Dental Office as an Art Gallery

Tags

art., asbtract expressionism, Cecil B. Demille, Cornwall PEI, dental, Dentist, dentistry, Norma Desmond, Peggy Lee, PEI, Sunset Blvd

Going to the dentist on regular basis has been something I have been doing since the age of 6.  My parents believed in the benefits of good teeth and a regular check-up. This may explain why I have such wonderful teeth today, which I am told, by several dentist, is not so common in our society. Most people dread going to the dentist and will avoid it if at all possible.

Me, I go twice a year for cleaning and check-up, the last time in February it was for a root canal my first ever at age 60. We all heard the horror stories about the dentist and how unpleasant it is. The root canal was done on tooth number 15, our teeth are numbered, it is easier for the dentist to locate them, most of us have 32 teeth.

I also had a question about tooth 31, result of today all is in good shape and nothing to report. One thing a lot of hygienists find disconcerting with me is the fact that I fall asleep in the chair at the dentist. Even during the root canal treatment which lasted a good hour, I was fighting the urge not to fall asleep and then I asked my dentist afterwards, when was he going to do the root canal. He looked at me with an expression of surprise on his face, what do you think I was doing all this time, he says. In my best Peggy Lee, I said; Is that all there is to root canal?

So today I went to a new dentist in our new home town, the clinic is in Cornwall, a small town just a few minutes from my home. The building is rather unassuming, vintage 1960 and probably an old post Office. The door and the handles gave me that impression, the building looks like a small bungalow and is on a dead end street beside a big United Church and an old cemetery, across the street is the old general store under massive renovations and it will become the new dental office.

The practice belongs to Dr. D.A.S. who is an obvious Art lover with a very good eye. The minute you enter the reception area you notice the art work everywhere including the various sculptures around the building outside, it’s original art and not prints you can buy at Winner’s. The paintings on the wall reminded me of Canadian painter Jack Bush, the style is modern vintage 1950-1960, abstract expressionism. I did not tour the whole clinic but I will have to take a closer look on my next visit. It sure beats watching Ellen on TV, she seems to be very popular in dental offices these days. All this to say that it gives the clinic a very elegant European feel and certainly takes your mind off the dental work. Let’s hear it for original art work in the dental or medical office.

I will have to enquire as to the name of the artists on display in the Office. The final result of this visit to the Dentist was that I could be the poster child for Crest! As Norma Desmond would say; I am ready for my close-up Mr DeMille.

 

fashion likes and dislikes

Tags

burka, Canada., chador, dress, France, hijab, laws, niqab, society, women

I am old enough to remember the 1960’s  and the debate then about the Bikini, mind you I was a kid then but nonetheless I paid attention to what was going on around me.

Then society in general did not approve of such an apparel, this also included pants for women, morality came up a lot in the conversation then, this type of clothing was risqué. Up until the 1960 women who according to societal norms had to wear skirts or dresses. In the mid 1950’s some fashion designers brought out pants for women to wear. This was quite revolutionary and not really the norm of what was acceptable then in society. But in large metropolitan centres like NYC and in Los Angeles it was seen among the rich and the famous who could flout society’s conventions.

Some movies also started to show women wearing pants, though such women were always portrayed as independent, upper middle-class and sporty, going to the beach or at some party around the swimming pool of their expensive homes, the Country Club set. In Canada you would really have to wait until the mid 1960’s to see such changes and even then it was frown upon. For those of you who remember The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson from 1962-1992, he started to mention almost as a provocation to his audience that if the Bikini was now Ok for prudish American society, well look at Saint-Tropez the women are topless. This was in the 1970’s and it was the subject of much comment and hilarity on his show.

So we now jump forward to today, since 1979 when the Shah of Iran left ”on vacation” due to the Iranian revolution under the Ayatollahs who imposed on Iranian women a strict dressing code which shocked Western countries and with the strong migration from Middle-Eastern countries since 2000 and the war in Afghanistan, the public through much media hoopla has become very aware of how women wear for various reasons in many countries with so called Islamic values various veils. The other question is if this is a religious requirement, on that topic a lot of misinformation exist and the worst convoluted stories circulate, much is hearsay and not based on fact.

I lived for 8 years on various countries in the Middle-East, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. I also visited Iran in 2002. When people in Canada would speak to me about the Middle-East the one remark that always came up was how, 1. women could not drive a car and 2. how they had to cover up. In most cases people were thinking of Saudi Arabia and assumed that all other countries where Islam was the majority religion must be the same. I quickly learned that it was pointless to say that this was not the case, that each country was very different and societies were complex with their own history and evolution. What I learned was that people had their prejudice and would not be dissuaded.

If it is true that I saw some Hijabs in Egypt and less so in Syria or Jordan, I did not see them often in other countries like Lebanon. In Iran, women wore usually a kind of lomg scarf over their hair. I also saw and this was more a function of social standing, women from poor neighbourhood wearing more conservative dress than the more affluent women, usually these women would wear a chador.

Unfortunately in Canada the message is broad and general and makes no distinctions. It does not try to understand how societies far from us function in a context far removed from our own experience. Canadians do not always understand that various cultures in other continents function much differently than ours and do not care for what we think. We do make a lot of assumptions, clothes send signals in any society, clothes can be the basis for prejudice, racism, intolerance and discrimination.

Some in our society would like to dictate to others how to dress and behave for the sake of imposing a point of view as the correct one. You will hear comments on so call Muslim dress but in general in Canada we have not taken the French position on this matter which is now bordering on the ludicrous. A message of inclusiveness is more the Canadian norm.

With all the talk this Summer about France and Europe not adapting well to their changing societies. In France with politicians wrapping themselves in the French Flag and going on about Laicité and secular principles, what I take from that is how France has never got over its lost of prestige and influence in the World since September 1939. How it did not make the necessary effort to integrate its various ethnic population from former French Colonies. How the war in Algeria and the independence of that country was never accepted by the French. How they still try to pull political-economic strings in the Levant and in Africa. France does have the largest Muslim population in Europe but would like you to believe otherwise in the image it present of itself. So the latest spat on beach wear in various towns in France is the cherry on the cake. The social problems in France and many European countries are not new and stem from historical circumstances which we in Canada are free.

In Canada women in the RCMP can wear a hijab with their regulation uniform. There has not been much notice in the newspapers. Already and for 30 years now Sikh men can wear their turban as long as it is regulation colour with their police uniform.  In many ways Canada has taken a more mature approach to this topic. The general idea is that women can wear what they want, the question is why should it bother anyone. Society is not being threatened in any way by people’s dress, it was not in the 1960’s with the mini skirt or the bikini or women’s pants and it is not now.

We did have the spat during the Harper Regime with the issue of face covering or Niqab in Courts of Law and during Citizenship Ceremony where people have to take an Oath in order to become Citizens or when giving testimony in Court. The rule is and this was not sufficiently explained that any women who wanted to take her Oath of Citizenship could do so in private, if wearing of the Niqab was an issue for them, the Judge can see her face and administer the Oath. In this instance the Harper Regime made quite a lot of hullabaloo about the whole affair to please its extreme right wing base, that is behind us now.

All this to say that if we think of ourselves as a mature open society, intent on not repeating the errors of the past, we have to get over these dress behaviour hysterics and stop dictating what can and cannot be acceptable in women’s dress on the street. Just because it bothers or offends one person or a group based on so called modern personal views or belief.

The other day at Brackley Beach I did notice a women wearing a Burkini swimming. My concern was the severe undertow on the North side of the Island and I wondered if she was aware of the warning signs and the danger.  There were some people on the beach but it is quite a long beach many kilometres long and many parts are deserted with no lifeguard in sight. She was quite far from the shore and I hoped she would be ok. She did make it safely back to shore and then went to sit with her husband who was reading. I know that in France or elsewhere in Europe the reaction would have been quite different.

 

 

 

 

Arts and Culture

Tags

art., Charlottetown, culture, Events, PEI

Since arriving in PEI, I have been impressed with the abundance of arts and culture in PEI. Tonight I participated in the ART in the OPEN Festival. This festival takes place over a period of 8 hours in the parks of Charlottetown with music, art installation, projections, lights, parade. A fascinating spectacle and is entirely free. Walking through old Charlottetown installations were everywhere, starting with the parade of the Crows, we do have at all times a large crow population. Victoria Park had a lot of installations, from the floating pop tents in the river, all illuminated like Chinese lanterns. Or the dancing cows in Connaught Square, architecture in the Park, the Gauntlet a game of 3 riddles with monsters like the Sphinx in attendance in the forest of Victoria Park, this was surreal surrounded by the thick forest with only small ground lights to light the path, eerie sounds, projections and what surprised me the most was the night sky above full of stars and the outline of our galaxy the Milky Way, so strange to see that in the City. The cannons at the battery instead of firing cannon balls had been decorated to give the impression they fired a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables. Then there was United States of Anamensis a fixed multimedia electroacoustic sound installation with 8 projections.

Seen in the day light and then how I saw them at night around 09:30pm

In the forest we had to walk in the dark past Dead Man’s Pond which in Charlottetown is the stuff of legend and myth. Every kid will tell you not to go there at night, it seems no one knows how deep is the pond. We also had to walk past Fanningbank which was all lite up like a great white palace that it is surrounded by its stately gardens. Then in the great green area of Victoria Park was at least 20 camp fires speaking to the myth of the ancient to keep the darkness at bay with fire. There was a lot more to see, I found it enchanting. The whole show had to be put up in one day and then dismantled before 4am so that in the morning it had vanished like by magic. I had never walked in the city and in the area of Victoria Park at night, it looks so very different with the great body of salt water and the night sky.

It was great fun and again spoke to the strenght of volunteer work in PEI in organizing such events. The number of artists and the enormous amount of talent.

Art in the Open asks that we discover the artworks in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. The public participates by discovering the artworks and by exploring their surroundings. A Free contemporary art event.

A long four months

Tags

Beach, Charlottetown, French Fries, moving, PEI

We, I, have been here in PEI for the last 4 months. Will finally arrives on 1 September, what a relief. However we leave for Ireland on 6 September for our Anniversary and Birthday trip. We planned this more than one year ago. It was planned before we thought of moving to PEI. Yes we do plan ahead that includes the Holidays and menus, I don’t think the Queen is that organized.

Summer as come and now it is almost gone. The house has been set-up and I have a new routine with favourite shops etc. I have been busy with quite a few social events and trips around the Island. Will discovered that across the street from us is the Chip Shack which serves the best french fries. The owner Caron Prins is a great lady and she is so busy, wait time is usually 15 minutes. All hand cut, all fresh, made on the spot.  No I do not eat lobster everyday, I really do not care for it that much, oysters and their variety are better.

Will has visited on weekends here and there during the Summer but coming to the Island can be difficult since all the flights are booked solid, there is the train from Montreal but it is a long trip. The train also does not come to PEI, the nearest stop is in Amherst, Nova Scotia about 90 minutes away on the mainland. Anyway all this is behind us now.

Made several trips to Point Prim to the old lighthouse and the very good restaurant which is only open in the Summer months. It is just nice to sit on the rocks and look out to sea, it is such a quiet area, if there is noise it is the birds chirping. The beach also is minutes away I like Stanhope, though there are lots of beaches to go to. Then I have been busy at the Gallery and on any given day we have a lot of people, which makes it so interesting.

I am happy things turned out so well for us, in this big move.

Bourreaux de l’Etat

Tags

Bourbon, Civil war, executioner, France, Louis XVI, profession, Revolution, Sanson

I follow a blog written in French by Marie-Christine Pénin called www.tombes-sepultures.com which specialize in locating the tombs of famous people in France. The period covered is usually 17th, 18th  and 19th centuries. I often wonder where is so and so buried, a famous name does not necessarily have a famous grave. Each entry gives you the story of the person and how it ended with often some strange family detail about the burial. One entry recently was about the French Revolution (Civil War) and how the Kings and Queens of France buried in the St-Denis Cathedral were dug up and their tombs smashed. Some with vivid description of the cadaver, like that of Louis XV whose body was black and gave out a powerful stench despite the fact that he had died some 17 years prior.

This week it is about the family Sanson, who for 7 generations where the Official Executioner of France, from 1688 to 1847. A profession that no longer exist, but a profession nonetheless required for putting to death the great and the not so great of France who had been condemned by the State. Official Executioner was a title given by the King and then at the Revolution by the Committee in charge. It was  a paid job with honours and benefits. One benefit was on the death of the Executioner, he was entitled to a Funeral Mass with full Civilian Honours. So for 159 years the Sanson, from fathers to sons where in charge of executing by whatever means decreed, prisoners. They not only exercised their profession in Paris but also in several other cities of France. The head of the Family usually had Paris and his sons had other cities, some  sons were also helpers in the putting to death of a condemned person. They were responsible for maintaining the tools of their trade and setting up the scaffolds etc ensuring that all would go well.

A very grim business and not always a quick affair, sometimes in the 17th and 18th centuries executions which were a public spectacle required some showmanship. However amongst the duty of the Executioner, he had to meet with the condemned prior to the execution, they would have a surreal conversation about what was to take place and the condemned could make a request that he be dispatched quickly if possible, often giving the Executioner a sum of money. One of the Sanson was known for his consideration and kindness toward the condemned person, his job was to put them to death not to make them suffer unduly or turn a public execution into butchery.

It was Charles-Henri Sanson who had to execute King Louis XVI. Though he had been a revolutionary in 1789 by 1793 he had lost his appetite for the revolution and turned against it. In his opinion far too many innocent people had been condemned by comedy show trials, where the results were more important than the facts or the truth. When he was given the paper ordering the execution of the King, Charles-Henri Sanson said he felt faint and wanted to run. He knew the trial had been rigged against the Sovereign and Sanson was hoping for a last minute reprieve or a plot to free the king. This royal execution would haunt him for the rest of his days and in his will he left money so that a Mass could be said  monthly to ask God for forgiveness for this horrible business.

Sanson’s son would execute 9 months later Queen Marie-Antoinette, who was leaving behind two young children. The day of the execution the Parisian crowds were in an ugly mood and sullen, very much against putting the Queen to death. He also dispatched other revolutionaries like Danton and Robespierre. He like other members of his family are buried around Paris in churches or in cemeteries amongst other dignitaries.  We do not know much about the Sanson family except for the journals and correspondence they left behind, they had a job to do and it required a certain amount of discretion.

 

 

 

The boardwalk

Tags

Charlottetown, dachshunds, Fox, Hillsborough river, Nora, PEI, Victoria Park, walk

Today was another nice sunny day in Charlottetown, so I took Nora for a walk on the boardwalk around Victoria Point. A very nice park area all along the North and Hillsborough rivers looking out towards the strait of Northumberland. Sail boats and luxury yachts.

Nora likes to walk and her attitude is, the boardwalk belongs to me so get out of my way.

I made her sit for a little while but she is sniffing the air and there was a good breeze so I am sure she picked up a lot of scents. Victoria Park is known for its numerous aggressive crows, Nora does not care, crow pie she says. There are also Foxes and skunks though not usually seen in the day time.

A very nice area to walk but with Nora it is always quickly as if she is on a mission.

Yes you have to look where you are going because a Fox can appear out of nowhere. Nora of course would given the alarm with her hound howling before I would see anything.  The other night coming home, walking down Great George Street there was a Fox sitting on the grass just a few feet away from me. He startled me but he did not move, they are very bold.

and once a week Holland American cruise ships enter the Charlottetown harbour.

This map shows the park, it was once the entire estate of the Residence of the Lieutenant Governor of PEI who is the personal representative of the Sovereign. In the 1960’s the park was open to the public and the Crown kept one third for the Official Residence. So I walk with Nora along the brown line and back which is a fair distance for her about 3 km but she does not mind.

At least today she did not try to jump into the river. It is salt water and I would not want to have to go after her. As for our Nicky, he does not like to walk any distance so there is no point is taking him. I would end up carrying him.

 

 

Restoration

Tags

Acropolis, ATHENS, Berlin, Canaletto, Dresden, Neue Palais, Potsdam, Prussia, Restoration

I have always been interested in historical restoration of buildings, despite the fact that many archeologists oppose such restoration as not genuine, especially in buildings of great antiquity or in buildings which have been totally destroyed.

If any restoration should take place often it is in the consolidation of the buildings foundations or some partial and limited reconstruction of any structure, clearly marking where the work took place so it should not be mistaken by any future restorer or student as original.

In Athens in the last 30 years important restorations have taken place on the Acropolis, a monumental complex 2500 years old. The work was necessary due to the advance state of decay of the remaining buildings and their importance to Western Civilization. The Parthenon has been extensively restored to prevent any further decay and hundreds of fragments have been found so they could be re-incorporated into the building. The original Parthenon was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and re-built under Pericles between 479 and 439 BC. The greatest destruction was inflicted during the long war between the Ottoman Turks and the Venetians who attacked Athens  in 1687 and fired upon the temple which the Turks had used as a gun powder depot, the resulting explosion gave us what we see today. The restoration which I visited many times in the last 17 years are very impressive and will conserve this important monument for the future. The Greeks in recent years have also restored the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike and the gate or Propylaea.

Under Mussolini from 1923-1939 much of what tourists see today in the Roman Forum was the results of excavations and restorations as political gestures to support the Fascist program of Il Duce. Prior to Mussolini’s rule little could be seen and most of the Roman Forum was covered with modern neighbourhoods, all had to be destroyed and removed to uncover Imperial Rome.

In Germany with the end of the Second World War much of the country was in ruins, the great monuments of the 17th and 18th centuries had been bombed and burnt. Dresden was destroyed in two nights of fire bombing in February 1945. After the war, Dresden found itself in the Eastern part of Germany and the Communists had no interest in re-building the city. What Canaletto had painted in 1747 while under commission to Frederick-Augustus II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland was the only memory of that glorious city. 

We visited Dresden 3 years ago and saw how the city has been re-built to a point where all the ancient monuments have been brought back to life. The most stunning is the Lutheran FrauenKirche (church of our Lady) built in 1726 by George Bähr with a height of 91 meters.

When we first saw it it was nothing more than rubble, an amazing feat of restoration.

The City of Berlin has undergone the same transformation since 1989 with its re-unification as the Capital of Germany, the Berlin City Palace is nearing completion and is the single most expensive public-private project in Germany at 790 million Euros.

In Potsdam which is a suburb of Berlin, much restoration and re-building of the 18th century buildings has been going on. The City Palace was completely re-built and the Park complex where the famous palace Sans Souci of Frederick II the Great is located has seen much restoration of the pavilions, gardens, Royal tombs and other palaces including the Neue Palais built in 1763 to commemorate the victory of Prussia and England in the Seven Years War against France and Austria.

The Neue Palais (new palace) is intact and avoided being bombed during WWII. Frederick II used it to show off the power of the Prussian State. Frederick II would live there in the Winter and move to Sans Souci down the park alley in the Summer. This palace is also interesting has it was the last residence of the German Emperor Frederick III who only reigned for 99 days dying of cancer and his son Emperor Wilhelm II until his forced abdication in 1918 and exile to Holland.

In front of the Palace and in keeping with the baroque style so loved by Frederick II a folie or fantaisie was built in the form of a semi-circle colonnade with two pavilions. It was damaged after 1918 and during WWII. The first time I saw it in 1997 it was in very poor state and needed much repair, it was cordoned off because it could collapse.

As of 2004 a great effort was made to re-built it and the work is now complete, it can be admired as it was at the time of Frederick II. Here are some photos of it.

This photo taken from the steps of the Neue Palais looking at the colonnade during an open air concert.

Side view, prior to 1997 many of the allegorical statues on the top where missing and had to be re-carved and re-installed. The columns and architectural elements replaced and the copper roof completely redone.

This aerial photo shows the complex, the buildings on either side of the colonnade where servants quarters. Today the buildings are part of the University of Potsdam. While the Neue Palais is a museum, it has 200 rooms and 4 state reception rooms and much of its original furnishings. All of these places are interesting to visit because it is living history.

There are many more cities in Europe who restored their ancient buildings. The State is actively involved and the public often subscribe with donations to these projects.

In France one famous site is the Palais of Versailles, with the help of the American Friends of Versailles, hundreds of millions of dollars have been raised to restore this palace and garden to its pre-revolutionary glory. I remember one visit in 1969 with my parents, what a sad site it was, so much was closed to the public and only up-keep work could be done. Much of the furniture of the palace was sold in 1792 prior to the execution of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Most bought by wealthy English Aristocrats for a few pennies, in London today much of this furniture and various paintings and objects belonging to the Royal Family of France can be seen in mint condition.

Restoration and conservation is important and gives an accurate picture of what life was like back then. One wonders why in Canada we make so little effort to conserve and protect our history.

 

 

End of Summer?

Tags

Art Gallery, Charlottetown, Gold Cup, muffins, Parade, PEI, Summer, Water Street

Officially Summer ends on 21 September but schools and Universities re-open next week and so with the Gold cup and Saucer Harness Race, the Season ends here in PEI. Much of the Summer theatre ends this weekend and the restaurants and other venues will be much more quiet, which to me is a blessing.

We had a lovely parade today from 10:00am to Noon time, 50 floats and marching bands. I have discovered that on bagpipes you can play 3 tunes and they are always the same. We have quite a few Islanders whose ancestors came from Old Scotland, so you can imagine bagpipes and tartans are all the rage. We also have the PEI Regiment and the Canadian Royal Navy and many Service Clubs participating and the RCMP were there also. It was a lot of fun, our friend Pico made wonderful muffins and I went to watch the parade from the house of our friend DS who lives just a few doors down from us. The weather was perfect, beautiful sunshine and a lite breeze.

Then I had museum duty and it has been a very busy season for me, on any given day at the Art Gallery I have about 40 to 60 visitors wanting to know about this or that painting or installation. In one gallery is the portraits of Robert Harris (1849-1919) in another I have prints by Landon Mackenzie, her 1975-2015 period, she gave a talk yesterday and I was able to speak with her afterwards and it was very helpful. We then have this installation by Graeme Patterson called the Silent Citadel, a lot of people love it, exploring the theme of friendship and solitude.

Graeme Patterson, Silent Citadel

Robert Harris, Bessie in her wedding gown, 1885. Bessie Putnam was his wife.

L

Landon Mackenzie speaking with a group of visitors.

And now for photos of the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade 2016, 155 edition

Muffins made by Pico with blueberries and strawberries from his garden. The flowers are also freshly cut. 

Water street before the parade around 9:30am.

The RCMP on parade, they are the Police force of the Island.

The First Nation Mi’kmaq, they had a powwow in the park next to our place, drums and chanting for 2 days an free lobster dinner for anyone coming. Pretty nice.

Colonel Gray Marching band, named after John Hamilton Gray, Premier of PEI 1864. Pretty good musicians and great costumes.

a hunk in the parade because you need one.

The piping school band, yes you can take courses to learn to play the bagpipes. But as the old saying goes, a gentleman knows how but abstain from playing.

Canadian Sailors

Charlottetown Police and Fire Service our taxes at work.

The Grand Marshall, Anne Shirley, (of Green Gables), who said she was fictional.

In all 50 floats and 5 bands, lots of fun and all the neighbours were out, so we all had a chat.

Some photos

Tags

Cavendish, Charlottetown, Old Home Week, PEI, Weather

As we near the end of the 188 edition of Old Home Week in PEI, tomorrow is the big parade in Charlottetown and the Gold and Saucer Cup Race at the Exhibition grounds. The parade goes past our front door on Water Street, we have the best seats. Here are some picture of the end of day. 

Here is a view of the end of the dock at the marina on Peake’s  Wharf next door. Known as Confederation Landing, where the Fathers of Canadian Confederation arrived on the SS Victoria and were brought to shore in a small canoe by Mr Pope.

Full moon tonight over Charlottetown but just 30 Km North of us in Cavendish look at those clouds. A violent storm is coming which will pass us quickly in a matter of 5 minutes. Clouds over Cavendish look at those pictures and they are coming South towards us.

I walked the dogs 5 minutes before the storm hit, the sky was clear and the moon and stars bright. But North of me I could see flashes of lightning and then all of a sudden a strong cold wind came by, I got in just in time. The rain fell hard in buckets for about 5 minutes and then it was all gone. They say the farmers need the rain for the potato crops, but not that sort of violent rain.

* Cavendish weather photos CBC News.

Barbers, Barbieri

Tags

barbers, Canada., Charlottetown, haircut, Italy, Rome

Having travelled around the world and lived in many countries, I have had to find a good barber at every destination. By good barber I mean someone who knows how to cut hair and who you can trust to do a good job and understand what you want.

It is all about service and making you feel relaxed. Easier said than done, many countries have different approaches to the barber and hair cutting or styling, not to mention manicure and shoe polish.

In Mexico City I found a good barber almost immediately, the salon was a little like an old club and in the Latin American tradition of what gentlemen expect, you got the hot towel treatment, manicure and shoe shine, spit polish which I like at a reasonable price.

I found that in any Latin American country I went to, you could always get a great hair cut done by barbers who had been in the profession for years, real professionals.

In other countries like Egypt or Jordan, it was touch and go and though I got what I wanted the conversation was a mix of Arabic-English and the topics were limited to the style of the haircut. In Chicago, I went to the Drake Hotel, they had a salon in the basement next to the flower shop of the Hotel, very nice, well done.

In Poland I cannot remember where I went to get my haircut, same for Beijing, it must have been in somewhere but I really don’t recall, just to say it was highly forgettable like most of the PRC is really.

Italy was the best, the salon on Via dei Serpenti (Snake Street) a name it got in the 14th century when the Quirinal Hill area was mostly uninhabited. It had been a prosperous neighbourhood in Antiquity and to this day it is considered one of the oldest of the Capital.

I met my barber Domenico LoTorto (Mimo) at the coffee shop on the corner across the street from the Bank Of Italy (central bank of the Italian Republic). I was studying Italian in the building above. In Italy social contact and conversation is common, people talk a lot and will start talking to you. I told him I was looking for a barber and he told me that he was the barber of the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano. I would later learn that Napolitano had been his customer for many decades since he lived in the neighbourhood. When he became President he simply kept Mimo as his barber and would phone him for an appointment.

I would usually go see Mimo around 4:30pm, my office was not in the area, but this being Rome I could walk it in 10 minutes from Piazza Reppublica. It was an excuse to leave the Office early. Love that salon, on the TV was the Financial News of Italy, no one watched. The newspapers were Sport and Soccer newspapers, the customers were either bankers from across the street or various people from TV or Radio, art world etc.

I always got Sisi to do my nails, she was not Italian but Romanian, she had lived in Italy for years. It was a nice 30 minutes, a cut and a wash, 20 Euros.

When I came back to Canada, I looked for a barber, not much to write about here, finally I found two brothers, Italo-Canadians who with their fathers had been in the business for 40 years. But it was not the same as in Rome, it was ok but it had none of the finesse or the atmosphere of going to the barber. In Canada, you get your hair cut and that is it, no wash no manicure and no shoe polish. Finally here in Charlottetown, there are several barbers, from the designer types who can do your hair starting at $40 dollars for a cut to the more down to earth barbers at $18.

Currently I go to a barber in Charlottetown across from City Hall. They do a good job, but they have so many customers that they never remember from one time to the other who I am. The conversation is polite but I sense they are not listening and it is all chit-chat somewhat mindless. It is also a very straight barber shop, all the workers are women, very much an old style, good ole boys kind of place. The price is right and they do a good job, so it will do. I am not going to pay $40 dollars for a haircut that takes 10 minutes to complete.

 

Queen Street, Charlottetown, PEI