Canadian masters showcased in London

While travelling overseas, Canadians often go to art exhibitions showcasing European masters. But starting Oct. 19, they can view art by Canadian masters in Europe.

That's when Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven opens at London's Dulwich Picture Gallery. The exhibition of 122 landscapes -- most displayed with their original sketches -- includes not only iconic works from public institutions (the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the McMichael Canadian Collection, to name a few) but also a significant number of seldom-seen paintings from private lenders.

Dulwich director Ian Dejardin is the exhibit's lead curator. A long-time fan of the ground-breaking Canadian artists, Dejardin hand-selected each painting -- everything from Thomson's The Jack Pine and The West Wind to Fred Varley's Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay, to Lawren Harris' Isolation Peak.

In Toronto recently to promote the show, Dejardin said the works are extraordinary not only for their originality and sense of place but also because of the rigours faced by the artists. Not many painters had to "carry a canoe" through the woods or venture into "wilderness" to follow their muse.

Dejardin said the exhibit is "huge" for Dulwich -- some 30,000 people are expected to visit -- and will be the highlight of the gallery's 200-anniversary celebrations. He called the generosity shown by lending institutions "startling."

"We asked for the crown jewels ... it was a little like asking the Louvre for the Mona Lisa -- and you agreed!"

Dejardin confesses to having particular admiration for Thomson's work. And the painter's sketchbox will have pride of place at the entrance to the exhibit, which "begins with Tom Thomson and ends with Lawren Harris ... with a wonderful journey in between."

In addition to the show, Dulwich has hired Liz Jory as a Canadian Teaching Artist in Residence, and there is a trans-Canada blog by Julian Beecroft, who is travelling across the country visiting the landscapes that were the inspiration for the paintings (see dulwichonview.org.uk). A mobile app will soon be released that will take users on an artistic cyber-tour.

The show continues through Jan. 8 in London, then travels to the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo (Jan. 29-May 13) and the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands (June 3-Oct. 28).

Bubble artshow is first step to flying city

Shimmering giant bubbles carpeted with exotic plants are suspended within the vaulted hallway of a former Berlin railway station, in a new exhibition of the artworks of Tomas Saraceno.

Visitors can enter the soap-like bubbles and experience a sense of floating in a futuristic galaxy at Berlin's contemporary art museum and former station, Hamburger Bahnhof.

The "Cloud Cities" exhibition, which runs until January 15, aims to offer a utopian vision of architecture and to stimulate contemplation on space and the earth's fragile ecology.

Saraceno, 38, says he wants to bring people who can no longer see the stars due to light pollution to a better awareness of the way the earth is floating in a galaxy.

"We are flying at the very moment, the question is: are you aware of it?" said Saraceno, who is something of a renaissance man bridging science and art in his works.

"These bubbles are biospheres, like the earth which is flying around the sun at a very high speed."

The Argentine artist, who prefers to describe himself as a "citizen of planet earth," studied architecture and art in Buenos Aires and Frankfurt, as well as completing a NASA space program in Silicon Valley.

Ultimately he aims to create a flying city of his biosphere-bubbles, which he says would lift skywards as the sun heated up the interior and the air pressure changed within. He uses plants with no roots, as earth would weigh the bubbles down.

"You feel like you are in another realm, like an astronaut," said nine-year old museum visitor Jan Benno, excitedly bouncing around in one of the bubbles suspended above the ground. "Or like a fly caught in a spider's web."

Saraceno has exhibited works worldwide including at the 2009 Venice Biennale but this is the first exhibition to show 20 of his bubbles in one go.

INTERACTIVE SPIDER'S WEB

Saraceno, who is wary of explaining his work too directly, wants museum-goers' physical interaction with the artworks to stimulate their own imagination and thought processes.

Twenty plastic bubbles of varying sizes, some covered with plants, are strung from a wire spider web sprawling within the massive Hamburger Bahnhof, which served as the terminus for trains from Hamburg in the 19th century.

Saraceno has long been fascinated by the strength and flexibility of spider webs, creating giant webs for his Biennale show "Galaxies Forming along Filaments, like Droplets along the Strands of a Spider's Web."

"Scientists and journalists try to explain the geometry of the universe as a three-dimensional spider web," said Saraceno, who, with arachnologists, scanned Black Widow webs into a computer in order to conceive how to construct one himself.

Steep, rickety ladders lead up to the two largest bubbles, with diameters of 7 and 12 meters. Inside, the exhibition appears from another, muted, perspective. It feels like a bouncy castle and when you move, the web of wires stretches.

Saraceno says he wants to reflect on social and environmental interconnectedness: "By moving one, the whole system reverberates through space conveying a sense of responsibility."

He added: "By building a flying city, we may learn how to live better and more sustainably on a flying earth."

Visitors must carefully close flaps behind them on entering the bubbles to sustain an adequate level of air pressure. If one bubble deflates, it impacts the whole constellation. The plants, inside or covering the bubbles, are carefully kept humid.

"It is a very delicate equilibrium when you are trying to build up an ecosystem," he said. "You have to have the right temperature, the right amount of air."

FLOATING MUSEUM?

Saraceno says he was exciting about using the space of the former station, built in neoclassical style in the mid 19th century. The station was turned into a traffic museum in the early 20th century, and finally into an art museum in 1996.

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before," said 80-year old museum-goer Lorna Mattison, from Britain, gazing up at the bubbles. "And very Berlin: enterprising and forward-looking."

Saraceno, who caused some consternation among his architect colleagues when he said he wanted to create a floating city, says he is now working with engineers on a floating museum.

While he likes Berlin, he also misses the sun of his native Argentina, and a floating museum would enable him to get above the city's grey cloud-cover.

"People talk about traveling exhibitions, but what if the museum itself was traveling?" asked Saraceno. "At the moment, it is just in my mind, but hopefully it will catalyze someday!"

 

Tour of Montreal tasty culinary treat

You can take a guided culinary walking tour of Montreal for $55, including samples.

But there are a couple of do-it-yourself options as well.

A writing trip last month put me in touch with all three.

Nathalie Thivierge guided our group around Old Montreal.

First stop was Les Delices de L'Erable, specializing in maple products. I knew Quebec produced most of the maple syrup in Canada. I didn't know there were five types.

Assistant manager Mark McDonough, who was dispensing information and samples, told us they range from light to the late-season amber, the richest.

Nor did I know maple syrup had fewer calories than honey. Good thing, given what I saw next.

A tall, handsome, impossibly slim young man who looked as though he'd stepped out of a high-fashion ad bought a 100-millilitre bottle of syrup, unscrewed the top and stood nonchalantly swigging it like soda pop while chatting with friends.

Even McDonough was surprised.

"Some people love it that much,'' he remarked.

Our other two stops were Europea Espace Boutique, where the servers were scrambling to serve tiny pastries and coffee to a larger tour group, and Marche de la Villette, a cute little place that's a butcher's, deli and restaurant rolled into one.

Visites de Montreal does 2 1/2-hour tours of Old Montreal and Little Italy every Saturday, May through October. Visit vdmglobal.com/en/tours-individual.html.

You could do this tour on your own for the cost of whatever you consume. Marche de la Villette, which Thivierge said is popular with folks working in the area, could double as a lunch stop.

I'd add two Montreal landmarks -- St-Viateur Bagel, 263 St-Viateur St., and Schwartz's, a deli at 3895 Saint-Laurent Blvd.

St-Viateur operates several cafes but the original bakery, started in 1957, is an authentic experience. Open 24 hours, it's piled high with bags of flour. Stepping in on a wet, chilly day, the heat and the fragrance from the ovens was a real welcome.

Saul Restrepo, busy making dough, told me they Fedex bagels all over the place and ship them frozen to Metro stores in Ontario.

Their hand-rolled bagels are lighter and fluffier than any store-bought ones I've tried. One bite of a fresh one and the difference was obvious.

Schwartz's, open since 1928, is even more famous. Our guide thought its smoked meat was still the best in town. I have memories of a sandwich so thick I had to practically unhinge my jaws.

The cheapest tour would be to one of the city's four public markets.

Jean-Talon, in Little Italy, covers 3 1/2 city blocks and may be the biggest outdoor one north of Mexico.

Guide Ruby Roy, who happens to lives nearby, said it's strictly food, with 90% of it coming from near Montreal.

The fruits and vegetables displayed one of three types of flag denoting whether they were local or imported. A fleur-de-lis, for example, meant grown in Quebec.

You can nibble, sip and munch your way around -- for free. Besides maple syrup, Quebec is renowned for cheese -- more than 250 kinds are made there, more, they boast, than in France.

I had a sliver of blue at a stall whose name I didn't note, sampled some of the 40 types of olive oil stocked at Olive & Olives, but couldn't wait for the corn to boil at Le Rois du Mais, which cooks two kinds for customers to try before they buy.

Not that I needed it. We'd just breakfasted at a market bakery, Premiere Moisson: steaming bowls of cafe au lait, apricot pastries, chocolate almond croissants (their specialty), fresh baguettes and cretons, an oh-so-tasty-but-oh-so-bad-for-you Quebec pate, to spread on them.

Doug English can be reached at denglishtravel@gmail.com or by mail c/o London Free Press, P.O.E. Box 2280, London, Ont. N6A 4G1.

Montmartre vintner bottles a bit of Paris

The famous hill of Montmartre, Paris' bohemian enclave of artists, cafes and cabarets, is well known for its Sacre Coeur church, its spectacular views, and a flurry of tourists.

But a closer look along the slopes of its steep incline reveals some 16,000 square feet (1,500 square metres) of Pinot Noir and Gamay vines -- the makings of up to 2,000 bottles of "wine of Montmartre" every year.

It has taken 15 years for vintner Francis Gourdin to cajole these temperamental vines into what he calls an "honest red wine that has found its audience."

In 1995, the mayor of the Paris neighborhood where the vineyards lie set Gourdin the challenge of turning around the reputation of Montmartre wine, which, according to a salty centuries-old proverb, was more famous for its diuretic properties than its bouquet.

"When the mayor contacted me, I warned that I wouldn't perform miracles, but I promised to make a proper red wine," said Gourdin.

"The clos Montmartre has always had a bad reputation," said the 50-something whose grandparents were vintners before him. "But today, it's a real wine, a deep red. Beforehand, it had an indeterminate color, more or less rose."

In the past decade and a half, Gourdin has improved the soil quality and the irrigation system of the small vineyard that has its roots in Gallic-Roman times. Nuns from a nearby abbey tended grapes on these slopes until the end of the 18th century and in 1930, the city of Paris saved the plot by rejecting a bid to build an apartment building, opting to plant new vines instead.

"It's not an easy vineyard because it faces full North," said Gourdin, who notes that nevertheless he doesn't have a problem with urban pollution or lead in the soil.

Gourdin sold his wines over the weekend for 40 euros ($53.61) a bottle at a "Fete des Vendanges," or grape harvest fair, held each year in Montmartre since 1934. The profits will go toward social programs funded by the local mayor.

Festival organizers said Tuesday that rain failed to keep wine enthusiasts away from Montmartre and Gourdin said the wine was well received.

"It was perfect, just like every year!"

 

Top 10 travel budget busters

Last-minute flights and getaways are sometimes the way to go if your goal is to travel on the cheap. But when it comes to avoiding extra travel costs, it's planning ahead that's the guaranteed remedy. Online travel experts Cheapflights.com offers its top 10 budget busting travel mistakes for travellers to avoid. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. Keep it light ... don't overpack

Fliers nowadays aren't just dealing with the ever-ballooning baggage fees. They're also dealing with weight limits, which unfortunately have come down as the price of fuel has gone up. The penalty for going over weight is high enough that passengers are unloading clothes in the middle of airports just to beat associated fees. Beyond that, having more bags than you can carry leads to porter and bellboy costs every time you move from point A to B. Our tip: Plan your wardrobe ahead of time and pack versatile staples - like a black dress or nice pair of jeans - to save luggage space.

2. Currency gotchas

Exchange rates matter, so be sure to research the currency value of whatever country you're travelling to before making pricey flight decisions. Destinations in Canada, Australia and pretty much anywhere in Western Europe currently boast strong currencies, so instead of Paris, try Budapest; instead of London, try Prague; and instead of Vancouver, try Hanoi. Obviously swapping Canada out for Vietnam is a bit extreme, but it pays - literally - to know how much the Vietnamese Dong offers in getting the biggest bang for your bucks. Also, be smart about where you change your currency (not at the airport).

3. Weather whoops

An amazing number of people don't check the forecast before taking off on a trip. The result: they end up the lucky owners of overpriced sweatshirts, flip flops and umbrellas. While an I heart London hoodie and Minnie Mouse umbrella may serve as lasting souvenirs, they can also burn up your pocket-change before you even leave the hotel lobby.

4. Keep in touch ... without the phone charges

Roaming, data chargers, third party carriers - there are as many ways to rack up extra costs as there will be zeroes added to your phone bill. But only if you aren't paying attention. Before departure, call your cell phone company to ensure you understand exactly what your provider charges its customers abroad. To avoid a devastating bill, upgrade temporarily to an international calling plan, use local Wi-Fi, invest in a SIM card, or - if you're really brave - leave your phone at home.

5. Forgotten tech toys

Tech-savvy travellers should write a checklist - whether on an iPad or pad of paper - of travel essentials. Free Wi-Fi at your local airport is useless if you've left your computer's adapter plugged in at home or the office. Catalog the items you use and their accessories to guarantee chargers, batteries, earbuds and other often-forgotten gadgets make it out the front door. Otherwise, you may find yourself taking a big bite out of your budget by paying airport prices for duplicate tech toys.

6. Following the crowd

Cut costs on your next vacation by going off the beaten path or dodging your destination's high season. Push your ski vacation in British Columbia back to the spring and avoid January's packed mountains. Or take the kids out of school early in the year for a long weekend in Disney; the parks are significantly less crowded and nearby beaches offer just as much 80 degree charm as they do in summer months. With autumn around the corner, schedule an autumn foliage tour in North Carolina and skip the New England cluster. Savvy planning and a few pulled strings are all it takes.

7. Tips for service ... different in every country

Do your research and learn the customary tipping habits of whatever country you're visiting. Mexican servers expect a 10-15% tip for sit-down service, while in Fiji, tipping is discouraged and almost no one tips the bartender at pubs in Britain.

8. Buy insurance

A travel emergency, whether as simple as a cancelled flight or as scary as a hurricane or heart attack, can simultaneously take the fun out of a trip and leave you with a massive bill. Protect yourself against unexpected hotel and transportation costs - or uncovered doctors or hospital charges - by investing in insurance. Don't know where to start? Check out our travel tip on buying travel insurance.

9. Overlooking ground transportation

Stepping off a long-haul flight often times results in stepping into an expensive form of transportation. If frugal travel is your priority, pass on the cab and opt instead for a form of public transportation from the airport. Research ahead of time - our flight guides are a good place to start - to identify what trains, trolleys, ferries and other modes of cheap transport could replace a high-priced taxi or private car service. In Chicago, for example, a metered cab costs passengers $35-40 to get downtown. A short ride on the "L" - Chicago's elevated train system - is only $2.25.

10. Frequent flier miles ... don't miss out

Though it's a hard commitment to make, loyalty to airlines, credit cards and hotels pays off. Make the effort to fly with a certain few airlines - typically the heavy hitters based at your local airport - and register as a frequent flier to qualify for free flights and travel savings. Also consider using credit cards linked to major airlines.

 

Tickled pink on Bonaire

Wherever you go on this tiny Caribbean island, flamingos are sure to follow. Okay, maybe they don't so much follow you, as precede you. The slender pink birds seem to make an appearance, in one form or another, at so many of the island's attractions, they almost act as harbingers of places you should visit.

During three days on the island, I encounter them at a national park, a sanctuary, an open-air market in the capital city Kralendijk, and even in somebody's garden! And I'm not even visiting in the spring, which is nesting season and the best time to see the birds.

Turns out the flamingo is the national bird of Bonaire (as well as a few other countries). The island is home to no fewer than 10,000 of these graceful creatures and is one of the largest flamingo breeding grounds in the western hemisphere.

In Kralendijk, a flamingo in flight is the logo on the sign for the tourist information office, where you can pick up good maps and brochures. The bird is also immortalized in plaster-work art on the facade of at least one building, while at local shops and open-air craft markets, the flamingo seems to be the creature most frequently featured on the vast array of souvenirs from beach towels to salt and pepper shakers.

Yet, for all that, the country actually has another claim to fame -- as a world-class diving (and snorkelling) destination. Its spectacular coral reefs and tropical fish are part of the Bonaire Marine Park, which incorporates the island's entire coastline and the nearby islet of Klein Bonaire.

Although it doesn't have as many long sandy beaches as other Caribbean islands (most of the beaches here are full of coral), it makes up for it with its marine life, laid-back vibe, and -- for an island its size -- several surprisingly good restaurants.

One of these is Sunset Bar and Grill, which claims to have the best burgers on the island. But for a true measure of chef Kirk Gosden's impressive culinary skills, I'd recommend items such as tortellini, seafood chowder or spotted lobster accompanied by an exceptional shellfish infused butter. Divine!

Located in the southern Caribbean, 81 km from Venezuela, Bonaire is small -- only 290 sq km and a population of about 15,000 -- with an absence of large-scale tourism development. That is part of its appeal and one reason for its high visitor return rate. Together with Aruba and Curacao, it forms a group referred to as the ABC islands, all of which share Dutch heritage.

Few other Caribbean islands are as zealous about protecting their environment as Bonaire. On one snorkelling excursion, our guide warns us that anyone who damages the fragile slow-growing coral by touching or standing on the reef will be asked to return to the boat. And the Flamingo Reserve, on the southern tip of the island, is off-limits to vistors (in order not to disturb the birds) although it's possible to spot them from the road, as we did.

Flamingos gravitate to the island's many salt pans, which contain their food source -- the tiny pink brine shrimp that give the birds their pink colour. Washington Slagbaai National Park has at least seven salt pans, and we see the birds at a few, but the varied natural landscape is the real attraction.

It's possible to hike or drive through the 14,820-hectare park, which is on the site of a former plantation that once produced aloe and charcoal. Short on time,

we choose to drive, passing dramatic rock formations, picturesque and secluded beaches, a blow hole, a lake and Mt. Brandaris, Bonaire's highest peak at 241 metres.

It wasn't surprising to see flamingos in the park but what are they doing in Yenny Rijna's backyard? "Yenny's Garden" is an offbeat visitor attraction just off Kralendijk's main street. Its entrance is guarded by life-sized dolls, including one seated on a motorcycle and another of a woman with a bowl of fruit on her head. Many more of these characters, wearing castoff clothes and assorted jewellery, are found inside the gate, along with an eclectic collection of animal skulls, conch shells, paintings of local scenes, and kitschy decorations that sit atop cactus plants.

Around the back, past the turtle pond and near the well, several flamingos are drinking water from a kiddie pool. Yenny, who is throwing fish pellets to the birds, and speaking to them as if they're her pets, tells me her husband isn't crazy about her pastime of turning other people's trash into art, but that her grandchildren love the fantasy land she has created. A few curious visitors also stop in every day.

"Some people come just to see the flamingos," she admits.

I'm not surprised.

For more, check tourismbonaire.com.

Brooklyn earns distinction as dining destination

Forget Manhattan. Brooklyn is vying to become New York City's hip and cutting-edge dining destination.

"We got everything here in Brooklyn. They can keep Manhattan," said John Coppola, co-owner of the grilled sandwich trunk, Foodfreaks.

The 31-year-old native of Brooklyn, one of New York's City's five boroughs, and brothers David and Stephen Cusato are among a new breed of ambitious cooks who think they can succeed outside of Manhattan.

Cheaper rents in growing neighbourhoods have allowed chefs of diverse backgrounds to elevate hot dogs and other comfort food or popularize foreign dishes like jerk chicken.

Food critics seem to agree that Brooklyn has arrived as a foodie haven.

Last year, the Michelin restaurant guide gave two stars to Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare -- the first such distinction for a Brooklyn eatery.

Brooklyn still lags behind Manhattan, which has nine two-star Michelin restaurants and five eateries with three stars, the highest rating. But earning culinary prestige does not seem to be a priority for Brooklyn chefs.

Joshua Sharkey abandoned working at high-end Manhattan restaurants more than two years ago and partnered with another chef, Brandon Gillis, to open Bark Hot Dogs.

"We had the underdog mentality. We were the 'other borough.' We now have some of the best food in the city," Sharkey said during the recent New York City Wine & Food Festival.

Less financial pressure has fuelled more risk-taking among Brooklyn chefs and allowed restaurant owners to focus on cultivating a regular clientele.

"I think Brooklyn chefs are not afraid to make an impact. There is a lot of freedom because the rent is lower," Elise Rosenberg, a co-owner of the restaurant Colonie said.

Colonie's head chef Brad McDonald has worked in the kitchens of acclaimed chefs, including Alain Ducasse, Thomas Keller and Rene Redzepi.

Brooklyn's burgeoning dining scene has even developed a following among Manhattan food lovers.

"I have a lot of Manhattan customers who drive in," said Emily Elsen, who co-owns the Four & Twenty Blackbirds with her younger sister Melissa.

The 30-year-old former sculptor student makes pies using seasonal ingredients in recipes inspired by her grandmother in South Dakota.

Despite Brooklyn's growing reputation as a food destination, its chefs are not worried about pleasing tourists.

"We see ourselves as a neighbourhood restaurant. We are just serving a neighbourhood with food," said Jean Adamson, chef and co-owner of Vinegar Hill House.