Art & Culture Fashion & Style French Life French Provinces Paris Travel: Art & Culture Fashion & Style French Life French Provinces Paris Travel
by maribeth
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The French Will Always Have Monet and Much More
One of Monet's Views of Rouen
I’ve been thinking lately about a couple of major gatherings I attended for the tourism industry last fall. Both of my beloved lands were covered: France and Colorado. The French event, entitled French Affairs ’09, put on by Atout France (also known as the French Government Tourist Office and Maison de la France), took place in New York City. I attended one full day and evening of this grand gathering of largely travel suppliers and tourism representatives, many of whom had traveled from as far away as France and Tahiti to promote their products and destinations to some of the most attentive travel experts in the U.S. It was a whirlwind day, marked by fine wine and cuisine, tons of networking and colorful multi-media presentations of some of the most alluring regions of France and many other exotic French-y locales, such as Guadeloupe and Saint Bart’s. (Some of our favorite island get-ways also fall beneath the umbrella of the French Tourism Office, hence the name Atout France, which I interpreted as a play on words of sorts meaning all of France although the exact translation of atout is asset. Are you confused yet? )
Now that this year’s tourism season is well underway in France, I’m thinking about how it seems to be shaping up, especially in view of the somewhat jittery feelings that were echoed last fall as the French travel experts touted their products and services. The elephant in the room—the world’s bad economy—was not dwelled upon too much and instead most everyone projected a wistful c’est la vie attitude. Perhaps it was the copious amounts of French wine served at the luncheon, the farewell cocktail and the closing dinner, that contributed to such elevated spirits amid so much recessionary doom and gloom. But I think it had more to do with the fact that the French have seen hard times before and with such extraordinary tourism destinations as Paris, Burgundy, the Côte d’Azur, Saint-Martin and much more, worrying doesn’t make much sense anyway.
So here we are with the euro at a four-year low against the dollar. Who could think of a better time to visit France? Sure, there might be a few concerns about flight cancellations due to ongoing eruptions from Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland’s troublesome volcano. But at least lately glittering images from Cannes have overshadowed that news. No, it seems as though there are more reasons for going to France in these upcoming months than what we’ve registered in a while. Here are a few of my favorites:
Paris
Don’t miss the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition at the Petit Palais, the first-ever retrospective of this revolutionary French fashion designer. You have until 29 August to view this much-talked-about show.
Antibes Juan les Pins
The celebrated Jazz à Juan festival marks its 50th anniversary this July. As the longest running jazz festival in Europe, it promises to be steamy hot with a lineup that includes George Benson, Diana Krall and Maceo Parker. There’s nothing like being serenaded by world-class jazz as a cool breeze blows through the nearby palm trees.
Normandy
The Impressionists drew inspiration from the many varied subjects of this beloved region of France, including its verdant countryside, its ports and its major sites. (Claude Monet captured the many different allures of the Rouen Cathedral in more than thirty paintings.) This year the region of Normandy pays homage to the indelible mark left by the Impressionists by launching the Normandy Impressionist Festival that runs through September. Expect lots of culture, fun events and great restaurant and lodging packages both in Rouen and throughout the region.
These happenings and more were highlighted at this French travel industry event. Find out about others—islands included—at FranceGuide.com, the French Government Tourist Office’s official site. There you’ll also find links to some attractive travel deals.
We’re ramping up for the summer season in Colorado now. It’s still pretty bleak here in the mountains but that should all change by mid June. I’ll report on the Colorado tourism industry event and how the season is shaping up in an upcoming posting. As you know, spring is the time to be in France. Here, it’s still mud season and snow remains in the forecast for the mountains the next couple of days. Tant pis, c’est la vie.
Thank you to Catherine Lancien et Carole Loisel, the Musée des Beaux Arts de Rouen and Rouen Tourisme for the use of the above image.
Art & Culture Colorado France French Life Music & Dance Restaurants Telluride Travel: Art & Culture Colorado France French Life Music & Dance Restaurants Telluride Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on This is It: MJ and The Black Legend
This is It: MJ and The Black Legend
No Words Can Describe this Black Legend
Leave it to the French. They’re always on the cutting edge of what’s hot. They’re usually the harbingers of the next big happening, the next thing with which we should be consumed. Just think of Louis XIV and the role he played in ballet—it’s largely thanks to his interest in this dance that ballet gained such prominence in eighteenth century France, a notoriety that has grown throughout the centuries. He did the same for hairdressing. And how about American jazz? Nowhere has jazz been so revered as in Paris.
So I should have intuitively sensed something last spring when I received a press release announcing the creation of The Black Legend Monaco, a new nightspot on the French Riviera that pays tribute to Motown Music. It captured my attention since it’s part of Groupe Floirat, the same family-owned company that’s behind the celebrated Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez and its legendary nightclub, Les Caves du Roy. Oddly enough Michael Jackson died tragically as the finishing touches were applied to this ultra swanky hotspot in the tiny Principality of Monaco. Was it providential for the French to place such a heavy accent on Motown Music or was it just a sure bet?
Art & Culture Being Green Four Corners Podcasts Telluride The Rockies Travel: Art & Culture Being Green Four Corners Podcasts Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
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The National Trust and Us
Richard Moe: Our Nation's Top Preservationist Enjoying the Great American West
People don’t want to go to a place that has lost its soul.
—Arthur Frommer
Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, shared the above quote with me in a recent Travel Fun interview. As our nation’s leading historic preservation organization, the Trust has saved the soul and character of countless places in its sixty years of existence. From main streets to historic sites, this bipartisan organization works tirelessly toward preserving our country’s heritage.
As a part-time resident of Telluride, I’ve had the privilege of chatting with Dick Moe about historic preservation and some of his favorite destinations several times. He loves his time in the West and makes Telluride his base every summer for visiting some of the most significant cultural sites in the United States including Canyon of the Ancients in southwestern Colorado. In our interview, he also talks about other exciting locales in the region such as Durango, Silverton, Chimney Rock and the Rio Grande Gorge in Del Norte.
As for Telluride, it’s clear that it stands a cut above all other Rocky Mountain destinations. “Telluride has done a better job of preserving its historic character than any other mountain town,” says Dick. He also shares his thoughts on the Telluride Valley Floor, a 500-acre parcel of open space that he fought hard to preserve.
The Trust’s programs on sustainability and historic preservation are also discussed in our interview. Currently the organization is committed to a sustainability program that focuses on the environmental value of “recylcing” older buildings for new uses and retrofitting them for greater energy efficiency.
Heritage tourism is the fastest growing part of tourism, already a huge industry in our country. The National Trust has offered tours all over the world for quite some time but they’re expanding their reach with Gozaic, a one-stop shopping portal for heritage travel. You can hear what Dick has to say about this in our chat as well.
Listen to the entire half-hour interview I conducted with Richard Moe by clicking on the play button here:
People want to experience what’s real and genuine in communities.
—Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Note that at the same time of this story posting, Richard Moe announced his retirement from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He has been the longest serving president in the sixty-year history of the Trust. He plans to continue to hold that position until a replacement is found, likely in the spring of 2010.
National Trust for Historic Preservation, 202-588-6000 and 800-944-6847, www.preservationnation.org; you may become a member of the Trust and receive their award-winning magazine six times a year for as little as $20.
Art & Culture Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping Spas Travel: Art & Culture Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping Spas Travel
by maribeth
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Mid-Atlantic Discoveries: Baltimore
Historic Fell’s Point
When my boyfriend, Steve, asked me to accompany him to his brother’s wedding on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I didn’t expect that the trip would grow into such a big travel week (actually more like ten days). But I should have known that that would be the case since the travel writer in me itched for new experiences and, of course, it takes more doing than one flight to reach the Outer Banks from Telluride. It’s rare that I can go to a place and just BE; instead I seek to live it fully, gathering all kinds of information along the way, jotting down notes, doing what I can to find the story.
We flew from Denver to Baltimore and since I had never visited this major hub, I decided it was a must-see. It did not disappoint me in the slightest. We stayed our first night together on the east coast at The Admiral Fell Inn, a historic property on Fell’s Point, Baltimore’s original port and Maryland’s first National Historic District. (The area was spared destruction in the late sixties after a grassroots effort prevented construction of a highway plumb through this now happening neighborhood. Can you imagine?)
Once dominated by ship building and commerce, today Fell’s Point is a charming harbor side district characterized by centuries-old buildings, eclectic shops, lively taverns and cobbled streets made from bricks of granite used for ship ballast. Goods once flowed through the wharves and warehouses of Fell’s Point with as many as eighteen shipyards operating in the area, building hundreds of vessels. Many of these structures have recently been converted into fun spaces for people to live and play; others, such as the taverns, have existed for ages.
Art & Culture French Life French Provinces: Art & Culture French Life French Provinces
by maribeth
Comments Off on Pondering Provence
Pondering Provence
A Quintessential Provençal Scene
Ahhhh, mid August. Here in the mountains I’m already chagrined by a certain crispness in the air. Fall and the first snows won’t be far off. The weather has been glorious lately but I’m still longing for a blast of furnace-like heat, sweltering days that force me to retreat beneath a shade tree until the delightful oppressiveness of the day subsides and I can emerge to take in perhaps a cultural site or just sip a perfectly chilled glass of rosé on a terrace. The desert isn’t far from where I live now and certainly it provides plenty of warmth. But I am thinking of Provence. Sun-drenched days, shady plane trees, a plethora of cultural offerings, delicious wines and so much more.
We are approaching le quinze août after all, the holiday of all holidays for Europeans. Many people don’t even know that August fifteenth marks Assumption, a Catholic holiday that is hardly celebrated in Europe except for the fact that most everyone has the day off. People typically take a whole week off around August fifteenth (if they can’t manage the entire month!). So you can imagine it is the big vacation week of the summer, the biggest of the year in fact.
I have been in Provence during this period many times, battling crowds at the renowned markets of Saint-Tropez and Ilse-sur-la-Sorgue (you have to arrive early at these and most others). Yet somehow I always managed and it was always worth it.
But traveling to Provence in the fall offers a whole other experience. Yes, you might still have difficulty reserving a table on the patio at the famed Oustau de Baumanière, but you won’t encounter the throngs of tourists that invade this most delightful region of France in July and August. You’ll still find the weather to be glorious and the cultural offerings just as exciting.
Bea (on the rt.) with Le Mont Sainte-Victoire, Cézanne's Mountain, in the Distance
So why not consider a small, escorted tour composed of fellow travelers of discriminating taste? I recently became in touch with Beatriz Ball, founder of Golden Bee Tours, a Brazilian-born woman that boasts a huge passion for France, especially Provence.
The Golden Vineyards of Provence in Autumn
Since Bea’s Provence Arts and Scents Tour for the third week of September has sold out, she has decided to offer it the last week in September as well. The highlight of this tour is certainly a guided visit to “Picasso-Cézanne,” a much-talked-about exhibition at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence that explores Cézanne’s influence on Picasso. Being ferried about a beautiful place with a delightful lady in the know—now that’s what I call a real vacation.
Bea, a recent guest on Travel Fun, chatted with me mostly during our interview about why so many artists have been lured to Provence over more than a century. “I remember being so impressed with the quality of light the first time I traveled to Provence many years ago,” Bea said. Indeed the skies are so clear and vivid that they offer up a kaleidoscope of colors that changes throughout the day. Certainly this is largely why Picasso, Cézanne and countless other artists sought to capture this region of France on canvas. “The region celebrates your senses,” Bea added and I concurred. It didn’t take much for my thoughts to drift off to the ever present crick-crick-crick of the cicadas, the wafting smells of rosemary and thyme, the taste of a rich tapenade spread over crusty bread, the feel of rubbing a sprig of lavender between my palms, the vision of Abbaye de Sénanque in all its Romanesque splendor on a late summer’s afternoon.
Ah—haaaa. Mid August. I should either book a flight to France or go buy myself a nice bottle of Bandol and a few olives. No wonder it has captivated so many people for so many years.
Thank you to Bea and LCI/CDT VAR for the use of the above images.
Art & Culture Telluride Travel: Art & Culture Ken Burns Nature Telluride Telluride Festivals Travel
by maribeth
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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.
Art & Culture Being Green Food & Wine Mountain Living Telluride: Art & Culture Being Green Food & Wine Ken Burns Mountain Living Nature Telluride Telluride Festivals
by maribeth
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Mountainfilm Mania
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Banner Over T-ride
Festival season has arrived here in Telluride and it kicks off today with Mountainfilm. “It’s a weird mix of film fest, think tank and jamboree,” says Mountainfilm Director, David Holbrooke. “It’s both low key and intense, loose, yet focused,” he continues. Indeed Mountainfilm is where some of the best minds in the country come to share their ideas through art, film, presentations and books. David discussed the essence of this Memorial Day weekend tradition in Telluride and its 2009 lineup during a recent Travel Fun interview. This year’s theme is food, so, of course, there will be a lot to whet your appetite—for your body, mind and soul.
For me, one of the main attractions this year includes the premiere of “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” by master documentarian Ken Burns. “I think he’s taught more people about the history of America than anyone else,” David says about Ken Burns referring to his documentaries on the Civil War, World War II, jazz, baseball and more. You can tune in to PBS this fall to view this six-part series about the history of our national parks.
“The people that come to Mountainfilm are leaders of a paradigm we need to head to whether culturally or environmentally,” David emphasizes. Such people include renowned chef Ming Tsai, mountain adventurer Conrad Anker, animal activist Paul Watson and reporter Nicholas Kristof, to name a few. David’s dad, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, will participate via a tele conference since world affairs prevent him from being at the festival in person.
Be sure to visit the MF Store to purchase DVDs highlights from the festival and definitely take in some of the events if you’re in Telluride this weekend.
Book Picks
“Deep Economy,” by Bill McKibben
“Edge of Never,” by Bill Kerig
Both authors and many others will be present at this year’s Mountainfilm.
Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel: Art & Culture Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel
by maribeth
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Viva Italia, Viva Italian Americans, Viva la Dolce Vita in Denver
The Sweet Life: Italian Style
Clemente. My name ends with a vowel, just like Delgato, Cardaluccio, pizza. When my grandparents emigrated from Italy our name was actually spelled Clementi. They Americanized it somewhat with an “e.” Even Frankie Valli once contemplated making his stage name Vally with a “y.” But he opted to be a good ‘ole Jersey Boy and settled on Valli and in so doing preserved more of his Italian heritage.
Jersey Boys: Italian American Guys
My dad is a Frankie, too. Not from Jersey but from Troy, New York. Close enough. Recently the music of the Jersey Boys helped him to reconnect with his roots. I spent a lot of time back east this past summer helping my father get through a difficult passage in his life and every step of the way we were serenaded by the melodious and memorable sounds of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. We became Jersey Boys addicts. My dad had seen this explosive Broadway show that recounts the story of four Italian American guys and their rise to fame last spring. Their hits from “Sherry” to “Oh, What a Night” to “My Eyes Adored You” to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and more buoyed him up to a place of joy he had not known in quite some time. Through this music, I could tell my dad was retracing part of his own story. And I was right there with him, rediscovering a sound and a slice of Italian American culture I had not paid much attention to in quite some time.
