Lessons from Caravaggio

From time to time, I realise I have become stuck in a repetitive groove.

By groove, I mean a way of living, following the same beaten path. The habit of frequenting the same places and avoiding the new.

One recent afternoon has shaken me out of this groove.

My wife and I met up with friends for an art exhibit and lunch. The group booked lunch at a restaurant my wife and I (aka we) had been intending to visit for years. We had a voucher for a Christmas gift. But, I kept putting off the visit because I thought parking would be a hassle.

At the time of writing, the Ulster Museum held an exhibition of two paintings by Caravaggio (1571–1610).

'The Supper at Emmaus' (1601) and 'The Taking of Christ' (1602). Both were painted by Caravaggio for the same patron, Ciriaco Mattei. They hung in his family's palace in Rome. Reuniting the paintings is an unusual event. Both paintings are seldom seen together since the first quarter of the 17th century.

The Ulster Museum is a venue I have visited three times. The first in the 1970s to see its Egyptian mummy. A second visit in the 1990s to see the same mummy. It looked the same.

This was my third visit, but no mummy this time.

The modern entrance and the diverse tourists made me realise something. I need to get out and look around my city. To see it like a tourist.

As our group walked towards the museum, I mentioned to someone how I needed to visit our tourist sites. The Titanic exhibition was a good example. My friend laughed and said a multi-million-pound refreshment program had given it a makeover.

That shows you. I have delayed my visit so much that they have already refurbished the venue.

The Caravaggio exhibit was fascinating. It reminded me of our visit to the Amsterdam galleries.

We left the exhibit via the gift shop. Rita, my wife, enjoys gift shops, whereas I wait in the open air. I took a park bench and people-watched. It made me realise how much I’d been missing in this part of Belfast, the University sector. Beautiful architecture, trendy vibe, Botanic gardens. Ideal for street photography. And that’s my intention when I return with a discreet point-and-shoot.

Next, to the restaurant, Deane's at Queens. We had a great lunch and enjoyed the chat. The two-hour meal flew by, but I was pleased to reach the place after years of talking about it.

My sister-in-law had joined us for the day; unknown to her, we had her Christmas 2018 present with us - a gift voucher for Deane’s at Queens.

That's nearly six years ago!

Thankfully, Deane's vouchers do not have an expiry date.

Rita would remind me from time to time about the voucher, but the hassle of where to park the car tended to put me off. I should have known. Parking proved to be easy. At weekends, office workers and students were absent.

As if I needed any further reminders.

Go with the flow, and think with your head in the moment. It's pointless to imagine parking nightmares at home, twenty miles away.

I enjoyed the company that Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed Caravaggio’s works, the food, and the vibe.

And I enjoyed the life lesson.

Avoid overthinking; do it and see what happens.

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