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Friday, June 21, 2024

Gallimaufry#132

Just a gallimaufry of AI-generated photos, real photos and ramblings 📸

FROM THE TRAVEL ARCHIVES

I saw this sign displayed in the marble-clad lobby of the Divani Palace Acropolis while waiting for the rest of our tour members to check out. The receptionist informed me that the hotel houses a preserved portion of the ancient Themistoclean Wall in its basement. How cool is that

Unfortunately, time did not permit so here's an image I snagged from the internet.
image source - https://www.atlasobscura.com/
During renovations at the Divani Palace Acropolis hotel, a large section of the Themistoclean Wall was discovered. Greece’s strict laws protecting archaeological sites allowed the hotel to adjust its plans, preserving the ancient wall while enabling public admiration. Visitors can find this southwest portion of the wall on display 24/7 in the hotel’s lower level, right at the base of the main staircase in the lobby. Hotel security closely monitors the area, and respectful behavior is greatly appreciated.

Goddess Demeter
Demeter is the ancient Greek goddess of agriculture, harvest, and fertility. Revered for her vital role in ensuring the earth's fertility and the cycle of life and death, she is a central figure in Greek mythology. Demeter is often depicted holding sheaves of wheat or a cornucopia, symbolizing abundance and nourishment. Her most famous myth involves the abduction of her daughter Persephone by Hades, which explains the changing seasons. When Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter mourns, causing winter; when Persephone returns, Demeter's joy brings spring and summer, symbolizing rebirth and renewal

Replica of David, Piazza della Signoria, Florence
I like to believe that when Michelangelo said, "Within every block of stone, there is a statue, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it," he had some help from the mice. 

Imagine a cozy studio where tiny, artistic mice scurry about, their delicate paws expertly chiseling away at marble. By candlelight, they work side by side with the great master, their whiskers twitching with concentration as they reveal the hidden beauty within each stone. 

It's a charming thought, isn't it? 

That perhaps, in the quiet corners of history, these little sculptors played their part in crafting masterpieces


El Greco Hotel, Santorini 2023
I absolutely adore the cubic Cycladic architecture of the hotels in Santorini. The pristine white structures with their simple, geometric lines and blue accents blend seamlessly with the stunning Aegean Sea and sky. It's a perfect harmony of design and nature that exudes both elegance and tranquility.

Inspiration strikes!
Bath city hop-on hop-off bus


Dinner - Peranakan
The term "Peranakan" refers to the descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to the Malay archipelago, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, between the 15th and 17th centuries. These immigrants intermarried with the local Malay population, creating a unique culture that blends Chinese and Malay traditions.

Cincaluk okra - my absolute favourite
Cincaluk

Cincalok, also known as cencaluk, is a traditional Southeast Asian condiment that originated in Malacca, Malaysia. It’s consumed by Malays, Peranakans, and Kristangs. This unique condiment is made from small shrimp or krill, known as udang geragau in Melaka, which are fermented. The result is a predominantly salty taste, often served with chillis, shallots, and lime juice.

Here's a funny story to share, my first time opening a bottle of cincaluk.

Picture this: there I was, a cincaluk newbie, ready to dive into the world of fermented krill. I had my first bottle in hand, completely unaware of the culinary adventure that awaited me. As I pried the cap, it was like I had launched a rocket! The hissing bottle shot up, hitting the ceiling and raining down its pink, potent contents. In an instant, I was wearing more cincaluk than the dish I was cooking! My hair and clothes were a mess, and the smell… well, it's a scent that grows on you. So, that was my initiation into the cincaluk club - a hair-raising, ceiling-touching, laughter-inducing explosion of flavor! 😄

Note:
When opening a bottle of cincalok, you need to be careful because the fermentation process can produce a significant amount of gas, causing pressure to build up inside the bottle. To safely release this pressure, use a bottle opener to gently pry the edge of the crown cap. By lifting the side of the cap slightly, you allow the gas to escape slowly, preventing the contents from spraying out explosively. Continue to carefully lift the cap until all the pressure is released before removing it completely.

After that explosive encounter, I’ve developed a bit of a phobia when it comes to opening a bottle of cincaluk. Every time I see one, I can’t help but remember the day I became a human cincaluk fountain. There’s still a  stubborn stain on the ceiling of my kitchen as a constant reminder of that fateful incident! 

#AIart #GenerativeArt #NeuralNetworkArt #ComputerGenerated #AlgorithmicVisuals #DigitalCreativity #MachineLearningArt #SyntheticIllustrations #AutomatedDesign #CreativeAlgorithms #AIEnhancedGraphics #AlgorithmDrivenArt #DigitalGenerativeArt #AIGeneratedGraphics #ComputationalCreativity #CreativeCodingArt #DeepLearningImagery #VirtualArtwork #CreativeAI #ArtificialIntelligenceArt

56 comments:

  1. What a nice pictures, thanks for your sharing

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  2. Hello Veronica! Thanks for sharing interesting information about the integration between Malay and Chinese tradition. I'd like to taste that typical food!
    Love the AI-gerenated images of the mouse. My favourite one is the decker bus with mouses on top.
    I'm glad to see you have posted another picture of my country (piazza della Signoria, Florence).
    Have a nice weekend!

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  3. Dearest Victoria,
    Oh my, your explosion of not–yet known cincalok...
    As for the ancient wall below the hotel, that is quite fascinating and a good thing it got preserved for others to view and admire: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/divani-palace-acropolis-fortification-wall
    It is what makes traveling so rich—going back in history!
    Those statues are so well done and I wonder if tiny mice hands could chisel away the hard marble for creating something on their own...
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  4. Wonderful photos! The ones with London images are my faves, I miss my birth town. But the mouse population seems to have increased! And that ancient wall, on my, that is such a treasure! Happy weekend, hugs, Valerie

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  5. I always enjoy traveling with your cute and clever AI mice, Veronica. They are delightful! Loved seeing that part of the ancient wall, too.
    Have a blessed weekend!

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  6. Hello Veronica!
    Wonderful photos! I plan to visit London this year.
    Have a nice day!

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  7. Delightful pictures, I'm popping up to London next week, and I'll be looking out for the mice (please tell me they weren't AI generated!)

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  8. Ah - memories of Greece (including Santorini) and Florence are flooding back to me now. ☺ All beautiful and fascinating places, which your photos have captured well. Love the AI mice on vacation too!
    Interesting to learn about Chinese and Malay cuisine. I wasn't familiar with cincalok, but that sure must have been a terrible mess when the bottle exploded!

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  9. Those photos from Santorini make me want to hop on a plane right now!

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  10. That looks like a great meal! That hotel in Santorini looks amazing.

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  11. Having dealt with exploding carbonated beverage bottles, I can imagine what happened with your exploding bottle. Yikes. What a mess.

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  12. Your mice characters are so darned cute -- I loved every photo! And the food looks delicious. As for the travel pix, keep 'em coming. But watch out with those bottles. I don't know if I'll ever use that but if I do I'll consider myself warned!

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  13. That wall is so interesting. I'm glad they preserve things like that.
    Yikes on the exploding bottle! I'd be scared to open another one too. :)
    I just love your mice. You could do a kids book with them and their adventures!

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  14. Santorini is such a beautiful place to visit. What a way to live

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  15. I really enjoyed those cute mice but I had to stop and eat some of that yummy food!

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  16. Wow, that sounds like quite an experience with the bottle of Cinkalok. I would never have expected that.
    Interesting myth about Demeter and the seasons.
    And your AI generated mice are so cute

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  17. Me dio ganas dela comida . Me gustaron las imagenes de estatuas. Te mando un beso.

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  18. Cincaluk, you had a big mess to clean up and no, I wouldn't forget something like that either.
    Love your AI mice, ever so sweet.
    Santorini, your photos are really lovely. I've never had any desire to go there as yet. Take care.

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  19. Beautiful photos with AI.
    Santorini looks beautiful, the food looks delicious too.
    I wish you a good weekend.
    Greetings Irma

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  20. Wonderful Images, i love Demeter, a beautiful statue.
    Wish you a fabulous weekend

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  21. Whenever I see your pictures of great local food, I wish I could try it.

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  22. Hello,
    Santorini looks beautiful, a lovely hotel and pool. That is some story about opening the bottle of Cincalok. The food looks delicious. Cute Ai images of the mice. Take care, have a happy weekend.

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  23. Verónica, mas cuidado la próxima vez con cincalok. Perdona pero no he podido evitar reirme al leerte y seguro que no lo vas a olvidar.
    Me han gustado las fotos de los ratoncitos.
    Buen fin de semana.
    Un abrazo.

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  24. The ancient Themistoclean Wall is interesting. Your favorite dish looks really good.....and spicy. Funny story of the first time you tried the condiment.

    Enjoy the rest of these June days. The month went by so quickly.

    ~Sheri

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  25. So funny to see the little sculptors hard at work!!

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  26. The hotels in Santorini would have caught my attention too, Veronica Lee.the sculptures of Michelangelo are very beautiful, and sorry but I could not imagine mice helping in the studio. That said, you have a good fantasy going.

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  27. Hello Veronica,
    Love the cute images of the mice and the double decker buses. The hotel and pool in Santorini is lovely. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your day and have a great week ahead. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  28. Your little mice are having way too much fun Veronica -- they've been everywhere and done everything and they are so darn cute while they're doing it. For goodness sake though, don't let them anywhere near a bottle of cincaluk. (Your story made me laugh, it is something I can easily imagine happening to me).

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  29. Your little white sculptors are super cute! <3
    Btw, did they just beat me to Santorini? :D

    I'm thoroughly enjoying your AI creations and I'm so glad you're keeping the travel and food stories going! Have a lovely new week, Veronica. <3

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  30. Hi Veronica,
    Too bad I didn't make it to Santorini (we were on a cruise and they changed the ports:-( ); it is beautiful!

    Had similar experience but not with Cincaluk. It was a bottle of salad dressing and it was not closed properly. My friend's 10-year old granddaughter picked it up, shook it and it flying all over her hair! It was hilarious. Definitely memorable!

    I share this post on Skywatch:
    https://mvmaithai.blogspot.com/2020/05/homebound-life-amid-coronavirus-pandemic.html

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  31. What fun whimsical play with the mice. I saw the exact replica of David as well as the original. Within every block of stone, there is a statue, indeed, and within every house a mouse. :)

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  32. Santorini looks very pretty and your photos are beautiful. The food looks delicious. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day.

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  33. Such lovely photos. That little mouse family is adorable.

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  34. Veronica, I am so very captivated by those Aegean seaside pools. Bliss!

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  35. What a fab mix of photos the A! clever too plus of course the food heheh!
    Have a gallimaufrytasticated week Veronica 👍

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  36. That is so amazing that a preserved portion of the ancient wall was actually located right in the hotel you stayed at! Also, I loved seeing the beautiful El Greco Hotel, I also love the clean white lines!

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  37. Oh WOW a piece of the ancient wall? Thats wild. Love the mice sculpting. It always amazes me people that can do sculpture. Which AI do you use?

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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  38. Interesting pictures and the Cincalok tale!

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  39. Such interesting and cute pictures of mice and their travels. I'm so glad I'm able to still follow along with your adventurous life, Veronica!

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  40. Amazing pictures and the food looks so yummy :-)
    Rampdiary

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  41. That's a lot of amazing photos and i enjoyed reading your blog. I'm a new follower and I hope you follow back. Thank you. :)

    http://www.itsjulieann.com

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  42. When I image a cozy studio of tiny, artistic mice I see Cinderella!

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  43. That's incredible! Discovering ancient history preserved within a hotel is a unique experience. It's wonderful that Greece's laws enabled the preservation of the Themistoclean Wall for public admiration. Read my new post

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  44. ...the Bath city hop-on hop-off bus is my favorite. Thanks for sharing and I hope that you are having a wonderful week.

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  45. The busy little mice are so adorable, one wants to cuddle with them all and take them home.

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  46. Thanks for an interesting and amusing post. I think AI is fun as long as we are careful to explain that it is AI-generated. Such cute mice!

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  47. You have AI down very well. Such fun shots.

    I love your food and the condiment looks like it could blow up in your hands. I'd love to try it.

    Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.

    Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. ♥

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  48. I love your imagination and how it works, there are mice everywhere eheheh! I like your photos AI, as always! Your story with the bottle of this condiment is funny and a warning to those who don't know about this powerful product! Hugs!

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  49. I find it fascinating that the newer cities are built over archeological fragments of the older ones. Your photo of David brought back memories of our visiting Florence for the first time. The photos of Santorini are so beautiful. That is a funny story about cincaluk. I am so glad you can laugh about it now. The flavour sounds really intriguing.

    -Soma

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  50. I've never tried most of the food that you post but it sure looks good. I would definitely try it. I love the mice. Goodness, they are too cute.

    That wall piece is really cool.

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  51. Your food pics always make my mouth water!

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  52. ...I would love to be in waffle heaven!

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  53. That’s so interesting! I love the history of the Themistoclean Wall. The architecture in Santorini is beautiful too. Thanks for sharing!

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