The Costume Gallery at the Pitti Palace in Florence has just re-opened after two years of restoration work. The museum, housed in the Palazzina della Meridiana built by Grand Duke Leopold of Lorena in 1776, contains over 6,000 costumes dating from the 17th-century to the present day, and constitutes the oldest collection of its kind. The latest addition is a donation by Gianfranco Ferré of 300 of his own pieces – both clothes and accessories – from haute couture and prêt-à-porter-collections from 1986.
Archive for August, 2008
The Robbers (Die Räuber).
This classic play by Friedrich Schiller is transfered to a riveting, new context by the independent theatre group, Theater A. Staged at a host of unusual locations, the performances will be adapted to suit the venue, which this month is an industrial-style nightclub in the eastern district of Treptow. Inspired by the exploits of the infamous Red Army Faction – the radical left-wing terrorist group that tried to shake Germany out of its Wirtschaftswunder torpor in the 1970s – Die Räuber tells the story of two brothers, one of which heads a band of robbers and is constantly trying to avoid arrest. In German.
Comments off
Cancel the ticket?
As from July 1995 the Italian railway, Ferrovia della Stato, requires all train tickets to be cancelled before boarding the train. In Italian this means CONVALIDA. Simply insert the ticket in the orange/yellow box at each platform and the franking machine will put the date, time and other totally mind-absorbing information on the edge of the ticket. At Napoli Centrale the franking machine is located at the entrance gates to the platforms. The same goes for supplements such as that paid for rapid trains and sleeping carriages. If in doubt, put it in the machine! As usual, there is a fine for failing to do so. Most Italians appear to be unaware of this new law. Plain-clothed inspectors check the tickets. During the 1995 European summer I saw for the first time plain-clothed ticket inspectors on the buses in Ischia, Italy. Needless to say they were probably on most buses throughout Southern Italy. The fine for travelling without a ticket is L50,000.
Comments off
The Marine Turtle Project of Kefallonia
From early June to mid-August, adult female nesting turtles can be seen heaving themselves up the beach to lay their clutches of 100 or so eggs. We patrol this beach every night, from about 11 pm till dawn. We wear dark clothes and don’t use torches, in an effort to remain as inconspicuous as possible. The female turtles are easily scared, and we aim to cause them as little trauma as possible. After August, hatchlings can be seen emerging from the nests and scrambling towards the sea.
It is a fascinating and moving experience to see this amazing sight. We are keen to promote the presence of the Caretta caretta to the Greek government as an asset to the tourist economy, rather than a hindrance to development. If the turtles are driven from the beach by the bright lights and noise of development they will be lost from the island forever.
We believe that it is the presence of the turtles and other wildlife, such as the rare monk seal, as well as the island’s lack of development, that make Kefallonia so special.
Comments off
