Vacation Advisory!

[Karl Henning]

Safe travels, Gurn & Dave-&-Susan!

[SonicMan46]

Safe travels, Gurn & Dave-&-Susan!

Thanks Karl - we'll try to return to the North Fork for some more wine tasting -   Dave

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks all for your comments. I tried replying yesterday AM on the subway but we dove underground just as I hit the post button.  Nate, we made it to Juilliard, I only came away with a cap... they had facsimile autograph pages, but when I asked about Haydn, the said no, just Bach and Beethoven. WHEN I mumbled something about 'fuc@!#?' hacks, they kicked us out. Bruce was so embarrassed, he couldn't even use his "but I work here" excuse! 
 

[bhodges]

Thanks all for your comments. I tried replying yesterday AM on the subway but we dove underground just as I hit the post button.  Nate, we made it to Juilliard, I only came away with a cap... they had facsimile autograph pages, but when I asked about Haydn, the said no, just Bach and Beethoven. WHEN I mumbled something about 'fuc@!#?' hacks, they kicked us out. Bruce was so embarrassed, he couldn't even use his "but I work here" excuse! 
 

Yes, I am now banned from appearing anywhere in the Lincoln Center vicinity.

     

--Bruce

[EigenUser]

Thanks all for your comments. I tried replying yesterday AM on the subway but we dove underground just as I hit the post button.  Nate, we made it to Juilliard, I only came away with a cap... they had facsimile autograph pages, but when I asked about Haydn, the said no, just Bach and Beethoven. WHEN I mumbled something about 'fuc@!#?' hacks, they kicked us out. Bruce was so embarrassed, he couldn't even use his "but I work here" excuse! 
 

Yes, I am now banned from appearing anywhere in the Lincoln Center vicinity.

     

--Bruce

Woah, you work at Juilliard? I am going up there in October to see a performance of Messiaen's Oiseaux Exotiques!

[bhodges]

Woah, you work at Juilliard? I am going up there in October to see a performance of Messiaen's Oiseaux Exotiques!

Actually (just to clarify) I do a monthly column on recordings for The Juilliard Journal, the school's paper. But I'm likely to be at that same concert, with AXIOM conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky. By all means, if you're there, we'll have to say hello!

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Heading out of town for a few days.  If we have WiFi, I may look in now and again

[Karl Henning]

At Olana, the home of artist Fredric Church, with two living and lively artists at work.

[North Star]

At Olana, the home of artist Fredric Church, with two living and lively artists at work.

Lovely! I'm sure the scenery and history are inspiring. These dwellings of the HRS painters are certainly high on my list of places to visit were I ever to travel in the States.

[Karl Henning]

That was what tormented the artists at first: everywhere they turned there was a beautiful view.  Too many choices!  At last they were able to settle down, although it is a bit funny to use the phrase "settle down" when what happened was, they each started five canvases.

[North Star]

That was what tormented the artists at first: everywhere they turned there was a beautiful view.  Too many choices!  At last they were able to settle down, although it is a bit funny to use the phrase "settle down" when what happened was, they each started five canvases.

Hah! 
And of course the most obviously beautiful sceneries don't necessarily make for the best landscapes, just as the best portraits aren't in general of exceptionally beautiful people.

[SonicMan46]

At Olana, the home of artist Fredric Church, with two living and lively artists at work.

Karl - Susan & I did a Hudson River trip around 2000 or so - flew into Albany and picked up a rental car, started south in Poughkeepsie and ended up in Saratoga Springs w/ visits to West Point, Hyde Park, and the attractions around Saratoga - of course also went to Olana - added a pic above.  Dave

[Karl Henning]

Cheers, Dave!

Today is our last in New York. We are dawdling in the fine weather; in fact, the artists are about a hundred yards away sketching a dramatic gorge (from which the nearby town Grand Gorge appears to get its name).

This is not a photo of the gorge, it is Maria working in one last painting from the porch of our suite. She began painting at 11 o'clock and we checked out at 12.

[kishnevi]

Burning off some vacation days at work (use them or lose them) so I decided to play tourist at least a couple of times this week.
First stop here
http://www.deeringestate.org/index.aspx

Charles Deering and his brother James got their money from International Harvester.  James built Vizcaya, a faux Renaissance palace not far from downtown Miami.  Charles opted for a simpler mansion.  Of course he already had two mansions, one of them a castle, in Catalunya/Catalonia, so he did not need to fake his Renaissance.

He chose Richmond Cottage, directly on Biscayne Bay, at that time the first hotel south of the city of Miami and north of Key West, a wood and stucco building he renovated.  To it he added what is called the Stone House, with his library, grand salon, bedrooms, etc.   North of the house is a large mangrove stand, preserved in part by his efforts, and which is as much an attraction as the buildings. 

Almost all of the combined house was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew, but it was all reconstructed and reopened for the public. (Only the western facade, which faces inland survived without much damage.). Only a few of the current furnishings are original,  since most were scattered among the Deering family in the decades that they owned the property,  and what is original is often the donation of the Deering heirs in recent years.

When I have a chance to upload my pictures to Flickr I will post the URL here or in the photography thread.

[Karl Henning]

Good on ya for using 'em up, Jeffrey!

[kishnevi]

Staycation adventure 2
West Palm Beach
The Norton Museum, featuring a nice array of painting and some sculpture...mostly artists unknown to me, but some famous names too, usually represented by smaller or lesser known works. Strong on late 19th and early 20th century French and American, especially Impressionism and Expressionism.  But beyond this, the second floor was devoted to an extensive array of Chinese ceramics and bronzes, some dating back to the Shang, and a large display of four young photographers/graphic artists for some sort of competition called the Rudin prize occupied a major portion of the first floor. http://www.norton.org

[PaulR]

Going to Milwaukee for a conference next Wednesday until Sunday!

[Ken B]

Naples, Florida for a week, starting tomorrow.

[Moonfish]

Naples, Florida for a week, starting tomorrow.

Spend some more and go to Naples, Italy!!   

[SonicMan46]

Naples, Florida for a week, starting tomorrow.

We were there a few years ago and enjoyed!  Typically in the early spring, we do a FL trip and alternate the coasts!

In a few weeks, a 5-night trip to Ft. Lauderdale - hope that the 'cold spell' passes and will enjoy! 

@ Peter - been to Naples, Italy - at our age, wife & I prefer a more relaxed and shorter vacation, so Naples, FL is a nice substitute -   Dave