NYC – 3 days in May (2)

Early morning, walked up to Central Park, to go to the Metropolitan Museum. Beautiful! The sun is shining throughout! A few thoughts to remember the one that conceived the Park – Omsteld – a book about him a few years back – and “Angels of America” – the scene at the fountain!

Visit the Met: 2 exhibitions. The Met's Spring 2012 Costume Institute exhibition, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, shows what links Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras in an imagined conversation between these iconic women… exploring similar themes in their work through very different approaches. The show exhibits several designs from the two designers – by Schiaparelli (1890–1973) from the late 1920s to the early 1950s and by Prada from the late 1980s to the present – who argue on different sides – all made up…

And then, on the roof of the museum, Tomás Saraceno on the Roof: Cloud City, a young artist from Argentina who has created large interconnected modules of mirrors that one walks by and in! By such weather – glorious!

Followed by a light lunch at Petrie Court Café and Wine Bar... in the Museum…and a digestive walk in Central Park back to the hotel. (The wonderful music of the “Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain” in my ear…watching the film…)

Graduation ceremony in the afternoon at the Beacon Theater, on Upper West Side – Dominique received her Master degree from the NYU Gallatin School. A few hours, mostly spent looking after Béatrice, running around, full of energy…. Photos, and then we all went (by subway – probably the most expeditive way to get around NYC!) for a celebration dinner at ISA, a new restaurant on the South side of Williamsburg in Brooklyn (Cynthia had spotted a short review in the NYT weekend magazine a few weeks ago). Unusual; the latest creation of Taavo Somer, I read, who had designed a couple of other well-known simple restaurants in Manhattan. The chef is Ignacio Mattos. Wood predominates, and a fairly simple menu. We had the cod (soft, barely cooked), the duck (could have been warmer!), and wine – an Alsacian Crémant for a toast and bottles of white and red from Italy. The porridge that was served to Béatrice ended up being had by the adults – it was delicious. We had appetizers as well (beef tartare in my case) and desert (although nothing memorable that I can recall…) and coffee. Recommended. And then we all went home, back on Manhattan.

NYC, May 17, 2012

NYC - 3 days in May (1)

My daughter’s graduation (Dominique) from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study brought us to NYC.

Took advantage of our visit to see a few plays: two revivals, Jesus Christ Superstar of course – a must for Cynthia and anyone closely associated with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival! Could not pass Des McAnuff ‘ s “flashy” – to use the expression of the NYT’s critic Isherwood – revival of Tim Rice’s and Andrew Lloyd Weber’s pop-rock musical of the 70s, brought down from Stratford. A JCS sans Nolan (replaced by his understudy today); I like Chilina Kennedy (she can’t do no wrong in my book!). Great performances also by Josh Young as Judas and, of course, by Bruce Dow as a very sassy and girly King Herod. All actors from the Stratford theatre company. Then Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, the latest revival of the 1960 Broadway hit (it had been “revived” once before in 2000). Quite dated but a fascinating political thriller, plus a few prescient “pearls of wisdom” – about TV and politics, polls, etc. – that are still ringing very true. Smashing performances by old pros such as Angela Lansbury (the consummate political convention operator) and James Earl Jones (as the relaxed, still conniving but dying former President); I like Larroquette as Secretary William Russell, the patrician candidate, less McCormack (Will in TV’s “Will & Grace”) as Senator Joseph Cantwell, the ruthless underdog. I hadn’t seen the play before, but I remember vividly the 1964 film, with Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson (no need to say who played whom!) based on a screenplay by Vidal himself (a bit of trivia: Ronald Reagan would have been turned down for a role in the film because of lacking that necessary “presidential look”! Also Vidal would have apparently cheerfully admitted that he meant the character of William Russell, the upper class candidate, to remind people of Adlai Stevenson and that Joe Cantwell, the plebeian underdog, was based on Richard Nixon!) In between, oysters and lobster (with Cava and Sauvignon Blanc) at John Dory Oyster Bar, next to the hotel where we are staying. (Çà fait bien 30,000 mètres d’altitude, survolant le froid, la neige plus bas, le Groenland, ou la Mongolie…en route pour l’Asie…)

Staying at the ACE Hotel. Opened 2 or 3 years ago. Have stayed at the hotel of the same name in Portland (there are 4 of the same inspiration in the US – the first one at Seattle, and the latest one at Palm Springs). Same style, large room, with the turntable, even a guitar this time, and the NYC afternoon sun in, the marble top dining table, the separate WC. Perfect. Located not too far south of Times Square. Only issue, the room doorknob, the key – it does not work when we want it to work! A hotel run by younger (hipsters?) people, in a transformed building – the “Breslin, a grimy single-room-occupancy hotel at the corner of 29th Street and Broadway”.  (update: see very interesting article in the NYTimes magazine, Sunday Nov 11, 2012, about the hotel and its neighbourhood)

To describe the room, in the words of the New York Times travel critic: “…This (room) had the promised king (size bed), plus an old dining table, a collection of retro office chairs, a 1950s-style refrigerator filled with snacks and drinks, and even an Epiphone guitar. An indie band would have a great time jamming here, but I found the unadorned black and white walls and harsh lighting depressing. The bed was comfortable, except for the scratchy Pendleton blanket; the TV had an easy-to-use interface, though few premium channels….The bathroom: The one whimsical touch — a faux-Victorian mirror bearing the words “Love Is Meant to Make Us Glad” — wasn’t enough to break the brown-tile boredom. The tiny soap-on-a-rope over the sink was a smart way to avoid slimy bar syndrome. The shower — a brass head over a tub (not in our case - no tub!) — had plenty of water pressure… The lobby doubles as a bar... the Breslin, a new restaurant from the owners of the West Village gastropub Spotted Pig... Also adjoining the lobby is a branch of Stumptown Coffee Roasters, out of Portland, Ore. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel…” We probably enjoyed the place more than she or he did… Would I stay here again? Despite the $100 credited back because of the difficulty with the door? It remains to be seen…

NYC, May 16, 2012

Tom Thomson, icon

Went to see some of his paintings at the AGO (Art Gallery of Toronto) this afternoon. They have a dedicated room with some 50 paintings (mostly small canvases – 8” X 10”). I remember seeing also quite a few at the McMichael Gallery, just north of Toronto. The enigmatic Tom Thomson , enigmatic for his unexplained and untimely death on a lake in the Algonquin Park – we went to see his “memorial”, off Canoe Lake last year, a short canoe trip from Arowhon Pines.

He is the one that inspired members of the famous Group of Seven, that was formally created (these guys had been painting together for years already!) a few years after his death in 1917. Funny enough, many of the Group were older than Thomson (J.E.H Macdonald was a few years older and took Thomson “under his wing” so to speak). My interest today in Thomson comes from having seen a documentary on him earlier this week – “West Wind (after the title of one of his now famous landscape painting - above), the vision of Tom Thomson”. Fabulous! Shot in 2011 – mostly in Algonquin Park. What a film – very rich in color, “à la hauteur” of Thomson’s own coloris. Would have seen it again this afternoon (at TIFF Bell Lighthouse), if it had not been “sold out”... Below - "The Jack Pine", another iconic painting of Thomson...

Boston – April 2012

Back in Boston, same time as last year, for same event, “Rethink Music”, a conference put up by the Berklee College of Music, in collaboration with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. For 3 days only – no weekend this time!

Staying conveniently at Sheraton Hotel, next to Hynes Convention Center where conference is taking place. Bland, “chain” hotel – great view though (see picture below). More pleasant B&B (Clarendon Square Inn, where I stayed with Cynthia last year) was not available for full duration this time.

Dinners at the Bistro du Midi, The Butcher Shop, and Gaslight - all recommendable.

An hour at a bookstore, downtown: the antique and used books Brattle Book Shop





Boston, April 25, 2012

A weekend in Milan

We flew from Spain, coming to Milan at the tale-end of a week of business, for a long weekend of pleasure and indulgence (not enough time to go to the nearby celebrated lakes though, but nonetheless...!)

We stayed at the Grand Hotel et de Milan (was that a typo – “et” de Milan?), one of these classic hotels close to the center of the city. This one is reputed as a hotel favored by lovers of opera, composers like Verdi in the 19th century, or singers like Calas in the 20th century or simply people like ourselves who come to Milan to hear beloved operas at the teatro della Scala nearby. It is an old fashioned place where you stay (and pay) for old-time sake!

Very well located as well for those who come to Milan for shopping, as it is on Via Manzoni, and right by Via Montenapoleone where all the well-established fashion houses of Italy have stores (home to Gucci's flagship store, along with Roberto Cavalli, D&G, Prada, Valentino and Versace; Giorgio Armani's superstore and his new hotel are at either end).

I started my time here by visiting the Necchi Villa, (above) a 15-minute walk from the hotel on Via Mozart. This is a very opulent residence (but not a castle!), built in the 1930’s for a rich industrialist family (the Necchi sewing machine), which has remained intact, well preserved with its original furniture and epoch furnishings and paintings. It confirms you in the view that there are more than massive apartment and business buildings along the streets of this city; it also affords you a glimpse of what life must have been for people with money decades ago. It is a house that is well featured in the recent film (2009) I am Love, a movie about a tragic love story, by filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, with actress Tilda Swinton. When I knew that it was in Milan and open to the public, I had to see it!

We spent the first evening at La Scala,(above) to see Aïda, Verdi’s opera which premiered here, at this theatre, more than a hundred years ago (in 1872 to be exact). This was the “clou” of the visit – the reason of our being in Milan, with my brother, a life-long worshipper of opera – the culmination of his passion for this art! Not disappointed: a stellar, 4 hour-long, performance in an incredible setting, reminiscent of the golden years of opera. La Scala “breathes” opera – to be convinced, one simply has to visit the shop or/and the museum, both adjacent to the theatre. A night at La Scala, an experience not to be missed!

That is if you can obtain tickets – not easy (and not cheap!): I failed to secure them on line, even early on, and we finally obtained ours through the concierge of the hotel, who got them for us from a dealer at a high price. The hotel argued that we could have dinner after the opera at their “renowned” restaurant, Don Carlos; at midnight, after a very long day that started in the early morning hours far away in Sevilla? No thank you! They were kind enough to suggest the nearby Il Salumaio – we went back for lunch a couple of days later – for simple pasta before the opera...

One more reason to be here was to see firsthand the rendition of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, painted on the walls of a convent refectory, next to the church of Santa Maria della Grazie (worth a visit, by the way!), all realized thanks to the largesse of the “mécène” of the day, the duke Ludovico Sforza, known as “il Moro”, ruler of Milan at the end of the 16th century. I had seen replicas of the painting in London a few months before, at a special exhibition of the work of Da Vinci in Milan (he spent 24 years in that city) at the National Gallery, and I convinced myself then that I should see the original at the first occasion! Again, not easy to get tickets – I booked a 15-minute (that is all they will allow!) guided tour some 6 weeks before – but at least, unlike for Aïda at La Scala, they were sold at the marked price...

This is a remarkable painting that defines the art at the time, a touchstone of the Renaissance; remarkable also because it started fainting very shortly after its creation, thanks to the unproven technique that Leonardo used, to allow himself more time to paint and work at it. What you see is only, I imagine, a pale reflection of the original, with its now washed colors. There have been several (unfortunate) attempts to “restore” the painting, but what is there to be seen is the closest to the original, the fruit of 20 years of reparation at the end of the 20th century.(Had Leonardo painted the face of the Christ? This is a controversy that had currency in my brother’s circle – it was believed that Leonardo had not had the audacity to paint Jesus’ face, and had left the task to an assistant or a monk later on. The guide (very good) assured us that he had, and that it was inspired by the face of the duke, mixed (very much so!) with the more feminine traits of a woman!...)

One more reason to come to Milan is shopping! It’s a true emporium for whoever has a passion (and the money to go with!) for the creations of the various fashion houses of the country – Prada, Armani, Versace, Ermenegildo Zegna, Valentino, Gucci, (above: The Gucci Shop) etc, be it for designer clothes, shoes or handbags. It’s everywhere, but more particularly in the streets cluster that is known as the “Quadrilatero d’Oro” (the golden rectangle) which include Via Monzani, Via Montenapoleone, Via P Verri, Via della Spiga, etc... I spent some time for a shopping break at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – a place that could be considered perhaps as the ancestor of the shopping mall, but with much more class than the usual modern incarnation!

Built towards the end of the 19th century, this is very near to the Duomo, the fantastic pinkish marble cathedral – one of the largest temples in the world (the third largest in Europe, they say, after St-Peter's in Rome...and the cathedral in Sevilla! see previous entry) – constructed over several centuries and that constitutes the central attraction of Milan – do visit: see not only the interior and the exterior, but explore also its roofs!

A great way to get an overall sense of this large city – close to 2 million people – is to take a less than 2-hour sightseeing bus tour – there is one service that starts in front of the formidable Castello Sforzesco – which helps one to get his or her bearings, and in “organizing” a short visit (what to see and where to go)...like a long week-end!

March 2012

Sevilla – Mars 2012

De retour à Séville (voir blog octobre 2007). Pour la même raison: rencontres de la CISAC. Différent hôtel cependant: EME Catedral Hotel; littéralement juste à côté de la cathédrale, en face de “la Giralda”. Cette fois, accompagné de mon frère Robert, l’aîné.

N’aies pu m’empêcher de re-visiter rapidement la cathédrale, immense – la plus grande au monde du style gothique apparemment – et de re-monter “La Giralda”, tout juste en face.

Ai pris le dernier après-midi (libre) pour visiter l’Alcazar et ses jardins, remarquable composition! Et puis pour faire un saut, à quelques kilomètres seulement au nord-ouest de la ville, pour voir les mosaïques et l’amphitéatre du site archéologique d’Italica (première cité romaine en Andalousie remontant au 3e et 2e siècle avant JC.

En ai profité également pour explorer la cuisine locale: Tribeca (fortement recommandé); Salvado Rojo (passable); de nouveau l’Abantal; n’aies pu goûter cependant les saveurs très recommandés du Santo, le restaurant de l’hôtel, ne me sentant pas particulièrement en forme le dernier soir...

Séville, le 9 mars 2012

Portland, Oregon: Béatrice Lumière a 2 ans!

Arrêt quelques jours, de retour du El Salvador, en route pour Toronto; c’est l’anniversaire de Béatrice Lumière : deux ans! On célèbre çà le dimanche, à la maison qu’ils ont acheté du paternel d’Eric, en banlieue de Portland…

Descends au Ace Hotel (1022 SW rue Stark – entre la 10e et la 11e SW); dans le quartier dit historique du centre-ville de Portland, à quelques pas de la fameuse librairie Powells. Un hôtel qui fait dans « l’alternatif », à la hauteur de la réputation de la ville – bizarre ou étrange (‘Keep Portland Weird!’) Un mix entre le moderne et le bohémien…79 chambres - la mienne (« superior deluxe ») est en coin, au 4e, très spacieuse – à peu près 500 pi. ca. – aux mûrs blancs et aux accents kakis – certains meubles doivent venir de magasins de surplus militaire! Une suite de divans en coin dans l’espace de séjour; une baignoire avec des pieds-griffes qui sert de douche également, dans une salle de bain aux ouvertures de portes-coulissantes en bois naturel, bordées de métal. Un lavabo aux touches traditionnelles – sur pied, en émail blanc – dans un coin, séparé de la salle de bain en tant que tel. Une grande table de travail, plutôt étroite, en travers de la chambre, où se trouve l’inévitable télévision écran-plat, et …une table-tournante, apparemment de fabrication tchèque (J’y écoute d’ailleurs le long-jeu d’un enregistrement des variations symphoniques Opus 78 d’ Antonín Dvořák, interprétée par l’Orchestre Symphonique Tchèque, sur étiquette Nonesuch – un enregistrement qui doit dater des années 80). Frigo à vins compact, mais pas de coffre-fort!

De fait, rien n’est très conventionnel au Ace Hotel, à commencer par lobby – qui ressemble plus à un café rempli d’adolescents – et le comptoir d’enregistrement en bois, jusqu’aux magazines que l’on retrouve dans la chambre et que je ne reconnais pas – « Imbibe », « Beer West », « Antenna » and « Good »…Autre touche unique, qui devrait être répliquée ailleurs : une enveloppe bien identifiée pour le pourboire à la femme de chambre! Adjacents, de chaque côté du lobby, le Clyde Common restaurant – tables communales – hautement recommandé, et l’un des « outlets » du non moins recommandable Stumptown Coffee Roasters, temple du café à Portland!

Petit déjeuner au Bijou Café, avec Laurence, Eric et la petite Béatrice; oàu je savoure le special du jour, l’omelette aux crabes!

Lundi, jour férié – President’s day! Déjeuner (« Tasty n sons », du coté est); achat de cadeaux pour la petite Béatrice Lumière; longue promenade (sous la pluie) dans le parc avoisinant; pour finir par un casse-croûte au Ace Hotel, dans la chambre…

Portland, le 21 février, 2012