Author Archives: Peter Jones

2014 FIFA World Cup

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is over and as the world renowned English soccer player and commentator, Gary Lineker, has famously stated, “Soccer is a game played between 22 players, it lasts 90 minutes with a potential of extra time with penalties, and the Germans always win!” How true indeed.

This was a glorious four weeks and a sort of coming of age in America. It was a great reintroduction of a game that has captivated the rest of the world and at long last has officially captivated the USA. More Americans travelled to Brazil than the citizens of any other country to watch the games. No easy feat as we need a visa to get into Brazil. Twenty-three million people watched the USA vs. Belgium game which was more than the finals of the NBA or the World Series. Over twenty-six million people from the USA watched the World Cup Final.

In a country with four distinct seasons of sports and very little move to maneuver in between, 23 million kids play soccer and there are three million registered playing at soccer club level. Americans have adopted European teams. Every game of the Premiership is shown live here along with the Spanish and Italian leagues. Young fans wear t-shirts with Messi and Ronaldo written on the back and casual conversations in bars are now informed conversations about soccer from people who are passionate and truly love the game.

To see this change in the USA is remarkable and it is only going to get better. The Copa America will be hosted in the USA in 2016. The MLS is expanding its franchises and is now playing to full stadiums. In a country this big with a diverse population with roots in this game, there is no doubt that we will find our Messi’s and Ronaldo’s within the next few years.

How exciting was the World Cup?! It was unbelievable.

It was the first time that we ever had water breaks, first time we ever saw our referees with a can of shaving cream to mark the 10-yard spot for free kicks, first time a player who bit another player claimed that the other player had fallen on his teeth, first time that so many teams were bounced during the preliminary games (notably Spain, England, and Portugal), and it was the first time a host nation had ever been thrashed so badly in a semifinal by the eventual winners. The beautiful game was being played by the Germans and Dutch and not the Brazilians.

One of our Group Leaders, Jamie Dewaele, was lucky enough to go to the World Cup Final in Rio last Sunday. Jamie is a social studies teacher in California. I had bumped into him in Versailles this past spring. He is an avid soccer fan and a Chelsea supporter and he is helping us with our plans to expand our GoPlay program. He shared his experiences and the excitement of being there with us and will be posting a blog on the GoPlay website shortly.

It all seemed to fly by. The crowds, the fun, the heartache, and the incredible coverage on TV. Thank you ESPN for great commentary, great analysis, and extraordinary camera work. You truly brought the beautiful game alive. If hockey gained its growing-up status due to high-definition and the fact that we could actually spot the puck, then soccer gained its mass market in America through the 70 cameras that filmed every moment and replayed in slow motion the dramatic goals, fouls, and interactions that make this game so fascinating to watch. I will miss it but never mind…the season starts again in three weeks!

A tale of two countries

At Zermatt the skier is faced with the enviable dilemma of choosing between two huge mountain ranges that span Switzerland and Italy. At the Gornegrat on the Swiss side, you have the comfortable option of riding the cog railway to the top piste. The journey takes about 20 minutes and with the exception of the uncomfortable ski clothes and boots, you ride in relative luxury. Its a 3 minute walk from the hotel which is an added bonus. Over on this side, the food is good, lots of Rosti options(hash born potatoes with onions,lard and fried eggs), so good idea to go easy on breakfast as it will look awfully similar at 1.30 pm.

The runs are excellent and on a side note , the toilets are clean and super modern. Heated dryers for the hands that use the “dyson” technology and dry your hands in a matter of seconds.Good to know because your day can be spoiled by a bad day at the toilet. And on the other hand you can choose to ascend to Cervinia in Italy using a gondola and a cable car that takes you past the watershed and over a huge glacier that is skiable in the balmy summer months. Its more complicated and the queues for the cable car can be daunting but the journey is worthwhile if just for the incredible views of the Matterhorn and the chance to ski at 4000 metres. The pistes down to the Italian valley are more varied than the Swiss side and you literally have the chance to ski under the shadow of the Matterhorn.Food is good and a lot less expensive on this side. Lots of Polenta and wild mushrooms.And of course great espresso.

The only down side of the Italian side are the toilets. Hideous archaic and dirty. Who still would order new toilets that you cannot sit on? The Italians I am afraid to say. Replacing old “footprint” toilets with the “footprint” toilets is what has happened here. I am not sure if anyone who makes them has ever tried to squat with ski gear on one of these, but without offering too much detail, you can imagine the potential for a messy moment, not to mention the necessity of being an expert Yoga performer to perfect the ideal position. So, food great,coffee perfect and slopes beautiful, but….make sure you can do everything in your preparation to leverage full use of the Swiss side of the mountain before making the first descent into Italian waters. If not you may wonder at a desperate moment why you didn’t!

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Fish and Chips

When I was a kid, I used to walk home from my swimming club and stop every Friday night at the fish and chips shop. I would buy myself six pennyworth of chips with crackling. The crackling referred to the batter that had separated from the fried fish. With lots of salt and vinegar the crackling was as delicious as the fish and chips themselves. It was not a healthy walk home but one of the more delightful culinary events in my childhood. It was always wrapped in newspaper. Think of it this way – deep fried food covered in traces of lead with some salt and vinegar. That is what “Britishness” is all about.

This dish was spared wartime rationing (rationing actually was introduced in 1940 and did not end until 1954) to boost the fishing industry and it helped to keep the British population fed well during the difficult wartime years. The dish of fish and chips owes its roots to the great expanding rail network in the 19th century, which was able to efficiently transport fish to the inland cities of England. From the north seaports to the fish and chips shops on the corners of smoky industrial towns, the British diet was transformed. Even though it is tough to see imagine the benefit of pairing fried potatoes with deep fried fish it sure beat the alternatives. Remember these were the grim days of early British cuisine when garlic was simply something that French people chewed on their way to work. How could they??

Of course, nowadays things have changed. My fish and chips shop has long since gone, and most fish and chips shops have evolved into samosa, kebab, gyro, and fish and chip houses. The quality of the fish is not great, the chips are mainly from frozen bags, precut and tasteless, and the batter is grim.

But don’t despair, there definitely are places where you can still find fabulous fish and chips. I would strongly recommend any traveler to try one of these places. Geales Fish and Chips shop on Farmer Street in Notting Hill, The North Sea Fish Restaurant on Leigh Street in Bloomsbury, and The Fish and Chip Shop on Upper Street in Islington.

Three trendy areas of London with superb fish and chips cooked perfectly in healthy batter with chips that are cut on the premises. The most English popular fish is still cod followed by haddock, although I still have a deep fondness for dogfish, aka rock salmon. It’s the cheapest of cheap fish with a center bone like an eel. It is what I grew up on. And, let nobody ever tell you that you can eat fish and chips without healthy amounts of salt and malt vinegar. Ketchup and mayonnaise, while not forbidden, should be!

There are tons of great restaurants in London – probably the dining in and around London is the best in the world. But at least for one day, one lunch, it is worthwhile to grab some fish and chips and remember how it all started as a nutritional diet for the working classes during the industrial revolution. British at its best.

Photo of Fish and Chips courtesy of the best Fish and Chip place in Boston, Island Creek Oyster Bar.

Thanks to the kitchen for snapping this one, as it were!

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Boston calling

I fly in and out of Boston’s Logan pretty frequently. It’s a comfortable airport to travel from although the facilities have always been challenging. Transportation links between airport and town are actually fantastic and ….free. And if u splurge on a taxi , it takes about 8 minutes to hit Faneuil Hall. Terminal E, which is the International terminal is not great and facilities, while upgraded recently are just about as hopeless as they were before. For some unknown reason , they decided to showcase Boston to the world with the worst restaurant in the USA, Durgin Park. Whoever came up with that idea! And the airport lounges are hidden underground and no comparison to their international counterparts elsewhere. One small call out is from the friendly folks at BA. Always reminding me that there are real people who care, behind the airline logo. But, Logan is becoming a big player in terms of its reach to the rest of the world. Once just a European, Caribbean and domestic hub, it is now reaching beyond its inner walls. Asia, Turkey and Tel Aviv are either in the works or already out there. And the other evening I went to the beautiful Wang Center to celebrate….along with Governor Deval Patrick, the inaugural non stop daily service to Dubai on Emirates. Voted “World Best Airline 2013″. The food was pretty good for wedding food….and the show was highlighted by Enrique Iglesias. Not bad. The first class suites on board the 777 looked out of this world. The price point was too. Not that there is much to do or see in Dubai. Its hot and modern, but it sits as a hub for India and Asia and if you felt like visiting Oman, its a hop skip and a jump away. The Governor made a great point in his speech. He came from a poor background but succeeded in getting into a great high school. His principal told the students,”success will not be achieved here alone, but beyond these walls out into the streets”. In other words, we have to think and act globally. Boston is moving into synch with the world. And in 14 hours you could be skiing in Dubai’s ski pavilion or you might simply jump in the car and drive to Vermont! Exactly

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Spanish daily routine

A very good friend of mine, a Madrileno, always insisted that the siesta was a way for Spaniards to live their life twice over. I Would often find myself out with him over lunch,which invariably would start around 3 pm, and at the end of this heavy dining affair, he would excuse himself and we would arrange to meet later around 9 pm. Where he went? Home of course, to capture back the day. He told me he changed into his pajamas and took a 2 hour siesta every day of the year. And sure enough, he was back at my hotel at 9 pm for a wander through Tapas bars, a few Clara beers washing down some jamon and boquerones before the evening dining arrangements were figured out.

Then it was dinner around 11 or midnight and a club after that. And the restaurants were always full!! In Spain I have often felt awkward about arriving too late and imagined the kitchen has already closed. Truth is. They haven’t even started! So how did the spanish get this habit? It surely isn’t that good for you , siesta or no siesta. Now there are plans underfoot to make some changes that could disrupt the old way of life. First,bring Spain back into time zone with Portugal and the UK. It’s where it belongs. It’s only where it is because of Franco’s allegiance to Hitler. So turn the clocks back. Remove Siesta. Eat earlier. Spaniards go to bed and watch TV later than anyone! Primetime in Spain is much later than its euro counterparts.

Of course.. They are all eating out! So. Question is will this happen? Are spaniards ready to change. Italians go to bed early and they have arguably a no more efficient workday than the spanish! And what would that do to Tapas bars? No room to squeeze in the bits between the big bites. It’s a question of Jamon over Prosciutto. Siestas and fiestas over a more efficient economical model. Not to be too selfish, but I always have a ton more fun in Spain! The sun never really does set on Spanish nights!

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The Language Of Sports

Life seems to be about sports at the moment. I am fascinated by the Language of Sports. In soccer, the English Premier League just completed its season with incredible coverage from NBC. Americans could wake up any Saturday or Sunday and watch the full gamut of games live with incredible coverage and smart informed announcers. The Spanish League (probably the best in the world) is coming to a final crescendo, a cup final of sorts this weekend, between the great Barcelona and the upstart Atlético Madrid. Hockey is on the TV it seems nearly every night thanks again to great coverage by NBC. Basketball, in between scandals, draws down its season as baseball picks up the baton and rolls through the summer in its lazy way as the Yankees and Red Sox slug it out between themselves.

I was thinking the other day about team sports, language, and global awareness. In the Premiership’s top clubs, there are more languages spoken in the dressing rooms than you can imagine. Manchester City has 18 foreign players in their 24-man squad, Manchester United has 17 foreign players in their 26-man squad, Liverpool has 17 foreign players in their 22-man squad, Arsenal has 23 foreign players in their 27-man squad, and Chelsea has 21 foreign players in their 24-man squad. As English as a vindaloo curry!

At the post match interviews, it is always amusing to listen to the one or two English players who are on the team offer their thoughts on the game. More often than not, it is easier to understand the foreign players speaking English than it is to understand the English players speaking English.

Either way, I am always impressed by how fast the foreign players adapt to the English environment and the English language. Let’s face it, you have to be impressed when you come from a sunny country like Brazil, Spain, or Portugal, and you end up living the dream in the rain soaked grayness of a Manchester morning. Yep, we know why they are there. It’s not the language and the culture but the $20,000,000 they are offered every year in the highest paid league in the world. But still, they grasp the language and even take on the regional dialect of the places they are playing in. It is strange to hear a Spanish player speaking in a Liverpudlian scouse accent, a French player speaking in a cockneyesque accent, and a German player speaking with a Geordie accent! But that is exactly what happens. They immerse themselves in our culture.

In hockey, the Bruins captain, Zdeno Chara, speaks five languages and most of his teammates, with the exception of the Americans (who are the minority) speak numerous languages too. Plus, all of the Canadians speak French as well. But the point is that all of them speak English.

This says a lot about sports. The Cuban baseball player who jumped ship, the Dominican Republic guy just recently brought up from the minors in his native country, and countless other players, all speaking English. They easily can converse with their colleagues on the pitch in both English and Spanish.

Sports have become incredibly multilingual. On the American soccer scene, the Hispanic influence is everywhere but the Uruguayan and the Columbian guys speak English. However, more often than not, the English guys speak just English and sometimes really bad English! David Beckham, handsome, rich, footballing icon, spent a year in Spain, a year in Italy, and a year in France. His language advancement never got beyond a “Si” or “Grazie, Si, I don’t understand” and “Grazie for the huge amount of money you are paying me!” Even his English seems a little stilted!

This is where every teacher and every school should focus on.

Yes, English is the language of the world, it is the computer language of the world, and it probably is the default sporting language of the world. But the speed at which people adapt to language speaks more to the openness of their minds, the willingness to take on a different culture, and not just the $25,000,000 a year that they get at the end of the day. Wake up English speakers everywhere! Learn to converse in the reverse!!

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On the Hunt for Truffles

Our wine and truffle day was something that could have stretched into two days. After lunch washed down by Barolo, the last thing I was thinking was more food but I had it on my agenda to visit a truffle producing factory. So, off we went in the hunt for the elusive truffles.

Urging my Italian friend to slow his driving down, we reached Alba, the land of truffles, in one piece. It is always a miracle to me that quite intelligent people (like my friend) drive like maniacs, are fairly abusive to any driver that competes with them on the road, and seems to want to take his and my life in his hands more frequently than is helpful for my well being.

We came upon Tartuf Langhe in Piobesi d’Alba for a tour and explanation of the art of truffle hunting. We had to dress up in ridiculous outfits because of factory hygiene rules but we got to learn about truffle hunting, the differences between white truffles and black truffles, and the various applications for using truffles.

Truffle Collage 1 031414

I love truffles, especially white truffles, and honestly there is nothing as delicious as a white truffle being slowly grated over tagliatelle with some butter. It is one of the moments of life that you look back upon and hold dear like your first born child. It is something that never leaves you and here, walking around this truffle farm, the smells hung in the air and I kept on thinking of that bowl of pasta that I had had in Harry’s Bar in Venice many years before.

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Truffle hunting is a whole mystery really. The truffle hunters are a group of locals with specially trained dogs. Their work starts when everyone else is fast asleep. They work in the dark because it is a highly secretive and competitive business. Truffle spores tend to reappear each year in the same place so when they discover truffles, there’s a good chance they will bounce back in the same location each year. Truffles are found under the ground, sometimes two feet, often by tree roots, which is why you need a trained dog or a trained pig. The Italians use dogs – any kind really, and because of their keen sense of smell, and the pungent smell of truffles, they can sniff out treasures that we can’t get to.

The black summer truffles and the black winter truffles are more common and are found in greater quantities. They look a lot like the chocolate truffles you would buy in a chocolate store. They are not as pungent as the white truffle which is why most truffle oils are based around white truffles. However, black truffles are much less expensive and therefore you can actually afford to buy them. If you are cooking, the trick is to use black truffles and white truffle oil with white truffle pasta. That would be nearly as good as having a fresh white truffle grated on egg pasta. Nearly as good but not really as good!

I bought the oil, the cream, some pasta, and I would have also bought soap if they had made it! Instead, we left with chocolates – a new diversion for them. Now with some fresh knowledge of the midnight truffle hunters and their dogs, my truffle world was nearly complete. Maybe I will train to be a truffle hunter. Yes, it is a competitive business, the stakes are high, and it helps to be a local. But, if I discover a good white truffle with my trusted dog, Alice, I could trade it for a condo in Boston. Back to reality and Turin and another spectacular dinner somewhere. I am getting to like this place.

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Italian Food and Wine

So, what do you do when you need a break from Turin? The good news is that Piedmont is Italy’s new culinary region for cutting edge restaurants, Slow Food, and new age and old age vineyards. None of these hotspots are too far away. It can all be accomplished in a day and you can intersperse your day with stops in the small towns that make up this fabulous foodie region.

We took off on a wintry day, when the countryside looks a lot less glamorous than the posters convey on the outsides of the brochures, with a promise of good food, fabulous wine, and a shopping bag full of culinary souvenirs to take back home. We would dive into truffles, do a wine tasting in Barolo, and visit an organic flour mill that produced some of the finest pasta in Italy.

Flour Mill 031414

We also popped by the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo to have a walk around the capital of the Slow Food movement. Here in the underground vaults is stored a bottle of every wine produced in Italy every year. It is my kind of underground movement in more ways than one. The movement started in 1986 next to the Spanish Steps in Rome as a protest against McDonald’s. Good for them. Slow Food is based around preserving local food traditions, staying in tune with seasonal offerings, and keeping chemicals at bay.

slow food Collage 031414

My Italian friend who loves driving like a maniac, especially through winding roads that make me want to throw up, took us first to Fossano to visit a fabulous hotel called Palazzo Righini. Fossano is a tiny town but it is dotted with cafes, restaurants, and a rather magnificent grand piazza. A great cup of cappuccino began our day.

Palazzo Righini Collage 031414

From there we drove into the vineyards and although it was the deep of winter, the landscape of vines that crisscross the hills was pretty impressive. We drove to a large vineyard called Marchesi di Barolo and sampled a few glasses; not easy in the morning. We then moved on to some smaller vineyards down the road. This area is all about Barolo (Italy’s most famous wine), Barbaresco, Roero, and Langhe wines. Familiar names pop out like Nobilo, Dolcetto, and Barbera. In the neighboring vineyards to the east, Asti provides us with the sparkling Spumanti wine and the sweet Moscato wine. In other words, this is an absolute must for anybody who loves and adores fine wines.

We ate in a restaurant in Bra and I had an insanely delicious papardelle with ragu sauce and my friend had a veal tartar. Vegetarians beware! I also could not resist the bread sticks (grissini) because they had been sourced from the local mill that we had just visited. We drank Gaja Barolo and I wondered how I was going to go out for dinner later this evening. One bird at a time.

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Turin: City of the Month – April

Why Turin?  It is interesting, often overlooked, and is probably one of the more dramatic cities in the world because of its proximity to the Alps.  It is literally enveloped by mountains.  Located in Piedmont, it is close to the towns of Barolo (famous for wine), Alba (famous for truffles), and Bra (the center and university for the Slow Food Movement).  This beautiful city is famous for the Shroud, baroque architecture, French-style piazzas, arcaded promenades, and Fiat (the Lingotto).

Turin City Collage 031014
The Roman gate and a quaint Turin chocolate shop

Cafés are chic in Turin – it actually was one of the first cities in Italy to embrace a café society.  Turin’s cafes are meeting-places for all types of citizens from the aristocracy, to artists, to students, and chocolate connoisseurs alike.  Some of the oldest and most well-known cafés include Caffè Florio, Al Bicerin, and Caffè Mulassano.
It is also a great place to buy a Fiat because the employees turn them over every two years!

The city also has some of the best chocolate in the world.  Chocolatiers were first licensed to sell chocolate in 1678 and continue to make high-quality chocolate that easily rivals those of any other European capital.   One of the oldest chocolate shops is Caffarel which first introduced the world to the gianduiotto bar in 1852.  Turin’s fascination with chocolate is so big that an annual chocolate festival occurs every March.

Markets.  The city has numerous street markets and festivals throughout the year including a two-week street market during the Christmas season and the largest year-round market in all of Europe which is open daily except for Sundays.

The cuisine (Piedmontese) is some of the best in all of Italy.  It’s heavy on the meat but there are plenty of new emerging chefs and exciting restaurants that are shaking up the old establishment.  Some of these chefs include Enrico Crippa, Davide Palluda, Davide Scabin, and Piercarlo Bussetti. Great restaurants that are cool include Agrifoglio and Solferino.

The Piazza San Carlo is a beautiful baroque square with the twin churches of San Carlo and Santa Christina as well as the Galeria Sabauda with its large collection of paintings.  The Egyptian Museum, housed in the same building, is one of the most important Egyptian collections in the world.

There is also a gem of an art gallery inside the old Fiat building called the Lingotto.  The gallery hold works of art collected by the owner of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli.  It is a tiny place with Matisse, Picasso, and Canaletto paintings to name but a few.  It is well worth the visit, plus you can gaze across the city on to the nearby mountains from the open air practice track that Fiat used when the factory was still in operation.  The factory has since moved and the building, built in 1928, is now a historic landmark.  There is also the National Automobile Museum in the city which makes sense because everything about this city has to do with cars.  Every other car on the street seems to be a Fiat or a Fiat derivative.

Turin is easy to get to.  It is a short drive from Nice, France and it is not far from Milan or Venice.  It has its own airport but I found that the flights between other cities and Milan were an easier way to get into the city.  As a jumping-off point, it is a great place to explore the mountains or get down to the coast.  It is a short drive to quaint coastal towns like Bordighera and it is not too far from Genoa.  Good times to travel to Turin are in the spring and early summer months, but even in the height of the summer the cool sea air helps to keep the temperatures down.  I would highly recommend staying at Hotel Principi di Piemonte, the only 5-star hotel in Turin, with a great pool incidentally.

 

Turin Peter Fiat View 031014
Overlooking the city of Turin

 

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The Gems of Mallorca

Today’s highlight was the antique wooden train that rides on a narrow gauge track and has been rolling along since 1912 across the 27 kilometers from Palma to Soller. This old timber-paneled bone shaker winds along Palma’s streets before heading through gorgeous countryside that reveals rows of olive trees with tiny ochre colored villages in the distance; all nestled in the surrounding mountains. The occasional curves in the track offer a wonderful look back at the port of Palma below. There are a series of tunnels that present themselves before eventually we arrived in a clearing across a viaduct and then one last tunnel entrance before the slow roll down into the absolutely charming town of Soller.

Soller Mallorca Pete on wooden train 2 061014

In Soller, it is time for a café cortado and a wander through the charming streets that spoke out of the central plaza. Then we grabbed the tram that took us all the way down to the port. How charming the port was with its beautiful beach, the promenade with lovely restaurants, and spectacular views across the bay with the promise of more isolated beaches on the other side. At this point, it is possible to take the boat to Salobra and then head all the way back to Palma by sea. However, we elected to take the bus to the towns of Deià and Valldemossa.

Deia Mallorca staff 061014

The drive to Deià was spectacular, adding to the Gems of Mallorca. There were a series of sharp turns against the mountain backdrop of the Puig des Teix. The rocky landscape is terraced with dry stone walling and there are miraculous groves of citrus fruit, almond trees, and olive trees.

We headed to La Casa de Robert Graves – a beautiful three-story stone house sitting amongst colorful gardens which serves as a museum of the writers’ works. The home is also a fascinating look at the home interiors, his writing studio, and a compelling video of his life of works that spalls endlessly as part of the show.

la casa de robert graves collage 061014

Graves moved to Mallorca in 1929 and abandoned the house in 1936 due to the Civil War. He then moved back 10 years later to find that his housekeeper had kept it perfectly intact as if he had simply popped out to the store. I could have stayed there longer. This was the house where “I, Claudius”, one of my favorite books, was written. However, the day was running out on us and we had yet to visit Valdemossa.

Valldemossa is another gem on this beautiful island. The Real Cartuja de Valldemossa, the monastery, dominates the town and all of the cobble streets point towards it.

We had picked up our guide in Soller amidst groans from the group. Although he was fairly unspectacular, I had grown to ignore him and replaced his droning of dates with fanciful images of a time gone by in this beautiful place. As is the case with so many guides, he was not cut out to present facts and figures in any way, shape, or form that would make it interesting or curious to the casual bystander. On the contrary, he was determined to drone on about dry stone walling and the Moorish invasion that took place in 1906! We were not sure if he was talking about immigration problems or if he had slipped up by a 1,000 years! But he was happy and we did not question it.

Valdemossa Collage 061014

As we walked through the monastery, it was easier to imagine and discover for oneself this place where Frédéric Chopin and George Sand stayed during a particularly bad winter in 1838. Even though George Sand wrote unfondly of her time there in the book “Un hiver à Majorque,” the town has made its name on the basis of the miserable six months that they spent there.

Her unkind words have been translated into millions and millions of tourist dollars as the town makes the most of the composers name and honors him each year with a festival. You can even visit the monastic cell that the two bohemians stayed in during that time. It was quite the scandal and sadly they did not stay to enjoy the gorgeous summer months that surely would have prompted a more positive book called possibly “Un étè à Majorque”! Oh well!

History has a way of righting itself and we had to get back to Palma for another 10:00 pm dinner with a drink and conversation along the waterfront. Such is life in the Balearic Islands.

Mallorca overseas staff 2 061014

Initial Impressions of Turin

We had been stuck in a car for the best part of four hours as the snow came down around the Simplon Pass. Our escape by car-train was a longer process than we had imagined as all of the cars that were headed over the Simplon Pass were diverted to the car-train.

Lake Maggiore 031014

Eventually, and all while still snowing, we came into Italy and began the great descent down to Lake Maggiore. We had originally thought to go to the Borromean Islands, but at this point the snow had turned to rain. Even the picturesque Isola Bella looked like it was under threat of flooding so we sought refuge in a restaurant called Vecchia Scuola and had a marvelous lunch of pasta with lake fish.

Isola Bella 3 031014

Isola Bella 2 031014

Continuing on our journey, I was full of expectations as this was my first time in Turin or Torino. After suffering the usual sprawl of Northern Italian cities, and the promise from my Italian friend that things would get better, we suddenly came upon the Centro Storico of Turin. It was not what I had in mind. There were elegant piazzas, classical baroque buildings, and porticos that reminded me of Bologna. We checked into our hotel right in the center of town, Principi di Piemonte, found a great restaurant called Agrifolgio, and dove into Piedmont cooking at its best which included egg noodles with an incredible Bolognese sauce made with rabbit. They love their rabbit here.

Turin Palace Collage 031014

Another first for me was the sight of a fairly large dog doing its business two tables away and in clear sight of most of the restaurant. I mean it was doing “number two”. At which point, the waiters, more attentive than before, proceeded to clean and mop up while the owner seemed completely non-apologetic and carried on with his own meal. I am used to dogs in restaurants in Paris popping out of women’s handbags but I was not quite ready for the sight of this.

Tomorrow, the weather was forecasted to be beautiful so we planned a full itinerary of sightseeing.

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New Thoughts on Mallorca

I had many misgivings about visiting Mallorca mostly because it brought up images of holiday charters from the UK and Germany, full of pasty skinned tribes of beer drinkers and football shirts! It is the largest of the Balearic Islands, sitting just off the coast of Spain, equidistant between Valencia and Barcelona, and has been a holiday retreat for the Brits and the Germans for many years. However, my dear friend had bought a house in the northern part of Mallorca some years ago and had sent back wonderful reports. Maybe this island was not quite the Costa Blanca nightmare that I had imagined. It was time to investigate.

Its sister island, Ibiza, is party central. That old expression about Las Vegas surely applies to this place as well. If Ibiza is sex, drugs, and rock and roll, then Mallorca, from what I had heard, was fish and chips and lager with not much Spanish required.

First and foremost, Mallorca is easy to get to. Flights from London are plentiful and flights from most other European countries are relatively easy although they require a stopover in Barcelona or Madrid. There is also a ferry service from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca. But the cost of the ferry versus the speed and cheapness of the flight makes that a less desirable option unless you do not like to fly.

When we arrived in Palma, we had some concerns. Ten charter flights were in the process of being cleared and every single one of them was a German charter plane. Maybe the Brits had moved out but the Germans had moved in. They like their lager just as much as the Brits do.

Mallorca cathedral 060514

The drive from the airport to the center of Palma was easy and we were able to pass along the harbor which was jammed with very expensive boats that reminded me of the setup in Marbella in southern Spain. The first iconic sight that we caught was the Palma Cathedral up on the hill. It is a beautiful yellow ochre stone structure which dates back to 1300 A.D. It’s a fantastic sight with its flying buttresses and a Renaissance portal, and it towers above the city and the port below. Inside, there are designs by Antoni Gaudí and the renowned Contemporary artist, Miquel Barceló. It just is not what you would expect

We checked into the hotel and headed straight back towards the cathedral and to the beautiful lanes that make up this old city. For me, the wonders of Spain are the influences of the Moors. In southern Spain, the jewels of Seville, Cordoba, and Granada and the white villages that served as fortresses all the way to Jerez de la Frontera, leave us with a spectacular snapshot of a civilization that brought literacy and learning to this country. Palma has been occupied since the Roman times. By the 12th century however, Medina Mallorca was one of the most flourishing Muslim capitals in Europe. After the re-conquest in the 13th century, it prospered as one of the great cities in Spain. The language here is first and fundamentally Mallorquin; a dialect of Catalan. Although English and German are widely accepted as well as Spanish!

We visited the Banys Arabs that were nestled in the old lanes. Although small in size, these Arabian baths are the most important survivors of the Muslim settlement. They are quite charming and were probably attached to a private house. It is a paid entrance but the gardens that surround the baths are a delightful place to sit, read, and imagine the great history of that era. Out and about and into the lanes a little more, we grabbed some almejas and manchego before walking back along the port to the hotel.

Mallorca Arab baths collage 060514

Palma is indeed a livable city. This is a gorgeous climate and beautiful Mediterranean colors pop up everywhere across the island. Bougainvillea and oleander provide reds, pinks, and whites alongside the old buildings, and the scent of orange blossom was still hanging in the air. There is good transportation inside of the city including running trails and bike trails that reminded me of the promenade along Copacabana. There are beautiful beaches just a few kilometers to either side of the harbor.

I have new thoughts on Mallorca, all in all, it really did take me by surprise. I never once found a fish and chip shop and never saw an English football fan in a Liverpool shirt (thankfully) but it had a buzz to it. We booked our restaurants every night at 10:00 pm and bars stayed open until the early hours without giving the impression of disco mania. Mallorca clearly had conceded that title to Ibiza. Tomorrow we would investigate some other parts of the island but today I sort of fell in love with the place and could not wait for my next date.

Italian Spa Culture

I will always remember the time I went to Montecatini, a spa town outside of Florence. I pulled up to this beautiful gate and saw an elegant driveway that led to one of Italy’s famous spas. Fully expecting hot water thermal springs I was quickly initiated into the non-hot water type of spa. Here it was all about drinking the waters which includes tasting water pulled from taps that looked like beer spigots. You have to taste it to believe that anyone in a sane state would ever believe that this stuff is actually good for you. And so my introduction to the whole spa deal in Italy came full circle, I began to learn about the Italian Spa Culture.

I had previously taken the waters at Saturnia and recently at the delightfully trendy Fonteverde Spa in San Casciano. But here is what is interesting about spa culture in Italy – it is paid for by the government! This is because Italians actually believe that taking in the waters (i.e. drinking awful tasting rotten egg water and lounging in sulfur baths) is going to make a huge difference to our health and longevity.

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The Italian government allows a week every year to indulge in these ancient spas. Every tax payer has the right for one cycle according to the National Health System. In order to access this, the tax payer needs a prescription by a national health GP. Tax payers between the ages of 6 and 65 are charged a fee of 50 euros for the entire treatment. If your income is less than 36,000 euros, you are entitled to the spa treatment for three euros. Yes, that is right, three euros.

The board and lodging expenses are fully paid by Social Security. It is still not quite as liberal as the “old days” when you could get as many “paid holidays” as you liked within your “nine week vacation allotment.” Also, each spa configures its own scientifically based period for the treatment cycle. Water or mud treatments apparently have a different time period with different spas. So you may be entitled to 14 days according to the specific treatment that you are looking for and who would not look for the 14 day treatment? All hotels located in a spa location have an agreement with Italy’s Social Security to host the tax payers that have been prescribed spa treatment. This includes 5-star deluxe hotels as well as 3- or 4-star hotels. In other words, it is a wonderful paid vacation that even with the chronic economic situation in Italy is still ongoing. Nice!

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Recently at San Casciano, I pulled up to this groovy 5-star retreat and saw a classic Italian moment. There was a wealthy looking guy with his younger companion both in their robes, both smoking cigarettes and with a glass of wine in hand. The notion that spas could have a wellness component that involved working out, yoga, and meditation is a just a mind boggling concept that is not understood in Italian culture. Here lounging in a hot bathtub fed by ancient sulfur springs while taking in the sun and taking time out for a quick cigarette is still all the rage.

So as I was having dinner of pasta with wild boar complemented by the inexpensive and delicious Montepulciano wine, I asked myself, “Who has it right?” I am making my reservations for next year already.

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With the Monsignor in Vatican City

I feel like I have spent an awful lot of time around the Vatican recently. There was Easter and there was the beatification two weeks after when half of the world came down to witness the first time in the history of man that four Popes would be in the square at the same time – two of whom would be canonized. It was a remarkable day with the city full of pilgrims from all over the world. And then there is the papal audience, held every Wednesday, but specifically the Wednesday after Easter when I had arranged to meet with my Italian friend and Monsignor Pablo Colino who is the musical director for the Vatican.

I grabbed a cab with the Monsignor in Vatican City, it dropped us off in the back of the Vatican where there is a discreet entrance, went through a security check, and then headed across the Vatican courtyard to be met by the Monsignor. Here we were in the quietness of Vatican City undisturbed by tourists and in the shadow of the great dome of Michelangelo. Two guards protect a small entrance in this square and above the entrance is where the Pope has a modest apartment. He elected not to take the more opulent papal apartment and instead chose his relatively humble quarters to live in.

We then had this moment. A tiny covered golf cart was parked, waiting, and the Monsignor indicated that the Pope would be down very shortly. As we continued across the courtyard, sure enough, we looked back and there he was. The two exchanged a wave and we carried on about our day. In the meantime, the Pope scooted off to join the millions who had gathered in the front of the piazza for his papal audience. This Pope commands extraordinary numbers – so much so that all of the audiences have been switched to the main piazza in order to accommodate the vast crowds.

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We walked along beautiful corridors adorned with statues and art and eventually arrived at the Monsignor’s apartment. We had our own “audience” with the Monsignor who is a delightful character. We posed for pictures on the balcony outside and looked down to the square to see the crowds who had gathered waiting for the Pope to arrive. We revisited some of our groups who would be performing at St. Peter’s and then strolled down and through a passageway into the main basilica. I have been to the basilica many times but never have I walked into it when it is completely empty. Today, on this morning, it was shut off because of the papal audience. There we were, inside of the great basilica of St. Peter’s with its magnificent altar and art from every age in every corner of this – the largest interior space of any cathedral in the world. It simply was a stunning moment and a moment to reflect on the wonder of travel.

Vatican basilica 050514

We left Monsignor Pablo and walked to the exit gate that was protected by the Swiss guards. Here we were, inside looking out at the crowds who were looking in. We drifted into the street, walked around to the main piazza which was teeming with people, saw the Pope from a distance, smiled at each other, and walked away with our secret intact.

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A gem called Gypsy Apple

I get to eat in restaurants all over the world. Sometimes I go to fancy restaurants but most of the time I prefer a brasserie-style experience. Living in Boston and traveling across the Atlantic frequently, I get to eat in some really cool places. But, when someone asked me the other day what my favorite restaurant is I could only think of one place. It’s a restaurant that I like to go to again and again, with unbelievable food, impeccable service, and a charismatic character that runs the kitchen. There really is no place like Gypsy Apple in Shelburne Falls, MA (Western Massachusetts).

Michelangelo, the chef at Gypsy Apple, is an amazing guy. He sources all of his food locally and changes the menu frequently depending upon seasonal fare. The prices are sensible and the wine list is chosen by his lovely wife, Amy. Again, everything here is reasonable and it does not leave you trying to choose between the $180 “high end” and the $80 “low end” bottle to not look cheap.

He prepares his dishes in a tiny kitchen the size of my bathroom which houses a funky stove, a couple of dedicated assistants, and a lot of heat. He has been trained all over the world and was the personal chef of Bill Cosby. If he likes you, he will call you “Brother Man”. My personal favorite dishes of his are fish soup and the rack of lamb. There is a varied beer list which is all sourced by Amy. His desserts (and I am not really a fan of desserts) are crazy good.

So if you are traveling out to Western Massachusetts, perhaps heading to the Clark Institute in Williamstown or the Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton, you would be doing yourself a huge favor to step into this world class restaurant in an equally delightful town called Shelburne Falls. The town has plenty of artisan shops and folks who name their kids Autumn and Winter! For movie buffs, it is the town that Labor Day was shot in.

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