"Red Ocher" Bologna

My first impression about Bologna came from the BBC Italian language learning program. In my mind, the city was in the red ocher color, ancient, historical, there were some old columns and had the oldest university in the world. 

Luckily I had chance to visit it last Xmas. Indeed ancient and historical. The center square is magnificent: Big Cathedral,  churches, museums, with Poseidon standing on the central square. 

Bologna is also famous for its high towers. Estimated total number is around 80 to 100 towers inside the city in Middle Age Bologna. I couldn't stop thinking about the middle age legends, high towers, flying dragons, trapped princess, brave knights, etc. They might all be true.

By the narrow stairs inside the tower, you could get up to the top of the tower. I do believe it was not at all an easy job to build these towers in 12th or 13th century. Either wouldn't be easy to climb up them.

What a wonderful view once get to the top! all the city is in you eyes now!

Those towers remember me of another little Toscana city - San Gimignano, where has the similar towers.

Master Pieces of Artworks from Budapest

From March 9th to Juillet 10 2016,  master pieces of Budpest Museum will be on exposition in Paris Luxembourg museum. The collections vary from the Midde-Age sculptures to the symbolism and the expressionnisme, in total about 80 paintings, drawings and sculptures by Dürer, Cranach, Greco, Goya, Manet, Gauguin, Kokoschka and other dozens of artworks of Hungry.

(info from:  http://museeduluxembourg.fr/expositions/chefs-doeuvre-de-budapest)

"Truly Madly Deeply"

"Truly Madly Deeply" - A famous single pop of Savage Garden in the 90s brings me back to that careless free teenagehood. The same melody, lyrics, singers and that warm golden-colored video. But when I checked up the it again, I suddenly realised it was shot in Paris. Every location seems so clear and familiar to me now, since I've been living here for years. It feels like time has been crossed up with life experience. The music brings me back, and the video brings me to reality. Anyway, Paris has always been so beautiful!!

So let's enjoy the song.

"I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy. 
I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need. 
I'll love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do... "

Mid-autumn Day

The Mid-Autumn Day is on the lunar calendar Aug 15th each year, which is the holiday for some eastern countries. 

In China, it is the day for family gathering, to apperciate the moon (the brightest and the roundest of the year), the flowers and to have the moon cake. It would be a little sad if you are alone and far away from your family. However, the moon connects gets you closer with them.

Through out the history of Chinese literature, many poets had wrote about the day and the moon. 

Some famous lines are as follows:

“但愿人长久，长里共婵娟。”  - 苏轼 《水调歌头》

“海上生明月，天涯共此时。” - 张九龄《望月怀远》 

...

Here I took a photo of the "roundest" moon from Paris, and made a painting of flowers to wish all my family and friends a happy Mid-Autumn day. Miss you all.

The pleasure to make coffee

This is the national machine of Italy, which could be found in every Italian family with a full collection of different sizes. 

And the nation is really "addicted" to coffee and makes one of the best coffee in the world. 

Without coffee the day won't start; 

without coffee the meal won't end;

without coffee the stress won't pass; 

without coffee we won't be friends... 

Coming from another oriental tea culture, I am so fascinated by this coffee machine - the cutest smallest version and ready to discover more about coffee. Finally I owned one like this.

What should I say..it is really a pleasure and my day starts with a good coffee!

P.s: I also drew it to challenge my drawing skill, as it has so many surfaces with straight and curled lines and the metal gives special reflection of light. I am quite content with the result. 

Most Beautiful Sea Ever - Cefalù, Sicily

One hour by train from Palermo Sicilia,  Cefalù is a beautiful town on the sea. The town is built between the sea and the Rock, from where you could get beautiful views.

Monkey or Human?

Here is my key chain Monchhichi, which is a humanized "monkey" with hair covers all over its body. Do you see its tail hiding behind? See how cute its eyes and nose are!

Just by a flash of mind, I started to draw this monkey. Thought that this furry toy would be difficult to be present by pencils, but the result turned out to be good enough.

While drawing, there was a question wandering around my mind: how does one define himself as a human? 

-not hairy?

-civilized?

-have languages? (I do believe animals also have their only "languages", just we couldn't understand them)

...

Here I attach a video of "Ze Frank: Are you human?"  for those who have doubts.