Nereid

A lovely cool photograph for the day. It's simply too hot to go outdoors (here). When in doubt, draw the blinds & take a nap. If you are so fortunate as to live by the sea...invite us to visit!

A few links:

Underwater photography galleries from National Geographic

Who are the Nereids again?

A poem by George Seferis translated from the Greek.

Take a walk in a favorite place, Santorini.

The real Greek salad (from a wonderful new-to-us food blog from Athens)

ciao/the Management

(photograph by Liquid Sunny Day)

Tate Kids Create - Colouring Book

More free coloring pages--this time from Tate Britain's Tate Kids. There's lots of craftiness on the large site but you might want to start with the outline of Emma, Lady Hamilton as Circe by George Romney. (image via here)

Enjoy!

ciao-meow/The Management

PS: Today is your last chance to vote in Shabby Apple's Dare to Design (a dress) Competition. Vote here.

Pandora Opens the Box

A bit of Sunday afternoon drama here at GG Central. Giulia was informed this afternoon that she'll not be making a trip to the beach after all; the drive would be too hard on her. (GG has asthma.) Is she grateful for this concern on her behalf? She is not, no. Oh well. A little Sunday illustration by one of our favorites, Walter Crane. You can read about GG editorial staff, um, sartorial challenges for the trip, here.

By the way...this image is by one of our favorite illustrators, Walter Crane, & is in the public domain. The original is at the Bibliotheque Des Arts Decoratifs Paris. We have noticed many bloggers trying to copyright the image (one can copyright a product made with the image, yes). This is somewhat amusing as Walter Crane was a, gasp, Socialist who wrote & illustrated books in the belief that they should be affordable to the masses. What would he think? We're pretty sure that he would say poppycock to this cheekiness. So do we.

ciao-cheeky-meow/The Management

Happy St. David's Day from GG

Dodging red dragons, leek-wearing hockey fans (we remain neutral in public), & poets declaiming Wordsworth (it's a pretty interesting neighborhood), we're off to purchase party supplies. Giulia remains in loaf mode, mooching about the house. She has appointed her editor as chief organizer of GG Central's St. David's Day Celebration (1 March 2010). This is not very sporting of her but she does not care because she is a cat. Therefore, without further ado, we present a gorgeous shot of two lovely daffodils & must run to the store.

Ciao-meow & cariad to all our friends, Welsh, Welsh-North American, or otherwise. See here for a GG's editor's St. David's Day memory in Italy. Si.

[lovely photograph by the brilliant Jan/brynmeillion via flickr]

Malèna & Sicily - Week's End

Most viewers of Malèna don't seem to understand the melancholy & the real menace faced by Sicilian women. Worlds collide in Sicily...then & now. Though there is no denying the beauty of Monica Bellucci & the Sicilian land & seascapes, be careful what you romanticize. Our theory is that you can't really love a place if you willfully ignore the tragedies. Have a great weekend & once again....if you can find it in your heart to check out Darfur, Congo, Burma links on this site...well, that would be a gracious gift from you to the real Malènas of this world.

ciao-meow, GG Central

Theocritus - A Villanelle

O singer of Persephone!
In the dim meadows desolate
Dost thou remember Sicily?

Still through the ivy flits the bee
Where Amaryllis lies in state;
O Singer of Persephone!

Simaetha calls on Hecate
And hears the wild dogs at the gate;
Dost thou remember Sicily?

Still by the light and laughing sea
Poor Polypheme bemoans his fate;
O Singer of Persephone!

And still in boyish rivalry
Young Daphnis challenges his mate;
Dost thou remember Sicily?

Slim Lacon keeps a goat for thee,
For thee the jocund shepherds wait;
O Singer of Persephone!
Dost thou remember Sicily?

by Oscar Wilde

[Malèna credits; At sea alone & Alone in the Sea by Giampaolo Macorig; LIFE archive, uncredited Sicilian scene]