Discover the World with Arrangements Abroad
For the intellectually curious traveler
You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys
The Crown Prince of Cabaret
May 1, 2012
By Anastasia Mills Healy
“The very personification of savoir faire,” according to one of his many rave reviews, Steve Ross is known as the “Crown Prince of Cabaret” for his elegant, clever and insightful performances of the works of Noel Coward, Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim, among others. Sondheim attended and enjoyed one of his shows. And the Noel Coward Society so appreciated his tributes that it bequeathed Ross one the legend’s smoking jackets, in which he often performs.
Ross began his career in the 1970s at a Theater District venue where the likes of Liza Minnelli and Ginger Rogers were known to join him in song. He has a long history of celebrated performances at the Oak Room in New York’s Algonquin Hotel and regular engagements in Australia, Britain and Brazil. Ross was the first American cabaret artist to appear at the Paris Ritz and he has taken the stage at prestigious venues (including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center) and festivals (such as Spoleto and the Caramoor Music Festival) across the United States and abroad. Ross has hosted radio series both for NPR and the BBC and lectured at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Oxford University. An Off-Broadway veteran, he made his Broadway debut in 1997 in “Present Laughter” with Frank Langella.
You can catch Steve Ross in New York City May 23 and 24 at the Metropolitan Room. We are also lucky enough to have him aboard two summer cruises: a July 17 sailing from St. Petersburg to Copenhagen and a July 28 trip from Edinburgh to Dublin.
Steve Ross has this to say about his upcoming Arrangements Abroad adventures:
“I began my sea-faring life with many contracts on the late, great QEII
moving on to other ships on other lines, but I have to say the size of the
Clipper Odyssey and the relatively small number of passengers is very
appealing. I love to make new friends at and away from the keyboard. New
conversations, new places to learn about and visit—that’s the ticket for
this wand’ring minstrel! As far as what songs I’ll choose—at least two of
the composers I sing a lot of, Messrs. Porter and Coward, practically lived
on the great liners in the Thirties and wrote several songs about traveling
(“Shooting Box in Scotland” and “Sail Away”). The classics from these and
the other writers of the American Songbook (the Gershwins, Irving Berlin,
Lerner and Loewe) will make frequent appearances at my shows.”
For more information about Steve Ross, click http://www.steveross.net.
The Catacombs of Rome & Sicily
April 3, 2012
By Anastasia Mills Healy
From New Orleans to Paris and from Egypt to Buenos Aires, cemeteries have for centuries been sights of interest to travelers. Some come to admire the architecture and decoration of tombs, some to learn about the burial customs of different cultures, and others out of plain curiosity.
Rome’s ancient catacombs, some of the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity, are concentrated around the Via Appia Antica and are dug as many as five levels down into the earth – soft rock called tufa. The most visited is the Catacomb of St. Callisto where many of the popes from the third century were buried. In it and others there are frescoes depicting Christian symbols such as doves, fish and bread. There are also two Jewish catacombs that are open to the public by special arrangement, one that pre-dates the Christian catacombs (c. 50 B.C.E. to 400 A.D.). These are decorated with Judaic motifs including menorahs.
In contrast to the Roman catacombs, which were constructed as cemeteries, the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily were mostly created with the intention that the dead be visited. Corpses are displayed in their Sunday best; many are largely intact mummies and are easily accessible.
Capuchin monks were first buried here in 1599 and later it became a status symbol for people to have their final resting place near these holy men. Divided into sections for men, women, virgins, priests, monks, professionals (e.g., soldiers) and children, the catacombs sadly received their last resident in 1920 – a ghoulishly well- preserved two-year-old girl named Rosalia whose yellow silk bow matches her still-blonde hair.
Spotlight on Cuban Arts
March 29, 2012
By Anastasia Mills Healy
Two fast-approaching events will focus attention upon Cuba’s exciting visual arts. Over the course of 11 days in New York City, starting April 12, cineastes will have the opportunity to see more than 50 films from 13 countries at the Havana Film Festival New York. In its 13th year, this festival screens both the latest award-winning films and classics from and about Latin America, the Caribbean and the U.S. Latino community. The range of films is extraordinary, as witnessed by the festival opener, a drama about two boys from opposite sides of the tracks in Havana; and the closing film, the first zombie movie made in Cuba.
In Cuba, the 11th Havana Bienal will take place May 11 to June 11, showcasing the works of 115 artists from 43 countries. A forum for underrepresented voices and focusing on art from Latin America and the Caribbean, the bienal’s theme this year is “Artistic Practices and Social Imaginaries.” According to Jorge Fernandez, director of the Wilfredo Lam Center of Contemporary Art, the bienal seeks to delve deeply into the thinking of people in different communities and inspire young people to identify with it, turning the event into a mirror for Cuban society.
Bienal photo by C. Monsalvez
Fishing in Bilbao
March 1, 2012
By Anastasia Mills Healy
Frank Gehry likes fish. Considered by many as the leading architect of our time, Gehry turned to fish for inspiration when his team started looking to Greek classicism. Go back further, he said, to the beginning of life in the murk.
Gehry created enormous fish sculptures in Barcelona, Minneapolis, and Kobe, and ichthyic-shaped items appear in his other endeavors such as a jewelry line for Tiffany & Co.
As for Gehry’s iconic building for the Guggenheim in Bilbao, creatures more noticeable here than fish are Jeff Koons’ 40-foot Puppy and Louis Bourgeois’ 33-foot Maman spider. But the shimmer of 30,000 undulating sheets of titanium echo shiny scales and the position of the museum on the river that snakes through this industrial city reinforces the association.
This stunning museum is the focal point of the architectural revolution that won the city a world prize for urban development, but form lovers also seek out “Zubuzuri,” Santiago Calatrava’s white tied arch footbridge; the “fosteritos”– curved glass entrances – that mark Metro stations designed by Sir Norman Foster; and the triangular prism Iberdrola skyscraper recently completed by Cesar Pelli.
No one in his right mind would go fishing in Bilbao’s rust-colored Nervion River. However, the Basque region is celebrated for its cuisine, including the ubiquitous salt cod. So as you savor a dish of bacalao a la Vizcaina, ponder how a lowly 300 million-year-old creature resuscitated a bleak industrial city in northern Spain, transforming it into a must-see destination for art and design aficionados from around the world.
The Met Meets “The Lady”
January 31, 2012
By Christine Pagnani
“Extraordinary and inspirational”…these were emotions felt by all twenty-seven Met members and myself as we were warmly received by “The Lady,” as she is affectionately called by her devoted followers. Aung San Suu Kyi, elegant, intelligent and gracious, yet formidable enough to “move a dozen elephants” personally greeted each one of us at her residence on a glorious Sunday morning. She engaged in conversations including art, culture, theater (all in her favorite city Manhattan), public health, land reforms and of course, economics and government as we sipped tea on her veranda overlooking the river. Suu Kyi entered politics to work towards the democratization of her country… hoping to eliminate diversity and fear by empowering confidence in her people of Burma.
As we thanked “The Lady” and said our goodbyes, she walked the group, arm-in-arm with a Museum member, down the bougainvillea-lined driveway to the coach. January 22, 2012, was indeed a historic moment for all of us… it’s forever etched in my memory.
Egypt
January 27, 2012
By Clive Porter
The restaurant in downtown Cairo was empty compared to visits in years passed. There was no taxi outside when we left so we decided to walk to our hotel. Within a few minutes we were crossing Tahrir Square, once a bus station amid pulsing traffic, now a beacon for freedom in Egypt and throughout the region.
On a Thursday evening in early January it was peaceful: some traffic to dodge as we crossed to the middle were the scene was reminiscent of the Occupy protests around the world: banners; some tents; people hanging around but a far cry from the mass demonstrations of the last twelve months.
We wandered across the square, took a few photographs, continued by the Nile and reached our hotel.
All very easy and normal.
Our experience during the remainder of the trip was exactly the same. Indeed, everything was easier than before as so few other people were visiting the country. At the Egyptian Museum we could linger in front of Tutankhamen: no crowds jostling us and urging us to move on. We were alone in the tomb of Ramses IV on the West Bank in Luxor. Many of the vendors shops were closed in the usually bustling market outside Edfu temple. And we could photograph the temples at Abu Simbel with not a soul in the pictures.
There is nowhere like Egypt. No other country has the pyramids and temples and tombs. Contrary to what the Greeks may claim, much of Western civilisation began in Egypt. Anybody with a love of travel has to see Egypt at least once. This is the time to go. While it is without the crowds and in the knowledge that visitors are exactly what this tourist-dependent country needs as it seeks a new course into the future.
Temple of Ramses, Abu Simbel.
Questions for Aung San Suu Kyi?
January 17, 2012
By Anastasia Mills Healy
A group from Academic Arrangements Abroad will be meeting with Burmese political leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi this Sunday, January 22, 2012.
Please click comment* to post your question. We will get your inquiries to the group leader and hope to answer them in this blog next week, along with a summary of the meeting.
*The comment section will appear to the right of this post.
A Caribbean Quiz
January 11, 2012
By Anastasia Mills Healy
Calling all sailors and Caribbean buffs! Which Caribbean island is, at only a third of the size of Manhattan, the largest of the 32 Grenadine islands? Its S-shape is covered in rolling green hills and its shores boast beautiful white-sand beaches lined with almond and cedar trees and picturesque yacht-filled harbors.
Just try meandering down the waterfront Belmont Walkway without stopping for a Hairoun beer or callaloo soup.
Visit a turtle sanctuary and a whaling museum (it is still legal to hunt humpback whales here) or purchase a well-crafted model boat. If you’ve finished your reading material, seek out its excellent bookstore.
Alexander Hamilton’s father was a longtime resident.
Which island is it?
Bequia (pronounced BECK-way)!
*For more information about Bequia’s Wildlife Protection and Conservation at Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, please visit http://www.tourwrist.com/tours/995 for an interactive tour or contact Orton “Brother” King at oldhegg@vincysurf.com.
Orton King at Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary.
What is French for “Yum!”?
January 6, 2012
By Anastasia Mills Healy
If you haven’t heard of Paul Bocuse, we suggest you put down your frozen dinner and hightail it to Lyon. Named the “Chef of the Century” by the Culinary Institute of America last year, the 85-year-old Bocuse has earned three Michelin stars without fail since 1965 for his traditional French cooking at Auberge du Pont de Collonges.
Set in his childhood home on the Saône River, the restaurant was run by his father until 1958. To give you a notion of how he feels about tradition, Bocuse still sleeps in his childhood bedroom.
During his more than 50 years in the kitchen, Bocuse has served presidents and celebrities and mentored some of the world’s most renowned chefs, including Daniel Boulud and Jean-George Vongerichten, who speak of him with reverence. He does not don his toque these days, but does oversee this and other restaurants and a small hotel in addition to his culinary institute and annual cooking contest.
What might you find on the menu? His most famous dishes are truffle soup in a puff pastry and Bresse chicken cooked in a pig’s bladder. Those with an aversion to fungi or on Lipitor should stay clear.
Eighty euros for a bowl of soup? Mais oui. But Ooh la la!
View of Lyon across the Saône River. Photo © Yenwen Lu.
