Interesting new site

I am not quite sure if I totally relate to Anne Galloway's [PurseLipSquareJaw] at an intellectual level --- after all, Crooked Timber links to me (and it's the old link at BloggerPro, btw) as Otherwise Unclassifiable; Galloway is institutionalized i.e. an academic --- and links to an intimidating amount of university-type stuff e.g. books, seminars, research etc which to my mind tend to complicate as much as clarify. (But maybe I am merely jealous.)

But I love her sheer animal energy. She offers some personal observations --- the essence of blogging as I see it --- from her recent trip to Italy:

Yesterday at dusk we visited the property of the Knights of Malta - perhaps the world's smallest sovereign state. Surrounded by an imposing wall, you cannot go inside but are able to look through a keyhole in the main doors. Astoundingly, the keyhole offers a direct line of sight to the Vatican, as if to keep an unflinching eye on the Church. Never have I seen such a small design feature embody such history and power, and all while it limits one's gaze. Stunning. And no doubt a bonus for conspiracy theorists.

That's great.

Comments

[anne]

cheers! but i don't know what i like more - being referred to as institutionalised or as
having sheer animal energy ;)

[Chirag Kasbekar]

_This_ has got to be the smallest 'sovereign state" -- principality, actually:

http://www.fruitsofthesea.demon.co.uk/sealand/gallery.html

http://www.sealandgov.com/