THE SPIRIT OF TAOS

What gambling is to Las Vegas, art is to Taos. Located in northern New Mexico, a two and a half hour drive from Albuquerque, (or a ten and a half hour drive from Dallas) this funky town has its own distinctive color palette. A wash of blue skies–300 days of sunshine practically guaranteed every year–greenish sage, terra cotta adobe and sunset pink; it’s no wonder artists have flocked here for more than a century. Taos began as an art colony when a pair of painters traveling in the area had a small accident. A wooden wheel broke, the men tossed a $3 gold coin to see who would stay behind to watch the wagon and who would go to get it fixed. Ernest Blumenschein walked to town that day in 1898 and was so intrigued by the scenery and clear light that he and Bert Geer Phillips came back, spread the word, and ultimately founded the Taos Society of Artists. Today, 1000 artists of every description make their home here.

Eyes do tend to widen at the first sight of majestic Taos Mountain. It’s imbued with hints of mysticism, some irresistible magnetic force that pulls the creative and their like to this spot. Other locals are a multiracial mix of entrepreneurs, free spirits, celebrities(Julia Roberts, Val Kilmer), retirees, the highly-educated-turned-blue-collars and those “who have just missed too many trains.” Architects’ masterpieces stand cheek by jowl with ramshackle cabins with a rusting truck or two in front yards. Forget status consciousness here; think crystal healing, yoga, meditation, spiritualism. Typical of the Taos mindset are “Earthships”–buildings made from recycled scrap tires, aluminum cans, bottles and cardboard. These other wordly places are open seven days a week for tours and some may be rented as lodgings.

Art galleries are everywhere and their products vary in price range and quality. Gallery A is high-end, shows contemporary cutting-edge work including dolls and sculpture, the Fenix is hot, the Lumina is one of the city’s best and adjoins a sculpture park. For typical Southwestern jewelry, it’s the Dearing Gallery; the Blue Rain specializes in Contemporary Native American art but is not for a modest budget; a clay pot on display had a price tag of $85,000. More moderate prices are easily found, and there is an “Art Walk” every other Saturday during which artists are on hand, the galleries stay open late and refreshments are served.

There’s more than art to occupy one’s time here. The Pueblo village is one of the principal Taos drawing cards. The clusters of two-story adobe dwellings house the Native Americans (also known as the Pueblo Indians) who live as they have for 800 years, without electricity or plumbing. They sell handmade goods in their many shops, practice ancient rituals, worship and hold their traditional dances. There is an entrance fee of ten dollars per person per visit, but it is best to check beforehand to ascertain that the Pueblo is open to the public. Sometimes there are religious restrictions that prohibit visitors. Archeological evidence indicates that Taos is the oldest populated city in the United States, with human habitation going back to 3000 BC. It was in the middle of the sixteenth century, however, that the first Europeans arrived. The Spanish settlers were attracted by the Rio Grande and the timber of the valley. During following centuries, upheavals and rebellions decreased the population because of attacks by Plains Indians but by the early 1800’s, Taos had become headquarters for the many mountain men who hunted and trapped here. One of the them, Kit Carson, is its most famous former resident, and a small museum is devoted to his life. Also of particular interest is the late Millicent Rogers, Taos “fashion icon” and local benefactor, brought to town in 1947 by her actress friend, Janet Gaynor. Her legacy: innovative jewelry designs(turquoise, coral,silver, oyster shell) and a comprehensive collection of Native American and Hispanic art. One of the town’s best gift shops is found in her museum.

There’s a different aesthetic experience in watching the famed Taos sunset, best observed from the Rio Grande Bridge, the lightest suspension bridge in North America. It’s the length of four football fields, and every so often, one can spot one of the golden eagles that regularly fly over it. Rattlers live in the rocks below and created problems when the bridge was built in 1965, but seem to keep their distance these days, a comforting fact for hikers. Hiking is popular in Taos, and llama treks are available any time of year. Those docile animals will carry gear and walk at the end of a leash, but not exactly like Fido. A guide walks ahead or behind the llama parade and there you go, hiking the trail, being very nice to the animal, which does not wag it’s tail or–hopefully–spit at you. More athletic activities include whitewater rafting, golf, and fishing.

Taos has an altitude of almost 7,000 feet, closer to 10,000 at Ski Valley, a twenty-minute ear-popping drive up the mountain. Nights are cool year round and even in luxury accommodations air-conditioners rare. For some, the altitude may require some adjustment; because the air is dry, the body loses moisture and drinking water often is recommended.

For more sociable imbibing, there’s local beer at Eske’s Brewery, Riesling at LaChiarapada Winery, frozen Margaritas at the Chile Connection or Gruet, considered excellent Taos “champagne”. Gourmet dinners can be found at a variety of local restaurants, most notably, the Stakeout, which may sound like a prosaic grill, but offers an imaginative menu and a fine-dining experience. The Villa Fontana is also a good bet, especially for lovers of mushrooms, which are featured in many dishes.

B&B’s are the way to sleep in Taos. One can not say enough about their diversity, hospitality and the culinary creativity of their hosts. Breakfast can be anything from Ranchos Huevos to fresh-baked apple and cinnamon bread to exotic sausages. Rooms with mountain views, kiva fireplaces, and hot tubs are not uncommon. Highly recommended are Alma del Monte (Elizabeth Taylor stays here) or the Casa de las Chimeneas, the first Taos B&B to get an AAA Four-diamond rating. Others range from stunning to so-so, and prices go from about $100 to $500 a night, depending on the time of year.

WHERE TO STAY: CASA DE LAS CHIMENEAS–505-758-4777; ALMA DEL MONTE–505-776-2721; THE LITTLE TREE BED AND BREAKFAST–800-334-8467

RESTAURANTS: STAKEOUT, 505-758-2042; VILLA FONTANA, 505-758-5800; TIM’S CHILE CONNECTION, 505-776-8787; ESKE’S BREWERY, 505-758-1517

TAOS TOURIST INFO: 800-732-8267 or www.taoschamber.com

THE RHINE’S TWIN OBSESSIONS: WINE AND WOMEN

Where else in the world would one encounter a statue of the Virgin holding the infant Jesus in one hand and a bunch of grapes in another? It is to be found in the Church of Our Lady, originally built in the fourteenth century, in the wine-happy German town of Oberwesel. This little city is typical of others, large and small, that dot the coast along the Rhine, in the kingdom of Riesling. Here is where that grape is grown and revered–and the same could be said of women, real and legendary.

Oberwesel kills two birds with one stone with an annual celebration that elevates to queenly status a local Ms. crowned as Wine Witch. This is an honor bestowed with much fanfare, music and fireworks as the young lady replaces last year’s witch, burned in effigy. Honored and applauded, the new, good witch symbolizes both the purity of wine and maidenhood as she goes out into the world as ambassador of her town and its blonde beverage.

The river itself flows north from Switzerland to the Netherlands, and the soil, in combination with the climate, makes its shores perfect for its wineries. It is the middle region, however, the “Mittel-Rhein” stretch from Mainz to Koblenz, that is of greatest interest in terms of color, history, and perhaps, attention to the fairer sex.

In Mainz, St. Stefan’s Church pays homage not only to the venerable men of the Bible, but also to its heroines. Chagall is the artist who began this design at the advanced age 88 but never traveled from the South of France to see the project, finished in 2000. He created its bluish stained glass windows and came up with a new Biblical spin, dedicating half of them to the women of the Old Testament.

Nearby, on the riverbank of St.Goar is the site where the famous and fictional Loreley* combed out her endless length of blonde hair and lured sailors to their watery deaths. Whether or not she deserved it, the Germans named the place the Loreley Valley after her, and as you climb aboard one of the Köln-Düsseldorfer excursion boats, a modern-day Loreley, yellow wig and all, might welcome you aboard while her partner plays her familiar song on his accordion. As the boat proceeds, a guide will point to the exact spot on the rocks where the temptress sang her song and will describe–in three languages–how she did the sailors in. The poet Heinrich Heide describes their fate best:

“The boatman in his small skiff is
Seized by a turbulent love,
No longer he marks where the cliff is
He looks to the mountain above.

I think the waves must fling him
Against the reefs nearby,
And the did with her singing
The lovely Loreley.”

These boats, which resemble large hotel dining rooms surrounded by glass windows, are one way to move from one village to another. (Trains, bikes and your own two feet are other choices.) Look out and you will see towns of half-timbered houses with funky names like Lorch, Filsen and Spay. Castles, ruins, forests and the Taunus Mountains also slide by. So does the boxy, modern Königsbacher Brewery, a sore thumb amidst so much antiquity. Further up the river, disembark in Koblenz.

This city has a population of 110,000, many outdoor village-y squares for eating, drinking, meandering. On Jesuitplatz is a fountain statue of a mischievous boy who spits water from his mouth every few seconds, the quirky city symbol.

And another an attraction dear to a woman’s heart: In the Liebfrauenkirche, a medieval church rebuilt in 1992, stands a very unusual depiction of the holy family. Here is a plaster Joseph holding the baby Jesus. Holy infant and father? Rarely seen, and at last, a respite for Mary! Also in this church, more Olympian women are rewarded, their images preserved in stained glass. Sophie Scholl, for example, was a student in Munich who with her brother Hans began the Weisse Rose (White Rose) organization, which protested against Hitler during the Second World War. In 1942 Sophie, her brother Hans and all members of the community were killed by the Nazis.

Another window features Edith Stein, beatified by John Paul II in 1987. She was born on October 12, 1891 in Breslau, to an Orthodox Jewish family. Later, she converted to Catholicism, became a Carmelite nun in 1922, and when Hitler came into power, was sent for safety to a convent in Holland. The Nazis found her anyway, shipped her to Auschwitz, and there she died in the gas chambers with her sister, also a convert, in 1942.

The window dedicated to Mother Teresa was controversial when installed several years ago. Ordinarily, the living are not accorded such an honor, but special permission was granted in this case. The church is host to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

As is most of this Rhine area, known as a region filled with happy, optimistic people. Whether it’s the wine or the women is anybody’s guess.

HISTORY AND ROSES IN THOMASVILLE, A DOT ON THE GEORGIA MAP –
Wooodalls Southern RV — March, 2001

It is no wonder the tiny town of Thomasville is bustling with those who’ve discovered it. It’s a far cry from urbanized Tallahassee, Florida, its nearest heavyweight neighbor. A thirty minute drive from that city (northeast off 1-10 on highway 319) makes it worth the detour, or even an extra trip.

Not to be confused with North Carolina’s Thomasville, this town has its own distinct appeal, and there’s not a furniture factory in sight. In fact, one’s initial reaction on driving into Thomasville is that “It’s a Wonderful Life” could have been filmed on its streets. With its population of 20,000, its leafy, wide streets and Victorian houses — many adorned with candles in windows and rocking chair porches — it is a beguiling place as all-American as the flags that fly here on Main Street and the neighborly “hello’s” that greet visitors at every turn. And what a Main Street it is! Thomasville takes us into the nineteenth century here, thanks to the National Historic Trust. Eighteen years ago, it became one of the first cities to be eligible for a grant that restored the street’s facades and planted new trees. Now, with returned or reproduced shop signs, as for example “Isaac Levy 1184 Mercantile” or “Pickett Bootist and Shoes, 1884″, the avenue takes one on a walk into a gentler time. Jergen’s Jewelry Store on Broad Street is worth a stop; its 1856 interior is a thoughtful restoration of a Victorian interior with old-world paneling and light fixtures reminiscent of great-grandma’s parlor.

Thomasville had its heyday after the Civil War because it was one of the very few Southern cities hospitable to Northerners, but as soon as Florida was developed the town’s fortunes fell. Still, the vestiges of its elegant past remain. Many here occupied plantations; the grand houses built on working farms still exist today, thanks to the benevolent tax structure, which allows for great wealth. It also encourages civic pride, and one sees that everywhere. Here is a place in love with its own history, but accepting of progress. (Yes, RV’s are quite welcome here.)

The jewel in the town’s crown may be the glamorous Melhana Plantation, one of 71 historic plantations in South Georgia. Originally set on 7,500 acres, its 30 historic buildings now sit on just 40 beautified ones. Seeking refuge in the peace of this quiet corner of the south, it’s understandable why Jacqueline Kennedy headed to Melhana, now a resort, immediately following the assassination of her husband. Famed for its magnolias, with its luxury accommodations and imposing pink stucco facade, the inn is now one of 150 Historic Hotels of America.

Another claim to fame is its cuisine, and going one better than simply dining in its pink-walls-and-candlelight restaurant, Melhana offers “Taste of the Month” cooking classes between February and October. For one hundred dollars, would-be chefs can take three days of lessons from the executive chef. Not a foodie? Just stop by the plantation for a drink and let the guitarist and piano player entertain you during cocktail hour.

If Melhana Plantation is known for its magnolias, Thomasville is famous for its roses. Located at Cherokee Lake on Covington Avenue, a garden the city owns is filled with 500 roses of both hybrid and garden varieties. The eye-catching field of flowers is free and open to the public. For horticulture fans, the Rose Show and Festival at the end of April is the best time to visit. Parades, street dances, arts and crafts sales celebrate the occasion; there’s music, even a Rose City Golf Classic. It’s at the Country Oaks Municipal Golf Course on Georgia Highway and it’s a 71 handicap. Reserve early for this event: (912) 225-4333.

Nature doesn’t stop at roses in Thomasville. The Birdsong Plantation, a 565 acre working farm focused more on wildlife than vegetation, is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 9 to 5, and Sunday from 1 to 5. This is the home not only of magnolia trees and long leaf pines, but also of deer, turkeys, bobcats and cotton rats, and since it’s a preserve, no hunting, no trapping is allowed here. An unusual bird window is a standout in this park. Imagine being invited to a pleasant, rustic house in the woods, taking a seat in the living room and quietly looking through a picture window to observe nature’s inspired aviary drama. In full-view and closeup are redheaded woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, cardinals and grackles living their bird lives, feeding themselves and their young, in a natural setting of a waterfall, and crepe myrtles giving tree shade, with an occasional salamander, hummingbird or woodpecker paying a visit. Checking out everything nature has to offer here will cost about five dollars and should keep one happily occupied for hours. If you’re not too tired, you might stop at the corner of North Crawford and east Monroe Streets to take in the majestic Thomasville oak tree, born from an acorn in 1685. It’s got a circumference of 24 feet, a limb spread of 162 and a resurrection fern grows on its branches. President Eisenhower visited this corner and was so impressed that he photographed the tree himself.

Other photo opportunities abound in town. Old Magnolia Cemetery is the resting place of First Lieutenant Henry Flipper, the first African American graduate of West Point. He was dishonorably discharged, accused of stealing three thousand dollars and later exonerated. After his name was cleared he became an engineer and inventor. Nearby is the 1907 one-room schoolhouse that educated him and many black youngsters who lived here as well. Most were the children of the employees of the white gentry that vacationed here every winter. The Lapham-Patterson House is a grand Victorian cottage, typical of the summer residences of the era. And All Saint’s Episcopal Church, the oldest in Thomasville and also visited by Jacqueline Kennedy after her husband’s death, is pretty and white and photogenic too.

For casual dining, Richard’s Grill, with its Beatles posters on the walls, offers “fried pasta” and family dining. Fallin’s is a barbecue joint where the barbecue is an art and the fussy restaurant owner has high standards and a cook who’s been with him for fourteen years. It is highly recommended. The City of Roses RV Park is at Old Boston Road. It is a “clean, quiet” park, allows gas or charcoal grills, small children and pets, and features some 60 Cable Channels.
(912) 228-7275.

For more information call Thomasville Tourism Authority at (800)704-2350 or check the website: http://www.thomasvillega.com

STOCKHOLM, HELSINKI AND A NIGHT AT SEA

You are walking up the same marble stairs where Nobel Prize winners have made their way since 1901 and will again make their way on December 10th of this year.

It’s the City Hall in Stockholm and you’re in the Blue Hall, gazing up at the granite pillars and exposed brick walls that stretch seventy-five feet from floor to ceiling. Called the Blue Hall and not a spot of blue anywhere? Designed by Ragnar Östberg, a Swedish architect who was inspired by Italian design, it was imagined as a soaring ceiling-free space with a view of an azure sky. The climate demanded a roof be added, but it’s been stuck with the misnomer for over a hundred years.

This year 1300 carefully chosen world citizens will await the five-allotted-minutes of winners’ speeches and the bestowing of the big checks. They will dine on menus prepared by 25 of the best chefs in Sweden and be served by hundreds of waiters dressed in black and white. Then they’ll proceed to the aptly named Golden Room, with its leaded windows and walls of Byzantine gold mosaic tile. This is where, under crystal chandeliers the guests will dance away the night.

As you stand right in the spot where the most coveted award in the world is celebrated annually, Stockholm comes very much alive, but it’s just part of reason to visit the city.

Built on fourteen islands and called “image-conscious”, “trend-hungry” and “tech-friendly,” it is richly historical as well, with its Old Town of narrow cobblestone streets and clutter of shops, its Royal Palace, National Museum, and the Vasa.

A Viking ship, buried in the Baltic since it went down in 1628, was discovered about three miles from the city some forty years ago, salvaged and rebuilt, the restoration finally recently completed. Pulled out of the deep complete with 27 bodies, casks of spirits, the bones of meat intended to feed the passengers, personal items like toys and other chilling artifacts, it is a whopper of an attraction, drawing 800,000 visitors to the museum every year. An on-site short film tells the story of the ship in several languages.
Other, cheerier landmarks can be found at the Storkyrkan, the cathedral famous for its statue of the city’s patron saint, George, (and a popular site for weddings) or at one of Stockholm’s many parks. These are everywhere, the most popular being Djurgarden, the former royal hunting ground, now quiet, scenic and vast, or for a livelier experience, Skansen, an amusement park/zoo well known for its exhibit of Sweden’s 19th Century rural roots, complete with old farmhouses, reindeer and craftmen’s shops.

Wherever you head in Stockholm, water views are not far away, and neither are some of the finest restaurants in Europe, as for example, the Operakälleren. Here you have a choice of casual dining at reasonable prices in one room, or, as one diner put it, going into “a food coma,” in the lush ambience of red brocade, Austrian shades and Victorian oil portraits of naked ladies (with foliage painted over the strategic spots)in another.
Feasting here on such dishes as “Baked Bass with vanilla flavoured sauce and vegetable ragout wrapped in chard” or “saddle of rabbit with olive sauce and a zucchini flowers stuffed with anchovies” should be high on your wish list if you care to spend the roughly $40 per entree. Other big-time restaurant choices range from the posh Fredsgatan known particularly for its Swedish specialties (order a Tamarind Sling drink to go with here!) to the easier-on-your-pocketbook Tranan, a local, casual beer café.

Should all this and more tempt you to go to Stockholm this year, it just happens there’s a special package available combining a visit to Sweden with one to nearby Finland. A luxury seven-day vacation connects Stockholm and Helsinki by one night on a Silja cruise ship (the size of a horizontal skyscraper with gambling, music, and shopping aboard gets you from here to there) and the entire trip is available for $1798 per person, SAS round-trip airfare and limo from the airport included. The efficient and inexpensive (approximately $1.50) public transit system in both cities makes getting around economical and convenient.

What’s in Helsinki besides the saunas? First, the Kämp, a world-class hotel considered the best in Finland, where you get to stay. Then, there’s design. Lots of it, everywhere. A visit to the Arabia factory, the showrooms of Ittala and Hackman, a chance to shop all three at a nice discount, is a good beginning. The home of the famous architect-designer, Eliel Saarinen, now open to the public at Hvitträsk, is not far from town. Finlandia, a concert hall designed by Alvar Aalto, has soaring ceilings, marble stairs designed for dramatic entrances, is also worth a stop. The new Kiasma Museum, dedicated to groundbreaking works of contemporary art, deserves a look as well, but one needs only to keep eyes open to see that Finland is art conscious, and blends the latest, sleek and functional design–think Fiskars scissors, Nokia mobile phones, Kosta Boda glass–with the best of the past.
An excellent example of the mix is the Kappeli Bar-Restaurant on the Esplanade in the center of town. Here is an old-world bar, cozy and intimate, connected with its alter-ego restaurant, sleek as a modern furniture showroom. It’s like stepping from one century to the next, with both sharing the same park view.

At Sundmans restaurant, you’ll find pale gold walls, ferns, 19th Century gentility, and feel as if you’re dining in some ancestor’s elegant dining room instead of a restaurant. Choose from one of their 5000 bottles of wine and enjoy a selection from a tasseled menu: “Breast and leg of wild duck á la G.W.Sundmans,” at about $35, or “Arctic char stuffed with crayfish tails, creamy crayfish sauce,” at $33. (Char is a local fish.) Or try the more contemporary Nokka; it’s multilevel with an open kitchen and walk-in wine cellar, but be warned that all alcoholic beverages are imported in Finland and therefore not inexpensive.

less costly option might be to grab a bite at Café Strindberg, and wash it down with the local beer, Lapin Kulta. The restaurant is two-level, buffet style on the ground floor, lounge chairs and table service upstairs. You can count on wonderful fresh bread here as almost everywhere in Helsinki, and menus with English translations are universal.
Strictly speaking, Finland is not a part of Scandinavia, but is considered a Nordic country. For centuries part of Sweden, later under Russian rule, it’s sort of a hybrid, with influences from both countries and a language and identity all its own. Since 1995 a part of the European Union, it uses Euros as currency (in Sweden it’s the Krona) and happily, almost everyone speaks English in both cities, making Americans feel right at home.

SPURGING IN SAN ROQUE FOR GOLF, TAPAS AND SIGHTSEEING –Boston Herald, April 12, 2001

San Roque, pronounced San Ro-kay’, further south than Marbella, a bit north of Gibraltar, boasts a palm-trees-blue-skies ambience, and an average year-round temperature of sixty degrees. Like the many crowded seaside communities one passes along the way from the Malaga Airport, the tiny town boasts 300 days of sun per year, but is distinguished by the star in its crown–the plush and peaceful San Roque Club. Actually a 100 room hillside resort converted from the former homestead of the Domecq wine family, it is the most popular golf destination in Spain.The hotel has its own recently refurbished 18 hole golf course and a brand new perk: guests staying here have reciprocal privileges at three other nearby courses, one being the pre-eminent Valderra, considered the best golf course in continental Europe. Valderra is so well-maintained, that in the words of one golfer, “every blade of grass stands at attention,” but San Roque’s own course, with its bougainvillea and artificial crystal ponds, its golf school and new clubhouse, is also world-class. The front nine holes wind through a landscape of cork trees and views of mountains and the Mediterranean, the back nine undulate through rolling hills and wrap up with two challenging holes. San Roque has hosted the Ryder Cup and World Golf Championships; in the words of another golfer, “it reeks of elegance.” Prince Andrew has played on its greens and Sean Connery is a member of the club, comprised of what a staff member calls, “European moneyed families.” Moneyed or not, guests may also play at the very nearby Sotogrande, about two and a half miles away, or the Alcaidesa Golf Course, a nice links with views of Gibraltar. Twenty other courses are within an hour’s drive, and there is no need to lug that golf bag across the Atlantic; San Roque will deliver a set of superior clubs to guests’ doors.

The doors, by the way, tend to be of heavy, carved wood, and open onto bright rooms and suites complete with marble bathrooms, outdoor brick patios, and wooden headboards the color of castanets. The general resort ambience, with its terracotta and wrought iron, moorish rooflines and courtyards, fountains and flowers, reeks of Old Spain as one has always imagined it.

Golf is not everything here: there is a famous equestrian center with instructors and trainers, a beach club, a conference center, tennis, children’s activities. And, here in Andalusia, there is so much else to see. Although San Roque has its own restaurants — one continental, one Japanese — it’s also fun to travel a bit for lunch or dinner, to, say, Cadiz. Tapas is everywhere. “Tapas” is a word that means “lid” and is said to have begun as an appetizer munched with sherry when someone placed a piece of salami, Jambon Iberico (black ham) or some other tidbit across the top of a stem glass, creating a “lid.” The small servings of this and that — as a first course or an entree — is reminiscent of Italian antipasto.

In Cadiz, after viewing the two thousand year-old Roman Theatre, the gold-domed Cathedral, or shopping for leather buys on Antonio Lopez Street, head for lunch at the city’s best restaurant, el Faro, for excellent tapas washed down with the ubiquitous Tio Pepe sherry. Follow this with the house special, “Urta,” the local fish, baked in a slipcover of salt, which theatrically gets hammered open at the table.

Another day, head for Ronda, where Hemingway is said to have written “Death in the Afternoon” in the shadow of Plaza De Toros, the oldest bullring in Spain. On the way, on the national road #340, note the “Montera del Toro” the natural stone formation that looks like a matador’s hat, and if you’re lucky, you may also catch sight of a camera-ready shepherd with his flock. The streets in Ronda are narrow and steep, “And only go uphill,” a tourist was heard to remark. Still, this small city, with its white-washed buildings and jaw-dropping views from terraces, a bridge and balcony that seems to hang over the edge of the planet, is crowded with tourists, and despite barriers and fences on its high vantage spots, attracts photographers — and occasional suicides. If there’s time, cheer up at the Cortijo Las Monjas Winery about six miles out of town. Sample the Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah and check out the photographs of Bob Hope, the Reagans, Edward Simpson and other celebrities who’ve been here and bear testimony to the quality of this award-winning vineyard, owned by Prince Hohenlohe of Germany.

Don’t miss Gibraltar. It’s a very short drive from San Roque and a taxi is the way to go. The driver will wait while you cross the bridge, show your passport and take a bus tour of the island, or ride a tram to the top of the rock. The bus allows you stops: to meander through St. Michael’s cave, check out the Botanic Gardens or scan the coast of Morocco with the Atlantic stretching in front of you and the Mediterranean behind. The most popular attraction is the Apes’ den at the island’s summit. There is a colony of tailless monkeys, actually Barbary Macaques, who live free and are cooperative about hopping on a visitor’s shoulder for a snapshot. Be careful here; they sometimes give a playful bite.

If there is time, there is Seville, two hours away, where a horse-and-buggy ride takes visitors on a city tour, and allows a stroll through the treasures of shaded walks, statuary and the white doves of Maria Luisa Park, possibly the most beautiful in Europe. Granada beckons too, and so does Tangier in Morocco, each a day trip, or nearby Jerez, home of flamenco and horsemanship. The Andalusian sights are varied and colorful, many unspoiled, some breathtaking. The natives are friendly, even for those of us who come with walking shoes but not a word of Spanish.

San Roque: www. Sanroqueclub.com or info@sanroqueclub.com

Getting there: Best way is to fly British Air to London, with connecting flights to Gibraltar, a twenty minute taxi drive to San Roque.

Or: American Airlines from Boston, connecting flight to Iberian Airlines to Madrid, then to Malaga, an hour’s drive from San Roque.

Green fees: (Approximate, depending on exchange rate of pesetas) – San Roque: $54, Valderrama, $150 Sotogrande: $80 (Handicap certificates are required)

Car rental: $40-45

Car with driver per day: $100Gibraltar bus tour: $50

Seville horse and carriage: $5 per person

San Roque room rates: Vary from $280-500.

Best package deal through Wide World of Golf: 1-800-214-GOLF(4653) or www.wideworldofgolf.com

FLORIDA’S FUNKY, FOLKSY SIESTA KEY –
The Commercial Appeal, December 3, 2000

Walk on it, lie on it, photograph it or simply worship it — Crescent Beach at the north end of Siesta Key is the best beach in the world, according to the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Other experts more modestly describe it as the finest beach in the USA, or simply, “the best of the best.” This strip of sand on the Gulf of Mexico invites comparison to sugar, the color of clouds, talcum. It dazzles in sunlight and stretches for 2 + miles, including Siesta Key Public Beach. Its lack of seashells makes it barefoot-friendly, but shell seekers can find plentiful little gifts from the sea to the south, at Turtle Beach.

That’s only one reason to head for Siesta Key. As part of Sarasota that stretches roughly five miles between the Gulf of Mexico and the Intercoastal Waterway, it has an ambience that is more low-key and less manicured than the surrounding west coast of Florida. Popular for biking, jogging and fishing, it has two small, separate villages, and from November to September, a funky “Siesta Trolley” shuttles visitors back and forth between them. Here are art galleries, eating places, the sort of earthy dives that are called Old Salty Dog and feature the local specialty, fried hot dogs, welcome shorts and sneakers and don’t require reservations. For a more elegant dining option, there is Ophelia’s on little Sarasota Bay, or a ten-minute trip to Sarasota, where sophisticated restaurants abound.

Less “upmarket” than its tonier neighbor, Longboat Key, Siesta Key shares many local attractions: The newest is the Mote Marine Aquarium. This combination research, dolphin rescue, marine life, aquatic petting zoo, and biomedical and conservation center exhibits every manner of sea life including eels, sharks, turtles, manatees and the sort of creepy crawly underwater creatures ordinarily featured in bad dreams. The exhibits are designed to leave children as well as adults enlightened and spellbound. The aquarium is open daily from ten to five, admission is $8.00, $6.00 for students and toddlers get in free.

The one-of-kind Bird Rehabilitation Center on City Island (part of Longboat Key) is a short drive away. Dale Shields, a sort of avian national hero who has won praise from bird lovers coast to coast and was designated one of President Bush’s points of light, has been rescuing our feathered friends for thirty years. He has found pelicans and herons at the side of the road, wounded sandpipers, blinded crows and broken-winged vultures, and has given them all a safe haven. With his staff, he rehabilitates the injured and sends them back into the wild. Some must be kept permanently in the aviary, which is supported by public donations. Donors’ names are carved into individual bricks that create the walkways through the compound. Admission is by voluntary donation.

Wildlife attractions aside, the Sarasota area is known as the cultural Florida coast, and also includes the very prestigious Ringling Art Museum. Founded by John Ringling of circus fame and his wife Mable, this museum has a world class collection of 10,000 objects that include paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and decorative arts, ancient as well as contemporary. It sits on the acreage adjacent to Sarasota Bay, left by Ringling to the state of Florida, and shares the property with the Ringlings’ winter Residence, Ca D’Zan. This is a 22 room Venetian style palazzo, open to visitors, and currently under a multimillion dollar renovation. Also on the property is the Museum of the Circus, filled with sequined costumes, an animated miniature circus, posters and other three-ring paraphernalia. The historic Asolo Theatre, also on the property, is Italian style, with rising tiers of boxes and a frieze of painted profiles of famous Italians. It serves the community as a lecture hall, movie theatre and meeting place, but is more reminiscent of a nineteenth century small-gem opera house. All these attractions are open to the public from 9 to 5:30 every day. Admission charge is $9, $8 for seniors.

For sports enthusiasts, the Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota will be the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds next March. The Sarasota Reds, (three steps below the majors,) play from April through August. Siesta Key has no hotel or motel chains and accommodations range from mom-and-pop bed and breakfasts to efficiencies to large, furnished apartments. Often a fully-equipped apartment can be had for the price of a regular hotel room in nearby resort communities. Or, for a taste of luxury (and the best tennis activities in the United States), one can choose the Colony Hotel on nearby Longboat Key, although some fully appointed resort condos on the beach are available here as well.

For more information, please call the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, at (914)349-3800, or the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau, at (800)522-955-0991.

ICELAND WEEKEND

A weekend in Iceland? It takes less time to fly to Reykjavic from Boston than to Los Angeles, and here are some advantages to flying east instead of west: snowcaps instead of strip malls, cooler weather (sixty degrees average summer temperatures) and, absolutely no tipping. Reykjavik is about a forty five minute drive from the airport and one’s first impression of Iceland’s largest city is of modern architecture–love it or hate it. This is not a city of castles or cathedral spires, but rather of white concrete mid and high-rise buildings, and smaller structures of painted corrugated steel. Clusters of picturebook houses add color and charm as does the photogenic harbor, with its fishing boats and seagulls.Four thousand Americans live in Iceland, where virtually everyone speaks English, in a country growing in population (now 275,000) despite changeable weather sometimes so severe that roads have yellow markers for better visibility during blizzards and earthquakes are common. The storms tend to come and go quickly so in spite of its close proximity to the Arctic Circle, winters are warmed by the Gulf Stream and tend actually to be tamer than Boston’s.

Originally settled by Norwegians in 875 A.D, ruled for three hundred years by Denmark, Iceland became totally independent in 1944. The Viking influence is strong, but so is ours, thanks to American television, movies and tourists. Tourism is in fact, Iceland’s second largest industry; the first is fishing, and on landing at Keflavik airport one detects the faint smell of fish in the air. There is very little other industry–one large aluminum factory–and no military. No war has ever been fought here, Iceland has never been occupied by a foreign country and in what seems like the spirit of peace typical of the country, policemen here don’t carry guns.

Although bus or jeep tours are a convenient option, nature’s greatest treasures lie out of the city and a rental car allows more flexibility. Driving is on the right, and daily rates begin in the neighborhood of $75. The Blue Lagoon, “Iceland’s beach,” and Reykjavik’s most famous attraction, is a 40 minute drive out of town. This “geothermal wonder” is a large and irregularly shaped stretch of sky blue water surrounded by lava walls, fed by natural springs and heated to a lukewarmish-bath temperature for all-season bathing. Therepeutic promises aside–cures for psoriasis are documented–dipping into mineral-rich seawater from which steam is gently rising is probably most memorable as an esthetic experience.

An adjacent restaurant with its soaring ceiling and walls of glass has a view of the lagoon and offers light or serious dining; the on-site shop sells beauty creams and other products made from mineral salts and algae found in the water. Admission is approximately eight dollars per person and hours vary according to the season. Because the small and sturdy Icelandic horse is unique in the world, horseback riding is very popular here, in any weather. The horses are accommodating to novice or experienced equestrians and eighty percent of the riders at the Ishestar Sports Center have never been on horseback before; the trails border the countryside near the stables and guides accompany the riders. More ambitious trekking options are available, so is hiking, and white water rafting expeditions may also be arranged at the stables. They range from tame to very challenging.

A tour called the “Golden Circle” should be included in the weekend agenda. This includes Gullfloss, the country’s grand waterfall, and the Geysir, a short drive away. Geothermal areas are divided into high and low temperature spots; the low temperature outside and the heat within cause intermittent sprays to shoot skyward. While they don’t reach the heights of our own Yellowstone Park jets, there is a sense of excitement whenever a geyser whooshes up and up just a few feet away from one’s camera. Also in the area is the “town” of greenhouses so efficiently heated by this geothermal energy that bananas and other fruits and vegetables typical of the tropics are grown there. An Icelandic seafood buffet is available in the Hotel Geysir on the premises. Salmon smoked and fresh, herring, and salads of every description make for a fish-lovers dream lunch. Viking or Egils Beer are the local brews and for something with more kick, try Brennivin. It’s a schnapps-like liquor also known (a bit unnervingly) as “Black Death.” After lunch, take an expedition to Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street, where the best buys are in Icelandic wools and handicrafts, depending on the current exchange rate. Elm is a shop selling high-fashion women’s clothes created by an Icelandic designer; souvenir and jewelry stores abound here and at the indoor Kringlan mall. This might also be the time to take a look inside Reykjavik’s best hotel, The Holt, which has one of the country’s largest private art collections. Other Icelandic art can be seen locally at the Reykjavic Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Einar JÃ3nsson Museum.

For a spectacular dining experience, head for the Perlan (The Pearl). This revolving restaurant is perched on top of a pair of hot water tanks, but the view is only part of the drama. Multilevel, streamlined, space-age modern, the place is a perfect marriage of hilltop setting and knockout architecture. With a huge glass dome that shines like, yes, a blue pearl, a viewing deck and its own mini-geyser, this is the restaurant one is not likely to forget. Dinner options include anything from beef Rossini with truffle and madeira sauce to the ubiquitous fish dishes, done with ginger, chive, chipotle or you-name it sauces. If you can manage dessert, the Hot Valrhona chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and cassis sauce is a rave. The Pearl is not inexpensive, but generally, food in Iceland is not very pricey. Tax and tip are included in the bill, but be aware that it’s the alcoholic drinks that jack up the tab. A bottle of wine can cost eighty dollars here.

Recently, Reykjavik has become well known for its nightlife. Cafes, discos, bars and dance halls are hot, and the most popular nightspot is Astro, on AusturstrÃ|ti. The action heats up on weekends and because liquor prices are high, drinking at home before barhopping accounts for the late start. The action usually does not begin until around midnight and it’s not unusual to see crowds party in the streets after three in the morning, after bars and nighclubs close.

Golf is quite the rage in Iceland too, there are many courses, and snow and ice notwithstanding, it’s played in almost any weather. It goes without saying that salmon fishing is also very popular. So is bicycling, whale watching, snowmobiling or during the summer months, riding a Super Jeep on the nearby glacier. Occasional snow on Reykjavik’s famous Mt. Esja remain a backdrop year round, but expect to see buttercups or dandelions instead of icicles during summer months. The moss that grows on the country’s bed of lava rock produces a lush green landscape, and everything from the sky down to its fjords seems sparkling and fresh. The charm of Iceland is in its showy outdoors, which look pristine and unblemished, the way the place must have looked centuries ago, long before anyone had ever heard the terms, “air quality” and “pollution.”

Icelendair offers off-season weekend packages starting at $599 per person. ($299 mid-week deals are also available) These inclue round trip air, three days, two nights at a Reykjavik hotel, with breakfast and some sightseeing included.

Call 1-800-223-5500 or www.icelandair.com