With a hit TV show, an Oscar-winning film, the best restaurant in the world and covetable design, now is the time to discover all things DanishThe hit TV showPut simply, the hunt for the killer of Nanna Birk Larsen rejigs everything you expect about snoozesome murdery-mystery TV. Over 20 dimly-lit, subtitled hours, The Killing's plot simmers, startles and slowly unravels, as cops Sarah Lund and Jan Meyer pace Copenhagen's streets. They interview, re-interview, then thrice harangue witnesses, each time gleaning fresh "truths". We observe Nanna's mourners make mental headway with shock, anger, bargaining, depression. Lund's obsession with catching this grim, meticulous murderer, giving closure to Nanna's parents, becomes our obsession, too.I love Lund; she's the sort of better woman I dream to be, shunting her love life, parenting-guilt and planned move to Sweden into the "Emotional crap to deal with" pile as she bids to change Denmark for the greater good. I love her grooming regime: hot water, nicotine replacement gum and an elastic band. I love her nifty skill in zoning out criticism, warnings and mind games, especially from her own nagging mum. Lund challenges the scary, gruff patriarchs of Copenhagen's politics and top-rank police, headbutting the truth until old alibis dissolve, fierce loyalties are disrupted and the most innocent faces give way to guilt. While British cop shows are festooned with screaming and snottering, Lund and Meyer deal aloofly with each triumph. Emotions run high, but rarely show on anybody's face. Each time the credits close, one is left with fewer hard facts and more befuddling questions. In a television age where tweet-along programming is king, The Killing requires good, old-fashioned "phone switched off" and "staring straight ahead" concentration. Oh, the irony. A TV show that no one can tweet about ? or chat about for fear of "spoilers" ? is so far one of 2011's biggest hits. Grace DentThe Killing, season one, is out on DVD on 4 April.The must-see filmsFor a tiny country, Denmark often punches above its weight and that's certainly true for film. Not since Lars von Trier slapped audiences around the face with Breaking The Waves and his subsequent Dogme pranks (who could forget The Idiots, in which a bunch of Copenhagen suburbanites pretended to be mentally disabled?) has Danish cinema been so talked about.Director Susanne Bier scooped this year's Oscar for best foreign language film with In A Better World, a compelling drama about two schoolboys choosing between pacifism and violence, while Janus Metz's war documentary, Armadillo, records life at a Danish-British base in Helmand. If there's one thing that unites these two most-hyped exports, it's their determination to scuff up Denmark's reputation as the "nicest" nation in Europe.With a storyline that begins with playground bullying and takes in infidelity, bereavement, evil warlords and revenge, no one could accuse Bier of dodging the Big Issues. Her drama unfolds with a kind of relentless calm ? huge African skies and flat Danish waters fill the screen even as the emotional screws tighten on the boys and their families. Bier has said the plot was engineered to question the cosy stereotype of her homeland as "an harmonious society" and a "blissful" place to live.Minefields, real and ethical, also run through Metz's nonfiction work, which has shocked Denmark by showing its international "peacekeepers" as brutal killers. Armadillo has been compulsory viewing in that country ? especially for the government, which has now set up an inquiry into the war crimes it may or may not portray. Liese SpencerArmadillo is released in the UK on 8 April. In A Better World is out in August. The hot gastronomyAfter a long, demanding day of Machiavellian political manoeuvring in episode 12 of The Killing, prospective Copenhagen mayor Troels Hartmann rewards himself with a chill-cabinet pepperoni pizza. But if he really wanted to prove his commitment to his city, he'd be eating New Nordic. The food world's latest crush, the New Nordic culinary movement, was spearheaded by deeply photogenic young Danish chef Ren� Redzepi. His restaurant, Noma, opened in Copenhagen in 2004 and the fact it now holds two Michelin stars and was last year voted into top spot in the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants awards indicates he might be getting something right.The philosophy behind his menus is "local, seasonal" ? of course it is ? but Redzepi takes a hardcore approach, refusing to cook with anything that doesn't come from his home region. So "nej, tak" to olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and foie gras, but "ja, hvorfor ikke" to largely foraged ingredients such as marsh violets, silver birch sap, bulrushes and, perhaps more challengingly, cod milt (sperm). There's no point in pretending this type of cooking isn't ludicrously ripe for parody, but it's also delicious and kind of thrilling.Over here, fellow Dane Christoffer Hruskova, having started out at his first London restaurant, Fig, is continuing to riff on the New Nordic theme at his second place, North Road, applying Noma's zero-tolerance policy on olive oil and garlic, and its fondness for foraging and ancient cooking techniques (smoking, salting and pickling), to ingredients available in Britain. Jenny McIvor The classic designPeek through the windows of any Danish home and chances are you'll see one or all of the following classics: Poul Henningsen's flying-saucer PH lamp, a Series 7 chair by Arne Jacobsen, a Bang & Olufsen TV and a set of Georg Jensen cutlery. Danes are rightly proud of their rich design heritage, in all its functional, well-crafted, minimalist glory, but the result is that almost every home looks the same."We're such a small country," says Poul Madsen, chief executive of Normann Copenhagen, a well-known contemporary design company. "If a lamp or chair is even modestly successful, it means most people own it."Such is the influence wielded by these masters, it can be hard for younger designers to find their own style. "These old guys from the 50s and 60s really put Denmark on the map, but designers often feel their weight a bit too much," Madsen says. Those who are most successful, says Peter Bonn�n, founder of Muuto, another young design brand, take the functionality and craftmanship of Jacobsen et al and add a 21st-century twist.To get the Danish look, head to Skandium for the classics; Normann Copenhagen and Muuto for new designs; and 95percentdanish.com for everything else. Hannah BoothThe most-wanted fashionWe've had to wait a while for female detective chic to move to the next level, but Sarah Lund's cream-and-black Scandi knit is the unsung star of TV drama The Killing and has, in one perfect knitwear coup de grace, ended the hitherto unassailable dominance of the DCI Jane Tennison skirt-suit and trench look.Sofie Gr�b�l, who plays Lund, has said the casting of the jumper is perfect because it shows that her character is at home with herself and isn't in thrall to the-woman-in-a-man's-world idea that forces many wardrobe departments to put female cops in suits. Well, there's that, and there's also the fact that the jumper just rocks. It looks lived-in but not grungy, slightly 70s but not embarrassingly retro, and is perfectly pitched at the Alexa Chung end of the nerdy spectrum. No wonder knitwear specialist Gudrun & Gudrun, which sells the jumper for ?280, can barely keep up with demand.If you don't want to shell out on the original (spring is coming, so it's not the wisest moment to overspend on wool), there are still a lot of Fair Isle options on the high street. A man's in XS will give you that Lund look if you can't find the right one on the women's rails.If the classic Scandi knit has given you a taste for the Danish look full stop, the labels to investigate are Day Birger et Mikkelsen for bohemian glamour, M�us by Malou Sander for simple leathers and R�tzou for quietly chic dresses. Choose classic stuff ? Malene Birger does the perfect blue shirt, R�tzou has the loveliest simple pocket dress. Like Lund with her jumper, you'll never want to take them off. Imogen FoxThe gripping readScandinavian crime fiction is no flash in the pan ? in recent years barely a train in the country has reached its destination without several well-thumbed copies of Swedish bestsellers Henning Mankel or Stieg Larsson on board. Norwegian writer But what true enthusiasts know is that Denmark is where the real action is. While bleak, hypnotic thriller The Killing continues to enthral viewers on BBC4, Jo Nesb�'s Oslo-set Harry Hole novels have been racing up the book charts both here and abroad, and this spring we are to be treated to Denmark's top crime writer, Jussi Adler-Olsen.Mercy, the first in his "Department Q" trilogy, has spent more than a year on bestseller lists in both Denmark and Germany, and film rights have been snapped up by trilogy-fan Lars von Trier's production company. Out here in May (Penguin, �6.99), the novel sees troubled detective Carl M�rck setting up a department for unsolved cases. Or, as he sees it, "a home for hopeless cases". His first investigation is into the disappearance of a missing politician, presumed dead, but in fact imprisoned. It features all the hallmarks Scandi-book fans have come to adore ? complicated politics laced with a frisson of sexual tension, a disenchanted detective and coffee-fuelled crime-solving. But what set apart this recent rash of Danish tales are their credible characters. Where the novels of Patricia Cornwell and TV shows such as CSI almost fetishise gore and material evidence, Mercy and its ilk focus on narrative, motive and a refreshing dollop of social commentary. While never shying away from the gruesome, the Danes are employing an age-old secret ingredient: gripping storytelling. Alexandra HeminsleyThe weekend awayApart from the psychedelic Hotel Fox, Copenhagen's trendiest hotels tend towards cosy rather than self-consciously cool. Try the seaside Skovshoved hotel ? 20 minutes from the city centre ? for wooden-floored, plump-pillowed bedrooms and private jetty. Or Nimb, with a Michelin-starred restaurant, "rustic" wine bar and antique-draped bedrooms with open fires and huge bathtubs.Design heads should make for the Radisson Blu Royal, created by Arne Jacobsen in 1960. Guests can loll in an Egg or Swan chair in the lobby, perch on a Series 7 chair at the bar, eat with "AJ" cutlery in the 20th-floor restaurant or check into room 606, featuring Jacobsen's original colour scheme, furniture and lighting.For caffeinated gallery- and boutique-hopping, gritty-but-hip Vesterbro is the place, home to record and coffee shop Sort and art, craft and design emporium Designer Zoo. Or head for Copenhagen's shiniest fashion street, Kronprinsensgade.Swim with the locals at one of the pools suspended in the harbour or navigate the city's secret corners by kayak (try have recently launched new Urban Kayak tours that paddle, . offers a tour that paddles through small canals and harbours into Amsterdam-like houseboat villages and counter-culture . Too energetic? Recline on a cushion at Halvandet "beach bar" and enjoy Copenhagen's liquid assets. Rhiannon BattenDenmarkEuropeEuropeDenmarkTelevisionDesignFood & drinkFashionThe KillingRen� RedzepiGrace DentHannah BoothImogen Foxguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Brainrotting Ep. 20 ? Volunteering in Guatemala
Graham stops for a while on his journey, volunteering for a month with Education For The Children at their school in Jocotenango, Guatemala.
The Authentic Ski Tour: Red Lodge, Day 1
..... Billings, Montana (Ski Press)-They say that what you seek is what you find. So I shouldn?t have been surprised in the Billings airport, the ?gateway to the big sky,? to feel like I had landed in 1975, waiting for my bags in a nostalgic mountain scene of ranchers, miners and skiers, before anyone had heard of timeshares.Maybe it was the cowboys drinking Budweisers at the airport bakery and pastry bar, the guys in the seats on the plane behind me trading Clydesdale dreams and the promise of open land, or the horse statues at the baggage carousel, the stuffed sheep and all the soldiers coming home. But that sense of grassroots wonder started as soon as I heard those two good old boys behind me talking on the plane. ?If I had one of those Clydesdales I?d just keep it like a big old dog. Here puppy, puppy,? one of them said. And the other one agreed, that they were the most beautiful horses, and started to tell a story about how he used to ship bull semen all over the world. But then the plane hit a patch of bad air and the younger one said, ?Right now I?m just imagining that I?m driving down a gravel road.? Jeff Carroll picked me up outside. Tall, blonde and eternally tan, he had been Red Lodge Mountain?s Director of Sales and Marketing for nine months now, having made the move from Tamarack in Idaho. He said he had jumped at the job, and loved the mountain, and loved the opportunity to tell his wife that she was going home. ?She grew up here,? he said, driving to Red Lodge with all the deer beside the road. ?So it?s pretty amazing to raise our family here, too. He said he had a little girl, and another baby on the way. And I told him I remembered Red Lodge from coming up from Jackson Hole to ski Beartooth Pass in the late spring when the road was plowed between high white walls of snow; the red brick parade of buildings down Broadway and all the cowboy hats and Carhartts in the bars. We ate steak at the Carbon County Steakhouse, a perfect New York and Cowboy Coffee Ribeye. And I slept at Pollard?s down the street, the grand red brick hotel with the history of ?Liver? eating Johnston and William Jennings Bryants and even Ernest Hemingway on fishing trips coming through. There was a plaque behind the counter with the quote, ?Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear, and with a manly heart,? by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, that had been saved from the heyday of the miner?s ?Theatorium? next door. ?They started clearing out a lot of the statues and stuff when that place was used to make our own special ?cough syrup? during Prohibition,? the lady at check-in said. ?They used to ship their ?cure? all the way to Chicago and San Francisco.? I wanted to ask her more in the morning but she was gone. So I walked past the neon tipi of the Red Lodge Caf�, the wine bar, antique, pottery and kitchen stores, and past a fence made of skis where I saw a truck attached to an extension cord to keep the engine warm right next to an open Subaru hatchback loaded with fishing gear and thought: ?That?s Montana right there.? Slightly more than 2,000 people live in Red Lodge. And Jeff Carroll said his destination ski traffic is heavily weighted to North Dakota and Minnesota. ?So will I see lots of snowmobile suits and Viking?s Starter Jackets on the slope?? ?Oh,? Jeff assured me. ?Those are some of our best customers.? I didn?t see any obvious Brett Favre fans, but lots of hot-rodders in camouflage came zipping by, and telemarkers, snowboarders and kids in Day-Glo. We saw them skiing off Nichols and Grizzly Peak, and down into Palisades Park where the cliffs rise up like dinosaurs. Down the tree-sided steeps of Upper Continental and True Grit, and zooming the open slope of Lazy M with Bob, a fast-skiing welder from Billings who rides Harleys and only hunts with black powder now. He led us down ?Lodge Trail,? a gullet of bumps into the base area where I wish I had stopped to pull out my camera. And he stopped and smiled up at the sunshine and said, ?I?m going to have a beer then see a man about buying a house. It?s time I made the commute from here to Billings instead of the other way around.? At the gas station, Jeff started talking to the banker who said, ?Oh, Chico Hot Springs. You guys are going to love it there.?� Links: The Carbon County Steakhouse: www.thepizzaco.com/steakhouse The Pollard Hotel: www.thepollard.com Red Lodge Mountain: www.redlodgemountain.com
Galapagos Destinations Traveling Manual Spot light upon Galapagos Destinations Vacations
This Galapagos Islands, pretty much ONE PARTICULAR, 000km there are various coast connected with Ecuador, are the oceanic paradise; a spot that time has neglected This islands will be household to unique in addition to exciting styles of life which are definitely not found anywhere else on the planet
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Big Bear Vacation Rentals
A great candidate to consider for Big Bear rentals is Golden Bear Cottages With 29 cabins to choose from on a historic five acre resort, just one block from the lake, these Big Bear cabin rentals are perfect for families, groups, and couples
Where to Ski this Weekend: March 25-27
Snow is still flying across the country. Plus, plenty of resorts are hosting music, festivals, and events. The skiing is good just about everywhere. Get out there.
The locals' guide to Paris
Bloggers from the Spotted by Locals network share tips on the French capital, from a reclaimed cultural centre to the Belleville cafe, once the hang-out of Piaf and ChevalierTour Montparnasse ? best view of ParisSpotted by: Willem VinkMost people, when asked for the best view of Paris, would immediately answer "from the Eiffel Tower" or "from Montmartre". But there is a far better view from the Tour Montparnasse. The building is one of the highest in the city and has devoted its top floor to the breathtaking view it has over the city. The big advantage over the Eiffel tower is that the capacity is much bigger, so you don't have to queue for hours before you can go up. The advantage over Montmartre is that you also have a view of Montmartre. You go up by high speed elevators. On the top floor (56th) you have an interesting exhibition on the history of Paris. You can take in the the view from the inside if the weather is bad, but even better is the large rooftop where you have lots of space. You will notice that Paris has a very strict policy on high rise buildings and that almost all buildings have about the same rooftop level. In fact the Tour Montparnasse, which is a tall and rather dark and dull monolith, is the living example of how things could get if no such limitations were in place ? a warning for all Parisians.? rue du D�part, Montparnasse (+33 (0) 1 45 38 52 56, tourmontparnasse56.com). Adults ?11. Open Apr-Oct: 9.30am-11.30pm daily; Oct-Apr Sun-Thu 9.30am-11.30pm, Fri-Sat 9.30am-11pmPoint �ph�m�re ? cool cultural spaceSpotted by Harriet O'BrienRun by Usines �ph�m�re ? a not-for-profit organisation that converts wastelands into cultural centres for young artists ? the Point �ph�m�re is a cafe, nightclub, exhibition centre and concert venue all rolled into one. Artists' and musicians' studios and workshops are also housed there, making it one of the most innovative cultural projects in Paris today. Simple food and inexpensive drinks are available until late and the canal-side terrace is a great hang-out and a perfectly protected sun-trap. Leaflets and flyers with information on concerts/club nights and exhibitions can be found in bars and on their website.? 200 quai Valmy, Belleville/Nation (+33 (0) 1 40 34 02 48, pointephemere.org). Open 1pm-2am daily (later if there's an event/concert on). Club nights ?10Le Tambour ? all night eating and drinkingSpotted by: Harriet O'BrienThe main thrill of the Tambour is undoubtedly its curious opening hours. Fancy a steak or an onion soup at 4am? The Tambour is probably the place for you. The food is traditional French: various cuts of meat, cheese boards and a good selection of wines. The place fills up with well-heeled post-show/theatre goers, hungry post-bar students and all manner of miscellaneous others. It's always busy and while there is no definite obligation to eat, ordering a plate of cheese will probably land you a table a bit quicker. Characteristic of old bistro culture, you'll be packed on to tiny tables next to strangers, so be prepared for a bit of inter-table banter. They also maintain that dangerous tactic of leaving a huge bottle of wine on your table for you to drink (and pay for) as much as you consume.? 41 rue Montmartre, Louvre/Les Halles (+33 (0) 1 42 33 06 90). Open Tue-Sat 12pm-6am, Sun-Mon 6pm-6am.Butte aux Cailles ? a different ParisSpotted by: Tamara Mesari?Butte aux Cailles is a really lovely part of the city, the 13th arrondissement, southern Paris; the northern limit is boulevard Auguste Blanqui, to the south is rue Tolbiac, rue Barrault to the west and rue du Moulin-des-Pr�s to the east. It has the atmosphere of a tranquil village with a holiday feeling. Just a few centuries ago, this area was covered with farms and windmills with the river Bi�vre running through it. The origin of its name comes from the 16th-century owner, Cailles, while buttes are hills. Today, history is visible through its distinction from its surrounding areas: Haussmann's Paris on one side and high-rises on the other. And the river went into the underground. In the evenings, and on weekends and sunny days, there is a great atmosphere all around. Lively, not stuffy or snobbish at all. Walk around before choosing a bar, especially in the rue Butte aux Cailles. Fine places are the Basque restaurant, Chez Gladines in the rue des Cinq Diamants, and La Folie en T�te, Le Diapason and Sputnik in the rue Buttes aux Cailles. Most bars open until 2am.Aux Folies ? noisy, frenetic and diverseSpotted by Harriet O'BrienOnce a caf�-theatre frequented by Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf (then local residents), Aux Folies embodies perfectly the spirit of the quartier, so cram yourself on to one of the tiny street-facing tables and watch the colour and chaos of local life unfold. The drinks are cheap and the service super-efficient; late afternoon even finds the terrace (a rare sun-trap amid the narrow shaded streets) bathed in somnolent rays. Aux Folies is usually packed at all hours, the clientele is made up of the local bohos, Chinese and north African residents, plus a selection of foreign students and artists too. Very cool, very Parisian. Aux Folies also featured in C�dric Klapisch's 2008 film Paris. Naturally.? 8 rue de Belleville, Belleville/Nation (+33 (0) 1 46 36 65 98). Open Mon-Sat 6am-2am, Sun 7am-1amVintage Desir ? go and look greatSpotted by: Karim FekarLocated in the famous pedestrianised rue des Rosiers, Vintage Desir is the address for secondhand vintage clothes. Once inside this little shop, the prices are reasonable ? from ?10 to ?15 for a shirt or dress, a little bit more for a leather jacket. I recently found a typical Austrian jacket for ?15 - and it's not difficult to negotiate if you buy a few articles.? 32 rue des Rosiers, Marais/Bastille (+33 1 40 27 04 98). Open daily 11am-9pmThese are edited extracts from the Spotted by locals blogParisCity breaksFood and drinkCultural tripsBars and clubsFranceguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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