Chasing the View

The view from our penthouse overlooking the Malecon. 

               My brother David is a man who appreciates luxury. “It’s all about the view,” he kept saying as he enticed my husband and me to join him and his wife in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. To prove his point he rented a penthouse condominium to share and insisted we take the master suite. From the bed, all we could see was the ocean. Even the shower had a picture window above the sea. The view below the expansive deck was the Malecón, the city’s 1 kilometer promenade. From our 3-story perch we watched it come alive each morning: stands sprang up selling crafts and colorful shish kabobs of fruit; a guy hawked Herbalife; a man painted completely brown posed as a human statue; break dancers drew crowds. When we watched the moon rise above the Pacific, it transformed into a dessert buffet: beautiful cakes, homemade ice cream and distinctive dishes from elotes to crepes. All set against the backdrop of the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains that span to the rocky shore.

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The view from the shower.

            A picturesque walk up the Malecón is the city’s “Romantic Zone” where traditional houses sit beside trendy bars. At dark it comes alive with the city’s best nightlife. The area calls itself “a true gay village” because the LGBT community owns many businesses. Gay marriage is legal here. Thriving destination wedding venues advertise with photos of couples against a backdrop of the Bay of Banderas surrounded by mountains.

            Our cousins Ellen and Bobby have spent several vacation months at the Shangra-La, a high rise near the marina. From the 12th floor of their 2500 square foot apartment they have a magnificent view. Downstairs there’s a mile-around swimming pool, a welcome alternative to the chilly ocean. Now they’ve made friends with other couples who come often. All-inclusives also rise along this part of the shoreline where you can enjoy your view from a swim-up bar if you’d like.
        I was fascinated by the dozen sculptures erected along the Malecón so I took a free walking tour one morning to learn more. There’s one of a whimsical unicorn that brings good luck if you rub it; a gluttonous man eating negative emotions; the iconic boy on a seahorse. They’re large, bronze and often attract mischievous children or drunks who climb on them. “What’s the liability issue if someone falls off?” a tourist asked the guide. “There is none,” he replied. “If people get injured it’s their problem! In Mexico (unlike in the U.S.) you are responsible for your own safety.” Art thrives throughout the town. In Lazaro Park I encountered a community group on their knees chatting while they added yet more tiles to the kaleidoscope of mosaic benches and walls.  
                                                                                                        

                           

               Following David’s quest for luxury with a view, we celebrated our anniversary at the beautiful Café de Artistes. I actually gasped when we entered the astonishing courtyard garden where tables are nestled on stone ledges surrounded by statues and glittering lights. Our celebratory dessert was plated upon a mirror with a flower pot of chocolate mousse and a standing spun sugar heart. Another night our view was of a beautiful sunset from under a thatched roof while eating lobster on the beach. Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco where blue agave is grown. Throughout the town there are small shops offering tastings of small batch tequila brands. You can also book a tour to visit the farms.

            Cousin Ellen says, “Half our friends go to Florida to get a view of the ocean and half go to Arizona for views of the mountains. In Puerto Vallarta you can have both.” For us it added to the list of wonderful Mexican getaways. We were surprised to learn that we could have breakfast in the Lowcountry and be in Puerto Vallarta enjoying the view by lunchtime.

Greenville Takes Center Stage

 

The Liberty Bridge

            I keep returning to Greenville, S.C. I used to think of it as Charleston’s understudy but no more.  Like the colorful students from the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities that add energy to the city, it has written its own script.

            The dynamism of the city was shaped by Max Heller who was mayor in the 1970’s.  His life reads like a Russian novel. As a teen in Austria prior to World War II, his family was saved from the Holocaust by a chance meeting Max had with a young woman travelling from Greenville.  Her family ended up sponsoring the Heller’s immigration and he repaid that debt by orchestrating the city’s revitalization with a diverse group of business and political leaders.  A series of placards along Main Street recount his gratitude to the country that saved them and the generosity of his legacy:  "I was never interested in being the richest man in the cemetery."  

Yvette learning about Max Heller

            Downtown Greenville is designed for walking.  Set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Main Street is lined with local shops, cafes, art galleries theaters, comedy clubs and restaurants. Money Magazine called it “Picture Perfect…a landscape that launched a thousand Instagram photos,” Over 200 events are hosted downtown each year including dozens of performances at 2,100 seat Peace Center.  More than seventy pieces of public art adorn the streets.  Just up Main Street is Falls Park on the Reedy, a 32-acre urban oasis.  The park’s centerpiece is the pedestrian Liberty Bridge that was built (with much controversy) after tearing down a four-lane thoroughfare.  Today it overlooks a rushing waterfall.  My girlfriend Yvette and I took in the scene from the balcony of the newly built (for $100 million) Grand Bohemian Hotel whose majestic lobby displays a fabulous collection of Native American jewelry. We sipped cocktails and watched barefoot students fly fishing and bicyclists heading to the Swamp Rabbit Trail which runs for 21 miles along the Reedy River. On another visit my sister and I explored that trail with electric bikes from Reedy Rides which zipped us all the way to Traveler’s Rest and back.

              Several dining experiences have proved why the New York Times wrote, “Though small…Greenville may be the next major food destination.”  One reason may be Aryana Afghan Cuisine where Yvette and I were greeted by exotic scents and the gorgeous proprietor Nelo.  Soon our table was full of dishes made from family recipes.  

Kabob dinner at Aryana

At Fork and Plough Restaurant we learned of their pandemic pivot:  an innovation to sell take-and-bake meals.  The chicken pot pies proved so successful they still make them by the dozens.  Greenville even has its own food festival Euphoria started by another of Greenville’s impresarios, Edwin McCain, who often plays at the riverside amphitheater.  Every September Euphoria fills restaurants and hosts dramatic meals in unique venues like the Wyche Pavillion, an upcycled a warehouse.  A couple we chatted with over hors d’oeuvres there said that they had moved from Charleston and were happy to enjoy a lower cost of living near the mountains.   

            Not far from Main Street is Heritage Green, Greenville’s art and cultural campus of museums, theaters and the county library.   Yvette and I were headed to Chautauqua Greenville.  But we stopped first for a stellar exhibit of Andy Warhol lithographs at the History Museum next door to the theater.  Chautauqua is an American tradition where actors portray notable historic characters and lead compelling discussions. It’s produced in many places across the country, 35 years in Greenville. The performance we saw featured festival founder George Frein portraying Mark Twain known as “the greatest humorist the United States has produced.” It was hilarious: “Clothes make the man. Naked people hardly ever have any influence;” and feisty: “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”

            The realization of Greenville’s vision has attracted many fans and accolades.   Polls have praised its unrivaled friendliness and proximity to outdoor adventures.  LinkedIn voted it the “most optimistic city in the U.S.” Edwin McCain says,

“Greenville is everything. It’s why I still live here. I love all of the people. We have a diverse young city.” It’s certainly ready for its moment in the spotlight.

If You Go:

Greenville tourism: https://www.visitgreenvillesc.com/

Euphoria: https://euphoriagreenville.com/

Restaurant suggestions: https://aryanagreenville.com/

https://www.forkandplough.com/

Chautauqua Greenville: https://historycomesalive.org/

Bike Rental: https://reedyrides.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

Imagining an Expat Life in Mexico

 

 

Adrian Otto at home in San Miguel de Allende

        Adrian Otto had recently moved to San Miguel de Allende Mexico when she was awakened by a loud noise:  Bang, bang, bang.   “I dived under my bed.  I thought it was a drive-by shooting,” she said. No. Just some of the town’s frequent fireworks.  After being there a few years she told me, “I feel safer here than in the U.S.”  I heard that repeatedly from ex-pats that comprise about 10 percent of the town’s population. Adrian was inspired by environment there: “Everywhere I looked was full of natural beauty.”  It’s a UNESCO Heritage site.  But the pace of life took some adjustment.   “I took a taxi ride and wondered, ‘why is this taxi going so slow?’ No one is in a hurry here.”  I was astounded to see that in the historic town center (population 60,000) there are no stop signs.  Cars approach intersections and patiently take turn; no one honks and pedestrians are always afforded the right of way.

                When Adrian lived nearby on Sullivan’s Island, we loved watching her pet guinea pigs scampering around her yard.  Some play in a cage on her courtyard now where passersby stop to say hello. She’s continued to invest in real estate and now owns 2 houses in the Guadeloupe neighborhood which is famous for its colorful murals. Her renovated home is filled with local art, much of it depicting animals in reference to her careers as a veterinarian and horse jockey. 

                 The popularity of San Miguel for expats is attributable to Chicagoan Stirling Dickinson who wandered into El Jardin, the town square,  in 1937 and thought “ My God, what a sight! What a place. I’m going to stay here.” He cofounded an art institute.  After World War II he recruited hundreds of veterans to study there.  The G.I. Bill afforded them a much better lifestyle than in the U.S.  That art center became the Allende Institute which continues to offer a large variety of classes that contribute to the city’s sophisticated arts scene.

                During the month I spent in San Miguel I asked many expats why they’d moved there.  Chiefly the reason was financial.  The cost of living is much lower than the U.S.  That’s very appealing to digital nomads and to retirees who make up 80% of the ex-pat community.  Many are single women.  Girlfriend groups are apparent at restaurants and events.  Several told me how easy it is to make friends since everyone crosses paths at the numerous concerts, plays, tours and classes. There’s a huge English language library and over 100 nonprofit organizations where many volunteer. 

                It’s an easy place to live.  The climate is temperate. The tourist infrastructure is developed.  People walk the steep cobblestone streets everywhere or take inexpensive transportation.  There’s a notable absence of pushy street vendors.  Like Charleston, San Miguel has been voted #1 in the World in magazines but they seem to have handled it gracefully.  

     

          Another reason people cited for the move is politics.  One woman was caring for her aging mother several years ago and researching an affordable place to relocate when her mother was gone.  “Then Trump got elected and we both moved to San Miguel,” she said. Many told me they’d left the U.S. because of gun violence.  In fact, violent crime is very low in San Miguel. There are no drug cartels there. When I told people where I was going many said to me, “You’re going to Mexico!  Isn’t it dangerous?” And here were expats saying they’d moved to Mexico because it’s safer.  How ironic. 

 

Choose your size music festivals

 

                The horn section was starting to groove as we set up our chairs in the festival tent early one morning “Yes!  Funk music! My favorite way to start the day,” I told my husband.  If music feeds your soul as it does mine, book a festival get-away.  You’ll return with legs tired from dancing and a playlist of new favorites.

The Blind Willie McTell Festival in Thomson, Georgia  

This small (only 2,000 attendees) 1 ½ -day celebration of roots music and blues near Augusta, Georgia is a gem.   Namesake William Samuel McTell was born here in 1901.  He lost his sight in early childhood but learned to read and write music in Braille and composed some of Blue music’s most recorded songs including Statesboro Blues.  Since 1992, locals of this quaint town have produced this “love fest” featuring Grammy and American Music award winners.  The friendly crowd punctuated their applause with shouts of “Mighty fine!” and “Amen!” Jerron Blind Boy Paxton added some folksy humor: “Do you know the difference between a fiddle and a violin?” “You can’t spill beer on a violin.” It’s a real bargain at just $40-50 a ticket which includes the Kick Off Party on Sept. 23, 2022 and all day on Sept. 24.  You can stay nearby in hotels and buy food on site.   https://www.blindwillie.com/

 

LEAF Festival

Taking our children to the LEAF Festival throughout their childhoods was one of our best parenting decisions.  As adults, we all still go. These October and May weekends filled with world music, dancing, slam poetry, crafts and healing arts in the beautiful setting near Black Mountain, N.C. are a balm for the soul.  This October 20-23, 2022 the festival will celebrate its Golden Anniversary with a “Best-of” line-up from the previous 50 festivals including Anjelique Kidjo, Rising Appalachia and Donna the Buffalo. The Rwanda Jr. Troupe of drummers will come to represent one of the many culture keeper programs that LEAF supports throughout the world. Fire dancers, jugglers, puppeteers, and an electrifying drum circle on the mountaintop add to the family-friendly atmosphere.  Held on the site of a boy’s summer camp, the festival offers tent sites and bunk-house accommodations.  Tickets are capped at 6,000 so there’s room to roam among the several stages in the lakeside setting of the Blue Ridge.  Sure to sell out:  https://theleaf.org/

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell  

photo by Joshua Brasted

I recently watched the documentary JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY which celebrates the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s 50th anniversary. It reminded me of the exultation of being there: like falling into a musical gumbo. When jazz impresario George Wein began the festival in 1970, there were more performers on stage than in the crowd. Not anymore. Over 475,000 people attended over ten days last year. It was belly-to-back crowded at the main stage each of the years we attended. But there are 12 stages of jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, Caribbean and folk music where you can enjoy smaller crowds and excellent performances. And where else can you get festival food like alligator pie, crawfish sacks, cochon de lait po-boys and muffuletta? The foundation that produces the festival ensures that New Orleans’ culture lives on through its educational and charitable work and it was a pivotal force in the city’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Although it’s not until April 28 to May 7, 2023, advanced planning is required since hotels, especially those near shuttle sites, fill early. https://www.jazzandheritage.org/



I recently learned a new work: tripophobia, the fear of not having any trips booked. Don’t suffer. Plan ahead. You’ll get the best accommodations, early ticket pricing and the added joy of anticipation.

photo by Joshua Brasted

 

A Cultural Ambassador Brings it Home

Even before she was born, Shelby Means was a musician. “My dad would invite guys over to jam and I was rockin’ out in my mother’s womb. He would play this raucous kind of guitar and I would move and when he stopped I would settle down so they knew I had something going on.” Her first instrument was the fiddle. At the age of 5 she placed second in Wyoming’s peewee division. In grade school she learned viola and guitar and sang in choirs. But when she was 14 years old she had a revelation. “I saw a woman playing the bass and I said, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s my instrument.’ I haven’t been able to put it down since.” Shelby has schlepped her 50 pound folding bass to over 30 countries and will appear at Spoleto on June 9 as part of Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway.

When she’s not touring, Shelby lives with her husband Joel Timmons on Folly Beach. Known for his popular band Sol Driven Train, he’s currently on tour with Sam Rae. They also have 2 bands together, Lover’s Leap and Sally and George, so it’s a juggling act to find time together. Somehow they manage to meet in various places and play gigs together. Meanwhile she’s a cultural ambassador, a role she finds tremendously gratifying. “It’s been one of the highlights of my musical career to travel the world, experience musical culture and share the universal language of music.” Her passion was ignited during college when she was tapped to represent American folk music at Akademicka Nitra in Slovakia. It grew when she played with the Grammy nominated band Della Mae and they travelled on 3 State Department Tours to Asia, the Middle East and Brazil. A trip to Pakistan where cultural differences were so startling was particularly memorable. “We were an all girl band and performed for a few all women colleges. We couldn’t speak the same language but we could share songs together and connect through music.”


    Molly Tuttle was the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s guitar player of the year award. Twice actually. She’s known for her flatpicking, clawhammer and crosspicking guitar prowess. “I’ve never heard Molly Tuttle strike a single note that wasn’t completely self-assured,” said guitar master David Rawlings. Shelby added her pitch-perfect harmony and bass wizardry to Molly’s band in January and they’ve been playing to sell out crowds across the country. “It’s really nice to be in a band run by a woman,” Shelby says. “It’s powerful and it’s time, especially for Bluegrass music.” Molly stings from encounters with egotistical male musicians such as a jam session where it was her turn to solo and the leader ”leaned right in front of me and pointed to the guy next to me and…just completely skipped over me.” But now “I have my own band, so there’s no one who’s going to make me feel like that guy did.” Several of her songs are written from a woman’s perspective making her an outlier in the male dominated genre. The band’s latest recording, Crooked Tree, features songs about strong women and a cowgirl duet with Gillian Welch. “Everyone in the band is extremely talented and has really creative things to say on their instruments,” Shelby says.

As the June 9th Spoleto date approaches, Shelby is envisioning playing for her growing local fan base. It’s particularly gratifying for Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway to be among the stellar acts that span genres and cultures and to represent the finest of Bluegrass music. She’s anticipating the electric vibe, the beautiful darkened Cistern, the crowd reveling in live music. “The Spanish moss draping down…it feels like it’s going to be magical,” she says.

 For more information
                                                                                       
Mollytuttle.com

On Instagram: @shelbass

www.spoletousa.org

Immersive Van Gogh: Should you Go?

 

                “Immersive Van Gogh”, which premiered in Toronto in 2020, has become the best selling exhibit in the world and is now touring to nearly 30 cities in the U.S   Its popularity has spawned several similarly named imitators.  (Buyer beware!) My friend Mary and I, like many art lovers, are familiar with Vincent Van Gogh’s sad biography and we’ve enjoyed seeing his original paintings in museums in France, Holland and New York.  But we headed to Charlotte, N.C.  with mixed expectations.  Some had questioned if this was really art.  A few critics had panned it as “cheap appropriation of genius…a perversion of traditional art with a glaringly commercial intention.” (Elena Foulidi); “a series of rather jarring juxtapositions…” (Sarah Hotchkiss). The expansive gift stop attests to the commercialization of the experience and maybe if you’re stodgy the kaleidoscope of images could be called jarring but we came away awestruck and amazed.

                In Charlotte the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is staging the exhibit in the Ford building, a cavernous former missile plant in the city’s redeveloping Camp North End.  Unlike passively attending museum shows or reading erudite books that elucidate Van Gogh’s work, psychosis and techniques, Lighthouse Immersive creators Luca Longobardi and Massimiliano Siccardi and their collaborators compel us to plunge into a new way of looking at art. Perhaps staid museum experiences play down art’s emotional impact.    “Immersive Van Gogh’s” technical wizardry made it impossible for us to observe passively as waves of booming music enveloped us and images crawled along the floor and up the huge walls.  We felt in touch with the creative tsunami that compelled Van Gogh to create 2,000 oil paintings in ten years.  We understood Siccardi’s vision:  “We are witnesses to a life filled with passion and unstoppable desire and we abandon ourselves into this timeless beauty.”     Van Gogh said, “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” We floated into that dream. It was cathartic and emotional.  Jason Farago wrote in the New York Times that audiences “should bring a fully charged camera phone; some might also enjoy a psychedelic supplement.”  Many were trying to capture the trippy images on their phones where they looked paltry in comparison.

                Mary and I will never stop strolling through hushed museums to look at beautiful art but this was a more visceral experience.  It‘s like the difference between walking on the beach and swimming in the ocean.  A stroll on the shore is beautiful but diving into the waves is an all encompassing sensory experience.                 

If You “Gogh”

https://www.immersivevangogh.com/    In Charlotte through Sept. 12, 2021 and touring to 30 U.S. cities.

Spoleto Pivots to new Venues

          You do not want Mike East’s job. When Spoleto USA began its planning over six months ago, it was impossible to predict whether the festival could happen at all this year. Audiences certainly wouldn’t be able to safely crowd into the usual large venues. As the Director of Production, Mike had to find alternatives. His team searched for possibilities that were up to the high standards of the festival‘s performers and comfortable for audiences. “There have been a lot of iterations. We had to pivot every five minutes,” Mike says. Quickly changing medical guidelines made it complicated. They wanted a “decision based on science” so they collaborated with MUSC’s Back 2 Business Group, where medical experts gave each plan a thorough vetting.

 

Ballet Under the Stars

          Several locations were considered including Brittlebank Park which seemed like a good idea until the roar from nearby baseball games was considered. The College of Charleston, whose Cistern Yard has long been a venue, suggested the use of River’s Green. Located behind the Addlestone Library on Calhoun Street, the large lawn has plenty of space. And may challenges. There’s a big fountain in the middle. There is no covered space in case of rain, no fly space or a green room. Furthermore, the location is unfamiliar. Google Maps doesn’t even know the address. The team was also mindful that Rivers Green is a burial site for enslaved Africans and wanted to be respectful. Undaunted, Mike and his team came up with a vision to create “a world that has always existed.” A 40 X 32 foot stage will cover the fountain. Pipe and drape will create changing rooms, fake brick walls and covered trusses will be assembled and risers with distanced space for 306 patrons installed. 

Caleb Teicher and Company

Three dance troupes will be presented there. Caleb Teicher’s company blends American dance and music traditions including soft shoe, tap and swing dance set to music ranging from beat box to Ella Fitzgerald. Ephrat Asherie Dance is a high energy hybrid of break dancing, hip hop, vogue and house set to the live music of Afro-Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth. And Ballet Under the Stars will feature some of the brightest ballet luminaries from the American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet.

Ephrat Asherie Dance

Another new venue presented even greater challenges.  The bus shed at the Charleston Visitor’s Center was to be the site for the play The Woman in Black, Susan Hill’s gripping ghost story.  However, until 5 PM every day, busses drive through it loading and unloading tourists.  The plan was to magically, transform the space by 8:30 each show day by hanging lights and other gear above the commotion and move the staging, scenery and chairs in and out quickly each night.  Fortunately when the CDC changed the guidelines, Spoleto was able to move the event to Festival Hall.  

Audiences of Spoleto USA trust the festival to bring exciting new concepts, ideas and art experiences to Charleston. The staff works hard to keep our trust each year. Thankfully the mix of colorful people, enthralled audiences and international performers that we missed so much last year will fill our city again beginning May 27. Despite the challenges, the shows will go on. This year in some surprising places.

If You Go:

Rivers Green: 71 Coming Street, Charleston

Charleston Visitor’s Center Bus Shed: 375 Meeting Street

Spoleto USA: https://spoletousa.org/

Photo credits:  Em Watson, Christopher Duggan and Rosalie O'Connor courtesy of Spoleto USA