tennis & travel

Nothing is sweeter for me than the intersection of clay court tennis and Rome, Italy.

Today Rafa Nadal won the 7th Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome Masters) title defeating Roger Federer 6/1 6/3 in 1 hour and 9 minutes.

The Rome Masters (officially called the Internazionali BNL D’Italia) is held at Foro Italico, the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open. Tennis lovers pack the stadium. The fans are given white Panama-style hats and paddle hand fans to beat the heat  – so chic and totally expected for a mostly Italian and fashion-loving audience.

Foro Italico, Rome

Clay courts are found mainly in Europe. When I lived in Italy, I took lessons and played at the clay courts of Rimbalzello near Gardone Riviera on Lago di Garda. Italians are crazy for tennis although the sport is a bit ”snob” with limited public access to free courts like in the States.

Europhiles have huge opportunities to combine both travel and tennis. The European tour features matches in Spain, Germany, Italy and France.

You can also go there virtually. I recently subscribed to tennistv.com for a little over 16 euros a month to watch matches live on my computer. This morning I got a special treat listening Nadal speak quite good Italian during award presentations (Bravo Nadal!), as well as to the Italian judges and award presenters. Language lovers will appreciate this aspect of Tennis TV, which also offers some nice video clips on European life.

What’s next? Brussels, Nice, Strasbourg. Then clay will turn to grass with June’s Wimbledon. Non vedo l’ora!

el camino de santiago

Whether  for spiritual, religious, or cultural reasons, walking El Camino de Santiago is high on the wish list of many travelers, including mine. I hope to take this journey with my family when the kids are a bit older. There is something special about following a path walked by pilgrims for more than 1,000 years. Going farther back to pre-Christian times, El Camino was also the site of a popular spiritual walk that followed the stars of the milky way.

courtesy Love Mondegreens

The Way of St. James, or El Camino de Santiago, is a pilgrimage route in Northern Spain to the  Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia where tradition has it that the remains of St. James are buried. Because of this, it was one of the most important pilgrimage routes in the Middle Ages. In fact, from the 9th to 16th century, up to two million people a year walked hundreds of miles  from not only Spain, but also France, Britain, Germany, Scandinavia and Italy to worship at the burial site. The route continues to be popular today for modern-day pilgrims and travelers of all ages and from all over the world. According to Wikipedia, the route was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe; it was also named one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

destination: Santiago
courtesy Love Mondegreens

There are five main Spanish pilgrimage routes with hostels and hotels offering walkers and their tired toesies a place for rest and food along the way.

Courtesy Love Mondegreens

There are many people who have chronicled this journey and each experience is unique.

Jack Hitt, author of “Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim’s Route Into Spain“, describes the experiences and challenges of hiking El Camino with his daughters in this recent NY Times article Hiking through History with your Daughters . (like he describes, I can only imagine the moment when my kids give up and then realize there’s no going back.  ) He describes the family’s adventures and gives additional resources for believers and non-believers wishing to make the trip.

Fellow blogger, gifted travel writer and brave soul Michelle at her blog Love Mondegreens – from Southern Spain to Northern Ireland writes about walking El Camino solo last Spring, and highlights in this post the people and stories she experienced along the way with some excellent photos that offer a firsthand peek into her journey. For her, the experience of hiking it alone was liberating.

Today’s pilgrims can carry a credencial or pilgrim passport and upon completion, receive a compostela , an official record of accomplishment. I’m sure it provides some satisfaction, but I imagine many who have made the hike would say it wasn’t about that.

Because it’s all about the journey, right?

Photos courtesy of Love Mondegreens

sugar sammy

Last week Public Radio International’s “The World” featured  Canadian Comedian Sugar Sammy.  Sugar Sammy has found a way to poke fun at the hot issues surrounding the French and English language conflict in Montreal and other regions in Quebec, from the perspective of an Indo-Canadian living in French Canada.

Francophone – Anglophone tensions are up in Quebec right now (the only Canadian province where French is the sole official language – English speakers represent the minority) and have been highlighted with the latest news frenzy over an incident dubbed ”Pasta-gate.” The international news has targeted the region’s well-funded language law enforcement that cited a restaurant for using the Italian/English word “pasta” instead of its French equivalent and tried to ban it. (Click here for a good article about the incident from The Guardian.) Last time in Quebec, when exasperated that I couldn’t find someone who spoke English  (It’s still hard for me to get used to a French-speaking region a short drive from our U.S. borders),  I was quickly reprimanded for the belief that they should speak English. Why shouldn’t I speak French? Point taken. Resistance to the global move towards English language supremacy is nothing new. And there is a long history involved with the Quebec conflict, much more complex than language alone.

The Quebec-born son of Indian immigrants, Samir Khullar – or Sugar Sammy as he goes by – has found a way to get the dueling French and English speakers of that region laughing at each other and themselves -  at least during his shows.  I think it’s brilliant – it may not change policy today, but laughter is always a good icebreaker and I believe begins the process of compassion and understanding.

Sugar Sammy believes in a demographic in Montreal that live in French and English on a daily basis. After years of doing separate French and English shows, he has started to do bilingual stand-up comedy shows – something he was told would never work – to French and English-speaking audiences. He has experienced much success, with sell-out shows. He even has the politicians playing along.

Sugar Sammy can make you laugh in four languages – English, French, Punjabi and Hindi . He now does four separate shows: in French (En français, svp!), in English (Illegal English Edition), the bilingual show (You’re Gonna rire) and a new show aimed at Quebec’s Indian immigrants and their offspring (Indian Edition). As a half Mexican/half German with a French first name, I’m intrigued. I’m crossing my fingers that our summer trip may coincide with an Illegal English Edition show because, sadly, we don’t know French. Yet.

I remain convinced that bilingualism is a true gift – I send my kids to full Spanish immersion public school in California. I just hope we can all get along and appreciate our capacity for speaking different languages. In a place like Quebec it might be a long shot. But Sugar Sammy might just make it a little easier and a lot more fun.

Photo credit: CBC

You can learn more about Sugar Sammy here. 

latin love

My Latina half is feeling quite proud these days. That says a lot since most of the time I feel like a Mexican imposter because the German culture my mother – the other half - raised me with has influenced me more. But even with my mixed Mexican/German race, I still have my Hispanic surname, my Spanish isn’t bad thanks to my Papi who spoke only that language to me, and when surrounded by Blancos, some would say I’m ethnic looking (Lebanese rather than Mexican, though, is the first guess).

Anyway, the Latino world is pumped up lately for several good reasons; in part many thanks to us, our American president was re-elected, and this week Rome elected the first Latin American pope – an Argentinean Jesuit, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) –  who is said to be simple, humble and intelligent.

On a smaller scale than the pope, there is another reason to be proud.  A few months ago, a (previously) little-known Cuban-American poet was selected to write and recite the Presidential Inaugural Poem. Richard Blanco is the first immigrant, Latino and openly gay poet chosen to read at an inauguration and, at 44, also the youngest.

I first heard of Richard Blanco  on television while I was watching the inauguration and he delivered the selected inaugural poem,  ”One Today”.  I later heard him interviewed on NPR where he read from several of his poems, including one from his collection, “Looking for the Gulf Motel” , which explores his cultural and sexual identity as a Cuban-American and gay man, and his family’s influence on him. His writing is very personal, and he writes of his immigrant experience which reflects the diversity of America, what it means to be an American, and the immigrant  search for “home” .

If you missed his reading at the inauguration, the following is an excerpt from “One Today”. Read the full text of the poem here.

My face, your face, millions of faces in morning’s mirrors,
 each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:
pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,
fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows
begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper — bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,
on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives — to teach geometry, or ring up groceries, as my mother did
for 20 years, so I could write this poem.

Pride, indeed.

easy chic: a guide to paris street style

It’s no secret that France - or really Paris – is the center of style. When you visit and walk the streets, there is evidence of it at any age or shape. Well-tied scarves.  An understated, personal look. Sleeveless on women over  60. Great shoes on kids.  Timeless and practical, not trendy.  Natural and easy. Confidence. Today’s French style owes much to the inventions of Coco Chanel (read more about her influence here in a previous post).

So because I consider this style the holy grail of my fashion identity, I’m adding the newly-released  “Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic” to the other French guides collecting on my bookshelf on subjects ranging from parenting to eating well.

French fashion writers Isabelle Thomas and Frederique Veysset offer richly illustrated sketches and photos in this fashion guide and promise to ” help you cultivate an everyday style of timeless glamour.”

In addition, the book lists a series of fashion faux pas to avoid (no Converse after age 26, it’s reported, is one. Ouch.) and expert advice on getting your effortless chic style on. I’m there.

grand island mansion

Nothing surprised me more over the weekend than visiting for the first time an Italian Renaissance-style mansion in the heart of the Delta in Northern California, east of the San Francisco Bay.

It was the perfect Sunday drive along the Sacramento River to meet family members for brunch. The house, situated on the riverfront, has 58 rooms and four levels and is the largest private residence in Northern California.

According to the brochure, the mansion was designed in 1917 by renowned San Francisco architect J.W. Dolliver  for Louis Meyers and his wife Audrey, daughter of Lubin of the Weinstock Lubin department stores. It served as Meyers’ centerpiece for his fruit orchard empire and for entertaining guests who arrived by riverboat. Meyers was a orchardist and you can still see wide sweeping fields of pear trees surrounding the mansion and the surrounding town of Walnut Grove.

Outside, the grounds are nice – with fountains and statues and a great big hill for the kids to run down.

It has been restored by the original architect’s great-nephew, Terrence Black. Inside there is a funny feel of  luxurious period furnishings and European artwork likely not from the original private residence, but rather to transform it into a wedding location ( it is used primarily as an event venue). But several rooms including what I assume is the original private bowling alley and home theatre with beautifully carved wooded seats are a thrill to see. There is even a Hemingway Hunt room which serves as a bar lounge, with deer heads and furs on the wall.

 

I’m not clear if Hemingway ever stayed here, but I imagine that in the 1920s, bars called Hemingway were en vogue.

The house has been featured in National Geographic, Architectural Digest and Sunset Magazines.

Rather than pity a bygone era and beautiful home taken over by corporate events or weddings (didn’t the real Downton Abby do the same?), I rather enjoy imagining  a Mr. and Mrs. Meyers escaping San Francisco on riverboat, to the laid back country delta and surrounding orchards. A welcome break from the city, then and now.

The Grand Island Mansion is open for public viewing when it serves Sunday brunch on select weekends. Otherwise it is used for private group reservation. Private tours are also offered.

lagom

Several items caught my eye this weekend when reading my Sunday morning indulgence,  The New York Times. These are my top 3 picks:

Courtyard at El Convento, Puerto Rico

36 Hours, my favorite part of the Times Travel Section,  finds itself in San Juan, Puerto Rico this week. Featured in the piece is Hotel El Convento, a beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture and design and a European-style alternative to glitzier properties. It has almost convinced me to put Puerto Rico on the top of the travel list, particularly because my husband has insisted we go somewhere tropical before returning to Europe. Hotel El Convento  is an Old San Juan institution right on the water. It was founded as a convent and housed Carmelite nuns for 250 years. Since then, the structure was rebuilt in 1959 on the foundations of the original. Check out its grand open-air courtyard and more on the hotel’s photo gallery. Looking for a hand-fitted, customized Panama hat? The article also suggests the best hat maker in town.

In the Arena section, where readers are treated to highlights from Tmagazine.com, I took notice of a piece on the Stockholm-based beauty brand called Sachajuan because of its simple packaging and my love for many things stylish and Swedish like Ikea. A cult favorite, its products – which include body washes and lotions made from a soluble fiber from oats called beta-glucan - is debuting in the States and carries a reasonable price tag. The article quotes Misha Anderson, its American distributor, as saying “In Swedish culture, they have a word called lagom - the idea that things should be chic yet understated and functional. This line embodies that in every way.” Learn more about Sachajuan products at woodleyandbunney.com

Sunday Review’s cover article “Relax! You’ll be More Productive” offers another nudge of convincing research in making the case that more naps and vacations – and less frantic juggling of overwhelming demands at an unsustainable pace –  lead to better output in the work world, and that the best way to get more done may be to spend more time doing less. The “work when you work and rest when you rest”  philosophy, accepted much more in Europe, has no patience for the American pastime of guilt associated with vacation or the drive of ”more, bigger, faster”.  This article suggests that working long hours and skipping vacation days is not equivalent to positive outcomes and results in the workplace. A new and growing body of multidisciplinary research shows that strategic renewal (longer sleep hours, more frequent vacations, more time away from the office, etc)  boosts productivity, job performance and – of course - health. A recent survey found Americans left an average of 9.2 vacation days unused in 2012, up from 6.2 in 2011. Maybe this research can turn the tide of the oddly placed bragging rights that accompany unused or working vacations and frantic schedules,  and introduce the idea that a siesta (even short) is nothing to laugh at.

fine art photography for europhiles

Our home is a collection of old and new. When returning to the states after living in Europe, we shipped many of our favorite things that held sentimental value from our time spent there. Our yellow modern Italian couches and other furniture pieces, dishes, artwork such as framed antique maps, books, and, naturally, our Alessi favorites, as I describe in this past post.

But what had become a challenge was an update to our artwork. Over our modern Italian couches and near several framed black and white photographs, hung a fresco-like painting of Siena on canvas purchased in Italy. It held sentimental value but felt old-fashioned. In fact, much of today’s European and Italian design is more modern than those Americans promoting Tuscan kitchens would like to believe. Our Northern Italian friends have the latest in glass tile, and favor clean lines, modern art and appliances over a traditional look. While we have many traditional items in our home such as a large french-style kitchen pine table, it became clear it was time to update this piece of art on the wall. But how? How does a Europhile – lover of history and things old - accomplish this?

I found my solution last month, while perusing the shelves at our local bookstore downtown for Christmas presents. Above the books, I discovered artistic photographs displayed around the room. The art show was featuring the work of Northern California photographer Dee Conway.

“Room in the Louvre” Dee Conway

Several sepia-colored prints from photographs featuring European  architecture that appeared to be near or around Paris caught my attention. (The photos are archival prints on watercolor paper from a film negative).

Dee Conway

Dee Conway

One photograph in particular, shot wide angle by Conway from a circular window looking out onto the Louvre’s back courtyard produces a peaceful effect with its shadows, texture and clouds.  Quite large and framed in light wood, the photograph – for me – feels so familiar and represents why views like these in Europe never fail to catch my eye and keep me gazing; they fill my soul and spirit when I’m there. I never tire of it.

“The Louvre”, Dee Conway

One of her framed photographs has taken the place of the Siena fresco and, with the addition of a few Missoni-style, brightly-striped couch pillows, our room has been updated with the most perfect effect.

All photos by permission of Dee Conway photography at http://deeconway.com/

flying south

My mother in law, who lives in Canada, likes to describe how – like the Canada Goose –  she flies south each winter to escape the cold.  We took her lead recently and escaped the chill of Northern California to the warmer climate in the sleepy beach town of San Buenaventura, California - or rather the shortened “Ventura” – where we have friends.  (Curiously I have found that the word ”Patagonia” – the outdoor clothing and gear company founded in Ventura -  and “Buenaventura” share the same number of syllables. Nonetheless, the city name got the the chop a long time ago.)

Ventura is a sleepy seaside and surf town. The area feels off the beaten track and we enjoyed exploring it.

Mission San Buenaventura, (1782), named for St. Bonaventure of Tuscany, is the ninth and last mission founded by Junipero Serra in California.

The gardens feature flowers and plants typical of the climate in Southern California. I’ll admit this girl from the north is envious of the colorful and lush landscaping possibilities here.

We took a whale watching tour with Island Packers out to the Channel Islands.

We missed the annual southern migrating gray whales that day (pregnant mothers arrive in the area first, then juveniles, followed last by the males) but experienced a pod of about 75 dolphins  jumping and splashing around the boat. And this New Years Eve sunset was a special treat on our return to the harbor.

Ventura’s city hall is beautiful. This is the view looking down from it to the shore, with the iconic palm trees lining the street.

The flagship Patagonia store in its historic building is not to be missed for some high-end outerwear shopping.

We welcomed 2013 tasting some of the best $1.25 carnitas tacos in nearby Carpinteria where we also discovered by chance a lovely bluffs nature reserve  and a beautiful and long sandy beach without crowds. Some of the tallest and skinniest palm trees I’ve ever seen line its small downtown and we twisted our heads back to peer up at them. The local surf shop had just the pair of Havaianas sandals I was looking for.

Soaking in the Southern California sun we came down for, we watched the surfers to the beat of the crashing waves.

crèches around the world

The crèche – a representation of the nativity scene -  is an art form I look forward to this time of year. When living in Italy, I carefully selected beautiful hand-carved pieces of shepherds or sheep to take back home as gifts, and always enjoyed viewing the life-size presepio featured in Italian piazzas. Much more civilized than a plastic blow-up of the Grinch, I say.

This weekend I visited a local festival which featured hundreds of crèches from around the world. Believers, non-believers and everyone in between, with a curiosity for travel and world culture, will appreciate the diversity found in crèches from places like France, Mexico, Italy, Peru, Columbia, Guatemala, Zimbabwe, Alaska and Hawaii.

Faceless, abstract, figurative, stained glass, pewter, wood, cloth. Of particular interest, a cold-weather (!) nativity scene featuring arctic fox, seals and polar bears from Alaska (not shown).

A crèche created in layers into a colorful and painted gourd from Columbia.

Wooden tribe from Africa.

Authentic Mexican Nativity Scene.

Pewter Nativity.

A crèche made from a coconut shell, Hawaii.

 Gourd nativity from South America.

Miniature dark-skinned Joseph, Mary and tiny Baby Jesus made of clay. From Peru.

White porcelain origami.

Stunning dark wooden crèche from Zimbabwe.

The variety of interpretations of the nativity scene across countries and cultures provided a beautiful display and a joyful experience.

(This blogger as a young girl visiting a traditional Nativity Scene at mass with her family.)

My memories of crèches growing up include the above display at our local church and an elegant and simple nativity scene filled with German carved wood figurines that my mother always placed under our Christmas tree at home. Do you display a crèche at the holiday season? What kind?

photos courtesy of my 9-year-old daughter