tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57076503125400479542024-03-13T12:23:53.739-07:00RAtravelerThe personal blog of traveler, art lover, and excellent eats enthusiast Richard Adam.Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-37564649526734018842013-10-08T20:29:00.002-07:002013-10-08T20:54:16.045-07:00Restaurant Sant Pau (Michelin ***)<br />
Sant Pol de Mar, Spain<br />
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Last week, to celebrate the end of a great trip to Morocco, France and Spain, my two dear friends Mark and George and I had lunch at an amazing restaurant in a small seaside town near Barcelona. Restaurant Sant Pau is owned and run by world renowned chef Carme Ruscadella. To get there, take the <em>Renfe</em> train from the Catalunya station in the direction of Macenet-Massenes for 50 minutes and exit at Sant Pol de Mar. The restaurant is directly behind the station. We ordered the tasting menu with wine pairing -- a 4-hour journey of beauty and taste. It was a thrill when Chef Carme came around to the tables and said hello and autographed my menu.<br />
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Here are pictures I took of some of the 15 or so courses. (Click on pictures for better view.)<br />
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Pirineo mini-hamburger, biodynamic vegetables (one of 5 small appetizers served)<br />
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European lobster, "leche de tigre," perona beans</div>
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Romesco dashi, French lettuce, shiso, kombu</div>
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Squid 2013, vegetables, mushrooms, tomato sauce</div>
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<em>Gamba</em> tails, on sailor's toast</div>
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Cleaver Wrasse 2013, olives, vermouth and chayote</div>
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Challans duck, apple, <em>pourpier</em>, yuzu</div>
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"The luxury of ripe seasonal fruit" (figs)<br />
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Sweet potato, childhood memories<br />
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Chocolate, mushrooms, rosemary, candied hazlenuts<br />
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We were served coffee and assorted sweets in the garden below, which looks back at the restaurant above and the kitchen below.<br />
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Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-39558940323240969392013-05-11T13:23:00.000-07:002013-05-11T13:30:32.618-07:00Seville/Gibraltar/Granada/Valencia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-34830762435708958962012-09-30T09:37:00.001-07:002012-09-30T09:37:50.617-07:00Los Angeles -- Space Shuttle @ LAX United Airlines Hangar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-88112780891068906142012-09-18T19:35:00.001-07:002012-09-18T19:35:17.305-07:00Cairo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-51407992733267497552012-09-18T19:10:00.002-07:002012-09-18T19:10:52.667-07:00Abu Simbel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-61109738885707719452012-09-18T18:56:00.002-07:002012-09-18T18:56:57.312-07:00Aswan/Philae, Egypt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-12816219068261174722012-09-18T18:49:00.002-07:002012-09-18T18:49:33.147-07:00Kom Ombo, Egypt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-35983786603143149302012-09-18T18:41:00.001-07:002012-09-18T18:41:17.328-07:00Edfu, Egypt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-18576692919176721172012-09-18T18:25:00.001-07:002012-09-18T18:25:15.379-07:00Dendara, Egypt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-1482729370471448402012-09-18T18:08:00.003-07:002012-09-18T18:08:59.996-07:00Luxor, Egypt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-37414914634538119352012-09-17T16:31:00.001-07:002012-09-17T17:08:11.351-07:00Copenhagen Foodie Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
recently spent a few days in Copenhagen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was motivated to visit this beautiful city for the first time by
something I have heard for the last couple of years – that Copenhagen has
become a serious food destination, with many superb, forward-thinking
restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, the San Pellegrino
World’s 50 Best Restaurants (</span><a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #1982d1;">http://www.theworlds50best.com/</span></span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">) has <span style="color: black;">named </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;">René Redzepi’s Noma</span> <span style="color: #222222;">the best restaurant in the world for the last three
years. A few months ago, I scored a nearly impossible Noma reservation for
September 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, and I was able to incorporate a visit to Copenhagen
on my way to Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend Mark
joined me on this trip and we ate a lot of good food and had a lot of laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Copenhagen
has about a dozen or so Michelin starred restaurants, and I made a number of
reservations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I owe much to Trine Lai,
who writes a fantastic food blog,</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><a href="http://verygoodfood.dk/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #1982d1;">http://verygoodfood.dk/</span></span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">, which gave me all the
information I needed about the Copenhagen food scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trine is a very talented blogger and
photographer and also is very gracious. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
reality of timing led me to edit our selection to three restaurants:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Manfreds & Vin for lunch and Kiin Kiin
for dinner on Wednesday, Sept. 5<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> and Noma for lunch on Thursday,
Sept. 6<sup>th</sup>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In between we did
a lot of fun touristy sight-seeing in this great city.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Manfreds
& Vin (reservations recommended for dinner and lunch)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://manfreds.dk/en"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #1982d1;">http://manfreds.dk/en</span></span></a></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Manfreds
was one of Trine’s recommendations, and I love it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s on an artsy street lined with little
studios and shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This restaurant,
popular with locals, is the younger cousin of the Michelin-starred Relae, which
is across the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The restaurant
offers high-quality Danish fare made from locally sourced products and features
natural wines – wines that are created organically and are non-sulfured and
have no added sugars or other preservatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hadn’t tried such wines before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am not a wine expert and often am hard pressed to discern the scents
that experts talk about with respect to wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I was definitely able to detect strong fruit notes in these natural
wines, and they were bright, refreshing, and delightful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Manfreds has a “Parisian-style” lunch set
menu, which consists of several vegetable dishes, a soup, and a meat dish – all
the chef’s choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dishes are meant
to be shared. Our particular menu included an </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">eggplant dish, green cauliflower with dill caper and anchovy
vinaigrette, baby potatoes and crème fraiche with pork cracklings, pumpkin soup
with spicy infused butter, and roast lamb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ordered the accompanying wine menu of three different glasses of wine
to go with lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The space was inviting
and homey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved this place and would
return again and again if I lived in Copenhagen.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OQHg14kizA/UFeqzAK23_I/AAAAAAAAAVo/bz98UXvszbY/s1600/Manfreds1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OQHg14kizA/UFeqzAK23_I/AAAAAAAAAVo/bz98UXvszbY/s320/Manfreds1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DO7DaWNsnII/UFeq6CirzqI/AAAAAAAAAVw/QQgJHO5AGIA/s1600/Manfreds2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DO7DaWNsnII/UFeq6CirzqI/AAAAAAAAAVw/QQgJHO5AGIA/s320/Manfreds2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H8F3oQLIbwc/UFerBG8zJdI/AAAAAAAAAV4/W7Lc66gKVPg/s1600/Manfreds3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H8F3oQLIbwc/UFerBG8zJdI/AAAAAAAAAV4/W7Lc66gKVPg/s320/Manfreds3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Kiin
Kiin (dinner only; reservations essential)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #1982d1;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 19.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="http://www.kiin.dk/welcome.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #1982d1; font-size: small;">http://www.kiin.dk/welcome.html</span></span></a><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Kiin
Kiin is a Thai restaurant like no other – the first and only Thai restaurant to
receive a Michelin star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food and
the experience are amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a
short seating for pre-theatre (with a smaller menu) and then one seating for
dinner – so reservations are essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
It's not far from Manfreds, in an artsy area that the owner told us he reclaimed from a crackhouse a few years ago. </span>We entered the restaurant into a beautiful Asian-themed lounge which is
a few steps below the sidewalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
taken to comfy chairs, where the experience began with assorted pre-dinner
snacks (and a glass of champagne which we ordered).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our host explained the set menu and asked
whether we’d be ordering the set wine menu to accompany dinner, which we did. A
short time later, we were escorted upstairs to the dining room, where the meal
began with a series of seriously inventive and delicious haute Thai cuisine
dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve pasted the menu from the
restaurant web site below. The restaurant’s co-founder, Henrik Yde-Andersen, is
an extremely likeable and gracious host, and we really enjoyed speaking with
him about his restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner lasted
about 3 ½ hours – with many dishes and delicious wines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a place not to be missed if you’re
visiting Copenhagen.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5txhWhijGIw/UFerpiZbmWI/AAAAAAAAAWw/QoaxMeWXQEw/s1600/kiin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5txhWhijGIw/UFerpiZbmWI/AAAAAAAAAWw/QoaxMeWXQEw/s320/kiin1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jTiGuGIi4o/UFerkF-zYxI/AAAAAAAAAWg/NTVMzWcAzeg/s1600/kiin+menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jTiGuGIi4o/UFerkF-zYxI/AAAAAAAAAWg/NTVMzWcAzeg/s320/kiin+menu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Noma (lunch and dinner; reservations are essential -- see the restaurant's web site for instructions)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://noma.dk/"><span style="color: blue;">http://noma.dk</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our
final foodie stop was lunch at Noma, a temple to gastronomy and an experience
like no other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our reservation was for
noon, which is the beginning time for lunch, and over the next 4+ hours we were
part of a group of about 30 patrons who enjoyed the creations of </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">René Redzepi – amazing lightness and
beauty – dishes of food formed, sculpted, painted, created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is Nordic cuisine reimagined, using
locally grown and foraged food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in
all, about 20 courses came, with 8 different wines to accompany them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chefs and wait staff are incredibly
gracious and good humored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The room, the
scene of such seriously artistic food, was lively and fun, with much laughter
filling the space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is beyond my photography
skills to photograph the dishes to do them justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can check out Trine’s web site or google
Noma or look it up on youtube for videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did snap a couple of pictures of the space during our lunch – a rustic
and beautiful decor with plenty of space and light. An experience I'll always remember.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f1GoTMYLr0w/UFesMvykabI/AAAAAAAAAXY/Pkkq2d6AuUU/s1600/noma4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f1GoTMYLr0w/UFesMvykabI/AAAAAAAAAXY/Pkkq2d6AuUU/s320/noma4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="color: black;">Copenhagen Sights</span></o:p></span></div>
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Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-67821755453301899262012-08-16T19:08:00.000-07:002012-08-16T19:08:17.745-07:00Los Angeles -- The Getty Villa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-91905343567753285362012-02-12T20:02:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:56:53.966-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge: New York Finish Line<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Friday morning at Heathrow, I boarded a jet bound for D.C. and then hopped on a plane to LaGuardia and checked into my hotel in Times Square by 4:45pm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a>I thought I might finish the Challenge a day earlier than previously scheduled, but it would be a bit of a race. After quickly freshening up, I met my dear friend Janet, who lives in New York, in the lobby, and we took the subway to Chelsea. Wow. I'm glad I saved New York for last, because the galleries and exhibits in NYC are the most impressive of all of them, in my opinion. We visited the 24th Street Gallery first, which is between 10th and 11th, and the space and some of the spot paintings were huge! After traveling around the world and seeing all the Gagosian galleries and Spot Painting exhibits, seeing these pieces on such a large scale was thrilling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 21st Street gallery is three short blocks and a 10 minute walk away, and I was similarly impressed with the exhibit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The gallery staff at both galleries were nice and congratulatory when they saw how far I'd gotten on the Challenge. By this time, it was 5:45pm, and the young lady who processed my spot asked whether I planned to go to the gallery on the Upper East Side tonight, to which I replied, yes. Did I plan to get there in the next 15 minutes? Uh oh. I had assumed that the galleries in New York were open until 7pm, but they are open from 10am - 6pm. So it turned out I would have to complete the challenge on Saturday after all. No matter. I was feeling great at this point knowing that all the planning and focus on completing the Challenge would come to a successful end tomorrow. Janet and I walked the High Line and got caught up as old friends do, and then we tucked into Macy's so I could buy some fresh clothes (world challenge tip: When traveling a world challenge with minimal luggage for maximum mobility, use old underwear --that you would have normally have thrown out at home-- that you have saved for such an occasion. Toss said clothing and buy new as you go. At the end of your travels, you will have the same volume of clothing in your carry on.). Then we went to Rosa Mexicana and had margaritas and delicious Mexican food in a pre-completion celebration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got a great night's sleep -- 9 hours -- and the next morning Janet joined me again for the final, final stop -- Gagosian central on Madison Avenue, between 76th and 77th. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you enter the building, you need to go to the elevator that is off to the left side and go to the 6th floor. The gallery is on several floors, and Janet and I took our time enjoying the exhibit before I presented my card for the final spot. The young lady who processed it, Alexine, could not have been nicer -- thank you. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a wonderful way to end the challenge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had my picture taken in front of the first painting, <em>Spot Painting</em>, 1986, Household gloss on canvas, which started it all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another young lady took me around the gallery and took photos of me in front of various paintings, and then the formalities were discussed, and it was done! Amazing. Nine days after I left for Hong Kong I had collect the 11th, and final, spot in a whirlwind trip around the world! Elation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later that afternoon I boarded a flight headed for L.A., and by 8pm I was home with my puppy Bandit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People ask why I took on this challenge. I've resisted commenting on the art, as I feel my comments would sound trite. Although I love art, I am not an artist. Nor am I educated in art. Nor, frankly, do I really understand it. But I do react to it. The spot paintings made me feel something which I cannot adequately describe. I very much enjoy viewing them, and viewing them in so many different spaces around the world has been great fun. The Challenge also stirred in me the spirit of adventure and compelled me to try to complete it, if I could do so in a reasonable amount of time and within a reasonable budget. The journey was indeed challenging, but I had a blast! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope this blog will help fellow Challengers, and I'd like to thank all the wonderful Gagosian gallery staff I met around the world and, finally, Damien Hirst for creating the art.</span><br />
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Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-9509389956293791732012-02-09T16:11:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:56:33.169-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge: Quick Athens Spot Stop<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got the Athens spot today (yeah!) and I'm writing this from the Heathrow Airport Hilton, getting a little rest before my (hopefully) morning flight tomorrow to NYC to collect the last 3 spots on the challenge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a>Today was an interesting, full day. The morning flight from Rome to Athens on Easyjet wasn't as bad as I expected, and Athens has an excellent Metro service from the airport to the center of town -- costs 8 Euro and takes about 30 minutes. When you arrive at the airport, go out Exit 2 then take the elevator up to the upper level and follow the sky bridge to the train terminal. There is a ticket window where you can buy your ticket. The airport is the first stop so you don't need to worry about getting on the wrong train.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">To get to Gagosian Athens, take the Metro to Syntagma Square. It's 15 stops from the airport, and the train will be packed by the time you get there, so try to worm your way close to a door a stop or two before. Sadly, the weather was cold and rainy -- miserable really -- so I just wanted to get the spot and head back to the dry warmth of the airport where I would catch my BA flight to London at 7pm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When you exit the Metro Station and step out into the square, turn around and you'll see a big building up the hill ahead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That's the Parliament building and you head towards that (with the Hotel George on your left) and keep going on the road up the hill, passing the Parliament on your right. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today, as it happened there was another demonstration going on -- much smaller than the massive protests of a couple of days ago -- and there were riot police everywhere, so I didn't feel uncomfortable continuing up the road. I discreetly snapped a couple of photos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Merlin Street is a couple of blocks up, on the left. It's a pretty little street lined with either red orange or tangerine trees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The gallery is located in #3 on the left. Once again you need to ring the doorbell and you'll be buzzed in. The gallery is small, but the not the smallest, and had a nice mix of spot paintings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The nice woman who helped me with my spot asked me which painting I wanted to stand in front of for my photo, and she said the one I chose is the one most people choose and that it's the best painting they have.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As you can see, I'm feeling pretty cold and wet here, but I was thrilled to get the last non-US spot, and I feel excited about heading home to the states tomorrow. I've had a great number of wonderful experiences in this 10-day quest, but I will be glad to be home in the USA. If all goes according to plan, I'll be toasting margaritas at Rosa Mexicana tomorrow evening!</span>Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-66892944253378927912012-02-08T13:43:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:56:12.157-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge: Geneva Rome<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I woke up in Geneva after getting a really good night's sleep for the first time in a few days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a>With the gallery not opening until 11am I could take my time before collecting the Geneva spot and moving on to Rome. This was my first ever visit to Geneva, so I was eager to do a little sightseeing. Unfortunately, it is so incredibly cold in Europe right now and it was freezing in Geneva with a stiff icy wind blowing, so I couldn't really enjoy the city. But even under these conditions, I can see that this is a beautifully situated city and I look forward to visiting again some day during a warmer season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Gagosian gallery in Geneva is at 19 Place de Longmalle. Many of the hotels if not most, including mine, are just across the Pont du Mont Blanc, so I decided to walk from my hotel across the bridge to the gallery. I left at 10 am, not quite knowing what to expect and where the gallery was, and I found it within 15 minutes of leaving my hotel, so I found a nice coffee shop up the street and around the corner and thawed out over a coffee and croissant. To get to the gallery, cross the Pont du Mont Blanc and bear to the right and go up a gentle sloping street which turns into Place de Longmalle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There are toney shops along the way and jewelry shops and galleries in the square. Like the Hong Kong gallery, it isn't readily obvious from the outside that you're at a Gagosian. You have to look for the address -- number 19. Then you ring the bell and you're buzzed in. You walk up an ornate circular staircase, and a gallery staff will open the door and greet you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This time it was two young guys who were working there, and they both welcomed me warmly and processed my spot quickly. This is another small Gagosian, but I liked it very much. The selection of spot paintings was nicely eclectic in size, ranging from the big spots to the kind I like the best -- the spot paintings that contain many tiny spots. I enjoyed staring at one such painting while my spot was processed. As you continue to stare, the spots begin to swirl and pulsate as your mind tries to make sense of the juxtaposition of order and chaos. The young man returned with my spot, snapped my photo, and wished me good luck and I was on my way back to my hotel and then onward to the airport.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As I mentioned before, I was nervous about acquiring the Rome spot today, as it is crucial to my being able to finish this challenge in the amount of time of my life I have budgeted for this cause. My flight from Geneva was scheduled to land in Rome at 4:40pm, and if I didn't acquire the spot by the 7pm closing time I'd be screwed, as my flight to Athens is tomorrow morning at 9am. This might seem like plenty of time, but I've been in Rome enough times, including last October, when public transportation broke down or other events slowed the pace of transportation to a crawl, so I did what I could to improve my chances. I lined up early as one of those obnoxious Eurojet seat hoggers and got the first row aisle. When we landed in Rome, on time thankfully, I hopped out and headed straight to the taxi queue and told the driver to take me to Via Francesco Crispi in the city. Up till now I've only used public transportation on this trip (except for one necessary cab ride from my hotel in Hong Kong to the Airport Express train station in Kowloon). Rome airport has a train called the Leonardo Express to it's main train station, which is ordinarily a good option. However, it only leaves every half hour. Then to get to the Gagosian gallery, you need to take the Metro from the train station two stops to Barberini/Fontana di Trevi, and then emerge and wander around until you find the right street. I didn't trust my ability to do that, so I decided to invest in an expensive cab ride. I was very glad of my decision, because there was no traffic (amazingly) and the cab dropped me off at 5:35pm with plenty of time to spare. The three young ladies sitting at the desk on the ground floor welcomed me with smiles and gave me my Rome spot -- yeah! What a relief. One snapped my pic in front of the impressive Methoxyamine 2010-2011 painting in the lobby. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tomorrow it's on to Athens in the morning. I have 7 hours in the city in which to go to the gallery and get back for my BA flight to London tomorrow evening. Luckily I was in Athens last October, so I won't feel too deprived at not being able to spend more time there, but I do intend to eat some good Greek food for lunch. Then on Friday it's on to NYC and knock on wood completion of the Complete Spot Challenge!</span>Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-21660733651067938582012-02-07T15:03:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:55:49.902-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge: London Paris Geneva<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I enjoyed the pleasure of European high speed train travel and public transportation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a> My goal was to depart London for Paris, where I would collect Spot #5, and continue to Geneva for a good night's rest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Eurostar train from London's St. Pancras station took about 2hrs 15 minutes to the Paris Gare du Nord station. It was a very smooth and pleasant journey this morning. I recall the worldwide sensation when the two sides tunneling below the English Channel reached each other. Today, it is a routine, even slightly boring, train ride and my traveling companions were all business people reviewing reports and preparing for meetings. Still, I felt excited to experience the ride on this engineering marvel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I arrived just past noon and set about finding the Paris Gagosian Gallery at 4 Rue de Ponthieu, which is just off the Champs Elysee roughly half way between the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde. I was feeling a little anxious, because I really wanted to catch the 3:11pm train to Geneva from another Paris train station, Gare de Lyon. It is a great credit to the Paris Metro system that I, having only once before visited the city and not a French speaker, was able to find the Gallery, collect my spot, and arrive at Gare de Lyon in <em>just over an hour</em>! For those fellow challengers who may wish to have this info, listen up. If you are heading to Paris from London on Eurostar, consider buying a Paris Metro day ticket from the Eurostar ticket office at St. Pancras. I did this, for 10 pounds, and I considered it a good investment, as the lines for Metro tickets were long at Gare du Nord and, also, I didn't see any ATMs (although there must be some there I would think) and I didn't have any Euros. In any event, I proceeded directly to the Metro station after stepping off the train with my pre-paid day ticket and it worked fine. In the Metro, take Line 4 -- it's important to note the final destination of the direction in which you wish to travel, as that's how the lines are marked and you'll need to know that info or you might wind up going in the wrong direction. Take Line 4 towards Porte d'Orleans three stops to Strasbourg Saint-Denis, where you will transfer to Line 9 towards Pont de Sevres. You may find yourself going up and down various staircases and winding around various passages, but if you follow the signs you'll find it. Take Line 9 to Franklin D. Roosevelt, which is 9 stops. You'll come out in a huge circle called Rond Point des Champs Elysees. Till this moment I had only seen the train station and the metro stations, tunnels, and trains. I felt somewhat ill at ease the whole time. During my last and only visit to Paris, I was awestruck by it's grand size and scale, which is surpassed only by its beauty. But I truly felt like an alien, as if Paris is meant for the French or more particularly for Parisians, and I would never feel comfortable there. But as I walked out of the dark Metro, the dazzling sun was shining upon the buildings along the Champs Elysees and I couldn't help but feel my soul soar. This is Paris!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gagosian is on Rue de Ponthieu, which is between two of the spokes that come out of this Circle, Rue Jean Mermoz and Avenue Matignon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(By the way there are some interesting looking restaurants in this area but unfortunately I didn't have time for any of that.) Just up the street is Rue de Ponthieu and you turn right and Gagosian is on the left. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was the first gallery that I needed to visit carrying my luggage, and I admit I felt a bit self conscious about that (although it's just a small carryon), although they must be used to it by now. In fact, the staff could not have been nicer. The young lady downstairs sent me to the second floor, where two women sat at the desk. They asked me if I had to catch a train (perhaps a pattern for this spot has emerged!) and they assured me they would have me on my way quickly and they did, with a cheerful, "good luck!" I was too rushed to take a picture inside -- I wanted to get to Gare de Lyon and buy my ticket for my next destination. So I left with a "merci beaucoup!" and headed back to the same Metro Station. You take line 1 in the direction of Chateau de Vicennes 6 or 7 stops to Gare de Lyon. So, as I mentioned, it took almost no time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Gare de Lyon is a large, open train station that reminds one of a WWII movie train station, with whistles and all, but with modern trains waiting on the tracks. I wanted to snap a few photos, but there were armed military patroling the station and I thought the better of it in these times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I went to the ticket counter and the very helpful gentleman sold me a ticket to Geneva on the train I wanted, departing at 3:11pm and arriving at 6:16pm. The journey was very relaxing, and in the last hour the scenery abruptly change from rolling farmland and small towns to snow covered mountains, tunnels, and frozen alpine lakes. As we were approaching Geneva, I began to concoct a plan to dash over to the Geneva Gagosian to try to collect that spot before the gallery closed at 7pm. Geneva is not that big and, according to the map, the gallery is just over the river from the station. So I thought I'd try to hop in a cab as soon as I arrived. Unfortunately, the train arrived about 10 minutes late, and when I emerged from the station expecting an orderly taxi stand, there was some kind of major gridlock event going on and all traffic in all directions was at a standstill. Plus it was COLD. As I write this, it is -13 degrees, and I am not dressed for the weather. As an Angeleno, the heaviest thing I have is a lined trench coat, which I brought, and a cashmere scarf I bought at the Hong Kong airport before I left for London. No hat, no gloves. I wouldn't have room for them in my small case anyway. So I decided getting the Geneva spot today was not meant to be, and I walked the short walk to my hotel where I defrosted and settled in for the evening. Tomorrow will be possibly the most challenging day of my challenge. The only way for me to collect the Geneva spot after the gallery opens at 11 and get to Rome is to fly on an EasyJet flight that gets into Rome at 4:40pm, and I'll need to get to the gallery before 7. I am familiar with Rome, having been there several times, most recently last October, and a 2-hour window in Rome to get that spot is a little too close for comfort! But I look forward to seeing in the daylight tomorrow the city of Geneva, the only city in the challenge that I haven't visited before.</span><br />
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-14437127512632119672012-02-06T11:21:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:55:16.320-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge: I love London<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've just had the best day in London, and I can't wait to come back to this amazing city for an extended stay to enjoy all of the sights and delights it has to offer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a> But getting here was a bit of hell. I'd arrived at Hong Kong airport on Sunday morning expecting to board an Air New Zealand flight to London, scheduled to arrive LHR at 2 in the afternoon that Sunday. (tip for world challengers -- if you keep flying west, you will generally land on the same day you leave. If you fly east you will lose days.) That would give me an afternoon at leisure, followed by collecting the spots at the Davies Street gallery on Monday and the Britannia Street gallery on Tuesday before I headed for Paris. I'd seen the CNN reports of the bad weather, and the airport reported that my flight was "delayed," but I thought I had that time cushion so I wasn't too concerned if I arrived a little later on Sunday. When I got to the airport, I found out the flight was delayed 24 hours. In the U.S., we call that "cancelled." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was worried that the flight the next day would also be delayed or permanently cancelled. So I called my dear friend, who gave me "friends and family passes" for the trans-oceanic flights on this journey (except for HKG - LHR), and he gave me another option: fly to Chicago and then from there try to get on a London flight or, if Heathrow was still closed, fly to Paris instead and mix up my planned itinerary a bit. Another airline friend of mine told me to stick it out for a day, but I decided to go with the Chicago option. If I stayed another night in Hong Kong (at my own expense because it wasn't the airline's fault), I wouldn't arrive in London until Monday afternoon, which would create a challenge to get both spots and move on to my next destination. The Chicago option would get me into London at 6am on Monday, which would get me more or less back on track. So I boarded the flight to Chicago. Luckily I got business class again, as it was a 13 3/4 hour flight. The dessert they served at dinner once again reminded me of my spot quest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Long story short, by the time I got to Chicago, planes were once again landing in London so I hopped on the next flight (8 1/4 hours) -- in coach which I was happy to get -- and I arrived in London at 6am this morning (Monday). My hotel had held my room for me so I was able to check in and freshen and rest up a bit before I set out for the Davies Street gallery. I haven't been to London for many years, and today I was reminded how utterly wonderful this city is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Davies Street gallery is in the ultra-high rent district of Mayfair, around the corner from Claridge's Hotel, where, coincidentally, I am staying -- <em>not</em>! This Gagosian is tiny, as if to match the tiny spot paintings that are displayed in a single line through the single rectangular room. Quite a few of these works contain only one spot, or even a partial one. The host was most gracious in greeting me and presenting the program, and even took my picture after a friendly young lady checked my i.d. and spotted me. Indeed, my experience with the Gagosian gallery staff has been not exactly what I expected. I expected professional, cordial, but cool even aloof. Many have been just the opposite -- quite friendly and even warm. It's been a very nice welcome for this challenger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you coming to London, the Davies Street gallery is very easy to locate -- take the Central Line to the Bond Street exit. As you exit the Underground, you'll see Davies Street to your right. Walk down past Claridge's Hotel (which you'll see on the left) and the gallery is on the right side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Since I'm leaving from St. Pancras Station tomorrow for Paris, and the London subway system is so easy to navigate and you can buy a one-day pass for 7 pounds, I decided to head up to King's Cross to scout out where the Britannia Street gallery was, as I didn't have too much time between the 10am gallery opening time and the 11:30 departure of my train to Paris, and I didn't want to panic tomorrow if I couldn't find the gallery. Boy was I glad I did. It took me forever to find the gallery, and it's wet and sloshy everywhere in this area -- there's a lot of construction going on. I thought, geez I would have been mad schlepping my carry on bag trying to find this gallery! It's right there, but the area has so many little streets that go every which way that I couldn't find it, till I stopped a kindly Londoner and he pointed on my map where exactly we were and where I had to go to find the gallery. I finally found Britannia Street, a nondescript little street with nothing you'd be drawn to. I won't try to describe how to find it, as it's on the standard tourist map and I'll probably make things worse by trying to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And I nearly walked past the gallery before I realized I was there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was amazed to find that the gallery was open! I thought that it was only open Tues - Sat, but they said for this exhibition they were also open on Mondays. I couldn't believe my stroke of luck -- a day and a half earlier in Hong Kong I thought I might not make it; now I was ahead of schedule. This gallery is much larger than Davies Street and has the very interesting spot painting that I've seen other challengers pose in front of, as did I. Once again the gallery staff were great and this whole thing is getting more and more fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thus, by about noon, I had conquered the London spots! I walked over to St. Pancras and rebooked my train ticket to a morning train that gets me into Paris before noon, so (hopefully) I'll have a stress free day there and collect my Paris spot before I head to Geneva on a TGV express train that gets me there in 3 hours by dinner time tomorrow. And I had the rest of the day to be a genuine tourist in this great city and I really enjoyed it. The journey continues and continues to get better.</span><br />
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<br />Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-75129760008729470682012-02-04T00:59:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:54:38.620-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge: Hong Kong Spot<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll attempt to post this entry even though many of the button commands on the web site are in Chinese. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I collected my second spot today at about half past 11 am at the Gagosian in Hong Kong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a> I have a terrible sense of direction and it took me a little while to find this gallery, although it couldn't be easier if you know where to go. SO for those fellow challengers -- here's a tip. If you're staying in Kowloon as I am, you simply take the subway from the Tsim Sha Tsui station 2 stops to the Central Station ($8.50HK), and follow the signs in this huge warren of a station to Exit D. Then take Exit D1 (which will state it's to Pedder Street). Upon exiting, turn right and the very first doorway is to No. 12 Pedder Street, the "Pedder Building." Go in, take the small elevator to the 7th floor and you're there! I could have made it from my hotel in Kowloon to the gallery in 20 minutes total if I'd known so I hope that helps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The gallery is much smaller than in Beverly Hills, but has good light and a nice vibe. Since I am under no time pressure whatsoever here in Hong Kong, I had a leisurely visit and enjoyed taking my time viewing the pieces. The staff couldn't have been nicer as they processed my spot and took my photo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My impression of Hong Kong is that is bursting with life in a way that is almost overwhelming. I was last here in 1984 towards the end of the Cold War, and I was told then that I was lucky that I had had the chance to see Hong Kong before the British turned it over to China, because once that happened, it would fade into a shadow of what it once was. I smiled to myself as today as I remembered that comment. There were long lines of people waiting to be admitted to Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc. Hong Kong seems a thousand times busier and built up -- and more prosperous -- than it was 28 years ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The city has so many malls, elevated walkways, and bridges that it's a bit confusing to get around. So here is another tip. From the gallery, I wanted to take the Star Ferry back to Tsim Sha Tsui instead of the quick subway ride, so the young lady behind the counter at the gallery gave me directions. Go back down the elevator, turn left after exiting the building and immediately left back into the Central Subway station. This time, look for Exit A. When you come out of that exit, you'll see an escalator that leads up to a bridge. Go left over the bridge and into the IFC mall, which is another glitzy mall with many fancy shops and a good noodle restaurant (among many others). After you've seen enough of the mall, follow the signs to the bridge that leads to the Ferry Terminals. Terminal 7 will take you back to Tsim Sha Tsui on a 5 minute ferry ride for $2.40HK. Upon leaving the ferry you'll walk into Canton Road. If you prefer to go towards Nathan Road and the Peninsula and Intercontinental Hotels, you'll need to bear right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've had a fun day and a half here and tomorrow onward to London! I'm hearing reports that it's terribly cold in Europe so I'm a little nervous about that...</span><br />
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Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-1499318308575871242012-02-01T07:31:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:54:11.883-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge: Beverly Hills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First spot collected on January 14th in Beverly Hills. My friend Mark and I were outnumbered by the 5 gallery staffers behind the counter. The gallery, which I hadn't visited before, is quite large and the staff was friendly and efficient, if somewhat disinterested in another random challenger on a Saturday afternoon shortly after the big opening had taken place.</span>Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707650312540047954.post-36621865307723236512012-02-01T07:24:00.000-08:002012-12-08T15:53:41.244-08:00Damien Hirst Spot Challenge<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gagosian Galleries are conducting a worldwide exhibit of Damien Hirst's Spot Paintings, and with it "The Complete Spot Challenge," whereby anyone who visits ALL Gagosian galleries throughout the world and "collects a spot" from each, by having a game card stamped by the gallery staff, will receive a personalized Spot print by the artist. There are 11 Gagosian galleries throughout the world. I collected my first spot on January 14th at the Beverly Hills gallery. I thought, who possibly will attempt to do this? As it turns out, a lot of people! ArtRuby finished it almost before I began and as of today 8 people have completed the challenge, but I needed time to plan for time away from work and to plan my journey, so I'm leaving tomorrow to begin the challenge in earnest -- to collect the remaining 10 spots over the next 10 days! I've followed the other challengers over the last couple of weeks. With the exception of those that are traveling together, it appears that each challenger is beginning and ending differently, with different routes along the way. My journey began in Beverly Hills and will end in New York on February 11th, if all goes according to plan, with stops in Hong Kong, London, Paris, Geneva, Rome, and Athens. I have a limited amount of time and a limited budget so the planning has to be precise. Wish me luck!</span>Richard Adamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01608051055904672097noreply@blogger.com