Sfo Summer jj

Five-Star Luxury

Eight-City Summer European Tour Celebrating a Century of Luxury Hospitality

The Grand Greenbrier

Extreme Adventure Travel

Whale Shark Diving Party

Jim Jonsin’s Grammy Winning

REBEL ROCK

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South Florida OPULENCE

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Summer 2014

South Florida OPULENCE

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ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. THIS OFFERING IS MADE ONLY BY THE OFFERING DOCUMENTS FOR THE CONDOMINIUM AND NO STATEMENT SHOULD BE RELIED UPON IF NOT MADE IN THE OFFERING DOCUMENTS. THIS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL, OR SOLICITATION OF OFFERS TO BUY, THE CONDOMINIUM UNITS IN STATES WHERE SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION CANNOT BE MADE. PRICES, PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

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For Information ∙ Time Art Distribution LLC Phone +1 212 221-8041 ∙ info@timeartdistribution.com 10

South Florida OPULENCE

Summer 2014

You’ve met success

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56 96 48 T o p F E AT U R E S

88 PHOTO COURTESY OF MARC SEROTA

66

Jim Jonsin’s Grammy Winning Rebel Rock In a candid interview with Jim Jonsin, Grammy Award winner and the founder and driving force behind Rebel Rock Entertainment, the question of today’s music was discussed. Jonsin is a very successful, self-made entrepreneur with interests in both the music world and the world of auto racing.

110

The Grand Greenbrier

What started out as a modest hotel venue in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, grew to become ‘America’s most fashionable resort.’ Take a reminiscent, historic stroll through The Greenbrier, ‘America’s Hotel’ since 1778 and hotelier of 26 U.S. presidents.

92

Whale Shark Party Anyone?

Sharon Spence Lieb’s face-to-face encounter with the largest fish on Planet Earth. Test your whale shark trivia knowledge with our quiz.

99

Summer Tour of Europe

For discerning travelers seeking a bucket-list-worthy international summer vacation rich in cultural enlightenment with five-star accommodations.

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SOUTH FLORIDA

features

45

Learn how to make this elite treat with President Thomas Jefferson’s personal recipe.

27 Buon Appetito!

48

Sultry Italian soiree dining Roberto Cavalli style.

Masterminds Behind Time Masterpieces at Ulysse Nardin

28

Aged for Perfection NYY Steak’s master in-house butcher reveals his secret for arguably the best meat you’ll ever taste.

30

So Delicious, So Seussical, So LoSasso

Celebrity Chef Dewey LoSasso cleverly incorporates his sense of humor into his whimsical menu of haute cuisine at AQ by Acqualina.

31

Trace back the century-long history of legendary Swiss haute horology brand, Ulysse Nardin.

51 Tomi’s Got Real Estate Game A look at niche real estate services geared specifically for professional athletes and entertainers.

56

The Queen of Tequila

62 Grand Historic Lore

Cupcake Mania

See how one Miami cakery is taking the traditional sweet to a whole new level.

of Garden Statuary

Find out how English artist Edwina Sandys keeps the garden statuary provenance thriving in the United States today.

34

Cheers to the Pink Martini

Go on an around-the-world musical adventure with the orchestral spectacle, Pink Martini.

36

Meet the Modern

Day von Trapps

The great-grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp carry on the family’s singing tradition.

39

The Best Craft Beer

The Brewers Association crowns 2014 World Beer Cup winners.

42

Bold & Brewtiful

The Rabbit Coffee Roasting Company shares the artistry behind roasting small batch artisan coffee.

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Oh Say Can You Seat?

Admire authentic, handmade Italian furniture, only available in a Steven G. showroom.

The first female Maestra Tequilera gives the tequila industry a fresh start.

32

Historical Scoop on Ice Cream

69

Satisfy Your Need for Speed with mph club

Fasten your seatbelts for exotic car aficionado Joshua Stone’s Rush Hour Experience.

70 World’s Fastest One-Make Series Miami’s Brett David makes his racing debut at Sebring’s Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo.

72 Remembering Iconic Author Tom Clancy

Novelist Ava Roosevelt reminisces on time spent with her friend and mentor Tom Clancy.

SOUTH FLORIDA

Capturing the CSI luxury living lifestyle

Join us in November at the prestigious

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management services

Turnberry Isle Resort and Golf Club.

The 2014 Golf Classic will offer powerful networking opportunities among

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CSI’s key association board members, residents, property managers and preferred vendors.

Don’t miss this excellent event and the chance to network with decision makers, build brand awareness and recognition.

Contact marketingmanager@southfloridaopulence.com to learn about naming rights and sponsorship opportunities.

SOUTH FLORIDA

features (continued) 84 Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’s

122 Louis Comfort Tiffany’s

Unrelenting Quest for Beauty

Discover what motivated Louis Comfort Tiffany to become an artist.

Chilling Story

126 Analyzing Vincent

Elizabeth Smart shares her terrifying story of being abducted at the young age of 14.

van Gogh Part II

Art Conservationist Ella Hendriks unveils the secrets of Van Gogh’s The Bedroom painting.

88

Peeling Back the Hands of Time The anti-aging science behind chemical peels.

130 Mythmaker

89 Musée du Bagage

Gaze at Marc Burckhardt’s potent artistic blend of romanticism and propaganda.

Explore the historic Museum of Baggage in Haguenau, France.

96 Luxurious South Florida Staycations

134

Stay at these three famously indulgent hospitality hot spots for a memory making staycation.

Author and historian Scott Eyman recounts the heartfelt story of his chance meeting with legendary actor John Wayne.

90 Minutes with The Duke

108 Aquariums Gone Wild Living Color Aquariums tackles a lion of a task.

114

The World’s First Megacar

One:1 with Sweden’s Christian von Koenigsegg.

116 Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of The Great Gatsby

American Literature Professor Sarah Churchwell eschews the “myths” surrounding Fitzgerald’s apocryphal hero.

119 Chateau Carolands: America’s Downton Abbey

Uncover 100 years of American history behind these 4 walls.

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departments Gadgets

22

Calendar of Events

24-25

Dining Guide

26

Landscape Design Whimsical Topiaries

60

Must Reads from the Desk of Edwina Sandys

65

Men’s Fashion

74-79

Women’s Fashion

80-83

Women’s Beauty

87

Condo Living

136

Condo Law

138

Social Living

142,144

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Editor’s Letter

Pickles and Cream Cheese On a recent weekend here in paradise, I whisked my family to a nearby resort for a brief “staycation” which, despite the short drive, can still prove quite a memorable journey when your children are 24, 19, 14 and – this is not a typo – 7.

One morning on our little getaway, my youngest son Payton (whose blonde hair, blue eyes and sweet but mischievous demeanor are not unlike Dennis the Menace) looked up at me with all sincerity and asked, “Mom, what time are you going for your pickles and cream cheese?”

At first, I thought he was talking about some kind of odd topping for a bagel. But when he used his index fingers to draw circles around his eyes, followed by a scrubbing motion on his cheeks, I realized he was not referring to breakfast, but rather to my upcoming appointment at the hotel spa for a facial. The “pickles” were cucumber slices he had seen placed over the eyes of a woman on the spa brochure, and the “cream cheese” was the white facial cream the aesthetician was using to wash away wrinkles.

I had to laugh. It’s funny to see things from your child’s perspective. It’s also a treasure.

In the fast-paced world we live in, it’s so easy to let time slip by without taking a moment to smell the proverbial roses. If you’re like me – a workaholic in love with her job – it’s moments like the one with Payton (and my other children) that remind you to cherish every moment. They grow up so fast.

Looking across the hotel room, I was reminded of what a proud mother I am. My oldest, Cara, just graduated from college and, while on spring break abroad to write a travel story for me in March (see page 99), accepted a proposal for marriage on a bridge outside a palace in Prague. (You can’t make this stuff up!) Next to her stood my son Ryan, 19. This is the boy who was always dressed two hours early for Little League, and never ever wanted to miss a day of school. Today, he is an athletic culinary student at Johnson & Wales who is thrilled to be on the launch staff of a new prominent steakhouse in Miami. He still dresses for work two hours early. And then there’s my Austin, 14. He’s the stoic son whom we affectionately call “the Senator” because he loves to delegate and always has something up his sleeve. You can’t see it coming, but Austin’s dry wit can leave you in a barrel laugh in a split second. I’m not sure whose gene pool that ability comes from, yet it’s a priceless talent that keeps us in stitches nonetheless.

The facial at the Turnberry Isle Spa that afternoon was delightful. (Check out the cool, futuristic oxygen bubble on page 87 that I got to lie in during the treatment.) But what made me relax and de-stress even more than the awesome imported anti-aging creams from Barcelona were the laughs I replayed in my head that hour – from the happy moments with my children that weekend.

Whether you’re planning an adventure vacation this summer (see the whale shark diving article on page 92…and the story on the history of luggage museum in France on page 89), or only have time for a long weekend staycation in Florida (see page 96 for some great recommendations), do remember to take time to relax and revel in happy moments with your loved ones. You won’t regret it.

Robin Jay Editor-In-Chief

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HORIZON PUBLISHING Executive PUBLISHER & Owner Geoff Hammond, CEO Jayne Hammond, President Associate PUBLISHERS Mark Blackburn David Hammond EDITOR IN CHIEF Robin Jay editor@southfloridaopulence.com CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR Adriana Naylor artdirector@southfloridaopulence.com 954-331-3912 PR AND MARKETING MANAGER Chantal Forster marketingmanager@southfloridaopulence.com 954-331-3390 Business Development director Erika Buchholz ebuchholz@southfloridaopulence.com 954-609-2447 Editorial Assistant Melissa Bryant CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John D. Adams Carol Antman Michael Bender, Esq. Melissa Bryant Scott Eyman Brittany Hammond Maureen Hunt Julia Hebert Cara Jay Steven Joseph Rachel Kessler

Dale King Greg Mangram Amber Perkins Ava Roosevelt Edwina Sandys Sharon Spence Lieb Alex Starace Joshua Stone Alex Villasuso Mary & Hugh Williamson

Photographers Harry Benson Douglas Lance Silvia Pangaro Marc Serota PROOFREADER Suzanne Shaw Event Makeup artist Alena Klenot South Florida Opulence Magazine is published quarterly by Horizon Publishing LLC. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Horizon Publishing LLC, 6700 North Andrews Avenue, Suite 400, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 – Vol. 4, No. 2 Summer 2014 (ISSN # 2157-5274) Subscription Rates: $40 per year, $10 per issue.

For subscription inquiries or change of address, contact the subscription department, (954) 308-4300 Ext. 4312, Fax: (954) 331-6028. Horizon Publishing, LLC, its affiliates and contributing writers have exercised due care in compiling the information contained herein, but with the possibility of human or mechanical error, cannot assume liability for the accuracy of this data. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in part or in full in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording and any information storage and retrieval system without first obtaining permission from the publisher.

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gadgets

Electree mini Inspired by bonsaï trees and fractal patterns found in nature, Electree mini provides solar-derived power to environments typically void of renewable energy. Recharge three AA or AAA batteries to store energy, add clip-in modules to turn it into a color changing light or USB device charging station. www.indiegogo.com $274.

iBamboo Speaker iBamboo is an electricity-free speaker made from a single piece of bamboo — a natural material. The natural resonance of the bamboo amplifies the sound produced by the built-in speaker in the iPhone 4/4S and the iPhone 5. iBamboo is 100 percent eco-friendly, efficient to manufacture, and produces little waste. These speakers combine the high-tech of the modern day with the simplicity and aesthetics of nature. www. ibamboospeaker.com $20.

WeWood Belle Biege Watch WeWood’s Belle Biege Watch style exclusively for women has a 100 percent natural wood face, authentic Swarovski crystals and hardened, scratch-proof mineral glass. www. we-wood.us. $99.

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Urbanears Editions Re:Plattan Headphones Urbanears Editions are special models with a little something extra. The Re:Plattan uses a lot extra, in the form of scrap parts from previous color collections. By working together with Pax, every pair of headphones comes with the GPS coordinates of five square meters of rainforest in Costa Rica that is protected with purchase. www.urbanears.com $79.90.

iameco v3 desktop computer The iameco v3 touch screen computer has a carbon footprint that is 70 percent less than the average PC. Less than 360 kilograms CO2eq is produced over the full product life cycle. Developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute Berlin, the University of Limerick and a network of eco-friendly suppliers across Europe, iameco is the first computer of its kind to win the prestigious EU Eco Flower certification, the most comprehensive environmental standard. www. iameco.com $1,170.

Summer 2014

Up & Coming Events May-July

july

june

18-22

5/3-7/27 7-8/17

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim

Afghan Rugs: The Contemporary Art of Central Asia

The Raleigh Hotel, Miami Beach

Boca Museum of Art, Boca Raton

july

12-13

The 22nd Annual International The Art of Nathan Mango Festival— Sawaya featuring Mangoes of In Pieces Colombia Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood

The international exhibition, Afghan War Rugs, features over 40 rugs from a private European collection, traveling for the first time to museums in North America. Selected for their exceptional quality and stunning imagery, the rugs in this exhibition represent a unique category in decorative arts. www.bocamuseum.org

Internationally renowned artist Nathan Sawaya returns this summer with all new sculptures and mixed-media works that continue to change the way we look at Lego® bricks.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables

Every July, swimsuit and resort wear designers gather at The Raleigh in Miami Beach, Florida, for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, the global swimwear industry´s main event. And as much as New York represents the formal side of both fashion and Mercedes-Benz, Miami is where both go to loosen up a bit.

Between skillfully mixed mojitos and fresh ceviche mixotâ, people gather around The Raleigh´s pool, transformed for five days into a white-hot runway.

Two full days of mango festivities celebrating the fruit as an object of beauty and admiration, a subsistence crop for the people and as a niche and mainstream commercial fruit of the future. The festival will feature a wide range of products, ideas and, of course, the star of our show, the mango itself in all its glory.

july july

2 5/3-7/27 May-July

Elaine Reichek: The Eye of the Needle The Boca Museum of Art presents an exhibition focusing on the period of Reichek’s art dating from 1972 to 1995.

Reichek finds, enlarges, and colors ethnographic and architectural photographs, pairing them with her own hand-knitted interpretations.

Katy Perry “The Prismatic World Tour” BB&T Center, Sunrise

International pop superstar Katy Perry returns to the BB&T Center for a dynamic performance that will be a feast for audience’s eyes.

South Florida OPULENCE

Dana Carvey & dennis miller Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood

Two of Saturday Night Live’s most popular alumni, Dana Carvey and Dennis Miller, appear live at Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood! Carvey was part of the SNL cast from 1986 -1992. His famed characters included the Church Lady; Hans, of the Hans and Franz body building duo; Garth; and the Weekend Update’s Grumpy Old Man. Miller appeared on SNL from 1985 1991. He was best known for his role as the Weekend Update commentator.

Boca Museum of Art, Boca Raton

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Summer 2014

august-september

1-9/30

Miami Spice Restaurant Month Miami

Miami Spice is a mouthwatering restaurant promotion showcasing the very best of Miami cuisine. Miami Spice will be back August 1- September 30, 2014, with even more rave reviews!

Up & Coming Events August

Miami City Ballet 2014-2015 Season Preview Romeo and Juliet (Program I)

1-3 August

29-31 Boca Ballet Theatre Swan Lake Boca Raton

The Miami New Construction Show

Miami Beach Convention Center Hall D.

Come see the most famous of all classical ballets. Staged after the original choreography of Marius Petipas and Lev Ivanov, and set to Tchaikovsky, this lavish production of Swan Lake is hauntingly beautiful.

This is a unique exhibition, bringing together all the stakeholders in the market of new luxury condominiums and housing projects in South Florida: Real estate developers, buyers, investors, agents, specialists, journalists and other related professions. www.miaminewconstructionshow.com 305-209-9880

august

4

MCB proudly welcomes this timeless tale of love and tragedy beautifully brought to life in the grand tradition of classical ballet.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami (Ziff Ballet Opera House)

october

7-19 Annie

Broward Center for Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale

Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens The 2014 Guinness International Cup features eight of the best teams in the world and international soccer stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Aguero, Francesco Totti and Javier Zanetti, among others.

august

15

SE

MIN OLE

HOLLYWOOD

WAYAN BRothers Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood

If you want to laugh a lot then this is a must see. 8:00 PM

September-October

30-10/5

Leapin’ Lizards! The world’s best-loved musical returns in time-honored form.

Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin, this production of ANNIE will be a brand-new incarnation of the iconic original.

28-11/2

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach (Dreyfoos Hall)

November 2014 Friday, November 21 at 8 pm Saturday, November 22 at 2 pm & 8 pm Sunday, November 23 at 1 pm

Passion & Grace (Program III) It is a smoldering, flamenco-fueled, 50-minute, modern adaptation of the classic saga of passion and betrayal performed to the music of Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami (Ziff Ballet Opera House)

I LOVE LUCY® Live on Stage

February 2015 Friday, February 13 at 7 pm Saturday, February 14 at 8 pm Sunday, February 15 at 2 pm

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE is the brandnew hit stage show adapted from the most beloved program in television history! America’s favorite foursome – Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel – is live on stage and in color for the very first time!

Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale (Au-Rene Theater) October 2014 Friday, October 24 at 8 pm Saturday, October 25 at 2 pm & 8 pm Sunday, October 26 at 2 pm

october-November

International Champions Cup Finals

October 2014 Friday, October 17 at 8 pm Saturday, October 18 at 8 pm Sunday, October 19 at 2 pm

Cinderella

The Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical from the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists!

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach (Dreyfoos Hall)

February – March 2015 Friday, February 27 at 8pm Saturday, February 28 at 2 pm & 8 pm Sunday, March 1 at 1pm

Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale (Au-Rene Theater) March 2015 Friday, March 20 at 8 pm Saturday, March 21 at 2 pm & 8 pm Sunday, March 22 at 2 pm

Summer 2014

South Florida OPULENCE

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Dining Guide Miami – Coral Gables 15th & Vine Kitchen and Bar 485 Brickell Ave. Miami (305) 503-0373 www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com 15th & Vine Kitchen and Bar is taking Contemporary American tapas to new heights, 15 stories high inside of Miami’s premier luxury downtown hotel, Grilled octopus Viceroy. Latin, Asian and Italian flavors drive an inspired small-plate menu. “We were very impressed with the eclectic diversity of the delicious tapas menu and the beautiful, relaxing venue,” said Robin Jay, Editor in Chief of South Florida Opulence.

Exotic delicacies like Spicy Ginger Meatballs, Southwestern Tequila Grilled Chicken Skewer and Seafood Cioppino are meant for sharing — so pull up a seat at one of their communal high-top tables and enjoy. If you’re looking for a more intimate dinner, unwind on 15th & Vine’s open-air terrace overlooking Biscayne Bay.

Delray Beach Deck 84 840 E Atlantic Ave. Delray Beach (561) 665-8484 www.deck84.com Nestled along Delray’s Intracoastal Waterway lies a hidden tropical gem featuring the best of both worlds — waterfront dining in a casual environment and freshcaught seafood. Barry and Ruth Weiss dined at South Florida restaurateur Burt Rapoport’s resortstyle getaway and gave it 10 out of 10 for freshness, quality and flavor.

“The Red Snapper Ceviche appe- Simply grilled salmon tizer, made with local Florida red snapper, had a soft and supple texture, a delicate spicy taste and was the freshest red snapper either of us had ever eaten,” said Ruth. “Deck 84’s talented Executive Chef, Jon Greening, has created yet another fabulous menu.”

Deck 84 is open Monday through Sunday for brunch, lunch and dinner.

Caffé Abbracci 318 Aragon Ave. Coral Gables (305) 441-0700 www.caffeabbracci.com Italian Venetian glass art and a breathtaking ruby red starlight chandelier set the ambience of Italian restaurant Caffé Abbracci — classic, with a touch of romance. Executive Publishers Geoff and Jayne Hammond and contributing writers Hugh and Mary Williamson dined at the intimate restaurant for an evening of elegance and authentic northern Italian specialties.

“We ordered a number of appetizers to share, but the hands-down winner was the savory Yellowfin Tuna Tartare,” said Mary. “Our entrées included meat and pasta selections, with the clear favorite being the Angel Hair Pasta.

Though usually a simple dish, Caffé Abbracci offers

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Yellowfin tuna tartare a modern take on a classic, with very complex flavors, succulent vegetables. The Veal Scaloppine ‘Porcini’ and ‘Rubiconde’ were also met with kudos.”

Don’t leave Caffé Abbracci without indulging in their signature flakey Napoleon dessert to accompany your espresso. Creative and delectable cuisine, along with owner Nino Pernetti’s attention, made the evening memorable.

Buon Appetito!

Sultry Italian Soiree Dining Roberto Cavalli Style

He’s modest indeed. The dishes Chef Mazzi selected and presented were nothing short of stellar. We started with Tuscan Chianina beef tartare with quail egg, light mustard and truffle salt. It melted in our mouths. It was a brilliant combination of flavors and textures. The dish was superbly Cavalli Miami Lamb Ossobuco with Saffron Risotto paired with a glass of Redini wine from Tenuta degli Dei, the Cavalli family vineyard in the Chianti region of Italy, which is overseen by the designer’s son, Tommaso Cavalli.

Next came a succulent Lamb Ossobuco, cooked three hours and impeccably tender, followed by the homemade Lobster Gnocchi – featuring Roberto Cavalli’s own recipe and a sauce with the perfect hint of heat. It came paired with a signature Cavalli cocktail “Tre Excellenze” – the epitome of dazzling refreshment – made with Cavalli Vodka, fresh gingerroot, fresh lime, sage and chili pepper.

PHOTO CREDIT Michael Pisarri

t

ake one step into 150 Ocean Drive on Miami Beach and you’ll feel you’ve traveled transatlantic into the home and kitchen of Italian couturier Roberto Cavalli. From the jaguar and zebra-print chairs, the fanciful floral Roberto Cavalli and son Tommaso tablecloths, and the eclectically vibrant dinnerware – to the sophisticated selection of Cavalli vineyard wines and artsy bottles of Cavalli herb-and-fruitinfused vodkas (who knew?!) lining the bar, there is no doubt this venue has the Midas touch of an iconic luxury brand guru.

Seth Browarnik-Worldredeye.com

BY ROBIN JAY

by Robin Jay

Mangia!

OMG!

Cavalli Miami Restaurant & Lounge was collaboratively designed

by Cavalli and Italian-based architect, Italo Rota. The dual-floor restaurant and lounge impeccably reflects Casa Cavalli’s style of extravagance and innovation. The dining room is designed to mimic Cavalli’s Tuscan villa. Even the marble floors are signed with the fashion mogul’s name.

But then, the piece de resistance. Chef Mazzi arrived tableside with a dish of black truffle risotto in one hand and – oh yes! – a beautiful large whole black summer Italian truffle in the other. “Shall I shave the truffle for you ma’am?” he asked.

With such fashionable fanfare, it would be no easy task for a food menu to live up to such high expectations. But then again, this restaurant has the seal of approval from Cavalli himself. I asked Executive Chef Stefano Mazzi how he went about designing a palette of dishes that would please the diverse, highly discerning international clientele that is South Beach.

“I simply set out to share my passion for Tuscan cooking – nothing overcomplicated or pretentious – just the best and freshest Italian ingredients and spices for traditional cuisine with a trace of ‘new-style’, ” said Chef Mazzi.

Pinch me! I believe I may have momentarily gone to heaven and back. Incredibly, Chef Mazzi shaved the gorgeous black truffle until I said ‘when.’ I savored every bite and then reached into my purse to check off a line on my bucket list.

Hats off to Chef Mazzi, Roberto Cavalli and the faultless team of servers who made our dining experience most memorable: servers Ranko Slavusevic and Michael Huet, and mixologist Nikola Atkov.

Summer 2014

South Florida OPULENCE

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By John D. Adams

Elite steakhouses are returning to the old-world practices of salt-encrusted dry-aged beef — it’ll cost you a few “Benjamins” — but it’s the best steak you’ll ever eat.

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S

teakhouses across the country are embracing the latest trend in meat preparation – dry aging. But as the saying goes: Everything old is new again.

Dry aging has been a staple for red meat aging and preservation for centuries. But few restaurateurs have followed the traditional route of utilizing a salt-encrusted, dry environment in favor of simple refrigeration. Big mistake. While the advent of refrigeration has allowed us to greatly extend the shelf life of meats, it is not an environment that lends itself to dry-aging meats. That’s why master in-house butcher Walter Apfelbaum of NYY Steak at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek insists on following time-honored, old-world practices to deliver arguably the best meats you have ever tasted.

What is dry aging?

Dry-aging meat once was necessary for preserving a kill before the advent of commercial refrigeration. Explains Apfelbaum: “When guys like me started figuring out how to break animals down into specific cuts of meat, they would often do it in salt mines because it was cool and dry. The meat, in that environment, seals itself up by developing a black crust, which looks and feels like black shoe leather.” Apfelbaum then lets nature take over. “The meat’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the beef so it becomes very soft while expelling all the moisture from the meat.” It leaves this unbelievably soft, naturally flavorful meat.

Changing taste

Master in-house butcher Walter Apfelbaum of NYY Steak perfects the old-world practices of dry-aged beef, arguably the best meats you have ever tasted.

butter, or a soft cheese? Am I going bananas? (And no, really, I think I taste a bit of banana in there, too.) They’re insanely delicious, all these flavors that I didn’t get from the wet-aged steak.”

Remarks Apfelbaum: “I’m not selling something because I have to sell it. I want you to experience this, to feel the same way I do. It is a thrill to see the smiles on people’s faces like they have never experienced meat before. And in many ways, they haven’t. Educating people about meat and how to experience it really fuels my fire.”

Fifty years ago, most of our beef was dry aged. But in the early 1960s, the process of vacuum packing beef became the norm for most processors. The advantage was that they could “wet age” the beef in the bag and not lose any of the weight. Wet aging was much more cost effective, so a weaning of the consumers’ taste buds began to occur. Slowly, consumers forgot the real taste of steak. “Many butchers who age beef are using coolers,” says Apfelbaum. “But that is basically putting the meat into a wet box, so you are going to develop mold, rot and loss… A lot of butchers believe they need to develop a hairy mold on the meat. You want to taste the meat, not the mold. You avoid that mold by keeping the room very dry.”

Francis Lam, Editor-at-Large for Clarkson Potter and a judge on Top Chef Masters describes the taste of traditionally dry-aged meat: “… the flavor makes me feel a little like I might be going crazy. Does that steak actually taste like popcorn? Jamón Serrano? Bread and

The succulent dry-aged tomahawk steak at NYY Steak comes with the guest's initials carved at the tip of the bone.

The flavor makes me feel a little like I might be going crazy. Does that steak actually taste like popcorn? Jamón Serrano? Bread and butter, or a soft cheese? Am I going bananas?

They’re insanely delicious!

— Francis Lam, Editor-at-Large for Clarkson Potter and a judge on Top Chef Masters

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So Delicious, So Seusical, So LoSasso

By Robin Jay

If you’re into all things exceptional in South Florida, two names you know for sure are Acqualina Resort & Spa and Chef Dewey LoSasso. The haute hotelier recently earned its second consecutive Forbes FiveStar Rating – a coveted title due in no small part to the savvy placement of celebrity Chef LoSasso at the helm of AQ.

Take the “Green Eggs and Ham” dish, for example. Served in a cocktail glass was an artful layer of baked eggs, chives, Iberico ham and Mascarpone. “What can I say; I liked reading Dr. Seuss books to my daughters,” Chef LoSasso said with a grin. “To me, the tale was culinary inspiration.”

Then came “Spaghetti ‘O’ with a Kick,” house-made ring pasta with mushroom crema, charred Serrano chili – and truffle salt. “It’s Speghettios for adults,” he mused. “They say chefs don’t make mistakes, they just create new dishes. Sometimes it may be the lack of sleep, or late-night dreams and writing next to bed.”

Whatever the influence, I was impressed. The server next arrived with “Peas, Peas, Peas Me…Baby,” a risotto of peas, pan-seared baby beets,

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF Simon Hare

I recently visited this new culinary gem. Indeed, it was no run-of-the-mill tasting. You see, what I found most remarkable about dining at AQ was LoSasso’s genius sense of humor – and the brilliant, quirky way he wove his personality right into his recipes. Who ever said refined cuisine couldn’t be fun?

Celebrity Chef Dewey LoSasso, now at the helm of AQ at Acqualina Resort & Spa, cleverly incorporates his sense of humor into his whimsical menu of haute cuisine.

pea shoots and ricotta salata. What a tasty stunner of a dish – especially paired with the crazy-good Lavender Collins.

“As a chef, you need to have the broad stroke and the finite stroke at the same time,” said LoSasso, who grew up with an Italian father who took cooking so seriously he installed a second kitchen in the basement, complete with commercial-grade appliances. Feeding a family of 50 at the LoSasso household at Christmas wasn’t uncommon.

“Being the youngest, and the only son, meant I was spoiled,” LoSasso admitted. (Let’s be honest…it’s now his own daughters who call the shots.

LoSasso learned the guitar chords of Justin Beiber songs to please his daughter Siena.)

“My parents always told me to do what made me happy – from being a dishwasher at 13 in the Jersey Shore, to being obsessed with the restaurant world. What would my mom say? That I am totally in love with food, family and music. Falling in love with food; it’s simply like breathing. The mores and laws of the kitchen are like that of a small town, where you know everyone. It’s really special.”

To try AQ’s farm-to-table modern American menu, with its global blend of Mediterranean, Latin and Asian flavors, go to 17875 Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach. For reservations, call (305) 918-6816.

A Dr. Seuss storybook LoSasso read to his daughters inspired this deliciously clever dish: Green Eggs & Ham. 30

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The Queen of Tequila Bertha González Nieves – the first female Maestra Tequilera – gives the tequila industry a fresh start

BY John D. Adams

I learned about Mexico’s top industries.” And tequila, of course, was one of them. “After the second day, I totally fell in love with the whole process and what it means for Mexico.” Upon graduating magna cum laude, González Nieves had the good fortune to develop a 10-year career with one of Mexico’s largest tequila producers.

T

he face of the Mexican tequila industry has historically and traditionally been male. Bertha González Nieves is changing that. But that isn’t the only thing this dynamic entrepreneur is changing. Along with her business partner, Bob Pittman, the founder of MTV, the two are altering the way the world experiences and indulges in tequila.

Through their company, Casa Dragones, tequila is no longer a drink that you quickly knock back before eating the worm. The company’s tequilas are meant for sipping and pairing with gourmet menus prepared by the world’s best chefs and mixologists.

Take a shot “I’ve always had a fire to be an entrepreneur,” said González Nieves. “I come from a family of entrepreneurs, all of us in very different areas. While I was at university, I was elected by the Japanese government to represent Mexico as a young ambassador to Japan.

As part of my training for the program,

Then, in 2008, González Nieves met Bob Pittman, founder of MTV, and a successful entrepreneur in his own right, “in one of these New York stories that actually do happen,” she says. “We talked extensively about tequila and Mexico. He remarked how much he had always wanted to establish a tequila company.” The two set out to found a company that would push the boundaries of anything that had been done before. The result was Casa Dragones, an independent, small batch producer. “We believe that tequila has all the credentials and the history, while Mexico has the craftsmanship and the professionalism, to produce and compete with other categories in the luxury segment like cognacs and single-malt whiskeys.”

Rebels with a cause Casa Dragones, named for the historic calvary who reclaimed Mexican independence, and González Nieves were the new kids on the block with a lot to prove. “We are not in the business of volume, we are in the business of taste,” says González Nieves. “Everything we do is with an eye toward pushing the industry into the future in a modern and different way.” It’s a philosophy that appears to be working. González Nieves has been

named one of Mexico’s top young businesswomen by Revista Expansión, Mexico’s leading business magazine. She is also the first woman to be certified as a Maestra Tequilera by the Academia Mexicana de Catadores de Tequila, the organization recognized by The Tequila Regulatory Council.

As expected, the company’s first product was something quite new to the marketplace: a Joven, designed for sipping and pairing with designer cuisine. The Academia Mexicana de Catadores de Tequila (Mexican Academy of Tequila Tasters) wrote in their 2009 tasting notes that Casa Dragones is: “soft and smooth with hints of vanilla and spiced undertones, balanced with delicate notes of pear.”

Now, the company has recently released their newest innovation: Tequila Casa Dragones Blanco, a small batch, 100 percent pure Blue Agave silver tequila, perfect on its own or for cocktails. “It is an unaged blanco tequila that is meant to have collaboration with top mixologists and bartenders,” says González Nieves. “We believe the product really comes to life in these collaborations.”

González Nieves is living her dream and successfully revolutionizing the tequila industry. Bottoms up!

To learn more about Casa Dragones, visit www.casadragones.com.

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CupcakeMania

By Melissa Bryant

W

A nostalgic look at the history of the cupcake and how one Miami cakery is taking the tradition to a whole new level

hile the cupcake’s origin isn’t set in stone, food writer Alan Davidson chronicled cupcake history back to the 18th century. He offers two theories for this sweet invention, which begs the question of which came first, a cake made in a cup or a cake made using cups to measure ingredients?

What’s In a Name?

American cooking transitioned from weighing out ingredients to measuring out ingredients during the 1700s when muffin tins were becoming popular. One hypothesis supposes people naturally started creating little cakes by pouring cake batter into earthenware tea cups, small clay baking pans and muffin tins.

The opposing theory reasons that the ingredients used to make cupcakes were measured by cup: one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs and so on. Many people could not read at that time, so these “number” cakes were easily remembered because of their measurements.

Davidson traced the first documented mention of cupcakes back to a 1796 recipe written in American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. It calls for “a cake to be baked in small cups.” Later 19th century recipes would come to use the words “cup cake.”

Cup-tails More than 200 years later, cupcakes are a chic trend — and big business. Today, consumers around the globe are buying $20 billion of them. “Cupcakes remind people of their childhood,” said Carolina Montoya, owner and chief baker at Unique Designer’s Cake in Miami — who with her husband, left the architecture industry to bake cakes. “People love cupcakes be-

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cause they’re portable, and with the high frostingto-cake ratio, they’re so much fun to eat!”

Ingredients now include everything from bacon to red wine. Unique Designer’s Cake is putting a twist on the classic treat with ‘cup-tails’ — cupcake cocktails. Montoya’s inspiration for cup-tails came from a Colombian wedding custom. “I got the idea to combine cupcakes and liquor because, in my country, we have a very popular cake for weddings called ‘torta negra,’ which is infused with lots of wine!” Montoya said. “So I started mixing different liquors into my batters to create truly unique flavor profiles.”

Montoya’s cup-tail creations include red wine velvet, pina colada, Cuba libre, chocolate patron coffee tequila and Lemoncello.

Unique Designer’s Cake cup-tail recipes are a professional secret, but are available for purchase in-store at 69 NW 9th St. Miami, FL 33136.

(786) 351-4276.

Editor’s note: Unique Designer’s Cake also makes amazing custom large cakes — including a stunning masterpiece to commemorate the Spring 2014 issue of South Florida Opulence at the 4th Annual Opulence Yacht Gala on Fisher Island in April. (See page142.)

Thanks Carolina!

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Cheers to the Pink Martini

BY ROBIN JAY

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Phyllis Diller once toasted with a Pink Martini. But Diller wasn’t drinking and the Pink Martini wasn’t a cocktail.

Confused? Don’t be. You see, Pink Martini is “a little orchestra” with whom Phyllis Diller once recorded Charlie Chaplin’s song “Smile.” And, recently, it was smiles-all-around in Miami when Pink Martini gave a splash performance at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

Stirring up a Recipe for a Unique Musical Group As you can see from the photo, Pink Martini is no runof-the-mill orchestra. The eclectic conglomeration, featuring 10-12 musicians, performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras worldwide. With an innovative global mission, the group is the whimsical braintrust of pianist Thomas Lauderdale. South Florida Opulence sat down with Lauderdale for a chat about this unique bunch.

“I grew up in rural Indiana, surrounded by Guernseys and cornfields,” Lauderdale mused. “My parents were both from the earnest side of the 1960s and adopted a rainbow tribe of children ... I’m the mystery Asian; I have an African-American brother, an African-American sister and an Iranian brother. After seeing a production of

“PINK MARTINI IS A ROLLICKING AROUND-THEWORLD MUSICAL ADVENTURE… IF THE UNITED NATIONS HAD A HOUSE BAND IN 1962, HOPEFULLY WE’D BE THAT BAND.”

– THOMAS LAUDERDALE, BANDLEADER/PIANIST

‘Oklahoma,’ I tried to re-create the spectacle with my siblings, a Radio Flyer wagon and a couple of wigs. From that point on, I think I loved the idea of creating a spectacle of non-stop entertainment packed with music and whatever friends, neighbors and relatives I could wrangle.”

Campaign Trail BandLeader Fast-forward to 1994. Now living in Portland, Oregon, Lauderdale worked in politics. He toyed with the idea of running for mayor one day and, like most politicians-in-training, went to gads of political fundraisers, where he made an interesting discovery: Music at these events was bland, loud and, frankly, un-neighborly. It was just the inspiration Lauderdale needed.

Drawing incentive from a mix of global music – crossing genres of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop – and aiming to appeal to conservatives and liberals alike, Lauderdale founded the “little orchestra” Pink Martini. His mission: to provide more attractive and inclusive musical soundtracks for political fundraisers for causes such as civil rights, education and parks, and affordable housing. About Summer 2014

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a year later, Lauderdale asked a former Harvard classmate, China Forbes, to join Pink Martini. The first song they wrote together, “Sympathique,” became an overnight sensation in France. The band’s grand achievements may also have a bit to do with Lauderdale handpicking other accomplished performers – like Phil Baker who was formerly Diana Ross’ bass player, and Brian Davis who played percussions with Herbie Hancock.

“I think one thing that certainly sets us apart from other groups is that we have a multilingual repertoire – songs in 20 different languages,“ said Lauderdale. “50 years ago, it was quite common for pop artists to sing songs in different languages. These days, I can’t think of another American band that has a multilingual repertoire – except for Pink Martini. So, for audiences in Romania,

for example, I think it’s a revelation to hear an American band sing a Maria Tanase song in Romanian.

“We’re very much an American band [they once performed for the FBI’s Christmas party], but we spend a lot of time abroad and therefore have the incredible diplomatic opportunity to represent the America which remains the most heterogeneously populated country in the world – composed of people of every country, every language, every religion.”

Pink Martini’s newest album, titled ‘Get Happy,’ was released in 2013, featuring singers China Forbes, Storm Large, Rufus Wainwright, Ari Shapiro and the von Trapps [yes, the real-live dependents of the singing von Trapps portrayed in the 1965 movie The Sound of Music – read the interview below].

Meet the Modern Day von Trapps The great-grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp carry on the family’s singing tradition

By Robin Jay

The American musical film The Sound of Music, adapted from the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp, has inspired generations since the epic Academy Award-winning film was released in 1965. History carries on today as the great-grandchildren of the Captain and Maria von Trapp continue the family singing legacy – with a few modern amenities.

“Transportation has gotten a whole lot easier!” quipped Sofi von Trapp, 25, the eldest sibling of the von Trapp Family Singers. “Our grandfather was portrayed as ‘Kurt’ (one of the children) in The Sound of Music; his real name was Werner von Trapp and his youngest son is our father. They started singing to survive; we started because it was fun.”

After Sofi’s grandfather and family escaped Austria, the Captain moved them to Vermont. “Our father then moved us to Montana,” she said.

“Grandfather would visit and teach us Austrian songs, until he had a stroke 13 years ago. We recorded the songs he taught us to make him feel better in the hospital, and our singing took off from there. Our audiences are surprised when we tell them our parents can’t sing at all. And they seem impressed with our ability to communicate telepathically, or at least that’s what it looks like on stage.”

Sofi, Melanie (23), Amanda (22), and August von Trapp (19) have toured over five continents – Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa and North America.

Yet, the von Trapp children haven’t forgotten how to enjoy simple things in life.

“The four of us like to cook. When we first moved to Portland last year, we would throw Schnitzel nights in an effort to make friends. Free food and a funny theme like Schnitzel, how could one resist?” Sofi said.

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August, Sofi, Melanie and Amanda von Trapp The four musical siblings say they are ambassadors of music, heritage, and hope. The group traveled to Rwanda in 2009, where they taught music at an orphanage. They learned the Rwandan National Anthem and performed it for the Rwandan President. He was so moved that he gave 13-year-old August a cow from the presidential herd. The cow, however, opted to stay in Rwanda.

“Our favorite thing about singing together as siblings is sharing all the fun memories,” Sofi said. “We encourage others to cherish their families and their heritage.”

There are some aspects of the von Trapp legacy that this generation has chosen to leave behind. “Lederhosen and I have been inseparable since the earliest childhood, even before our musical career,” August said. “I look forward to a future of more modern attire. Who knows though, maybe they will come back into fashion?”

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2014 World Beer Cup Awards

The Best of Craft Beer

By Alex Villasuso

i

n my third year of undergrad, I attended Bangor University in Wales to study developmental psychology for a semester. By study, I mean ‘drink.’ And, by developmental psychology, I mean ‘beer.’ Having traveled extensively throughout the UK and most of Europe, and touring nearly every brewery I found along the way, I developed a fascination with the vast selection of wildly unique beer styles. When my semester ended, and I returned to Chicago, all I wanted to do was brew. I began to homebrew all my favorite styles I had experienced in Europe. I brewed German kölsch, Belgian tripels, Bavarian dunkelweizen, English strong ale, and many other European styles. When it came to American styles, I was rather intimidated by the hop heads and beer buffs of the craft brewing world I returned to find. It wasn’t until I went to work as a brewer for Milwaukee Brewing Company that I began to dive deeper into the American craft beer world.

It’s no secret that the American craft beer industry has seen an enormous growth in the last few years. American craft brewers make some of the best beer in the world.

The Brewers Association — the non-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting American small- and independent craft brewers — reported record exports of American craft beer in 2012, which totaled more than 189,000 barrels of beer valued at an estimated $94.5 million. American tastes change rapidly, constantly driving craft brewers to create “the next big thing.”

The Next Best Thing?

It’s No Longer About the Shock Factor The Brewers Association has defined more than 100 beer styles, and the public’s choices in the beer fridge prove nearly endless. It might, however, come as a surprise that the time for creating the next most bizarre recipe — such as oakaged chili beer, coconut curry hefeweizen, or mustard ale — may very well be coming to a close. More and more brewers now focus on perfecting traditional,

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balanced styles found all over the globe, as evidenced at this year’s World Beer Cup Awards in Denver, Colorado, in February.

2014 World Beer Cup Awards The 2014 World Beer Cup Awards is presented by The Brewers Association and showcases global passion for brewing. Proudly boasting the highest number of entries ever, this year’s World Beer Cup received 4,754 entries from 1,403 breweries representing 58 countries. Brewers from five continents competed to earn gold, silver, or bronze in each of the 94 beer style categories. Some of the styles judged included Wheat, Rye, Fruit, Experimental, Indigenous, Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout, Coffee Beer, Smoke Beer, Bohemian-Style Pilsner, Baltic-Style Porter, and Ordinary or Special Bitter.

Selected from the leaders of the craft beer industry and brewers from around the world, 219 judges from 31 countries conducted blind tasting evaluations of the entries and determined the award winners. Seventy-six percent of the judges came from outside the United States.

“Many countries that you wouldn’t think have emerging beer cultures, or very established ones, use this as an opportunity to flex their brewing muscles,” said Julia Herz, Brewers Association Craft Beer Program Director and Publisher of CraftBeer.com. At least one Japanese brewery aimed to prove it could produce a Belgium beer, for example.

Along with the three medals in each of the 94 categories, the competition also bestows Champion Brewery and Champion

Brewmaster awards in each of five brewery categories based on number of awards won by each brewery. “The Champion Brewery and Brewer award is a coveted takeaway from the World Beer Cup Awards,” said Herz.

The five Champion Brewery 2014 award winners this year were: Pelican Brewery in Pacific City, Oregon Coronado Brewing Company in Coronado, California Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Media, Pennsylvania Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant in Topeka, Kansas Coronado Brewing Company and Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant are first-time champion breweries in their categories. Overall, this was a very diverse group of competitors with a shared commitment to crafting traditional, balanced beers.

So, my fellow brew enthusiasts, the next time you belly up to the bar to “study” a bit of “psychology,” why not ask the tender to pour up some World Beer Cup contenders — and judge for yourself.

Cheers!

Alex Villasuso is a law professional in Chicago by day and a beer aficionado by night. South Florida Opulence welcomes Alex as our newest contributing columnist. Be sure to check out the next issue for the latest in craft beer trends.

For B.R.E.W. at FIU, Balance Starts with the Water Water is the main ingredient in beer, and finely tuning local drinking water is essential for a brewery to ensure a consistent, balanced product. A pint of Guinness would be drastically altered without the mineral-rich hard water of Dublin. Augustiner’s Helles would be an entirely different beer had it been brewed somewhere other than Bavaria. Inconsistencies in the composition of drinking water can pose a serious problem for breweries, which is precisely the case in Miami. Making enormous efforts to counter this problem is Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The University has launched a Brewing Science Laboratory, headed by Dr. Barry Gump, professor of beverage science. Students have formed Biscayne’s Renowned Engineers of Wort, or B.R.E.W., the brewing club that operates in FIU’s new beer lab. In addition to developing demineralization techniques for local breweries, such as Wynwood Brewing Company and Titanic Brewing Company, Dr. Gump has opened up courses to the public and will continue to lead B.R.E.W. FIU to provide research and new brews to the local brewing industry. For more information about the innovative Beer Academy at FIU, go to ihter.fiu.edu.

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Bold & Brewtiful

The Science of Roasting Small Batch Artisan Coffee PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS MARTIN photosbychrismartin.com

By Steven Joseph

H

ot and strong? Maybe dark and steamy? Or blonde and chilled? Whichever way you take your coffee (yes, coffee) myriad options are currently at your disposal. What was once simply an afterthought following a meal, or a complementary companion to breakfast, is now a $100 billion global industry. The caffeinated brew is the most sought-after commodity in the world after oil. As a planet, we consume 500 billion cups of coffee a year. But one small company in South Florida is seeking to change the way we taste, smell, and think about coffee. And it’s not with an approach you’d easily suspect.

The Rabbit Coffee Roasting Company For the past several years, the artisan/small-batch movement has been sweeping the country, from cottage-industry baked goods to microbrewed beer. Now, The Rabbit Coffee Roasting Company in West Palm Beach is bringing specialty-roasted coffee beans to the nation’s attention, as an alternative to the mass-produced coffeegiants on our grocery shelves, populating our neighborhood dispensaries, and filling our travel mugs. By having a say in every step of the process, from the location the beans are grown, to whether they’re husked before drying, to the degree to which they’re roasted, The Rabbit Coffee Roasting Company is capitalizing on all of the subtle nuances and flavors that can be coaxed out of the coffee bean, similar to oenologists who control everything that goes into a bottle of wine from the grape to the cork.

The brains fueling The Rabbit Coffee Roasting Company are two men who share the responsibility of “master-roaster” and have built their niche from the bean, or ground, up. Iain Yeakle, 28, of Palm Beach Gardens first began his fascination with coffee as a teen, touring the country as a musician, and drinking gallons of it along the way to stay awake on the long drives. Yeakle eventually bought an antique hand-crank drum roaster on eBay from a woman in France.

“I got into coffee while traveling. And I wanted to roast my own coffee, and so I started with the basics,” he said.

The Crackle Behind Roasting Yeakle taught himself the science of coffee roasting mostly on the fly. “I was using sound, sight, and smell to determine the roast.

There was so much trial and error.” The sound that Yeakle is referring to is something known as “first crack.” The raw coffee beans (technically berries) come out of canvas bags with between 10-12 percent moisture content. At that point, if you were to grind and brew the beans, the liquid would not even be called coffee, and prac-

tically undrinkable. During the roasting process, the beans are heated and the majority of the remaining moisture evaporates, similar to the hardened kernels of corn in a batch of popcorn. At a certain point, also much like popcorn, the outer shell of the bean will actually crack.

The beans puff up and increase in size, doubling in volume, and the outermost skin of the bean will begin to chaff off as the beans tumble in the roaster. The beans are a pale milk-chocolate brown and at this stage the beans could begin to be ground, brewed, and drunk. The technical label for the beans at this point is “City Roast.” Each incremental second in the roaster then begins to affect the taste, color, and smell of coffee. During this time, the coffee is known as “City Plus.” After a long enough period of time, the beans will then go through “second crack.” At this stage, the coffee is a deep, dark brown, borderline black, and is known as “Dark Roast” or “Vienna Roast.”

Because of the extremely quick chemical changes that take place between first and second crack, roasting is really a hands-on process to manage the exact characteristics that are sought after from a particular batch. As the sucrose decomposes in the bean, the coffee begins to lose some of its natural sweetness and takes on that acrid, bitter taste that has become all-too common among mass-produced coffees.

Yeakle is literally striving to hit the “sweet spot” with every batch.

The Rabbit Coffee Roasting Company sells both whole beans and pre-ground coffee, but for the best flavor experience, Yeakle recommends grinding the beans at home to release the bouquet. The other product being tinkered with right now is a cold-brewed coffee extract, a division spearheaded by the other master-roaster, Adriano Cerasaro. Cerasaro, an Italian immigrant practically raised in coffeehouses, calls the extract, “a very refreshing drink, especially in Florida, it’s perfect.” “I’m from Italy,” he says, “coffee is the culture. In America you have bars, but in Italy, our bars serve coffee and brioches.”

For more information, go to: www.TheRabbitCoffee.com or call 561.351.1954 or email: contact@TheRabbitCoffee.com

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HISTORICAL SCOOP ON

ice cream

By Dale King

America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, is revered for writing two of the world’s most prestigious documents: the Declaration of Independence and his own recipe for vanilla ice cream.

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Fact vs. Fiction “Ancient ice cream history seems replete with myth,” said Theobald, “although each story contains a kernel of truth. The Romans did mix snow or chipped ice with various flavorings. The Chinese were probably the first to invent an iced dairy product.” King T’ang of Shang used 94 men to make a lipsmacking concoction from buffalo milk, flour and camphor.

Historians affirm that Café Procope in Paris – the city’s oldest restaurant, opened in 1686 and still in operation today – was the first to make ice cream available to the public. Owner Procope “introduced a recipe blending milk, cream, butter and eggs,” said Armstrong.

j

Thomas Jefferson

THOmas jefferson’s ReciPe for Vanilla Ice Cream

efferson, a gourmet with a Julia Childlike passion for French cuisine, actually took quill in hand and wrote an 18-step recipe for vanilla ice cream that he obtained when traveling in France.

Jefferson’s recipe demanded “2 bottles of good cream, 6 yolks of eggs, ½ lb. sugar” to be flavored with vanilla and frozen in a sarbottiere, a freezer for ices.

(See the recipe in Jefferson’s actual penmanship adjacent to this article.)

But Jefferson wasn’t the first commanderin-chief to serve and enjoy the creamy cool sweetness of this fave confection.

“George Washington spent about $200 for ice cream [a handsome sum back in the day] during the summer of 1790,” said Peggy Armstrong at the International Dairy Foods Association.

“Martha Washington did not invent ice cream any more than Jefferson or Dolly Madison, but she served it at Mount Vernon,” said Mary Miley Theobald in the Colonial Williamsburg Journal. Armstrong noted that Dolly whipped up a “magnificent strawberry ice cream creation at President Madison’s second inaugural banquet.”

An Elite Treat The frosty mix of cream, sugar and flavoring was “a rare and exotic dessert enjoyed mostly by the elite” until about 1800, said Armstrong. Freezers had not yet been invented, and ice in the summertime was an expensive commodity. After that, insulated ice houses, mechanical cold-making devices 46

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and more sophisticated freezing and cold storage processes removed ice cream from its out-of-reach social pedestal and made it available to everyone.

But it’s clear from the Moose Track-muddied history of ice cream that the product consumed in mass quantities today bears little resemblance to what our ancestors devoured.

Alexander the Great thought snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar was great, says Armstrong in a historical essay. Roman Emperor Nero, in addition to fiddling, was known to send sandal-footed servants to the mountains to bring back snow, which he topped with fruits and juices before consuming.

For a legible copy, go to www.southfloridaopulence.com

Café Procope – the oldest restaurant in Paris and still open today – was the first to serve ice cream to the public.

Ice Cream Crosses the Pond Ice cream became vogue in America during the late 18th century and evolved quickly.

The first ice cream parlor in the U.S. opened in New York City in 1776. Nancy Johnson received a patent for the first hand-cranked ice cream maker in 1843.

Jacob Fussell is considered to be the “father of the ice cream industry,” notes Theobald.

He owned a dairy farm and made ice cream on the side to boost his profits. “His ice cream was so popular that he ended up [starting] the nation’s first ice cream factory” in Baltimore in 1887.

During the 20th century, the glacial delicacy was hot. Combined with toppings or carbonated water, it morphed into ice cream sodas and sundaes. It was an edible morale builder for troops during World War II. Ice cream today is more in demand than ever. The number of flavors has soared from 28 at Howard Johnson’s to 46 among Ben & Jerry’s treats to more than 1,000 as counted by Baskin Robbins. But the favorite of all – the flavor that accounts for 20 to 29 percent of all ice cream sales – is also Jefferson’s choice – vanilla.

Editor’s Note: Visit www.southfloridaopulence.com to get a legible copy of Thomas Jefferson’s original hand-written recipe.

Left to right: P. Morgan Fussell, Jacob Fussell Jacob Fussell ice cream delivery wagon (the “father of the ice cream industry”) and M.T. Fussell Summer 2014

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Masterminds Behind Time Masterpieces at Ulysse Nardin

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a

painter is nothing without a canvas. A writer is nobody without paper. A masterpiece owes its existence to a combination of several favorable circumstances. Creative production occurs when imagination meets the real world, when artistic talent finds a patron. Such is the case with legendary Swiss haute horology brand Ulysse Nardin and the brilliant masterminds behind it.

In the Beginning…

Ulysse Nardin, the founder, was born in Le Locle, Switzerland, in 1823. For two decades, he worked with one of the period’s greatest experts in precision timepieces – William DuBois – and then, at just 23 years old, founded the watch company that still bears his name today.

The innovative, award-winning watch company grew and thrived – until 1983 when a quartz crisis forced its sale. But prevail it did, thanks largely to a chance encounter between men with a passion for watches. Rolf Schnyder, a businessman and visionary, provided Ludwig Oechslin, a brilliant watchmaker, with the perfect conditions in which to Rolf Schnyder practice his art. Their collaboration has since produced watches that are nothing short of legendary.

Ulysse Nardin

Schnyder had seen and admired an astrolabe, one of Oechslin’s first creations, and was determined to miniaturize this timepiece to create one of the most complicated wristwatches in the world. It was a vision the pacesetters achieved many times over since then.

Ludwig Oechslin

Behind Two Masterminds … Is Another

Today, Ulysse Nardin is a leader of innovation and independence in the Swiss watch industry. And it is Chief Operating Officer and engineer Pierre Gygax – the ‘father of silicium technology in watch making’ – who set the precedent, laying some of the most important groundwork for the manufacturer to grow its legacy well into the future.

of the box and come up with real novelties,” Gygax told South Florida Opulence.

“When Ludwig Oechslin proposed a new breed of escapement [the device in a mechanical watch that transfers energy to the timekeeping element], I immediately thought that it was a tremendous opportunity to bring back Ulysse Nardin within the club of the real ‘Manufacture.’ We needed to ensure our long-term technological independPierre Gygax ence by mastering in-house the manufacturing of all key strategic components. The escapement was one of them!”

Gygax continued.

“My task was to materialize Ludwig’s idea into a well functioning mechanism. The moving micromechanical parts were to be extremely light and hard to allow this innovative concept to function correctly in practice.” Gygax knew very well the microelectronic application of silicium, but at the time, had no experience with silicium used as a micromechanical part material.

“A professor at the Engineering High School who had researched the subject told me that this was possible. I tried and was immediately convinced that this material, and the selective photolithography process to shape it, was going to bring much to the world of mechanical watchmaking,” Gygax said.

Indeed it did. Gygax’s silicium escapement breakthrough was first introduced in the revolutionary watch design called the FREAK. “By the use of a new material and a new manufacturing process to make micromechanical parts, we opened a new field of research and possibilities for engineers to exercise their imagination!” Gygax said proudly. “The collectors appreciate the change from a ‘me too novelty’ to a ‘revolutionary novelty.’ This was always the spirit of our grandfathers but with the means of today’s technologies.”

Throughout his 15-plus year tenure with Ulysse Nardin, Gygax has demonstrated that he is a change-maker, leading to the culmination of many of Ulysse Nardin’s most profound accomplishments.

Ulysse Nardin is now recognized as a formidable manufacturing force in fine Swiss watchmaking.

Silicium is an extremely light but hard material that eliminates friction and removes the need for lubrication of the escapement – the watchmaker’s holy grail. It is a nanotechnology which has taken many years to develop.

“For those passionate about engineering, it is always interesting to reach milestones – such as the first hot air balloon, first airplane, first jet, first rocket. The mechanical luxury watch industry, however, had been repetitive for decades and generations. One changed only the position or shape of a tourbillon, the way to display the time, etc., but there was no impetus for inventors or engineers to think out

Ulysse Nardin's latest technological achievement, the anchor escapement.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF GERALDINE PAVAN

Tomi’s Got Game – In Real Estate A look at niche real estate services geared specifically for professional athletes and entertainers

By Dale King and Julia Hebert

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A

t a time in life when most teenage girls are picking out prom gowns and cramming for SATs, Tomi Rose was motoring the streets with her dad, looking at houses for sale, she remembers.

Those hours with her father, Marion, in Terre Haute, Indiana, where she grew up, fueled her passion to do more than dabble in the real estate field. She wanted it all. “I loved nice things.” So, she moved to Miami – a spot that’s a tad “spicier” than Indiana, she says – and worked her way up the real estate chain, learning the trade by handling every aspect – listings, showings, contracts.

Tomi was already a top-producing agent when she jumped on board as Senior Vice President of the Sports and Entertainment Division at Opulence International Realty in January 2014. Since arriving, she notes, “things have been clicking.”

“My division focuses on recruiting experienced Realtors in cities that have professional basketball, football, baseball, soccer and hockey teams,” she said. And although she has 200 athletes and celebrities on speed dial, Tomi’s heart belongs to former Miami Heat player and fiancé Mark Strickland. They had dated for years, went their separate ways, then rediscovered each other two years ago.

Now, they plan to settle down as a family with their son, Markhi, 13.

Born to Compete No slouch on the playing field herself, Tomi showed prowess in track and volleyball. But she spent most of her grid-side time as a cheerleader in junior high and high school, at the University of Indiana and, for three years, with the Indianapolis Colts professional franchise.

After immersing herself in the home buying and selling market, Tomi learned to do all tasks on her own. “I take pride in that; I know what I’m doing,” she says. Early on, she got to know high-ranked sports figures and celebs so well that now, “most of them reach out to me” to get her personal level of service.

In the top-dollar real estate business, “dealing with VIPs can be challenging because their time is very precious and

Tomi Rose, Senior VP of OIR's Sports & Entertainment Division

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you need to make yourself readily available,” Tomi said. Also, they generally look for larger homes with soaring ceilings and lots of closet space.

Coincidentally, she sold her first home to a member of a famous sports family – Dan Robbie, son of Joe Robbie, the original owner of the Miami Dolphins. Tomi said she and Dan met while looking around at “for sale by owner” houses in Coconut Grove. She helped him search through unfamiliar territory, and he returned the favor by purchasing a home from her. “It was meant to be,” she said.

Hot Listings Miami Tomi has also gained recognition – and no small amount of TV face time – as one of the star real estate professionals on the Style Network’s “Hot Listings Miami” reality television show.

Serving the community is a priority on Tomi’s agenda. She has been a committee member for the Kennedy/Shriver Miami Beach Best Buddies Charity and supports Miami Heat player Juwan and wife Jenine Howard’s Juice Foundation to benefit kids with cancer.

When not working the phones at the Opulence International Realty office or showing multimillion dollar homes in and around Miami, Broward and Palm Beach counties, she stays in touch with pals – and meets her nutritional needs and proclivity for shopping – at such habitats as The Juice Spot, owned by Savannah James, wife of Miami Heat player LeBron James; Prime 112, owned by restaurateur Myles Chefetz; shopping malls Merrick Park in Coral Gables and Bal Harbour in Miami, and stays fit with Ed Downs' ProTurf training method.

She admits to having a penchant for shoes (“I have too many”), in particular, Tom Fords. The slim, long-haired woman with obvious couture taste strongly resembles Janet Jackson, a similarity they both noted when they met – strictly by accident – at an upscale store.

Tomi currently has a large selection of multimillion dollar listings to share with prospective clients. One is a nearly 17,000total-square-foot residence with an indoor basketball court, state-of-the-art movie theater, billiard room, golf course

Photo Courtesy VHT

Photo Courtesy VHT Summer 2014

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Photo Courtesy VHT

This breathtaking estate isn’t owned by a professional athlete, but it could be: It has an indoor basketball court.

Photo Courtesy VHT Photo Courtesy VHT

and lake views, guest house, and two grand master suites. “I've never seen a home with an indoor basketball court in South Florida before.”

Despite her hectic schedule, Tomi still has plenty of energy. She is also Vice President of her son's clothing line, KBOLO (Kid Ballers Only Live Once). And she has written a book, Why Shouldn’t Single Mothers Have It All? “When you read it, you won’t believe the

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things I’ve been through,” she said, but offers no clues. And if you really want to know about her mother, Edith’s, advice to her, “Turn your anguish into anger and your anger into action,” she smilingly commands, “Read the book.”

To learn more about the Sports and Entertainment Division, go to www.opulenceinternationalrealty.com or call (305) 615.1376.

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The core of his success lies in a flair for networking: “Use your sphere of influence and surround yourself with others who are masters of their own craft, these are the people who will help you evolve and get to the next level in life.” Though his business thrives on socializing, David works hard to ensure the connections last beyond the soirees.

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opulenceinternationalrealty.com © 2014 Opulence International Realty. Equal Housing Opportunity.

2060 North Bayshore Drive, Miami Florida 33137

Oh Say Can You Seat?

By Robin Jay

Tucked in the tiny provincial commune of Martignacco – in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Northern Italy – craftsmanship and the pursuit of perfection are age-old traditions. That is why when La Cividina was founded there in 1976, its handmade sofas and armchairs were (and are) considered the authentic interpretation of Made in Italy. It’s also why interior designer Steven G. secured the rights as the exclusive showroom in the United States authorized to carry the collection.

Ask any artisan on the premises at La Cividina and you’ll discover that each timeless design they produce originates from the experience of the in-house creative laboratory and collaborations with designers who share the company’s values.

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Here, knowledge is handed down from generation to generation to offer seating selections that are a result of seasoned craftsmen who transform an idea into reality – a perfect balance of materials, form and function. Consider these sophisticated examples: Nautile – This armchair sculpture by Peter Harvey is a work of art with soft, original lines that provide maximum comfort.

Osaka – Designed by Pierre Paulin, Osaka is a sinuous sofa composed of three elements held together by a special steel frame and covered with “stretch” fabric that perfectly follows its curves.

Aria – This head-turning design by Antonio Rodriguez is produced by precisely la-

ser cutting a sheet of steel to create rhombuses that form the seat’s main body. Side pieces produce a graceful curve. The exterior is covered with leather that is carefully selected, cut and sewn by hand.

Mrs. Buffy – Ideal for “creating community” within large areas, this design by Paolo Martinig makes an ageless seating accessory for any home.

Folies Bergere – Created by PBA Studio, these armchairs offer an unexpected sense of protection and space for meditation and relaxation, thanks to gently embracing shapes.

To see – and sit in – these stunningly artistic and functional armchairs and sofa from La Cividina, make an appointment to visit Interiors by Steven G. 2818 Center Port Circle, Pompano Beach. For more information, call (954) 735-8223 or log onto www.interiorsbysteveng.com.

Nautile

ARIA

Mrs. Buffy

Folies Bergere

OSAKA Summer 2014

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Art in the Landscape

SEries PART VI

by Mary and Hugh Williamson, whose Bluffton, SC landscape is punctuated by topiary examples

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opiaries?

To many this topic calls to mind small, charming indoor potted plants, shaped into graduated balls of foliage on a stem. But there are many more majestic applications of the art form that is “topiary”. They can be incredibly stunning focal points of your garden. Topiaries, like fountains, can be stately and they might be whimsical, depending on your venue and your audience. They can be massive or minute, geometric or animal-form. They can truly be “Art in the Landscape”.

The History of the Art Form The practice of “topiary” is the training, coaxing and pruning of smallleaf plants into shapes. It is traceable to origins in ancient Greece, where formal buildings were accentuated and complemented with elegant shaped plantings. Like so many arts, the concept was absconded by Rome, where a wealthy, learned patrician introduced the art form to Caesar Augustus. The result was a “fad” which saw much iteration in hedges and animal likenesses throughout the Empire. The practice declined right along with that Empire, but it was revived centuries later by monks who were focused on herb cultivation.

As the Renaissance emerged, a rediscovery of “Things Classical” occurred, including the implementation of topiary arts. This practice was embraced by many cultures, including the Moorish and Europeans, particularly the French. The English made it “their own” with knot gardens, and the art continued in the New World; locations such as Williamsburg, VA. Global exploration and the identification of new appropriate plant varieties expanded opportunities. The trend continues to this day, with important plantings in Villa d’Este in Italy, and The Biltmore Gardens in North Carolina as well as the commercial applications that delight youngsters at Disney World, in Orlando, Florida.

Maybe you can delight the youngsters in your life!

How Are They Created?

There are genius artisans, such as Pearl Fryar of Bishopville, SC, who create magical forms with only a smile and a chain saw! Pearl appears from time to time as keynote speaker for charity events with that chain saw, demonstrating his craft in formal attire!

“Since the early 1980s, Pearl Fryar has created fantastic topiary at his garden in Bishopville, South Carolina. Living sculptures, Pearl’s topiary are astounding feats of artistry and horticulture. Many of the plants in Pearl’s garden were rescued from the compost pile at local nurseries.

With Pearl’s patience and skilled hands, these “throw aways” have thrived and have been transformed into wonderful abstract shapes.

Pearl Fryar and his garden are now internationally recognized and have been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles, television shows, and even a documentary, A Man Named Pearl. Today, the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden draws visitors from around the globe.”

As an alternative, there are pre-formed wire skeletons (tuteur) which offer the “topiarist” the challenge of wrapping sprouts planted in a medium (such as moss) within the tuteur, around the wire. The shapes are varied. Maybe a unicorn? A giraffe? Or how about the Loch Ness Monster? They are fun, whimsical, and charming on a major scale.

Small-scale versions can also work well on a balcony or patio. Your first topiary was likely a Chia Pet or maybe a bonsai! It’s the same concept, but with such grand opportunities!

Mary and Hugh Williamson

Topiary cats and dogs amuse guests at a park.

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Grand Historic Lore of Garden Statuary – And the English artist, Edwina Sandys, who through her sculptures, keeps the provenance thriving in the United States today

W

By Dale King and Julia Hebert

When the Renaissance swept across Europe half a millennium ago, mythological gods – perfect in face and figure – returned to reign in a new arena. Sculptures of these ancient heroes stood tall in gardens that grew in Greece and Rome, and quickly spread west as the age of enlightenment was restored.

The popularity of placing classic statuary in gardens crossed to northern Europe in the early 1600s – France and England in particular – where rulers committed themselves to the collection of royal art. In those days, gardens were “museums” in the true sense of the word, that is, “house of the muses.”

But this idolatry didn’t always cut it with the British. During the English Civil War, statues of pagan gods were destroyed and the lead used for musket shot. Placement of sculptures in English gardens revived with the restoration of Charles II, but dropped off again when Napoleon challenged England to battle in the 18th century. After Waterloo, development

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of garden statuary was scattershot until the mid-1900s when modern abstract art began to appear among the hedges and flowers.

Although the U.S. was left out of the classic statuary creation process, Americans can now find such outdoor galleries in this country, thanks to artists like Edwina Sandys (pronounced “sands”). The London-born painter and sculptor has helped underscore the prominence of English sculpture gardens with her own modern-day twist. Her grandfather, Sir Winston Churchill, who planted and painted his own gardens, would be proud.

Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens A gallery of Edwina’s paintings, drawings and garden sculptures were recently displayed at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in West Palm Beach. Created outside the former residence of sculptor Ann Weaver Norton (19051982), the 2.16-acre property is home to 300 species of tropical palms and nine monumental sculptures. The gardens, designed by Ann Norton and Sir Peter Smithers, are on land near downtown West Palm Beach across the Intracoastal from the Palm Beach home where Edwina and her husband, architect Richard Kaplan, spend winters. Their permanent residence is in New York City.

Caption here

Garden Frolics Particularly eye-catching, in part because of their bright red hue, were the “Frolics,” six 8-foottall pieces, all depicting women and crafted in aluminum, with the signature “cut-outs” that have come to define much of Edwina’s work. In fact, the bold lines of her sculptures are often emphasized by these cut-outs.

Walking past the Frolics that stood along the path from the door of the Ann Norton Gallery building to the gardens, Edwina explained the thought process behind their creations. “I had made them in white. I am now making them in red. Red is my favorite color.”

Digital Daffodil, painted aluminum (2013)

“I don’t know where my creatures came from,” said world-renowned garden sculpture artist Edwina Sandys. “They just flew out of my fingers, with no sketches and no conscious thought.”

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Frolics in red, Edwina's favorite color, at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens Gallery

Edwina’s unique twist is evident in each of the half-dozen Frolics pieces. The one called Hands has two hands atop its head that morph into birds. With the sculpture Fishwife, fish adorn her head in place of hair, much as Medusa wore snakes for hair. And then there’s Princess, a depiction of Princess Diana, her profile turned downward with the Shy Di look she so often displayed in life. Her jewelry is represented as cut-outs around her neck, more strikingly visible because they are voids and not gems.

The cut-outs are uniquely Edwina’s – and they usually have a specific meaning. Angel of the Sea & Sky has a fish cut-out of the body and bird shapes removed from the wings. Sunflower Woman displays a vast sunflower head and breasts created with a swirling cutaway. Eve’s Apple shows a large, white hand with red fingernail polish holding a green apple with a bite taken out of it. The piece has a different look, depending on where the viewer stands.

So does her “digital daffodil,” digital meaning fingers, not some hightech gizmo. The sunshine yellow painted aluminum piece shows hands gently lifting a delicate flower. When seen from different angles, it presents varying images.

“I don’t know where my creatures came from,” she said. “They just flew out of my fingers, with no sketches and no conscious thought.”

Edwina admits she followed the modern art movement during the earlier stage of her sculpting. “The works I was most aware of were done by Rodin, Matisse, Giacometti, Epstein and Henry Moore,” said Edwina. Moore was a leader of the modern art school of sculptors and garden designers who emerged during the 1930s. However, 64

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Edwina Sandys relaxes at the Ann Norton Gardens where her sculptures were on display in February the fact that most of her creations flow from the store in her own subconscious mind, she does not live in a vacuum. So ancient and modern subtle influences, of which she cannot be fully aware, make up the witches brew from which she draws her inspiration. She is currently working on a contemporary sculpture interpreting the all-time great monument Stonehenge – and thinking about the pyramids.

Edwina touches on contemporary themes and designs in her work, crafting tributes to such subjects as the 2001 terrorist attack on the U.S., children and families, glasnost, feminism and religious dogma.

And if pressed to disclose which muse she constantly turns to, she thinks a moment and says, enigmatically, “My art is my life and my life is my art.”

Editor’s note: To see more of Edwina’s sculptures, go to www.EdwinaSandys.com.

Literature M U S T - R E AD S F R O M TH E D E S K O F E D W I N A S A N DY S Edwina Sandys is an artist and sculptor living in New York & Palm Beach.

Edwina Sandys

NOTES AND SKETCHES – Travel Journals of William Rayner Monumental Dreams The Life and Sculpture of Ann Norton

By Caroline Seebohm University Press of Florida 2014

Monumental Dreams is a fascinating story of the life and work of Ann Norton. It is also a history of the intense struggle between figurative and abstract sculpture in mid 20th century art, as well as the struggle for women’s recognition.

“There was also the elephant in the room – her gender – the Art World’s hostility to women artists. When Ann’s contemporary, Louise Nevelson, had her first solo show in 1941, a reviewer wrote: “We learned the artist is a woman, in time to check our enthusiasm.

Had it been otherwise, we might have hailed these sculptural expressions as by surely a great figure among moderns.”

Born in 1905 in Selma, Alabama, into a privileged southern family, Ann Weaver, willfully and stringently, forced herself to become a “starving artist,” and then, full circle, married her benefactor, Ralph Norton, the founder of the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. Norton, 30 years older, helped Ann in material terms. On his death after five years of marriage, he left her well provided for, with freedom to concentrate on her own sculpture.

Caroline Seebohm delves into Ann’s romantic life and concludes that although Ann had a fully consummated and loving marriage to Ralph Norton, there was no proof that she also had a sexual relationship with her dear friend and constant living companion of later years, the colorful Countess Monique du Boisrouvray. Caroline finds proof of this in Ann’s monumental sculptures, which she insists bear no sexual overtones. In admiring them firsthand myself, dwarfed by their grandeur and power, I have a different opinion. Many of Ann’s giant red brick sculptures have narrow openings slyly cut into them; windows, keyholes, slits which let light and air through. (Freud would have had a lot to say about this!) A contemporary of Henry Moore, whose sculptures are so sinuously sensual, Ann’s works do not seem womanly in the accepted rounded sense, but angular, “architectural, geometric, sometimes asymmetrical, sometimes Druidic.”

The house where she lived and worked until her death in 1982 is now the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, which preserves her artistic legacy in the unique natural landscape she developed. Although, in her lifetime, she did not have the recognition she deserved, the city of West Palm Beach is to install Ann’s 30' high “Gateway” on the median of Okeechobee Boulevard to create a new sense of arrival. For Ann Norton, some Monumental Dreams, eventually, do come true.

Glitterati 2013

In times gone by, on voyages of discovery to foreign lands, an important part of the team was the official artist. How else, before photography, would people back home believe the unbelievable?

In 1833, Charles Darwin included watercolor sketches by Conrad Martens in his book Voyage of the Beagle.

William P. Rayner, a Conde Nast writer, has brought together in two volumes, sketches and diary notes from his travels over 30 years. Many of the places such as Libya have changed for all time, so his portrayals are valuable historical records, as well as sprightly art. It is delightful to leaf through the paint-splattered pages and catch a glimpse of Billy’s life. I feel right there beside him in a crowded marketplace as he takes out his paint box and daubs a dozen pinkish rectangles onto off-white, heavily textured paper. Sharp vertical jabs in the foreground, surrounded by light pencil lines, a further touch of color and, Hey Presto!

I am in Souk Square in Marrakech! I turn the corner, or rather the page, and I am bargaining with an elegant rug merchant. Like a matador, he swooshes a multicolored offering at my feet - all this portrayed with seven individual sweeps of vibrant color.

Watercolor painting seems so simple but is actually more difficult than oil or acrylic. Only the bold can triumph. There are no second chances, no muddy over-painting to hide mistakes. As much as I admire Billy’s fresh watercolors, I enjoy equally his brief diary notes - delivered in his succinct deadpan humor - as we travel with him through Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, India, Burma, and on. “The children of the village gather round while I sketch. I sense a darkening shadow fall over the paper. I turn my head and see an elephant there.”

At Bodrum in Turkey with friends, Ahmed and Mica Ertegun: “In front of the house there was an unpaved street looking onto the wharf where women would bring their sheep each morning to bathe them. While this was a charming custom, there were others that were not so charming. One morning at breakfast, the mayor appeared at the door to welcome us to Bodrum and asked us to step outside. The good man had just cut the throat of a lamb and wanted us to walk through it as a blessing to the house. I declined, as my eggs were getting cold.”

These volumes may inspire readers to dust off their old photo albums and relive their own adventures once again.

EDWINA’S PHOTO COURTESY OF HARRY BENSON Summer 2014

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Where has the Music Gone? i

By Geoff Hammond

n a candid interview with Jim Jonsin, Grammy Award winner and the founder and driving force behind Rebel Rock Entertainment, the question of today’s music was discussed. Jonsin is a very successful, self-made entrepreneur with interests in both the music world and the world of auto racing. In his own earthy charismatic way, Jonsin describes his passion to create what he calls a return to “great organic music” … well-written lyrics, quality sound production, instrumentals and solid fundamentals of good vocals without all the auto sounds or pitch mikes that other producers commonly use to enhance the end product. He talks about finding young talent and mentoring them to improve all their musical skills, carefully crafting their individual sound and style.

South Florida Opulence: What drives you other than your race cars?

JONSIN: Really, what makes me tick is hearing great music delivered by a true artist … someone whose voice and musical talent

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reaches out and touches folks. I’m not talking about the big production effect but the pure and unfiltered ability to deliver a song whether live or recorded that stays with you … something you can’t get out of your head.

SFO: Where do you find that kind of talent?

JONSIN: I literally search all over the world.

Fortunately, because I’ve had success in this business after my experiences with Beyoncé and Usher among others, I get leads from everywhere … young people wanting a chance … a chance to showcase their talents.

SFO: Who are you currently working with?

JONSIN: I’m in the process of finishing up an album with a young talent from Spain who has a phenomenal voice and is a cross between Ricky Martin and a modern-day Lionel Ritchie. His name is Leroy Sanchez and he’s already been receiving rave reviews. I’ve been working with him in the studio for the past three years and it’s very satisfying to see his maturity and his talent develop. It’s one of the things I require from my artists … to be respectful and serious about the process of making

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MARC SEROTA

Really, what makes me tick is hearing great music delivered by a true artist … someone whose voice and musical talent reaches out and touches folks. good music. Not just the ability to stage a performance but the confidence that comes from hard work and dedication to the craft.

I’m also currently working with a young woman from Australia who is into folk, new country and soft rock. She has an unusually full voice and is certain to become a star.

SFO: You seem to have a wide interest in the type of music you produce … from rap to folk, country and soft rock. Any favorites?

JONSIN: I’m fortunate that I have an ear for almost all music and have been successful in creating cutting-edge sounds in several different genres. As I’ve gotten a bit older, however, I most enjoy listening to the tunes of the ‘70s … absolutely great vocals and strong memorable lyrics. It’s fun and exciting when I find young folks who have that similar passion for that type of sound.

SFO: Where does the passion to help young talent come from?

JONSIN: When I was trying to find my way in the business, someone reached out to me and lended a helping hand … I never forgot that, and now that I’m in a position to do the same, it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to provide a similar platform for others.

Over the years, I started an apprenticeship program to introduce

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young people both in school and from various backgrounds into the world of music … whether it is engineering, editing, audiomixing, writing, instrumentals or vocals; the opportunity is there for someone to step up, work hard and find a potential job in the music industry. I have the capability to make that happen with my contacts and it’s a great way for me to pay-it-forward.

SFO: Any new projects on the horizon?

JONSIN: I’m working with a new associate and we intend to extend my platform more actively into the Nashville market. I’ve always wanted an entrance there and I’m looking forward to broadening the outreach program for my new artists to collaborate with other studios. It’s actually a small world … the music industry, and there is a network of people who really can make things happen … I want to remain at the center of that activity.

One of Jonsin’s rising-star protégés, Leroy Sanchez, performed at the 4th Annual Opulence Yacht Gala on Fisher Island in April. Guests raved. To hear Sanchez firsthand, go to www.SouthFloridaOpulence.com. And to read more about Jim Jonsin and Rebel Rock Entertainment, go to www.Rebelrock.com.

by Joshua Stone

Need for Speed?

Try Rush Hour at MPH Club Aristotle once said, “The chief forms of beauty are order and symmetry and definiteness.”

It’s quite rare to find symmetry in the exotic car rental business, but mph club™ exemplifies this quality.

Located in the Orion Jet Center at Opa-Locka Executive Airport, the mph club office is perched atop a former World War II era naval hanger full of jet aircraft. The desks are constructed of airplane wings, reclaimed parts, and there is even a 40-plus-foot aircraft wing conference table on the way.

Rush Hour in a Luxury Hot-Rod Benz Truck The exotic and luxury cars look right at home with their winged counterparts. In addition to exotic rentals, mph club offers a Rush Hour Test Drive. This hour-long experience includes a private tour of the remarkable facilities, a brief vehicle training period to put the driver up-to-speed on the vehicle, and a 30-minute exotic car drive along streets, highways (and, naturally, a complimentary mph club T-shirt).

This wouldn’t be a proper automotive article without a car, or in this case, truck review. The vehicle of choice: a Mercedes-Benz G63. To understand this tremendous twin-turbo truck, some background is necessary.

The G stands for Geländewagen, which in German means “crosscountry vehicle.” The big G-wagen still has all of the locking differentials and capable off-road suspension of its lesser powered siblings, but the gear heads at AMG went through the capable

off-roader and gave it a 5.5 liter twin turbo V8 with 544hp, new suspension, and absolutely massive brakes. The interior is among the finest luxury cabins on the market, and is amazingly quiet.

The G63 drives like a truck at lower speeds – confident but a little clunky. On the highway, everything made sense – this car truly is a cross-country vehicle. The G63 soaks up miles like few other cars, and it is very quiet…until you hit the loud pedal. The 544hp is put to the ground through a 7 speed transmission and fulltime all-wheel-drive transfer case and thrusts the G63 forward with absurd acceleration – passing power is never a problem!

What a Rush All in all, the G63 and mph club were both eye openers. In a world of nondescript warehouses with beat up exotics and sketchy tactics, mph club truthfully stands out. From the all-white, perfectly maintained fleet, to the second-to-none customer service experience, the innovative Rush Hour Test Drive, and the prestigious location, mph club is at the pinnacle of the industry. When you call the staff at 888-674-4044, tell them Josh from South Florida Opulence sent you. You won’t regret it.

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RACE A LAMBORGHINI IN THE

WORLD’S FASTEST Miami’s Brett David made his racing debut at Sebring’s Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo – and now you, too, can race in a Lamborghini alongside him for under $30k

By Robin Jay

B

ecoming a gentleman driver in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo race series has never been so exciting – or so easy.

Lamborghini Miami has painstakingly arranged every detail of a full Super Trofeo race program to ensure participating drivers receive the best support for an experience of a lifetime. All you have to do is show up to the track with family and friends for a weekend of exhilarating fun! Never been in a race car? No problem. A full series coach will help ensure you’re on the track to hit the podium! The entire package will run about $29,950 per weekend, plus insurance and consumables. Lamborghini Miami provides the rest.

Paving The Ways For Others Last March, several hundred thousand adrenalinepumped racing enthusiasts packed the stands at the first 2014 race weekend of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo in North America. With a bolting start at the Sebring International Racetrack in Florida, 27-year-old Brett David, CEO of Lamborghini Miami (Prestige Imports),

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(Left to right) Damon Ockey, Lance Fenton, Scott Monroe and Brett David

When David approached the podium to accept his third-place trophy, he touched onlookers when he dedicated his award to his late father, the founder of Prestige Imports.

ONE-MAKE SERIES stunned race fans when – in his racing debut – impressively clinched third place at the finish line. That’s quite a feat – especially considering the Super Trofeo is the fastest one-make, all-wheel drive race series in the world!

When David approached the podium to accept his third-place trophy in Sebring, he touched onlookers when he dedicated his award to his late father, the founder of Prestige Imports.

“Racing in the Super Trofeo was an achievement of a lifetime,” said David, who put the proverbial pedal to the metal in his #18 Gold Gallardo, the design of which was inspired by his famous Gold Au79 Aventador.

“From the moment I arrived at Sebring for my first race, I knew I wanted all of our customers and Lamborghini enthusiasts to be a part of this exhilarating experience. This is the truest form of Lamborghini’s brand, history and heritage.”

For details on how you can drive in the Super Trofeo Race Program, call Lamborghini Miami at 305-947-1000, go to www.prestigeimports.com or stop by the showroom at 14800 Biscayne Blvd., North Miami Beach.

Brett David takes third place in his racing debut.

The remainder of the 2014 North American Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo schedule: JUNE 27-19 Watkins Glen International JULY 11-13 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park AUGUST 22-24 Virginia International Park OCTOBER 1-3 Road Atlanta For race details, go to http://squadracorse.lamborghini.com.

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Remembering

TOM CLANCY A Dear Friend and Mentor

By Ava Roosevelt portrayals of Jack Ryan, Clancy’s most famous fictional character, influenced their careers, and watching these movies never gets old.

Tom’s ability to articulate good from bad was legendary. His characters, even at their most evil, stood for something. “Remember, Hollywood people make the mafia look like choir boys,” Tom warned me. I wish I had asked him more when I could do so.

THE DAY I MET TOM CLANCY

Of all of you who tirelessly listened to my laments and shared tales and hardships of becoming a published novelist, it was Tom Clancy who influenced and encouraged me the most to become a writer. His methods were as unconventional as his technically detailed espionage and military science crime fiction and non-fiction novels, hundreds of millions of which were sold during his epic career. Seventeen of his creations became best sellers and more than 100 million copies of his books are in print today.

Tom’s fiction works, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears became commercially successful films and are as notable as their formidable titles.

Alec Baldwin’s, Harrison Ford’s and Ben Affleck’s

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I met Tom, a close friend of my late husband Bill Roosevelt, in Washington, D.C. in 2003, at a party celebrating the publication of The Teeth of the Tiger. We dined afterwards at 1789, Tom’s favorite restaurant in Georgetown. The gathering became a monthly tradition, which lasted until the last year of Tom’s life. I soon discovered that you didn’t speak to Tom Clancy unless you knew what you were talking about. He was unforgiving when his time was wasted and – trust me – you would not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Tom was shy, but the breadth of his knowledge was vast and made him one of the most fascinating and powerful people I’ve ever met. He constantly thrived for accuracy as demonstrated in his novels and many dinners which I attended in his company.

Sharing and staying up-to-date with his friends from the FBI was a treat for a layperson like me, a priceless insight of how Tom ‘worked.’

“Fiction must be based on fact,” Tom insisted. He was a ‘sponge’ for anything new, squeezing every last drop of knowledge (that was to be had) from an unsuspecting dinner guest.

What We Had in Common Once we established that the Second World War was a period in history that both Tom and I loved, I felt comfortable sharing stories of post-warPoland. Being born there, I thought I knew something, yet he would always amaze

me at the depth of his awareness from the American, Soviet and British perspective. I learned early on in our friendship to come prepared if I wanted to participate in Tom’s impromptu think-tank. In 1997, after receiving an unprecedented $25 million advance for his new book titled, Dead or Alive, Tom was hard at work. However, the events of 9/11 changed the publisher’s focus and Tom’s novel was put on the back burner. It took years, until 2012 when the book was finally published.

Despite it becoming a major best seller, the process seemed to have taken a toll on Tom’s creativity and his spirit. Even though he professed that he didn’t care and that the fee justified the publisher’s demands, I know in my heart that the experience changed him. The master of popular fiction, the man who created Jack Ryan and John Clark, the most unforgettable characters of techno-thriller genre, became indifferent. But Tom Clancy’s legacy will live on.

A Tough Critic When I told him I started to write The Racing Heart, my first novel, Tom laughed.

“You socialites! You’ll never finish! Writing is hard, few have the stomach for the rejections.”

“So, if I complete my manuscript will you read it?” I asked.

“No.” “How about one chapter?”

“One page.”

“Will you give me a quote?”

The Reagan Influence Legend has it that President Ronald Reagan was responsible for making The Hunt for Red October, Tom’s first and little known novel published in 1984, into a worldwide bestseller by confessing on Johnny Carson to staying up all night to finish it.

“Make your novel an all-nighter,” Tom kept reminding me.

Of all my platonic friendships, Tom’s was the most passionate, as through the years he let me peel the layers of his complex personality to allow me insight into an allAmerican male, a patriot with a heart the size of Texas, a part owner of the Baltimore Orioles, no less. Tom never picked up a tab but was always there for me to lend ‘shop-related’ advice. He was a master listener, with a keen sense of how to make you feel understood. Tom’s written words have changed lives. He changed mine by believing in me. I never forget the day I FedEx-ed the final draft of my novel to his house in Maryland. With trepidation, I wondered if he would keep his promise.

“You socialites!

You’ll never finish!

Writing is hard, few have the stomach for the rejections.”

— Tom Clancy

“Let’s see how good you are. Better still, forget about it.”

“I can’t Tom, it’s in my blood.”

Ava Roosevelt chats with legendary author Tom Clancy.

I was mad at him for testing my resolve. Little did he know that being taken for granted gave me the boost of adrenaline that catapulted me into a 695 page manuscript six years later.

Once he believed I was serious, he would say during our dinners in Georgetown, pointing at a room full of patrons, “If writing was easy, all of these people would be writing best sellers. Be prepared for years of hard labor.”

“For a girlie book, The Racing Heart is all right. I am proud of you, babe,” Tom emailed a few days later.

Vintage Tom, sadly no more.

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Haute Couture

by Billionaires for Billionaires – or Those Who Wish to Dress Like One

By Robin Jay

i

t takes one to know one. That’s why businessman Flavio Briatore – international entrepreneur, former Formula One Racing guru, haute

cuisine restaurateur, nightclub proprietor and, yes, billionaire – created the Billionaire Italian Couture line of ultraupscale men’s clothing. Launched in the historic Italian seaside pillar resort of Porto Cervo in northern Sardinia in 2005, Briatore brought the headturning brand to Miami’s Design District last winter in the beautifully renovated historic former post office.

“I saw the niche for a luxury line that could satisfy a very demanding client, like myself, who travels, loves clothing, understands service and quality, and wants the absolute best and most unique wardrobe available,” Briatore told South Florida Opulence. “Billionaire Couture is a brand for the man who already has a wide wardrobe but is looking for something unique, stylish and yet well made. Sometimes fashionable clothes for men are made just for models and are not flattering, or they lack in quality. My objective was to create a luxury label where garments and accessories are comfortable, of excellent quality, but also have a twist.”

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Printed silk blazer.

Printed silk shirt.

Galuchat belt.

One ply classic trousers.

Leather bomber jacket with BB logo embossed.

Printed silk shirt.

Anaconda belt.

Jeans with python details and back pocket embroidery.

Anaconda shoes.

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Briatore, clad in his favorite signature slippers, jeans, python belt and summer sports jacket, says he chose Miami as the destination for his latest flagship store “because it is the perfect place

Printed cotton blazer.

Printed silk shirt.

for our clientele, which is a good mix

Jeans with back pocket embroidery.

of Europeans and Latin Americans,

Monitor lizard moccasin.

who love our product.”

Billionaire Italian Couture creations have a history – made strictly by hand in limited editions, with fabrics obsessively researched for quality and detail. “I am very proud that my design team works closely and constantly with small artisanal families, each specializing in a field, who are true ‘masters’ at what they do. In fact, it’s more correct to say that our product is ‘crafted’ in Italy, not just made in Italy.”

The fashion line combines madeto-measure

and

ready-to-wear

ensembles. Billionaire Couture shirts feature pressed-flat seams, according to an age-old Italian tailoring technique, with four detachable ribs under the linen collar. Suits have a transversal Neapolitan cut with gold buttons, linen finished, with hand-stitched oblique buttonholes.

Classic jackets have a hint of modernity; ties have wide ends of equal length rather than arrow-shaped; and shoes are crafted entirely by hand and secured with wooden nails

and

branded

with

serial

numbers for authenticity.

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Python man’s moccasin.

Printed silk jacket.

Printed silk trousers.

Python high-heel shoes.

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100 percent alligator bomber jacket.

Jeans with BB logo embroidery.

Alligator moccasin.

Sunbeam flat pouch.

Continued from page 77

“Go to the store with an open mind, do not be intimidated by something that you think is too daring,” said Briatore, whose mantra is to live life in the fast lane. “We have lots of clients who defined themselves too conservative in taste to wear the brand, but once they try it, they only wear Billionaire Couture. The collection is wide; there is a piece for everyone!”

Billionaire Italian Couture is located at 4000 N.E. 2nd Avenue in Miami.

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Python bomber jacket.

Cotton shirt with BB logo all over.

Python belt.

Jeans with back pocket embroidery.

Python moccasin.

Sunbeam holdall.

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Equestrian Couture

By Robin Jay

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Pangaro captured her vision on film on the pastures of Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Village in Delray Beach, with a sleek stallion and mare – Fernando & Quaza – from Carriage Hill Farms.

A

fashion shoot assignment calling for couture ensembles, an equestrian backdrop, elegant models and live jumper horses – on an August afternoon in South Florida – could make even the most savvy photographer faint of heart. But for Silvia Pangaro, and her surreal style of photography, it proved an ideal scenario.

“Most people don’t associate horses or farms with South Florida, but the reality is that there are many equestrian communities here,” said Pangaro. “Horses are such beautiful and elegant creatures. They can be gentle yet powerful at the same time. For this photo shoot, I wanted a natural setting to create a sort of romance between these beautiful women, glamorous clothing and nature. While it is important to emphasize the contrast between the natural backdrops and my subjects, I also needed to create harmony.”

White taffeta gown with beaded sweetheart neckline, pick-up skirt, lace-up back and chapel train from David’s Bridal.

Model: Kim Davis Makeup: Laura Parra

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Model: Rachel R.

“The photo session was very challenging since they were jumper horses and not used to being photographed,” Pangaro said. “I literally had a team of handlers behind me trying to make the horses seem alert for the poses – they wanted to do their own thing. This photo session was about beauty, from the earth to the soul of my subjects, which in turn created a strong connection between the models and the horses. The lovely animals added an indescribable level of natural beauty to the imagery. We even had a rainbow make an appearance...”

To see more of Silvia Pangaro’s work, visit www.SilviaPangaro.com.

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“Cache” black evening gown with exclusive crystal ornament

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Kidnapped:

Elizabeth Smart’s Chilling Story

By Brittany Hammond & Maureen Hunt

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Elizabeth Smart recently visited the University of Missouri campus in Columbia where she shared her terrifying story of being abducted at the young age of 14.

Student writers Brittany Hammond and Maureen Hunt, on assignment for South Florida Opulence, attended Smart’s chilling yet inspirational presentation. The following are excerpts from Elizabeth’s talk and her new book My Story.

O

n a dreary day in November 2001, as Salt Lake City prepared for the Winter Olympics, bitter temperatures and event construction made for a scant crowd outside downtown department stores. It would have been difficult not to notice the juxtaposition of the beggar standing at a crosswalk next to the well-coiffed Lois Smart, with shopping bags and children in tow – including her shy blond-haired, blue-eyed, 14-year-old daughter Elizabeth.

Thinking the man was “down on his luck,” Mrs. Smart reached into her handbag for a $5 bill to give him. Young Elizabeth made eye contact with the stranger – whom she’d later come to know as Brian David Mitchell.

“I don’t remember a lot about him, but I do recall that he was clean-cut and well-groomed,” Elizabeth recalled in her book, which was presented during her talk at the University of Missouri. “No beard. No robes. No singing or talking about prophets or visions or being the ‘Chosen One.’ All of that would come later.”

Keeping in mind the safety of her family and her nine-year-old sister, Mary Katharine, who was sleeping right beside her in bed, Elizabeth didn’t make a sound or shed a tear. With a knife held to her back, Mitchell marched Elizabeth out of her home and several miles away up to a campsite that he and wife Barzee had prepared in the mountains. It would be the outdoor dungeon where Elizabeth would spend many months in brutal captivity.

When they arrived at the campsite, Barzee (who was known to Elizabeth as Hepzibah) greeted her with a forced hug and then led her inside their tent. She washed the terrified teenager, informed her that her new name was Shearjashub, and forced her to put on a robe and veil – the only garments she would wear during the entire abduction.

The Unspeakable Abuse Almost immediately after Elizabeth first donned the robe and veil, Mitchell ripped them off and raped her. Paradoxically, the veil used to disguise and demoralize the child, was also what would one day help lead to her chance for escape.

Little did unassuming Elizabeth know that Mitchell had been “I remember so many overwhelming feelings and emotions,” Elizasizing her up since the moment he saw her blond hair blowing beth said. “Terror that is utterly indescribable, even to this day. Emin the wind. That his offering to make repairs at the Smart fambarrassment and shame so deep, I felt as if my very worth had been ily home was merely a scheme to discover where the young girl tossed upon the ground.” lived and see where she slept. That the pay he earned from the For nine months of captivity, sheer fear lingered in Elizabeth’s mind. work was to buy tools in preparation for a kidnapping: to make She endured experiences no child should Elizabeth Smart his polygamous secWhat sustained ever know. ond wife. And that his escape ploy was to ditch his jeans and gym shoes for dirty “Starving hunger. Fatigue and thirst, and Elizabeth was sheet robes and leather sandals in order a nakedness that bares one to the bones,” to masquerade as God’s prophet, the knowing her family’s and Elizabeth said. “Intruding hands. Pain and Chosen One. God’s love could never burning. The leering of his dark eyes. A deep longing to see my family. A heartThe Fateful Day breaking yearning to go home.

Months later, on June 5, 2002, during the be stripped from wee hours of the night when everybody “Brian David Mitchell slipped too easily her – even though at the Smart household was fast asleep, in and out of prophecy for it to ever be Mitchell climbed through their open everything else his actual state of mind,” Elizabeth wrote, kitchen window and found his way to years after the incident and trial. “He simElizabeth’s room. Smart woke up to a has been. ply used the culture and language of bearded man who sneered, “I have a religion to manipulate people in order to get what he wanted… knife to your neck. Do not make a sound or I will kill you and He is an antisocial and narcissistic pedophile. He is not clinically your family.” psychotic or delusional. He is just an evil man.”

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Survival What sustained Elizabeth was knowing her family’s and God’s love could never be stripped from her – even though everything else has been.

After a few months of captivity, Mitchell finally allowed Barzee and Elizabeth to leave their campsite and go into public. But soon after, with the cold winters in Utah, Mitchell and Barzee agreed they needed to move to California. In order to find the most cost and time efficient way to reach their new destination, the three of them visited a local library. A man approached the unusual trio, questioning why they were wearing the veils.

Mitchell insisted it was for their religion. Why didn’t Elizabeth seize this opportunity to escape?

The simple but crippling reason: Fear for her family’s safety. Mitchell’s words were forever branded in Elizabeth’s memory: “I will kill your brothers and your sister. I will kill your mom and dad. I will plunge my knife in and I will turn it! I will kill them all!”

family has missed you so much since you were gone! They want you back. They love you. They want you to come home.”

She finally gained the courage to answer truthfully, “I am Elizabeth Smart.”

But what happened next wasn’t what she expected. The police officer handcuffed her and put her in the back of his squad car.

In silence, the officers drove Elizabeth to the police station, where she was led to a room without windows and told to remove her veil. The policeman left the room. A confused and scared Elizabeth thought, “Are they going to call my parents? Are they going to send me to prison?”

The Family Reunion A few grueling minutes later, the door to the room flung open. “My Dad was standing there!” Elizabeth revealed in her book. “He looked at me as if he were seeing a ghost…

Then my daddy ran to me and grabbed me and hugged me as only a father can.”

After the near detection in the library, Mitchell decided they would leave for California immediately. He bought bus tickets with money he had panhandled. For the first time, Elizabeth said she began to lose hope. She would be in a completely different state and didn’t think anyone would recognize her.

But Elizabeth’s faith in God and love for her family was stronger than ever.

She said it was a survival tactic to do everything Hepzibah and Mitchell told her to do.

Day after day, Elizabeth was repeatedly raped and abused. She was forced to drink alcohol, smoke and was often left without food or water.

After a long, harsh winter, Mitchell claimed God told him they needed to move again. But he didn’t know where. A swift-thinking Elizabeth suggested to Mitchell that he ask God if they should go back to Salt Lake City. Mitchell prayed about it and “spoke with God,” and then the final decision was made – they were going back to Salt Lake City, to the camp in the mountains.

Return to Salt Lake City Filthy and odorous, the vagabonds hitchhiked and took buses in route to Salt Lake City. Elizabeth stared at the ground, knowing people were staring at her. Upon arrival, Mitchell led the way into a Wal-Mart, where he stole new hiking boots and whatever he could cram into his backpack. Elizabeth stared at the photos of missing children on the wall. “Am I up there?” she asked herself.

Elizabeth’s mother and siblings were summoned.

“It was all of the crying and hugging and laughing all over again,” Elizabeth remembered. “It was one of those rare moments that is pure and incomprehensible joy.”

Elizabeth with her mother and father after the kidnapping

After this freedom and reunion, Elizabeth was able to continue this same optimistic and positive outlook on life with the help of her mom, who said, “The best punishment you can give him [Mitchell] is your being happy. What that man has done is terrible and he does not deserve one more second of your life. You keep every second for yourself. You keep them and be happy. God will take care of the rest.”

The book “My Story” by Elizabeth Smart with Chris Stewart is available at www.amazon.com.

Mitchell squeezed the young girl’s shoulder until she grimaced in pain.

“You are not up there. No one remembers you or cares about you anymore. You are mine,” he ranted in a threatening whisper.

After walking two blocks from the Wal-Mart, a police car pulled up and stopped behind Mitchell, Barzee and their young prisoner. And then two more police cars arrived. Elizabeth prayed the officers would recognize her and capture Mitchell and Barzee. She was too terrified to admit who she really was to the officers, until they separated her from Mitchell and Barzee. Once alone with a police officer, the veiled girl was asked again, gently, “Are you Elizabeth Smart? Because if you are, your

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Student authors Brittany Hammond (left) and Maureen Hunt

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Unique and pure, this highly concentrated and botanically derived hyaluronic filler is infused with an apricot essential oil and potent antioxidant vitamin E. Skin will feel pure hydration in just one application.

Skin looks and feels younger instantly. www.imageskincare.com. $49.90

Repêchage Algo Mist Hydrating Seaweed Facial Spray Rich in 12 vitamins and minerals,18 amino acids, 42 trace elements, and antioxidants, our Laminara Digitata Seaweed helps to lock in moisture and promote skin hydration, while helping to restore a youthful glow. www.repechage.com. $33.50.

Babor HSR Lifting Extra-Firming

Cream This specially formulated treatment cream improves and strengthens elasticity, aiding in the delay of light-induced aging. Available at Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne’s Spa Boutique. 50 ml. $110.

Babor Derma Cellular

Hyaluronic Collagen Booster Fluid An active concentrate to intensely restructure and plump up the skin from the inside. Hyaluronic acid complex, marine collagen and Collagen Booster Protein work to restructure the skin and plump it up intensely.

The Biltmore Spa uses the Hyaluronic Collagen Booster Fluid used in our Age Defier Facial. The Biltmore Spa. 28ml. $134.

Patchology Energyzing Eye Kit

Patchology eye patches deliver today’s most effective cosmeceutical ingredients to the skin in a way that regular creams and serums cannot. They will smooth away the years. Available at Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour. $75.

Glyco Extreme Peel – By Natura Bisse at Turnberry Isle Spa

This pro-enzyme peptide exfoliant contains a breakthrough blend of scientific ingredients: First peptide that exfoliates; enzymatic exfoliation using Prickly Pear; an innovative Beta Lipoacid (BLA) molecule that speeds natural exfoliation and cellular regeneration by binding salicylic acid with ceramides. “I can personally attest, this product is amazing!” said Robin Jay, Editor in Chief, South Florida Opulence.

1 oz. pump $250. Available at the Turnberry Isle Spa in Aventura.

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anti-aging Peeling Back the Hands of Time:

The Anti-Aging Science Behind Chemical Peels

By Melissa Bryant not correct wrinkles, scars, or deep sun damage. This is what 90 percent of peels done in salons and doctors' offices are,” said Dr. Obagi. Clinicians who were truly chemically peeling would apply acid to a patient’s face, then stop at a level where they felt it had reached enough depth — a technique practiced since its inception in the late 19th century. But it was risky. Left on too long or at too high of an acidic concentration, the peel could go too deep and cause scarring – or worse – disfigurement.

Don’t cry over soured milk! The fermented dairy product was actually an important part of the ancient Egyptian’s skin rejuvenation regimen.

Egyptian nobles bathed in sour milk in an effort to smooth their uneven skin. Lactic acid, the active ingredient in sour milk, worked as a homemade chemical peel to slough off ruptured, aging skin. To this day, mild chemical peels still contain lactic acid.

While modern beauty-seekers still turn to chemical peels for an effective, non-invasive anti-aging treatment, the procedure has received a major facelift. During the 1990s, expert clinician, Zein Obagi, MD., Medical Director of ZO Skin Health, Inc., revamped the popular facial resurfacing treatment to replace guesswork with science.

The Real Peel Before Dr. Obagi created the comprehensive protocol for chemical peels, what most people received when they went in for a chemical peel was a treatment that only exfoliated the skin’s surface. “Doctors call these exfoliating masks peels, but they really should be called false peels because it does

In order to approach chemical peels more scientifically, Dr. Obagi considered every variable when applying a peel: Volume – what concentration of the chemical compound trichloroacetic acid (TCA) to use, as well as how much solution should be applied to a specific area, like the face or neck. By controlling the TCA concentration and slowing down its penetration, he identified clinical signs of depth to gauge when to stop a peel. Today, the controlled depth sign is a measure used by physicians performing chemical peels worldwide.

After much success, Dr. Obagi now tells his patients, “If you do the Controlled Depth Peel every four or five years, I’ll keep you looking young indefinitely” — citing patients who came in looking younger 20 years later than when he first saw them. Above all, he urges patients to do their research. Be more inquisitive when it comes to peeling — search the Internet, ask your dermatologist questions, ask for references and if it seems too good to be true, chances are it probably is.

Dr. Obagi’s office is located at 270 North Canon Drive, #100 in Beverly Hills, California. (310) 275-3030.

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Summer 2014 2014 Summer

Musée du Bagage

By Robin Jay

An intriguing look inside the historic Museum of Baggage in Haguenau, France

Crack open an Oxford Dictionary from the year 1596 and you’ll find the first official definition of the term “luggage.”

The word, derived from the verb lug, means to drag that which needs to be lugged about. Why is this of any significance? Just ask Marie and J.P. Rolland.

Both grew up in the quaint medieval town of Haguenau, France. German King Frederick I Barbarossa founded Haguenau in the 12th century when he built a palace there to preserve the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, including Charlemagne’s sword.

Haguenau is known in history books for the centuries of fraught and feuding it endured as the buffer border town connecting France and Germany.

No wonder why the importance of history is woven into the daily lives of the Rollands, or why they eventually tired of their stressful employment at a modern-era software company – and quit one day to focus on what they both loved: restoring antique luggage.

“My grandfather was an airplane captain. I always remember his stories – and his leather trunk – with a nice memory. That’s why I love history, travel and luggage so much,” said J.P., explaining that he and Marie learned the art of vintage luggage restoration by studying old books and catalogues; traveling to Switzerland for workshops; collaborating with trunk makers, shoemakers, leather makers and lock-andkey makers; and learning to sew with an “old needlewoman of Hermès.”

“We wanted to do something with our hands,” J.P. continued. “And so we started to restore several pieces of furniture, like a cupboard, and we also restored a trunk. The trunk was really beautiful because of its history, because it was made with many materials and because it told a story.”

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J.P. Rolland with a rare trunk that stored 30 pairs of shoes owned by opera star Madam Lily Pons.

Vintage hat box to safely stow a man's top hat.

Sir Conan Doyle's trunk transformed into a desk for the author to write on while traveling.

J.P.'s grandfather Leon was a pilot who inspired his love for history & antique luggage.

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tories indeed. Steamer trunks, hand crafted of pine, leather, fine papers and embossed tin, proved most popular between 1850 and 1930 when the wealthy traveled for extended periods – sometimes months on end. “It could take 20 days to travel just from New York to Washington, for example,” J.P. noted.

The high cost of travel in that era meant that it was reserved for families of nobility – who could afford to commission hand-constructed trunks, often 40 or 50 of them, to transport their necessities.

“A man could not go out without his hat.

So, every hat had a trunk to protect it during travel” J.P. said. “Men were traveling with about two hats. Women were traveling with six or 10 hats.”

For travelers for whom money was no object, artisans in the 19th century Paris – including La Maison Goyard and Louis Vuitton – created trunks with tremendous custom variation. They contained clever amenities like trays for documents and shirts, cubbies for jewelry, pullout boards for ironing, and sections to store dishes and utensils.

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“The wardrobe trunk was gorgeous! The clothes of madam (or mister) were tidied up in an interior closet and in drawers.

Everything was very well kept and classified in trays,” J.P. said.

Musée du Bagage is Born When J.P. and Marie first started restoring antique trunks, it was just for their personal collection at home. But when they reached their 10th trunk, the couple realized their passion was far more than just a hobby.

Their luggage collection grew and became increasingly expensive to sustain. “We’d sell the one piece we loved less in order to buy another one. Some items we just couldn’t sell – because they were too nice or historically sentimental.”

Little more than three years ago, the Rollands’ antique baggage collection filled their attic and much of their home. Friends and acquaintances started requesting tours of the precious relics.

“Our collection represented the history of the evolution of luggage,” J.P. explained. “In 2011, my wife and I decided it was time to create a real museum and share the rich heritage of the collection with the public.”

Today, tucked amongst Haguenau’s ancient architecture and quintessential medieval fountains, tourists can discover the Rollands’ beloved legacy: the Musée du Bagage, which showcases some 600 trunks from the 1850s to the 1960s. “The museum collects, preserves, presents, maintains and restores suitcases, trunks and bags from all sources,” J.P. said. “It keeps the gestures and manufacturing methods of the past alive.”

Pieces of Distinction When asked to tell about his favorite luggage pieces inside Musée du Bagage, J.P.’s eyes lit up. He paused to ponder – there were so many!

“One day, someone called to say they were sending us a picture of a grey trunk.

We looked at it, saw a little piece of a mattress exceeding the edges, and recognized it immediately – it was a Louis Vuitton Bed Trunk. We rapidly joined the sale. The Louis Vuitton company wanted also to buy it, but they were too late,” said J.P. with a wry smile.

And then there’s the memorable day when an Italian trunk collector sent J.P. pictures of luggage he wanted to sell. The Rol-

Rare antique luggage bed from Louis Vuitton.

lands traveled to Italy and fell in love with 50 historic trunks. “And one was a very special one!” J.P. exclaimed. “We found the Goyard trunk that was owned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle had commissioned Goyard to make a secretary trunk so that he could write books during his travels. In the portable foldout desk, he could put his papers, his pencils, his directory to keep in touch with people – and his typewriter that he would place on the trunk’s wooden pullout tray that served as his office.”

The oldest piece of luggage in the Musée du Bagage dates back to 1650. “It’s a Nuremberg trunk. It’s all in metal,” said J.P. “It was protecting the important documents and money.

And there is a false lock on it… to make thieves lose time by trying to open the fake one.”

Also not to be missed is the tea trunk that allowed travelers to enjoy tea any time on their voyage. “They could make water hot with the teapot; there is a metal box for the

French luggage store from the 19th century.

tea, one for the sugar and one for the used tea. There is also a small tray with two cups, to have tea on the train.”

Another favorite is a piece owned by Madam Lily Pons, a prominent opera singer, who went to Louis Vuitton to order a trunk to carry her 30 pairs of shoes when she traveled. “It contained 30 drawers to protect each pair. Two drawers were made to protect the accessories needed to maintain the shoes, like the brush, the shoe polish and the small cloth for lustering. There is another tray that helped the handmaid to bring the black patent leather shoes to Madam Lily Pons, when she needed to wear them on opera night.”

Let’s not forget the intriguing 1925 apothecary trunk made by luxury trunk maker Moynat. It has special compartments to carry every item – about 100 of them – a pharmacist may need during his travels.

“There are two wash basins (one for cold water and one for hot water), a balance to weigh every element of the preparations, a kettle and so on.”

One eccentric trunk on display is a dining table trunk. “You know, the top of it can be tidied up in the lid, just like that. The table folded up into a flat suitcase,” J.P. said.

Marie Rolland restores antique luggage at the Musée du Bagage in France.

Preserving A Dying Art In 1850-1900, J.P. says there were more than 250 trunk makers in France. “Now, only four historically significant makers still exist – Goyard, Vuitton, La Malle Bernard, Moynat.

Three new companies were created since then in France, and we are included in these three.”

When they’re not giving tours of the museum, J.P. spends most of his time restoring the outside of trunks, while Marie specializes in refurbishing the inside.

“Today, because of the airplane in particular, the trunk is dead to travel. So there are not so many trunks to create. People nowadays buy a new trunk for decoration, because it tells a story and it’s great furniture at home,” J.P. said.

The Musée du Bagage is located at 5 rue St. Exupery 67500, Haguenau, France.

The address for correspondence is: Rêve de Bagages 11 rue de Berstheim 67500, Haguenau. The museum is open for tours on Sundays from February through November. For an appointment, call 03.88.93.28.23 or go to www.la-malleen-coin.com.

This tea chest allowed travelers to enjoy tea when voyaging.

This table trunk for dining folds into a flat suitcase.

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Whale

by Sharon Spence Lieb

Off Cancun Mexico, we hop into a tiny fishing boat with guides from Solo Buceo Dive Adventures. Cruising along the 420-mile Mayan Reef, we’re hoping to encounter whale sharks, the largest fish on Planet Earth.

“Ready for a whale shark party?” asks our guide, Martha Aguilar. “The ocean’s a buffet of fish eggs and plankton, their favorite food. Keep your eyes open, Amigas.”

Adventure is not a theme park; you can’t buy a ticket to fun.

The placid sea churns into 25-foot waves, the sky crumples dark. For hours, we roller coast the concrete ocean. Smiles fade. I throw up last night’s dinner and this morning’s

Dramamine. Why didn’t we just sleep off our margaritas and go for pancakes, like Normal Folks?

Because we’re feral. We need adventure to feel alive. That adrenaline from being afraid and uncomfortable, yet knowing something very cool is about to happen.

We’re almost there. Where is there? Our boat belches stinking gas fumes, then stops in the middle of nowhere, bobbing in a dark empty Caribbean. Seriously seasick, I pray for death.

The Big Encounter Hanging over the side of the boat, I watch monsters of the deep rise up, surrounding our boat. These fish are 40 freakin’ feet long.

“I am so damn scared. Yet I strap on my mask and snorkel. Grab my underwater camera. Fall overboard into the school of massive whale sharks.”

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Shark Party Anyone?

Mouths the size of a dining room table. Scientists have tracked whale sharks swimming at 2300-foot depths, journeying thousands of miles around our globe. One peripatetic beast swam 8,000 miles from Mexico to the Tonga Archipelago, east of Australia. I thought I had wanderlust.

“Why are these fish here in Cancun?” I ask Martha.

“Delicious food, plus they love our warm waters. From May through September, they birth their babies, preparing for long journeys ahead. Where they’ll go next, who knows, Amiga?”

I am so damn scared. Yet I strap on my mask and snorkel. Grab my underwater camera. Fall overboard into the school of massive whale sharks.

Eye to eye with a dozen of the biggest fish on Planet Earth is scary as hell. OK, I’m afraid of a monster fish swallowing me like Jonah,

or knocking me unconscious with her mighty tail. Whale sharks are fish: they eat plankton, not people. But oh my god, when one swims at me open mouthed, I prepare to die: sushi in a bikini.

But ain’t I the Lucky one? I’m in the open ocean with mega magnificent 40-foot long fish. This is gobsmacking life changing.

After our uberexciting snorkel, we hurl ourselves back into our rocking boat. Bedraggled, exhausted, exhilarated. Time to go back to land and leave the whale sharks to their family time in the ocean.

Back home, my life is once again happily domestic. Shopping at the grocery store, making dinner before the news, I’m smiling with A Secret. From that once-in-a-lifetime adventure, my heart is full of whale sharks. When the biggest fish on Planet Earth leave Cancun for their global journeys, a part of me will go with them. Where they’ll go next, nobody knows. Not even me, Amiga.

Test Your Whale Shark Trivia Knowledge! #1. Whale sharks are among the safest sharks to dive with.

True or False #2. About how long is the average adult whale shark?

25 feet 32 feet 41 feet 58 feet 100 feet #3. About how much does the average adult whale shark weigh?

21 tons 25 tons 32 tons 37 tons 43 tons #4. About how fast can an average whale shark swim?

3 mph 5 mph 10 mph 15 mph 17 mph #5. The whale shark must constantly swim or it will die.

True False Answers #1. The correct answer is True. Despite their immense size, they are harmless to humans and tend to be very shy and timid. #2. The correct answer is 41 feet. The largest confirmed specimen was 41.5 feet long and was caught in 1947. #3. The correct answer is 21 tons. There are claims of larger specimens, but none have been conclusively proven. #4. The correct answer is 3 mph. The whale shark does not use its entire body for swimming as other sharks do. Despite its immense size and power, it's a very slow swimmer. #5. The correct answer is False. Whale sharks have been observed simply bobbing up and down as they filter their food. They are able to move water over their gills without moving.

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L u x urious S outh F lorida

By Amber Perkins

You’re planning your summer vacation, want plenty of pampering but don’t have the time to jet set across the pond or cruise to another hemisphere? A luxury Florida ‘staycation’ is a great alternative.

Following are three famously indulgent hospitality hot spots – rich in Florida history – for a memorymaking staycation destination that’s just a brief road trip away.

Private Island Paradise – ON BRICKELL KEY Just east of Miami’s Brickell neighborhood sits Brickell Key – a prestigious, man-made island located east of the Miami River. The formation of Brickell Key has its own history; in 1896, American industrialist Henry Flagler dug a shallow channel from the mouth of the Miami River resulting in the creation of two separate islands. In 1943, real estate

Mandarin Oriental, Miami

investor Edward N. Claughton, Sr., bought both islands and joined them together, bringing his vision of modern-day triangular Brickell Key to life. Nestled on this 44-acre island is Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a triple five-star resort with unique Asian flair featuring a white-sand beach, award-winning fine dining experiences and a tri-level spa. Frequented by dignitaries and Hollywood A-listers, it isn’t uncommon to spot a celebrity or two on resort grounds. Perfect for staycation season is the Fantastic Florida Escape offer valid through September 3, 2014, and exclusive to Florida residents. This package includes free valet parking for one vehicle, a 20% off total purchase coupon at Shanghai Tang boutique, American breakfast for two, and an additional 30 free minutes when reserving a Couples’ Suite at The Spa. There is no minimum number of nights stay required when booking with this offer.

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The Hidden Gem on Key Biscayne Home to the Cape Florida Lighthouse, a once booming coconut plantation and former grounds of the Tequesta Native American tribe, Key Biscayne has a long and fascinating history. Pirates used to terrorize the coast of Florida using Key Biscayne as a headquarters. Black Caesar, a Lieutenant of Blackbeard, was the most notorious among them. In 1821, Florida became a U.S. territory and in 1825 the 65-foot-tall Cape Florida Lighthouse was built to guide mariners away from shipwrecking on the beautiful Florida Reef. The tower has survived attacks from Seminole natives and Confederate sympathizers during its lifetime.

Today, the lighthouse remains functioning.

The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne

Experience this historic paradise with a stay at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne. Complete with luxury accommodations, the Old Havana style RUMBAR with 84 rums to choose from, a nationally ranked tennis court and an on-site sculpture gallery featuring unique pieces from the Elaine Baker Gallery. To top off your visit, the Miami Seaquarium is currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of Flipper with an exclusive Flipper Package available to hotel guests. It includes round-trip transportation to Miami Seaquarium, breakfast, a photograph with Flipper, and other family fun activities. To learn more, contact The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne.

South Florida has lots to offer to its residents, but with everyday life demands most people don’t take the time to appreciate their own community. So, kick back at a resort near you and stay in South Florida to enjoy your time off from the daily grind. After all, you live where others vacation.

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The Glamorous Gables For a touch of Great-Gatsby glamour and style, The Biltmore in Coral Gables, a pillar of beauty and history styled in classic Mediterranean architecture. The Biltmore opened in 1926, following the incorporation of Coral Gables, with the purpose of serving not only as a hotel but also as a harbor for sports and fashion. It was the site of gala balls, golf tournaments and welcomed a variety of guests from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to Al Capone. When the United States entered World War II, the Biltmore was modified into a hospital and functioned as such until 1968. After years of upsets and renovations, The Biltmore was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1996 and has since been fully restored to its former magnificence. “This history of the hotel is intrinsically tied to the history of Coral Gables. You’re not just staying in a historic landmark,” says Matthias Kammerer, General Manager of The Biltmore, “you’re surrounded by buildings, hundreds of them, that tie into the same history all part of the overall resort experience.” Guests can enjoy treatments at The Biltmore Spa, French cuisine at Palme d’Or or a game of golf on the world-renowned course.

A glitzy step into history awaits you at The Biltmore.

The Biltmore

Meet The Biltmore’s Harpist, Katherine Honey The art of professional harp playing requires the epitome of perseverance. Harpist Katherine Honey has dedicated a lifetime perfecting her craft. A Miami native who originally entered the music world with piano keys at her fingertips, converted to the harp at age 10 after spotting a zither in a toy shop.

Harp lessons commenced with eminent harpist Mary Spaulding-Sevitzky. Honey went on to pursue her musical studies on scholarship at California’s Pepperdine University, earning her Bachelor of Arts in music performance-harp and minor in natural science. She earned a Master of Arts in San Francisco and studied with world greats Anne Adams and Edward Vito.

Honey’s repertoire and experience is impressive. She has performed for several U.S. presidents and prominent politicians, sports and entertainment celebrities, as well as with orchestras in Miami, San 98

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Francisco and Los Angeles. She has toured with The Fantastiks, Kismet and Carousel, and performed for film sound tracks and television shows, including “Weddings of a Lifetime,” the historical documentary “California Dreamer” and “The Real Housewives of Miami.” She also performed at the opening gala at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall. For more than two decades, Honey’s music enchanted guests at The Fairmont San Francisco and the Palace Hotel’s Garden Court where she served as the in-house harpist and delighted listeners by playing popular, standards and jazz tunes.

Her motto, as she signs her correspondence, “May you always have the universal language of music in your life!” Honey performs weekdays during Afternoon Tea at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. To learn more about Honey, visit www.katherinehoney.com

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By Cara Jay

For discerning travelers seeking a bucket-list-worthy international summer vacation rich in cultural enlightenment and with five-star accommodations, choosing where to go and where to stay can prove daunting. We can help narrow the search. In this issue, South Florida Opulence takes you on a five-star tour of eight historically rich cities in Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark and the Netherlands and the fabulous upscale hoteliers that dote on your every need. So get cozy…you’re about to embark on an adventure sure to leave you reaching for the phone to ring your travel planner.

#1 Where to go: Amsterdam, Netherlands Why: The Dutch capital is woven around 165 canals, a 17th century marvel in city planning.

What to see: Amsterdam offers far more than its stereotyped “coffee shops” and red light districts. For example, Bloemenmarkt is the world’s only floating flower market, bustling year-round with vibrant blooms. Visitors should also embark on a canal tour. The St. Nicolaas Boat Club restores 80-year-old Dutch garden flats, called “tuindersvletten,” originally used to transport farm goods between markets. Now, they offer intimate tours. Also not to be missed is the historic Anne Frank house.

Where to stay: Stay with the Dutch Masters in the art of exceeding expectations. Hotel De L’Europe exudes decadence.

Towering above the Amstel River, the stunning property boasts Alfred Heineken’s private collection of original Dutch Master works, adorning each room with a replica of Dutch Master paintings on display in the reopened Rijksmuseum.

De L’Europe seamlessly amalgamates old-world sophistication with every modern convenience you can imagine.

Be sure to visit De L’Europe’s recently renovated spa where you can rest under the stars in the heated indoor pool while gazing over the Amstel River, or recharge in your choice of an infrared sauna, a traditional sauna or steam room.

Brace yourself for a culinary voyage with Executive Chef Richard van Oostenbrugge at two-time Michelin star Bord’Eau, where your taste buds can indulge in their guiltiest pleasures of exquisite ingredients delicately woven together like culinary Dutch lace and all paired with a prodigious selection of fine wines.

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#2 Where to go: Hamburg, Germany Why: With the third largest port in the world, Hamburg is a bustling maritime city with its wartime history delicately preserved among new architectural marvels.

What to see: Humming with excitement and local vendors galore, the Hamburg Fischmarkt is a must-see on Sunday mornings for a glimpse into the coastal German lifestyle.

History buffs should visit the somber relics of St. Nikolai Memorial, a Gothic church dating back to 1195. With only its spire still standing, it is a tragically beautiful sight to behold. Park Planten un Blomen, Hamburg’s botanical garden, offers concerts tuned to illuminated fountain shows in the summer months. Another popular attraction is Miniatur Wunderland, a specialty museum showcasing the world’s largest model train exhibit.

Where to stay: Take in the “epitome of Hanseatic hospitality” from the most attractive area of Hamburg at the Louis C. Jacob Hotel. Delicately nestled in upscale, suburban Hamburg, Jacob’s hospitality will leave you feeling like you’re family. You’ll be planning your next stay before you’ve even departed. Enjoy serene views of the river Elbe in a quintessential Hanse town from the comfort of your river-view suite, or during brunch fit for a king from the beautiful Lime Tree Terrace. Allow your gourmet taste buds to twinkle at Jacob’s Restaurant, where two Michelin-starred chef Thomas Martin composes gourmet symphonies of flavor.

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#3 Where to go: Cologne, Germany Why: A city devastated by the war adorns a magnificent Gothic church keeping watch over the city like a queen to her kingdom.

What to see: During WWII, Allied forces were given strict orders not to bomb Cologne Cathedral, a footprint which dates back to the ancient Romans. The Cologne Cathedral, the Dom, stands today like a beacon of perseverance. If you’re feeling adventurous, do take the climb through a clock tower and to the top of one of the spires. Also, stroll across the Hohenzollern Bridge where lovers fasten locks to the covered fences, then throw the key into the Rhine River to signify everlasting love.

Where to stay: Excelsior Hotel Ernst epitomizes timeless refinement. Located at the base of the Cologne Cathedral and in the heart of Cologne, this 1863 building emanates everlasting elegance. While the majority of the hotel sets an era of sophistication with its mahogany features and gold embellishments, enjoy a sophisticated yet tranquil, feng shui inspired atmosphere at Taku, the sublime Michelin star East Asian cuisine restaurant, where a koi-filled stream flows under glass walkways. For a nightcap, swing on into the Piano Bar for a cigar selection fit for an aficionado and swooning piano music.

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#4 Where to go: Frankfurt, Germany Why: Frankfurt serves as the financial hub to Europe, but the city dates back more than 2,000 years and offers a bath in German culture.

What to see: Feel Frankfurt’s economic heartbeat at Borse, one of the world’s largest stock exchanges. The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew was rebuilt twice since a fire in 1867 and WWII air strikes. Take a tour of the imperial cathedral where kings were once elected. Frankfurt is also the birthplace of cider, or apfelwein as it’s known in Germany (but a bit more tart that American counterparts.) Embark down the cobblestone streets and visit a cider tavern for a refreshing glass of apple wine! Take in panoramic views from Frankfurt’s highest building, The Main Tower.

Where to stay: Rocco Forte’s Villa Kennedy was once an opulent family home built in 1904. Today, the hotel has an extension of three wings that enclose the courtyard to the original footprint, but so much attention to detail was paid that only an architect could tell that there was ever any expansion. The primary villa’s rooms have been restored to their original brilliance, while the three new wings present the epitome of modern excellence. The Villa Spa, with its private elevator from your floor, is the perfect place for pampering. After, enjoy a dip in the pool, detox in the steam room or catch some rays in the spa’s private garden.

After a long day exploring Frankfurt, you’ll be sure to work up an appetite. At Gusto in Villa Kennedy, enjoy sumptuously refined Italian dishes paired with refreshments and tunes flowing from the JFK Bar. We recommend Chef Fulvio Pierangelini’s Ravioli Grune Sose or the fish of the day cooked on a Himalayan Salt Stone. Pair your meal with a Woiquri, a Villa Kennedy signature libation composed of rum, the city’s own apple wine, caramel and lime gromme.

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#5 Where to go: Berlin, Germany Why: Germany’s capital city, once divided by two oppositions, embraces its history and offers a flourishing cultural scene.

What to see: The Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Check Point Charlie Museum all extend a history lesson in the days prior to the fall of the wall and the freedom of East Berlin from Soviet oppression. Spend the day on Museum Island or pack a picnic and board the S-train to Grunewald Forest, where you can float in freshwater lakes or take a horseback ride through the woods.

Where to stay: Rocco Forte’s Hotel de Rome was originally the headquarters to the Dresdner Bank built in 1889. Now, the bank’s executive suites serve the same purpose, only as divine executive hotel suites adorned with the original rich wood walls. A careful eye can find holes left from the wartime devastation. The bank’s vault now hosts the hotel’s swanky spa. The jewel vault is now a golden swimming pool and the bank’s cashier hall has been transformed into an exquisite ballroom. The hotel offers the perfect location, just a short walk to the Brandenburg Gate and other local attractions.

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#6 Where to go: Munich, Germany Why: Pull up a chair, the beer is always flowing. Although Oktoberfest is in the fall, beer kegs are tapped year-round in this Bavarian Biergarten Mecca.

What to see: Enjoy the buzzing biergarten located around the Chinese Tower in Munich’s English Garden, which is larger than New York’s Central Park. Pack a picnic or grab a bratwurst and a pretzel to go along with your liter of cold brew, an essential accessory in Bavaria. Sit down with German strangers at extended wooden tables and prepare for a bicep workout from all the heavy lifting of beer in huge glass steins. Board a log flume and float down the Isar, while sloshing on beer, and sway to the melodies of a traditional German oompah band.

Where to stay: Mandarin Oriental Munich offers some of the largest accommodations in Munich and is located just aside Hofbräuhaus, Munich’s most popular brewery, and is a short walk to Marienplatz, the city’s central square. The Mandarin is a must for your Munich nesting needs. Once you settle in, borrow one of the complimentary MercedesBenz bicycles and take a ride to the English Garden, grab a pint of suds and take in all that Bavaria has to offer. Paired with the Mandarin’s expertise in impeccable service, their traditional Oriental polish and the perfect mix of German enchantment, and even a rooftop pool, Mandarin Oriental always exceeds expectations.

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#7 Where to go: Copenhagen, Denmark Why: Copenhagen is the capital of the world’s happiest country, and the greenest capital city in the world, where Legos were invented and missile silos are repurposed into trendy waterside lofts.

What to see: Tivoli Gardens, the world’s second oldest amusement park, first opened its doors in 1843! With more than 40 places to eat and drink, rides, shows and beautiful gardens, Tivoli is a must with or without children. Copenhagen’s claim-to-fame is The Little Mermaid.

Her sculpture (now 101 years old), based on Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, is located at Langelinje Pier. Copenhagen glitters with all of its Michelin stars.

Three-time World’s Best Restaurant, Noma, offers a twist on traditional Nordic cuisine. Also be sure to visit Frederik’s Church, known as the Marble Church, located down the street from Amalienborg Palace, where you can witness the changing of the guards at noon daily. A canal tour offers a quick history lesson on Copenhagen and also a water-view of the city’s main attractions.

Where to stay: Established in 1755, the d’Angleterre is the product of a true love story. The unparalleled hotel was recently completely refurbished. The renovation complements the traditional grandeur while integrating a modern sophistication and state-of-the-art technological conveniences. At d’Angleterre, elegance drips from the walls with unrivaled magnificence.

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#8 Where to go: Prague, Czech Republic Why: Upon your arrival to Prague you’ll feel like you landed in a fairytale. Prague’s romantic charm brings out the prince and princess in all its visitors.

What to see: The spellbinding romantic charm of Prague is hard to escape from anywhere in the city, but among its most popular attractions is the Prague Castle, the largest coherent castle complex in the world. The Charles Bridge showcases museum-worthy Catholic statues lining the pedestrian bridge, which fills with local artists during the day and offers beautiful panoramic views of the city’s palaces, medieval towers and churches. Prague’s Astronomical Clock was originally built into one side of The Old Town Hall Tower in 1410. The clock features a show of the 12 apostles and 12 medallions of the zodiac signs all tuned by hydrologic mechanisms.

Where to stay: Mandarin Oriental Prague was once home to 14th century Dominican Monks. The Baroque and Renaissance architecture from the original monastery are showcased throughout the common areas. Stay in one of the Baroque suites, or the rooftop presidential suite, which offers an expansive rooftop terrace to take in all of Prague’s vistas. At the Mandarin Oriental Spa, the only spa in the world built into a Renaissance Chapel, special attention to detail has preserved the original tapestries, and you can even walk over the original, glass covered, foundation. The building is so tranquil that Gandhi himself requested to move from his hotel suite to the spa because he felt such peace there. The UTOPIA Gold Facial, featuring Gaylia Kristensen’s passion oil, is a miraculous treatment.

Visit the individual homes of five monks who once lived in the structure, which now are combined to form the restaurant Essensia. Sit in a chic minimalist haven below the original vaulted ceilings and feast on exquisite modern Czech and Asian fare prepared by Executive Chef Jiří Štift.

For larger parties, reserve a table below the restaurant in the original red brick atmospheric wine cellar located in the monastery’s foundation.

Bon Voyage!

(Editor’s note: Cara’s prince charming proposed to her in Prague as she prepared this article!)

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By Melissa Bryant

When Mat Roy, President and COO of Living Color Aquariums in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, calls a custom project “a pretty tall task,” it must be quite a feat. Designing and constructing elaborate custom aquariums is bread and butter for the more than 25-year-old company — a remarkable craft revered on their popular Nat Geo

WILD series, Fish Tank Kings, now in its third season. So who and what could challenge these seasoned aquatic professionals to tackle a completely novel concept? That would be Thierry Beaud and his fantastical vision of a contemporary LED-lit aquarium for his nautical-themed Palm Beach restaurant, PB Catch.

The fantastical vision Living Color Aquariums created for the nautical PB Catch restaurant called for lots of LED lights, bamboo and lionfish – but with no coral to conceal the plumbing. It was a tall challenge, but proprietor Thierry Beaud was amazed at the stunning outcome!

Not Your Typical Day at Sea Mahogany paneling, white-leather furniture and silver embellishments adorn the luxurious yacht-inspired interior of this eco-friendly seafood house, PB Catch. For owner Beaud, the only aspect preventing patrons from truly feeling like they were traveling at sea while dining was an element of water.

“Thierry made it evident he didn’t want anything traditional,” said Roy. “He envisioned having multicolor lights illuminate translucent sculptural elements in a simple tank. Typically, we build coral reef to 108

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camouflage any plumbing in an aquarium, which wasn’t possible on this project because he didn’t want any coral reef. Our dilemma was not so much in size, but rather whether we could honestly get the client what he wanted and have it not only meet but exceed his expectations which is always our goal.”

After months of testing models and revisiting the drawing board, the Living Color Aquariums’ team successfully built a glowing 350-gallon saltwater aquarium with clear bamboo accents. All we had left to do was “wrangle up a few lions.”

Sea Safari to Find Lions If you’ve seen the magnificent aquarium at PB Catch, then you know it’s teeming with lions — lionfish, of course. Not only are they poisonous, but they also present a danger to local marine life and native reef ecosystems.

In order to promote awareness of this environmental threat, Beaud chose to use only lionfish in the PB Catch aquarium.

“Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific region, but they were caught here under special permit because lionfish are now an invasive species in our local waters,” said Roy. “They feed on local fish but

do not have any known predators. Before long, they will literally be changing the makeup of our ecosystem.

“By far, my favorite part of this job is unveiling aquariums to new owners and watching them stand in awe as they marvel at their aquarium for the first time,” said Roy. “But to raise awareness about an environmental issue – well, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

To see the PB Catch aquarium in person, go to 251 Sunrise Ave., Palm Beach, FL 33480. If you have an idea for a unique custom aquarium or would like to tour the home of Nat Geo WILD’s Fish Tank Kings, call (800) 878-9511 or visit www.livingcolor.com.

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A reminiscent, historic stroll through The Greenbrier, ‘America’s Hotel’ since 1778 and hotelier of 26 U.S. presidents

By John D. Adams and Robin Jay

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In 1914, President and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson stayed at The Greenbrier for Easter; in October, Joseph and Rose Kennedy honeymooned here.

In the summer of 1778, when Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock and Ben Franklin were celebrating the second anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, not far away – in the ‘village in the wilderness’ – savvy Americans traveled to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, to ‘take the waters for restored health’ and to cool off. Guests, then, stayed at The White Hotel.

It was a modest venue with two small cottages. But soon, prominent politicians, dignitaries and diplomats caught wind and visited, sending word-of-mouth rampant. By 1858, ‘America’s most fashionable resort’ was expanding significantly – in both size, stature and amenities, and in 1914 (by now renamed The Greenbrier) served as the Easter destination for President and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and the October honeymoon sanctuary for Joseph and Rose Kennedy.

Fast-Forward Today, on a sunny afternoon, discussing the illustrious history of ‘America’s Hotel’ has the venerable Greenbrier interior designer Carleton Varney strolling along memory lane.

Indeed, what has attracted affluent guests to this classical southern manor house for a century has less to do with the natural springs and more to do with the immaculate, whiteglove service and classically refined furnishings. “It is hard to believe that my staff and I have worked on The Greenbrier for 50 years,” he marveled in an exclusive interview with John D. Adams for South Florida Opulence. “You don’t often see that devotion to quality that we still care about at The Greenbrier.”

Dorothy Draper Varney has become known for his “grand style” use of vibrant colors and patterns, much like

The harlequin-floored foyer of the State Suite at The Greenbrier.

All PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GREENBRIER

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(Clockwise l-r) This Presidential Suite staircase has been climbed by countless presidents, heads of state and celebrities; rooms in the Windsor Club (named after the Duke and Duchess who visited) have rooms with canopy-draped beds; the regal sitting room of the Presidential Suite. his mentor, Dorothy Draper. A doyenne of New York society, Draper became a groundbreaking interior decorating entrepreneur, most remembered today for her dramatic reimagining of The Greenbrier. “Mrs. Draper was the very first designing lady to license her designs and products for china, fabrics, greeting cards, furniture – even automobiles,” remarked Varney.

Certainly, Draper was the Martha Stewart of the 1920s. Her reputed confidence, as much as her taste, provided her the opportunity to control all aspects of The Greenbrier’s reimagining – down to the designs for menus, matchbook covers and even staff uniforms. With her adventurous use of vibrant colors, floral patterns and bold contrasts, Draper became a design icon and went on to become president/CEO of Dorothy Draper & Co., the position today that is fittingly held by Carleton Varney. By embracing her philosophy, “the use of bright colors and the rejection of all that is impractical, uncomfortable and drab,” Varney continues Draper’s tradition of grand style.

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“Doesn’t the entrance say it all?” asked Varney. “Jefferson blue walls, white trim and a custom carpet featuring the iconic Spring House, which is capped by the Goddess Hebe… Mrs. Draper’s first impression of the hotel was to keep the spaces in continuity but open them up with beautiful doorways, trellises and over-doors,” Varney said. “One of the things about the ‘Draper Look’ is to concentrate on details. Always look up, because when you look up, you see all of the magical details that make this hotel special.”

A Legacy The resort has continued to grow over the years. Varney, along with his associate Brinsley Matthews, redeveloped the Virginia Wing, including a collection of rooms that became known as the Windsor Club. “The Duke and Duchess of Windsor first visited the hotel during its reopening in 1948,” said Varney. “All the rooms have been designed with canopy-draped beds, custom carpeting and colorful upholstery.”

In the two-story Presidential Suite, walls of the entryway are covered in Cymbidium

Orchid wallpaper with matching draperies continuing into the drawing room. The staircase, climbed by celebrities, heads of state and presidents, is carpeted in red, and floats along triple-height windows that overlook gardens.

Last January, The Greenbrier celebrated Varney (who maintains offices as Curator) with a special birthday party and a “Cocktails with Carleton” event in the resort’s State Suite, which boasts one of the most impressive entrance foyers on the property, showcasing The Greenbrier’s traditional black and white marble tile. At that event, Varney emphasized his philosophy, so fitting in the resort resonate with his sensibilities. “There are no rules to working with color,” remarked Varney. “Think of a beautiful garden and all the different colors that work together without effort, the chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies and variations of greens. The world is meant to be seen in color.”

To learn more about The Greenbrier, Dorothy Draper or Carleton Varney, visit www. greenbrier.com.

This breathtaking casino was designed by The Greenbrier Curator and decorator of 50 years, Carleton Varney, in true Dorothy Draper vibrant style.

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A good cup of joe

The World’s First

Megacar One:1 with Christian von Koenigsegg

By Joshua Stone

W

hen one thinks of countries of exotic-car origins, Sweden usually isn’t even on the map. But that was before Christian von Koenigsegg zoomed into the spotlight.

Brace yourselves hypercar fans. This young hot rod automaker recently unveiled the world’s first megacar (a spellbinding production car with 1 megawatt of power) at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show: the Agera One: 1.

Christian von Koenigsegg

“Records aren’t something we’re [necessarily] after,” said Koenigsegg, whose personal car-making mantra is high-performance functionality with a purpose. “But if the car has abilities beyond those of other cars, it’s nice to show that with a record.”

Talk about an understatement. The carbon-fiber Agera One: 1 weighs less than a Mini Cooper, yet packs a mindboggling 1,341 horsepower (that’s one horsepower per kilogram!) and can reach a top speed of 273 miles per hour. And let’s not forget these

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futuristic high-tech gadgets: 2G cornering capability, 3G and GPS controlled Predictive Active Chassis and Aero Track Mode, a chassis with active ride height, Koenigsegg-patented 3D printed variable turbo housing, and carbon fiber ventilated memory foam racing seats. But before you reach for your checkbook – know that Koenigsegg plans to build only six of the One: 1 – and they’re all spoken for!

Success of a Prodigy Since commencement, the Koenigsegg mission proves remarkable. Christian was only 5 years old when he first saw a stopmotion film from Norway about a bicycle repairman who built his own race car.

The film made an impression. On August 12, 1994, 22-year-old Christian set out to realize his childhood dream – to start his own car company. Against all odds, his idea was to create a sports car that didn’t yet exist.

“For me, the car should place the driver at the center of the universe,” Koenigsegg once said. “When you jump into a car and drive away, the world should

move around you, as if you’re stationary … invoking a tremendous sense of freedom.”

The Koenigsegg Concept is Born The idea: A lightweight, mid-engined car, with a detachable, stowable hardtop. A wraparound screen for good visibility and aerodynamics. A car that looked and felt good with the top up, as well as in roadster guise, transformed in minutes with the hardtop neatly tucked away inside the car. A car with a timeless efficient appearance that ages like good wine.

The CC8S was born. Every Koenigsegg created since includes the simple but effective DNA of Christian’s original vision.

Five production models later, with as many Guinness production car records – there is no doubt: Koenigsegg has blasted into the forefront of the megacar scene, and is here to stay.

“It has been an amazing ride,” Koenigsegg beamed. “I’m living the dream.”

One can only fathom what this Swedish wunderkind will deliver during the next 20 years. Stay tuned!

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Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mullligan and Tobey Maguire swooned moviegoers back to the glamorous jazz age of the roaring 20s in the 2013 remake of The Great Gatsby.

The movie also reopened the proverbial can of worms among literary critics who believed there was more to the author’s characters than merely fictional words on paper.

By Dale King and Julia Hebert

In the waning moments of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the title character – an enigmatic Book cover from billionaire whose life was filled with Careless People Jazz Age parties, bootlegged liquor, mysterious phone calls from mysterious characters, love, lost love and ill-begotten friendships – is shot to death.

The man behind the revolver is not a wealthy person, a friend, an investor or an upwardly mobile status seeker in 1922 America.

Rather, he is a cuckolded husband, George Wilson, operator of a gasoline station in the ash-piled perimeter between Manhattan and Long Island, a pained man bent on snatching revenge for the bloody hit-and-run death of his wife.

As is the case with many accidents, coincidences, cases of mistaken identity and wrong-headed wrath that happen in real life, the gunman killed the wrong person.

American Literature Professor Sarah Churchwell eschews the “myths” surrounding Fitzgerald’s apocryphal hero

Sarah Churchwell

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Jay Gatsby’s body sank slowly in a red-stained cloud at the pool of his palatial home in West Egg, Long Island. But the misunderstood character would not rest in peace. Hundreds of articles and books and at least two major films would continue to dissect the life and death of this iconic figure for another 90 years.

Equally bent on eschewing the “myths” surrounding Fitzgerald’s apocryphal hero is Sarah Churchwell, an author and professor of American literature at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. “Because we love this story so much, it is full of myths,” Churchwell said during a U.S. tour (specifically at the Palm Beach Preservation Foundation) to promote her book, Careless People.

Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of The Great Gatsby.

“The stories about The Great Gatsby, in my mind, are not always accurate,” she said. “And the stories about the world it discusses are inaccurate.” For her book, one she calls “a biography of a novel,” Churchwell spent four years poring over newspaper clippings, letters, telegrams and other documents to locate the true, unfettered Gatsby.

She explained that the novel incorporates hints and chunks of juicy, contemporary goings-on. “This was why people didn’t get it when the novel first came out,” she said. “They thought it was trivial, trashy and tabloidy because it was so closely tied to current events.”

The Connection to Murder And while those “current events” were part of the Fitzgeralds’ ethos, they mean little to us today because nearly a century has passed. Churchwell said a horrific 1922 double murder of an adulterous couple in New Brunswick, N.J. and the botched investigation that followed played a significant role in the novel.

Fitz and Zelda were voracious newspaper readers – The New York Times being their favorite - and were obviously aware of the crime.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jay Gatsby in the film

Reflections of Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda One revelation was that the novel’s lead character is a lot like F. Scott Fitzgerald himself, a man who enjoyed the luxuries of life, often drank himself into oblivion and lamented losing valuable writing time to alcohol binges. Gatsby, though, was not a partier, but a voyeuristic recluse, remaining separate from the crowd, getting his kick vicariously.

His wife, Zelda, whose idiosyncrasies and lifestyle often turned up in Fitzgerald’s characters, was a devilish flirt who enjoyed bootlegged hooch, “enchanted objects” and fun nights.

Churchwell admits that “Daisy has certain aspects of Zelda. She uses some of her lines.”

But Daisy also sported the characteristics of Genevra King, Fitzgerald’s first love. “He gave Daisy some of Genevra’s backstory, status and magical appeal for Jay Gatsby.”

Throughout her book, Churchwell offers watertight evidence that Gatsby was born in Fitzgerald’s mind from an amalgam of real-life events and personalities Fitz and Zelda encountered along the way.

Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald

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was the earliest recorded instance of that usage, which is very apt for the year that Gatsby is set.”

Even the term “careless people,” the title of Churchwell’s book, is a lift from Gatsby. Nick Carraway tells Jordan Baker, after Gatsby’s death: “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.... and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

And at Gatsby’s funeral, a harsh, final truth emerges. Only Nick, Gatsby’s father and a friend called Owl-Eyes, were there. Amazed that none of the many revelers at Gatsby’s parties attended, OwlEyes chokes back tears. “Why, my God, they used to go there by the hundreds.” He wipes his eyes, looks at the grave and utters, “The poor son-of-a-bitch.”

Joel Edgerton plays Tom Buchanan opposite Jason Clarke who plays mechanic George Wilson in The Great Gatsby The killings involved an Episcopal sexton, Edward Hall, and a choir singer from his church, Eleanor Mills. Both were shot in the head.

In Gatsby, Fitzgerald writes about another adulterous couple, Myrtle Wilson and Daisy’s husband, Tom. Myrtle is killed by a “yellow car” driven by an enraged Daisy, but it was wrongly thought that Gatsby was behind the wheel. In a scene steeped in mystery, George Wilson talks to Tom Buchanan – who appears to put the blame on Gatsby. With his gun in a paper bag, George walks to Gatsby’s mansion and kills him.

The Hall-Mills murder, which made scandalous national news for months, is just a shadowy memory today. So is the hit-and-run fatality on Long Island’s Jericho Pike which may have re-emerged in Myrtle Wilson’s death scene.

Surprisingly, said Churchwell, many “modern” words entered the lexicon in the early 1920s. Among them were tear-jerker, atom bomb, supersonic, junkie, off-the-rack, food chain, upgrade and subprime.

The word “party,” used as a verb, also showed up for the first time in 1922, said Churchwell. “[Poet] e. e. cummings wrote it in a letter. This

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Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Carey Mulligan as Daisy

Chateau Carolands:

America’s Downton Abbey

Photo credit: Moanalani Jeffrey Photography

By Dale King and Julia Hebert

When Chateau Carolands was built in 1915 in Hillsborough, California, it was one of the largest private homes in America. Its story is a window into the last 100 years of American history. It is a tale of fabulous wealth and financial disaster, of great loves and betrayals, of wars, earthquakes, a murder, and most of all, about beauty, refined taste, art, and architecture.

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hateau Carolands, the historic, 98-room, 65,000-squarefoot mansion that rests on the highest plateau in Hillsborough, California, 20 miles south of San Francisco, has morphed many times in its near-century existence.

Caroland’s library circa 1917. At right – Salon Bleu during 2006 holiday season.

It has often sparkled like a splendid jewel. “It is like a great work of art that has remained in one spot for a century,” said one admirer. But it has also suffered neglect, its facades visible through chain-link fences topped with razor wire, making the empty, crumbling Chateau look more like nearby Alcatraz prison.

The home, twice eyed by the government for a western White House, has endured wild rumors. Neighbors once declared it haunted or cursed. It was, in fact, the scene of a bloody murder in 1985 that left one teenage girl dead. The convicted killer remains on death row at San Quentin today.

Its reputation has been burnished and blighted, extolled and forgotten. The Chateau has escaped the wrecker’s ball several times, and survived a 1989 earthquake that left its finely decorated stone walls and Gothic columns cracked and smashed. It earned the ignominious title, “The doomed Chateau.”

The documentary, “Three Women and a Chateau,” shown to 250 people at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, tells how one wealthy woman – Harriet Pullman Carolan, heiress to the Pullman railroad car fortune – brought Chateau Carolands into being, and two other ladies saved it from destruction.

“I was very excited about being able to fix it,” said Dr. Ann Johnson, who, with husband, Charles, chairman of the board of the mutual fund company his late father founded, bought the blighted building in 1998 for $6 million, and went on to spend $20 million for renovations and restoration. “I felt the home was like a beautiful lady who never had a nice dress to wear,” Ann added.

“I just wanted to make it look pretty.”

Beauty was not on the mind of one detractor who said the Chateau looked like “a wart on the end of somebody’s nose.”

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Offered for sale, the building was rejected by several influential suitors, including Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. T.I. Mosley purchased the structure in 1945. Five years later, when destruction seemed imminent, Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini purchased it.

The countess – titled by dint of marrying Count Alessandro “Alex” Olioli Dandini – turned the Chateau into a party house and hosted charitable and social gatherings. Guests included Liberace, neighbor Bing Crosby, the Rev. Billy Graham and a host of opera stars.

When the money stopped, so did the music. The countess shrank her world into a few rooms of the Chateau until her death in 1973.

She bequeathed the structure to the city of Hillsborough for a library, but didn’t include any money for books and supplies.

As a result, city fathers put it on the auction block.

From there, the home changed hands several times, often landing in the grip of neglectful owners who could not afford the upkeep.

In 1994, developer Kevin White bought the Chateau, and by 1997, gave Hillsborough officials an ultimatum: Approve a permit to convert it into 15 condominiums or he would leave it a pile of rubble.

The Johnsons came to the rescue. They had visited the mansion during a charity event in 1991, but didn’t put their names on the bill of sale until 1998, after the developer’s threat. After four years of restoration and interior decoration work led by designer Mario Buatta, the Johnsons finally occupied the house in 2002.

Harriett Pullman Carolan, heiress to the Pullman Railway Car fortune, builder of Chateau Carolands That’s not what Harriet Pullman Carolan set out to do. But even after it was built – late and over budget – it never really developed a “home sweet home” demeanor until the Johnsons, their six children (one is deceased) and 17 grandchildren – one for each of the Chateau’s guest rooms – took residence.

“Wherever possible, the original features were preserved and restored,” said the doctor. “The fresco in the Blue Salon, the solid block wash basins, the crystal beaded chandelier, the moldings, carvings and hinges, right down to the golden grapes on the candelabra.”

The Johnsons turned the home and furniture over to a nonprofit foundation in late 2012. Giving the Chateau new life, she said, “was a labor of love. It was the culmination of a 100-year-old dream that never died.”

Photographer: Eric Luse / SF CHRONICLE

The grandeur of Chateau Carolands was clear from the start.

Trappings included a two-story library, exquisite dining area, four kitchens, a Blue Salon, a Bourdeax Salon, a Chinese Lacquer room, a ballroom, solarium and rooms specifically for flower arranging, vegetables, gift wrapping, linen storage and Christmas trees.

There are secret passageways, round rooms and a special bath chamber with room for madame’s clothing, complete with storage space and a secret hallway for her attendant.

French architect Ernest Sanson was commissioned to design plans for the estate. A renowned local architect, Willis Polk, was hired as construction supervisor. French landscape architect Achelles Duchene designed the gardens, which originally included a tea house, picnic ground and bandstand.

Harriet and husband Francis J. Carolan lived in the home only occasionally after it was completed around 1916. They moved out and divorced, leaving the Chateau vacant for more than two dozen years.

Remodel of the Carolands Mansion in Hillsborough

by Ann Johnson

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Louis Comfort Tiffany’s

Unrelenting Quest for Beauty

By Rachel Kessler

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he mere mention of the name ‘Tiffany’ evokes instant recognition for bespoke quality and style — especially when it comes to fine jewelry and stained-glass artistry. Yet many art historians still ponder — what motivated Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the famous jeweler Charles Tiffany, not to follow in his father’s footsteps and choose, instead, to establish his own legacy as one of the most prolific painters, sculptors and stained-glass artisans of the late 19th century?

The answers to these questions are practically in our own backyard — in Winter Park — at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which houses the largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany art in the world.

South Florida Opulence sat down with Jennifer Perry Thalheimer, the Museum’s Curator and Collection Manager, to find out what made this very talented man tick. Louis didn’t leave a journal and his correspondence was limited. Yet, what has been uncovered about his life and art has revealed a deep and fascinating character whose legacy was a “quest for beauty.”

Curator Jennifer Perry Thalheimer: Interestingly, when I was in graduate school, I was advised not to pursue Louis Comfort Tiffany because he had already been “done.” But after being at the Morse Museum for nearly 15 years now, I can say for sure that he is still not fully understood. Hugh McKean, our first director and a former fellow at Tiffany’s Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, set a standard for approaching Tiffany as a man first, and then defining his artwork and the production of Tiffany Studios.

Louis Comfort Tiffany's paintings, sculptures and glasswork made him one of the most prolific designers of the late 19th century.

SFO: How would you compare and contrast Louis and his father Charles?

Thalheimer: Louis had an independent streak that perhaps was not so different from his father’s. Despite the fact that Louis Comfort Tiffany’s grandfather — Comfort Tiffany — had been a successful textile manufacturer in Connecticut, Louis’ father Charles chose not to follow in the family business and decided instead to move to New York City to follow his own dream — one that led to the enormously successful Tiffany & Co. Louis Tiffany similarly chose to follow HIS dreams rather than be known as “young Tiffany” at Tiffany & Co. SFO: What motivated Louis?

Thalheimer: Given that his father was one of America’s “men of achievement,” it’s easy to see that Louis grew up with rare comforts and was exposed to beautiful objects early on. Louis had a natural curiosity about materials that probably originated in his upbringing at Tiffany & Co. His uncle, George McClure, was the head gemologist at Tiffany & Co. from 1852 through 1879 and exposed Louis to the wonders of the natural world.

Beauty motivated Louis.

He called himself a

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“humble believer in color.” His idea of beauty centered on color and light, which was apparent in sketches he made during his first trip to Europe in 1865. We are lucky to have his sketchbook in the Museum.

Louis lived at a time when beauty was necessary to the healing of a nation after the Civil War. In a letter, Charles Tiffany described the chaos throughout New York City during the draft riots of 1863 as he sat watch in his shop on Union Square. Charles stayed intimately involved as a business leader. This was also Louis’ model. Growing up and attending military school during probably the most dark and trying time in American history — centered on Union blue and Confederate grey — no doubt encouraged Louis’ love of color and light.

SFO: How did Louis ultimately move from canvas to glass?

Thalheimer: Louis used all the materials placed in his hands. He was a painter, a decorator, an architect, a photographer and a designer of ceramics, furniture, enamels, and jewelry in addition to glass lamps, windows, mosaics, and vases. His career as a painter quickly became successful and he was named to the National Academy of Design. Louis traveled throughout Europe and North Africa, honing a great sensitivity to color and light. These predilections made an easy transition from canvas to glass—a material that intrinsically captured both color and light.

Tiffany experimented with glass at independent glasshouses since the mid-1870s when he was in his 20s, and with his new undertaking, “took up chemistry.” Tiffany sought the help of preeminent glassworkers and chemists and opened a glasshouse to satisfy his desire to produce flat glass with “richer, finer” color. He refined techniques in the material.

His complex system of plating, or layering the glass, allowed for a lifelike, almost holographic depth perception. He also integrated natural properties inside glass to communicate textural effects like hair.

SFO: It’s been said that Louis was ahead of his time. In what ways?

Thalheimer: Louis was progressive for his time. His initial endeavors included a named partnership with a woman, Candace Wheeler (Tiffany & Wheeler) in 1879 — an obvious recognition of her ability at a time when women were still denied the right to vote in America. Wheeler recalled of her time at Tiffany’s Fourth Avenue studios in New York City that, “at the top were the glass rooms where Mr. Tiffany’s experiments in color went on and where he was working out his problems from bits of old iridescent Roman vases which had lain centuries underground; or finding out the secrets of tints in ancient cathedral windows, and the proportions of metals and chemicals which would produce certain shades of color. The actual melting and mixing was done in the laboratory underneath his own apartments, but the results of the study and effects of juxtaposition were tried in the ‘glass loft.’ ” This is significant because many argue that Tiffany had no experience working with materials. Sources like this one actually contradict this notion and record him as an active participant in experimentation — which we find was true throughout his life.

The Morse Museum is located at 445 North Park Avenue in Winter Park. For more information, go to www.morsemuseum.org.

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Analyzing

Vincent van Gogh P a r t II

By Robin Jay

The Secrets of the Bedroom with Art Conservationist Ella Hendriks Van Gogh painted a total of three versions of The Bedroom, but interestingly they were all slightly different. Experts at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which houses the first painting of The Bedroom, say the original had been damaged. The artist's brother, Theo, advised Vincent to make a copy of the painting before having it restored. Encouraged by his brother, Vincent made a second painting (that hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago), as well as a smaller third painting for his mother and sister.

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Van Gogh's sketch of The Bedroom in a letter that he wrote to his friend and fellow painter Paul Gauguin on Oct. 17, 1888.

thought into the composition and the colours, and we know from his letters that he was very pleased with the result. ‘But the colour has to do the job here,’ he wrote, ‘and through its being simplified by giving a grander style to things, to be suggestive here of rest or of sleep in general’.

Vincent van Gogh considered The Bedroom an important painting.

In early 1889, Van Gogh returned home from the hospital in Arles after his psychological crisis and the injury to his ear. As he wrote to Theo, ‘When I saw my canvases again after my illness, what seemed to me the best was the bedroom.’

Vincent van Gogh painted The Bedroom three times, starting in 1888. The first one (shown here, oil on canvas, 72 x 90 cm) was recently restored and hangs in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The second painting hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago and the third hangs in Paris at the Musée d'Orsay.

In 2010, The Bedroom in Amsterdam underwent a detailed and painstaking restoration by Art Conservationist Ella Hendriks. South Florida Opulence interviewed Hendriks about the daunting but exciting project.

South Florida Opulence: Why do you think Van Gogh chose to paint his bedroom, and why did he make several variations of the same piece?

Ella Hendriks: Van Gogh painted his bedroom in October 1888, when the artist was living in the Yellow House in Arles. He put a great deal of

From a surviving kadastral plan of the house, we know that the strange perspective of the walls was not imagined but that the walls were in fact sloping and met at an angle. The strange perspective of the bed may be explained by the fact that the bedroom interior was cramped, especially since he painted it behind the easel with his back up against a chimney-piece that jutted into the room from the near wall (i.e., the wall behind him, thus not painted).

Being so close to his subject matter, he had difficulties handling the foreshortening of the bed, especially given that he did not have a natural feeling for the laws of perspective.

SFO: What did you have to do to determine the condition of The Bedroom and what would need to be done to restore it?

Ella Hendriks: Working together with scientists and imaging experts, a whole range of diagnostic techniques was applied to gain insight into the painting’s condition and the possible options for treatment. The techniques used ranged from examination at different spectral wavelengths (including X-ray, ultraviolet and infrared light) to the analysis of microscopic paint samples to establish the buildup and composition of paint layers. Also tiny “cleaning tests” were made under the microscope to establish safe methods to remove the old discoloured varnish.

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Self-portrait, 1888, Oil on canvas The Yellow House ('The street'), 1888 contains Vincent van Gogh's actual bedroom shown in his paintings called "The Bedroom." Oil on canvas, 72 X 91.5 cm.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation) SFO: What was it like to work on such a world-famous restoration?

Did the experience give you insight as to what Van Gogh may have been thinking as he created it?

Ella Hendriks: It was an amazing experience to work across the surface of such a beautiful painting over a period of months. As I removed the old layers of discoloured varnish and overpaint, the boldness of Van Gogh’s colours and brushwork became even more apparent, allowing me to appreciate the “masculine” style and flat decorative colour scheme in the “manner of a Japanese print” that Van Gogh described.

In the course of examination and treatment, evidence came to light how some colours had changed compared to the original colour scheme described in his letters. Most notably the light violet walls and doors are now blue, due to disappearance (fading) of a red lake pigment from the violet mixture of red, blue and white. As a result, the painting now has a more spacious feel than was originally intended, contrary to what we know was the very cramped space of the bedroom interior.

Also, the original violet and yellow contrasts would have given a more balanced scheme of complementary colours that compete less with each other, better reflecting the fact that the painting was meant to be suggestive of rest or sleep in general. These discoveries brought me closer to understanding Van Gogh’s intention in the painting.

Another unexpected find was the newsprint letters transferred onto the flattened surface of the paint in some places. This must be the same newspaper that Van Gogh described having stuck onto the flaking paint surface when the picture became damaged by damp in his studio. Some letters could be deciphered under the microscope, but unfortunately no words could be read!

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In the course of restoration, it appeared that paint loss due to the water damage that had occurred in Van Gogh’s studio was more widespread than previously thought. Once the old restorations had been removed, the full extent of damage became apparent.

At this stage it was remarkable to experience how, despite its damaged condition, the strength of the painting still carried through.

Perhaps this is a definition of a masterpiece.

A special aspect of the conservation treatment was writing a weblog to keep the public informed of progress, explaining some of the challenges encountered in the course of treatment and the choices made. It was wonderful to experience how much interest there was from the general public and to be able to respond to their questions. At the same time it was quite therapeutic to be able to share some of the dilemmas faced with a broader audience!

In the case of The Bedroom, the treatment took six months (there was also a very strict deadline to be met, since the painting was to travel to Japan), but the preliminary examinations, analysis and cleaning tests to decide the appropriate treatment took more than a year. Looking through the microscope can help to assess the condition of the paint layer (is there surface discolouration, is the painting cracked or crumbled or well adhered etc., are there other chemical process still ongoing, such as conversions of pigment to soaps that may appear as microscopic protrusions over the paint surface). I can also help to distinguish later additions from past restorers, such as old retouches of damaged areas that may or may not have discoloured. There are a multitude of things that may be revealed and one can never anticipate in advance exactly what one will come across. That is what makes it so exciting!

The Letters of Vincent van Gogh with Museum Curator Nienke Bakker in Amsterdam Impressionist Vincent van Gogh wrote more than 800 letters during his lifetime (mostly to his brother Theo), which, like a diary, tell the bittersweet tale of his tragic, yet legendary, life. Van Gogh was a complex personality with wide-ranging ideas, and anyone seeking to become acquainted with him can do no better than to delve into his letters. They offer a series of first-hand accounts of his life, his various occupations and travels through the Netherlands, Belgium, England and France; his obsessive religious zeal over several years; the realization of his artistic calling; and the periods of mental instability and depression that plagued him during the years preceding his suicide.

The letters from his younger years paint a picture of his intellectual selfeducation, and the way he used art and literature both to discover and to define himself. Once he had decided to become an artist, everything revolved around achieving his artistic goals. He admired the most diverse artists, novelists, poets and art critics, and wrote passionately about them. The letters also help us to arrange Van Gogh’s oeuvre in chronological order and to understand the artistic ambitions that lay

behind it. The many sketches of his own works create a special relationship between his art and his letters.

For Van Gogh, writing was not only a means of communication but, more importantly, a way of focusing and clarifying his thoughts, a means of carving out a place for himself and defining his intellectual identity.

They are an interior monologue. Indeed, he proved so talented at writing that his letters have been viewed as exceptional and are regarded by many as great literature.

Vincent van Gogh lived a short life, marked by periods filled with anxiety and, especially in the last 18 months, episodes of mental instability. After following an unfulfilled ambition to become a pastor, he pursued a vocation of an altogether different kind – that of an artist, for which he was only to become famous after his death. He did not write his letters with an eye to publication. The rise in popularity of Van Gogh’s paintings shortly after his death coincided with growing levels of interest in his letters. Indeed, the letters had a significant effect on public awareness of his work.

[English Translation of Van Gogh’s letter to his friend and fellow painter Paul Gauguin on October 17, 1888] My dear Gauguin, Thanks for your letter, and thanks most of all for your promise to come as early as the twentieth. Agreed, this reason that you give won’t help to make a pleasure trip of the train journey, and it’s only right that you should put off your journey until you can do it without it being a bloody nuisance. But that apart, I almost envy you this trip, which will show you, en passant, miles and miles of countryside of different kinds with autumn splendours. I still have in my memory the feelings that the journey from Paris to Arles gave me this past winter. How I watched out to see ‘if it was like Japan yet’! Childish, isn’t it?

Look here, I wrote to you the other day that my vision was strangely tired.

Well, I rested for two and a half days, and then I got back to work. But not yet daring to go outside, I did, for my decoration once again, a no. 30 canvas of my bedroom with the whitewood furniture that you know.

Ah, well, it amused me enormously doing this bare interior. With a simplicity à la Seurat. In flat tints, but coarsely brushed in full impasto, the walls pale lilac, the floor in a broken and faded red, the chairs and the bed chrome yellow, the pillows and the sheet very pale lemon green, the bedspread blood-red, the dressing-table orange, the washbasin blue, the window green. I had wished to express utter repose with all these very different tones, you see, among which the only white is the little note given by the mirror with a black frame (to cram in the fourth pair of complementaries as well).

Anyway, you’ll see it with the others, and we’ll talk about it. Because I often don’t know what I’m doing, working almost like a sleepwalker. It’s beginning to get cold, especially on the days when the mistral blows. I’ve had gas put in the studio, so that we’ll have good light in winter. Perhaps you’ll be disillusioned with Arles if you come at a time when the mistral’s blowing, but wait... It’s in the long term that the poetry down here soaks in.

You won’t find the house as comfortable yet as we’ll gradually try to make it. There are so many expenses, and it can’t be done in one go. Anyway, I believe that once here, like me, you’ll be seized with a fury to paint the autumn effects, in between spells of the mistral. And that you’ll understand that I’ve insisted that you come now that there are some very beautiful days. Au revoir, then.

Ever yours, Vincent Summer 2014

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The great museums of Europe were Marc Burckhardt’s childhood playrooms. Masterpieces were his picture books. The artists his storytellers. Dark, layered tales from Flemish masters, colorful sagas from Mexican muralists. He felt the magic of Byzantine icons, became fluent in the language of symbolism and learned to travel through time.

Every summer his family left Texas to stay in his grandparents’ apartment in Germany. There he drew endlessly on the reams

Mythmaker

By Carol Antman

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of paper his professor mother brought home for him, making up stories as he drew, developing the vivid imagination and multicultural viewpoint that has led decades later to his upcoming show “Mythmaker” at Miami’s Mindy Solomon Gallery.

Come Closer…Closer…

But you have to step in closely to really hear the story. “I utilize the potent blend of romanticism and propaganda embedded in classical western visual forms to rediscover the personal and moral meaning in these genres and to transform the familiar into the intimate.”

The pieces are small, mostly less than 10 inches. Look through the textured layers of varnish, a technique he uses to give the pieces the look of old relics, into the precisely painted wooden surfaces and the symbols will reveal themselves. Here’s Cassandra with a snake wrapped around her head, whispering in her ear. In Greek mythology she had the power of prophecy and the curse of never being believed. They called her an insane liar. Consider that Marc is a self-described news junkie, sorting fact from spin. Then ask: Whose advice have you ignored? Who are

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your mad liars and who are your prophets? “One of the things I enjoy about making images is I don’t want to hit people over the head. Paintings have a life of their own. They leave your hands as the creator and have different weight for different viewers. I have a story to tell but I really enjoy hearing what others people’s responses are. That’s part of the process of making images, too.”

Pondering the Surreal Symbolism He still spends a lot of time in museums but says, “There are two big places that all input comes from. One is the external world. I’m very much inspired by social and political events.

Another obvious place is from inside myself. The universality of interpersonal experience: death, love, the meaning of life.”

The richness of his symbols, distinguishes him from the outrageousness of the surrealists. “I don’t really feel it as surreal myself… My images are preconceived… in a symbolic way that relates to mythology. Everything in those paintings carries symbolic weight. They all carry meaning.” As in “Moirai,"

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a snail referencing the Greek goddesses of fate. Along the ground of destiny it slithers, reading the past like Braille, coiling objects and critters into its shell.

His considerable body of illustrations and commissioned portraiture are often tongue and cheek, full of historic weight and sentimentality. They earned him the Hamilton King Award in 2011 during which his colleague Tim O’Brien lauded, “He makes ideas you’ve never seen before look as if they’ve always been on earth.”

Mythmaker at the Mindy Solomon Gallery, 172 NW 24th Street, Miami, May 8-July 26, opening reception on Thursday, May 8 from 6 to 9 PM. www.mindysolomongallery.com Marc Burckhardt’s portfolio: http://www.marcart.net/Home.html

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90 Minutes with

The Duke

By Scott Eyman

Author and historian Scott Eyman tells the heartfelt story of his chance meeting with legendary actor John Wayne.

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A true story: In 1972, I was 21 years old, living in my native Ohio, and had come to the conclusion that if I wanted to write about the movies I probably should begin talking to people who actually made them.

I started at the top – I wrote a letter to John Wayne asking for an interview. Two weeks later I received a reply from Mary St. John, Wayne’s secretary of nearly 30 years, who informed me that should I come to California she would see what she could do about arranging some face time with her employer.

Eight weeks later, I arrived in Los Angeles for the first time and called John Wayne’s office at Paramount Pictures. Mary St. John told me that her boss was shooting a TV special at CBS in a few days; I should show up around 1 p.m.

First Impressions I found Wayne sitting in front of his dressing room mirror, looking rather glumly at his reflection while his makeup man worked away.

He was smoking a little cigar, which took me aback – it was well known that Wayne had lost a lung to cancer eight years earlier.

He stood up, held out a hand the size of home plate and introduced himself. “John Wayne,” he said – the most unnecessary introduction of my life.

At 6-4, he was only an inch or so taller than me, but he gave the impression of a huge mass, like the football lineman he used to be. A normal sized man could have stood behind him and never been seen.

For the next 90 minutes, I sat in John Wayne’s dressing room and we talked about the movies. Although my hair was undoubtedly longer than he liked, he seemed glad to be able to talk about something besides cancer and politics. I was surprised by his manner – quiet, reflective, thoughtful. He responded to my own seriousness about John Ford, Howard Hawks and Henry Hathaway with sober considerations of how they worked and how they differed from each other.

When I asked him if he’d ever read the Eugene O’Neill plays that were the basis of John Ford’s film “The Long Voyage Home,” he could have blown me out of the water for my assumption of his ignorance, but instead he simply looked at me and quietly said, “I’d been to college; I’d read O’Neill.”

The Personal Side of John Wayne He was both the man you saw on the screen and someone else – quieter, more reflective and far more courteous than his screen image. In retrospect, the fact that he was open to spending so much time with a kid with almost no prior credentials speaks to his openness and his innate gregariousness, the flip side of which was his dislike of being alone.

When he was called to the set to go to work, he let me come to the stage with him and take some pictures, in spite of the obvious discomfort of CBS publicists. When I had to leave, he came up and shook my hand in farewell: “I hope you got what you wanted,” he said. “I’m not such a terrible right-wing monster, am I?” There was one more meeting, on the set of his last film “The Shootist.” It was only a little more than three years later, but Wayne had aged greatly. He had been quite ill with a lung infection, and “The Shootist” had closed down for two weeks, a fact which had somehow been kept out of the trade papers, less its star became uninsurable.

Wayne looked at me and nodded in recognition, although his legendary blind spot with names would have precluded anything more specific. I watched him work in a scene in a barbershop, before which he instructed the prop man on how to do his job correctly.

Wayne, who had begun his movie career as a prop man, was right.

He Was a Nice Guy, Pilgrim I have thought often about those 90 minutes, and the kindness and courteousness a world-famous man showed to a green kid. Stimulated by the meeting with Wayne and others in those first years visiting California, I have written a dozen books in the intervening years, but I always harbored the idea of one day writing about Wayne, simply because none of the (very few) serious books about him that emerged after his death in 1979 got anywhere near an accurate portrayal of the man I met that day. None of them captured the emotional size that accompanied his physical size, and none of them noted the fact that he didn’t feel the need to dominate his every surrounding. The most that could be said about any of them was that they were accurate but not true.

The seed planted that day more than 40 years ago has finally born fruit in “John Wayne: The Life and Legend” just published by Simon & Schuster. It is, I think, an honest book, reflective of its subject’s huge strengths and equally huge weaknesses. He would have expected, and deserved, no less.

Author Scott Eyman Photo courtesy of Greg Lovett

And no, he wasn’t such a terrible right-wing monster at all.

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Condo Living

Insurance Premium Financing a Great Solution for Condo and Homeowner Associations

By Greg Mangram, City National Bank

C

ondominium and homeowner associations are faced with a large challenge every year when they receive the renewal of the association’s master insurance policy. In most cases, this premium is tens of thousands of dollars, and many associations do not have that large of a reserve to cover paying the premium in full.

Unlike personal insurance policies (automobile, homeowners, etc.) where the premiums can be paid over monthly installments, most condo and homeowner association policy premiums must be paid in full due to the relationship between the insurance broker and carrier.

Luckily for associations, there is a solution — insurance premium financing. In this situation, an outside vendor, such as a bank, will finance the large premium over the course of the year allowing the association to pay the premium over equal installments within 11 months, improve its cash flow and maintain its liquidity levels.

This short-term loan is typically at a low interest rate, and most vendors do not charge any fees associated with the loan. In addition, these loans have high approval ratings and typically close quickly, usually within 10 days.

While interest rates vary depending on market conditions, typical insurance premium financing rates are between 2 and 6 percent.

The purpose of insurance premium financing is to allow condominium and homeowner associations the ability to pay out its premium over the

course of the year, while at the same time making sure the insurance carrier is paid in full as required by the policy. This is an attractive alternative to associations having to come up with large sums of money within a short period of time.

When researching a vendor for insurance premium financing, look for one with an in-depth understanding of the factors affecting condominium and homeowner associations. Keep in mind that these premiums, while financed, will still need to be paid off within the year.

Insurance premium financing is an attractive alternative to paying premiums in full, allowing condominium and homeowner associations the ability to space out their payments and predict their monthly costs more accurately.

City National Bank is one of the largest community banks serving associations and property management companies. With a portfolio of more than 500 community associations, our dedicated community association services team has the knowledge and experience to help you meet your financial needs.

Free up your cash flow with Insurance Premium Financing. Take control of your receivables and keep your rainy-day fund. An 11-month term and quick turnaround gives your community the flexibility it needs.

City National Bank is a leader in community association lending, with a streamlined approval process, local decision-making and a dedicated team to service your community’s financial needs.

All loans are subject to credit and loan requirements.

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CONDO LAW

By Michael S. Bender, Esq., Kaye Bender Rembaum, P.L.

ACCESSING A CONDOMINIUM UNIT WHEN THE OWNER IS NOT PRESENT While Section 718.111(5) of Florida Statutes provides associations with the irrevocable right to access all units in the condominium, such right is not absolute. The qualifying portions of the Statute are “when necessary,” “to perform maintenance, repair or replacement of common elements or of any portion of a unit to be maintained by the association,” and “to prevent damage to the common elements or to a unit or units.” Occasionally, a board may be overzealous in its desire to access the unit and there can be consequences from doing so improperly.

is BOTH reasonable and necessary for such access to be proper. An association claiming “necessity” alone is not sufficient. The facts of the particular case clearly demonstrated that, notwithstanding the association claiming the necessity of access, the previous fiveyear history at the unit did not support that conclusion. Additionally, the personal medical issues of the unit owner supported the conclusion that the association request was not reasonable.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal reviewed this issue in the recent case of Small v. Devon Condominium B Association, Inc. In this case, the association had a practice of providing monthly pest control services within each unit. After many years, unit owner Small informed the association that she had learned she suffered from a breathing disorder and requested the association stop treating her unit, indicating she would take care of the pest control herself. The Board agreed and did not treat her unit for about 5 years. In 2009, a new Board took over and demanded access to the unit to perform pest control services.

The unit owner declined and the lawsuit followed.

The practice lesson to be learned from this case is that care must be exercised by the board of directors when considering accessing a unit. The facts and circumstances involved should be thoroughly reviewed and if there is any question whether the association should be accessing the unit without the permission of the unit owner, consultation with the association attorney should occur before doing so.

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Ultimately, the Appellate Court ruled in favor of the unit owner, stating that an association must demonstrate the desired access

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Social Living

Gerri Stier, Robin Jay, Romero Britto, Ava Roosevelt Lynda Maraino, Kim Pham, Steve Shapiro and Hope Gainer

COO Mark Blackburn with Publisher Geoff Hammond and music producer Jim Jonsin

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Fisher Island residents enjoy the event at the Fendi Casa lounge

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events around south florida

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Social Living

Sheryl Crow at the Tortuga Music Festival 2014 Art & Design on Worth. Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy with guests

John Loring and Anka Palitz at the Art & Design on Worth.

Don Shula , LeBron James and Pat Riley at the Annual Reid & Fiorentino Call of the Game Dinner.

Luke Bryan at the Tortuga Music Festival 2014

Eric Church signs a fan's boot

Tony Fiorentino, LeBron James and Eric Reid

Eric Reid, Don Shula, LeBron James, Tony Fiorentino, Lauren & Ron Book and Pat Riley

Master of Scotch Ross Graham Vincent Scorza, Joseph Benton, David Zwick and George Meillarec at the Chivas Scotch Tasting.

Laura Buccellati and Daisy Olivera at the Women of Tomorrow Gala

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Maria Browne, Don Browne & Jennifer Valoppi at the Women of Tomorrow Gala

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