A delightful new hotel has just opened in Florence offering great value for money in a city where little comes cheap. The Johlea is located just ten minutes walk north of the city centre. The six rooms are elegantly decorated in pastel colours with Tuscan linen used for bedspreads, curtains and upholstery. Bathrooms are spotless in Carrara marble with cream hand made tiles. Breakfast is provided on trays in each room and there is a stunning little roof garden which affords 360 views of the city.
February 27, 2010
February 24, 2010
Another Dream
German writer and director Raimund Hoghe evokes the 1960s in his latest play to be performed at the intimate surroundings of the Kaaitheater Studio. ‘Another Dream’ forms a trilogy along with ‘Meinwärts’ (1994) and ‘Chambre séparée’ (1997) which were set in the 1930s and late-1940s respectively. Hoghe remembers the death of Marilyn Monroe, JFK’s assassination and the Beatles’ visit to the Maharashi. All accompanied by the songs of Joan Baez, The Mamas & the Papas and Mahalia Jackson, among others.
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February 21, 2010
Twentieth Century Sculpture
While the exhibition clearly focuses on the achievements of the twin fathers of modern statuary – Rodin and Picasso – it does not ignore other greats of the last century such as Max Ernst, Henry Moore, Lucio Fontana and, star of the Tate Modern, Louise Bourgeois. Although there won’t be many towering spiders at this Museo del Corso show, almost all the works on display are accompanied by fascinating preparatory sketches and paintings made by the artists themselves.
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February 19, 2010
February 18, 2010
Marietta Petkova plays Rachmaninov
Before Marietta Petkova came along, the etudes and preludes of Rachmaninov were deemed to be heading towards the bin of obscurity. Her recent début album on the Doron label – a live recording of the complete series of ‘Etudes Tableaux’ – received rapturous and universal acclaim. Here’s a chance to witness this mastery where fairy tale ambience, Russian folk melodies and an almost palpable sense of tragedy come together into a monumental whole.
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February 8, 2010
Bierhimmel
One of the few places in town where gays, lesbians, heteros, transvestites, tourists and locals socialise together, Bierhimmel (Beer Heaven) on Kreuzberg’s bustling Oranien Strasse is quite unique. The bar has just been given a makeover which has seen the main room painted bright yellow and the legendary Backroom stripped of the fun fur and kitsch that has adorned it for more than a decade. Spacey furniture and luminous colours have been installed but there’s no change to the music, which still takes in everything from Nightmares on Wax to Barry White.
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February 4, 2010
Nonsolovino
Marina di Pietrasanta is one of the most pleasant resorts on the Versilia coastline, and after a day on the beach, the little town of Pietrasanta is a great place to haunt. Nonsolovino is one of many good restaurants, but offers particularly good value for money in a contemporary setting. The four-course menu is fixed but changes daily. You might be offered a range of antipasti including hummus, a delicate asparagus flan and quails’ eggs followed by courgette soup. Two main courses could be a carpaccio of smoked, cured meat topped with rucola and a spicy chicken stew. Dessert is extra, and on Thurdays, couscous is served.
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February 3, 2010
Objects Relating to Early Christianity in Japan
What better time to host this exhibition than around Christmas? Like many other imports from the west, Christianity has a chequered history in Japan. Many of the Spanish and Portuguese missionaries came here in the 1500s expecting to find natives to convert in the same way as they had elsewhere. Instead they found a land that surprised them with a civilised alternative to the west. In fact many missionaries converted to Japanese Shinto and never went back. Even today, only 2 per cent of the Japanese population is Christian, so this exhibition promises interesting early artifacts from one of the few countries where Christ has failed to make much of an impact.
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