Ancient Rome

         I watched an interesting BBC documentary Meet with the Romans with Mary Beard, professor of classics at Newnham College in Cambridge. The presenter shows us the history of ancient Rome viewed through the eyes of ordinary inhabitants of that city. Rome was the first multi-cultural aglomeration of one million people. Thousands of slaves born outside the Empire came to the capital, some of them became its citizens like Baricha, Zabda and Achiba, who were taken as slaves after the rebellion in Judea and then freed by their owner. All the ancient immigrants lived in Transtevere, the area across the Tiber. A lot of people died because of malaria, so the influx of peasants and foreigners was good for the city. Also Roman elites were international. What amazed me, is that at the center of modern Rome you can spot a hill called Monte Testaccio made of broken amphorae which served for storing olive oil. Romans had to import basic commodities beacause Italy wasn't able to satisfy their needs. Roman citizens got each month a ration of grain (about 35 to 40 kilograms). Then they gave it to bakers so they could have bread to eat. The emperor distributed grain in order to keep the populace quiet and unwilling to rebel.

There are some other interesting facts in the documentary that's why I recommand it. 

Colorful India

     This melting-pot of cultures, religions and tastes is most  famous for Bollywood movies, ostentatious festivities, exquisite cuisine, talented doctors, engineers and scientists. It has the second biggest number of citizans living abroad in the world. The life in India has been portrayed in many Western movies.

       During holidays I read a book Around India in 80 trains written by Monisha Rajesh. She is a British journalist  born in Great Britain, but is of Indian origins. Her parents are doctors who decided to move to Europe. Monisha wanted to discover the land of their ancestors, its tastes and culture, give an account of how the country had changed since her parents' departure. That is why she took a decision to travel across the country in a range of luxurious and local trains with Passepartout, a moody photograph. During her exhausting journey she met different kind of people from all castes which helped her to understand the modern spirit of India. 

      I also listened to a BBC documentary on how the life in India looks in modern days. The journalist presented  four people to the listeners: two doctors who have their private clinic and spend a few hours  in an immense traffic jam every day, that's why they wake up at 5 a.m., a woman living in a rural part of India who struggles daily with shores and works on the field when her husband earns a living in a big city in order to get his children educated and finally a young, ambitious man who wants to pass his final exams in maths so he can study on a prestigious university, get a good job and better his family's status. 

          

Painters of Normandy

         Last Sunday I visited the exhibition Painters of Normandy at CK Zamek. The visitor is able to admire 80 paintings of different format created by artists such as  Eugene Delacroix, Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin and many others. All those famous artists  left their ateliers and went to Normandy's ports, beaches and meadows to depict the spirit of that place. The exhibition has been admired around the world by thousands of connoisseurs and those attracted by famous names. The majority of paintings were made by putting oil paint on canvas at the turn of 19 and 20 century. 
          I love impressionism and I had the opportunity to visit Orsay Museum in Paris. It was a great experience and I could revive memories from that trip during my visit at that exhibition. 
          The painting I liked the most is Auguste Bonheur's "Arromanches". It's a landscape consisting of  a sandy beach and grassy cliffs. The golden beach is perfectly harmonising  with dry grass. The top of the painting is covered with pastel blue paint, we can also spot some clouds. When I first saw this masterpiece, California, not Normandy came to my mind, maybe because the painting is so sunny and serene. 
          I can recommand that exhibition to all those who love impressionism and art in general.