Madison and Fifth
367 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA, 94301
Phone: +1 650 323 3900

A hip looking restaurant with an interesting, visually pleasing interior. Service was again lovely, but a bit too over the top. I don't mind being asked once "is everything alright?" about the meal, however four times overall is a bit rich, especially when three is now my threshold. If something wasn't alright, they would have known quick smart. Oh well, better enjoy it as it is not always there at other places.

The entrees were the better of the dishes (scallops for Suzanne, Prawns for myself) and are worth a look in. The mains though (we both ordered the red-wine based seafood risotto special as it sounded very good) left a fair bit to be desired. The moment Suzanne saw hers, she piped up with "that looks different doesn't it" in a statement, not questioning manner. Interesting indeed. You make up your mind on this. The dish was a let down overall for myself as it was fairly bland and even the seafood (save for the prawns) were that purplish looking color with no real flavour. Bit of a worry for the price paid on this dish.

I would go back here to sample their pizzas though and some of their other dishes as there is potential for a better main dish. Accompany that with a lovely wine from their pretty large wine list (however limited on the per glass options) and it will be a good meal. Perhaps just too ambitious with the risotto, and too unambitious with the Cesar salad. Actually, can't recall a more insulting attempt at a salad, well, since my room service salad for lunch at the hotel last Friday. Zero for two so far.

No desserts or coffee was taken as the guts were too full, despite the dessert list looking pretty ok but not overly exciting with the safety in numbers of nearly the entire list, however Fried Ravioli filled with hazelnut chocolate & banana, served with pumpkin ice cream does sound interesting. Busy, constipating and heart stopping. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm! temporary pleasure.

Took in coffee a bit later across the road at Satura Cakes. Suzanne spotted "Espresso coffee" written on the wall underneath the storefront name. When you're desperate for something that resembles real coffee and not the faux drip / filter / freeze dried tripe, concessions have to be made in a country where this delicacy is not greatly appreciated or sourced. I was somewhat surprised by the end result of the espresso ordered as it was smooth, sadly not strong enough, yet with a good crema. Only problem is that it was served in too wide an espresso cup and the heat dissipated by the time they I got them to the table from the counter. Still, I know where I can get a drinkable coffee in the next few days. Will perhaps try some of their yum looking cakes before I leave.

Now I will make like a tree a leave for the night.

This petite little lane way is home to an awesome sandwich shop as well as an array of lurking smokers and cute vespas. Ignoring the smokers and head for the Orange sign, which has always kind of looked like a slice of cake to me, but others may disagree?

Stepping inside this little box, the set up is straightforward: A Drinks fridge on your left as you walk in, just past that the coffee machine, straight ahead the sandwich bar and to the right one large communal table and a couple of smaller tables.

All take away sandwiches range in price from $8 to $8.50 for the menu items, then increase and vary for the "make your own" options. They also serve the sandwich filling options as salad which bumps up the prices to $10.50-$11. I choose the vegetarian sandwich. I watch as she efficiently puts it together. I am intrigued by the fillings....I am quickly presented with my sandwich:

When I get back to the office, I quickly settle in and open it up:

I quickly get to the heart of it in order to fully check out what they put in it as the only description is as follows: "Roasted Vegetables, Fresh Salad, Vogue Hoummous"

Ok, what I see is a solitary green bean, beetroot, red cabbage, normal cabbage, eggplant, marinated mushrooms, maybe grilled zucchini too, cooked carrot and potato salad! Oh, not forgetting the hoummous underneath it all.

This sucker was so big I only needed to eat half of it for lunch. I popped the rest in the fridge and had the rest for lunch today. Pretty damn good for $8.50!

I'll definitely be going back and trying the steamed chicken, celeriac coleslaw, rocket and homemade herb mayo..hmm or maybe the chilli BBQ Chicken with rocket and roasted tomato pesto...mmmm...(that one smelled really good!)

Via Abercrombie
1 Abercrombie Lane
Sydney
02 9251 0000

Have nearly finished one of the best ever weekends that I can recall in a long, long time. Am now feeling the strange feeling of a rather strong let down as a result. The two days were long, yet sailed on by before I even knew it. Twas' a rollicking weekend and great to hang out with my beautiful friend Suzanne once again.

An early start to Saturday saw us take in breakfast at a place that was highly recommended to Suzanne:

Judy's Cafe
2268 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA, 94123-2638
Phone: (415) 922-4588

We both ordered the same dish for breakfast with the intent of going totally against type of what we both would normally eat for breakfast, purely to celebrate catching up and in San Francisco of all (unexpected) places. I think we realised that we were quite ambitious when the plates were served up to us as the portion was enormous, but somewhat "wrong" looking. Half the plate was lined with herbed potatoes (my fave item), grain toast, with the remaining half covered with a crepe base covered and a huge dose of scrambled eggs with melted processed cheese (there was a specific name for this that is McDonald's cheese), some salsa-like ingredients atop and a massive clump of sour cream. Looked interesting as a fast track to heart disease, but not the best meal either of us had.

As for the coffee, let's just not go there. House "blend" is what it was. In other words, filter / drip coffee.

Yech! Still downed 1.5 cups as I needed something that had a trace of caffeine - not that this had enough to even remotely touch the void. Despite this, the service was great. Very attentive and caring for their customers. The cafe itself was kitsch and had walls lined with autographed celebrity photos. The one that stood out by Suzanne's sharp eyes was that of Paulie Walnuts. How we love him to bits.

This is all I can manage for tonight. Other items I will update later will be the core of Saturday that was Lovefest 2008; the some of the adventures on Sunday where I drove my arse ragged all through San Fran, Newark, Palo Alto, back to San Fran, Sausalito, Muir Woods etc.

For years Ches’s Café in Crown Road has been reliably dishing up early morning bacon sandwiches and fry-ups.

But recently the focus has changed. It’s still a very good place for an English breakfast, but it has recently adopted a different guise at lunchtime and evenings - Ches’s Trattoria.

Wikipedia states “a trattoria is an Italian style of restaurant, less formal than a ristorante. There are generally no printed menus, the service is casual, the prices low, and the emphasis is on a steady clientele…the food is modest but plentiful and is served family-style (i.e. at common tables)”.

This description is pretty much spot on for the new Ches’s Trattoria.

Ches’s is on two floors. Upstairs is the café, downstairs is a more intimate, restaurant-like room. On a recent visit, six of us were booked for 8pm, and on arrival we were shown to the downstairs room.

The choice of starters is quite extensive. Seafood salad, Parma ham and melon, mixed salami, tuna and cannellini bean salad, mushrooms with white wine and garlic are just some of the dishes on offer, all at about £6 to £8. For main course there are about a dozen different pasta dishes, and 15 or so different types of pizza, all in the £7 to £10 price range.

In the end we went straight for main courses, without having a starter. Four of us ordered pizzas and two ordered linguine. The kitchen was busy, and we waited for a while over glasses of wine (BYO, because they are not at present licenced).

 When the food did arrive, the dishes arrived all at once and piping hot. The pizzas were large, fresh and tasty, and the linguine had a wonderfully intense and genuine Italian home-cooked flavour.

A quick poll round the table for marks out of five for the food returned votes of fours and fives from everyone. And the bill, for six people? £65.50.

The Verdict

Italian home cooking served with real warmth, friendliness and pride. It gets very busy at times, so don’t expect to be in and out in twenty minutes. But for a relaxed evening out with friends at a price that won’t break the bank Ches's Trattoria is very hard to beat. Highly recommended.

Other notes

Booking is essential on weekend evenings. They also do take-aways.

As mentioned before, they are not currently licenced so you are welcome to bring your own wine etc. No credit cards, only cash or cheques.

Ches’s Trattoria          48, Crown Road, St Margarets, TW1 3EH

                                    020 8892 4615

I turned up on a whim at about 4pm on a Sunday afternoon, when there was a sudden influx of people. Disappointingly most cupcakes were gone. We selected the coconut ice and the espresso.

The were popped into their chic little bag, and quickly carried home. One qualification: I had also stopped at St Honore Bakery in Chinatown a little earlier. But these were tried first.

So far, so good. On cutting, there wasn't the dry crumble of the last cakes I tried. The Espresso was much firmer than the coconut ice, and pleasingly flecked. My hopes of improved flavour though were quickly dashed. The coconut ice was plain cake. The only coconut flavour came from the shredded coconut sprinkled over the frosting, which was sweet, but again had no flavour? Are the frostings supposed to have flavour? Or have I simply been spoilt by Cupakes on Pitt and The Cupcake Bakery and Babycakes by Renee? However, as opposed to my last visit the cake wasn't dry at all, and in fact, light and fluffy. A vast improvement!

Next up was the espresso. I had high hopes for this as I love coffee flavoured cakes! But again, disappointment came all too soon. I had hoped that the dark flecks would be crushed coffee beans? Maybe they were, but it had no flavour.  :-(

The flavour this time did come from the frosting, though was very subtle. The texture of the espresso, as earlier mentioned was much firmer, and not dry.

Again, another disappointing visit. I'm really saddened by this, as it's such a great concept. My boyfriend also wasn't too impressed, and declared "I wouldn't pay $4.50 for one of them again" Maybe our standards have been set too high by the others in the market?  I hope that my feedback, and that of other foodbloggers I've come across is taken in the spirit that it is intended, to provide constructive criticism to improve their product.

One other thing: Is Sparkle going to put any content on their website? I've been waiting for them to provide a list of flavours, ordering info etc....nothing...Maybe soon?

Sparkle Cupcakery
132 Foveaux Street
Surry Hills
02 9361 0690
http://www.sparklecupcakery.com.au/

In the unisex at SureShot.

In the ladies room room at Blue Moon Tavern.

Go Seattle! Way to sublimate those slurs!

As it turned out, the reader that sent the email wound up at Harlem Vintage where tye were indeed showing the debate.  So, for those of you looking for a place to catch the next "great" debate, you can watch it at the newly opened Harlem 4 Obama headquarters or at La Pregunta.  If you are in the one-teens check out Harlem Vintage and Tribal Spears (both unconfirmed locations). See below for more information about H4O:

Our next debate watch party will be in our new office on Fredrick Douglass Blvd, between 132nd and 133rd St (closer to 133rd). We'll have a projection screen and we'd be glad to have you stop by again. Last week's debate drew about 150 viewers to the office who enjoyed good food, fellowship, and a strong Biden performance. We'd be glad to have you join us again!

Also, if you haven't seen done it already, don't forget to subscribe to the site! www.harlem4obama.com

Eighteen months ago a special cafe design museum Cafe aA set up base in Mapo and has been going strong ever since. The museum is a popular piece for expat and design bloggers. Of course myself too, the better late than never blogger. The cafe museum is popular because its unique.

Cafe aA does the cafe scene on a large individualistic scale. It offers more than just coffee and tea. It's a cafe, furniture store, museum package, housing an eclectic mix of designer furniture (let me drop in Tom Dixon, Marcel Breuer), lovingly appreciated by its owner, Korean businessman, Mr Kim. You will often see him around his cafe - he is the quiet man sometimes with a hat, always with dark rimmed glasses, who mingles with, rather than stands out from, his cafe crowd.

From my past visits, I would say that Mr Kim envisioned the cafe's design long before he built the place. No detail has been been overlooked from flooring, lighting, seating, outdoor tiles, balustrades, even the rest rooms. The combination of eras, Italian turn of the century meets retro, clash gently enough to stimulate the mind and conversation.

But the beauty of the cafe lies not just with the design, its a cafe that doesn't discriminate. People come here from all corners of Seoul for that double A cafe experience: amateur photographers vying for that shot, girlfriends gaggling over cake, dates cooing in the corners; mum and dads looking on intrigued.

My favourite time to visit is during the week, when it's near empty, and bossa nova permeates the cafe; heaven.

From a caffeine perspective, the espresso based coffees, teas and non-caffeinated drinks are decent, but the food is a little lame. I recommend visiting this cafe for its atmosphere and design, not for its dining experience.

Cafe aA is easy to get to from Hongdae subway station line 2.

408 -11 Seokyo dong, Mapo gu, Seoul.

(photos courtesy of Joe May)

Caffeinated Traveller

Früher war Ottensen das Handwerker- und Bauerndorf. Bis 1960 War Ottensen noch mit Fabriken beseet. Eine, die davon ist heute noch übrig geblieben ist, ist ein toller Veranstaltungsort, dort finden viele Konzerte, Veranstaltungen aber auch Flohmärkte statt.

Die vielen kleinen Hinterhöfe, die meist toll bepflanzt sind machen Ottensen zu einem Stadtteil voller interessanter Ecken.

Neben vielen Einkaufsmöglichkeiten, wie z. B. dem Mercado und vielen kleinen Geschäften in der Ottensener Hauptstraße, gibt es eine Vielzahl von schönen kleinen Cafés, die man nach einem Spaziergang an den Altonaer Terrassen besuchen kann.

Im Sommer findet im Innenhof des Altonaer Rathauses ein Freilichtkino statt. Und auch neben Kinoveranstaltungen lohnt es sich mal einen Blick in das historische Gebäude zu werfen.

Und für Diejenigen unter uns die sich "Trauen"- lassen wollen, schaut Euch die Trauzimmer an und macht Euch selbst ein Bild. Allerdings muss man Bürger von Altona sein, um es "nutzen" zu dürfen ;-)

This ugly and miserable Sunday morning, I moseyed down to Lumière on Bourke St, the Taylor Square end. A contemporary café where the flavour c'est cool. Schibello coffee on my table within three minutes of my sitting down and placing my order, and within the next eight to ten minutes, a fluffy and filling omelette of chorizo, field mushrooms and fresh dill. Add two pieces of toasted sourdough and you have some seriously delicious breakfast to get through.

Look I am normally a machine and while I do like to savour the flavours of the foods I am ingesting, I find it difficult to eat slowly. This morning however, it surprisingly took me a while to eat my breakfast. I am not sure if I could attribute this to my still being in holiday-mode or perhaps the impressive October issue of UK Vogue that I was rather engrossed in, but it did take me a good 15 minutes or so to eat my omelette.

The field mushrooms really do add to the flavour in this meal and after having spent the last six weeks in sunny Spain, the land famed for their jamon varieties, the chorizo in my omelette was pretty damn good and the taste spot-on.

Had I not eaten the toast I probably would not be as bloated now but nevertheless it was indeed delicious.

Most times I usually eat the fruit salad for breakfast. Most places that serve fruit salad offer paltry sizes but Lumiére's is rather ample and comes with yoghurt and passionfruit.

What I love about Lumière is that the place is so cool they can play different genres of music where a whole lot of doof-doof is incorporated and it seems to not bother you at eight in the morning. Rather, the beats  transport you to the chic delights of the French Riviera and the azure waters of the Mediterranean (well that was this morning anyway). Before you know it, one sip of your coffee and you are in a world of your own. Unless you have an annoying kid near you running around like a headless chook in a dirty GAP jumper and gumboots in some horrible shade of blue that is like fire to your eyes. Don't some mothers know how to control their children in public? Clearly not.

A frequent visitor at Lumière, I can definitely say the staff are spot on with their service. Prompt and pleasant.  Noticing I am eating my toast, a waiter asks if I would like jam and another coffee. My plate is immediately cleared after I finish my food. They are reasonably friendly and polite though not warm. No, they are too cool to be too friendly.

Despite this, which is usually a pet-hate of mine, Lumière will always remain a first-pick for breakfast. But not if I want to have bircher museli. They don't serve bircher.

Lumiére: Shop 13, 417 Bourke Street, Surry Hills.

The departure from Sydney was interesting enough with the taxi driver being a rather subdued chap for the first ten minutes until a motorbike rider cut in front of him. Cue angry tirade with some colourful language. This didn't bother me in the slightest as I can only share his frustration of such incidents that happen a touch oft in Sydney traffic. What I was worried about was that his anger was so extreme he started turning around to talk to me whilst taking his hands off the steering wheel to gesticulate! Made it to the airport though and with one of the more entertaining rides in a while.

Knowing I was not going to get a decent coffee after leaving home, I prepared myself for the worst. Not well prepped enough though. T1 at Sydney is undergoing renovations and currently the three coffee shops are all part of the Santos chain. Got a sandwich and ordered a double espresso.

I have had some interesting to downright shit double espressos in the past few years, however I have not seen one that so missed the mark in size as the one I had today. Previous photos from Kafenio show a what a double espresso should look like - approx a half full 90ml glass. The one from Santos this morning (clearly made via the BS fully automatic machine there) was in a regular sized (take out) coffee cup, with just over half the cup full! What the Fuck was that! Two sips and I was done. It really was just brown and water. Didn't even bother to try an espresso at one of the other outlets. Anytime the coffee maker - I can't say barista for this one - doesn't even have to grind, fill the filter, tamp it and lock in the filter holder to the machine BEFORE placing the cup underneath it, pressing a single button and letting the machine stop it at a pre-determined point... the coffee ain't gonna be that good.

Knowing the next options ahead of me were not looking good (in-flight coffee and US coffee), I am priming myself for the lack of real coffee, but maybe going to aim for the heavily caffeinated energy drink crap in the next couple of weeks.

The flight was thankfully non-eventful given the recent spate of issues the particular airline has recently experienced. Again had a row of seats in cow class for myself, so can never complain about this part. Great cabin crew again and kudos to Shelley and Glenn for the chocolate hunt they took on for me at 0300 AEST when I was in dire need of a sugar hit. The hot chocolate may not have been the best, but I defy anyone to have made one for me with such care and concern.

My pickup at SFO made for another interesting, however less eventful ride to the one in Sydney. Very helpful gent as well and will definitely use his company services for transport the next time I am in this city.

Picked up my car and decided to give the US roadways a bit of a go. Not a big issue in getting used to driving on the wrong side of the road, however the left turns where lanes are not clearly marked have been the harder ones to work with. Will be getting a bit of driving in over the next week in particular and should hopefully be more relaxed an comfortable by then.

What I was surprised with was the number of SUVs that were of gigantic, near monster truck like size! Much unlike the standard SUV / 4WD vehicles that are all across Sydney. Makes it harder when on approaching to overtake them, a number of their drivers ever so casually change lanes without indicating. Just did my best to stay a distance from these trucks.

Hotel is great, however the room service / in room dining menu is limited and the food is really sub par. I will be locating the nearest food options nearby tomorrow, then during the week will aim to take as many dinners in in surrounding areas to the office at places recommended by my beautiful friend Wendy (a former SJ native).

Ok, time for some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz now. Not really tired, however have a long day coming up with some wonderful company....YAY!

It’s lush, surrounded and shaded by palm trees and beautiful emerald Indian laurels. There’s a wonderful fountain in the centre where water trickles from oversized yams. It’s bordered by pavement cafes and restaurants and every night it’s filled with Canarian families and visitors to the town. It’s a place which is full of life and smiling people.

Photographing it should be easy, but so far this simple task seems to have eluded me.

The door closes behind us and after a short moment of silence we hear, "You can come in here!"  Dana, being so sweet, cautiously tip toes around the corner and finds herself inside the kitchen with a woman wearing sweat pants and a dirty t-shirt. 

After an awkward exchange with the woman, we are led through the narrow hallway to a back room.  She flicks on the lights as we walk past and we end up in a quaint little dining area with an over-sized static television sitting on a table.  We are the only people there.  We are handed the menus on pages of copy paper. 

The name of the place having "winery" in it was awfully deceiving.  Not only did they only have ONE wine, no choices being offered, but it wasn't even classified as a type of wine.  It was just simply "red wine".  The menu left something to be desired and after 15 minutes of whispering and panic, I made the executive decision to order a bottle of wine and then we would go eat elsewhere.  We were served complimentary bread with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, which was quite delicious.  After about an hour we finished the wine and were pleasantly surprised at how good it was.  Sara and Dana had both purchased bottles to go in order not to insult the owner.  On the way out they were warned that if they did not drink it quickly, sediment would form at the bottom of the bottle and they would then need to transfer containers. 
**silence**

Lindi and I quickly exited the building, jumped in the car and busted out laughing.  Dana and Sara jumped in the back seat, still unsure of how to take the warning they had been given on the way out.

As quickly as I could, we made our way to Sewickley to recover and finally get something to eat.  We settled on The Sewickley Cafe.  We were more than pleased with our experience here.  The staff was overwhelmingly friendly.  The outdoor patio was beautiful (and heated, as well).  We chose, however, to dine inside.  We ordered the Truffle Fries as an appetizer.  Good Lord!  They were amazing. 

My entree was unbelievably delicious.  I ordered the Asiago Chicken.  It is Farfalle pasta with chicken, mushrooms and onions tossed in an asiago cream sauce.  To die for!  The rest of the girls chose seafood.  Sara had tilapia, Lindi had salmon, and Dana had scallops.  As far as I know, they all loved their dishes just as much as I did. 

We each took a piece of cake home with us as well.  Overall, the night was incredibly memorable and I'm looking forward to so many more crazy experiences like that!

(I omitted the name of the winery for fear of insulting anyone.  My intention here is not to defile anyone's reputation.  However, if you are from the Pittsburgh area and want the name of the place, send an email and I'll let you know.)

This is a side note, but I really hate my new hairdo, it does make me look like Sarah Palin’s sister.

I look like a schoolmarm, librarian, preschool teacher or like I hunt for rabbits (no offense to schoolmarms, librarians, preschool teachers, rabbit hunters...well sure, offense to rabbit hunters).
Audrey and I meet up at Grounded and saddle up to a little table that we share.  Laptops are back-to-back.  I look down at my computer and realize that I haven’t prepared much for either of my meetings (been too busy writing my blog perhaps?).
One of my meetings is with a theater company. They have asked me to be prepared to discuss a marketing plan for “Of Mice and Men, the Musical.”  It was kind of a “what if?” type of question.  I’m pondering this. Audrey finds me a website with themes of Steinbeck novels.  So I am trying to imagine Curley's wife singing a beautiful song about being lonely.  Hmmm.
I nearly tripped on the computer cord of the guy sitting next to me.
“Don’t be trippin,” He says with a laugh.  I can tell he thinks this he’s made a funny pun.
I smile and look back down at the “themes” page.
Audrey, my partner in crime, nudges me:  “Interview him,” she says with a raised brow.
“Ah,” good idea.
So I look on his lap top and try to see what he’s working on, see if it intrigues me.   It looks like it’s some kind of script for a commercial.
I have a feeling that Audrey and I are starting to get “known” in this café.
“Can I interview you? It will only take a minute,” I say.
“Sure, if it only takes a minute.”

Who:  Jason
Where: Grounded, NYC
Occupation: Movie trailer writer, advertising.
I actually felt like Jason was interviewing me, more than I was interviewing him.
“So what’s your blog about?” he says.
I can tell the whole coffee house is listening.
“Oh I interview one person a day, but I’m a playwright, so it’s not like an official thing.  I feel you and I have to sit across from you in order to interview you.”
“So what is it you do?  What are you working on?  It looks like a commercial, is it?” I say.
“I write teasers for movies and television shows.”
“Wow, that’s different.”
“I know so cool, right?” he says.
I can tell he doesn’t take himself too seriously, which is a good thing.
“How did you get this job?”
I’m not sure if this is exactly what we said, but I think he said something like
“I know how to work it.”
Hmm. Something any New Yorker knows is the name of the game – working it, that is.
“I feel lucky,” he says.
The three of us laugh about it.
“Look at us, we are in a cafe,” he said.
I think I can most appreciate the luxury of getting to hang out in a café.  After all, I only just left the corporate “florescent lights” a month ago.
Whew.  I pinch myself.  I am enjoying every moment of this borrowed time.
From behind me a guy who is listening to our conversation says, “are you a playwright? I am too.”

“I’ve got a show coming up.”  He hands me his card and we talk for awhile about playwriting and the Samuel French Festival.  He won in 2007.  His play “To Barcelona” sounds fascinating.  He added me as a friend on Facebook while we were sitting there talking, and as you can imagine, my interview with Jason went south.  Oh yeah, my interview!
Thankfully Audrey took over with the interview while I became distracted with Michael the playwright and figuring out how many friends we had in common.
Jason and Audrey both went to UC Berkeley, so they had a lot to chat about.  We told him that we really only recently graduated and were like 27.  I think he believed us.
We laugh.
I think the whole café is in on this.
"Okay café," I ask to the crowd at large, "what Broadway stars would be good in Of Mice and Men, the Musical?”
“ I was thinking of Allan Cummings as Curley,” I say.
“He’s too old,” says Jason.
Suddenly I’m hearing answers from all over the coffee house.
Back to the interview, sort of.
“So is your blog political?” says Jason.  “You say you are interviewing one person a day until November 3rd?”
“Well, that’s when I figure I’ll be exhausted. But sure, getting people’s political views is part of it,” I say with a sigh.
“I just assume unless you tell me that you are from Alaska that most New Yorkers I'm meeting are liberal."
“Well,” says Jason with a snort:  “I fucking love Barak Obama and I will flee the country if he doesn’t win.  I don’t care how many vaginas (Sarah Palin) has, why would any woman vote for her?”
His outburst cracks all of us up because it came out of nowhere.
My day could have ended there and I would have been happy, but I did have two meetings uptown, so since I am still in my “looking up” mode, I snapped a photo of building that would make a great painting – love the pipe snaking up the side.

Since my lipstick had worn off, I stopped into Bloomingdales and got lost trying to find the makeup counter.  I stopped to look at a chic jacket and of course it was my favorite designer: Nanette Lepore.

I don’t own anything by Nanette Lepore, but the next time I have money for a shopping spree, I must get something from her collection.  It’s true love!
At 7PM, I meet up with another playwright-friend Sonya at the Women’s Project for the opening of a new play.  Sonya is the greatest.   Great writer, mom of a three-year-old, very smart, funny and supportive of other writers.  Here’s a fun secret bonus about working in the theater in NYC: I get to know a cast of very interesting characters-- and I get to see lots of quality theater for free!
The play was good; the set and lighting design inventive and the acting superb.  The characters were Russian and both actors really knocked out a solid Russian accent.  Natilia Payne is one of my favorite actors, so how could I not find the play charming? Yes, charming indeed.

The after party was fun too, though we didn’t stay long.  On the way home we came out right as the Broadway stars from the musical “Spring Awakening “ were outside singing autographs, so I snapped some more photos.

Hmmm. Maybe someday this will be me? Nah, no one takes photos of the playwrights.  It’s a good thing. I don’t like my hair.
________

Às vezes, para começar a conhecer nem precisamos gastar uma pequena fortuna, pegar um avião e passar horas apertado só para ver algo "novo". Meu pai sempre diz que "livro novo é livro que a gente não leu", não importa se o livro foi lançado há dois séculos ou na semana passada. Isso também vale para os nossos arredores.

Morando em São Paulo, muita gente nunca foi ao Museu do Ipiranga, ao Parque do Ibirapuera ou ao Pátio do Colégio, onde a cidade nasceu. Tá certo que falta um pouco mais de infra-estrutura e segurança mas muita coisa já melhorou. Os roteiros para conhecer o centro da cidade, por exemplo, são bem legais e os museus são de primeiro mundo. Algumas exposições ainda são caras mas há muuuuita coisa boa demais e de GRAÇA. Ah, e também a maioria dos museus tem um dia que a entrada é gratuita.

Têm tanta exposição boa em cartaz, tantas peças de teatro, shows e espetáculos de dança de graça, dá pra sair todo final de semana aqui em São Paulo! Disso, não podemos reclamar. Só falta facilitar um pouco mais o transporte e a segurança.

Falando nisso, quer coisa melhor do que juntar livros e comidinha gostosa? Pois têm um monte de lugares aqui em São Paulo que faz isso.  Dá uma olhada nesse roteiro da Folha:

Roteiro seleciona cafés com ares literários na capital paulista

A dobradinha café e leitura é praticamente imbatível em tardes de clima ameno ou mesmo no modorrento calor do verão paulistano. Prova disso é que essa simbiose tem se solidificado cada vez mais nas livrarias paulistanas. Ambientes delicados, silenciosos e aconchegantes são algumas das características dos cafés abrigados em livrarias, que simplesmente são propícios ao prazer da leitura.

Café Grafite
Apesar de não estar instalado dentro de uma livraria, e sim no pátio do Centro Cultural São Paulo, a casa dispõe de um ambiente propício à leitura. Com mesas em um agradável pátio arborizado, a casa oferece café, chás e mimos como pães de queijo, esfihas de carne e outros salgados e empanadas.
Informe-se sobre o local

Café Lutetia
Um pequenino café situado nos fundos da livraria Martins, na praça do Patriarca (região central da capital paulista), serve café expresso das marcas Braúna, da região da Mata de Minas, e Turmalin, oriundo do cerrado mineiro. O café também é o ponto de partida para que a barista da casa, Denise Pinheiro, crie bebidas com nomes poéticos como Casa das Rosas (R$ 7) e o Líbero Badaró (R$ 4,50), que leva creme de chocolate com macadâmia e leite vaporizado.
Informe-se sobre o local

Millôr Revistaria e Café
Como o nome já diz, o café tem em seu cerne uma ligação com a literatura. Batizado em homenagem ao escritor e cartunista Millôr Fernandes, a loja conquistou a fidelidade dos moradores do bairro da Vila Madalena (região oeste da capital paulista) servindo café (no pires, um indefectível dadinho Quarto Centenário lembra a infância). O drinque da casa leva café gelado batido com creme. O local ainda oferece doces portugueses, como o pastel de santa clara e o pastel de Belém.
Informe-se sobre o local

Suplicy Cafés Especiais
A nova unidade da rede Suplicy Cafés Especiais está instalada em um antigo casarão na esquina das alamedas Jaú e Ministro Rocha Azevedo. O mesmo endereço abriga a sede do Universo do Conhecimento, entidade que oferece cursos livres de música, literatura e filosofia. Com ambiente agradável e situado em uma insituição de ensino, o café transpira leitura. Para beber, vale destacar o mocha, preparado com expresso, leite, chantilly, calda de chocolate ou de caramelo (R$ 7) e o frapê de cappuccino (R$ 9,90). A casa ainda oferece chás e sucos de frutas.
Informe-se sobre o local

V. Café
Localizado dentro da nova Livraria Cultura, a casa dispõe de mesas, pufes e banquetas altas espalhadas por um salão no fundo da loja. Tudo para tornar a leitura mais agradável. Para beber, a casa oferece café da marca Bravo e os blends da renomada Nespresso. Entre os comes, o local prepara sanduíches como o de salmão, cream chesse, agrião e dill no pão de miga preto, além de fatias de bolo de laranja.
Informe-se sobre o local

E a minha sugestão é um restaurante aqui na Vila Madalena que além de atendimento simpático e ambiente agradável, serve uma comida nordestina (pernambucana) pra comer embaixo da mesa, que nem a Ana Maria Braga!

Se você gosta de feijão de corda e bolo de rolo, o Restaurante Cordel da Vila é o seu lugar!

Aproveite e vá dar uma voltinha!

:)

By Ann Marie Svilar

Covering 29.5 square miles, Lopez Island, Washington is the first ferry stop in a cluster of islands called the San Juans, that rise from the Puget Sound and hug the Canadian border. Even during bustling tourist season Lopez Island will make you turn off the laptop and slow down. Wave to the blonde woman named Margie manning the ferry dock as you arrive. She will wave back. Waving is a tradition on this island; there is even a "Lopez wave" consisting of two fingers in a locked together peace sign.

As you make your first twists from the ferry dock, smell the dense trees and dried wild grass. Look for deer: there are many and they are domesticated enough to walk right up to you. Notice a Madrona tree with bark that looks like red peeling paper; scratch the trunk and it turns green. Look out for a Great Blue Heron, they are an elegant and common Lopez Island bird. You can find them almost anywhere in tidal lagoons along the seashore.

You'll see that most people name their driveways after themselves or something original like Pterodactyl Lane, or Baroque 'n Glass Lane. Mailboxes are painted with bald eagles and rich gardens are covered with tall fences to keep deer out. Some people live in make-shift buses, clusters of trailers, or in an A-Frame house. Stop by the Lopez Island Vineyards and pick up a bottle of Siegerrebe. Note that most streets don't have yellow lines and traffic is minimal in any direction. Enjoy the quiet and keep going.

If you're camping, Spencer Spit is the best place to stay. Located on the East side of the island, you can feel good karma there; the Spencer family sold the land to the state for much less than the private offers they received in order to make a state park that everyone could enjoy. Shirley (Spencer) Plummer is 87 years old, and recently became a great, great grandmother, she sits in her living room that overlooks Spencer Spit. It is a stretch of beach like no other, with driftwood, rocks and sand coming together into a single point that stares at Frost Island. The driftwood is easily made into forts. A muddy lagoon lines the spit to the North like a seam and smells as murky as it looks. Pitch your tent along the trees at the mouth of the spit; light a fire; cook some s'mores.

If you like beautiful beaches and down to earth people, you will love Lopez Island. It is a getaway in the simplest sense. Below are 7 things you should do whilst visiting the island.

Iceberg Point – Just past Agate Beach there is a small place to park and then walk into what looks like private residence. When you hit the tree line, turn right down a dirt path; walk through a gate and onto a maintained trail. After less than a mile the trees will open up to the most vast part of the Island; the unprotected South side. Your landscape will be big hills and rocks with tall grass that smells like dry summers. Your view will be of an ocean that seems to go on forever until you see the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic Mountains far in the distance.

Sharks Reef – My favourite spot on the island is Sharks Reef. The water here is treacherous because of undertow and sometimes you will see kayakers twirling and paddling their way through the narrow corridor that separates Lopez Island from San Juan Island. Large pieces of sea kelp that look like women with mermaid hair line the rocks. Here is where you see some of the best tide pools on the Island full of lipids' and sea anemones.

Saturday Farmers Market – Farmers Markets are special no matter where you go. Lopez market's charm lies in its small size. My favourite stall is Marianna's clothing, made of scraps of recycled cloth. She also has a store in the main part of town called Okeydo. Also visit my parent's booth at the market where they sell my brother's photos every Saturday. Introduce yourself!

Horse Drawn Farms – This eco-friendly farm used to use horses to farm the land, but now they use oxen. Produce is pre-picked and you can just drive up, make your selection and leave money based on the honour system. It's as simple and trusting as that.

Community Center – The centre hosts music and community theatre all year long. While you are there, walk North-east to the skate park where young kids are dropping into small half pipes.

The Bay Café – The Bay Café has the most expensive food on the island, averaging at around $20 a plate. But it also offers the most brilliant place to have dinner and watch the sunset as it lies down for the night behind Friday Harbour. The restaurant is run by two local men, with a lot of energy, who know how to bake an amazing cedar salmon. You'll also be guaranteed great hospitality.

Lopez Island Kayaks - Being on an island is amazing enough, getting the chance to see it up close from the water is special too. Rent a kayak, get some advice on routes and get close to the water. If you time your float trip between April and October you may see big rusty-red Lion's mane jellyfish as they make their way towards the beach at low tide.

TRAVELLER'S CHECK LIST

Getting there:

By ferry… Travel from Anacortes on the mainland to Lopez Island. The journey is approximately 85 miles and takes about 45 minutes. For pricing info and to buy tickets click here. On the ferry keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles, seals, otters and the occasional orca whale.

By plane… Kenmore Air fly direct from Seattle to Lopez Island daily. For more information on schedules, pricing and booking click here. The journey takes about 1hr 10 mins.

Where to stay:

1. Lopez Islander Resort; PO Box 459, Lopez Island, WA; desk@lopezislander.com
2. MacKaye Harbor Inn; 949 MacKaye Harbor Road Lopez Island, WA 98261; (888) 314-6140; innkeeper@mackayeharborinn.com. From USD 135 per night.
3. Edenwild; 1-800-606-0662; edenwild@rockisland.com. From USD 170 per night.
4. Lopez Lodge; Lopez Lodge, Lopez Island, WA 98261; (360) 468-2816; needle@rockisland.com. From USD 70 per night.

For information on camping on Lopez Island, click here

Where to eat:

1. Bay Café - about $30 a person. 9 Old Post Road Suite C, PO Box 692, Lopez, WA 98261; Tel: 360.468.3700
2. Love Dog Café - $10-$15 per person. 1 Village Center, PO Box 633, Lopez Island, WA 98261; Tel: 360.468.2150.
3. HollyB's Bakery - $5 or less. Lopez Plz, Lopez Island, WA 98261; Tel: 360.468.2133.
4. Vortex - $10 per person for wraps and smoothies. Homestead Bldg C, Lopez Island, WA, 98261; Tel: 360.468.4740.
5. Isabel's Espresso - $5 or less for espresso drinks. 308 Lopez Rd, Lopez Island, WA, 98261; Tel: 360.468.4114

What to see:

For general information about visit the Lopez Island visitors bureau online here

1. Iceburg Point and Sharks Reef: click here for a map of Lopez.
2. Saturday Farmer's Market: Community Center.
3. Lopez Island Kayak: located at Marinas on Fisherman's Bay 360-468-2847
4. Horse Drawn Farms: 2823 Port Stanley Road

Events:

1. Fourth of July on Lopez: fun run, parade, salmon bbq and fireworks
2. Tour de Lopez (bike tour): last Saturday of April
3. Lopez Farmer's Market: May to Sept.
4. Artist's Studio Tour: last weekend in August

For more information on Lopez Island events click here

All photographs ©David Svilar.

Latina photographer Shirley Miranda –Rodriguez will display a body of her work to help kick off the opening of the quaint Café in the heart of Spanish Harlem. The evening will wind down with music from Tato Torres & Yerbabuena.

East Harlem Café will feature gourmet coffees from Central and South America served in a cup or a French press with Latino flair. Along with a delectable array of coffee the café will offer gourmet soups, salads and sandwiches. 

Café Trappisten veilt inboedel

Het bekende Café Trappisten aan de Antwerpsesteenweg in Westmalle wordt binnenkort gesloopt en houdt op dinsdag 7 oktober een openbare verkoop voor het goede doel.

In de loop van de maand oktober gaat het huidige Café Trappisten tegen de vlakte. Net achter dat gebouw werd immers een splinternieuwe horecazaak opgetrokken, die op 25 oktober haar deuren opent.

De inboedel van het 'oude' Café Trappisten is voor velen een bron van warme herinneringen. Daarom wordt hij op dinsdag 7 oktober geveild. Zo krijgen klanten en andere geïnteresseerden de kans een stukje van het interieur aan te schaffen als aandenken. Met hun aankoop steunen ze meteen een caritatief doel. De opbrengst van de koopdag gaat immers integraal naar de bouw van een gezondheidscentrum in Kasanza, Congo.

Om de veiling correct te laten verlopen, doen de uitbaters een beroep op veilinghuis Alpha uit Malle en gerechtsdeurwaarder Nico Bourdeaud'hui uit Antwerpen. Zowel de veilingmeester als de deurwaarder werken gratis omwille van het goede doel; alleen hun medewerkers worden vergoed.

Mede-uitbater Charles Van Riel: "Sinds onze klanten wisten dat het interieur van de huidige zaak zou verdwijnen, kregen we regelmatig de vraag of ze iets mochten kopen, als herinnering. Dat zette ons aan het denken. Daarom organiseren we nu een veiling. Alles wat niet al te vast zit aan het gebouw gaat onder de hamer: tafels en stoelen, luchters, kapstokken, glasramen, tuinmeubilair,.. En het beste van al: de kopers steunen ineens een goed doel."

Paula Veestraeten en Guido Caerts over dat caritatieve project: "We zijn een gezondheidscentrum aan het bouwen in Kasanza, waar men economisch aan de grond zit en waar elke infrastructuur ontbreekt. We zorgen voor elektriciteit en stromend water, een ongekende luxe in het Congolese binnenland. Daardoor kan het uitgroeien tot een belangrijk medisch centrum voor de wijde omgeving. Maar bouwen kost geld en de middelen zijn beperkt. Voorlopig zit het project in de ruwbouwfase. Er zijn nog enkele tienduizenden euro’s nodig om er een echt gezondheidscentrum van te maken. De opbrengst van de veiling in Café Trappisten is dan ook heel welkom. Ze helpt de Congolezen in Kasanza en de omliggende dorpen een hele stap vooruit op weg naar een gezonder, menswaardiger bestaan."

De veiling start op dinsdag 7 oktober om 11 uur 's ochtends. Tussen 9 en 11 uur kunnen de gegadigden de loten bekijken. Kopers kunnen de goederen meteen na het einde van de openbare verkoping meenemen of ze ten laatste daags nadien ophalen.

Locatie: Café Trappisten aan de Antwerpsesteenweg 487 in Westmalle, dat die dag voor de allerlaatste keer toegankelijk is voor het publiek.

Cassina IXC

There’s a furniture store on the first floor of the building where I work out. They have designer furniture from the greats like LeCorbusier and Mackintosh. It’s like a museum actually. The cool thing about this store is that it has a café inside. So you can sit on $11,000 chairs and eat Vietnamese noodles and sip very strong iced coffee, served by silent black-clad waiters. I never entered before because it looks expensive and well, pretentious. But actually 1,000 yen will get you a very tidy meal, al dente. For directions click here.

There’s the usual pampered young Shibuya housewives with their ignored kids dressed in designer garb. And there are always groups of what looks to me like designers of some sort. They are dressed in dark clothes, wear ironically chunky glasses, and their haircuts are sculpted into well-placed disarray. And they always have at least one open laptop and some very important papers scattered about their tables.

Still, it’s a totally chill atmosphere. It’s never crowded, never noisy. There’s not even any piped-in music. The only sounds are the sounds of self-important chatter and the street noise outside. But it’s all absorbed nicely by the furniture.

I sat on the long counter, soaking in the first pleasant day of autumn. Scribbling in my notebook and then spacing out at the minimalist flower arrangement in front of me.

Recommended Company: your friends in ‘design’ and architecture to smirk at the latest fads.

Suggested Reading: biographies of mid-century modernists.

Likely Activities: sketching perfect curves and concocting self-referential parodies.

Photo from the Cassina website, until I can take a decent picture of the place. Click on the picture for the source.

Was tagtäglich in der realen Welt passiert, geschieht ebenso in der SECRET CITY: Partys und Events mit Live-Streaming realer DJs, Fun und Lifestyle, Leute treffen und kennenlernen.

Das Angebot reicht von Clubs und Cafes über Kinos und diversen Geschäften zum shoppen bis hin zum Casino und Wellnesscenter..... kostenfrei: SECRET CITY - die 3D Welt

Die Stadt

Zitat: Willkommen in Secret City, der kostenlosen virtuellen 3D-Welt voller Spaß und Lifestyle. Gestalte Deinen Avatar und begebe Dich auf Entdeckungsreise durch die Stadt, die niemals schläft. Lerne im Chat nette Leute kennen. Feiere in den vielen Diskotheken und Clubs zu neusten Hits. Flirte am Strand oder in der Lagune. Übe Dich nach dem VIP-Upgrade in der Kunst des Verführens. Lass’ Dich überraschen.

Unser Tipp vor einer Anmeldung, kostenlos, erst einmal den Aktionskalender ansehen...

"Wenn ich Nichtholländern erzähle, dass ich vor drei Jahren von Amsterdam nach Rotterdam gezogen bin, schauen sie mich mitleidig an. Amsterdam kennen und lieben alle: Grachten und Altstadtromantik. Bei meiner Stadt denken sie an Hafen, Industrie und Betonwüste.

Dabei ist Rotterdam viel spannender als unsere von kiffenden Touristen überlaufene Hauptstadt. Die Architektur hier ist mutig und modern - das kann man gut an der Erasmusbrücke (1), den gekippten Kubushäusern (2) oder dem Südufer Kop van Zuid (3) sehen, das gerade unter anderem von Rem Koolhaas komplett umgestaltet wird.

Trotz der vielen glatten Fassaden aus Glas und Beton wirkt die Stadt nie kalt oder unwirtlich. Das liegt auch an den vielen gemütlichen Cafés und Bars, die den ,braunen Cafés' von Amsterdam in nichts nachstehen. Das Sijf (4) macht in einem Jugendstilhaus großartige Sandwiches und wunderbaren warmen Apfelkuchen. Ei ner meiner liebsten Läden ist De Witte Aap (5), eine entspannte Kneipe für Studenten, die in ständiger Rivalität zu dem neben an gelegenen De Schouw (6) steht. Dort gehen eher die Leute von der Kunstschule und andere Schnösel hin. Aber manche Leute sehen das wohl genau umgekehrt - Geschmackssache eben. Im Grunde ist die gesamte Witte de Withstraat empfehlenswert: Im Toko 94 (7) kann man moderne tropische Küche genießen und Hipster angucken, die aus den beiden Läden von Margreeth Olsthoorn kommen, die einmal für Frauen (8) und einmal für Männer (9) Designermode von Martin Margiela bis Raf Simons verkauft. Und in der Galerie Blaak 10 (10) verkaufen die Studenten und Absolventen der Willem de Kooning Academie ihre Designprodukte und Modekunstwerke.

Ich kaufe am liebsten bei Kookpunt (11) ein - da gibt es keine Klamotten, aber dafür alles für die Küche. Wer einen gut sortierten Buchladen sucht, geht am besten zu Selexyz Donner (12). Dienstags und samstags lohnt es sich, auf den Markt in der Binnenrotte (13) zu gehen, wo nicht nur Obst und Blumen, sondern auch Secondhandklamotten verkauft werden.

Durch den Hafen ist Rotterdam sehr international - 160 Nationalitäten leben hier, das merkt man auch an den Restaurants: Die Bagel Bakery (14), ein Café mit marokkanisch-jüdischer Küche, bietet manchmal abenteuerliche, aber immer exzellente Beläge für ihre Bagels, und bei Tai-Wu (15) bekommt man chinesische Küche, wie sie dort auch wirklich gegessen wird. Mit meinem Freund gehe ich oft ins Look (16), ein Hühnchen mit fünfzehn Knoblauchzehen essen - und anschließend eine Portion Knoblaucheis. Gute Pizza gibt es bei Angelo Betti (17), und die Restaurants Oliva (18) und Gusto (19) haben ebenfalls gute italienische Küche. Bei schönem Wetter kann man sich bei den alten Zollgebäuden des Binnenhafens (20) hervorragend ans Wasser setzen, Koffie verkeerd trinken und Schiffen zusehen.

Wegen der vielen jungen Leute, die in Rotterdam leben, kann man sehr gut feiern. Ich gehe gerne ins Rotown (21), eine Mischung aus Café, Bar und Club - wo man essen, aber auch Konzerte anschauen kann. Früher war ich oft im Nighttown, leider hat es Anfang des Jahres zugemacht, im Herbst wird an derselben Stelle ein neuer Club namens Watt (22) aufmachen: der erste umweltbewusste Club der Welt. Sie spülen ihre Toiletten mit Kondenswasser, und der Strom wird aus den Bewegungen auf der Tanzfläche erzeugt. Ich bin mal gespannt, wie das wird - und ob die Lichter ausgehen, wenn der DJ mal ein langweiliges Lied auflegt und keiner tanzen will."

Chantal Quak, 33, lebt seit drei Jahren in Rotterdam. Sie arbeitet dort als Radiojournalistin.

TIPPS

Hinkommen
Die meisten Fluggesellschaften (inklusive Billigflieger wie Transavia) landen in Amsterdam Schiphol. Von dort ist es mit dem Zug etwa eine Stunde bis nach Rotterdam. Wer im Ruhrgebiet oder Rheinland wohnt, ist natürlich auch fix mit dem Auto da.

Unterkommen
Wer nicht zu sehr aufs Geld achten muss, sollte im Suite Hotel Pincoffs (23, Zimmer ab 125 Euro, hotelpincoffs.nl) absteigen. Das Hotel hat liebevoll gestaltete Räume - wie beispielsweise die »Mätressensuite« mit Geheimzugang zur Straße, ohne dass Besuch an der Rezeption vorbeimuss. Preisgünstiger schläft es sich im zentral gelegenen Stayokay Hostel (24, Bett ab 20 Euro, stayokay.com). 2009 eröffnet die Kette eine neue Dependance, die in den Würfelhäusern (2) des niederländischen Architekten Piet Blom untergebracht sein wird.

Mitbringen
Dubbel-Vla - der holländische Flüssigpudding macht vor allem in den Geschmackskombinationen Schoko-Vanille und Erdbeer- Vanille sehr schnell süchtig.

Unbedingt
Klingt spießig - aber eine Bootsfahrt vom Spido (25) aus zum größten Hafen Europas ist sehr beeindruckend. Und die Omas und Opas, mit denen man an Deck bei Kaffee und Kuchen sitzt, sind meist netter, als man denkt.

Auf keinen Fall
Als deutscher Tourist nach der Altstadt fragen. Denn die existiert seit einem großen Bombenangriff der Nazis im Jahr 1940 nicht mehr.

Ausflug
Etwa fünfzehn U-Bahn-Minuten nordöstlich von Rotterdam liegen Kralingse Plas und Kralingse Bos (26) - ein über 200 Hektar großes Waldgebiet mit einem riesigen See darin. Hier lässt es sich wunderbar spazieren gehen, Picknick machen und Wassersport treiben.

ADRESSEN:

1) Erasmusbrücke
2) Kijkkubus, Overblaak 70
3) Kap von Zuid, Wilhelminaplein & Wilhelimakade
4) Café Sifj, Oude Binnenweg 115,  (010) 433 2610
5) De Witte Aap, Witte de Withstraat 78, (010) 414 9565
6) De Schouw, Witte de Withstraat 80, (010) 412 4253
7) Toko 94, Witte de Withstraat 94b, (010) 240 4079
8) Margreeth Olsthoorn, Witte de Withstraat 5a (Frauen)
9) MG H2O, Witte de Withstraat 39 a (Männer)
10) Galerie Blaak 10, Witte de Withstraat 7a, www.blaak10.nl
11) Kookpunt, Binnenrotte 77, (010) 281 0000
12) Selexyz Donner Bookstore, Lijnbaan 150, (010) 413 2070
13) Markt, Binnenrotte
14) Bagel Bakery, Schilderstraat 57a, (010) 412 1560
15) Tai-Wu, Mauritsweg 24-26, (010) 4330818
16) Look, 's-Gravendijkwal 140b, (010) 436 7000
17) Angelo Betti, Schiekade 6a, (010) 465 8174
18) Oliva, Witte de Withstraat 15a, (010) 412 1413
19) Gusto, Schiedamse Vest 40, (010) 280 0812
20) Entrepot /Binnenhaven, Stieltjestraat
21) Rotown, Nieuwe Binnenweg 17-19, (010) 4362669
22) Nighttown/ Watt, West Kruiskade 26/28, (010) 436 1210
23) Suitehotel Pincoffs, Stieltjesstraat 34, Rotterdam. Tel. +31 (0) 10 2974 500
24) Stayokay, Rochussenstraat 107-109, (010) 4365763
25) Spido Rondvaarten, Willemsplein 85, (010) 275 9989
26) Kralings Bos &/ Kralings Plas (nordöstlich von der Innenstadt)

Protokoll & Tipps: Christoph Koch
Erschienen in: NEON
Fotos: Jessica Braun

I admit, I have a crippling fear of looking like a tourist. I'm not sure if it's the fanny packs, the stupid sunglasses or the complete naivety to their surroundings, but I know I dread being associated this dangerously curious group. When traveling,  I try to blend in as best as I can, however, in Japan, despite my best efforts this has it's limitations. Short of wearing a mask at all times, I will always be immediately identified as an outsider (and let's face it wearing mask doesn't do much to ameliorate that situation either).

Strangely, one of the personal benefits of Kyoto was the abundance of tourists. To score points with the natives, all I had to do was be a bit more subtle than the loud, pushy Europeans at the next table. Also, for  three days, as I was surrounded by other caucus folk,  I wasn't a novelty item.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the attention, but being one-of-a-kind goes both ways.

In terms of the city; Kyoto is a fantastic place. It's rich, historic, nestled among mountains, and you can feel the connection to Japan's past and the sublime surrounding nature. It's abundantly clear why Kyoto is a big draw, and some of the ways the foreign influence has changed the city.

Some of the most picturesque and significant sights now primarily serve the visitor's camera lens and not the people of Kyoto. I won't lie, I wanted to get some of these places on record with my own camera. They make impressive images to show your friends and make them jealous--and why travel if you can't make close friends question their own life-choices?  Also, while many of these places can feel like hostile tourist traps centered around a monument, one of the more famous shrines Kiyomizudera still retains it's spiritual essence and and ability to convey awe. It might have been the large, imposing and menacing looking statues (not pictured) or the fact that the temple sits alongside an impressively high cliff.

Still, I wanted to get as much of a feel as I could of the real attitude of Kyoto, or what the native Kyotocan (Kyotian?) feels every day.  Fortunately, Kyoto has a lively cafe culture that I decided to take advantage of. In between temples, castles and shopping it became culturally necessary to stop for a bit and have a tea/beer. This was my favorite part of the trip. Often these places were of trendy yet humble, modern design, filled with young locals and piping good music through the stereo.  One of them also served bagel sandwiches, and opportunity I did not pass up.

The only time I felt somewhat out of place was when we went to a small organic tea house rumored to have the best chocolate in Kyoto. The house is run by a Japanese confectionist and his wife, who is from Vancouver. Despite the service being run by a white person, the set up was still very formal. No shoes, kneel on the floor and women wore a kimono. Towards the end of the meal, the waitress and began talking. She told me that she used to live in SOHO so I stared updating her about New York, and the changes in the neighborhood, She was quite friendly, but the entire situation made me nervous. Much more uncomfortable  then when someone tries to speak to me in Japanese and I can't understand (aka all the time). I think what was so unnerving was that in the back of my head, I knew this women had gone through what I had gone through and so she more than anybody would not only  know when I made a faux pas, but perhaps she would even feel embarrassed by me, instead of for me. I'm fine with making a fool out of myself, but i hate it when I let the team down.

Fortunately for me, within five minutes she started babbling something about how children from the countryside in Japan have much "brighter eyes" because they're happier, and painting her accent with a hippy tone. Thus, the tables turned  quite abruptly as my Japanese friend started looking at me with wide and confused eyes while I tried not to laugh. I did my best to pretend like this was a normal way to hear a person talk but as soon as we walked out the door impressions of her summer of love accent became the running joke of the trip.

The Balinese use the catchall term adat (in fact a word with Arabic root) to describe their densely layered religio-cultural life. It means something like tradition, but better captures the sinuous, celebratory interplay between sacred and secular that is the island’s social motor. If Bali is a kaleidoscope, then Ubud is geographically and metaphorically its central prism – the much touted “artistic and cultural hub” where Art (capital intended) collides with craft and all manner of bohemians, eccentrics, autocrats, altruists, hippies, and creatives form a cosmopolitan patchwork that is little more stitched to local culture than in resort enclaves elsewhere in Bali.

But then Ubud is not really a resort enclave. The town itself is strewn prettily across an undulating landscape of valleys, ridges, and rolling hills. The main thoroughfare is a broad boulevard lined with market stalls, ornate buildings, and temples where accomplished dancers and gamelan orchestras perform for tourists each evening. Head west towards Campuhan and you approach not only one of the most beautiful parts of Ubud, but also the place of its origin. The official history (based on ancient Lontar manuscripts) states that when the mighty Hindu Empire of Majapahit succumbed to Islam at the turn of the 16th century, 2000 members of its cultural elite – artisans, priests, royalty – fled eastward to Bali.

A fertile valley at the confluence of two rivers – campuhan in Balinese – was deemed the perfect spot for settlement and Ubud’s course was wet. With the bohemian influx of the 20th century, key artists like Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet, and I Gusti Lempad guided the transition from art as a purely religious form into freer secular realm it occupies today.

Ubud’s artistic legacy is manifested in the numberless galleries to be found in its vicinity – from tiny home-in-the-walls, to grandiose museums like the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), which houses a stading exhibition of works by Balinese, Indonesian, and foreign artists. Irreverent sensualist Antonio Blanco’s paintings are housed in an ornate renaissance style palace in Campuhan – lascivious nudes jostling with ingenuous portrait of Bali’s people. Outside, cockatoos and toucans stand sentry.

Held each year in early October, the Ubud Writer’s Festival has grown into one f the foremost in the world attracting some of the world’s literally heavyweights including Booker Prize Winner Michael Ondaatje (2005) and Kiran Desai (2007) amongst a host of other wordsmiths.

Parallel to the artistic influx was that of tourism. With its cooler climate and artsy leanings, Ubud is the perfect foil to the humid southern resorts and its rolling, rainforest clad topography makes for some truly Jurassic locations. The Four Seasons is amongst the most spectacular, featuring an iconic spherical structure suspended like a flying saucer on the edge of a deep gully known as Sayan ridge, with suites fanning off on each side as well as private villas deep in the valley. Indeed Sayan is home to a host of villa resorts – the paradisiacal Begawan Giri spa resort, now owned by the Como Shambala Group, has long been a favorite with celebrities including Sting and Dona Karan; other notables include the high-end Amandari Boutique Resort favored by Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Claudia Schiffer, owned by Aman Resorts, and not so far away the Alila and quirky Taman Bebek which mixes classical Balinese style with irreverent artsy elements.

Private villa rentals are fare less abundant than in the south, but there are some winners – Villa Vajra close to the village of Sebali is a beautiful property spilling down a steep hillside. The 5 bedrooms Villa Kirana in Sayan sets palatial pavilions with antique interiors in landscaped gardens overlooking the ridge. For the most part, new developments in the area have been confined to secluded – and often remarkable – private homes as opposed to the investment minded projects that exist in other parts of the island. Still, freehold land is abundantly available and often attractively priced so future resort development seems likely as other areas become saturated. Ubud’s character and reputation will play a part in mitigating a real estate gold rush however – the lifestyle is not suited to everyone, after all. Just as the club of Kuta and Seminyak are beginning to wind up, Ubud gently resonates the hum of cicadas as a village enforced midnight curfew kicks in.

There are nightspots of course – life music venues like Jazz Café and cafes like Deli Cat and Flava Lounge are popular. And the eating is excellent. Mozaic Restaurant in Campuhan is South East Asia’s only member of the revered Grand Tables Du Monde – chef Chris Salans turns out ever-evolving a la minute creations – his degustation menu comes highly recommended. Naughty Nuri’s restaurant is an Ubud institution – famed in equal part for its enormous rib racks and obfuscating martinis while just of Ubud’s main drag, a simple street side eatery named after its founder Ibu Oka serves some of the best Babi Guling (traditional Balinese roast suckling pig) on the island. And in the quaint jumbling of lanes, amongst the boutiques, yoga studios, galleries, and craft shops, you will find other quality cafes and restaurants like Batan Waru, Terazo, Ary’s Warung, Tutmak, and Lamak.

Ubud sustain a rich community life, with an emphasis on holistic, eco-friendly lifestyle. It has a well-stocked community library (where you can also learn gamelan), the Bali Spirit Center which focuses on yoga, meditation, and healing practices and of course a host of indulgent spas.

People do not go to Ubud for the nightlife – but then that is really the point. What with such a vibrant cultural, artistic, and community life during daylight hours, Ubud needs its rest.

Written by Rufus Johnston
Featured on HOT Property – Vol. 9 / 2008