MARI'S TRAVELS WITH HER CAMERA

Tag: travel

  • Discover Sóller: A Journey Through History

    Vintage tram in Sóller. Photo courtesy of Christian B via Pixabay

    When I first visited Sóller, 50 years ago or more, I was not interested in its history. At that period in my life, Mallorca was an exotic holiday playground, a place that offered respite from winter in the UK, where sea, sand and blue skies dominated daytime activities, and where the landscapes and seascapes offered a vista of paradise.

    Later, I learned the fascinating history of Sóller which inspired in me a desire to return and experience the town’s strangeness, but the opportunity didn’t arise until April of this year when I managed to fit in a day trip from our base in Palma.

    Vintage Train travels over Viaduct on its journey between Palma and Soller. Image courtesy of Ramon Rullan via Pixabay.

    My first visit was by train from Palma – the only method of getting there. It was called “the Lemon Express” or maybe it was “the Orange Express” and I remember still being overwhelmed by the perfume from the orange blossom that drifted through the open window of the carriage, and I remember too, my excitement at glimpsing lemon and orange fruits peeking through the dark green leaves of the citrus trees. I guess that was the start of my love affair with Spain.

    It would have been nice to replicate the journey this time but that wasn’t possible.

    The Vintage Tram still runs through Sóller’s streets. Photo courtesy of Nicole Pankalla, via Pixabay

    Once at the railway station one boarded the tram, a vintage vehicle that is still in service and in use as a means of getting from one place to another and as a valued tourist attraction.

    Sóller’s Recent Past

    Sóller lies in the northwest of Mallorca, now an area where the super rich live in mansions hidden in gated communities, and where million-pound yachts are moored in the marinas.

    Photo courtesy of ralph.rybak via Pixabay.

    In the 19th century, the area was isolated from the rest of Mallorca by mountains. An abundance of citrus groves dotted the valley but as it was difficult to get them to Palma, the farmers had the ingenious idea of selling their oranges to France, and so they started to ship their oranges to France by boat from the nearby West coast. This direct exportation to France effectively made the farmers and the town extremely wealthy.

    It was a two-way trade, not only did the citrus fruits make the journey to France but locals also crossed the water to work in France and many French came to work in Sóller. Fortunes were made in France and many of those who amassed riches eventually returned to Sóller to build large houses, some of which can still be seen today. French companies opened offices in Sóller, French as well as Spanish was spoken in the town and to this day, French is still spoken in Sóller by many people.

    The train and tram system worked up to a point, but more was needed, and in 1989 excavations began for a tunnel through the mountains to provide an easier route to Palma and the rest of Mallorca. This Toll Road opened in 1997 and at approximately £5 a time, was the most expensive in Europe: all toll charges were dropped in 1917 and it is now a free road, so cars, buses, and coaches, can all get to and from Sóller in approximately 30 minutes. Not so romantic, but more practical.

    Sóller from the Port. Photo courtesy of effekt99 via Pixabay

    You Can Still Travel by Train and Tram from Palma

    If circumstances had been different my preference would have been to taken the 60-minute historic wooden train (the Ferrocarril Tren de Sóller) from Palma to Sóller: this vintage train has run between Palma and Soller since 1912 and is nowadays a famous attraction in itself. It chugs on its 27kilometre journey through the majestic Sierra de Tramuntana, navigating the 13 tunnels cut through the mountains. The contrast between the inky blackness of the tunnels and the beauty of the rural landscape is spectacular, ranging from fields of almond and orange trees to ancient viaducts and small villages.

    What to do in Sóller

    The Sant Bartomeu Church, photo courtest of effeck99 via Pixabay

    Plaza de la Constitución is the heart of Sóller, dominated by Sant Bartomeu church and from here you can wander the narrow streets lined with shops and bars, where traditional goods and locally made craft items are a good buy, visit an art gallery, or hop on the antique open-air tram and head down to the Port in about 20 minutes. The many hikers and Nordic walkers you will see in the town are heading for the Serra de Tramuntana’s long-distance path – the Dry Stone Route.

    Art lovers should head for the Art Nouveau mansion, Can Prunera, which has a very fine permanent collection, including Kandinsky, Picasso, Miro and Warhol, alongside local artists Miquel Barceló and Francesca Martí). Temporary exhibitions are a regular feature in Can Prunera and for a small town, they can be exceptional.

    Once in the Port, much changed since my earlier trip. a pre-lunch walk walk along the Promenade is a relaxing way to view the natural, sheltered bay, sandy beaches, seafood restaurants, and scenic boardwalks.

    Sóller is a glorious place in which to spend a few hours. It is not only a unique town, but a very beautiful town in a picturesque setting with a history like no other.

    Photo courtesy of effeck99 via Pixabay

    PS. I haven’t been but I’ve been told that the Spring Orange Festival – theFira de la Taronja – is a spectacular introduction to Sóller’s citrus culture. It spans a couple of weeks of citrus-themed food tasting events. Contact the Tourist Board for dates. The event usually takes place end March-early April.

  • Valldemossa: The Perfect Day Trip from Palma

    Is this the Prettiest town on the island?

    An easy 20-minute drive from Palma, capital city of Mallorca, lies the lovely little town of Valldemossa set in the Tramuntana mountains that form the backbone of Mallorca, a town that seems a world away from the busy capital.

    Federic Chopin, Valldemossa’s most famous resident, along with George Sand.

    Perched on a hilltop and with car-free cobbled streets and alleys, Valldemossa, the highest town in Mallorca, is best known as the place where Federic Chopin​ and his lover, the French writer George Sand, spent the winter of 1828/9 in Cell No. 4 (a suite of 3 rooms) in the town’s famous Carthusian Monastery.  George Sand’s book about their stay there, A Winter in Majorca, is on sale in virtually every bookshop in Valldemossa in a variety of languages.

    Wiki Image from Pixabay

    A ticket to the Real Cartuja ​(Royal Carthusian Monastery) including the church, cloisters, ​the old pharmacy​ and Chopin’s apartment which contains his original piano and other artefacts, includes a short Chopin piano recital, highly recommended.

    ​For something more up to date, a visit to Costa Nord, a contemporary cultural centre established by actor Michael Douglas in 2,000, is well worth a visit.  Created by the Hollywood actor (who spends half the year there on his estate and is active in local affairs) as a way to celebrate the cultural and natural heritage of the UNESCO World Heritage site Serra de Tramuntana, the backbone of Mallorca, visitors can explore the history, traditions and landscapes of Mallorca’s northern coast through exhibits that cover everything from agriculture and seafaring to architecture and Folklore, with opportunities to taste local produce and experience local cooking.

    Photo by Pixel-Sepp

    Local Mallorcans however, say that Valldemossa has a more important claim to fame: it was the birthplace of the island’s only saint: Santa Catalina Thomas.

    If you want to visit her tiny birthplace and shrine it lies just behind the church of Sant Bartomeu in peaceful Rectory Street (Calle Rectoria) a picturesque, narrow cobblestone alley.  

    Hiking and walking

    You will see many hikers and walkers in the area as it is a popular venue for trekking into the mountains with both routes for experienced walkers and for the less adventurous.   O

    One of the most visited peaks in the Tramuntana mountain range is Puig des Teix, which is a trek of some 16km up through the Son Marroig estate, once the home of Austrian Archduke Lluis Salvador, to the 1064m summit. Once at the summit, the vistas that greet you are jaw-dropping. The only word to describe them are Awesome, an overworked adjective but right for the views from Puig des Teix. Details of all walks can be obtained from the Tourist Office in the village.

    A Day Visit to Valldemossa

    If on a day visit and with little time to spare, then Valledmossa will still charm. Its cobblesone streets lined with shops, boutiques, cafes and bars, means that pretty much every need can be met. Cocas de Potatas, Valldemossa’s famous biscuits, and rightly so, are found in every bakery. There is a colourful street market every Sunday morning, a great place to source quality local produce, including fruit and vegetables, cheeses and Spanish ham, artisan soaps and shampoos, and small leather goods. Some producers sell from stalls by their farm gates, with organic jams and olive oils the most popular items on sale.

    Or just buy an ice-cream from one of the shops, wander to the edge of the town and look on the peaceful terraces that surround it, then find a cafe, tapas bar or ham-hung restaurant and enjoy some great Spanish food.

    Link to https://travels-with-my-camera.blog/2026/08/18/revisiting-old-palma-a-memorable-trip-to-mallorca/

  • Revisiting Old Palma: A Memorable Trip to Mallorca

    Mallorca and the City Break that Never Was

    Photo by Heiko Behrendt from Pixabay.

    It was my first planned trip in 18 months following a series of health mishaps and a city break in Mallorca seemed just the ticket. My travelling companion, like me, hadn’t visited Mallorca for over 40 years and we’d planned to spend most of our days delving into the old town of which we had fond memories and re-visiting favourite spots.

    Unfortunately, on our first day out to find the Tourist Office, Cathy ruptured her Achilles Heel and that was the end of our walking the lanes and alleyways of old Mallorca!

    Photo by MarciMarc105 from Pixabay

    Luckily, our chosen hotel, The Saratoga, on the edge of the Old Town knew of an osteopath whose treatment was brilliant and although we were still house-bound as it were, the pain was controlled. The hotel itself was perfect, the roof terrace bar with its comfortable sofas and chairs and its view of the Cathedral over the intervening rooftops was a good place to spend the after-dinner hours (and most of the daytime hours as well). We were limited as to where we could eat but the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant was amazing, so all was well.

    I managed to go out alone a few times but felt guilty leaving Cathy alone so my jaunts out were just to stroll arond the nearby streets and to El Corte Ingles for a few hours of retail therapy.

    A nearby canal which seemed odd in the middle of Palma but was interesting.

    The Old Town was no longer the Bohemian place I remembered, but an area full of artisan coffee shops, art studios and craft outlets. Still, it was engaging and elegantly laid out, the coffee was good and the street art attractive.

    We booked a car and driver one day for an outing that include Valldemossa, which was one of the places we’d earmarked for a visit, and I’ll write about this in a follow-up blog, and another day we did the same to Soller – again a happy outing to a spot we both remembered well from years gone by.

    A Street in Old Palma

    And that was Mallorca – my first holiday in ages. And what was to be my return blog here is more of a damp squib.

    But I’m back, and since then I’ve also managed to get to Crete which was relaxing and re-charged the batteries although I was sad not to be able to do the walking I once did in that lovely island.

    So, hello again. Looking forward to posting more often, though not as often as before as I still have ongoing eye problems which prohibits computer use.

    I’ve also got to get to grips with WP again as I can’t remember how to re-size photos and set them out properly. Hey Ho! Another fine mess I’ve got myself into!

  • Bench Photo

    Does this count? Can it make it into the Bench challenge? It’s a bench seat in a Gondola in Venice (where else)?

    Bench photo linked with Jude here.

  • Barranco de Viznar: Unearthing Lorca’s Legacy and the Spanish Civil War Tragedy

    They work in silence over a hole in the ground, on their knees, lying flat on their stomachs to access the dig. On a table nearby are some bones, skulls too. The harsh sun has bleached the surrounding terrain but there is a little shade in the nearby wooded area and under the gazebo tented area in which they work.

    The Barranco de Viznar has been declared a Place of Historical Memory in Granada, Spain, and as a life-long student of the Spanish Civil War, standing in this sloping, wooded area of about 10,000 square meters on a sharp curve of the road between Alfacar and Viznar, just has to be one of the best moment of 2024 for me.

    We know where the bodies are

    Imagine being given the opportunity to visit the site where the exhumation of thousands of young men assassinated by Franco’s troops during the Spanish civil war is taking place. Between September and November 1936, at the start of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), it is reckoned that at least 173 people were killed here and thrown into mass graves. Even earlier, in July and August, just after the coup d’état that triggered the war, there had been other assassinations, including that of the poet Federico García Lorca, but no record was left of them.

    Imagine how overwhelming it was , as a lover of Lorca’s poetry and plays, to be given the privilege of visiting the place where his assassination is presumed to have taken place in the opening days of that terrible conflict, and to talk with those involved in the ‘dig’.

    In Lorca’s Footsteps in Granada

    That is what happened when my friend Kathleen and I visited Granada recently to renew our acquaintance with a city that had charmed us both decades ago. We found it virtually unchanged, still intensely Spanish, catering mainly to Spanish visitors and still with the best tapas bars in Spain, but giving nods to a more modern vibe with the addition of Gin bars!

    Our idea was to walk In the Footsteps of Federico Garcia Lorca, guided by the Ian Gibson book of the same name, and it was while we were doing this that we had a serendipitous encounter with a Granada local who shared our enthusiasm and who invited us to visit the dig in Viznar.

    The Barranco de Viznar and its secrets

    The Barranco de Víznar is a ravine in the province of Granada, Spain, where a team of researchers made up of archaeologists, geophysicists, anthropologists, forensic experts and historians led by Francisco Carrión Méndez, a Senior Lecturer in Prehistory and Archaeology at the University of Granada has been searching for the bodies of the those assassinated during the Spanish Civil War, and searching for one in particular, the poet and playwright, Federico Garcia Lorca, one of the first to be killed.

    How Many Assassinations

    No one knows exactly how many were assassinated in the Spanish Civil War but it is estimated that it was more than 500,000, thousands of whom were massacred in the Province of Granada, some, including Lorca, even before Franco’s military coup.

    In the area of Viznar, to date, they have located 16 mass graves and recovered 124 bodies. In one mass grave they found the bodies of 10 people with gunshot wounds to the head and their hands tied behind their backs.

    The area of Barranco de Víznar was replanted with a thick forest of pine trees which has covered up the graves left after the mass executions committed by platoons of assault guards, part of the ferocious repression that followed the uprising.

    How is the Dig Funded

    The project is funded by the state and the regional government and is being conducted under the 1922  Democratic Memory Law which was enacted following the coming to power of the government of Pedro Sánchez. However, there are fears that this could be in jeopardy and the excavation stopped under a new government.

    Some scenes of the Barranco, above. Throughout the woods are dotted tents where the archaeologists and forensic scientists are working, in difficult terrain and extreme heat.

    One of the volunteers told me it usually takes four to six weeks to complete an exhumation, to excavate the personal effects and log, photograph and do the paperwork. Fortunately, the soil in the ravine of Víznar has managed to preserve the bones remarkably well, helpful in identifying the age and sex of the victims, as well as the injuries and the type of violence to which they were subjected. The DNA results can take a long time to come in but when the families are re-united with a family member, it is a great moment.

    Each tree could be a Memorial

    When a family is linked with a body from one of the mass graves via the DNA their permission is requested for a photograph of the victim to be displayed on a tree. Most families agree and it was an emotional moment to wander amongst the trees, see the photographs and read the names and occupations – some academics, a bullfighter but mostly ordinary citizens, killed because of their sympathies with the legally elected Republican government.

    Among the bones of those discovered is a former Rector of the University of Granada, Salvador Vila (above) who was brought from Salamanca to Granada and shot on October 22nd 1936. His wife, Gerda Leimdörfer, daughter of the editor-in-chief of Berlin’s leading Jewish newspaper, the Berliner Zeitung am Mittag, was spared thanks to the mediation of Manuel de Falla, the Spanish composer, who obtained a pardon in exchange for her conversion from Judaism to Catholicism.

    The burial area is accessed over uneven terrain and a paved dirt path has been laid by the City Council of Víznar that after a detour, leads to the main grave which is surrounded by a stone gallery filled with small metal plaques bearing the names and circumstances of those killed, placed there by Historical Memory Associations and the heirs of those shot.

    The modern road to Viznar and Alfacar with Granada in the distance

    The Death of Lorca

    Lorca was spending time in the home of family friends, the Rosales, on Angulo Street, on 17th August 1936, when he was arrested and taken just 300 metres away to the Civil Government building, at that time a centre of terror: from there he was quickly transferred to Alfacar and Víznar, two small towns located only ten kilometres away where Franco’s rebel army had created a centre for the extermination of left-wing sympathizers. He was assassinated not only because of his beliefs and his ideology, but because he was homosexual.

    Memorial to Lorca

    All Were Lorca memorial stone

    Within the area there is a simple stone with the legend “All were Lorca. 18-08-2002″ and each year, on August 19, a poetry event takes place here beginning at midnight and lasting until the early hours of the morning. This celebration of Lorca’s poetry originally started as a clandestine event during the last years of the dictatorship and was the first open-air commemoration of Lorca’s assassination.

    The road to Al

    To date, Lorca’s body has not been discovered but hope remains high that one day it will be among those exhumed.

    Peceful looking woods
    Work in Progress
    Lorca Park

    Postscript:

    The project in the ravine, which is in its fourth and final phase, is now funded by the state and the regional government and is being conducted under the new Democratic Memory Law passed in 2022. It is not certain that this will continue if a more right-wing government should be installed in Madrid.

    Essential Reading

    For the politics of Spain during the Civil War and since, anything by Peter Preston is to be recommended.

    Ian Gibson: Federico García Lorca:  A Life (Faber & Faber)

    Ian Gibson:  The Assassination of Federico García Lorca (Penguin)

    Ian Gibson:  Lorca’s  Granada (Faber & Faber):  This is a great guide book to Granada as it takes you on ten routes, step by step from his birthplace to the site of his execution outside the city via the poets best-loved places in Granada.

    Granada Tourist Board – Patronato Provincial de Turismo de Granada
    Cárcel Baja, 3. 18001 Granada
    Tel: +34 958 24 71 27
    www.turgranada.es<http://www.turgranada.es/>

  • A Battle with BATTLE

    KODAK Digital Still Camera

    Our battle was with the weather, and we were in Battle, Sussex, scene of the Battle of Hastings. If the wind and rain had been as bad in 1066 as it was during part of our stay, I think the Normans might have turned tail and gone back home.

    As it was, we did what we Brits always do, grumbled a bit and then got on with it, struggling against the elements and elbowing our way into cafes to drink mugs of hot chocolate, in between sampling the Award winning local beer, Abbey Pale Ipa brewed by Battle Brewery. A shout out here to the very welcoming Abbey Pub just opposite the Abbey where the fire in the cosy nook added to the welcome.

    English Heritage Accommodation

    We had five days in the area so we managed to see and do a lot. We had a car, lots of reading matter and fabulous accommodation at The Lodge at Battle Abbey, an English Heritage rental which provided us with some of the best self-catering I’ve ever had. It was warm, the heating was superb, the bedrooms were luxurious and comfortable, the kitchen had everything one could wish for, from Jasper Conran china to Joseph utensils and state-of-the-art means of cooking. Oh, and a lovely hamper of local produce to start us off.

    The living room with dining table
    The living room with dining table
    The kitchen
    Breakfast al fresco
    Double bedroom

    Photographs of The Lodge at Battle provided by English Heritage

    We looked out on green fields where the sheep safely grazed and a flowering crab apple lit up the garden, our rental included VIP tickets to English Heritage sites in the area, discount in the shops and cafes, and access to the Abbey through the grounds in which our Lodge was situated. What more could travellers, history buffs and walkers want?

    One of the houses in Battle High Street

    Location of Battle?

    Lying just 50 miles from London and 27 miles from Brighton, Battle is well placed for visitors to the UK to include a day trip to see the attractive town and its Abbey. It gets its name from the Battle of Hastings, fought between Harold the Saxon king and William the Conqueror in 1066, a battle that changed the course of English history.

    Battle Abbey & St. Mary’s Church

    After he won the battle, William built the Abbey of St. Martin, something he’d vowed to do if he won. Built between 1070 and 1094, the high altar is believed to have been placed on the spot where Harold fell, although this fact is disputed today.

    Looking up Battle’s High Street with cottages and houses dated form the 1700’s on the left.

    The Abbey ruins and the battlefield are a magnificent sight as you look down the length of Battle’s High Street, past the Georgian buildings that line the street. At the northern end can be found the Almonry, built in 1090, which now houses the Town Council and the Battle Museum of Local History.

    At the other end of the street, the cottages and houses near the Abbey date from around 1700. The nearby parish church of St. Mary is for the most part 12th century in construction. This lovely old church is worth a visit for its rare 14th century wall paintings and its Norman font, but it also houses a modern tapestry in the style of the Bayeux tapestry, a community project conceived and designed by local inhabitant, Tina Greene. The contemporary tapestry is a three-metre long depiction of how the town of Battle might have grown between the years following the Battle of Hastings in 1066 to the founding of St Mary’s Parish Church in 1115. Started in 2016 and with contributions from 741 registered stitchers, not only from Battle but from the rest of the UK and abroad, the tapestry was finally completed in January 2017.

    Dissolution of the Monastery in 1538

    Battle’s influence grew over the years until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry Vlll and the closure of the Abbey in 1538. In later centuries however, the town achieved fame through its charcoal-making technique and Battle became famous in the 17th and 18th centuries for its gunpowder, rated by Daniel Defoe as the finest in Europe.

    Battle Today

    Now today, this quiet market town concentrates on the finer things in life and, apart from its great historical appeal, it offers the visitor great food experiences from the comfort of tiny cafés and tea rooms that spill out onto the pavements (and a special mention here to Bluebells Tea Rooms) to fine dining at chef Paul Webbe’s The Wild Mushroom, in nearby Westfield, right up to tastings at Oastbrook Estate Vineyard.

    Shopping is a delight too, as Battle’s historic high street features many of the type of shops you don’t often see elsewhere, independent clothes shops, craft shops, wool shops and book shops, and my favourite, the delightful British Design British Made, showing the best of British design. For beer lovers, Battle Brewery and Bottle Shop is a don’t-miss, offering beer from their own microbrewery as well as other locally produced ciders, wines and snacks.

    Battle High Street

    There are mapped walks ranging from 4.5 miles to 37 miles and the helpful tourist office can offer guidance on these.

    In fact, the weather doesn’t really matter in Battle as there is just so much to do. I know this for a fact, five days in Battle flew by and we even made time to visit Hastings (more about that another day).

    Facts:

    For a selection of English Heritage accommodation: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/holiday-cottages/ I have previously stayed at Walmar Castle in Deal and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, both of which I highly recommend.

  • New Orleans: Tennessee Williams Festival

    New Orleans: Tennessee Williams Festival

    In With a Shout.

    One of the Apps on my computer offers what it calls Memories. It flags up a photo taken on the same date years before. A few weeks ago, the photograph was one taken some years back at the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival in New Orleans.

    My photo was one taken at a very quirky part of that festival – the ‘Stella Shouting Contest’ – a homage to A Streetcar Named Desire and the character of Stanley Kowalski, the hero/antihero of the play.

    Image from Wikicommons

    The Stella Shouting Contest in New Orleans

    “Stellllllaaaaa! Stellllllaaaaa!”

    The cry reverberates around the French Quarter of New Orleans and the crowd jostling in the packed courtyard applauds. From the balcony above, Stella waves to the damp-haired man in the sweat-stained shirt below who blows kisses to the crowd as the next tee-shirted Stanley steps forward to chance his luck at outshouting the other participants.

    For this is the Stella Shouting Contest, part of the Literary Festival, held for nearly 40 years in honour of New Orleans’ favourite son, the playwright, Tennessee Williams. The Stella contest pays homage to his classic A Streetcar Named Desire and for the last three decades or so, the primal screams of wannabe Stanley Kowalskis have been echoing around the magnolia-laden French Quarter to mark the Festival.

    Photo credit: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival
    Photo credit: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival

    A Streetcar Named Desire

    “They told me to take a street-car named Desire, and transfer to one called Cemeteries, and ride six blocks and get off at Elysian Fields”, says Blanche when she arrives at the house in which her sister Stella lives with Stanley.

    Williams used the title metaphorically: there was no street-car named Desire trundling along the tramlines to Stella’s house, but there was, and is, Elysian Fields Avenue, a name is forever linked to the steamy tragedy of Stella, Stanley and Blanche.

    Image from Wikicommons (Brando in Streetcar)

    Marlon Brando in Streetcar

    Marlon Brando played Stanley in the original Broadway production, and in the 1951 film adaptation of the play, he set the standard for all future Stanleys. His despairing “Stellllaaaa” echoed around cinemas and lodged in the minds of filmgoers forever when drunk, sweat-soaked and half-dressed, he stumbled onto the sidewalk and fell to his knees, bellowing for his wife, “Stellllaaaa” – probably the most famous line from any of Williams’ plays. Little did anyone guess then that this angst-ridden howl would one day become a feature of one of the USA’s Literary Festivals.

    Getting into the part
    Photo credit: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival

    What Happens During the Literary Festival

    Events like the Stella Shouting Contest, theatre productions, in-depth writing workshops, and lectures from best-selling authors on everything from scene-setting to stereotypes in fiction, attract attendees from all over the world. Giants from the world of literature and theatre mingle with would-be-playwrights and authors, to offer advice, give talks and join in the celebrations, all overlain with that N’awlins easy charm.

    Photo credit: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival

    What Happens in the Stanley Shouting Contest

    The famous scene, and the scream, is replayed again and again by men who come to The Big Easy to test their screams against other men. Technically it’s a Stanley/Stella shouting contest as females can also take part, but as Stella didn’t yell “Stanley” it doesn’t resonate with the public in quite the same way so there are few entries on the Stella side.

    Photo credit: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival

    Standing beneath the filigreed balconies of the houses around the green oasis of Jackson Square the contestants direct their howls of desire and angst at local actors attired as Stella and Blanche on a balcony above. Celebrity judges lounge on adjoining balconies, while festival go-ers and voodoo hustlers jostle for positions from which to watch the fun.

    One by one the contestants give it their best shot in the allotted three shouts in which they must portray Stanley’s despair, rage and emotion. They fall to their knees, tear their shirts – the iconic torn white tee-shirt is a given – and douse themselves with water to conjure up the image of Stanley’s sweat-soaked torso.

    To whoops and cheers, six finalists are selected and they go on to compete a few hours later, on the main stage of Le Petit Theatre, the venue for the Festival’s workshops, play readings and lectures. We, the onlookers and audience, troop in after them, by now having a favourite to encourage in the tension-filled finals.

    Interior of Le Petit Theatre

    On the stage at Le Petit, the Stanleys now scream with more gusto and histrionics, encouraged by their fans in the crowd. Hyped up – alcohol may play a part as well – cheering for their man and booing the opposition, the audience sounds as primal as Stanley.

    All this for the grand prize of the Golden Stella Trophy, holidays in New Orleans, hampers of local goodies, and trips on Ole Miz, the muddy brown Mississippi.

    Interior Courtyard of Le Petit Theatre by David Ohmer, creative commons.org/licenses/by/2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Few Festivals have such a strong performance element as the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival – two full-length plays and several one-act plays of the master are usually staged alongside film screenings, tours of the French Quarter, book signings, and jazz evenings. All this plus work-shops and lectures from writers like David Simon, James Lee Burke, Richard Ford, Laura Lipman, and dozens of others. You’re bound to meet your favourite author there and for some reason, crime writers are particularly well represented.

    Tennessee Williams – Photo: Orlando Fernandez, World Telegraph staff photographer, via Wikimedia Commons

    New Orleans

    The Big Easy still lives up to its motto of ‘Laissez les bon temps rouler’ – let the good times roll – and outside the theatre the city goes about its business, partying along Bourbon Street and entertaining the tourists in Jackson Square where the voodoo priestesses, hawkers of hats and beads, and groups of wild looking Cajun and Zydeco musicians straight from central casting come together in a gloriously chaotic, laid-back cocktail.

    There are also city tours, swamp tours, plantation tours, and that old standby, shopping, and that for which New Orleans is best known – music – from trad jazz to funk, zydeco to gospel. While there you can take in a session with one of the city’s best bands, Jon Cleary and the Monster Gentlemen Band, who will take you on a jazz voyage like you’ve never experienced before.

    St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, the oldest continuous use cathedral in the USA.

    So if you’re in the area next March and fancy your chances of being a ripped-shirt Stanley with a voice that could persuade Stella not to leave him, then go for it.

    Tennessee Williams loved this mixture of the pious and the profane, the sinners and the saints – isn’t that what all his plays are about?

    Get ready to party New Orleans style.

    Factfile:

    The 38th Annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival took place this year between March 20th—24th. Next year’s dates not yet published. Sign-up for the Stella Shouting Contest will begin at 1.30 3 or 4 days prior to the opening.

    The Tennessee Williams Literary Festival: 938 Lafayette Street, Suite 513, New Orleans, Louisiana 70113. Tel: 504 581 1144. info@tennesseewilliams.net


    British Airways flies direct to New Orleans from £575 Return and also offers hotel bookings. Other airlines fly via Chicago – a good place for a stop-off.

  • VERONA – A SHORT STOPOVER

    VERONA – A SHORT STOPOVER

    Across the River Adige to old Verona

    It’s no secret that I love Verona, and just two of the reasons for loving it are a) the city is highly walkable, and b) it is a place where tourists take second place to locals who live and work in its historic centre.

    That’s not to say that visitors aren’t everywhere, but as you stroll through the medieval streets, charmed by faded frescoes and hidden gardens, or sit at the foot of an enigmatic marble statue in one of the huge piazzas, you never feel part of mass tourism.

    Simply strolling through Verona leads one to magical places, like the splendid Piazza del Signori. Italy’s most famous poet, Alighieri Dante, lodged nearby with the ruling Della Scala family during his exile from Florence in the 14th century, and so the square also answers to the name of Piazza Dante. Surrounded by ancient buildings which played an important role in Verona’s early civic life, whose façades, although faded, are still beautiful, the square still resonates with a sense of medieval life.

    Scaligeri, Napoleon and Castelvecchio

    The Scaligeri Family Tombs
    The Scaligeri Family Tombs
    Scaligery Tomb site
    Scaligeri Tomb Above
    Church Door

    Nearby is another tiny square in which can be found the tombs of the Scaligeri family. They dominate the area, massive Gothic-like edifices, some behind a gated courtyard, and one above the church door. Intriguing, certainly, and something not to be mi

    More Scaligeri family history can be found at Castelvecchio, best approached along the Adige River and across the bridge into the city proper. Castelvecchio (in Italian ‘the old castle), a red brick building with crenelated walls and square turrets was built by the ruthless Scaligeris in the 1350’s as a home and a fortress. A later ruler also used it as his residence, during his time in Verona – one Napoleon Bonaparte who had conquered most of Northern Italy in the early 1800’s.

    During the 1920’s it was converted into a Museum and then in 1985, a renovation project to repair the damage done during the second world war was started by Italian architect Cala Scarpa. The result of that renovation is the splendid red brick castle one sees today the interior of which has been converted into one of the best Museums in Northern Italy.

    Romeo & Juliet

    The Balcony 2003
    The Crowds Below Juliet’s supposed balcony, 2023

    Everyone knows that Romeo & Juliet are fictitious characters dreamt up by William Shakespeare, but that doesn’t stop the crowds pouring into the courtyard of the supposed home of Juliet in Via Cappello, to touch the statue of the young heroine, and to pose on the balcony for a selfie. So many people have touched Nereo Costantini’s bronze statue that her right breast has now been burnished to gold. But even though the balcony you see today was erected only because tourists kept demanding to see the balcony, it is worth a visit even if you are in Verona for only one day. The house once belonged to the rich Veronese Dal Cappello family, and to visit the house and its courtyard gives an idea of how families lived in Verona in the 14th century.

    My last visit was some 14 or so years ago, the courtyard then was almost empty, we had time to explore the house and surroundings and even read some of the letters received daily asking for advice. This time, however, the search for the ultimate selfie by the crowds queueing and surging into the small space under Juliet’s balcony was a major distraction, yet I would still return to feel the magic that the place possesses. It is but a short step away from the city’s two major Piazzas linked by its famous shopping street, Via Mazzini.

    Lovers’ Locks

    Verona was the first place to have love locks on bridges, something that is now defacing bridges all over the world.

    Piazza del Erbe and Piazza Bra

    Piazza del Erbe, named after the spices that were once sold there, (erbe=spices in Italian), Verona’s most ancient piazza, was ‘the Forum’ during Roman times. It is now Verona’s commercial centre, a hub for shopping, café life, and people watching. Beautiful old buildings surround the Piazza in front of which lively market stalls sell food, spices and household goods, while the traders entertain the public as they have done since Roman times. It is around this area that you will find the prettiest streets and alleyways.

    Piazza del Bra

    The Via Mazzini, a high-end shopping area where the shops all bear famous fashion names, from Chanel to Dolce & Gabbana, links Piazza del Erbe with Piazza Bra, home to the famous Amphitheatre of Verona, usually called The Arena. Elegant ladies with tiny dogs parade down this street which on Sundays can become very crowded when it is time for the passeggiata, the ritual Sunday evening parade when all Italy turns out to display la bella figura.

    The Verona Arena

    I kept the best till last. The impeccably preserved Amphitheatre in the heart of old Verona and the city’s most famous site, is deserving of that much abused word, awesome. Rows of arches and curves dominate the skyline and form a centrepiece in Piazza Bra, the city’s largest public square.

    Piazza Bra and the Colosseum

    The square is lined with bustling restaurants and imposing buildings, notably the 19th century Palazzo Barbieri, a yellow building with a neoclassical façade that now serves as Verona’s Town Hall. Nearly two millennia old, the Colosseum used to hold up to 30,000 spectators at gladiatorial fights between men and men and men and beasts, who fought to the death on the sandy stage. And this glorious arena is not a dead relic of the past: it still entertains the masses although in a different way. No more are the crowds offered bread and circuses but performances of high art, most notably the world famous Verona Opera Festival which takes place every summer.

    Verona is a city for all, young and old, the seeker after history & ancient cultures and lovers looking to re-kindle an old love or find a new one, opera lovers who fill the Arena night after night during the summer, and fans of William Shakespeare who watch his dramas play out under the stars. There’s a jazz festival, a festival of street games, and even a horse fair. As I said, Verona is a city for everyone.

  • SILENT SUNDAY

    A Sunday lunch with Spanish friends can never be silent, in fact it will be quite the opposite. We had enjoyed lunch with old friends in Arco and were driving back to Ronda when we turned a corner, and there was a scene of such solitude and calm that we paused by the roadside to savour it. There must have been birdsong and goats bleating, but I can’t remember any sounds at all.

    Grazelema, Spain

  • SCULPTURE SATURDAY

    Linked here to Debbie’s photo challenge

    Monumental Art in Salo, Italy, home of Mussolini