METZ

This weekend I traveled to Metz, France. Cathedral from 13th century is something special – it is a classical cathedrale with the largest glass area in Europe (and probably in the world), incredible 6500 m^2 of vitraux is extraordinary heritage. (This would be something for you Andrej!) In the mighty ship of gigantic dimesions surreal light is coming thru windows. Man can easily enter a different world by admiring this outstanding art.

Ta konec tedna sem bil v Metzu v Franciji. Katedrala iz 13. stoletja je nekaj posebnega – je klasična katedrala z največjo stekleno površino v Evropi (s tem najbrž tudi na svetu), neverjetnih 6500 m^2 vitražev je neprecenljiva dediščina. (To bi bilo nekaj zate Andrej!) V mogočni ladji gigantskih dimenzij se skozi okna preliva nadzemeljska svetloba. Človek ob občudovanju izjemne umetnine stopi v drug svet.

But my intention was to write about something else. About new bonsai friends I met here. Bonsai club de Lorraine from Metz is even the oldest bonsai club in France. In Friday afternoon I was in Max Kozak's shop. Max is selling Asian, mostly Japan art. Here you can find even a antic bonsai pots, painting scrolls, bonsai books and many other things. What a shop! On his web page http://www.sui-gallery.com/ you can see only a fragment of his offers. Max, thank you again for your hospitality.

Ampak v bistvu sem hotel pisati o nečem drugem. O novih bonsajskih prijateljih, ki sem jih tu srečal. Bonsai club de Lorraine iz Metza je celo najstarejši francoski klub. Petkovo popoldne sem preživel v trgovinici Maxa Kozaka, ki se ukvarja s prodajo azijskih, predvsem pa japonskih umetniških izdelkov. Tudi antične bonsajske posode, slikarske zvitke, bonsajske knjige in še kaj. Paša za oči! Na njegovi internetni strani http://www.sui-gallery.com/ boste za zdaj našli le drobec njegove ponudbe. Max, hvala za gostoljubje.

In Saturday morning I was a guest of Patrick Gronwald and his family. With his wife and three sons he live at a country side near Metz – he is an artist by soul and profession. But now he is more interested in bonsai (mostly shohin) then in his sculptures which you can find on his web page http://gronwald.site.voila.fr/ (still under construction). And I saw some really beautiful shohin trees. Beside that, Patrick is also making bonsai stands (some of them you can find in Max's shop) and pots. Something special are small pots from stainless still. Sorry, but this time I forget my camera, so I was helping myself with cell phone …

V soboto dopoldne pa me je v svoj krog družine sprejel Patrick Gronnwald. Z ženo in tremi sinovi živi na podeželju blizu Metza – umetnik po duši in poklicu. Zdaj ga bolj kot skulpture, ki jih najdete tudi na njegovi spletni strani http://gronwald.site.voila.fr/ (še v izgradnji), zanimajo bonsaji. Predvsem šohin velikosti. In videl sem nekaj zelo lepih primerkov. Poleg tega Patrick izdeluje tudi bonsajske podstavke (nekaj jih je tudi v Maxovi trgovini) in posode. Nekaj posebnega so posodice za spremljevalne rastline ulite iz nerjavečega jekla. Žal sem tokrat pozabil fotoaparat, tako da sem si moral pomagati s telefonom ...

Patrick is working on his Carpinus (the largest one!)

Patrick dela na gabru (največjem v zbirki!)

Wonderful shohin Acer

Čudovit shohin javor

I spent a wonderful morning with his family; Patrick tell your wife that lunch was really good!

V krogu njegove družine sem preživel čudovito dopoldne; Patrick, povej ženi, da je bilo kosilo izvrstno!

New experiences, new friendships. Bonsaism are most of all – people!

Nove izkušnje, nova prijateljstva. Bonsajizem smo tudi in predvsem ljudje!

P.S.: Yes; Krim won that mach!

P.S.: Da, Krimovke so dosegle lepo zmago!