastery in Moscow helps in obtaining permission for certain photos...


Friday, May 11, 2007

Aleksander Romanov


In 1894, Alexandre the Third, Tzar of all Russias ( XL - Russia, S - Ukraine and W (white) - Bielorussia ) visited the St Alexandre Nevski, the foremost Russian Orthodox church 'intramuros' (inside the walled Old City)

Herman Melville

A Gaza sea Moby Dick ? (Old City souk)

Isadora Duncan



"Isadora", an all-black cool place, with operatic rather than ballet flavour...

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Django Reinhard


A performance of "jazz manouche" by "Les Gadjos" at the "Borderline" in East Jerusalem,

just where the border line used to be, some 40 years ago...

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Bob Smith

The bar at Adom, (West) Jerusalem

* Bob Smith was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous

Mstislav Rostropovitch



What has the death of the Master to do with my current endeavours ? Well I saw and heard him in Lisbon (Teatro de S. Carlos) in 1981. And I remember well that before the start of the performance we observed a minute of silence for the death of Anwar Sadate, killed that very same day.






Yann Thiersen

All ready for a concert by Yann Thiersen of "Amelie" 's fame, at the Bethlehem Peace Center,
( for the record, it took us an eternity to clear the re-entry check-point...)

Thanks to amplification technology a violin still works even after losing practically all its strings...

A "valse guinguette" transported us to the shores of the Seine...



Thursday, May 03, 2007

Feodor Chaliapin


We discussed over dinner if she should bring some sturgeon stuff from Moscow...

(Photo courtesy http//doubtful-value.livejournal.com )

* Although most Russians will have their "ikra" with blinis, the great singer Chaliapin, an accomplished gourmet, recommended a slice of white bread with a very thin coat of butter as the ideal bed for caviar..

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Cristiano Ronaldo


Future fans of the Manchester United player... (a secularist moment at a Bethlehem football pitch)

Sting, Andy Summers, Steward Copeland

Hill Street Blues...

Jean Piaget


Educational struggle between teachers-on-strike and defenders of public order... (Al Bireh)

John Lobb


Playing with shoes, an innocent game for the youth of Ramallah...

Earl Grey


"Tea with Nana" (mint) at all times

Al-Khader / St George


The Dome of the Rock in mother-of-pearl, thanks to the generosity of my hosts from Al-Khader (Bethlehem)