Warning. This post jumps about.
I was once called a grasshopper brain. (I decided to take it as a compliment.)
I get excited about things like the Stendhal Syndrome.
Have you heard of it? No? Neither had I until I read this recent post at one of my favourite blogs - Cornflower. Karen was recommending Polpo. A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) a delightful book, the kind of cookbook I like, a bit of a travelogue. In the introduction which you can read here the author Russell Norman describes beautifully how he felt as a young man seeing Venice for the first time, and described the Stendhal Syndrome as being overwhelmed by beauty.
Have you ever experienced this?
I feel lucky to have had many such experiences. (Not to the extent of fainting though!)
One of them was in Venice.
I was studying there, and got up very early to explore before lectures began and found myself in the market as the barges were bringing in the day's fruit and vegetables. The stall-holders were setting out the most dazzling displays, and singing snatches of operatic arias to each other across the marketplace! I couldn't believe my ears and looked around to see if there were cameras. Was I on a film set? It certainly wasn't for tourists (it was 5am). It was absolutely thrilling.
What about you? Have you ever been overwhelmed by beauty?
Do share....
I was once called a grasshopper brain. (I decided to take it as a compliment.)
I get excited about things like the Stendhal Syndrome.
Have you heard of it? No? Neither had I until I read this recent post at one of my favourite blogs - Cornflower. Karen was recommending Polpo. A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) a delightful book, the kind of cookbook I like, a bit of a travelogue. In the introduction which you can read here the author Russell Norman describes beautifully how he felt as a young man seeing Venice for the first time, and described the Stendhal Syndrome as being overwhelmed by beauty.
Have you ever experienced this?
I feel lucky to have had many such experiences. (Not to the extent of fainting though!)
One of them was in Venice.
I was studying there, and got up very early to explore before lectures began and found myself in the market as the barges were bringing in the day's fruit and vegetables. The stall-holders were setting out the most dazzling displays, and singing snatches of operatic arias to each other across the marketplace! I couldn't believe my ears and looked around to see if there were cameras. Was I on a film set? It certainly wasn't for tourists (it was 5am). It was absolutely thrilling.
What about you? Have you ever been overwhelmed by beauty?
Do share....
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