IL Postcard

Movies, Markets, and Magazines: Your Cultural Guide to Europe This Summer

Date: 06/25/2007

As you read this, I’ll be tucking into tapas on a sunny café terrace in the old quarter of Marbella, Spain. I’m here partly to escape the media overdrive of the recent legislative elections in France* and partly to explore a few projects and get a feel for the area.

You can hear about my findings in The European this summer, but in the meantime I invite you to read on to learn about movies in Istria, markets in Sofia, and books in Paris.

Enjoy,

Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European

* The results were pretty much as expected: the right wing won 60% of seats in the Assemblée Nationale, with the left making something of a comeback.

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This July see Balkan stars under the stars...and enjoy a film festival as an insider

by Steenie Harvey

In Roman times, the masses were appeased with bread and circuses. (You could say that little has changed. Fast forward 2,000 years, and the powers-that-be now distract us from reality with a diet of banal TV shows and celebrity worship.) In Pula, in Croatia’s Istria region, the Roman legacy of popular entertainment survives in astounding architectural form. Along with a forum and the Golden Arch of Augustus, this coastal city boasts one of the world’s best-preserved amphitheaters, called “the Arena” by the locals.

An excuse for romantic meetings
Built during the Emperor Vespasian’s 1st century A.D. reign, this amphitheater was designed to showcase gladiatorial combat. Its stone steps could seat 20,000 spectators—all, no doubt, baying for blood or cheering for their favorite fighter. Gladiators were the celebrities of their age. The local story is that Vespasian commissioned it as an excuse for frequent visits to Pula—one of his mistresses, Antonia Cenida, owned estates here.

The Arena is a venue today for various concerts and events, with an audience capacity of 5,000 to 8,000. For many, the annual highlight is the Pula Film Festival, this year running from July 12 to July 21. The festival was launched in 1954 as an official communist celebration of Yugoslavian feature films. In 1992, it became a festival of Croatian film, but there’s now more of an international flavor. Details of this year’s movies aren’t yet available, but they’re more likely to be avant-garde than blockbuster. Keep an eye on the Pula Film Festival website for the schedule, times, and ticket prices.

Two days after Pula’s festival wraps up, Croatia’s international movie action moves to Motovun, a fortified hill village in northern Istria. Last year’s offerings included a German/Mongolian production called The Story of the Weeping Camel and Wristcutters: the Love Story, roundly condemned by various U.S. suicide prevention organizations. Again, not exactly movies for the mainstream.

Calling for film-fan volunteers
Now in its ninth year, the Motovun festival is run by 170 volunteers from all around the world. On June 2 this year, a press release went out calling for more. If you’re interested in helping out, you’ll be provided with lodgings, food, and “other little things that make the life in Motovun easier and happier.”

Responsibilities range from maintenance of festival theaters and selling tickets to various duties on the festival campsite. It sounds like great fun and is obviously a rare opportunity to participate as a film festival insider. An application form is on the website. Motovun’s festival runs July 23–27.

[ Editor's note: Watch out this summer for our special report on Motovun.]

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Five things to see in Sofia

by Leah Larkin

Bulgaria joined the EU in January, and Sofia, its capital, is ready for visitors. It may not be as glamorous as those favorite Eastern European capitals, Prague and Budapest, but this city of just over a million, surrounded by snow-covered peaks, is a pleasant surprise.

Start at the statue
Almost everything is in the center of town and can be visited on foot. Start a tour at the statue of St. Sofia, the city’s patron whose golden statue was erected atop a tall pedestal five years ago. The citizens of Sofia are said to love the statue but the church condemns it, contending that it is not a religious rendition of a saint. They may have a point: The golden saint, wearing a form-fitting gown with a plunging neckline, looks more like a Greek goddess.

Roman remains by the rotunda
Head over to the Sheraton hotel, which was built in front of the oldest and best preserved building in Sofia, the 4th-century St. George Rotunda. This ancient church is surrounded by ruins of the Roman town of Serdica. Within the structure, three layers of frescoes were discovered, the oldest dating to the 10th century.

Battenburg Square
Walk through Alexander Battenburg Square, named after the man who became the country’s first prince in 1879 when the country was liberated from 400 years of occupation by the Turks. Pass the National Art Gallery, a yellow building which was the former royal palace, and continue down Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard past the Russian Church of St. Nicholas. This is Sofia’s prettiest church with a bright yellow-tiled exterior, gilded domes, and an emerald green spire, all sparkling in the sun—a delightful jewel in the midst of the busy city. It was built in 1913 in the traditional Moscow decorative style as the project of a Russian architect.

St. Alexander Nevski
The golden dome of St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the city’s largest place of worship, dominates the skyline. Built between 1908 and 1912, it commemorates the 200,000 Russian soldiers who perished in the Bulgarian War of Liberation.

The majority of Bulgarians are Christian Orthodox and their churches are lavishly decorated with frescoes, icons, chandeliers—and candles. Some are dark and mysterious places with just the flickering of candles casting a soft glow on the silver that covers many of the icons. Thanks to large clear windows, St. Alexander Nevski is brighter than most orthodox churches.

Markets
There’s a lively and colorful street market near the church. Everything from Russian fur hats and lacquered boxes to icons, embroidery, and flea market bric-a-brac is for sale. And on Vitosha Boulevard, the city’s main shopping thoroughfare, pedestrians saunter down the middle of the street, which is closed to all traffic except trams, and is as busy as the city’s covered market. In the middle of the market hall, surrounded by shops—bakeries, butchers, vegetable stands, and souvenir boutiques—are a fountain and two popular restaurant/bar complexes.

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What it costs to live in…Vienna

by Bart Nabrdalik

In this occasional column, we report on the costs incurred to you, should you make the move to Europe. This week, we visit Vienna, Austria, for the lowdown on some general items you’ll be paying for.

Prices given are those recorded as of April 20, 2007. $1.32 equals 1 euro

The cost of living in Vienna is higher than anywhere in Austria with the exception of Salzburg. Yet, as the city lies close to the poorer countries of Central Europe, the costs of living and real estate remain substantially below those encountered in Switzerland, London, or Paris. As Vienna consolidates its position as the new lynchpin of the united Central Europe, those costs are bound to rise.

Rental of a modestly furnished 1,000-square-foot apartment in a central area such as the Innere Stadt or Josephstadt will cost about 1,500 euro per month. For a slightly bigger home in the prestigious 18th and 19th districts that border on the hilly Vienna Woods, expect to pay between 1,500 and 2,500 euro per month. In contrast, some heavily immigrant-populated inner city districts like Favoriten or Leopoldstadt offer studio apartments for as low as 250 euro.

The nationwide Billa and Zielpunkt chains are the cheapest supermarkets, Hofer and Eurospar being somewhat pricier. The local outdoor produce markets will not offer any substantial savings, but are well worth visiting since the vegetables and fruit are clearly fresher. A great number of ethnic delis offer cheap and tasty alternatives to the established national chains—Turkish and Polish establishments are particularly numerous.

The following are examples of prices in a medium-range supermarket in Vienna:
A loaf of sliced white bread 1.99 euro
A dozen eggs 1.09 euro
1 liter milk 0.69 euro
Pack of butter (250g) 1.20 euro
Fresh chicken per kilo 3.50 euro
Tomatoes in summer 1.10 euro
Bottle of local white wine 5 euro

Other monthly costs for running an apartment for two people:
Gas for heating and a stove 45 euro
Electricity 50 euro
Monthly telephone rental fee 20 euro + cost of calls
Unleaded gas super 97per liter 1.19 euro (diesel is 0.99)
Broadband Internet fee 19 euro
Cable TV 20 euro

And for your leisure budget:
Ticket for the movies 6 euro
Lunch for two with wine 20 euro
Coffee with milk 2 euro
Car insurance (small family vehicle) 35 euro
(180 euro for a top-range Mercedes or BMW 7)

Car insurance in Austria tends to be slightly over the European Union average. Insurance is based on age, driving record, and the car type you drive.

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The bookworm’s guide to Paris

by Leigh Fergus

Nostalgists can always head for the eternally hippie hangout that is Shakespeare & Co. by Notre-Dame, but Paris has better pickings for books in English elsewhere.

W.H. Smith, 248 rue de Rivoli, Métro Concorde. Open Mon.–Sat.: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Sun.: 1 p.m.–7:30 p.m. This is the only French branch of a British high-street stalwart. Stocking the latest best-sellers, volumes for reference, and the best selection of kids’ books in the capital, plus a wide range of magazines and journals, DVDs, and audio tapes, it’s bound to have something you’ll want to read. I particularly appreciate the travel section upstairs. The store also boasts a small selection of stationery, greeting cards, and gifts.

Brentano’s, 37 avenue de l’Opéra, Métro Pyramides. Open Mon.–Sat: 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m. This is the oldest Franco-U.S. bookstore in town (running since 1895), but is currently being refurbished and, I fear, downsized. Carrying books in English with a strong section on crime and sci-fi, as well as arts and crafts (the knitting club, Café Tricot, is a hit), and a good range in French. You can also find gifts and gadgets imported from the U.S., as well as your favorite newspapers and magazines.

Galignani, 224 rue de Rivoli, Métro Tuileries. Open: Mon.–Sat.: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. The immaculate parquet, towering wooden bookshelves, old-fashioned air of quiet appreciation, and the impressive selection of fine art books makes this probably the most pleasant of Paris’ bookshops for browsing.

Village Voice, 6 rue Princesse, Métro Mabillo. Open Mon.: 2–7:30 p.m.; Tues.–Sat: 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Sun.: 1–6 p.m. This shop, run by Odile Hellier, is much cozier than the stores mentioned above, and has long been a gathering place for the Anglo-American literary fans of Paris, or for those looking for the Sunday edition of The New York Times. Author readings are regularly scheduled—this summer look out for William T. Vollmann, Michael Ondaatje, and Irvin Yalom.

The San Francisco Book Co., 17 rue Monsieur-le-Prince, Métro Odéon. Open Mon.–Sat.: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun.: 2–7:30 p.m. This neat secondhand bookshop is my favorite, smelling like a bookshop without being musty. It has a quirky selection of the latest novels at the front, alongside an eclectic range of history books, with older reference books and novels at the back, and cheap holiday-reading paperbacks outside. Prices aren’t knockdown cheap but the books are in good condition. And they’ll buy your books when you’ve finished with them.

A more recent addition is the Red Wheelbarrow, 22 rue St Paul, Metro St Paul. Open: Mon.: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Tues.–Sat.: 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sun.: 2–6 p.m. I haven’t yet checked this store out, but it looks set to fill a gap in this part of town.