“L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped”  60 years in the making is now concretized

I flocked to the huge roundabout which is located at the western stretch of Avenue des Champs-Élysées to see this monumental artwork Friday evening before a dinner meeting.  “It was Quite Impressive!”

L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped was unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.  The art installation is on view for sixteen days from September 18th to October 3, 2021. The project has been realized in partnership with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux and in coordination with the City of Paris.

The Arc de Triomphe is wrapped in 25,000 square meters of recyclable polypropylene fabric in silvery blue along with 3,000 meters of red rope.

Visitors will not only be able to see the gleaming they can also touch it. Those who climb the 50 meters to the top will step on it when they reach the roof terrace.

France’s Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot has called the work “a formidable gift offered to Parisians, the French and beyond, to all art lovers.”

The backstory:

In 1961, three years after they met in Paris, Christo and Jeanne-Claude began creating works of art in public spaces. One of their projects was to wrap a public building. When he arrived in Paris, he rented a small room near the Arc de Triomphe and had been attracted by the monument ever since. In 1962, he made a photomontage of the Arc de Triomphe wrapped, seen from the Avenue Foch and, in 1988, a collage. 60 years later, the project will finally be concretized.

“It will be like a living object,” Christo had said, “which will come alive in the wind and reflect the light.

#Paris #IgersParis #travel #travelling #traveler #history #travelgram #magnifiquefrance #visitfrance #traveldiaries #travelphoto #travellife #art #artist #artwork #instagood #photooftheday #picoftheday #parisart #parisianstyle #travelgram #igersparis #arcdetrioavenuedeschampselysees

Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Are Coming…..What Will That Mean?

Sometime soon, you might arrive at an airport or a stadium or a restaurant, open an app or flash a card, and be admitted to a place or experience that was denied you during the pandemic. You will have just deployed a vaccine passport, a certification of either vaccination status or immunity following a natural infection that confirms you no longer pose a risk to others.

“Soon” is right now in Israel, where a passport debuted in February that lets vaccinated people attend events and patronize restaurants and gyms in the country, and in Estonia and Iceland, where proof of vaccination allows non-citizens to enter without quarantine. Soon is probably the near future for other rich countries that vaccinated their citizens early—including in the United States, where the Biden administration has committed to the concept of vaccine passports and is pushing the Department of Health and Human Services to set standards for competing private-sector products.

….continued…https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-vaccine-passports-are-coming-what-will-that-mean/

Source:  Wired

#science #VaccinePassport #vaccine #covid19 #travel #travelnews #Monday #travelnews #instatravel #mondaymotivation #mondaymood #mondayvibes #travelgram #traveltheworld

 

Direct Train London to Bordeaux Planned for 2020

A direct high speed railway that would take passengers from London to Bordeaux in under five hours could be in operation by 2020, according to the chief executive of the HS1 rail network.

 

Currently travellers from London to Bordeaux have to change trains in Paris. The Paris route takes 5h 25m, including a 1 hour 5 minutes connection in Paris, travelling from London to Bordeaux.

The current return connection in Paris takes 6h 26m, with a longer 1h 55m connection in Paris, owing to the need to pass through border and security controls.

The new direct service would cut travel times to less than five hours in both directions, through a direct route and security controls located in Bordeaux, with trains reaching speeds of up to 200 mph between the two cities.

The proposed route bypasses Paris and takes advantage of a newly completed 302km French high-speed rail line linking the French town of Tours with Bordeaux.

“As we’ve seen with the recent introduction of the Eurostar London-Amsterdam service, there’s a real demand for international train services to provide a comfortable and better-connected service, especially for leisure journeys,” said Dyan Crowther, chief executive of HS1 Ltd.

“This is the first time that railway operators have collaborated in this way and saves the train operator having to do a lot of legwork. The route is almost ready for a train operator to turn up and turn the key as soon as the UK and French Governments agree on border controls.

“With the right commitment, we could be looking at new services in the next couple of years. The service will take passengers direct from city centre to city centre, taking the hassle out of travel to South West France.”

HS1 Ltd, the owner and operator of High Speed 1, is in advanced planning with three other international railway operators along the proposed route, and is working on pre-planned timetable slots and train routes, meaning that a new international train operator will be able to get the route up and running in “a couple of years”.

The four railway operators along the proposed route (HS1 Ltd, Lisea, Eurotunnel and SNCF Réseau) are meeting at the end of April, beginning of May, 2018 to discuss developing a Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean station, to facilitate international departures.

Source Drinks Business, UK

BULGARIAN WINE – PART 1 – CHATEAU KOLAROVO

Bulgaria is one of the oldest winemaking countries in the world; this Balkan nation has been stomping grapes since the time of Thracians who were big fans of Dionysus.

With the fall of communism and recent investment and innovation, they’re again immerging on the international markets. Bulgaria has five official wine regions, each with their own microclimates and grape varieties.

Danube Plain (northern) region

Taking in the fertile plains between the Danube and the vast Stara Planina range, this dry, sunny region is home to 35% of Bulgaria’s vineyards – plantings include Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Aligoté, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pamid, Merlot, and the sweet Muscat Ottonel. The deep purple, slightly spicy Gamza is the region’s signature variety.

Black Sea Coast (eastern) region

Running down the coast from Romania to Turkey, this region encompasses 30% of Bulgaria’s vineyards. With long, hot summers and mild autums, conditions are ideal for white varieties including: Dimyat, Traminer, Riesling, Muscat Ottonel, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc.

The Valley of Roses (sub-Balkan) region

Specifically known for rose oil production, this small region produces dry whites. It’s particularly famous for Misket.

Struma River Valley (western) region

This small but significant region is home to the village of Melnik. Despite having a population of 400 people, Melnik is a nation-leader in producing strong reds; its signature, Shiroka Melnishka Loza, was a favorite of Winston Churchill. The region’s arid, Mediterranean climate also makes it ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Thracian Lowland (southern) region

This region – south of Stara Planina and extending to the Sakar Mountain – produces one of Bulgaria’s most famous wine grapes: the red, spicy Mavrud. Other ripper reds include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Muscadine and Pamid. The Bessa Valley sub-region has serious vintage: wine has been produced there (by the Dionysus-doting Thracians) since the 5th century BC.

 

CHATEAU KOLAROVO

 

There are over 37 mountains in Bulgaria with most of them in the south. Our next appointment took us to Sakar Mountain which is in the southeast. Between four mineral-rich rivers: Maritsa, Tundzha, Sokolitsa and Sazliyka and close to the borders of Greece and Turkey, there has been an increased concentration of aspiring newcomers. These new producers are seriously concentrating on bigger reds like Cabernet, Syrah and Mavrud and Merlot.

After another lengthy and fun bus ride, we came to Chateau Kolarovo, which is housed in a former Soviet warehouse. The facilities are very basic. This boutique winery was founded in 2009 by businessman and horse lover Stoyan Stoyanov.

Chateau Kolarovo currently has 12 ha of old vines in cultivation, manly red varieties. Founded six years ago this small winery now produces 40,000 bottles annually. Since its first vintage in 2009 Chateau Kolarovo has won many international awards including two recent Decanter awards this summer for Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Silver) and Ahal 2011 (Highly Recommended). We learned that the “Ahal” wines were named after a Bulgarian horse breed that is bred for long-distance racing – hence the logo.

IMG_1321

We had an informal tasting and lovely regional-style lunch outside in the garden area, led by winemaker Iliana Koeva and Stoyan Stoyanov’s son.

Stoyan Stoyanov and Iliana Koeva

Some excellent reds tasted:

Kolarovo Ahal 2010

Kolarovo Ahal 2011

Kolarovo Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Kolarovo Merlot 2010

Kolarovo Special Selection 2009

Kolarovo Syrah Premium 2011
Chateau Kolarovo is definitely one to watch out for.

 

Liz Palmer

Miami’s Beaudevin Wine Bar is Tres Magnifique!

Hues of green line the interior and exterior of Beaudevin while upbeat, popular music fills the air. You know the songs – they’re the ones you hum to. The atmosphere is so relaxing that you’ll forget you’re in an airport. Keep an eye on that time so you don’t miss your flight!

Beaudevin is my favorite spot in MIA and is a one-of-a-kind airport wine bar. Located in Terminal D right across from gate D24, I find myself here every single time I’m in Miami, no matter my departure gate (thanks to the Sky Train, which makes galavanting around Terminal D very easy). In fact, this morning I sat down at the bar for a pre-departure mimosa and breakfast. My adorable, attentive server, Andrea, actually recognized me from previous visits. It’s kindness like Andrea’s that really make the Beaudevin experience a gold medal one.

The stemware here is gorgeous. My champagne flute is very tall and luxurious. The wine glasses are so elegant and weighty that you automatically stick that pinky finger out when drinking from them. Love this attention-to-detail.

Speaking of wine glasses, three charming chandeliers dangle gracefully from the ceiling. What’s so special about that? They’re adorned with wine glasses! Clever and cute!

The menu is well rounded and perfectly suited to Beaudevin’s impressive wine menu. Following is just a teeny sampling of Beaudevin’s not-so-standard wine list. Since I’m a chardonnay & cabernet drinker, that’s what I’ll focus on here because that’s what I’m familiar with. As a side note, reds dominate the wine list. However, there are enough whites and bubblies to make everyone happy.

The Sky Team