February 20th, 2010 by Let's Travel
Les Gascons Invade New York.
Week of Feb.15-22.
Chefs from Gascony, France, met their counterparts in NYC this week to pitch battle over hot stoves. Open to the public, the celebration is being sponsored by the French, who else, to toast one of their own-a 25 year old U.S.company ( D’Artagnan ) that markets French-style provisions to French restaurants here in the U.S. and to those Francophiles who savor anything French on the kitchen table.
Armagnac is the drink of choice at a bevy of 3-4-and 5 star dinners
set by the toques in the best of the best restaurants in the Big Apple. That’s 32 stars of talent in one week’s time. Wow! Bar Boulud, Bar Tabac, Daniel, David Burke, Eleven Madison Park, Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin, Le Singe Vert, Per Se are among them. And they’ll sample the wines of Gascony- Madiran, Gaillac, Gascogne, Pacherenc, Fronton, Saint-Mont, Jurancon and Cahors along with their fare, -all being introduced by the Company of Musketeers of Armagnac, an ancient order founded by D’Artagnan, the mythical leader of the Three Musketeers of yore. And to even the score on Sunday, the 21st, the toques will fight it out on the open planes of Central Park where rugby players from SW France will do battle with a band of toques from this side of the Atlantic. The winners will then toast each other at an undisclosed restaurant of choice, a la Francaise, of course. More wine, more vitals. All this in the name of Gaulic cuisine and vin blanc, vin rouge and vin des esprits. Before they leave us however, a night of La Grande Fete is being planned by the emigres from Cahors and SW France thanks to Air France, the Toulouse Office of Tourism, Open Skies, the SW French Wines Trade Board and the trade councils of Cahors and Armagnac. One thing is for sure, the French like to party when they’re here.
Viva La France!
Michael/ LET’S TRAVEL! Radio
www.letstravelradio.com
Tags: 32 Stars, Armanac, SW France, The Three museteers, Toques
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February 20th, 2010 by Let's Travel
Opened Feb. 18th, 2010 at The South Street Seaport in New York City, an exhibition of The SS Normandie.
Normandie was not only the largest and most powerful in a long list of great French ocean liners, but she was also by far the most luxurious and innovative. Explore the style and grandeur of the SS Normandie.
Reported by Catherine
The 83,000-ton, 1,028-foot long Normandie was not only the largest and most powerful in a long list of great French ocean liners, but she was also by far the most luxurious and innovative. Externally, she was one of the best looking liners ever created — she was streamlined, raked and rounded, and capped by three plump funnels done in the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique’s red and black. Very advanced in design, she was one of the most modern looking ocean greyhounds of her day. Within, she was lavishly bestowed with the finest French decorative touches — Aubusson carpets, Dupas glass panels and Lalique “towers of light”. Her first class restaurant was done in bronze and hammered glass, was illuminated by great chandeliers (again by Lalique) and sat 700 guests at 150 tables. The wines were included in the fare, the service impeccable and the food, of course, was the finest at sea. “You can never, ever diet on the French Line,” aptly pointed out a Company brochure. Everything about the Normandie was totally and purposefully French, down to the packets of matches in the bars and the notepaper and envelopes in the writing room.
Tags: Art Deco, ocean liners, South Street Seaport Museum, SS Normandie
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February 14th, 2010 by Let's Travel
AMATO OPERA in NYC is back. After Maestro Tony Amato’s retirement in 2009 after 61 years at the helm and with the final performance of The Marriage of Figaro last May, the Amato Opera Company was reborn
as the Amore Opera Company. Its first performance was La Boheme set in the Connelly Opera House at 220 East 4th Street in NYC last December. Its new president, Nathan Hull said that “with the deepest depression on record, what did we do? We started an opera company.”
Today’s performance at Baruch College presented 15 of the greatest operas from the Italian, German, and English repertoires. Maestro Amato said at the intermission that the cast was “very inspiring; entertaining a great variety for the ( new ) company.
It shows that they ( performers ).
have great background.” Mr. Amato closed the afternoon with a favorite Neopolitan love song- Marecchiare. It was a tribute to his late wife, Sally who worked with him for 41 years.
Today’s program was led by Conductor Simeon Loring. A cast of more than 40 singers led the afternoon’s recital. Of particular note was the selection from Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Iris Karlin as Zerlina and Charles Sanford as Don Giovanni in the lead roles. Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Diviglia was another finely orchestrated production as was the finale from Gounod’s Faust.
In 2010 the new company is presenting The Merry Widow, The
Magic Flute and The Mikado through May.
For more info on the season ahead dial 1-866-811. 4111 or www.amoreopera.org.
As reported by Michael
Tags: Amato Opera, Amore Opera, Tony Amato
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February 10th, 2010 by Let's Travel
If you missed this year’s annual parade in Ybor City, Feb.6, you’ll want to plan for the next one which follows the week after the annual Gasparilla PirateFest, the last Saturday in January.
This year’s event on Saturday, Feb.6 was a hoot. More than 100 floats passed through the historic district in
Ybor City. As this is a night-time event starting at 7 p.m. the streets of the city are fully lighted and decorated in a rainbow of electrical colors. More than 100,000 attended this year’s celebration. The parade marchers from different “krews” or
fraternities were there in a full regalia
of pirates costumes of every stripe. Their bent was to greet everyone present with a gala of colored beads
and bangels with much laughter,
surprise and fun thrown in. Yours
truly collected more than 25 of these collectables.
The parade was sponsored by the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’Yago,
a fraternal organization through the
central corridor of the city on Seventh Avenue, named one of the 10 Great Streets in America by the American Planning Association. This year’s grand marshall was the former mayor of Tampa, Dick Greco, the youngest mayor of a major US city at age 34, and who served four consecutive terms unapposed.
The parade was preceeded by a Family Fiesta from 12-6pm in Centennial Park. It was followed by a VIP kick-off at 4pm before the annual parade and with an after party at 9pm.
The parade’s purpose is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Latin culture and traditions of Ybor City. It
has been voted the largest and most beautiful night parade in the South. A total of thirty-plus krews and their “royalty” participated.
For more information on this historic site please consult the Ybor City Visitors Bureau at www.ybor.org or
e-mail:info@ybor.org. The phone is:813-248.3712. The fax is 813-247. 1764.
Ybor City is where it all started for cigar lovers everywhere. It is a national landmark. First settled by Cuban refugees and Sicilian laborers, in the late 19th century, its culture and traditions along with its historical architecture are a must see.
As reported by Michael,
Editor, LET’S TRAVEL! Radio
www.letstravelradio.com
Tags: Krewe of Sant'Yago, Night parade, Ybor City
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January 27th, 2010 by Let's Travel
This is the big one. The annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest is perhaps one of the largest annual events in the state of Florida. It takes place every last Saturday in January in the city of TAMPA. This is the centennial year for the festival. Over 500,000 spectators are expected this Saturday, Jan.30.
The kick-off takes place near the noon hour in Tampa Bay where a flotilla of every pleasure
craft imaginable navigates the harbor
lead by an actual replica of Jose
Gasparilla’s pirate ship that invaded the city in 1850. A gangly band of pirates open fire on the city, then
take the city by surprise.
Entering Hillsboro Bay they invade the ramparts and march up Bayshore Blvd.
accompanied by their followers of all strips dressed in pirate regalia and menacing gear and festooned with a copious amount of colorful beads, blusterly jewelry and makeup. More than 800 pirates have been counted to march this year in the largest parade ever. Jim Robbins is this year’s Captain of the Fleet, the
leader of Ye Mystic Krewr of Gasparilla. He lands his frigate at the dock facing the Tampa Bay Convention Center where a huge party takes place and accompanied by a score of marching bands. Three invasion stages have been set up to
accomodate the horde. One at Bayshore Blvd. and Platt Street, the other at Curtis Hanson Park and a third at Whiting and Tampa Sts, just under the arch of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Tampa.
The Seminole Hard Rock, The Tampa Tribune, Southwest Airlines and McDonalds are the primary sponsors here. The entire event is being organized by the EventFest company of Tampa. So for “Pirates, Parades, and Piratechnics,” this is the place to be this Saturday in Tampa, Fl.
See you there.
For more info contact:
www.gasparillapiratefest.com
Tags: parade day, pirates galore!. family event, Tampa
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January 20th, 2010 by Let's Travel
New York-CLIA/ CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSN., a national trade org. reported today that the 2009 passenger count increased by 4.3% over 2008. w/2010 expected to hit 10 million+ passengers for the NA market representing a 6% increase over 2009. The international portion is pegged at 3.6 million. In 2009- 14..
new ships were delivered; 2010 reports 12 new ships to date.
There are 118 new cruise ships afloat since 2000 from NA.
The cruise industry is experiencing a larger growth count in passenger
traffic. Value, Destinations, Accomodations and Amenities are relevant reasons for this.
Since 1975 CLIA has recorded a 7% annual growth rate in passenger traffic with the Mediterranean as the most favored destination overall. Couples, baby boomers are a main focus here.Themes of Music, Food & Wine, and Celebrities help sell
the industry best with Historical/ Cultural on-shore excursions popular.
40%+ of cruise ships now sailing have Spa programs and special programs for all age groups.
Today 40% of all cruises are made up of Affinity and Group travel.
CLIA is comprised of 25 cruise line companies. Travel agents are largest
segment selling CLIA member cruise
lines.
Reported by Michael
Tags: CLIA, cruise lines, new ships, passenger travel
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January 14th, 2010 by Let's Travel
If you missed the Jan.13 kick-off to the 2010 International Day of Italian Cuisine there’s still time.
Today’s the 14th and there’s a part II to this event that celebrates the regional cuisines of Italy. The finale is Jan.17 at the Italian Culinary Academy-462 Broadway, NYC/ www.italianculinaryacademy.com
Noted chefs include Mario Batale, Cesare Casella and Chicco Cerea, et.al. will present their creative interpretations of Italian dishes worth savoring.
Tags: 2010 International Day of Italian Cuisine, Italian chefs
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January 13th, 2010 by Let's Travel
From Michael
Norwegian Cruise Lines introduces a new ship this early Summer.It’s the EPIC and offers “free-style” cruising.
This means you can dine in any of 20 restaurants, bars and lounges. You can choose your own. Includes 128 staterooms and studio apartments.
Emphasis on Singles and kids. New Nicleodeon venue allows them to interact with popular cartoon characters. It’s part of their Kids’ Crew program. It has the only “big top” at sea. Second City and Blue Man Group live here too. Acquapark,
Bowling, and quality food. On board service is pretty good too.
Tags: "free style", cruising, NCL, Nickelodeon, Singles
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January 8th, 2010 by Let's Travel
JUDAIC SITES/ Italy uncovered a trove of historic sites where Jews
worshipped since the Exodus, the
Diaspora, and since the dawn of the 20th century. From Piedmont, where the Italian Resorgamento first started to Sicily where the earliest inroads from the Middle East took place to the
popular regions of the north where
Jews formed a cultural heritage to Rome, where the largst single enclave of Jews now live, this show
celebrated the contributions the Jews have made to the Italian civilization over the last 2500 years. Joining us for this special broadcast were Ms. Natalia Indrimi, Dir. of the PRIMO LEVI CENTER, New York, Mr. George Sacredote, author of From The Ghetto
To America/ Families In Motion. Rabbi Umberto Piperno,noted scholar and consultant to the Italian Kosher foods
and wines industry in the U.S., Gabe Goldstein, Associate Director, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY MUSEUM, and curator to the EBREI PIEMONTESI and THE JEWS OF PIEDMONT exhibitions in New York, Rabbi Jacob Malki and Mr. Joel Bernstein, attorney from the law firm of SOLOMON & BERNSTEIN. This was a memorable show which will be repeated Saturday, January 10, 6-7 PM/ EST and then Podcast 24/7 on www.letstravelradio.com Don’t miss it.
For historic Jewish sites in Italy, for the customs and traditions of the Jewish people, please “visit” this
broadcast on our home page as well.
Tags: Italy, Piemonte, Rome, Sicily, Synagogues, Torino
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December 29th, 2009 by Let's Travel
From Michael, Show Host
Listeners to FOOD For The HOLIDAYS, our special broadcast for food lovers will delight in hearing our Podcast of Dec.24, Dec.26, etc., etc. Guests included Hsin-Mei Agnes Hsu, Dean, Confuscius Institute/ China Institute, New York,who informed us that China celebrates the holidays with eight different types of cuisine including
herbal, medicinal and vegetarian.
Paolo Vannini, Managing Director of
ALTA CUCINA, a membership org. talked about his favorite Italian dishes and the food customs in Italy from both the north and south of his country as did Anna Teresa Callan who
hails from the region of Abruzzo. She’s a founding member of the JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION. Anna Teresa made reference to her
encounters with Jamesa Beard in his
early days in New York. Alain Sailhac, Executive Vice President of The
FRENCH CULINARY INSTITUTE spoke about the traditions in France and his
native dishes now prepared in the U.S. that are easy to assemble he added. A Buche de Noel was his gift to us/ presented on the show. You can not get better than that. Finally, Morten Sohlberg, President & CEO of the SMORGAS CHEF RESTAURANT GROUP gave us a insider’s view of some of the most popular Scandinavian dishes that his three restaurants in New York are offering this holiday season. The Scandinavian House is one of them. For more info on the show and the dishes they favor this season go to our Podcast page or http://bit.ly/9aXFb
Tags: China, France, Holiday Dishes, Italy, Scandnva
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