From the Center for International Policy - an unfortunate beret picture

Yes, a beret is very well capable of getting you into trouble, worn on the wrong head at the wrong time...

Critics of the Hugo Chávez-mediated effort to negotiate a hostage-for-prisoner exchange with the FARC got a big gift on Monday.

Some unfortunate photosfrom the talks were posted to the website of a group called the “Bolivarian Press Agency. They depict Piedad Córdoba, the Colombian opposition senator whom President Uribe had appointed as a mediator for the talks, posing the other day with top FARC leaders in Caracas.

Wearing the same beret as the FARC leaders, including secretariat member Iván Márquez and so-called “foreign minister” Rodrigo Granda, Córdoba holds a bouquet of flowers that the guerrillas had just presented her. All are standing in front of a large, colorful FARC banner.

The effect on Colombian public opinion will no doubt be devastating. The images give the impression of Senator Córdoba enjoying camaraderie with a group that runs drugs while killing and kidnapping thousands of people.

Córdoba says that the pictures are out of context, that they did not capture a typical moment at the Caracas meetings. She said that the presentation of the bouquet was highly unexpected, and that she had just jokingly taken the beret off of one of the guerrillas’ head and put it on, in an effort to “distensionar el ambiente” (to reduce tensions) after some “discusiones muy fuertes” (very strong words during the talks). She adds that she asked the guerrillas not to share the photos.

Though she is a politician from the left, Piedad Córdoba is not a FARC sympathizer. She has said that one of her biggest challenges since being named as a facilitator in August has been simply to win the guerrilla leaders’ trust. (Her meetings with FARC leaders in U.S. prisons have been, to some degree, a part of that effort.) A measure of trust and empathy, even on a superficial level, can make an interlocutor more flexible and conciliatory.

Creating an atmosphere of trust may mean an occasional moment of levity when the talks occur. But those moments should take place off camera. This is something that the FARC - in its rush to show the world that it is a legitimate political organization with friends in high places - ignored, with serious consequences for the nascent talks.

As these pictures are shown repeatedly in Colombia’s media, the damage to the process will be great. Though not fatal, they are a setback.

Our opinion is that Piedad Córdoba is not guilty of being a tool of the FARC. She did, however, commit two errors that a mediator must avoid: don’t be indiscreet, and don’t allow yourself to be used.

Beards and Berets

Interesting how many beret-wearers also sport a beard.

I am not an anthropologist, nor a sociologist or psychologist and can only guess what the reasons behind this phenomenon could be.

Possibly a strong affiliation with the sheep where the beret's wool comes from, or an overall desire to stay warm. Possibly a desire to hide one's head and face from view, although this shyness clashes with the attention that both berets and beards can generate...

A show of masculinity could be another reason, but then, so many women wear a beret as well these days, so that would be merely compensation.

Anyway, doing a little research on the subject rewarded me with some beautiful pictures; (from top to bottom) this 'far from shy' man from Cuba, a man at the University Library of Missouri, a bearded beret-wearer in Coolea, County Cork and this older Indian gentleman in Rajasthan.

And last, this bearded jazzman outside Newcastle University Union:

Berets in Bosnia

One country very dear to me is Yugoslavia, or, more specific Bosnia, for a variety of mixed emotional reasons.

During 1993 and 1994 I worked for Médecins Sans Frontières in the "Republica Srpska", the self-proclaimed Serbian Republic in what was once the multi-ethnic Republic of Bosnia - still a rich source of material for my novels.

Great memories of lovely people, trying to continue living their lives the best they can, amid the worst possible atrocities imaginable. Not the right place to write about that here...

There were many berets too, in Serbian Bosnia; the army, the para-militaries, the hooligans with guns, but also the old intellectual elite and the farmers who used the beret for what it was: a means of protection from the sun and rain, the heat and the cold.

I remember the old jewish professor Mrkic in Banja Luka with his small black Basque beret and Dr Dragan Rakic, wearing a brown beret following the tradition set by his father. It was a small group though, the Basque beret wearers in the Republika Srpska...

More common to wear a Basque beret was it with the muslim population of Bosnia. I'd like to see how many there are worn today in Sarajevo...

They are beautiful, but not pretty - these pictures I found. A senior man reading the Koran by a grave in an instant cemetary, or this gentleman walking through a deserted street.

What comes to mind, looking at these pictures, are the famous words of Dutch Commander Karremans, who, after handing the safe haven of Srebenica over to General Mladic, said: "there are no good guys or bad guys here..."

Wine (5)

Read here the fascinating story of Mike Grgich, a Croatian vintner in California's Napa Valley. Previously, a frugal sheepherder who started wearing his trademark beret because he was burned by the cost of losing an umbrella.

“When I went to University of Zagreb, I had no father, no mother. I had to support myself, and I came to Zagreb, which has lots of rain, like Seattle. So I bought an umbrella. I lived seven miles from university and going to the university and back I had only one choice, and that was streetcar,” he says. “One day, I left the umbrella on the streetcar. … I was walking down the street one day and I saw the French beret. I had no money to buy a new umbrella, but I had enough to buy a beret. I thought that will be to protect my head and I am never going to lose it because I could fold it up and keep it in my pocket. And since that moment on, this was my head.”

France's Voice of the Voiceless

“The people of France agree on very little, but for decades one touchstone of national feeling has been respect and love for a frail, bearded, beret-wearing force of nature named Abbé Pierre. The death on Monday, 22 January 2007, at the age of 94, France’s “voice of the voiceless” has inserted a pause in a divisive presidential election campaign as France pays homage to a man of unerring courage and compassion; a man who embodied the best of French traditions.

In a land of foxes, Abbé Pierre was a hedgehog. His one big idea: that the plight of the poor and homeless calls for constant outrage and action. His organization, Emmaüs, created in 1949 to enlist the homeless themselves in the work of building shelters and a future, is now present in 35 countries. Every public figure in France has lamented his passing. President Jacques Chirac said that France “loses an immense figure, a conscious, an incarnation of goodness.”

The full article on Abbé Pierre in Time can be read here.

Pirates

The definition of Piracy:

"Maritime piracy, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, consists of any criminal acts of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or aircraft that is directed on the high seas against another ship, aircraft, or against persons or property on board a ship or aircraft. Piracy can also be committed against a ship, aircraft, persons, or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state."

Being a pirate is likely the most romanticized occupation in history, thanks to literature (R. L. Stevenson's Treasure Island), Walt Disney (again: Treasure Island and Peter Pan), Hollywood (the Pirates of the Caribbean films among many, many others) and toy manufacturers.

In reality it was a hard life, of course, with very little romance and lots of violence and misery. Interestingly, pirates did form some kind of egalitarian society, long before the traditional Western societies of the time put anything like democracy in place. Captains and quartermasters were generally democratically elected by the crew, outcasts (of all colours) were readily accepted in the ranks (eg as many as 40% of the pirate vessels crews were slaves liberated from captured slavers).

These days piracy is -again- a big problem; in the Caribbean, off the coast of poverty struck and un-controlled Somalia, the Chinese Sea...

Have a look here, to find out more on piracy.

No, not many pirates were known for their beret covered heads, but I do like the picture above...

Dangerous Liaisons Issue #2: Art & The Beret

A Wellington (NZ) 'zine' that I haven't been able to track down yet.

All I could find, is this review on the net.

It sounds interesting, especially since it comes from New Zealand, ranking lowest on the Beret Density Country Index of the World...

Twelve black and white A1 pages, folded A1 paper, two staples

This is a group zine from Wellington, New Zealand, circa 2004. Though it seems to be deeply entrenched in the local art scene, this issue also adheres quite closely to its theme of Art & The Beret. The sharpness of those dual focus points are actually this zine’s biggest asset, along with a stable of talented contributors.

I’ve read a few zines that try to tackle a broad subject like “art” and end up rambling on about nothing. By examining art in the context of the beret, a road that would appear to lead to even less of nothing, the Dangerous Liaisons crew manage to make the subject more interesting, simply because of the limit it imposes. There are a couple of essays, some cartoons and a bizarre short story here, all unique and creative, but more importantly kept short and to the point, even if the point is occasionally elusive or absurdist. What keeps it all from floating away into pointless irreverence is the way it places itself in the Wellington art scene. Breaking up the whimsy is an interview with local artist and zinester Bryce Galloway, a review of a recent gallery show, and a brief field report from a local traveling in Europe. This works as not just a piece of art itself, but also a dialogue between artists and a document of an artistic community. Are there more zines like this out there? I’d like to see them.

Warmer-upper

This beret was designed by Gerard Moliné for the Neorural Exhibition in the Ego Gallery, Barcelona. Yes, he is the same industrial designer who re-invented the barretina.

A beret filled with cherry pips that conserves heat for a long time after being put in a microwave - a kind of reverse ice-pack. Good to warm up the bed during cold winter nights.

http://www.gerardmoline.com/blog/boina-caliente/

Wine (4)

But, like the beret not being just a French icon, so it is with wine.

Whether it is Californian wine advertised with fancy hats and raspberry berets, like here:

or this beautiful label on on Uruguayan bottle of wine:

or this taster at the cellars of San Casciano:

Berets and wine don't care for nationalism and borders (whatever some of the minds under the beret may think...).

Eco-Conscious Beret

If there is one thing I believe in, apart from the beret, it is recycling. And wearing a woolen beret, I always regarded as one of the more effective ways of recycling, insulation and ecologically sound dressing. The merino sheep on New Zealand's and Australian highlands are nice and cool in Spring after shearing - I am warm and cosy in Winter, dry in the rain.

But, you can always take it a step further:

"During the frosty days of winter, adorn your head with a lovely 100% Recycled Cashmere knit beret.

Dress it up with a vintage brooch. Made with 100% recycled cashmere."

Available through Avita Knitwear.

Wine (3)

With all these labels depicting berets, one would almost believe the beret to be merely folklore; not more than a traditional picture to give the wine a more authentic French image.

Not true, of course!

The whole proces of wine making, from the pruning in the vineyards,

the picking of the grapes to the testing in the cellars, happens in the presence of berets.

The vintner doing his winter pruning in the Loire Valley:

The picker picking grapes in the Burgundy region:

Looking for clarity (left) and testing the wine (right)

And the vintner selling his wine from the farm, like here in Provence:

And then again, labels, of course...

Matches

It is amazing how you find berets, or their pictures, in the most unexpected places.

Not only on wine bottles or Hungarian traffic signs pointing out bicycle lanes; restaurants in Nevada or pubs in Leeds, a good collection can be found on matchboxes, like this one here:

or this serie of the Japanese Harima Match Company:

Wine (2)

A 2004 Côtes du Rhône

Red Beret is sourced from the beautiful vineyards in Southern France, in the famed wine growing region of Côtes du Rhône. With its magnificent terroir, including large portions covered with “Red Galets” or large rounded rocks, the Red Beret vineyards benefit from a remarkable range of soils and landscapes adding vibrant flavors and character to the wine.

The 2004 growing season was sensational in the Côtes du Rhône with perfect conditions from spring to harvest. Marked by cooler temperatures than the extremely hot 2003 season, the cold and dry nights brought plenty of complex flavors, vibrant color and crisp acidity to the wines.

Wine (1)

Once you start making the connection between the beret and wine, a whole new world opens up... Let me start with this article from a wine magazine here:

Interesting sample in the post today. A 'retro' Fitou, from hugely successful coop Mont Tauch. Though there's nothing terribly retro about the closure (screwcap with a saranex-only liner, just right for this wine), the label is very attractively retro, with a mock-torn effect. I think it works really well, and the whole thing looks very good indeed.

What about the wine? Like many of the wines in the Mont Tauch portfolio, it delivers without threatening to overdeliver. It's lacking a bit of concentration and stuffing (I didn't say dilute, although there is a risk that it is heading that way), but aside from this it is very well made with attractive spicy, earthy, dark cherry and red berry flavours. Nicely savoury, and very drinkable. Remember, though, this is an inexpensive wine and it's much, much better from a lot of the new world offerings at this price point.

Mont Tauch 'Retro' Fitou 2006 Languedoc, France
Light, with savoury, spicy, slightly earthy cherry and berry fruit, as well as just a hint of that wild herb complexity known as 'garrigue'. A versatile, drinkable red with a sense of place to it. 83/100 (£5.99 Tesco)

To be continued...

The Secret Life of Berets

Here you can read all about the secret life of berets.

Little known facts, like:

"The first beret on record was spotted in the streets of ancient Crete, at the beginning of the Middle Minoan period around 1750 B.C."

or:

"Helmer brought up a heretofore unmentioned appeal of the beret: " I don't think it's the European aspect that draws people, I think it's that they fit in your pocket." I hung up the phone, horrified. Berets have a new tactic . . . they are going to spread across the globe under the guise of portability."

Thanks Mike

Citroën SM

Car manufacturer Citroën is, like the beret, one of the great icons of France.

Sure, they may all be cliches: the baguette, the red wine, the beret-wearing-red-nosed peasant in his deux chevaux on a mountain track among the goats, but still, they are recognized by everyone as being typical French.

When it comes to French luxury icons, the Citroën SM is unquestionably at the very top of the line. Only 12.900 of these grand high performance coupé's have been produced in the early 1970's, now treasured by collectors all over the world. I have never had the pleasure to drive one; even though "growing up in Citroëns", it was merely deux chevaux and Ami 8's that we moved around in.

The only Citroën I ever owned, was an Acadyane - how much further can it be removed from the SM?

These days, what I can afford is a beret embroidered with the Australian SM Club

logo. Not French made, unfortunately, but a surprisingly comfortable beret to wear.

Another way to get your own

Sure, you can buy a beret from me (plenty of colours, sizes and qualities to this choose from), but you can also make your own, of course.

So many patterns, shapes and varieties; like these here:

Or these 1940's oversized berets

Instructions on how to actually make them, are all over the net:

How to make berets here

A beaded, velvet beret here

Or get yourself one of these Beret and Scarf Kits

And for those who really want a headband, here

Or the more traditional, felt beret here

A complete video course here

And this one I really like, "How to make a beret out of an old shirt or sweater"! Good luck!

The Beret: A Personal History

My earliest memories of berets are of my grandfather, Abraham Kolthoff, wearing a small diameter black beret (or alpino as they are called in Dutch). As a boy, I often went for walks with my 'Opa' and father (who donned a maroon beret). In the forests around Naarden in the Netherlands, where I grew up, I became a soldier with one of their berets on my head (my father's very close to a paratroopers', after all). For me at that time, berets only represented military headgear. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any photographic evidence left of their berets. Over 45 years later, my dad, Baruch "Dick" Kolthoff, dons a beret again; a brown coloured Elosegui Fina. Here he is, in his garden in Amersfoort (Nl):

And the other grandfather of my children, Rhys Thomas, now sports

a navy blue Espinosa, when working his olive orchard on Waiheke Island.

In the meantime, I started to develop an interest in berets myself; my first one is an old Royal Dutch Marine Corps one, without the crowned-anchor-badge. This picture was taken just outside the houseboat where I lived (I believe in 1986), near the village of Spaarndam, in the Netherlands.

My first Béret Basque

was French made, a Bakarra, I believe.

Somewhere along the way I lost it. This picture was taken in 1992, at the moment of leaving for the Gers in France to set up an organic farm with my friend Martijn (driving there in his beautiful Citroën HY van, just visible in the background) and saying farewell to ex-girlfriend Miriam.

Steadily, my collection grew over the years. One beret very dear to me is this one:

A Chechen Boivik (or Fighter one). It got this beret as a present from my friend, driver and bodyguard Isa, while I was working for a medical organization in Chechnya, in 1997, between the 1st and 2nd war. Isa died, of cancer, but really of lack of

treatment and money... May he be happy in Paradise, with 20 virgins at his side. And please, don't forget the awful plight of the Chechen people.

These days, I can choose from some 40 berets to wear, but generally I wear an Espinosa 28 or one of the grand Elóseguis.

And I am not the only one in the family... Here my beloved partner Megan wears a Canadian Parkhurst in Ivory White while my youngest daughter Emira Zaza sports an unknown Chinese brand in pink - always pink.

And, whatever my feelings towards the idolization of Ché Guevara, my oldest daughter Marshida happily wears the replica that my brother brought from Cuba.