Flavors of Budapest: 2022
In warm, humid, beautifully green Budapest, I stroll along the Danube before approaching 19th century interior of the lovely old Gerbeaud, a destination cafe and pastry shop in the heart of old town Budapest. Here along with a juicy variety of mostly ladies who lunch,...
Parsifal: Bastille Opera, June 2022
Parsifal: Twilight of a Production Having traveled 5000 miles to dive into the Opera Bastille production of Wagner's final opera, I was poised for a memorable experience. And while I certainly got one, it was mostly for the wrong reasons. Here's the short version....
Journey to the East: Food, Operas, and Humidity
I'd waited for almost three years to get on a plane headed for Europe. And Paris did not disappoint. Balmy summer weather, baguettes as good as my memories, and a few days to kill roaming the city, and some great museums before my night at the opera—Parsifal—arrived....
Desert Bomb: Dune
Before I get down to serious ripping and shredding, I need to get this off my chest. As a baby boomer, I read and thrilled to Frank Herbert's prescient, imaginative, and mythic futuristic novel. Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, of murky self-important Arrival fame,...
Desert Bomb: Part II
Just thinking about continuing my assessment of Denis Villeneuve's bloated bomb makes me reach for the gin. You'll recall I decided to address whether ponderous camerawork, massive explosions and a behemoth score can actually substitute for a script, dramatic tension,...
Inside the Flame
A book of sensory adventure: The rituals, passions and discoveries of an engaged life.