Coffee Cup Stain » Travel

Espresso Down Under

Gail — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000

It is always an electric moment when a traveler discovers that they can indeed enjoy their coffee in a new location. For some people who particularly love their local baristas so much that they are worried about travel to places known for tea, the choices for circumnavigating the globe can be a little limited. However, recent years have seen rises in coffee houses and espresso bars all over the world, and nearly any large city will have some choices for the coffee lover. Even trips to the more traditional cities in the U.K. will reveal that there is an extraordinary coffee selection, although tea is really the specialty.

It is certainly worth it to taste the tea in a new place, especially when it’s something that the locals might swoon over. Locals can be trusted with these kinds of things, or at the very least, should be respected. Whatever one’s tastes happen to be when it comes to tea, Sydney travel deals will certainly put the espresso lovers close to their favorite beverage, and there are some exceptionally good offerings in the city. The mix of cultures that make up the city also make it such a place that there are all manner of offerings in terms of caffeinated beverages of choice, and international guests at the hotels in Sydney Australia will find delicious versions of their preferred favorites.

Out on the streets, the offerings are just as good, and for those who can’t see how to tour without a necessary coffee in the middle of the day, places like Campos Coffee can serve it up with local style and international flair. There are also plenty of places for those who are as addicted to the atmosphere as much as to the bean. The coffee house culture at Single Origin Roasters is sometimes consciously hip in a rather refreshing way. The coffee house does have origins that go back a few hundred years, and this is sometimes a quotation of that, rather than an imitation of coffee shops on television.

Coffee houses are places to stop for a quick espresso for a pick-up between a meal and work, or can be much more complex. This can often be the city center for artists and intellectuals, the places where alternative types gather to chat and even argue about the important issues of the day. They can also be the perfect spot to take a chair for a good long while, maybe flirt a little, and think about the city and daydream.

Espresso Down Under is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

Experience the Rockies in Lake Louise

Gail — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 07:00:00 +0000

The Rocky Mountains may cut a swath all the way across North America, but some of the best views and tableaus are to be found in the Canadian portion of this breath taking mountain range. In a region renowned for its beautiful natural wonders, Lake Louise stands out as one of the most spectacular.

Fed by the nearby Victoria Glacier, Lake Louise is full of fine rock particles that are suspended in the mountain waters. Known as rock flour, this dust reflects blue and green light and makes the Lake appear to be a vibrant turquoise. Between the lake, the glacier, and the surrounding mountains there is not a single view that is not memorable and many are considered to be breathtaking by most visitors.

A holiday in lake louise canada can focus on activities like skiing, canoeing, or hiking. Other summer activities include rafting, fishing, mountain biking and horseback riding. Lake Louise is also a great place to simply be quiet and enjoy the beauty of nature. The region is thriving with Rocky Mountain wildlife, including bears, wolves, caribou, and bighorn sheep. There are ample campgrounds available for those who want to get close to nature as well as beautiful modern and historic hotels in the area.

Experience the Rockies in Lake Louise is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

Planning that Last Minute Trip

Gail — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Right about this time of year, many people are going stir crazy. Between work, winter weather, and the post-holiday doldrums , the idea of running off on a spontaneous vacation seems like a really good idea. You may think that such an excursion is beyond your means, but there are plenty of ways to economize money and time to squeeze in at least a quick weekend getaway.

The first rule of planning such a getaway is to do it as quickly as possible. The longer you procrastinate, the more things will come up to interfere with the vacation happening at all. You need this break, so take it as soon as you can.

Next, think small. No grand tours of Europe or extended vacations in Hawaii. Pick a destination that is nearby to minimize travel time and an extended weekend so that you don’t have to miss too much work. Skip the luxury resorts — unless you find unbeatable off-season hotel deals — instead look for bed and breakfast and other more intimate settings.

The last thing to remember is that you don’t want to overplan. This trip is about relaxation, not squeezing every single tour, activity and attraction. Hit the spa or the ski slopes, lounge next to a pool on or a beach, take long lunches and even longer dinners. Breathe. Relax. Breathe some more.

It’s a simple recipe for a quick escape that will do wonders for your stress levels.

Planning that Last Minute Trip is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

Planning that Last Minute Trip

Gail — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:00:00 +0000

It’s a simple recipe for a quick escape that will do wonders for your stress levels.

Planning that Last Minute Trip is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

San Francisco Film

Gail — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Some movie lovers like to combine their obsession with celluloid with their vacation time, planning elaborate trips to movie sets (past and present), film studios, and homes of filmmakers and actors as well as film and entertainment museums and attractions. While many of these filmcations take place in Hollywood, those who want a different experience should consider a trip to San Francisco.

In addition to being the location for countless popular and ground-breaking film, San Francisco has its very own community of filmmakers. Animation giant Pixar is located in San Francisco as are the production companies of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. The city hosts a variety of film festivals throughout the year, focusing on everything from independent film to Latino film, from LGBT productions to Black filmmakers .

Film buffs can book a San Francisco hotel and set out to visit locations from Alcatraz to the Golden Gate Bridge that have been featured in many different films. True fans who want to set up to visit all the sites for a specific film that shot in the are have many to choose from. Some of the popular films set in San Francisco include Dirty Harry, Vertigo, A View to a Kill, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Foul Play, The Birds, 48 Hrs, The Rock, Star Trek IV, and Milk.

San Francisco Film is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

Artistic Creativity in Hong Kong

Gail — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Art festivals are a staple of any city with a halfway decent population of artists. Some festivals rise to become can’t miss events and provide a window into who’s who in the international art scene. Then there are events which almost defy description, such as the upcoming New Vision Arts Festival in Hong Kong . This fifth edition of the festival is scheduled for October 15 – November 21, 2010 at theaters and performance spaces around the city. The goal of the event is to present artists who eschew preset formats and to explore fresh approaches to presentation, content, and collaboration. Musical and theatrical performances will draw international artists to the many luxury Hong Kong hotel s.

The festival, produced by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong, begins with a concert by Dadawa, an award-winning world fusion musician. “Hear the World DADAWA” showcases the contemporary Chinese singer-musician’s travels around the globe over the last decade. Other cross-cultural and global artists on the program include The Butterfly Effect: East-West Percussive Parade bringing together Japanese taiko, English drums and African drums with Japanese guitar legend Sugizo and American cellist and guitarist Know Chandler. Audiences can also enjoy avant-garde music from China and chamber and orchestra music. Theater lovers can catch the Edward Lam Dance Theatre in a newly commissioned performance, Grand Expectations, aas well as inter-media dance performance, and a unique reinterpretation of local cult movie thrillers by the Guangdong modern Dance Company and the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble.

The Festival closes with a Sino-Japanese cast performing The Peony Pavilion, a Chinese Kunqu opera classic, starring Kabuki icon Bando Tamasaburo as Du Liniang, the beautiful female lead.

Artistic Creativity in Hong Kong is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

Fort Lauderdale Classics

Gail — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

There is something about Southern Florida that speaks to a past as a future. Culturally, it seems to be at the very cutting edges, where the new centers of the music industry seem to be gathering here, at least to some degree. The mix of people brings in a mix of traditions, and the new forms in music and art are leading into some very interesting hybrids. Likewise, there is a sense of the old here, where the tradition of having a vacation near the water speaks to a mythic place in the consciousness of the visitors.

This all adds up to a pretty spectacular mix, where one can be at their five star Fort Lauderdale hotel in one moment, and visiting an iconic place from the past in the next. With its old-fashioned ice cream sundaes, onion rings fried in the right way, and hot dogs that don’t ever end, Jaxson’s is the perfect place to come to know nostalgia in the face of the contemporary. The owner, Monroe Udell, is something of a local hero, having brought the perfect classic of an ice cream parlor to the area over 50 years ago. It’s a place that’s maintained its reputation through sticking with what works, and reinventing when there’s room for improvisation. It’s the end of a perfect day at the beach.

Fort Lauderdale Classics is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

Ludo is in Saint Louis

Gail — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

From a few generations back, Saint Louis has enjoyed a remarkable reputation for musical innovations. If jazz has several heartbeats, the city undoubtedly serves as the center for one of these, and there are new influences coming into the city all the time. The new mixes with the local in some rather enticing ways with the music of Ludo , whose new album, and very intricate tour schedule, suggests all the trappings of a band who has hit it.

The sound takes a little while to hear, because it’s overwhelmingly catchy and very poppy. One can’t help but noticing the over-the-top lyrics, as well as the musical quotations of the stereotypes from the history of anthem, hair, and alternative rock through the years. It takes a few tunes to connect the disparate components and see that the cheese is all intentional, and it adds a layer of intellectual distance from the songs. This is just enough room to engage with the music, that moves in sophisticated shifts and suggest some remarkably talented players.

They’re attracting a very sizable fan base, too. When they play in town, the locals take notice. Others, who might be visiting Saint Louis hotels will also have the chance to see what the story is about, and find that it’s very rich, complex, and also easy to dance to.

Ludo is in Saint Louis is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

Singapore Post-Pop

In Memoriam: Rubem Ludolf, Rio

Gail — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:10:00 +0000

The waves of contemporary art that reflect back and pay homage to their predecessors usually have a higher stake in the art world than work that explodes spontaneously. There are many young artists who develop the idea that their art should only come from the very present, and each successive work should attempt to destroy everything that came before it. It’s a very romantic notion, and does have a certain nihilistic appeal. But even the Dadaists, while destroying the past, were doing so with a distinct consciousness and memory of the ones who came before.

In Rio de Janeiro, the art world is as eclectic as anywhere else, and there are certainly shares of self-taught artists who claim to refer to no one. There are also those who, like Rubem Ludolf , are self-taught and then grow into a consciousness of their place in history. He’s a figure now that’s entitled to enter that elusive realm of great art ancestors, as he passed in July of 2010 . His great contributions were in the realm of geometric shapes, rethinking how the human eye perceives space. Like his contemporaries Lygia Clark and Helio Oititica, his great project was one of seeing, and learning how to see again. Guests in Rio de Janeiro hotels should be in for some fascinating exhibitions and retrospectives, as this name becomes aligned with the sphere of great teachers who continue to influence the artists of the next generations.

In Memoriam: Rubem Ludolf, Rio is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

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Cibo’s vs Bianco’s in Phoenix

Gail — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Staying in Downtown Phoenix for business or for pleasure, you’ll want to check out Cibo Urban Pizzeria Caf ©. Located at 603 N. 5th Avenue, Cibo’s serves freshly baked hand-tossed pizzas; topped with the best organic produce, all imported from Italy such as the mozzarella, basil, smoked salmon and garlic, which all makes for the best pizza in Phoenix.

The owners, Tony and Karen Martingiglio converted an old 1913 house on 5th Avenue and Fillmore into a very cozy, romantic Italian caf ©; you can even see this lovely couple work right alongside the staff as they bus tables and greet new customers. Cibo’s has about 30 tables inside the house and about half that much outside on the beautifully romantic patio.

It’s a great place to take a date, small parties and a great place to take a potential business client. Their 12-inch pizza pies are a work of art, each one made by Guido Saccone, who earned his credentials in Caserta, just outside of Naples. The wonderful wine selection makes for a great night of conversation. The Bresaolaa salad or the pear salad offers a healthy alternative for those with different diet needs. For dessert, the mini crepes with berries and nutella topped with whipped cream make for a nice end of a great meal.

There’s another well known pizzeria located in downtown , next to some of the best Phoenix hotels , but you’ll have to wait in line, sometimes for 2 hours, then the staff pushes you out as soon as you’re done with your meal. At Cibo’s the pizza is just as good, you won’t have to wait as long and the staff is nothing but welcoming and you can stay as long as you like.

Cibo’s vs Bianco’s in Phoenix is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain