Stratford + 5

Last opening series at Stratford Shakespeare Festival – 5 altogether


The Trespassers, written and directed by prolific Canadian playwright Morris Panych. Family drama in the orchards of the Okanagan valley! Original work, world première at the Festival. Dying left-leaning grandpa, teaching life lessons (poker and sex!) to his bi-polar grandson, against the wish of single, frustrated mother, with the help of clichéd sympathetic whore. Harsh theme, well-structured drama, streamlined set...Part of the modern theatre experience...


Midsummer Night’s Dream. A great reminder of Shakespeare’s extraordinarily diverse talent! Macbeth, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, yes, all great tragedies. But then this allegory of love, such a romantic piece in fairyland, where magic in the end sets every love right – what a delight! This is a great production by British director David Grindley at his debut at Stratford. Tom Rooney, as Puck, Oberon’s jester, and Geraint Wyn Davies, as turned-into-an-ass Bottom, steal the show! The set, with its hydraulically manipulated collapsing platform, is also quite fitting for the dancing and jumping punkish fairies, clad in tight leather and chains! (The clothing transposition did not bother me that much in this case, at least for the fairies – the 1950’s outfits of the rest of the cast is another story...)

Don’t think that any production of Dream could ever compare for me to the first one I saw (and the first Shakespeare play I recall seeing), Peter Brook’s production of the play with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I saw it in 1971 at the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End – a young man then on summer holiday discovering the world! So acrobatic, so light, almost “diaphane”! I read somewhere that Brook’s Dream stands as one of the most influential theatrical productions of the 20th century! I would have loved to see Robert Lepage’s rendering of Dream, which he put together in 1992 with the Royal National Theatre in London, the first North-American to direct a Shakespeare play at the RNT, I seem to recall the headlines then.


Rice Boy, a play by Indian-Canadian playwright Sunil Kuruvilla (he lives in Waterloo), directed by Guillermo Verdecchia, a Canadian director and writer who is at his first in Stratford but has written and directed many other plays elsewhere in Canada. A mix of nostalgia of not so good a life in India (Kerala) by a father and son immigrants to Canada; the father can’t adjust – he yearns for a return; the son did not want to leave and now certainly does not want to go back. It’s about men who have lost their women, physically (grandpa and father) or otherwise (uncle); it’s about women who can’t find happiness in their current state (auntie who has lost hope; servant girl who will eventually too) or fleeing their unpromising future (crippled cousin Tina who escapes marriage to an ugly man). You get the picture; not a happy one! A glimpse at domestic miseries, life with its family drama not very different than those elsewhere than India but played out in a very Indian style reflecting their own cultural antecedents. Cynthia found a woman drying up her tears in the W.C., clearly very affected by the outcome. We walked out of there pretty dry-eyed...

P.S. got an additional perspective hearing Kuruvilla at one of the sessions the Festival puts up for members of the Playwright Circle Sunday morning, this one about play development. The Festival has now made it its mission to promote and feature at least 3 Canadian playwrights as part of its annual playlist. This year, it is The Trespassers, Rice Boy and Zastrozzi. We learned how much the process of creation is an on-going one, where the play itself evolves from production to production, a novelty for me, although we gathered that this was also going on in Shakespeare’s time, where multitude versions of some of the better-known plays exist. Rice Boy has been considerably modified for this production, with the contribution of actors as well as the “dramaturge” and the artistic director. Recomforting to hear the playwright to say at the end that he came back to the original ideas that inspired him!


Phèdre de Jean Racine, directed here by San Francisco American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) artistic director Carey Perloff, using a translation cum adaptation by contemporary playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker. Extraordinary Phaedra by veteran Stratford actor Seana McKenna; the moment she walks in, you sense the inescapable and fatal drama that haunts this doomed woman. And McKenna sustains this throughout the tormented and painful path to the bitter end. Hippolytus, Theseus, Oenone are all excellent but she dominates (as it should). It called for comparison with the rendering by the Royal National Theatre we just saw last June broadcasted live (well, almost - 6 hour deferment) from London at a Cineplex: wonderful but I prefer McKenna’s Phaedra to that of Helen Mirren’s (http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/phedre). This is a performance I will remember.
Of course I hated the clothing transposition from antic Greece, where it belongs, to some 17th century fashion, burdening Phaedra and Theseus in heavy clothing unnecessarily. Serves absolutely no purpose in this case and only creates a distraction. A disappointment at the very first scene when Hippolytus comes in dressed like a “mousquetaire” without all his regalia – was that intended as a tribute to Racine!?! Who knows – I wish I could have met the director at the reception afterwards to ask her – but I will get over it!


Zastrozzi. A play from the 70’s by Canadian George F. Walker. This is apparently a seminal work. Walker wrote many other plays since. Iconoclast, allegoric! Weird for sure at the time. Have to be seen in its context – a wanted break from tradition even from what nationalistic inspiration that motivated alternative theatre at the time – but has not aged that badly. Enjoyed in the moment. Again part of the Canadian theatre discovery experience...

Stratford, August 23, 2009

Prince Edward County – the restaurants

Did not set to check them out but in the end was able to sample a few.
Remarkably, and that is from comments I heard, PEC has a very high density of high-end, “haute cuisine” restaurants. That is a reflection of a number of things, in part because of the bent towards the quality of local produces, the winery factor, the fact that well-known chefs have come here, from Toronto or elsewhere, and most of all the affluence of those who visit, or more to the point, who have moved here, mostly from Toronto

First great (and only as it turned out) meal was at Blumen Garden Bistro. The chef and owner is Swiss. The place is packed and has been like that for weeks, one of the (only three) servers tells me – they did not even bother answering the phone when I called twice a few hours before, or for that matter checked the messages I had left asking for a reservation! I saw why – too busy and short staffed! Large garden seating, but I decided to move in...the mosquitoes coming out just before it gets darker...

I had as an appetizer their shrimp and lobster ravioli – excellent but it could have been warmer – with a glass of Baco Noir (a varietal that you find in cooler growing areas of North America – I think it is “banned” in France or Europe for some reason...), which was delicious (from the Sandbanks Estate Winery.) The main course, a local pickerel served on a bed of spinach coulis, with a filo filled of sautéed vegetables, was divine; mismatched it though with a local Pinot Gris (the Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery)that was way too light to sustain this very flavour fish – a Chardonnay, may be, but they did not serve it by the glass (I remarked this to the staff). Nice conversation with the couple sitting beside me: probably typical of the new “immigrants” – retiring professionals (?), selling the house in Toronto, coming to a nice area to enjoy the pleasing surroundings, the food, the wine, the good restaurants, the culture – there is apparently a lot; studios for residing and visiting artists and artisans, glass blowing, music festivals, etc. – and to live nearby friends and associates that have already moved in here; not too far from the city (and in their case equidistant to Montreal and Ottawa where they have children)...probably traveling abroad some, and spending the winter in the south under warmer latitudes. Life is good!

Cynthia and I had gone first at The Inn-Lake on the Mountain Resort. Very busy again. Sat outside and we stayed there. Located in an old vintage house, the restaurant is operated by French Canadian Gilles Chrétien and his wife. The place is sitting by that local curiosity, the Mountain Lake, which is at some 50 metres above the neighbouring, in sight, Lake Ontario or one of its adjoining waters, seemingly hanging there. (Dispute as to why; almost lost the argument, until it was recognized that lakes just don’t sit there: the water comes in from somewhere – inner sources as it turns out in this case – and goes out somehow, and yes, there was an outlet for the water flowing from the upper lake to the lower one – it used to be falls, now it is piped...)

Food wise, we thought ordinary, nothing exceptional. The Chrétien tourtière could have been more “assaisonnée” believed Cynthia (probably better used to her father’s spicier recipe!), and my supreme of chicken was good but nothing memorable. I enjoyed the very hearty tomato soup though. The wine, a bottle of Bergeron Pinot Noir, too light but promising...http://www.lakeonthemountain.com/

Had a last dinner, while in the County, at Portabella. Full. Went again for the pickerel, the special of the day, but I should have stuck to pasta, their known specialty. Not that the dish was bad, but it was served with a cream sauce (vodka and lemon) that was too rich for my stomach, aside from the fact that the fish was several notches below the wonderful version of the pickerel I had the night before at Blumen. Their soup of the day (puree of tomato and eggplant) was very tasty though. Savoured a Pinot Noir with it (the Grange winery) – light and spicy; very rusty in colour. Not so lucky with the white to go with my fish: same mistake as last night and went for the Pinot Gris by default (Grange, again). Was discouraged from having the Chardonnay (oaky I was told) but that was wrong as I discovered from the taster the manager (or owner?) brought me (after the meal): not oaky at all, but fruitier than one would expect (lots of apple traces) and would have been decidedly an improvement over the Pinot Gris. Well, it would be for another time...

P.S. ever heard of a “honeysuckle” varietal? One was on the offering by the Waupoos winery. It’s a white and apparently a blend of some kind; currently very “trendy” in the County I am told...


Here is the list of what is known as the “Fine Dining” places in the County (http://www.pec.travel/)


Claramount Inn & Spa
97 Bridge St.
Picton
innreception@claramountinn.com
(613) 476-2709
Toll Free: 1 (800) 679-7756 Overlooking picturesque Picton Bay, Claramount welcomes guests to a gracious 1906 Colonial Revival home.


Merrill Inn Restaurant
343 Main Street
Picton Ontario
merrillinn@bellnet.ca
(613) 476-7451
Toll Free: 1-866-567-5969 Intimate fine dining. Seasonal patio. Creative culinary specialties featuring local produce crafted by renowned chef Michael Sullivan.
Toronto Life ***, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.


The Devonshire Inn on the Lake and Restaurant
24 Wharf St.
Wellington ON, K0K 3L0
(613) 399-1851
Toll Free: 1 (800) 544-9937 Enjoy simple yet elegant cuisine on the shore of a great lake.
Savour fresh county fare prepared by chef Colin Willams.

Waring House Restaurant, Inn, Conference Centre & Cookery School
Hwy# 33 and County Road #1
Box 20024, R.R. #1
Picton, Bloomfield
613-476-7492
Toll Free: 1 (800) 621-4956 A taste of old Ontario in the heart of Beautiful Prince Edward County.

The Inn at Lake on the Mountain Resort
264 Cty. Rd. 7, R.R#9
Picton
(613) 476-1321 Picturesque Lake on the Mountain, subject of legends, is located 200 feet above the Bay of Quinte. Enjoy the exquisite views, fresh water swimming and fishing, cottage life and delightful meals at our restaurant The Inn.
Open daily from April - November


Restaurant on the Knoll
at Isaiah Tubbs
1642 County Road 12, RR#1
West Lake , K0K 2T0
itr@isaiahtubbs.com
To contact The Restaurant directly call (613) 393-2063
Toll Free: 1 (800) 724-2393
The perfect dining location for quiet dinners for two or large parties and groups.
View our menu items and specials on our website.
Lakeside dining on our screened verandah, casual dining room, Sandbar Lounge and on our large patio!


Milford Bistro
3048 County Road 10
Milford
reservations@milfordbistro.com
(613) 476-0004
Toll Free: 1-866-576-0004 10 minutes from Picton in a picturesque location by the Mill Pond and the Black River, you'll find our charming 19th century Bistro.
We serve genuine County Cuisine, sourcing ingredients from farms within walking distance. A wide selection of local wines available.
Reservations recommended.


Bloomfield Carriage House Restaurant
located on Corey St, at the back of the marshmallow room bakery
260 Main St.
Bloomfield
info@bloomfieldcarriagehouse.com
(613) 393-1087

Award winning cuisine by chef Scott Kapitan featuring organic and local produce.
Sample local and international wines by the glass.
Reservations recommended, seasonal hours.


Angeline's Restaurant
433 Main St.
Loyalist Parkway
Bloomfield
angelines@angelinesinn-spa.com
For room or dinner reservations:
Phone/Fax: 613-393-3301
Toll Free: 1-877-391-3301 Innovative award-winning cuisine in a charming historical setting. Seasonal, local produce, and decadent, mouth-watering desserts. The ambiance is elegant and intimate.
• screened-in patio
• recommended by `Where to Eat in Canada`
• newly-decorated 9-room inn
• art exhibits and workshops


Currahs Cafe
& Restaurant
252 Main Street
Picton
(613) 476-6374 Fresh seafood, gourmet coffee and Ontario VQA wines are our specialty. Open early and closing late, we are only steps away from the Regent Theatre and downtown shops.
Lunch, dinner and catering.

Blumen Garden Bistro
647 Hwy 49
Picton Ontario, K0K 2T0
613-476-6841
Modern Homestyle Cuisine
by Andreas Feller.
Seasonally inspired menu.

Portabella
265 Main Street
Picton
613-476-7057 Lunch and dinner.
Voted favourite overall dining,
readers choice award.


Harvest
106 Bridge Street
Picton
cuisine@harvestrestaurant.ca
(613) 476-6763 Local gastronomic delights.
Seasonally inspired food.

Prince Edward County - add wine to its various attractions!

Vacationing in Prince Edward County. 6 days, 2 with Cynthia. Unique. Almost an island, right off the mainland, giving on one of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario. Some 150 kilometres east of Toronto. The Saint-Lawrence River starts a few kilometres upstream (actually 28 nautical miles we're told!), about where Kingston is. One of the earliest settlements in Ontario. Known as Loyalist country, peopled by those who left the American colonies, faithful to the British Crown, after their independence, end of the 18th century. Second wave of inhabitants came after the Second WW: farmers from the Netherlands in search of a new life in a new adopted land. Also, over the last twenty or thirty years, the "refuge" of those who have had enough of the city life (the case of our B&B owners and our sailing tour operators, all “refugees” who escaped Toronto in the 70s and 80s!) and now “terre de prédilection” for newly retirees.

Known for its agriculture; rich soil; "the food basket of Toronto". Family farms that have now regain popularity for their organic practices. Started with wheat in 19th century, then barley, and dairy and canning crops; lots of butter and cheese plants, as well as canning operations, virtually all gone now. Agricultural revival though going on, supported by all sorts of local initiatives, promoting local food produces – check www.harvestin.ca. Most intriguing is the Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company, brand new – hi-tech mixed with recipes and methods from immemorial times – goat and sheep milk cheese factory (www.fifthtown.ca) – Had some of their Cape Vessey (hard), and Operetta and Lost Lake (soft)for lunch later on in the week. One year plus in operations. The “greenest” dairy that you could ever find – you should read their “green dairy self-guided tour”! Built according to worldwide “Platinum LEED” (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, it has a wind turbine and solar panels on site, generating mind you less than 10% of their energy needs (but it’s better than anywhere else!); its goat and sheep milk supplier farms, all locals, must adhere to some green plan; construction materials all according to LEED standards; water efficiency and waste management conscious; ages its cheeses in underground caves to save on power; etc. Quite impressive!

Wine country since the 80s – the literature talks of some 20 wineries now (I could only count 14!), up from 3 in the beginnings. With some 700 acres of vines, it is the second largest viticulture area of Ontario (after the renowned Niagara-on-the-Lake region). Has its own appellation: VQA Prince Edward County. Good variety of soils: from thick gravelly to clay soils; plus limestone, the secret to cool-climate viticulture, I am told. Focussed on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay varieties; can also find some Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Gris. Something unique that I had never encountered before: because the winters are colder than in the Niagara region, and in spite of the proximity of Lake Ontario, they bury their grapevines every fall – must be awfully labour-intensive! Have a yearly festival of county wines early in the season to taste their new spring releases (Victoria Day weekend); best way to experience their wines – we should check it out next year. (www.thecountywines.ca). Another reference site: http://www.winesofcanada.com/ontario_pec.html `

Becoming or is very much a tourist destination. Population of the county triples in the summer, from 20,000 to 60,000. They call it Ontario’s Riviera – primarily I suppose for the beaches at the provincial park – Sandbanks with sand dunes as high as 80 metres, “the largest freshwater sand dune system in the world”! The geography of the county lends itself to it as well – more than 800 kilometres of shoreline, full of bays and peninsulas. Lots of chalets – more like second, all-year around homes – you get to see when you paddle along the shore. The true Canadian summer-holiday dream: chalet by the water, enjoying the sun and the cool breeze by the lake or the river – for most sitting on the deck, barbecuing or sipping a beer or wine, looking at the sun going down. July or August at its best (September if you are lucky but fall sometimes comes very early!)

Staying at a great B&B, “Bed & Beyond” (http://www.bbcanada.com/10833.html) at one of the extremities of the county, giving on the Adolphus Reach. Barb and Don are gems of hosts. New to the business, the spacious house is no more than two years old. Great rooms – ours with a full view of the water – giving on a small marina they operate (first picture above). I’d say about 20-25 kilometres further up from Picton, the major town in the county. The road at the back of the B&B provides a great running track – crushed stone on a layer of tar, 2.5km to the end of the peninsula, and return, a perfect 5km!

Sailed while Cynthia is with me. Peter and Paulette Jamieson operate a sailing cruise, along with their B&B (Bayside B&B - http://www.bbcanada.com/baysidebb). Perfect weather – sunny, cool, with a 15-knot wind. Could not have asked for better; and very lucky at that considering the unsettled weather so far this summer. Boarded their 32 footer at Waupoos Marina, with both of them. Peter is a pro – almost born sailor, he has crossed the Atlantic – very meticulous. Born in Toronto, he saw the light early on and moved here in the 80’s. Paulette has learned the trade years ago with Peter. We feel we are in good hands! Sailed off Smiths Bay, going by Waupoos Island, where flocks of sheep are kept grazing – we ran into a whole flock of them on our way to the marina crossing the road, having been brought ashore on a large barge from the island; they had just been sheered. Spent most of the time cruising in the large Prince Edward Bay, just off Lake Ontario. Moored at Little Bluff for lunch and a dip in the water – cool but so refreshing. Spent the rest of the afternoon getting back slowly to the marina. Delightful!

Great weather all week actually. Spent leisurely, reading, writing, some running and swimming. We should be back, if only for wine (in the spring) or food (in the fall) tasting.

August 7, 2009

Wellington Gastropub – redux

Went back to this great « trouvaille » of restaurant in Ottawa, The Wellington Gastropub http://www.thewellingtongastropub.com/main.html. Justin and Katie had introduced us to it sometime last year. This time we go back to get together with « returnees » from Singapore, Mat and his daughter (spouse/mother still packing in Singapore) who are intended, at least for the moment, to settle down here in Ottawa. Plenty of time while waiting for our guests to select and taste some of their wine (we sampled several, amongst them, a Sangiovese, a Tempranillo, a Malbec and a Gewurztraminer.)This is the place with the enomatic facility, whereby wine in an open bottle can keep fresh for weeks, thanks to inserted inert gas (see blog December 2008 – Ottawa).

This time I had a sublime sablefish from BC which was totally delectable.

That was on our way up in the “hautes-laurentides”to celebrate my mother 92nd birthday, along with my brother and his family residing in Ferme-Neuve. Stayed at l’Auberge Chez Isaïe, (http://www.aubergechezisaie.com/) built by my grandfather in the 30’s, and now ironically owned and run by nephews, who have done a great job at improving on previous renovations. Cosy place to stay.

Lunch, as it is now customary on our way back, with Cynthia’s parents. This time though in Almonte (oddly named after a Mexican general, but pronounced without the “e”!), a small but very picturesque town in Eastern Ontario, built along the “Mississippi” River (that one flows into the Ottawa River not far away), and used to be a textile mills center, probably because of the serious drop in the river’s level and several falls, providing the power for the mills.

Simple lunch at a restaurant with a great location though, giving on the local river and falls, The Barley Mow, by a bright sunny Sunday.
July 26, 2009

L'Europe en juillet 2009 – Paris et Amsterdam

Juillet, les 20, 21 et 22, Paris et Amsterdam – « all business »! Itinéraire étriqué, pour rester sur des vols du « Star Alliance » et sauver des dollars : Madrid-Francfort-Paris; Paris-Francfort-Amsterdam!

Déjeuner et dîner d’affaires à Paris, au Café de la Jatte (http://www.cafejatte.com/index2.htm), endroit de prédilection de la CISAC et de BIEM pour les déjeuners d’affaires. Puis dîner à l’hôtel Lancaster en ville (http://www.hotel-lancaster.fr/), table exceptionnelle (une étoile Michelin).

A Amsterdam, nous descendons au Hilton, situé à l’aéroport même (une bonne marche, le Sheraton est plus près...pour la prochaine fois!). Les bureaux de nos hôtes sont à 7 minutes en taxi.

Dînons ce soir-là, à l’invitation de nos hôtes, au Vakzuid (http://www.vakzuid.nl/uk/pages/restaurant.php), endroit plutôt « hip » sur le bord d’un canal (quoi d’autre à Amsterdam!), probablement éloigné du centre ville mais pas loin de l’aéroport. Décidons pour le « dîner partagé », une sélection de 5 entrées et de 4 plats principaux, servis avec du riz et des légumes frits; un véritable reistafel qui me rappelle l’Indonésie (ce qui n’est pas une coïncidence évidemment).

Détail intéressant, le restaurant est situé dans le stade construit pour les Jeux Olympiques d’été de 1928, et remis dans son état original à partir de 1996, après des années de modifications (addition d’un « ring » en 1937), de destruction (la guerre) et de négligence depuis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Stadium_(Amsterdam)

Retour à la maison, le 23 juillet, via Munich (troisième fois en escale au cours de ce périple, et toujours pour la même raison citée plus haut!)

Ainsi se termine cette odyssée: 6 destinations, 6 escales, 13 vols, le tout en 12 jours!

L'Europe en juillet 2009 - Madrid & Tolède

Dimanche le 19 juillet

Arrivé la veille à Madrid, ai profité du dimanche pour le passer à Toledo, à quelque cinquante kilomètres au sud de Madrid, une demi-heure en train. Ville au passé chargé. Logée dans une boucle du Tage, sur un promontoire aux 7 collines. Destinée à être une place fortifiée.

Conquise par les romains, puis les Wisigoths qui se convertissent éventuellement au catholicisme au 7e siècle, habités par les Juifs, puis finalement soumise comme tout le sud de l’Espagne au déferlement des musulmans au début du 8e siècle, Toledo en est venue à symboliser la tolérance religieuse et culturelle. Connue comme la « ville des trois cultures », catholique, juive et musulmane, cette cohabitation devait durer plus de sept siècles, même après la reconquête par les catholiques à la fin du 11e siècle. Ce n’est qu’avec les "rois très catholiques" Isabelle et Ferdinand qu’on a chassé les juifs en 1492, puis les mudéjars en 1502, ces musulmans « domestiqués » à qui on offrit le choix de se convertir ou de s’exiler.

Toledo a conservé tout son caractère médiéval (pour ne pas dire « retrouvé » ce caractère avec son accession au statut de Patrimoine de l’Humanité conféré par l’Unesco fin des années 80s). On peut s’imaginer le caractère pittoresque de cette ville, tout en collines, méandre de rues étroites ou l’histoire s’écrit à chaque tournant, vue spectaculaire sur la plaine avoisinante, et où se côtoient tant églises que mosquées et synagogues. Visite de la cathédrale, bâtie évidemment là où s’érigeait la mosquée du temps de la conquête arabe. Construite du début du 13e siècle à la toute fin du 15e, on peut se demander ce qui pouvait bien prendre autant de temps; on comprend mieux une fois qu’on voit la richesse des décorations de son intérieur. C’est dit-on la plus grande des cathédrales du style gothique construite en Espagne. Je la compare à celle que nous visitions à Séville il y a quelques années.

Tolède, c’est aussi la ville du peintre El Greco qui y vécut une bonne partie de sa vie et dont on retrouve quelques 200 peintures un peu partout dans les églises et les musées de la ville. Une exposition spéciale au Musée de Santa Cruz nous rappelle bien le style quelque peu surréaliste qu’il donnait à ses portraits, uniques pour l’époque, avec les traits du visage allongés, presque difformes parfois, les nez exagérément pointus, et les mains trop fines, du moins dans ses œuvres tirant vers la fin de son existence. La plus frappante, encore que plus réaliste, c’est le chef-d’œuvre « l’Enterrement du Comte d’Orgaz » exposé à l’église Santo Tomé (dont j’ai pu prendre une photo clandestine bien malgré moi!)

Soleil de plomb à 40 degrés Celsius! Je trouve refuge dans un restaurant « jardin » pour le lunch, le Curcuma; une découverte agréable : des croquettes frites à la perdrix.

Deux visites rapides à des expositions temporaires qui saisissent bien le caractère diverse de l’histoire de la ville, l’une sur les gladiateurs – surprenant – où on illustre la vie passée mais aussi les spectacles de combats qui se donnent encore dans des arènes romaines reconstituées sur des sites archéologiques; et l’autre sur les instruments de torture utilisés du temps féroce de l’Inquisition espagnole – thème plutôt macabre mais fort intéressant : le raffinement dans la cruauté n’avait pas de borne!

L’Europe en juillet 2009 - Budapest

Jeudi le 16 juillet

Vol Lufthansa Copenhague – Budapest, en deux étapes, via Munich (on y repassera à quelques reprises encore au cours de ce périple!) Sans encombres.

Première visite à Budapest – territoire vierge! Descendons à l’Intercontinental – havre de confort après le désastre du Kong Frédérik à Copenhague…

Vue également imprenable de la chambre, surplombant le Danube et donnant sur le Palais Royal, juché sur les hauteurs de Buda de l’autre côté du fleuve. Fortes premières impressions. Budapest est une ville « d’eaux » (il y aurait apparemment quelque 120 sources d’eaux minéralisées qui jaillissent des collines de Buda); je profite donc du reste de l’après-midi libre pour aller aux bains du Danubius Hotel Gellért, de l’autre côté du fleuve, dont l’attrait est cette vaste piscine intérieure dans un décor tout à fait art-nouveau (http://www.gellertbath.com/). Je n’y suis évidemment pas seul – alors je fais mon deuil de mes longueurs habituelles. La compagnie est essentiellement locale, ou de touristes hongrois, de tout âge – on vient prendre « les eaux »; c’est un rituel qui a une longue histoire remontant aux romains, et aux turcs spécialement, durant leur occupation respective de la Hongrie. J’évite les massages thérapeutiques, à regret à bien y penser – mon dos aurait pu en bénéficier! Le complexe inclus également des terrasses et une énorme piscine extérieure (incluant vague artificielle!) fort fréquentées par la jeunesse locale, spécialement sous ce soleil particulièrement ardent aujourd’hui – il fait au moins 35 degrés!

Dîner en compagnie de notre hôte Andras, le CEO de la société locale, accompagné, au grand plaisir d’André, de son prédécesseur Péter, très distingué et très attachant personnage, une sommité dans le domaine de la propriété intellectuelle – ce qui nous rappelle que la Hongrie a produit, et produit toujours, quantité d’experts au rayonnement international dans bien des domaines – dans un restaurant situé à proximité du château de Buda, le Manna Lounge (http://www.mannalounge.com/); excellent dîner, à déguster la soupe glacée au yaourt du jour et un mets très local, un ragoût de silure (catfish) à la sauce au paprika – délicieux!

Vendredi le 17 juillet – l’anniversaire de naissance de Laurence; 32 ans déjà... Petit tour de ville en autobus pour touristes, en attendant notre rendez-vous en après-midi. Tous les principaux sites de la ville, en vitesse : la synagogue et la juiverie; l’avenue Andrassy et le square des Héros; la colline du Palais, l’église Matthias, puis la citadelle, offrant un panorama unique de la ville du haut de ses 400 mètres, vue imprenable du Danube et de ses ponts, pour finir par le Parlement le long du fleuve.

Dîner au BorLaBor, http://www.borlaboretterem.hu/en/, menu local, avec un jeune Canadien, le fils des voisins d’André en Ontario, en Hongrie depuis plus 9 ans, à enseigner l’anglais – en apprenons beaucoup sur la Hongrie, pas seulement Budapest, et ses habitants, du moins tels que perçus par un jeune homme aux observations très perspicaces…

Samedi le 18 juillet. Profite des quelques heures qui me restent à Budapest, avant de partir pour Madrid vers midi, pour retourner sur les hauteurs de Buda, à pied cette fois, en empruntant le pont Széchenyi, tout près de l’hôtel, et le funiculaire pour accéder au Palais Royal (un complexe énorme au mélange architectural tirant dans l’ensemble sur le néo-classique et reflétant plusieurs rénovations au cours des temps depuis son apogée au 15e siècle – aujourd’hui abritant de nombreux musées dont la Galerie Nationale, la Bibliothèque Nationale et le Musée National d’Histoire).

Une fois sur le promontoire, parcours les rues avoisinantes pour voir les principaux sites dont l’église Matthias, nommée en l’honneur d’une des figures les plus historiques de Hongrie, le roi Matyas, de style néo-gothique – du moins à en juger de l’extérieur puisqu’on n’a pas accès à l’intérieur, rénovations obligeant – totalement reconstruite – en style très « romantisée » j’ai l’impression – suite aux attaques et assauts répétés au cours des âges, que çà soit par les turcs au moment de leur invasion au 16e siècle, ou par les autrichiens qui reprirent Budapest des mains des turcs pour l’assujettir au règne des Habsbourg à la fin du 17e siècle.

Visite impromptue à la Fondation Culturelle Hongroise (http://www.mka.hu/engfooldal800600.html), qui loge dans un bel édifice néo-gothique sur la place principale près de l’église Matthias; exposition entre autres des sculptures métalliques plutôt insolites de l’artiste contemporain Szlávics László – figures humaines à têtes d’oiseau!

De retour du côté de Pest, m’arrête un moment pour apprécier ce que le « Four Seasons » à fait du « Gresham Palace », cette résidence palatiale construite au début du 20e, dans le pur style Sécession – qui définit l’architecture hongroise de l’époque – par la compagnie d’assurance étrangère du même nom, comme dernier hôtel de grand luxe à Budapest, l’unifolié tout déployé flottant devant sa façade (http://www.grandluxuryhotels.com/fr/hotel/four-seasons-hotel-gresham-palace-budapest)

Budapest est évidemment très riche en histoire, le produit d’un peuple fier de son héritage et dont on sent le ressentiment à peine caché d’un peuple au glorieux passé, mais au territoire malheureusement considérablement réduit (des trois quarts) – prix à payer pour avoir été vu par les artisans alliés du Traité de Versailles comme une des causes premières de la Grande Guerre. C’est aussi un modèle de « résistance » - Buda aura été assiégée plus d’une trentaine de fois au cours de son histoire! – et dont le plus frais à la mémoire est la « révolution » d’octobre 1956 contre le joug soviétique et qui devait trouver un dénouement tragique, avec entre autres l’exil de milliers de Hongrois à l’étranger dont une bonne part au Canada (voir http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurrection_de_Budapest)

Je lisais récemment comment la Hongrie avait ouvert officiellement sa frontière avec l'Ouest (l'Autriche) deux mois avant la chute du mur de Berlin, permettant ainsi à des milliers de "touristes" Est-Allemands, campés en Hongrie, d'émigrer bien avant vers l'Allemagne de l'Ouest. La Hongrie avait déjà rompu depuis plusieurs mois avec le reste du bloc socialiste de l'Europe Centrale, avec l'accord tacite de Gorgachev...Le 23 octobre 1989, les Hongrois fêtent la proclamation de la république de Hongrie, un peu comme l'aboutissement final du soulèvement de 1956.