You don’t have to be an art critic to appreciate how lifelike statues that are carved in stone and marble can be. Not only do they somehow seem to capture the actual movement of their subjects, but often their eyes express an intense emotion. It is hard to imagine that these incredible works of art were once just blocks of stone with no semblance of the shapes that they would eventually become. Some of the facial expressions are truly amazing, whether showing fear, pain, or even passion. Here are some of our favorite statues that we have seen during our travels.
Lifelike Eyes in the Vatican MuseumInside the Arc de Triomphe in ParisStatue of DavidEmotion and Intricate DetailsExpressing the Energy of the MomentFrom the Charles Bridge in PraguePain and Loss in Strasbourg, France
Located outside of Chennai, the DakshinaChitra is a living museum that depicts life, art, culture, and architecture of Southern India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. DakshinaChitra features 18 authentic historical houses that were deconstructed from their original region and then reconstructed by artisans from the region on the grounds of the museum. Each of the houses features exhibits that represent the region’s art and daily life. Although we visited during an off time, the museum features typical artisans and performers from the various regions that you can interact with, thus making it a living museum.
Tapestry on DisplayClay ArtworkBrick and Stone HouseInside of a HouseColorful Artwork
DakshinaChitra actually means picture of the south, which is what the living museum is meant to represent. There are opportunities to participate in making crafts and folk performances happen at different times. Regardless of the interactive activities, just wandering the trails and going inside of each of the houses is a wonderful experience. Each of the regions is unique in their own ways and that can be seen by the varied architecture, arts, and crafts that can be found in the different houses. The museum opened in 1996 and has continued to grow ever since.
Walking Through the BuildingsClay AnimalsLooking Down at One of the HousesTraditional ClothingEntrance to the Living Museum
We spent a couple of hours walking the grounds, visiting the various houses, and admiring the displays. In many ways it was overwhelming, like many of our experiences in Chennai, but we were definitely glad that we took the time to go there. If you visit Chennai, we would highly recommend taking the time to go to DakshinaChitra and learn about all of the regions of Southern India.
One of the Many Trails Through DakshinaChitraMore ArtworkCoastal HutAnother TapestryLocal Crafts and ArtIlkal Weaver’s HouseBuilding Complex
Bucharest is the capital of Romania and was the first city that we visited during our trip to Romania before heading to Brasov. We were there in winter and the streets were covered with snow, but we still found it interesting. Bucharest became the capital of Romania in 1862 and was, at one time, considered to be “little Paris” because of its architecture and culture, but due to the wars, much of the architecture was destroyed. Although many of buildings have been restored, the city has evolved over time.
The University BuildingOne of the Interesting ChurchesDome at a Church EntranceMuseum of ArtInteresting Artwork in the Monastery
Like most historic cities, walking the streets of the old town area is certainly a worthwhile experience. You will find many restaurants, some old churches and buildings, as well as some modern shops and adult stores. Although there is a definite mix of utilitarian buildings as well as historic buildings, we definitely saw several very interesting buildings. It is certainly worth visiting the Galeria de Arta Romaneasca and the Central de la Universidad de Bucharest, with its statue of Carol I on horseback, has wonderful architectural features. The area is also known as Revolution Square and there is an interesting obelisk that is a monument for the anti-communist revolution of 1989.
Monastery ExteriorWalking the Streets of Old TownUnique ArchitectureSnow Covered StatueMore Traditional Church
There are several old churches that you can visit as well that are very interesting. One of the most interesting is the Church of Stavropoleos Monastery in old town Bucharest. With interesting murals inside on the walls and ceilings, its architecture is done in the Byzantine tradition. It is certainly quite a contrast to the buildings that surround it. We went to a couple of restaurants and found the people to be very friendly, but be sure to always have small change with you as the waiters are likely to tell you that they don’t have change in hopes of getting you to pay more than the actual price. We were fortunate enough to have musicians playing local, folk music at one of the restaurants that we visited.
Monastery Entrance
Ceiling in the MonasterySpicy Beef with Polenta
In general, we found Bucharest to be a city of contrasts. It was our first experience in an Eastern European country and it was very fascinating. Bucharest is the sixth larges city in the European Union with almost 2.5 million residents, so it can certainly be busy. After leaving Bucharest, we went to Transylvania and the city of Brasov, which was quite different than the capital city and something that we would highly recommend. We will be visiting the neighboring country of Hungary and the city of Budapest in a couple of months and are anxious to compare our different experiences.
Revolution Square StatueCulturally Important StatuesMonastery DomeInteresting ArchitectureSweet DessertStatue of Carol I
