Orchids!!

How can anyone not like orchids? From the National Arboretum

A Fantastic Weekend in New York City

In general, New York City is always challenging. The crowds in the city are daunting and the congestion makes getting around a pain in the butt. That having been said, when things fall right, there is no place like New York -- especially if you like good art, good music and good food.

We had one of those magical visits last weekend -- a quick 36 hour trip that packed in all the types of things we just love. It started, as all our good trips to NYC always do, with a pleasant train ride from Union Station to Penn Station. Nothing is really more fun than 3 hours alone on the train to read, or think, or chat.

After dropping our bags at the hotel (the Empire, right across the street from Lincoln Center) we went for a nice walk on the crisp day, across Central Park. Our first stop on the Saturday afternoon was the Frick Museum at 7oth & 5th. They had a wonderful special exhibit of Renoir's full length portraits. This one, "The Promenade" is in their permanent collection and always makes me think of our daughter-in-law and her two girls. The others, including several fantastic pieces we'd never seen before like "Umbrellas," really brought home how special Renoir's painting is. After a suitably extended visit with this small exhibit (just 10 paintings all told) we still had time for a wander through the rest of our Frick to see some old friends -- JMW Turner, Vermeer, Rembrandt. It is always a special pleasure to return someplace you've been before and refresh your memories.

After a nice rest and a nap at the hotel, it was time for our concert at the New York Philharmonic. We've been going for years and the music is always quite fine, but this concert was truly special. We were treated to two of Beethoven's symphonies, No. 2 and No. 7. We'd never heard #2 live before, but of course #7 is quite familiar. And yet these were different. The conductor, David Zinman, has spent the past few years reconstructing the original scoring from when the works were first performed. He has stripped away much of the romantic encrustations that have become so familiar. The result is like hearing these for the first time -- spare, dynamic, and powerful. The musicianship of the players and their sheer joy in playing really made the pieces come alive in new ways The opening phrases of the No. 7 Allegretto were some of the most gentle music we've ever heard and haunting. Throw in Peter Serkin on the piano playing a Stravinsky Capriccio and the music was pure magic.

We capped the day off with dinner at Picholine an very pleasant French restaurant just a couple of blocks away. It was a fine meal (Katy had the lamb; Paul the bass) with a nice French wine that just mellowed the day to an end. We finally rolled into bed around Midnight.

After sleeeping in the next morning, we had a quick breakast at a near by Le Pain Quotidien and then headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The only problem with the visit is we didn't have nearly enough time!!! We began with a small exhibit of Rembrandt and Degas self-portraits. Apparently Degas copied Rembrandt's style and seeing the two together was a revelation.

Then we took a trip back in time to the Renaissance and saw a great exhibit on portraits in Italy from Donatello to Bellini. Watching the style develop was fascinating, as was coming to recognize the idea that individual portraits were "new" at the time. The Donatello bust of a saint which opened the exhibit was truly a sight to behold.

Our third stop was "The Steins Collect." The Stein family (including Gertrude) spent the early 20th century in Paris. Leo Stein had a good eye and a sound business sense and they wound up collecting a number of Matisse and Picasso paintings (as well as several other artists) for absurd prices. One Matisse went for 500 francs (or just $100). Their salon was filled with great impressionist art. What a dream.

Finally, we went to see the work of Fu Baoshi. He was an artist who painted in the "old" Chinese style and lived through the revolution of Sun Yat Sen and then Chaing Kaishek and then Mao. His pictures were quite a joy to look at and something we'd never seen before. Made us want to study Asian art a bit.

And so, tired by happy, we took our seats on the train home and headed back to Washington, after a great weekend in New York.

It's Cold in Houston

Katy and I are here in Houston for the USA Rugby National Evaluators Conference ... and also for Katy's birthday celebration with our friends Jan and Sandra. Later on we'll talk about the visit and the restaurant we went to for dinner -- but for now, let's just note that Houston is supposed to be much much warmer. It's low 50s today .... with night in the 40s. Ugh

NSEA -- Sheraton Four Points -- 0 Stars

We booked the Sherato Four Points in Chelsea because it was convenient to where my brother was hosting his 50th birthday party. We weren't expecting spectacular -- it was modestly priced and we would have been happy with a modest room. Which is exactly what we got. No bath mat. Plastic cups. But not "horrible" just "eh."

There the story would end if it weren't for the major failure -- no heat in the room. The hotel was booked solid. It was late. Etc. etc. etc. They did give us a space heater -- but it was one of the coldest nights of the year in New York. The thermostat said it was 55 degrees in the room. On the whole, this looked like a moderate, OK place -- but the lack of heat made this one of the worst experiences we've had lately.

Montmarte -- An Old Favorite -- 3 stars

One of our two favorite restaurants on the Hill is Montmarte. Its a comfortable French bistro where we can always find good food at a good price. The owners know who we are and welcome us warmly whenever we come. Its sort of a "Cheers" for French bistro food.

Last night was no exception. Katy started with a wonderful seasonal specialty -- mushrooms (4 different kinds) in a red wine sauce. She followed that with a well-prepared Cod that tasted just right. Paul had a nice frissee salad with warm goat cheese and apricots as garnish and then tried something new that he had never had before -- Frogs Legs! Tasted just like chicken. But the star of Paul's meal was the roots and vegatables that came with it -- beets, bok choy, carrots, etc. Wonderful taste in a garlic and parsley butter sauce.

Add a nice 1/2 bottle of a Bordeaux and the meal is complete. What more can you ask for than a nice welcome, a good meal and a reasonable price.

Time Stands Still -- 3 1/2 Stars

We went to the Studio Theater the other night and saw a play by Donald Margulies, "Time Stands Still." If you have a chance you really need to go and see this play. It was one of the most memorable plays we've seen in quite a while. We would recommend it generally as being exceedingly well acted and produced.

The two lead protagonists are a photo jounrnalist and her boyfriend, a print journalist, who spend their lives covering conflict in Iraq/Sudan etc. The play is set back here in the US where they have just returned after she is injured in a road-side bomb attack. Holly Twyford, who plays the female lead, is just wonderful as a photographer who just can't say "no" to the challenge of covering conflicts.

We don’t pretend to know a lot about journalism but this play had the feel of verisimilitude. They players struggled with the effects of the horror on them; with the challenge of observing bad events and “not doing anything” and with the conflict between their yearning to be doing “something” and the desire for a safer quieter life. We have to imagine that this play would resonate with journalists everywhere and with those who consume the news.

At its core this is an excellent play that is just plain well done!

The Artist -- 3 1/2 Stars

We went to see The Artist last night. What a delight. It takes a bit of getting used to the film, but in the end we thought it was completely worth the effort.

The plotline of the film (which is reminiscent of both "A Star is Born" and "Singing in the Rain") is the downfall of a movie star who cannot make the transition from silent films to talkies. He falls into despair and is rescued, in the end, by the love of a woman and, oddly enough, the love of a dog and a chauffeur. It's a heart warming story, though, honestly, one we've probably all seen before.

What makes this movie special is its format. The conceit of the film is that it is actually made as a silent film -- filled with music and the old cue cards conveying words. One favorite of that genre was the simple word "Bang!" to evoke a loud sound.

The score to the movie is wonderful and luscious. It sounds and feels like a love story to old silent movies. There's a wonderful homage to "Citizen Kane" as well. In short, this movie was clearly made by someone who loves movies for viewers who love them as well. It's novel and innovative and well worth the effort.