These are shots of Kingdom Tower, and one from within the gallery; highest building in Riyadh, absolutely beautiful cool blue/grey sweep in to the sky. I'll try and get better shots, but I'm in a car most of the time, and they drive like MANIACS here. Not embassy drivers, but almost everyone else. Italy has nothing on this country.....seriously, it's a problem. Lots of accidents, no protection for the children. Women are never allowed to drive. I'm always in an armored car, it's all protocol and you get used to it.
The tower is where Hewar gallery is located, 52nd floor, reception is tomorrow evening. All my work. The owner is a woman, is framing all the work for me, making a printed catalog, photographing all the work, hosting the Ambassador and his wife (I'm invited to their residence for dinner tonight) and it will be a big social event. Actually, I'm getting used to the paparazzi, TV, interviews, scrutiny. Abaya helps somewhat, but it's going to be pretty different returning to sleepy Shelburne Falls. I love this country, it smells fantastic - exotic incense and perfume, musky and lemony at the same time.
Last evening I stood on my balcony at 7 listening to the call to prayer. Mosques all have loudspeakers with recordings of different imams, and they echo all over the city, loud and mesmerizing, slightly out of sync. Like bells in Rome, in the dusk, in the change over from frenzy to calm as they all go to pray. It was a sublime moment, one of my best. My balcony is home to an escaped parrot who is quite entertaining.