Love is a ...

... many splendored thing

Quote of the week

"It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them."

–Agatha Christie

Hello,

The theme for this week is somehow given - LOVE. I am writing this on Valentine’s day and it seems all media attention today is directed to this day of love. So, let’s see where it all started. As usual one could say, we have to go back to the Romans.

How did it start?

The history of Valentine’s day is shrouded in mystery. According to legend Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II thought that single men made better soldiers than married men, so he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine did not think this was fair and married the men against the law and in secret. He was discovered and sentenced to death. Or he could have been Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop who also was beheaded by Claudius II.

That is not all, since other stories suggests Valentine was killed because he helped Christians escape harsh prison sentences. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first valentine greeting himself after he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter who visited him during his confinement. Before he died he is presumed to have written her a letter signed “From your Valentine”.

There might be a little bit of truth behind all of these stories. One thing they have in common though is a sympathetic, heroic and romantic figure.

We can’t have a story like this without some conspiracy theories. In Ancient Rome they celebrated the pastoral festival of Lupercalia on February 15. This was the time to purify the city, promoting health and fertility. The purification was probably much needed in those days. Another name for the feast was Februatus, after ‘februa’ which was the purification instrument, thus giving the name to the present month. Some claim that the Catholic church may have decided to put the Valentine celebration in the middle of the month in order to ‘Christianise’ the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. The festival did survive the rise of Christianity but was outlawed in the 5th century by Pope Gelasius who declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Days.

During the Middle Ages it became a feast for young people in love, especially in France and England. It was here the tradition to writing love letters and poems to the beloved one started. From the 19th century ready printed Valentine cards have been available, often decorated with silk ribbons and lace. The oldest Valentine card is from 1477 when Margery Brew sent a greeting to her beloved John Pastor.

Famous love couples

The first love story comes from the Bible with Adam and Eve. History has since given us Cleopatra/Marcus Antonius, Lord Nelson/Lady Hamilton, George Sand/Frédéric Chopin, Napoleon/Josephine, Queen Victoria/Prince Albert, Maria Callas/Aristoteles Onassis, Ingrid Bergman/Roberto Rossellini and many others. Some died for each other like Marie Vetsera and Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf.

Literature and film have produced many couples, some which also loved each other to death. Tristan/Isolde, Paris/Helena, Jane Eyre/Mr. Rochester, Catherine/Heathcliff, Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy, Anna Karenina/Count Vronsky, Scarlet O’Hara/Rhett Butler, Ilsa/Rick and the love birds above everyone else, Romeo and Juliet.

Be inspired?

If you want to send a card (for next year, too late now) you might be inspired by the following: “I’ve fallen in love many times … but always with you.” Robert Browning said: “Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.” Albert Einstein approached love in a more scientific way: “Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.” Pablo Picasso thought: “Love is the the greatest refreshment in life.” Aerosmith thought more of the practical dilemma: “Falling in love is so hard on the knees.”

Musings this week

While out walking on Sunday my friend told me there is a Vermeer exhibition in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (February 10 - June 4). The biggest ever with the works of Johannes Vermeer, including most of his paintings. I love his paintings and we saw two of them at the Mauritshaus in Den Haag last summer; View of Delft and Girl With a Pearl Earring, but to see almost all of them would be a real treat. Back home, I sat down to book two tickets, just to get the information that it was all sold out. What a disappointment. The web-site said they were trying to arrange for more tickets, so we should keep your eyes open. Which I did, 10 times on Sunday and Monday, and … voilà, on Tuesday it was possible to book again, and I managed to get two tickets for mid May. That was my bet Valentine gift ever. So much looking forward to the event. We will stay 5-6 days in Amsterdam with our van and enjoy other outings in this wonderful city.

I remember another sold out exhibition in S’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, some years ago, with works by Hieronymus Bosch. Absolutely fantastic. In the end we managed to get a ticket at 6 a.m. I think they were open most nights at the end of the exhibition, because the tickets were so sought after. It was a very different feeling to visitin the museum so early in the morning. This time we have an entrance spot between 9.00 - 9.15.