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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
I know, I know, travel around Thanksgiving and the December holidays is either….
1) already nailed down at your household, and reservations/tickets have been in hand for months, or
2) OMG, Thanksgiving is when?!
Look, it’s not too late; you can still be a family travel genius.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
Attention Bridezilla’s! I’ve just found a new wedding stresser for you. Listen to this: you and your planner have confirmed and re-confirmed that the bridal party has the directions to the venue, the church is decorated, the bus is ready to transport the guests, the flowers are vibrant and in bloom, the cake is perfectly creamy, the champagne is cool, crisp and sparkly, the meal has been dutifully pre-tasted and modified to your liking, but…what about the bread? My GAWD, what about the bread????? In American weddings, not much is made of the bread served along with dinner- it’s pretty much the same basket of rolls that you get in finer restaurants from coast to coast. But in France, apparently it’s a big deal. Big enough to warrant pretty detailed guidelines before you choose your reception menu, as outlined in this article that I found on MarieClaire.fr. Here’s my (fairly feeble) attempt at a translation, but you get the gist. Who knew?:
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
Hand-carved Islamic designs in a wooden paravent, Paris. The picture (below) is of an open doorway leading to a corridor, Mosquee de Paris. Photos by Jordana Shalhoub.
For the Writers Island prompt “haunted,” a poem about a man haunted by a decision made years ago that he has yet to put right. Will he seek redemption?
For N.
Your biggest fear
should be your fiercest pride;
why are you afraid of the truth?
One day you must face her
Read the rest of this entry »
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
Inspired by an afternoon MSN chat on Django Reinhardt, banjos, and country music, I jokingly recommended Deliverance, that twisted-but-classic American outdoor movie, to a colleague. Within minutes, he located the film file online and the following day, I was the proud recipient of a copy of his illegal download.
Sunday evening, saucisson, cl?mentines, and a steaming tisane in hand, we settled in for a night of tense, clandestine cinema. JB popped in the disc, and almost immediately, I began moaning and cringing. As the opening credits rolled onto the screen, the voice-over narration accompanying it followed — Read the rest of this entry »
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
I took this photo in the Bagatelle Gardens, located in the Bois de Boulogne (big woods on the west side of Paris) which is technically in the 16th arrondissement. These gardens were created in 1777 and now shelter several interesting points including a huge rose garden, and noisy peacocks.
theparisblog.com
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
Grand Cayman is a small island - with a wide variety of activities to keep any traveler interested and entertained. If you’re looking for a relaxing beach getaway or the adventure of a lifetime - consider a trip to Grand Cayman - you wont be disappointed.
For the leisure traveler - enjoy a day on Seven Mile Beach and build an elaborate sand castle. For a change of scenery - move around the north tip of the island to Rum Point and laze the day away next to aqua-blue waters. All of the beaches on Grand Cayman are public up to the high water mark - so find a public access and go exploring.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 29
Beenie Man apologises to JLP
Dancehall artiste Moses ‘Beenie Man’ Davis has apologised to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for claiming that his current tax woes were brought on because of his political affiliation. The internationally acclaimed deejay said on Monday that he was being targeted by the new administration, which he claimed commissioned the tax assessment.
According to the authorities, Davis currently owes the state $47 million in back taxes.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 29
Did you see this Eurostar commercial yet? Enough to make train nerds (and preservationists) cry. (Yes, the station really looks that hot.)
Well, it happened. Today, London came closer to Paris, and the United Kingdom got its first proper high-speed rail line, linking the renovated St. Pancras station to Gare du Nord in just 2 hours and 15 minutes, a savings of a little more than 20 minutes. Train nerds know that it takes a lot of work to eliminate a chunk of time like that from an itinerary. Well, safely anyway.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 29
Can anyone tell me what kind of tree this is, spilling its crimson beauty outside a local creche and office block? Reflected in the glass windows of the building is a crane across the street, where an underground parking lot next to a church is under construction. Work began in 2006 and is scheduled for completion sometime in 2008.
Remember the “purple mountains majesty” for which America is renowned? Yes, remember is the operative word. Because the Bush administration has greenlighted many mountaintops to be bombed and destroyed. You may be aware of this shocking story about what’s happening to the Southern Appalachian Mountains, but it hasn’t been reported in Europe. It makes me so sad and angry that no one has been able to stop the rape and pillage of our natural resources.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 29
In Strasbourg (Alsace R?gion) until Wednesday October 31st, I leave you in the company of this recipe which has been first posted in March 2007.
A Strasbourg pour un mariage jusqu’au mercredi 31 octobre, je vous laisse en compagnie de cette recette initialement publi?e en Mars 2007.