Postcard from Guimaraes, Portugal: Bridging cultural divides through art

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A vintage postage stamp from the 1934 Colonial Exhibition in Portugal, depicting a portrait of a woman with a headscarf and traditional attire.

Above: Beaded Bamileke warrior, Cameroon, Central Africa, on exhibit in Jose de Guimaraes International Arts Center.

Linked by invisible threads, the objects seem to talk to each other independently of our presence. An African fetish points to a pre-Columbian vase; a skull imagined by Jose de Guimaraes contrast with a bronze object from ancient China; statuettes speak with paintings without time separating them. As the objects gaze at each other…, it becomes evident that the associated narratives are infinite. The objects ask: ‘How should we live together?'”

Curator notes, Jose de Guimaraes International Arts Center

A carefully curated combination of works by and collected from around the world by artist Jose de Guimaraes (1939-) – 1,128 objects by his count – occupy the sprawling galleries of the first floor of the Jose de Guimaraes International Arts Center.

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Postcard From Madrid, Spain: Bewitched and bedeviled

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Vintage Spanish stamp depicting a witch flying with children, inscribed with 'Quinta Sevilla Goya' and 'Correos Aéreos España'.

Above: Detail of “Allegoric Capricio,” Eugenio Lucas Velazquez (1817-1870), 1852, Lazaro Galdiano Museum.

Vispera de Todos los Santos. The hallowed eve preceding two holy days in the Catholic Church: All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Or, for the superstitious, La Noche de Brujas, when the witches fly.

Today, it appears Spain has succumbed to the highly contagious American-style celebration of Halloween. With all its horror-film-like bloody mess.

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Postcard from Avignon, France: A brief restaurant sampler

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A colorful illustration of a French baguette with a decorative ribbon and text saying 'La baguette de pain française'.

Above: Perfect for the indecisive, a sampler platter at L’Epicerie Restaurant.

We didn’t stay in Avignon many days, so the list of restaurants we experienced is shorter than normal. Don’t be confused by the inclusion of two unrelated epiceries. Both have pleasant outdoor seating, but the food experience is totally different.

L’Epicerie de Ginette is more a cafe than a restaurant, but its seating on the tree-shaded plaza across the street is ideal for people-watching. Caramelized goat cheese on toast atop a salad was substantial, while a croque monsieur was spartan, a slim slice of ham and a paucity of cheese. The luscious raspberry custard tarte represented redemption. Perhaps best to stick with dessert and people-watching.

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