Untitled Document Home
Chef & Hotel Profile
Publisher's Page
Gift Guide
Travel Adventures
Epicurean Events
Health Minded
Spa Baby Secrets
Sips
Book Bites
Culinary Coup
Sense of Style
Kids Kaleidoscope
Tinsletown Tidbits
Wheels
Radio Show & Links
Contact Us

JetBlue Airways
Eurail
Eurofly
Pearl Seas Cruises
WeatherReports.com


TRAVEL & ADVENTURE  .   .  .

One of Hollywood's most famous leading men is starring in a new video highlighting all things beautiful about Ireland’s landscapes and culture.

It’s the result of Tourism Ireland teaming up with the Irish Film and Television Academy to create a series of short videos to showcase the beauty of Ireland.

The newly released
first video features Pierce Brosnan, who speaks passionately about his love for Ireland and, in particular, for County Kerry and his hometown of Navan in County Meath. 

The former James Bond star opens aptly with, “What’s not to love about Ireland? This tiny island has shown the greatest gift of poetry and storytelling”.

He goes on to wax lyrical about his love for his native land, speaking over stunning shots of Ross Castle in County Meath, the Kerry coastline, its main town Dingle, the famous Ring of Kerry, the mountainous Reeks District and the much loved Skellig Islands lying off the coast, which featured in the Star Wars movie franchise.

The Hollywood star adds: “What do I miss about Ireland? It’s the people. The sheer stamina and life force of Irish people from this great, beautiful landscape”.

“I’m a Navan man, County Meath. I left Ireland when I was a boy, I was 11. So, over these many decades now going back there’s always something great to discover”. 

His heartfelt message is also accompanied by images and clips of Ireland's traditional music and dancing”. 

Dingle Harbour, County Kerry

The video is part of Tourism Ireland’s #FillYourHeartWithIreland (#FYHWI) online campaign designed to share inspirational content about the island of Ireland with its millions of fans and followers on social media. 

Rolling out at a time when international visitors cannot travel, the aim is to keep Ireland ‘top of mind’ internationally and ensure the country is in the best possible shape to welcome back visitors, when the time is right.

Director of Markets for Tourism Ireland, Síobhan McManamy said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to work with the Irish Film and Television Academy, and with Academy member Pierce Brosnan, to create this fantastic video.” 

She added that the video will be seen around the world and that this will hopefully encourage people to visit Ireland in the future.

Áine Moriarty, Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Film and Television Academy said: “Ireland has given so much to international film: our wonderful actors, filmmakers and spectacular filming locations. The Academy is proud to help showcase our beautiful country to the world”.

www.ireland.com

Macgillycuddys Reeks, County Kerry

_____________________________________


HOTEL EDEN ROCK IN ASCONA REOPENS MARCH 2021

Hotel Eden Roc

Via Albarelle 16

CH-6612 Ascona

+41 91 785 71 71

info@edenroc.ch

_________________________________________________________________


THE KITCHEN TABLE

VIKING STAR

One of the very exciting features in food service on the Viking Star Ship is what is called "The Kitchen Table" a special dining area where guests are priviledges to work with chefs and experience delicious dinners containing products from the area they are cruising through.

The room has open views and is skillfully designed for viewing, talking, tasting and enjoying fabulous dishes from around the world, or specificially the countries you are traveling through.

This is a favorite destinations for people on Viking Star and the Executive Chef and his staff work to assist guests in learning replicate special Viking signarure recipes. For information visit: www.viking.com.

___________________________________________________________________

ROYAL ROOTS OF HEREND HUNGARIAN PORCELAIN

By Bonnie Carroll

 

My first visit to Budapest Hungary was also my first visit to The Four Seasons Gresham Palace overlooking the Danube River and renowned Chain Bridge.  The hotel is awe inspiring with a rich history that is fascinating. Today it is a chic art deco hotel filled with elegant and tasteful furnishings where guests savor the flavors in the Kollarzs Brasserie near the entrance, but also have the unique opportunity to enjoy their beautiful High Tea in the Lobby Lounge served on Hungarian Herend porcelain.

My first experience with the tea was clueless. I knew nothing of the basis for the name of this tea and later was delighted to learn the history behind it.  I was so off the chart that I thought Herend was the name of an exotic imported tea product and unaware that it was a renowned Hungarian porcelain china used by the royalty of Europe.

Not only is their tea service served on one of the most popular Herend porcelain china designs it is a uniquely prepared tea experience spotlighting products and recipes of Budapest that are served in typically British fashion.

The finger sandwiches, containing Hungarian breads covered with signature Hungarian meats, fish and cheese are unforgettable. The serving plate also contains cookies and cakes, including beautiful lavender macarons and an original Hungarian cake that was perfect with the refreshing Hungarian Teas.

The total experience of this elegant tea is a gorgeous and completely unforgettable picture in my mind, and I always return to the scene of the delicious crime for tea when I’m in Budapest.

Herend Porcelain Manufactory (Hungarian): Herendi Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt.) is a Hungarian manufacturing company, specializing in luxury hand painted and gilded porcelain. Founded in 1826, it is based in the town of Herend near the city of Veszprem. Veszprém lies on both sides of the Séd creek, approximately 110 km (68 miles) from Budapest (via the M7 highway and Road 8). It can also be reached from Győr via Road 82 and from Székesfehérvár via Road 8.

In the mid-19th century, it was purveyor to the Hapsburg Dynasty and aristocratic customers throughout Europe. Many of its classic patterns are still in production.

After the fall of Communism in Hungary the factory was privatized and is now 75% owned by its management and workers. As of 2006, the factory is profitable and exports to over 60 countries of the world. Its main markets are Italy, Japan, Russia, and the US

The factory at Herend was founded in 1826 by Vince Stingl as an earthenware pottery manufacturing factory; Stingl also carried out research experiments on porcelain making. Stingl ran out of funds and subsequently went bankrupt and his creditor Mór Fischer took control of the factory in 1839. Fischer, an ambitious man with new ideas, started manufacturing artistic porcelain in the same year.  it was almost impossible to replace broken pieces and supply old, classical porcelain dinner-sets from the Far East and from Europe, so by 1849 Fischer's was busy selling his wares to the Hungarian aristocracy.

Herend designs were displayed at the First Hungarian Applied Art Exhibition, the Vienna Exhibition in 1845, the Great Exhibition in London, 1851, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York, 1853 and the Exposition Universelle in Paris, 1855. The styles became popular, and orders were received on behalf of several royal courts: Queen Victoria, Francis Joseph I of Austria, Maximillian, the Mexican emperor.

Some well-known patterns were named fohttp://herendusa.com/new-products/2021-winter-collection.html/r the first customers: Queen Victoria, Esterhazy Batthyany, Rothschild, Approny. In 1865 Francis Joseph I gave a noble title to Fischer, in appreciation of his work in porcelain art. From 1872 Mór Fischer Farkasházy, Purveyor to the Royal Court, was entitled to use the shapes and patterns of the Manufactory of Vienna, which had closed down.

In 1874 Fischer gave the management of the manufactory to his sons, who changed the focus of the company away from artistic creation, and sales began to decline. The factory had several owners and went almost bankrupt. At the end of the century, the grandson of the founder, Jenő Farkasházy, became the owner of the factory. Farkasházy was a trained ceramist, who had gained experience in foreign factories and began to create new designs and revive traditional patterns. He also introduced novelties in 1900 Paris and 1901 St. Petersburg.

Between the two world wars there was limited reproduction of traditional products. In 1948 the company was nationalized. In 1993 it was privatized, and in 2015 75% is owned by the management and workers.

Herend products are made from hard-paste porcelain using a mixture of kaolin, feldspar and quartz.

After cleaning, decorating, and drying the porcelain is first fired at 830 degrees Celsius. The fired pieces are then immersed in a glaze and fired again, this time at 1410 degrees Celsius. This results in white, translucent porcelain. At this stage it is ready for painting by hand and then depending on whether it has been painted with colors or with gold, it is finished off with one or two more firings.

Herend porcelain has won 24 grand and gold prizes in world exhibitions between 1851 and 1937. One of the best known Herend patterns was presented at the London World Exhibition in 1851, the Chinese-style butterflies and flowery branches painted in joyful, lively colors. The British Queen, Victoria, ordered a dinner set with its gold medal-winning pattern for Windsor Castle., and so the pattern is named "Viktória".

The Herend Porcelain Manufactory was purveyor to the Habsburg Dynasty and the aristocracy, both in Hungary and abroad. The factory continues to manufacture porcelain according to the traditional methods to produce a consistent quality.

THE HEREND PORCELAIN MUSEUM

The company operates the Porcelain Museum of Herend at its site Herend,  Kosseth La jos U. 140, 8440 Hungary; phone +36 88 523 197. The museum opened to visitors in 1964 and was chosen as the museum of the year 2002 in Hungary. The Museum presents the history of and the technology used by the Herend porcelain factory and working displays take visitors through the entire process of creating Herend porcelain. Visit: https://herend.com/museum-history.


2008
March 08 | April 08 | May 08 | February 09 | March 09 | June 08 | July 08 | August 08 | September 08 | October 08 | November 08 | December 08 | January 09 | April 09 | May 09 | June 09 | July 09 | August 09 | September 09 | October 09 | November 09 | December 09 | January 10 | February 10 | March 10 | April 10 | May 10 | June 10 | July 10 | August 10 | September 10 | October 10 | November 10 | December 10 | January 11 | February 11 | March 11 | April 11 | May 11 | June 11 | July 11 | August 11 | September 11 | October 11 | November 11 | December 11 | January 12 | February 12 | March 12 | April 12 | May 12 | June 12 | July 12 | September 12 | October 12 | August 12 | November 12 | December 12 | January 13 | February 13 | March 13 | April 13 | May 13 | June 13 | July 13 | August 13 | September 13 | October 13 | November 13 | December 13 | January 14 | February 14 | March 14 | April 14 | August 14 | May 14 | June 14 | July 14 | September 14 | October 14 | November 14 | December 14 | January 15 | February 15 | March 15 | April 15 | May 15 | June 15 | July 15 | August 15 | September 15 | October 15 | November 15 | December 15 | January 16 | February 16 | March 16 | April 16 | May 16 | June 16 | July 16 | August 16 | September 16 | October 16 | November 16 | December 16 | February 17 | January 17 | March 17 | April 17 | May 17 | June 17 | September 17 | July 17 | August 17 | October 17 | November 17 | December 17 | January 18 | February 18 | April 18 | March 18 | May 18 | June 18 | July 18 | August 18 | September 18 | October 18 | November 18 | December 18 | January 19 | February 19 | March 19 | May 19 | June 19 | April 19 | July 19 | August 19 | September 19 | October 19 | November 19 | December 19 | January 20 | February 20 | March 20 | April 20 | May 20 | June 20 | July 20 | August 20 | September 20 | October 20 | November 20 | December 20 | January 21 | February 21 | March 21 | April 21 | May 21 | June 21 | July 21 | August 21 | September 21 | November 21 | October 21 | December 21 | January 22 | February 22 | March 22 | April 22 | May 22 | June 22 | July 22 | August 22 | September 22 | October 22 | November 22 | December 22 | January 23 | February 23 | March 23 | April 23 | May 23 | June 23 | July 23 | August 23 | September 23 | October 23 | November 23 | December 23 | January 24 | February 24 | February 08 | January 08

2007
December007
| November 07 | October 07 | September 07 | August 07 | July 07 | June 07 | May 07
April 07 | March 07 | February 07 | January 07

2006
December 06
| November 06 | October 06 | September 06 | August 06 | July 06 | June 06 | May 06
April 06 | March 06 | February 06 | January 06

2005
December 05
| November 05 | October 05 | September 05 | August 05 | July 05 | June 05 | May 05
April 05 | March 05 | February 05 | January 05

© 2008 Bonnie Carroll, All Rights Reserved