A few cultural “manifestations” over the last few weeks – films, opera, theatre, dance…
1) El Bulli – Cooking in Progress” – HotDocs 2011
First a film at HotDocs, Toronto, “El Bulli- Cooking in Progress”, about this well-known culinary experiment by chef Ferran Adrià, in his 3 Michelin stars restaurant near Barcelona. Fascinating, in part because of the place’s reputation, and the fact that I never had a chance to go – too busy, too far from Barcelona! The place is closed for the next 2 years or so as Adrià is taking some sort of sabbatical, but in the past, the restaurant was closed the first 6 months of the year, the time Adrià and the numerous chefs that are needed to operate the restaurant would go away in Barcelona, in a sort of clinic environment, to come up with the menus for the second six months of the year! One has to understand that we are talking about the molecular method to prepare food, and that what is prepared and served are bite-size portions. One is struck by the minutia applied in coming up with new dishes, inventing new subtle ways in preparing and cooking a ravioli! The makers of the film (Gereon Wetzel and a partner) are on hands at the screening to give a few hints as how they went about the film – a 15 months experience. Plus the sommelier québécois who also was there at Bulli during the shooting – strangely enough no wine seemed to be served, no pairing commented upon. His advice: with that food, drink champagne!
Review by Sarah Gopaul
“Last year, one of my top Hot Docs selections was Kings of Pastry, a documentary about the world’s top pastry chefs competing for the Meilleur Ouvrier. It was “one of the most delicious films ever committed to celluloid.” When I saw El Bulli – Cooking in Progress in this year’s program, I was immediately drawn to the film. Unfortunately, lightening didn’t strike twice and director Gereon Wetzel didn’t capture the same magic as D.A. Pennebaker.
Located in Spain, El Bulli is a Michelin three-star restaurant and Restaurant Magazine’s five-time annual best restaurant in the world. Serving 8,000 diners between June and December – a fraction of the more than two million requests – the camera is invited into the restaurant, kitchen and laboratory of chef Ferran Adrià. To prepare for each season, the restaurant closes for the first six months of the year while Adrià and his team retreat to Barcelona to invent the new menu.
This film is both boring and fascinating. Let me explain. Watching the group of chefs experiment with various foods, using a variety of techniques to accomplish numerous flavours for the first half of the movie is eventually mind-numbing. It may interest other chefs, but the minute variations that are basically undetectable to the audience all blend together. On the other hand, some of the results are enticing. For example, a plate with a base of olive oil, topped with tiny tangerines and small chips of ice makes Adrià light up with delight and peaks my curiosity; as does a cocktail of water and hazelnut oil. Most intriguing: a disappearing ravioli casing.
However, one of the film’s downfalls is its failure to divulge certain pieces of information earlier in the documentary. It’s not revealed until much later that El Bulli is an avant garde restaurant. Thus, a diner will be served 35 dishes in a three-hour period that may only require two to three bites to consume. The aim of each dish is to create an emotion and/or sensation first and taste second. Moreover, it’s later made known that this year’s theme is water, which goes a long way in explaining the direction of some of the recipes.
It’s when Adrià and his team return to El Bulli during the latter half of the film that the doc becomes more relatable. They begin training the more than 40 chefs required to produce the eccentric menu each night, and there is a lot more dialogue and activity. Moreover, we finally get to see some of the results of the all the testing that took place.
In the end, our patience is rewarded with stunning photos of the completed menu, but the journey is somewhat arduous.
El Bulli – Cooking in Progress is playing as part of Hot Docs on Friday, April 29 at 8:45 pm at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Saturday, April 30 at 1:00 pm at Cumberland Theatre and Sunday, May 8 at 3:00 pm at Cumberland Theatre.”
Interesting link, the necrology of the “anti-Adrià” chef, Santi Santamaría, Catalan as well, who died recently at the tender age of 53 (see http://www.economist.com/node/18226603). Traditional heavy Catalan food – totally “non-Adrià”! If you want to live long, there may be a lesson there…
2) Ondaatje & Minghella: The English Patient, at TIFF
A favourite of ours, Ondaatje, his book and Minghella’s film rendition of the book. Minghella of course has passed away, “untimely” as they say in his early 50’s, but Ondaatje was there to comment about the film and his making – the interviewer, CBC Eleanor Wachtel, obviously had a better memory of details than he did! He subjected himself to the traditional task of signing copies of the book after the showing,...and dutifully had our 1993 paperback copy of “The English Patient” autographed... Fascinating book – I had read it while living in Hong-Kong, but also a fascinating film – this is when I “fell in love” for the first time with Kristin Scott-Thomas!
Books on Film: The English Patient
Anthony Minghella
Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient and Anthony Minghella's The English Patient with Michael Ondaatje. Hosted by Eleanor Wachtel.
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Books on Film Club
official description
Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient and Anthony Minghella's The English Patient with Michael Ondaatje. Hosted by Eleanor Wachtel.
Book Club meets Film Group as TIFF Bell Lightbox introduces “Books On Film Club”, a series of screenings and conversations about the art of adaptation. Hosted by CBC’s Eleanor Wachtel, this series brings together book and film lovers to examine great cinema that began as outstanding literature. The challenges, the successes, and the lessons learned will all be covered as Eleanor welcomes guests including filmmakers, authors and experts to discuss the art and impact of books on film.
3) Wagner & Lepage at the MET: Die Walküre
Live in HD at Cineplex theatre. Second experience of the kind (had seen the opera “Nixon in China” in the same format a few months before)
This is the second opera of the famous “Ring Circle”, Wagner’s “tetralogie”. The Met has not done the full Ring in 20 years. This one is “special” because it is directed by Robert Lepage – one has to see and hear about “the machine”, the “technology” piece that provides the set for the opera: something else! A series of 24 huge parallel planks, moved according to a computer program (the show today was 45 minutes late in starting because of the computer keys, we were explained, had to be “re-aligned”) and so heavy that the foundations of the stage had to be considerably re-enforced to sustain the weight of the “machine”! But what a result – the “ride of the Walkyries” on these muck mechanical horses is to be seen!
The Metropolitan Opera: Die Walküre (Encore) Overview
The Met has assembled a stellar cast for this second installment of Robert Lepage's new production of the Ring cycle, conducted by James Levine: Bryn Terfel is Wotan, lord of the Gods, in his first performances of the role with the company. Deborah Voigt adds the part of Brünnhilde to her extensive Wagnerian repertoire at the Met. Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek star as the Wälsungen twins, Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Stephanie Blythe is Fricka.
The Ring is not just a story or a series of operas, it's a cosmos," says Lepage, who brings cutting-edge technology and his own visionary imagination to the world's greatest theatrical journey. Levine, who has conducted every complete cycle of Wagner's masterpiece performed by the Met since 1989, says, "The Ring is one of those works of art that you think you know, but every time you return to it, you find all kinds of brilliant moments that hadn't struck you with the same force before."
Voir:
http://wanderer.blog.lemonde.fr/2011/05/06/metropolitan-opera-met-die-walkure-de-rwagner-le-5-mai-2011-dirmus-derrick-inouye-ms-en-scene-robert-lepage-avec-jonas-kaufmann-eva-maria-westbroek-deborah-voigt-et-bryn-terfel/
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Walk%C3%BCre
critiques:
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/spectacles-et-theatre/201104/25/01-4393046-die-walkure-la-machine-de-robert-lepage-ne-fait-pas-lunanimite.php
4) “Jersey boys” – Des McAnuff
This is how Andrzej Lukowski of “Time Out” described it:
“Here's the 'Jersey Boys' concept. Take one gleaming back-catalogue - that of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, whose Bob Gaudio-penned songs have become so woven into the fabric of Western pop culture that it's easy to forget who actually wrote them. Next, instead of torturously extrapolating a zany plot out of the lyrics, simply make the story of 'Jersey Boys' the story of the Four Seasons. Get a top-notch book, written by Rick Elice and Woody Allen collaborator Marshall Brickman. Hire a director, Des McAnuff, who doesn't let extended song and dance routines get in the way of a playful, incident-packed story that's not afraid to play a little hard and fast with chronology. Combine, and you have not only one of the best shows in town, but an object lesson in how the whole benighted jukebox musical sub-genre can spawn a genuine classic.
It's therefore not a surprise to note that there have been few changes at the Prince Edward Theatre over the last three years. Supporting cast members have come and gone, but the prodigiously-piped, wonderfully craggy Ryan Molloy is still front and centre as Frankie Valli most nights (though former S Club 7 member Jon Lee now subs for him on occasion).
The current crop Seasons are great fun: Matthew Wycliffe's nerdy nice guy Gaudio and Jon Boydon's wiseass Tommy DeVito engage as the two men fighting for the soul of the band, while the Lurch-like Eugene McCoy makes the role of bassist Nick Massi his own.
But it's the book that emerges as star. The story of 'Jersey Boys' is the story of most musicians who went from bluecollar roots to more success than they could handle. What's great about Ellis and Brickman'stelling of the tale is not only its ready wit and refusal and obvious effection for its subjects, but also the poignancy in the shift of narratorial duties from Tommy DeVito to Bob Gaudio. By the second half DeVito has lost his grip on band, show and himself. And in the background Molloy's Valli grows subtly in stature, from runty street rat to troubled father, but always with those formidable pipes, the like of 'Rag Doll', 'Walk Like A Man' and 'Big Girls Don't Cry' still intoxicatingly odd a half century on.”
As I said somewhere else, I enjoyed, but not really my “cup of tea”...
5) Untitled – La La La Human Steps
Untitled
Toronto premiere - Édouard Lock, artistic director and choreographer of La La La Human Steps - one of Canada's most exhilarating and acclaimed cultural exports pushing the boundaries of dance - is creating an innovative and challenging new work, as yet untitled, commemorating the 30th anniversary of his company. The piece will be a fusion of two iconic operas. Lock deconstructs and reinvents two distinct tragic love stories creating a new and unpredictable narrative through a provocative hybrid of dance, film, music, narrative, form and style. Renowned for his ferocious, high-velocity, post-modernist choreography, multi-award-winner Édouard Lock and his Montreal-based company catapulted to the forefront of the international dance scene in 1985 with Human Sex. Untitled runs May 26 - June 1, 2011 (media night: May 26).
________________________________________
Special to National Post May 27, 2011 – 1:54 PM ET | Last Updated: May 27, 2011 3:19 PM ET
By Dana Glassman
La La La Human Steps
Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto
A single spotlight hovers on a creature. She twists and twitches, her chiselled muscles ready for action. The stage is spare, the lighting dark and right from the start there’s no mistaking Montreal choreographer Édouard Lock’s trademark style.
As the visionary behind La La La Human Steps, Lock is famous for pushing his dancers to twist and turn with dizzying ferocity, and this is emphasized more than ever in his new untitled work. The company hasn’t performed in Toronto since 2007, but after touring Europe and other cities in Canada, they took to the stage May 26 for the first of six performances.
At one point in this high-octane piece, two female dancers dressed in black strapless bodysuits appear en pointe. Their legs bourrée stiffly, but their Gumby-like arms flutter and flap so quickly your eyes can barely keep up. The fact that the cast of 11 dancers, both male and female, maintain these speeds for an hour and a half straight is nothing short of brilliant.
The program notes indicate the work is inspired by two operatic love stories, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Gluck’s Orfeo et Euridice. There’s no obvious narrative here, but Lock clearly loves playing with crazy contrasts. Any traditional views on love are shattered — these dancers appear purposely passionless, as though sending a message that love is not to be trusted.
The dimly lit stage adds to the ominous mood, making it challenging to see the dancers faces. This becomes frustrating at times, but it’s clear Lock has consciously decided the focus should be on the dancers’ strong pointe work and powerhouse pirouettes.
Lock commissioned composers Gavin Bryars and Blake Hargreaves to deconstruct the score, and a four-member band plays onstage behind the dancers. The pseudo-Baroque music is lively and melodic, but it’s juxtaposed with the harsh sounds of dancers purposely panting and slapping their skin.
There’s also a mysterious video component. Two gigantic screens featuring women’s faces, one young and one old, appear at different intervals. Are these images meant to be a metaphor for the rapid pace of life? Whatever the intent, the overall effect is far less interesting than watching the risk-taking dancers/athletes tackle Lock’s intricate footwork.
Overall, this is a bold, take-no-prisoners work. It’s well suited to show off a company that for 30 years has pushed boundaries and wowed international audiences by fusing ballet with modern dance. But this piece is far from perfect. For instance, there are sequences that appear overly repetitive. Combine that with frustratingly dark lighting and the audience is left at its conclusion feeling somewhat cold.
As Lock forges into his fourth decade as artistic director/choreographer of La La La Human Steps it would be nice to see him incorporate some more adagio movements into his works. The dancers are more than capable of lingering on balances and slow extensions and this would provide a dramatic contrast to the hyperkinetic choreography they’re used to.
Also, there have been ballet aficionados in the audience wondering why Russian prima ballerina Diana Vishneva was not able to perform with the company in Toronto after joining them in Montreal and on the European tour. While that would have been a bonus, the company’s current roster of stars, notably Talia Evtushenko, Mi Deng and Jason Shipley-Holmes make up for Vishneva’s absence.
Despite the above quibbles, it was great seeing La La La Human Steps back in Toronto. The relatively small 868-seat Bluma Appel Theatre offered the audience a rare opportunity to see the dancers up close. No doubt many in the audience will return to see the works of two other Canadian choreographic trailblazers, Marie Chouinard and Crystal Pite, on the same stage next season.
La La La Human Steps performs at Toronto’s Bluma Appel Theatre until June 1. For more information, visit canadianstage.com.
samedi 28 mai 2011
samedi 21 mai 2011
London in May!
Stayed in a hotel walking distance from meetings (well, at least the first day’s). It’s the Hazlitt’s, made of a few houses joined together and built in the 18th century, refurbished to meet today’s traveler’s (electronic) needs: wireless internet access and lots of electric outlets (for chargers)! It’s an old place - the floors have settled longtime ago! It was built when Soho was a suburb of London! Near Soho Square, a very fashionable place at the time. In the West End. It certainly has changed since; a very mix crowd now around – I’ve read somewhere a reference to the “demi-monde” – conveniently located very close to, if not in, the entertainment district. At the same time, very quiet.
It oozes old Georgian charm. Named after William Hazlitt, an English writer, an essayist, literary critic, grammarian and philosopher, of the beginning of the 19th century, who would have lived here as a boarder. He also wrote a full biography of Napoleon, whom he apparently admired. There is quite a write-up on him on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hazlitt) Must admit, I did not know him, or if I did at one time, I have forgotten! He is apparently considered now as one of the great essayists of the English language, on par with Samuel Johnson or George Orwell. He also befriended many of the literati of the day, the Lambs, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Stendhal, etc. (Rooms don’t have numbers here but names – I am staying in the Jonathan Swift room – big painting of his figure hanging above the marble fireplace – named after the Irish born author of Gulliver’s Travels who was, I read, a frequent visitor – his “particular” friend, the poetess Mary Barker, owned one of the houses that now constitutes the hotel…
Two recent connections come to mind as I read and discover about the place: Hazlitt’s father had founded the Unitarian Church in Boston, Massachusetts, where we visited a couple of weeks ago. And Michael Ondaatje, author of the Booker prize “the English patient”, whom we met at a TIFF event last week, would have stayed here and left a signed copy of one of his books on display in the reading room…
I enjoyed my stay there, and recommended it on a few travel sites.
Spent the Sunday afternoon watching “Jersey Boys” in a nearby theatre – very light after Wagner Die Walküre the day before! While I enjoyed it – I went more by curiosity as it is directed by Des McAnuff who is currently the artistic director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival – it confirmed my not being a particular fan of contemporary musicals (I find the plot never particularly challenging enough!)
Tried a few new restaurants while in town. Had dinner at a place nearby, Dean Street Townhouse, run by hip local hotel-management company, SohoHouse. Lunch at Arbutus, a French menu place across the street from the hotel, and Scott’s, what appeared to be a very fashionable eatery, in a very fashionable part of town – great seafood though! Also, a fun and busy tapas place, Dehesa, in Kingly area.
Had a couple of hours for shopping, which I spent at nearby Liberty, certainly a unique place as multi-story department stores go - very sharp! The exterior of a Tudor structure, there are 5 floors to go to, filled of great quality and diversity of goods, designers’ in good part, and very enticing – there was a collection launch that day, and they were serving champagne: a delightful way to shop and wander about – very astute as well as I bought a few more things than I had planned to!
The weather, which had been warm and dry over the 2 months or so before the days I was there, when it was cold and rainy, was coming back to a sunny inclination. But I was leaving…
London, May 19, 2011
It oozes old Georgian charm. Named after William Hazlitt, an English writer, an essayist, literary critic, grammarian and philosopher, of the beginning of the 19th century, who would have lived here as a boarder. He also wrote a full biography of Napoleon, whom he apparently admired. There is quite a write-up on him on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hazlitt) Must admit, I did not know him, or if I did at one time, I have forgotten! He is apparently considered now as one of the great essayists of the English language, on par with Samuel Johnson or George Orwell. He also befriended many of the literati of the day, the Lambs, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Stendhal, etc. (Rooms don’t have numbers here but names – I am staying in the Jonathan Swift room – big painting of his figure hanging above the marble fireplace – named after the Irish born author of Gulliver’s Travels who was, I read, a frequent visitor – his “particular” friend, the poetess Mary Barker, owned one of the houses that now constitutes the hotel…
Two recent connections come to mind as I read and discover about the place: Hazlitt’s father had founded the Unitarian Church in Boston, Massachusetts, where we visited a couple of weeks ago. And Michael Ondaatje, author of the Booker prize “the English patient”, whom we met at a TIFF event last week, would have stayed here and left a signed copy of one of his books on display in the reading room…
I enjoyed my stay there, and recommended it on a few travel sites.
Spent the Sunday afternoon watching “Jersey Boys” in a nearby theatre – very light after Wagner Die Walküre the day before! While I enjoyed it – I went more by curiosity as it is directed by Des McAnuff who is currently the artistic director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival – it confirmed my not being a particular fan of contemporary musicals (I find the plot never particularly challenging enough!)
Tried a few new restaurants while in town. Had dinner at a place nearby, Dean Street Townhouse, run by hip local hotel-management company, SohoHouse. Lunch at Arbutus, a French menu place across the street from the hotel, and Scott’s, what appeared to be a very fashionable eatery, in a very fashionable part of town – great seafood though! Also, a fun and busy tapas place, Dehesa, in Kingly area.
Had a couple of hours for shopping, which I spent at nearby Liberty, certainly a unique place as multi-story department stores go - very sharp! The exterior of a Tudor structure, there are 5 floors to go to, filled of great quality and diversity of goods, designers’ in good part, and very enticing – there was a collection launch that day, and they were serving champagne: a delightful way to shop and wander about – very astute as well as I bought a few more things than I had planned to!
The weather, which had been warm and dry over the 2 months or so before the days I was there, when it was cold and rainy, was coming back to a sunny inclination. But I was leaving…
London, May 19, 2011
mardi 26 avril 2011
Boston Easter weekend - day 4 & day 5
A definite improvement in the weather: sunny and warm this Sunday morning; will reach the low sixties sometime today…
Easter day. Chat at the breakfast table with an older couple, in the publishing business, that drove from Connecticut to meet their son-in-law: their daughter, long-time resident of Boston, just got married! Had dinner at the same place last night…
Pascal mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, with the cardinal himself! (Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley – Archbishop of Boston by virtue of John Paul II in 2003; Cardinal by virtue of Benedict XVI in 2006, one of the successors to illustrious Richard Cardinal Cushing that served during the Kennedys era…). The church happens to be in the neighborhood. Reminded of all the pageantry that goes with catholic liturgy, of which the burning incent (“l’encensoir”), and its smell, is most vivid in my mind!... Cardinal Seán’s sermon, about renewal in Christ…
Light lunch at Le Petit Robert, nearby, on Columbus. Great omelets; lousy wine!
Felt we needed to do the “Freedom Trail” – the historical part of any visit to Boston, the cradle of the American Revolution. Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere, and the rest… Not particularly interested today; so not particularly interesting… Way too many people, and too commercial, along the “trail”! The right weather though, except for a few grains of rain toward the end of the afternoon. Faneuil Hall below:
Dinner at Sorellina, Italian, on the recommendation of a diner at Hamersley’s the night before. Near Copley Place. 10 minute walk from the B&B. Very sophisticated and slick décor – one large diner area. Cynthia has the Insalata and the scallops with white asparagus and some truffle. She is happy with her Prosecco Extra Brut (Fantinel, Friuli, Italy). Very light for me: Romaine and half a portion of pasta – garganelli with succulent pioppini mushrooms, and a glass of a very smooth chardonnay (Nozzole `Le Bruniche` Chardonnay, Tuscany, 2008). Light rain coming out; walked home nonetheless.
Monday morning, Cynthia is returning to Toronto early in the day. I am staying for the conference. Early breakfast at “Charlie’s” across the road on Columbus; opens at 6am. Happens to be THE breakfast experience to have in Boston. An institution around here: this typical American diner has been around since 1927. Pictures on the wall; Al Gore –kid in arms – campaigning with Senator (Ted) Kennedy… Small place – “No parking after eating!” – very generous ham and cheese omelet for me, New England blueberry bread for Cynthia. All cash, no credit card. (PlayBook tablet frozen – no photos, if it had not been for Cy’s camera!...)
Took the morning to visit the JFK Library & Museum, a bit off the beaten track, by Dorchester Bay. The highlights of his career. His early life – how politics was not to be his “bag”; his decision to go into politics; his loss to be VP candidate in 1956; the 1960 campaign TV debates with Nixon – how TV gave him the edge; his inaugural speech (…”don’t ask…, but ask…”); “Camelot”; the race to the moon; his Berlin speech (“Let them come to Berlin!” addressing those who believed Communism was the answer, and his famous “Ish bin ein Berliner”)…and then the 22th of November, 1963… The rhetoric was inspiring, up-lifting…it was so for a whole generation – mine. That is why we – same generation – may be so disillusioned by politics nowadays… I wonder if the flame I saw in 1964 on his tomb in Arlington cemetery is still burning…
Off to the conference – “Rethink Music” – for the rest of my stay in Boston…
Easter day. Chat at the breakfast table with an older couple, in the publishing business, that drove from Connecticut to meet their son-in-law: their daughter, long-time resident of Boston, just got married! Had dinner at the same place last night…
Pascal mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, with the cardinal himself! (Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley – Archbishop of Boston by virtue of John Paul II in 2003; Cardinal by virtue of Benedict XVI in 2006, one of the successors to illustrious Richard Cardinal Cushing that served during the Kennedys era…). The church happens to be in the neighborhood. Reminded of all the pageantry that goes with catholic liturgy, of which the burning incent (“l’encensoir”), and its smell, is most vivid in my mind!... Cardinal Seán’s sermon, about renewal in Christ…
Light lunch at Le Petit Robert, nearby, on Columbus. Great omelets; lousy wine!
Felt we needed to do the “Freedom Trail” – the historical part of any visit to Boston, the cradle of the American Revolution. Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere, and the rest… Not particularly interested today; so not particularly interesting… Way too many people, and too commercial, along the “trail”! The right weather though, except for a few grains of rain toward the end of the afternoon. Faneuil Hall below:
Dinner at Sorellina, Italian, on the recommendation of a diner at Hamersley’s the night before. Near Copley Place. 10 minute walk from the B&B. Very sophisticated and slick décor – one large diner area. Cynthia has the Insalata and the scallops with white asparagus and some truffle. She is happy with her Prosecco Extra Brut (Fantinel, Friuli, Italy). Very light for me: Romaine and half a portion of pasta – garganelli with succulent pioppini mushrooms, and a glass of a very smooth chardonnay (Nozzole `Le Bruniche` Chardonnay, Tuscany, 2008). Light rain coming out; walked home nonetheless.
Monday morning, Cynthia is returning to Toronto early in the day. I am staying for the conference. Early breakfast at “Charlie’s” across the road on Columbus; opens at 6am. Happens to be THE breakfast experience to have in Boston. An institution around here: this typical American diner has been around since 1927. Pictures on the wall; Al Gore –kid in arms – campaigning with Senator (Ted) Kennedy… Small place – “No parking after eating!” – very generous ham and cheese omelet for me, New England blueberry bread for Cynthia. All cash, no credit card. (PlayBook tablet frozen – no photos, if it had not been for Cy’s camera!...)
Took the morning to visit the JFK Library & Museum, a bit off the beaten track, by Dorchester Bay. The highlights of his career. His early life – how politics was not to be his “bag”; his decision to go into politics; his loss to be VP candidate in 1956; the 1960 campaign TV debates with Nixon – how TV gave him the edge; his inaugural speech (…”don’t ask…, but ask…”); “Camelot”; the race to the moon; his Berlin speech (“Let them come to Berlin!” addressing those who believed Communism was the answer, and his famous “Ish bin ein Berliner”)…and then the 22th of November, 1963… The rhetoric was inspiring, up-lifting…it was so for a whole generation – mine. That is why we – same generation – may be so disillusioned by politics nowadays… I wonder if the flame I saw in 1964 on his tomb in Arlington cemetery is still burning…
Off to the conference – “Rethink Music” – for the rest of my stay in Boston…
dimanche 24 avril 2011
Boston Easter weekend - day 3
Weather forecast today: Rain. Patchy fog this afternoon. Highs around 50. Southeast winds 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph...increasing to 40 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain near 100 percent. Tonight: Cloudy. Patchy fog. Showers likely in the evening. Not as cool with lows around 50. Southwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
It rained alright, all day! Taxi to the Museum of Fine Arts. Extraordinary exhibition of Chihuly’s most recent work (glassware). Incredible in its forms and its colors. Phenomenally good pictures with my new Blackberry tablet, the PlayBook. Hopefully their clarity and quality will be preserved once transferred to PC, posted on Flickr or emailed… (see slideshow on MFA in case http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/chihuly)
A look at Sargent’s The work as well, in permanent exhibition at the Art of The Americas section: The connection to Isabella Stewart Gardner, his Velazquez-like rendering of a family scene, his fresco that adorns the walls and ceiling of the museum’s Rotunda, etc.
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/S/sargent/sargent_daughters.jpg.html
Taxi back in South End for lunch on oysters – 8 of them, most from East Coast, 2 from the Pacific Coast. With a glass of Crémant for Cynthia and a glass of Muscat d’Alsace for me. At B&G Oysters on Tremont, a rather tight place at the rez-de-chaussée level, particularly welcoming. Cynthia’s New England clam chowder is simply divine!
Spent the afternoon at the B&B, sheltered from the rain! Ditched plans to go to restaurant (Harvest) in Cambridge and Donkey Show, in favor of nearby Hamersley’s Bistro, a well known choice of French fare (http://www.hamersleysbistro.com); entrée of crispy canard confit, followed by grilled chicken (the best Cynthia ever had, she says) and pork tenderloin in a burnt orange sauce, with a glass of Chilean Pinot Noir (Ritual 2008) for Cynthia, and of Saint-Estèphe, Chateau Haut-Beauséjour, 2005, a combination of Cabernet Franc, Merlot et Cabernet Sauvignon, for me. Highly recommendable (and obviously well frequented – fully booked; reservations were for the day after; lucky to scrap a table by the bar – as it turns out a much quieter section of the restaurant...)
The Bruins beat the Habs 2 to 1 in double overtime – the Bruins lead this playoff series now 3 to 2 games…could not get tickets, and doubt I would be able to get any for next game, which may turn out to be the last one of that series if the Bruins win!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
It rained alright, all day! Taxi to the Museum of Fine Arts. Extraordinary exhibition of Chihuly’s most recent work (glassware). Incredible in its forms and its colors. Phenomenally good pictures with my new Blackberry tablet, the PlayBook. Hopefully their clarity and quality will be preserved once transferred to PC, posted on Flickr or emailed… (see slideshow on MFA in case http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/chihuly)
A look at Sargent’s The work as well, in permanent exhibition at the Art of The Americas section: The connection to Isabella Stewart Gardner, his Velazquez-like rendering of a family scene, his fresco that adorns the walls and ceiling of the museum’s Rotunda, etc.
Taxi back in South End for lunch on oysters – 8 of them, most from East Coast, 2 from the Pacific Coast. With a glass of Crémant for Cynthia and a glass of Muscat d’Alsace for me. At B&G Oysters on Tremont, a rather tight place at the rez-de-chaussée level, particularly welcoming. Cynthia’s New England clam chowder is simply divine!
Spent the afternoon at the B&B, sheltered from the rain! Ditched plans to go to restaurant (Harvest) in Cambridge and Donkey Show, in favor of nearby Hamersley’s Bistro, a well known choice of French fare (http://www.hamersleysbistro.com); entrée of crispy canard confit, followed by grilled chicken (the best Cynthia ever had, she says) and pork tenderloin in a burnt orange sauce, with a glass of Chilean Pinot Noir (Ritual 2008) for Cynthia, and of Saint-Estèphe, Chateau Haut-Beauséjour, 2005, a combination of Cabernet Franc, Merlot et Cabernet Sauvignon, for me. Highly recommendable (and obviously well frequented – fully booked; reservations were for the day after; lucky to scrap a table by the bar – as it turns out a much quieter section of the restaurant...)
The Bruins beat the Habs 2 to 1 in double overtime – the Bruins lead this playoff series now 3 to 2 games…could not get tickets, and doubt I would be able to get any for next game, which may turn out to be the last one of that series if the Bruins win!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
samedi 23 avril 2011
Boston Easter weekend - day 2
I check the Boston Globe for the weather later on today, Friday; it’s 38 degrees right now at 6am, and it’s going to be mostly sunny, patchy frost this morning, highs in the low 50s, north winds 5 to 10mph…becoming east this afternoon. In other words, pretty well the same as yesterday… The seven-day forecast has rain for the rest of the weekend; so better be ready…
I was curious about the Big Dig. It refers to the project to bury the freeway (the I-93) that used to cross and split Boston, before it was turned into a 3.5mile tunnel. Moshe Sadfie (who actually is now based here I think) referred to it in an article in the Globe & Mail a few weeks back, talking about the Gardiner elevated freeway that disfigured Toronto’s waterfront, wondering if it was not too late to think of dismembering it. The Big Dig started in the mid-80’s and was finally terminated at the very end of 2007 at a cost of some $22B, if you include the interest costs incurred according to the Boston Globe, many times over what was initially planned, apparently making it the most expensive transportation project ever in the US! It was marred by several incidents (including death) and led since to lawsuits for shoddy work on the part of the main contractor, a consortium I think of Bechtel and Parsons. As much as the Gardiner is an eyesore in Toronto, I think we should think twice before committing scarce resources to its replacement, when the city has so many other transportation needs to fulfill (e.g. a subway that would link the Bloor line to the North Work one, along Don Mills…the subway in Toronto is truly underdeveloped for a greater and spread out area of some 5 to 7 million people…)
Spent the morning at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where we got a private tour from a staffer (Natalie Williams – Board Relations manager), courtesy of our local Greek connection! Quite a museum, quite a woman! She built that museum – the inner courtyard is faced on each side by a replica of a Venetian palace’s facade – to lodge her private collection that developed over the years to be a true professional one. This is in the 1890’s! With her wealthy father’s inheritance she bought oeuvres d’art in Europe and elsewhere, and with her rich (needless to say!) Bostonian husband’s inheritance she built the museum. Then there is the story of the heist, 11 paintings stolen in 1990 worth some $330M! (The stolen artworks include The Concert by Vermeer (one of only 34 known works by Vermeer in the world), three works by Rembrandt including The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (the artist’s only known seascape) and a postage-stamp-sized Self-Portrait, five drawings by Degas, Chez Tortoni by Manet, a landscape painting formerly attributed to Rembrandt, and two objects, an ancient Chinese Ku and a finial in the shape of an eagle from a Napoleonic flag – as reported on Wikipedia) Never found so far. Prosecution period is over, if the culprits are ever found. The lesson learned at the Museum from that incident: insure artworks, at least the insurance company would pay for the investigation! Here is a young Rembrandt (FOOTNOTE June 18, 2013)
“The Passion according to St-John”, by J.S. Bach. At the Symphony Hall, with the Boston Orchestra, directed by Masaaki Suzuki, known as a “Bach specialist” (with a little introductory comment to remind us of the disaster in Japan, a solicitation for donation, and a minute of silence). Quite fitting, on Good Friday matinee. Tough first part – I slept through most of it – but stayed for the second one, at the insistence of Cynthia. Quite rightly - did not regret it… This “BSO Revival of ‘St-John’” was rather poorly rated that morning in the Boston Globe, as “unsteady”; perhaps for the critique, but exhilarating for us… (Said hello and congratulations to Suzuki-san, met by chance that same night…)
Dinner at zagat-rated Toscano, a gracieusté of our local Greek connection, Nicolas Mitropolis, an old friend and “habitué de la maison”. Great place on Charles Street, in Beacon Hill; busy northern Italian eatery. Greeted by managing partners Andrew and Richard. A glass of “frizzante” Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir for Cynthia, and Toscan white Vermentino Rocca di Mentemassi Calasole 2008 for me. Calamari in gratella – a recommendation from Andrew – plain full “rouleaux” of squid, grilled served with a Dijon mustard sauce (extra peppery sauce for Cynthia’s South-Asian palate!) For pasta, we shared a “plat” of pappardelle served with a braised duck sauce, accompanied by a generous glass of soft “rosso” Turlo di Sylviano (a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot), which was to last long enough to go with our main dish, a lemony (too lemony?) sea bass for Cynthia, and a blackened cod (“Merluzzo in Acquapazza”) served in a sauce just right for this tasty fish, and a mountain of Baby Peas. Could not resist their tiramisu, with coffee. Delightful evening…and we certainly need the half-hour walk, back to our B&B in the South End!
Friday, April 22, 2011
FOOTNOTE -June 18, 2013
In an article by its editor/publisher, the magazine ARTnews, in its June, 2013 issue reports on the state of the investigation, by the FBI and others, that is still going on...with so far more than 10,000 tips, going from Jackie Kennedy's involvement to that of Brad Pitt !
I was curious about the Big Dig. It refers to the project to bury the freeway (the I-93) that used to cross and split Boston, before it was turned into a 3.5mile tunnel. Moshe Sadfie (who actually is now based here I think) referred to it in an article in the Globe & Mail a few weeks back, talking about the Gardiner elevated freeway that disfigured Toronto’s waterfront, wondering if it was not too late to think of dismembering it. The Big Dig started in the mid-80’s and was finally terminated at the very end of 2007 at a cost of some $22B, if you include the interest costs incurred according to the Boston Globe, many times over what was initially planned, apparently making it the most expensive transportation project ever in the US! It was marred by several incidents (including death) and led since to lawsuits for shoddy work on the part of the main contractor, a consortium I think of Bechtel and Parsons. As much as the Gardiner is an eyesore in Toronto, I think we should think twice before committing scarce resources to its replacement, when the city has so many other transportation needs to fulfill (e.g. a subway that would link the Bloor line to the North Work one, along Don Mills…the subway in Toronto is truly underdeveloped for a greater and spread out area of some 5 to 7 million people…)
Spent the morning at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where we got a private tour from a staffer (Natalie Williams – Board Relations manager), courtesy of our local Greek connection! Quite a museum, quite a woman! She built that museum – the inner courtyard is faced on each side by a replica of a Venetian palace’s facade – to lodge her private collection that developed over the years to be a true professional one. This is in the 1890’s! With her wealthy father’s inheritance she bought oeuvres d’art in Europe and elsewhere, and with her rich (needless to say!) Bostonian husband’s inheritance she built the museum. Then there is the story of the heist, 11 paintings stolen in 1990 worth some $330M! (The stolen artworks include The Concert by Vermeer (one of only 34 known works by Vermeer in the world), three works by Rembrandt including The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (the artist’s only known seascape) and a postage-stamp-sized Self-Portrait, five drawings by Degas, Chez Tortoni by Manet, a landscape painting formerly attributed to Rembrandt, and two objects, an ancient Chinese Ku and a finial in the shape of an eagle from a Napoleonic flag – as reported on Wikipedia) Never found so far. Prosecution period is over, if the culprits are ever found. The lesson learned at the Museum from that incident: insure artworks, at least the insurance company would pay for the investigation! Here is a young Rembrandt (FOOTNOTE June 18, 2013)
“The Passion according to St-John”, by J.S. Bach. At the Symphony Hall, with the Boston Orchestra, directed by Masaaki Suzuki, known as a “Bach specialist” (with a little introductory comment to remind us of the disaster in Japan, a solicitation for donation, and a minute of silence). Quite fitting, on Good Friday matinee. Tough first part – I slept through most of it – but stayed for the second one, at the insistence of Cynthia. Quite rightly - did not regret it… This “BSO Revival of ‘St-John’” was rather poorly rated that morning in the Boston Globe, as “unsteady”; perhaps for the critique, but exhilarating for us… (Said hello and congratulations to Suzuki-san, met by chance that same night…)
Dinner at zagat-rated Toscano, a gracieusté of our local Greek connection, Nicolas Mitropolis, an old friend and “habitué de la maison”. Great place on Charles Street, in Beacon Hill; busy northern Italian eatery. Greeted by managing partners Andrew and Richard. A glass of “frizzante” Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir for Cynthia, and Toscan white Vermentino Rocca di Mentemassi Calasole 2008 for me. Calamari in gratella – a recommendation from Andrew – plain full “rouleaux” of squid, grilled served with a Dijon mustard sauce (extra peppery sauce for Cynthia’s South-Asian palate!) For pasta, we shared a “plat” of pappardelle served with a braised duck sauce, accompanied by a generous glass of soft “rosso” Turlo di Sylviano (a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot), which was to last long enough to go with our main dish, a lemony (too lemony?) sea bass for Cynthia, and a blackened cod (“Merluzzo in Acquapazza”) served in a sauce just right for this tasty fish, and a mountain of Baby Peas. Could not resist their tiramisu, with coffee. Delightful evening…and we certainly need the half-hour walk, back to our B&B in the South End!
Friday, April 22, 2011
FOOTNOTE -June 18, 2013
In an article by its editor/publisher, the magazine ARTnews, in its June, 2013 issue reports on the state of the investigation, by the FBI and others, that is still going on...with so far more than 10,000 tips, going from Jackie Kennedy's involvement to that of Brad Pitt !
vendredi 22 avril 2011
Boston Easter Weekend - day 1
Staying at Clarendon Square Inn, “Boston’s most scenic small hotel and the only place to stay in the heart of the hip South End area” as the Wallpaper city guide puts it. It certainly feels comfortable in this Victorian home, fully renovated with all the modern amenities (wireless, flat screen TV, etc.). (Writing now, sitting in the very inviting lounge on the first floor, fireplace, “piano à queue” and all!) We are on the top floor (if one does not mind 3 flights of stairs), room number 3, a floor away from the roof top we went to, from where one has a great panorama view of the neighborhood and beyond. This is where the hot tub is, fully operational at this cool time of the year…
Planning made easy, thanks to Nicolas Mitropolis, “Boston Greek connection extraordinaire”, Cynthia met on the last leg of a flight to Athens earlier this year…a very attentive and generous connection indeed! We practically only have to show up!
Sunny, but cool it is… And that wind – wow! We asked if it is like this all the time…we were admitted that it is today a bit more windy than usual! No kidding! And yet, there are people going around in t-shirt and shorts! It is spring, trees budding green, but we are glad we brought along warm scarves, and I regret a hat…
Enjoyed food today: lunch at Aquitaine (www.aquitaineboston.com), a bistro-style establishment in the ‘hip’ South end, a few blocks away from the B&B; part of what was an old (“the first one” according to the manager there) French hotel, the St-Cloud. Roasted Arctic Char on a bed of fresh greens and a croque-monsieur (with a light tomato bisque and fries), with a delicious white wine from the Languedoc. Very good coffee too…
Then Scampo (www.scampoboston.com), an Italian establishment on the first floor of the very touted Liberty Hotel, the former Boston jail that has been “refurbished” in a very hip hotel a few years ago, at the cost of more than $100M! Restaurant full of smart looking diners…had the baked artichoke (with sausage crumbs) for entrée – had not had artichokes for years – and shared the “Bianco” pizza (white asparagus, with dollops of mozzarella in cream, and a touch of honey). Good Pinot Noir from the Veneto.
Walked back to the B&B from dinner, a good half hour from Beacon Hill to South End. Quite invigorating in this cold wind. Had walked to the restaurant, going straight up Dartmouth Street to the river (Charles) looking for a place for jogging (there is a path along the river).
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Planning made easy, thanks to Nicolas Mitropolis, “Boston Greek connection extraordinaire”, Cynthia met on the last leg of a flight to Athens earlier this year…a very attentive and generous connection indeed! We practically only have to show up!
Sunny, but cool it is… And that wind – wow! We asked if it is like this all the time…we were admitted that it is today a bit more windy than usual! No kidding! And yet, there are people going around in t-shirt and shorts! It is spring, trees budding green, but we are glad we brought along warm scarves, and I regret a hat…
Enjoyed food today: lunch at Aquitaine (www.aquitaineboston.com), a bistro-style establishment in the ‘hip’ South end, a few blocks away from the B&B; part of what was an old (“the first one” according to the manager there) French hotel, the St-Cloud. Roasted Arctic Char on a bed of fresh greens and a croque-monsieur (with a light tomato bisque and fries), with a delicious white wine from the Languedoc. Very good coffee too…
Then Scampo (www.scampoboston.com), an Italian establishment on the first floor of the very touted Liberty Hotel, the former Boston jail that has been “refurbished” in a very hip hotel a few years ago, at the cost of more than $100M! Restaurant full of smart looking diners…had the baked artichoke (with sausage crumbs) for entrée – had not had artichokes for years – and shared the “Bianco” pizza (white asparagus, with dollops of mozzarella in cream, and a touch of honey). Good Pinot Noir from the Veneto.
Walked back to the B&B from dinner, a good half hour from Beacon Hill to South End. Quite invigorating in this cold wind. Had walked to the restaurant, going straight up Dartmouth Street to the river (Charles) looking for a place for jogging (there is a path along the river).
Thursday, April 21, 2011
lundi 18 avril 2011
Less than a week in East Asia – Taipei & Hong-Kong
Back in Asia, a quick business visit, Taipei, and then, almost unexpectedly, Hong-Kong.
Never enticed by Taipei, over several visits in the last 25 years. This time though, I find the city clean, less polluted, and certainly less encumbered by traffic – it’s almost Singapore! It seems to me that it is due to the fact that much of the construction that was going on in previous visits has abated – the subway is certainly completed!
Staying at the Sheraton Taipei, chosen by our hosts. Usual good large hotel chain standards. Had stayed before at the Hyatt, closer as I recall to the Trade Center and now the new city landmark – Taipei 101 – a structure of 101 floors, reminiscent of an ancient pagoda. Remember also once staying at the Sherwood hotel – very comfortable.
Took a couple of hours to spend at the National Palace Museum. Probably the largest repository of Chinese artefacts in the world. Built in the 60’s to lodge what the Nationalists had managed to ship outside of the mainland in 1949, probably starting not long after the war was over. The collection from the Forbidden City actually had been “on the road” already for a good 15 years, having been packed away first to avoid the avatars of the civil war and of the Japanese invasion. A long itinerary starting in Beijing, then Shanghai, Nanjing, scattered somewhere further west in Sichuan, Chungqing, reassembled back east in Nanjing, to eventually finds its way to Taiwan. Fascinating collection – by far the most extensive I have ever seen. I go back every time I come to Taipei. Such a trove to discover.
Had lunch at the Silks Palace on the ground of the Museum, not knowing that our hosts was going to take us there for dinner the day after…
Invited a few colleagues for dinner at the Grand Hotel, built in the early 50’s, in the pure grandiose traditional Chinese – majestic lobby, lots of reds and marble. A sight to see; the restaurant, the Golden Dragon, is overseeing the Danshui River, nearby. The food of course is rather mediocre (and the wine selection awfully limited!) Would have dined better at the Din Tai Fung on xiaolungbao! Well, I knew I was not coming for the food…
Flew to Hong-Kong for more meetings. On Cathay Pacific – always a pleasure to fly on their wings, even if it is a short flight. Staying at a new place, a boutique hotel in Wanchai – The Fleming. Brand new, roomy quarters, rather slick. Would stay again…amidst the “humanity” of Wanchai – such dense crowd. Gentrifying at the west end of the area, off the Admiralty –new high rises, bars and restaurants. Had a glass of wine in the area with Ted.
Remarkable dinner at the 8 1/2 Otto y mezzo restaurant (apparently would have just got its second Michelin Star), at the invitation of Bernard, an old French Canadian friend, there since the late 70’s when I came first in hong-Kong to live(there is a story here!) Joined a party of some 25 of their friends and business contacts to sample the food of “chef invité” Normand Laprise, from the very hip and fashionable Montréal restaurant “Toqué!”, well wine-paired by the local sommelier. Long conversation with chef Laprise…
Coincidence, dinner with old British friends (second tour of duty - mid 90’s - vintage!) at the same venue as we had the last time, a few years back, the LRC (Ladies Recreational Center), on Old Peak Road, across from where I lived some 30 years ago! For the same reason: a wine degustation, from Lebanon this time – Chateau Musar - with the patriarch, Serge, in attendance!
Never enticed by Taipei, over several visits in the last 25 years. This time though, I find the city clean, less polluted, and certainly less encumbered by traffic – it’s almost Singapore! It seems to me that it is due to the fact that much of the construction that was going on in previous visits has abated – the subway is certainly completed!
Staying at the Sheraton Taipei, chosen by our hosts. Usual good large hotel chain standards. Had stayed before at the Hyatt, closer as I recall to the Trade Center and now the new city landmark – Taipei 101 – a structure of 101 floors, reminiscent of an ancient pagoda. Remember also once staying at the Sherwood hotel – very comfortable.
Took a couple of hours to spend at the National Palace Museum. Probably the largest repository of Chinese artefacts in the world. Built in the 60’s to lodge what the Nationalists had managed to ship outside of the mainland in 1949, probably starting not long after the war was over. The collection from the Forbidden City actually had been “on the road” already for a good 15 years, having been packed away first to avoid the avatars of the civil war and of the Japanese invasion. A long itinerary starting in Beijing, then Shanghai, Nanjing, scattered somewhere further west in Sichuan, Chungqing, reassembled back east in Nanjing, to eventually finds its way to Taiwan. Fascinating collection – by far the most extensive I have ever seen. I go back every time I come to Taipei. Such a trove to discover.
Had lunch at the Silks Palace on the ground of the Museum, not knowing that our hosts was going to take us there for dinner the day after…
Invited a few colleagues for dinner at the Grand Hotel, built in the early 50’s, in the pure grandiose traditional Chinese – majestic lobby, lots of reds and marble. A sight to see; the restaurant, the Golden Dragon, is overseeing the Danshui River, nearby. The food of course is rather mediocre (and the wine selection awfully limited!) Would have dined better at the Din Tai Fung on xiaolungbao! Well, I knew I was not coming for the food…
The Grand Hotel, a Taipei landmark, is built on a hilltop in traditional Chinese palace architecture. With the largest Chinese classical style roof in the world, vermilion pillars, stately archways, and brilliant roof tiles, it is quite spectacular. First built in 1952, it underwent many additions and expansions until its completion in 1973. After a disastrous fire in 1995, the hotel was repaired, and reopened to the public in 1998.
SOURCE: Xiao-Si Huang, courtesy of Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation & Communications , R.O.C.
Above picture of Grand Hotel lobby, taken by Taiwan Junior, reproduced here under a CC license.SOURCE: Xiao-Si Huang, courtesy of Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation & Communications , R.O.C.
Flew to Hong-Kong for more meetings. On Cathay Pacific – always a pleasure to fly on their wings, even if it is a short flight. Staying at a new place, a boutique hotel in Wanchai – The Fleming. Brand new, roomy quarters, rather slick. Would stay again…amidst the “humanity” of Wanchai – such dense crowd. Gentrifying at the west end of the area, off the Admiralty –new high rises, bars and restaurants. Had a glass of wine in the area with Ted.
Remarkable dinner at the 8 1/2 Otto y mezzo restaurant (apparently would have just got its second Michelin Star), at the invitation of Bernard, an old French Canadian friend, there since the late 70’s when I came first in hong-Kong to live(there is a story here!) Joined a party of some 25 of their friends and business contacts to sample the food of “chef invité” Normand Laprise, from the very hip and fashionable Montréal restaurant “Toqué!”, well wine-paired by the local sommelier. Long conversation with chef Laprise…
Coincidence, dinner with old British friends (second tour of duty - mid 90’s - vintage!) at the same venue as we had the last time, a few years back, the LRC (Ladies Recreational Center), on Old Peak Road, across from where I lived some 30 years ago! For the same reason: a wine degustation, from Lebanon this time – Chateau Musar - with the patriarch, Serge, in attendance!
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