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Mattancherry Palace (Cochin, India)
by koshkha Mattancherry Palace in Kochi was built in the mid 1500s by Portuguese colonists as a gift for a local king called Veera Kerala Varma, partly in compensation and partly in apology for the damage that had been done to a local temple. A century later it was extended and renovated by Dutch colonists and is today often referred to as the ... 'Dutch Palace' which is a little easier to pronounce than Mattancherry. It is situated in the Mattancherry area of Kochi, on the same peninsular as Fort Kochi which puts it firmly in the area visited by most tourists. We had actually asked to be taken to the nearby synagogue but arrived so late after our lousy and very slow lunch that the synagogue had already closed. Mattancheyry was our 'consolation' attraction but was in no way second rate. The palace is now managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and is open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm every day except Friday. To avoid disappointment - or at least to warn you before you get there - it's worth being aware that photography is completely banned inside the museum which is understandable but disappointing as there are some stunning exhibits inside. Whether you find the museum fascinating or unimpressive probably depends more of you and your attitude to history and art. Other reviews I've seen suggest that opinion is polarised. Some people think the place is a total waste of time and far too full of people whereas we absolutely adored it. As we pulled up outside we spotted a large school group just about to assemble in the queue so we joined the line as quickly as possible to avoid having to shake hands and tell our names to hundreds of small friendly people. I love Indian kids but they can turn a quick visit to a museum into a bit of a marathon of 'What's your name? Where do you come from?' The first big surprise was the entrance fee - a tiny sum of 5 rupees each - about 7 pence or 10 cents which seemed to be the same for everyone, both locals and foreign tourists. This is quite unusual in the more touristy areas of India although Kochi seems to be less prone to the tourist prices seen in other areas. Perhaps we have the long history of Communist leadership in the state to thank for the 'one price for all' approach. The palace doesn't look terribly palatial if you are expecting the Moghul style palaces of northern India. It's a two story building laid out in a square with a large inner courtyard and the rooms all run into each other and are laid out as long open corridors. In the days when it was a palace, there were different areas for different purposes such as bedrooms, a dining hall, meeting rooms and even a coronation hall although there's little left today to indicate what the rooms were originally used for. You'll need to be willing to sharpen your elbows and fight for a good view of the fantastic historic murals in this museum as it tends to get over-run with school parties and we were told that it also gets a lot of cruise ship groups. The entrance is up a steep set of stone steps which is worth keeping in mind for anyone with mobility issues as there was no sign of any alternative entrance. The stars of the museum are the painted murals which illustrate stories from the Ramayana over an area of more than 300 square meters. They are absolutely stunning and the main reason for the ban on photography. The only places I've seen similar quality murals are in Tipu Sultan's palace in Srirangapatanam, near Mysore, and in the Spice Route restaurant of the Imperial Hotel in Delhi (which was decorated by Keralan mural painters). If you know some of the stories from the Ramayana they will no doubt make more sense but we stretched a tiny bit of knowledge a long way by reading the excellent labels which explained what was shown in the pictures. Mattancherry Palace is not just about the murals - although they are the main draw. We also saw fascinating portraits of historic local leaders and an excellent exhibition about the matrilineal inheritance system practiced in Kerala - which illustrated old fashioned girl power in action! We also enjoyed some of the relics from the days when the palace was used including old purdah carriages, weapons, stamps and coins. Most of the action is on the upper floor but if you're willing to risk a rather narrow and steep staircase there are more murals and more displays downstairs. My husband took one look at the staircase and decided to stay upstairs. I waited ages for a large group of locals to struggle up the stairs before I was able to get down. I enjoyed the palace a lot but would recommend that if you are considering a visit, take care to time your visit in such a way that you don't miss the very restricted opening hours at the nearby synagogue. Most museums in India close on Mondays rather than Friday which is the day when Mattancherry is closed. I can only assume that the museum has aligned its day off with the synagogue which is also closed to tourists on Friday. Read the complete review |
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Solomon R Guggenheim Museum (New York, USA)
by annie47 My sister is a fan of museums and some kinds of Art. I also like some Museums and a little bit of Art, so we to decided to visit the Guggenheim Museum on our recent trip to New York. It is located near central park at 1071 5th Avenue/ 89th street. This was another one of the places to visit in our New York pass deal. First ... impressions of the building were good; its a sort of spiral type style, with you reaching each floor going around and around. We didnt have to wait in the long queue to get in (thank god!) with our passes. We had not realised at the time that the Museum had a huge exhibition of Picasso on!! We saw some signs outside, but i didnt imagine for one minute that this ehibition would take up about 3/4 of the Museum! If there is one artist i do not like its Picasso! Floor by floor was mostly full of Picasso's work which basically was of no interest to me. There was a little bit of Kadinsky Art, some photography basically of people (which didnt interest me). The museum does have a permanent display of Artwork called the Thannhauser collection some of which was quite good, but due to the huge display of Picasso, i was very dissapointed. It was lucky we didnt actually pay at the door to get in as the Art Museums are quite expensive to get into (around $25). My advice for anyone wanting to visit the Museum is to check first to see what exhibitions they have on and then decide whether it is worth a visit; im sure that the Museum sometimes has some great exhibitions, but this one was simply not to my taste. Due to my dissapointment with this display unfortunately im giving the Museum just 3 stars. Read the complete review |
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Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Mueum (Illinois, USA)
by catsholiday Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum 212 N. Sixth Street, Springfield, IL 62701 Springfield is the home of this one of the USA's most famous presidents and everywhere in the city reminds you that he lived here. This museum is huge and very modern and is dedicated entirely to Lincoln and his life's achievements. ... The library is a separate building across the street and is a research library not a book lending library. PRICES AND TIMES OF OPENING MUSEUM 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM DAILY The Museum's admission fee is: Adult $12.00 Senior (62 and up) $9.00 Children (5 - 15) $6.00 Military (ID required) $7.00 Students (ID required) $9.00 Child (under 5) No Charge Members No Charge LIBRARY Public and Research Hours: Monday - Friday - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday, Sunday - Open for Exhibit Viewing Only PARKING The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum parking ramp is off 6th Street between Madison and Mason streets. The rate is $.75 cents per 1/2 hour or $1.50 per hour. The RV and bus parking lot is a flat rate of $5.00. We had our car parked back at the hotel but the city seemed amazingly empty to us so you may find on street parking if you are prepared to walk a little way. RULES AND REGULATIONS As you enter the museum you are security checked and any large bags and coats can be left in a cloakroom. My handbag was checked and our bottles of water and cameras were okay. You can take photos in the Plaza area and Mrs. Lincoln Attic but not in the theaters, galleries or exhibits. You are not allowed to take in any food, drinks, sweets or gum and the Museum is smoke-free. The museum is monitored by video surveillance. You are not allowed to touch the exhibits. OUR VISIT THE PLAZA Once in you arrive in this huge room that looks like the outside of the Whitehouse with Lincoln and his wife and sons in the centre. He looks really small but when we stood beside the models we discovered they were life size and he was actually really tall. He was taller than my husband who is 6' 3". His wife was pretty short though and I felt okay beside her. You were allowed to pose beside this famous family and take photos in most places in the museum. We were busy taking photos when one of the security guides came over and told us that a film was just about to start in one of the theatres so we rushed in and sat down to watch. THE UNION THEATRE This presentation was amazing. It was called 'Through Lincoln's Eyes' and it began with a n actor telling us to look at Lincoln's eyes and one side of his face when split in half, look like he was happy and the other looked sad and yet it was the same face - made me wonder what my face would look like split in half vertically. The actor who was the artist painting Lincoln's portrait then went on to tell us how he struggled to understand all the things he saw in Lincoln's eyes: sorrow, resolve, hope, vision, forgiveness, and so on. The presentation then moved on to telling the story of Lincoln's life and what etched these things into his facial expression. The story focuses on the personal and political dramas and key issues of Lincoln's presidency, especially slavery and the Civil War. This sets the scene and introduces you to the character who is President Lincoln. We learned that he had immense courage to do what he felt was right, even though it led to the Civil War. He stood firm in his vision to do what he felt was right which cannot have been easy. This is a pretty impressive show using a combination of real actors and different digital projection screens as well as other pretty good special effects. We came out really very impressed with the show and much more knowledgeable about Lincoln and his life. JOURNEY ONE We didn't realize that this was a huge exhinition of Lincoln until he was elected. We thought it was just a re creation of his childhood home which was a small log cabin. You enter through this log cabin and then follow through a pretty comprehensive display with lots of information until you finally come out in to the central Plaza again. In the cabin we learn that Lincoln was self taught and was an avid reader and he read by candlelight in the tiny cabin that housed his family of Dad, step mum and five other siblings in one pretty small room. We move on to discover that Lincoln earned his first wages as a ferryman crossing the Ohio River. The next display shows a slave auction which Lincoln must have seen at some stage and obviously had a huge impact on him helping to inspire his beliefs that all men should be free man and his efforts to abolish slavery in the USA. We progressed through to see Lincoln courting, him becoming a lawyer, the fact that he couldn't control his children and allowed them to create havoc in his law office which made me smile. We end up with the election that makes him President and the family moving to Washington. The displays are all life size models with pictures and information to support the displays. I found it interesting and informative enough without overkill and child friendly too. THE THEATRE The show we saw was called 'Ghost of the Library' which was told by an actor who was looking after the library. The show uses holograms and as objects appear the actor tells you a little about how that fits in the story of Lincoln and his years as President. It was again, very well done and informative as wll as being high tech and almost like magic with the holograms. MRS LINCOLN'S ATTIC We didn't really spend a lot of time in here as we had no children with us but the teacher in me felt I had to take a look. This area is specifically aimed at children with lots of hands on activities and exhibits. Children cannot be left in here as they must be accompanied by an adult. There is a lot to see and do in a fairly small space and children can try on clothes such as Lincoln's suit ,his wife's dress or maybe a Civil War Soldier. They can try using a buzz-saw or play with an old style doll house. There was also one of those things you can stand behind and stick your head through a hole to pose for a picture like they have at seasides, this one was of Lincoln and his family. JOURNEY TWO- THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS This part of the museum is once again entered through the Plaza and passed the Lincoln family. We then noticed another figure near the wall, that of John Wilkes Booth .On the veranda stand General McClellan and General Grant who are eyeing each other with suspicion. As you enter you are met with Mrs Lincoln dressed for Washington and other ballgowns of society ladies in Washington at the time who all have something snide to say about Mrs Lincoln whom they consider rather homely. Much of this section of the museum is taken up with the Civil War and decisions Lincoln makes with the other men in government at the time. One set is a recreation of Lincoln's office in the White House and his colleagues in the government at the time. There is even a discussion in the White House kitchen about the Lincoln's and the President is palnning. No wonder Lincoln aged during his time in the White House as not only did he have to take the country through a civil war but he also had his son, Willie which we see takes place while the Lincoln's host a White House party and they sit by his bed in their party clothes. This scene follows the whispering gallery which is a really quite an unpleasant display of caricatures and comments said about the Lincoln's while they are in office. I had no idea they were so unpopular both in the USA and abroad. This section takes us through the ups and downs of the Civil War battles and then into Fords Theatre and the Presidential box where Lincoln was shot. Strangely despite his lack of popularity when in the White House, his body was taken all over the USA lying in state and the map shows that this was indeed " the longest, most elaborate funeral in American history." We are able to walk passed the Lincoln coffin in the re-creation of the Representatives Hall in Springfield's Old State Capitol, at the exact moment in May, 1865 when Lincoln lay in state. This is the most amazingly elaborate funeral scene like a very Victorian-era mourning scene and it is as though we as visitors are actually paying our last respects. It is silent in there and you cannot fail to be moved by the scene even though you know it isn't real. AND SO MUCHMORE IN THE MUSEUM ALONE There is an "Ask Mr Lincoln" small interactive exhibition where you can choose a question and then hear the answer from 'Lincoln' himself. The Gateway map shows all the other cities and places where you can visit to learn more about Mr Lincoln in the USA. THE CAFÉ This was actually a Subway but we only wanted a coffee and then I was tempted by a cake too. It was light and airy and a Subway so sold all that Subway usually sell. THE LIBRARY We crossed over the road to take a peek at the Presidential Library which is really a big research library but they do have exhibitions in there which the public are invited to view. The exhibition when we visited was The Boys in Blue which was an exhibition a about and a tribute to Illinois soldiers in the Civil War told through the Library's collection of Civil War photographs, letters, books, newspapers, and artifacts. We felt we had seen a fair bit and were ready to move on to other Lincoln sites in the city which I shall review at some time in the future. I would definitely recommend a visit to this very interesting and well put together museum dedicated to President Lincoln's life and of course if you need to do any research into American history then the library is the place across the road. If you are in the Springfield area then this place is a must visit on your list. Thank for reading. This review may be posted on other sites under my same user name. ©Catsholiday Read the complete review |
Museum International |
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Museum International / Piazza San Pantaleo, 10 - 00186 Roma, Italy. Tel. +39-066865696 - 066875880. |
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Museum International / Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, 6, place des Vosges , 75004 Paris. |
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Museum International / 47, rue Raynouard , 75016 Paris. |
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3 reviews Museum International / 1, rue de Bellechasse, 62, rue de Lille, 75343 Paris. |
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1920 Baile Street, Montreal Canada. Tel.: (514) 939-7026. The CCA is a world acclaimed museum and study centre founded by architect Phyllis Lambert. It is praised for the richness of its collections and the quality of its exhibitions. |
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1 review Museum International / |
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2 reviews Museum International / |
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Built by emperor Nero, it had to be the largest and richest residence ever raised. It was named Domus Aurea (gold House) thanks to its valuable decorations and prestigious furniture. Via della Domus Aurea 00195 Rome,Italy. Open every day from 9 a.m. up |
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Museum International / |
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1 review Museum International / Address: Cochin, Kerala, India - Museum with spectacular murals in an old Palance in Kochi, Kerala |
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| Museum International recommendations 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... back next | ||
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