By Julia Cosgrove  August 13th, 2010 3:08 pm  |  Comments (0)

Calling all social-media–savvy travelers! Afar is a sponsor of Blog Your Way Around the World, an online contest that gives travelers the chance to win a wildlife trip to the Galapagos, an off-the-beaten-path journey in Costa Rica, a biking excursion in Austria and the Czech Republic, and more. To enter, contestants must submit an essay of 400 words by December 31, 2010, explaining why they should win. Once you’ve posted your essay, reach out to your community for votes. The blogger with the most votes will receive eight trips for two, a gear package provided by such brands as Teva, Smith Optics, Eagle Creek Travel Gear, and a one-year subscription to Afar. Here’s an excerpt from one entry that resonates with Afar’s mission:

There is a distinct difference between a traveler and a tourist. A traveler wants to meet the local people, see and experience the way they live, eat the things they eat and attempt to speak their language. A tourist wants to pick up their safe and comfortable world and transport it with them.

By April Kilcrease  August 2nd, 2010 6:00 am  |  Comments (0)

Few cities have been so adored in cinema as Paris. At the 10th annual Cinéma au Clair de Lune film festival, sit in the moonlight and watch classic movies on location. From August 4 to 22, thirteen films will be projected on outdoor screens throughout the city. In honor of the French New Wave director Eric Rohmer, who passed away earlier this year, the festival opens with his romantic drama Full Moon in Paris.

Aug 4   Full Moon in Paris by Eric Rohmer at Butte Montmartre, Square Louise-Michel

Aug 5   Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard at Jardin des Champs-Elysees

Aug 6   Le Péril Jeune by Cedric Klapisch at Parc Montsouris

Aug 7   La Bête Humaine by Jean Renoir at Parc Andre Citroen

Aug 8   Diva by Jean-Jacques Beineix at Jardins du Trocadero

Aug 12   The Hunchback of Notre Dame by William Dieterle at Place des Vosges, Square Louis XIII

Aug 13   Lily, Aime-Moi by Maurice Dugowson at Ménilmontant

Aug 14   2 Days in Paris by Julie Delpy at Parc de Choisy

Aug 15   Fernandel the Dressmaker by Jean Boyer at Place de la Bourse

Aug 19   Love Songs by Christophe Honoré at Esplanade des Invalides

Aug 20   Lost in Transit by Philippe Lioret at Place des Fêtes

Aug 21   A Matter of Resistance by Jean-Paul Rappeneau at Pelouse de Reuilly

Aug 22   The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry at Place René Cassin

By Derk Richardson  July 28th, 2010 7:43 am  |  Comments (2)

Photo by Francisco Guerrero

A pot of long-cooked meats, including slices of pancetta or bacon, hearty vegetables and legumes, and a savory broth that becomes a vehicle for fideos (thin Spanish noodles)—how can you go wrong? In the September/October issue of Afar, Leah Messinger dives into the cultural history of cocido Madrileño, the filling stew long popular in Madrid, Spain.

According to food historian David Gitlitz, one-pot meals incorporating chickpeas and/or lentils have been ubiquitous around the Mediterranean since Roman times, mentioned in the writings of Pliny and Apicius. A dish called olla podrida (rotten pot) turns up in Don Quixote from the early 1600s.

So you can try it at home, Messinger provides a slightly more contemporary recipe—from Madrid’s Taberna la Bola, where cocido has been on the menu for a mere century or so.

By Dan Strachota  July 27th, 2010 5:30 am  |  Comments (3)

In the July/August issue of Afar, I wrote a piece about French pop icons of the ’60s and the current scene, musicians who infused the stomping blues-rock of the Kinks with a vivid sensuality and ebullient charm that was uniquely French. Here are a few more innovative artists worth searching out:

Jacques Dutronc During the mid-’60s, Dutronc crafted hits on par with anything coming out of England or the U.S. Not only did he prove adept at concocting raucous tunes like “Le Responsable,” but he also spun sweet acoustic numbers like “J’aime Les Filles,” all the while poking fun at the peculiarities of the ’60s youth culture that turned him into a star. Essential release: Jacques Dutronc (Vogue, 1966)

Nino Ferrer Ten years older than most French pop stars of the ’60s, Ferrer was also more conflicted about the music industry. Schooled in gospel and U.S. soul, the gravel-voiced singer scored hits with quirky, organ-driven numbers about telephones, pickles, and Mao—and then retreated to his 15th century fortress in Lataillade to live with his mom, before committing suicide in 1998. Essential release: Je Veux Erte Noir (Barclay, 1966)

Les Chats Sauvage One of the very first French rock bands (whose name loosely translates as “the Wildcats”) took Elvis Presley’s leather-sporting, hip-swiveling, blues-growling persona for a surfboard ride down the Seine, eventually setting the stage for beat-rockers like Ronnie Bird. Essential release: L’Integrale Studio 1961-1964 (EMI, 2000)

Marianne Dissard Written following a bad break-up, Dissard’s 2008 disc L’ Entredeux covers the whole scope of her relationship, from nights of creaking bed frames to mornings with soiled handkerchiefs. Dissard sings in an affectingly hushed whisper, calling to mind Juliette Greco, while the backing music (written by Joey Burns of Calexico) places her halfway between the Pyrenees Mountains of her youth and her present Arizona home. Essential release: L’ Entredeux (Le Pop Musik, 2008) Recent release: Paris One Takes (Self-released, 2010)

Françoiz Breut Breut sounds like Edith Piaf, if the iconic chanteuse had gorged herself on a steady diet of ’80s-era Tom Waits and Sonic Youth. On her four albums, Breut cloaks her angst-ridden vocals within sculpted feedback, clattering percussion, and wistful horns, updating Piaf’s sorrowful approach for the modern age. Essential release: Francoiz Breut (Lithium, 1997) Recent release: A L’aveuglette (Le Pop Musik, 2008)

Holden Between Armelle Pioline’s airy vocals, Evan Evans’ spaced-out organ, Mocke’s anarchic guitar, and Jacques Tellitocci’s clanging beats, Holden captures the beauty and chaos that is Paris. Drawing inspiration from Stereolab’s metronomic space-pop and Serge Gainsbourg’s more outlandish productions, the quintet’s four discs put the urban in urbane. Essential and recent release: Fantomatisme (Le Village Vert, 2009)

Compilations are an excellent way to get an overview of a music scene. Here’s some of the best French pop collections:

Pop a Paris, Volumes 1-5 (Universal) Excellent comps of the ’60s milieu, focusing mainly on hard-charging dance floor tracks like Anna Karina’s “Roller Girl.”

Wizzz! Volumes 1-2 (Born Bad) Focusing on the psychedelic side of the ’60s, featuring Bruno Leys’ carnivalesque “Hallucinations” and Philippe Nicaud’s freak-funky “Cuisses Nues, Bottes de Cuir.”

Pop Romantique: French Pop Classics (March) Nineties indie-rock acts such as Luna and the Magnetic Fields cover ’60s French pop from the likes of Gainsbourg, Michel Polnareff, and Jeanne Moreau. Hardy, herself, makes an appearance, dueting with Air.

Le Pop 1-5 (Le Pop Musik) This series from a German label (quelle surprise!) showcases both big stars (Delerm, Breut, Coralie Clément) and lesser lights (Poney Express, Mickey 3D) of France’s mellower nouvelle chanson scene.

By Derk Richardson  July 23rd, 2010 7:42 am  |  Comments (1)

Photo by Thomas Swick

Thomas Swick, who writes regularly for World Hum, has a knack for getting beneath the surface of place. When Afar came up with a random destination and sent Swick at the last minute on a Spin the Globe trip to Venice, Italy, he made the most of his spontaneous journey by swiftly and intimately connecting with a network of colorful locals.

His account, “Venice in Three Acts,” which you can read in the September/October issue of Afar, is full of magical moments and mysterious disappearances. But it stays grounded thanks to his engagement with members of an organization called 40xVenezia, dedicated to resuscitating authentic local culture and fending off the worst consequences of tourism.

In the video below, Skype Nomad Rebecca Campbell interviews a 40xVenezia activist who explains the group’s goals, as well as how to pronounce the name.

By Julia Cosgrove  January 28th, 2010 4:51 pm  |  Comments (2)

Irish cheese at the Temple Bar farmer's market in Dublin's Meeting House Square.

An oversize new cookbook landed on my desk right before the holidays: The Country Cooking of Ireland, by Colman Andrews. For many years, Irish cooking has been the subject of ridicule, and this book aims to change that. Andrews—the co-founder of Saveur magazine, winner of numerous James Beard Awards, and an upcoming Afar contributor—is the author to do it.

Flipping through the book’s recipes of brown bread and smoked salmon, shepherd’s pie, and Irish stew, I was momentarily transported to the year I lived in Dublin. During the week, I was there to study Irish literature. During the weekends, I felt it was my duty to eat and drink my way through the city. First stop: Bewley’s, for an overflowing Irish breakfast and some strong tea. Then on to the Temple Bar farmer’s market, where I stocked up on freshly baked soda bread, flaky smoked salmon, and artisanal farmhouse cheeses like Gubbeen and Durrus. By the afternoon, I hit a cafe or pub for some reading, accompanied by a pint of Bulmer’s cider. Dinners often entailed “takeaway” from the local chip shop.

When I think back to that year, it’s not the names of books that I remember (apologies to all my outstanding professors). Rather, memories of food and drink come flooding back.

I know that some of you are as obsessed with food as I am. What are your best food-related travel stories?

Photo by William Murphy.

By Jeremy Saum  December 23rd, 2009 9:12 am  |  Comments (3)

Dear Santa, I would like a subscription to Afar. And an edible hat.

In the second issue of Afar, on newsstands now, writer Christopher Hall takes readers on a delicious romp through Spain, sampling tapas wherever he goes. His dining companion in Madrid was Alicia Ríos, a woman who has a passionate, creative, wacky relationship with food. She makes hats out of meat, bakes entire cities, and constructs Flemish galleons from fruit. If you’re looking for inspiration or if you’ve just seen one too many holiday fruitcakes, check out Alicia’s Web site, alicia-rios.com. I recommend the Edible Representations page. 

Thanks to all of you who have helped Afar get off to such a great start this year. Happy holidays!

By Jennica Peterson  December 7th, 2009 6:00 am  |  Comments (6)

If you have a passion for the ocean, work alongside marine biologists with Tethys to research dolphins in Greece.

On WPIX-TV, Afar co-founder Joe Diaz reveals five trips that might inspire you to change careers. If you love the ocean, join the Tethys Research Institute’s program in Greece (details below) to discover what it’s like to be a marine biologist. Check back on Afar’s blog every day this week for more career-changing trip ideas.

Trip: Tethys Research Institute program in Greece
Overview: The non-profit organization Tethys Research Institute has been studying whales and dolphins for more than 20 years. You’ll work with them in the Grecian Gulf of Corinth identify threats to the area’s short-beaked common dolphins and offer scientific support to conservation efforts.
Skills you’ll learn: How to gather data about dolphin behavior and ecology during daily boat trips; how to track individual animals by photographing their dorsal fins; how to raise awareness in the community and work with local fishermen to protect the dolphins.
Other highlights: Relax in a taverna in the village of Galaxidi, where the program is based. Visit the nearby ruins of Delphi.
Price: from $908 for a six-day trip

Photo courtesy of Tethys Research Institute

Four other career-changing trips:

• Learn to cook in Morocco
• Live the life of an organic vintner in New Zealand
• Help healthcare workers in Guatemala
  
• Teach English and surf in Bali

By Nicole Solis  November 30th, 2009 12:17 pm  |  Comments (2)

Inspired by a trip to the Middle East in 1865, Swiss chocolatier Philippe Suchard added minarets to his home in Neuchatel.

Switzerland’s voters recently passed a ban on the construction of minarets. On the political blog 538, founder Nate Silver and Geneva-based correspondent Renard Sexton look into how religious identity, language spoken, and the foreign population affected how each canton, or Swiss province, voted on the initiative.

Silver kicks off the discussion, finding that the more religious the canton, the more likely it was to vote for the ban. In his follow-up, Sexton examines the role of xenophobia in the decision. He points out that since many multinational corporations and organizations are based in Switzerland, about 22 percent of Switzerland’s population are foreigners. As he says, this means two things:

First, the cultural clash in many Swiss cantons between traditional agriculturally-driven, conservative lifestyle and the “international” culture of more urban areas, who are dominated by the UN, banks and globalized companies, has become very pronounced.

And second, and perhaps more importantly, foreigners can’t vote.

Through their analyses, Silver and Sexton reveal some interesting insights about Swiss culture, especially in the age of globalization. As Sexton wrote, “the politics of culture in a country that is multi-cultural/lingual, yet insular…and isolated are very complicated politics indeed.”

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar. CC 2.0.

By Jeremy Saum  November 11th, 2009 9:24 am  |  Comments (1)

Just another lagom day in Sweden.

In Afar’s second issue, which hit newsstands yesterday, you can read about the Swedish word lagom in the Talk department. Here’s an audio file of how to pronounce it.

When I grow up, I want to have that guy’s voice.

Photo by Per Ola Wiberg.