Tag Archives: Europe

Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/
CULTURE, DESIGN

Barrique – Where Beautiful, Sustainable Design Meets A Good Cause

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By Lakshmi:  

This past weekend, we were invited to a traveling exhibit of the Barrique Project in New York City.  Barrique – a term that means “third life” is a beautiful marriage of three meaningful elements – exquisitely designed furniture created from recycled wood by youth who are recovering from substance addiction.

Thirty eight leading designers from Italy have conceived dining tables, chairs, swings and more from recycled wine barrels.  Each piece takes advantage of the natural curves and grains in the wood, giving the wood its “third life” – first as wood, second as barrels that impart taste to wine and third as furniture.  The furniture is so sensual and natural that each piece almost speaks its history and story to you.  And the most poignant part of this meaningful design initiative?  The furniture is all handmade by the youth of San Patrignano, a community in Italy that over the last 30 years has become one of the most effective drug rehabilitation centers in Europe.

Sustainable design, reusable materials, design with societal impact and meaningful design are all terms used today by designers to advocate their emerging thinking. The Barrique Project demonstrates that these terms are not just mere pipe dreams but achievable reality.

Here are my top five pieces from the traveling exhibit.

Miss Dondola Swing Courtesy : http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Miss Dondola Swing by Angela Missoni
Courtesy : http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Stave Table by Giuliano Cappelletti Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Stave Table by Giuliano Cappelletti
Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Draghessa by Chiara Ferragamo Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Draghessa by Chiara Ferragamo
Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Doga (Stave) by Michele De Lucchi Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Doga (Stave) by Michele De Lucchi
Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Bottea by Mario Botta Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

Bottea by Mario Botta
Courtesy: http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/

To catch this traveling exhibit in the US, click here:

http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/it/best-italian-design-furniture

To admire the beauty of the entire collection, click here:

http://barrique.sanpatrignano.org/it

To learn more about the amazing drug rehabilitation efforts of the San Patrignano community, click here:

http://www.sanpatrignano.org/en

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CULTURE, DEPARTURES

Art, Science and Imagination Create An Enthralling Harry Potter Experience

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By Lakshmi:

Harry Potter has been a dominant force in our lives for many years now.  With two kids growing up with the franchise, we’ve lived through the hysteria of new book releases at midnight, the pressure to finish the books before the movie releases and oodles of spend on memorabilia.  So, on our recent trip to London, it was no surprise that the Warner Brother’s tour of the Harry Potter sets was the number one priority for the kids.  I resigned myself to a day dedicated to their happiness…no museums, no walks; just an overdose of Harry Potter.  But from the moment we stepped into the studios, I found myself completely mesmerized and in awe of one woman’s (J.K. Rowling’s) imagination that had spawned everything that we saw.  Even a non Harry Potter reader like me could not believe the perfect marriage of art, science, design and imagination that kept us enthralled for many hours.  Here’s just a small glimpse of what we saw.

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EATS

A Global Food Lover’s Fantasy – The Rocking World of Red Hot World Buffet

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By Lakshmi:

Have you ever had disagreements in your family in terms of where to go out to eat?  Ever get each person saying they want to eat a particular type of cuisine or want to go somewhere specific which no one else is in a mood for?  It certainly happens to us.  So, on a recent trip to Cardiff, when friends recommended we MUST (it was pretty emphatic) eat at Red Hot World Buffet, we made a point of seeking it out.

Located smack in the city center, the restaurant’s claim to fame is that for one price (9.99 pounds per person on a Saturday for lunch), you can eat a buffet filled to your heart’s content.  Now a lot of restaurants advertise that, but what is promised here is a buffet encompassing Indian, Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Italian and Mediterranean food.

As soon as we entered, we noticed the restaurant was packed and bustling with activity.  We got seated within a few minutes and then came a journey that I have to say has not been commonplace.  Walking slowly towards the appetizers area, I knew their claim of serving an assortment of cuisine was absolutely spot on.  This was not some token, obligatory check the box with one dish dedicated to each cuisine but dishes upon dishes and stations dedicated to each specialty.

For a foodie, this was a fantasy come true….but it was also tremendously stress inducing.  ”Oh I wish I had not eaten breakfast” , “Wait, how can I try everything here?” “I’ve always wanted to try this…” my mind was a smorgasbord of questions.

Each dish we ate tasted fresh and authentic.  From the freshly piped hummus served in dainty cups with an olive slice at the top to the fiery hot Thai green curry, from the potatoes with mustard to the pizza with jalapenos, from the mango souffle to the chocolate cake, the list of dishes was totally satiating.  We ate our way through multiple rounds and left incredibly content and happy.  Our only complaint on a cold day was that there was no place close by that we could retire for a nap!

If you think we are exaggerating about the choices, simply take a look at their menu in Cardiff that we partook.

http://www.redhot-worldbuffet.com/restaurants/cardiff/buffet-menu/

We have subsequently discovered that the restaurant has multiple locations throughout the UK.  To get more information on their locations, click here:

http://www.redhot-worldbuffet.com/

If you’ve had a similar dining experience, we’d absolutely love to hear from you.

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