C O N T E N T S

My Favorite Flick
By Don George, Editor

Las Vegas
By Cynthia Gorney
- Books on Las Vegas
- Getting there

D E P A R T M E N T S

Postmark: Bangkok
By Steve Van Beek

Passages:
"Under the Tuscan Sun"
By Frances Mayes
- Books on Tuscany
- Getting there

Table Talk
- Readers' Tips
and Tales

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Tom Howard | Your favorite city in the whole wide world!
09:05pm Apr 10, 1997 PST (#53 of 54)

god, what a fabulous thread. I have travelled and lived in a lot of places, and reading all these notes made me think of the wonderful places I've visited and lived, and it was very heart-warming to hear so many praises sung of cities around the world.

I'm sorry, I have no favorite.

Paris in 1972 visiting a friend who played for me on a jukebox, in a wonderful, dark wine bar, Lou Reed's song "and the coloured girls go do ... do ... do ..." Walk on the Wild Side, the year the album came out, and to be smoking Moroccan hash, drinking French wine, my word!

The winding, narrow alleys of Diocletian's Palace in Split, Yugoslavia, before the current travesty, with at least ten wandering, singing men on Sunday stopping for drinks in every bar.

I lived on the quietest street in Manhattan, the west Village, Bethune St., in 1976, walking to Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue for the Sunday morning paper, late, late, Saturday night. I go back frequently for work now, and still love to walk the streets, and be energized like no other place by the electricity, the excitement, the energy, the vitality of the place. The people.

The markets in Kowloon; flying into Hong Kong at night, like flying into a jewel box.

Frozen Leningrad in December, driving along the Neva River, ahhh, to be young and in love in any city in the world, but there, the most delicate of pink light somewhere near sunset, reflecting off the Neva, off the ice, off the snow, off the huge billowing steam clouds along the river, in the expanse of the open space near the Hermitage, everywhere.

Seattle for saving the Pike Place market in the late '70's, but I was there in some of the roughest bars this side of Star Wars, before they somewhat cleaned up the place.

And a year and a half ago, inadvertantly celebrating a 20th anniversary of having lived in San Francisco, I helped a friend drive a truck across country to move from Virginia to San Francisco. We were coming in from the north, the rusting bridges above Berkeley and it seemed as though I'd forgotten where the hell we were going, a week on the highway, that our destination was, indeed, San Francisco, we rounded a bend and there's the Bay, the blue sky, and the City. What a shock, what a surprise, what beauty, the northern California light, and then dinner at Little Joe's in North Beach, reminiscing of 1975 and mostly free drinks all night long at Vesuvio's (the waitress was in love with my friend), then espresso and ice cream across the street at the Mobster's sidewalk cafe till four in the morning.

A visit in the modern interior of an ancient house in the old city of Jerusalem, where, in the back yard, they're digging up the grave of King David or somesuch astounding thing.

I'm sorry, I have no favorite.

Richard Dickson | My private wanderlust
08:21pm Apr 8, 1997 PST (#1 of 1)

yes, I am afflicted by wanderlust. It's a big world out there and I'd love to see all of it. Unfortunately I'm a bit burned out after five years of non-stop business travel. For the past five years I have traveled all over Canada and Alaska on business, never staying in one city for more than a week at a time. It has been so wonderful seeing the natural beauty of the country I live in and meeting the most amazing people.

The problem is that I also have a wife, a house and a dog. I've only been home for about four days a month and it's been hard on the marriage. I have also become tired of restaurant food, crowded airports and odd hours.

Yes I have wanderlust but for now I'm a bit of a travel curmudgeon. I'm looking forward to the day when I want to get back on a plane and head off to a quiet corner of the globe to not do any work.

Ray Veldre | Fun Eating Experiences While Travelling
05:02pm Apr 9, 1997 PST (#14 of 16)

one fabulous meal sticks in my mind from a visit to Italy in 1990. It was in late April and my wife's birthday, and we decided to mark the occasion with a meal at a restaurant called "Agli Amichi" in Godo. (You take the Gemona exit from the Autostratda between Udine and Tarvisio). I recall the weather was just about perfect, not a cloud in the sky. While the sunshine was warm, the light wind blowing off the alps added a pleasant crispness to the air.

We were ushered into the dining room which was upstairs from a bar on the ground floor. I still recall my first impression of the room. It was awash with the golden natural light of northern Europe. The gentle breeze blowing through the large windows occasionally made the white lace curtains billow up revealing brightly coloured geraniums in the window boxes all around.

The meal was peasant fare at its very best. We started with the biggest antipasto platter you have seen, full of giardiniera, salami, cheese and the famous Prosciutto San Daniele. (San Daniele is a nearby town). This was followed by a small plate of brodo (broth) with tortellini. As a main course I ordered Capriolo in Salmi ( a rich venison stew) which was served with slabs of polenta which had been toasted in olive oil. Dessert was the specialty of the house, a classic northern Tiramisu and coffee. Throughout the meal we were served the wines of the region. The Savignon-Blanc was outstanding.

The people we were with, the atmosphere the food and wine all combined to make this a truly magical afternoon in my life.

Bookmark
http://www.salonmagazine.com/wanderlust/bookmarks/ttreaders.html

Readers' Tips and Tales Issue No. 2