A CITY A WEEK...COPENHAGEN

by adeline talbot

I am a lucky girl--which I did know already but this remark is occasioned in particular appreciation of my friend Kristin Peterson Edwards.  Kristin and I came together through our love of travel, art and food--and not long after meeting we were leading trips together.  Berlin in 2014 and Buenos Aires in 2015. Now looking ahead to 2016, we have Berlin back on the schedule and a very exciting new offering--Copenhagen.   We are still putting the finishing touches on that itinerary but it's almost done and it will be coming your way very soon.  In the meantime, I thought I would share the inspiration for choosing Copenhagen--Kristin's fantastic, fun and fabulous trip there last summer.  She wrote a terrific recap of it for her blog, kpeARTS, reposted below. 

It should probably come with a warning, though--it's so good you are almost certainly going to be hooked--just like me!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015

Copenhagen :: sea + art + salmon

C o p e n h a g e n - a northern city of light...

About a week ago I had the privilege to visit a dear friend of mine, who is both Danish and an artist.  Charlotte lives near me in the States but has a summer cottage in Tisvildeleje, Denmark on the northwest coast of the Danish island of Sjælland.  The village, which sits along the coast, is about 40 miles from Copenhagen and was the perfect haven to spend some time in Denmark.  It reminded me of a smaller version Montauk with some residential areas similar to the Dunes in Amagansett.  And it was so easy to get in and out of Copenhagen. 

Tisvildeleje

I arrived early on Monday and spent the morning wandering around the old part of Copenhagen around the Nyhavn.  The streets were just waking up but the light was spectacular.  I almost had the city to myself.  The cafés were just opening up and trucks were making deliveries of fish and produce.  Locals were just starting to fill the streets on their bikes.  After a while I found a corner bistro to sit, have a coffee and plan the rest of my morning.

Bar Central was the perfect spot and off the beaten path.  

Nyhavn

After a little refreshment and rest for my feet, I headed to the King's Garden a few blocks away for a visit to Rosenberg Castle, which was built by the King Christian IV, one of Scandanavia's most famous royals.  The castle now houses an incredible collection of intricate decorative arts as well as Denmark's Crown jewels.  The gardens were exquisite and in full bloom -- the square park with it's surrounding buildings reminded me of Place des Voges in Paris.   

I continued my walking tour past the Round Tower, and through the Købmagergade - the pedestrian shopping street - to the Amagertorv Square.  The old part of the city with all of it's spires and unique rooflines is like a trip back to medieval times.  Now the neighborhood is filled with all of the stores of Fifth Avenue as well as the Denmark's own Georg Jensen and Royal Copenhagen

.  

I eventually made my way to Café Victor , a local hot spot, where I was meeting Charlotte for lunch.  I was thrilled to enjoy a traditional Scandanavian treat that my father has always loved -- spicy herring.  And it was prepared with all the fixings normally associated with smoked salmon - robust capers, red onion and créme fraiche.  And the typical dark Danish bread - rugbrød.  It was the perfect welcome meal in Copenhagen.  After lunch, we walked to one of the canals where we boarded an hour-long siteseeing tour of Copenhagen via the water.  Many of the landmark buildings - both old and contemporary - are situated along the water front - including the new "black diamond"  national library and the Copenhagen opera house.

After a full day as tourists, we drove the 50 minute trip north to Tisvildeleje where we had an early dinner and called it a night.  

One of my incentives for making the trip to Denmark was to visit the Louisiana Museum of Contemporary Art , which is north of Copenhagen and about a  40 minute drive from Tisvildeje.  The museum was founded in 1958 as a collection of Knud W. Jensen’s so-called “sauna principle”.  

Jensen divided the exhibitions into hot and cold varieties: The hot consisted of artists that the guests already knew – the great modern classics – while the cold gave room for names the guests had never heard of – the less easily accessible, often contemporary artists.

The permanent collection is worth the visit alone but it was also fabulous to see the Peter Doig exhibition.  The collection has exquisite examples from the most important modern and contemporary artists.  The property is perfectly manicured along the sea and landmark sculptures are prominently installed in the grass.  I loved being able to look across the water at Sweden where my father's family is from - another destination at the top of my "to go" list.

After an incredible afternoon looking at art in one of the most beautiful settings, we returned to Tisvildeleje and ate at a new local tapas restaurant Kongernes .  Known for their beef, we split a steak entrée which was cooked to perfection.  And we did back flips over the cheese platter we had for dessert -- complete with  rhubarb confit.  The outdoor seating with it's "wood-stack" wall was chic and inviting.

The next day we returned to Copenhagen to go to the National Gallery of Artand visit some of the Scandanavian design stores.  The National Gallery was recently renovated with a beautiful sleek addition to house much of  it's contemporary collection.  It's located on an exterior corner of the King's Gardens across from Rosenbørg Castle and the rear of the building overlooks a beautiful pond filled with swans.  The National Gallery is Denmark's largest art museum and entry is free. 

The collection houses a rich and varied selection of art - ranging from the European classics of the Renaissance to amazing international works of modern and contemporary art.  The museum is known for it's gorgeous collection of the Danish Golden Age art, the most comprehensive collection of Danish contemporary art.  It also boasts an impressive collection of works by Matisse.  I was truly blown away by the building itself and we spent several hours there working up an appetite for lunch.

After several hours at the National Gallery, we headed to the Copenhagen old city core where we had lunch at the vintage 70s spot Café Dan Turell, named for the influential Danish writer.  While in Denmark, I embraced my Swedish roots and enjoyed salmon and herring as every meal that I could.  So I was thrilled with my salmon sandwich complete with fresh dill, arugula, tomatoes, radishes and a Danish smoked cheese.

We had hoped to visit a few contemporary galleries after lunch but found many of them to be closed for the summer vacation or for installation.  I had hoped to at least make it to Nicolai Wallner Gallery but that just means I have to make another trip back to Denmark. 

 Instead we hit a few of the Danish design stores, notably Illums Bolighus, which is a multi-story department store that boasts everything from housewares, furniture to clothing and baby gifts.  I could have spent hours there but luckily we had a parking meter to attend to.  I was able to find a few treats there to take home to friends and family. 

On the way back to the car, we breezed into the newly renovated five-star Hotel d'Angleterre .  Every detail was accounted for and it is fabulous in every way - - from the flowers inside and out, to the curve of the bar counter in the lobby lounge and the lush plum colored fabric on the lobby furniture.

We returned to Tisvildeleje and enjoyed a drink at one of the local cafés where live music was playing. And then we prepared a lovely Danish meal back at Charlotte's which of course included salmon!

For my last day, we explored the landscape and beaches in Tisvildeleje.  The scenery and the light are works of art and so I was snapping photos all day.  We took a two hour walk through the forest along the coast and perused the local shops in town.  We also made an excursion to a local butcher where they cure and prepare all of their own grass-fed beef and pork.  I was so excited to be successful in smuggling some of their sausages home to the States.

The highlight of that day though was our prix-fixe dinner at Helenekilde Badenhotel .  Earlier in the week, we had been to the hotel after dinner in town to watch the sunset from the terrace, but the restaurant had been booked until tonight.  The beach front boutique hotel exemplifies simplicity and luxury all wrapped up in one. 

The first course was a fresh pea and avocado soup garnished with fresh herbs from their garden.  The veal was cooked perfectly in a red wine reduction with chanterelle mushrooms and grilled leeks. And for dessert we were served an elder flower pound cake topped with homemade raspberry sorbet and fresh strawberries.  It was a memorable meal. 

We took our coffee outside on the porch where we watched the sun set at 10:45pm.  If only everyday could remain light like that. 

It was the perfect ending to a quick visit to Denmark.  All I can say is that I wasn't disappointed and I can't wait to return.  It was a fabulous introduction to all things Danish.

Below are a few pics of things that caught my eye during my visit...

A CITY A WEEK...BERLIN

by adeline talbot

How many times have I written about Berlin?  Okay, I'll admit it--several times--but that's only because it is one of my favorite cities in all the world.  I find it wonderfully rewarding in many ways including that there are innumerable sites.  

Photo by Jupiterimages/Stockbyte / Getty Images

I am beginning to know the city well and yet there are still important and entrancing sites that I have yet to visit.  Charlottenburg Palace is a rather extraordinary case in point. It is more than a 'mere' palace.  Designed, built and expanded during the reigns of a number of Prussian monarchs beginning with the eponymous Queen Charlotte in 1695, the palace includes outstanding examples of German Baroque and Rococo design.

Befitting a royal residence Charlottenburg Palace also has vast grounds featuring a variety of landscape styles.  These include formal gardens in the Baroque style, more informal gardens in the English style as well as woodlands and waterscapes.  There are a number of noted ancillary buildings scattered throughout the complex including the Belvedere and the Royal Mausoleum.

Photo by Alex Slobodkin/iStock / Getty Images
Photo by Alex Slobodkin/iStock / Getty Images

What can I say?  One more reason to go, n'est pas?  Or should that be ist nicht?

And we are--October 9th through the 15th, 2016.  Early Bird Info folks will be getting a peek at this itinerary momentarily...the rest of you may have to wait but only for a couple of weeks.  Itinerary goes up on the website on January 12th.

In the meantime--Happy New Year to us all!

 

A CITY A WEEK...SANTA FE

by adeline talbot

Santa Fe is one of my favorite places on this earth and only more so during the holidays.  The snow lays deep here in the high desert and traditions abound, especially on Christmas Eve when the annual Farolito Walk takes place. It's a grand tradition and one I find deeply moving whenever I am lucky enough to be a part of it.  Farolitos ('luminarias' to those of us from the East) line the streets and the rooflines of every pathway and property throughout the historic center of town.  There are bonfires, caroling and open houses.  Strangers welcome you into their homes with cider and green chili stew.  Spanish hymns and scripture readings, impromptu gatherings of faith and camaraderie.  A chance at least once a year to remember that we are a family not bound by race, class or religion but by the joy of being alive and of being together.  

  It is far from a perfect world, but it sure can be beautiful.  I always appreciate the chance to be  reminded of that.  And in that spirit, I wish you and yours all the joy of the season.

Christmas 2015

A CITY A WEEK...THE HUDSON VALLEY

by adeline talbot

I know! I know! It's a region, not a city...but I can think of few places in this world that like the beautiful Hudson Valley are most aptly and evocatively described as a whole rather than by naming a collection of individual cities, towns and villages.

 I happen to have been thinking about this a lot recently as I have been working on the itinerary for 'Gardens of The Hudson Valley', a June 2016 trip being offered in partnership with PAUL J. CIENER BOTANICAL GARDEN, a lovely and relatively new garden in Kernersville, North Carolina.  As always seems to happen by the end of creating an itinerary I feel as though I have not merely been thinking about a place but rather that I have actually been transported to it during the course of the several days it takes to work through the logistics and fit together all the pieces.  I like this sense of having taken a little, unscheduled junket all on my own.  And I find it's not unlike the feeling of flying in a dream--mentally moving over and across land and cityscapes.  You see things differently, but distinctly, and patterns begin to emerge as you spend this kind of time with a place. And the pattern for the Hudson Valley? That one's easy. I would say it could be summed up in a word: grandeur.  There is a pattern of grandeur in the Hudson Valley beginning with its primeval landscape.  This is the landscape, after all,  that inspired the Hudson River School, the first great, distinctly American art movement.  This original grandeur is still very much a living presence up and down the river and often in the most unexpected places, including in and around New York City.  The river is that mighty and the vistas that splendid.  What has struck me most, however, in this recent 'visit' to the region is that this grandeur seems to have acted as a powerful inspiration on the men and women who have lived there over the centuries. It shows up again and again in what has been imagined and then made. Whether it be Kykuit, the 3400-acre Rockefeller Estate in Pontico Hills; Storm King, with its 500 acres of  sculpture park or West Point, which looms over the river as a vast, gorgeous Gothic fortress.  I even see grandeur in the imperfect and soon to be replaced Tappan Zee Bridge.  This is a landscape that invites large visions, ones that seem to aspire to be the equal of nature's grandeur. 

The 'Gardens of The Hudson Valley' itinerary will be released later this week to the membership of Paul J. Ciener Botanical Gardens and shortly after that to those who have signed up through Studio Traveler for 'Early Bird Info'.  In two weeks, it will then be released to the general public.  Whenever you see it, I hope it inspires you to join us on this adventure or if that is not meant to be then that it leads you to explore this region on your own.  With a particular focus or no focus at all, it makes for a great ramble where even getting lost can have its rewards. 

Photo by Ultima_Gaina/iStock / Getty Images

OH AND F.Y.I.—LONDON ARTS 2016 WENT 'LIVE' TODAY —CHECK IT OUT!

 

 

 

A CITY A WEEK...HAVANA, CUBA

by adeline talbot

Yes, we are going and I couldn't be more excited about that! If you want some scoop on our upcoming trip CLICK HERE.  As of this morning, there are officially 2 spots left—and one of these could be yours!   

Honestly, though, I am just as excited about another 'Cuba event', albeit one that is much closer to home.  I've been invited to facilitate Scuppernong Books' next Travel Talk book discussion. Co-owner David White has graciously allowed me to pick the book and the city--so I have picked one of my all time favorite romps: Graham Greene’s Our Man In Havana.

In Our Man In Havana, we have both a farce that still has the power to delight 6 decades after its publication and a book that provides a potent platform for discussing Havana, past and present.

Intended as a straightforward farce, the story tells the tale of a British ex-pat, James Wormold, stuck in pre-Revolutionary Havana selling vacuum cleaners–or attempting to—while also raising—or attempting to—a crazy-gorgeous 16-year daughter. Subsequent ‘real world’ events, however, now mean that the book also brims with historical resonance.

  Havana is evoked as a thoroughly corrupt city teeming with Cold War intrigue and languorous if chilling danger.  Strangely it is also recognizable as the city we know today, with infrastructure that has slowly been aging in place for most of our lifetimes, effectively arrested in time just weeks after the events depicted in the book. In the fact, the revolution occurred in January 1959, one short month after the book’s publication date.

In another uncanny bit of historical convergence, the storyline revolves around the threat posed by the apparently imminent installation of Soviet missiles.  This foreshadows the very real world Cuban Missile Crisis by 4 years.  Mercifully, in the book the threat is purely farcical—Wormold, in a desperate attempt to come up with intelligence, does some clever sketching of his Hoover attachments.

I have one other recommendation for Our Man In Havana--one that is neither historical or travel related—and that is the book's language.   Greene, along with Evelyn Waugh, uses language in a way that seems to me thoroughly and uniquely British; complex, sophisticated, seemingly effortless, witty, world-weary and true believer all in one.

I have to admit to never tiring of reading either of  these mid-century comedic geniuses…

As you can probably tell—I am excited! About the book and about our upcoming discussion.  Hope you can join us--

 Scuppernong Books

 304 S. Elm Street Greensboro, NC

7:00 p.m.,   Wednesday,  November 18, 2015

   Photo Credit: Wikiimages

       

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CITY A WEEK...BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

by adeline talbot

When I started 'A CITY A WEEK...' it had a slightly longer name: 'A CITY A WEEK AND WHY...'. As a working title it quickly felt too long but as a rationale, it is still a guiding principle. I always hope to highlight the why this or that place is worth a visit. 

A view of Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar, the colonial-era church next to the justly renowned Recoleta Cemetary

I was reminded of this this past week when in Buenos Aires with travel planning partner extraordinaire, Kristin Peterson Edwards of KPE ARTS.

As I mentioned in last week’s post—I am in love!  Move over London, Berlin or Venice.  There’s a new city on my mind and its initials are ‘BA’.

 What makes any place special can never be fully answered in the absence of a visit.  There is just too much that can’t be imagined without the benefit of firsthand experience.

A view across Congreso Plaza from the balcony of Ignacio Liprandi Contemporary Art Gallery 

 The odd thing about Buenos Aires though is it is a lot like other places--in a good and very beguiling way. It’s a beaux arts city to rival Paris.  It’s physical vastness means that this elegance feels like DNA—not a block here or a district there but preserved enough to be clustered around elegant squares and plazas throughout the city.

 Its charm, though, is not just in its physical beauty but in how it feels to be there—and how it feels is great.  Buenos Aires is very, very livable. There are certain economic oddities about life in Argentina to be sure--but we heard again and again from Portenos of all stripes that they truly love living in their vibrant, beautiful city—in fact, they would not consider living anywhere else.

A particularly elegant presentation of Patagonian oysters at the excellent Roux in Recoleta

 So that’s the backdrop—gorgeous and livable—but there is so, so much more to love.  The food scene is terrific.  The ‘closed door’ mainstay Casa Saltshaker; the elegant Roux; the wonderful waterside Cabanas Las Lilas or the crazy good I Latina. All excellent and overflowing with energy.  That’s just a starter list, btw...

The shopping? I am convinced that BA has some the best shopping on this planet.  There are some of the usual suspects--both luxury and fast fashion brands--but what really distinguishes this scene is its originality.  Argentina is far, far away from so much and its economics make importing expensive.  The response to these combined realities is an explosion of interesting well-designed goods from the ‘well-priced’ to the ultra-luxe. Here’s a short list: Cardon; Calma Chicha; Anne Bonny; Prüne; Chocolate; Ariête; a whole wonderland of specialty shops at the various Bullrich locations; the best museum gift shop ever at MALBA and a fine local crafts weekend market in Recoleta. Honestly, I’m just getting started.  I would go back just to shop…the leather goods alone are the most swoon-worthy I may have ever seen… (A brief word about pricing lest one risk death by sticker shock when pursuing these links.  '$' is the symbol for both the dollar and the Argentine peso.  The actual rate of exchange? It is surprisingly fluid.  Currently, it ranges from 9 to 15 pesos to the dollar...) 

Florencia Giordana Braun  and Natasha Slotopolsky  of Rolf Art 

The contemporary art scene is equally fresh and original with fine museums and galleries throughout the city.  Latin American photography in particular is enjoying a well-deserved surge in international interest.  Thanks to the extraordinary Rolf Art, we experienced some of Argentina’s best with a gallery visit with Adriana Lestido and studio visits with Santiago Porter, Nicola Constantino and Gabriel Valansi. A day of pure pleasure and overflowing with talent.

 We stayed at Hotel Mio—a big thumbs up on that choice both for its boutique charm and its excellent location--and we drank lots of Argentine Malbec—maybe a little tiny bit too much Malbec—but every glass was excellent from the humblest house to the most expensive splurge. 

Spring comes to Buenos Aires.  

I know I always say it but this time I mean it in a whole new way: ‘Go’.  You will love it.  Really. 

A CITY A WEEK...COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO, URUGUAY

by adeline talbot

Kristin Peterson Edwards, of KPE ARTS, and I are down here in Buenos Aires leading a trip and having the time of our lives.  I am so in love with 'BA' that it positively feels like a crush.  Yep, that's it.  I have a crush on a city.  Everything is fun and everything is unexpected--and I can't wait to do some follow-up posts on my new favorite place--but not today...today I send photos of the sweetest little place that is just an hour ferry ride away from Buenos Aires, across the River Plata---Colonia del Sacremento, Uruguay. 

It is a very beautiful place and sleepy in all the right ways which makes it the perfect day trip from the super sophisticated, vibrant, vastness that is Buenos Aires.  There are sites to see in this 400-year-old village that retains much of its original architecture but perhaps its even greater allure is its cafes, shops and panoramic views.  Lunch, stroll, stop for a snack, stroll some more, maybe pop in a shop or two, have a drink, dinner and back to the ferry.  May not sound like enough, but you're gonna have to trust me on this one--or look at the photos we took on our recent jaunt.  The scroll includes a mix of Kristin's and my photos.  And if you'd like a recommendation on a most special and unexpected restaurant,  I'll suggest Charo.  We were so impressed with the restaurant that we asked to see the rest of the property which includes a garden overlooking the river and a few very sweet hotel rooms. I found the aesthetic irresistible.  Something tells me that my next trip to Colonia may be an overnighter...

A CITY A WEEK...PASADENA

by adeline talbot

If you know it at all as separate and apart from the wild and wonderful whole that is Los Angeles, then you probably know Pasadena as the home of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl.  Plenty fun enough but this gorgeous city within a city is home to many other equally wonderful things--and at least one thing that can justifiably be called a mind-blower--and I do not say that lightly.  The Huntington is so vast and lovely that it is on a scale that I, for one, simply could not imagine before a recent visit there.

HOVER FOR CAPTIONS 

A view of the new Visitor's Center at The Huntingtonhe T

The great Library at The Huntington.

More properly called The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens and technically in San Marino just over the line from Pasadena, this is an institution that is very worth a visit. 

A vista in front of the original residence.

The library alone includes one of the 11 vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible known to exist, an original copy of the Magna Carta, the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer, the manuscript of Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, the first seven drafts of Henry David Thoreau's Walden, a complete Birds of America by John James Audubon, and first editions and manuscripts from authors such as Charles Bukowski, Jack London, Alexander Pope, William Blake, Mark Twain, and William Wordsworth.

'Diana' by Anna Hyatt Huntington, daughter-in-law of Huntington founder Henry Huntington.

  The art collection includes such European masterworks as 'Blue Boy' by Thomas Gainsborough  and 'Madonna and Child' by Rogier van der Weyden and a variety of American masterworks by the likes of Warhol and Rauschenberg.  

The decorative arts collection is equally impressive and has, for example, one of the largest collections of works of William Morris in the world.

The entrance gate to the newest addition to the Huntington--the Chinese Garden.

The botanical gardens cover over 120 acres and include such standouts as The Japanese Garden, the Desert Garden and the new and spectacular Chinese Garden.  

A view of the tropical plants conservatory.

All in such elaborate, vast and graceful grounds that it feels almost otherworldly. 

Pasadena may strike one as out of the way in the great sprawl of greater Los Angeles.  It is not.  From downtown LA, we were a mere 20 minutes away.  I'm pretty sure people take longer trips for coffee in that town and, for what it's worth, I was utterly smitten!  So much so, I would consider building a trip around a visit to the Huntington. Yes, from this side of the country! It's that impressive and it's that inviting.  

 

A REGION THIS WEEK...THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY

by adeline talbot

So I'm stretching the concept here just a bit.  Usually it's city a week, not a whole region,  but, honestly, I don't know how else to do justice to this glorious area of the country.  The legendary Hudson River Valley is renowned for many things, including an outstanding garden heritage.  This makes it a natural choice for the first-ever members trip being planned by The Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden in  June 2016.  

I recently met with John Whisnant, executive director of the Ciener Gardens, and Nancy Beaver, garden enthusiast, to discuss the itinerary for this four day trip.  We could have talked for hours and hours!  That's because the list of 'must see gardens' in the Hudson River Valley is very, very long.

Boscobel, Olana, Lyndhurst, Innisfree, Stone Crop Gardens, Storm King, Sunnyside, Caramoor, Untermeyer Gardens, Kykuit--and that's before you get to the private residential gardens.  We'll be seeing our share of those too, to be sure! So if you would like to be one of the first to know the details, including full itinerary and pricing, about this exciting trip please click on the button on the left.  

In the meantime, I do have to ask this simple question--why wait until next June to see a gorgeous garden?  The Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden is just down the road in Kernersville, NC.  The perfect junket from almost anywhere in Central North Carolina and very, very worth the trip!. 

All images courtesy of Wiki-Images

A CITY AWEEK...LONDON

by adeline talbot

We'll get to London in just a bit but first a word about 'being on the beam'.  Sometimes you just feel you are in league with the universe in the best possible way.  Noticing what others are noticing and noticing what should be noticed.  I had this happen a couple of times this week.

 The first time was upon seeing the lead article in this week's Sunday New York Times travel section on Culinary Rome, CLICK HERE.  It would be so much fun to think that I had inspired the Times (...and completely delusional, very clear on that, just saying, you know, fun...).  After all, it was just two weeks ago that I wrote about Studio Traveler's culinary trip to Rome in October '16.  Even if it is a coincidence, it is still a nice one--and it means that cooking in Rome is being noticed and appreciated in a particular way and in this particular moment.  

Then just yesterday I saw an ABC News piece, CLICK HERE, on the syncretic religions of Cuba. It includes a mention of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla, the church we will visit where both Catholicism and the Afro-Cuban Santeria faith are practiced.  I don't think I had ever even heard of Santeria until I began to plan our trip to Cuba. Now I am utterly fascinated.  An entire other world within an already complex culture.   Oh and by the way, today we release the itinerary for that trip so CLICK HERE for Havana.

AND NOW FOR LONDON...PLEASE READ ON...

The more famous London quote is from Boswell’s Life of Johnson:  ‘When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life' but there is also Boswell's quote from his Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides:  'By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.'  Both quotes serve equally well.  London feels for many of us like the vortex and source of much in this world that is interesting, entertaining and culturally vibrant.

Even so, London used to be more of a word town--theater, literature and certainly wit--but for the visual arts one thought of continental capitals and for fine food one thought of the entire continent, town or country, but not of London and her environs.

London may be enduring but it is also evolving.

The contemporary art scene is now one of the most vital in the world--and is it even possible to remember when ‘London restaurant scene’ was likely to mean mushy peas? It has been eons since this was true.

Which brings me to Cary Levine and our spring trip to London. Cary is developing this trip with Studio Traveler.  I think you need only read his bio to know what very good hands we will all be in:

Cary Levine is a professor of art history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, specializing in contemporary art. He received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Center, City University of New York, and is a recipient of a J. Paul Getty Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and the Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Scholarly Achievement at UNC. In addition to his scholarship and teaching, Dr. Levine has been an active art critic, writing for several magazines and he has publishing numerous essays for exhibition catalogues. He also worked for three years in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Cary’s current considered set for our trip includes the East End galleries, a street art tour, The National Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, The Tate Britain, The Tate Modern, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Whitechapel Gallery, The Serpentine Gallery and The Hayward Gallery.

I love this list because it quite rightly is grounded in the historical as a basis for understanding the contemporary.  There’s great depth to this list and there will be great depth to this experience.

Oh and I should probably mention what I’ll be doing tagging along in this august company—I’ll be in charge of the food.  At the end of visually rich and engaging days, we’ll spend our evenings enjoying one of the world’s best restaurant scenes.

Click on 'early bird info' to sign up for early release of the London itinerary and registration.

I don't know about you but I can hardly wait!!

A CITY A WEEK...CULINARY ROME AND CULINARY PORTLAND, ME.

by adeline talbot

Having several interests must be a lot like having more than one kid.  You love them all.  I certainly feel that way about travel, art and food.  Please don't make me choose just one!  And truth to tell, good food has always been an important part of Studio Traveler trips.  This next year though we're going one better in offering two trips that focus primarily on culinary experiences: the rescheduled Culinary Portland with Terri Maultsby of think.eat.grow and Culinary Rome with Elizabeth Simari, a young, terrifically organized and fun Rome-based food journalist.  Every time Elizabeth is in touch to discuss trip options I just get more psyched.   She wrote this week after a weekend trip to a vineyard north of Rome.  I have asked her permission to share a snippet.  Scroll down below the photos, give it a read and see if it doesn't make you crazy--crazy in a good way.  Crazy to go, do, eat and drink!

...I am still looking into truffle hunting, Ostia Antica...etc....On Saturday my husband and I visited the Sergio Mottura winery and we spent the whole afternoon with Mottura himself. It was fabulous. He has a great cantina and makes a spumante wine which is an interesting process to learn about and is practically non-existent in this part of Italy. Anyways I think it is a definite must for us...It will be a matter of deciding what we want to do there. The tour and tasting was great, but they also have a dinner paired with something like 6 of their wines which is also supposed to be exquisite.  Take a look at the website.... I think that given the close contact to the winemaker himself that this winery provides, we should definitely go there. Not many other places have that kind of up close and personal experience.

ELIZABETH SIMARI

2016 DESTINATIONS ARE LISTED BELOW OR CAN BE SEEN BY CLICKING HERE.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELIZABETH SIMARI OR WIKI IMAGES

A CITY A WEEK...HAVANA AND....

by adeline talbot

2016 DESTINATIONS

OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE’LL BE TELLING YOU MORE ABOUT EACH OF THESE EXCITING DESTINATIONS.  WHO KNOWS--WE MAY EVEN ADD ONE OR TWO TO THE LINE UP!

IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU FIND THAT ONE OF THESE SPECIAL PLACES HAS YOU SUFFERING FROM AN ADVANCED CASE OF ‘FOMO’ (FEAR OF MISSING OUT) THEN PUSH THE ‘EARLY BIRD INFO’ BUTTON.  THAT WILL LET YOU SIGN UP TO BE FIRST ON THE LIST—FIRST TO GET MORE INFO AND FIRST FOR SIGN UPS.

                

HAVANA, CUBA

FEBRUARY 21st to 27th

OFFERED BY

PRESERVATION GREENSBORO, INC. AND WEATHERSPOON ART MUSEUM

                 

LONDON ARTS

MAY 15th to 21st

LED BY

CARY LEVINE

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

GARDENS OF THE

HUDSON VALLEY

JUNE 22nd to 26th

Offered BY

PAUL J. CIENER BOTANICAL GARDEN

CULINARY PORTLAND

SEPTEMBER 8th to 11th

OFFERED WITH

TERRI MAULTSBY of think.eat.grow

CULINARY ROME

OCTOBER 2nd to 8th

OFFERED WITH

ELIZABETH SIMARI

Photo by RudyBalasko/iStock / Getty Images

BACK TO BERLIN

OCTOBER 9th to 15th

OFFERED WITH

KRISTIN PETERSON EDWARDS of kpeARTS

               

COPENHAGEN

OCTOBER 16th to 20th

OFFERED WITH

KRISTIN PETERSON EDWARDS of kpeARTS

A CITY A WEEK...XANADU...

by adeline talbot

...and all the places like it...

I've been thinking a lot lately about mythic destinations.  Maybe not Kublai Khan's stately pleasure domes or the lost city of Shangri-La but mythic destinations of another kind--real places that have outsized and enduring appeal.  


It's annual thing with me. That's because in anticipation of Studio Traveler's annual late summer announcement of 2016 destinations, I have spent the last several weeks making decisions about next year's trips. 

 I'm excited and proud of what I and my travel planning colleagues have come up with.   I'll even risk a bold claim--that next year's list is a wonderful mix of mythic destinations.  Places that will reward our time and attention with wonderfully rich cultural experiences, excellent food and that certain sense of je-ne-sais-quoi...the mysterious 'it' factor that makes a place special, unique and irresistible...

 I love a good puzzle so no captions for this week's scroll.  Just a few visual hints...

The big reveal comes next week when we tell all--or at least highlights--of these wonderful adventures ahead.

See you then and I can hardly wait!

 

 

 

A CITY A WEEK...BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE, NEW YORK

by adeline talbot

Some places just feel familiar.  This seems especially so on first visits to much-imagined places.  And so it was for me last week when visiting the Adirondacks town of Blue Mountain Lake.

  I have to admit to being smitten. I loved everything.  The hiking, the boating, the 'Forever Wild' wilderness and deep and wonderful human history as seen in Blue Mountain Lake's incomparable Museum of The Adirondacks--and it all felt very, very familiar.  Oddly so for my first trip to the region.

My guess is that the Adirondacks are just one of those American places that inevitably seep through the pores of one's cultural skin. There is a comforting sense of the 'old fashioned'.  The decorative stick topdressing; the ubiquitous canoe-on-top cars; the flags and flowers;  more road-side efficiency cottages than one could ever hope to count; moose; pack baskets and everywhere as-far-as-the-eye-can-see-flat-out-gorgeous-drop-dead-heartrendingly-beautiful natural scenery.  

Then there is the astounding vision that created this state park--properly called the New York Forest Preserve--nearly 150 years ago and the stewardship that maintains it's 6.2 million acres today.  But one example of the continued success of this original vision and continued  stewardship is that the water in many of the regions 3000 lakes is still clean enough to be used unfiltered even as as many as 8 million people a year come through the park's lands. It feels good to be here in such a balanced place. 

Some places speak best for themselves though so I have probably said enough.  The pictures can do the rest.  

Hover for captions--and go when you can...

 

 

 

 

 

A CITY A WEEK...ELBA, ITALY WITH GUEST BLOGGER RODNEY OUZTS

by adeline talbot

Strictly speaking, I am fudging just a bit.  Elba is an island not a city.  Rather than quibble though over that small if factual distinction, I suggest just giving into the fact that this week's destination is likely to rocket to the top of you 'next vacation' list.  Thanks to Rodney Ouzts' swoon-worthy descriptions, I'm already checking flights for next summer.  Read on and you'll see what I mean...

[Hover for Image Captions]

ELBA – A Tuscan Alternative.

When one thinks of a beautiful island off the coast of Italy, most think of Capri.  While I agree that Capri boasts breathtaking landscapes, luxurious accommodations and is the place to see every nationality in the world who are attracted to its shops and piazzas, I find another island not far from the Tuscan coastline more appealing.

That island of 86 square miles is Elba, better known as the first place of exile of Napoleon Bonaparte. Each year, it is a favorite destination of mostly Italians who love its clear blue waters, quiet beaches, fine restaurants, and wonderful boating and hiking opportunities.

It does not attract the glamourous, rowdy crowd who head to coastline of Sardinia.    Nor does Elba attract the day-trippers who clog Capri’s walkways every day during the summer season. Most visitors to Elba have homes on the island and travel there throughout the year.  In fact, the island has a year round population of 30,000 inhabitants. There is a sense of a real place that does not close up shop when tourists leave the island.  The landscape is more Tuscan, softer than Capri and much greener than the coastline of Sardinia. Sometimes you feel you are on a Caribbean island and other times, you feel as if you in the country, just miles from Florence.  Ferries leave the town of Piombino hourly. It is a pleasant 90 minute ride and cars can be taken onto the island.

Elbans are proud of their history and resilience. Before Napoleon’s arrival in May of 1814 , Elba was better known for iron mining and tuna fishing industries.  Soon after his arrival, Napoleon, as its new ruler, embarked upon a series of improvements to the island’s infrastructure, building roads, tearing down and reconstructing buildings, creating piazzas and fountains, all completed within a few months.  He even reduced trade restrictions, suppressed custom duties and tolls and some say, took the time to design a new flag for the island nation.  His love of architecture and interest in decoration is shown in the care he took in building and refurbishing two homes on the island.  As sovereign of the island, he conducted most of his business in the Palazzina dei Mulini located in the center of Portoferraio and in the summer, he retreated to the exquisite smaller Villa San Martino located in the hills above the port.

While in exile, he improved the social life on the island tremendously thanks in part to the visits made by his beautiful and glamorous sister, Princess Pauline Borghese.

As our host said one day while touring Palazzina dei Mulini: “It is quite remarkable that the only extraordinary thing that happened on Elba were those few months (300 days to be exact) that Napoleon spent on the island. Other than that, nothing much happened here but will always be remembered because of Napoleon who took his role as ruler quite seriously.”

Sadly for him, Napoleon Bonaparte did not spend his final days in the bucolic setting of his adopted “nation.” After attempting to reestablish himself as “Emperor Napoleon” in France, he ended his final days in exile on the less accommodating island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.  ­­Today, we are able to enjoy some of the improvements made by the Emperor. Better than that, Elba can be enjoyed for what it is, a beautiful peaceful piece of Tuscany with or without Napoleon. 

Rodney Ouzts and his spouse and partner for life, Massimo, reside in Greensboro and travel as much as they can to Italy.

 

 

A CITY A WEEK...BLUE HILL, MAINE

by adeline talbot

Today’s post properly begins in 1972 on a surprisingly warm, late August afternoon, when I was fifteen and nearing the tail end of yet another Couch family vacation.  Our family made something of a specialty of long and elaborate road trips, meticulously planned and yet carried out always at break neck speed.  Two nights in one place was a long stopover.  Tent camping.  Campfire meals.  Family of six.  I don’t know how we did it—or really even why.  This was not a style dictated by the limits of the family bank account but I think rather by a certain, albeit Puritan-tinged, spirit of adventure.  We took long trips across the entire continent every summer.  (Though it coincided with us, the children, aging out of long, open-ended summers, the family seems to have finally met its match later that decade—car camping for six weeks in Mexico. While it would provide stories of all kinds for the rest of our natural lives it would also prove to be our very last epic road trip…) 

Blue Hill is the area's largest village. (Photo Credit: WikiImages)

But enough with the scene setting.  Back to Blue Hill.  Earlier on that long-ago day, we disembarked in Bar Harbor from the Blue Nose Ferry, arriving back in the US after two weeks in Canada’s Maritime Provinces. An hour or two later our car broke down—as luck would have it in the little town of Blue Hill. There we were, stuck for the afternoon.  I explored every inch of that gorgeous place and by the end of the afternoon I had fallen in love with this quintessential New England village.  But I am a lover of places—and was so even then—so being in love meant really no more than adding this name to an already very, very long list.…or so I thought... 

A view of Blue Hill Bay (Photo Credit: WikiImages)

Within a few years, though, I would return to Blue Hill and now, more than 40 years later, count it as one of my most ‘returned to’ places—and certainly one of my most loved.  This is because I married into a family that did not go on long family car trips.  They were of the other sort—the sort that found a spot and made it their own--in this case, mid-coast Maine.  For many years, this meant a month at Oakland House, the kind of luxe simple summer in New England place that I suspect no longer exists.  By the time I came on the scene however the family owned a beautiful 40 acre farm on Deer Isle, just down the coast from Blue Hill.  From that house, going ‘in town’ has always meant going to Blue Hill.  I have come to know the town very well over the years and I have also learned to appreciate it as far more than just one more pretty place.

The Fishnet, Blue Hill's version of a clam shack. (Photo Credit:WikiImages)

 Blue Hill has one of my favorite-ever literary bookstores, Blue Hill Books; maybe the best-ever county fair, The Blue Hill County Fair; a renowned chamber music festival, Kneisel Hall; one of the best fine restaurants in Maine, The Arborvine;  my all-time favorite clam shack, The Fish Net, and more galleries than you can count. All this in a town that the 2010 census listed as having 2686 inhibits.

Traditional shapes and glazes of the now highly collectible Rowantree Pottery. 

It was also home for many decades to Rowantree Pottery. Begun in the late 1920’s by Adelaide Pearson, a young woman of progressive spirit and proud Boston lineage, Rowantree’s produced distinctive hand-thrown pottery for 75 years. Though Rowantree closed in 2009, it is still so closely associated with Blue Hill that it is hard to mention one without the other. Fortunately for the contemporary visitor,  Rackliffe Pottery, founded by Rowantree alums, operates not far from the original Rowantree Pottery.

I seem to end every post with the same advice: ‘Go’, and this will be no different but I mean it as the highest compliment to Blue Hill when I say there’s no rush. Blue Hill is not frozen in vacation amber—nor would one want it to be—but it does have a timeless charm that I for one have been savoring for what has turned out to be more than half of  my life beginning with that long ago day...

Oh and though I have never been in need of a place to stay 'in town', The Blue Hill Inn gets rave reviews so I'd say one more reason to go...don't you think?

 

 

 

A CITY A WEEK...MILAN, ITALY

by adeline talbot

I couldn't resist posting this close up of a deeply affecting work by Damian Hirst.   'Lost Love' sits in pride of place in one of Fondazione Prada's large exhibition spaces; its steel and plate glass chamber filled with perfectly clear liquid, examining room equipment and an uncountable number of tropical fish.   'Pristine' as both a deadeningly clinical experience and as a pure and life-promoting necessity (...not to mention a plain old flat out gorgeous object...). Below there's more about Fondazione Prada, Milan's newest cultural destination, but in the meantime, click the button to enjoy the brief and fishy  show...

I do feel like a lucky gal.  Part of what I see as my job is to keep up with what's going on in the world of visual arts.  Increasingly what seems to be going on is that new museums are destinations all on their own.  Not precisely fair to Milan, long a destination for many, many things.  Business. Fashion. Industrial Design.  It is, after all, the fifth largest city in the E.U. and one of the of the most economically robust metropolitan regions in Europe.  Until May of this year, however, Milan lacked what many other far less cosmopolitan cities now boast, a significant contemporary arts institution.   All this changed with the May opening of Fondazione Prada.

Connected to one of Milan's core businesses but not directly of it,  Fondazione Prada, is a vast and hauntingly beautiful complex of buildings and grounds , designed by Rem Koolhaus, that includes exhibition space, a theater and, of course, the requisite cafe, though this can claim the singular--and singularly charming--feature of having been designed by filmmaker Wes Anderson. 

Nothing about Fondazione Prada is precisely what it seems.  It is not a museum, at least not according to Muiccia Prada, but rather "...the continuation of an intellectual process founded on the exploration of doubt and on extensive research.” It is most certainly not in or near the cultural center of Milan, instead being a 15 to 20 minute taxi ride to industrial area and wedged between a large railroad yard and a series of drab, low-rise warehouses.   One staggeringly beautiful and yet otherwise inexplicable feature is its gold leaf tower that seems to have no function other than to exist as nine stories of pure, radiant beauty.  Perhaps the most confounding feature of all for this contemporary art institution is its opening exhibition: 'Serial Classic', a gorgeously mounted exhibition of 'Roman antiquities as multiples'.  This Boston Globe review ( CLICK HERE ) gives a far better description than I could ever hope to of the complex and of the opening exhibition so I hope you will give it a read.

I will end with my usual advice and that is 'Go'.  In my experience, Milan is Italy's least expensive city to fly in and out of from the US  and yet it is central enough in this compact country to be a practical starting point to most Italian vacations. There is a lot to see and do but if you only have a day or just need starting point you simply cannot do better than Fondazione Prada. 

...and at the end of busy day of seeing the sights I hope you will consider booking a table at Cantina della Vetra where I had one of the best meals of my recent life when I was there in early June.  Just perfect in every way including the plus of its location in central Milan.