More A Tram Of Thought Than A Train

I Say, That's Rather Good, Isn't It?
And it's all my own work.  You know, how trams stop and start frequently, whereas trains just get to where they're going with little of halts on the way.
     Now, that's what I can do with my brains when I sit down and work at something.  There is that other side of Conrad's brain, the untrammelled depths, where odd things keep popping up without explanation.  You might have some trouble keeping up with this, so go and make a brew, get some cake and sit down.

Buroo - close enough*

     As I opened the kitchen cupboard this morning, to gaze lovingly on that jar of lime marmalade (of which I restrict myself to one teaspoon per week), the word "Ypsilanti" appeared in my head.
     "Ah, yes," I thought.  "Wait - what?   Who or what is "Ypsilanti"?"
     It has a certain South American ring to it - doubtless some sinister and exotic succulent plant that the locals boil into soup and drink, the better to experience mind-bending hallucinations from -

These are Peyote cactii

     Except not.  Not remotely.   The story behind "Ypsilanti" is quite tortuous, yet hopefully interesting.
     First, the facts: it is a city in the South Canadian state of Michigan, population about 20,000.  One of it's more famous sons is Iggy Pop, FYI.

"Ypsi" as the locals know it

     Here is where it gets interesting.  Well, more interesting.** You see, the city has an uniquely-designed water tower, which is very prominent and - er - eye-catching, shall we say.  Art?

Wash your dirty minds out!

     Note that Greek flag, of the Hellenic Republic.  Also, note that statue.  Art?

Note the well-hidden cross over the door, put there during building for good fortune

     Wiki somewhat forbiddingly says I have to attribute this photo, so let's do that -
     - hmmm, their link has vanished.
     Okay, that above portrayed in stone is Demetrios Ypsilantis, a hero of the Greek War Of Independence, and the old community of Woodruff's Grove changed it's name to "Ypsilanti" in the year 1829, when he won the final decisive battle of that war, earning Greece independence from the Ottomans.

Free at last!

     In fact I bet the Ottomans were glad to see the back of Greece, since it had seethed with revolutions over the years, helped along by the fact that the Ottomans unwisely executed rebel leaders, which automatically made them untouchable martyrs.  The Western Powers were also hugely sympathetic to the cause of a free Greece, due to the fact that just about every politician and statesman had imbibed classical Greek literature at school.  The Ruffians also felt a very strong kinship with the Hellenes, with a common alphabet and church.  

Russian - but I bet you can't tell it from Greek, can you?

     Here an aside.  You may or may not have heard of that extremely learned man of letters and theology Jan Hus, who predated the rise of Protestantism by a century.  The Catholic church did not like this one bit, and, when they got their hot sweaty hands on him, burned him at the stake in 1421.
     Big mistake!  Hus instantly became an untouchable martyr, and the whole of Bohemia, unified in horror at his execution, rose up against their Catholic overlords, biffing the spit out of umpteen crusades against them, and remaining Hussite for 200 years.

"Bohemian" had a different original meaning
(A military hard-case good at winning battles)

     Where were we?
     Oh yes, the Greek War Of Independence.  Guess who went out to help the Greeks?  Lord Byron the poet.  Yes, that chap who was once tellingly described as "Mad, bad and dangerous to know".  Despite having no military experience whatsoever, he handily helped sort out a Greek fleet, and threw money at the Greeks in order to unify the squabbling factions fighting the Ottomans.  This squabbling was a major problem and he spent much time and energy (and money) to try and resolve it, going so far as to sell his estate in England to raise funds.
     Then he died.

"Lord Byron had seen better days"***

     However, and a "However" in neon letters ten feet tall, the Greeks absolutely worshipped the man, his qualities and behaviour.  For them, he could do no wrong and they felt so strongly in favour of him that a suburb of Athens was named after him ("Vyronas").  In fact the Greek spelling of his surname, "Vyron", is still a common name for Greek men.

Vyronas, with a Byzantine-looking church

     Well, we have taken a long journey today - from South America to South Canada, to old Bohemia (now part of Czechia) and Greece - and all from a bit of musing that came of staring at a jar of citrus preserve.

My muse

     It is now, one feels, time to go get a bit of lunch, prefatory to taking my constitutional hike into the wicked township of Royton, and seeing what the denizens thereof are up to (yes, I could have shortened that to "Eat. Walk. Shop. Home." but come on, where's the poetry in that?).

Later!



* Scottish slang for "Unemployment benefit"
**  Unless you live there.
***  Were I in Greece, this would get me into trouble.