Wednesday 31 October 2018

Pella, Seat of the Macedonian Kingdom



 This is the statue of King Philip II of Macedon which stands near Tsimiski in Thessaloniki.
We have already visited his tomb at the Museum of Vergina, the site of the principal palace of the Macedon royalty. Today we are going on a trip to where their original summer palace lay, to Pella.
Philip was born in Pella in 382BC and reigned as king from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC.  Philip, often overshadowed by his son, Alexander the Great, had great attributes: he was renowned for his diplomatic skills, for his military prowess, for modernizing his army and greatly expanding his kingdom.
                         
  
 


                    






The Pella Museum building was designed by Kostas Skroumpellos and its construction, on the site of the ancient city of Pella, was carried out from 2006 - 2009. Its rectangular atrium is said to echo the style of the courtyards of the ancient houses in Pella as we can see from the facsimile exhibited within the museum. The museum itself is modern, spacious, light and very nicely laid out.
                      
 
 









The entrance with its honey marble and classical statues is impressive, but I really liked the less formal art form at the entrance to the courtyard, intriguing in its bright colours and modern style.
               
                                            
 









In Philip’s time, Pella, now well-inland, actually had access to the sea which made its location all the more strategically significant.  It had become the new capital of the Macedonian kingdom by the beginning of the 4th century BC.    The inscription states:
Pella developed into a metropolis with a vital presence that resonated throughout the entire known world.’  
We see a sketch of the likeness of Alexander, and a coin bearing the head of Philip. The terra cotta figurine shows Aphrodite removing her sandal. Such items indicate that the gods of the Olympian Pantheon were worshiped there.                     

 








Below we see a marble head of Alexander III of Macedon, aka Alexander the Great.  Succeeding Philip to the throne, he was to become the most famous of the Macedonian kings. He built a vast empire that extended through Persia to India and his strategic thinking is still studied in military academies globally today.
                                

 








Z can be seen standing in front of the décor of the dining-room wall of the ‘house of plasterworks.’ Next, we see some of the remains of the palace in the area: both huge mosaic floors and great pillars which are still standing, proud and erect.                                 
     



 








Within the museum are clear samples of mosaic designs depicting daily life here in some detail: The Stag Hunt and Hunting a Lion, respectively.
          

 








Finally, my photographs show treasures unearthed from Macedonian tombs excavated in the vicinity. One single chamber was found to be intact and contained the remains of a young girl, wrapped in purple cloth, embroidered with gold thread, two gold wreaths and a gold coin from the reign of Philip II. 
                                 

                                             








Gold deposits found in the region were very significant in initially helping Philip finance his army and military expansionism, bribe his potential opponents and, of course, enhance his regal image. But the finds in these tombs show the importance of gold at a more personal level.   They also demonstrate the exceptional skills that metalworkers had developed in producing objects of such delicate, intricate work.
  For warriors, the helmets, belts, braids and weapon decoration were all insignia of their status.  For the young girl, the mask, head adornments, sashes and jewellery were precious belongings for use in the netherworld. Coins and symbolic objects were generally included in tombs so that favour could be curried with the deities of the underworld.  
 One final observation is that the imperishable qualities of gold could help the departed souls to aspire to immortality and eternity.                                
 I close with the golden image eternally associated with the immortal Macedonian Empire: the beautiful Vergina Sun.
                                                      

Monday 22 October 2018

Inveraray Castle



Our May stay in Glasgow included a trip to Loch Lomond and Inveraray, so that Anna, our neighbor, could truly say she had been to the Scottish West Highlands.
 The day dawned wet and windy, while a thick mist concealed ‘the bonnie bonnie banks’ and the landscape surrounding that truly beautiful loch.  On our way down Loch Fyne to Tarbert and Kilberry, we have driven past Inveraray Castle countless times, but I don’t recall ever venturing inside. So this was a grand opportunity.
  

 








We raced from the car, hoods up, umbrellas braced against the lashing rain and thankfully reached the colourful protection of the flower-festooned entrance. Castle construction began in 1743 and it is built in Gothic Revival style– apparently! For it to enjoy a more secluded setting, the entire village of Inveraray was actually moved in the 1770s! Now it enjoys a 16-acre garden and a 60,000-acre estate with tenant farming, commercial fishing, wind and hydro-power production … and lots of resident deer.
                   
 










Once inside, we were welcomed by local ladies, resplendent in kilts of different Campbell tartan. One of the initial impressive sights was the collection of pikes, muskets, swords, etc. artfully displayed on the walls. One does not normally associate décor with items of weaponry. This magnificent cairngorm grabbed my attention - you can just imagine this being worn with panache, pinning in place a sweeping fine-wool plaid at some formal function.
                                

 










The tableau of the working kitchen was fascinating: astonishing to see so many exotic, culinary ingredients - such as ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cloves – available to family and guests in this far-flung part of Argyll! There must have been some glorious aromas emanating from that pig roasting on the spit! This castle, of course, featured as ‘Duneagle Castle’ in the 20102 Christmas episode of Downton Abbey. I’m sure many viewers of this popular series were, like me, intrigued by the scenes depicting what downstairs life was like – preparing and presenting luxurious meals to the upstairs gentry.
                    
 









A revered ancestor and early clan member was known as MacCailein Mor Caimbeul, Colin Mor Campbell, or Colin the Great, a title that every chief of the Clan Campbell has adopted since then. Over the years the family has had bad press: their involvement in the notorious Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, their alliance with English royalty rather than with the Scottish Pretenders, the Stewarts, all assisted in their inclusion in the triad of the curses of Argyll : the bracken, the midges and the Campbells!
The present Duke, Torquhil Ian, assumed the title in 2001, and lives with his family in the castle in a private residential area, not accessible to the public. He married Eleanor, one of the Cadbury family, and they have three children. Based in London, he is a consultant, promoting some well-known brands of Scotch whisky.
                                       
        
 We left the castle in even heavier rain - Anna agreed to take my picture but she is not a very experienced photographer!
                                           

 Back to our Clyde-side hotel, for a welcome meal and a wee drink or two to warm us up. 
                       








We say goodbye to Angeliki who stays on to continue her stint teaching on the Glasgow University pre-sessional course.
                                    

 








 Then, all too soon, it’s time for us to go – basking in one of that great city’s sunny smiles.                  
                                                 

We are convinced we could hear the Clyde’s lapping waters gently whisper, 'Haste ye back!’