UK Road Trip: York, Betty's Tea Room, York Museum

Taking a break from politics I'll continue my travelogue. From Edinburgh we proceeded to York. "Quaint" is a word that often comes to mind in Europe and especially in the fabled English countryside. York  is no exception and is superseded only by the picturesque Lake District which we visited next. New York and New York City derive their name from York.

Breakfast was unappetizing with fried bread and moist egg scramble. The bread was indeed just fried, deep fried, in oil. Our first stop was York Minster Cathedral.

The cathedral has a history dating back to 7th century. It is the main draw of the city. Our guide pointed to a small alcove and said "here is where Bishop John Sentamu sat down in fast protesting against the war situation in the middle east in 2006". She was referring to Israel's war (or battle) against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. I asked her "was he protesting against Israel". She replied "he was protesting against the war situation". Now my brother got jittery and I let it go telling my brother "I'd bet that the good bishop did not protest against the 'war situation' when Arafat declared the Second Intifada after walking out of the famous Camp David talks". I later googled and was vindicated.

York is the site of a gruesome anti-semitic violence. In 1190 AD nearly 200 Jewish men, women and children took refuge in Clifford Tower. Many committed suicide fearing torture and forced conversions, those alive, including children were killed in most heinous manner. Jews were later expelled from UK in 1290 AD. Sentamu is York's first Afro-American bishop and is rumored to be popular enough to become the next Arch Bishop of Canterbury. The Afro-American community in USA has a fractured relationship with Jews and Israel. Given this backdrop it is interesting to put Sentamu's fast into perspective.

We then got on to an usual ride on a hop-on hop-off. Our first stop was the famous Shambles shopping street. UK is famous for its 'tea-room's and York had the best, the world famous Betty's Tea Room

We actually just stumbled into Betty's. Once inside we knew we were at a really classy place. Cell phones should be switched off. The pastries, the cake, the silver ware and every thing was just how it should be. It was simply out of the world. We loved it so much that we went back for dinner too.

York's history is blood stained going back to the Viking invasion of what the Viking's referred to as 'Jorvik'. The Vikings and their famed (or notorious) long ships invaded York in 867 AD. A "Jorvik Museum" is very instructive and unique. They had discovered archeological remains dating back by 1000 years in York and the museum in a very innovative manner displays those in a city like miniature setting encased by a glass floor on which we can walk and ponder. A unique mono-rail chair car whisked us through a re-creation of Nordic village.

Having visited Amsterdam then UK and seeing the Nordic history one wonders at how world supremacy had risen and fallen. The Dutch, the British, the Nords were all great powers not too long ago. The sun set on the British empire only recently. I was reminded of Will Durant writing in "Story of Civilization" that each civilization must renew itself to stay relevant. America, the last remaining super power is at the cross-roads of history. When I traveled in European cities I've always wondered at the lack of diversity in demographics. Whether it is Paris or Amsterdam or London or York or Zurich or Edinburgh nothing comes close to the vibrant, vigorous diversity of New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando. THAT is the key of America's dynamism and its secret of constant self-renewal.

UK Road Trip: Edinburgh Castle, Scotch Whiskey and Walter Scott.

My brother and I left for Edinburgh (pronounced more like Edinbra or Edinborough) around 6 PM from Oxford. Our road trip started. Its a 6 hour drive from Oxford to Edinburgh.

I am not sure how England started with the right hand side driving unlike US and rest of Europe. Other than that orientation problem driving around England would be easy with a GPS. I travel frequently between New Jersey and Virginia (Fairfax, VA) on I-95 which is very well punctuated by 'rest areas', most of them are open 24 hours including the restaurants inside not just the toilets. Many of those rest areas are well constructed and even pleasant to spend some time. I was eager to see what UK had to offer motorists. No such luck. The rest areas, called service areas, were innovatively built overlooking the highway like a bridge other than that nothing remarkable. Most service areas were dirty, the Burger King or KFC outlets close at 9PM, only the toilets are open. If one took an exit and went into the town that too would not help. The only thing that always irritated me about Europe was that they shutdown by 9 PM. Having been used to TGI friday's open until 1 AM, 24 Hour McDonalds (especially near highways), a city that never sleeps Europe irks me on this.

We reached Edinburgh around 1 AM and checked into a very nice Marriott. Breakfast was just wonderful and, I was told, typical of Scottish breakfast. The silverware was nice. Off we went to Edinburgh castle.

This trip was mostly to spend time with my brother and have a taste of what a 'road trip' be like for 5 days going around UK. Thanks to my brother I did not have to bother about driving. Also he had lived in Scotland for 2 years and knows it pretty well so we went only to the best spots. The castle if 400-500 years old depending on how you look at its history. Its an architectural marvel in that it is constructed atop a hill (atop a volcano). A view of Edinburgh from the castle is stunningly picturesque. A nice cafe with an overlook is added bonus. Cafes in Europe are very tasteful compared to anything, except the pricey ones, in USA. The way they serve coffee in a nice cup with a good clean strong but smooth spoon alongside a toffee is charming. Then add the sing song lilt of British English accent from a waitress. Whether it is Zurich, or Paris, or London or Edinburgh even the ordinary cafes have a certain charm. Having been used to paper cups and plastic stirrers (or wooden) in Starbucks this is welcome change.

The most striking place of the castle was the prison. The progress of civilization is marked by how prisoners are treated. Across the ages we have progressed from treating prisoners as worse than animals to conferring certain human rights to them. Prisoners from America's war of independence were lodged here and one such prisoner had carved the US flag on a door which is showcased for exhibition. As always the castle has its share of blood as it is with any European historical place.

After the castle visit we went to a Scotch whiskey distillery. A very entertaining tour of how whiskey is made followed by a short lecture on the various flavors of whiskey from parts of Scotland were very interesting. I was reminded of the movie "Sideways" where two friends go on a wine tasting tour in California. Whiskey burnt my throat that was salved only by a grand lunch in an adjoining restaurant. A nice "Aberdeen Angus Beef" with some wine to wash it down and a tasty chocolate cake to round off was good.

Our next stop was the Scottish Parliament. To me it appeared like a grotesque monstrosity of bamboo madness, check the picture below:

The interior was very modern and contemporary, in fact spartan one could say.

We bypassed the Holyrood castle wanting to have a taste of Edinburgh's famous shopping strip. We went to Princes Street for some shopping. I stopped by "House of Frasers". Food, clothing and perfumes are what Europeans excel at. Most brands I saw at Frasers are available in Nordstrom or other upscale department stores in USA. However the kinds of clothes I saw there were very different and trendy. Brand like Polo and Tommy though were priced higher for similar clothing seen in USA. I bought a nice Valentino ladies perfume. I later learned that Nordstrom in New Jersey just got that perfume for sale while it had been selling for several months in UK. A Chanel men's perfume I saw at a Harrod's outlet in Heathrow is yet to arrive in USA. My stop in a Birmingham mall emphasized this further.

As we walked along Princes Street a monument caught my attention, it was the Walter Scott monument.

I remembered Scott's famous poem "breathes there a man with soul so dead" from my school days. Seeing a fantastic monument for a literary persona made me envious of that culture. As an Indian one can only sigh how men of arts and letters are celebrated in the west. Tamils might hurry to point out the gargantuan Thiruvalluvar statue. That is a monstrosity because it was erected purely out of chauvinism and is a monument of jingoism run amuck. We do not know for certain who was the genius who wrote those immortal verses, we know too little or nothing of Valluvar's life, even his name is open for speculation let alone his appearance. That statue, if one wants to be charitable, is a monument to a literature and not a man.

I did not have much time to visit other places or memorials associated with Scottish Enlightenment. Most notable of others are Adam Smith, author of capitalism's bible 'Wealth of Nations, famous classical biographer James Boswell etc. Britain has honored Adam Smith by placing his picture on the 20  pound note. Thankfully they did not desecrate their currency with a picture of England's most famous political philosopher, Karl Marx. One could say that England put Adam Smith on the currency to pay for its almost Marxian welfare state.

Later in the evening we left for York.

UK Road Trip: Blenheim Palace and Churchill

I left Amsterdam at 7 AM and arrived in Heathrow Terminal 5. My brother, being UK citizen, zipped through immigration. I, holding an American passport, was clubbed with all others including many Indians in an interminably long queue. Luckily for me a Texan Republican and small business owner stood in front for the next hour. We chatted away about the primary elections, Obama etc. He had come as chaperone for his daughter's school tour to Europe. I wish the Brits had separated out US passport holders along with at least theEU passport holders thus avoiding an hour+ wait. In any airport in any country the aged and disabled have a tough time in these queues.

Our bus ride from Heathrow to Oxford was made lively by a young, attractive North Indian girl. This girl, out of the blue, turned to my brother and asked about visiting the Oxford university to gather details for her sister. My brother who until then was listening to my lecture (yawn) on American politics jumped at the escape route and engaged in animated discussion, in British accent, about how Oxford is actually a collection of colleges, how there is no central information center, how she could check out another University (for which he helpfully suggested he could drop her at) and on it went. I spent the rest of the journey staring at English countryside. When we got down at Oxford park and ride the girl joined us and eagerly took the front seat. My brother just glanced sideways at me and I settled in the rear. Well after all everything has to come to an end so it did in 15 minutes. I was surprised though that this girl would hitch a ride with two guys just because we were Indians. Lucky for her we were gentlemen.

I am a big fan of Winston Churchill. Relating to Churchill as an Indian is a bit tricky. Here is a man who called history's greatest liberator a 'half-naked fakir'. While all of England, including the King, were eager to meet Gandhi Churchill refused to meet him. FDR's insistence of freeing India after the war irritated Churchill who thundered in the house of commons "I've not become his majesty's first minister to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire". To a citizen of British colony hearing Churchill describe how potentates shiver at free speech is quite an experience in bald faced hypocrisy. Churchill's aphorisms and clairvoyance on not just Hitler but Communism remain his enduring legacy outweighing the imperialist. Speaking in USA he saw that  "from Trieste in the Adriatic to Stettin in the Baltic an iron curtain has descended across the continent".

In our home in Tanjore we had two books one, a collection of Churchill's famous war speeches to ravaged Britain and another was "My Darling Clementine". Like any man who was a hero to the world he too was docile with his wife. Churchill first Clementine at a ball dance. Churchill and his friend stood at the entrance and played a game taking Marlowe's classic line describing Helen of Troy's beauty, "the face that launched a thousand ships". Churchill and his friend ranked each lady as they passed by,  "a canoe", "one battleship" so on. When Clementine came Churchill's friend looked to see what he would say but Churchill was not to be found he had gone behind Clementine.

Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace, quite by accident. Though descended from the family tree of the Duke of Marlborough Churchill's birth at Blenheim was not by design. Blenheim is 45 minutes drive from Oxford. The day we went we could purchase tickets for visiting even the private apartments of the current Duke. The current Duke earns money for upkeep of palace by letting the commoners see where he sleeps!!! 

The Palace now draws visitors by proudly proclaiming itself as "birth place of Winston Churchill". Churchill did not live there. Churchill was a true renaissance man of many talents. He was avid painter. Hallmark Cards, USA, used Churchill paintings on its cards with his permission. An entire wall was devoted to such paintings.

The state rooms were opulent and grand as one would expect from European castles. Gold plated cavernous roofs, ornate chairs, delicately hand crafted French furnitures. French influences and French imported furniture surprised me given that England and France were perpetually at war in every possible place across centuries and England had defeated and imprisoned Napoleon. 

The current Duke's living room was well appointed. The table and magazine racks had some books, few magazines neatly stacked. Neither the books nor the magazines were anything close to intellectual and showed a man interested in knowing nothing beyond horses. This despite a large library in the famed long hall (the longest room in UK with the largest pipe organ, picture below). That library was neatly and securely closed. The books appear untouched for ages except by curators.

The 9th Duke of Marlborough facing financial ruin married a very rich American, Consuelo Vanderbilt, a descendant Cornelius Vanderbilt. Anderson Cooper, TV host, is a Vanderbilt descendant too. Consuelo brought $67 Million dollars in dowry. Later the Duke told her that he did not love "anything that is not British", apparently the money she brought was loved though. They later divorced. Much later the Duke's descendant Winston Churchill would plead FDR to help save his empire. FDR launched the famous 'lend-lease' program which was in reality nothing but US taxpayer doles. Churchill had nothing to be loaned against. He would, with relish, declare "give us the tools and we will finish the job". Thanks to Japan US would enter the war and truly finish the job.

As we strolled through the living quarter our guide pointed with some pride that the Duke's child went to Harrow "as was customary". Little did she know that an Indian, Nehru, too went there. Nehru went on his father's hard earned money and not on doles from the crown. I asked the guide if the Duke's son is judged on merit for entrance to Harrow. She laughed gaily and said "no". I sensed a tinge of pride in her voice that the Duke's son need not score as high as the commoners. The British are indeed strange when it comes to their reverence to the monarchy. Only the Ecole Nationale in France has a 100% merit based admission. Even the Ivy League's of USA fail on that score. I am referring to the 'legacy based admission' where a student gets an advantage if his/her parent had been an alumnus. In the contentious affirmative action debate afro-American commentators refer to that drily as "white man's affirmative action".

The gift shop had a smattering of books on and by Churchill. Amongst the many books by Churchill only his World War-II memoirs were there. Churchill won the Nobel prize for literature for his "History of the English speaking peoples". The prize was more a sign of gratitude to Churchill than an indicator of literary merit. Churchill could not attend the ceremony and in a departure from custom his wife Clementine, in recognition of her stature, received the prize in his behalf. Usually the ambassador to Norway of the country from which the awardee hails gets the prize if the awardee is absent. Surprisingly I could not find either that collection or even Churchill's biography "Duke of Marlborough".

With all his failings regarding India, including the Bengal famine that he did nothing to mitigate, the world and Indians remain indebted to Churchill. We all are better off for Churchill was the only man standing between Hitler and the civilized world. After France fell for two years while USA dithered and Stalin cut deals with HItler to plunder Eastern Europe Churchill stood alone facing, what he aptly described, "a long ordeal of the most grievous kind". 

I live in an age when the vacuous bromides of Barack Obama is hailed as oratory. Let Obama and his starry eyed American worshippers learn from Churchill what it is to stand up to Hitler and rally a nation when no sane man saw hope. Here, below, are those immortal words that defended an island and a civilization so we might be here today:

"I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, "come then, let us go forward together with our united strength." 

Amsterdam: Jewish Historical Museum

Before I knew Amsterdam's most famous Jew, Anne Frank, I had studied about it's second most famous Jew, Baruch Spinoza in Will Durant's "The story of philosophy". Spinoza ranks alongside Immanuel Kant as possibly the greatest modern philosopher. In two pages, that only Will Durant can write, Durant traces the arc of Jewish diaspora from its expulsion by the Romans unto the day Jews settled in Amsterdam and the birth of Spinoza. Spinoza was excommunicated by the Jewish community for his philosophy fearing that it angered their Christian hosts in the city.

Failing to find a home or museum of Spinoza I visited the "Jewish Historical Museum". Durant writes that Jews persecuted in Spain by Ferdinand , during Spanish Inquisition, fled in search of safety. "A large number of them embarked in the frail vessels of that day and sailed up the Atlantic, between hostile England and hostile France, to find at last some measure of welcome in little big souled Holland. Among these was a family of Portuguese Jews named Espinoza. Thereafter Spain decayed, and Holland prospered. The Jews built their first synagogue in 1598; and when, seventy five years later, they built another, the most magnificent in Europe, their Christian neighbors helped them to finance the enterprise. The Jews were happy now, if we may judge from the stout content of the merchants and rabbis whom Rembrandt had given immortality". Only Will Durant could write a passage that compresses so many meanings within a few lines. I had missed seeing Rembrandt's home in Amsterdam due to lack of time.

The Jewish museum had a permanent exhibition detailing the history of the first synagogue, Jewish rituals, artifacts that gave a vivid picture of one of the world's most ancient culture. One plaque mentioned the loyalty of Jews in Amsterdam to the Dutch royalty for the relative peace with which Jews could live in Holland unlike the rest of Europe. When Spinoza, like Uriel a Costa before him, had expounded beliefs that angered their Christian hosts the Jewish community excommunicated him as a price for their peaceful existence.

In what could happen only in Western museums typical of Western attitudes the Jewish museum had an exhibition titled "My name is Cohen". Cohen is the priestly name referring to Aaron, brother of Moses, who is considered the first priest for Israel. The exhibition is about people whose last name is 'cohen' (http://www.mynameiscohen.com/) and what it means for them to have the most famous Jewish surname. One Cohen, not a resident of Israel, said that he bears a burden that people who come to know his surname ask him about each and everything Israel did. A Jew, anywhere in the world, is considered a representative of Israel and has to bear the brunt of that association said he. Another Cohen bristled that just because he is a Jew he does not have to support all that Israel does (sadly no Palestinian would say that of Al-Fatah or Hamas, at least not publicly). One Cohen recounted sadly how a customer ate at his restaurant and left saying "I will not pay a Jew". To one Cohen it is a badge of pride, to another it is a "losing brand value", another is sheepish about her Jewish identity.

The exhibition brings to the fore that this race has suffered uniquely amongst all races in history. Centuries of persecution, in every single corner of the world, reaching its climax, if one call it so, in the Holocaust has left its imprint on every member young and old. Durant waxes eloquent in his introduction to Spinoza, "what drama could rival the grandeur of these sufferings, the variety of of these scenes, and the glory and the justice of this fulfillment?" (the fulfillment Durant refers is the creation of Israel)


As I exited the museum, as always, I browsed the gift shop. I was very surprised to see books by Spinoza. The community that excommunicated him in different situation 400 years ago has now embraced its greatest genius amongst the so many geniuses produced by that race.

All was not well for Jews of Amsterdam. That no host country is ever safe for Jews was illustrated in Holland. Nazi Germany invaded Holland in 1940. The Dutch initially protested deportation of Jews by organizing a strike. Virtually unheard of in any other state under Nazi occupation but it later morphed into tragic and cruel co-operation. Between 1940-1944 in just 4 years nearly 75% of Holland's Jews were exterminated with the active co-operation of many Dutch citizens. The Holocaust's most famous victim Anne Frank is a searing tragedy for another day. 

Amsterdam: An Afternoon With Van Gogh

I spent 2 days in Amsterdam and a week on a road trip in UK from March 2nd-10th. Travels always widen our understanding of the world and provide a perspective too. I spent an afternoon in Amsterdam visiting the Van Gogh museum.

Coming from a provincial town in South India I've only a nominal familiarity with painting as an art form. The only paintings that an Indian gets to see mostly are fetishistic expression of male fantasies of courtesans and kings. Study of human anatomy to depict human form, portraying common men and women, expressing philosophical points etc are almost non-existent on the Indian tradition. Learning to appreciate Salvador Dali's surrealism or appreciating why a Monet picture could start the impressionist movement or why is Michelangelo's David revered is all a conscious learning process. Here is Monet's famous painting that launched an era.

I visited the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and could not understand a single thing. Even for a layman like me the Van Gogh museum is an easily accessible one, intellectually. Van Gogh is considered to belong to post-impressionism. I'd not be pretending to understand the nuances of those terms. In another sign of technology wiping out jobs now museums offer audio-guides. No need of a person to standby and explain.

Van Gogh, barely 37 when he died in 1890, lives an eventful itinerant life that makes his biography a compelling read, not to mention his eventual suicide. Van Gogh as was common to geniuses of that era travels between France, Holland and England. France, the capital of arts, influences Van Gogh with its art and literature. the museum painstakingly has arranged all his paintings chronologically across 4 vast floors also divided according to where he lived in that particular period. Each painting has an explanatory note and most have a head phone symbol with a number to be used on the audio-guide. Press the number and voila you get a succinct summary of the painting. The summary while succinct is not trivial or flaky.

Van Gogh gained fame with his portrayal of a group of peasants eating potatoes around a table, the painting titled "potato eaters" had a note that, in typical Western fashion, unflinchingly said, this masterpiece had flaws and proceeds to specify what the flaw is. This is a museum to celebrate a great genius and in the picture that supposedly gave him fame the museum curator is brutishly honest to note its shortcomings. This is what happens when you celebrate true genius. You can be comfortable in pointing out the flaws.

Spend a few minutes looking at the picture above (or this link for a full resolution "potato eaters"). Its a common scene, the people are unremarkable, the setting is pedestrian, the act is as routine as you can imagine BUT its the painting of the shadows, the light, the portrayal of anatomy that speaks, the details of the room etc.

When I visited the Louvre in 2009 seeing the many Christian themed paintings I thought that without having some familiarity of the Bible one cannot appreciate much of Western civilization. Van Gogh's "Still life with open Bible" reiterated that thought.

At first sight the picture does not tell much. The audio-guide filled in the details that an untrained eye like mine would not see at first sight. The big open book is the Bible, a faint title indicates that the page is open at "Isaiah", an even fainter scribbling tells it is Isaiah 53 which is called the 'Psalm of the suffering servant'. The smaller book next to it is French author Emile Zola's "La Joie de vivre" (Joy of life). The commentary said this was Van Gogh, one time candidate for priesthood, rebelling against his pious father.

Van Gogh was influenced by Emile Zola and Victor Hugo. To know what influences a genius especially beyond his particular area in a cross-disciplinary manner is interesting. Knowing that his painting took clues from another painter is one thing, knowing how Van Gogh drew upon Zola's characterization to inspire a painting is another. This also helps us understand the nature of a man who makes himself a student of all forms of art and imbibes inspiration from other forms to better construct his primary artistic expression.

An even more stunning influence was that of Japanese art on Van Gogh. Japanese art of woodcut blocks with bright colored paintings found its way to Paris. Japan, until 1854 Kanagawa Treaty used to trade almost exclusively with the Dutch. After the treaty Japan opened trade with Europe and USA. Japonaiserie, wikipedia teaches, or Japanese art influenced the French impressionist and then Van Gogh too who produced very brightly colored pictures. Famous amongst his Japanese art are his portraits of bridges

Like any typical Western genius of art Van Gogh travels hither and thither, schools himself, lets himself be open to influences, creates his own oeuvre, enjoys cross disciplinary influences and leads a very eventful life that includes affliction of Gonorrhea. Van Gogh formed a deep friendship with famous painter Paul Gauguin . Gauguin was Somerset Maugham's inspiration for his protagonist in "The moon and six pence". Van Gogh after a fight with Gauguin famously cut off his ear and gave the severed part to a prostitute telling her to 'keep it carefully'. Van Gogh is supposed to have suffered from hypochondria too. Finally, of course, like any museum in this part of the world they have a nice gift shop.

Every now and then I thought wistfully of the Naicker and Maratha paintings in a 1000 year temple in Tanjore, the many other treasures that wilt away without attention. I read that even today reaching the Ajantha caves,  Khajuraho etc is a chore let alone audio-guides and knowledgeable commentary. To celebrate Maratha influence in a state that has been intellectually castrated with empty jingoism and ideological charades is too much to hope for.

Time and again what impresses me most in the West is the celebration of cross-cultural influences. Voltaire admires the English. The English are suckers for anything French as I'd see from my visit to Blenheim Palace near Oxford, UK 2 days later. Bruges in Northern corner of Europe buys a statue by Michelangelo. Trade and commerce coupled with the university system of Europe creates a veritable whirlpool of intellectual atmosphere.