Bar La Robla and fileatado

Well, I can't speak for the food but I can say that I liked the use of fileatado in their sign...

Bar la Robla

Dirección : Viamonte 1615

Barrio : San Nicolás

(54 11) 4811 4484

Bologna to get an upgrade

Hey... looks like my hometown is getting some good and much-needed press from the Financial Times...

Yet all the developers and planners need to do for inspiration is to look around them. Bologna’s most striking architectural feature is one that many visitors to the city may not even notice: approximately 40km of arcades that line the streets of the medieval heart of the city. One of their delightful benefits is to allow the Bolognese to walk through almost the entire old city without getting wet, snowed on or sunburnt. They make the passeggiata, the evening stroll beloved of Italians, possible in all weathers.

The challenge for today’s planners, developers and architects, Ms Gabellini says, will be to learn from that, “to value the existing architecture by inserting new buildings
into the middle of it. It will be like wearing a beautiful old brooch with a new jacket.”

Killing Time in Cambridge, MA

So I checked into my hotel in Cambridge, MA this afternoon around 4:00... I happen to be in town for a big client presentation tomorrow. The first thing I did when I checked in was to take care of my e-mail... you know how it piles up when you travel (although Delta now has wireless for a fee on some of their planes). E-mail was checked... changed out of my uncomfortable clothes... and then? Harvard was about a 2.5 mile walk and I just didn't have the time to make a 5 mile round trip. So, I decided to head to the MIT campus.

Why MIT? Granted... everyone I passed was smarter than me... book smart, anyway. Yeah... I was a fish out of water. BUT... I wanted to see some great architecture... some iconic architecture. MIT fits the bill with great works by architects like Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen, I.M. Pei and Frank Gehry. Personally, I wanted to see Saarinen's MIT chapel and Frank Gehry's Stata Center. Simmons Hall was also on my list but I opted against it when I realized it was time to head back.

So, here are three great buildings that I saw while walking on campus... if only I had my real camera with me. Part of me wants to walk back over to the MIT Chapel again and take a deeper look. As simple as it was, the building really impressed me.

Eero Saarinen's Kresge Auditorium (1955)

Eero Saarinen's MIT Chapel (1955)

Frank Gehry's Stata Center (2004)

Tapas at Tinto

There's a new tapas restaurant in town... Tintos Restaurant in the River Oaks Shopping Center at West Gray and Shepherd. We had a chance to check it out last night before heading to a party at the ZaZa Hotel. Very nice! A bit pricey but it had a good dinner menu, very nice atmosphere (we sat outside on the patio) and an excellent wine list. Our selections (not necessarily in this order)...

Manzanas con Queso - $6 (the combination on this dish is really delicious)
Garbanzos y Vegetales - $7 (kind of has an Indian "bent")
Rollita de Berenjena - $7 (like two small stuffed grape leaves - the tomato made the dish)
Croquetas de Jamon - $7 (nothing particularly outstanding but good standard fare)
Pato de Madrid - $10 (excellent combination of flavors but a small portion)

We only had one glass of wine but the wine list with extensive and reasonable - quite a few bottles under $30.00.

I would definitely go back. I really like that that side of the River Oaks Shopping Center "lives". The other side with the new Barnes and Noble looks like crap. Booooo Weingarten.

Lastly, going to ZaZa was an event as usual. The hotel is always the place to see and be seen and there were several events taking place. As usual, the valet line was a bit of a bear but heading down to a private party at the Conspiracy Room made it worth it!

Drawing Inspiration from the Masters

Wander the endless and cavernous halls of the Louvre and you just might run across a similar scene... an artist meticulously replicating a famous master.

Of course, you don't have to visit the Louvre. This lonesome canvas was in a small museum in Chartres...

Back road finds...

You never know what you'll find on a back road. This 1960s Oldsmobile was parked next to a shack of a house at about 11,000 ft. near Breckenridge, Colorado.

Three Must-See Beaches in Karpathos

I'm not about to post any breaking news... in fact, what I'm about to share with you will be shared by anyone who lives on or frequently visits Karpathos. There are all kinds of beautiful beaches on the island... Diakofti, Damatria, Christou Pigado, Lefkos but there are three that are absolute no-brainers:

Apella

Kyra Panagia

Achata

We had a chance to visit all three during our visit and loved all of them. We would probably give the nod to Apella as the most beautiful, even if it is the most remote. Nonetheless, you can't go wrong with any of them. Each has their own feel and all three provide "thrilling" car rides.

Let's start with Apella...

Take a look at that first picture - that's Apella as seen from the main road. Wow... I mean wow. The water is simply beautiful - nice and calm, shallow and so clear. There are plenty of rocks for snorkling and wading around and the setting is just dramatic - jutting cliffs to the left and right and a valley rising up behind the beach. It's a wide beach with quite a few sunbeds and plenty of space to stretch out. I really liked the pines in the area - gave it a different and greener look than what many are used to in Greece.

You can rent two sunbeds and an umbrella for 6 Euros from the gentleman at the base of the steps to the beach. He'll guide you to where you should set up camp. There's really nothing located directly next to the beach but you can walk a couple of minutes up the main road to a nice little taverna with a beautiful view. Parking is mostly on the side of the road - no real parking area like you'll find in Achata or in "town" like in Kira Panagia. Just squeeze your car where it will fit (and hopefully turn around). My advice, find a way to turn around and park it pointing uphill so it's easier to get out after you've baked in the sun.

Then there's Kira Panagia...

Everyone loves taking a picture of the church overlooking Kira Panagia. It's really a very scenic spot. What I liked about it was not only the gorgeous beach but the smattering of hotels, houses and tavernas located by the beach. It looks like a very nice place to stay for a few days. The set up in the steep valley just really made an impression on me. Personally, I would love to stay at the hotel next to the church. What a view!

The beach is nice and wide with plenty of sunbeds for rent. I don't know if anyone ever came and asked for us to pay for ours... maybe they weren't paying attention. No tavernas are directly on the beach but you'll find one (Olive Garden) near the church, a place to get a drink at the hotel above the church, a mini-market on the main road and probably a couple of other options. The beach is a mix of sand and rocks and the water is nice and calm, with a beautiful blue color. A great spot to take a dip and, who knows, maybe stay a little longer.

Finally we have Achata...

One of the intangibles I really liked about Achata was the drive to the beach. Achata is the closest of the three to Pigadia. The 4 km drive from the main road snakes through a pretty valley flanked by soaring cliffs. The valley, more gentle than the drives to Kira Panagia and Apella, is dotted by small agricultural plots, wild oleanders and scores of olive trees. There's something more peaceful about it the drive and the cave-riddled cliffs are a sight to behold.

The drive eventually opens up to Achata - a rocky beach lined with umbrellas and two tavernas. The water, unlike the other two, drops off faster so you'll notice just a few steps will have you wading in deeper water. The water also tends to be a bit more active although still a beautiful turquoise color. Two sun beds and an umbrella are only 4 Euros each. For my money, I'd choose the beds run by the taverna on the left (when facing the water). They are newer and the taverna offers a reasonable menu in a nicely restored boat house. The owners are friendly and the pergola is a great spot to catch an afternoon Greek coffee. You'll also have a shot at some afternoon shade when the sun starts shifting in the sky whereas the beds on the right side stay exposed much longer.