Travel in Troubled Times – Part One

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Epicurious Travelers

Ah, Naples. A great place to get your bearings while watching your six. Semi-deserted, weather a bit cool. Dig the Neapolitan ghost town mojo. First things first: pizza.

Surprise — star pizza with delizioso treasure in each point.

We were here when we were barely 30, two somewhat charming but foolish kids with grandissimo ideas. We rode in on wild horses, or maybe a Vespa. The 1970s version of “going rogue.”

Delighted to revisit Napoli’s enormous and distinguished archaeological museum, within walking distance of our jolly digs at Art Street Hotel. We visit the treasures of Pompeii, and spend more than our allotted 10 minutes in the erotica room.

The lovely island of Ischia is our second destination. We take the massive ferry, like old times, and the Mediterranean views are stunning.

We check into B&B San Pietro as a cluster of senior citizens emerges from the Hotel Fernando across the street. I think, oh wow, grannies, how cute. Then I remember that I am one. Sobering. Not enough Falanghina in the world to turn back time.

Small bouquets of dried yellow flowers are free to all women today, in celebration of International Women’s Day. This year, they are wrapped in yellow-and-blue ribbons in solidarity with Ukraine. They adorn the bar as I look up from these pages. 

Sturdy iris and one brave daffodil bloom in the courtyard. La primavera buoys our spirits. We are extra-grateful to be here, feeling the warmth in our bones. Palm trees wave in the surly ocean wind, but stand strong. I note the aspirational resistance carefully.  

We are all Ukrainian this week. •

Posted in Italian Travel | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Sunday, Sunday

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

I fly from Vermont to New York City in sleepy, pre-dawn country fog. Moo. Upon landing, I am wide-awake, delighted and ravenous.

We start the day at Zucker’s with bagels and smoked fish. A few capers. We see an impromptu comedy performance in the subway, but of course — I am with Theater Boy.

As is our habit, we head for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA) to binge on Calder and Matisse.

We drink in classic city views from side windows to cleanse the palate. Ah.

Rest and Recharge

Whoa. Times Square is still a wild and woolly place. I check into Hotel Edison, in the heart of it.

I’m charmed by hotel murals like Troupe du Jour, an homage to Broadway and vaudeville. I am also charmed by Edison’s cute bellman, woo-woo.

Sleep and Sustenance

Theater Boy and I share an evening meal at Morandi on Waverly Place, where we succumb to a succulent if incongruous trifecta of Carciofi alla Giudea, Pasta Cacio Pepe, and several Negroni.

Delizioso, tutti.

Monday at the Met

Ta-da! It’s opening night at the Metropolitan Opera — electric and historic.

Imagine! I’m here for Fire Shut Up In My Bones, the groundbreaking new opera by composer/jazz musician, Terence Blanchard, the company’s first work by a Black composer. Based on Charles Blow’s poignant memoir, Fire tells the story of a young man’s triumph over a difficult and disturbing past. Baritone Will Liverman is passionate, absolutely wonderful, as Charles.

Soaring duets, solos and ensembles blend jazz, blues, and operatic tradition. Soprano Latonia Moore as Charles’ mother, Billie, often steals the show. Angel Blue sings three characters —Destiny, Loneliness and Greta, and young Walter Russell III is Charles’ seven-year-old self, Char’es-Baby.

Here, step-dancing meets ballet and tragedy meets humor. Charles’ decision whether to exact revenge on his abuser or “leave it in the road” remains profoundly moving throughout.

Lincoln Center herself is a stunner, and it’s an honor to be among this dazzling and diverse crowd. I experience a glowing moment of surprise! sincere patriotism as we stand and sing the national anthem — all 3,000 of us — beneath the golden ceiling.

Final Curtain

I am sure the thunderous ovation could be felt all the way to Memphis.

Stunned, we head wa-a-ay up to the Empire Hotel lounge to digest what we have seen, with a grand bird’s eye view of the city at our feet. A gorgeous and deeply moving evening, beginning to end.

Thanks as always to Theater Boy — precious friend, traveling companion and lighting genius.

Not Quite Done

Good morning, Tuesday. I haul myself to the Upper West Side to visit lifelong friend, Stephen. We stroll historic Riverside Park for a few warm and drizzly hours. Only reconnect!

After our uplifting and soggy recharge, I head back to MoMA — because I am never quite finished.

Adam Pendleton’s Who Is Queen? blends stark graphic images, sound, music, text, photography and film — a dynamic floor-to-ceiling exploration of Blackness; a monumental collage in stark B&W.

With readings by poet Amiri Baraka, recordings by composer Hahn Rowe, a recording of a Black Lives Matter demonstration, plus fragments of music, this exhibition excites all the senses. Brilliant.

Pop of Color

My sister-friend Seeky and I close the afternoon with a bit of arty shopping. We buy a nifty fruit bowl for our sister Abby, and discuss grabbing matching bowls for ourselves. Red or blue? Ah, next time!

Gertrude says, “Go!”

I take a last, lingering look at my serious friend, Gertrude Stein. I hear her say, wisely, “Time to think about heading home.” Sadly, she is right. 

Clamiversary!

We say our messy goodbyes and celebrate Seeky’s anniversary at The Clam, a jolly West Village bistro celebrating seasonal fare — and of course the briny bivalve — in jazzy style.

We love the Clam’s warm rolls, famous clam dip, and grilled Branzino with golden raisins — a sensational Sicilian taste-memory. Their wine list is outstanding, and they make a mean martini.

I’ll be back to sip, savor and explore in time for next year’s Clamiversary. Count on it.

Cheers!

For Stevie my treasured friend
Posted in Art and Culture, Music, New York City, Opera, Theater, Travel | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Fifty Shades of Green

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

Ah, Vermont. Green hills, massive overhanging trees, and misty farms. Fields of pumpkins and solar panels. Winding roads — so many named Hollow! And perhaps more cows than people.

Foliage hasn’t quite peaked but there are pops of red among the endless green. Driving the heavily wooded Route 100 is a spooky maze of leafy limbs and branches that reach for the car as we pass.

David, class of ’72, enters the Norwich University Athletic Hall of Fame. Students in baseball caps, “Old Guard” in tidy golf shirts and khakis, and a billion fleece vests — it’s a dreamy retro-wonderland.

We stay in a former 1950s roadside motel, one of the hip ones, rescued from destruction by an enterprising family with groovy green ideas and farm flourishes. Pleasant and friendly, we enjoy it.

Sitting by the Mad River, warming our feet on an outdoor fire pit. A few logs smolder, a happy reminder of revels at the original Flatbread Pizza, nestled (of course) on a farm a couple of green hills away.

Fresh Farm Fare

We order the Punctuated Equilibrium, a family favorite, and it’s better than we remember. I guess farm and fire pit rival picnic table by the bay. Flatbread’s creative fare is as fresh, delicious and colorful as Vermont herself.

Small children dance in the firelight as adults watch, amused and protective, over glasses of wine. We meet a couple from Maine and their three tiny fairies. One visitor relaxes by the fire in sheepskin slippers. This is Vermont conviviality — gentle humor by firelight.

Original Flatbread Pizza at Lareau Farm on the Mad River in Waitsfield — don’t miss it!

Buxom and Brick

We visit a beautiful Round Barn in Waitsfield, and cruise the former Vt. State Hospital, a sprawling brick complex on lovely green space. Curvaceous, buxom buildings with Rubens’ contours seem to be a voluptuous Vermont fetish.

This peaceful scene (rhymes with green) is a bucolic prequel to my upcoming getaway to New York City. I fly from sleepy Burlington over trees and endless green hills. We’ll be back. •

Posted in East Coast Travel, Farm-to-Table, Food and Wine, Sustainable Travel, Travel | 5 Comments

Montreal: Off the Beaten Track

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

How do you write about travel when you’re not traveling? We’re sequestered. Our wings are clipped. It’s a fallow period. But here are memories of some favorite places while we wait to continue our travels (we hope) later in 2021. Let’s go!

Oh Canada

It is July 1, Canada Day, and we’re basking in the grace and civility of this world-class city despite the surprising heatwave — it’s 95 degrees and climbing.

We walk the riverbank in Montreal’s Old Port stalking a cool river breeze and a whiff of the multifarious food trucks just getting started in the shimmering heat. Way too hot for poutine, we amble to patisserie Christian Faure for his legendary, mind-blowing croissants. Hubby wants to enroll in Faure’s pastry school. He is is quite serious.

As he earnestly contemplates becoming a baker, I fantasize about relocating. I look at Montreal the way a roosting bird eyes a vacant nest. This city had me at bonjour.

Biggest and Best

We’re here for five blissed-out days and nights of the the 11-day Montreal Jazz Festival whose all-star lineup includes Ry Cooder, Ani DiFranco, George Thorogood, Jethro Tull, and hundreds more, with 500 concerts at 13 venues and seven outdoor stages.

Soaring and Swinging

We join the sell-out crowd for jazz trumpeter Chris Botti whose take on When I Fall In Love is all heartache and longing. With a sound is as big as British Columbia and as luminous as the northern lights, he is flawless. The ovation soars three balconies. Have a listen to his version of Hallelujah, honoring Montreal’s own Leonard Cohen – exquisite.

We’re lucky enough to score tickets for world-class Montreal pianist Francois Bourassa and his amazing quartet – André Leroux, Guy Boisvert and Greg Ritchie. They energize old favorites and perform pieces from Bourassa’s current album, “Number 9.” Word on the street: c’est magnifique!

Boz Scaggs returns to the festival with his legendary hits. Smooth and soulful he croons “Lowdown” precisely as it was recorded in 1976, not a note out of place. He then delivers a clone of “Jojo.”  Hey, wait a minute — I love you, Boz, but this feels like karaoke.

Outdoors and Free

Multiple outdoor venues feature concerts all afternoon and evening, and morning music for kids.  We shimmy to the Royale Pickles klezmer-funk at Le Casino. We groove to Justin Saladino‘s deep blues at Scene Hyundai. We stroll to Scene TD for Elise LeGrow‘s sexy, soulful version of “Rescue Me” – she just gets better and better.

After Dark

Standouts include Scene TD and Spanish Harlem Orchestra‘s Nuyorican salsa. At Place Heineken we groove to folk-bluegrass of the Wood Shredders. Dwane Dixon rocks Scene Hyundai with an impassioned homage to Gregg Allman with Whipping Post. Check out his trademark drumwork with the neck of his guitar and left foot – intrepid.

Late Night

Take advantage of the late-night scene along Rue St. Catherine where bars and bistros are packed with fashion-forward hipsters. If this is your demographic and you drink like a pirate, the gritty St. Catherine scene is a must.

Sleep

Dormez bien at the Hotel Faubourg, a comfortable, centrally located hotel just steps from the Place des Arts and minutes from Old Montreal. Faubourg features family-friendly suites with minimally equipped kitchens. The generous free breakfast makes up for it. Arrive early unless you relish family-friendly chaos with your toast and maple butter.

La Chaleur

As temperatures soar, festival-goers of all ages chill in fountains, flooded pedestrian areas, and surprisingly effective mist machines. La chaleur wins a battle or two, but it does not win the war.

Gin Is In

We’re delighted to discover Hendrik’s Gin is a festival sponsor. Reveling in the herbaceous, restorative qualities of an outstanding botanical spirit helps us power through the heat. With thinly sliced English cucumber, the festival gin and tonic is truly a rescue remedy.

We elevate our gin preoccupation to a formal tasting. Cirka and Bishop & Bagg gins are herbaceous and clean. Local St-Laurent, crafted with seaweed from the St. Lawrence, is distilled in small batches. Le Midway introduces us to a game-changer from the Gaspé: Radoune, crafted with wild mushrooms and local juniper dried in sea salt. Mad-earthy.My advice: If you want to taste the juniper, go native, with just a hint of tonic. Watering possibilities include yummy Fentimans crafted with lemongrass and quinine bark.

Sip, Savor and Explore: Onsite

Bars and bistros provide respite from heat and blistering sun. Between musical magic, we sip, savor and explore Montreal’s world-class gustatory offerings, onsite and off, while enjoying a restorative hit of AC.

Onsite stalwart Cafe Nouveau Monde creates pizza with crème fraîche, caramelized onions, bacon and arugula. Beef carpaccio with mayonnaise (beware the Montreal obsession with mayo) and parmesan is cool and wonderful, as is Québecois mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic – savory, simple late-night fare.We meet friends at Blumenthal, a classic brasserie at the high end of onsite dining. Yummy kale César avec lardons et crevettes Nordiques sounds ooh-la-la in French, but hey, kale salad with bacon and fried shrimp is damn good in any language. Say “Oui!” to marinated olives and spiced nuts, admire the wine list, and never skip dessert.

Brasserie T!’s wall of windows is an excellent vantage point for people-and-festival watching. Sea snails are delicious under a generous cap of melted cheese. Chef Sterling’s duck rillette is fresh, delicious, locally sourced. His liver paté is earthy and rich. Montreal bistros still serve a little pot of butter with sliced baguette. I hope they never stop.

Sip, Savor and Explore: Street Fare

Even if you never leave the Place des Arts, you will not go hungry – there are plenty of informal onsite options for the discriminating omnivore. Here we meet fellow Mainers at Charlie’s Shack selling divine fried fish baskets and lobster rolls.

Bienvenue et merci to Charlie for bringing the lobster-love to Montreal!

Don’t miss the spectacularly messy and delicious tacos at Maria Bonita. Keep your onsite food-truck options open with Porc du Québec; Neos Souvlakeri; Smoking BBQ; Mikado; Mandy’s Salads; Queues de Castor; Jura Espace Café; Terrasse Fromage; and Da Lillo. Plus lovely mango flowers on a stick, ice cream, and hotdogs for kids of all ages.

Onsite Bar Scene

Montrealers are enthusiastic and unapologetic drinkers. You will quickly find yourself in the groove. Don’t miss the “cinq à sept” happy hour tradition.

Sip and savor the distinguished wine selection from Bar Univins. At Porto Cabral, discover a range of ports, summer cocktails with port, and a surprising port sangria.

Club Jazz Casino de Montreal is a relaxed venue with endless music and sipping options. Catch a cool breeze at Belon Oyster and savor a few chilled, briny bivalves. Bonne bouffe et bonne ambiance!

Or relax at informal, late-afternoon concerts at Place Heineken. Enjoy a cold beer and snack from an adjacent bistro or food truck. We spend a lot of time in this convivial spot.

Offsite: La Nouvelle

This year’s offsite dining revelation is FoodLab Culinaire, Montreal’s creative newcomer on Rue St. Laurent. Look for its tall, glass facade with pulsing multi-color LED lights.We join locals and students on the breezy roof deck. Foodlab’s menu is creative and accessible. This is no laboratory – it’s simple farm-to-table food, beautifully prepared.

Foodlab’s signature Elder [gin] Fizz is our favorite. Artfully composed of local St-Laurent gin, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon and rosemary, it’s a fizzy, aromatic masterpiece.

Offsite: Trendy Food Tourism

This year we indulge in Spade & Palacio‘s Beyond the Market tour, starting at Los Planes Salvadoran restaurant in the Plateau. We dive into chef Gladys’ famous papusas topped with cortido, fermented cabbage slaw. The dish is beautiful, savory and unexpected.An excursion to the nearby bounty of Jean Talon Market is a must. Seasonal berries, delicious gelato, and a green market stroll. One can’t do Montreal without Jean Talon. It’s worth playing hooky from the festival for all of this gorgeous, dewy bounty.

Spade & Palacio guide, Tom, conducts an ash-coated cheese tasting at Tomme du Maréchal, passes a a charcuterie tray in a back alley, conducts a gelato licking and spice-sniffing challenge. His OTBT market tour is gritty and fun, spontaneous and delicious.

Porchetta

We end our the tour with a beer at Harricana; iced coffee at Dispatch on Rue Zotique; and picnic in Parc Little Italie from newcomer Dinette Triple Crown – a trendy and tasty end to a sunny summer afternoon – a great, offbeat tour – highly recommended.

Essayé et Vrai

Every trip to Montreal includes a last stop at venerable Schwartz’s for a meat-centric Bacchanal of smoked meat, mustard Hebraique, rye bread and a pickles: The Ultimate.

In closing…

Stroll the up-and-coming Mile Ex neighborhood to uncover Montreal’s hidden gardens and alleyways. Here, residents create lovely green spaces, financed by the City of Montreal. The remarkable results are a verdant surprise — inspired and inspiring.

Montreal is urbanism at its thoughtful and creative best.

Check out the public pianos throughout the city.  At Place Heineken, a hipster in a flowered shirt rocks John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy,” with a spontaneous and passionate performance. He receives an equally spontaneous ovation. The venez jouer pianos underscore the city’s public commitment to musical expression.  It is somebody’s actual job to cover the pianos at night. Cool.

We don’t leave the Plateau without paying our respects to our two favorite murals – heroes Jackie Robinson and Leonard Cohen. These are among hundreds of murals commissioned throughout the city. The impressive, publicly funded Mural Project demonstrates Montreal’s deep and passionate commitment to the arts – indigenous, local, national and international.

leonard-cohen-pilgrimage-part-2.jpg

Top: Jackie Robinson behind Schwartz’s; and Leonard Cohen behind Moishe’s

A bit of Cansplaining

I applaud our Canadian neighbors for their multiculturalism and dedication to social justice. I respect them for their attention to climate change, and revere their abiding commitment to the arts. I admire their gift for festivals and celebration. Kudos to the esteemed guardian of Canada’s progressive destiny, Justin Trudeau, who personifies the triumph of integrity over cynicism in these challenging times.

trudeaucur

Au revoir to my favorite North American city.  Thank you for another wondrous adventure. Civility is not dead – it is alive and well in Canada. •

Posted in Art and Culture, East Coast Travel, Farm-to-Table, Festivals, Food and Wine, International, Jazz Festival, Montreal, Music, Off-the-beaten-track, Travel | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Vieques: Bohos in Paradise II

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

How do you write about travel when you’re not traveling? We’re sequestered. Our wings are clipped. Definitely a fallow period. Here are a few memories of our favorite places while we wait to continue our travels (we hope) later in 2021. Let’s go!

No wonder Hunter S. Thompson adored this place – this is gonzo living. Wild horses, dogs and roosters rule. Pelicans circle overhead. Fragrant street food is sold at rickety roadside stands. Hibiscus flowers grow to the size of dinner plates. A few lazy sea turtles paddle past as we arrive, which we consider a sure sign of welcome and good fortune.

Our first glimpse of the Caribbean is profound. The sea goes from greeny blue to bluey green with a solid line of deep turquoise at the horizon. The shallow tide laps gently at the shore leaving the beach soft and clean. Tiny sand-colored crabs wear their eyes on top of their heads like Ricky Martin wears his sunglasses.

Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast, Vieques-style, starts in the airport parking lot with papaya-rum punch and a shot of chicau (pronounced chee-chow) whose anise flavor riffs on Sambuca with hints of bathtub gin. 

Our potent morning cocktails are as friendly and uncensored as Ricki, our server. Her partner, Lyman, stands behind the bar grinning like a fox. Ricki says Lyman honed his technique in St. Thomas or was it Paris or maybe San Francisco which we discuss in great depth with a lot of early morning vigor.

When we pile back into Bill’s white beater with cups of rum punch we’re ready to begin a fine day of sightseeing and tales of love, honor and tragedy from before any of us were married or even house-trained.

We keep the magic going at the farmer’s market where we sip, savor and explore. We grab colorful tropical blooms from Lali, the flower queen of Vieques, which brighten the boot of Bill’s island beater. She gives us prickly island soursop fruits for a special gonzo blender drink. The fruit is ugly – really kind of forbidding – but we’re already thinking about the rum.

Eat, drink, nap, repeat.

Today’s conch fritters are deep fried balls of chewy sea heaven with garlic aoli. “Lechon,” the island’s legendary slow-roasted pork, is tender and falling-off-the-bone. Succulent. We pick up our pre-ordered pork at 7:00 a.m. — a warm, weighty, foil-wrapped packet. It lives up to the pre-dawn hype, wow.

Salads here are sort of a bore, okay, but island fruit is wildly sweet and almost extraterrestrial-looking.We enjoy legendary rice and beans from Shaunaa’s, and avoid Puerto Rico’s ubiquitous “mofongo,” deep-fried yucca mash. We stalk delicious roadside ceviche, muy bien! and wash it all down with plenty of Medallo beer.

Art For Art’s Sake

Don’t miss Siddhia Hutchinson’s gallery — those are her roosters at the top. At Gallery Galleon, Pablo Neruda’s poems are reimagined by artist Richard Giglio in stunning poem-paintings. “May whatever breaks be reconstructed by the sea with the long labor of its tides.” The work is huge, unforgettable, glorious.

The Way Life Should Be

We visit Becki’s friend Min at her beautiful island home, and it starts to dawn on me that a person can have a pretty refined life in this eclectic tropical paradise.

We especially love Min’s pool with ironwork ceiling open like a basket to the sky. Her bed, painted with calla lilies and draped in mosquito netting, isn’t bad, either. If I ever decide to grow up, I vow to capture Min’s relaxed Boho vibe.

The Wild Isle

Bill’s natural curiosity and joie de vivre make him an outstanding tour guide. Our rambles include a crumbling sugar plantation with rusty cauldrons, antique brick and stonework, a jungle hike through lush trees with giant termite’s nests the size of Volkswagons, and best of all, a tangled woodland trek where we see a sensitive wild fern that curls like a ticklish child at the touch of a finger.

All this local color is followed by a posh lunch at the W Resort (Bill loves contrast), where I enjoy an outstanding octopus salad. The outdoor dining room is posh and breezy. Nice. It’s Dave’s birthday and our celebration includes many more Medallo and a game of beach bocce. Bill lets Dave win – it’s his birthday. The word “bromance” leaps to mind as I watch the two of them bobbing amiably in the turquoise surf.

A hairy coconut sits next to me and bit of teal fishnet sways, occasionally obscuring the view from my little “bohio” beach shack. I’m too lazy to push it out of the way.

Becki finds a spiky little sea urchin, and we feel like the 21st century chick version of Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday.

A Touch of Spice

The mysterious blender drink from Lali’s prickly soursop fruit is cool, milky and eponymously sour. Bill adds vanilla, cinnamon and of course, rum, which makes it vastly more interesting.

We sip and admire the graveyard across the street with its jumble of white monuments like sugar crosses in the sun. Beyond, it’s sparkling Caribbean blue all the way to San Juan. Ah.

With its vibrant views and a relaxed, hipster vibe, the wild-isle of Vieques is perhaps one of the best kept gonzo secrets of the Caribbean — a boho paradise.  •

Originally published in the Portland Daily Sun.

Posted in Food and Wine, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Nevis: Bohos in the Wild Blue

Posted on February 18, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

How do you write about travel when you’re not traveling? We’re sequestered. Our wings are clipped — it’s a fallow period. Here is a warm memory of a favorite destination while we wait to resume our travels (we hope) later in 2021.  Let’s go!

Doorway Golden RockNew England is an endless white-out blizzard. My spectacularly aquatic friend, The Swimmer, calls and begs me to accompany her to the Island of Nevis in the West Indies. I look outside at the swirling drifts of Maine snow and do not hesitate. YES, I say, YES.

The Swimmer says GoodbyeWe land in the brilliant sun of St. Kitts and head for the water-taxi to Nevis. At Reggae Beach a sign reads, “Live de life, man.” We vow to try. A brave little boat ferries us across The Narrows in six wild minutes of whitecaps and spray. We anchor on Oalie Beach, pronounced “Wally” in Caribbean patois, and it’s utterly glorious.

CaribbeanThe sky changes from gray to blue to turquoise and back every few minutes — tropical special effects. On the occasionally hair-raising drive to our hotel we see sheep, goats and grayish brown monkeys with adorable black faces. Our driver says you can cuddle the little ones. Right.

Caribbean Mojo

Tower on MontpelierWay off the beaten track, Montpelier Plantation & Beach sits in a verdant tangle of  lush greenery. Contemporary furnishings lend a relaxed, boho-chic ambiance. An imposing round windmill in ancient speckled stone is a remnant Montpelier’s sugar-plantation history. The blades are long gone, but the tower remains, now used for romantic candlelit suppers. Nice.

Montpelier barI open the door to my secluded balcony, wonderfully private and shrouded in palm trees. The rustling green fronds make a lovely, papery sound in the steady warm wind. My first day in paradise.

My mind uncurls like a New England fern.  A rooster heralds my transformation.  The morning heat is still soft and moist, like baby’s breath. In an hour it will be intolerable.

There goes a tiny brown lizard, up the steps.

Houseplants gone wildRum Punch

Swimmer in rum punchI sip a welcome rum punch and get a hint of nutmeg. The Swimmer takes a sip or two and heads for the pool. She splashes like a Boston cod, breaking the glassy turquoise surface with long pale arms. I lounge in a chaise, poolside, and order a second rum punch. Everybody’s happy.

Ziggy the dog regards The Swimmer from a shady spot under a large leaf shaped like an elephant’s ear. Ziggy is part surfer and part golden retriever, an excellent combination. I enjoy his floppy blond company.

Under The Volcano

Secluded, dreamy beaches are dotted with pink-lined conch shells and stretches of soft sand. “From Montpelier beach,” says The Swimmer, “the view of St. Kitts is so perfect it looks like a painting.” She’s right, as always.

the-beach

Amid all this lush teal and turquoise, it’s easy to forget that at the center of the island lies a sleeping volcano, Nevis Peak. Variously described as a sombrero, a hat and a hill, I know a volcano when I see one. Especially when it cradles a thermal spring at its base. The “Bath” is enjoyed by natives and visitors alike.

Island Contrast

Contrast NevisHere in Nevis, travelers can get anywhere they need to go on foot, by car or island taxi. Check the price before getting in — island prices are fluid and can be confusing. We indulge in a three-hour tour with “Champ,” unofficial mayor, a.k.a. Alston Smithen. Champ knows everyone from Rastafarian farmers to fancy restaurateurs. His lilting West Indian accent almost takes our minds off the vertiginous sensation of “driving on the wrong side of the road,” which always takes a bit of getting used to. We hang on, in true gonzo style, and try to get our bearings.

Beach shacks NevisWe drive through tiny seaside towns past uniformed schoolchildren and a bright pink primary school under red trumpet vines. We begin to relax as we pass several closely shaved sheep supervised by a snowy egret. The graceful white birds love the company of donkeys, goats or sheep — nature’s sweetest odd couple.

a082dc08-a0a6-11e1-851f-00144feabdc0Champ takes us up the steep rise to Golden Rock, an exquisite 100-acre estate and inn. The Swimmer knows all about the owner, minimalist painter Brice Marden. The Swimmer points out the unfussy and glorious landscaping which took years and cost a fortune. Champ is impressed, “You know dem good, man,” he says, nodding at The Swimmer.

Golden Rock IIWe visit New River Plantation, a sugar operation closed in 1956. Part mausoleum and part sculpture garden, New River still harvests a little something now and then.

Gears at NesbitWe continue to Nisbet Plantation, a wildly beachy expanse that, like so much of the island, is freighted with history. Knowing how many people worked and died here teases my imagination to dark places. Visitors can help themselves to Nisbet’s sparkling expanse of sand and try to lose the remorse. Note: All beaches in Nevis are public.

Church wallOur tour continues to St. Thomas’s Anglican church, the oldest in the region, dating back to 1643.  Non-stop island contrast continues with a stop at the Four Seasons, the posh, safe and generic resort with 18 holes of golf and 196 rooms. The Swimmer says, “Four Seasons is on the beaten track.” Champ smiles.

Cucumber and Ginger Juices at ManzaConch and Cucumber

In the wilting midday heat we make our way to Manza’s organic farm for a taste of the extraordinary: cucumber juice, subtly sweet and astonishingly refreshing. Manza tends his vegetables and fruits by hand with simple old-fashioned nurturing — it’s a beautiful ‘ting.

Conch Fritters II

Surprise

Sunshine

Saving the tastiest treat for last, we stop at Sunshine’s Bar and Grill for the legendary Killer Bee Rum Punch and conch fritters, with Sunshine’s own hot sauce — “a dream lunch on the beach,” says The Swimmer.

A fierce, beer-drinking monkey sits under a sign saying, “Pet the monkey, $5.” The monkey is clearly depressed. We joke with the guys cleaning fresh conch out back, and try to forget the miserable little monkey.

Another day in paradise.

Cleaning the conchCelebrate the Senses

Breakfast is my favorite meal, and Montpelier does not disappoint. Coconut breakfast bread is dense, sweet and almond-flavored, and resort regulars go straight for it. We are served cappuccino con mosca, “with flies,” a few whole coffee beans on the foamed milk.

The morning landscape is lush and green, with stone arches framing a turquoise sky.  I think maybe I am dreaming but see a frog, which reminds me that I am not. I would not include a frog in a dream of paradise. But I would definitely include cappucino con mosca.

OrchidsWe indulge in a cooking class with French chef Ben Voisin and create a meal of green cucumber gazpacho, island-style seared red snapper, lemony jasmine rice and fruit salsa. Chef Ben is generous with his time and talent. Our lesson is followed by an exquisite poolside lunch. Hail to the chef!

Gazpacho poolside II

Coco Passion

Afternoon tea, gin-heavy bar menu, tennis and other fine English traditions are part of the upscale West Indies vibe. While Ziggy and I keep an eye on The Swimmer, I indulge in sweet-potato and plantain chips with guacamole, my kind of savory afternoon tea.

Afternoon Tea

Rum Punch IIIntrigued by the island’s ubiquitous Rum Punch, we study with Montpelier’s award-winning mixologists. We whack away at a fresh coconut and taste the warm juice. We make Javier’s “Under The Sea” with bright blue curacao and dark rum, delicious. Nik’s “Coco Passion” has Coco Lopez, fresh passion fruit juice with seeds, two kinds of rum, and lots of creativity. The Pina Colada with fresh pineapple and fragrant nutmeg is heaven. We never quite get to the Rum Punch recipe, but we no longer care.

Nikolas Mantas

Nikolas Mantas

Far Removed and Far Out

Botanical IIThe stiff tropical breeze is up and clouds rush past Nevis Peak as if scrubbing it. We wander down the road to Nevis Gardens, where orchids, vines, bromeliads, fragrant jasmine and gardenia flourish in formal restraint and informal chaos. Asian statues and fountains, a steamy greenhouse with bossy parrots, towering palms and cobalt sea views add to the heady green serenity.

Botanical 1

OvergrownReggae music, coconut groves and dreadlocks rule this wild blue Eden that lives on Island Time — there’s no rush in paradise. Nevis may be laid back, but it’s smart. The six-square-mile isle boasts a literacy rate of 98%, one of the highest in this hemisphere.

Nevis is far removed and far out, an unspoiled Boho paradise. Get there. •

Painting friend of Helen's

Posted in Caribbean travel, Food and Wine, International, Nevis, Off-the-beaten-track, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sicilian Valentine

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

How do you write about travel when you’re not traveling? We’re sequestered. Our wings are clipped. Definitely a fallow period. Here are a few memories of our favorite places until we continue our travels (we hope) later in 2021. Let’s go!

Tomatoes so sweet…

Luminous Ladies

Silky Chocolate

Gorgeous Grime

Soaring Spaces

Blooming Always

Slow Food

Jumbo Arancino
Psychedelic Sea Urchins

Amazing Artichokes

Pizza in Paradise

Elvis Love

Graffito Love

Mother Love

Morning Light

Cathedral

Evening Bells – Torneremo Presto!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted in Art and Culture, Chocolate, Food and Wine, International, Italian Travel, Sicily, Travel | Tagged , | 3 Comments

“P” is for Paris

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

In this unsettled Time of Covid, I re-post this love letter to La Ville des Lumieres — the City of Light, Love and Art.

Peonies

Peonies ParisPompidou 

DSCN4765

Pâtisserie

Framboise pastry RêvePetits Bibelots

DSCN4703Pique–nique

DSCN4564

Pouting a la moue

DSCN4518Ponctualité

Clock d'Orsay brightened MOREProtest!

Jossot poster

Pont des Arts @$#%&

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Prix Fixe

Prixe Fixe

Pernod

pernod

Picasso

dora maar y picasso

Petite Jolie

Ma Petite Jolie

Paul: Shake it Up Baby!

PAUL wine

MACCA ticket cropped III

Peace & love to the city of my dreams.

logo

Posted in Art and Culture, Food and Wine, French Travel, International, Paris, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Caccia di Blu!

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Epicurious Travelers

Caccia di Blu!

How do you write about travel when you’re not traveling? We’re sequestered, our wings are clipped and we’re in “a fallow period.” Here are some of our favorite pieces while we wait to continue our travels (we hope) in 2021.  Let’s go!

terracotta rooftops

Italy’s terra-cotta landscape is rustic, golden, timeless. But tell me, do you sometimes miss the color blue?  Let’s go “caccia di blu!”

Blue espresso cups

We serve our espresso in blue, with a splash of modern stripes.

Pietro in blue close-up

Our alpaca-blend “Maggie” shawl warms WWII hero Vassano Pietro of Argegno.

Blue water pipes

New blue water pipes are ready for service and make a striking waterfront graphic, too.

This two-hue-blue scarf is courtesy of our friend Signore Franco – grazie Franco!

In Italy, blue tells you what to do, where you are, and which way to go.

Blue is serious, it is the color of INFORMAZIONE. Pay attention!

Blue leading nowhere

Sometimes the instructional blue gets lost and leads nowhere.

Blue parking signBut mostly it is telling you something you need to know.

Blue Halo ANNA

Blue is the color of St. Anna’s robe, and sometimes her eyes.

Blue halo Luke

Another lovely blue halo! Note the turquoise flourish on his wrist.

Lavazza II

Taste Lavazza Blue, one of Italy’s finest coffees. If you’re bored, count the spoons.

PANDA

A sturdy Fiat Panda comes in 50 shades of blue – we have rented them all.

Spot of blue

Sometimes an unexpected patch of blue just sneaks up on you.

Blue sky over lake

And if you’re lucky, blue is the color of the endless Italian sky each day. Ciao!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Originally posted on April 28, 2016 by Epicurious Travelers

Posted in Italian Travel | 3 Comments

Montreal Jazz 2020: Special Edition!

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Epicurious Travelers
I’m delighted to announce that the 2020 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is mounting a special digital edition — sorry for the short notice!

This special virtual edition kicks off at 6 p.m. ET this Saturday, June 27th, Canadian Multiculturalism Day, and runs through Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

In addition to livestream concerts by extraordinary Canadian artists there will be streaming archival concerts, including:
  • Montreal treasure Oscar Peterson with Oliver Jones, 2004
  • Jaco Pastorius concert, 1982
  • Sarah Vaughan, 1982
  • And the incomparable Miles Davis, 1985
Best of all, all concerts are free and can be viewed on the Festival’s Facebook Page. All will be available to watch again via the Festival’s social media platforms on Facebook, IGTV and YouTube.

Malika Tirolien

Saturday, June 27 starting at 6 p.m. EDT – Live from L’Astral!
  • Live performances from Malika Tirolien who recently picked up a Grammy for her collaboration with one of my favorite bands, Snarky Puppy (here is a fantastic funky PREVIEW — I love this jam!)
  • Followed by performances from Afro-Cuban pianist Rafael Zaldivar
  • Mali-born Juno nominee Djely Tapa
  • Soulful singer-songwriter Clerel
  • And Brazilian-born songbird Bïa
  • The iconic, legendary 2004 performance featuring Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones from the Festival archive
  • Wrapping up the first night is a virtual soirée with Pierre Kwenders for an after-party broadcast live from L’Astral.   

The great Oscar Peterson photographed by D.C. Langford 1944

Sunday, June 28 at starting 6 p.m. EDT – Live from L’Astral 
  • Live performances from guitarist Jordan Officer 
  • Followed by performances from Radio-Canada’s 2020-2021 winner of the Artiste Révélation prize, Mateo
  • Marianne Trudel Trio featuring Juno winner Morgan Moore and former Patrick Watson drummer Robbie Kuster
  • Indigenous performer and musicologist Jeremy Dutcher
  • And Charlotte Cardin, one of Quebec’s most celebrated musical forces

Jaco Pastorius © Ed Perlstein

  • To end the evening, groove to an electrifying 1982 performance by inimitable bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius from the Festival archive. His signature style combined complex harmonies, funky grooves, plus lyrical and innovative harmonics. This iconic performer died tragically, much too young.
Monday, June 29 starting at 6 p.m. EDT – Live from L’Astral 
  • Live performances from funk and soul saviors Fredy V. & The Foundation, 
  • A set by Carl Mayotte (recently named Révélation Radio-Canada in jazz for 2020-2021)
  • Followed by performances from slide guitar master Jack Broadbent
  • And the pure fire of Inuk singer and Felix Award winner Elisapie
  • Plus a set from instrumental piano wiz Jean-Michel Blais. 
  • AND WOW! — An archival 1985 Festival performance by the one and only Miles Davis to end the evening on a very cool note.
Tuesday, June 30 starting at 6 p.m. EDT – Live from L’Astral 
  • Juno-nominated jazz trumpeter Jacques Kuba Séguin 
  • Ethiopian-born, Montreal-raised hip-hop artist Naya Ali
  • Former Uzeb bassman Alain Caron with his trio, featuring Uzeb stickman Paul Brochu and jazz pianist John Roney (I love these guys!)
  • Polaris Music prize-nominated singer-songwriter  Dominique  Fils-Aimé
  • Blues rock band The Barr Brothers 

The great Sarah Vaughan

  • And a special 1983 performance by the incredible Sarah Vaughan from the Festival archive wraps up this special digital edition of the Festival.

Check out the entire program at the link, above, and the event schedule, below.  I hope you’ll join me in enjoying this very special online edition of my all-time favorite music festival, Montreal Jazz. A bientot!

Posted in Canada, Festivals, Jazz Festival, Montreal, Music, Quebec, Travel | Tagged | Leave a comment