Life's Little Adventures

San Gimignano, Italy

Here's an exciting little daytrip that can be made from Florence, Italy — and one that shouldn't be missed. This sample chapter is taken directly from my guidebook Daytrips Italy, Fifth Edition, available from Amazon.com and other sources.

Trip 16

*San Gimignano

Perched high atop a hill and completely surrounded by its ancient walls, the small town of San Gimignano is an incredible, well-preserved holdover from the Middle Ages. It is famous throughout the world for the 14 surviving medieval towers that give its skyline the startling appearance of a miniature Manhattan. There were once more than 70 of these, built around the 12th and 13th centuries both as status symbols and for family defence during those violent times. They also served an important function in the drying of the saffron-dyed cloth for which the town was noted.

The Etruscans probably had a settlement on this site, but there are scant references to San Gimignano prior to the Middle Ages. Its location, overlooking fertile farmland and near the old road linking Rome with the north, brought a measure of prosperity until, unable to defend itself, it fell under the rule of Florence in 1353. A backwater ever since, it has remained practically unchanged to this day.

Located seven miles from the nearest rail station or highway, San Gimignano is not quite as easy to reach as most of the other daytrip destinations, but its allure is so extraordinary that a little extra effort is well worthwhile. Its name, by the way, is pronounced Sahn-Gee-meen-YAHN-oh.

GETTING THERE:

Trains, bound for Siena, depart Florence's main station several times a day. Some of these require a change at Empoli. Get off the train at Poggibonsi, about 70 minutes from Florence, and continue by local TRA-IN bus to San Gimignano's Porta San Giovanni stop, a 20-minute ride. Bus tickets are sold at the newsstand in the Poggibonsi station, and cancelled on board. You may have a little wait as there is no coordination of the train and bus schedules. Return service operates until mid-evening, but check the posted schedules in San Gimignano's Piazza del Duomo to be certain.

Buses depart several times a day from the SITA terminal near the west side of Florence's main train station. Some of these go direct to San Gimignano while most require a change at Poggibonsi, as above. Tickets must be purchased before boarding the bus and canceled when on board. Buy a return ticket at the same time. The average run is a bit over one hour, considerably faster than the train/bus combination above. Check the return schedules as above.

By Car, San Gimignano is 55 km (34 miles) southwest of Florence. Take the Superstrada del Palio in the direction of Siena and get off at the Poggibonsi exit.

PRACTICALITIES:

San Gimignano may be visited at any time, but avoid coming on a Monday between October and March, when some major sights may be closed. Clear weather is essential for the glorious views. The Tourist Office, T: 0577-940-008, is on Piazza del Duomo. You can confirm return schedules here, and exchange money. A combined ticket for nearly all of the town's sights is available, €€. A somewhat useful website is W: sangimignano.com

FOOD AND DRINK:

Being an important tourist attraction, the town has quite a few restaurants and cafés. Some excellent choices are:

Le Terrazze (Piazza della Cisterna 23) A country-inn atmosphere with a view, in the La Cisterna hotel. Reservations advised, T: 0577-940-328. X: Tues., Wed. lunch. €€€

Bel Soggiorno (Via San Giovanni 91, near Porta San Giovanni) A medieval atmosphere with a view of the town. T: 0577-940-375. X: Wed., Jan. €€€

La Mangiatoia (Via Mainardi 5, 3 blocks southwest of St. Augustine Church) A popular trattoria. T: 0577-941-528. X: Mon. from Oct.-June. €€

Pizzeria Perucà (Via Capassi 16, just off Via San Matteo) Pizzas or hearty Tuscan dishes. T: 0577-943-136. X: Thurs. €

A favorite dessert in these parts is Panforte, a dense concoction of nuts, candied fruits, and honey. The local wine is Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a white. If you prefer reds, order Chianti, preferably the Classico variety.

SUGGESTED TOUR:

Numbers in parentheses correspond to numbers on the map.

Begin your walk at the Porta San Giovanni (1), a magnificent town gate erected in 1262. It is right next to the bus stop and the parking lot. Before entering, take a look at the impressive guard room perched above the gate.

Via San Giovanni is a colorful old street lined with medieval buildings, a taste of things to come. Follow it past the Becci Arch, an opening in the original 11th-century inner walls that leads to the *Piazza della Cisterna (2). Named for the beautiful 13th-century cistern in its center, this delightful square is paved with bricks in a herringbone pattern. It is said that if you walk around the cistern you will surely return to San Gimignano, a very likely prophecy. The famous *towers rise all around you, a legacy of times when height meant safety. Many Italian towns were once graced with these fascinating structures, but most of them were torn down as the cities developed, a progress that happily bypassed sleepy old San Gimignano. Take a look at the Palazzo Tortoli at number 7, an elegant 14th-century house in the Sienese manner.

Just off the piazza, at Via del Castello 1, is a truly horrifying sight celebrating some of the grimmer aspects of the Middle Ages. This is the Museum of Torture (Museo della Tortura), which displays all manner of perverted devices of pain and death used from medieval until fairly recent times. Enter if you dare. Open mid-July to mid-Sept., daily 10 a.m.- midnight; April to mid-July and mid-Sept. to Oct., daily 10-8; Nov.-March, daily 10-6. €€.

Now stroll into the adjacent Piazza del Duomo. The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Collegiata) (3), dominating the west side, is often referred to as the Cathedral (Duomo). Begun in the 13th century, the church has been enlarged and greatly modified over the years. The Romanesque interior is noted for its outstanding frescoes, especially the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian (image, left) by Benozzo Gozzoli, a mid-15th-century work on the inside of the entrance hall flanked by two wooden statues of the Annunciation. Above this there is a fine Last Judgement by Taddeo di Bartolo. Covering the length of the right aisle are frescoes depicting scenes from the New Testament, while the left aisle tells stories from the Old Testament. Be sure to visit the Chapel of Saint Fina at the end of the right aisle. Dedicated to San Gimignano's patron saint, it is widely regarded as a high point of Renaissance art. Open April-Oct., Mon.-Sat. 9:30-7:30, Sun. 10-5; Nov. to mid-Jan. and March, Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5, Sun. 1-5. €.

To the left of the church stands the People's Palace (Palazzo del Popolo) (4), which has been the Town Hall since the 13th century. It has the highest tower in town, the *Torre Grossa (Big Tower), which you can climb for a truly enchanting panorama. On the way up stop at the Dante Chamber, where Dante argued the case for a Tuscan alliance in 1300. In the same room there is a vast fresco of the Maestà by Lippo Memmi, painted in 1317. Continue up to the Municipal Museum (Museo Civico) on the second floor, where you will see a fine collection of Sienese and Florentine paintings from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

Now the climb really begins, all 177 feet of it. A medieval ordinance forbade any other structures from reaching this height, and as this is the only tower open to the public, you can put all of your energy into it. The *view from the top is really worth it. Complex open March-Oct., daily 9:30-7:20; Nov.-Feb., daily 10-5:50. €.

Returning to Earth, stroll over to the Museum of Sacred Art (5) in the lovely Piazza Pecori, featuring religious art from the Middle Ages taken from local churches. Open April-Oct., Mon.-Fri. 9:30-7, Sat. 9:30-5, Sun. 12:30-5; Nov.-March, Mon.-Sat. 9:30-4:30, Sun. 12:30-4:30. €.

Now follow the map to the ruined Fortress of La Rocca (6), built by the Florentines in 1353 but later demolished. It is now a public park, the perfect spot for a picnic, and offers the most unforgettable view of San Gimignano's skyline.

Via Diacceto leads, down steps, from the north side of the church to the Porta San Matteo, another main gateway into the town, erected in 1262. Just beyond this is the Church of Saint Augustine (Sant' Agostino) (7), a rather plain 13th-century structure containing some remarkable art. Among the most noted works here are the frescoes in the choir depicting the Life of Saint Augustine, a lively cycle of 15th-century masterpieces by Benozzo Gozzoli. While there, don't miss the lovely cloisters to the left of the church, which closes between noon and 3 p.m.

Nearby, at Via Fologore da San Gimignano 11, stands the new Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico), a small collection of local artifacts along with a herb garden and a 16th-century pharmacy, T: 0577-940-348. Open April-Oct., daily 11-6; Nov.-Dec., Sat.-Thurs. 11-6. €.

Return on Via San Matteo to the Piazza della Cisterna, where you can sit down at an outdoor café for some well-earned refreshment before heading back to Florence.

Copyright © 2005 Earl Steinbicker

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The Avedon Years, Part XXV

AVEDON'S STUDIOS, PART 2

As promised on a previous post, here's more on Richard Avedon's New York City photographic studios in the 1950s and 60s. Previously located at 640 Madison Avenue, he was forced to move in 1954 when that building was slated for demolition. The new location, at the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 49th Street, was above the famous Manny Wolf's Steakhouse.

This historic old two-story structure is still there and looking pretty much the same, as the above photo taken in March of 2008 shows. Today the restaurant is called Smith & Wollensky, and it occupies the entire building.

The location at 203 East 49th Street was certainly convenient, being only a few blocks from the ad agencies and magazines on Madison Avenue, and only two blocks from his townhouse on Beekman Place at the east end of 49th Street. And it reeked of atmosphere, what with the wooden floors and fancy "tin" ceiling.

The diagram below shows the floor layout as I remember it. This is not to scale and there may be minor errors (55 years have a way of erasing some of the small details), but it is pretty accurate. If anyone reading this can add more material, I would be deeply grateful.

In the diagram above, the numbered rooms were used as:

1. Reception. This was the domain of his secretary, Polly Hatch.

2. Avedon's studio. There was a skylight above the large frosted glass window, which together yielded beautifully textured natural light with a clean white background. That window is no longer there. At other times we used tungsten studio lighting, and even experimented with Ascor studio strobes in 1956.

3. Studio of associate photographer Bill Bell. Avedon also used this studio at times, and it was later used by another associate photographer, Hiro Wakabayashi.

4. Models' dressing room.

5. Work area, where negatives were numbered, prints mounted, and so on.

6. Office of Avedon's representative, Laura Kanelous.

7. Rest room.

8. Film darkroom, where B&W film was processed.

9. Finishing room, with film drying cabinet, print washer, and rotary Pako print drier.

10. Print darkroom, fitted with an Omega D-2 4x5 enlarger, a Pako contact printer, and a monster Saltzman 8x10 enlarger.

That's me up on the roof, with 49th Street behind me. The townhouses to the left are still there; at that time one of them was home to actress Katharine Hepburn. The other buildings are all long gone. The curvature in the photo is the result of playing with a panoramic circuit camera with a rotating lens.

Later on we will visit the studio at 110 East 58th Street.

CLICK HERE for Avedon's Madison Avenue Studio.

RETURN to the Avedon Years Index.

CONTINUE on this thread.

My HD Radio

Like many people, I enjoy having background music along with certain daily activities. In order to hear new sounds that I don't already have on CDs, I turn to radio as a source. Problem is, however, that this includes endless commercials or (in the case of public broadcasting) endless appeals for donations. Yes, I know, I could subscribe to satellite radio, but I'm too cheap for that. So, a few months ago I bought an HD Radio for $99 delivered (photo, right). This receives not only regular AM & FM, but also both the primary and secondary digital signals that ride on top of the analog frequency. For the time being, at least, the secondary channel remains commercial-free, and has very little talk — mostly just endless music. And if I hear something I don't recognize, I have only to look at the digital display for the name of the artist and composition.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH HD RADIO:

First of all, HD does not stand for "High Definition," as some of it promoters claim. It might stand for "Hybrid Digital," which is the correct name for this technology. The fidelity, to my ears at least, is no better than standard FM. And the sound is just about what you would expect from a small table radio. Adequate for casual listening, but no better than that. It does improve when using good earphones.

How good has the reception been? I live a bit over ten miles from the transmitters, which can be marginal. Digital broadcasting is an all-or-nothing technology. Either you get a strong signal or you get none at all. What does this mean in practical terms? The included whip antenna is usually all that is needed, but under certain atmospheric conditions the radio can suddenly go silent until it regains the signal, at least on the secondary (commerical-free) channel. If this happens on the primary channel it simply reverts to standard analog FM (or AM), in which case you may not hear any difference. Hooking up a "rabbit ears" external antenna makes a huge improvement, with hardly any dropouts. An outdoor antenna would be even better. Those living more than ten miles from the transmitters will have problems, or no reception at all.

Overall, I am pleased with my HD Radio since it allows me to have uninterrupted classical music or classic rock sounds all day long with little or no annoying talk, at least for the time being.

Does HD Radio have a future? Who knows? The commercial-free aspect of the secondary channel(s) surely will not last, unless some subscription or pay-per-listen scheme is worked out. At that point, the advantages all accrue to the stations, who will be able to broadcast several different programs simultaneously on the same frequency — and thus increase revenue. For the listener it means more choice of programming.

For a somewhat technical but very thorough (and critical) explanation of how HD Radio works, I recommend clicking on this Wikipedia entry.

RETURN TO THE MUSIC INDEX.

Bayreuth, Germany

Music lovers — especially those with a passion for Wagnerian opera — will revel in this daytrip from Munich (or Nürnberg) to Bayreuth. Taken directly from the pages of my recent guidebook Daytrips Bavaria, it tells you exactly how to get there and how to get the most out of this popular festival town hidden away in the wilds of Franconia. Enjoy!

Trip 17

Bayreuth

For admirers of Wagnerian opera, a daytrip to Bayreuth is a delightful pilgrimage — perhaps the highlight of their entire visit to Germany. Others may find this to be a day largely wasted in the boondocks of Franconia. How much joy you get out of this trip is determined by your musical tastes, and only you can know the answer to that.

There was a town here long before Wagner was ever born, of course. During the 18th century this was a minor cultural oasis under the influence of Princess Wilhelmina, the very talented sister of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. An ineptitude for diplomacy led to her being married to the exceedingly dull Margrave of Bayreuth, a fate made bearable by creating what few treasures the town has to offer aside from those associated with the composer.

The annual Bayreuth Festival, which had its premier on August 13th, 1876, has since turned this provincial Bavarian town into a world-class mecca for music lovers. Organized by Richard Wagner (that's him on the left) for the express purpose of performing his own operas in his very own theater, it helped revolutionize the status of composers from glorified servants of the nobility to entrepreneurs. More than that, it began the entire concept of annual music festivals, now held all over the world.

Although it's a bit lengthy for a daytrip, dedicated fans will find this excursion well worth the effort. Bayreuth may also be visited from other Franconian bases, such as Nürnberg.

GETTING THERE:

Trains leave Munich's main station between roughly 6 and 7:30 a.m. for Nürnberg, where you connect to an hourly train to Bayreuth, or the faster. more luxurious ICE train bound for Dresden. The entire journey takes about 2½ or 3 hours. Return ttrains operate until mid-evening, again changing at Nürnberg. Get schedules at W: bahn.de.

By Car, Bayreuth is 231 km (144 miles) north of Munich on the A-9 Autobahn.

PRACTICALITIES:

Unless you really love crowds, you should avoid coming during festival time, which lasts from late July until late August. The local Tourist Information Office (Kongress-und-Tourismuszentral), T: (0921) 885-88, W: bayreuth-tourismus.de, is at Luitpoldplatz 9, a few blocks south of the train station. Bayreuth has a population of about 75,000.

FOOD AND DRINK:

Some good places for lunch are:

Da Corrado (Sophienstr. 22, near the Kunstmuseum) A modern Mediterranean restaurant in the oldest part of town, with a terrace by the ancient walls. T: (0921) 515-900. €€€

Oskar (Maximilianstr. 33, west of the Altes Schloss) Both traditional and New Franconian cuisine. T: (0921) 516-0553. € and €€

Gastätte Porsch (Maximilianstr. 63, 2 blocks west of the Altes Schloss) Inexpensive dining on Franconian fare. T: (0921) 646-49. €

SUGGESTED TOUR:

Numbers in parentheses correspond to numbers on the map.

Leave the Train Station (1) and walk down Bahnhofstrasse to the tourist office on Luitpoldplatz. Across the square is the 17th-century Altes Schloss (Old Palace) (2), home of the ruling margraves until 1754. Destroyed in 1945, it was later rebuilt and now houses government offices. Amble through its courtyard and visit the Schlosskirche (Palace Church), which contains the tombs of Margrave Friedrich and his wife Wilhelmina. From here you can take an interesting stroll through the oldest part of town, now home to the new Kunstmuseum (Museum of Art) (3) with its rich collection of German 20th-century art from such masters as Otto Dix, Schmitt-Rottluff, Max Beckmann and others. T: (0921) 764-5310, W: kunstmuseum-bayreuth.de. Open Tues.-Sun. 10-5, also on Mon. in July-Aug. €. You might also stop at the 15th-century Stadtkirche (Town Church) on Kirchplatz before continuing on to the first major attraction:

HAUS WAHNFRIED — RICHARD WAGNER MUSEUM (4), T: (0921) 757-2816, W: wagnermuseum.de. Open April-Oct., daily 9-5, remaining open until 8 on Tues. and Thurs.; Nov.-March, daily 10-5, remaining open until 8 on Thurs. Closed certain holidays. €.

Richard Wagner built Haus Wahnfried (photo, above) in 1873 as his first, and last, permanent home. Born in Leipzig in 1813, he had always been a wanderer, fleeing both creditors and the police until his strange relationship with the mentally unbalanced King Ludwig II began in 1864. This solved his persistent money problems — he had always lived lavishly on a precarious income — but the composer's political manipulations and loose morals quickly gained him enemies, and he was forced into exile. Eventually, Wagner's ego required that he have his very own opera house, where his works would not be contaminated by those of other composers. Thus the move to Bayreuth, a place so remote and yet within the confines of Ludwig's Bavaria that his adoring public would have to come to him.

Haus Wahnfried remained in the possession of Wagner's descendants until 1973, when it was deeded to the town. It has since been restored and is now open as a fascinating museum of the composer's life; one that explores his creative genius without overlooking the blemishes. Visitors may relax in the drawing room and listen to recorded concerts of his operas. Allow plenty of time for this small but intriguing museum.

Wagner, who died in 1883, lies buried along with his wife Cosima in a simple grave at the rear of the house. Continue past this and wander around the lovely Hofgarten to the:

NEUES SCHLOSS (New Palace) (5), T: (0921) 759-69-21. Open April-Sept., daily 9-6; Oct.-March, daily 10-4. €.

Begun in 1753, this late rococo structure reflects the refined tastes of Princess Wilhelmina, who lived here until her death in 1758. Its many charming rooms, filled with period furniture, may be seen on guided tours given frequently.

Now follow Ludwigstrasse to Wilhelmina's great masterpiece, the:

*MARKGRÄFLICHES OPERNHAUS (Margrave's Opera House) (6), T: (0921) 759-69-22. Open April-Sept., daily 9-6; Oct.-March, daily 10-4. €.

Otherwise known as the Old Opera and first opened in 1748, this is an absolutely delightful jewel, right up there in the same class with Munich's Cuvilliés Theater. Every 45 minutes, visitors are treated to a delightful sound-and-light show (in German) with Baroque music and fantastic illuminations. Richard Wagner was originally attracted to Bayreuth by the thought of using this elegant theater for his festival. Alas, its stage proved much too small for both Siegfried and the dragon, let alone all those Valkyries. In the end, of course, he built his own opera house, which you should visit next.

Return to the train station and take the route on the map to Wagner's Festspielhaus (Festival Theater) (7), the most famous sight in Bayreuth. Set atop a small hill overlooking the town, this curiously nondescript structure was begun in 1872. Wagner was hardly able to raise the money for a cornerstone, to say nothing of an entire opera house, so in the end he had to appeal once again to Ludwig. The king, somewhat peeved at the choice of Bayreuth and by now short of cash as a result of his lavish castles, came up with just enough for this unadorned building. Plans to add an elaborate façade at a later date never materialized.

Inside, however, it is a marvel of technical ingenuity. The acoustics, achieved at the expense of audience comfort, are world-renowned. Singers can be heard above the roar of the orchestra, which is buried in a deep pit. The huge and highly mechanized stage was decades ahead of its time, as was the lighting. T: (0921) 787-80. Guided tours are held in Dec.-April on Tues.-Sun. at 10 and 2; in Sept.-Oct. on Tues. through Sun. at 10, 10:45, 2:15, and 3. There are no tours when the theater is in use from late May through July, or in Nov. €. Tickets for performances are invariably sold out long in advance.

From here it is an easy downhill walk back to the train station.

Copyright © 2007 Earl Steinbicker.

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Vaduz, Liechtenstein

A ONE-DAY TRIP FROM ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND

I wrote about this Little Adventure as part of my Great Trips/Europe project was back in 1978, and it remains basically sound today. If you want to try it yourself you should first get up-to-date information from the sources at the bottom of this post.

Anyway, here's the original 1978 text:

"A MOUNTAIN WALK NEAR VADUZ"

"INTRODUCTION"

"About the closest we shall ever come to exploring that mythical Kingdom of Ruritania so beloved of operetta composers is a visit to Fürstentum Liechtenstein, a tiny but independent country neatly tucked away in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria. A daytrip spent hiking through its beautiful forests and magnificent mountains is a wonderful experience for any visitor to nearby Zürich who loves wandering around in the great outdoors."

"Yes, gentle traveler, there really is a Liechtenstein and it is a happy land ruled over by a genuinely benevolent Prince. Of the six independent states of Europe, it ranks third in size, being larger than San Marino, Monaco, or Vatican City but much smaller than either Andorra or Luxembourg. The people are prosperous and the taxes low although it is not quite true that the entire country is financed through the sale of postage stamps. Actually, Liechtenstein is primarily an industrial country; in fact the most intensely industrialized country in Europe — something you will never notice as the factories are nearly invisible."

"Its history is an interesting one. Originally part of the Rhaetian culture, it fell to the advancing Romans in 15 BC and was on their main route linking Germany with Italy. When the Allemanians chased the Romans out of the Alps in the third century it took on a Germanic character, being made part of Germany during the reign of Charlemagne's son Pippin. For a long time after that Liechtenstein, then known as the separate domains of Vaduz and Schellenberg, was ruled by local counts. It changed hands many times during the constant struggle between the Germans and Swiss."

"In 1719 it finally became an independent state within the Austrian Empire when it was purchased by a wealthy Viennese prince, Johann Adam von Liechtenstein. Although they owned vast lands all over the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Liechtenstein family treated their tiny new principality as a pet hobby into which they poured great sums of money. "

"With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 Liechtenstein became fully sovereign, with links to the German Confederation lasting until 1866. From then until the First World War it had certain ties with the home country of its ruling family, Austria. Barely escaping the final dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Liechtenstein allied itself with Switzerland by means of a customs and monetary union completed in 1924 and still in force today. The neutrality of the Swiss spared the Liechtensteiners the agony of World War Two, which surely would have engulfed them had they retained links with Austria."

"The present ruler, His Serene Highness, Franz Joseph II, Maria Aloys Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignatius Benediktus Gerhardus Majella, Twelfth Ruling Prince of Liechtenstein, Duke of Jägendorf, Count of Rietberg, Knight of the Golden Fleece, etc. is the world's last reigning Hapsburg. Despite all the royal titles, the Prince is a no-nonsense businessman who has brought a tremendous amount of investment capital in his stable and extremely prosperous land. Technically, he could be deposed at any time by the will of the very democratic people of Liechtenstein, but they are understandably reluctant to do this as in keeping the Monarchy they can enjoy the best of both worlds." [NOTE: This was written in 1978. The present ruling prince is his son, Hans Adam II, who in 2004 transferred executive power to his son Alois].

"Liechtenstein has a population of 24,000 [NOTE: Now 33,000] spread over an area of about 60 square miles. Most of the people live in the valley along the Rhine river surrounding the capital of Vaduz. As a result of its connection with neighboring Switzerland, the unit of money is the Swiss Franc and there are no border formalities for persons coming from that country. Driving through it in a car, this peaceful principality seems but a dot on the map pf Europe; however, on foot it assumes the proportions of a real kingdom, a magical place suspended in time between fairytales and the modern world. The walk described here should be a very enjoyable one indeed."

"TRANSPORTATION"

"From the Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station) take the 8:21 AM train to Sargans, arriving there at 9:20 AM [NOTE: Check current schedules online at sbb.ch]. Change immediately to the bus marked Vaduz after first purchasing a roundtrip bus ticket in the Sargans station. This will get you to the bus terminal in Vaduz by 10 AM, at which point you begin your trip."

"Returning, take the 5:20 PM bus to Sargans, which is the last one to that town. Change there to the 5:50 PM train to Zürich. If you miss the last bus to Sargans there is a later (7:25 PM) one to Buchs, which also has frequent train service to Zürich. You could, of course, always take a taxi to Buchs (about 4 miles), from which the last train to Zürich leaves at 8:55 PM."

"As always, these schedules are subject to change and it would be a wise idea to check them beforehand, particularly the return times from Vaduz. The Tourist Information Office in Vaduz is across the main street from the bus terminal."

"By car from Zürich follow the N-3 on the south side of the Lake of Zürich to Sargans, then north on the E-61 a few miles until you come to a bridge crossing the Rhine. Go across this to Balzars in Liechtenstein and follow the local road to Vaduz. You will find ample parking near the bus terminal. The total distance is about 65 miles each way."

"TIME AND WEATHER"

"This trip requires nice, clear, warm weather as most of its charm depends on the vistas across the Alps and the valley far below. It can be taken from late Spring through early Fall. If the weather should turn bad be content to know that one of the world's best art museums is in Vaduz, so your day will not be a loss."

"FOOD AND DRINK:"

"At the top of your walk, in the tiny village of Masescha and just in time for lunch, there is a good restaurant with both indoor and outdoor tables overlooking the Rhine Valley. Here, at a moderate price, you can get anything from a snack to a full meal. Go easy on the drinking, though, as the trail beyond this has a few treacherous spots."

"Back in Vaduz, there are several outdoor cafés on the main street that are quite charming. A good reward for your walking effort would be a glass or two of the deceptively light Vaduzer red wine, which resembles a rosé but packs a punch."

"WHAT TO BRING:"

"First, a little experience in trail walking by at least one member of your party is recommended. Sturdy shoes are absolutely necessary. Bring along a light jacket or sweater for changing weather conditions. A bottle of water, fruit juice or soft drink would be very welcome. Finally, a camera and a pair of binoculars will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the trip."

"THE WALK:"

"We begin by taking a bus over the steepest uphill climb, saving our energies for the more picturesque part of the trip. After checking the return schedules at the Tourist Information Office across the street from the Vaduz Bus Terminal (1), board the 10:40 AM local bus to Triesenberg, a distance of four miles, mostly up. Here your walk begins."

"At the bus stop in Triesenberg (2), an ancient Walser settlement and a popular resort, take the secondary road to the left toward Rotenboden. This follows a ridge overlooking the vast Rhine Valley landscape far below and is a relatively level walk. Once at Rotenboden (3), however, the road climbs to the right. There is virtually no traffic on this road, which crosses beautiful farmland. After a short while you will pass a stream with a waterfall to the left. Beyond this a footpath leads to the left and is marked for Masescha. Take this forest trail uphill until it again rejoins the paved road just before Masescha. In the winter this is a ski trail; the rest of the year it serves as a tractor path for the local farms."

"Arriving at Masescha (4) (photo, left), you will have climbed 1,160 feet since you left the bus at Triesenberg and are 2,560 feet above Vaduz and the Rhine Valley. Relax — from here on it's all downhill. But first have some lunch since the restaurant here is the only chance you will have to eat before ending up in Vaduz three hours later. Masescha is the oldest community of Walser settlers and has a small but interesting 14th-century church near the restaurant."

"Just beyond this, at a bend in the road, the trail takes off to the left. It is marked Vaduz Über Wildschloss (2¼ hours). After passing some farm buildings, the trail becomes a path going through an idyllic forest. Later, it opens again into farmland at the tiny settlement of Profatscheng (5), just beyond which you will come to a fork in the trail. Take the path marked Ruine Wildschloss & Vaduz to the right. This soon becomes a rough pathway in deep woods. There is another marked fork; again follow towards Ruine Wildschloss. The narrow path descends rapidly through the dense forest with occasional clearings providing beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. It then becomes a dirt logging road, which leads to the romantic ruin of an ancient fortress, Wildschloss (6)."

"Climb around the remaining walls and then continue on the dirt road to an intersection. Here take the fork to the left marked SCHLOSS VADUZ. you will pass a primitive animal feeding station on the right. When you come to a paved road turn to the right and walk downhill to Schloss Vaduz (7) (photo, right), the Royal Castle of the reigning prince. Built at least 700 years ago and added to throughout the centuries, it now houses, besides the royal family, the largest private art collection in the world. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public although its treasures are exhibited in the downtown art museum on a rotating basis."

"Beyond the castle a path to the left of the road leads down into the town of Vaduz. Where it joins the main street there are several outdoor cafés at which you can rest and reward yourself with a glass of the famous Vaduzer wine before taking leave of this improbable nation and returning to Zürich."

Copyright © 1978 Earl Steinbicker.

Although some 30 years old, this information remains basically valid today, with certain changes. CHECK FIRST before making the trip. A good source of current information about Liechtenstein is at W: tourismus.li. For current train schedules from Zürich visit W: sbb.ch.

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The Avedon Years, Part XXIV

Previously on this thread.

Avedon's Real Talent

Several readers of this blog have asked me: What cameras did Richard Avedon use to create his renowned photographs? A fair question, which I have tried to answer in an earlier post. But a loaded question. The choice of cameras had little if anything to do with his graphic achievements. Using an identical Rolleiflex or 8x10 Deardorff (or even the same ones!) will not transform anyone into an Avedon clone. Repeat, not!

The man I assisted from 1952 through 1956 and 1960 through 1965 had little technical knowledge and cared less about it. He was almost totally dependent on assistants for those matters. His real talent was in knowing exactly what he wanted, and how to direct others in achieving it. Above all, he was a master of psychology.

Avedon used a Rolleiflex because that was the camera he was familiar with from the very beginning, when his father gave him one as he left for wartime service in the Merchant Marine in 1942. The later use of an 8x10 Deardorff was at first a commercial decision as his advertising clients wanted the large format images; only later did he use it for portraiture — having been inspired by the work of the great German photographer August Sander.

Did Avedon Consider Himself An Artist?

I had discussed this with him a few times back in the early 1960s. His answer was always no, he considered himself an artisan — a craftsman of sorts who was skilled at getting sitters to reveal their inner selves before his lens while allowing his own personality to dominate the resultant image.

This may have changed after I left in 1965, as his reputation and fame grew and as his portraiture work became more important — and especially after several major museum exhibitions. I had little contact with him after 1965, and none at all after the 1970s.

Being Famous

Richard Avedon was never averse to publicity; in fact he courted it. Fame (and notoriety!) was key to getting the sometimes reluctant personalities to submit to his introspective and often brutal renderings of their persona. There are plenty of photographers who can make a sitter look good — it took a genius like Avedon to go far beyond that and get away with it.

As I pointed out elsewhere on this thread, here and here, Avedon was only able to excercise his real talent to its fullest because he had made a substantial amount of money through his advertising photography. And the reason he attracted high-end advertisers was because of his innovative fashion photography for Harper's Bazaar magazine and, later, Vogue magazine. So, fashion opened the way for advertising, which in turn allowed him to devote time and resources to his passion for portraiture.

In the final analysis, Avedon's real talent lay in knowing what he wanted and knowing how to get people to willingly give it to him. You could call this manipulation, or just understand that he was a dynamic, charismatic director who was always in charge. Cameras had nothing to do with it.

RETURN TO THE AVEDON YEARS INDEX. 

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Photographer's Assistants

Here's what I wrote for Photographic Product News back in 1965 about hiring photographer's assistants. This was not long before I left the Richard Avedon Studio in New York to join with a partner to form our own.

Sooner or later, as your business grows, you may well have to hire an assistant to help with the more routine chores and free yourself for the important ones. And when this happens you will very likely find yourself faced with a problem of conflicting goals if you have not chosen well. Hiring an assistant photographer is not like hiring a laborer. Commercial photography is a vastly complex field, covering as it does everything from art to merchandising, from electronics to chemistry, and the person you hire must be able to straddle all these aspects with equal ease. So you find yourself looking for someone who knows a little bit of everything and is at least temporarily more interested in your success than his own. Such a man is indeed a very rare bird.

Let's look at the qualifications. Prior experience or formal education are not necessarily good things. The last person you want is a know-it-all. While the man must have a working knowledge of photographic processes and an ability to perform technical jobs to your satisfaction, you certainly do not want someone else's working methods imposed on you. He must not be set in his ways or your efforts to teach and mold will be in vain. This would normally call for a younger man although a more mature person with experience and a fresh, open mind might prove a wiser choice, if such a man can be found.

Your man must also be fairly free of conflicting duties, which may prevent him from working overtime just when you need him the most. Generally, a single young man will be the most free in his schedule, but not necessarily. Try to ferret this information, by whatever cunning questions you can devise, during the initial interview.

How much does he know about photography? Practical experience, even as an advanced amateur, may count more here than trade school learning. An amateur is at least truly interested in the craft whereas the trade school graduate may possibly only be looking for an easy future in a soft job. Try to find out his motive for wanting to be a photographer. The truth will show up very quickly in his sample work. If his own pictures look like school assignments, beware. Less perfect but more original works indicate greater interest.

Besides photographic ability, your man must be a general jack of all trades.Can he change a plug? Make minor repairs to a strobe? Paint a background wall? Do some crude carpentry on the darkroom shelves? Can he drive a car well? You are certainly aware of the fantastic variety of professions that you as a photographer seem to be in.

Having found this genius, the chances are that he is a Prima Donna. Look out! No fiery temperments here, unless you enjoy daily conflict. Of all the qualifications, none is more important than a personality that works in harmony with yourself, your clients, and the rest of your staff. Not a dull soul, but a lively, likeable person, eager to please and equally eager to get ahead. That he should be full of energy, willing to do any task and be resonably neat about goes without question. Wit and charm are almost too much to ask for, but lucky you if you find it.

Most important, perhaps, is a strong desire to forge ahead. The ambitious ones work the hardest, even if they eventually leave to go into their own businesses.

A word of caution. Beware the photographer who didn't make it on his own and now is looking for a job. He may not be satisfied with anything you can offer him for long. Also beware the bank clerk looking for a more exciting career. This man may soon retreat to the teller's cage when he discovers just how much plain hard work there is in photography.

We have made a practice of sometimes hiring underprivileged young men and foreign apprentices as we have found that in their strong desire to learn a respectable trade they are more willing to work conscientiously than mere clock watchers. This accomplishes two aims, first we get better workers, secondly the individual gains invaluable training in a skilled job whereas otherwise he may spend the rest of his life being a drain on society. Some of our best help have been high school drop-outs who appreciated the fact that this was perhaps their only chance at a future career. Foreign apprentices are a bit difficult to find and there is always the nuisance of language and sponsorship, however they are usually well schooled in photographic techniques and require little training. They can be contacted through societies for international understanding or through foreign contacts you may have. Underprivileged young men may be found through schools and public-spirited organizations (Lions, Kiwanis, etc.). This is not to be considered a source of cheap labor and in all fairness should be paid the same wages as others of the same skill level. 

How about a girl assistant? No reason not to if heavy labor is not part of the job. And it may well make the studio a more pleasant place to work in.

What sort of a salary should you pay? This is always a delicate problem, balanced somewhere between the work demanded and the opportunity offered. Perhaps about $70 per week is right for a semi-skilled trainee. You can of course get an apprentice for much less but he will eventually feel that he is being exploited (which he is unless nothing is demanded of him), and an unhappy employee is worse than no employee. A skilled assistant can demand his own salary and get it — usually $125 to over $200 a week. You yourself are the only judge as to how high a skill level you require — do you want an errand boy or someone who knows as much as you do?

Overtime is a big factor in the studio business. You will probably be required to pay it (depending on job title and salary or perhaps give compensitory time off. If your man is really happy in his job he may be blissfully unaware of the hour and not ask for time and a half, but if he does request it, it is better to pay and keep a contended worker.

A common fringe benefit granted is freedom to use studio facilities for personal work. As long as the person can be trusted to take good care of your equipment, to use his own materials, and his work in no way interfers with your business, this may seem a good way to keep everybody happy. There is a danger here, though, that he may become more interested in his own photography to the detriment of work performed for you. If this gets out of hand he may regard the studio almost as his own and your work a nuisance that has to be put up with. I would suggest giving this privilege only after you have known the person for a long time and he is well aware of the limitations.

Lastly, how do you go about finding the person? A number of applicants will very likely contact you directly — most of these are sincerely interested in you and your work or they wouldn't have bothered. Some must be sought after — from schools, service organizations, placement agencies or even other studios. However you try, just avoid Help Wanted ads. I tried this once, giving only a phone number and a not very encouraging job description, and was literally beseiged for weeks with endless phone calls from totally unqualified applicants.

Here's hoping you find the magic man — the one who is completely satisfactory to you and happy with himself. Good hunting!

Here are some questions to ask during the interview — you may think of many more, but as a start:

1. Educational level attained, diploma and courses attended.
2. Birth date and place.
3. Languages spoken.
4. Marital status and dependents.
5. History of military service if any; dates, branch, rank, job.
6. Credit references, bank account.
7. Personal references, letters of recommendation.
8. An explanation of his motivation in seeking a job with you. Let him do all the talking on this one.
9. Brief history of amateur and/or professional background.
10. Employment history, job duties, salaries, dates, places, reason for leaving.
11. Ability to perform tasks required — practical test may be in order here.
12. Income requirements. A realistic figure now will save later misunderstanding.

 

TIMES HAVE CHANGED! Back when this was written, over 40 years ago, it was assumed that all photographic assistants were male, hence my use of "he," "him," and "man." Ladies, I apologize. Today's assistants, of whatever gender, should also be familiar with computers and especially with Photoshop. And they will have to be paid more.

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