duomo et mercante

Tonight was a visit to Ristorante Al Mercante for traditional Milanese food. We arrived early by Italian standards and browsed the area around the medieval Piazza Mercanti. This area of Milan just behind the Piazza del Duomo once served as a center of civic activities with a nearby thriving market.

There were eight of us eating tonight and we made a companiable gang as we chatted and ate antipasti, followed by house specialities and in my case finishing with vino santo and cantucci.

And to fall out of the restaurant late evening back to the same cathedral square where we had seen Madonna and twelve apostles in sunlight now set with a moonlit clear sky before bundling back into a taxi to the hotel.

Tag: rashbre, Italy, Milan

black car

One advantage of my time in Milan is that I'm getting driven around in a big black Mercedes. The driver is in a dark suit and wears shades during the day. The car is allowed to go in the special lanes normally reserved for buses and trams and the driver seems to want to drive everywhere at maximum speed. I notice he selects 4 instead of Drive and is always in Sports mode.

I worked in Milan for a while and I used to always think that the cars were never parked, just momentarily stationary and that it was something like a giant arcade game to be a driver. Now I can see the other part, where this professional driver never really stops at lights and coasts slowly so that he can edge forward before the lights change. I also notice that just about all of the other drivers seem to do the same, so theres an extra edginess to the motoring experience. Now I remember the feeling of calm that used to wash over me as I sat on the plane seat on the way back when I was over here a lot.

Tag: rashbre, Italy, driving, Mercedes

runway

Milan today, which I usually also associate with the great fashion shows.

Actually, the fashion shows are in Paris at the moment for the Spring 2007 season, although I love the vibe of Milan when its fashion week. You see, Milan is just the right size for the shows to totally dominate the town. Every hotel is rammed with models and events and all of the bars and clubs are similarly inhabited by the fashionistas during the evening.

So instead of a picture of Milan's rather smart Dom, the picture above is from the forthcoming Balencia collection, currently previewing to the in crowd in Paris for Spring. And don't forget to check out the stunning Diane von Furstenburg colours (black, pink, gold, white) which should liven the start of next year.

Oh OK, here's Diane's runway show video. Hot Fuscia lips and Eve's sin.

You can tell I was in King's Road yesterday...

Tag: rashbre, fashion, Milan, Diane von Furstenburg, balencia, Spring 2007

eight daze

Debra asked me to write 8 things about myself and so I'm mixing it with some of what happened today.

1) The day started with a visit to Chelsea - which is an area of London I really enjoy wandering around. We were rendezvousing at a particular riverside location where we were to meet David. We all arrived within about ten minutes of one another, literally meeting by the number 137 bus stop.

We spent some time looking at aqua and jade soft furnishings before heading back to where my car was parked right on the riverfront along the Thames. John noticed how clean the car looked; this is because it has just been serviced by the garage, who always clean it when they have it in for work.


2) The garage took two attempts to service my car, because they needed a spare part. They kept calling me once the part was in. I didn't know what the piece was, but it turned out to be a new turbo. I think that is quite a large part of the engine, but it seems to drive properly again now. Four of us then drove the short distance to the Kings Road, where I found a pay and display spot which needed around £9.40 to cover the remaining time until 18:30 when the meters and yellow lines switch off. This worked out to around 20 pence for 5 minutes.

3) We walked from the car back to Kings Road, with a plan to stop for a late lunch. We were aiming for a certain favourite restaurant, but unfortunately took the wrong direction. We were nearly at Peter Jones (the department store) before we realised we were walking the wrong way. Undeterred we turned back through what was a very busy throng of shoppers.

4) I noticed the trees were still looking like late summer, rather than autumn, but many of the shoppers had slipped into the colours of the autumn season and several people were wearing chunky fur-look boots. It looks as if the fashion is changing faster than the season. As I passed the Chelsea Registry Office, I noticed a wedding in progress, with a smattering of people in stylish full Indian outfits and a few men in equivalently stylish Scottish kilts.

5) We found the restaurant and a selection of strange looking cocktails appeared (strawberry, vodka and Ginger ale, for example). I didn't partake, because I knew I'd be driving. An animated lunch finally finished around four in the afternoon. We all split up as we left the restaurant, with a variety of missions to accomplish around the west end before the shops closed.


6) I used my Oyster card on a 211 Bus to go to Sloane Square, where I had to visit Tiffany's to get a silver bracelet adjusted. I'd bought it in New York, and they told me it may have to be sent back for adjustment because the silver blend in USA is different from UK. I have never heard of this but decided not to argue. The bracelet has been unwearable since I bought it as a present, and a few extra weeks won't make much difference. At least it will have a story afterwards.

7) The discussion 'upstairs' in Tiffany's meant I was late for my next errand which meant I had to grab a cab to Bond Street. Not as easy as it sound and I had to resort to the trick of knowing where a taxi is likely to drop off a passenger in order to get one.

8) Mission complete, I then cabbed back to King's Road and by enormous good fortune, the taxi used the same short cut as me and drove right past my car saving me time because I couldn't remember the name of the street I'd parked. I then drove back to the Royal Court, to find Julie, who arrived with a clutch of expensive looking carrier bags.

Well, I think there's about 8 things about me in there somewhere; along with a partial account of my day. Tomorrow I'm off to Milan again.

another day, another planet

Today involved being bundled into vans and speeding around Frankfurt.

The main session was in a room on an upper floor of a rather tall building, next to another building that looked something like a parked spacecruiser. In the distance I could see dark clouds swirling over the Taunus mountains and when we finished I managed some Zwiebelkuchen and a Warsteiner at the Flughafen whilst waiting for my flight, which had around a two hour delay. So from leaving the meeting at 13:30, it was actually around 20:00 before I was back home.

antioxidant ballotin

So, Belgian beer and Belgian chocolates? Click here and enjoy.

anvers

I've never visited Antwerp before and had to look it up briefly on a map to get a fix on its location. I've spent time in Belgium though and even used to use Brussels as my airport when I was travelling to Maastricht in the Netherlands. That used to be a regular journey for me for a while, with a different hire-car every week.

So now I've travelled via Brussels, but in a different direction arriving so late that its already the next day. So I shall sleep and then see if I get time to investigate anything tomorrow, although I do suspect this is white-box travelling (ie from one white box to another).

We shall see.

bung

Now theres a word...

Bung

Sometimes a squishy rubber cork used to seal a test-tube, flask or barrel. A slang word for cheese in Australia. Slang in English for 'throw' or 'pass' as in "bung us the sauce!" meaning "would you kindly pass me the ketchup?".

And in its most recent form "bung" as "in secret unauthorised financial incentive" (aka "bribe") in soccer. Now the talk of "a bung" in soccer isn't a new expression, yet the football association doesnt think there are any records of proven cases. On this occasion (allegedly) even his Svenly self has passed comments about 'bungs' and there seem to be just 50 recent player signings worthy of further investigation.

And I suppose the related phrase "tapping up" (sounding out) also appeared by accident and has no proven useage. So a sentence like: "He tapped up the youth player to consider transfer in return for a bung" has no place in modern sporting idiom. Unless we believe what the BBC and several newspapers are reporting today.

Just look at the expression of incredulity on the face of this team manager who was mentioned in the recent Panorama investigation. What could this all mean? Surely not that any players have been enticed to play for English soccer teams against a backdrop of additional payments to other people? That wouldn't be very sporting, would it?

american agenda

Nowadays the paper delivery person doesn't make any attempt to push the Sunday paper through the letterbox. Instead, it comes neatly wrapped in a plastic bag and is dropped on the step outside. I only noticed it today when a neighbour knocked to enquire whether I'd seen her missing Persian cat which is blind in one eye.

We walked around for a little while shaking a tin bowl filled with cat nibbles and calling out, but to no avail - I suspect the cat has gone into hiding somewhere probably frightened of the big outdoors.

Then to the paper. It stresses me with a Sunday paper having so much to read and I always feel better when I have removed the redundant sections and the added in mailshots in which I have low interest. Today, however, in amongst the leaflets was a nice little catalogue for the forthcoming show at the Royal Academy of Art.

Its a show about the USA and features some well known pieces which discuss themes including war, peace, consumerism, diversity, poverty the USA's place in the world. I was smitten as soon as I saw the catalogue and will drop in to the exhibition as soon as practical to have a look around.

A couple of years ago I was in New York and visited one of my regular spots, the Whitney, whilst it was running a couple of interesting US art exhibitions, one on Pop art and another on War art, particularly related to the Vietnam era. Both were very thoughtful and the Royal Academy show has some similar promise. A while ago (in blogging memory!) I visited the Saatchi Gallery in London and I notice that quite a few of the exhibits are from the Saatchi - presumably because Saatchi are about to 'up sticks' and move to Kings Road, Chelsea.

The exhibition advertising seems to be using a picture from Josephine Meckseper which, in her normal work contrasts the seductiveness of consumerism with the realities of a war-torn world. The one above is called Pyromaniac 2.

I also noticed some Dash Snow, who makes paintings but is also famous for some polaroids, including the one here, which takes a gas station, notices a missing light, and creates a statement at the same time.

Its good to find art about ideas.

orange lead

Yesterday evening I had some time to practice some guitar playing. I know the theory is to play every day, but my WLB (work-life-balance) doesnt always permit it and if I'm away, then a guitar is not exactly convenient hand luggage. Yes - I know about priorities and all.

Anyway, based upon my last post's reference to orange attractors, I couldn't help noticing that the cable to the guitar is also bright orange.

I do have some conventional black cables too, but its harder to lose and easier to untangle an orange (or luminous green) cable.

I'm sure this would be frowned upon by proper guitarros but I need all the help I can get.

Anyway, I had some great fun making noise yesterday evening.

spaced

I noticed that Sky is still playing Star Wars movies nearly every night and this evening it was Revenge of the Sith.

Then I noticed that Channel 4 was playing The Fifth Element.

No contest.

Luc Besson wins every time. Or perhaps I'm strangely attracted to orange.

freeloading

Julie extorted another ticket for me to see Will Young in Brighton yesterday evening - with the demand that I grabbed a few more moments from the show. I managed to meet Andrea, Fiona and the fellah with Fiona who wasn't Fiona's fellah, before the gig started. As they all walked off to their front-row seats, I had to make my way to a solitary confinement area, because of my different ticket.

Let's just say the ticket meant I had to be by myself for the entire evening, but on the other hand, I seem to have picked up some useful supplementary video. It seems weird that this was recorded onto a little phone memory card, but it seems to have come out okay. I've fiddled with the sound a little bit to boost the voice and the edits are here, here and here.

General consensus after the show - excellent. Great singing, slick dance numbers, polished and versatile band of real musicians. Its good to see someone cutting their own path through medialand. And Friday evening was a top performance.

If Sony BMG made a proper DVD instead of posturing, I'm sure it would walk off the shelves.

If you enjoy the videos, please leave a comment.



UPDATE: I've noticed quite a few people (several hundred!) accessing this entry. Don't forget:

1) more Brighton on Christina's
2) 15 minute video
3) Newcastle clips