Arts calendar hot off press

HERITAGE SITE: An Etruscan tomb in Tarquinia. PICTURE: THINKSTOCK

Joan: So much seems to have happened while we were away. One of the best happenings was the organising, printing (Ed Boyd, you are a wonderful person) and distributing of the Rotary Arts Calendar for 2015. It is elegant and the artists perfectly chosen. The calendar is on sale at $20, an ideal present and a perfect way of spreading the fame of our talented artists, nurtured and practising here in Whanganui. Businesses have been invited to purchase copies as a Christmas gift to their clients and we can all spread the word about our city by sending and giving them to friends.
I was pleased to attend another event which was held with the same goal in mind, that of celebrating our city, this time one of our greatest treasures ... Virginia Lake. Mike had written a short while ago saying how astounded he was not to find a brochure anywhere about the lake. A recently returned Whanganui resident, Terry Coxon, agreed and with the help of Rotary, Ed Boyd, photos taken by Lynette Vallely, Wendy Pettigrew, surveying firm Harrison and O'Sullivan and the Virginia Lake Trust, he organised a fine brochure, copies of which were accepted by the mayor on behalf of the District Council. Hopefully, they will be widely distributed. Alongside the evocative photographs are facts about the lake that I certainly never knew and I suggest that fellow residents pop into the i-Site to obtain a copy ... soon!
We both enjoyed the exhibition of Tony Kale's "waka sculptures" and Tina Drayton's art work at John Stephens' gallery last Friday. The waka are strong, colourful and pleasing while Tina's work lends itself to the various cards that are for sale at a very reasonable price. John's teapots are always zany and the local art work that he sells there is marvellously priced and perfect for Christmas presents of all kinds . Get along to Heads Rd soon and see for yourself!
Mike: After our August cruise, we spent a week in Tarquinia, a small town on the west coast of Italy, about an hour's drive from Rome. Joan had booked an apartment on the net, and, shortly after we disembarked from Celebrity Silhouette, Francesco Alemanno arrived at the terminal and whisked us off to his property.
The town consists of mediaeval fortifications, walls still encircling the historic centre, or Old Town, as it is more simply known, with six gates from that period providing access. From the main entry, all the streets are narrow and cobblestoned, with pedestrians having to be constantly on the alert for vehicles, since pavements are a rarity. The Old City, which would fit snugly inside a Taupo Quay-Ingestre St-Wilson St-Queen's Park rectangle, contains at least 20 churches - including a cathedral - and umpteen towers, fortifications of a bygone era.
Our apartment was on the third floor of an ancient building which had been modernised internally, and had a narrow iron balcony where we could sit and watch the stir in Via Garibaldi below. A pedestrian precinct, barely 4m wide, it provided us with endless entertainment in people-watching. Next door to the apartment was Belle Helene, a small confectioner's which sold the most mouth-watering cakes and pastries, a magnet for both of us. Twice we took a ride, round the township and beyond, on a free bus which careered round the cobbled alleys at unnerving speed, swinging around tight right-angled corners which I would have been reluctant to navigate on my bike.
The main square was the meeting place for males of the senior variety - rarely did we see a lady - who sat for hours, chatting and putting the world to rights. To exit via one of the gates was to walk into another universe, virtually all female, young and old, sitting, talking, watching children play. A complete contrast.
Just out of the town lies the necropolis, an Etruscan cemetery which is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. Here lie thousands of tombs in underground chambers, with amazing wall paintings, dating back to 7th century BC. About two dozen are available for public viewing, though, due to the organisation and thoughtfulness of our host, Francesco, we also were enabled to see others which are not usually opened. Archaeological excavation is ongoing, a vast area waiting to be uncovered, with funding being the usual problem. Many sarcophagi from these tombs are in the town's museum, which would rank as one of the most interesting I have seen because of its enormous collection of Etruscan artefacts and Greek vases.
One evening, hoping to improve our minimal Italian, we went to the cinema to see The Railwayman, which we had seen in English shortly before our trip. My logic was that knowing the story would enable us to understand more of the soundtrack. It didn't - and we were the only ones there!
To end on an artistic note. At both the cinema and Belle Helene we were attracted to paintings which were hanging on their walls. Large figures, faceless, yet compelling in their composition. We were told they were the work of a local artist whose studio was only a short way from our apartment. So we called on Fabrizio Berti, receiving a warm welcome from the artist, an extrovert personality who exuded "bonhomie". He has had exhibitions in many Italian cities, including a Venice Biennale, and will be back there this month with his latest show, which then transfers to Munich. Fabrizio presented us with a booklet of his works and signed it for us. We will treasure it as a special personal touch to end a delightful week in a town we would recommend to any traveller.
Joan: Excellent publicity for Whanganui in October 12's Sunday Star Times supplement. Hurrah!
¦Ideas and comments to mjstreet@xtra.co.nz