cultural travel - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-28T22:00:06Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/cultural+travelEqual Parts Handsome, Historic, and Cutting-Edge, Taiwan Is Terrifichttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/taiwan-attractions-tourism-travel2024-01-13T10:34:43.000Z2024-01-13T10:34:43.000ZJosé Balidohttps://tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12357505284,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12357505284,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12357505284?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/parque-nacional-de-228-en-taipei-taiw%C3%A1n-gm1126904404-296832838?phrase=taipei+ancient+modern" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:6pt;">GoranQ</span></a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> Officially the <strong>Republic of China</strong>, this island with a population of around 24 million – just a bit larger than the state of <strong>Maryland</strong> and just under half the size of <strong>Scotland</strong> – has been in the news lately both thanks to its controversial January 13 presidential elections and to its perennial potential (and especially in the context of other current crises in <strong>Ukraine</strong> and <strong>Gaza</strong>) as a world flashpoint due to mainland <strong>China</strong>´s obsession with eventually and forcibly annexing it. <strong>Taiwan</strong> is both one of the world´s most developed countries and <strong>Asia</strong>´s most progressive (for example where same-sex marriage is legal and LGBTQ rights most established). It´s also home to plenty of traditional culture and architecture as well as some stunning scenic beauty. Here are some of the highlights which will captivate visitors: <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12357509883,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12357509883,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12357509883?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/aliarda/53199591727" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><span style="font-size:6pt;">Ali Eminov</span></em></span></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"> <strong>Capital Taipei</strong></span> <br /> <br /> This bustling city of 2.8 million just inland from Taiwan´s northern coast is the proverbial mix of hyper-modern and traditional, and for good measure offers a thriving dining/nightlife scene. Some of its top allures include: <br /> <br /> <strong>·</strong><strong> <a href="https://www.taipei-101.com.tw/en/" target="_blank">Taipei 101</a></strong> - The world's tallest building (1,671 feet/509 meters) for five years after its construction in 2004, this very distinctive landmark (top center) has elevators which are the world’s fastest; an 89th-floor observation deck which presents spectacular panoramic views out over Taipei (including an outdoor area); and also plenty of quality shopping and dining. <br /> <br /> <strong>·</strong><strong> The Wanhua District</strong> - Taipei´s oldest, most historic district – dating back to the 17th century Ching dynasty – and is home to various temples (the most famous of which is <strong>Longshan</strong>, built in 1738 to not one but three creeds: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, adorned with exquisite stone, wood, and bronze sculptures and active with worshippers who usually don´t mind you taking pictures); <strong>Bopiliao Historic Street</strong> (whose architecture ranges from the Ching period through the Japanese colonial era of 1895-1945), and the <strong>Huaxi Night Market</strong> (with traditional Chinese-massage parlors as well as stalls selling handicrafts, artworks, and of course plenty of yum dim sum and street food – even one, if you dare, serving snake meat and soup, considered libido-boosters when eaten). <br /> <br /> <strong>·</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.travel.taipei/en/attraction/details/441" target="_blank">National Palace Museum</a></strong> – Perhaps foremost of Taiwan´s crown jewels, this huge, traditional-Chinese-style complex built in the 1960s is home to the world´s largest collections of Chinese imperial artifacts – some 700,000 pieces – taken from <strong>Peking</strong>´s <strong>Forbidden City</strong> in 1931 to keep it from falling into the hands of the Japanese, then in 1949 to Taipei when the Nationalists fled here after losing to the Communists. Spanning some 8,000 years of history from the Neolithic to modern times, it´s a true bucket-lister for all culture vultures. <br /> <br /> <strong>·</strong><strong> Shilin and Raohe Night Markets</strong> – Even bigger and more popular than Huaxi, these are a trove for seekers of mementos, colorful photo ops, and classic Taiwanese as well as other Chinese eats – and also, by the way, non-Chinese fare such as one popular stall´s potatoes in cheese sauce and another, <strong>Modern Toilet</strong>, featuring poop-themed fare (I shit you not). The heart of the former - and very much worth a visit – is <strong><a href="https://www.travel.taipei/en/attraction/details/491" target="_blank">Cixian Temple</a></strong>, dating back to 1864 The latter, while smaller, is even more popular with serious foodies, and a number of its stalls are even Michelin-guide-listed, the temple to visit here is the impressive, six-story <strong><a href="https://www.travel.taipei/en/attraction/details/490" target="_blank">Ciyou</a></strong>. built in 1753 (both temples, by the way, are dedicated to the cult of the sea goddess Mazu). </p>
<p><strong>·</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.travel.taipei/en/attraction/details/523%20%20-">Yangmingshan National Park</a> – </strong>A spot of nature in the big city (top), this 44-square-mile (113-sq.-kilometer) swath is especially known for its calla lilies and rhododendrons and fruit trees including cherry, peach, pear, plum and above all cherry, with its mid-March blossom season drawing appreciative crowds. Other popular allures include a “flower clock” made of colorful seasonal blooms and several hot springs available for a steamy dip.<br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12357507298,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12357507298,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12357507298?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/srgtravel/50153910812" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:6pt;">S.R.G - msucoo93</span></a></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Other Towns/Cities</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Jiufen </strong>– Also spelled <strong>Jioufen</strong> or <strong>Chiufen</strong>, this picturesque seaside mountain village in the suburbs about an hour from Taipei dates back to the Middle Ages and was once a center for gold mining (peaking in the late 19th and early 20th century). These days it´s a popular weekend getaway for capital residents and famous for its time capsule of traditional Taiwanese life, with narrow alleyways, tea houses, and lovely views of the <strong>Pacific Ocean</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Lukang </strong>– Known as <strong>Lugang</strong> as well, here´s another seaside charmer – and Taiwan´s second oldest settlement – on the west coast overlooking the <strong>Taiwan Strait</strong> some 2½ hours south of Taipei. It has some 85,000 residents and a wealth of well-preserved traditional architecture and temples like 238-year-old <strong>Longshan</strong> (dubbed “Taiwan´s Forbidden City”), the also 17th-century <strong>Mazu</strong> (above), and 212-year-old <strong>Wenwu</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Tainan </strong>–With a population of around 1.9 million, Taiwan´s oldest city and longtime capital – founded in 1624 by a pirate loyal to the Ming Dynasty in opposition to the Dutch attempting to colonize the area. In addition to historical architecture, major landmarks include the Dutch colonial <strong>Fort Zelandia</strong>, (aka <strong>Anping Fort</strong>) in the Anping historical district, the 17th-century <strong>Confucius Temple</strong>, the <strong><a href="https://www.nmth.gov.tw/en/" target="_blank">National Museum of Taiwan History</a></strong>, Tainan is also known as Taiwan´s food capital, and is home to a number of local specialties such as milkfish porridge, steamed rice cakes, eel noodles, and grilled sweet potato,. For all these reasons and more, the city has earned a spot on <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/best-destinations-to-visit-2024?cid=ios_app" target="_blank"><strong>CNN</strong>'s top 24 destinations for 2024</a>.</p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12357510288,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12357510288,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12357510288?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taiwanese_aborigines.JPG" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:6pt;">Stanislav Koslovskiy</span></a></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>´Indigenous´ Culture</strong></span><br /> <br /> Though Han Chinese now constitute nearly 98 percent of the population, the people who proceeded them – known as Formosans and Taiwanese aborigines – are Austronesians whose presence here has been dated back as far as 6,500 years. Subdivied into more than two dozen ethnic groups such as the <strong>Alayal</strong>, <strong>Amis</strong> (above), and <strong>Bunun</strong>, unassimilated Formosans are these days they´re mostly found up in the highlands. Though socially and economically they have been moving up in recent years – including efforts by the government to promote their welfare and culture, many indigenous people remain largely relegated to the lowest rungs of Taiwanese society. <br /> <br /> The best way for visitors to experience the cultures of the peoples who preceded the Han is to visit the 37-year-old, 204-acre (82.65 hectare) <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/tacp.tw">Taiwain Indigenous People Cultural Park</a></strong> (above) in the southern mountain village of <strong>Beiye</strong>, home to the <strong>Paiwan</strong> tribe and a 4½-hour drive from Taipei. There´s also the <strong><a href="https://www.museum.org.tw/">Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines</a></strong> near the National Palace Museum in Taipei; <strong>Sun Moon Lake</strong> (see below); and festivals in places like the city of <strong>Taitung</strong>, six hours south of Taipei. (Read more about these options and the aboriginal Taiwanese in general <a href="https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/indigenous-taiwan/">here</a>.)</p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12357504657,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12357504657,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12357504657?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.pickpik.com/taiwan-alishan-a-surname-mist-mountain-chenguang-71342" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:6pt;">PickPic.com</span></a></em></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Nature and Scenery</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.ali-nsa.net/en" target="_blank">Alishan National Scenic Area</a></strong> – A mountain resort and 160-square-mile (415-sq.-kilometer) nature preserve (above) some 4 ½ hours south of Taipei, Alishan is renowned for its sunrise views, historic narrow-gauge railway, tea plantations, and waterfalls, and is one of Taiwan´s top natural icons.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.ktnp.gov.tw/en/" target="_blank">Kenting National Park</a></strong> – Down at Taiwan's southern tip, this 70-sq-mi- (181km²) swath offers lush landscapes; beautiful beaches with plenty of water sports options; and colorful offshore coral reefs for snorkeling and diving.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en" target="_blank">Sun Moon Lake</a></strong> – Sacred to the local <strong>Thao</strong> tribe, the country´s largest lake – 2½ hours south of Taipei – is another national icon for its serene beauty, surrounding mountains, and nearby landmarks including <strong><a href="https://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/attractions/detail/118">Wenwu Temple</a></strong> and the <strong><a href="https://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/attractions/detail/167">Ci'en Pagoda</a></strong>. It's a wonderful spot for cycling, boat rides, and opportunities to <a href="https://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/explore/tribe">explore Thao culture</a>.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.taroko.gov.tw/en/" target="_blank">Taroko National Park</a></strong> – Centered around <strong>Taroko Gorge</strong> 3½ hours south of Taipei near the city of <strong>Hualien</strong> and home to the <strong>Thuku</strong> tribe, it´s a paradise for nature lovers, with 360 sq. miles (920km²) worth of towering marble cliffs, deep valleys, waterfalls, and a rushing river. Besides hiking, biking, and camping, you can also visit several shrines and temples within the park.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.ysnp.gov.tw/en/" target="_blank">Yushan National Park</a></strong> – Named after the country´s highest mountain (12,966 feet/(3,952 meters) this 398-sq.-mi. (1,031km²) park 3½ hours south of Taipei is less visited than the country´s eight other national park but is still a popular destination for hikers, climbers, and other adventure seekers. There are three visitor centers.</p></div>A Look at the Traditional Arts and Crafts of Kenyahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/traditional-arts-and-crafts-of-kenya2024-01-09T08:25:00.000Z2024-01-09T08:25:00.000ZDan Kariukihttps://tripatini.com/members/DenhumHolidays<div><p> <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-2-jpg.webp" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-2-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-2-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p>
<p>For many, the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to <strong>Kenya</strong> is <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/10-explore-kenyas-wildlife-national-parks/" target="_blank">wildlife and safaris</a>. But visitors should also keep in mind this country´s rich artistic and cultural heritage - thanks to its more than 70 ethnic groups such as the <strong>Kikuyu</strong>, <strong>Kamba</strong>, <strong>Luhya</strong>, <strong>Maasai</strong>, and <strong>Kalenjin</strong> - both to witness (such as tribal dances) and to buy as mementos of their trip here (esecially masks, figurines, and other forms of sculpture). This beautiful country keeps the spirit of its ancestors alive through every move, every breath, and every piece of handmade art. There’s something so special about every tiny piece of wood that comes out of the hands of Kenyan artisans. Art in Kenya often depicts scenes from regular life or cultural practices. As you know, Kenya was a British colony for a long time (from 1920 to 1963, to be precise). But, not once was the spirit of the people broken during this time. Most conquered countries throughout history reflect their sorrow by making more toned-down and dark art. Not the Kenyans. The majority of the artwork found here is characterized by bold colors and vivid patterns. They rebelled against the darkness and always dreamed of independence. Once they reached it, it became the day of history they’re proud of the most. Right now, those vivid colors serve as a reminder to celebrate and be grateful for every breath and every day they live under the sun.</p>
<h2>Vibrant Jewelry Is an Essential Part of Kenya´s Traditional Arts and Crafts</h2>
<p>A great part of Kenyan culture is jewelry. Necklaces and bracelets made from <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/kazuri-beads/" target="_blank">beads</a> are widely available at shops and markets. But, interestingly, women are not the only ones using jewelry—quite the opposite. For example, soldiers of the Samburu people of north-central Kenya use hairstyles, jewelry, and ochre body painting to exquisitely delicate effect - highly valued among the <strong>Samburu</strong>, who put a premium on physical beauty and decoration (which in turn leads them to be dubbed “Butterflies” by neighboring tribes). Beaded jewelry is especially prevalent, especially among the Maasai, <strong>Rendille</strong>, Samburu, and <strong>Turkana</strong> tribes of the <strong>Great Rift Valley</strong>, and some of it quite elaborate and intricate, with colors and patterns conveying various kinds of symbolism. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12347625668,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12347625668,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12347625668?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/94887823@N07/8692281514" target="_blank">Margot Kiser</a></em></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;">Tattoos for You</span></h3>
<p>The temporary, non-invasive adornment of the body using dye made from the henna plant is most often associated with <strong>India</strong> and parts of the <strong>Middle East</strong> such as <strong>Morocco</strong> and <strong>Egypt</strong>. But it´s also prized by various cultures in Africa, including Kenya, where henna tattooing is having something of a renaissance, often with flowery motifs. Most farmers’ markets have henna tattoo artists, and getting a henna tattoo (which fades with exfoliation after one to three weeks) is an excellent way to experience the culture and <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/best-travel-tips-for-better-trips/" target="_blank">enjoy the holidays here</a>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/anli6AYKGnk?si=E_x_iItRKUUt1m5e" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<h2><br /> In Kenya, Music Is Life</h2>
<p>A central part of tribal ceremonies, Kenyan tribal dances and music sometimes use wooden drums wrapped with animal skin and sold in local markets. Dancing and singing aren´t just fun – it’s a way to live life being happy for what the future brings, and it’s a way to respect the past and all that’s already been. If you, for example, came here and said that you don’t know how to dance or how to sing (which is a common thing to say out of fear of being judged), Kenyans would look at you as if you said that you don’t know how to breathe. The concept of not knowing how to lose your body to the rhythm is unknown to them. Everybody contributes to making wonderful melodies - which by the way have also inspired Westerners have to incorporate them into their own music. So don’t be afraid to participate in the dancing around the fire (if you get invited by locals, of course), as it's one of <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/kenya-cultural-tours-and-safaris/" target="_blank">the best cultural experiences</a> you can have here. <br /> <br /> On another front, modern music is also a big part of the culture in cities such as Nairobi and <strong>Mombasa</strong>, with genres including taarab from <strong>Zanzibar</strong>, Congolese soukrous, and Kenya´s own benga and kalpop, alsong with imports such as Europop, funk, hip hop, reggae, soul, and rock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-4-jpg.webp" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-4-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-4-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p>
<h2>Evocative Tribal Masks</h2>
<p>During tribal ceremonies, masks show respect for the tribe’s ancient ancestors. Adding hair and jewels on a mask is a way of showing respect for the deceased. The gods, animals, spirits, and even ancestors are typically represented through the masks worn by the participants in these rituals. You´ll be able to pick up your own mask mementos at markets throughout the country - you can of course pick whatever appeals to you, or if you have a guide, ask his/her advice.</p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12355684655,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12355684655,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12355684655?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindadevolder/45211587404" target="_blank">Linda De Volder</a></em></span></p>
<h2>Wood and Soapstone Carving</h2>
<p>Animals, humans, masks, images from nature, and elaborate designs and patterns are just some of the subjects hand-carved into not just masks but figurines, as well as bowls, spoons, cups, and other household items. The <strong>Akamba</strong> tribe has a longstanding reputation as some of Kenya’s finest woodworkers and carvers, and the Island of <strong>Lamu</strong> is the hub of coastal carving, where <strong>Bajun</strong> tribal members are said to have inspired Arab artists to produce a distinctive fusion of styles. Meanwhile, some ethnic groups, such as the <strong>Kisii</strong> of the <strong>Tabaka Hills</strong> in the west, specialize in carving figurines and other objects in soapstone (above), which is composed of compressed talc. And you don’t even have to go far afield to find handmade treasures, many city markets - and even <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/best-nairobi-luxury-hotels/">hotels in Nairobi</a> and elsewhere offer traditional woodwork for sale.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12355694298,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12355694298,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12355694298?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/8070463@N03/1195586795" target="_blank">Tambako The Jaguar</a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Clothes Which Make the Kenyan</strong></span><br /> <br /> Many Kenyans these days wear Western-style clothing, and Arab-style garments are also worn by some among the 11 percent who are Muslim. But with some tribal groups, traditional dress is still more common. Among the Masai, for example, women still often don colorful wraps called kanga, set off by bead necklaces, and men are known for wearing red-checked, blanket-like shuka (red being considered the color of strength). Also known for their distinctive clothing, headdresses and accessories are the <strong>Turkana</strong> people of the north and the <strong>Samburu</strong> (closely related to the Masai). <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:#ffffff;display:inline;float:none;">Many of these, too, may be purchased in regional markets for visitors interested in accessorizing their own apparel with a Kenyan tribal touch. </span></p>
<p> </p></div>5 Key Places in the USA to Explore the Life & Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/united-states-african-diaspora-black-history-martin-lutther-king2024-01-04T13:50:00.000Z2024-01-04T13:50:00.000ZAlex Martinhttps://tripatini.com/members/AlexMartin<div><p><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-weight:400;"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12343780091,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12343780091,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12343780091?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/civilrights/index.htm" target="_blank">nps.org</a></em></span><br /> <br /> The unwavering commitment to equality, justice, and nonviolent protest of one of the premier civil rights leaders of the 20th century had a profound impact on U.S. and even world history both during his lifetime and in the more than half century since. And the holiday established in his name, celebrated on January 15, is a chance to celebrate diversity, explore the richness of history, and uphold the principles that MLK Jr. devotedly upheld. </span><span style="font-weight:400;">And these five spots across the country offer insight into not just King´s life, times, and accomplishments, but also his larger legacy, helping to promote African-American culture more broadly and bring it into the mainstream.</span><em><span style="font-weight:400;"><br /> </span><br /> </em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12337108289,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12337108289,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12337108289?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sign_with_King_Birthplace_Across_the_Road_-_Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._National_Historic_Site_-_Atlanta_-_Georgia_-_USA_%2834134059102%29.jpg" target="_blank">Adam Jones</a></em></span></p>
<h3><strong><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm" target="_blank"><br /> Atlanta: Birthplace and Home Base</a></span><br /> </strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Where it all began. The <strong>Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site</strong> includes his childhood home, <strong>Ebenezer Baptist Church</strong>, where he preached, and the <strong>Martin Luther King Jr. Center</strong>. And expecially during this holiday weekend, there are a multitude of events and tributes surrounding Dr. King´s legacy.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schomburg_Center_for_Research_in_Black_Culture_(52008381132).jpg" target="_blank"><br /> </a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12337111476,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12337111476,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12337111476?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schomburg_Center_for_Research_in_Black_Culture_(52008381132).jpg" target="_blank">ajay?suresh<br /> </a></em></span><br /> </span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg" target="_blank">New York City: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture</a></strong></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Located in the <strong>Harlem</strong> neighborhood of upper Manhattan, this renowned cultural institution and research division of the <strong>New York Public Library</strong> system highlights the contributions not just of MLK but many other of African Americans throughout history. It has a distinguished history of its own, in fact, founded in the early 20th century, when it was known as the Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints.It hosts a full schedule of fascinating exhibitions and events. <br /> <br /> <em><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12345710287,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12345710287,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12345710287?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlund/10754347366" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;">Ken Lund</span><br /> </a></em><br /> </span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://aaacc.org/exhibit/" target="_blank">San Francisco: African American Art & Culture Complex</a></strong></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Discover San Francisco's vibrant black arts and cultural scene at this vibrant, 35-year.old insitution on <strong>Fulton Street</strong>, win the <strong>Alamo Square</strong> neighborhood. Throughout the year you´ll find a rotation of exhibits as well as events, workshops, performances in a 203-seat theater, and various other programs<br /> <br /> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><span style="font-weight:400;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12335587465,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12335587465,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12335587465?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmund_Pettus_Bridge,_Selma_AL,_North_view_20160713_1.jpg" target="_blank">DXR</a></span></em></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><br /> <a href="https://civilrightstrail.com/destination/selma/" target="_blank">Selma, Alabama: Edmund Pettus Bridge & the Civil Rights Trail</a><br /> </strong></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">This town of 18,000 in south central Alabama was a central focus in the voting-rights campagn of the 1960s, especially as the site of three marches to state capital <strong>Montgomery</strong> spearheaded by MLK as well as other figures such as <strong>Ralph Abernathy</strong> and the late eventual Congressman <strong>John Lewis</strong>. These marches were critical in marshalling support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - especially the first one, during which marchers were brutally beaten by police on this very bridge. Other important Civil Rights sites in Selma - part of a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/semo/index.htm" target="_blank">National Park Service historic trail</a> - include the <strong><a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/alabama-brown-chapel-ame-church-selma.htm" target="_blank">Brown Chapel AME Church</a></strong> where King spoke and the marches were prepared; the <strong><a href="https://www.nps.gov/semo/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm" target="_blank">Selma Interpretive Center</a></strong>, and the <strong><a href="http://nvrmi.com/" target="_blank">National Voting Rights Museum and Institute</a></strong>.at the foot of Pettus Bridge. <br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12345710695,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12345710695,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12345710695?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Game_Changers_-_Exhibit_at_National_Museum_of_African_American_History_and_Culture_-_Washington_-_DC_-_USA_%2833891044718%29.jpg" target="_blank">Adam Jones</a></em></span><br /> .</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/" target="_blank">Washington DC: National Museum of African American History</a></strong></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">Inaugurated by Barack Obama in 2016, this Smithsonian Insitution member is home to a wealth of exhibits depicting the struggles and eventaul triumphs of black Americans, from their African origins through the trans-Atlantic slave trade; brutal slavery in the United States; oppression in the South from the post-Civil-War through the Jim Crow period; the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s (during which of course Dr. King loomed large indeed); and up to the present day. Both heartbreaking and inspiring. <br /> </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight:400;"><em> Explore MLK´s legacy and African-American culture/history in general by <a href="https://www.flightschannel.com/deals/martin-luther-king-jr-day-travel" target="_blank">booking cheap flights here</a>.</em> </span></p>
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<p> </p></div>Reliving 'Dirty Dancing' at Virginia´s Kellerman’s Resorthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/dirty-dancing-kellermans-resort-pembroke-virginia2023-11-29T01:29:35.000Z2023-11-29T01:29:35.000ZFyllis Hockmanhttps://tripatini.com/members/FyllisHockman<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304959688,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304959688,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="750" alt="12304959688?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a><em>Mountain Lake Lodge, AKA Kellerman’s Resort: Where Dirty Dancing Comes to Life. Photo courtesy of Mountain Lake Lodge</em></p>
<p>Is there anyone who doesn’t know you don’t put Baby in a corner? Or who doesn’t automatically hum along to <em>The Time of My Life</em>? Imagine revisiting <em>Dirty Dancing</em> at its original locale – and visiting the site where Baby and Johnny practiced “the lift” – possibly the most famous dance routine ending ever? Welcome to Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia channeling the Catskills hotel -- AKA the Kellerman’s Resort</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960471,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960471,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304960471?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="624" /></a><em>“The Lift” memorialized in a t-shirt. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>In case you’re one of the few who is unfamiliar with the cult classic, go stream it now. Right now. I’ll wait for you. Because this is just an adventure that is too much fun to miss out on! And that includes the sound track that seems to embed in the ear – from <em>Hungry Eyes</em> to <em>Big Girls Don’t Cry</em>, <em>Will You Love Me Tomorrow</em> to the indelible <em>Time of My Life. </em></p>
<p><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960698,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960698,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304960698?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" /></a>A “You Don’t Put Baby in a Corner” attire for a …well, baby. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Yes, you can go on a theme weekend and experience the movie from start to finish including dance lessons, trivia contests, costume parties, scavenger hunts and multiple viewings of the film. The lodge looms as large in real life as it does in the movie, and the resort itself promotes an immersive connection to the film. Having viewed the movie once again before arriving, we looked for many of the film’s key locales and couldn’t help but feel an immediate attachment not usually associated with other hotel stays.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961269,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961269,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961269?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="689" /></a><em>The sign identifying the Gazebo where Penny gave dance lessons. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Signs everywhere designate important locations – the gazebo where Penny gave dance lessons; Baby’s cabin where the Houseman family resided; the lake where Johnny and Baby practiced “the lift.” <em>Dirty Dancing</em> permeates the grounds – and once the guests arrive – seniors, couples, mothers, daughters, sisters, girlfriends on a weekend getaway – many in a variety of <em>Dirty Dancing</em> t-shirts -- electricity abounds. Apparently, no age group is immune to the long-term appeal of the film.</p>
<p>Now I’ve seen the movie a couple of times but am anything but a devotee so I was unfamiliar with all the references to “I carried a watermelon.” Apparently, this was the first thing Baby said to Johnny and immediately berated herself for it. The meme was everywhere.</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961653,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961653,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961653?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="673" /></a><em>Multiple t-shirts were not the only reference to the “I Carried a Watermelon” meme. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Want to rent Baby’s cabin? No problem. Just start a year or more in advance. But try to leave everything in place. The hotel manager told me that guests kept stealing the plaque denoting Room 232 in the main lodge, the one Patrick Swayze stayed in during filming. Other lodging options include cottages dating back to the 1920s.</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961671,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961671,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961671?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Baby’s Cabin – where the Houseman family stayed – is a big attraction at Kellerman’s Resort (Mountain Lake Lodge) in Pembroke, Virginia. Photo by Victor Block </em></p>
<p>First night – costume and dance party. Lots of Babys of course, a bunch of Pennys, a few Lisas (Baby’s sister), a couple of villain Vivians and, you guessed it, a number of watermelons. And a surprising number of Johnnys of all ages – none of them exactly channeling Patrick Swayze, but several sporting some impressive dance moves. He would have been proud! And all are so immersed in their individual characters. Are you with me yet?</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961864,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961864,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961864?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>People dressed up as Baby, Johnny, Lisa and, of course, watermelons at the Dirty Dancing costume party and dance. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Rita Lockton from North Dakota is celebrating her 20th anniversary. “When I was a kid my folks told me it was an R-rated film so my cousins and I snuck around to watch it all the time. I’ve been fascinated by it ever since and have always wanted to come here. I’m so excited and I haven’t even experienced anything yet!” Lots of revelers shared that sentiment.</p>
<p>Next day there’s a trivia contest, of course. An auditorium packed with <em>Dirty Dancing</em> aficionados. A round of 50 very detailed questions requiring an encyclopedic knowledge of the film, with the soundtrack playing in the background. The license plate number of Johnny’s car as he drove off? Seriously? Most of these folk had probably seen the film dozens of times but the plate number must have been there two seconds max. Still, easy peasy. I guessed at maybe five or six correctly. The winning couple correctly answered almost all.</p>
<p>Then the scavenger hunt took the 200 DD devotees all around the resort clicking pictures to prove their righteous reconnaissance. And off to the Kellerman Gift Shop to claim their prizes, a store devoted to all things Baby and Johnny related, from clothing and posters to gifts and books, both written by and about the protagonists. If it has anything to do with the movie, it’s there. And as a change of pace after scavenging, what more appropriate option than some salsa and meringue lessons from a modern-day Penny.</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961882,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961882,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961882?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="511" height="511" /></a><em>The iconic Dirty Dancing logo occupied one wall at the Kellerman Gift Shop. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>But before I left, I slipped in for one more replaying of the movie and practically shouted throughout: “There’s a trivia answer; there’s a trivia answer….” There was a noticeable gasp as everyone in the theater particularly noted Johnny’s license plate number.</p>
<p>For those of you who don’t care whether Baby is put into a corner, there are all kinds of activities that any normal resort might offer readily available to guests whether on a theme weekend or not: miles of hiking trails, ropes course and zip lines; ATV tours, clay shooting, escape rooms, bubble balls, arts studio and more. But, thankfully, you’re never that far away from a new <em>Dirty Dancing</em> discovery – all while having <em>The Time of Your Life</em>! For more information, visit <a href="http://mtnlakelodge.com" target="_blank">mtnlakelodge.com</a>.</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304962294,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304962294,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304962294?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>A ropes course and zip line are among the many other hotel activities that have nothing to do with the movie. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>P.S. <em>Dirty Dancing 2</em> is in the works, produced by and starring Jennifer Grey – and no doubt being held up by the writer’s strike. To be filmed, of course, at Kellerman’s! Stay tuned – and get ready to watch this time!</p></div>The Soul of Rio de Janeiro: Its ´Little Africa´ Neighbourhoodshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/rio-de-janeiro-brazil-little-africa-neighbourhoods-black-travel2023-11-06T09:42:52.000Z2023-11-06T09:42:52.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Saude-street-mural-640x480.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Saude-street-mural-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Saude-street-mural-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><em><span style="font-size:8pt;">photos | Sarah Brown</span></em></h6><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>by Sarah Brown</em></span></p><p>Though most famous for <strong>Carnival</strong>, golden beaches, and world-famous landmarks, the real heart of <strong>Rio de Janeiro</strong>, for those in the know, lies in its downtown, most notably in <strong>Saúde</strong>, <strong>Gamboa</strong>, and the surrounding neighbourhoods hard by the port. For it’s this area that’s steeped in a complex history that dates back half a millennium to the Portuguese colonisers’ founding of Rio and the centuries of brutal slavery which followed.</p><p>A good place to start is <strong>Praça Mauá</strong>, a once rundown square that was revitalised in 2009 and transformed into a spacious, Parisian-style public space bookended by <strong>Guanabara Bay</strong> to one side and by two well-known attractions to the other - the newish <a href="https://museudoamanha.org.br/en" target="_blank"><strong>Museu do Amanhã</strong> (<strong>Museum of Tomorrow</strong>)</a>, famed for its futuristic, swooping architecture (courtesy of Spain's own <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/2017/01/architecture-nation-3-of-spains-most-celebrated-starchitects/" target="_blank"><strong>Santiago Calatrava</strong></a>) and groundbreaking exploration of our planet’s future, and the <a href="http://www.museudeartedorio.org.br/en" target="_blank"><strong>Museum of Art</strong> (<strong>MAR</strong>)</a> with impressive collections of Brazilian and international masterpieces from colonial times to the present day. The port area is peaceful today, but when Brazil finally abolished slavery in 1888, thousands of freed slaves clustered together there, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Locals dubbed it “<strong>Little Africa</strong>”, which in the coming years grew into the nucleus of the country’s oldest <strong>Afro-Brazilian</strong> community.</p><p> </p><p> <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Volongo-Wharf-640x480.jpeg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Volongo-Wharf-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Volongo-Wharf-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p><p> </p><p>Alongside Praça Mauá is <strong>Boulevard Olímpica</strong>, which among other things showcases the world’s largest street mural (top), designed and painted in 2016 by <strong>São Paulo</strong>-born <strong>Eduardo Kobra</strong>. Made up of portraits of indigenous people representing five regions –<strong>Europe</strong>, <strong>Africa</strong>, <strong>Australasia</strong>, and the <strong>Americas</strong>, this photogenic work is a mix of photorealism and colourful geometric shapes; along the nearby strip, between gorgeous photo ops you can enjoy gourmet burgers and artisanal beer at the growing number of food trucks. Now it’s time to dig deeper into the city’s sad history of slavery and its aftermath, which came to influence some of Brazil’s most iconic traditions, from food (such as <strong><em>feijoada</em></strong> and <strong><em>angú</em></strong>) to dance and martial arts (<strong>samba</strong>, <strong>capoeira</strong>), to religion (the Catholic-African hybrid <strong><em>candomblé</em></strong>). Just a five/minute walk from <strong>Olympic Boulevard</strong> is <strong>Valongo Wharf</strong>, built in the beginning of the 18th century in a neglected part of the city centre to keep the slave trade out of sight of the wealthy residents who lived on the top of nearby <strong>Conceição Hill</strong>; by the time slavery was abolished, some one million slaves came through this port. Today, dozens of slabs of grey rock form the outline of what used to be the port (above), which was discovered only in 2011 and quickly declared a <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong>. Since then it has attracted quite a few visitors but remained fairly neglected, until it was renovated in the summer and fall of 2023.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Sa%C3%BAde-street-640x480.jpeg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Sa%C3%BAde-street-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Sa%C3%BAde-street-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p><p> </p><p>A 15-minute stroll from here, the <a href="http://www.museusdorio.com.br/joomla/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=107:memorial-dos-pretos-novos-the-memorial-of-the-new-blacks" target="_blank"><strong>Instituto de Pesquisa e Memória Pretos Novos</strong></a> (New Blacks Research Institute and Memorial) in Saúde is one of Rio’s most moving and eye-opening places to visit. The tiny non-profit museum preserves the memory of the slave trade, yet it’s also the final resting ground of an estimated 30,000 enslaved Africans who didn’t survive the journey from Africa to Brazil and whose bones were tossed into makeshift graves between 1769 and 1830. It’s housed in the former home of a couple who discovered bones during a renovation in 1996 and though the black cemetery covered the entire block, were the only ones who turned their house into a memorial and collection of exhibits and artifacts documenting this tragic chapter in <strong>Brazilian history</strong>. Another ten-minute stroll takes you to the cobblestone streets of the next-door <strong>Gamboa</strong> neighbourhood, anchored by the <strong>Pedra do Sal</strong> (Salt Rock, below), a large boulder which used to be at water’s edge and upon which slaves were forced to break huge chunks of salt. The wealthy who originally settled in this area left when the docks were built, and so it eventually became the site of one of the first <strong><em>quilombos</em></strong>, communities of freed or escaped slaves. As I alluded above, it was these people, the <strong><em>quilombolas</em></strong>, who brought samba to Brazil, and Pedra do Sal is considered this music’s birthplace; to this day it's still at the centre of Rio’s biggest samba party every Monday and Friday night. Live bands <strong><em>rodas de samba</em></strong> fill the air with the sensual beats while a mix of locals and visitors, mingle, dance, and sip caipirinhas and beer in the balmy Rio nights. </p><p> </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Pedro-do-Sal-640x480.jpeg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Pedro-do-Sal-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Pedro-do-Sal-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p><p> </p><p>These districts do have a number of other worthy attractions, such as Saúde's pretty, century-old <strong>Hanging Garden of Valongo</strong>; colonial-era churches such as late-17th-century <strong>São Francisco da Prainha</strong> and mid-18th-century <strong>Nossa Senhora de Saúde</strong>; the late-19th-century <strong>Valongo Observatory</strong> (open to the public); and the early-18th-century <strong>Morro da Conceição Fortress</strong>, featuring historic exhibitions and great bay views. In Gamboa, there's <strong><a href="http://www.aquariomarinhodorio.com.br/" target="_blank">AquaRio</a></strong>, South America's biggest and best aquarium, which in addition to all the usual high-tech aquatic bells and whistles of today includes a surf museum. After you're done down here, you might want to proceed to the adjoining <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/2015/07/rio-de-janeiro-lapa/" target="_blank"><strong>Lapa</strong> neighbourhood</a>, with its colourful <strong>Selarón Staircase</strong> and whitewashed aqueduct, and then onward up the hill to the intensely atmospheric <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/2016/07/santa-teresa-rio-de-janeiro-brazil/" target="_blank"><strong>Santa Teresa</strong> </a>district. But the heart of this historic waterfront zone remains its Afro-Brazilian culture, and in that heart in fact lies the soul of Rio de Janeiro - and, one could argue, Brazil itself.</p><p>More info: <a href="http://visit.rio/en/welcome/" target="_blank">VisitRio.com</a>. Best fares to Rio <a href="http://www.iberia.com/gb/cheap-flights/rio-de-janeiro/?utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=blogiberia&utm_source=utm_source=love2fly.home" target="_blank">from the U.K.</a>, <a href="http://www.iberia.com/es/cheap-flights/rio-de-janeiro/?utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=blogiberia&utm_source=utm_source=love2fly.home" target="_blank">from Spain</a>. </p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wlFVNMJIGwI?si=5z6M54fxSOGwWViD" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><strong>Sarah Brown</strong> is a Rio-based British writer and visual media creator.</em> <br /> </span></p><p> </p></div>8 Interesting, Off-the-Beaten-Path Corners of Romehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/rome-italy-off-the-beaten-path-attractions-museums-travel-tourism2023-11-02T08:20:01.000Z2023-11-02T08:20:01.000ZRiccardo Rhttps://tripatini.com/members/RicardoR<div><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12282023667,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12282023667,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12282023667?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eriktorner/32906114165" target="_blank">Erik Törner</a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> My country´s capital famously boasts some of the world´s most legendary and inspiring tourist attractions, such as the <strong>Colosseum</strong>, the <strong>Roman Forum</strong>, the <strong>Spanish Steps</strong>, and <strong>Vatican City</strong>. But Rome is also overflowing with millennia worth of riches that get less attention from visitors intent on their “bucket lists”, and exploring these places off the usual tourist track can give you a deeper, more authentic, and more serene experience of the Eternal City – and by the way, avoid the crowds at the usual suspects. Here are just a handful of notable examples (there are dozens if not hundreds more):</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Appian Way/Catacombs of St. Callixtus</strong></span><br /> <br /> The <strong>Via Appia</strong> was one of ancient Rome´s most important roads, beginning construction in 312 BCE, and you can tread its pine-tree-lined cobblestones with an easy Metro ride (<strong>Piramide</strong> stop) south of the Colosseum and Forum and such. It´s a lot less crowded than most other ancient Roman sites, and as a bonus you can visit the <strong>Catacumbe di San Callisto</strong>, and at times somewhat creepy underground crypt complex founded in the 3rd century by the deacon who would become Pope Callixtus I, and the burial place of 16 early Roman Catholic pontiffs and some 50 “martyrs”, including a saint or two.</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Aventine Hill</strong></span><br /> <br /> The southernmost of the fabled seven hills of Rome (Metro station also Piramide), it makes a for a tranquil escape from the hustle-bustle of much of the rest of the city, and is also home to a number of other beautiful attractions, including the beautiful <strong>Giardino degli Aranci</strong> (Orange Garden) as well as several churches (including the city´s oldest basilica, <strong>Santa Sabina</strong>, finished in 432) and Roman temples. One especially cool feature is the “<strong>Aventine Keyhole</strong>” in a nondescript door at the headquarters of the Knights of Malta, which yields a perfectly framed view of St. Peter’s Basilica through beautifully manicured gardens. There are also some good places to eat and stay.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pavdw/52469352350" target="_blank"><br /> </a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025259,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025259,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12282025259?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pavdw/52469352350" target="_blank">PaulVanDerWerf</a></em></span></p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><br /> Baths of Caracalla</strong></span><br /> <br /> The <strong>Baths of Diocletian</strong> are Rome´s largest and best known public bath house, but the <strong>Terme di Caracalla</strong>, a short stroll south of the Colosseum and Forum, are its second largest - also quite impressive and rather less crowded, thought to have been built around 216 CE and in use for a bit over 300 years, the complex covers 25 hectares (62 acres) and includes various hot, warm, and cold rooms as well as saunas, a pair of gymnasiums, and a number of pools including a large swimming pool. There´s also a very cool basement space which served as a temple for worshipping Mithra, an ancient Persian deity popular with soldiers and the lower classes. These days it´s also used as a venue for opera and other musical performances.</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano</strong></span><br /> <br /> Also a short walk from the Colosseum, in the <strong>Monti</strong> neighbourhood, this church is a hidden gem for its stunning mosaics and amazing layers of history in three tiers. There´s the current basilica, built around 1100; another basilica from the 4th century; and a third tier dating back to ancient Rome: a house where Christians worshipped clandestinely in the 1st century and another temple (as under the Baths of Caracalla) to the cult of the Persian god Mithra. There are fascinating frescoes and details throughout – quite a remarkable package!</p><p><br /> <em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025900,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025900,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12282025900?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rome,_Convento_dei_Cappuccini;_skulls_and_skeletons_of_the_Wellcome_V0031277.jpg" target="_blank">Wellcome Images</a></em></p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Capuchin Crypt</strong></span></p><p>Another short stroll from the Colosseum, beneath the <strong>Church of</strong> <strong>Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini</strong>, completed in 1631, the six-room <strong>Cripta dei Frati Cappuccini</strong> is adorned with the bones of some 3,700 Capuchin monks arranged in intricate designs. The idea is not to be gratuitously macabre but as a reminder of human mortality, and bony Catholic crypts and chapels known as ossuaries can be found elsewhere, too – especially in the rest of <strong>Europe</strong>. </p><p><strong><a href="https://www.centralemontemartini.org/en"><span style="font-size:14pt;">Centrale Montemartini Museum</span></a> </strong></p><p>There are plenty of museums in Rome displaying classical art, but this one –housed in a 111-year-old former power plant in the <strong>Ostiense</strong> neighbourhood, a bit south of the Colosseum/Forum area (Metro stops <strong>Garbatella</strong> or Piramide) – gives it a bit of a (postmodern?) twist. Here you´ll find a collection of statues, sarcophagi, and mosaics from ancient Rome´s republican period displayed against a backdrop of hulking industrial machinery. How´s that for cool visuals for your Instagram?</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Janiculum Hill</strong></span></p><p>It´s not one of the famed seven hills because it´s across the <strong>Tiber River</strong>, rising above <strong>Trastevere</strong> and therefore outside the boundaries of the ancient city. But the <strong><em>Gianicolo</em></strong> is Rome´s second highest, at 90 metres (295 feet), so it´s worth a bit of a climb up to the <strong>Piazzale Garibaldi</strong> (with its statue of <strong>Giuseppe Garibaldi</strong>, the most famous hero of Italy´s 19th-century unification) and surrounding parklike setting for some of the most sweeping panoramic views over Rome; it´s especially a treat around sunset – or alternatively, you could arrange to be there around noon for the ceremonial cannon firing. Other things to take in up here, by the way, include the monumental, early-17th-century <strong>Acqua Paola Fountain</strong>; the church of San Pietro in Montorio (1500, built on the spot thought at the time to be the site of the crucifixion of <strong>St. Peter</strong>); the early 16th-century Renaissance <strong>Tempietto del Bramante</strong> in the church courtyard; and several other monuments relating to the unification of Italy.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RrEDji-cSvg?si=LoPcLABPyz-4oB9L" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Park of the Aqueducts</strong></span><br /> <br /> Finally, if you´re really into the ancient Roman thing, it may be worth venturing down to the southeast of the city (Metro line A, <strong>Giulio Agricola</strong> stop) to another stretch of the Appian Way where you´ll find the <strong>Parco degli Acquedotti</strong>, a 240ha (593-ac.) spread centred around a half dozen of the aqueducts - dating as far back as 144 BCE - which once supplied Rome with its water. There´s also an aqueduct from the Middle Ages, as well as several other mostly medieval buildings and structures, the remains of an ancient Roman villa, and a section of the ancient <strong>Via Latina</strong>. It´s a peaceful and eye-opening experience indeed.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>Sweet Solvang, California Is Cool for Both Culture and Naturehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/solvang-california-attractions-tourism-travel2023-06-13T08:55:00.000Z2023-06-13T08:55:00.000ZSimon Hopeshttps://tripatini.com/members/SimonHopes<div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11580776675,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11580776675,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11580776675?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://garystockbridge617.getarchive.net/media/solvang-in-santa-barbara-county-california" target="_blank">Carol Highsmith</a></em></span><strong><br /> <br /> <br /> Great Danes!</strong></span><br /> <br /> Nestled in <strong>Southern California</strong>'s <strong>Santa Ynez Valley</strong>, a 45-minute drive north of <strong>Santa Barbara</strong> and a bit over two hours from <strong>Los Angeles</strong>, this small town of just over 6,100 offers visitors a unique blend of nature and culture. One of Solvang's top attractions is its unique Danish, which you can explore by strolling its charming streets. Founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, and its downtown remodeled in the 1940s to reflect that country's architectural heritage, Solvang has a rich cultural heritage delightful to both the eye and stomach. Apart a self-guided walking tour to learn more about local history and architecture - including landmarks like the <strong>Little Mermaid Fountain</strong>, <strong>Round Tower</strong>, a giant red clog, and no fewer than five windmills - visitors can explore the <strong><a href="https://www.elverhoj.org/" target="_blank">Elverhøj Museum of History & Art</a></strong>, which showcases the town's Danish heritage, and the <strong><a href="https://solvangca.com/museum/h1.htm" target="_blank">Hans Christian Andersen Museum</a></strong>, which of course focuses on the 19th-century Danish author most famous for his fairy tales. Other notable local attractions narrated tours on the horse-drawn <strong><a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/directory/solvang-trolley-carriage-company/" target="_blank">Solvang Trolley</a></strong>, the <a href="https://wildlingmuseum.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Wildling Museum of Art and Nature</strong></a>, the <strong><a href="https://www.motosolvang.com/" target="_blank">Vintage Motorcycle Museum</a></strong>, the <strong><a href="https://thecopenhagenhouse.com/solvang-amber-museum/" target="_blank">Amber Museum</a></strong>, and the early-19th-century Spanish <a href="https://missionsantaines.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Old Mission Santa Inés</strong></a>, still a Roman Catholic parish church.<br /> <br /> And when you're ready to sample some of Solvang's delicious Danish and other cuisines, try restaurants like Bit o' Denmark and <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/dining/" target="_blank">more than two dozen other excellent eateries</a> (including at least five Danish bakeries). Top specialties include <em>frikadeller</em> (meatballs in brown gravy with boiled potatoes), rullepolse (a pork cold cut filled with herbs and seasonings, kringle (a pretzel-shaped pastry), and Danish wafflers (a puff pastry baked, rolled in sugar, and stuffed with raspberry jam and buttercream filling).<br /> <br /> And for an extra dose of Scandinavian heritage, come visit during <strong><a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/things-to-do/danish-days/" target="_blank">Danish Days</a></strong> in mid-September and the Christmas season's cheerful <strong><a href="https://solvangjulefest.org/" target="_blank">Julefest</a></strong>. <br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11595421479,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11595421479,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11595421479?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.fessparker.com/gallery" target="_blank">Fess Parker Winery</a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Great Outdoors & Wine<br /> </strong></span></p>
<p>The town is surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, including rolling hills with some of California's best trails for <a href="https://www.theoutbound.com/united-states/california/solvang/hiking" target="_blank">hiking</a> and <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/things-to-do/cycling/" target="_blank">biking</a>, as well as scenic drives in California (out here the <strong><a href="https://www.alisalranch.com/?NCK=8662211474&msclkid=db8194f4f3b513276215f077ccbe55ad" target="_blank">Alisal Ranch</a> </strong>offers guided horseback rides through the valley's rolling hills and vineyards).</p>
<p>And speaking of vineyards, Solvang is also surrounded by more than 125 wineries producing some of the world's best vintages and many accepting visitors for tours and tasting; among of the most popular are half-century-old <strong><a href="https://www.firestonewine.com/" target="_blank">Firestone Vineyard</a></strong>, <a href="https://www.fessparker.com/fess-parker-wines" target="_blank"><strong>Fess Parker Winery</strong></a> (above, founded in 1988 by the actor famous for playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on TV in the 1950s and 60s), and <strong><a href="https://sunstonewinery.com/" target="_blank">Sunstone Winery</a></strong>, in business since 1990 and with an enphasis on environmental sustainability.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11595503501,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11595503501,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11595503501?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://kingfrederikinn.com/gallery/" target="_blank">King Frederik Inn<br /> </a></em></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Best Places to Stay</strong></span></p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/where-to-stay/" target="_blank">some two dozen good-quality hotels</a> to choose from in the area, and here are a pair of prime picks: <strong><br /> <br /> <a href="https://kingfrederikinn.com/" target="_blank">The King Frederik Inn</a></strong><br /> <br /> Named after the king of Denmark when it was founded in 1960, this is a unique and unforgettable downtown Solvang experience (above) for visitors looking to immerse themselves in the area's Danish culture, which extends to its charming architecture, cozy rooms, and warm hospitality. The lobby features traditional Danish décor, including a cozy fireplace and comfortable seating areas, creating a space that is both inviting and relaxing. Each of the rooms is also decorated in the traditional Danish style, with cozy furnishings, warm colors, and unique touches that give each room its own character. Whether you're staying in a standard room or a luxurious suite, you'll feel right at home in the cozy and comfortable surroundings. The courtyard features colorful flowers, winding pathways, charming benches, as well as an outdoor pool. Breakfast included; no pets.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.peasoupandersens.com/" target="_blank">Pea Soup Andersen's Inn</a></strong></p>
<p>Starting out as just a restaurant (hence the name), another great and atmospheric option in the nearby town of <strong>Buellton</strong> offers nearly 100 comfortable rooms and easy access to some of the area's best cultural and natural attractions. Rooms featuring all the amenities you need to feel at home, including flat-screen TVs, excellent beds, and free Wi-Fi (several even have working fireplaces to help keep toastier during those 40⁰ Fahrenheit winter nights). <a href="https://www.peasoupandersens.net/" target="_blank">The famous restaurant is still here</a>, and other amenities include a heated pool and whirlpool.</p>
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<p>For more information, check out <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/" target="_blank">SolvangUSA.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p></div>A Beautiful Bespoke Journey to Japanhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/bespoke-journey-to-japan-tokyo-kyoto-nikko2023-05-29T17:20:00.000Z2023-05-29T17:20:00.000ZLinda Cooperhttps://tripatini.com/members/LindaCooper764<div><div class="article__container cf">
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<p><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/images/news/1photo121.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/images/news/1photo121.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_710x" alt="1photo121.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Photos: Linda Cooper</em></span></p>
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<div class="image-credit"><span style="font-size:10pt;">In <strong>Japan</strong> (or <strong>Nippon</strong> as the Japanese call it), broken objects are often repaired in gold, a practice known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi" target="_blank">Kintsugi.</a> As a philosophy, its flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, therefore celebrating its beauty rather than something to disguise. It’s this approach combined with a constant “nod” reflecting old and new blended so seamlessly into Japanese modern life that makes the <strong>Land of the Rising Sun</strong> one of the most travelworthy around the globe. </span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107062.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107062.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107062.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">My eye-opening appreciation of the Japanese way of life began the moment I arrived into Tokyo and stepped foot into the stunning lobby of The <strong><a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/capitol-h/" target="_blank">Capitol Hotel Tokyu</a></strong>. A country of contrasts that coexist at the intersection of <a href="https://tokyotokyo.jp/" target="_blank">old meets new</a>, I was greeted at check-in to find a lovely performer serenading us with the most recognizable traditional sounds of Japan from its zitherlike national instrument, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koto_(instrument)" target="_blank">koto</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Rising high above the city streets of downtown's <strong>Akasaka</strong> district, this property defines "modern Japanese" ambiance with a luxury setting that mixes traditional with sophisticated modern Japanese architectural styles, designed by famed architect <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kengo_Kuma" target="_blank"><strong>Kengo Kuma</strong></a>.<br /> <br /> </span></p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107063.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107063.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107063.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Each morning I woke up excited for a day a new day of exploration enticed by our fabulous panoramic view of Tokyo’s cityscape. The property has 251 rooms including 14 suites, and our <a href="https://preferredhotels.com/property/capitol-hotel-tokyu-1286" target="_blank">luxury accommodations</a> were an elegant cocoon of Japanese comfort designed with natural wood finishes and shoji paper screens ingeniously placed to customize our living space.</span><br /> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107064.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107064.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107064.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Food, Glorious Food</strong></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Japan’s capital is a gastronomic wonderland - and I’m not just talking about its famous melt-in-your-mouth sushi. To really experience Tokyo’s rich culinary canon, taking an <strong><a href="https://arigatojapan.co.jp/tokyo/" target="_blank">Arigato Food Tour</a></strong> is an absolute must for food lovers, whether or not you think of yourself as a foodie. Navigating the back alleys, we tasted our way through the city, sampling delectable bites from five unique food stops while learning must-know cultural tidbits led by Arigato’s expert guide. It was an unforgettable experience that no tourist will ever see on their own with the most delicious food only the locals usually get to savor. Our personality-plus tour guide “Sam” was a real kick and I came away with delicious memories, a font of knowledge and a full tummy.</span></p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107065.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107065.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107065.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Plus Cutting-edge Culture</strong></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> We also were able to indulge in a very different feast for other senses. Since 2017 a dynamic group called <strong>Drum Tao</strong> has been treating audiences to <strong><a href="https://www.japan-guide.com/ad/tao-mangekyo/" target="_blank">Mangekyo</a></strong>, an hourlong spectacle electrifying, state-of-the-art <em>taiko</em> drumming in a dedicated theater. It's truly unique (and inevitably loud) entertainment mixing tradition with powerful avant-garde revolution that truly mesmerizes, brought to the stage with the collaborative of visionary digital masterminds at <a href="https://mangekyo-tokyo.com/en/about.php" target="_blank"><strong>TeamLab</strong></a>, an interdisciplinary group of “ultra-technologists” whose collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, design and the natural world..A feast for both eyes and ears, and creative beyond most people’s imagination.</span></p>
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<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107066.png?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107066.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107066.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> Another very worthwhile attraction from teamLab is <a href="https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/" target="_blank"><strong>Planets</strong></a>, an outstanding “body immersive” digital art museum consistng of a collection of installations in which your entire body becomes fully immersed into the art. I have never experienced anything so fabulous and interactive, where there are no boundaries between you and the work. </span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107067.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107067.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107067.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Like the giant, rainbow cotton-candy I’m holding on famed <strong>Takeshita Street</strong> of downtown's <strong>Harajuku</strong> district, everything in Tokyo is bigger and better with sightseeing nirvana at nearly every turn. It may be the most Instagrammable city I’ve ever experienced which speaks volumes coming from me as a <a href="https://www.traveltimewithlindatv.com/" target="_blank">travel TV host</a>.</span></p>
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<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107068.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107068.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107068.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Going to Kyoto for Traditional Culture</strong></span><br /> <br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Next we journeyed to one of Japan's oldest cities (it was chosen as the imperial capital in the 8th century, and now has a population around 1½ million), a 2½-hour train ride or five hour drive southwest of Tokyo. And as the country's "cultural capital" it's also the center of the geisha world, and I was granted a rare interview with a <em>geiko</em> (geisha) and her <em>maiko</em> apprentice. Around dusk in the entertainment district <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion" target="_blank">Gion</a>, we arrived at a little wooden building “boarding house” for mistresses of the classical arts, designated by black vertical plaques at their entrances; the blond wood sign above denotes the name of the g<em>eiko</em> and m<em>aiko</em> who live inside its quaint teahouse. Led upstairs by the “house mother” to a private room we were seated, and I soon was captivated as our geisha floated elegantly inside; red-lipped and doll-like dressed in elaborate kimonos and face artistically painted and powdered white. They are skilled in making conversation as well as practicing many of the traditional arts, including dance and playing instruments such as the lute and three-string <em>shamisen</em>. A trance-like tea ceremony and performance ensued, followed by a rare interview and even an impromptu dance lesson! Contrary to the prostitution myth about this profession, geishas are highly respected and bound to lead a single life “not allowed to consort with boys” and live with their house mothers under strict rules; should they choose to marry, they must retire from the profession</span>.</p>
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<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107069.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107069.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107069.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">So grateful for my once-in-a-lifetime experience, I ended our interview with a heartfelt <em>“okini</em>”, a Kyoto-dialect phrase meaning “thank you very much” as they escorted us out and waved good-bye from the teahouse entrance until we disappeared from sight.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107070.png?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107070.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107070.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a>courtesy of Jotaro Saito</em></span><br />
<div class="image-credit"><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> Walking away, I reflected how fortunate I felt to be dressed so perfectly for this special occasion as earlier that day I had the incredible opportunity to interview Kyoto-based <strong><a href="http://www.jotaro.net/" target="_blank">Jotaro Saito</a></strong>, the famous designer who dressed <a href="https://ladygaga.fandom.com/wiki/Jotaro_Saito">Lady Gaga</a> in one of his gorgeous kimono designs for her performance in Japan several years ago. This third-generation kimono designer has made a name for himself with his classic and contemporary designs in the pursuit of creating kimono as fashion promoting "a lifestyle of enjoying Japanese taste".</span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107071.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107071.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107071.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">In addition to his sought-after kimonos he also produces beautiful home interiors and other design products you can drop some yen at his two retail store locations - one here in Kyoto and in </span><a href="http://www.jotaro.net/ginza/" target="_blank">in Tokyo's <strong>Ginza</strong></a> shopping district.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Back amid the serene contemporary surroundings of the 408-room <a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/kyoto-h/index.html" target="_blank"><strong>Kyoto Tokyu Hotel</strong></a>, its tranquil courtyards and water features create the perfect sense of calm and relaxation to end each day’s bespoke adventures. <a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/index.html">Tokyu Hotels</a> offer its guests a consolidated zone of hospitality with unbeatable locations throughout Japan’s major cities, and like its Tokyo sister property the Capitol Tokyu, your sleek sophisticated <a href="https://preferredhotels.com/property/kyoto-tokyu-hotel-1456" target="_blank">accommodations</a> are an idyllic haven with luxurious details including Japanese green tea, slippers, and <em>yukata</em> (bathrobe-like summer kimonos) nightwear.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>A Magical Northern Escape</strong></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> For another change of pace, we headed a couple of hours north of Tokyo to the shores of <strong><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/japan-chuzenji-cruises-nikko" target="_blank">Lake Chuzenji</a></strong> in the <strong>Tochigi</strong> prefecture of <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/an-escape-to-japan-s-mystical-city-of-nikko" target="_blank"><strong>Nikko</strong></a>, where many urban Japanese flock for a break from the pressures, hustle, and bustle of big city life. A national treasure filled with natural beauty and important <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Sites</strong>, its literal translation means “sunlight”, and its lovely mountain lake landscape is reminiscent of my childhood family vacations growing up in <strong>California</strong>, with summers spent at <strong>Lake Tahoe</strong>.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> Arriving from Tokyo on an impecccable, two-hour <a href="https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/access/nikko/" target="_blank"><strong>Nikko Line</strong> of <strong>Tobu Railway</strong></a> to experience this region's beautiful treasures was on my bucket list, and as the Japanese saying goes "Never say <em>kekkõ</em> until you've seen Nikkõ" — <em>kekk</em>õ meaning “a reflection of its beauty.” So I was excited to see Japan’s famed mystical city and region.</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107073.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107073.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107073.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">At the entrance to the sanctuary of the Shinto <strong>Futarasan-jinja Shrine</strong>, dating back to the 8th century, stands the sacred vermillion, <strong>UNESCO World Heritage</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.shinkyo.net/english/shinkyo.shtml" target="_blank">Shinkyo Bridge</a></strong>; Japan's oldest built over a gorge. It's considered lucky to make a wish while crossing, so of course I had to make this my first stop on our way to checking in to our luxury <em>ryokan</em> (traditional inn) property, <strong><a href="https://www.hoshinoresorts.com/en/resortsandhotels/kai/nikko.html" target="_blank">Hoshino Resorts KAI Nikko</a></strong>. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Staying at a traditional Japanese ryokan was an absolute-must on my travel agenda, and <strong><a href="https://kai-ryokan.jp/en/nikko/" target="_blank">KAI Nikko</a></strong> did not disappoint, with its luxurious tatami-matted rooms with Western influences, plus breathtaking views of Lake Chuzenji and Mount Nantai.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107076.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107076.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107076.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Assigned a <em>yukata</em> robe and <em>setta</em> (casual traditional thongs) with Tabi socks to wear at all times on-property, it was so nice for a change not to think about what I was going to wear every day and enjoyed the hotel’s incredible hot springs, taking full advantage of living in the moment.</span></p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">With gorgeous sightseeing at every turn, we ventured off property to enjoy the panoramic vantage points of Nikko’s famous 318-foot-high <strong><a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/kegon-falls/" target="_blank">Kegon Falls</a></strong> (above), taking a ride up to the observation platform atop <strong><a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/akechidaira-plateau/" target="_blank">Akechidaira Plateau</a></strong> for a comprehensive (and mind-blowing) aerial view of the stream flowing from Chuzenji to the falls, and Nikko's sacred volcano Mount Nantai - 8,156 feet high - in the background (the eruption of which 27,000 years ago blocked the valley below, creating the lake).</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> More sightseeing musts include visiting the also World Heritage <strong><a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/nikko-toshogu-shrine/" target="_blank">Nikko Toshogu Shrine</a></strong>, built in the early 17th century and dedicated to the Tokugawa Shogun (one of Japan's many military dictators between 1185 and 1868) and his samurai warriors, as well as the <a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/nikko-tamozawa-imperial-villa-memorial-park/" target="_blank"><strong>Tamozawa Imperial Villa</strong></a>; a well-preserved former summer residence and retreat for the Imperial family also dating back to the 17th century and used up until the end of World War II.</span></p>
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<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107078.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107078.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107078.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">It was also here in Nikko where I experienced a full-circle moment at the <a href="http://www.kashiwazakari.com/english.html" target="_blank"><strong>Katayama Suzo Sake Brewery</strong></a>. <em>Kampai!</em>.While enjoying my sake tasting and interview with the company’s sixth-generation sake maker, our translator/guide shared my Japanese claim to fame with the owner: having modeled as a 16-year-old for the well-known <strong><a href="https://www.ozeki.co.jp/english/products/sake/onecup/" target="_blank">One Cup Ozeki Sake</a></strong>, gracing its wine label throughout Japan. </span>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Shot in <strong>Los Angeles</strong> for a Japanese photo agency, shown above from what seems like a lifetime ago, is my first modeling job on the right. Looking back now, acknowledging the fact I was not old enough to legally drink the sake, this was the beginning of my strong desire to “taste” Japan.</span></p>
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<div class="article__content"><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">How rewarding, decades later, fulfilling a childhood dream and truly savoring this extraordinary bucket-list destination, embracing its old rituals and modern discoveries. My "aha" moment of appreciation, experiencing first-hand Japan’s rich folds of history, traditions and culture. </span></div>
<div class="article__content"><em><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;">Linda Cooper is an award-winning TV host, producer, and writer serving as a brand ambassador to worldwide travel on her national luxury lifestyle series “Travel Time with Linda” as well as a contributor to several lifestyle and travel publications. Her specialties include television and in lifestyle publications include the travel lifestyle luxury tourism hotels, food/wine, fitness, spas and luxury...</span></em><span style="font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.justluxe.com/community/view-profile.php?p_id=46238" target="_blank">(read more)</a></span></div>
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</div></div>Welcome to Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool!https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2023-liverpool-united-kingdom-music-cultural-travel2023-05-14T08:55:00.000Z2023-05-14T08:55:00.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11075428071,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11075428071,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11075428071?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://eurovision.tv/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Eurovision.tv</em></span></a></p>
<p><br /> It’s baaaack! The 67th edition of the world’s largest, longest, and perhaps most anticipated/beloved music competition, pulling in a worldwide television audience of some 160 million and inspiring tens of thousands of fans to travel <br /> <br /> On a personal note, although I haven't yet attended the <strong>Eurovision</strong> song contest in person, ever since I started traveling more extensively to <strong>Europe</strong> in 1977 – well before <strong><em>American Idol,</em></strong> <strong><em>The Voice</em></strong>, or <strong><em>The X Factor</em></strong> – it's always been a big deal for more than a few of my Old-World friends and acquaintances (not to mention the local media). I got to watch it several times surrounded by Europeans (most recently last night), and I must say, the enthusiasm generated by this reliably cheesy collection of crazy outfits, over-the-top antics, and sometimes downright goofy tunes (<a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/best-memorable-eurovision-performances.html">here's a 2020 piece I found on its most outrageous performances</a>) can be kind of endearing; <br /> <br /> It's this sense of kitsch and camp that has also earned it a huge following among much of Europe's LGBT+ community (then of course there was those times that queer artists nabbed the top prize, such as in 2014, when a bearded drag queen from <strong>Austria</strong>, <strong>Conchita Wurst</strong>, won for her operatic pop <a href="https://youtu.be/QRUIava4WRM">“<strong>Rise Like a Phoenix</strong>”</a>), and in 1998, when it went to <a href="https://youtu.be/Q8ZfreUQfvc">“<strong>Diva</strong>,”</a> sung in Hebrew by <strong>Israel</strong>’s transgender <strong>Dana International</strong> – who these days would no doubt be stoned by the loony Orthodox back home. (On the other hand, for a more cynical - and no doubt realistic - take on Eurovision and “the gays,” check out <a href="https://youtu.be/Wnjtzn7ZkCs">this recent video</a>).</p>
<p>At the same time, since the competition started in 1956, some memorable songs (and sometimes careers) have come out of Eurovision – perhaps my older favorites being the Spanish Basque group <a href="https://youtu.be/ub8SyRjX_eY" target="_blank"><strong>Mocedades</strong> with its luminous "<strong><em>Eres Tú</em></strong>" (1973)</a>; <a href="https://youtu.be/I8F5vKJcxCQ" target="_blank"><strong>ABBA</strong>’s insanely catchy, career-launching "<strong>Waterloo</strong>"</a> (1974); <a href="https://youtu.be/ZiCg5ZFKEhw" target="_blank"><em>"<strong>La La La</strong>"</em> by <strong>Spain</strong>’s <strong>Massiel</strong></a> (1968); <a href="https://youtu.be/T6ERpWOsXYs" target="_blank">"<strong><em>Un Banc, un Abre, une Rue</em></strong>" from <strong>Monaco</strong>’s <strong>Séverine</strong></a> (1971); and an Israeli pair, "<strong><a href="https://youtu.be/BX6-z-OOvQA" target="_blank">Hallelujah</a></strong>" (1979) and "<strong><a href="https://youtu.be/3ch5rEYB0-M" target="_blank">A-Ba-Ni-Bi</a></strong>" (1978). (Yes, Israel isn't Europe, but they’re here by virtue of being a member of the <strong>European Broadasting Union</strong>, and the Aussies were invited as of 2015 because they’re such Eurovision superfans – although sadly, their contract runs out after this year, so as of 2024 till further notice it’s catch you later, mates.)</p>
<p>And since the arrival of the 21st century - apart from fthe trend since 1999 of too many songs in English even from non-English-speaking countries - of course other countries from the east have been included (even a couple which are marginally, if at all, "European"), including <strong>Albania</strong>, <strong>Armenia</strong>, <strong>Azerbaijan</strong> (hmmm), <strong>Belarus</strong>, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, <strong>Croatia</strong>, <strong>Czechia</strong>/<strong>Czech Republic</strong>, <strong>Estonia</strong>, <strong>Latvia</strong>, <strong>Lithuania</strong>, <strong>Moldova</strong>, <strong>Montenegro</strong>, <strong>North Macedonia</strong>, <strong>Russia</strong>, <strong>Serbia</strong>, <strong>Slovakia</strong>, <strong>Slovenia</strong>, <strong>Turkey</strong>, and <strong>Ukraine</strong>. Plus there’s Australia (yet not <strong>New Zealand</strong>) and Israel. A few of these have won, as well, including Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine (three times), although Russia got itself kicked out in 2021 because of its brutal invasion of Ukraine, Belarus also got the boot because of its support of Russia and because its own dictatorship was using the contest as a propaganda tool; and Turkey pulled out in 2013 and hasn’t yet returned (supposedly due to disagreement over a couple of rules) – though Turkish opposition presidential candidate <strong>Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu</strong> has said he’d like to change that if he winds. Then there are the "Big Five," which are always included because they foot much of the Eurovision bill every year: <strong>France</strong>, <strong>Germany</strong>, <strong>Italy</strong>, <strong>Spain</strong>, and the <strong>United Kingdom</strong> (sort of like the <strong>United Nations Security Council</strong>, I guess, but without the veto?). This year there were 37 contestants, with Bulgaria, Montenegro, and North Macedonia dropping out because they couldn’t afford participating due to the global energy crisis.</p>
<p>OK, background over, and on to last night’s “United by Music” extravaganza in <strong>Liverpool</strong>, which hosted because although Ukraine won with an unprecedently massive sympathy vote in <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2022-turin-italy-culture-music-travel?edited=1">2022</a>, the insecurity wrought by the war made it impossible to stage in <strong>Kyiv</strong>, and the <strong>UK</strong> came in second (on the other hand, ironic because Britain stupidly Brexited three years ago after a nasty, mendacious campaign essentially vilifying the rest of Europe). The city was festooned in yellow and blue and the broadcast itself was replete with Ukrainian images, themes, and music (including an opening montage, then epic arena rendition of last year’s winner <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">"</a><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">Stefania</a><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">" </a></strong><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">by </a><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs"><strong>Kalush Orchestra</strong></a></strong>, as well as 2016 champ <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/B-rnM-MwRHY">Jamala</a></strong> and zanily over-the top drag contestant <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/hfjHJneVonE">Verka Serduchka</a></strong>, who placed second in 2007. For all that, though, the EBU slapped down <strong>Volodomyr Zelensky</strong>’s request to tape a message of thanks, deeming it too “political” and hence against the no-overt-politics rules. Now, given all the hoopla over Ukraine – and indeed, the very fact that the event couldn’t even be held there this year to begin with for criminally political reasons – I and many others think this was a mistake, but hey. <em>Slava Ukraïni</em> anyway!<br /> <br /> Other highlights included lightning cameos from <strong>Andrew Lloyd Webber</strong> and <strong>Charles</strong>, <strong>Camilla</strong>, and<strong> Kate Middleton</strong>; a bunch of Eurovisioners past including 2022 runner-up <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/ziG157jZ4-E">Sam Ryder’s latest single “Mountain”</a></strong> and a segment covering songs of famous Liverpuddlian acts such as <strong>Atomic Kitten</strong>, <strong>Dead or Alive</strong>, and <strong>John Lennon</strong>. And most movingly of all, there was a mass-wrap-up rendition, again in homage to Ukraine, of a moving 1945 show tune, “<strong>You’ll Never Walk Alone</strong>.” All that, and various other usual over-the-top shenanigans too numerous to enumerate. <br /> <br /> In the end it added up to a massive, truly staggering feat of musical and theatrical production. And now on to the lineup, starting with the winner:</p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Sweden: “Tattoo” - Loreen</strong></span><br /> <br /> Already heavily favored as the winner going in, singer, actress, and political activist <strong>Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui</strong> was born 40 years ago in <strong>Stockholm </strong>to Moroccan Berber immigrants (the kind of unfortunate folks who these days are being increasingly demonized even in liberal <strong>Scandinavia</strong>, including Sweden itself). She was already one of <strong>Sverige</strong>’s up-till-now six contest winners, for <a href="https://youtu.be/Pfo-8z86x80"> “<strong>Euphoria</strong>” in 2012</a>, which went on to become a worldwide hit. And with “Tattoo” she’s outdone herself. Performed on a fairly simple set – mostly sandwiched claustrophobically between a pair of square wedges emitting swirling imagery and mysterious symbols – and sporting swirling dreads and freaky-long, curvy, killer nails (<em>dayum!</em>) – she puts in a raw, plaintive, undeniably powerful pop performance (like “Euphoria,” in English), belting out the likes of “Violins playin’ and the angels cryin’, when the stars align I’ll be there” and “No, I don't care about the pain./I'll walk through fire and through rain/Just to get closer to you./You're stuck on me like a tattoo .” I really feel the emotion and pain in her delivery. You know, the Buddhists say that attachment is the main source of suffering. But that doesn’t make for dramatic art now, does it? In any case, “Tattoo” ended up inked into Eurovision history, tying Ireland for most contest wins; becoming the first female act to triumph twice; and of course outdoing Sweden’s number-four <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/4tD-ycN2uJQ">“Hold Me Closer” from Cornelia Jakobs</a></strong> last year.</p>
<p>And beyond that, here's a rundown of the two dozen finalists winnowed from the total field, which for the most part got here by winning votes in national finals in their respective countries (with some exceptions, such as the UK entry, chosen jointly by the <strong>BBC</strong> and the artist’s record label):</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Albania: “Duje” - Albina & Familja Kelmendi</strong></span></p>
<p>Exotically beautiful <strong>Albina Kelmendi</strong> was born in <strong>Kosovo</strong> (then part of Serbia) 25 years ago, and in this outing, dressed in an equally exotic, traditionally inspired costume, her powerful vocals are backed by five members of her <em>familja</em> (two sisters, a brother, even mom and dad!) in the dramatic “Love It.” Sung in Albanian (there are more than a few impenetrable languages across Europe, but this one’s right up there), it’s a hypnotizing, wonderfully Balkan-flavored ode to the importance of family in the face of a break-up: “Love it like you used to love it./That love, save it./Just like the life, you love it./Don’t throw stones at it, but just like you used to, love it. That love, keep it/Like the life you love, love it.” <strong><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/albania">Shqipëri</a></strong> has definitely had its ups and (mostly) downs in the 19 years since it started competing, with the best result coming in 2012 with <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/QeBL2UHhyEc">Rona Nishliu’s power ballad “<em>Suus</em>”</a></strong>). But maybe “Duje” came across as a bit <em>too</em> exotic for the juries and call-ins to love, sadly placing 22nd out of 26 – its poorest ranking ever. I just don’’t know what else to say, except that they definitely deserved better. </p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Armenia: “Future Lover” - Brunette</strong></span><br /> <br /> All by her lonesome against against a stark black and white-lit backdrop interspersed with swirling psychedelic purples, at age 22 <strong>Elen Yeremyan</strong> from <strong>Yerevan</strong> also sports a wonderfully sultry, exotic look. And her haunting, wistful meditation is a ballad with a beat plus a rap interlude – in both English and a bit of Armenian (something we haven’t seen in all too long). For example: “I just wanna make art/Read books and just find someone/Who likes me enough to kiss my face./I wanna explore with him and visit old bookstores/And cute little things, like drink smoothies at near cafés.” Then the emotion swells, and “I’m a volcano that is going to explode in a sec./I’m so hypnotized by someone that I’ve never ever met.” Sweet, right? <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/armenia">Armenia</a> has made 15 appearances here and reached the finals a dozen times, reaching its high-water mark, fourth place, in both 2008 (<a href="https://youtu.be/bridO-wD7c8">”<strong>Quélé Quélé</strong>” from <strong>Sirusha</strong></a>) and 2014 (<a href="https://youtu.be/oj0oOV-2fRQ"><strong>Aram MP3</strong>’s “<strong>Not Alone</strong>”</a>). So coming in 14th last night is of course a disappointment – but also at least an improvement on 20th for folk-popster <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/DAJ6vfmD_ic">Rosa Linn’s “Snap”</a></strong> last year (and despite that, Rosa has become something of a worldwide sensation since, as this broadcast noted). Hopefully Brunette will achieve similar success, and that the future love for Armenia’s hopeful in <strong>Stockholm</strong> will be grow by leaps and bounds.</p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Australia: “Promise” - Voyager</strong></span></p>
<p>Whimsically, the Eurovision swan song for <strong>Oz</strong> for at least a while opens with gap-toothed lead singer <strong>Danny Estrin</strong> and his asymmetrically flowing locks at the wheel of an iconic vintage sports car, a 1988 <strong>Toyota MR2 AW11</strong>. Then this <strong>Perth</strong>-based, five-member, 24-year-old <a href="https://www.voyagerau.com/">“progressive metal” band</a> (but with a wider musical range than that implies) proceeds to deliver an energetic, kinda 80s-vibish, definitely un-metal-feeling rocker that starts out with the question “Have you ever done anything like this before?” and winds up with “Promise mе you'll hold me 'til I die./I'm by your side./Promisе me it's gonna, promise me it's gonna be all right.” And check out that wicked keytar (guitar-keyboard hybrid) solo, would you? Anyhoo…Australia’s high mark was sixth in 2016, with South Korean immigrant <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/5ymFX91HwM0">Dami Im’s performance of “Sound of Silence”</a></strong> (with apologies to <strong>Simon and Garfunkel</strong>) and this time it ended up in ninth (but at least a big jump up from 15th for last year’s moving yet morose <a href="https://youtu.be/wosfFz2FJPU">“<strong>Not the Same</strong>” from gay Asperger’s dude <strong>Sheldon Riley</strong></a>). It’s a damn shame the Aussies ended their run without a win, but we can always hope for a comeback, right?</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/8uk64V9h0Ko"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uk64V9h0Ko" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> </a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Austria: “Who the Hell Is Edgar?” - Teya & Salena</strong></span><br /> <br /> <strong><em>Österreich</em></strong> has taken the <em>torte</em> twice, in 1966 with the smooth, languid German-language classic <a href="https://youtu.be/sqasLQyydeU">“<strong><em>Merci Chérie</em></strong>” by <strong>Üdo Jürgens</strong></a> and most memorably with drag darling <a href="https://youtu.be/QRUIava4WRM">Conchita Wurst’s 2016 “Rise Like a Phoenix,”</a> and its latest effort – squarely in the Eurovision tradition of quirky – was first up last night, and kicked off with some classic Eurovision wackiness - albeit with definite musical chops. Black-clad Serbian-Austrian <strong>Teodora Špirić</strong>, 23, and white-wearing <strong>Selina-Maria Edbauer,</strong> 25, brought a driving beat to the likes of “There's a ghost in my body and he is a lyricist./It is <strong>Edgar Allan Poe</strong>, and I think he can't resist./Yeah, his brain is in my hand, and it's moving really fast.” Then later they sneak in a slam at the exploitation of songwriters by streaming platforms like <strong>Spotify</strong>, which pay them as little as US3 cents per stream: “Zero dot zero zero three./Give me two years, and your dinner will be free./Gas station champagne is on me.” (Oh, and fun fact: the “cheeky” chorus, “Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe," happens to also be German for “butt, butt, butt, butt, butt, butt.”) But this was probably too sardonic, sarcastic, and “meta” to go all the way, and one might be tempted to snark that the critical response to the song was “who the hell cares?” But to be fair, it did place in the upper half of the leaderboard, at 15th. And hey – we did get a pretty fun ride in the process – Poe, Poe, Poe!</p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Belgium: “Because of You” - Gustaph</strong></span></p>
<p>I remember <a href="https://youtu.be/sB09advfF6E"><strong>Jérémie Makiese</strong>’s “Miss You”</a> last year (19th place) – smooth and soulful, but also kinda mournful. This time out they went in the opposite direction – positive and upbeat – with this also soulful dance number in English from <strong>Antwerp</strong>’s Flemish, very much gay <strong>Stef Caers</strong> (at age 43 a tad long in the tooth compared to the kids around him). In a white blazer, a big white hat, a pink button-down shirt, and puffy pink knickers, here he’s backed up by video images of drag queens, voguing, and a diversity of ages and genders (the two fierce black women back-up singers are a great funky touch, too). Snippets of that positivity: “I love myself much more than I did yesterday” (yay!) and “when the world got me going crazy, I carry on/'Cause I know I'm strong./When the world got me going crazy/I carry on./And it's all because of you, because of you.” You go, girl! Anyway, <strong>België</strong>/<strong>Belgique</strong> has nabbed the top prize just once, way back in 1986, thanks to <a href="https://youtu.be/HyHWn0ZUrYU"><strong>Sandra Kim</strong>’s peppy, melodic "<strong><em>J'aime la Vie,</em></strong>"</a> and while coming in a strong seventh, Gustaph didn’t break the long dry spell, it was a welcome tonic - <em>bedankt!</em></p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Croatia: “Mama ŠČ!” - Let 3 </strong></span><br /> <br /> Call me a fuddy duddy, but witnessing these half dozen characters clear the first semifinal made me go, “WTF were the voters <em>thinking</em>?” In most cases I’m all for “alternative,” quirky, and even transgressive, but the strange, jarring performance of these aging punkers (speaking of long in the tooth, the two dudes fronting the group are 62 and 59) from <strong><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/rijeka-croatia-attractions-2020-european-capital-of-culture">Rijeka</a></strong> on the <strong>Dalmatian Coast</strong> just plain made my eyes and head hurt. Marching and gyrating, they’re decked out in military drag-meet-psychedelia along with ludicrous pasted-on mustaches, then strip down to their undies – all the while backed by a ginormous video screen blasting out a dizzyingly swirl of bizarre images. The song itself is anti-war and monotonously simple yet hard to describe – and the <strong>BBC</strong> did it better than I ever could: “imagine someone cut up segments of <strong>Queen</strong>’s ‘<strong>Bohemian Rhapsody</strong>,’ <strong>Los Del Rio</strong>’s ‘<strong>Macarena</strong>,’ <strong>Wagner</strong>’s <strong>The Ring Cycle</strong>, and the sound of a tractor engine, then reassembled them at random.” Representative lyrics, translated from the Croatian: “Mama bought a tractor,” “Mama kissed the moron,” and “That little psychopath/A little vile psychopath/Crocodile psychopath/Mama, I'm going to war”- this last line, they say, a slam at <strong>Vladimir Putin</strong>, and the tractor thang a dig at Belarus dictator <strong>Aleksandr Lukashenko</strong>, who once gave Vlad a tractor for his birthday. Whatever – it’s sure one helluva screeching 180-degree tractor-turn from last year’s sweet, intimate, English-language <a href="https://youtu.be/DFBwe2w0zO4">“<strong>Guilty Pleasure</strong>” from <strong>Mia Dimšić</strong></a> (which washed out in the semifinal), as well at its more conventional, melodic fourth-place finishers in <a href="https://youtu.be/Wzgful7Gl8U">’96 (<strong>Maja Blagdam</strong>, “<strong>Sveta Ljubav</strong>”)</a> and ’99 (<a href="https://youtu.be/x2oIkF3sQtE"><strong>Doris Dragovi</strong><strong>ć</strong>, “<strong>Maria Magdalena</strong>”</a>). And I can’t say I was surprised it continued Croatia’s unbroken losing streak in 27 tries, ending up at number 13.</p>
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<p><strong><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">Cyprus: “Break a Broken Heart” - Andrew Lambrou</span></strong><br /> <br /> Back to ballads, smolderingly hunky 25-year-old Andrew (a few of my gay friends were swooning over him; Andy himself has remained discreet as to his own sexuality) is actually Australian though from a Greek Cypriot family; competed in the local <em>X Factor</em>; and last year even took part in the <strong>Oz</strong> competition to decide its Eurovision entry. He was approached by Greek Cypress to represent the country, and so here he was, in a simple black outfit with sleeveless shirt to show off his sleek guns, surrounded by a few special effects – dry-ice smoke across the stage floor and behind him, sheets of cascading water, followed by some fire. As for the song itself, it’s a good, solid ballad driven by his smooth, soulful vocals (check out those soaring high notes in the chorus!) and a dynamic beat, with lyrics like “The lights went out./I hit the ground./You didn't mind that I was bleeding out./You filled my life with minor songs./I loved you, but you loved to do me wrong./I miss your kiss, gasoline and a matchstick./Red lights, flashes, rising out of the ashes.” In recent years Cyprus has often made the final but finished fairly far down – with the notable second-place exception of Greek-Albanian <a href="https://youtu.be/vyDTbJ4wenY"><strong>Eleni Foureira</strong> channeling <strong>Beyoncé</strong> with “<em>Fuego</em>”</a> in 2018. This fine, polished effort, by contrast, broke into the leaderboard in spot number 12.</p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Czechia/Czech Republic: “My Sister’s Crown” - Vesna</strong></span> <br /> <br /> Now I do have a soft spot for the Czechs, having lived in <strong>Prague</strong> for more than a year a good while back. That aside, <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/czechia">this country</a>’s Eurovision track record has been pretty spotty – after debuting in 2007, it took itself out from 2009 till 2015 due to poor showings (including zero points in 2008) and a “meh” from the national public. Last night it was the turn of seven-year-old folk-pop sextet of pink-clad, long-braided young women (whip those braids, sistahs!) – two Czechs, a Bulgarian, a Ukrainian, a Slovak, and a Russian. They came at us with a catchy, driving number in English, Czech, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian about sisterhood and protesting gender inequality, with lines like “We are not your dolls” and “My sister’s crown/Don’t take it down/Nobody has right to do it/She’s beautiful and capable/She is her own queen/And she will prove it.” Energetic choreography; a definite updated East-European vibe; a touch of hip hop, and plenty of gurl-power attitude – and in the end Vesna came in a respectable tenth, much improving on last year’s techno <a href="https://youtu.be/EGRzSefqOm0">“<strong>Lights Off</strong>” from <strong>We Are Domi</strong></a> (22nd), but still several notches below sixth for <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/w0ZUuQe0shk">Mikoláš Josef’s jazzy “Lie to Me”</a></strong> in 2018.</p>
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<p><a href="https://youtu.be/HsbC-OYMA3s"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HsbC-OYMA3s" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Estonia: “Bridges” - Alika</strong></span></p>
<p>This a country with a rich singing tradition – not too many years ago I had the great pleasure of attending its biannual, UNESCO World Heritage <strong>Estonian Song Festival</strong> in <strong>Tallinn</strong> – one of the world’s largest choral events – and it was a memorable experience indeed, beautifully showcasing national culture. Nonetheless, its record has been less than stellar since debuting at Eurovision in 1994 – though it has won once, in 2001 for the fun but I must say pretty un-Estonian disco number <a href="https://youtu.be/wri72BfnGh4">"<strong>Everybody</strong>" by <strong>Tanel Padar</strong> and <strong>Dave Benton</strong></a>. Last night it was the turn of attractive young <strong>Alika Milova</strong>, born 20 years ago in the Russian-majority city of <strong>Narva</strong>, clad in blue on a simple set, with just a self-playing piano alongside her. She brings quietly powerful vocals to a nice ballad with lyrics like “Now I’m heading home o solid ground./Realized that all the lies I’ve told myself have died” and a chorus that goes “There is always time to get back on track,/Tearing down the walls slowly every step./Now I see myself building up a world of bridges.” My take: pleasant but fairly forgettable – yet I was surprised to see it wasn’t a bridge too far after all, taking a darn respectable eighth place (compared to last year, when inexplicably American-Western-themed <a href="https://youtu.be/GdTpQmMem8U">“<strong>Hope</strong>” by handsome young <strong>Stefan</strong></a> came in 13th). Also, just my two cents, but since 1999 this country has barely fielded any entries except in English, and I wish they would give it a try again next year – or at the very least something evoking its rich culture a bit more. What do you say, <em>Eesti</em>? <br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l6rS8Dv5g-8" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Finland: “Cha Cha Cha” - Käärijä</strong> </span><br /> <br /> This intense blast of metal- techno fusion fits in nicely with <strong>Suomi</strong>’s hard rock/metal tradition in recent years, and in the semifinal was an audience favorite and pegged as a top contender to take it all. <strong>Käärijä</strong> (aka <strong>Jere Pöyhönen</strong>) is a 29-year-old hip hop/metal/electronica dude who cites the German metal/hard rock band <strong>Rammstein</strong> as a major influence and here he breaks out of a wooden crate and prances about the stage in a borderline-dorky bowl cut and a green, puffy, open-front bolero jacket (a slightly brave choice, since he’s got a wee bit of a tummy); the original video, by the way has him flinging himself around a boxing ring. It's basically about losing inhibitions during a night out drinking: “Wanna mess my head up and free my mind of fear like a cha cha cha cha cha cha cha” (even though the drink he uses to do it is a piña colada – which, dude, doesn’t seem very metal to me). Several other points: the second half turns more melodic and radio friendly; I really like that it’s sung in Finnish (unlike last year’s <a href="https://youtu.be/LSi9nfr65FE">“<strong>Jezebel</strong>” from <strong>The</strong> <strong>Rasmus</strong></a> as well as others in previous years); and throughout It's an adrenaline rush for sure. And though Käärijä didn’t join Finland’s only Eurovision winner, the seriously hardcore, even more out-there <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/gAh9NRGNhUU">Lordi with “Hard Rock Hallelujah”</a></strong> (2006), he did make it all the way to first runner-up – and for a hot minute even occupied the top slot. So for sure we haven’t heard the last from crazy ol’ Jere! <br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fOtQJ4o-HoA" width="750" height="450" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>France: “<em>Évidemment</em>” - La Zarra</strong> </span><br /> <br /> A Montreal-born, Paris-based chanteuse/songwriter of Moroccan descent, 35-year-old <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lazarramusique/">Fatima Zahra Hafdi</a></strong>, according the contest’s French team “combines the class and style of <strong>Audrey Hepburn</strong> and <strong>Marilyn Monroe</strong> with the sense of tragedy of <strong>Edith Piaf</strong>, the post-modern intoxication of <strong>Lady Gaga</strong>, the naked frankness of <strong>Barbara</strong> [a 1950s French cabaret star], and the fragility of <strong>Dalida</strong> [an Egyptian-born French star of the 1950s-80s].” Alrighty, then – well, I can sort of see all of that. Perched on a glowing pedestal against a simple black set with sweeping white lights, poured into a slinky, shimmery red-tinged black number with an insouciant little cocked <em>châpeau</em> that might not be too out of place at a slightly more chic version of the <strong>Ascot</strong> races, in this ballad-meets-disco torch song “Evidently,” La Zarra laments that how her body parts are no longer hers – not even her kidneys, <em>parbleu</em>! – and “In my hell garden, the plants are watered with dreams and tears.” Catchy and as you would expect <em>très elegant</em>, but despite being tipped as one of the top three favorites, <em>évidemment</em> it wasn’t enough to snare <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/france">France</a> its first win since 1977, with <a href="https://youtu.be/CWfH4Gp8nGg">"<strong><em>L'Oiseau et l'Enfant</em></strong>," performed by <strong>Marie Myriam</strong></a>. And in fact I was almost shocked that she finished so far down, at 16 – worse even than last year, when the witchy Breton-language <a href="https://youtu.be/H1lcGXwOqJI">“<strong><em>Fulenn</em></strong>” from <strong>Alvan & Ahez</strong></a> racked up 24.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/dyGR4YWlPEs"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dyGR4YWlPEs" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Germany: “Blood and Glitter” - Lord of the Lost</strong></span><br /> <br /> Wow, another 180-degree turn from last year, in <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/germany">Germany</a>’s case melodic, low-key <a href="https://youtu.be/2BYIou-oWXA">“<strong>Rockstars</strong>” from <strong>Malik Harris</strong></a>. In the finals thanks to Germany’s “Big Five” status, this guttural, occasionally screechy entry from <a href="https://lordofthelost.de/">a 16-year-old metal/glam quintet</a> out of <strong>Hamburg</strong> led by 43-year-old <strong>Chris “Lord” Harms</strong> is also reminiscent of Rammstein, and it’s apparently bidding to give Finland’s Käärijä a run for his hard-rockin’ money with a solid (if a bit generic number) and a theatrically flashy stage performance. But I’m not gonna lie – this kind of “sweet and bitter,” hard-driving stuff has never been my cup of tea, nor it seems has it for the most part been Eurovision’s (notwithstanding the 2021 win of <strong>Italy</strong>’s <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/RVH5dn1cxAQ">Måneskin with “Zitti e Buoni”</a></strong>). <strong>Deutschland</strong> has triumphed twice, in 1982 and 2010, and though despite its borderline inane lyrics “Blood and Glitter” still manages to be somewhat memorable. Even so, this year our metal <em>Freunden</em> continued the country’s long losing streak since <strong>Lena</strong>’s “<strong><em>Satellite</em></strong>” in 2010, ending up a lord of the lost at dead last. <em>Mehr Glück im nächsten Jahr</em> (better luck next year) – and <em>bitte</em>, try going back to the drawing board. 🙏</p>
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<p><strong><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">Israel: “Unicorn” - Noa Kirel</span></strong><br /> <br /> After failing to qualify for the final last year with <a href="https://youtu.be/XgXjPUsjx4Y"><strong>Michael Ben David</strong>’s fairly gay “I.M.,”</a> four-time winner <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/israel">Israel</a> sends us a hot 22-year-old (one of the country’s biggest pop stars, and an army vet to boot), with major cheekbones, pouty lips, and another energetic piece of gurl-power pop. In front of a relatively simple square tunnel of lights, clad in shiny black pants and a white bustier and backed by the usual handful of dancers, Noa belts out lyrics like “I’m gonna stand here like a unicorn, out here on my own/I got the power of a unicorn./ Don’t you ever learn?/That I won’t look back/I won’t look down/I’m going up/You better turn around”; a touch of Hebrew is thrown in (“I’m not like anyone else against the world”) for good measure. Including a zippy little dance break and winding up amid a blast of fireworks at the end (the official music video on the other hand has her slinking across a red ceiling and in various other poses, but is relatively subdued by comparison), it was indeed a “phenom-phenom-phenom phenomenal” performance but was pitted against a lot of other strong females here tonight. Nonetheless, Noa shot past most of them, placing a strong third.</p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d6IiOSut_4M" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Italy: “<em>Due Vite</em>” - Marco Mengoni</strong></span><br /> <br /> Speaking of phenom-phenomenons, handsome, bearded, 34-year-old <strong><a href="https://www.marcomengoni.it/it/">Marco</a></strong> became one in Italy after winning the national <em>X Factor</em> in 2009, and with this intense yet soulful, melodic pop ballad “<strong>Two Lives</strong>” he’s making his second Eurovision appearance a decade after <a href="https://youtu.be/S8oaxDV1q6o">his first, in <strong>Malmö</strong>, <strong>Sweden</strong></a>. – and this time surprised everyone by emerging during the flag of nations introduction with a gay pride flag along with the Italian – <em>bravo</em>! With passionate, virtuoso delivery, his poetic lyrics emote about the painful side of relationships with lines like “If this is the last song before the moon will explode/I will be there to tell you you're wrong, you're wrong, and you know it.” By the way, the above video – bleak and nearly monochromatic – was shot in the sand dunes of southern <strong>Sardinia </strong>(undoubtedly inspired by the line “And I still don't know your desert that well”.” three-time winner <strong><em>Italia</em></strong> has consistently finished fairly high in the past decade – including last year’s gorgeous, sixth-placing <a href="https://youtu.be/blEy4xHuMbY">“<strong><em>Brividi</em></strong>” from hunky duet <strong>Mahmood and Blanco</strong></a> (and a big favorite of mine on both musical and aesthetic grounds) – and this time around was no exception, coming in an even stronger fourth. <em>Ma bello!<br /> <br /> </em></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><br /> Lithuania: "Stay" - Monika Linkytė</strong></span></p>
<p>Monika, 31, is Lithuanian-music-scene veteran of at least 15 years, including a platinum studio album, the local version of <em>The Voice</em>, various of its Eurovision tryouts, and Eurovision itself, bouncily belting out <a href="https://youtu.be/xtB_slM63JA">“This Time”</a> with <strong>Vaidas Baumila</strong>. Here, pretty and Baltically blonde (balanced out by her female backup vocalists, three out of four of whom are black), she donned an relatively simple orange frock and deployed her impressive set of pipes to deliver a beautiful, melodic torch song which begs – not, as you might assume, a lover to stay – but rather a plea for help and support from someone with long-term depression: “Just stay with me./My heart is bleeding./I need your healing./Wait for me./Well, it ain't easy/To love someone like me.” Meanwhile, above and behind them flashed pagan folkloric symbols, and most memorably the song is punctuated throughout with the catchy hook <em>čiūto tūto</em>, an incantation from old Lithuanians rituals. In the end, “Stay” had surprisingly staying power, taking 11th place, outdoing last year’s <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/BVqSTVJhD44">”Sentimental” from slinky, seductive Monica Liu</a> </strong>at 14th. That one, incidentally, was one of this country’s very few not sung in English, and I’d love to hear more of the national language in the future. <em>Pirmyn, Lietuva!</em></p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Moldova: "<em>Soarele și Luna</em>" - Pasha Parfeni</strong></span><br /> <br /> Flanked by a pair of kettle drummers and dancers in antlers, in front of a vid screen featuring a huge pulsing sun, then moon – barechested, sporting an open, golden robe and a boy bun – this 36-year-old longtime veteran of the music biz (and also of Eurovision, in <a href="https://youtu.be/vIy0EtEeLEw">2012</a>) brings a primal intensity and energy to “The Sun and the Moon.” Sung in the national language Romanian, this classic case of traditional folk music and literary motifs meeting fast-paced electronica was composed jointly with his wife and expresses themes of love, devotion, and as Pasha said in an interview, how “the sun and the moon and the universe can align when you make the right decision.” For example: “I promised my bride a wedding under a starry sky./I gave to her on the seventh night, a ring with a gemstone. Sun and moon, they will hold us a weddin/Sun and moon, They will hold us, they will hold us a wedding.” They threw me a bit with the sudden appearance of a flute-playing dwarf in a bizarre headdress, but I later learned this supposedly represents a benign mythological character of some sort - alrighty then! In the end, the cosmic bodies aligned to yield a ranking of 18, lower than to <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/moldova">Moldova</a>’s 2022 “folk-punk” entry <a href="https://youtu.be/C9RJQPZsj8E">“Trenulețul (A Little Train)”</a>, which despite (or perhaps because of?) its kookiness also made the final, and pulled into the station at seventh.<br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PUHSM_vTqTI" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Norway: “Queen of Kings,” - Alessandra</strong></span><br /> <br /> Born in Italy 23 years ago to an Italian dad and Norwegian mom, <strong>Alessandra Watle Mele</strong> rose to prominence in Norway’s edition of <strong><em>The Voice</em></strong>, and here, clad in a vaguely sci-fi-evocative, caped black bustier trimmed with gold and a spiky gold tiara she told an interviewer was actually inspired by <strong>England</strong>’s <strong>Queen Elizabeth I</strong> (the original video also has a vaguely fantasy/sci-fi vibe). The staging is relatively simple and not overproduced compared to other competitors – mesmerizing, strobing blue lights, for the most part – but no matter: the song is compelling, driving, and feels like an heroic, epic anthem of sorts, with shades of Nordic mythology, its lyrics alluding to her challenging yet empowering experiences as a bisexual woman with inspirational, eminently catchy lines such as “She, queen of the kings, runnin' so fast, beatin' the wind./Nothin' in this world could stop the spread of her wings./She, queen of the kings, broken her cage, threw out the keys./She will be the warrior of the north and southern seas.” I’m prone to earworms, and this is totally a candidate for me. Anyway, over the decades, <strong><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/norway">Norge</a></strong> has been all over the map in Eurovision – finishing last various times but also thrice with the top prize, and last year’s goofy/creepy <a href="https://youtu.be/FJjo8s3fKUM">“Give That Wolf a Banana”</a> came in tenth. This time around the queen did them five better, being crowned in fifth place.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Poland: “Solo” - Blanka</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><em>Polska</em></strong> hasn’t been too successful since it began competing in 1994 – when <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/PL5rmmpiHp8">Edyta Górniak’s “<em>To Nie Ja!</em>"</a></strong> achieved the country’s high-water mark, coming in second. Last night against a video screen packed with tropical imagery – palm trees, beaches, and colorful birdies – comely 24-year-old <strong>Blanka Stajkow</strong> from <strong>West Pomerania</strong> treated us to a breezy, catchy, fun yet fairly generic and lightweight dance tune in English celebrating liberation from a bad relationship: “Now I’m better solo solo./I never let me down down down/and now I’m gonna show ya show ya/show you what it is you’re missing out.” In other words, better solo than settling for less. Cute but a bit perfunctory and underwhelming – I honestly can’t understand how it made the finals when several other deserving competitors lost out. I can’t say I’m surprised it came in at 19 on the leaderboard, (as compared to 2022’s 12th-place finalist, <a href="https://youtu.be/jRVDZ6446eM"><strong>Ochman</strong>’s pretty but somnolent ballad “<strong>River</strong>”</a>).</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/HYfkxX4PFyw"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HYfkxX4PFyw" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Portugal:</strong> <strong>“<em>Ai Coração</em>” - Mimicat</strong></span></p>
<p>With something of a zippy, even downright fiery cabaret/vaudeville feel, pop/soul chanteuse (and former realto)<strong> Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena</strong>, 39, came at us with a fluff of curly blond hair, a feathery, thigh-length, ruffled red frock, four also red-clad, handclapping back-up dancers, and a backdrop of flashing lights to lustily belt out “Oh Heart.” It’s basically about being in love and in a whirl, even slightly unhinged: “I feel dizzy, every day worse./I don't know things that I used to./Pulsations went up a thousand./I feel crazy, totally senile. Oh heart, tell me if you are mine!” Totally <em>sui generis</em> in this year’s lineup, “<em>Ai Coração</em>” is quite a fun, breezy, playful change of pace from the ballads – also always in Portuguese – we’ve become used to seeing from <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/portugal">Portugal</a>, such as last year’s gentle, wistful “<em>Saudade, Saudade</em>” from <strong>Maro</strong> (came in ninth) and <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/Qotooj7ODCM">Salvador Sobral’s "<em>Amar Pelos Dois</em>,"</a></strong> (the country’s sole win so far, in 2017). However, this still wasn’t destined to totally capture the hearts of the public, with a a pretty near-the-bottom finish, Maybe they should go back to ballads? (And fun fact: at some point somebody figured out that there’s a “curse of the second song”: the second song performed at the final – which tonight was this one – has never grabbed the top prize. #Justsayin’.)</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/gPRfg9wzbpw"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gPRfg9wzbpw" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Serbia: “<em>Samo mi se Spava</em>" - Luke Black</strong></span><br /> <br /> Clean-cut and amazingly boyish-looking for 31, <strong>Luka Ivanović</strong> has made avant-garde “experimental pop” his lane, and “I’m Just Sleepy” cruises along it admirably, a musical performance piece with smooth, sometimes whispery vocals, in a mix of Serbian and English, and a darkly hypnotic, pulsing, electronica vibe and a sci-fi-videogame feel. There’s of course lots of talk of snoozing: “I just wanna sleep forever (I'm s-sleeping)./I like it better when I dream./I just wanna close my eyes (I'm s-sleeping)/And just get it over with./I wanna sleep forever (I'm s-sleeping)/While the world burns (This ends now).” The dreamlike choreography, meanwhile, starts out with Luke stretched out in a futuristic, translucent, cocoon-like bed and proceeding to yank out hoses attached to gas masked dancers, presumably pulling them out of their <strong><em>Matrix</em></strong>-like existence. A commentary on apocalyptic times, perhaps. Not unlike last year’s fifth-place <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/serbia">Serbia</a> entry, <a href="https://youtu.be/nBtQj1MfNYA">“<strong><em>In Corpore Sana</em></strong>” from <strong>Konstrakta</strong></a> (Luke’s aunt, imagine that), this one’s very quirky; has a social message; and is just quite different from the rest of the lineup. Nonetheless, it failed to join geeky-cool <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/FSueQN1QvV4">Marija Šerifović’s “<em>Molitva</em><em>,</em>”</a></strong> which won in 2007 at Serbia’s very first appearance, and slept in at number 24. Maybe <em>too</em> experimental?</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Slovenia: “Carpe Diem” by Joker Out</strong></span><br /> <br /> <strong><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/slovenia">Slovenija</a></strong>’s first time back in the finals in four years comes courtesy of <a href="https://jokeroutband.com/">a seven-year-old quintet</a> of sweet-looking, photogenic twentysomethings specializing in what they call “shagadelic” or “softboi” rock. And here the bois – decked out in retro-groovy threads – serve up a polished bit of melodic pop-rock in Slovenian (though its name is Latin for “seize the day”) exuberantly expressing the joy of music: “We'll be dancing all night long./We'll love each other and play/As if there was no tomorrow (There was no tomorrow)./We won't count the hours until dawn comes./We'll jump across the mountains/To be embraced by the sky.” Very much a fun, feel-good experience! In its 28 years competing, this country’s highest placement in the finals was seventh, both in 1995 and 2002, and Carpe Diem ended up seizing 21st place.</p>
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<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"> <strong>Spain: “<em>Eaea</em>” - Paloma Blanca</strong></span><br /> <br /> This powerful “electro flamenco” number – from a 33-year-old born in <strong>Valencian Community</strong> of twice Eurovision winner Spain -–in addition to being poetic, passionate, and powerful is without a doubt one of this country’s most “Spanish” entries in its 61 years of participation, evoking the traditional, Roma-influenced culture of <strong>Andalusia</strong> with its plaintive tonalities, clapping, and more. This is a kind of lullaby, with <em>eaea</em> is a word used to soothe children and help them go to sleep; the lyrics start “Hey, come, my child, come sleep by my side. May my bosom provide you with refuge, refuge from your sorrows.” And later, the haunting image of “My child, when I die, may they bury me in the moon, and I hope to watch over you every night.” The intimate yet dramatic – and exquisitely choreographed – the staging starts with Blanca in red-leather top and white pants, first outlined in silhouette against ghostly, moonlike lighted background and then surrounded (along with her five backup dancers) with hanging strands of red fabric reminiscent of the shawls sometimes worn over traditional Andalusian dresses. In the run-up to the competition, some observers wondered if this song is a little too “particular” and “regional” to appeal to a Europe-wide jury and audience (even though I found no similar doubts expressed about competitors influenced by Slavic folk traditions). Still, it obviously hit a chord, coming in at number 17 (a comedown from last year’s third runner up, <a href="https://youtu.be/jSQYTt4xg3I">“<em>SloMo</em>” by sexy, Cuban-born <strong>Chanel</strong></a>. No doubt one of the more "commercial" runners-up at <strong><a href="https://www.rtve.es/television/eurovision/benidorm-fest/" target="_blank">Benidorm Fest</a> - such as "<em><a href="https://youtu.be/1j_dSNUGU-U" target="_blank">Nochenetera</a></em></strong>" - would've done better. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/LWiW2GDNZ0s"><br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l4NDErv49mk" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Switzerland: “Watergun” - Remo Forrer</strong></span></p>
<p>This cute, fresh faced 21-year-old sporting-goods salesman from German-speaking <strong>St. Gallen</strong> canton triumphed at the Swiss edition of <strong><em>The Voice </em></strong>three years ago, and here it seems like he’s got a bit of an <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong> thing going on. Simply clad in black, against an equally simple backdrop of lights and flanked with the inevitable dances, in his deep, resonant voice Remo smoothly and earnestly croons a haunting, melancholy, moving piano ballad (in English) that’s a plea for peace, centering on two young men who as boys would play at war but then are confronted with the grim reality of real war: “No, no, I don't wanna be a soldier, soldier./I don't wanna have to play with real blood./'Cause we ain't playin' now, can't turn and run, no water guns – just body bags that we've become.” A quiet but dramatic standout amid a field of big and bombastic, it was written before the Ukraine war but is certainly especially resonant given everything that’s transpired there in the past year and a quarter – plus of course all the other tragic and troubling conflict in the world today in places like <strong>Ethiopia</strong>, <strong>Myanmar</strong>, and <strong>Yemen</strong>. We can all identify, I think. But at the end of the battle, “Watergun” ended up not adding a third Eurovision win for <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/switzerland">Switzerland</a>, squirting into number 20 (compared to 17 in last year’s final for <a href="https://youtu.be/hq2HCmHv5p4">“<strong>Boys Do Cry</strong>,” another ballad from another cute Swiss boy, <strong>Marius Bear</strong></a>).<br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/I2oqDpefJ1s"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I2oqDpefJ1s" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Ukraine: “Heart of Steel” - TVORCHI</strong></span></p>
<p>An automatic finalist due to its win last year, the three-time winner this time around <strong><em><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/ukraine">Ukraina</a></em></strong> sent a very different act from 2022’s folk-meets-hio-hop winner <strong>Kalush Orchestra</strong>: an electronic duo composed of 27-year-old keyboard/producer <strong>Andrii Hutsuliak</strong> and 25-year-old, <strong>Nigeria</strong>-born vocalist <strong>Jimoh Augustus Kehinde</strong>. The title of their R&B-meets-techno number – mostly in English, with a smattering of Ukrainian thrown in – was inspired by Russia’s brutal 2022 siege of the <strong>Azovstal Iron and Steel Works</strong> in <strong>Mariupol</strong>, in which outnumbered defenders held out against greatly superior numbers, the song is about (according to Tvorchi) about not giving up in the face of adversity, as well as the threat of nuclear warfare (honestly, I don’t really see it, except for the bit in Ukrainian which goes “Despite the pain/I keep on fighting/The world is burning, and you act”). Backed by video screens flashing nuclear symbols as well as a pair of masked dancers, these guys turned in a performance that was solid (even though there was nothing particularly “Ukrainian” about it and ended up in sixth place, due I’m sure in large part to continuing sympathy over the war.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/tvJEE2ryCRQ"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tvJEE2ryCRQ" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>United Kingdom: “I Wrote a Song” - Mae Muller</strong></span><br /> <br /> Rounding up the alphabet as well as last night’s lineup, <a href="https://www.maemuller.com/">a 26-year-old north Londoner</a> with sass and attitude brought a brisk, bopping <strong>Dua Lipa</strong>/<strong>Gwen Stefani</strong>-flavored bit of synth-pop business, With caricatures of her face splitting apart on the screen behind her. It’s about channeling anger at a cheating ex, exploring themes of self worth, admirable restraint, and gurl power. <em>Très</em> <strong>Taylor Swift</strong>, no? Here’s a key sample: “I got so mad, was gonna cuss you out outside your house for everyone to see. Wanted to trash your Benz, tell all your friends how cruel you were to me. Instead, I wrote a song…” The spoken-word interlude I could’ve done without – seemed a bit dated – but hey, overall I think most of us can amply relate to Mae’s sentiments here. Of course, this one doesn’t quite bring the uplift of last year’s second-place <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ0hqX_92zI">“<strong>Spaceman</strong>” from <strong>Sam Ryder</strong></a>, but on the other hand it does “take the high road,” as Mae put it on <strong>Tik Tok</strong>, and make lemonade from lemons after betrayal and heartache. It’s certainly catchy and club-ready, but while I liked, I also didn’t think it would stand out all that much among similar competitors. And maybe a little bit too negative and angry? Whatever, I that’s the way things played out – in the end “I Wrote a Song” got written off, and even lower than I expected: third to last.</p>
<p><br /> And if you care to read my review of Eurovision 2022 <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2022-turin-italy-culture-music-travel?edited=1">click here</a>. Other previous reviews: <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-review-of-eurovision-2012-and-winner">2012</a> and <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2013-a-review">2013</a>.</p>
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<p> </p></div>The 3 European Capitals of Culture for 2023: Elefsina, Timişoara & Veszprémhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/european-capitals-of-culture-2023-elefsina-timisoara-veszprem2023-01-31T06:15:00.000Z2023-01-31T06:15:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10951604873,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10951604873,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10951604873?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/vista-de-eleusis-de-la-zona-arqueol%C3%B3gica-de-eleusis-gm948122704-258862144?phrase=elefsina" target="_blank">Charalambos Andronos</a>/<a href="https://timisoara2023.eu/en/visit-timi%C8%99oara/" target="_blank">Timişoara 2023</a>/<a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/veszpr%C3%A9m-hungr%C3%ADa-incre%C3%ADble-vista-a%C3%A9rea-nevada-del-centro-de-veszpr%C3%A9m-y-el-distrito-gm1297768904-390808152?phrase=veszprem" target="_blank">Janos Illesi</a></em></span></p>
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Annually since 1985, the cultural poobahs of the <strong>European Union</strong> have designated one or more of the continent's cities (and as of last year it's been three), as <strong>Capitals of Culture</strong>, focusing on their own cultural offerings and allowing them to organize a series of wider cultural events (many with a strong pan-European dimension) - which bring in considerable additional revenue; foster urban renewal; and raise their international profiles and images. Since the first one, <strong>Athens</strong>, (then Greek miister of culture Melina Mercouri was a driving force behind the program) most of the better known cities have already had their years in the sun, and recent <strong>ECoC</strong>s have been lesser known. That's certainly true of this year's trio, launching their year in the sun in the coming week or so. Here's a quick look:</p>
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<span style="font-size:14pt;"> <a href="https://2023eleusis.eu/en/">Elefsina, Greece</a></span></strong><br />
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Located on the <strong>Thriassian Plain</strong> just a 20-minute drive along the <strong>Saronic Gulf</strong> coast from <strong>Athens</strong>, this city of around 30,000 is now largely industrialised (home for example to the country’s biggest oil refinery) but its roots reach back to ancient <strong>Hellas</strong>. Founded in the 2nd millennium BCE, it became one of the five sacred cities of ancient Greece; was the birthplace of the 5th-century BCE tragic playwright <strong>Aeschylus</strong>; and the site of the <strong>Eleusinian Mysteries</strong>, initiations held annually for the cult of <strong>Demeter</strong> and <strong>Persephone</strong> and considered the most famous of the Hellenic world’s secret religious rites. These days <strong>Elefsina</strong> stages the venerable annual <strong><a href="https://aisxylia.gr/to-festival/">Aeschylia Festival</a></strong>, held from late August through September with stage productions, art exhibitions and installations, concerts, and dance events.<br />
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When the city was chosen as a 2021 ECoC – delayed till this year due to the pandemic – it was the smallest and oldest in the programme’s history, and despite not being a picture postcard little Greek city but rather on the gritty side – described as “the unpainted face of Greece: authentic, scarred, silent, dignified”. Beyond that, though, there are true historical gems to be found here, such as the ruins of the site where the Mysteries took place, along the foot of the hill of the ancient acropolis and including a key cave called the <strong>Ploutonion</strong>, as well as the nearby archaeological museum. <br />
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And with this firm cultural and historical base to build upon, Elefsina on 4 February is about to launch its Capital of Culture programme, “Mysteries of Transition”, with three overarching themes: “People/Society”, “Environment”, and Labour”. Throughout the course of 2023, more than 30 venues will host exhibitions along with performances in 17 art forms from 192 Greek and 137 international artists. One of the first exhibitions, at an old olive mill turned centre for the arts is dedicated to Greece's former culture minister <strong>Melina Mercouri</strong> – who came up with the idea of the ECoC programme in 1985 and helped bring it to fruition – as well as and her French counterpart, <strong>Jacques Lang</strong>.</p>
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<span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://timisoara2023.eu/en/">Timişoara, Romania</a></strong></span></p>
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A six-hour-40-minute drive or three hour flight from <strong>Bucharest</strong>, the country’s third largest city, in the central west has some 306,000 and traces its origins to a settlement of the Indo-European Bronze-Age Dacian people who inhabited this area in the 8th-7th centuries BCE – although as it was founded in 1315 on the site of an ancient Roman fortress and surrounding swampland. Much more recently, this was the place where the popular revolt which eventually toppled the 24-year Communist dictatorship of <strong>Nicolae Ceaușescu</strong> got its start in 1989. <br />
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Timişoara's attractive city centre abounds with Vienna Secession and Art Nouveau architecture dating from the Austro-Hungarian Empire period of the 18th through early 20th centuries, lending it the moniker Little Vienna. Highlights for visitors among Romania’s largest ensemble of historical buildings include Piața<strong> Victoriei</strong> (Victory Square), <strong>Piața Libertatii</strong> (Liberty Square) and <strong>Piața</strong> <strong>Unirii</strong> (Unity Square); the <strong>Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral</strong>, built in 1946; the 220-year-old, the Austrian Baroque Roman Catholic <strong>St George’s Cathedral</strong>, the open-air <strong>Village Museum of Banat</strong>; the early-18th-century <strong>Theresa Bastion</strong> fortress; the <strong>Communism Museum</strong> about the bad old days; and in the “City of Parks”, various appealing examples including <strong>Parcul Central</strong>, <strong>Parcul Regina Maria</strong> (Queen Mary Park), and <strong>Parcul Rozelor</strong> (Roses Park).<br />
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This year’s programme, with the tagline “<strong>Shne Your Light</strong>,” builds especially on Timisoara’s status as a hotbed for avant-garde/underground culture in the past several decades, and includes events with two Nobel literature laureates, <strong>Orhan Pamuk</strong> and <strong>Olga Tokarczuk</strong>, as well as German philosopher <strong>Peter Sloterdijk</strong>; a concert directed by Timisoara-born conductor <strong>Cristian Macelarum</strong> (also the artistic director of Bucharest’s <strong>George Enescu International Festival</strong>); and an exhibition of the works of Romania’s most renowned sculptor, <strong>Constantin Brancusi</strong>.</p>
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<a href="https://veszprembalaton2023.hu/en"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Vezprém-Balaton, Hungary</strong></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size:8pt;"> A city of around 57,000, just over an hour from Budapest and near the shores of <strong>Lake Balaton</strong> (the largest in <strong>Central Europe</strong>), the capital of <strong>Balaton County</strong> is one of Hungary’s oldest urban areas, and predates even the arrival of the Hungarians to the region in the early 11th century. With its hilly, winding cobblestone lanes and romantic corners, <strong><a href="https://www.veszpreminfo.hu/en/places/all/l:best-of-veszprem">Veszprém</a></strong> definitely sports that “fairytale” vibe many visitors to Europe come seeking, and spots here not to miss include its 10th-century castle complex, on a hill right in the middle of town; the <strong>Laczkó Dezső Museum</strong> of history; its biweekly Sunday outdoor market; the atmospheric ruins of the 13th-century church and monastery of <strong>St. Margaret</strong>; and the 19-century <strong>Fenyves Mill</strong>, the town’s only intact water mill, complete with interactive exhibits. And of course right nearby are the various pleasures of <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/08/07/lake-balaton-hungary/">Lake Balaton and its other surrounding towns and wine country</a>. <br />
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What’s more, this is a small town with big cultural chops, and for some years has had plenty of experience in putting on cultural events, such as its annual <strong>VeszprémFest</strong>, <strong>Utcazene (Street Music) Festival</strong>, <strong>Auer Festival</strong>, the <strong>Hungarian Motion Picture Festival</strong>, and <strong>DANCE Festival</strong>, And shared with neighbouring communities, a programme entitled “Shine! The Celebration of Creativity” will bring in hundreds of artists from 25 countries nd across various disciplines. It’s a bit ironic, actually, all this “creativity” and apparent openness to the world in the European Union’s most repressive “illiberal democracy”, but there you have it – presumably <strong>Viktor Orbán</strong>’s secret police will not be monitoring your every move.</span></p></div>8 Cool Museums (Museums??) of Las Vegashttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/las-vegas-nevada-museums-cultural-travel-tourism2023-01-06T14:05:00.000Z2023-01-06T14:05:00.000ZPaul Varmuzahttps://tripatini.com/members/PaulVarmuza<div><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10915310299,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10915310299,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10915310299?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Neon_Museum_%2835559941252%29.jpg" target="_blank">Jeremy Thompson</a></em></span></p>
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<p>Still one of the planet’s top destinations, this flashy vision in the <strong>USA</strong>'s <strong>Nevada</strong> desert is of course world-famous for its world-class casinos, shopping, shows, dining, nightlife, and attractions. But most of us wouldn’t necessarily think of “<strong>Sin City</strong>” as a place for museum mavens and culture vultures. And yet, in my visits to <strong>Las Vegas</strong> I’ve come across some pretty impressive museums indeed, along both traditional and also definitely untraditional lines. Sadly, the <strong>Liberace Museum</strong> has hung up its sequins for the moment (to be relaunched in the future, apparently), but there are plenty of others. My current top eight:</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><a href="http://www.autocollections.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:14pt;">The Auto Collections</span></span></a></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> This country has no shortage of car museums, but this rotating collection on the fifth floor of the parking lot of the <strong>Linq Resort and Casino</strong> is perhaps the country’s largest and finest, with around 300 classic cars and trucks - race cars, muscle cars, military vehicles, luxury chariots, and much else – including extremely rare and even one-of-a-kind specimens. Truly an auto-enthusiast’s paradise!</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;font-size:12pt;"><strong><a style="color:#ff0000;" href="https://www.bellagio.com/en/entertainment/gallery-of-fine-art.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:14pt;">Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art</span></a></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> Curated in partnership with Boston’s highly respected Museum of Fine Arts, this also casino-based attraction reflects its relatively classy (for Vegas, anyway) home, the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, specializing in modest-size but world-class temporary exhibitions including the likes of Claude Monet, David Hockney, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Auguste Renoir, and Georgia O’Keeffe.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><a style="color:#ff0000;" href="http://www.burlesquehall.com/" target="_blank"><br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:14pt;">Burlesque Hall of Fame</span></span></a></span></strong></h3>
<p><br /> Slightly risqué showgirl revues are certainly a big thing in Vegas history, and this museum off the Strip up on downtown <strong>Fremont Street</strong> celebrates the burlesque history and traditions that gave rise to them – and includes occasional shows by performers of “neo-burlesque”, which is making something of a comeback these days.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /> <a style="color:#ff0000;" href="http://themobmuseum.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:14pt;">Mob Museum</span></a></span></strong></h3>
<p><br /> Also downtown, the brainchild of onetime mayor <strong>Oscar Goodman</strong>, a former mob attorney, one of Vegas’ newer museums (2012) pays homage to one of its current incarnation’s founding institutions (the first casino, the <strong>Flamingo</strong>, was built in 1946 by Jewish mobsters <strong>Meyer Lansky</strong> and <strong>Bugsy Siegel</strong>). Officially called the <strong>National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement</strong>, it’s housed in the 1933 former courthouse/post office, and besides excellent multimedia exhibits, preserves the old courthouse, which among other things was the site of local Congressional mafia hearings in the 1950s.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /> <a style="color:#ff0000;" href="http://nationalatomictestingmuseum.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:14pt;">National Atomic Testing Museum</span></a></span></strong></h3>
<p><br /> Since the end of the <strong>Cold War</strong>, <strong>nuclear weapons</strong> haven’t had the prominence in the public imagination they used to. Probably unjustifiably so, given today’s world instability and the potential of loose nukes. So this museum, located a few minutes drive east of the Las Vegas Strip (the main casino row) on <strong>Flamingo Road</strong>, is an extremely worthwhile multi-media experience at the highest level (in partnership with the national museum system, the Smithsonian) that even includes the exhibition “<strong>Area 51: Myth or Reality</strong>” (which, however, is unlikely to do much to placate UFO/alien conspiracy buffs).</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><a style="color:#ff0000;" href="http://www.neonmuseum.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:14pt;">Neon Museum</span></a></span></strong></h3>
<p><br /> Bright lights, big city indeed. What could be more in tune with everyone’s idea of Vegas than neon? A few short minutes’ drive north of downtown Vegas, this six acres (2.5 hectares, top) is another 2012 addition to the city’s celebration of its heritage. The former “boneyard” of an electric sign company is home to a number of vintage icons such as the <strong>Stardust Casino</strong>, the old <strong>Caesar’s Palace</strong>, and also non-neon items such as a ginormous skull from the <strong>Treasure Island</strong>. A gleaming meander down memory lane, perhaps best visited after dark.</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><a style="color:#ff0000;" href="http://www.springspreserve.org/attractions/nsm.html" target="_blank"><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">Nevada State Museum</span></a></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> For those who are curious for an overview of the context of Las Vegas and the larger state of Nevada – including natural history; desert life; nuclear testing; and history of the <strong>Old West</strong>, mining and the Mob in Nevada – this museum is located on the <strong>Springs Preserve</strong>, about 15 minutes west of the Strip. The 180-acre (73-ha.) preserve is also full of plenty of other stuff to do, including desert nature walks, a botanical garden, and other shows and events.</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><br /> <a style="color:#ff0000;" href="http://www.luxor.com/entertainment/titanic.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Titanic</em>: The Artifact Exhibition</span></a></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> That luxurious but doomed “ship of dreams” continues to hold the public’s imagination more than a century after its sinking, and so the band plays on for millions of visitors a year at the <strong>Luxor Hotel and Casino</strong>, with more than 300 items from the <em><strong>Titanic</strong></em> (including a big hunk o’ hull), as well as recreations of its grand staircase, staterooms, and a section of its promenade deck.</p>
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<p> </p></div>Fascinating Marine Archaeology in Stockholm's Vasa Museumhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/stockholm-sweden-marine-archaeology-vasa-museum2022-12-07T17:10:00.000Z2022-12-07T17:10:00.000ZAllan D. Kissamhttps://tripatini.com/members/AllanDKissam<div><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10905022096,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10905022096,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="750" alt="10905022096?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a>photos/videos: Allan Kissam</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#000000;font-size:12pt;font-family:verdana;">The deep waters of the <strong>North Sea</strong>, leading to the scenic fjords, make for spectacular cruising offshore <strong>Scandinavia</strong>. A passage between <strong>Sweden</strong> and <strong>Denmark</strong>, an entrance to the <strong>Baltic Sea</strong>, opens up time-honored routes of trade and conquest. Today, with multiples of port stops in six countries, we can visit Scandinavia for shopping, dining, and educational sightseeing. It's enjoyable to share what I learned from the <strong>Stockholm</strong> port excursion aboard <a href="https://www.vikingcruises.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Viking Cruises</strong></a>, on a "<a href="https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/viking-homelands/index.html" target="_blank">Viking Homelands</a>" cruise. Through a variety of experiences, we all gained a better understanding of this historic - and currently topical - region.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Vikings once plied these waters in dragon-ships, so-called due to the terrifying carvings at each prow. Viking life is seen in excavated coastal settlements which include artifacts of everyday life. In shipbuilding, the Scandinavian-originated "clinker" construction is unique, along with the double-ended design. Viking-built ships used clinker techniques, overlapping hull planking, and their expertise enabled them to build large ships.Typically, as observed in other nautical locales around Europe at the same time the size of the vessel was more limited. Most large vessel constructors moved to butting together planks and sealing the gap with caulking made from tar and fibre (oakum).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Later, after the time of Vikings, shipbuilding moved ahead to the classic galleon style exhibited in <strong>Stockholm</strong> at the <strong><a href="https://www.vasamuseet.se/en" target="_blank">Vasa Museum</a></strong>. This design enabled large holds for merchandise transport or mounting cannons. Technology evidently did not advance rapidly in shipbuilding because today we know of two pride-of-the-fleet ships that sank on a maiden voyage. One is <strong>England</strong>'s <strong><em>Mary Rose</em></strong>, sinking in 1511 while sailing out under the gaze of <strong>King Henry VIII</strong>. More than 100 years later in 1628, in Stockholm harbor, the ship Vasa rolled under the water when sailing for the first time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">The tour excursion to the Vasa Museum is an unbelievable experience. Before you is an actual 225-foot-long galleon from 1628, complete in its details. It has the sculpting on its prow, stern, and a crow’s-nest at the mast top. It was to sail away from the dock, hence it is fully outfitted with seagoing tools and personal effects. Clothing recovered, with human bones, show how seamen of the time actually dressed. Weapons and cannons look as if they could bark again today. One can speculate if the construction should have not included a second deck of cannons, possibly responsible for the ship’s instability?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:verdana;">It must also be mentioned that in <strong>Oslo, Norway</strong>, the display of an actual <a href="https://www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum/" target="_blank">8th-century Viking longship</a> is unavailable for viewing until perhaps 2026 due to expansion of the museum in Oslo. Other toured seafaring museums provided ample examples of Viking lore and lifestyles. Viewing of artifacts and museums in groups organized by a cruise ship is a great way to travel with the bustle replaced by grace at the day’s end. While some in a party have an interest in history, the cruise director always has organized excursions for foodies and culture experiences. Convenient to get back aboard and safe, people meet back at the ship in the afternoon. Discuss your day later at any of the onboard restaurants, from your stateroom balcony, or while enjoying company of others in the lounge. It's a most pleasant experience and memorable trip that is truly leisure.</span></span></p>
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<p><strong>Video: VASA starboard bo</strong><strong>w and rigging</strong> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hDag4z6gEOs" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Video: VASA stern rudder to top rail</strong> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H0ElfjeGMeQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Video: VASA stern colorization</strong><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0BxqqcXlRsk" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<strong>VASA stern colorization</strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10835288889,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" style="padding:10px;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10835288889,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10835288889?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="495" /></a><strong>VASA model</strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10833018470,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10833018470,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="VASA complete model" width="590" /></a></td>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10834576487,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" style="padding:10px;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10834576487,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10834576487?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Author’s note: Although this experience was hosted by Viking Cruises, the thoughts and comments expressed here are totally my own.</em></span></p>
<p> </p></div>Welcome to Eurovision 2022 in Turin, Italy!https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2022-turin-italy-culture-music-travel2022-05-15T08:24:19.000Z2022-05-15T08:24:19.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10487977281?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><a href="https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/logos-and-artwork"><em><span style="font-size:8pt;">EBU/Rai</span></em></a><br /></p><p><br /> Travel and music festivals go hand in hand, of course! And though I haven't yet attended the annual <strong>Eurovision</strong> song contest in person, ever since I started traveling to <strong>Europe</strong> in 1977 – well before <em><strong>American Idol</strong></em>, <em><strong>The Voice</strong></em>, or <em><strong>The X Factor</strong></em> – it's always been a big deal for more than a few of my Old World friends and acquaintances (not to mention the local media). I got to watch it several times surrounded by Europeans (most recently last night), and I must say, the enthusiasm generated by this reliably cheesy collection of crazy outfits, over-the-top antics, and sometimes downright goofy tunes (here's a <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/best-memorable-eurovision-performances.html" target="_blank">2020 piece I found on its most outrageous antics</a>) can be kind of endearing; it's this sense of kitsch and camp that has also earned it a huge following among much of Europe's LGBT community (then of course there was that time, in 2014, that a bearded gay drag queen from <strong>Austria</strong>, <strong>Conchita Wurst</strong>, won for her operatic pop number <em><strong>Rise Like a Phoenix</strong></em>). <br /> <br /> At the same time, since it started in 1956, some memorable songs (and sometimes careers) have come out of Eurovision – perhaps my favorites being the Spanish Basque group <strong>Mocedades</strong> with its luminous <strong>"Eres Tú</strong>" (1973); <strong>ABBA’</strong>s insanely catchy "<strong>Waterloo</strong>" (1974); <em>"La La La"</em> by <strong>Spain</strong>’s <strong>Massiel</strong> (1968); "<strong>Un Banc, un Abre, une Rue</strong>" from <strong>Monaco</strong>’s <strong>Séverine</strong> (1971); and a pair from <strong>Israel</strong>, "Hallelujah" (1979) and <em>"A-Ba-Ni-Bi"</em> (1978). (Yes, I'm well aware that Israel is not Europe, but they’re obviously considered honorary Europeans, as are the Australians, even though they're way on the other side of the world.) <br /> <br /> And since the arrival of the 21st century - apart from the trend since 1999 of too many songs in English even from non-English-speaking countries - of course other countries from the east have been included (even a couple which are marginally, if at all, "European"), including <strong>Albania</strong>, <strong>Armenia</strong>, <strong>Azerbaijan </strong>(hmmm), <strong>Belarus</strong>, <strong>Croatia</strong>, <strong>Estonia</strong>, <strong>Latvia</strong>, <strong>Lithuania</strong>, <strong>Moldova</strong>, <strong>Montenegro</strong>, <strong>North Macedonia</strong>, <strong>Russia</strong>, <strong>Serbia</strong>, <strong>Slovenia</strong>, <strong>Turkey</strong>, and <strong>Ukraine</strong>. Some of those have won, as well, including Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine (twice). This year Russia got itself kicked out because of its brutal invasion of Ukraine, and Belarus was dropped last year because its own dictatorship was using the contest as a propaganda tool. Then there are the "Big Five," which are always included because they foot much of the Eurovision bill every year: <strong>France</strong>, <strong>Germany</strong>, <strong>Italy</strong>, Spain, and the <strong>United Kingdom</strong> (sort of like the <strong>United Nations Security Council</strong>, I guess, but without the veto?). <br /> <br /> So last night in <strong><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/terrific-turin-italy" target="_blank">Turin</a></strong> (held here because last year's winner was a hard rocker from Italian group <strong>Måneskin</strong> called <strong><em>Zitti e buoni</em></strong> even though it was hardly the best of the 2021 bunch, in my humble opinion) the vibe was the usual over-the-top Eurovision mania, punctuated by quiet moments both from the contestants and from one of my sentimental favorites of the evening: while the votes were being tallied, bringing back Italy’s very first Eurovision winner, <strong>Gigliola Cinquetti</strong> (16 in 1964, now 74), to sing “<strong>Non Ho L’Età (per Amarti)</strong>” – “I’m Not Old Enough (to Love You).”<br /> <br /> But on to the lineup! And of course the winner was:</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UiEGVYOruLk" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"> <strong>Ukraine: “</strong><strong>Stefania</strong><em><strong>”</strong></em><strong> by Kalush Orchestra</strong></span><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kalush.official/">This six-man, three-year-old group</a>, fronted by <strong>Oleh Psiuk</strong> (in his trademark fuzzy pink hat) and named after the western Ukrainian city where it was formed, specializes in the fusion of folk music and hip hop. Sounds weird but it works, and because of the horrific ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, this ode to a caring mother - extrapolated to love of country as mother. was a sentimental crowd favorite. Energetically performed before a backdrop of flashing traditional-style flowers and other Slavic motifs. Sample lyric: "She rocked me, gave me rhythm and probably the power of will/ did not take, but she gave." And another has been especially reinterpreted and taken to heart by countless of Ukrainians and others “I will always walk to you by broken roads.” Though it wasn’t my own even top-five choice, it’s inspiring indeed, and was pretty much a shoo-in all along, adding to Ukraine’s two other wins since joining Eurovision in 2003. And I'll add that I'm aiming to do my very best to attend next year in Ukraine, if the (hopefully) postwar situation there permits. <br /> <br /> And beyond that, here's a rundown of the two dozen finalists – plus an extra one I just threw in there – winnowed from the total field of 40 countries and for the most part having won votes in national finals in their respective countries (with some exceptions, such as the UK entry, chosen by the BBC and the record label):<br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gVqGKkm7xBE" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Armenia: “Snap” by Rosa Linn</strong></span><br /> <br /> This melodic minor-key tune in English is about getting over a breakup (“Don’t need you here anymore/ Get out of my heart/ ‘Cause I might snap”), but 21-year-old <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rosalinnmusic/"><strong>Rosa Linn</strong></a> (the stage name used by <strong>Roza Kostandyan</strong>) from a small city in northern Armenia, commented in an interview, “I think we’ve all been at a snapping point, where it felt like there’s no way out and that the entire world is just crumbling down around you…Writing “Snap” was a form of therapy for me and I hope that it can be that for others who are going through hard times.” The video is a fairly simple affair involving her and a cottage in a snowy landscape but which takes wings and flies over a city – I found it kind of endearing, actually. In the end, though, the song came in 20th. Oh, snap!</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wosfFz2FJPU" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><br /> Australia: “Not the Same” by Sheldon Riley</strong></span><br /> <br /> Apart from its Anglophone culture (shared, after all, with various other non-European countries), Oz has been part of Eurovision since 2015 apparently due to Australian broadcaster SBS being a member of the <strong>European Broadcasting Union</strong> (<strong>EBU</strong>) for some reason. So this year here we are, with 23-year-old, gay half Filipino <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sheldonriley/">Sheldon Riley</a> (real name <strong>Hernandez</strong>), a veteran of this country’s version of <em>The</em> <em>X Factor</em> and <em>The Voice</em>. This track is composed of deep, rich, and powerful vocals accompanied by moody piano, and is all about discrimination and exclusion,” rooted in Sheldon’s struggles with not just autism (specifically, <strong>Asperger Syndrome</strong>) but also growing up as a queer kid in a deeply religious family and conservative community. In an interview he commented, “regardless of gender, sexuality, race, financial position, trauma, color, age, shape or size. You're not the same but you're not alone.” The powerful lyrics include “Then you run and hide, hide the break inside/ ’Til you realize that the light shines bright/ Through those, oh, who've broken inside.” I felt bad he didn't do better last night, but on the other hand, 15th place ain't too bad out of 40. (Fun fact: that epic white costume and mask weighs more than 112 pounds because of 200,000 <strong>Swarovski</strong> crystals and 90,000 pearls sewn into them.)</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TGd1AFKR_-E" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><strong><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">Azerbaijan: “Fade to Black” by Nadir Rüstamli</span></strong></p><p>In Eurovision since 2008, this Central Asian country is of course closer than Australia though still with tenuous creds to be considered “Europe,”– but it’s because the main Azeri TV network is also a member of the EBU, so whatever. And <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nadir_rustamli">this bearded 22-year-old winner of <strong><em>The Voice Azerbaijan</em></strong></a> is here with a contemporary ballad about the end of a relationship. Nice but nothing special – and the words, honestly, are a bit unimaginative and clichéd: “It hurts so fast/ When love goes bad/ Until at last/ We fade to black.” It came in 16th this time around, which in a field of 40 I suppose is nothing to sneeze at. An interesting note about this official music video, though – the ending suggests that this lost love is a guy, and this is pretty much borne out in the Eurovision stage version, in which Nadir sings on a bleacher shared with another dude. Not bad for a mostly Muslim country (albeit the Muslim world’s most secular, these days even more than <strong>Turkey</strong>) where homosexuality is legal but still socially widely frowned upon.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GZ3mLO4uFjY" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Belgium: “Miss You” by Jérémie Makiese</strong></span></p><p>Here’s more fallout from a failed relationship, this time from a handsome, bleached-blond 21-year-old with an impressive set of pipes (and by the way, the only black person to have reached the finals). Born in <strong>Antwerp</strong> to Congolese parents was last year’s winner of <strong><em>The Voice Belgique</em></strong>, and is also a pro soccer player, the goalkeeper of Belgium’s second-tier <strong>Royal Excelsior Virton</strong> in the country’s south near the French border (the team isn’t highly rated at the moment, actually). Dressed in jeans and a silvery jacket and backed by four tough-looking dancer dudes, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jeremiemakiese.off/">Jérémie</a> belted out a solid English-language R&B number with lines like, “Am I gonna miss you? No/ Promise I won't miss you, no/ I'm gonna break through now/ I'll never hate you, never chase you.” Definitely scored a soulful goal with this one, but nonetheless came in the bottom tier of the final rankings.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7T6vbLmluxk" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Czech Republic: “</strong><strong>Lights Off”</strong><strong> by We Are Domi</strong></span><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/we.are.domi/">This electro-pop trio</a> - formed in <strong>England</strong> four years ago by friends at the <strong>University of Leeds</strong>, and now based in <strong>Prague</strong> - is fronted by and named for 27-year-old, U.S.-born Czech singer <strong>Dominika Hašková</strong>, backed by Norwegians <strong>Casper Hatlestad</strong> (on highly customized guitar) and <strong>Benjamin Rekstad</strong> (on keyboards). This also English-language tune, which opened the show last night, comes with a pretty cool, somewhat sci-fi-dystopian-feeling video, and here's a taste of the lyrics: "Tried changing jobs, tried changing lovers/ Changing my furniture, change my bed covers/ I'd change my heart, but there's not a chance/ So I turn the lights off." The CR's never won Eurovision since it joined in 2007, but though it’s has been faring better in recent years; this one also came in low, at 22 out of 25.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bKhSlSx00-I" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Estonia: “Hope” by Stefan</strong></span><br /> <br /> This 24-year-old has the very un-Estonian name <strong>Stefan Airapetjan</strong> because his folks are immigrants from Armenia. And his tune (also in English) – which closed out the lineup last night – is very likeable though also a bit unlikely, a country-pop bit of business which starts out with “We let them tell us what to do, why, why, why” and ends with “I hope, I hope, I hope/ The future still remains our own.” The accompanying music video has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stefanairapetjan/">Stefan</a> (recently voted, by the way, the sexiest man in Estonia) improbably but smolderingly striding and riding around the <strong>Tabernas Desert</strong> of <strong>Almería</strong>, <strong>Spain</strong>., Europe’s only “official” desert and over the years the backdrop of hundreds of films, including <strong><em>Lawrence of Arabia</em></strong>, <strong><em>Cleopatra</em></strong>, <strong><em>Conan the Barbarian</em></strong>, <strong><em>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</em></strong>, and <strong><em>The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</em></strong>. The singer says “Hope” was inspired by this last film, and taking a leaf from that and other “spaghetti Westerns,” here he exudes a cowboy vibe. (Parenthetically, song festivals and competitions have long been a feature of Estonian culture; I had the privilege of attending one such festival in Tallinn some years ago.)</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m33Gzhd5Yfw" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Finland: “Jezebel” by The Rasmus</strong></span><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/therasmusofficial/">The Rasmus</a> has been a successful staple of Finnish rock for 28 years now, and this tongue-in-cheek English-language number named for a “biblical troublemaker” throws out images like “a killer shark in heels” and “a predator on wheels.” Lead singer <strong>Lauri Ylönen</strong> told an interviewer it’s "about a girl who takes what she wants, without asking. A free spirit", as well as "an homage, a tribute, to the strong women of today, who own their bodies, who are in charge of their sensuality, their sexuality, and who are determined to be an equal.” Most def an edgy hard-rockin’ standout in last night’s lineup, but not an public nor national jury fave, coming in 21st out of 25. </p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CO07xLUlK2g" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>France: “</strong><strong>Fulenn”</strong><strong> by Alvan & Ahez</strong></span><br /> <br /> As a lifelong language nerd, I love that this bangin' bit of electronica (which won a national contest to be the national entry) is sung in Breton, the Celtic language spoken in <strong>Brittany</strong> prior to French (and not for the first time, another Breton-language song repped France in 1996). Drivingly belted out in a minor key by 29-year-old Alvan from <strong>Rennes</strong> and a three-woman vocal group called Ahez, it features witchy, sometimes provocative lyrics like "The forest vibrates with the dancing spark/ its enchanting magic rises up to the tall trees," "Ignoring the wild beasts I dance/ I steal the fire from their gaze full of lust." Oh, and "I dance with the devil, so what?" Certainly a far cry from one of France's earliest Eurovision winners, “<em>Un Premier Amour” </em> (1962), a ballad - though also dramatic in its own way, true - about first love. I thought this deserved much, much better than its second-to-last placing, especially compared to some of the forgettable stuff that ended up ranking higher.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D3FN2umFaM8" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Germany: “</strong><strong>Rockstars”</strong><strong> by Malik Harris</strong></span><br /> <br /> The biracial son of a TV presenter and actor originally from <strong>Detroit</strong> puts in a melodic, fairly laid-back performance (in English, of course) packed with nostalgia and regret: "Look where we are/ We used to be the rockstars/ Who never thought of no harm/ Till this thing we call life stopped gleaming/ I wish there was a way to go back dreaming/ remembering gets so hard/ When time is moving so fast/ Wish there was a way to known that we're in/ The good old days before we all just leave 'em." It all comes across a little bit profound and a little bit angsty - the voice of somebody who's washed up, beyond his prime, and moping about it. But c'mon, "the good old days"? Bro, at 24 you're still a little wet behind the ears to pretend to be so jaded, LOL - then <em>wohin</em> the heck do you go from here? Still, I did feel bad for Malik last night, because despite a little spurt of support from the public tele-voting in, he came in dead last with just six points (hey, at least it wasn't zero, right?).</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uv7PcRKXZDg" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Greece: “</strong><strong>Die Together”</strong><strong> by Amanda Tenfjord</strong></span></p><p>Born to a Greek father in <strong>Norway</strong> (hence her Scando last name), this 25-year-old has been recording since 2014. This synth pop number also in English is poetic, melancholic, and maybe a bit fatalistic, covering a number of emotions and themes including love, loss, and (of course death). The music video that comes with it is picturesquely set on <strong>Symi</strong> in Greece's <strong>Dodecanese Islands</strong>, and the chorus goes: "But if we die together now/ We will always have each other/ I won't lose you for another/ And if we die together now/ I will hold you till forever/ If we die together, die together now." Yep, a real laff riot – but it did end up at a respectable number eight in the final rankings. <em>Efcharistó/takk</em>, Amanda!</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G71c48O3j-s" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Iceland: "Með Hækkandi Sól" by Systur</strong></span></p><p>"Sisters" is a folk group composed of <strong>Sigríður</strong> (<strong>Sigga</strong>), <strong>Elisabet</strong> (<strong>Beta</strong>), and <strong>Elín Eyþórsdóttir</strong>, sisters in their 30s and 40s who’ve been active musically for 11 years under various names, both together and individually. Strumming guitars and accompanied on drums by their baby brother <strong>Eyþór</strong>, this upbeat, melodic tune – translatable as “with the rising sun” of “with the sun getting higher every day” – deploys a hippy-chick vibe and gentle acoustic sound with lyrics (in Icelandic!) that speak of hope as winter gives way to spring (which is understandably a big deal in Iceland). Genuinely sweet – albeit a tad monotonous, without a catchy “hook” – and it didn’t click much last night, coming in third to last. (Oh, and fun fact: apart from their music, the women are trans rights activists, especially when it comes to transgender kids. Right at the front lines of the “culture war,” eh?)</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pkHzvy-Pscw" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Ireland: “</strong><strong>That's Rich”</strong><strong> by Brooke Scullion</strong></span><br /> <br /> Maybe because my heritage is half Irish, who knows, I decided to throw this in even though it didn’t even make the finals. Although she's repping the Republic down south, Brooke was born 23 years ago in <strong>Northern Ireland</strong>'s <strong>County Londonderry</strong>. Her day job is as a realtor, but she came to the world's attention in 2020 on <em><strong>The Voice UK</strong></em>. I hope she's more upbeat selling houses than in this caustic number, in which she dumps on an ex with stuff like "hey stupid," "loser lose your attitude," and "bye bye fool." Granted, at one point only she does say he was "always putting me down," but still, it's all negative energy here – belying the “friendly” reputation of the Irish. Plus on an ironic note, one of her lines is "I don't need a lazy lover," but IMHO both videos of this song are pretty lazy themselves - one static at <strong>Belfast</strong>'s <strong>Commercial Court</strong>, the other literally in front of a white screen. Finally, all this <strong>NI</strong> stuff for an Ireland entry? Kinda weird - maybe they're softening us up for post-Brexit Irish reunification? ;)</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MA_5P3u0apQ" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Italy: “</strong><strong>Brividi”</strong><strong> by Mahmood & BLANCO</strong></span></p><p>Of Sardinian and Egyptian heritage, <strong>Mahmood</strong> (<strong>Alessandro Mahmoud</strong>) is a 29-year-old R&B, pop, and hip hop artist from <strong>Milan</strong> (and with some sick left-ear piercings, yo), while twinkish <strong>BLANCO</strong> (<strong>Riccardo Fabbriconi</strong>), raised in the <strong>Lake Garda</strong> area, is all of 19 and started releasing his music on the Swedish platform/sharing site <strong>SoundCloud</strong> in 2020 (shades of <strong>Justin Bieber</strong>?). This pair of pretty boys posed nude for <em><strong>Vanity Fair Italia</strong></em> and in interviews have been coy about their sexuality - but their onstage body language and of course this video say it all (by the way, guess where it was shot? Around <strong>Amsterdam</strong>). This melodic, romantic love song "Chills" ("I want to steal you a sky of pearls") sung in Italian (<em>grazie!</em>) won the reknowned <strong>Sanremo Music Festival</strong> this past February and it was frankly my fave - evoking for me the best of Italian pop of years past. And it was also a welcome relief from the downers of the other love-related songs last night, when it finished in sixth place. Evidently, <strong>Spotify</strong> subscribers agree with me: the song whose title translates as “Chills” has been the most downloaded of all 2022 Eurovision songs.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/acya6UcJP1k" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Lithuania: “Sentimentai” by Monika Liu</strong></span><br /> <br /> Liu is short for <strong>Liubinaitė</strong>, and at age 34, this lady with the signature black pageboy is an old hand in the music biz since her appearance on talent show in 2004. Thia retro-sounding song - sung in Lithuanian, a first for this country since 1999 – reminds me of the French pop/cabaret chanteuse <strong>Patricia Kaas</strong>, and I’m definitely a Patricia fan. Singing in the same shimmery, slinky multicolor frock she wore in this rather simple “official” video, Belting out lyrics like, “Moments are spinning in a circle in my head/ They're running where you are/ A million roses like sentiments/ are drowning in the sea of clouds,” Monika ended up slinking and shimmying around the middle of the pack.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C9RJQPZsj8E" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Moldova: “Trenulețul” by</strong> </span><strong><span style="font-size:14pt;">Zdob și Zdub and the Advahov Brothers</span><br /> </strong><br /> No Eurovision would be complete without a zany novelty act or three, and in the finals last night, this was one of a trio of doozies. "Punk-folk" <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zdobsizdubofficial/">“<strong>ZSZ</strong></a> making music since 1994 and twice-previous Eurovision reps since Moldova joined in 2005, teamed up with folk-singers <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fratii.advahov/"><strong>Vasile</strong> and <strong>Vitalie Advahov</strong></a>, both 43, to create “The Little Train,” a super-peppy, somewhat goofy number featuring the evening’s only accordion and marking the reopening of a train route between Moldovan capital <strong>Chișinău</strong> and <strong>Bucharest</strong>, capital of <strong>Romania</strong> (whose culture Moldova shares; this song is in their mutual language Romanian). And its words reflect that shared heritage: Going quickly, going good/ Train of our nationhood/ But it cannot comprehend/What’s the country? Where’s the end?/ Is it old or is it new?/ Seems like one, but also two/ Both together and apart/ Are there two, or just one?” And amazingly, it placed very strongly indeed, coming in seventh. This video is suitably rocking and rollicking (too bad about that carpet, though).<br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v2m-MGSys0k" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><strong><span style="font-size:14pt;">Netherlands: “De Diepte” by S10</span><br /> <br /> </strong>With her long blond tresses, 22-year-old <a href="https://www.instagram.com/s10s10xx/"><strong>S10</strong></a> (<strong>Stien den Hollander</strong>) has been in the music since 2016, especially notable on the <strong>Nederhop</strong> (Dutch rap) scene. This dark, melancholy song (the first Netherlands Eurovision entry to be sung in Dutch in a dozen years) can be translated as “The Deep” or “The Abyss,” about the sadness and memories she carries with her. The rhetorical imagery is matched by the video, a reflection of her longtime struggle with mental health issues including depression and bipolar disorder. Sample lyrics: I'm hiding under the table/ And I hope you find me/ I've been waiting all evening/ Oh, I seem like a child.” An important topic, for sure, but wow, kind of a downer, you know? Nonetheless, it did end up placing in the top half of the rankings.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sDvXhZtcp0w" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Norway: “Give That Wolf a Banana” by Subwoolfer</strong></span><br /> <br /> And now for a bit of wackiness that's possibly even weirder than Moldova's because it seems pretty unrooted in Norwegian culture – plus maybe a bit of a surprise to those of us might’ve thought of these particular Nordics as a bit dour, aloof, and introverted. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/subwoolfer/">The duo of “<strong>Keith</strong> and <strong>Jim</strong>”</a> sported stylized yellow wolf masks to hide their identities (though the <strong>BBC</strong> has reported than one might be <strong>Ben Adams</strong> from the <strong>Anglo-Norwegian</strong> singing quartet <strong>A1</strong>, originally started as a boyband in 1998). Backed by a DJ dressed as an astronaut and dancers in yellow morphsuits, they ham it up on an upbeat dance track: I like the scent of every meal on your breath/ That hunger in you, I'm in danger now, I guess/ Let's go to grandma’s, you say grandma tastes the best/ And before that wolf eats my grandma/ Give that wolf a banana.” Check out the similarly hammy video, complete with cheesy effects. But it was well received enough to come in tenth out of 25. So…yum, yum, yum?</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wh47vgUwInU" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Poland: “River” by Ochman</strong></span><br /> <br /> Another sweet, beautiful, and melodic tune from a pretty boy, 22-year-old dual U.S.-Polish citizen <strong>Krystian Ochman</strong>. Born to Polish parents in a suburb of <strong>Boston</strong>, has since high school living in <strong>Warsaw</strong> and <strong>Katowice</strong>., and he’s said that “River” (sung in English) is “basically about getting to this point of inner peace, and calmness.” Gonna lay my head right down/ Right now, now, now and forever/ Gonna lay my head right down/ Let the water carry me away/ Just float away.” Sound pretty good to me, Kris, both musically and conceptually. And you did place in the top half of the pack, so there’s that (and by the way, thanks for not giving into the pressure to explode with idiotically over-the-top reactions of joy every time a vote went your way - that's one bit of EV silliness I could do without).</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eQul-rkcGPQ" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Portugal: “</strong><strong>Saudade, Saudade”</strong><strong> by Maro</strong></span></p><p><em>Saudade</em> is such a key concept in Portuguese culture (such as its song tradition the <em>fado</em>, comparable to Spain's flamenco), meaning a sense of melancholic, nostalgic longing. And here 27-year-old Maro is singing luminously - in both Portuguese and English, and backed by four other vocally gifted women - not about losing a significant other but rather her beloved grandfather. I for one am glad that this this onetime veterinary medicine student - born in Lisbon, now based in <strong>Los Angeles</strong>, and whose actual name is <strong>Mariana Brito da Cruz Forjaz Secca</strong> - turned to music full time four years ago, and after she placed ninth last night, I do think we'll be hearing more lovely melodies and harmonies from her in the future.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Wtx4v81xxU" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Romania: “Llámame” by WRS</strong></span><br /> <br /> Here’s this is another gay-boy paen to coming out – in catchy, danceable, high-energy pop form – from 29-year-old onetime backup dancer and boyband member <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wrsandrei/"><strong>Andrei Ionuț Ursu</strong></a> (WRS is sort of an abbreviation of that last name), as he put it, “an anthem to call my inner self to stay true to myself despite what society says.” Andrei hails from the small provincial city of <strong>Buzău</strong> in central Romania and early in the mostly English-language song recalls the bad old days: “What if they gonna find out?/ Nobody is gonna like if / We get away.” And then comes defiance: “My love cannot be stopped by anybody/ Cuz it‘s so true/ Let‘s show it to the world cause I won‘t hide it/ Are you down to believe in sins too?” But despite his childhood challenges, and despite the fact that his country continues to be fairly conservative, it’s loosened up enough to send Andrei and his queer-pride song to fly the tricolor national flag on international stage in front of a TV audience of hundreds of millions. Not bad at all – even though he ended up placing just 18th out of 40 (definitely deserved much better, IMHO).</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3S1jrYq87Zw" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Serbia: “In Corpore Sano” by Konstrakta</strong></span><br /> <br /> A a strong contender to the yellow wolves for the evening’s kookiest performance comes courtesy of one of its oldest contestants. <strong>Ana Đurić</strong>, 43, was trained as an architect but has been a musical artist since 1997, and she says her stage name “rationally emotional.” That may already give you a hint at the profound weirdness of this “avant-pop” number, sung in Serbian with a phrase in Latin (<em>in corpore sano</em>, in a healthy body) and another in “reverse Latin”: “<em>Onas eroproc ni amrifni snem</em>” (<em>Mens infirma in corpore sano</em> – “A weak mind in a healthy body” – rendered backwards). It gets even weirder, if that’s possible. Sitting at a water basin dressed in a nurselike silk outfit surrounded by shadowy attendants, Ana then comes right out with “What could be the secret of <strong>Meghan Markle</strong>'s healthy hair?/ What could be the secret?/ I think/ It’s all about deep hydration.” After this dig at celebrity culture, Ana proceeds to praise the automatic nervous system and offer critiques of social norms, politics, and her country’s health system. I was bemused to see the public gave her a boffo bill of health in the form of fifth place. (Fun fact: in the 1990s, Ana’s dad served as Minister of Propaganda, er, Information in the despotic régime of convicted war criminal <strong>Slobodan Milošević</strong> – but you know what they say about the sins of the father…)</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N3eiW6E0ldc" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Spain: “</strong><strong>SloMo”</strong><strong> by Chanel</strong></span><br /> <br /> Born in <strong>Havana</strong>, named after Coco Chanel, and moved by her folks to <strong>Barcelona</strong> province at the age of three, 31-year-old <strong>Chanel Terrero</strong> has been a veteran of the <strong>Madrid</strong> musical stage scene as well as some TV/film acting for practically half her life. Despite its title, this Latin-influenced urban dance track, mostly in Spanish and sprinkled with English, is fast paced indeed, backed by a gaggle of cute little Latino boy and girl dancers, and evokes <strong>Beyoncé</strong> and <strong>Jennifer Lopez</strong> in lots of ways (indeed, the song was originally written for <strong>JLo</strong>). And just like them, as Chanel commented in a press conference a while back, is about "empowerment, to feel comfortable, strong, and sure footed." As the lyric goes, "Booty hypnotic/ Make you want more, more, more, more..." I watched the show in Madrid with a roomful of gay mostly Spaniards, so naturally they along with the <strong>RTE</strong> TV network were cheering her on; in the end, “SloMo” ended up in third place – its best result in 27 years, and after not having won since 1969. In any case, going forward we’ll be seeing <em>mucho más</em> from Chanel, I’m certain. Ay, ay, ay - you go, <em>mamita</em>! (Fun fact: her dizzyingly kinetic performance, she reportedly trained by singing while running on a treadmill – in heels!)</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i777psA2gP4" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Sweden: “Hold Me Closer” by Cornelia Jakobs</strong></span></p><p>Ready for yet another lament for a breakup, <em>svenska</em>-style (albeit sung in English)? Standing in front of a big pulsing light thingie, this blonde 30-year-old with a dozen years in the music business under her belt belts out a ballad featuring the likes of “Hold me closer/ Although you’ll leave before the sunrise/ I’ll be bleeding, but don’t you, mind I’ll be fine/ Oh, it kills me/ I found the right one at the wrong time.” Sooo…the bottom line is that although I did appreciate the fact that it was the only song of last night’s lineup in a major key, overall I found “Hold Me Closer” derivative, clichéd (“guess all the good things come to an end”), and just generally uninspiring (I think the gold standard for Swedish breakup pop ditties is still <strong>ABBA</strong> after all these years). Nonetheless, I was flummoxed to see that Cornelia made a super strong finish: in fourth place. OOO-kay then…</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EnsqrM40uaY" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"> <strong>Switzerland: “Boys Do Cry” by Marius Bear</strong></span><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.mariusbear.com/">This 28-year-old from <strong>Appenzell</strong></a> (real last name <strong>Hügli</strong>) discovered his vocal talent during his country’s compulsory military service, then was discovered by a producer whilst touring Switzerland as well as Germany as a street musician. With a teddy-bear vibe and honey-smooth voice that bring to mind some of the retro U.S. crooners of yore like <strong>Frank Sinatra</strong> and <strong>Nat King Cole</strong>, Marius was possibly the most mellow and laid back of the finalists. In this song he looks to reinforce the message that expressing pain and sadness can be a strength, not a weakness, singing, “Hearts, they get broken/ God only knows why/ And somеtimes aeroplanes fall down from thе sky/ And mountains they crumble/ And rivers, they run dry/ And oh-oh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh/ Boys do cry/And how they cry.” Nice, and well meaning, and all – but this didn’t strike me as having enough punch or even personality to make the finals, let alone the top tier last night. And I was right, although at 17th place it did better than I expected. Most of its points came from national juries though, and I felt bad for Marius (especially after his disappointed reaction shot) when we learned that tele-voters gave him just six points; well, as the song goes, "boys do cry." 😥</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/udsMTb2NIak" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"> <strong>United Kingdom: “</strong><strong>Space Man”</strong><strong> by Sam Ryder</strong></span><br /> <br /> Bearded, longhaired, and charismatic, this 32-year-old from <strong>Essex</strong> in southeast <strong>England</strong> – a former construction worker and wedding singer - is very much a product of the current moment, garnering 12 million followers on <strong>TikTok</strong> with pop music covers during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020. This solid pop tune he banged out in summer 2021 is generally upbeat and sports kind of an <strong>Elton John</strong>-ish vibe (no doubt intentional, and I'll bet perhaps even inspired by <strong><em>Rocket Man</em></strong>). Key lyrics: “I'm up in space, man/ Up in space, man/ I've searched around the universe/ Been down some black holes/ There's nothing but space, man/ And I want to go home.” The Brits have won Eurovision five times, but the last was in 1997 and in recent years they’ve performed pretty abysmally, last year garnering a big fat zero points. This year, though, saw a truly remarkable turnaround, with “Space Man” entering as another top audience (and bookmaker) favorite and reaching orbit with second place – which in my book means that on the merits it really won the night, discounting the huge sympathy vote for Ukraine.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div>The 3 European Capitals of Culture in 2022: Kaunas, Novi Sad and Esch-sur-Alzettehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/european-capitals-culture-2022-kaunas-novi-sad-esch-sur-alzette2022-01-21T00:40:00.000Z2022-01-21T00:40:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10028082897,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10028082897,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10028082897?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vytautas_the_Great_Bridge_from_hill,_Kaunas,_Lithuania_-_Diliff.jpg" target="_blank">Diliff</a>/<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Novi_Sad_City_Hall.jpg" target="_blank">Aleksandar Cocek</a>/<a href="https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/red-rocks/esch-sur-alzette" target="_blank">Visit Luxembourg</a></em></span></p>
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<p>Annually since 1985, the cultural poobahs of the <strong>European Union</strong> have desginated one or more of the continent's cities (and as of 2022 it's three), as <strong>Capitals of Culture</strong>, focusing on their cultural offerings, allowing them to organize a series of cultural events (many with a strong pan-European dimension); bring in considerable additional revenue; foster urban renewal; and raise their international profiles and images. Since the first one, <strong>Athens</strong>, most of the better known cities have already had their years in the sun, and recent Capitals of Culture have been lesser known. That's certainly true of this year's trio, distinguished though they may be. Here's a quick look:</p>
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<span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://visit.kaunas.lt/en" target="_blank">Kaunas, Lithuania</a></strong></span></p>
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Just over an hour west of capital Vilnius, this country's second largest city, located where two major rivers meet, features a rectangular, mostly pedestrian Old Town with highlights including the Gothic <strong>Kaunas Castle</strong> (13th-16th centuries); the <strong>Old Ducal Palace</strong> (15th century); the <strong>Church of Vytautas the Great</strong> (also 15th century); the <strong>Cathedral Basilica</strong> (begun in the 15th century); the <strong>City Hall</strong> (begun in the mid-16th century and with later Baroque and neoclassical additions; and quite a bit of 19th- and early-20th-century Modernist architecture.There is also a variety of interesting museums (one of the most curious of which is the <strong><a href="https://www.visit.kaunas.lt/en/see-and-do/top/a-zmuidzinavicius-creations-and-collections-museum-devils-museum/" target="_blank">Žmuidzinavičius Museum</a></strong>, the world's only collection of devil imagery). For <strong><a href="https://kaunas2022.eu/en/" target="_blank">Kaunas 2022</a></strong>, more than a thousand events, including some which reach beyond Europe, such as <strong>Days of Japan</strong> and a <strong>Yoko Ono</strong> exhibition.</p>
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<span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://novisad.travel/en/" target="_blank">Novi Sad, Serbia</a></strong></span></p>
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Another second-largest city, about an hour north of capital <strong>Belgrade</strong>, was founded in 1694 on the banks of the <strong>Danube River</strong> and is youthful and dynamic feeling, with an ancient fortress and charming old town, lively café culture, <strong>Štrand</strong> riverside beach, and nearby <strong>Fruška Gora National Park</strong>. Landmarks not to miss: <strong>Petrovaradin Fortress</strong> (Europe's second largest, begun in the late 17th century) and a number of fine Catholic and Orthodox churches as well as a majestic Art Nouveau synagogue built in 1909. On the cultural side, "the Athens of Serbia" is already a vibrant hub thanks to its wide variety of museums and art galleries but also its progressive vibe, alt music scene, and July's <a href="https://www.exitfest.org/en" target="_blank"><strong>Exit</strong> music festival</a> (held this year on the 7th-10th). This year's <strong><a href="https://novisad2022.rs/en/home-3/" target="_blank">Novi Sad 2022</a></strong> will leverage all that as well as break new ground, bringing in more than 400 artists in various disciplines from across Serbia and Europe to mount exhibitions, concerts, stage productions, and various other spectacles from traditional to avant garde. </p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/red-rocks/esch-sur-alzette" target="_blank">Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg</a></strong></span></p>
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<p>The third Capital of Culture is the smallest (its population just over 35,000) and least known of all. Located just a 15-minute drive southwest of <strong>Luxembourg City</strong>, Esch boasts a long history - stretching back to 773 CE - but for centuries was a simple farming village until rising to prominence in the 19th century, becoming the clanking heart of the Grand Duchy's mining and iron/steelmaking industries. All that started disappearing from the 1970s through 1997, and in its wake, the town started becoming something of a cultural mecca, with public art, galleries, and performance/exhibition venues like <strong><a href="https://kulturfabrik.lu/en" target="_blank">Kulturfabrik</a></strong>, in addition to ffering other attractions such as the <strong><a href="https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/museum/blast-furnace-belval" target="_blank">Belval Blast Furnace</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.minetttour.lu/en/detailed-tour/tour/museum-of-the-cockerill-mine" target="_blank">Cockerill Mine Museum</a></strong>, and the <strong><a href="https://www.luxembourgmuseumdays.lu/museums/national-museum-of-resistance?lang=en" target="_blank">Museum of the Resistance and Human Rights</a></strong>, devoted to the life and times of Luxuembourg, its Jews and its resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1945. This year's <strong><a href="https://esch2022.lu/en/" target="_blank">Esch 2022</a></strong> will raise the town's cultural profile even further, with more than 2,000 events including 310 performances, 137 exhibitions, 141 concerts, and 360 workshops.</p>
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<p> </p></div>From Food to Fashion, Birdwatching to Bourbon, Themed Itineraries in the USA Satisfy Many People's Interestshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/usa-united-states-themed-itineraries2021-11-20T15:20:00.000Z2021-11-20T15:20:00.000ZVictor Blockhttps://tripatini.com/members/VictorBlock<div><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699281,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699281,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819699281?profile=original" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>"Nature's Grace" along the Maine Sculpture Trail. Photo by Alan Stubbs</em></span></p>
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<p>Some people are traipsing through lovely landscapes as others explore history from days of <strong>North America</strong>'s earliest tribal peoples to the present. Avid birders use binoculars to spot colorful feathered friends in flight while canoers and kayakers dip paddles into the water. At the end of the day, many of these visitors to <strong>Panama City</strong>, <strong>Florida</strong>, belly up to an oyster bar to enjoy freshly shucked bivalves prepared in a variety of ways.</p>
<p>These seemingly disparate activities and attractions have one thing in common: they’re all taking place along designated trails that focus upon a single thing to do, see or eat. Countless trails around the country are available to people with a particular interest; from food to fashion, covered bridges to Kentucky bourbon, they offer something-for-everyone variety. No matter how esoteric someone’s passion, there may be a walking driving, biking, paddling, or other kind of trail somewhere that focuses on it. </p>
<p>Consider <a href="http://DestinationPanamaCity.com" target="_blank">Panama City</a>, a community of about 37,000 residents perched along Florida’s northwestern "panhandle" coast. For a smallish municipality, that town provides a surprising choice of routes that both locals and visitors may explore.The <strong>Oyster Trail</strong> alone has enough appeal to bring some travelers to town. A dozen restaurants, ranging from a ten-stool oyster bar to a casual grill to a fine-dining establishment, serve the fresh-from-the-sea food raw, baked, fried and prepared in other ways. Whether visiting Panama City for the bivalves or birds, hiking or history, you might find a trail with appeal. </p>
<p> Restaurants along a different oyster trail, which runs through <strong><a href="http://gulfshores.com" target="_blank">Gulf Shores</a></strong> <a href="http://gulfshores.com" target="_blank">and</a> <strong><a href="http://gulfshores.com" target="_blank">Orange Beach</a></strong>, <strong>Alabama</strong>, bring their own personal touch to the recipes. In addition to traditional preparations, some serve them barbequed, fire roasted, Alfredo style and in ceviche.</p>
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<p>Next door in <strong>Louisiana</strong>, it's this state's rich gastronomic culture which is celebrated along the <strong><a href="https://www.lacajunbayou.com/foodtrail" target="_blank">Cajun Bayou Food Trail</a></strong>, comprised of restaurants that serve local favorites like gumbo, jambalaya and pecan pralines. Some family-run eateries follow recipes that have been passed down for generations.</p>
<p>Variety of a different kind greets visitors to the Fields of Gold Farm Trail in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. People may stroll through a farmers’ market, tour a working spread, enjoy a locally grown meal at a garden-to-table restaurant or pick their own fruit at an orchard. (<a href="https://fieldsofgold.org" target="_blank">fieldsofgold.org</a>)</p>
<p>Fresh-picked apples, pears, grapes and cherries are sold at more than two dozen stands located along the colorfully named <strong><a href="http://hoodriverfruitloop.com" target="_blank">Hood River County Fruit Loop</a></strong> in <strong>Oregon</strong>. The 35-mile trail goes through forests, farmlands and orchards, and includes vendors offering flowers, pies jam, and local artisan gifts.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699856,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699856,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819699856?profile=original" width="750" /></a><em>Visitors at the Fields of Gold Farm Trail</em></span></p>
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<p>Berries are used in different ways on a route which leads through <strong>Surry County</strong>, <strong>North Carolina</strong>. The colorfully named <strong><a href="http://sonkertrail.org" target="_blank">Surry Sonker Trail</a></strong> connects a bakery, general store, winery, and other places which serve a quaintly named dessert created in the early 1800s by homemakers seeking to stretch the use of fruit or use it before it rotted. Recipes include fruit sweetened with sugar, molasses, and other ingredients blended into unshaped dough - so that like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700061,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700061,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819700061?profile=original" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>A tour along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail</em></span></p>
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<p> Where there’s food there often are beverages, and the birthplace of one is acclaimed along the <strong><a href="http://kybourbontrail.com" target="_blank">Kentucky Bourbon Trail</a></strong>. Guests may visit a distillery that traces its ancestry back to the 18th century and another where they have a tasting while standing in the largest bourbon barrel in the world. </p>
<p>Those who like the word “soft” before their drink may prefer to set their sights on the multi-state <strong><a href="http://thecocacolatrail.com" target="_blank">Coca-Cola Trail</a></strong>. Places related to that world-famous beverage are described in a book of the same name, which can serve as a guide to museums, historic bottling plants and other destinations around the country. The story began in <strong>Vicksburg</strong>, <strong>Mississippi</strong> where the concoction was first bottled in 1894. Other stops include the <strong>Dawson & Stevens Diner</strong> in <strong>Grayling</strong>, <strong>Michigan</strong>, which doubles as a Coca-Cola museum, and a former bottling plant in <strong>Los Angeles</strong> that was built in the shape of an ocean liner.</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700283,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700283,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819700283?profile=original" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>"Camel Country" along the Maine Sculpture Trail. Photo by Alan Stubbs</em></span></p>
<p><br />Not surprisingly, state tourism offices promote the trails concept as a way to attract visitors. For example, <strong><a href="http://visitmaine.com" target="_blank">Maine</a></strong>´s ¨<strong><a href="https://www.schoodicsculpture.org/?page_id=25" target="_blank">Sculpture Trail</a></strong>¨ is a driving tour that leads to 34 outdoor sculptures strung out along 273 miles of its coastline; the <strong>Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail</strong>, which includes canoe routes that the author followed during trips to that state in the mid-1800s; and a <strong>Freedom Trail</strong> in <strong>Portland</strong> which leads to sites associated with the <strong>Underground Railroad</strong> and the anti-slavery movement of the 19th century.</p>
<p>Not to be outdone, trails which make their way through Ohio focus upon interests as diverse as shopping and steam trains, Italian food and ice cream. (<a href="https://trails.ohio.org" target="_blank">trails.ohio.org</a>)</p>
<p>Moving out west to Oregon, given the love of nature by many residents this state, it's not surprising that among trails within its borders are paths for hiking and biking, seeing wildlife and wild flowers, and dozens of other routes. Most famous is the local stretch of the <strong><a href="http://nps.gov/oreg" target="_blank">Oregon Trail</a></strong>, part of the historic wagon route that began in <strong>Missouri</strong> and which, in the early 19th century. an estimated 400,000 settlers, including farmers, miners, ranchers and others, followed in their quest for a new life. </p>
<p>Other pages of history are turned during drives to see “quilt blocks” that adorn the sides of dozens of barns in Oregon’s <strong><a href="http://tualatinvalley.org" target="_blank">Tualatin Valley</a></strong>. Some designs on those eight-by-eight-foot wooden slabs resemble traditional quilt patterns, while others display crops or animals, or relate to the farm family’s history.</p>
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<p>And all this is just the tip of the iceberg. From seafood to sweets, berries to beverages it’s likely that somewhere in the country there may be one or more driving, walking or other trails focused upon an interest of yours.</p>
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<p> </p></div>Landscape of Light: Celebrating Madrid's Very First UNESCO World Heritage Sitehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/madrid-spain-unesco-world-site-paseo-prado-el-retiro2021-09-07T10:35:23.000Z2021-09-07T10:35:23.000ZJosé Balidohttps://tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido<div><h6><em><span style="font-size:8pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11018875452,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11018875452,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11018875452?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profile/JoseBalido?xg_source=profiles_memberList" target="_blank">José Balido</a></span><br /> </em></h6>
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<p>Congratulations are in order! <strong>UNESCO</strong> (the <strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization</strong>) has just this summer honored <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/10-musts-of-madrid-spain" target="_blank"><strong>Spain</strong>'s capital city</a> with <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1618" target="_blank">its first <strong>World Heritage Site</strong> designation</a>, elevating <strong>Madrid</strong> to the ranks of destinations with districts or monuments worth preserving for future generations (the larger Madrid community surrounding the capital already had UNESCO sites, including <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/01/delightful-day-trips-from-madrid/" target="_blank">the royal complexes of <strong>El Escorial</strong> and <strong>Aranjuez</strong>, which make marvelous day trips)</a>.</p>
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<p>The leafy <strong>Paseo del Prado</strong> boulevard, long a favorite of urban strollers, joins the nearby <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/08/retiro-park-madrid-spain/" target="_blank"><strong>Buen Retiro Park</strong></a> and 90 other adjacent monuments and institutions to form the "<strong>Landscape of Arts and Sciences</strong>," reflecting a true gem of urban planning: the unique mix of culture, learning, nature, and leisure that have been brought together in this beautiful corner of our city whose universal value UNESCO has just recognized.</p>
<p>Arts and sciences being the light that guides our civilisation, this corridor has also been dubbed the "<strong>Landscape of Light</strong>," doubly appropriate for its allusion both to the Enlightenment of the 18th century, a period during which many of its key elements were built, and to the intense luminosity of our Madrid skies, born of our clear dry air and setting high on the <strong>Meseta Central</strong> plateau near the <strong>Guadarrama Mountains</strong>.</p>
<p> <img src="https://ning.zendesk.com/attachments/token/gQKzCkDdMHMXMuNVWIK4e8R8N/?name=L2F+Sep+21+pic+Spain+Madrid+UNESCO+World+Heritage+Site+Plaza+Cibeles+iStock-508451794.jpg&lotus_request=true" alt="L2F Sep 21 pic Spain Madrid UNESCO World Heritage Site Plaza Cibeles iStock-508451794.jpg" /></p>
<h6><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/fuente-de-la-cibeles-en-la-plaza-de-cibeles-en-madrid-gm508451794-85266395" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size:8pt;">GoranQ</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br /> The district includes some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and cultural institutions along the tree-lined Paseo del Prado running just under a mile (1.5 kilometres) between a pair of squares - the <strong>Plaza de Cibeles</strong> at its northern end south to the <strong>Plaza de Atocha</strong> (officially the <strong>Plaza del Emperador Carlos V</strong>). With roots in the mid-17th century, it's a lovely stroll (about 20 minutes without stops), along a verdant landscaped median past statuary and monumental fountains – most notably the late-18th-century <strong>Neptune Fountain</strong> and especially the also neoclassical <strong>Cibeles Fountain</strong> (above), built around the same time. This depicts the Roman goddess of fertility riding in a chariot drawn by a pair of lions, and it's a truly inspiring and iconic sight, especially as set against the elaborate Madrid city council building, a glorious mix of Modernist, Art Deco and other styles designed by prominent Madrid architects of a century ago <strong>Antonino Palacios</strong> and <strong>Joaquin Otamendi</strong> and inaugurated as the national postal-service headquarters in 1919.</p>
<p> <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Interior_del_Museo_del_Prado.jpg/800px-Interior_del_Museo_del_Prado.jpg?20150321234218" alt="File:Interior del Museo del Prado.jpg" /></p>
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_del_Museo_del_Prado.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;">FouPic</span></a></em></h6>
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<p>And it's here, too, that the arts and sciences come into play, because on and around the Paseo del Prado are several of <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/05/the-impressive-museums-of-madrid/" target="_blank">Madrid's most distinguished museums</a>. The top of the list is of course the <a href="https://www.museodelprado.es/en" target="_blank"><strong>Museo del Prado</strong></a> (above), Spain's foremost art museum, while other institutions include the <a href="https://www.museothyssen.org/en" target="_blank"><strong>Thyssen-Bornemisza</strong></a> (spanning eight centuries of European and U.S. artists) and the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/caixaforum-madrid" target="_blank"><strong>CaixaForum</strong></a> (international art from the 1980s to the present day), the astronomical <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/real-observatorio-de-madrid" target="_blank"><strong>Royal Observatory</strong></a> (dating back to the end of the 18th century and open for visits/tours) and the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/real-jardin-botanico" target="_blank"><strong>Royal Botanical Garden</strong></a> (occupying this site since 1781 and home to some 30,000 plants plus 1,500 trees). Meanwhile, just a block away from the Paseo you'll find the <a href="https://www.museoreinasofia.es/en" target="_blank"><strong>Reina Sofía</strong></a>, Spain's premier modern art museum, as well as the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/museo-arqueologico-nacional" target="_blank"><strong>National Anthropology Museum</strong></a>, specialising in non-European cultures and particularly those once ruled by the Spanish empire - not just in <strong>Latin America</strong> but <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2019/05/spain-spanish-history-asia-africa-colonies/" target="_blank">also in <strong>Asia</strong> and <strong>Africa</strong></a>.</p>
<p> <img src="https://ning.zendesk.com/attachments/token/BeThW2w7OLOZMgWY4euJNlUVC/?name=L2F+Sep+21+pic+Madrid+UNESCO+World+Heritage+Sites+Buen+Retiro+Park+lake+iStock-672802922.jpg&lotus_request=true" alt="L2F Sep 21 pic Madrid UNESCO World Heritage Sites Buen Retiro Park lake iStock-672802922.jpg" /></p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/buen-retiro-park-en-madrid-espa%C3%B1a-gm672802922-126309243" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;">Ershov_Maks</span></a></em></h6>
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<p>Just east of the Paseo del Prado, the new UNESCO site also includes one of Madrid's onetime city gates, the 243-year-old <strong>Puerta del Alcalá</strong> (top) and adjacent to it the city's most prominent park, the aforementioned Buen Retiro. Created in the late 17th century as a <em>buen retiro</em> ("pleasant retreat") for the royal court and since 1868 a public park, this 120-hectare (297-acre) spread is anchored by a manmade water basin presided by a 1922 colonnade and equestrian statue of late-19th-century king <strong>Alfonso XII</strong> (these days it's plied by rentable dinghies). Notable buildings in the park include the <strong>Palacio Velázquez</strong> and <strong>Palacio de Cristal</strong>, both built in the 1880s, as well as the 17th-century <strong>Salón de Reinos</strong> ("Hall of Kingdoms"), a remnant of the original Buen Retiro royal palace; all are used these days for temporary exhibitions. Meanwhile, out amid the woodsy and grassy patches interspersed with smaller ponds you'll find plantings including a rose garden. Among the statuary, one especially curious standout is possibly the world's only public statue of Lucifer, the 1878 <strong>Fountain of the Fallen Angel</strong>. Most days and especially on weekends, you can find both locals and visitors strolling, biking, sunbathing, and sitting in outdoor cafés.</p>
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<p>So whether you’re looking for an city stroll, culture, learning, or a spot of nature, Madrid’s newly anointed Landscape of Light is certain to illuminate your visit to our capital city, as it will now continue to do for generations to come.</p>
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<p> </p></div>Experience Old China in the Villages of the Huangshan Mountainshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/china-huizhou-huangshan-xidi-hongcun2021-06-29T22:51:15.000Z2021-06-29T22:51:15.000ZThe China Guidehttps://tripatini.com/members/TheChinaGuide<div><p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008973056,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008973056,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008973056?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
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<p>Known as one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in <strong>China</strong>, <strong>Huangshan</strong> is situated in <strong>Huizhou</strong> region of the country's southeast-central province of <strong>Anhui</strong>. Millions of visitors make a trip each year to catch a sight of theses magnificent granite peaks cradled by beds of clouds and frequently depicted in traditional Chinese paintings. And named after the mountain, the area around <strong>Huangshan City</strong> (pop. 1.5 million, a 4½-hour drive west of <strong>Shanghai</strong>) is home to two <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Sites</strong>: the traditional villages of <strong>Xidi</strong> and <strong>Hongcun</strong>.</p>
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<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296600470,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296600470,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9296600470?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
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<p>Take a step back away from the hustle and bustle of big-city life and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of these villages, it is the perfect opportunity to get in touch with nature and experience a very historical and cultural part of China. Xidi was built during the <strong>Song Dynasty</strong> in the mid-11th century, with granite-paved streets and ancient wooden halls, while Hongcun dates back to 1131, also features granite streets, and was the location for scenes in 2000's <em><strong>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</strong></em>. <br /> <br /> <br /> And it's worth noting that while Xidi and Hongcun are the two villages of the UNESCO Heritage Site, we recommend staying overnight in <strong>Tachuan</strong> village just two kilometres from Hongcun (for example at one of its many boutique accommodations), which also quite picturesque and historic but also quieter and more comfortable, away from the tour groups that stay in Hongcun. <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.thechinaguide.com" target="_blank">The China Guide</a> offers tailored packages to this village to suit travellers’ needs - check us out!</p>
<p> </p></div>Airbnb's Challenge to Caribbean Resortshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airbnb-bermuda-caribbean-experiential-travel2018-12-04T19:00:00.000Z2018-12-04T19:00:00.000ZEd Wetschlerhttps://tripatini.com/members/EdWetschler<div><p><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296642895,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296642895,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" alt="9296642895?profile=original" /></a>A few months ago Airbnb entered into a partnership with the Bermuda Tourism Authority that involves marketing and the exchange of fees. Then, in December, it signed one with the British Virgin Islands. Remarkable, because Bermuda and the BVI are nothing if not upmarket destinations. What's more, Airbnb has now signed memorandums of understanding with 16 Caribbean governments, creating a new era of cooperation between those governments and a company that not so long ago was frequently accused of tax evasion.<br /> <br /></span></p>
<p>And not just tax evasion. When I emailed a friend about this topic, he replied, "We're admittedly a little soured on Airbnb these days because of its destructive effects on local rents, overcrowding, and other issues in many areas that are already high-rent like New York City, San Francisco, Paris, and others. Has anything crossed your radar about how that might affect the Caribbean?" </p>
<p><br /> It sure has. "<span>Airbnb helps make our region more competitive and spreads the benefits of the tourism industry across traditional and non-traditional segments of our communities,” says Hugh Riley, Director General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Which is to say, Caribbean governments (unlike municipal authorities that have placed restrictions on short-term rentals in New York City, San Francisco, Paris, Barcelona, and other cities around the world) welcome Airbnb because of its ability to funnel income directly to people of modest means who have never profited much from the tourism industry. <br /> <br /></span></p>
<p><strong>Have You Ever Been Experienced?</strong></p>
<p><span><br /> So how does Airbnb top this spree of MOU's that, in effect, make it not just legal but warmly welcomed? With its new Experiences program, which offers the kind of tours and cultural encounters</span> <span>many travelers could only have arranged through hotels in the past. At present the sharing-economy pioneer offers Experiences on four islands in the Caribbean region: Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. There’s no reason to assume Airbnb will stop with those four islands, either, so who’s next: Barbados? The Dominican Republic? Curacao?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><span><br /> At SOTIC 2018, the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Industry Conference, keynote speaker Stephen McGillivray, CMO of the Travel Leaders Group, predicted, “Airbnb will find it to their advantage to work with travel agents.” After all, he added, “You see Uber doing it — and Lyft.” Certainly, stranger things have happened.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p><strong><br /> The View from the Resorts Business</strong></p>
<p><span><br /> And it makes you wonder: As Airbnb offers more and more of the perks visitors to Caribbean islands have traditionally gotten from resorts and villas, to what extent will it replace those more conventional places to stay?</span></p>
<p><span><br /> Crystal balls are always in short supply, but the question reminds this reporter of a panel at the 2017 New York Times Travel Show, during which the moderator asked an executive in a resort company how he would fend off the threat of Airbnb. The panelist replied that he wasn't concerned. “Airbnb accommodations,” he declared, “do not include a lazy river.”</span></p>
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<p><em>For more on hotel trends in the Caribbean, see <a href="https://www.recommend.com/destinations/caribbean-hospitality-trends-matter/" target="_blank">this article</a> in Recommend magazine. </em></p>
<p></p></div>A Picasso in the Kitchen – Limerick, Ireland's Hunt Museumhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-picasso-in-the-kitchen-the-hunt-museum-in-limerick2014-12-09T14:46:04.000Z2014-12-09T14:46:04.000ZZenaida des Aubrishttps://tripatini.com/members/ZenaidadesAubris<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008892894,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008892894,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008892894?profile=original" /></a>With my penchant for museums, I was enchanted to visit the <a href="http://www.huntmuseum.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">Hunt Museum</a> in Limerick. Has nothing to do with hunting but everything with one of the greatest private collections of art and antiques in Ireland, right up to the the 20th century.<br /> <br /> John and Gertrude Hunt were antique dealers and art historians and started, well, collecting and keeping those items they most liked for themselves. This went on for a good long time and suddenly they had more than 2,000 items on their hands. The next problem was to find a suitable home for them and to display them correctly. Long story short – in 1997 this lovely Palladian-style building, dating from 1765, became the permanent home for the Hunt museum. When you visit, be sure to take a look at the personal photographs of the Hunt’s home, with Renoirs and Picassos hanging in their kitchen….<br /> <br /> This is one of those small jewels of a museum – very personal and eccelctic in what was collected and what is displayed, but all first class quality.</p><p><br /> <br /> <em>View more of the places I have visited at <a href="http://zenaida.travel/">http://zenaida.travel/</a></em></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008893068,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="443" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008893068,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008893068?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p></div>Flamenco, the Soul of Andalusiahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/flamenco-the-soul-of-andalusia2014-08-21T19:32:39.000Z2014-08-21T19:32:39.000ZIberostar Hotels & Resortshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberostarHotelsResorts<div><p><a href="http://passportto.iberostar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ESP_FLAMENCO_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://passportto.iberostar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ESP_FLAMENCO_2.jpg?width=650" width="650" class="align-center" alt="ESP_FLAMENCO_2.jpg?width=650" /></a></p><p></p><p>The centuries-old traditional music and dance form of <strong>flamenco</strong> is deeply rooted throughout the culture of southern Spain, and still popular in both public and private celebrations. An inheritance passed down rally through the ages and only more recently via recordings and videos, today it has also become a cultural industry, an economic driver, a subject for study, and a tourist attraction. It is the present, the past, and the future, tradition and avant-garde, and one of world's richest cultural traditions. For all these reasons UNESCO has included flamenco in the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.<br /> <br /> Flamenco has gone through different stages until it reached its current recognition and fame both in Spain and abroad. More than 20 million tourists come to Andalusia every year, for various reasons: beaches, golf, conventions, nature, sighseeing, nature, countryside, etc. Almost all of them know about flamenco.<br /> <br /> And it's an art form which very much has its regional flavours and variations. Those in the know need only listen to <strong><em>la trillera</em></strong> to identify Jerez, Utrera, or Lebrija. And <strong><em>la toná</em></strong> stems from the lament which was born in Triana, an ancient neighbourhood of Seville. Similarly, <em>la soleá</em> was born in the humble outskirts of Alcalá de Guadaira, Utrera, Cádiz. And <em>la seguiriya</em> was originally a wail that arose from the throats of the great flamenco singers: <em>el Fillo, Silverio, el Gordo, and El Nitri</em> Cádiz has the <strong><em>cantiñas</em></strong>; Málaga has the <strong><em>jaberas, jabegotes and verdiales</em></strong>; Córdoba the <strong><em>zánganos</em></strong> <em>and</em> <strong><em>fandangos de Lucena</em></strong>; Granada the <strong><em>zambras, roas, granaínas</em></strong> <em>and</em> <strong><em>medias</em></strong>.<br /> <br /> Ever since one of those great artists, <strong>José Monge Cruz (aka Camarón de la Isla</strong>) recorded <strong><em>“</em></strong><em>La Leyenda del Tiempo" (The Legend of Time) in 1979</em>, flamenco has taken a new turn. That production involved many new things: <strong>Kiko Veneno, Rafael</strong> and <strong>Raimundo Amador, Pepe Roca</strong>, lyrics by <strong>Omar Khayyam</strong>, <strong>Lorca</strong> and <strong>Fernando Villalón</strong>, Tomatito, Paco de Lucía… And yet, it all sounded like flamenco.<br /> <br /> Flamenco is like Andalusia itself: a land whose very essence is diversity, a place where multiple points of view coexist and all of whose inhabitants know how enriching this is. <em>Viva flamenco,</em> then, because not only does it represent a people: it also sets it apart from the rest.</p><p></p><blockquote><p><em>“<strong>Southern Spain</strong> is seductive, and that seduction is fully experienced when you <strong>vacation in Andalusia</strong>. IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts in Andalusia make their <strong>best services</strong> available to enjoy a wonderful time with your family or partner.”</em></p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /><span class="font-size-1"><em>from <a href="http://passportto.iberostar.com" target="_blank">PassportToIberostar</a></em></span></p><p></p><p> </p><blockquote><p></p></blockquote></div>Why Philadelphia Is For Art Lovershttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/philly-is-for-art-lovers2012-10-06T17:30:00.000Z2012-10-06T17:30:00.000ZSandra & John Scotthttps://tripatini.com/members/SandraJohnScott<div><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008736652,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><br /> <img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008736652,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="352" height="247" alt="9008736652?profile=original" /></a></p><p>The 72 steps leading up to the <strong>Philadelphia Art Museum</strong> are called the “Rocky Steps” after Rocky’s run up the flight in the movie of the same name. It became symbolic of the ability of an underdog to triumph. Today some tourists run up the steps in Rocky fashion. Others walk. The view at the top is great. A 10-foot tall bronze Rocky statue was originally at the top of the steps and then moved to the bottom of the steps where it became a popular attraction. However, it was considered a movie prop not art so it was moved to a different location. Due to its popularity it was returned to the art museum in 2006 with much fanfare. People stand in line to have their picture taken in front of the statue with their arms raised in triumph.</p><p> </p><p>Nearby, “The Thinker,” which sits in a place of prominence in front of the Rodin Museum. Philadelphia is home to one of the best Auguste Rodin collections. Rodin is considered the father of modern sculpture. The small museum in a Beaux Arts building has several dozen of Rodin works. Most impressive are the massive bronze doors called “The Gates of Hell” that were inspired by “Dante’s Divine Comedy.”</p><p> </p><p>Philadelphia has a plethora of museums that would take weeks to visit. But art is everywhere. The city had a problem with graffiti which led to the Mural Arts Program in 1984 which was based on the concept if you can’t fight them join them. I love creative solutions to a problem. The Anti-Graffiti Network hired muralist Jane Golden to reach out to graffiti painters and redirect their energies to constructive mural painting. To date the Mural Arts Program has produced over 3000 murals which has earned Philadelphia “The City of Murals.” The mural walking tour is very popular.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/philadelphia-is-a-great-art-destination-for-art-lovers" target="_blank">Philadelphia is a great art destination for art lovers</a></p></div>The Magnificent Museums of Madridhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-magnificent-museums-of-madrid2015-02-10T18:28:26.000Z2015-02-10T18:28:26.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><p></p>
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<p><b><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/DamaElche01.JPG/640px-DamaElche01.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/DamaElche01.JPG/640px-DamaElche01.JPG" class="align-center" alt="640px-DamaElche01.JPG" /></a></b></p>
<p><br />In 2014, <strong>Spain</strong>'s capital marked another cultural high point when the <b><a href="http://www.man.es/man/en/home" target="_blank">National Archaeological Museum</a></b> reopened after a six-year, €65-million renovation. It’s still housed in the same handsome 19th-century neoclassical building on Calle Serrano in downtown <a href="http://www.iberia.com/cheap-flights/Madrid/?utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=love2fly.iberia.com&%20utm_source=love2fly.land.mad" target="_blank"><strong>Madrid</strong></a>, and still displays a wealth of world treasures including some unique to Spain such as a replica of the spectacular <b>Altamira Caves</b> prehistoric art and the iconic Celto-Iberian bust known as the<b>Lady of Elche</b> (top). What’s different is a clean, cutting-edge redesign that provides more natural light, greater interactivity, and of course more multimedia sizzle. <br /><br />This of course is just one of the superb institutions that put this city into the top ranks of the world’s museum capitals. Most people of course know of the <b>Prado</b>, one of the world’s most famous art museums. But there are plenty of others that will send culture vultures to museum heaven. Here’s a rundown of the top must-sees, in alphabetical order:<br /><br /></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/L2F-May-14-pic-Spain-Madrid-CaixaForum-original-Luis-Garc%C3%ADa-Zarqabal.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/L2F-May-14-pic-Spain-Madrid-CaixaForum-original-Luis-Garc%C3%ADa-Zarqabal.jpg?width=800" width="800" class="align-center" alt="L2F-May-14-pic-Spain-Madrid-CaixaForum-original-Luis-Garc%C3%ADa-Zarqabal.jpg?width=800" /></a></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.obrasocial.lacaixa.es/nuestroscentros/caixaforummadrid/caixaforummadrid_es.html" target="_blank"><br />CaixaForum Museum</a></b> Madrid’s newest major museum, centrally located on Paseo del Prado since 2007, it features contemporary art, meaning work from the 1980s on, as well as fascinating temporary exhibitions such as the current “Genesis,” Brazilian photographer <strong>Sebastião Salgado</strong>’s look at some of our planet’s endangered nature and cultures and “<strong>Pixar</strong>, 25 Years of Animation”. But just as striking as whats inside is what’s outside – a façade filled with thousands of plants (above).<br /><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.museodelprado.es/en/" target="_blank">Museo del Prado</a></b> A classic evergreen of which I absolutely never tire, it displays some icons of Spanish art such as <strong><i>Las Meninas</i></strong> by <strong>Diego Velázquez</strong> and <strong><i>The Third of May</i></strong> and <strong><i>The Naked Maja</i></strong> by <strong>Francisco Goya</strong>, as well as some other European masters like <strong>Tintoretto</strong>, <strong>Rubens</strong>, and <strong>Fra Angelico</strong> (and I invariably end up spending a bunch of time in front of <strong>Hieronymous Bosch</strong>’s delightfully creepy <strong><i>Garden of Earthly Delights</i></strong>).<br /><br /><br /><b><a href="http://mnartesdecorativas.mcu.es/" target="_blank">National Decorative Arts Museum</a></b> Marking a century of existence this year, its collection, housed in a five-floor, 19th-century palace overlooking <b>Retiro Park</b>, consists of ceramics, tilework, furniture, tapestries, carvings, and more from all Spanish history reaching back to the Middle Ages. One very cool highlight here is an actual 18th-century kitchen transplanted from a Valencian mansion. Now we’re cookin’.<br /><br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en" target="_blank">The Reina Sofía</a></b> Named after the country’s current queen, this is the place for taking in some amazing work from the 20th and 21st century right up to the latest and greatest. Standouts here include <strong>Diane Arbus</strong>, <strong>Francis Bacon</strong>, <strong>Ross Bleckner</strong>, <strong>Georges Braque</strong>, and <strong>Alexander Calder</strong>, but obviously here Spaniards are especially where it’s at, with the likes of <strong>Miquel Barceló</strong>, <strong>Eduardo Chillida</strong>, <strong>Salvador Dalí</strong>, <strong>Julio González</strong>, <strong>Juan Gris</strong>, <strong>Joan Miró</strong>, and <strong>Pablo Picasso</strong>, whose incomparably searing <strong><i>Guernica</i></strong> is the collection’s most famous piece.<br /><br /></p>
<p><a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7183526956_7f67c97097_c.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7183526956_7f67c97097_c.jpg?width=800" width="800" class="align-center" alt="7183526956_7f67c97097_c.jpg?width=800" /></a><br /><strong><a href="http://en.museoromanticismo.mcu.es/" target="_blank"><br />Romanticism Museum</a> </strong>Such romantics, the Spaniards. Since 1924, a former 18th-century marquis’ palazzo at the edge of downtown’s now trendy <strong>Chueca</strong> neighbourhood has been set up as a window into upper-class Madrid of the 19th century, with period furnishings, artwork, and photos (above) reflecting the history of the era and, yes, its romanticism, which was the artistic/intellectual movement of the day that pushed back against pure rationalism and is reflected particularly in the paintings, drawings, and sculpture found in here.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.realacademiabellasartessanfernando.com/es" target="_blank">Royal Academy of Fine Arts</a></b> The Real Academia de Bellas Artes is another undersung gem, especially if you’re a fan of Spanish painting and sculpture, with marvelous stuff by Velázquez, El Greco, Picasso, González, and gobs of Goya, plus <strong>Bartolomé Esteban Murillo</strong>, <strong>José de Ribera</strong>, and <strong>Francisco de Zurbarán</strong>. You’ll also get an eyeful of other European masters like <strong>Raphael</strong>, Rubens, <strong>Titian</strong>, and <strong>Van Dyck</strong>.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/home" target="_blank">Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum</a></b> This funnily named bit of business (thanks to being founded in 1992 by a Germano-Dutch-Hungarian industrialist married to a onetime Spanish beauty queen) spans eight centuries of European and American painting, with biggies including <strong>Durer</strong>,<strong>Caravaggio</strong>, <strong>Rembrandt</strong>, <strong>Van Gogh</strong>, <strong>Hopper</strong>, and <strong>Chagall</strong>. It’s also IMHO particularly well designed and of the right size for a museum experience of a perfect length.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1"><em>images | <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DamaElche01.JPG" target="_blank">Manuel Parada López de Corselas</a>, <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CaixaForum_Madrid_(Espa%C3%B1a)_01.jpg" target="_blank">Luis García (Zaqarbal)</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/yukino/7183526956/sizes/c/" target="_blank">Rosapolis</a> </em></span></p>
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<p></p></div>Navigating London’s 'Theatreland'https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/london-england-theatre2015-01-17T19:46:06.000Z2015-01-17T19:46:06.000ZTheatreBreakshttps://tripatini.com/members/TheatreBreaks<div><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">Even though many people who come to London take in a show, many more forget "Theatreland" is there. Don't believe me?</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><strong>Those on a business trip to London</strong> don’t consider it, yet a night at the theatre is a great way to spend a spare evening on your own or entertaining a business customer that you may not know too well.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><strong>Newlyweds</strong> don't think about it, but what can be more romantic than seeing a top West End show with your beautiful new wife or handsome husband?</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><strong>And budget travellers</strong> don't but surprisingly you can see a West End show for very little money.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">But even so, over 22 million theatregoers coming to <a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/musicals-2/" target="_blank">London’s theatres</a> each year to enjoying one of its world-famous shows.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><strong>So let’s put things straight.</strong></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">One of the most popular activities for visitors to London is to see a show in Theatreland.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/matilda-theatre-breaks/"><img width="750" class="align-full" style="padding:6px;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008915881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008915881?profile=original" /></a></p><ul><li>There is a lot of choice, with over 40 musicals, plays, comedies, operas and dance shows.</li><li>There is a lot of opportunity as there are performances every day of the week.</li><li>There is a wide range of prices (with the average cheapest ticket costing just £20.36 and the average most expensive ticket £81.68) so a theatre trip can be a last minute fun night out or a special night celebrating an important life event, occasion or anniversary.</li></ul><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">For the businessman, being dumped in a strange town can be a daunting (and boring) experience. So take the opportunity to pick up a cheap last minute ticket and head to the theatre. It might also be the perfect opportunity to strike up a relationship with a colleague or client: especially a boring one – it’s better than spending all evening talking to them! Tickets for most shows are available on the day from the theatre but if you really haven’t got time your hotel concierge will organise it for you – for a fee!</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><i>Kissing in the back seat of the movies</i> may well be fine for the Drifters but the romance of best seats for a West End musical cannot be beaten. Whether you are on your honeymoon or celebrating an important Wedding anniversary, you will never forget your night in London’s West End. Make it extra special by booking champagne in the interval, or pre-theatre dinner at a posh restaurant nearby... and don’t forget togo back for dessert and a night-cap.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">And for the budget traveller? OK at this point I have to say that more information can be found in a free downloadable book called <a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/london-theatre-book">London Theatre and Theatre Breaks</a>. Apart from giving you information on how to get around Theatreland, what tickets to book, what mistakes to avoid and even how to take the kids without losing your mind, it also gives you tonnes of ideas about how to save money!</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">But for me, the take away points are these:</p><ul><li><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;">If you don’t mind too much what you see, go to the Half Price Ticket Booth called TKTS in Leicester Square on the day.</p></li><li><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;">Don’t go on a Saturday night – everyone wants to: there are no discounts and availability is poor and if you are a businessman then you should be at home with your family!</p></li><li><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;">You can save money by booking cheaper seats in the balcony or upper circle etc but always ask about the view. Properly registered agents must tell you if the view is restricted.</p></li><li><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;">Don’t buy drinks in the interval (£6 for the cheapest glass of white wine at some theatres? Scandalous!)</p></li><li><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;">Don’t buy programmes – download the website on your smart phone (but remember to switch your phone off when the show starts)</p></li><li><p style="margin-bottom:0cm;">If you plan ahead you need never go round town by taxi – get an Oystercard for travel by bus and tube or walk!</p></li></ul><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">So no matter who you are or what has bought you to London, make sure you see a show: it would be a pity to miss out!</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">Author Simon Harding, has been working in London’s Theatreland for over 30 years. He owns St Albans Travel Service, a company specialising in organising theatre and hotel packages in London for individuals and groups. Their website <a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk">www.theatrebreaks.co.uk</a> was the original theatre break sites and has been online since the last century. As well as London they also offer short breaks to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Paris, Edinburgh and New York.</p></div>Family-Friendly Musicals Are Attracting Visitors to Londonhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/london-family-musicals-britain2015-01-27T16:00:00.000Z2015-01-27T16:00:00.000ZTheatreBreakshttps://tripatini.com/members/TheatreBreaks<div><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">According to <a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/">theatrebreaks.co.uk</a>'s recent poll studying UK Theatregoers theatre-going preferences, family-friendly shows such as <i><b>Wicked</b></i>, <i><b>Disney's The Lion King</b></i> and <i><b>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</b></i> are what we most want to see in London's West End.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;text-align:right;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/top-uk-shows-seen-see/"><img width="750" class="align-full" style="padding:8px;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008913497,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008913497?profile=original" /></a><em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</em></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">You can see our colourful infographic at <a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/top-uk-shows-seen-see/">http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/top-uk-shows-seen-see/</a></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">TheatreBreaks.co.uk asked over 3200 UK theatregoers what shows they have enjoyed and what shows they think they would like to see next. Out of the top ten, six of the shows come from TheatreBreaks.co.uk's “family-friendly” category: <b>Wicked, The Lion King, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, War Horse</b> and <b>Cats,</b> highlighting the fact that London's West End is the perfect destination for a family trip to the theatre or <a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/half-term-breaks/">half term breaks</a>.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><i>It is heartening to see so many shows in London's West End that can give children such a magical introduction to going to the theatre.</i> Says Simon Harding from TheatreBreaks.co.uk. <i>Most regular theatregoers now got their love of theatre from being taken by their parents when they were young, so the more we can encourage that sort of behaviour the more likely we will guarantee a rosy future for the industry!</i></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;">Audiences, however, are not just made up of kids enjoying Roald Dahl and Disney inspired musicals: 55% of theatre visits are enjoyed with our life partners.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"><i>Popular, more grown-up, entertainment includes</i> <i><b>Miss Saigon</b></i><i>,</i> <i><b>Les Miserables</b></i> <i>both by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg and</i> <i><b>The Book of Mormon</b></i> <i>(from the team who bought us South Park!) plus the excellent</i> <i><b>Jersey Boys</b></i> <i>which is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.</i></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;font-style:normal;">In fact 145 different shows were cited as the show UK theatregoers would like to see next, demonstrating not only a wide variety of likes but a good knowledge of what is out there. Of course not all the shows are on around the country at the moment, but the list should give potential theatregoers a great idea of what they should book to see in the future!</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;font-style:normal;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;font-style:normal;"><b>For more information on what is hot, further survey data can be found at <a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/top-uk-shows-seen-see/">http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/top-uk-shows-seen-see/</a></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;font-style:normal;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;font-style:normal;"></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;font-style:normal;"><br /> <em>TheatreBreaks.co.uk is owned by St Albans Travel, a family-owned travel company which has been promoting London's Theatreland as a tourist destination for over 30 years.</em></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom:0cm;font-style:normal;"></p><p class="western"><em><b>Contact</b>:</em></p><p class="western"><em>Simon Harding</em></p><p class="western"><em><a href="http://www.theatrebreaks.co.uk/">www.theatrebreaks.co.uk</a></em></p><p class="western"><em><a href="mailto:simon.harding@theatrebreaks.com">simon.harding@theatrebreaks.com</a></em></p><p class="western"><em>+44 (0)203 2871808</em></p><p class="western" style="font-style:normal;"><em>St Albans Travel, Bedford Road, Bidwell, Bedfordshire, LU5 6JP</em></p><p class="western" style="font-style:normal;"></p><p class="western" style="font-style:normal;"></p></div>A Great Off-Off Broadway Play in NYC: 'A Hard Wall at High Speed'https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-great-off-off-broadway-play-in-nyc2011-11-16T13:57:09.000Z2011-11-16T13:57:09.000ZSearching for Sincerityhttps://tripatini.com/members/SearchingforSincerity<div><p>Hi all,</p><p>travelers to major cities want to take in excellent theater at bargain prices. If you're in NYC this weekend, you have got to check out this off-off Broadway piece at Astoria Performing Arts Center in Queens. Here's my review from The Queens Gazette newspaper:</p><p> </p><p><font size="5"><span class="Story_Headline">A Hard Wall At High Speed: Powerful Play Hits Home</span><span class="text nextedition"> </span></font></p><div class="field field-type-text field-field-oht-author"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item odd">BY GEORGINA YOUNG-ELLIS</div></div></div><p><span class="inline inline-left"><a class="lightbox-processed" href="http://www.qgazette.com/sites/www.qgazette.com/files/images/2011-11-09/21p1.jpg"><img height="170" width="250" class="image image-preview" title="A scene from A Hard Wall at High Speed at the Astoria Performing Arts Center." alt="A scene from A Hard Wall at High Speed at the Astoria Performing Arts Center." src="http://www.qgazette.com/sites/www.qgazette.com/files/images/2011-11-09/21p1.preview.jpg" /><span class="zoom"> </span></a><span class="caption">A scene from A Hard Wall at High Speed at the Astoria Performing Arts Center</span></span><span class="inline inline-left"><span class="caption">.</span></span></p><p> </p><p>I don’t recall ever watching a play that had the audience glued to their seats after it ended, that had them turning around to strangers and discussing what they had just seen, unwilling to leave the theater because the experience was so powerful, they needed to discuss it with those who had shared the same. Such was the case on November 5, the second night of the world premiere of A Hard Wall at High Speed at the Astoria Performing Arts Center. I will not give away the essential plot because, for this play, it is important to go into the theater not knowing exactly what to expect. But this much I will share. The spectacularly realistic set designed by Stephen K. Dobay features the interior of a home, mostly a kitchen and living room, with vivid turquoise walls. The location is Florida, but it could be any home, in any suburb, anywhere. The space gives the feeling of air, of sky. We are fascinated by the details: a real kitchen sink and appliances, a bottle of pump soap, paper towels, a spice rack, a bulletin board, a dishwasher. Over the front door there is a wooden propeller. The living room is tidy and comfortable—it’s obvious that a woman’s touch has been added. However, something is off, the angles are askew.</p><p>“It shows us something fractured,” director May Adrales told me in an earlier interview.</p><p>As the action begins and we become drawn into the lives of a relatively happy family - a young-ish couple preparing for the birth of their first child; the father, Donnie, happily building his flight-school business with big dreams for the future; his brother, a guy in his thirties who doesn’t seem to have it together yet, living in the basement with his ditzy girlfriend and representing a bit of a nuisance to the happy couple - most things are as they should be, and a little bit of what one would rather they not be. But then a disaster occurs, and though at first we think this family should not be unduly affected, at least, not more than others, it turns out they are at the epicenter, and all blame turns on Donnie. From here we are on a journey with this family, and we begin to see how damaging blame can be, especially when it seems empty, a desire for a scapegoat without thought to how it will impact him and the ones he loves. Donnie’s wife, June, is down-to-earth loyal, but even she eventually gives in to the pressure of a society that needs to place blame somewhere, especially when it appears Donnie cannot rise above it. His brother, Trout, then becomes more than just an irritation, while Trout’s girlfriend, Marcy, seems to be the only one with a truly forgiving nature, and perhaps just a hint of an attraction for Donnie buried beneath the surface.</p><p>This brings me to the performances of these four actors, which are what really make this play crackle. Tom O’Keefe as Donnie personifies the average guy with all his hope and dreams. His buoyant love of life makes his ultimate decline into hopelessness even more palpable, raw, and desperate. Sarah Kate Jackson as June portrays the ever-optimistic, practical side of womanhood. And though the character of June almost loses faith in her husband, Jackson is able to draw on a level of inner purity that fuels the final redemption. Johnny Pruitt as Trout makes it seem as if the stage is literally his home. We don’t think of him as an actor at all. He is constantly alive and so comfortable with the dialogue that we forget it is dialogue. And finally, Ryan Templeton as Marcy is the one we can’t take our eyes off of. She’s gawky and gangly, yet oddly sexy too, the actress following every impulse, and making us love her, all the while wondering why.</p><p>Written by Ashlin Halfnight, this is a script that moves. We are gently pulled, at first, into the lives of these people, and then hurled headlong with them, as the ti- tle suggests, straight into a brick wall. But even as we feel ourselves hitting that wall, the momentum of the writing doesn’t stop. In the meantime, it seems as though the people on stage are speaking common words that any of us might say, while they somehow create a swirling pool of hurt and regret. I couldn’t help but be a little reminded of the plays of Sam Shepard.</p><p>Momentum cannot happen in theater, however, without the guiding hand of a strong and able director, and Adrales certainly is that. Though early on in the piece I was taken aback by the scene shifts, mostly because the music seemed reminiscent of a sitcom, it soon became apparent that she firmly holds the reins of the pace, the music building with the action, everything working together to give us the feeling of a freefall through space.</p><p>Finally, credit must be given to Astoria Performing Arts Center Artistic Director Tom Wojtunik for bringing this piece to the company. It is his vision, supported by Executive Director Taryn Sacramone and the rest of the APAC staff, which is allowing new works to thrive there.<span> A Hard Wall at High Speed</span> runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Saturdays at 2:00 pm through November 19. The reasonably priced tickets can be purchased at APACNY. Org.</p><p>As Associate Production Manager Jenny Herdman Lando advised me beforehand, “Bring a hankie.”</p><p>I was glad I did.</p><p> </p></div>National Theater in San José, Costa Rica a Visitor Favoritehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/national-theatre-of-costa-rica-draws-tourists-from-around-the2014-02-21T14:33:34.000Z2014-02-21T14:33:34.000ZShannon Farleyhttps://tripatini.com/members/ShannonFarley<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008819498,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="200" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008819498,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008819498?profile=original" /></a>In the heart of <strong>San Jose, Costa Rica</strong>, the <a href="http://www.teatronacional.go.cr/index.htm" target="_blank">National Theatre</a> (<em>Teatro Nacional)</em> remains <strong>one of the capital city’s most popular tourist attractions</strong>. </p><p>The ornate Neo-Classical theatre is considered the <strong>finest historic building in San Jose</strong>, and is known for its <strong>exquisite interior decorated with lavish furnishings and beautiful murals</strong>.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296583872,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="200" class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296583872,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9296583872?profile=original" /></a>One of the <strong>theatre’s main ceiling murals</strong>, in fact, was just named <strong>one of “<a href="http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/01/20/costa-ricas-national-theater-mural-named-one-of-10-great-ceilings-around-the-world" target="_blank">10 great ceilings around the world</a>,” according to an article in USA Today. The famous painting is entitled the “Allegory of Coffee and Bananas”</strong> (<em>Alegoría al Café y al Banano</em>) by Italian artist J. Vila, and used to grace the back of the <a href="http://www.museosdelbancocentral.org/eng/" target="_blank">five colón bill</a> that is no longer in circulation. The gigantic work captures the essence of Costa Rican rural life at the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, but given that the painter had never visited Costa Rica, the mural has its anomalies. For instance, coffee grows at high elevation rather than at sea level as the painting depicts, and there is a man holding a bunch of bananas like a large floral bouquet instead of over his shoulder as would be traditional.</p><p>The <strong>National Theater</strong> was constructed between 1891 and 1897, <strong>opening in October 1897</strong>. Copied after the famous Paris Opera House, the theatre was built at a time when upper-class Costa Ricans wanted to transform the capital from a sleepy town of 17,000 people into a stop on the world opera circuit. Costa Rican citizens helped pay for the theatre by a special tax.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008820482,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="200" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008820482,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008820482?profile=original" /></a>The <strong>front of the theatre features statues</strong> of 17<sup>th</sup> century Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca and famous German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The <strong>vestibule floor is laid with Carrara marble</strong> along with bronze trim and ample use of 22.5 carat gold overlay. Italian sculptor Pietro Bulgarelli’s statues of the muses adorn the lobby. A <strong>stunning inlaid wood floor of tropical woods</strong> in red, pink, black and gold graces the second floor. The chandelier’s bases were painted to represent the different moments of the day: you can find sunrise, noon and night. There is a <strong>wonderful café, gallery and gift shop</strong> on the ground floor.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008820867,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="200" class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008820867,original{{/staticFileLink}}" height="233" alt="9008820867?profile=original" /></a>Excellent acoustics and the theatre’s intimate feel draw performers and spectators from around the world. <strong>The National Theatre presents high quality performances by orchestras, operas, ballet and other dramatic and musical performances.</strong></p><p>Tourists can step in during the day and take a <strong>self-guided tour through the theatre</strong>. There often are free musical programs at Noon, and on Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. For more information on the National Theatre, call (506) 2221-5341.</p><p> </p><p><strong><a href="http://www.costaricaspecialdeals.com/san-jose-tours/san-jose-city-tours-half-day.html" target="_blank">See the best of San Jose</a> with <a href="http://costaricaspecialdeals.com/" target="_blank">Costa Rica Special Deals</a></strong>, a professional online travel service. Costa Rica Special Deals will help you with <a href="http://www.costaricaspecialdeals.com/central-valley-hotels.html" target="_blank">San Jose hotels</a>, Costa Rica all-inclusive deals, reservations, transportation, and tips on what to do for your Costa Rica vacation.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Article by Shannon Farley</strong></p></div>Christmas in Barcelona - Complete With Pooping Figurineshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-preview-of-christmas-in-barcelona-complete-with-pooping-figurin2012-12-17T21:39:25.000Z2012-12-17T21:39:25.000ZVelimira Velikovahttps://tripatini.com/members/VelimiraVelikova<div><p>Have you ever been to <strong><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/barcelona/t3128760">Barcelona</a> at Christmastime</strong>? Sure, sun and sandy beaches come to mind, when mentioning this name, but Christmas is very special for the Catalans.</p><p>If you haven’t visited the city at this time of the year, do so – the temperature are high enough for pleasant stroll down the streets, full of lights. And there are loads of <a href="http://www.things-to-do-barcelona.com/">things to do in Barcelona</a>. You can best feel the spirit of the festivities at <strong>Fira de Santa Llucia</strong>, the most traditional Christmas market in the city. Here you will find all kinds of Christmas stuff to decorate your apartment in Barcelona during your stay. And the decorations, oh, they are very…unusual.</p><p><a href="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Bacrelona-christmas2-in-article.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Bacrelona-christmas2-in-article.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="Bacrelona-christmas2-in-article.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p> </p><p>The <strong>most typical Christmas decoration</strong> you can find in a Catalan home is the <strong>Caga-tió, a creature from the Catalan mythology</strong>. <strong><strong>Caga-tió is a</strong> funny, smiley wooden log</strong> with decorative eyes, nose, mouth, legs and a Catalan hat on its head, that children poke with a stick. While poking the log, they sing a song to tell the Caga-tió to give them <strong>presents and then sweets fell out of its bottom</strong>!</p><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008654484,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="150" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008654484,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9008654484?profile=original" /></a>Another traditional figure</strong> that you are going to find in every Catalan home is the <strong>caganer </strong>- a little shepherd having a poop in the bushes, in the Nativity. You will find <strong>all kinds of caganers</strong> in the <strong>Fira de Santa Llucia</strong>market. Apart from the classic shepherds, <strong>politicians, FC Barcelona players, and other celebrities (even the Pope)</strong>, are turned into little <strong>caganers</strong> that you can buy to decorate your <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/barcelona/t3128760">apartment in Barcelona</a>.</p><p>You can find <strong>Christmas trees</strong> in <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/barcelona/t3128760">Barcelona homes</a>, as well. However, they aren’t usually very big and are often made of plastic, but always <strong>very well decorated</strong>. So, if you’d like a Caga-tió and a little man, taking a dump in your apartment on Christmas, <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/barcelona/t3128760">Barcelona</a> is the best place to be.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Go to the Fira de Santa Llucia, from the <strong>first Saturday of December to 23</strong><sup><strong>rd</strong></sup><strong> December</strong>, and buy this <strong>funny Christmas decorations</strong> for your apartment and live in a typical Catalan ambiance during your stay in <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/barcelona/t3128760"><strong>Barcelona</strong></a>.</p></div>CAMEROON CULTURAL TOURShttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/cameroon-cultural-tours2011-08-25T08:28:05.000Z2011-08-25T08:28:05.000ZGlobal Bush Travel and Tourismhttps://tripatini.com/members/GlobalBushTravelandTourism<div><p>DAY 1 <br />Thu – CDG - DOUALA <br />Arrival in the afternoon at the Douala International airport <br />Overnight to Le Meridien hotel (4*) <br /><br />DAY 2: <br /> DOUALA - BUEA – LIMBE <br />Breakfast and continue to Buea going through the colonial rubber and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">banana plantations</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">.</a> Arrival in <br />Buea, we visit the old German colonial governor‘s residence standing majestically at the foot of mount <br />Cameroon, from this same port we would have a very clear view of the mountain. Then a stop at the <br />tole tea factory, continuation to Limbe,departure to the seaside resort town – Limbe – with a mild and <br />temperate climate. Arrival in Limbe and visit of the Botanical Garden. Its dense varied flora constitutes a curiosity to be discovered at all cost. Visit to the Limbe Zoo whose role is the long term conservation of endangered wildlife species. Wildlife species are made up of primates such as Drills and many other species, including reptiles, crocodiles, continue visit the town of Idenau and the Bakingili Lava deposit in the afternoon. Sunbathing, leisure activities. <br />Dinner and night Atlantic Beach Hotel <br /><br /> Day 3</p><p> LIMBE – MELONG (BOUROUKOU ) <br />After Breakfast Pick up for Melong , drive to Melong continue to the Ekom – Nkam waterfall which is about 80 m high which has served as a decor in a certain film scenes, Tarzan. Take pictures and return to Melong town. <br />Check into a hotel dinner and overnight in Melong. Kleber lodge <br /><br />DAY 4: <br /> MANENGOUBA MOUNTAIN <br />Pickup after breakfast, drive to Manengouba arrival and drive up to the summit, this mountain has a beautiful plain that is surrounded by an undulating chain of hills inhabited by the sedentary nomads locally called Fulani who uses the area for grazing their cattle and wild horses. Trek down to the lakes and take some pictures and listen to the mystery of the lakes, where no leaf from the the trees surrounding the lakes is found in the lakes. <br />After our picnic lunch, takeoff for Melong. <br />Check into a hotel Kleber lodge, dinner and overnight in Melong <br /><br />DAY 5: <br /> MELONG (BOUROUKOU) – WESTERN CHIEFTAINSHIP ROADS (DSCHANG – <br />BAFOUSSAM – BANDJOUN – BAHAM – FOUMBAN - KOUTABA) <br />Breakfast. Departure to Foumban via the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">Dschange continue to Baffoussam</a> visit the small mystical <br />house, believed to be about 300 years old and contain all magical warfare tools used in protecting the <br />community in times of war. And craft centers,visits the palace of the chief of Bandjoun. Market to discover the Bamoun culture continue to the city of Foumban with numbers of vestiges that attest to its past glory. The Sultan’s Palace, the Statute of king Njoya, the Royal Palace Museum, the Central Mosque, the Arts and Traditional Museum are all Testimonies of the Bamoun history. Arrival and brief visit of the town. Visit to some selected arts of the city related to the Bamoun history. <br />Shopping Back to Bafoussam. Leisure activities. Dinner and night Paradise Hotel <br /><br />DAY 6: <br /> KOUTABA – BAMESSING – BABUNGO – BAFUT – BAMENDA <br />Pick up in the morning after breakfast. Stop for a visit of the Foumbot driving to Bamenda in the english speaking North West Region. Departure to Bafut. Pass through the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">Commercial Avenue of Bamenda</a> which is where all commercial activities are centered. Drive through Ntarikon and arrive in Bafut. Bafut is one of the biggest Tikar chiefdoms in the North West Region. See the six hundred year old "Talking Drum", visit the museum and palace and watch the traditional masked Juju dances. Drive back to Bamenda centre for lunch in a nice restaurant at Commercial Avenue. <br />Drive to the Babungo palace, visit the palace and museum. Babungo is one of the biggest kingdoms in <br />the Ndop plain and famous for its rich museum. Picnic lunch on a nice spot and onwards to the Presspot <br />pottery in Bamessing. Watch the process from freshly dug clay to production of articles for sale and <br />export. Return on the Ring Road through Sabga, Bambui Dinner overnight Ayaba Hotel <br /><br />DAY 7: <br /> BAMENDA – KOM – YAOUNDE <br />Pickup in the morning after breakfast, departure to Fundong, visits the evil mountain at the Laikom village where those who committed offenses in the past used to be rolled and killed return to Belo along the Ring Road to the Ndawara tea plantation. View vast hilly plantations of tea here and visit the production factory where you can see how tea is being processed from harvesting to parceling for sale and local consumption. View the birds, like ostriches, ducks and fowls that are being reared for sale, continue to bamenda and yaounde <br />Overnight Hilton hotel <br /><br />DAY 8: <br />10 nov thu - YAOUNDÉ – MEFOU – EBOGO – YAOUNDÉ <br />Breakfast departure to semi-natural park of Mefou, a true sanctuary of gorillas and chimpanzees - <br />Departure for Ebogo (site eco tourism charm you like) - boat ride on the river Nyong - butterfly safari - Lunch on site (freshwater fish of the river) - early afternoon return to Yaoundé <br />Overnight Hilton hotel <br /><br />DAY 9: <br /> YAOUNDÉ – NGAOUNDÉRÉ (BY NIGHT TRAIN) (880 KM) <br />Pickup after breakfast, visit the National museum and the primate center, the gardens and parks in the city. Transfer to the train station at 4:00pm and check into the train and prepare for departure, dinner and overnight on board. Bed apartment <br /><br />DAY 10: <br /> NGAOUNDÉRÉ – BENOUE NAT PARK <br />Breakfast in the train. Arrival at 7:00am in Ngaoundere Cameroon water reservoir during the day, a transition zone between the south and the North. The cosmopolitan population is happy and welcoming; this gives confirmation of Cameroon as “the synopsis of Africa”. A brief visit to the town with a beautiful panoramic view of Mount Ngaoundere, the palace of Lamido, the market and some sites like Lake torch. Visit to the Vina waterfalls and Tison Lake. Lunch and departure to the Benoue National Park. Arrival, safari in the afternoon in the 180 000 hectares park classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1980; search for Hippopotamus, rhinos, lions, giants elands, etc. installation, Leisure activities. <br />Dinner and night Hotel Buffle Noir <br /><br /><br />DAY 11: <br /> BENOUE NAT PARK – ATLANTIKA MOUNTAINS (Koma tribe) <br />Breakfast and pick up for Wangai chief’s palace and our trekking proper starts. We will get to discover <br />the Atlantika Mountains with the Koma natives’ still living the primeval life style. This gives us the <br />opportunity to see how interesting and authentic a unique life style is. We thereafter trek to the heart of the mountains return and night Hotel Buffle Noir <br /><br />DAY 12: <br />ATLANTIKA MOUNTAINS <br />(Bimlerou haut, bas and Librou villages) <br />Breakfast pick up to meet the Indigenous people wearing tree leaves in the place of clothes . Tour of the village’s craftsmen (potters, spinners, weavers, blacksmiths ...). We will visit Mount Nsiki and meet the famous wizard who can predict our future. Later, we’ll watch the sunset at Kapsiki (about 10 kms/6,2 miles away from Rumsiki) a place that could be defined as "the most beautiful lunar landscape of Central Africa. <br />Return to hotel dinner and night.Hotel Buffle Noir <br /><br />DAY 13: <br />15 nov Tue - ATLANTIKA MOUNTAINS – POLI - GAROUA <br />After breakfast drive to Poli, visit Fulani and fulbe population. Continuation to Garoua <br />Dinner & night at Tourist motel <br /><br />DAY 14: <br />GAROUA – GUIDER – RHUMSIKI <br />Departure from Garoua to Rhumsiki via Guider for the visit of the fantastic “ gorges de kola “ , <br />Traditional dances of northern region , the special crabs witchcraft , the potteries , weavers , <br />artisans , Rhumsiki mount … <br />Dinner and night at Rhumsiki lodge in Bungalow <br /><br />DAY 15: <br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">RHUMSIKI - TOUROU market – RUMSIKI</a>After breakfast drive to Tourou, discover the famous market (the Goudour women with calabashes on the head, of which the color and the drawing of their " hat " indicate if they are yes or non brides), small KIRDI village, of GOUDOUMS and MOKTE (celebrates by this border, picturesque market that holds every thursday and the women covered of calabashes come assembled <br />Return to Rhumsiki dinner and night at Rhumsiki lodge <br /><br />DAY 16: <br /> DISCOVERING RHUMSIKI VILLAGE – MOKOLO <br />After breakfast, visit Rhumsiki village, particularly the crab fortune teller and the coppersmith departure to Mokolo. Visit to the weekly market (true ethnic groups melting pot, where you can find all the tribes of Mount Mandara), the Lamidate and Museum. <br />Dinner and accommodation at the Mokolo camp. (bungalow) <br /><br />DAY 17: <br />MOKOLO – MORA – WAZA <br />After breakfast pick up to picturesque market; Lamido palace at Mora. Visit the bi-centenary kingdom <br />of king Mozogo with its 50 wives and at least 113 children. Continue to waza Visit of the animist populations of the region. Trekking in the valley Continues to the Waza national park via the Koza hills. Whole day at the Waza national park viewing lions, giraffe, elephants, antelope,waterhogs, birds, Waza national park (the abundance of birds species makes the park a great reserve in Cameroon), etc. Overnight at the Waza lodge <br /><br />DAY 18: <br /> WAZA – MALTAM - GOULFEY <br />Pick up in early morning drive to Maltam and Goulfey, you really have the feeling that you are at the <br />ends of the earth. This savannah region is mostly inhabited by semi-nomadic muslim populations. Meet <br />Kotobo and Arab Shuwa communities, explore walled city of Goulfey continue to visit the fortress which is one of the ancient architectural structure of the Musgoum people which served as defense mechanism during the inter ethnic wars and Muslims invasions. <br />Return to Sultan's Palace dinner and night <br /><br />DAY 19 <br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">GOULFEY - BLANGOUA– LAKE CHAD – KOFIA ISLANDS</a>(market) - BLANGOUA – KOUSSERI <br />Wake up early morning and departure for Blangoua by Makari where you visite the Palace of the <br />Sultan Installing the Catholic mission of Blangoua for breakfast Transfer to the dugout and <br />departure Lake Chad Visit market Kofia on the island and visit the villages of sinners. <br />Night at the Zenit Hotel </p><p> </p><p>Day 20</p><p><br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">KOUSSERI – WAZA – POUSSE market - MAGA – MAROUA</a> Breakfast and Departure to Maroua going past Maga. Stopover in Zina to discover its desert landscape; call on Pousse to visit the Sultanate, the Museum, the Tuesday Weekly Market and the hippos reservoir. <br />Picnic at the lake shore. We’ll continue to Maga where we’ll visit the homes of the Mosgoun people, <br />called shell houses due to their pointed shape. We’ll also visit the man-made lake of Maga. We’ll pursue <br />our journey to Maroua. Lodging at the hotel, Relais Porte Mayo dinner and accommodation. <br /><br />DAY 21: <br /> MAROUA – DOUALA (BY PLANE) <br />Early flight to Douala arrival in Douala Gianni and Liliana will stop at the airport waiting the flight for Europe. and Jerry and Silvana check-in into hotel; Lunch. City tours in the city of Douala return to the hotel Le Meridien dinner overnight <br /><br /><br /> Day 22</p><p>DOUALA – KRIBI <br />Breakfast, visit the landscape changes of the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">luxuriant vegetation of palm trees</a>and coconuts, bor- <br />dered by the beautiful beaches of the ocean. In the middle of this large drill, we discover pleasant <br />small villages. The net, the dugouts, the lifestyle of the villagers makes up this strange decoration. We <br />arrive finally at Kribi, a place to rest in the shade of the palm trees on the vast ones extended from <br />white sand. Departure to a hotel where we will lodge, stroll by the beach for sea breeze. Diner and <br />night at Ilomba Hotel <br /><br />DAY 22: <br /> KRIBI <br />After Breakfast, departure to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">Lobe Fall, a unique place in the world</a> and mostly visited by all <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">tourists that get into kribi</a>. Get a taste of the sea fresh prawn, visit the water fall, stroll on the white sandy beach, swimming, return to hotel, diner and night at Ilomba Hotel <br /><br /><br />DAY 23: <br /> KRIBI – DOUALA – EUROPE <br />Early breakfast take a stroll around the beach of kribi meet with people who live in Kribi were <br />extremely friendly aslo interesting to see how much the ocean influences daily life. meet have a taste of kribi shrimp and fish, see people swimming in the beach, drive to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.globalbushtratour.com/">Douala and Transfer to Douala</a> <br />international airport - formalities and take off to Europe</p></div>Free Museum Hopping in New York Cityhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/free-museum-hopping-in-new2011-07-25T15:18:23.000Z2011-07-25T15:18:23.000ZNicholas Kontishttps://tripatini.com/members/NicholasKontis<div><p><strong>There are about 80 museums in New York City. Most of them are in Manhattan,<br /> and nine of those museums are located along what's called New York City Museum<br /> Mile, along Fifth Avenue.</strong></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eoa0D8pH4bE/TcU049EjmqI/AAAAAAAAAFA/BIQt9cZwnis/s1600/amnhFacade_500px.jpg" alt="amnhFacade_500px.jpg" /></p><p>The American Museum of Natual History</p><p> </p><p>Museum Mile begins with the New York City<br /> <strong>Metropolitan Museum of Art</strong> at Fifth Avenue and 82 St. (1000 Fifth Ave,<br /> New York City, NY, 10028) and ends with the <strong>Museum of El Barrio</strong> on Fifth<br /> Avenue and 104 Street (1230 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10029). In between, there<br /> are the <strong>Guggenheim Museum</strong> at 89 St. (1071 Fifth Ave., New York City, NY<br /> 10128), the <strong>Cooper Hewitt Museum</strong> at 91 St. (2 E. 91 St. New York City, NY<br /> 10128), the <strong>Jewish Museum</strong> at 92 St. (1109 Fifth Ave., New York City, NY<br /> 10128), and <strong>Museum of the City</strong> of New York at 103 St.(1220 Fifth Ave, New<br /> York City, NY, 10029)</p><p> </p><p><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_u7ryccJN3ZQ/TGmu9nXfE-I/AAAAAAAADpg/PLOkWZq2f6I/s1600/Met_Musm_Art_9403.jpg" alt="Met_Musm_Art_9403.jpg" /></p><p>Metropolitan Museum of Art</p><p> </p><p><strong>American Museum of Natural History</strong> is<br /> located right across Central Park from the Metropolitan Museum, at 79 St. and<br /> Central Park West (New York City, NY 10024). <strong>The New York Historical<br /> Society</strong> is just next door, on Central Park West at 77 St. (170 Central Park<br /> West, New York City, NY 10024) As you see, you can do a lot of museum hopping<br /> within a very short distance, and while you're at it, don't miss the best New<br /> York museum of them all: <strong>The Frick Collection,</strong> at 1 E 70 St. between<br /> Madison and Fifth Aves. At this tiny gem of a museum, every piece is a<br /> masterpiece, and it takes only about an hour and a half to view the entire<br /> collection.</p><p><img src="http://sfmorrisnyc.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/guggenheim-museum.jpg" alt="guggenheim-museum.jpg" /></p><p>Guggenheim Museum</p><p> </p><p>Please keep in mind as well that admission policy to the<br /> Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History and Museum of the<br /> City of New York is <strong>"pay-what-you-wish,"</strong> although American Museum of<br /> Natural History usually does charge additional fees for special exhibitions.</p><p>Other museums very often have free admission nights. For example, the<br /> Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum often have free admission on Friday<br /> nights, The Jewish Museum on Saturdays, and so on. So whenever you plan to visit<br /> a particular museum, it's worth giving them a call to inquire about their free<br /> admission night. Sometimes those free admission nights are mentioned on their<br /> tape recording, but rather often they are not, and so it makes sense to speak to<br /> a live person when you inquire about free admission night.</p></div>A Spin at the Whirling Dervishes Festival in Konya, Turkeyhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-spin-at-the-whirling-dervish2013-08-06T13:53:20.000Z2013-08-06T13:53:20.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell<div><p> </p>
<p>by <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tripatini.com/profile/inkapiegsaquischotte">Inka Piegsa-Quischotte<br /> <br /></a></strong></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633055,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" width="300" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633055,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008633055?profile=original" /></a>Three images are especially iconic when it comes to <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tripatini.com/group/turkey">Turkey</a></strong>: the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, the library at Ephesus, and the whirling dervishes of <strong>Konya</strong>. But despite all the time I’ve spent in this country, until I visited the dervishes’ annual festival last December, I didn’t truly know what they were all about. “Konya offers a unique opportunity to learn about the Sufi philosophy and the significance of the dance in the place where it all originated,” my Turkish friend Mehmet told me. And so off we went.</p>
<p>At the heart of the Anatolian plateau, Konya is one of Turkey’s oldest, most traditional cities, and its 1½ million population increases dramatically during the Sufi festival (scheduled this year for December 10-17). Some visitors fly in from Ankara or Istanbul, but we were in Didim, on the Aegean coast, so we went by bus. In Turkey long-distance <a target="_blank" href="http://www.aegeantourtravel.com/transport/transcoach-en.htm">motorcoaches</a> (our trip took ten hours) often afford a level of service and comfort that might astonish some.</p>
<p><strong>The Joy of Sufism<br /></strong> <br /> It’s bitter cold in December in Anatolia, but that didn’t seem to affect the cheerful crowd milling around Konya’s central bus station. The festive mood somewhat surprised me, since this is a religious event. But Mehmet reminded me that Sufism and the whirling dervishes are about joy, love, and becoming one with God. Gloom, doom, or even excessive solemnity have no place here.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008632286,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" width="150" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008632286,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008632286?profile=original" /></a>We stayed with friends, although there are hotels in Konya. The most convenient, though a bit pricey at <span class="longtext1"><span>€</span></span>120<span> </span>,* is the historic 51-room <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.balikcilar.com/">Hotel Balikçilar</a></strong>, opposite the <strong>Mevlana Mausoleum</strong>(left), known for its green tower (unfortunately, the hotel’s already fully booked for this year’s festival; you can find others at sites such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.konyahotels.com/">KonyaHotels.com</a>); . It’s here the man who started all this is interred.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.balikcilar.com/"></a></p>
<p><strong>Dervish as Doorway to Divine</strong></p>
<p>Persian philosopher, mystic, and poet Jalal ad-Din Muhammed Rumi, whose followers and son founded the Sufi order, was born in 1207 in Afghanistan and came to Konya in 1228. Mevlana, as he’s called, taught a version of Islam that emphasizes tolerance, patience, and attaining happiness through love, and the unification with God through constant movement that reflects the movement of the earth and the universe. The word “dervish” means “doorway to God,” and the dance, called <em>sema</em>, symbolizes a mystical journey of the soul and mind from which the dancer emerges as a better person. Mevlana died Dec. 17, 1273, and it’s this anniversary that his followers celebrate at the festival.</p>
<p>We squeezed our way into the large hall in the mausoleum, a richly decorated chamber with chandeliers, Arabic script on the walls, and lots of gold. Folding chairs for spectators surrounded the space where the dervishes would appear.</p>
<p>The lights dimmed, and a hush fell over the audience. First out from a side door were the musicians. Dressed in black, playing a reed flute, a drum, and a one-string violin they began ritual melodies that are somewhat dissonant and monotonous, yet hypnotizing in their intensity. Then the dervishes appeared in single file, wearing white skirts covered with black cloaks and black, conical hats that symbolize tomb stones.</p>
<p><strong>Dance as Spiritual Journey</strong></p>
<p>The first part of the sema is a dance in praise of Mohammed. The entire ritual has four parts, and after bowing to each other, the dervishes begin their spiritual journey by starting to spin. They turn in ever-increasing speed, always from right to left. Their arms, which at first are folded over their chests, stretch out, the right hand pointing heavenwards and the left towards the earth in a symbolic gesture to guide enlightenment from God towards us earthbound mortals. During the entire three-hour performance, nothing but the soft tapping of ever-faster spinning feet, the swish of billowing skirts, and the mesmerizing instruments waft through the mausoleum.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633091,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" width="300" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008633091,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008633091?profile=original" /></a>It takes education and training to become a dervish, something I learned very quickly when, back in our friends’ home, I tried a few twirls of my own and – after a handful of steps – toppled over. But there’s more to do in Konya, the capital of the Sel<strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.balikcilar.com/">ç</a></strong>uk Empire from 1097 to 1243, than spin in your room. You can admire Turkish craftsmanship at the <strong>Ethnological Museum</strong> and classical Ottoman architecture at the <strong>Selimiye Mosque</strong> (right).</p>
<p><strong>Shopping in Konya</strong></p>
<p>Then there’s the shopping. I like the wall plaques of dervishes with Arabic inscriptions. They start at about 45 Turkish lira (around US$30) depending on the plaque’s size and quality – and your skill at haggling. Or you can enjoy <em>mezes</em>, Konya kebab (slow-roasted mutton), Turkish coffee, and baklava in the traditional restaurants called meyhanes.</p>
<p>If you’re sitting by yourself, you’ll find your mind drifting back to the sema. Even more than the dances presented at Sirkeci Gare, the railroad station in Istanbul, the Konya experience is an immersive one. Unlike all too many staged performances, this is the real thing, and it will stay with you long after you return home.</p>
<p><br /> More info: <a href="http://www.mevlana.net/">www.Mevlana.net</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mevlana.net/"></a> </p>
<p><em>*For equivalents in other currencies, see </em><a href="http://www.tripatini.com/group/thecurrencydesk"><em><strong>Tripatini’s Currency Desk</strong></em></a><em>.</em></p>
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