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In this section you will find different items. From interviews to news for the women travellers, as well as information about interesting events. If you have anything of interest to mention, please send it to us and we will publish it in this section.

News

Trotamundas has the pleasure to introduce you to our new publishing company Trotamundas Press (www.trotamundaspress.com) which will publish books by the great women travellers. Visit the website for more information.

- Oriana Fallaci, the Italian writer and journalist who was considered the best interviewer of the 20th century, has died of breast cancer in Florence, Italy, at 77 years of age on 14 September 2006. (See the article in our section "Articles")

- For adventurous women travelers who wish to work in Antarctica, more information in www.antarctica.ac.uk

Visit to Samten Dzong

Recently I had the oportunity to visit the house where Alexandra David-Neel lived for the last 30 years of her long life (alternating her stays with travels, of course) and which has the Tibetan name of "Samten Dzong", meaning Fortress of Meditation. When Alexandra died in 1969 at the age of 101, she left the house to her loyal secretary Marie Madeleine Peyronnet, who decided to donate it to the city of Digne-les-Bains, in Provence, where it is located, and so convert it into the Alexandra David-Neel Foundation.

It has only been thanks to the dedication of Miss Peyronnet, who was Alexandra's loyal secretary for the last ten years of her life, what has allowed the memory of such an extraordinary person such as Alexandra not to fall into forsakeness.

Samten Dzong is one of those rare places where you do not feel like visiting yet another museum dedicated to the memory of...It is a place where you can still feel Alexandra's touch and where you can see objects from her precious colection of buddhist artifacts, mementos and other things from her incredible journeys throughout Asia, as well as a chance to see her library and bedroom. The newly inaugurated room, with a large part of her collection of photographs and a beautiful section with dolls representing daily life in the Tibet that Alexandra knew, is a moving memorial to Alexandra, whom Miss Peyronett has always present in her heart.

If you have the oportunity to visit Samten Dzong, do not miss this unique chance to recharge your batteries with positive energy and beauty. You will also have the opportunity to know details about the amazing life of Alexandra David-Neel in the free guided visit which takes place at different times of the day throughout the year.

I strongly recommend a visit to the beautiful website of the Foundation, which is full of information about Alexandra David-Neel and her life and work www.alexandra-david-neel.org

Mercedes López-Tomlinson

Events

20 and 30 September 2007 at the Alexandra David-Neel Foundation, conference "Comment mediter?" by the Venerable Tony Lobsang from the Vajra Yogini Institute. For more information contact the Foundation, neel@alexandra-david-neel.org

From 11 to 13 may 2007 at the Alexandra David-Neel Foundation in Digne-les-Bains in France, presentation of very rare and antique buddhist relics which are being exhibited during a world tour before being deposited at the foot of a large statue of Buddha Maitreya in Northern India. For more information contact: neel@alexandra-david-neel.org

BRISTOL MAGPIES CELEBRATE the 175th BIRTHDAY of NOVELIST, TRAVEL
WRITER, and EGYPTOLOGIST AMELIA EDWARDS
WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE 2006

Blaise Museum.

For further details please contact Rosemary Silvester tel 0117 926 0990
or email R.Silvester@bristol.ac.uk

Articles

In front of Khomeini with "This Medieval Rag"

This is an article written by Oriana Fallaci in September 1979 for the newspaper "The Times", with an interview to Ayatollah Khomeini at the beginning of the islamic revolution in Iran. The Ayatollah finds himself having to answer unexpectedly to embarrassing questions made by Oriana about human rights (the death penalty for adulterous women, prostitutes and homosexuals) and above all, for the treatment of women by his regime.

"Why" asks Oriana, "After women have proven their equality with men in the islamic revolution, you have forced them to hide underneath all those masses of dresses?". "Those women appreciate the habits they wear" answered the Ayatollah, disdainfully: "They are not like you, going around uncovered with lots of men following you". She insists: "How can one swim with the chador on?". Khomeini, furious: "Our traditions are none of your business. If you don't like those habits, you are not obliged to wear them". And Oriana, surprisingly: "It's very kind of you, Imam. As you have said it, I am taking immediately off this stupid medieval rag". And she uncovered her head, causing havoc and the momentarily interruption of the interview.

This took place 22 years before 11 September and the discussion about the clash of civilizations, but she - who could be accussed of many things but not of sympathy for the deposed government of the Sha - already could see the contradictions and the danger brewing in the Islamic revolution.

Oriana, as nearly always, was ahead of her time. One of the bravest and most courageous of women has left us. Rest in peace, Oriana.