Bonjour Colorado

Wining and Dining in the Rockies

Pouring the Beloved Nectar

For years I had heard about the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, the big foodie event that just took place in Aspen last weekend.  It wasn’t until I moved to Telluride six years ago that I learned about the Telluride Wine Festival, the gastronomic extravaganza that has drawn food and wine connoisseurs to our more subdued mountain town for almost three decades.  Steve Olson, aka Wine Geek, plays a pivotal role in both of these happenings.  In Telluride, he’s our Master of Ceremony for our food and wine celebration that’s taking hold of our town this weekend.  Clearly Steve loves these festivals like a father who loves two very different children.

“Aspen Food and Wine Classic is truly one of the most important food and wine festivals in the world,”  Steve said in a recent Travel Fun interview.  “It draws some of the biggest chefs, vintners and food and wine enthusiasts from all over the globe and it continues to grow every year.  We handpick experts that fit Telluride.  There’s not a bone of pretense here.  These professionals come to share, not preach.  Telluride is more low key, more intimate,” Steve continues.  “It’s more one on one—you can find yourself having a cup of coffee with a chef on Main Street.”

Chef Bertrand Bouquin

That chef might very well be Bertrand Bouquin, Executive Chef at The Broadmoor of Colorado Springs, the Grande Dame of resorts in the Rockies.  As one of the culinary experts invited to the festival, Chef Bouquin will be preparing a special lunch tomorrow, Saturday, at Allreds where he’ll be serving up carrot soup with lime and cilantro, followed by veal tenderloin wrapped in bacon.  All will, of course, be paired with exceptional wines.

Steve Olson and Bertrand Bouquin enjoy a professional relationship outside of the Telluride Wine Festival since Steve consults for the beverage program at The Broadmoor.  He has, in fact, concocted a great variety of cocktails that serve as the perfect accompaniment to Bertrand’s innovative cuisine.  Indeed all kinds of beverages from mezcal to lager are showcased at the Telluride Wine Festival along with a cellar-full of wines from near and far.

And like so many of the other beverage and culinary experts participating in the festival, Steve and Bertrand began in the hospitality industry at a very young age.  Steve started out as a waiter and quickly caught the fever for the need to make others happy.  Bertrand was working in a restaurant kitchen in Burgundy in his native France at the age of fifteen.

Thank goodness we have festivals that encourage us to celebrate the passions of these dedicated oenophiles and gastronomes.  These events allow us to spend entire weekends learning, tasting and savoring.  Once again, the world comes to us in our little mountain town.  Maybe someday I’ll break out and attend the Aspen Food and Wine Classic.

A Scrumptious Salad from Summit at The Broadmoor

Hot Topics According to Wine Expert Steve Olson

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(Steve is largely known in the industry as the guy who is going to show you the next cool thing.)

Steve Olson, aka Wine Geek

-”Spain has emerged as a great wine-making country,”  Steve says.  Their wines are a good bet overall for great value and quality.

-”Greece is exploding now.  There’s a whole renaissance of winemakers,” he says.

-”Colorado wines are taking their rightful place among the hierarchy of American wines,” he emphasizes.  Some of his favorite wineries include Stone Cottage, Snowy Peak, Holy Cross Abbey, Boulder Creek and Canyon Wind.

Hot Topics According to Culinary Expert Chef Bertrand Bouquin

-Molecular gastronomy.  “This is when chefs break down ingredients and reconstruct them,” Chef Bouquin explains.  “You have the flavor of a food in a different form.”  An example of this would be a carrot flavored gelée (a sort of Jello, but more refined).  Apparently there’s a lot of this going on in the big cities.  Sounds rather Sci Fi to me.

The Broadmoor: Where You Can Sample the Creations of Steve and Bertrand Year-Round

Cheers!

Skiing and Spa Going: Part Two in Aspen

Pond Skimming at Aspen Highlands

Some nights ago I tuned into some pond skimming from Mammoth.  I took a double take since we are almost in summer.  Then I remembered that Mammoth Mountain doesn’t typically close until mid June; I also realized that I had switched on to RSN, or Resort Sports Network, a local’s favorite here in T-ride, a cable station that can satisfy a sports enthusiast’s hankering for outdoor adventure with the push of a button.  The show that followed tracked some of the world’s most harrowing expeditions at both the North and South Poles.  The channel was all about snow, risk taking and fun.  And here it is mid June.  Boy, do I love living in a ski town.

Pond skimming.  The words themselves conjure up a variety of curious images.  But I’m talking about some of the best end-of-season fun that can be had on skis and boards.  I witnessed some impressive pond skimming late April of this year, the last weekend at Aspen Highlands.  Crazy kids young and old challenged themselves and wooed the crowd by plunging from atop the hill onto a manmade pond hoping they had gauged their speed and balance enough to carry them across the water.  Plouf!  Inevitably a few unlucky souls didn’t quite make it.  The audience howled.

I’ve since carefully stowed my skis away but thoughts of skiing and the upcoming ski season aren’t too far out of mind.  The season ended on a particularly sweet note, so I can’t help looking forward to what next season will bring.

It has become a tradition of mine to ski Aspen once Telluride closes and I willingly obliged to this rite of spring again this year.  I actually had been staying in Aspen a good part of off-season with my dad, so it was a given that I’d close the season much as I had in the past, especially since the Highlands opened for an additional two weekends.  (Let’s hope they’ll do it again next year.)  This year though I was going to be with Steve, my sweetie, and I knew that our last day would mark the end of a very full ski season spent as much happily together as apart.  My brother, David, and his wife, Geri, also planned to join us, so it seemed we’d all strike a celebratory chord together throughout our last turns.

Merry Go Round Fun

With Aspen as the destination, I wanted to do the weekend in high style.  I had heard much about the St. Regis and yearned to wrap myself in a full-on Aspen experience.  A stay at the St. Regis in New York many years ago had left an indelible impression on me, so, of course, such a grand hotel in Aspen intrigued me immensely.  Steve and I checked in and instantly began taking note of all the little niceties that made for a first-class experience including a jarful of exquisite dark chocolate, a handsome little box filled with very useful desk supplies and butler service that was scheduled to bring us tea in the morning.  Of course the rich appointments, marble bath and luxurious bed and bath linens delighted us, but it was the details that spoke to us the most.

St. Regis Aspen

The St. Regis became our headquarters de luxe for the full forty-eight hours of our Aspen stay.  (Yes, we had to ask for a late check out come Sunday.)  We enjoyed its grandeur and spaciousness but also its convenient location and efficient, friendly service.  We had the whole hotel practically to ourselves and Steve and I both noted once again, that ski resorts and their hotels are truly a dream once the crowds have gone home.

Friday night was filled with laughter, stories and very agreeable food and wine at Mezzaluna, a local’s favorite that had become one of my haunts over the years.  Many of the restaurants in town were offering specials, including Mezzaluna.  (Another reason to visit during off-season.)  On Saturday we picked up the bus at Ruby Park and headed for the Highlands.  We all skied for a good four hours on intermediate terrain blanketed in a wondrous mix of mashed potatoes and corn snow.  We couldn’t have asked for a softer ending to the season.  We toasted our time over beers at the Merry Go Round, the Highlands’s mid-way on-mountain restaurant where end-of-the-season revelers had gathered to bask in the balmy weather, take in the pond skimming and groove to the beat of a good ‘ole rock and roll band.

We stayed en famille Saturday night and enjoyed a dinner together where Steve met my dad for the first time.  (Now things are getting serious!)  It wouldn’t be a Saturday night in Aspen though without a night cap out in some swanky locale, so we opted for the bar at the St. Regis, where we delighted in delicious wines and twelve-year old bourbon.  The stately setting here—complete with a reproduction of the renowned Maxfield Parrish Art Nouveu painting that adorns the famous King Cole’s Bar at the St. Regis in New York—made me feel as though I was back in the Big Apple at this landmark establishment.  Ski season almost seemed like a distant memory.

Couples Treatment Room

We shifted gears so much so, in fact, that we opted out of skiing the last day.  It didn’t help that we woke up to a rain/snow mix that seemed to promise a day of icy crud and poor visibility.  Steve and I were quietly relieved about the development of this less-than accommodating spring storm.  It was good to have an excuse for taking full advantage of Remède, the oh-so elegant spa housed within the hotel.  We padded down in our bathrobes and hovered in the Relaxation lounge a while.  We hadn’t scheduled a service but we wanted to take in the creamy luxury of this space, its sophisticated artwork and yummy assortment of snacks such as truffles and some of the best dried fruit I ever sampled.

The attendant came by and settled us into the Oxygen lounge where other spa goers lolled in la-la land as they inhaled a continuous stream of oxygen.  We each stretched out on a chaise lounge with oxygen tubes firmly affixed to our nostrils.  The cocoon-like setting of the dimly-lighted room quickly dispelled any thoughts of us—god-forbid—looking ill.  Instead we both fell into an otherworldly trance-like state most surely brought on by the freshly oxygenated blood coursing through our veins.   The fireplace that we faced and hypnotically stared into further enhanced the relaxing effect of the whole experience.  We cat napped enough to feel as though we had slept a good eight hours.  Or was that the oxygen?

It was time for a soak and since we’re still a fairly new couple, we chose to spend all our remaining time in the Confluence room, a co-ed serenity pool where we were lucky enough to find ourselves alone.  Just as in Vail, we quickly realized that off-season is an ideal time to indulge in such spas.  A combination of warm and cool water flowed out from the rocky shelves of this superlative stone enclave but all we seemed to focus on was each other.  And isn’t that just how it should be?

The Confluence Room

There was no time to take in the other amenities offered in this healing space.  We showered in our respective locker rooms and later commented to each other how wonderful it felt to stand barefoot on the smooth stones that made up the shower floor.  “It reminded me of an outdoor shower at the beach,” Steve said.  I agreed and marveled at finding such a feature in a mountain spa.

We drifted out of Remède with glasses of Champagne in hand and ladened with a supply of skin care products from Laboratoire Remède (that I later found to be extraordinary).  Our ski season and weekend in Aspen had come to a heavenly close.  Our feet wouldn’t be cramped into ski boots for at least another six months.  Pond skimming was a year off and there were no mountain expeditions planned for the summer.  At least not yet.

Aspen Highlands, 800-525-6200 or 970-925-1220, www.aspensnowmass.com

Mezzaluna, 624 E. Cooper Avenue, 970-925-5882, www.mezzalunaaspen.com

St. Regis Resort, 315 E. Dean Street, 888-454-9005 or 970-920-3300, www.stregisaspen.com

Remède Spa at the St. Regis Resort, 970-492-9038, www.remede.com; note that you don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy this spa.

Know that there are currently special deals offered at St. Regis Resort Aspen.  Click here to learn more.

Spring in Telluride: Mud and So Much More

I like showing a different view of Telluride each season by changing out my Bonjour Telluride banner.  But I’m sorry I won’t be presenting you with any spring shots this year.  The weather has been particularly gloomy and the reprieves have been as unpredictable and infrequent as wet days in the dessert (which is by the way only 2 1/2 hours away in Moab, Utah).  We’ve had periods of rain, hail and even snow, magnificent displays of weather that have sometimes been thankfully interspersed with radiant rays of sunshine and the occasional rainbow.  I haven’t been fast enough with the camera though to capture all this—or more precisely me in this environment—for the periods of luminosity have been quickly trailed by more inclement weather, steely grey skies and great gusts of wind.

Today has so far started out brilliantly sunny yet who knows how long that will last.  The peaks have been dusted with freshly fallen snow the past few days, a coating of confectioner’s sugar on our monolithic mountains.  All is green and lush and the mountain streams and rivers are running hard and fast.  There’s no talk of drought or fires this year.  These spring soakings have preceded our usual monsoons of July and August which many of us hope means an especially warm and sunny summer.  I’m sure the wildflowers will be good this year, too.

I’m grateful I’ve adapted so well to this mountain climate.  My closet is full year-round with a supply of fleeces, base layers, wool socks, hats, scarves and gloves.  My winter ski jackets are easily donned in the summer, especially at night after a blazing hot day when temperatures typically plunge in our super dry climate.  My bathing suit has so far only been pulled out for use in the neighboring hot springs.  This being the mountains, I know, however, how quickly all that can change.  We’re sure to have some blistering days yet.

Our seasons are marked by seemingly endless variations of weather created by our high elevation (8,500 to 9,500 feet for the most part) and strong southerly location (at least in comparison to my native New York).  The lilacs and tulips are just blooming here now, most irises and roses won’t come out until July and many people haven’t dared to plant their summer flowers yet out of fear they’ll be nipped by a lingering frost.  

Some say winter is long and summer is short in the Rockies.  The brightness of our winters, however, easily carries me through our long snowy season that is perhaps more short-lived elsewhere.  In truth, I get excited when I see the peaks emerge from the clouds, snow-capped in clean whiteness, even if it’s mid June.  Telluride is among the finest of mountain towns in the world and here you have to marvel at the magic of the weather, even if it means not being always able to capture them in a Kodak moment or two.

To find out all that’s happening right now in Telluride and in the upcoming months, check out the Telluride Tourism Board.  You may even see some nice images of our ever-changing sky.

Paris and Marrakech in the Springtime

La Tour Eiffel Bien Sur!

Anyone that possesses even a vague interest in France, can’t help thinking about Paris in the springtime.  I’ve made it a tradition on Travel Fun to do an April (or Springtime, if I’m a little behind schedule) in Paris program every year.

This year I whisked my listeners off to the French capital with the help of author, Diane Johnson.  I’ll confess right off that I’m a huge fan of Diane’s novels, particularly “Le Divorce,” “Le Mariage” and “L’Affaire,” all intricately woven works that explore the cultural differences between Americans and the French with keen insight.  A two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and a three-time finalist for the National Book Award, Diane is the best-selling author of fifteen books including her newly released “Lulu in Marrakech.”  She divides her time between San Francisco and Paris, a city that has taken center stage in her most recent books.  

“Many wonderful books have been written about France,” Diane explained in our interview.  “My publisher is always sending me books about France and the French,” she continues.  “I’ve noticed a constant theme that involves people dreaming about France as the ideal place.”  I’ve found that to be true with so many people over the years as well.  Most seem to embrace a romantic vision of France, especially when it comes to Paris.  And it seems as though that image is rarely shattered.

To understand this more, I suggest you read Diane’s above mentioned books!

As for “Lulu,” Diane once again shines at spinning a tale that holds you in rapt attention with its people, place and story.  She delightfully captures the sights, sounds and smells of this exotic Moroccan land in this novel about a California blond that finds herself living all kinds of adventures—romantic and otherwise—as a spy in an Islamic country.  Diane beautifully describes all the subtleties of ex-pats abroad set against a colorful backdrop painted with vivid images of mosques, minarets, souks and the call to prayer.  

L'Exotisme du Maroc

Diane lived within this culture for quite some time with her husband, a prominent doctor specializing in tuberculosis research, many years ago.  She wrote about many of these experiences in her book, “Natural Opium,” a compilation of travel stores.  Diane’s current project delves into even more adventures she had while traveling the world with her husband to faraway lands including Japan and China.  Can’t wait to see what that will bring!

When asked about her thoughts on Americans abroad, Diane sounded insightful about her compatriots behavior outside of the U.S.  “Americans are more polished and culturally sensitive than they once were,” she said.  

I’m sure Diane is partly responsible for this—at least when it comes to France and now in terms of Islam, I thought.  She is extraordinarily gifted at helping us understand other cultures, especially the French.  And, of course, there’s always that je ne sais quoi, that inexplicable something, that makes many Americans so charmed by France.  Especially Paris in the springtime.

Diane Johnson’s Advice to the Traveler to France

“Read a few good books on how to negotiate the trains and other necessary matters in France.”

“Don’t be the loud American.  Don’t try to speak French by speaking English louder.”  

Click Here to Listen to the Podcast of My Spring 2009 Interview with Diane.
 

Last Words from Diane

“The mood is good in Paris these days.  The restaurants are still full.”  We both agreed that food is an essential part of life in Paris.

Book Picks

“Le Divorce”

“Le Mariage”

“L’Affaire”

“Into a Paris Quartier”

“Natural Opium”

and many more by Diane Johnson!

America the Beautiful

Upper Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

I had been in Aspen most of off-season and didn’t return to Telluride until the tail end of Memorial Day Weekend which also marked the closing of Mountain Film.  Fortunately I arrived in time to catch the last film in the six-part series of “The National Parks:  America’s Best Idea,” by renowned documentarian Ken Burns.  I was truly captivated.

I knew I’d see magnificent landscapes (which was part of the reason I wanted to see at least one segment on the big screen even though all will be aired on PBS this fall).  I didn’t imagine, however, that I’d feel so emotionally connected to this work.  Sure spectacular scenery and great vistas can be stirring, but it is largely the people that recount the many stories behind our national parks that moved me to tears.   Most of our more than fifty national parks were born out of the efforts of extremely perseverant individuals and small groups of people, hearty, committed souls determined to preserve some of the most extraordinary corners of our country.  Few of the parcels came easily and opposition arose from many factions including big business and government.

But as Ken Burns illustrates, our national parks (and national monuments and national forests) embody the spirit of our country.  These sites are also where some of our most significant family memories have been forged.  There’s a sense of nostalgia and familiarity evoked in both the old and new footage that makes up “The National Parks” and one can’t help considering many of the places featured like old friends even without having actually visited the location.

National parks are an American invention—it’s no wonder this concept of preserving a place has been exported to almost every country on earth.  After eight years of considerable neglect and with interest that will surely be spurred by this fascinating documentary, we can only hope that our national parks will experience a surge of renewed interest.  “We’re fast approaching the centennial in 2016, “ Ken Burns said at the Tellluride premiere of this great work.  “This is a grand opportunity to reach people that haven’t been reached before.”

Biscayne National Park, Florida

The above photos were taken by Quang-Tuan Luong, a passionate photographer that has photographed all fifty-eight of America’s national parks.  Quang was also present at Mountain Film with Ken.  Be sure to visit his site to appreciate the full breadth of his work—it’s like taking a quick tour through our national parks!  You can also purchase his prints online.  And guess what?  Quang grew up in France.  I’ve found that it sometimes takes foreigners—often the French, in fact—to fully appreciate what we have in our own backyard.