What Bucket List Item Failed to Live Up to Expectations?

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Thankfully I have seen my two favorite paintings...well, it's actually five. The first is Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole and the below painting by Monte Dolack. I know I don't have a fancy palate when it comes to paintings, but I was never one to spend a bunch of time in the Louvre - actually, I don't feel my life will be enhanced by even going there (gasp). 

 

So, my art bucket list is done - now take me back to Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina and I'll wander those beautifully landscaped acres for days on end. 

 

 

 

Your image reminded me of Norman Rockwell.   We visited the Norman Rockwell museum in Philadelphia some years ago.  Enjoyed it immensely.

 

What I enjoyed about the Louvre was recognizing originals of paintings that I had seen all my life in magazines, etc.  I didn't have that in mind when we went there.  It just sort of happened as we wandered through the halls.  

[jeremyosborne81]

Late to the party but ...

In May 2017 we took an MSC cruise out of Venice. Venice was great. Athens was great. Olympia was great. Kotor was great.

SANTORINI was VERY disappointing. I was so accustomed to seeing the white and blue images in pictures the reality of all the brown cliffside and brown land BEHIND the town really disillusioned me to it. You can see my perspective in my very unprofessional pictures and the town just looks like any other place I have been. It reminds me a lot of Mexico.

[capriccio]

3 hours ago, jeremyosborne81 said:

Late to the party but ...

In May 2017 we took an MSC cruise out of Venice. Venice was great. Athens was great. Olympia was great. Kotor was great.

SANTORINI was VERY disappointing. I was so accustomed to seeing the white and blue images in pictures the reality of all the brown cliffside and brown land BEHIND the town really disillusioned me to it. You can see my perspective in my very unprofessional pictures and the town just looks like any other place I have been. It reminds me a lot of Mexico.

You discovered that Santorini, like many of the Greek islands and the southern mainland, has a very dry climate.  We lived in Athens for 3 years where there would be no precipitation for 6 months; Santorini has a similar climate.  In Athens when the first rains come in the fall announcements would be made cautioning drivers because water added to all the accumulated motor oil on the roads could make them dangerously slick.

[hdowney]

So I have three I can think of off hand.

 

Museo Correr in Venice. I was so disappointed. It was so long, dark, dreary and repetitive with a severe lack of seating.

 

The Natural History Museum in Venice. I'd loved NAs growing up but this one just made me sad going round seeing how many animals he killed for sport to hang on his walls (many now extinct/endangered).

 

London Zoo. Went for my 21st birthday 16yr ago. It was 36 Celsius. I melted and 90 percent of the exhibitions were empty for renovation. Price was the same though.

[cruisemom42]

On 6/6/2022 at 1:19 AM, ilikeanswers said:

 

One of those 18 paintings sold for $US658000 so they seem to be popular than people give them credit for. 

 

So, would that be a case of a painting being famous because it is expensive?

 

(If so, I have a whole raft of Monets and Picassos to add to the list...)

[cruisemom42]

On 6/5/2022 at 8:23 PM, ldubs said:

There are some paintings by artists of much renown that simply don't appeal to me, other than what I could sell them for.  To be fair, I am not an art devotee.   It is quite likely that I might find unappealing paintings by an artist without fully understanding their influence on the art world.  For me, Goya might be an example, IDK.   

 

To reply in a more serious way -- and as I said earlier in this thread or another similar one -- my perspective on many things continues to evolve the longer I live and the more I learn.  I might have a list of favorites now, but that list might look very different ten years from now. To that extent I wouldn't say that I'm guided by their value and also not solely by how they "look". Sometimes it will depend, to me, on the history of the period or the subject of the painting, not just the style of it.

 

Most of the paintings that I like best (with the exception of John Singer Sargent's paintings of Venice) are portraits. Again, goes back to my love of history. The portraits of Henry VIII by Holbein, for example -- you get such a great "sense" of the period just by studying them and understanding the artist's use of all the tools at his disposal to show a powerful monarch. Or the Raphael portrait of Pope Julius II, which goes in an opposite direction, showing a man of power who can also look reflective, almost sad...  One has to know the history of that turbulent period to understand why.

 

As a side note, that second example wouldn't necessarily have made my list prior to 2022, but I just recently went to an exhibit of Raphael's work in London, and that one really struck me to the extent that I learned more about it. Definitely moved up. 

 

[JRG]

35 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

One has to know the history of that turbulent period to understand why.

 

A very good write-up.     This is one reason why I like Picasso very much,   because his lifetime is so close to ours,   we can grasp easier those historical elements that you speak of in the period pieces.

 

I grew up next to the Blue Boy as a kid,   who lived at the Huntington LIbrary,   but I never sought to know much about the period he lived in,   he was just 'famous'

 

As I said a few posts before,   we are into Bronze,  (we have 1),   but it is a Remington and you can touch and feel (and dust) it so it is more fun than a poster of the Mona Lisa.     

 

That's how my brain is wired as far as Art goes but I like the way you express it.

 

Bravo!

 

correction-----its is a replica Remington,  it is not an original,  it is a replica.

Edited June 7, 2022 by JRG
corrected

[JRG]

39 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

One has to know the history of that turbulent period to understand why.

 

And this is why we have little or no Art from the Spanish Inquisition?

 

But back on topic....we were a little underwhelmed by the DaVinci Museum in Rome.

 

It is one of those places where you may find alot of information,  but little authenticity if you are looking for that. 

 

I liked it  because it gave you some insight to the Codex libraries,    specifically the Codex Leicester.

Someday I'm hoping to find some time and see if there is anything about the Pyramids in there that Leonardo either missed or left our intentionally,  when he was doing his work in the Sistine Chapel and other parts of the Vatican.

 

 

 

[ldubs]

11 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

To reply in a more serious way -- and as I said earlier in this thread or another similar one -- my perspective on many things continues to evolve the longer I live and the more I learn.  I might have a list of favorites now, but that list might look very different ten years from now. To that extent I wouldn't say that I'm guided by their value and also not solely by how they "look". Sometimes it will depend, to me, on the history of the period or the subject of the painting, not just the style of it.

 

Most of the paintings that I like best (with the exception of John Singer Sargent's paintings of Venice) are portraits. Again, goes back to my love of history. The portraits of Henry VIII by Holbein, for example -- you get such a great "sense" of the period just by studying them and understanding the artist's use of all the tools at his disposal to show a powerful monarch. Or the Raphael portrait of Pope Julius II, which goes in an opposite direction, showing a man of power who can also look reflective, almost sad...  One has to know the history of that turbulent period to understand why.

 

As a side note, that second example wouldn't necessarily have made my list prior to 2022, but I just recently went to an exhibit of Raphael's work in London, and that one really struck me to the extent that I learned more about it. Definitely moved up. 

 

 

Thanks Cruisemom, it is always enjoyable to hear your point of view.   Hopefully we we never stop learning and evolving.  

[DarrenM]

19 hours ago, hdowney said:

So I have three I can think of off hand.

 

Museo Correr in Venice. I was so disappointed. It was so long, dark, dreary and repetitive with a severe lack of seating.

 

The Natural History Museum in Venice. I'd loved NAs growing up but this one just made me sad going round seeing how many animals he killed for sport to hang on his walls (many now extinct/endangered).

 

London Zoo. Went for my 21st birthday 16yr ago. It was 36 Celsius. I melted and 90 percent of the exhibitions were empty for renovation. Price was the same though.

I find zoos depressing and basically animal cruelty. 

 

I did visit London zoo once with my kids, and hated it. A zoo in central London is just wrong on so many levels.

[cruiseny4life]

On 6/4/2022 at 1:32 PM, donaldsc said:

Did you go to Red Rock or Valley of Fire or Lake Mead and Hoover Dam?  Did you go to Death Valley.  Did you go any of the very interesting museums in Las Vegas?  Did you go to the Pinball Hall of Fame.

Took a bit to respond - that work thing got in the way of my posting. 

 

I've been to a few of the locations you've mentioned. Thankfully Vegas was ever only a pit stop on a trip to national parks. I've never gone to Vegas just to be in Vegas. I haven't been to Fremont St. or to those museums. I'm not really a fan of kitschy. I didn't even enjoy Wall Drug in South Dakota!

 

But, your post is spot on! One can, and should, find those things that seem enticing and seek them out. Vegas ain't for everyone, just as Santiago ain't for everyone. 

 

Thanks DON! 

[cruiseny4life]

On 6/3/2022 at 2:39 PM, mnocket said:

If none of these things appeal to someone, then Vegas is a place best skipped

Please repeat this phrase in my ear when a friend suggests going there for a day while we're road trippin' through the desert! 

[JRG]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

But, your post is spot on! One can, and should, find those things that seem enticing and seek them out. Vegas ain't for everyone, just as Santiago ain't for everyone. 

 

Well said.    Even if you don't like Vegas and are only driving thru,   you still have to eat.   So get off on Tropicana and have a Holsteins burger and fries and chocolate shake and get back on the road...

 

....in about half an hour,   you will realize that you are missing some of the best non-gambling and foodie stuff around so you turnaround and go back jack and do it again, like the song says.

 

We saw Steeley Dan in one their final shows so sometimes you get lucky with who's in town too.

 

I like hanging out at the Bellagio Race book because you don't have to bet 3 times a minute,   you can sit down and enjoy your favorite beverage (with a mininum bet usually $20) and you can peoplewatch while the slot machine players have their pulls and you really only have to bet once every 30 minutes or so.

 

 

 

 

[JRG]

22 hours ago, JRG said:

Someday I'm hoping to find some time and see if there is anything about the Pyramids in there that Leonardo either missed or left our intentionally,  when he was doing his work in the Sistine Chapel and other parts of the Vatican.

 

Not true JRG,   DaVinci did not work on the Sistine Chapel,   Michaelango did,  but we know that he spent alot of time in the Vatican,   and he must have seen some of the artifacts or writings that may have been censored by the church,   no way to be sure.

 

Could he have found something from prior civilizations that gave him insight perhaps and if we look carefully we might find some clue in the Biblical works,   like the Last Supper.

 

He was smarter than the average bear that's for sure,  but did he have an advantage over other contemporary artists because of his other commissioned works,   specifically for military purposes.

 

but alas,  I regress.   The Sistine Chapel  did not disappoint me on my bucket list.

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by JRG

[slidergirl]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Please repeat this phrase in my ear when a friend suggests going there for a day while we're road trippin' through the desert! 

Wait!  you can hit up Lee's Discount Liquor at the South end of Las Vegas Blvd and stock up for the rest of your road trip!!!  

me?  Every once in awhile i'll do a midweek "weekend" in LV.  I go for a good dinner experience.  Plus, it's the closest beach where I can bodysurf (Mandalay Bay).  

 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, JRG said:

 

Well said.    Even if you don't like Vegas and are only driving thru,   you still have to eat.   So get off on Tropicana and have a Holsteins burger and fries and chocolate shake and get back on the road...

 

....in about half an hour,   you will realize that you are missing some of the best non-gambling and foodie stuff around so you turnaround and go back jack and do it again, like the song says.

 

We saw Steeley Dan in one their final shows so sometimes you get lucky with who's in town too.

 

I like hanging out at the Bellagio Race book because you don't have to bet 3 times a minute,   you can sit down and enjoy your favorite beverage (with a mininum bet usually $20) and you can peoplewatch while the slot machine players have their pulls and you really only have to bet once every 30 minutes or so.

 

 

 

 

No thanks, we're vegetarians so we can easily pass on that burger.

 

When I saw Steely Dan a few summers ago, Steve Winwood opened for them and IMHO (and everyone else's I spoke to other than my DW) was much better.

[cruiseny4life]

2 hours ago, JRG said:

Well said.    Even if you don't like Vegas and are only driving thru,   you still have to eat.   So get off on Tropicana and have a Holsteins burger and fries and chocolate shake and get back on the road...

It better be one hell of a burger and shake! The prices....holy crap - $19 for a plain ole burger and $13 for a shake, plus throw in $8 for some fries. It is prime beef, but dang I could buy a quarter cow for that...ok not really. 🙂

 

To bring it back to cruising - reminds me of the insane prices specialty restaurants charge on NCL. I just can't see going on a ship with a host of free food and then paying those prices for mediocre grub. Alas, I'm dragging us further and further from the point - leave it to say, Vegas is no longer a bucket list destination for me. 

[JRG]

7 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

It better be one hell of a burger and shake! The prices....holy crap - $19 for a plain ole burger and $13 for a shake, plus throw in $8 for some fries. It is prime beef, but dang I could buy a quarter cow for that...ok not really. 🙂

 

Its a good deal compared to the price of a hamburger at gordon whats's his name across the strip.

 

Holsteins the name,  and I kid you not,   it is (or was) ranked in the Top 10 Hamburgers in the US.    

I hope they made it thru the business interruption of covid-19.

 

There is a Pizza joint up 1 or 2 floors from Holstein's that has a great white cheese Pizza too,

another good drive thru  Vegas-tip and they are somewhat famous for that item.

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by JRG

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, JRG said:

The Sistine Chapel  did not disappoint me on my bucket list.

 

Every part of the Vatican Museum that I saw did not disappoint me, either.  Along with the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms:  are there enough adjectives to describe their beauty and magnificence?  

[ilikeanswers]

On 6/8/2022 at 2:13 AM, cruisemom42 said:

So, would that be a case of a painting being famous because it is expensive?

 

(If so, I have a whole raft of Monets and Picassos to add to the list...)

 

Actually I think it is more famous for being so derided😂 which personally I have never understood why🤷‍♀️ they don't seem that bad to me and kind of reminds me of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit. 

[JRG]

5 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

Actually I think it is more famous for being so derided😂 which personally I have never understood why🤷‍♀️

 

The answer to your question in a single word would be "culture"

I hope you like it!

[mnocket]

1 hour ago, JRG said:

 

The answer to your question in a single word would be "culture"

I hope you like it!

It kinda sounds like you're implying that someone who dislikes a "famous" piece of art lacks "culture".  I'm pretty sure this wasn't your intention.

[JRG]

57 minutes ago, mnocket said:

It kinda sounds like you're implying that someone who dislikes a "famous" piece of art lacks "culture".  I'm pretty sure this wasn't your intention.

 

yes yes, you are absolutely correct.   Art is and will always be in the eye of the beholder,   much like a post or a photograph (not a picture) ,   and that is why it is considered to be 'culture'

 

If you have been a regular cruiser over the years,   then you have probably walked by it a few times in the art gallery and here we are talking about it.   That is just one thing that art should do,  make you think and talk about it.

 

P.s.  @mnocket,   please say hello to our dog "ROCKET"  our dog kennel loves our dogs when we sail but gambling is not allowed in the play-yard.  There is a 6th dog just behind the egyptian looking dog so this would have been 6.

 

DOGS ATTEMPTING TO PLAY POKER

 

[mnocket]

21 minutes ago, JRG said:

 

yes yes, you are absolutely correct.   Art is and will always be in the eye of the beholder,   much like a post or a photograph (not a picture) ,   and that is why it is considered to be 'culture'

 

If you have been a regular cruiser over the years,   then you have probably walked by it a few times in the art gallery and here we are talking about it.   That is just one thing that art should do,  make you think and talk about it.

 

P.s.  @mnocket,   please say hello to our dog "ROCKET"  our dog kennel loves our dogs when we sail but gambling is not allowed in the play-yard.  There is a 6th dog just behind the egyptian looking dog so this would have been 6.

 

DOGS ATTEMPTING TO PLAY POKER

 

6 dogs!  My retirement gig is owning a cat boarding facility.  We very occasionally have a client who has 6 cats, but 6 dogs I suspect is very rare - especially in Oceanside, CA. (my father was the construction manager when Leisure Village in Oceanside was built)

[ldubs]

On 6/8/2022 at 11:30 AM, ontheweb said:

 

 

When I saw Steely Dan a few summers ago, Steve Winwood opened for them and IMHO (and everyone else's I spoke to other than my DW) was much better.

 

Heck yeah!