I recently pointed to a petition urging the UK government to do more to allow cycles on trains. Here’s No 10’s limp response – basically, “well we have asked nicely”.
A useful resource for answering such questions: Periodical Historical Atlas of Europe – maps at roughly 100-year intervals.
It’s big; it’s huge; it’s ginormous … Okay I think you’ve got the message.
Carnival of Feminists No 31 is now up on Truly Outrageous and it is truly spectacular: you could start at part one and then go on to part two, or even reverse that if you’re feeling contrary.
Doesn’t matter; you’ll still get a spectacular collection of feminists posts: there’s some hugely powerful work on the situation of disadvantaged women in the US, particularly in accessing health care (all those being nasty about the NHS please note). Then there’s happy memories of Tillie Olsen and Molly Ivins, and then a venture to the wilds of philosophy.
BUt don’t waste time here – go over there and check it out!
(And apologies for the late notice on my part – I can only claim in my own defence the distraction of holidays…)
I like to kid myself that in visiting France and spending lots of time in museums I’m improving my French.
So today I learnt that “bonnets d’affranchises” are what is known in English as the “cap of liberty”, given to freed Roman slaves as a symbol of their new status, and more widely used as a symbol of liberty.
OK, so it might not come up while buying a train ticket, but you never know when it might come in handy…
Okay, you might say this is a bit of a specialist subject, and you might be right, but who could resist this hare?
Unfortunately there’s only one room with the original 14th-century tiles surviving in situ, and you’re not allowed into that!, but there is a nice collection of original ones from around the palace in the consistory hall. As a visitor you’re directed to the surviving frescos, and there’s no doubt they are very fine, particularly those attributed to Matteo Giovanetti in Saint John’s chapel off the consistory.
But somehow, I find more moving, more evocative, these products of certainly humble workmen, working fast, but showing real artistic skill. And the colours are marvelous – a real sign of the art of the workman who blended them without the aid of modern chemistry.
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