School of Hermannsburg

 A mission of Hermannsburg lies in the middle of Australia. An inhospitable place, but at the same time very pretty. Which is why when a painter Rex Butterbee arrived there, he painted landscapes. He even had an exhibition in the very Hermannsburg where he painted. The Aborigines who lived in the mission could see it. One of the Aborigines showed more than a passing interest. In fact he asked Rex Batterbee whether he could teach him how to paint similar landscapes. Butterbee agreed and it turned out that his disciple, Albert Namatjira, became more famous than the teacher (though I guess this was probably because Alber Namatjira was an Aborigine, unlike Rex Butterbee). He became famous, so his pictures became sought after, so he earned quite a few bob. So he taught his children how to paint similar landscapes, thus School of Hermannsburg was formed.

If anyone wants to lean more on the subject, I published a book about it:

Shimenawa

Another sign in Japanese Shinto shrines that something may be holy is shimenawa, a rope of rice straw, often tapered. Also sacred trees are marked with straw rope.

Gohei

 In Japan in Shinto shrines one can see paper strips folded in zigzags. This is a gohei, a sign that there is a “body of god”, or shintai, in the shrine. In Shinto they have a transfiguration ceremony, similar to a Catholic one. During this ceremony an object becomes a “body of god”, and after this it is shut in the shrine and never shown to the public. This paper zigzag is a sign that there is a “body of god” in the sanctuary. It is a bit like a sanctuary lamp in a Catholic church.

Stary Kleparz in Kraków

Kleparz is a market place in Cracow, not far from the train station. One can buy there things like sheep-skin slippers made in Polish mountains, sheep cheese (also made there), pickled wild mushrooms and bottled żurek or barszcz (a Polish kind of soup).

I made an album of the world's markets. If anyone would like to acquire it (though all the pictures are here anyway), follow the link:

Pisac

 Pisac is a small town not far from Cuzco where Inka ruins are found, though not as famous as Machu Picchu. There is also a market in that place, entirely contemporary, visited by contemporary Indians. Especially ladies attract attention with their traditional attire. They are of course local peasants who sell bags of potatoes or other vegetables. Because of those colourful Indian ladies the market in Pisac became a tourist attraction in itself, less so than Machu Picchu, but still.

I made an album of the world's markets. If anyone would like to acquire it (though all the pictures are here anyway), follow the link:

Pucusana

Not far from Lima, on the Pacific coast of Peru, there is a fishing port called Pucusana. When the fishermen come back from the sea, the key they unload their catch on becomes a fish market. One can buy a whole tuna here and hold it by the tail far from the trousers (one can guess it is cheaper here than in a restaurant in Lima).

I made an album of the world's markets. If anyone would like to acquire it (though all the pictures are here anyway), follow the link: