Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, was designed by Gehry.

In 1987, the late Lillian Disney made an initial gift of $50 million to build a world-class performance venue as a gift to the people of Los Angeles and a tribute to Walt Disney’s devotion to the arts. Since then, other gifts and accumulated interest bring the Disney family’s total contribution to over $100 million. (source: laphil.com)

Nudging past better known architects including Gottfried Bohm, James Stirling, and Hans Hollein, Gehry won the competition to design this prestigious building. He presented his design in 1991, construction began in 1999, and the Concert Hall finally opened in 2003. The project had its fair share of challenges; lack of funding, design disagreements, construction delays, and cost overruns pushed back the timeline.

Construction of the concert hall itself stalled from 1994 to 1996 due to lack of fundraising. Additional funds were required since the construction cost of the final project far exceeded the original budget. Plans were revised, and in a cost-saving move the originally designed stone exterior was replaced with a less costly metal skin. Upon completion in 2003, the project cost an estimated $274 million. (source: wikipedia)

Though we’ll never know how the original design would have fared, I am confident in saying that the stainless steel structure of today will stand the test of time. Here’s a tour of the Hall’s exterior. Enjoy!

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“‘Wow! Did I do that? Holy shit! Did I do that?’ Sometimes you look at it that way,” Gehry says, taking in the flowing ribbons of steel at street level and then gazing up at the luffing “mainsails” at the center of the building—forms which seem to defy engineering, and which were conceived by Gehry as squiggly lines on a piece of paper …*

Located in LA’s downtown on South Grand Avenue, Walt Disney Concert Hall dominates as the fourth Hall of the Los Angeles Music Centre.

Frank Gehry was born in Toronto, Canada though Los Angeles is the city he has lived and worked in since 1947. The Walt Disney Concert Hall was his first big LA-based commission; when he and his mother relocated to California, they lived two miles from this site.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall was designed before the Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain (1997), but because it opened much later (2003), it was the Basque museum commission that put Gehry on the radar.

Prior to either commission, Gehry had made his name in the 1970′s in Southern California with what he called “cheapskate” architecture; a mixture of high concept with cheap materials–chain link fencing, corrugated metal, pressed plywood–that labeled his work “populist,” which generally means brainy but cheap.**

I recently read that when Gehry presented a then ninety year old Lillian Disney, widow of Walt Disney, with his modern, spiraling designs – which he had developed with the help of software used to design fighter planes – she was left baffled.

To convey what he had in mind, he brought her a white rose floating in a bowl of water, an image that captured both her love of flowers and the sailing ships that are his favorite way of explaining the place he eventually built. The Disney Hall, he says, “is a boat where the wind is behind you.”***

Suffice to say, he gained Lillian Disney’s confidence; unfortunately, she didn’t live to see the beautiful result.

Away from the street, the Blue Ribbon Garden rests behind the Hall. A gift from the individual members of the Blue Ribbon – an organisation of women devoted to the support of the Music Centre and its resident companies – it is juxtaposed against a building that took more than a decade of struggle to build.

Gehry has been quoted as saying:

A lot of gray hairs on this one. Very emotional. Up and down—a lot of funny people involved. You know, it’s hard to imagine, but when it all fell apart, everybody blamed the architect. It was hard. Because it was thought to have been too difficult, too expensive. Well, it was difficult. And we knew how to build it—they didn’t. They are a big, amorphous group of lawyers and money people and architects, construction companies, county officials, city officials.*

Mishandling and misunderstanding of his design by the project team accompanied by massive overrun costs had Gehry threatening to take his name off the building if the Hall wasn’t constructed to meet his specs.

Finally constructed in 2003, Matrix Revolutions held its world premiere in the Hall of that year; it was the first movie premiere ever held there.

The troubles didn’t end after the construction, however. Due to the highly polished mirror-like panels of the building’s exterior, reflection off of its more concave sections meant neighboring condominiums suffered from excessive heat (and higher air conditioning bills), residents were blinded by the sunlight’s glare, and adjacent sidewalks were singed with hot spots that reached temps of 140 °F (60 °C). In 2005, the ‘guilty’ panels had to be lightly sanded; their matte finish intended to eliminate unwanted glare.

Even before it opened, the Walt Disney Concert Hall was referred to as the iconographic symbol of Los Angeles. As Time magazine described it, the cascading exterior of the building brings to mind Disney’s magic wand sketching silver arcs in the air.

A product of LA’s creative energy, the Walt Disney Concert Hall speaks to the city’s foothold in the entertainment industry. The evidence is in the details; situated across the road from a multilevel parking lot, the building’s location is perhaps symbolic of its contribution to the revival of Los Angeles’ downtown area.

My shining tribute to the Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall.

*vanityfair.com

**vanityfair.com and time.com

***time.com

If all the days of Spring and Summer could be like those that graced New York this weekend, I don’t think I’d ever want to leave the city. Here’s a taste.

Admiring nature’s elegant fringe.

Reclining in the great outdoors. Empire State Building, to the right.

Greeting the new espresso bar Sweetleaf to the ‘hood who lucked it with a perfect opening weekend. An americano, made with precision, accompanied by a cherry and chocolate scone – so worth it.

Walking through the Graham Avenue Fiesta in East Williamsburg.

Queueing up for sugary-sweet snow cones.

Browsing the stalls for garden inspiration.

Grooving to the tunes; dancing in the streets.

Now’s the time for hat shopping.

Catching some shade after a long sun soak.

Picture-worthy windows under the afternoon’s rays.

Visiting the delightful Sunday Brooklyn Flea Market.

Thinking ahead – gifts for Father’s Day (on June 16 in US).

Spotting adorable hand painted hanging art.

Rifling through trinkets and treasures.

Smiling over stuffed drawers of old photographs and postcards.

Wondering what stories these suitcases could tell.

Thinking up uses for these tiny bottles. Beads? Seeds? Potions?

Remembering the rotary telephone – now an antique showpiece next to the smartphone.

Hanging T’s against uptown views…

… Williamsburg Bridge and New York’s tallest, One World Trade Centre, in Manhattan’s downtown.

Appreciating the best of both worlds.

Rotating street art points in the direction of home.

Reblogged from robertoalborghetti:

A few minutes ago, I received a wonderful bit of news from fellow blogger, Roberto Alborghetti. A passionate artist, he's achieved a milestone in his career based on his impressive torn poster inspired works. Back in December of 2011, I received my first ever blog award for The Versatile Blogger. In paying it forward I listed robertoalborghetti.wordpress.com as a nominee, with the words: "For artistic inspiration from Italia, robertoalborghetti is always as interesting read. Roberto’s torn poster art inspired silk scarves are going to be the next big fashion trend…" A few months later - today - I was so happy to read that Roberto's torn art inspired silk scarves are available for purchase to the public as part of a limited edition series. Personally, I think Roberto should set up a pop up shop for his works in Soho NYC, or even have them distributed in the Met Museum Shop. Congratulations on achieving this dream, my friend! I look forward to receiving more good news from you!

I took the road less traveled today. I wasn’t blinded by the regular; instead, I saw alot with ‘eyes wide open’. (thanks Gotye, great song!)

I love days like today – when everything seems interesting and new. I attribute it to the welcome sunlight; to Williamsburg’s changing streetscapes; to the ease of spring. Meeting Oscar was the highlight of my day.

I’ve also been working on a new blog: Bikram Yoga Musings so I’ll make this post light on words.

Enjoy a different walk in the ‘burg!

Mast Brothers Chocolates on 3rd Street: an on-site factory and tasting room. Handcrafted chocolates: single estate, single origin, house blend. Yes, we’re still talking chocolate.

Sunny skies mean trash and treasure buys.

Street art: BBC America

Very temporary street art: these paste ups were intact a few days ago.

Today was National Bike to Work Day. Though there’s only one bike at this ‘bike pit stop,’ believe me when I say that Williamsburg runs on bikes.

See, it’s not hard to spot a bike in the ‘hood…

… even through the windows of Oslo Coffee Company, there’s a bike in the midst. (PS That drizzle of caramel on the coconut macaroon is a little bit of genius.)

Waiting at the bus stop. Perhaps this lady doesn’t own a bike.

Looking up at an ivy covered wonder. (this is the top of the building pictured above)

Herbs for sale. Pictured here: Greek Oregano.

The Brooklyn version of the Paul Smith store.

The most adorable find of the whole day. Oscar, the guard dog at shop ‘Pop’.

A faithful Keeshond, Oscar shows up to work every day and adopts this seating position. It’s his trademark. Oscar has his own facebook page: facebook.com/OscarShoppop

When I spotted the ADT security sign on the store door, my suspicions were confirmed – Oscar is far too gentle to be a guard dog; I think he’s really the store mascot.

My first mulberry bush find! I can’t wait til these berries become luscious black fingertip staining goops of goodness.

Part of the larger MÖTUG Collective (Monsters of the Unda-Ground) mural at Keap Street and Hope Street in Williamsburg.

More guard dogs. Aka mascots.

Even posties need a break.

In case you were wondering: n postie [ˈpəʊstɪ] a postman Scot, Austral, and NZ informal

There’s no stoppin’ the sunshine. Nearly home!

Filed under: Art, Brooklyn, Inspiration, New York, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged: BBC America, bikramyogamusings.com, Gotye, macaroons, Mast Brothers Chocolate, MÖTUG Collective, National Bike to Work Day, oregano, Oscar Shoppop, Oslo Coffee Company, Paul Smith ]]> http://marinachetner.com/2012/05/18/the-long-way-home-williamsburg-brooklyn/feed/ 28 marinachetner DSC_0906PS DSC_0908PS DSC_0909PS DSC_0902PS DSC_0911PS DSC_0932PS DSC_0921PS DSC_0937PS2 DSC_0936PS DSC_0941PS DSC_0943PS DSC_0950PS DSC_0951PS2 DSC_0953PS DSC_0963PS DSC_0971PS DSC_0983PS DSC_0977PS DSC_0987PS http://marinachetner.com/2012/05/16/cannes-revisited-france/ http://marinachetner.com/2012/05/16/cannes-revisited-france/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 03:28:59 +0000 marinachetner http://marinachetner.com/?p=4646 Continue reading →]]> In the 1950s, the Festival became more popular thanks to the attendance of celebrities such as Kirk Douglas, Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Cary Grant, Romy Schneider, Alain Delon, Simone Signoret and Gina Lollobrigida. ~www.festival-cannes.fr

Marilyn Monroe is pictured on the poster celebrating the film festival’s 65th anniversary. Otto L. Bettmann took this photo of Marilyn.

Today, May 16, marks the start of the annual Cannes Film Festival that runs until May 27. In a nod to its 65th anniversary, Marilyn Monroe was chosen as the icon to grace the festival’s official poster; it also pays tribute to the star on the 50th anniversary of her death.

I visited Cannes in May 2011 – my first taste of the French Riviera. This is an international scene stretched along the coast of the Mediterranean complemented by the provincial feel of its charming old city. As I have written about my time in Cannes previously, I thought it would be fun to revisit those sentiments and display them here. Enjoy this reblog!

Prior to visiting Cannes, I had associated it with the glitz and glamor of the Côte d’Azur; a town frequented by the paparazzi, and super stylin’ jet setting crowd who would make it their base during the warmer months, seeking respite on their super size yachts anchored in the marina whenever necessary. I knew it to be the town that bestows such honours as the Palme D’Or at its annual Film Festival and the Lion Award at the International Advertising Festival (having worked in the media industry I would regularly speed read through this annual list of awards, which were accompanied by social snaps of ad exec’s dressed to the nines, in the ad trade magazine: Ad Age).

Armed with all this knowledge, I thought I knew enough about Cannes to justify not buying a guidebook. I was simply prepared to expect the expected – and I hoped, at the very least, to be pleasantly surprised with a typical French pastry: a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth croissant that seems oh-so-hard to come by in New York.

Wall Art in Cannes

Well here’s the clincher – I got what I expected… and more. Our trip to Cannes had coincided with the final preparations for the Film Festival, so not only had the town propped itself for our arrival, but Cannes had also charmed us with its French provincial appeal.

The main shopping street, Rue D’Antibes

Cannes doesn’t even need to try to seduce you because you’re drawn in by its effortless beauty as soon as you arrive. The one main street that runs along the waterfront, La Croisette, is fringed with palm trees: lined on one side by la plage, and on the other, by huge hotels overlooking the sea that are interspersed with outdoor cafes for the all-important sport of people watching. Though the Film Festival hadn’t officially started during our visit, the streets were filled with a joie de vivre. There were people from all over, walking around with their ‘media: authorised access’ neck tags, zoom lens cameras and notepads.

Accents were flying left, right and centre; paparazzi were staking the best spots outside the festival’s main venue, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès ; hospitality staff were setting up beachside cabanas for private events; the police were madly trying to control the traffic orchestrated by a bunch of small cars – Citroens, Renaults, and Peugeots.

The hotels were covered in full on film and press regalia: a Daniel Craig cutout adorned the Carlton hotel (that the closest we got to seeing a film star); Variety magazine had dressed up The Grand Hotel, and even rolled out the red carpet; The Weinstein Company seemed to have misplaced the memo and brought the bare minimum – a sign with just their name in bold type, stuck to the penthouse balcony of the hosting hotel. All this jazz could have easily made Cannes look and feel like a European version of New York’s Times Square, though it didn’t. There was a certain je ne sais quoi about it all. The place was buzzing.

One street behind La Croisette is the main shopping area, home of brand name stores for deep pockets such as Valentino, Jimmy Choo, Escada, as well as the more affordable Zara and Mango. Cannes is a pretty small town so with no real use for the token tour bus, we boarded their tour train. If but for no other reason than saving our feet from an uphill climb to the Old Town, La Suquet, it did also provide the obligatory commentary via headphones that covered a very brief history of Cannes (note: more music than words) as it drove around part of the island’s circumference (all beach and apartments) before getting to La Suquet.

The train wound its way through La Suquet‘s cobblestones streets, a mainly residential part of Cannes. You know you’re surrounded by family homes when laundry is hanging out of the windows to dry. Here, the streets become narrower and their scape is a photographer’s dream.

The multi level buildings are painted in yellows, greens, whites; their windows hinged with coloured shutters; their iron balconies and rooftop gardens abloom with potted plants. Bars, boulangeries, and other small stores selling such things as linens and homewares unexpectedly pop up throughout the neighbourhood.

At the top of La Suquet, the view of Cannes is panoramic. The terracotta tiled roofs of the homes, a mosaic of different shades of brown, frame the city to one side; the Mediterranean frames it on the other. It’s up here that you will find the Musee de Castre, housed in a fortified tower and in the Chapel of St Ann, which features a rather eccentric collection of decorative arts and relics.

Decidedly, I was probably better off without a guidebook for this day trip to Cannes as the town is superb in letting your day unfold perfectly, naturally. You may be asking whether I bought myself that delectable croissant. Well, yes I did, from a patisserie. And not only that, but I purchased the most beautiful bunch of my favourite flowers. After we had alighted from the tour train to take a final stroll through the town centre, I had spotted a weathered Frenchman, sporting a classic beret and wearing overalls. He was pulling a wooden cart full of his latest flower offerings. I just had to have the most spectacular bunch of blooming pink peonies that stood out from the other bunches of fleurs. They may have cost 10 Euro but hey, but when in Cannes, you can.

Filed under: Art, Europe, Inspiration, Photography, Quotes, Travel Tagged: 65 Cannes Film Festival, advertising, Cannes, Côte d’Azur, croissant, Daniel Craig, Film Festival, France, French Riviera, La Suquet, Marilyn Monroe, Mediterranean, movies, Palme d'Or, paparazzi, peonies ]]> http://marinachetner.com/2012/05/16/cannes-revisited-france/feed/ 33 marinachetner marilyn65 palme_1_en P1 P2 P3 P4 P7 P8 P9 P20 P19 P5 P6 P10 DSC03388PS P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P17 P18 P16 http://marinachetner.com/2012/05/16/aday-org-project-capture-daily-life-on-may-15th/ http://marinachetner.com/2012/05/16/aday-org-project-capture-daily-life-on-may-15th/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 04:10:35 +0000 marinachetner http://marinachetner.com/?p=4611 Continue reading →]]> The very soul of this project is its combination of your photos and detailed information about what you have shot and who you are…

On this one single day we ask you to pick up your camera and help us photograph daily life. What is close to you? What matters to you? We will connect your images to images from all around the world, creating a unique online experience where photographs will be shared, compared and explored. Your view on life will be preserved to inspire generations to come.

Our mission is to use the power of photography to create, share and inspire perspectives on daily life – today and tomorrow.

Source: ADAY.org – Picture Today Inspire Tomorrow.

Fellow MatadorU student and blogger, Laura Cook, mentioned this project in a recent post. I have to thank her as well as the initiators of this project, Swedish non-profit foundation Expressions of Humankind, for inspiring me to take out the camera on this rainy day in New York. I would have ordinarily left it at home from fear of getting it too wet – and from the inconvenience of balancing it with an umbrella – but in committing to this project I recalled the words:

If we only walk on sunny days, we’ll never reach our destination ~ Paulo Coehlo

I am glad I persevered; giving up is too easy.

NB: The photos must be taken on May 15 and fall into one of three categories: Home, Work, or Community. Each category has a subcategory which I have tagged below my photos. A maximum of 10 photos is allowed and “all images will be displayed online.. for everyone to explore. Some of them will be selected for a book, A Day In the World, to be published in October 2012; others shown in  exhibitions, either printed or digital. Every single one will be saved for future research and inspiration.” See more info here: www.aday.org

I hope you enjoy my interpretative contributions! PS The photos always look better when clicked on and enlarged.

HOME

My husband’s music studio takes up a large proportion of our loft; the amount of pleasure music making gives him makes the space sacrifice worth it. He’s released over 150 tracks that you can listen to here: www.sirenumrecords.com

Sub Category: Relaxing, Working, Studying, Living, Storing

Our wedding cake toppers, photos, and various other momentos. These hold many dear memories and are displayed in our main living area.

Sub Categories: Treasure, Room

A photo filled wall at home, along with a framed pressed flower and some travel memorabilia. I love to collect mini snow globes from our adventures.

Sub Category: My Wall, Treasure

WORK

One of the many shelves housing my writing, travel, and photography resources. I love books and in our home, they will never be completely replaced by technology.

Sub category: Tools

An orchestrated mess of my school course notes, article drafts, newspapers, and magazines. This is pretty organised for me; I have a thing for stacking things in order on the floor before filing.

Sub Categories: Tools, My Job, Purpose

COMMUNITY

Facebook keeps me in touch across the miles. I know it has been called ‘the biggest time waster’ but how else would I see my friends’ babies growing up all over the world? In addition, I like to pop in daily and say hello to some of my close friends located across different time zones.

Sub Categories: Generations, Community, Technology, Leisure, Identity, Society

A coffee a day keeps the sleep doctor away. This is one of the smoothest americano coffees I have had in a while. Beans: Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Taken at Momofuku Milk Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Sub Categories: Society, Community, Leisure, Natural Elements

Williamsburg is defined by its art community. This is a new find – a piece of history against contemporary street art.

Sub Categories: Generations, Identity, Community

My attempt to document a Bikram Yoga class without the sweat. This ceiling vista is a regular sight during the last 30 minutes of class – the floor series. Heating panels frame a very-welcome overhead fan.Taken at Bikram Yoga Williamsburg.

Sub Categories: Leisure, Community, Energy

A postcard is always nice to collect in the mail; receiving correspondence from loved ones makes the day brighter. This postcard was from my sister, telling me how much she has fallen in love with London.

Sub Categories: Generations, Care

That’s it; that makes ten images from today!

Spring.

When greens and reds fill in winter’s blueprint. When it’s bright and sunny one day; overcast, humid, and sticky – the next. It’s when Williamsburg takes on a sense of the tropics. For me, this is reminiscent of holiday time in Fiji, just without the stretches of beach, the rainforest, and waterfalls. It’s a nice way of being. I like it.

I never really used to notice nor commit to memory the organic changes brought about by the seasons (so defined in the Northern Hemisphere); that changed once I started carrying around my camera. It’s as if by documenting the details I feel the season more.

Here are some of today’s scenes embedded in my photographic memory. I hope you enjoy!

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The return of the ivy covered wall. I love nature’s elegant way of elevating the beauty of brick-and-mortar.

Manhattan Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Streets are lined with window boxes and blooms.

The vibrant hues of their flowers make me think: pop art.

Where the ground was once bare or covered in leaves, spring brings with it fields of green. These may be weeds but their prettiness makes the walk home a lot lovelier.

A patterned fence: random yellow art makes me smile. It’s so much more pleasant to pause, appreciate, and photograph on these warm days.

Bikes are a big part of the Brooklyn lifestyle; recently, they seem to have trebled in number.

These jellyfish splotches are emblematic of spring for me; I have photographed them all around the ‘hood in the past few months.

Another seasonal symbol – the red rose; these flowers are thriving all over at this time of the year….

…as are hydrangeas. These ones are so squat, round, and blue hued.

Hot days mean sitting outdoors…

…  which means more reason to dine out.

There is one constant throughout the seasons however, and that is the neighbourhood’s rotating street art.

Cheeky and colourful, it’s Always Sunny in Williamsburg, no matter the time of year.

My mum – mama, in Russian – loves animals and got attached to each pet any of us kids ever owned. At one stage, a dwarf rabbit, a couple of guinea pigs, two cats, a dog, goldfish, and (caged) mice were under our care. You can imagine what a lively and entertaining household this turned out to be: I walked the rabbit on a leash, the dog stood guard by the guinea pig cage, the cats kept an eye on the fish, while mum would play midwife to the crazy-breeding mice.

Despite the oceans and lands that temporarily separate us, I know my mama is someone I can always count on, no matter what.

I never met my paternal grandmother as she passed away a few months before I was born. I did spend some time with my maternal grandmother (she passed away when I was about 7) and can remember when she’d babysit us. Baba, as we called her (grandmother in Russian), would walk us to the supermarket near her apartment, place a few coins into our outstretched palms, and allow us to buy whatever sweets we wanted. To me, this was one of the coolest perks ever and I’d always select the ‘Milo’ bar. Thankfully, it is still available in Australia and I associate its green wrapper, the swoosh of its logo, and the chocolaty crumbly goodness inside, with those times.

My mama, baba, and me. This was photographed around 1979, most likely by my dad.

Mother’s Day is a good reminder to pause, think, and thank all the mothers, grandmothers, “aunties,” godmothers, sisters, friends, and mothers-in-law for being such inspiring souls.

I asked a few friends and readers around the globe to share something special about their mums; I so appreciate them taking part in this tribute. Their reflections and words are full of heart, emotion, and positive energy.

Here’s a toast to mums ~ raise a glass of something bubbly as you read through these sentiments. Please leave a comment about a favourite memory or lesson learned from your mum, if you are able to. Enjoy!

NB: the pictures look alot better when clicked on and enlarged.

Miri Fridman, 34, Sydney, Australia

How has being a mother changed you? Well, apart from the fact that these days 6am is considered a mega ‘sleep in’ – and my body wobbles in more places than it did before – being a mum has made me more emotional and sensitive to issues affecting kids around the world. I now cry at any news of neglect or abuse; I never used to feel so deeply about it prior to having kids. With my children, knowing in my heart that I would actually die for them is such a powerful feeling – it is something I never thought possible.

Miri with Jamie (5) and Mikey (2) in Sydney this year.

What is the best lesson your mum taught you about motherhood?
I know its cliche, but you can never, ever, ever understand the unconditional love and devotion your parents have for you until you become a parent yourself.

I think about my kids every second that they are not with me. I wonder if they are happy, if they feel sad about something, if I packed enough changes of clothes in case of little ‘accidents’, if they are safe, if they miss me…. And we’re only talking about a couple of hours at the grandparents or kindergarten school here! Imagine when they grow up!

I actually sometimes find myself lost in thought, with tears welling up in my eyes, imagining what I would do if something happened to them. It’s crazy how powerful the love is.

Author’s note: This is a pic I love. It is of me, Marina, and my mum, Natasha, with Jamie. We were visiting Miri and her family on my trip home to Sydney in 2010.

Laura Cook, 30, Essex, UK

Favourite childhood memory about your mum: I have many of them with my wonderful mum but I would say the winner has to be a really simple one. I remember ‘helping’ my mum make cakes (I really did not help that much!) when I was about six or seven years old. She would be so patient with me and let me use the exciting electric whisk to churn up the ingredients. If I was lucky she would also let me lick the left over icing off the spoon! She didn’t mind that I made a mess and it was just a great time to spend together.

What’s the best lesson your mum taught you? Mum taught me to always go for the things you want to achieve because life is short! She sighs a bit when I tell her I am off to Sierra Leone on holiday or I have started a project that will require me to be somewhere hot, sticky, and crawling with spiders, but she has always encouraged me to try everything and for that I am really grateful.

Laura with her mum, Evelyn, and niece, Florence, walking up the Southend-on-Sea Pier. This is the longest pleasure pier in the world and you can walk over a mile out to sea along the Victorian board walk.  Photograph: lauracookphotography.net

Scott Karavlan, 33, Pittsburgh, USA

Favourite childhood memory about your mum: Growing up, mum would take me to the Carnegie Library and then the History Museum on Saturday afternoons. This created a lifelong love of reading and history.

My mum, in 10 words: an inspiration, a talented, beautiful, intelligent, articulate, and beyond patient woman.

Best lesson my mum taught me: By example, she has shown me how to treat those I love with compassion and patience.

Scott (far left) and his mum, Judy, along with the extended Karavlan family at Walt Disney World in 2011. Scott has 3 children with his wife, Amy.

Barbara Iliopoulos, 34, Sydney, Australia

How do you remember your mum on Mother’s Day? Mother’s Day is bittersweet for a motherless mother. My kids are so excited to show me the love on Mother’s Day, and I don’t have my mum to share it with her. I try not to get too emotional in front of the boys because it is a happy day, but we will always take the time to remember yiayia Maria (yiayia is grandmother in Greek). We will go to my mum’s grave – which the boys call yiayia’s little house, lay flowers, say a special prayer and light her candle. We will then go and visit my maternal grandmother (88), and we will always share stories about mum.

Funny story about my mum was showing my granny how to do a nice smile without her dentures. They were in for repairs during my wedding so mum was teaching her how to pose for the photos.

Barbara’s mum, Maria

What is the best lesson your mum taught you? Losing my mum before I had kids initially brought on an anxiety that I would not have her there to guide me with my parenting, especially through my first pregnancy. However, as I go through the process I realise that she has taught me so much – others might call it instinct. The best lesson she taught me was to give my kids a hug and a big kiss first thing every morning and the last thing at night, and to continue doing this every single day not matter how old the boys get.

Barbara, William (2), and Steven (5) on vacation in London, 2011.

Stephanie Laoaraya, 34, Nan, Thailand

The best thing about motherhood is… watching your baby grow up in front of your eyes and being with them as they share their funny thoughts on the world with you!

My mum taught me to… enjoy the moments as the kids grow up very fast.

Stephanie with Achira (3) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This photo was taken earlier this year at the Royal Gardens; the whole background is made up from flowers.

Lauren Paris, 29, Gold Coast, Australia

What is the best thing about motherhood? For me, it is the overwhelming and unconditional love I have for my son and daughter. No matter how sleep deprived, I consider it to be an absolute reward each and every day to get up to my babies and see their smiling faces. Life is one huge smile. Being a mum is the most rewarding role ever!

My son is always giggling; my daughter melts my heart every time she wraps her arms around me. She gives me slobbery smooches and says, “I love you mummy” just like she did tonight – it was the best (early) mother’s day present anyone could ask for. It’s true that the best things in life are free!

Lauren along with her grandmother (nanna), mum, and daughter Jacinta (2). They are at Q1 skyscraper on the Gold Coast for her nanna’s 75th birthday. At the time, Lauren was pregnant with her second baby; Jordan is now 4 months.

My mum, in 10 words: kind, generous, thoughtful, strong, and inspirational! She always gives great advice.

Now that I’m a mum, I value my mum and nanna even more. I am so thankful for all the opportunities they’ve given me and am so fortunate to have two such wonderful women in my life as role models. It’s beautiful to see the relationships they have with my two children.
I love them very much and can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for me.

Jacinta and her baby brother, Jordan, with their nan nan and great nanna

Brendan Comey, 33, Dublin, Ireland

“The photo below was taken in Dublin last October.

I am not certain what my Mothers full name is; we always just called her “Ma”. I have reason to believe that she will answer to the name Patricia or Pat, or in more recent years, Nana or Granny.

I have so many fond memories from my childhood that to pick one would be an injustice. I do have some very vivid memories from my recent past: a few years ago, my Mother had a fairly routine operation that went badly wrong. For weeks she lay in a coma in an intensive care ward surrounded by her family. Her doctors were very non committal about her chances and we were told that she will either recover and survive, or she would die.  I have decided that this is a childhood memory because I am still her child even at the ripe age of 33.

Thankfully she survived with her lust for life and wicked sense of humor intact. She is currently gallivanting on the Sicilian coast.”

Brendan’s “Ma” ~ Photograph: Brendan Comey

Andrew Galea, 33, Toronto, Canada

What do you love most about your mum? As a child, my mum was so entertaining. I cherish her everyday and she is the second most important person in my life besides my wife.

My favorite childhood memory… is when mum, dad, my sister, and I went to Disneyland Florida – one of our first family vacations. We were standing alongside some Disney characters and seeing the smile on my parents’ face at that moment was priceless! My father and mother are always more concerned about our happiness than their own.

Andrew dancing with his mum, Monica, on his wedding day in 2011.

Author’s Note: The end of this post is in honour of my mum, Natasha, from the rest of her kids. They are all based in Sydney, Australia. ( I didn’t give my older brother, Michael, enough time to respond to this post. With two little ones, he and his wife, Karen, have their hands full. Luckily, he’s seeing mum personally on Mother’s Day.)

Alana, 29

My mum, in 10 words: Mama is giving and kind, and devoted to helping others.

My favourite childhood memory about mum… I have two: shopping with her on Friday nights in our local shopping mall in Chatswood, and accompanying her to the hairdresser on Saturday mornings. Random I know!

Alex, 22

My mum, in 10 words: Caring, emotional, humanitarian, strong, traditional, beautiful, sincere, devoted, disciplined, Russian.

The things I love most about my mum… her strength of character, physically and mentally; her willingness to help people; her love for her culture; and lastly, the fact that she will always love her children even during the most difficult times.

Katherine, 19

My mum, in 10 words: beautiful, loving, caring, adventurous, smart, and the world’s best mum.

What I love most about my mum..  she will always be there for me no matter what; she always puts others before herself; and, she has a big heart.

The last time we were all together was at my wedding in Australia last year. From left: My brother Michael and his wife, Karen; my sister, Alana; my dad and mum; me and Ali; my sister, Katherine and my brother, Alex.

A few weeks ago I learned of National Public Gardens Day. On May 11, the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) encourages people to visit their local public garden; to learn about their impact on the greater community.

Sponsored by the APGA and Rain Bird, National Public Gardens Day helps raise awareness of the botanic gardens, arboreta, conservatories and public gardens across the country.*

I came across the information when I was entering a photo competition held by the association. (NB: US residents, you may be interested in entering the competition here. Entries close on May 15.)  Scanning the webpage, I noticed a news bite explaining that The Getty Villa would be participating is some dedicated celebrations on the day.

I immediately thought back to my recent visit to the museum where I spent the whole time in its Mediterranean inspired gardens. Set in the mountains and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Villa’s grounds marry the best of both worlds. Its landscaping is immaculate – the gardens so generous in size as well as in the variety of flora on show.

If you can’t make it to a public garden on May 11, enjoy these photos as a (close) second option. I have written about the Getty Villa – it was one of my first blog posts and you can read it here.

Enjoy!

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Imagine inhaling the sweet salty smell of the ocean.

This is the air that greeted me prior to driving up to the steep driveway to the Getty Villa, located just off of the Pacific Coast Highway. In the image below, you’ll notice Santa Monica and Venice Beach in the far off distance.

The Villa is visually interesting to photograph; here, Italian Renaissance architecture stands alongside Modernism. I took 5 shots of the space below – all, at different angles. I thought I’d experiment with black and white to better show of its lines (below).

The gardens are to the left; the ocean is in the far off distance.

Mid afternoon shadows cast a linear pathway in the direction of the Pacific.

The design of the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater, a classical outdoor theater, was based on ancient prototypes. Even around 2/3pm, the sun was too warm to sit under sans shade.

The Villa’s Roman-inspired gardens showcase symmetry in nature.

The Italian Renaissance Garden: The Medici, the ruling dynasty of Florence, used gardens to demonstrate their own power and magnificence. “During the first half of the sixteenth century, magnificence came to be perceived as a princely virtue, and all over the Italian peninsula architects, sculptors, painters, poets, historians and humanist scholars were commissioned to concoct a magnificent image for their powerful patrons.” wikipedia

Around the corner rests the Herb Garden; it is edged by palms, coloured with blossoms, and displays beds of herbs. In antiquity, these gardens provided the kitchen with medicinal and fragrant ingredients for cooking.

Vines, climbing a pergola, not yet weighed down by bunches of grape goodness.

For a considerable amount of time, this ladybug demanded my camera’s attention.

This was just before the lady bug threw in the towel and flew away, despite a potential career in modelling.

My favourite: experimenting with depth of field. Here, on a corsican helleborus; otherwise known as ‘that purple flower’.

A plum tree on white; when I visited, it was not yet decorated with the red fruit. I do love its  twisted trunk – it looks like a wet towel being wrung.

A branch of the pomegranate tree sported a tiny pop of red. I wonder how much it has grown.

Fragrant lavender is always a welcome sight; here, it adds a provincial touch.

Palms are so ubiquitous in Los Angeles; they are what the eucalyptus tree is to Sydney.

Fields of orange provide a prettied up ground cover.

These are called Stachys Byzantina Leaves – or lamb’s ear, in layman’s English. Their fuzz really is as soft as wool.

Interlude: the museum shop is always a to-do on my list.

I find that many love a good museum shop; it’s where the crowds hang out.

Before leaving, I experimented with some depth of field on this sweet purple-veined flower…

Last call: a quick elevator ascent to the car park. Happy Gardens Day!

*http://www.nationalpublicgardensday.org

Cliché, defined: a phrase or idea that has been used so often that it is no longer interesting or effective. (Source: Oxford American Dictionary)

There’s a reason why a cliché is a cliché; like a quote, sometimes it describes something so succinctly, that – depending on the nature of the writing – it might be just the right wording you’re looking for.

Recently, I read an article in the New York Times by A.A.Gill: My London, and Welcome to It, that was dotted with clichés; from phrases such as the river runs like dark silk through the heart of the city, to non-specific words like charming, wonderful, and beautiful.

Reading his prose, I thought it brilliant; I wasn’t bothered by his choice of words one bit as I was swept away by the tongue-in-cheek writing style.

While I do strive to do justice to my travel writing by utilizing concrete descriptions, I believe there to be a time and a place for clichés. But that’s just my two cents.

While silence may be golden, I’d love to know your thoughts: when do you think it right, or wrong, to use a cliché?

In the meantime, kick your feet up and scroll through images of a lush and blooming Williamsburg, peppered with some oft-used phrases. Enjoy!

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Stop and smell the roses.

Green thumb.

Out on a limb.

Perfect storm.

Pretty as a picture.

Under the same roof.

Two to tango.

The Bedford

Old meets new.

Diner

Spring to life.

Art imitates life… or vice versa.

Everything old is new again.

Understated elegance.

Woodley and Bunny Salon

No pain, no gain.

Lighten up.

Fada Restaurant

Everything but the kitchen sink.

Store bought.

Peas in a pod.

Man’s best friend.

Labour of love.

Green Dome Garden

Nip it in the bud.

Russian Orthodox Church

Knock it out of the park.

McCarren Park

Photographing til my heart’s content.

The last laugh.