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A Podcast with Your Celebrity Faves
Bethany S. I’m sure like many of you I’ve got a lot more time on my hands to listen to some new podcasts. One of my new favourites suggested by my co-worker, Matt is Off Camera with Sam Jones. It’s a detailed and more intimate look into your most admired celebs. Below is a list of my top episodes. Let us know if you’ve listened and what your favourite episodes are in the comments below! Jenny Slate Sarah Paulson Kathryn Hahn Rashida Jones Javier Bardem Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash
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Watch: Minari
Matt C. I listened to a recent episode of the NPR podcast Fresh Air that Korean-American filmmaker Lee Isaac was featured, speaking about his latest film, Minari. His description of the film is tender and thoughtful recollections of his upbringing was enough inspiration to set up my at home 'theater' for a viewing. (I use the term theater here loosely... a Macbook air with a Bose portable speaker does not a theater make, but...here we are!) "Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home."A few highlights from the interview below: On watching the film with his family for the first time:"We watched the film together and slowly I just started to see my mom starting to weep, my sister, my dad. And it just felt like it was such a cathartic experience for all of us. It was really special, really incredible. ...My mother, she was telling me that she ... never was able to see my grandmother in her dreams. She said that she was always jealous of me because I would always see my grandma in my dreams. And she said, finally, after watching this film, she could see my grandma in her dreams. That was so special. And for my sister, she said that she had just blocked out so much from that time because she found it to be pretty difficult. But she loved seeing it in beauty, in the beauty of what we had in that time." On choosing Minari as the title: "When I was doing that exercise of writing down all the memories, the last thing that I came to was that little patch of minari that my grandmother and I would go to, that my grandmother would tend and I would throw rocks at snakes. ... Once I had that memory, it just dawned on me that this is what the name of the film is going to have to be.And I thought, "I'm not going to translate to English. I'm just going to let it be what it is. And if it's ever made, then I guess people will have to learn how to say the word if they want to see it."I just thought there's something so poetic about the plant as well. It's a hearty plant. It kind of grows in places where you can't grow anything else. It can take root in very poor soil conditions. And what it ends up doing is actually revitalizes the soil and it cleans up the water. It has a purifying effect and so I thought there's a poetic resonance there that this plant speaks to. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts here, and stream the film on Amazon Prime here.
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There's More to New York Than New York City
Written by Collective Member: Nina Rossiello Find Her at nomadicneen.com/ When my friend, Doug, and I decided to play it safe [with COVID still looming] and do a road trip around our home state of New York instead of our previously planned trip to Ireland or a road trip around some US states in the southwest, the 1000 Island region was one of the first things on my list. I had seen picture of this beautiful place called Heart Island with a GORGEOUS castle sitting on it, and I knew I had to see it for myself. The 1000 Islands (pronounced as thousand, not one-thousand) are located in the northwest region of New York State in the St. Lawrence River, so for us NYC dwellers, it is a bit of a drive. It takes about 7-8 hours driving from New York City. The towns along our route to Clayton are the exact opposite of what you would normally picture when you think about New York. We barely saw any people as we drove through, but there were cows just about everywhere, literally everywhere. Each house we saw was on acres and acres of land, and I lost cell service about every 4 minutes. Honestly, I didn’t mind that part too much. When we arrived in the town of Clayton it was [Thursday] around noon and my stomach was roaring. We had no idea that finding a spot to eat would be so difficult. Most of the restaurants were closed during the week or didn’t open until 4 or 5 PM. Not even a McDonald’s was close by. We finally found a charming little diner type restaurant called Koffee Kove. At this point, we only had half an hour to eat and get to the marina for our boat tour and my anxiety starting kicking in. Thankfully, the service there was amazing and our food came out super quick. Koffee Kove was extremely affordable as well and a great spot to stop for lunch if you’re ever going to the 1000 Island region. We headed for the marina and were happy to find out that the boats were operating at a 50% capacity, so not only was it safer for us COVID wise but we also got to enjoy the tour on a bit more of a personal level. There were only 16 other people on the entire boat with us, which may seem like a decent amount, but it was a pretty big tour boat and we were all really spread apart. We began our journey through the 1000 Islands with our captain, Matt, and our tour guide, Daniel. They were both particularly knowledgeable about the area. Captain Matt got us to Heart Island and back to Clayton without any issue while Daniel filled us in on the rich (quite literally) history of the 1000 Islands and more specifically, Boldt Castle. Since I am a bit of a history geek myself, I found all of the stories and facts Daniel had to tell us really interesting, so I figured I would share some of that history with anyone else who loves history like me. Some 1000 Island History The 1000 Islands are made up of 1,864 individual islands with some of the islands being owned by Canada and some being owned by the United States (New York to be specific). 1,863 of those islands are natural islands that formed when glaciers ripped through a mountain region that use to live on that land. One of the islands is an artificial, man-made island that Hudson P. Rose built for his wife when she was bored and unimpressed with the other 1,863 islands. Talk about superficial, am I right. Guess what? She STILL didn’t like the island he made specifically for her. Most of the islands once were home to gigantic mansions and castles until everyone’s favorite thing came about: income tax and property tax. The taxes on the mansions and castles were too much for most people to handle, so they knocked down their stunning homes and put cottages and smaller houses on all of the islands, which is what you see there today. Coincidentally, there were A LOT of “mysterious” fires that burned down many buildings throughout the 1000 Islands conveniently around the time where the owners of the buildings could not afford the taxes imposed. In all fairness, many buildings did actually burn down without insurance fraud being the factor behind it. Getting the fire department and all of the appropriate equipment was/is a difficult task in an island region. When fires were more prominent back in the day, the equipment usually wasn’t up to par to defuse the fire either. In 1911, Hotel Frontenac (a 7-story, 400 room hotel) burned to the ground all from one cigarette being thrown in a trashcan by a musician who was performing there that evening. The irony of this story you ask? The man who owned the hotel, Charles G. Emery, invented the machine that rolled cigarettes. One of the islands had an underwater passage that lead INTO the island. This is where one specific man (or pirate), William Johnston, hid out for years. Johnston was a wanted man by both Canada and New York State. He swam under the island and came up inside in a cave. His daughter would leave food and supplies for him on the outside of the island. He finally decided to turn himself in; well he had his son turn him in to New York State for the reward that was placed on his capture. Johnston wasn’t the only pirate to be found in the 1000 Island region. There are many tales of other pirates terrorizing the area and taking over passing boats and cargo ships. The 1000 Island region was also a popular hideout spot for many others in that time as well. The most interesting is that of the Hermit of Maple Island whose real name was John Payne. John Payne kept to himself and only left the island once a month to get supplies from the town on the mainland. One night there was a bright glow from the island that could be seen all the way from the mainland. It was assumed to be a fire (business as usual in the 1000 Islands), but the next morning when it was investigated, Payne was found murdered with three crosses carved into his chest and his cabin burned to the ground. The three crosses were supposedly the mark of a secret society, which John Wilkes Booth was a member. Does that name sound familiar? Yeah it should since he was the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Rumor has it that Payne was holding a $100,000 bounty, and Booth was supposed to head north to the 1000 Islands to collect the bounty after he killed the president. Unfortunately for Booth, he accidentally head south and never made it to the bounty. Unfortunately for Payne, other members of the secret society found his hideout and murdered him right there on his little island. It isn’t known if they were able to find the money, but it is safe to assume they did. There was an island within the 1000 Islands called Hart Island, which was purchased by George C Boldt, owner of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Boldt quickly changed the name of the island to Heart Island, as he was building a castle on this island for the love of his life, Louise. Sadly, in 1904, before the castle was complete, Louise died and George completely abandoned the castle and the island. Boldt didn’t just own Heart Island, he also owned a huge Boat House across the river from the castle and a few other spots throughout the islands. Not only did he build one of the most beautiful castles I have ever seen, but George Boldt also brought a delicious condiment to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC, where is became an instant success as a salad dressing, and thus Thousand Island dressing was born. One quick last fact I learned on the tour! One of the Islands, I believe Rock Island, was the last stop along the route for the Underground Railroad. Boats would take anyone who made it to the island over to Canada where they found their freedom. A beautiful place to end a long, exhausting, and stressful journey to freedom. I left out so much of the history I learned that day, but at least now you got a snippet of how much there is about the 1000 Island region. Back to the adventure at Boldt Castle Before we disembarked onto Heart Island, Daniel, our tour guide, told us that after the island was abandoned by the Boldt family it was sold to the Thousand Island Bridge Authority for the steep price of $1 with the condition that all of the proceeds made would be put back into the castle. To date, over $40 million dollars has been put into the upkeep and maintenance of the castle, so it looks as if it did when George and his family last saw it (maybe with a few new museum type signs in each of their rooms and a gift shop). We pulled up to Heart Island and thankfully the rain had stopped just in time. We were able to take advantage of all of the beauty outside the castle as well as inside the castle. We hopped off the boat and didn’t know where to start. I stood there starring at the water surrounding the island taking in the beauty of the glacier blue color it held, while Doug pointed out how much the castle reminded him of Hogwarts. He wasn’t wrong; it truly had a magical feel to it. We made our way to the main entrance to the castle, and walked in to find a grand staircase leading up to the second floor of the castle. The first and second floors were completely finished. There were staircases on the side that led up to the third and fourth floors, which were mostly empty and unfinished from when George abandoned the project. We wandered around each room taking in all of the beauty in each unique room. I am pretty certain every single room had a balcony/outdoor area off of it, but there was so much to see I could definitely be imaging that part. After seeing all of the rooms in the main castle and a quick trip into the gift shop so I could get my shot glass, we head outside to see the grounds and the other buildings on the island. First, we made our way to the Alster Tower, which was mainly used as a playhouse for the Boldt children. There were two bowling alleys inside for them to play! This was also the main building used by the family while the castle was under construction. The Alster Tower was tall and narrow, so we quickly saw the open areas, which included one of the bowling allies and left to see more of what Heart Island had to offer. Next up was the Power House, which honestly could have been a castle itself. It was breathtaking to see from the outside, and the picture perfect spot! When you walk around the interior of the Power House it is a little history museum, and you can learn all about the castle, the island, and the family. While walking around the Power House I noticed a loud wave crashing sound and quickly realized that one of the doors led straight out to the St. Lawrence River and had no dock or anything blocking it. Of course, that door was locked, but it was really neat to see/hear! After seeing all of the buildings, we wandered around the grounds to see all of the beautiful landscaping and décor that it held. There was an adorable gazebo, a fountain, some statues, and colorful flowers everywhere. Walking around the outside of the castle was a relaxing and genuinely happy experience all together. Touring Boldt Castle is one of those experiences that instantly takes you back in time and gives you the opportunity to let your imagination run wild. I kept picturing what it would have been like to live there, especially back in the late 1800s/early 1900s. I completely fell in love with being there, and wish it wasn’t so far from my home, so I could keep going back over and over again. 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My Perfect Morning in Rome
Written by Collective Member: Lacey Moore Find Her at www.lacesplaces.wordpress.com Hey all! I’m here with some super fun little insight into what my perfect morning in Rome consists of! As you’ll soon come to learn, Rome is one of my all-time favourite places in the world. I truly love the history, architecture, art, the locals, not to mention all that amazing food and wine! I’ve been to Rome about six or seven times now, with many mornings spent wandering over those ancient cobbles, so I like to think I’ve pretty much nailed how to spend a perfect morning in the eternal city… Wake up early Piazza Campidoglio That’s right! In my opinion, the best (and only) way to get a true feel for a destination is to be up with the locals! If you’re right in the city centre, it’ll be difficult for you to sleep past 8am with all the hustle and bustle, not to mention smell of fresh coffee and bread, wafting through your window. I love a lie in as much as the next gal, but there’s something enchanting about being out and about, getting lost between the locals before the hoard of tourists head out and swamp the streets for the day. Besides, there’s plenty of time for sleep when you get home! For me, I’m up at 6am and out of the door for 6:30. Whilst you may have a hard time finding anything open at that time, it doesn’t bother me since I really love just taking a bit of time to enjoy the sights and empty roads, as well as that fresh morning air that still has a bit of a cool nip to it (it’s also a great time to get some solo pictures without some tour group destroying your photoshoot). You’ll also beat all the queues at those museums you’ve been dying to visit! The Pantheon My favourite things to see first thing in a morning are the Trevi Fountain, Vittorio Emanuele II monument or Vatican City (although I will admit it took me way too long to choose just three)! Thankfully, the last time I was in Rome I was only a short walk away from all of them, which was perfect! I stayed at Private Luxury Suites on via del Corso – the main shopping street in the city. Let me tell you, it was my favourite place I’ve ever stayed in Rome. The location was absolutely amazing; right in the middle of the action and surrounded by fabulous restaurants, and the room itself was so beautiful and fresh. We managed to get an absolute steal through booking.com, so I would 100% recommend the place! You can check it out here. At one end of via del Corso, you’ve got Piazza del Popolo, and at the other you’ve got the Vittorio Emanule II momument! Antipasti at a cute little ristorante near Private Luxury Suites While you’re wandering the shady streets one morning, take a moment to really take note of what’s going on around you. Sure, there’s hardly any people around, but what are your other senses telling you? You may be lucky enough to hear a local gent playing the radio while drinking his first espresso of the day with his wife, maybe an elderly lady is walking her old dog, or even a young couple smoking a cigarette and watching the world go by. Wherever you go, I’m sure you’re going to see something amazing! Food! Pizza Bianca with mortadella and Nutella. Credit: @Gino_1950 on Instagram My favourite bit! Breakfast dates are the unsung hero of my life. However, when you’ve a city full of art and history to explore, the dates will have to wait until later in the day. When on a city break, I don’t tend to eat a lot of breakfast since in the summertime it’s way too hot to eat, and I’d rather just grab a bite while out and about. Not only that, but Italians aren’t massive breakfast eaters anyway; you’ll be lucky with a pastry and coffee. With that being said, there are some really amazing, authentic little sandwich and gelato bars which you can takeaway food from, and sometimes restaurants even have a little deli counter too. Another thing which you’ll notice is the vast number of little bibite vans at all major tourist spots, selling everything from fresh sandwiches to frozen bottles of water (a God send in the height of summer) for as little as one euro. Don’t worry about not finding anywhere to eat because there are literally hundreds on the streets, and so many amazing options that aren’t on Google maps or Instagram. One place I would recommend is Gino on via del Corso. This little place was an amazing find, right next to our accommodation! It’s just a little counter facing out onto the street and a tiny waiting area next to it, and all they sell is pizza bianca with either mortadella or Nutella. If you’re not familiar with pizza bianca, please don’t be fooled into thinking you’re about to receive a fat slice of pepperoni pizza – it’s really just a type of light bread, drizzled with olive oil and salt, kind of like a ciabatta (but better)! The shop’s concept is just super simple but they absolutely nailed it on the service and execution; we must have gone back about 3 times! You can check out their website here and next time you’re shopping down via del Corso, remember to check it out! Panoramic views View from inside The Vatican Museums Duh! No city break would be complete without an opportunity to overlook the whole thing! These can be beautiful at either sunrise or sunset, and I couldn’t possibly chose between them. On the one hand, in a morning you can watch the city wake up and experience the rise in excitement and busy-ness. But in an evening you get to wind down, maybe after a glass or two of Aperol spritz, and truly embrace the beautiful romantic atmosphere that the city provides. My favourite viewpoint in the whole of Rome is from the terrace of the Vittorio Emanuele II monument. You truly don’t understand the sheer size of the monument once you walk up the façade’s stairs (yep, you feel like a bad bitch) and once you work your way through the war museum on the marble interior, you can go up to the terrace in a glass elevator! From there, you get a 360 view of the whole of Rome, and it’s even more spectacular than you can imagine! So there you have it! Remembering my trips to Rome have given me so much bittersweet nostalgia and just makes me miss it even more! I hope you find how to make your morning perfect in Rome – maybe I’ll see you around! Lace x
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Listen: Yseult
Matt C. This week I've been diving into French singer-songwriter Yseult. Her rise began after she was crowned the runner-up of the French reality competition series, Nouvelle Star in 2104. Since, she released her self titled hip-pop debut album Yseult, and a trilogy of extended plays, Rouge (2019), Noir (2019), and lasts years' more 'stripped back' BRUT. For the release, she said to Enfnts Terribles, “I will not go back to the music I made in the beginning and will develop the newfound style more in the future.” And she does just that - with the piano-ballad opener INDÉlÉBILE, she works through high-notes and pierces right to the heart (even if you have no idea what she is actually saying). Other highlights include the lo-fi half-english SEXE, and the almost 7 minute ghost-y feature with S.Pri Noir, 101 Regrets. Take a listen to BRUT, here.
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First Stop: LA
Bethany S. Los Angeles was the first stop on my Husband and I’s honeymoon before heading on our road trip through Arizona and Utah. And although the rumours were true about horrendous traffic and that nobody seemed to walk anywhere – we were in heaven. WARMTH IN OCTOBER!! The cafes are cute, especially Cafecito Organico in the Silver Lake neighbourhood with the coziest outdoor seating that seems like you’re just hanging out in someone’s backyard. The Mexican food was delicious. Our favourite place to hit up on a daily basis was Las Glorias Del Buen Comer for pork tacos and guacamole – Yum! The Arts District was also a fun place we found ourselves exploring different breweries, riding electric scooters and seeing a show. Oh – and of course Venice beach! There’s just something about LA that’s vibrant and strange all at once and we loved it. So, whatever reason you’re in LA you’ll definitely find yourself amused. What’s your favourite thing about Los Angeles? Let us know in the comments below! Las Glorias Del Buen Comer The Arts District
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Road Trip Ready?
Rebecca L. Your vacation, your concerts, your parties, your birthday, your fun and your whole social calendar got cancelled last year and you’re just about ready to pack up the car and go see the country in time for the season? You’ve been eagerly anticipating the sunshine, and you finally feel like you might just about be able to plan a local road trip soon. Enjoying the scenic highway landscapes, the must-see roadside lookouts and the cute small-town coffee stop is just about as perfect as it can get. Whether you’re off on a long-weekend camping trip, or a long-haul adventure just make sure to ask this before you set off – are you ready? I’ve seen my fair few of roadside mishaps whilst travelling around on the thoroughfare, so before you set off, take a look at a few of these road-trip tips... CHECK YOUR CAR You’ve got the tent, the all-weather wardrobe, the picnic essentials, the bear spray and just about everything bar the kitchen sink! But have you prepared the car? We have to learn about it before we pass our test, but do we actually do it ever? Purchase a trusted tire pressure gauge and make sure your tires are good to go. Whilst you’re at it, check your spare tire too. Check out the fluid levels, the battery, the oil and the lights. Make sure she’s ready to roll before you set off…seems pretty standard, but is it pretty easy to forget? Maybe even take your vehicle in for a once over before you set off. Oh, and don’t forget to check the car keys are still good for battery!Here’s a helpful video to check out too - https://youtu.be/VZiy84UmN1U CHECK YOUR PAPERS It might be a good idea to check out your insurance policy is up to date, paid for and physically in your glovebox! Make sure you have your license, and whatever other documents or decals you need for your vehicle. If you’re setting out through a few National Parks, make sure to check if you need to display a pass before you go too! PREPARE FOR THE WORST Okay, seems dramatic…but until you end up stranded at the side of a very long, very quiet road without a bottle of water to your name, you might not think of how important it is to have some extra supplies – trust me! Get a little kit together – an extra phone charger, a flashlight, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, some necessary tools, car fluids, water to drink, some snack bars, even a spare gas canister…and (as old-school as it may be) maybe a road map! It doesn’t have to be the most elaborate set-up, but it’s worthwhile having something to help you out if you get stuck. BOOK AHEAD It’s always a hassle winging a trip, you never know if you’re gonna find a camping spot, or a hotel room where you want too. But, now especially, it’s important to plan ahead with your accommodation. Some parks, hotels, campsites, motels will have limited capacity, pre-booking only reservations or may not even be open at all. It’s a good idea to do lots of research before you head out on your trip. Same goes for the parks and other sight-seeing destinations too – be sure to check before you rock up. As much as I love the excitement of a “let’s just go” attitude, it’s not exactly always reliable, so try to avoid disappointment by planning ahead. Let us know any of your road-trip tips below : )
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