WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER SPRING 2015

“... the perfect place to fulfill his boyhood dream - to build a
utopia, an ideal village on a romantic coastal site...”

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 51

This is no doubt one of the most World War II - fine-tuned details in the Believing it to be the perfect place to ful-
unique villages in Britain. No one second phase from 1954-1976. The last fill his boyhood dream - to build a uto-
has ever lived here - yet there’s an building, the Tollgate, was built during pia, an ideal village on a romantic coast-
admission fee to stroll around, and his 93rd year. al site - he changed the name from Aber
some 250,000 visit each year. And it’s Ia, meaning glacial estuary in Welsh, to
definitely worth it! Portmeirion: Port because of its coastal
When Frank Lloyd Wright toured here location, and meirion, which is Welsh
in 1956, he turned to Amabel Wil- for merioneth, the county.
liams-Ellis, the wife of the visionary Williams-Ellis and his family (he had
who had designed this charming and two daughters--and a son who was
whimsical place. Not one to hand out killed during World War II) lived near-
compliments, the egotistical Wright ex- by in Plas Brondanw, an estate he in-
claimed to her, “Why, I do believe you herited. Much of it was destroyed by
married an architect!” fire in 1951, causing him to lose many
And Wright, by then a world-renowned valuable architectural papers and fam-
building designer, knew what he was ily documents. Fortunately some had
talking about: Comprised of colorful been copied by a historian, and several
and fun buildings, statues, fountains major architectural drawings were safe
and 70 acres of gorgeous gardens and in London, but the loss was devastating.
forest in a unique, seaside setting in The house was rebuilt in two years and
north Wales, Portmeirion was designed that’s where he died in 1978, a month
by the creative architect Clough Wil- shy of his 95th birthday.
liams-Ellis (1883-1978). He purchased Popular Portmeirion pottery, decorated
the property - described by him as “a with flora and fruits, launched in 1960
neglected wilderness” - in 1925 for less by Williams-Ellis’ artist daughter Su-
than 5,000 pounds. He then spent the san Williams-Ellis, continues to be sold
next 15 years working on it, then - after worldwide.
more than 10 years of disruption due to

52 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

One of the first things Williams-El- (c) Tim Richmond Photography
lis did in Portmeirion was to restore
and expand an old beach house, built WALES
around 1850, converting it into the 14-
room Hotel Portmeirion, which official- Portmeirion
ly opened in 1926. After a fire destroyed
it in 1981, it was reopened in 1988. Fa- Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 53
mous guests have included George Ber-
nard Shaw and H.G. Wells. The Prince of
Wales (Edward VIII, later known as the
Duke of Windsor), stayed in The Pea-
cock Suite when he visited Wales for his
investiture in 1936.

Other notable visitors to the town
have included Noel Coward, who wrote
“Blithe Spirit” during six days in 1941;
Ernest Hemingway, Beatles’ manag-
er Brian Epstein (a regular guest) and
George Harrison, who celebrated his
50th birthday here.

For his Portmeirion project, Wil-
liams-Ellis, an environmentalist who
was knighted in 1971 in recognition
for his contributions to architecture
and the environment, salvaged some
buildings from demolition sites. He de-
scribed the village as “a home for fallen
buildings” and an “architectural mon-
grel.” It is a mixture of styles, including
Italianate, arts and crafts, and Georgian.
His motto was, “Cherish the past, adorn
the present, construct for the future.”

And the creative genius, the preach-
er’s kid who had attended Cambridge,
seemed a bit eccentric in his endeavor
to salvage old architectural items.

For example, in 1965, when he decid-
ed to tear down an unsightly, 35-year-
old tennis court and build in its place a
central piazza, he could not remember
where, 30 years earlier, he had stored
the large Ionic columns that he want-
ed to use in the design. Eventually his
tenant farmer located them under a pile
of manure, and they were dug up and
used. But reportedly for several months,
no one got very close to admire them
due to the awful aroma!

Then there’s the Angel cottage - one
of the first built, in 1926 - so-named
because Williams-Ellis had an angel

Top: The quayside at dawn. Right: Map of Wales
and site of Portmeirion. Opposite top: Arial view of
Portmeirion. Opposite bottom: Williams-Ellis pic-
tured on the cover of his book, “Around the World in
Ninety Years.”

54 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

The lush gardens of Portmeirion piazza. carving that he wanted to utilize. And ry includes housing a prep school and
the crown atop the town hall is an up- apartments. Awarded by several major
side-down copper cauldron, used for travel magazines as one of Britain’s most
boiling pigs! unique hotels, it’s named for the original
Castell Deudraeth
There’s even a dog built nearby circa
cemetery on the 1175 by Gruffydd
property, estab- ap Cynan ab Owain
lished by the ec- Gwynedd, king of
centric Mrs. Ad- North Wales. It was
elaide Haig, who razed circa 1869
resided from 1870 by Sir William Fo-
until 1917 in the thergill Cook, “lest
mansion that later the ruins should
became the Hotel become known and
Portmeirion. Said attract visitors to
to prefer dogs instead of human friends, the place.”
she would take in strays and read ser-
mons to her cherished canine creatures Several popular films and British televi-
in the elegant Mirror Room. (Rumor has sion shows have been filmed in Portmei-
it that one cat is buried in the cemetery, rion, among them the series “Cold Feet”
snuck in during the dead of night.) -- and “The Prisoner,” which has retained
a cult following. Some 12 million view-
Today, off-the-beaten-path Portmeirion ers tuned in each episode, putting this
- which appears to be a magical Mediter- village on the map.
ranean village - is a popular tourist at-
traction and site of numerous weddings, We drove here by rental car, and the day
including those of celebrities. The estate we visited it rained. But, with the cheer-
is owned by the Ymddiriedolaeth Clough ful pastel buildings (including shops and
Williams-Ellis Foundation, a registered restaurants) reflected in the wet pave-
charity. ment, and with visitors strolling along
the cobblestone paths holding opened,
And many of the uniquely designed, pas- colorful umbrellas, it gave it even more
tel-colored buildings, built or relocated of a charming, magical feel.
here during the mid- and late 1920s,
include the Italianate style (Bell Tower, IF YOU GO
Watch House, Government House) and
the arts and crafts (Angel, Neptune, Toll For information: www.portmeirion-village.com
House), as well as Georgian (Gate House,
Bridge House, Belvedere, Chantry Row, The Clough Williams-Ellis estate Plas Brondanw:
Unicorn, Round House, Telford’s Tower), www.brondanw.org
built or moved here during the 1950s
and 1960s. Some have been converted to VisitWales: www.visitwales.com
self-catering cottages, ideal for vacation-
ing families. www.americas.visitwales.com

Photos (c) Tim Richmond Photography There’s also the 11-room Castell Deudra- VisitBritain: www.visitbritain.com
eth, which Williams-Ellis bought from BritRail: www.britrail.com
a relative in 1931, where we stayed, Photos from WIKI Commons, Tim Richmond Pho-
a 10-minute stroll from the village. tography, and Portmeirion Ltd
Opened in May 2001, it was originally
an 18th century cottage, later enlarged
into a 19th century mansion. Its histo-

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 55

| STORY & PHOTOS BY PRISCILLA LISTER |

NATURAL WONDERS AND CULINARY

I n a land of lots of scenic wonders, er-edge walkways, secured only inches blue shoreline, complete with sandy and
there is one I return to again and away from the 20,000 cars that travel rocky beaches. There are some 38 miles of
again, despite my sweaty palms, ac- across this engineering achievement ev- hiking trails in this park that invite explo-
celerated heart rate and shaky limbs. ery day. Standing some 180 feet above the ration of gorgeous spots like North Beach,
It’s the Deception Pass Bridge, a national swirling waters below, the experience is Goose Rock and Cranberry Lake.
historic landmark at the northern end of both scary and spectacular. Those swirling waters of Deception Pass
Washington’s Puget Sound that is a truly The bridge lies within the most visited really roil, since it is the second-largest
breathtaking span. state park in Washington, Deception Pass connection of the entire Puget Sound to
I force myself to walk across this 1935 State Park, where old-growth forests of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific
bridge on its narrow 3-foot-wide out- cedar, fir, hemlock, spruce, alder and ma- Ocean to the west, the largest being Ad-
ple trees stand tall along miles of bright- miralty Inlet.

56 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

STARS ALIGN ON WHIDBEY ISLAND

The charming town of Langley boasts
several really fine restaurants, making it a
favorite weekend getaway for Seattleites.
Opposite: The view from the top of Mount
Erie where views of the island-dotted
Puget Sound are literally panoramic.

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 57

Those two marine passages lie at the ed this time in Port Townsend, where buildings from the late 1800s hail from
northern and southern ends, respec- I had visited longtime friends. Port its thriving maritime past when it was
tively, of Whidbey Island, the largest Townsend sits on the northeast corner planning to be “the New York of the
island in Washington and one of my of the Olympic Peninsula on that Admi- West,” until the railroad changed plans
longtime favorite destinations. ralty Inlet. It is a splendidly preserved and bypassed it.
Whidbey Island has long been a favorite Victorian seaport, whose historic brick Today, Port Townsend is an artists’ com-
escape for Seattleites, who live less than munity, too, so galleries, special shops
an hour’s drive south and a 20-minute and sophisticated restaurants have tak-
ferry ride away. They catch the Mukil- en over those beautiful brick buildings
teo to Clinton ferry, which leaves every on Main Street.
half-hour, bringing them to another I’ve always thought the Washington
world that’s quieter, quirky and quint- State Ferry System offers one of the
essentially Northwest. best cruising bargains anywhere in one
Whidbey Island today is home to count- of the most beautiful bodies of water in
less artists, actors and musicians as well the world. You may not be able to afford
as farmers and vintners and outdoor a yacht, but you can ply those Puget
explorers. Its towns and villages offer Sound waters on the extensive ferry
small, walkable, historic main streets system that connects Seattle to several
filled with galleries, distinctive shops islands as well as the mainland to the
and farm-to-table restaurants. Its inns San Juan Islands and all these other
and B&Bs are tranquil, inviting and ro- points in between.
mantic. I always find its slower pace re- I caught the ferry from Port Townsend
markably calming, wrapping me in the to Keystone/Coupeville on Whidbey Is-
green and blue glory of a Pacific North- land, a mere 35-minute crossing for just
west forested island. about $10 with your car.

My most recent foray on Whidbey start- I drove straight to Coupeville, another

58 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

charming 19th-century seaport village
that sits in the middle of Ebey’s Landing
National Historic Reserve, established
in 1978 “to preserve and protect a rural
community which provides an unbroken
historic record from the 19th century ex-
ploration and settlement in Puget Sound
to the present time,” says the National
Park Service. This 17,400-acre preserve
features miles of hiking trails to forests,
prairies, lagoons and beaches. It’s also a
bird watchers paradise, a biker’s destina-
tion and even a favorite of scuba divers.

You can tour some of Ebey’s Landing’s 17
working farms or just sample their har-
vests at the Coupeville Farmers Market,
now in its 35th year making it one of the
longest running markets in one of the
oldest towns in Washington, held every
Saturday from April to mid-October.
I stopped by the wonderful Island County
Historical Society & Museum in Coupe-
ville to learn about the Native Americans,
including the Snohomish, Suquamish,
Swinomish and Lower Skagit tribes; the
sea captains of the 1800s; the pioneer
settlers including Colonel Isaac Neff
Ebey who settled here in 1851; and the
long military history that’s integral to
Whidbey Island still today -- its Naval Air
Station in Oak Harbor is the premier na-
val aviation installation in all the Pacific
Northwest.

I indulged in the splendid homemade
bread for a huge sandwich at Knead &
Feed bakery/cafe, right on Coupeville’s
Front Street. This is a locals’ hangout,
and when I was settling my bill, a woman
engaged me in friendly conversation.

I told her I was headed to Deception Pass. Top: The views from the 1935 Deception Pass Bridge, a historic landmark
“You must go to Mount Erie,” she advised at the northern end of Whidbey Island. Opposite top: Knead & Feed is a
me. “It’s just beyond Deception Pass on locals’ favorite on the waterfront in Coupeville for oversized sandwiches on
Fidalgo Island, and the views from the homemade bread. Opposite bottom: A trail through the woods on Mount
top are just amazing.” Erie, the highest point on Fidalgo Island, which lies immediately north of
She told me exactly how to get Whidbey Island and connects Whidbey to the mainland.
there, and I was mighty glad she directed
me to that awesome place. I hiked a low-
er trail first through thick forests of fra-
grant cedars and spruces and hemlocks,
some of which were literally oozing pools
of sticky sap onto the trail.
Then I simply drove to the top of Mount
Erie, the highest point on Fidalgo Island
which connects Whidbey Island to the
mainland via Deception Pass. The views
from this lookout are vast, spreading
across the Puget Sound and several of
its smaller islands. On very clear days,
you can see Mount Baker 43 miles to the

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 59

60 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

northeast and even Mount Rainier, 117 owner, Paul Schell, who was mayor of Se-
miles southeast. attle when I lived there many years ago.
“I voted for you,” I told him honestly. He
I settled in Langley, one of the loveli- was clearly delighted and came up to
est small seafront villages on the Puget me later to confirm, “You really recog-
Sound, where one-of-a-kind shops and nized me? It’s been a long time.”
galleries encourage a leisurely stroll
in search of gifts, clothing, antiques, “Yes,” I told him. “You haven’t changed a
books and even homemade chocolates, bit,” I grinned.
cupcakes and ice creams.
Just like that awesome Deception Pass.
I wouldn’t miss Useless Bay Coffee Com-
pany to mingle with the locals. Cafe
Langley and Prima Bistro, both on First
Street, are much-loved restaurants that
feature Pacific Northwest cuisine. Vil- IF YOU GO:
lage Pizzeria makes a fine East-Coast
crisp Neopolitan pie. For more information about Whidbey
Island, including how to get there,
But if you’re really a foodie, then make where to stay, where to eat and what
a reservation for Chef Matt Costello’s to do, go to http://www.whidbeyca-
six-course tasting menus -- weekends manoislands.com/, the main visitors
only -- that feature seasonal, local in- web site for both Whidbey and Cama-
gredients. Costello used to head Seattle no islands.
chef Tom Douglas’ Dahlia Lounge and
Palace Kitchen and now cooks at the Washington State Ferry System, www.
Inn at Langley’s restaurant, which has wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.
received an “extraordinary” rating from
Zagat guides every year since 2004 af- The Inn at Langley, www.innatlangley.
ter Costello arrived. com.

I retired to my cozy cedar-decked, wa- Ebey’s Landing National Historical
terfront room with huge jetted tub and Reserve, www.nps.gov/ebla/.
complementary DVD movies at that Deception Pass State Park, www.parks.
award-winning Inn at Langley. Over the wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=decep-
sumptuous continental breakfast the tion%20pass&subject=all.
next morning, I recognized the inn’s

Top: The views from on top of Mt. Erie on Fidalgo
Island, immediately across the Deception Pass
Bridge from Whidbey Island, are truly jaw-drop-
pingly beautiful.

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 61

Augsburg's Fuggerei
TOURING THE WORLD'S OLDEST SOCIAL HOUSING COMPLEX STILL IN USE
| STORY BY SHARON WHITLEY LARSEN |

Imagine paying only one dollar per today converted to .88 euro cents, or four times the annual rent!) tour the
year in rent! about $1! The rent has stayed the same bucolic grounds of this interesting, his-
That's what some 150 residents are over five centuries! toric, walled complex.
charged to live at the Fuggerei in Augs- And Fuggerei residents can live here (in The Fuggerei, built between 1514 and
burg, Germany, the world's oldest char- this city of 260,000) indefinitely—with 1523, originally had 52 cottages with
itable social housing complex. It was no rent increase! 106 apartments—“a city within a city.”
established in 1520 by visionary Ja- One of the city’s most popular tour- At one time it also had a school. Today
kob Fugger “The Rich” as low-income ist destinations, the charming, carm- the complex has been expanded to 67
housing for needy Roman Catholics el-colored Fuggerei is a living museum, two-story buildings with 140 apart-
who were required to be upstanding managed by the Fugger Family Council ments, each with private entrances,
citizens--and Augsburg residents for at trust. Some 200,000 annual visitors ranging from 500 to 700 square feet,
least two years. Nearly 500 years ago (who—with the exception of school with a modest sitting room, bedroom,
they were charged one Rhenish gulden, children--each pay 4 euros, more than kitchen,and bathroom. The downstairs

62 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

units have gardens, the upstairs have attics. The Fuggerei was mills. The former theology student, a controversial wheel-
expanded in 1880, then again in 1938. During World War II— er-dealer (who was criticized by Martin Luther) became one
on the night of February 25-26, 1944--it was heavily damaged; of the wealthiest financiers in history, rubbing shoulders with
200 residents escaped into the underground bunker (today a powerful politicians, royalty, and even the pope.
museum) that had been built the
year before. The attractive gar- Fugger was financier to the Papal See,
den complex was rebuilt in the minted coins for the Vatican, helped
original style, completed in 1955. bankroll the Swiss Guards, was the
chief financial backer of the Hapsburg
In early years residents were family, made loans to the Medicis from
poor families of day laborers and Florence, and had a special relationship
candlemakers or other artisans. with Maximilian I, the Holy Roman
Today many are elderly widows. Emperor. His “most dramatic act was
Two furnished, vacant flats are the financing of the election of the Em-
open for viewing. One at 13 Mit- peror Charles V,” notes the book “Jacob
tlere Gasse shows how it looked Fugger the Rich” by Jacob Strieder.
circa 16th century—and a muse- He “was one of the links between the
um in one room displays historic Italian Renaissance and the Protestant
photos, films, and artifacts. The Reformation.”
other flat at Ochsengasse 51 is
contemporary, with a television Clemens Sender, a Benedictine monk
in the living room running a doc- and chronicler, wrote about the ener-
umentary film about the Fugger getic, entrepreneur Fugger: “The pope
family (in German). greeted him like a dear son. The Car-
dinals stood up in his presence—and
“All the flats allow for the priva- even the non-Christians admired him
cy of the families or individuals greatly.”
who live here,” pointed out my
guide, Kristen Gast. “It is not a Music composer Wolfgang Amadeus
'poor' house with less than ade- Mozart's great-grandfather, Franz, a
quate facilities. This is why I be- master builder, resided at number 14
lieve it can still function as it was Mittlere Gasse, upstairs, for 13 years,
conceived almost 500 years ago.” Portrait of Jakob Fugger by Albrecht Dürer, 1518 Bottom: Illus- until his death in 1694; a plaque com-
tration of Augsburg in 1493. memorates this. Number 13 down-

And the man who conceived this stairs houses the Fuggerei Museum.
successful compound was Augsburg native Jakob Fugger
(known as “Jakob Fugger the Rich”), born into a wealthy weav- One of the more infamous residents was Dorothea Braun, who
ing-merchant Roman Catholic family on March 6, 1459, the lived at Ochsengasse 52, the upper level. The first victim of
10th of eleven children. An astute, savvy businessman, Fug- early 17th-century witch-hunting in Augsburg, she was ac-
ger (with two of his brothers and nephews) expanded the fam- cused of sorcery by her daughter, 11, and, at age 48, was be-
ily fortunes by investing in silver and copper mining, banking, headed and burned.
the lucrative international spice trade, real estate, weaving

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 63

Above: Damenhof in the Fuggerei: The Damenhof is the most important of the
artistic courtyards in the Fugger houses. It is currently used as a restaurant.

64 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

On the crisp weekday that I strolled ker—a relaxing place to sit on a bench
around—after drizzly rain--noting the and people-watch.
beautiful fountains and the well-kept Fugger didn't marry until 1498, nearly
gardens, there were few visitors and it age 40; his wife, Sibylla Arzt, was 18 and
was eerily quiet. An elderly lady, wear- the couple, wed 26 years and thought to
ing a head scarf that framed her heav- be unhappy (money doesn't give you ev-
ily-lined face—testament to a long, erything), remained childless. Toward
weary life--leaned out of a ground floor the end of his life (he died in Decem-
apartment window, eying me with curi- ber 1525 at age 66; his widow quickly
osity. remarried), Fugger contemplated what
On the grounds is also a small shop and would happen upon his death and, fear-
beer garden—and the green-shuttered ing purgatory, was concerned for his
apartments boast unique iron bell pulls soul. Hence he came up with the idea of
in different shapes—a holdover from having the Fuggerei residents pray daily
earlier days when there wasn't good not only for his soul, but for the souls of
lighting and residents had to feel them his family as well, to ensure that they all
to be sure they were at the right flat! would get inside the Pearly Gates.

Fugger's investments dwindled over the So, to this day, besides paying for utili-
next century (although today his de- ties, such as heat—and volunteering in
scendants still own real estate, includ- the gardens, as the night watchman or
ing several castles and businesses)—but gatekeeper--the residents are also re-
the charitable trust that he set up in quired to say three daily prayers for the
1520 still is doing well enough to keep souls of the Fuggers' dynasty and de-
the Fuggerei afloat, helping out low-in- scendants: the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary,
come renters who became impoverished and the Apostles' Creed.
through no fault of their own.

“Sometimes I forget to pray,” one long-
There are seven gates at the walled Fug- time elderly resident confessed to the
gerei—yet only one has a doorbell and Wall Street Journal. “But some days I
a night watchman. And, as in medieval pray extra if there's nothing good on
times, the gates are locked at night—un- television.”
til 5 a.m.

“At 10 p.m. all the gates are closed, just WHEN YOU GO
like in 1523,” notes guide Gast. “If Fug- The Fuggerei: www.fugger.de/en/
gerei residents need to come in after 10 home.html
p.m., they must ring the bell and the Augsburg information: www.augs-
gate is opened by a doorman. It costs burg-tourismus.de/home-english.
.50 euro cents. Or if they come in after html
midnight it costs 1 euro—more than the Germany Tourism information: www.
yearly rent of .88 euro cents! This regu- germany.travel
lation was probably enforced in order to Historic Highlights of Germany:
protect the residents' security as well as www.historicgermany.com
preventing carousing.” German Rail Pass: www.raileurope.
Jakob Fugger's motto, written on the com
church in the Fuggerei, was 'Carpe diem' Photos and images Licensed under Public Domain via
or 'use the time.' He wanted to encour- Wikimedia Commons.
age discipline. Just as they still enforce
this detail in Jakob Fugger's endow-
ment letter, all of his other conditions
and wishes are followed as well. For me,
the Fuggerei is Jakob Fugger the Rich's
greatest legacy.”

A bronze bust of Fugger, cast in 2007, is
in the small Fuggerei park near the bun-

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 65

66 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

Susan McBeth’s
TRAVEL BY THE BOOK

“China Dolls” by Lisa See

The promise of instant, unimaginable wealth their dreams, but also to keep hidden secrets they have
lured hundreds of thousands of Forty-Niners learned to bury in a world of distrust.
to California in the mid-nineteenth century. By portraying the girls as the serious artists they con-
While most arrived in covered wagons, cross- sider themselves to be in a debauched environment

ing plains and hills, moun- that does not hesitate to take

tains and deserts, many also advantage of their wont for suc-

traveled by ship across per- cess,

ilous and unforgiving seas

in search of what Chinese See successfully renders an au-

immigrants called the “Gold thentic historical narrative of

Mountain.” A few lucky pre-WWII “Orientals.” The nar-

souls did indeed strike it rative is peppered with ancillary

rich, but for most, disap- characters, both historical and

pointment and despair were fictive, who strengthen that

the only payoff earned in rendering, including the brief-

“them thar hills.” est of appearances by Ronald

Reagan and Errol Flynn.

And what of those Chinese

immigrants and their Gold When the Japanese attack Pearl

Mountain? Perhaps you Harbor, the fear and paranoia

should turn to New York it generates invades their in-

Times bestselling author ner circle, as Ruby is sent to

Lisa See, whose great-great an internment camp, and ru-

grandfather was integral in mors and innuendos abound

the founding of Chinatown as to who may have betrayed

Los Angeles, and who has her. This is where See is at her

branded herself as an au- best, weaving the intricacies of

thoritative storyteller of the strained friendships, unravel-

Chinese immigrant with her ing secrets, and impending war

deeply-layered characters that generate a strong under-

who reward readers with a current of suspicion. Are the

rich historicity of fiction. girls truly friends, or have they merely been using each

other to pursue their own respective ambitions?

In her most recent novel, China Dolls (Random House,

2014), written in alternating first-person voices by Yet for all their tribulations, the remuneration these

three friends--traditional Helen who comes from a early Chinese immigrants bequeathed is a veritable

successful merchant family in San Francisco, dreamer cornucopia of Chinese food and culture, perhaps not

Grace who escaped from an abusive home in the Mid- the Gold Mountain they originally sought out, but a

west, and fierce Ruby, who is actually Japanese but treasure indeed. So if you are planning a trip along the

posing as Chinese--See recreates the Chinese immi- Left Coast, stop and enjoy the multi-sensorial explo-

grant world of 1938 San Francisco. sion of food, culture, history, art, architecture, and

shopping that is now Chinatown Los Angeles and Chi-

Initially bonded over their common stigma as outsid- natown San Francisco. And take a moment to bow in

ers, and exacerbated by the physical attributes that gratitude to the China Dolls whose sacrifices, challeng-

do not allow them to hide their heritage in a biased es, and determination helped make it all possible.

land, the girls vow to remain steadfast and loyal. They

join the “Chop Suey Circuit,” becoming entertainers ~By Susan McBeth

in forbidden nightclubs in an effort to not only fulfill

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 67

AMY LAUGHINGHOUSE

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY

Ever Wondered How You Would React in an Airline Emergency? Now I Know

There are a few things can only imagine that if Charles Panic” flash in big friendly letters
that you really, REAL- “Survival of the Fittest” Darwin through your mind.
LY hope you will never had been called upon to compose At least, that was one of the
experience on an air- those scripts, they would be con- thoughts bumbling around my
plane—and recently, siderably more concise). brain like the Three Stooges in
to me. one of them happened In short (or rather, in long-winded, bumper cars. The others, in rough-
ly chronological order, were:
round-the-houses-on-a-rusty-bi-
I’m not talking about the usual cycle-with-a-slowly-deflating-tire 1. “Well, the plane
colicky infant (at doesn’t seem to
least one guar- be plummeting.
anteed on every That’s a bonus.”
flight, or your 2. “Um…did I do
money back), nor that?”
the chatty, close- You see, I’m not
talking seat mate exactly known for
whose entire diet, good toilet karma.
from the time he I have, on more
was first able to than one occasion,
digest solid food, accidentally pulled
has consisted the red emergen-
solely of raw on- cy cord in various
ions and three- public and hotel
day old fish. I’m bathrooms, when
not even refer- I actually meant
ring to the incon- to flush the toi-
siderate oaf who let or turn off the
reclines his seat light. (To date, this
so far into your has never resulted
lap that you’re in the arrival of
forced to eat your the fire brigade…
dinner off a tray or anyone else,
on his forehead. for that matter…
which is both a
No. This was one essence), the oxygen masks de- huge relief and
of the biggies, ployed…about three hours into also vaguely worrying).
one of those life- a trans-Atlantic flight to London, Furthermore, when confronted
flashing-before- over the dark, fathomless depths with those high-tech Japanese
your-eyes moments that makes of the ocean. toilets, the kind that look like La-
you wish you had put down that Now, if you’ve ever wondered Z-Boy recliners replete with seat
copy of OK! magazine, wrenched what you might do in the event warmers, spray nozzles and more
the ear phones blasting LMFAO’s of an emergency, I can only tell buttons, bells and whistles than
“Sorry for Party Rocking” from your you this. If you’re me (which I it ever took to operate the space
waxy canals, and listened to the am), and you’re in the loo (which shuttle, I’m generally reduced to
safety announcements featuring I was), you freeze with your hands tears. Give me a nice leafy bush
cartoon characters demonstrat- under the tap as the words “Don’t or an oversized Solo cup over Ro-
ing the technological complexities bo-Loo any day.
and mind-boggling intricacies of
the aircraft, such as how a seat belt
is not only fastened, but…whoa,
duuuuuude!…unfastened. (One

Friday’s Friendly Funny by Dave Blazek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at blog.
friendlyplanet.com. - See more at: http://blog.friendlyplanet.com/

68 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

3. “Huh. There are two oxygen were standing around in the aisles, It certainly put all my petty con-
masks in the bathroom.” snapping pictures of oxygen cerns into perspective.
That’s right, my friends. If you’d masks that dangled like jellyfish Sure, the masks hung like used IV
opted to join the Mile High club from the overhead compartments. drips for the rest of the flight, but
with an airborne buddy, this (I, for one, was certainly not going at least we knew they were there if
transatlantic flight ensured your to pass up this epic opportunity we needed them.
needs would be catered for “in the for a new Facebook profile photo). And yes, the in-flight entertain-
unlikely event of a change in cabin Please ensure your own mask is ment system went dark for about
pressure.” Unless, of course, you securely fastened before taking an hour just as some of the films
got greedy and decided to make it photos of other people in their were reaching their climax.
a threesome. masks.
(Don’t expect to al- But the oxygen-dispensing feed- But when, mo-
ways get so lucky in ments before, you
the loo, however, as Amy’s new profile picture faced down what
the FAA has report- bags weren’t the only things the might, in the mild-
edly removed all captain accidentally deployed. He est of terms, be
oxygen masks from also set off a chain reaction of gen- described as a real
toilets on US flights eral camaraderie. Strangers who cheek-clencher,
to prevent anyone wouldn’t look one another in the the last ten min-
from tampering eye before were now smiling and utes of Maleficent
with them. So what- chatting, laughing nervously in isn’t the happy
ever you do in there, the way that you do when you’ve ending that con-
you better make it a bonded over being scared witless cerns you most.
quickie). at 30,000 feet. Maybe next time,
With those consid- when someone
erations out of the leans their chair
way, the realiza- back into my birth
tion that perhaps I canal, I’ll take a
should actually put kinder view. May-
on a mask myself fi- be, just maybe, I’ll
nally leapfrogged to even give them a
the forefront of my head massage. Or
cortex. at least I won’t
Just as I was reach- knee their seat
ing for it, a voice back with quite
boomed over the the same ven-
tannoy. It was geance.
the captain himself,
sounding decidedly You can find Amy at WWW.AM-
abashed. YLAUGHINGHOUSE.COM and on
“Er….sorry folks. I pushed the Twitter @A_LAUGHINGHOUSE.
wrong button.” Yep. Apparently,
he meant to provide oxygen for
one passenger but inadvertently
released them all.
At this point, I emerged from the
loo and stepped into a scene out
of Airplane. Bemused passengers

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 69

POSTCARDS FROM JOHN & JODY TuscanyPostcards from
| JODY JAFFE & JOHN MUNCIE |

This is the second in a series of “postcards”
sent to WDT Magazine publisher, Ron James,
from veteran journalists and friends Jody
Jaffe and John Muncie as they travel the
globe. We hope you find them as informative
and enjoyable as he does.

Dear Ron,

Who would have thought karaoke would
be the highlight — so far — of our trip
to Tuscany?

Yes, the food’s been fabulous, this is It-
aly after all. And the countryside puts
even the best postcards to shame with
those voluptuous green hills punctuat-
ed by giant green exclamation marks
of the Mediterranean cypresses. But it
was a kitschy songfest, led by an exu-
berant young Italian man, we remember
most vividly as we write you our first
postcard from Italy.

We were in the stone-walled base- cany about 10 miles southwest of Siena. In its heyday of the
ment of an old olive and grain mill for 1700s, Montestigliano supported more than 60 families. To-
a very large communal Easter week- day the surrounding countryside and remaining buildings are
end meal (there were nearly 70 of us). owned by the Donati family who, since the 1950s, have slowly
Since this is Italy, where the unofficial turned it into a combination farm and destination B&B.
motto is “Mangiare,” we’re not talking
a simple Easter ham with some marsh-
mallow-topped sweet potatoes. This meal started with roast
chicken then continued with sausage, rabbit, pork ribs, lamb,
pasta, potatoes, risotto, pizza and a cheese platter, plus all the
Chianti you could drink.

And because this is Italy there was still more to come: a sweet Most of the Easter dinner dancers were guests at the six farm
pizza-like dessert confection with pine nuts. That’s when the houses that the Donati’s have remodeled into villas. Our vil-
karaoke started. Beginning with — because this is Italy -- “Vo- la is “Pipestrelli” -- the Italian word for “bats,” because that’s
lare.” By the time the after-dinner aperitifs appeared, the song what filled the place when they resuscitated the 200-year-old
list turned to classic rock-and-roll and at the first four notes of farmhouse a few years back.
“Twist and Shout” we were up on our feet dancing. It was after Like so many Tuscan villages, Montestigliano sits atop a hill-
midnight when we finally staggered back to our villa. side. Surrounding it like a long, flowing skirt are fields of wheat
We’re staying at Montestigliano, a tiny village in central Tus-

70 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

This is the villa called “Pipestrelli” that we stayed at in
the village/estate of Montestigliano. Opposite: This the
Tuscan countryside as seen from the hilltop village/estate
of Montestigliano.

and sunflowers, olive orchards and country lanes lined with Massimo spoke Italian while his sister, Luisa, translated.
those dark, spiraling cypress trees. People no longer pick olives, according to Massimo, they use
Once when they were installing new gas lines at the Mon- electric-powered gizmos that shake the olives off the trees.
testigliano, workers dug into several Etruscan tombs. Pipes- The harvest is in October and November; the key is an olive
trelli has Wi-Fi and a heated pool, but when we wake up each that’s not too green, not too black. No more than three days
morning the view from our second-story window is little from shaking to the mill or the resulting olive oil can’t be
changed from Etruscan days. In the distance is a landscape considered “extra virgin.”
lost in time. Hills, fields, villages, farm buildings built of There are some 2,000 trees in the Montestigliano groves,
stone and topped by roofs of terra-cotta tile. Close your eyes which produce about 2,000 liters of olive oil each harvest. In
and imagine an elegantly rustic villa where Cary Grant might 1985 Tuscany was hit by a monster freeze that destroyed or
have romanced Audrey Hepburn -- and that’s Pipestrelli. damaged many of the trees. Massimo managed to save some
Love, and salvage others by cutting them back severely, allowing
J&J the roots to regenerate new growth. He walked over to one of
his gnarled old-timers and patted a trunk with his old-timer
Dear Ron, hands. “This one’s more than 100 years old,” he said.
Yesterday was olive day at Montestigliano. First we got a tour After the grove tour, came an olive oil tasting. Nine of us
of the grove just down slope from our hamlet of B&B farm- staying at Pipestrelli sat at a table in the mill’s upper floor.
houses. It was a bright, cool spring morning; the ground was We each had four oil-filled shot glasses, slices of green apples,
freshly green and sprinkled with pink, white and blue wild- bottles of “frizzanti” water, and a scorecard.
flowers. Co-owner Massimo Donati, who runs the farm op- Massimo explained the drill: Drink a shot of olive oil, take
erations, gave us a mini-lecture on the art of olive husbandry. note of its virtues or vices on the scorecard, then eat a pal-

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 71

Olive production demonstration at Montestigliano. Below
One of the “Cinta Senese” pigs on our pig outing. Opposite:
View outside the city walls of Siena.

ate-clearing slice of apple, take a swig of soda water and go Dear Ron,
on to the next shot. Over on a side table stood four olive oil Yesterday olives, today pigs. But to paraphrase E.B. White, not
bottles in anonymous paper bags. just any pigs. These are fancy pigs with ancient bloodlines.
By the end, everybody agreed: olive oil “B” was best. It was We visited a 1,100-acre organic farm just a few miles from
spicier, richer, more olivey. We also agreed that “A” was good, Montestigliano. The farm, owned by an American family, the
“D” so-so, and “C” was ewwwwww. Then came the moment of Cinellis, is trying to be self-sustaining and organic. Interns
truth. Massimo lifted bottle “B” out of its paper bag. “Ecco!”
It was the oil from Montestigliano! We give Massimo (and
ourselves) a round of applause.

After the tasting, we were ushered to Montestigliano’s pi-
azza-like stone courtyard where a long table dotted with
bottles of 2013 Chianti and Montestigliano olive oil was set
against the commanding countryside of Tuscany. It doesn’t
get much better than sitting under the warm Italian sun
eating artichokes, leeks, zucchini, pasta, pizza, pecorino
fresco, fava beans, and an assortment of cheeses. And of
course, since this was Italy, dessert.

“What we have learned so far. . .” said Dave Sartwell, a fellow
Villa Pipestrelli guest. He paused and his wife, Mary Gayle,
finished, “Is to eat small amounts because you know more
is coming.”

Love,
J&J

72 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

come from all over the world to work here and learn the arts
of making wine, honey, olive oil, and raising cows, chickens
and, most important, pigs.

The farm specializes in a “heritage” pig called the Cinta Se-
nese, a cross between local wild boar and domesticated pigs
from Asia. They look like they’ve been painted for the Vene-
tian Carnavale. They’re all black with a collar of white around
their shoulders and front legs. We were told they date back to
Roman times. Perhaps. But we know for sure they date back
to at least the 1200s because we saw one in the background of
a 13th century painting in Siena.

The farm itself has a heritage; one of its buildings is a stone
tower from the 11th century. The Cinta Senses live an organic,
free-range life in pastures divided by electric fence so they can
be rotated to preserve the land.

Of course this visit involved a meal. A big meal at a nearby
trattoria which began with a tasting of the Cinelli pork prod-
ucts. We tried prosciutto, capocolo, salami, soppressata, ri-
gatino, lardo, and something called “rosamarina” a delicious
concotion of lard and rosemary. The tasting was followed by
impruneta (a kind of stew), bean soup, and quiche they call
“sformato.” Then we had lunch.

At lunch, one of Luisa Donati’s friends, Nicoletta Amicieia,
confirmed what we’d already suspected, “In Italy life revolves
around food,” she said. “In the morning my boyfriend wakes
up and organizes dinner for that night. My mother starts or-
ganizing Sunday lunch on Friday. Everything’s based on food.”

Love, meets The Godfather. Each year the Palio is a chess match of
J&J skullduggery. There are payoffs (gasp!), collusion (horrors!),
fights (no!). Everybody knows it. Everybody loves it. (Except
Dear Ron, one half of this writing duo, the horse nut who thinks it’s cru-
Yesterday we visited Siena. The whole town -- founded some- el because horses can wipe out and crash against the stone
time in the BC’s -- is a UNESCO world heritage site. It has walls.)
a huge cathedral (begun in the 12th century), a serious art We learned all this during a tour of the Contrade Bruco
museum and reknown frescos. But its real claim to fame? A headquarters. (Each Contrade has a mascot; Bruco means
horse race. Caterpiller.) Behind an unassuming door facing a narrow
Right in the center of Siena is the Piazza del Campo, an open medieval street, we were ushered into a multi-story hideaway
square ringed by medieval buildings that looks like a movie complete with sleek new Palio museum – featuring racing
set. It’s around this square — the size of a couple of football banners the Caterpillers have won over the centuries -- a hid-
fields — that the horses gallop madly, with bareback jock- den backyard for everything from cook-outs to weddings, and
eys atop, crashing into walls and other riders as the crowd a chapel where the Caterpiller’s horse is brought to be blessed
goes wild. It’s called the “Palio,” so named after the holy grail before the race. “The Palio is life,” our host tells us.
banner that’s at stake (along with the millions of Euros in Afterwards, we strolled the cobbled streets. It wasn’t racing
side-betting). It is a twice-a-year nationally televised race that season, but the city was vibrating -- crowded with shoppers
the Siennese seem to take as seriously as going to war. and students from the University of Siena. We checked out
We’d heard about the Palio, which has been run since the boot shops and galleries; looked for bargains in belts and
mid-1600s. But we had no idea about the “Contrades,” the purses. It was enough to work up an appetite.
17 neighborhood-clubs behind the race. There's no Olympic Five o’clock? Must be time for gelato.
Committee overseeing the Palio, just 400 years of neigh- Love
borhood rivalry between these Contrades. Think Seabiscuit J&J

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 73

Dear Ron,

Tomorrow we leave this land where eating is an art. And we’re tak- Lina, a tiny woman with powerful forearms, has been cooking for
ing some pieces of Italy with us. We’ve wrapped and rewrapped the Donati family for the past 40 years and is well known for her
our bottles of Montestigliano olive oil so we can remember that pasta prowess. According to Luisa, she beat the renowned chef
resplendent day in the Tuscan olive grove. They will be buried Jamie Oliver in a pasta cook-off when he came to Le Marche a
deep in our luggage, near the bottles of 18-year-old Modena bal- couple of years ago.
samic vinegar, so sweet you could drink it as an aperitif, and we The key to Lina's ethereal pasta is in the rolling and the rolling
did. The wedges of Parmesan cheese, we’re taking on board with and the rolling. And then more rolling of the dough. We watched
us. We’ve checked with customs about bringing all this back to Lina wield a rolling pin half her height back and forth over the
the United States. Aged cheese is OK; soft cheese is not. And it’s yellow dough for more than 20 minutes, periodically hanging
not a problem if the bottles are checked through in luggage. the ever-thinning pasta over the pin to see if she’d achieved the
But we couldn’t leave without telling you about the single best necessary translucency. Finally when she was satisfied, she rolled
bite of our trip. After 10 days of eating our way through Italy -- the dough into a long tube and cut it in slices which would later
sampling a delicious waist-expanding amount of food from the unfurl into fettucine. We wish we could have taken some of that
country’s farms and restaurants -- this is a very high bar. Kind of home. Or Lina. (We asked her, but she said she had a family to
like picking the best picture at the Louvre. feed.)

So here goes. Here is our Mona Lisa of eating in Italy: fresh pasta Our final meal in Le Marche featured almost-as-good pasta and
with the simplest of tomato sauces. And the truth is, the pasta about a hundred other courses cooked by the Accademia del Pad-
would have won even if there had been no sauce. We have eaten lot. This is a fancy title for a jovial group of nine local guys who
in some of America’s best Italian restaurants and nowhere have get together to cook, eat, drink wine and sing. On our last night
we tasted a pasta as delicate as what Lina Mazzanti made for us they took over the Donati kitchen and created a monumental
at the Palazzo Donati, a 17th century stone mansion on the main feast that made all the other monumental feasts seem miserly.
square of Mercatello sul Metauro. This time “Volare” was replaced by the Accademia’s boisterous
The Plazzo is the Donati’s ancestral home on their mother’s side. and wine-infused chef-singers, who serenaded Louisa’s guests
We caravanned here to the Le Marche region from Montestigliano with songs and jokes. By evening’s end most of us were tipsy, and
to get a more complete taste of Italy. Luisa Donati holds one-week all of us were full. Once again.
tours at the Palazzo that often start with a bowl of Lina’s pasta. Love,
J&J

Lina Mazzanti making
pasta at the Plazzo Donati.

74 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

TRAVEL TIPS

JET-ETIQUETTE

Etiquette Expert and Former Flight Attendant Shares Tips On How To Handle The Most Annoying Airline Passengers

With spring and summer just around the corner, many of us will be traveling by plane to reach our des-
tinations. But what happens when the stressful state of air travel leaves some people too frazzled to
mind their manners? Jacqueline Whitmore, an internationally-recognized etiquette expert, author
and founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach, who is also a former flight attendant, offers these
tips on how to deal with some of the most annoying airline passengers.
The Armrest Hogger: If the person next to you
commandeers your armrest, simply inch
your way in by placing just your elbow next
to theirs. This should leave plenty of space
for your greedy neighbor’s elbow. Armrest
rules: When you have three seats next to
each other, the person in the middle seat
gets to claim the armrests.
The Chatterbox: If your neighbor strikes up
a conversation, be polite and exchange a
few pleasantries. Then say something like,
“It was nice speaking with you, but if you
don’t mind, I have to get some work done
(or some much-needed rest).” Closing your
eyes generally does the trick. Note: Always
travel with earphones and eyeshades.

The Space Invader: If this person invades your A guy tweeted a complaint about a "rude" gate agent
personal space with his newspaper or car- before boarding his Southwest Airlines flight, and was
ry-on bag, say something like, “It seems that asked to disembark for being "a safety threat." Here,
these planes are getting smaller and smaller. Adam Sandler stars in that famous airplane scene in
Would you mind moving your arm (or bag) Anger Management.
over just a touch?”

The Seat Recliner: If someone reclines too far
while you’re trying to eat, work on your laptop, or watch a movie, you have two options. 1. You can recline your
seat for more space or 2. Say something like, “Would you mind pulling your seat forward a little bit.” The person in
front of you most likely doesn’t know she’s inconveniencing you. Note: When you recline your seat, always glance
back and make sure the person behind you isn’t using his tray table to eat or work.

The Snorer: It’s best to always travel with a good pair of noise-cancelling earphones. Otherwise, you can ask the
flight attendant if you can relocate to another seat.
The Sleeper: If you need to use the lavatory but your aisle seatmate is sleeping, gently tap him on his shoulder and
say, “Excuse me.” No other explanation is necessary. Never attempt to crawl over him.
The Unruly Child: Never discipline someone else’s child. Your best bet is to move to another seat, if available, or alert
a flight attendant. Never try to intervene yourself.

The Seat Kicker: If a child is kicking the back of your seat, simply turn around and glance at the child and the parent.
The parent will oftentimes get the hint and ask the child to stop. If this doesn’t work, kindly speak up and ask the
child to stop kicking your seat.

The Surly Flight Attendant: It’s best not to challenge a flight attendant unless you want to be thrown off the plane. If
you encounter a rude flight attendant, jot down his name, your flight number, and email a letter to the company
as soon as possible. Better yet, share your grievance on Twitter for faster results.

www.EtiquetteExpert.com
www.JacquelineWhitmore.com

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 75

WHITLEY ON WINE

| ROBERT WHITLEY |

DRINKING PINK

It was a warm summer day in the south of France. The en- with a nod toward “white Zin” for keeping the vineyards alive.
tire village of Grasse, it seemed, had turned out for lunch this White Zin, on the other hand, created a backlash against
Monday afternoon on the terrace at La Bastide Saint Antoine, rose because of its significantly high levels of residual sugar.
where the Michelin-starred chef Jacques Chibois oversees the Emerging wine consumers, especially those new to the plea-
kitchen. sures of the grape, assumed – wrongly – that all rose wine was
Everything about the day was impeccable. The sunlight, the sweet.
fresh air, the glint of the Mediter-
ranean in the distance all served Sensing the public mood, many
as the perfect backdrop to Chibois’ domestic wine producers either ig-
legendary cuisine. nored rose altogether or made it in
And on every table, under every such limited quantities that good,
umbrella, there was a bottle of dry domestic rose similar to rose
pink wine. Chilled, crisp, refresh- made in France, Spain and Italy was
ing, dry rose wine from Provence. difficult to find.
The parade of pink wine was nearly I am happy to report that domestic
unanimous except for the occa- producers are becoming bolder in
sional bottle of Champagne. their embrace of rose, and as an ex-
The message from the huddled ample I commend to you the beauti-
masses was not lost on this for- ful J Vineyards 2013 Vin Gris, made
eign visitor. When you are hot and from Pinot Noir grapes, that was
parched, with a mighty thirst and published last week in the WRO Re-
a craving for an adult beverage, views section.
there are worse ways to idle away I confess I had a moment of nostal-
a summer afternoon than sipping gia as I took a sip. It was suddenly
on a well-made dry rose wine as a sunny summer day in the south
you gaze in the direction of the sea. of France, rubbing elbows with the
I’ve been hooked on dry rose ever townfolk of Grasse as they idled
since, but until recently my rose away a lazy summer day.
thirst has been quenched for the J Vineyards 2013 Vin Gris, Rus-
most part by wines produced in sian River Valley ($20) – My sense
France, Spain and Italy. Domestic is that demand for rosé wine is up
production of rose has general- significantly, although I haven't seen
ly trended toward sweeter wines, any statistics to support that view.
particularly white Zinfandel. What I do know is that more do-
White Zin, as it is known, was im- mestic producers are making a rosé
portant to the wine industry in and making it better than ever. This
the 1980s because it saved many rosé from J is made from Pinot Noir
old Zinfandel vineyards from ex- grapes using the saignee method
tinction. Zinfandel, the bold red of bleeding the Pinot Noir fermen-
wine many believe is native to tation tanks early on, before too
California, had fallen out of favor much contact between the juice and
at the time, but the invention and the skins, which can impart bitter
instant popularity of “white Zin” tannins. The J Vin Gris is fresh and
kept many of the old Zinfandel clean, with mouth-watering acidity
vineyards in production. and beautiful aromas of strawberry
That was a good thing, and now and tart cherry. And it has arrived
old-fashioned red Zinfandel is just in time for those warm Indian
once again a consumer favorite, Summer afternoons. 92 points

76 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

Wine, Dine & TwraitvheAl uthors

Connect with authors and their books on an intimate basis
through unique, interesting & adventurous travels & events

Join Us On Our Next Great Adventure.

www.AdventuresBytheBook.com

“Adventure Under the Tuscan Sun”
with authors Frances Mayes & Dario Castagno

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 77

AMONG THE CRITTERS
| STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM LEECH & LESLIE JOHNSON-LEECH |

O ccasionally, as you’re taking a leisurely drive, a very different world from San Diego or Chicago. The road-
you’ll see a mother elephant strolling across the way over to our hotel was hectic, with lots of shops off to the
road in front of you, accompanied by her recent- roadside, trucks galore, and intriguing styles of wardrobe and
ly-arrived tyke. Or might you look over as you’re activities.
enjoying your lunch out on the deck to see a wart-
hog nosing its way The resort hotel, Royal Reserve, was
among the shrubs only 20 feet first-rate, located on the beach north
away. Or, you’re sipping a brew of the main Mombasa community. As
on the terrace watching hippos Kenya has some definite security is-
splash around. This isn’t the San sues, the hotel had a guarded front
Diego Safari Park we’re talking entrance gate, staffed with multiple se-
about – this is the real thing -- the curity guards, with guns. This was the
Masai Mara Game Preserve locat- same entry style at several other hotels
ed below the equator at the huge and major structures, such as a mall.
Great Rift Valley in Kenya. Leaving the hotel on our own for a
We recently headed to Kenya on stroll down the street for a coffee,
the Eastern side of Africa off of lunch or shopping was not permitted,
the Indian Ocean, for a journey so our explorations were done with a
organized by Gate 1 Tours called security driver and vehicle. When we
the Affordable (that descriptive adjective lured us in) Safari. did engage in activities with locals, we found them to be uni-
After a long couple of flights on British Airways via London, formly friendly, courteous, and conversational. (The Brits had
we arrived at the capital city, Nairobi, where we took a quick Kenya as part of their empire. so many people spoke decent
flight for a week’s stay in Mombasa before we began our safari. English.)

Heading to our hotel we soon were made aware that this was We took an overnight safari to the nearby Sarova Salt Lick

78 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

Game Preserve. The ground floor of our hotel was about ten So off we headed out through the Nairobi city world, onto a
feet above the ground, above a large watering hole where we road as busy as we’ve ever seen, with multi-trucks parked in
watched hundreds of water buffaloes, and monkeys drink and groups and rolling in both directions along the highway. We
splash around.
After a short flight back to Nairo- were told the reason so many trucks
bi (aboard Kenya Airways which were on the road is that the ancient
impressed us with their hospita- railroad from Mombasa, and across
ble style), we headed to our meet- Kenya, was among the slowest to be
ing place at the upscale Jacaranda found. Hauling cargo across Kenya was
Hotel. We were greeted by the much faster by trucks.
Gate 1 host, Marcie, who took Finally, we got away from all that has-
care of the check-in requirements. sle and onto the road heading out into
The next morning, she gathered the Great Rift Valley. Many modest
our tour group of nine together villages were just off the roads, and lo-
to orient us about our upcoming cals were hustling herds of goats and
days out in the bush, where those cows. Not a lot of big markets (Costcos
wild critters called home. or Starbucks) but people were making
Waiting for us at the hotel entrance were our two hands-on life work in their own manner. Finally
tour drivers (ours was Daniel), ready to load us into their we arrived at the Masai Mara. This is
special vans. These were typical modern vans, with one dif- the Kenya extension of the Serengeti and a game preserve of
ference: the roofs rose when we were out on safari so we could massive size as we realized when very soon we were driving
stand up and shoot lots of pictures while protected from being past herds of gazelles, occasional giraffes, and frequent troops
gobbled up for a lion’s lunch. (true) of monkeys playing beside the road.
A half-hour into the preserve, we arrived at our abode, the
Keekorok Lodge, for the next several nights. This was not ex-

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 79

actly a tent slung across some post, but a first-rate lodge with Click...click. Look at those ostriches trotting by right over
all the usual resort attributes. A large dining room and bar, there. Monkeys were ample, in groups or solo. It took awhile
individual air-conditioned guest rooms, and well-trimmed but yes that was a family of cheetahs with mama tending to
strolling grounds (though with strict rules junior. Click...click.
about where and when you might stroll on
your own) betrayed the movies’ roughing it Sometimes it took a bit of driving to spot
in the bush style. a set (tower, pride, cackle) of animals, and
the various drivers were in frequent radio
After a pleasant dinner, comfortable sleep communication alerting each other as to
and breakfast, it was time for our first safa- where a particular bunch was to be seen.
ri. We loaded into our vans, with cameras at Sometimes a dozen vans would be gathered
the ready, and our driver Daniel headed us in the vicinity of a couple of lions lounging
out to locate some wildlife for us to see, ad- twenty feet off the road, or a set of gazelles
mire, and photograph. We had been alerted prancing in the field. Always cameras were
to bring along cameras with high-telephoto busy. Over the next several days, these van
lenses. My past experiences with 35 mm trips headed out twice a day, early morn-
cameras was with long lenses, but today=s ing and late afternoons when the wildlife
digital cameras can come with 18-20 times would be more active.
telephoto power at about the size of an IP-
hone, at a cost of about $100. By now we were learning a few useful Ken-
yan Swahili phrases. Often spouted by us
Very soon we saw the wildlife, most of and locals was “Hakuna matata” meaning
which ignored us as they just went about their regular lives. “no problem.” We were greeted with “Karibu” (welcome), and
They’re used to seeing a couple dozen tourist vans driving by we picked up that always-important phrase “Asante sama”
and stopping to peruse them, so might as well just do what or “thank you.” When we had seen enough and were ready to
comes with outdoors living. And, yes, there was that pack move on, we would say “Sawa sawa” to the driver. (These are
of a dozen elephants lounging beside and crossing the road. phonetic spellings, and may not hold up in language class.)

80 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

We were often reminded about the need
for care, not from banditos but from
critters such as the occasional elephant
or hippo checking out our hotel, maybe
for goodies, such as human visitors. We
were warned to keep our room doors
locked to keep local monkeys from slip-
ping inside our rooms (maybe to take a
shower?).
One entertaining stroll was out on a
boardwalk to the Hippo Bar. Now this
was a major change from the typical
resort remote bar. Here we could order
up a cold brew or a glass of wine and
watch about 30 hippos as they flopped,
splashed and cavorted in a pond about
50 feet away.
One troubling aspect of our journey was
the long drives, roughly five tedious
hours, getting out to and back from the
on-site safari lodges. Long sections of
the drives were dusty and bouncy, plus
we joined lots of traffic once back onto
a highway. One option you might look
into, for an added cost, would be to fly
out to and from the safari lodges. An air-
strip was only a few miles from our lodge,
and we saw several small aircraft ferret-
ing tourists in and out.
All in all, our Kenya safari was a memora-
ble experience, a journey we recommend
adding to your personal bucket lists.
Author bios. Tom Leech is author of sev-
eral books, including On the Road in ‘68:
a year of turmoil, a journey of friendship,
and, with Jack Farnan, Outdoors San
Diego: Hiking, Biking & Camping. Les-
lie Johnson-Leech teaches fitness for
seniors, Tai Chi and history of musical
theater and film.

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 81

82 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 83

INCREDIBLE INDIA

FOR THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

I would totally recommend Sabu ICON CONTACT: SABU RAM
and his Icon India tour company. We www.iconindiatours.com
had the experience of a lifetime. ~ INDIA +91 855 984 54 40
Ron James, publisher WDT. www.iconindiatours.com
84 Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 GO BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION