Art & Culture French Life French Provinces Podcasts Travel Writing & Books: Art & Culture French Life French Provinces Podcasts Travel Writing & Books
by maribeth
Comments Off on The Provence Post Delivers
The Provence Post Delivers
May Poppies Near St. Rèmy de Provence
Julie Mautner from The Provence Post
Peter Mayle and his books officially put Provence, one of many wonderful regions in France, on the map about two decades ago. Although Provence and other parts of the south of France have become increasingly popular with visitors from around the world, the French have appreciated these regions for their sun-drenched richness, transcending landscapes and beloved traditions for centuries. Thankfully you can still count on these prized destinations wooing you as assuredly as finding a Cavaillon melon in a Provençal market—oh, they taste so sugary sweet.
One of Many Centuries-Old Traditions in Provence
For lovers of the south of France or those just looking for a bit more information about Provence and beyond, there’s Julie Mautner and her Provence Post. Julie avidly posts bushels of fresh information and other news on her popular blog. Listen to our Travel Fun interview below to hear Julie and me talk about Provence, other parts of the south of France, the French and more. If you gaze at the beautiful images that Julie provided for this post you’ll feel transported to this redolent land filled with rosemary, lavender and thyme. And if you’re thinking about planning a trip, know that Julie can help out there as well.
Click on the play button below to hear Julie talk about The Provence Post and more.
For more on Provence read my stories Pondering Provence, Sizzling Sensations from Saint-Tropez and Elizabeth Bard Talks About Lunch in Paris, Love and Provence.
Butcher Shop in Arles
A Table!
Bonsoir Provence
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Father’s Day Gift Ideas from Favorite Online Boutiques
One Heck of a Find: Peyton Manning-Signed Revolution Broncos Helmet from The Autograph Source
Herlocher’s Mustard Adds Zest to Any Party
Ugh. Shopping for men. I grew up with five brothers and a father and have had a fair amount of boyfriends and one husband. And shopping for men hasn’t become any easier. Well, maybe a little. But still, they always pose more of a challenge than women—at least for me. You give a woman just about anything and she’s thrilled. (It’s the thought that counts, right?) Men seem to look something over this way and that, give a little smile of appreciation and then you’re left wondering if they really liked what you gave them. In all fairness, I think it has more to do with men’s display of enthusiasm vs. women’s. So in the end, I’ve concluded that I do just as well in the gift-giving department as anyone else and what mattters most is that I aim to please. (Although the day I produce that Ferrari, I’m sure I’ll truly be thrilled with the response.)
Just because they’re guys, don’t think that cards and gifts don’t mean much to them. And since most of our fathers live a distance from us, I’ve come up with a selection of online shopping ideas that you can send to them to let them know that they’re tops on your list.
Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance The Rockies: Colorado Four Corners Hotels & Lodging Music & Dance
by maribeth
Comments Off on Sultry Summer Evenings at Durango’s Rochester Hotel
Sultry Summer Evenings at Durango’s Rochester Hotel
The Rochester Hotel & Bar in Durango, Colorado
It’s been feeling like summer around here in southwestern Colorado and there’s no rain in the forecast (sadly since we really do need the moisture). But it’s a great time for enjoying the outdoors, day and night.
Courtyard at The Rochester
Our nicest mountain towns put on summer concerts in unparalleled settings throughout the summer, although most of these happenings don’t begin until July. In Durango, however, you can get a jump on these memorable musical evenings by attending one of the Wednesday June concerts hosted in the courtyard of The Rochester Hotel. Their lineup kicks off tonight with the oh-so talented (and oh-so cute!) Alex Maryol, the soulful Santa Fe bluesman. Happy hour begins at 4 p.m., music from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The courtyard at The Rochester will be sizzling with musical events every Wednesday in June. Click here for the complete schedule. There you’ll also see other doings announced such as art exhibitions and special parties. To me, The Rochester Hotel & Bar rates as one of the most fun and dynamic places of lodging in this fiery Western town. I’ve always found their courtyard to exude a sultry feel, so I’m sure this is a great place to spend a warm Rocky Mountain evening. Keep in mind, too, that Durango’s temps soar higher than those of Telluride, Aspen and Vail, so partying in the town’s numerous outdoor venues is a huge part of their summer scene.
And if you love old westerns, definitely plan a stay or at least a good look around at The Rochester. For more about this lovely hotel and this bastion of western movie-making tradition, read Durango, the San Juan Skyway and the Western Movie Culture of the Four Corners Region According to Fred Wildfang. There you’ll also hear writer and historian Frederic B. Wildfang talk about this terrific destination of the West and the outlying area.
Note that The Rochester Bar is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. You can find The Rochester at 726 E 2nd Avenue in Durango, just one block up from main street; tel.: 970-385-1920.
Alex Maryol at The Rochester Hotel Courtyard
Art & Culture Fashion & Style Shopping Travel: Art & Culture Fashion & Style Shopping Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Imperial Shopping to China
Imperial Shopping to China
The Bund, Shanghai’s Colonial Waterfront
I just learned from my friends at Imperial Tours that they have put together a special Holiday Shopping Tour to China to take place November 10th-18th. This exclusive travel company, renowned for their expertise in China, will be conducting a small group tour (8-16 people) to Beijing and Shanghai that features some of the most exciting and selective shopping haunts of this exotic land. While there will be some fantastic sightseeing during this 8-night/9-day tour, the highlight will be on finding the best treasures in China such as antiques, couture, jade, pearls, cashmere, ceramics, embroidery as well as personal, home and table accessories galore. Markets, exclusive boutiques and private studios of local designers will be visited during this unique tour.
Travelers may want to go early or stay later if they have an interest in buying traditional and/or contemporary art since Imperial Tours enjoys special entrées within the art market including access to private collections, experts and artists.
It sounds like now is the time to do such a trip to China. You can find lots of cutting-edge designers that are redefining style along with many traditional goods —all at still reasonable prices—within this burgeoning super power. I visited China nearly two decades ago and returned with a Marco Polo-sized cache of goods that I still cherish amidst my French-inspired decor. more »
Being Green Colorado Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Telluride Telluride Festivals Travel: Being Green Colorado Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Telluride Telluride Festivals Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Right to Play, Learn and Inspire at Mountainfilm in Telluride
Right to Play, Learn and Inspire at Mountainfilm in Telluride
Mountainfilm Telluride
Here it is Friday afternoon and plus it’s almost summer. Many people in the United States are gearing up for the weekend, starting it full-on actually. This is the time when most of us exercise our God-given right to play. Recreation, sport, play—have you ever contemplated how important this is in our lives? Most of us first learned to play when we were little kids. Play teaches us so much—how to get along, how to compete, how to follow rules and more. It’s not just about fun although fun is a key component to any game.
Right to Play
So imagine being a child in a war-torn country where play of any kind is nonexistent. Frank Marshall, part-time Telluride resident, renowned Hollywood producer and director of the ESPN movie “Right to Play,” talked about his film and the necessity of play last weekend at a coffee talk at Mountainfilm Festival here in T-ride. Mr. Marshall told the story about how one kid in a far flung, ruined country became popular because he had a long sleeve shirt that could be rolled up into a ball and used for play. Contemplate that when you’re out on your boat this weekend.
Thank goodness there are heros like Johann Olav Koss, an Olympic speed-skating champion from Norway that used his drive and influence to create the global organization Right to Play. Now over 700,000 children in about two dozen countries are benefiting from the joy and discovery of play made possible by Johann Koss, a score of other Olympic athletes and teams of workers from around the world. Frank Marshall captures the indomitable spirit of this Olympic champion and the hope and love he brings to the children touched by Right to Play. Best of all: You can watch the forty-two minute “Right to Play” film tomorrow afternoon, Saturday June 2nd, on ABC. Check your local listings for the correct time in your zone. It’s such a wonderful film that I’d guess it will be played again on other outlets at other times. more »
Art & Culture Colorado Podcasts Telluride Travel: Art & Culture Colorado Podcasts Telluride Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Sharon Shuteran: Telluride’s Traveler Extraordinaire and So Much More
Sharon Shuteran: Telluride’s Traveler Extraordinaire and So Much More
Sharon
Telluride, Colorado, my home base for nearly nine years, is a community of travelers. It’s funny since it’s such a drop-dead gorgeous place you’d think no one would ever leave. Plus our remote location requires a good effort for exploring faraway destinations. (The nearest major airport is a six-hour drive away.)
We do, however, have two so-called off-seasons, one in the spring, the other in the fall. During these periods our awe-inspiring scenery might not show the full measure of its glory and most activities—tourist and other-wise—experience a lull. Plus intrepid travelers and adventuresome types of every ilk—from well-to-do trust funders to starving lifties—populate the town and these people give “being on the go” new meaning. (If they’re not out climbing a mountain at home, they’re likely surfing in Nicaragua or helping the needy on the other side of the globe.)
Indeed, Telluride and travel go together like skis on snow.
So it’s with tremendous sadness that our community is dealing with the loss of one of its most beloved residents, Sharon Shuteran, a longtime Tellurider in every sense of the word, a traveler extraordinaire. Truly Sharon embodied the spirit of Telluride like no one else. And there’s no doubt that she served as an excellent ambassadress of the United States and our little mountain town wherever she went on this planet. Officially she worked as the judge of San Miguel County for many years, something that I always liked telling others since that information and one look at Sharon—whether in her Bohemian-inspired dresses or in her style-y ski outfits—spoke volumes about the outdoorsy, fun, open and warm zest for life of our community.
Sharon on the Road
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Colorado Outdoor Adventures Podcasts Shopping Travel: Colorado Outdoor Adventures Podcasts Shopping Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Bootdoctors Offers Further Adventures
Bootdoctors Offers Further Adventures
Rollicking on the River with Further Adventures
Did you know that most of our mountain towns attract more visitors in the summer than in the winter? Heck, yeah. As the saying goes, “I came for the winter and stayed for the summers.” Our hills are alive with all kinds of great outdoor activities. Actually our mountains, valleys and streams furnish glorious backdrops for fair weather fun of every stripe.
I chatted with Bob Gleason, owner/operator of Bootdoctors and Further Adventures, in a recent Travel Fun interview and he provided me with a fantastic overview of the rafting, fly fishing, hiking and biking in Telluride, Colorado and the outlying area. Between the lush alpine landscape and the rugged red rock of southwestern Colorado, the whole region offers many stunning experiences both on the water and off.
“I like to play on those H2O molecules all year round,” Bob says. It’s true that as the snowpack melts, the level of fun rises on our rivers and streams. This year’s flow will be rather thin, yet there are still good times to be had. Further Adventures arranges rafting trips on two different rivers in southwestern Colorado: the San Miguel and the Uncompahgre. This year the season is super short on the San Miguel (only through early June), although most years you can run the river through the end of July. Bob and his band of river guides will be conducting float trips on the Uncompahgre all summer long.
“There’s nothing like floating thru a river canyon to see the geology of the area,” Bob says when talking about some of the highlights of river rafting in the West. “Any time you spend on a body of water is a time of peace. The Native Americans called the river system the veins of our mother,” he adds.
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Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel: Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel
by maribeth
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Fun for All in Florida at Tradewinds on St. Pete’s Beach
Tradewinds Island Grand Waterway on St. Pete’s Beach
Off-season is drawing to a close in most of our mountain towns here in the Rockies. Locals are heading home after trips to all kinds of exciting hot spots. Most appear tanned and well-rested and eager to take on the busy summer season in our resort communities. I rarely travel far in the spring since there’s so much catching up to do at my desk after the busy ski season. I do, however, enjoy hearing everyone’s tales about their time away.
Many head to exotic locales in Central and South America, others opt for more genteel destinations, such as Florida, within the United States. I’m more of a fan of the latter, especially when it comes to enjoying fun and relaxation at a resort in a safe, scenic part of my own country.
Tradewinds Island Grand, on St. Pete’s Beach in Florida, appeals to me the most out of all my friends’ sun-soaked travel tales this off-season. First of all I love the sugar-sand beaches of the Gulf Coast of Florida and with twenty acres of beachfront playground, Tradewinds Island Grand ranks as one of the best.
