Peri’s Hotel & Apartments, Athens, Greece

Peri's Hotel & Apartments, Athens, Greece

~ I only spent one night (February, 2011), at Peri’s Hotel & Apartments, in Athens, Greece, but I was delighted with the location, the room, and the friendly service. After a short uneventful flight from the Aegean island of Ikaria, to Athens International Airport, I was picked up as arranged by Antonis. Peri’s provide a free pick up and drop off service between the airport and hotel, so make sure you request this service if you need it.

The hotel was built in 2004, and offers just twelve well appointed rooms, each with their own balcony. My room had a large double bed, en suite, television, bar fridge, free WiFi, but no tea or coffee making facilities. There was plenty of storage space – in fact too much given that 80 per cent of the visitors staying here are probably only staying for one or two nights at most. Still it was nice to know they had gone to the effort.

Room service: Tea and Cake

Although no tea/coffee making facilities are available in the rooms (unless this has since changed), following my arrival at the hotel, Antonis brought a pot of tea to my room, along with a slice of cake. It was a lovely touch, and after settling in, I went for a walk to Artemis beach about 1 km from the hotel. 

There are numerous cafés and restaurants along the foreshore, and I treated myself to a late lunch/early dinner of calamari, chips, salad and Heineken beer, which, along with a tip came to just €20.

Peri’s Hotel is located about 15 minutes drive from Athens International Airport EL. VENIZELOS, and less than 30 minutes from the port of Rafina, from where you can catch ferries to the islands of Myconos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Tinos and Evia. Visitors wanting to head into central Athens will find a public bus stop close by.

Breakfast tray. Luverly!

Booking Your Stay

Booking your stay at Peri’s Hotel & Apartments requires that you call the hotel direct (see numbers below). Online reservations through the usual online sites, was not available when I stayed in the hotel, and still does not appear to be available.

My breakfast consisted of two slices of toast with slices of cheese and ham; jam, one boiled egg, a pot of tea, and 250ml of orange juice, all delivered cheerfully to my room. Luverly!

Other Details

~ A breakfast room and TV lounge are available if you don’t want to spend time in your room.

~ Continental breakfast is served between 8.00 am to 10.00 am.

~ A small bar is also located in the TV lounge

~ Transfer to and from the Airport is available (free shuttle between 7.00 am to 23.30 pm)

~ Reception office is staffed 24 hours.

Peri's Hotel & Apartments, Athens, Greece

If you are looking for somewhere to stay for a night or two between flights, Peri’s Hotel is an excellent choice. The hotel is located well away from main roads, with their frenetic traffic and highly strung Greek drivers, and provides the perfect respite before embarking on long homeward flights.

PERI’S HOTEL & APARTMENTS

Phone: +30-22940-83763

Mobile: +30-694-412-7435

Email: peris11 @ otenet.gr 

Philabaum Glass Gallery & Studio, Tucson, Az

Stunning art for sale at Philabaum Glass

~ I visited the Philabaum Glass Gallery and Studio during my stay in Tucson, Arizona last September. Tom Philabaum has been producing stunning works of art in glass for more than thirty years. He built his first glassblowing studio in 1975 in downtown Tucson, and opened a gallery in 1982. The current gallery and studio was opened in 1985, and not only features Tom Philabaum’s work, but the work of many other talented glass artists.

Visitors to the gallery are able to enter the studio attached to the main gallery, and watch as the glassblowers work their magic on the molten glass. This is not the place to go into a detailed description of glassblowing, and any way, I know next to nothing about the processes involved. However, it was exciting to watch these skilled craftspeople at work, and to spend time examining the truly stunning works in glass available for sale in the gallery and shop.

Tom Philabaum was the recipient of the 1998 Arizona Governor’s Art Award for Artist of the Year. And in May 2000, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona awarded him the prestigious $25,000 Arizona Arts Award in recognition of significant contribution to the growth and development of the arts in Arizona.

Glass artists at work at Philabaum Glass

Also in 2000, Tom began teaching nationally accredited classes at Philabaum Glass, giving birth to the Sonoran Art Foundation, co-founded by Tom and David Klein, which is now known as the Sonoran Glass School.

Tucson Glass Festival

In 2010, Tom Philabaum collaborated with the Sonoran Glass School to organize and host the first Tucson Glass Festival, presenting live demonstrations with visiting artists and exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout Tucson. The festival is currently underway in Tucson with the final events set for April 20.

I was delighted to be able to visit the gallery and studio during my stay in Tucson, and I recommend it highly if you are planning a stop in the city.

Here is a brief video compilation I have put together following my visit:

Instrumental I'm In Pieces courtesy of MJW RECORDS…

Available on Soundcloud…

More Information

Philabaum Glass Gallery & Studio...

711 S. Sixth Avenue

Tucson, Arizona

Tel: 520-884-7404

Email: gallery [at] philabaumglass.com

Amtraking America

Welcome to Amtrak

~ During my 2010 American trip, I travelled via Greyhound Bus from New York City to New Orleans (with stopovers in Philadelphia, PA and Raleigh, NC). I have written an extensive six part road trip report of that journey beginning here…

That trip went so well, that I was keen to repeat the experience―albeit along a different route―during my 2012 visit to America. To that end, following my three week stay in New York City, I caught the first of what I thought would be many Greyhound Buses, to Lancaster, PA.

During my stay in Lancaster, someone suggested I use Amtrak to get to my next destination―Harrisburg, PA., a short leg by any standards. Since Greyhound Buses shared facilities with Amtrak, it was easy enough to do―so I did. That was it. I was immediately smitten. Seduced by the comfort; the leg room; the ability to get up and walk the length of the train; the large windows; the smooth, traffic free flow of the carriages; and more. The run from Lancaster to Harrisburg was over in under an hour, but I was hooked. I decided that if the opportunity arose to travel by train again, I would seize it.

Washington, DC to Savannah, GA

When I left Harrisburg, it was by bus for Washington, DC. But when I left America’s national capital, for Savannah, Georgia, it was on the Amtrak Atlantic Coast Service that takes in New York - Washington, DC - Charleston - Savannah - Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa/Miami. There was no turning back after that. Given a choice between spending nearly eleven hours on a train or a bus, there is only one choice, and that of course is the train.

Atlantic Coast Service route guide

In researching current prices for this entry, I was able to confirm what I already knew, that depending on how and when you choose to travel, it can be cheaper to take a train than it is to take a bus. For example, current prices (as of Sunday, 14 April 2013), for the Washington-Savannah run are US$101.00 for the morning and afternoon trains, and US$173.00 for the evening train. The same route by Greyhound Bus ranges from $85.00 (advance purchase) to $159.00 (refundable ticket). The Standard Fare is $142.00.

Using the example above, the bus is cheaper than the train service. However, even though I was initially looking for the cheapest tickets available, I did not hesitate to spend the extra $16.00 for the space and luxury of the train. Oh, and it helps that some of the Amtrak services include WiFi as well. And did I mention the restaurant car? And the observation carriage with its comfortable seating that allows you to sit back, stretch your legs, and enjoy panoramic views of the passing countryside? All in all, the experience is better; the ride much smoother; and the journey certainly seems to pass much quicker.

After the Richmond stop I walked up to the restaurant car for a coffee and Panini. It occurred to me that a coach paying passenger could spend most of their trip here in relative comfort. In fact, it was a whole lot easier to use my iPad there where I could rest the device on a table and type, than to balance it in my lap, or hold it for extended periods.

Also in the restaurant car one has an opportunity to take part in conversations with a number of other passengers, rather than sit alone or converse with the person in the seat next to you in your designated carriage―assuming they want to talk in the first place.

New Orleans, LA to Tucson, AZ

Alpine, Texas

From Savannah, I rode a Greyhound to New Orleans, and after a five night stay there, I boarded Amtrak’s Sunset Limited service for Tucson, Arizona.

For the record, current prices on the New Orleans-Tucson run are $143 (Amtrak), and $188 (web only) to $232 (refundable) for the Greyhound Bus. That’s a difference of $45 assuming you buy the cheapest tickets, or a difference of $89 (if you purchase a refundable Greyhound ticket) in favour of Amtrak. As the saying has it: It’s a no brainer.

I have taken to referring to Amtrak as one of America’s best kept secrets. Almost everyone I spoke to about my train travel was amazed at the prices I paid, and my glowing recommendations. Most assumed that travelling by train would be far more expensive than by bus, and had therefore never considered the Amtrak service.

If there is a downside to using the rail network, it is that compared to the Greyhound Bus network, passengers have many more choices available to them when travelling by bus. The American rail network is a pale shadow of what it used to be, which is a great pity. Never the less, what remains covers all the main urban centres and for my money, it just can’t be beaten. At the very least, take time to compare prices between the Greyhound Bus and Amtrak services. Like me you may become a convert to the joys of rail travel.

More Information

Amtrak… 

Greyhound Bus… 

TED on TUESDAY: A Guerilla Gardener In South Central L.A.

Ron Finley. Photo: James Duncan Davidson

~ Artist and designer Ron Finley could not help but notice what was going on in his backyard,  South Central Los Angeles. Describing the area as “the home of the drive-thru and the drive-by,” Finley decided that it was way past time to try and do something about just one aspect of the many issues facing the area―and that was (and is) the area’s poor health and high mortality rate, with one in two kids contracting a curable disease like Type 2 diabetes.

He started working with the organization L.A. GreenGrounds to install a vegetable garden on the 150 ft x 10 ft patch of ground in front of his house, that strip between the sidewalk and the street that the city owns but the resident has to keep up. What happened when he did this, becomes the heart of this inspiring talk, which has in turn inspired many other people in L.A. and elsewhere to take control of their health and urban environments.

"We’ve got to make this [gardening] sexy,” he proclaims. “Let’s all become renegades, gangsta gardeners. We have to flip the script on what a gangsta is. If you ain’t a gardener, you ain’t gangsta. Let that be your weapon of choice!”

Amen to that!

More Information 
TED Online...

The TED Blog… 

Ron Finley… 

L.A. Green Grounds… 

Twitter: @UrbanFoodForest

Strange But True: The Spite House, New York City

"THE SPITE HOUSE

This odd building stands on the corner of 161st Street and Melrose Avenue, New York City. It is a bit over 4ft. in depth, 17ft. frontage, and one and a-half storeys high, with a basement and sub-basement built under the broad sidewalk, extending to the curb. The house itself is of wood, on a steel frame, and has a slate roof.

Its owner is an eccentric tailor, who lives and carries on his trade below the street. The interior consists of a small show-room, a store-room, and spiral iron stairway going down to the "lower regions." The upper storey seems to have been constructed merely as a finishing touch. It is reached by an iron ladder from the store-room. The entire construction, appointments, and fittings are very ingenious, and are all the ideas of the owner.

The story of the house is that the original lot was cut away in opening the avenue, save only the few feet now occupied by the building. A controversy arose between the tailor and the owner of the adjoining property regarding the disposal of the small strip, and the tailor becoming enraged because his neighbour would neither sell his property nor pay the price the knight of the shears demanded, built this odd structure out of spite. The photo. was taken just at the completion of the building, and before the street had been fully paved. It shows, however, the dimensions of the building, and also the construction under the street, etc. Photo. sent in by Mr. W. R. Yard, 156, Fifth Avenue, New York City."

Recently, I was indulging my curiosity on the Gutenberg site, and on a whim decided to take a look at a copy of The Strand Magazine, dating from February 1899. To my delight I saw a piece called 'The Spite House', which I have reproduced in full above. Of course, I immediately had to Google the address (161st Street and Melrose Avenue, New York City), and used Street View to see what buildings were standing at the intersection today, and not surprisingly this odd little building has long disappeared.

I love the serendipitous nature of the Internet, and how one link leads to another and then another. I also take delight in discovering amazing facts and bits of information about any number of things I may not have been specifically searching for, but gain great satisfaction from learning about anyway. One such example, out of many, involves my regular monitoring of the latest uploads to Gutenberg.Org. I have written before about this wonderful organization that has digitised more than 40,000 books, which are now in the public domain (that is, copyright free). The books are then made freely available via their website.

I’ll have more to say about Project Gutenberg at a future date, but until then, why not check the site out for yourself. You will be amazed at the range of books and authors available via the site.

A Living Tradition: Greek Island Dance Festival

~ On Saturday, June 14, 2008, a Festival of Greek Dance was held in the village of Rahes, on the Aegean island of Ikaria, and this film, one of several I have put together, shows the final dance of the night. The tune is known as the Ikariotiko (or The Ikarian), and is the island’s traditional tune and dance.

The festival took place on the village basketball court, under lights that attracted hundreds of moths and other airborne insects which fell constantly onto the heads of the audience below. This probably explains why only half the lights were turned on during the performances. Unfortunately, this also made it extremely difficult to get good, well lit footage of the dances.

Audience chatter and the constant movement of children and adults across the 'stage' seems to be part and parcel of any event of this type, given the location, and the hot summer night. In the end, it all goes towards creating yet another unforgettable and unique Greek island experience.

The wonderful thing about this festival is the way the community totally involves itself in the event. Rather than assume the constant chatter and movement as being disrespectful to the musicians and dancers, it is instead a sign of the audiences involvement and connection with the music and dancing.

Quite frankly, I'm surprised the adults didn't get up and dance during the three hour show themselves. Greeks find it very difficult to sit and watch something like this, when their natural inclination is to get up and join in.

 

Throughout the night, local children stood at the edges of the performance space intently watching the feet of the dancers, while they tried to follow the steps of each dance. As everyone (dance troupes and visitors alike), got ready to join the final dance.

This was the signal for children of all ages to join the long lines―generally at the end of each line, as tradition dictates―to learn, and carry on the island traditions. It would of course be unthinkable to tell the children to keep out of the way while the adults did 'their thing'. The children are literally learning at the feet of the adult dancers.

The music is performed here on a Tsampouna, an instrument made out of goat skin, which has obvious links to the Scottish bagpipe and the gaida. I should also add, the Ikariotiko is played constantly at festivals, weddings, parties, in deed at celebrations and occasions of all types. And not just once per night, but many times. Each musician has his or her own variation of the tune, and some musicians are still remembered and spoken about today, long after their passing, because of the way they played the dance. I love how the musician actually spends a full minute and 20 seconds (1:20), playing an extended introduction to the main tune. This gives audience and performers alike plenty of time to make their way onto the basketball court and join lines in readiness for the dance to begin.

To my great regret, I did not get the name of the female playing the Tsampouna, nor did I take any footage of her during the dance, which finished off the evening's entertainment. However, as chance would have it, she happened to walk past my camera just before I turned it off at the end of the dance. I have captured a frame from the video and added it as a still image just before the final credits appear as a way to acknowledge her performance.

A comment added to one of my other videos suggests the musician is Eva Kratsa. Another source thought she lived on the island of Mykonos.

I hope you enjoy the music and the occasion.

More Videos

You can see many more of my travel videos on my YouTubepage…

In Review: Palace Hotel, Paris

Palace Hotel, Rue Bouchardon

I stayed at the Palace Hotel during December 2010. Don’t be fooled by the name, though. As hotels go, this is basic at best, but for my money, the price couldn’t be beaten. I paid just €35/night – or €350 for a ten night stay in a budget hotel that was within easy walking distance of some of Paris’s most popular attractions. Oh, and don’t confuse this Palace Hotel with the much grander Golden Tulip Little Palace hotel nearby, where the same ten nights would have cost me €2,300 or more!

Given that it has been more than two years since my stay, I must stress that this review may be doing the hotel owners a great disservice, since any number of conditions may have changed during the intervening 28 months. However, I have read more recent reviews for the Palace Hotel, and judging from the comments left by other guests, it seems that little has in fact changed.

Room 5: At least the bed was comfortable

While writing this entry, I checked current room rates and to my amazement the prices are almost the same as they were in 2010. However, it is a well known truism that ‘You get what you pay for’, so I can’t stress enough that you get the absolute basics for this price: a wardrobe, small desk, bed, and bathroom. My room did not have the usual extras such as hair-dryer, television, refrigerator, air-conditioner, complimentary tea and coffee, free Continental breakfast, or much else in that regard.

The hotel does offer breakfast (baguettes, butter and jam, coffee, tea etc), but at an additional cost of €4.50 each day. WiFi was also available when I was there, but the signal was quite weak in my room, despite the fact that it was almost directly above the reception area.

Room 5: bathroom

I should also point out that some rooms do not have their own en-suite bathroom/shower, in which case guests must use shared facilities. These rooms are of course priced at lower rates than those with en-suites – currently €25-€30/night.

The hotel owners were friendly and despite their limited English (and my non-existent French), were always eager to help in any way they could to ensure my stay there was positive.

The neighbourhood around the hotel has many good local cafes and Boulangerie’s, as well as other low-cost shopping outlets. A brisk 30 minute walk will get you to the Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, Les Halles, the Pompidou Centre, the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. Even the famed Basilique du Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre can be reached on foot in less than 45 minutes.

Room 5: wardrobe and 'desk'

Would I stay at the Palace Hotel again? Most definitely. I think it would be hard to beat the current prices being asked at the hotel, and given its location, it still remains a great choice for visitors on a limited budget.

More Information

Palace Hotel,

9 Rue Bouchardon, 75010, Paris

Tel: 014 040 0945

Tel: 014 040 0946

Palace Hotel… ‎

Email: palace.hotel75010@gmail.com

Craft & Vision: Photography eBooks

Craft & Vision use as their tag line: More Great Ways to Make Stronger Photographs, and the talented photographers who comprise the Craft & Vision team of writers surely live up to that motto. More than 50 beautifully produced eBooks are available as PDF downloads from the C&V website.

Incredibly, most of the eBooks cost as little as US$5.00 each, and all are packed with stunning images, and great content by writer/photographers who know intimately the topics they are writing about.

Right now, C&V are offering free downloads of Craft & Vision II (see link below), so I thought I should give you a ‘heads up’ about the freebie, and mention a couple of other great photography eBooks you might want to check out. However, as mentioned, there are many other books worth examining in detail, so head over to the Craft & Vision website and take a look through the complete collection.

Craft & Vision II: Another Free eBook

This gorgeous 45-page PDF eBook has nine articles that will help photographers of all levels make stronger photographs. Martin Bailey, Piet Van den Eynde, Nicole S. Young, Dave Delnea, Sean McCormack, and David duChemin have written articles exclusively for this eBook.

Articles cover such topics as making sharper images and learning to shoot in manual mode; developing smarter; balancing flash with ambient light; learning to see light; developing style and consistency; isolating your subjects; experimenting with B&W; and coping strategies for challenging light.

Speaking about this free eBook offer, Craft & Vision say: “Consider it a random act of kindness to the photography community we so passionately serve. Aside from the great articles contained in the eBook, you will also discover an exclusive promotional offer, we call it the C&V Starter Kit, where you can save USD $16 and get another four amazing products to help take your photography skills to the next level.”

Click here to view more details

The best things in life may be free, but generally we have to pay for the things we want. The Craft & Vision team have produced a whole range of great eBooks aimed directly at all photographers – whether amateur or professional. Here are a couple of my personal favourites…

Beyond Thirds: A Photographer's Introduction to Creative Composition
This inspiring eBook from Andrew S. Gibson, is about taking composition past the so-called rules. It’s a thoughtful, practical book about the way we build our photographs within the constraint of the frame.

Andrew moves past the traditional discussion of thirds by showing how a more holistic approach can turn a conventional rule into a powerful tool. The eBook explores important subjects like the creative use of balance and focal points, insights into how to shape a subject, and using aspect ratio to establish an ideal foundation for making photographs, and so much more!

The diagrams and creative exercises will provide you with the ideas and insights you need to compose more engaging photographs.

Click here to view more details

BELOW THE HORIZON: Understanding Light at the Edges of Day, was written by Dave Delnea, a photographer whose commercial work includes some of the finest resort properties in the world.

Delnea’s ability to see and capture the mood present in light at the edges of day have garnered him some exceptional clients and produced some amazing images.

His secret is no secret at all; simply to understand and capture the light that is uniquely present when the sun is below the horizon and other photographers have put their cameras away. Highly recommended.

Click here to view more details

Click here to visit the Craft And Vision website...

Touring New York Harbor

Image courtesy of Working Harbor Committee

~ It is good to see New York City’s Working Harbor Committee (WHC) emerging from winter hibernation.

I am on the organization’s mailing list, and their latest ‘On The Hip’ e-newsletter lists a number of forthcoming activities, including the very popular Hidden [New York] Harbor Tours.

I have joined three previous Hidden Harbor Tours (two in 2010, and another in 2012), and I consider them to be some of the best ‘hidden gems’ of any visit to New York. You can read my account about one of those tours here…

Image courtesy of Working Harbor Committee

Among events scheduled from now until the end of summer, are a series of narrated tours under the theme: Beyond Sandy: Keeping the Conversation Alive, as well as more Hidden Harbor Tours. 

Beyond Sandy, is described as a series of special Hidden Harbor Tours exploring the many issues and plans arising from Super Storm Sandy, that focus on the array of global warming and sea-level rise protection alternatives being discussed by government, private institutions and citizens. Special guest speakers will discuss and pose questions such as: Are Netherlands-style sea barriers the answer? How did various neighborhoods fare and why? Fight the ocean or retreat? And How did the working harbor fare and help?

Each tour will have two guest speakers from a number of sources: the maritime industry, government agencies, private industry, think tanks and universities, as well as other noted experts. The tours are two hours in length and visit Red Hook, Sunset Park, The Verrazano Bridge, Staten Island, Bayonne and Hoboken, the lower Manhattan shoreline and many points in between.

The tours leave from Pier 16 at the South Street Seaport District (itself heavily impacted by Sandy – under 6 feet of water) at 6:30 p.m. on the large three-deck motor vessel Zephyr

There will be three different tours:

Tour 1 - High Seas on the Inner Harbor: From Wall Street to Snug Harbor This tour is from the Verrazano Bridge to Hoboken, including Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. See where giant sea gates are proposed.Tuesday - 21 May, 2013Tuesday - 18 June, 2013

Tour 2 - Fire, Floods and Floating Containers: East River - Hell Gate to Governors Island This tour traverses the East River from Queens to Governors Island, including the East Side of Manhattan, Newtown Creek and Brooklyn Navy Yard. See the site of the giant electric sub-station explosion.Tuesday - 28 May, 2013Tuesday - 25 June, 2013

Tour 3 – Protecting Our Ports: From Red Hook to Newark Bay.This tour traverses Kill van Kull to Newark Bay, including container terminals, oil docks, tug yards, and rail yards. Learn how close we came to a goods delivery crisis.Tuesday - 4 June, 2013

Purchase tickets here…

North River Tour on June 11

Image courtesy of WHC. Inset: Bill Miller.

Hosted by Bill Miller, this tour will begin by passing around the southern tip of Manhattan and the large ferry terminals to Staten Island and Governors Island.

It will also travel north up along the west side of Manhattan passing the Battery and Castle Clinton, then most of Hudson River Park, including historic ships, ferry terminals, fireboat terminals, historic Pier 57, Chelsea Piers, excursion boats, the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum and finally the passenger ship terminals.

The tour will then cross over to the New Jersey side passing the historic Hoboken waterfront, scene of "On The Waterfront", another active shipyard, Morris Canal entrance and finally, as all tours do, it will visit the Statue of Liberty before returning to Pier 16.

The tour departs from Pier 16 at the South Street Seaport District at 6:30 p.m. on the large three-deck motor vessel Zephyr

TICKETS:

Adults: $39.00 | Children (3-12 yrs): $25.00 | Seniors: $32.00

WHC, South Street Seaport and THIRTEEN Members: $32.00

Purchase tickets here… 

Here is a short video I put together after my 2012 Hidden Harbor Tour:

I would dearly love to join one of the above Hidden Harbor Tours, but sadly, I won’t be visiting New York City this year. However, if I visit again in 2014 as I hope to do, a fourth tour will be definitely part of my trip.

Additional Hidden Harbor Tours including Port Newark/Port Elizabeth and Brooklyn are being planned for July, August and September. If you think these unique tours might appeal to you, I highly recommend you signup for ‘On The Hip’, the official e-newsletter of the Working Harbor Committee, and bookmark the organization’s blog for ongoing news and information.

TED on Tuesday: The Dawn Of De-Extinction

Famous last words, perhaps? Click to view full size.

In a previous entry on this blog, I wrote about my visit to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Part of what I wrote concerned the destruction of the passenger pigeon. Once numbering in the billions, the last surviving member of that species died almost 100 years ago, in 1914. But what if there was a way to bring back the passenger pigeon? Or the woolly mammoth? Or any number of other extinct species?

Incredibly, utilising science, technology and advances in DNA research, scientists are now close to the point where it is possible to bring extinct species back to life. In this TED Talk, Stewart Brand (the Whole Earth Catalog, The WELL, the Global Business Network, the Long Now Foundation, etc), outlines ongoing research and long term plans to de-extinct some of the animals that have disappeared from the planet.

Granted, resurrecting the woolly mammoth using ancient DNA may sound like mad science. But Brand’s Revive and Restore project has an entirely rational goal: to learn what causes extinctions so we can protect currently endangered species, preserve genetic and biological diversity, repair depleted ecosystems, and essentially “undo harm that humans have caused in the past.”

Watch Stuart Brand’s TED Talk now...

Stewart Brand's newest book is Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto. He is also the author of How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built.

Reflections From The Window Seat

Flying over the Alps to Paris, France

~ So when you travel, where do you prefer to sit: window, aisle or middle seat?

I am definitely a window seat traveller. When I take international flights, I prefer the window seat, not because I can spend most of the flight looking at the scenery from the window – at 30,000 feet, there is not a lot of scenery to see passing over the Pacific Ocean between Australia and North America.

No, I choose window seats because I can wedge myself up against the internal fuselage of the aircraft and get a reasonable amount of sleep without being disturbed by the comings and goings of the other passengers sharing my seating section. The ability to look at the landscape once the plane is passing over areas of country is an added bonus

Gulf Coast from Greyhound Bus window

When travelling by bus or train, I again choose window seats. I am not one of those travellers who bury their head in a book or digital device, or who try to blot out my surroundings by listening to music through a pair of tiny ear buds.

I spend most of the trip looking out the window at the passing parade of small towns and villages, with their pedestrians and local traffic; examining the local architecture, both civic and private; and trying get an understanding (no matter how brief and fleeting) of the lives and loves of the local population.

How about you. Where do you prefer to sit, and why? Feel free to share your opinions and thoughts via the Comments section below.

National September 11 Memorial

~ I paid a visit to the National September 11 Memorial in New York City during August 2012. I expected to be much more emotionally affected by the site, but I wasn't.

On my way to the Memorial site, I also dropped into St. Paul's Chapel, a building I have visited on numerous occasions during my trips to New York, and here I was once more emotionally engaged with the Chapel and the displays there – although these seem to be shrinking as the years pass.

I think the difference between the two sites is that St. Paul’s Chapel connects with you on a personal level, partly because of its accessibility and scale, while the National September 11 Memorial is massive and almost impersonal - despite the almost three thousand names displayed there. Of course, the Chapel still stands, while the towers of the World Trade Center now only exist in our memories, and in the multitude of audio-visual artifacts that remain.

Clearly, visitors with a direct connection to the site will be much more emotionally engaged than myself, and indeed while there, I saw visitors making rubbings of the names of people they knew who were victims of the attacks. Also, once the museum, with its many artifacts and exhibits is finally open, I am sure the whole experience will be much more affecting.

I expect to return to the completed Memorial on subsequent visits to New York City, and I will be interested to see how the experience compares to my August visit. If you are visiting New York, a visit to the National September 11 Memorial is certainly worth the long queues and security checkpoints. Like other major memorial sites (war memorials, Holocaust memorials, and such), the Memorial serves to remind us of the tragedy it commemorates, and to keep alive the memories of the thousands of men, women and children (some unborn), who were victims of the attacks.

Here is a short video I made following my visit:

The song is Sweet Forgiveness, by one of my favourite artists, Iris DeMent… www.irisdement.com

Art: Ballroom

~ During my three week house sitting stint in Melbourne over January, I frequently found myself hanging out at the city’s Federation Square. The square has become the active heart of Melbourne with some type of event, or events taking place there throughout the summer, and at other times of the year.

While I was there, a major installation, Ballroom, attracted much attention from visitors and locals alike. The installation was created by American artist, Patrick Dougherty, who bends, weaves, snags and flexes a humble pile of sticks to create works of art that are inseparable from nature and landscape. Over the last twenty five years, Dougherty has build more than two hundred works throughout the Untied States, Canada, Europe and Asia, with every piece mesmerising in its ability to fly through trees, overtake buildings, and virtually defy gravity.

In addition to freestanding structures, Patrick’s art functions just as easily as adornments. What shape the works take, depends very much on the site and methodology used.

The work took three weeks, or 2000 hours, to build with the help of 70 volunteers. In part inspired by the architecture of Flinders Street Station, Patrick named this piece, Ballroom.

Speaking about the installation, Patrick had this to say: “I think that a good sculpture is one that evokes in the viewer a wealth of personal associations. My viewers see stick castles, lairs, nests, architectural follies; and they remember moments in the woods building forts and hide outs.

I hear stories about the Garden of Eden, favourite trees, and secrets about first dates. Some viewers touch the surfaces and talk about the momentum of wind of other forces of the natural world. Most important, people love to explore strange shapes and hidden spaces, particularly if they encounter them in unlikely spots. I like to see children running towards the openings and people standing on the street and pointing. I like to spark people’s imaginations and connect them with nature in a surprising way.”

Here is a brief video I shot of the installation during my stay:

More information:

Federation Square... 

When Travel is Just Like Coming Home Again

Victoria Square Fountain, Adelaide

~ For most of my life I have lived in Adelaide, Australia, and although I like to say that Adelaide is a nice place to come home to, the more I travel the more I am beginning to feel that I have roots in other countries and cities around the world.

My parents were Greeks who immigrated to Australia just prior to the Second World War, and of course I have visited the island my parents came from – Ikaria – on multiple occasions. 

Two of my sisters have returned to live on the island, and both have children and grandchildren growing up there. I consider Ikaria to be my first home away from home, having visited several times during the 1970s, and again in 2008 and 2010.

South Street Seaport, NYC.

New York City Dreaming

When I landed at New York City’s JFK airport following an exhausting flight from Australia, my return to that city in 2012 for my third visit in six years, also seemed like coming home.

When I boarded the A-train for the Washington Heights apartment (and two cats), I would be ‘house’ sitting for the second time, it was a great feeling, and it was all I could do to suppress an open smile. Let me tell you though, smiling openly on a 6:00am A-train full of sleepy New Yorkers heading into Manhattan for the start of the working day is probably not a good idea.

I first went to New York in 2008, and have returned every two years since. There more I go, the more I love it, and the more that city also begins to feel like home. I hope to return to the Big Apple again in 2014, which should pretty much cement its place in my mind as my second home away from home.

Federation Square, Melbourne

Wherever I Lay My Hat
I have been house sitting for friends in Melbourne for the past four years, and every time I return to that city, it too feels like coming home. Then there are my visits to an American cousin in Tucson, Arizona in 2010 and again in 2012. If I get a chance to visit again – and I certainly hope to – I know that Tucson will also join the list of cities that have become my surrogate homes as I continue to travel and occasionally retrace my steps around the world.

What all these locations have in common is the familiarity I have developed with them: knowing how to find my way around what were once strange cities and landscapes; knowing where the nearest supermarket, ATM, subway station or bus stop is to my home away from home; and knowing enough about a location to be able to offer advice and information to people who are themselves looking for assistance. Then there is the joy I get from returning to favorite locations within each of these cities: Federation Square and the crowded alleys of Melbourne; the South Street Seaport and Bryant Park in New York City; the tiny villages and summer festivals of Ikaria; and the giant Saguaro cactus plants that dot the dry desert landscape around Tucson, Arizona. But most of all, it is great to be able to continue my explorations in each of these locations to broaden my knowledge and understanding about each city, and the people who live and work there.

Adelaide is a great place to return home to, but I can’t wait to again revisit my various homes away from home, and add other countries and cities to those already mentioned here.

Hotel Review: Value Inn Worldwide, L.A.

Image courtesy of hotel website

~ I checked into the Value Inn Worldwide hotel in Los Angeles on Monday, July 30, 2012, after an 18 hour flight from Adelaide, Australia (which included a brief stopover in Melbourne).

Although I was on my way to New York City, I figured even one night in L.A. would help me deal with the inevitable jet lag I knew I was going to experience. The hotel was the first of eight hotels stays I would have during my three month visit to America.

Check in: The check in process was quick and uncomplicated. Just the thing you need after an 18 hour flight.

Reception Staff: The Indian lady on reception was friendly and efficient. She said she used to live in Sydney, and knew of Adelaide as the 'City of Churches'. So far, so good.

Image courtesy of hotel website

Cleanliness: I was allocated room 202. Although the hotel is a little dowdy, my room had been cleaned just before my arrival, and everything looked ship shape and gave me no reason to complain.

Location: the hotel is located on West Century Boulevard, which leads straight too and from LAX international airport - just three or four miles away. The neighbourhood itself seems typical for Los Angeles: fast food outlets, cheap hotels and motels, dollar supermarkets, car wash establishments and such like. There is a Chinese take away across from the hotel, and a Panda Express a couple of blocks away. These are handy since meals are not available at the hotel.

Facilities: These include free wired and wireless high-speed internet, free unlimited local and long distance domestic phone calls, and guest laundry.

Image courtesy of hotel website

Additional features and services include in-room coffee makers, microwaves, refrigerators, iron and ironing boards, hairdryers, safes, satellite TV with premium movie and sports channels, and much more. A full list of hotel facilities can be accessed here…

The WiFi reception was fine in my room and came free, a service Australian hotels would do well to emulate. Traffic noise was bearable. This was LA after all, and there was no noticeable aircraft noise despite the proximity of the airport a few miles down the highway.

Breakfast: The Value Inn website refers to their breakfast offering as a "complimentary deluxe continental breakfast", however, I thought it was fairly basic even though there was plenty of it. Choices consisted of apple or cranberry juice, tea and coffee, Cornflakes or Cheerios, muffins, waffles, toast and jam, and I guess water if you include that as part of breakfast.

Image courtesy of hotel website

So much for my Los Angeles stopover. From airport to hotel to bed to airport again. Still, it was never intended to be more than a short break to help me get over the long flight, and reset my body clock from the southern hemisphere to the northern one.

The hotel does not provide a pick up or drop off service for LAX. My taxi fare to the hotel from the airport was $20.00, and the return fare was $15.00 – including tips.

Recommendation: Let's face it, most hotels near large international airports are designed to cater to clients who are generally looking for one or two nights accommodation while they are on the way to somewhere else more interesting, and the Value Inn Worldwide fulfils this brief perfectly well. Based on my one night stay (hardly a scientific study, I know), I am happy to recommend the hotel for just this purpose. As budget hotels go, it was clean, the staff I spoke to were friendly and welcoming, the price was right, and it was close to the airport which is another reason I chose it. 3.5 stars.

More info:

Value Inn Worldwide, Los Angeles
4751 W Century Boulevard, Inglewood.

One Night: US$75.38 (includes booking fee through Orbitz.Com)

Ph: (310) 491 7000.

Visiting Attractions On A Budget in New York City

After hotel costs, transport and food, one of the biggest additions to the cost of any travel is the cost of sightseeing and visiting city attractions. In a city like New York, which has more places to visit than one could reasonably expect to see in a life time of travel, any system that helps reduce costs has to be worth looking at. In this post I want to write specifically about my two favorite ‘go to’ sites that offer the chance to score tickets to a wide range of events at vastly reduced prices. These are TKTS and Goldstar.

Most visitors to New York City, and the locals living there full time, are aware that discounted tickets to many New York theatre productions – including popular Broadway shows – can be found by visiting one of the city’s TKTS outlets.

TKTS Discount Booths

The Theatre Development Fund (TDF), is the not-for-profit performing arts service organization that operates the TKTS Discount Booths. TKTS Discount Booths offer tickets to Broadway and Off Broadway musicals and plays at up to 50% off. The (TDF) operates three TKTS Discount Booths in New York City.

1. The Times Square Booth (under the red steps at Broadway and 47th Street), sells day-of-performance discount tickets. You can also purchase full-price tickets to future performances for all shows and same-day full-price tickets to shows that aren't being discounted.

2. The Downtown Brooklyn Booth (in 1 MetroTech Center, at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue Promenade, Brooklyn), sells tickets to evening performances on the day of the performance and matinee tickets the day before as well as tickets to Brooklyn performing arts events.

3. The South Street Seaport Booth  (in the Seaport Marketplace at the corner of Front and John Streets, Manhattan) sells tickets to evening performances on the day of the performance and matinee tickets the day before. NOTE: As of this posting, the booth is closed until further notice due to water damage from Hurricane Sandy. Keep an eye on the TKTS website for news and information regarding when this booth will reopen.

All locations sell tickets at 50%, 40%, 30% and 20% off full price (plus a $4.00 per ticket service charge, which helps support other TDF services and programs. Availability and ticket inventory change throughout the day and are always at the discretion of individual theatre productions. Currently you are not able to purchase discounted tickets to shows in New York City via the Theatre Development Fund website. You have to visit a TKTS Booth personally, or use one of the apps available for this purpose (see below).

GOLDSTAR.COM

Goldstar states that it has the largest online listing of half-price offers to live entertainment in the world, and I’m not about to argue with that. I first learned about Goldstar in 2010 while on a nine hour cruise from Manhattan to Bear Mountain (up the Hudson River) with the Classic Harbor Line, for which I had paid US$160.00. A fellow passenger, who had purchased her ticket through Goldstar had only paid US$90.00, for her discounted ticket.

Unlike TKTS, which only sells discounted tickets to theatre shows in New York City, I have since used Goldstar to buy discounted tickets to major league baseball games, theatre shows, roller derby events, harbor cruises, and more. As I write, Goldstar are selling tickets for the three hour Bateaux New York Dinner Cruises during March and April priced at around $99.65-$103.65, compared with the full price of $166.10-$172.75. Considerable savings by any measure. Alternatively, the Central Park Walking Tour they are also currently selling is half priced ($22.50 instead of $45.00) for dates during March and April.

The really great news is that again, unlike the TKTS Booths which are only available in New York City, Goldstar offers discounts to hundreds of events in more than 30 cities across the United States. These include Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. An added bonus is that Goldstar tickets can be bought online through their website, and via their iPhone app (see below).

There’s an App For That!

Both TKTS and Goldstar have apps available to make it easy for visitors to purchase tickets without the hassle of joining long queues. According to information about the TKTS app at iTunes:

The Official TKTS app, available free of charge for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone, is the only way to get fast, accurate, real-time listings of all Broadway and Off Broadway shows available at the world-famous TKTS Discount Booths in New York City. The Official TKTS app is directly linked to the display boards at the TKTS Discount Booths, so what you're seeing, in real time, is exactly what the people waiting in line are seeing.

TKTS Discount Apps

Click here for the TKTS iPhone app...

Click here for the Android app... 

Click here for the Windows Phone 7 app...

Goldstar Weekend App

Currently, the Goldstar Weekend App is only available for the iPhone...

Note: This app is being marketed specifically as the Goldstar Weekend app, and as the name suggests, the app appears to offer event discounts for weekend performances only. Here’s what Goldstar themselves say about the app:

You might be busy this weekend, but a packed schedule doesn’t mean you have something fun to do, right? That’s where Goldstar Weekend comes in. Goldstar Weekend helps you discover and buy tickets to music, sports, theater, comedy and more in two minutes or less. Upon launch, you are taken to the closest weekend day. There you can browse up to 10 top events in your area, read about them and share with friends.

I myself have not used either of the above apps, so I can not offer comments or reviews of their ease of use or other comments. In fact, until I sat down to write this post, I didn’t know the two companies had apps, and for all I know the apps weren’t available when I was visiting New York City during the summer of 2012. However, I have used the TKTS booths while in New York City, and in the case of Goldstar, I have always made a point of pre-booking events via the full website, before my arrival in the city. Using the Goldstar website, you can purchase discounted tickets non-weekend events.

Happy New Year!

I don’t know if readers are familiar with TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design). Each year, this organisation brings together some of the world’s leading thinkers, innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, and others for conferences that inspire and offer hope that the world really is a wonderful place, and that there is some hope for humanity, if we can only get over our ignorance, prejudices and arrogance.

I have been watching some of the archived videos of many of the fantastic talks delivered at TED conferences over the years, and have downloaded a bunch of my favourite speakers. One of my current favourites is the following talk and video from Louie Schwartzberg, titled: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.

As the introduction to the video states on the TED website: Nature’s beauty can be easily missed -- but not through Louie Schwartzberg’s lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day.

So my gift to you on this, the first day of 2013, comes to you by way of TED, Louie Schwartzberg, and the remarkable young girl and venerable monk seen in the video presentation within this video. Enjoy.