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Experience the before and after

WESTLAK E VI LLAG E

WEST H O LLYWO O D

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STU D I O C ITY

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Volume Nine Issue Two s pri ng | sum m er â&#x20AC;˘ 2017

Editor/Publisher Timothy Lennon Buckley tim@montecitojournal.net Managing Editor James Luksic Art Director Trent Watanabe Advertising Sales Tanis Nelson: tanis@montecitojournal.net Susan Brooks: sue@montecitojournal.net Christine Merrick: christine@montecitojournal.net National Advertising Representative Judson Bardwell Contributors Hattie Beresford, James Buckley, Erin Graffy, Chuck Graham, Mark Hunt, Ted Mills, Megan Waldrep

Montecito Journal (glossy edition) is published by Montecito Journal, Inc. James Buckley, President Corporate Offices located at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H Montecito, CA 93108 For distribution, advertising, or other inquiries: (805) 565-1860

CONTENTS 22

ANCESTORS

CONVERSATIONS

Montecito Journal contributor Erin Graffy blows the dust off California’s – expressly Santa Barbara’s – French-Jewish community, dating back to circa late1800s with the Levys and Kaufmans, New Jerusalem, and Eastern Europeans.

Referring to him merely as a musician or artist doesn’t do justice to Barry DeVorzon; the acclaimed singer-songwriter, based in Montecito, is also an accomplished producer and composer. Montecito Journal founder James Buckley is tuned in, ear to the ground, following DeVorzon’s long and winding road from London to Los Angeles, from RCA to Columbia Records and beyond.

LOCAL PEOPLE

Megan Waldrep gets up-close and personal with artist Polly Frost, whose onewoman spectacle We Only Get One Father – So Why Was I Given Mine?, which focuses on her egocentric dad and childhood in Goleta.

REAL ESTATES

ON CANVAS

THE WAY IT WAS

THE RETURN ELEMENT

EUROLOG 2016

From Historic Hope Ranch to Park Lane, Journal contributor Mark Hunt has Santa Barbara properties covered – with price tags from $5.59 million to $65 million.

Whether mistaken for oils and water colors or accurately described as acrylics, artist Julie B Montgomery’s wistful works have put her on the worldwide map. Podcaster and Sentinel columnist Ted Mills profiles the German native and former fashion plate.

Longtime Journal contributor Hattie Beresford documents the storied saga of Santa Barbara’s sounds of music – including those from novice Chumash at the SB Mission. After the U.S. officially welcomed California, a resonant array of styles by “Music Men” filled the Central Coast air; circa late 1800s, boulevard concerts buoyed by Channel City Marine band emerged.

A return to the remodeled and luxurious Bernardus Lodge & Spa, with a dozen new suites – and its renowned restaurant, Lucia – nestled in Carmel Valley, ideal for a “getaway” weekend.

Esprit de corps: James Buckley, Montecito Journal founder, takes his wanderlust to Europe – including London and Paris – venturing from England’s Leicester Square Theatre to the Parliament, before Chunnel-ing to Lyon, cruising around the French countryside, splurging and foraying into Switzerland, before channeling back to the shores of Honfleur.

108 FAR FLUNG TRAVEL

Fjords for the trees: Montecito Journal contributor Chuck Graham takes the high road – Ring Road, to be exact – while traversing the frosty, haunting majesty of Iceland, where waterfalls, steaming thermals, glaciers, and volcanoes keep visitors spellbound. You’ll see the light, literally, 20 hours per day, so don’t even think about catching up on sleep.

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P A R T

R S

R I S

ope

T T E C I ion t

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of distin

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CONTRIBUTORS James Buckley, founder/publisher of Montecito Journal (weekly), is an

Hattie Beresford is a native of the Netherlands and received her

Ted Mills is a long-time writer on the arts, a writer-director of film,

Erin Graffy is a long-time aficionado of California history, and an award-

avid golfer who has allowed his love of the game to get in the way of his other avocation: writing and publishing a Thedim Fiste Mystery series, based upon the life, foibles, exploits, and discoveries of an editor of a weekly newspaper in a small upscale community on the California coast.

artist, and currently host of funkzonepodcast.com, where he interviews artists and creative folks in, around, and visiting Santa Barbara. He fancies himself as a bit of a bon vivant and a mixologist, loves to emcee events, and would love to be on your trivia team.

Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and

photographer living in Carpinteria. When he’s not leading kayak tours on Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands, he’s freelancing for publications such as Backpacker, Canoe & Kayak, Sea Kayaker, Trail Runner, Living Bird, and Surfer’s Journal. He’s also editor of DEEP magazine.

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Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from University of California Santa Barbara. She taught English and American history for the Santa Barbara School District for many years and retired from teaching in 2004. When she is not immersed in some dusty tome, she can be found on the tennis courts, hiking trails, or out on a kayak marveling at the dolphins. She and her husband, former Dos Pueblos volleyball coach Mike Beresford, are avid campers and travelers.

winning author of more than 50 books, monographs, publications, and articles on local and regional history. Her latest book on California’s rancho period, Old Spanish Days, is the recipient of two national awards for excellence in regional history.

Mark Ashton Hunt’s interest in real estate

and architecture in Santa Barbara began early, while touring homes with his grandparents, Bill and Elsie Hunt, who were brokers in Santa Barbara for decades. Keeping that tradition going, Mark, his wife, Sheela, and daughter Sareena (attending USC) are licensed agents with Village Properties in Montecito.

Megan Waldrep’s literary journey, since

moving to Carpinteria in 2013 with a children’s book under her belt, has included freelance writing for several local publications such as Montecito Journal, Carpinteria magazine, DEEP magazine, and her most recent role as Creative Director of the Santa Barbara Sentinel. When not writing, Megan can be found harnessing her chi and giving thanks to live surrounded by the beauty of the Central Coast.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

RE-VISITING THE OLD WORLD

ontecito Journal founder James Buckley (my dad) revisited Normandy and Burgundy last summer after having spent a month there just two years ago; afraid that elements afoot in the Old World were about to change the culture forever, he wanted to re-experience it the way it was. While those changes may indeed take place, they haven’t yet; both these picturesque areas of France have retained the charm and hospitality for which they’ve been

known; they have also become something of a travel bargain, based upon the current strength of the U.S. dollar, though no one knows how long that will last. For now, if you have the time and/or money, you should make summer plans to visit Europe. The crowds are down and the costs are less (though because of the attractive exchange rates, you may find more American compatriots on the streets of Paris and London). Go. Buy your airline or Queen Mary ticket now. Book a canal or river tour with Rory and Caroline Macrae on their Apres Tout luxury barge; spend a weekend at the Park Hotel in Vitznau, Switzerland; walk the cobblestone streets of Honfleur. The Old World is as charming and inviting as it has ever been, which is why we’ve devoted so much space to EuroLog 2016. The rest of this issue is chock-full of the good stuff you’ve come to expect, such as: a conversation with songwriter Barry DeVorzon; Erin Graffy’s historical look at Santa Barbara’s French/Jewish community; Hattie Bereford’s examination of our area’s musical influences, going back to the mid-1800s; a revisit to Bernardus Lodge & Spa in Carmel Valley; Chuck Graham’s foray into Iceland, the territory of fire, ice, and water; Ted Mills’s discovery of Julie Montgomery’s art; and Megan Waldrep’s talk with Polly Frost at Buttonwood Farm. Kick back, have a cup of tea, cappuccino, or glass of brandy; join us. And oh, yes – welcome to the neighborhood. Tim Buckley Publisher

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DISTINCTIVE SANTA BARBARA PROPERTIES

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Ancestors

by Erin Graffy

California’s Jewish French Heritage

hile Santa Barbara’s heritage is imbued with Spanish

refugees/settlers, and with them came familial links to the most

and Mexican culture, for more than 150 years Santa

significant Jewish families in California history.

Barbara has been enhanced with the influx of other

In the 19th century, the tiny Alsace-Lorraine region of northeast

foreign immigrant communities as well: Italian, Chinese, Basque,

France along the Rhine was home to nearly half the French Jewish

Japanese, and Filipino.

population. Following the Franco-Prussian War, in 1871, this area was

Surprisingly, one of Santa Barbara’s first ethnic communities is probably the least known: the French Jewish population. Santa Barbara’s first French community was comprised of Jewish

annexed by Germany, placing it under anti-Semitic policies and with it, a return to the German language. The Alsatian Jews were obliged to either become German citizens or leave their homes. Since they identified as French, about one-third of the population, particularly young families, emigrated to France (Paris) or America. Abroad they found work, established themselves and opened the door for their relations to immigrate and become prosperous in Corner of State and Ortega (photo courtesy John C. Woodward Collection)

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America. Especially appealing to Europeans was the West Coast – California – and its temperate climate. Intriguingly, Jews could operate with a great deal of autonomy in California during and after the Gold Rush. California was the ultimate

The Levys and the Kauffmans

y the end of the year, Cerf considered opening his own dry goods store and decided to move north to a town that was

half the size of Los Angeles: Santa Barbara. In 1868, he settled here

land of fresh starts, no questions asked, and no pedigree need be

when the population was 2,500 and largely Catholic. (The town’s

proffered.

first Protestant church was still a year away.) Cerf ’s clan was the first-

Part of the latitude afforded the Jewish community was the “frontier-pioneer” culture of the American West. The individualistic spirit of the Wild West had a “live and let live” philosophy that

known Jewish family in Santa Barbara. While they knew Yiddish, they spoke French. In 1872, Cerf and his wife, Sarah Rheims, added daughter Rachel

proposed that a man need only be judged on his own merits. Thus the

to the family. Until she started school, she only knew French – no

early Jewish pioneers, as peddlers and merchants, were free to move up

English or Spanish. (She recited her prayers in Hebrew, until she asked

and down the state and become successful.

her mother around the age of 8, “Doesn’t God understand French?” So

Because the Californios and Mexicans looked askance at all the new “gringos” coming into the state after 1850, Jews were not singled out apart from that; there was no further need to discriminate along denominational differences.

her mother hastened to procure a French prayer book.) Cerf ’s own progeny contributed to the family’s legacy of accomplishments. His son Joseph made a name for himself south of the border. A musical prodigy, Joseph had studied violin in Paris as a child, at 14

The Move to Santa Barbara

was playing with the San Francisco Symphony, and went on tour at 16, which led him to Colima, Mexico. He settled there, founded the

he Jewish immigrant story in Santa Barbara begins in 1868, with

Lira Colimense orchestra and became a legendary master teacher,

a Frenchman by the name of Cerf Levy.

instructing not only music but also French and English (he spoke

When his cousin in California offered him a job in his store, Cerf

left Alsace-Lorraine with his wife and two little boys and headed to the land of opportunity. Levy joined his cousin as part of an extended family of incredible entrepreneurial immigrants in America. His cousin, Solomon Lazard, had opened the first Jewish-owned

Hebrew, German, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish.) His name is still revered there to this day. Rachel married another Alsatian Jew, Jules Kauffman of Los Angeles, and went on to become the most prominent Jewish woman in Southern California society. She started L’Alliance Française in Los

department store in Los Angeles (later evolved as the City of Paris) and

Angeles in 1904; was a planning commissioner for the City of Los

was a founder of the Los Angeles Water Company. Solomon’s cousins

Angeles in 1919, President of the Los Angeles Arts Commission, was a

founded the famous Lazard Freres import-export house and later

social service commissioner and society columnist, and listed in Who’s

became international bankers.

Who Among The Women in California.

Solomon’s wife was Caroline Newmark, daughter of the renowned Rabbi, Joseph Newmark, a founder of the Hebrew Benevolent Society and the B’nai B’rith Congregation (Wilshire Boulevard Temple). Solomon’s sister-in-law was Harriet Newmark Meyer — grandmother of future publisher Katherine Graham. This was a distinguished extended family.

More Than Ordinarily Intelligent

ctive in Jewish life in Los Angeles, Mrs. Jules Kauffman was president of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhood,

founding president of Women of Reform Judaism-Pacific District; president of the Council of Jewish Women, Los Angeles; president of Conference of Jewish Women’s Organizations; board member of

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Ancestors the National Council of Jewish Woman; and co-founder of their Los

besides Levy Shoes, Eisenburg Clothing which became the White

Angeles branch.

House, Dreyfus Real Estate, Harris Jewelers, and travel agent Byron

Although Rachel Levy Kauffman grew up in Santa Barbara when it had no temple, it is clear that her parents were able to retain and

Abraham. About the time of their arrival, the Sept 28, 1872, issue of The

impart their religious traditions, so that their daughter could be a

Santa Barbara Index described their new homeland: “Santa Barbara is

beacon to other Jewish immigrants and residents.

at present prospering. People are continually moving in, drawn hither by

Cerf ’s son, Leon Levy, attended the brand-new Santa Barbara

the fine climate and beautiful surroundings. It has four protestant churches

College to learn English, graduated local schools, and then clerked in

– Congregational, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, and a population of

northern California. In 1885, he opened a wholesale and retail liquor

more than ordinary intelligence and culture.”

store on State Street, featuring both imported and domestic wines, liquors, and cigars, with a specialty in California wines. Cerf was the first but not the last Levy in town, nor the only Jewish merchant. In 1870, Joseph Levy (no relation) also moved to Santa Barbara from France. He opened the town’s first jewelry store, and operated a

New Jerusalem

anta Barbara seemingly had everything going for it — but one thing it lacked was a Jewish temple. So the early Jews in Santa

Barbara held their services in private homes, as a gathering of believers

bean brokerage firm next door to Levy, at 520 State Street. Joseph and

to pray and offer benedictions. For important services (i.e., High

his wife, Henrietta Bollack, had fours daughters and two sons. Son

Holy Days) local Jews went out of town, sometimes to Los Angeles,

Michel married Elma Levy (no relation) and founded the long-time

but most often to San Francisco. San Francisco was a well-populated

Levy Shoes Store, a family business and mainstay on State Street for 75

and highly cultured city, which appealed to their French-European

years. Their daughter Camille married another French Jew, Henri Levy,

upbringing, while Los Angeles remained undeveloped until after the

brother of Abraham Achilles Levy of the famed Bank of A. Levy (and,

turn of the century. When the Jewish merchants left for San Francisco,

no, still no relation).

their local stores would be shuttered, and the occasion would be

In 1875, a number of Jewish families traveled together from

respectfully noted in the local newspaper. The September 17, 1890,

Alsace-Lorraine, disembarking at the newly constructed Stearns Wharf.

edition of the Morning Press had such an item: “Yesterday was Rosh-

The town had changed considerably in just seven years since Cerf

Hashana, the Jewish new year of 5651 and was celebrated by the

Levy’s arrival. The population had increased by nearly 30 percent; the

Hebrew population.”

first telegraph line had come in from San Francisco, gas lights were lit

The local Jewish community usually had to depend on rabbis

for the first time, and Jose Lobero had opened his fantastic new theater

traveling between Los Angeles and San Francisco to perform

— the first community playhouse in California.

ceremonies such as marriages, funerals, and bar mitzvahs. Young

The center of downtown at this time was at Ortega and State, and

Jewish students studying for their bar mitzvahs would go south to

these new merchants wasted no time in setting up shop and making a

Los Angeles or north to San Francisco to find a teacher. During this

success of themselves in the 500, 600, and 700 blocks of State Street

time, they would stay with relatives or other friends from the Jewish

between Haley and De la Guerra — from Liebman’s Bargain House to

community.

Theodore Breslauer’s IXL saloon, stables, and stores. The descendants of these early Jewish settlers were to become

At the end of the 19th century, a yeshiva was established in “New Jerusalem” to the south in Ventura near Camarillo. Now

important retailers and merchants in Santa Barbara. While most of

known as El Rio, the area was then called New Jerusalem and was

their names are unknown to us in the 21st century, their businesses

settled by many Jews after Simon Cohn and his relatives launched a

were significant and longtime State Street landmarks. These included,

bustling business enterprise there — stores and saloons — to serve

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Ancestors the farmers in the area. The yeshiva was sponsored by none other

opportunity to easily observe their religious traditions may have led

than Achilles Levy, the prominent businessman and founder of the

some Jews to other denominations (e.g., the obituary of Michel Levy

bank that still bears his name; the yeshiva was conducted by Hyman

indicated his funeral was a Unitarian service; and Louis Dreyfus was

Cohen.

noted as an Episcopalian).

The Eastern Europeans

This was all to change after the turn of the century, from 1900 to 1920, when Santa Barbara’s population tripled in size. Part of this

ne of the earliest ceremonies noted in Santa Barbara was

increase included a new wave of Eastern European Jewish immigrants

a circumcision held on Monday, February 25, 1895. The

into town from Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Austria-Hungary,

local Jewish community gathered at the home of Meyer Iseman

and the Ukraine.

at 212 De La Guerra Street, for the ceremony to bring his infant

Nearly a half-century after the first Jewish families came to Santa

son, Marc, into the bond of Israel. Because there were no rabbis

Barbara, these plucky Jewish immigrants were able to form a minyan,

in Santa Barbara, the Jewish community brought up the famed

create a religious community, and establish a temple.

rabbi Abraham Blum from Congregation B’nai B’rith Los Angeles

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Congregation B’nai

to perform the ceremony. The event was attended by the boy’s

B’rith (“Sons of the Covenant”). Its founding brought to fruition the

grandmother Mrs. Isaac Goldstein (Rebecca Abrams), Flora

dreams of fathers and grandfathers from other countries to worship

Breslauer, the widow Mrs. Cerf Levy, Mrs. Waldauer, and Mrs.

and pray in peace in their new homeland, and the promise that their

Joseph Levy.

traditions and culture will be remembered into the next century.

However, it was still a struggle for Jews to maintain their religious traditions, when there were so few in Santa Barbara. Some left town for cities with a bigger Jewish population and a temple. Some assimilated into the gentile culture usually through marriage, because they could not easily find another of their faith to marry in such a small town. Since many of the Jews in Santa Barbara were merchants, they also simply traveled on to other locations. (e.g., Meyer Iseman

The Presbyterian congregation built one of the earliest protestant churches in 1874 with a landmark steeple rising 130 feet (seen here on State Street between Figueroa and Anapamu) (photo courtesy Santa Barbara Historical Society)

moved to Visalia the year following his son’s circumcision.) Lack of

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CONVERSATIONS: BARRY DEVORZON

“N

adia’s Theme” is a bit of music for which Barry DeVorzon is perhaps mostly known; originally created as a minute-and-a-half “dramatic cue” for the movie “Bless The Beasts and Children,” it went on to become

the theme for the long-running CBS TV soap opera “The Young And The Restless,” and became “Nadia’s Theme” when an ABC producer used it to accompany footage of Nadia Comaneci’s first-ever perfect 10 that she received in the 1976 Olympic games. Later released as a record, it became a giant hit and Barry says it was “probably the biggest copyright” of his career. But, that’s the kind of luck this talented master of music has been able to call upon during a long and rewarding career. Inside his Montecito home, on every wall in his, let’s call it “award room,” songwriter-producer-singer-composer Barry DeVorzon displays gold records, platinum albums, six Emmys, a Grammy, even a certificate notifying him that he had been nominated for an Academy Award (though he didn’t win) and lots of other memorabilia of a life well-lived. Holding a prominent position on one wall is a laminated and framed document featuring three “Top 100 Hits” charts from three different music publications: Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World. At the top of each list is the “Theme From S.W.A.T.”, which he wrote. Directly underneath are two letters Barry received. One from Joe Smith, thenhead of Warner Bros., that informs DeVorzon of how “terribly sorry” Smith was that it had taken so long to get back to him. “Thought you’d been notified that the tape of the S.W.A.T. theme you had sent had been rejected. It wasn’t right for us,” he writes. Next to that is a letter from J.K. Maitland, then-head of MCA, which reads: “Thanks for submitting the S.W.A.T. theme. I listened to it and am sorry to tell you that we just don’t hear it as a hit. I hope you are successful in placing it with another company.” It was signed “Mike.” “Just goes to show you,” Barry says with a gleam and a smile, “You should never give up.” Fortunately for him – and for us – he never had to give up. But he did come close.

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BY JAMES BUCKLEY

Barry DeVorzon relaxes outside the small pond on his three-acre Montecito property

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CONVERSATIONS:

An Early Musical Career

fter spending four years in the U.S. Navy toward the end of the Korean conflict – he served as a machinist mate on a destroyer –

he determined that what he wanted to do with his life was something in music. “My dad was a musician,” Barry, who was born in the Bronx, says as we settle outside on a small patio behind the den, overlooking the lush foliage of his three-acre Montecito property. “We were gypsies and lived all over the country,” he continues. “We lived from city to city, though [my dad] tried to keep his bookings for a couple months at a time and always brought the family in a trailer, or stayed at a hotel or rented a house.” Barry’s father had his own group called Jules & Webb, featuring a guitar player, bass, and a piano; he played the violin and sang. Before

The Fraternity Brothers are (from left) Dave, Barry, and Perry

that, he was one of the Connecticut Yankees and played with Rudy Vallée when Vallée was the biggest thing in the country. “During the Depression days, he was making outlandish money when other people were starving to death.” Barry was not (and is not) a big guy, and because of his father’s profession, and because the family moved so often, Barry was frequently “the new kid” in any number of schools. “Kept going to

Just a Dream He Once Had

n Pasadena, there was a TV show called Peter Potter, whose show was about songwriters. A singer-songwriter would come on and sing his

tune, and a panel of music publishers would pick the winner. So, Barry

new schools – that’s how I became such a tough little guy,” he explains.

went on with some of his college buddies to back him up (“I may have

“The new kid in school didn’t have to wait long until they tested him.

played the uke,” he says) and his song, “Look What You’ve Done With

You better test well. If you stood up against whoever was testing you,

Me,” won:

they’d back off, but if you didn’t, they’d torture you.” Despite all that, Barry graduated from Palm Springs High School;

Just like Humpty Dumpty, I had a great fall;

the family settled there once he got “to the fifth or sixth grade.” His

You’re the one I fell for,

father got a real estate license and settled down; after high school,

and not from Humpty’s wall.

Barry attended Pasadena City College for two years...

All the king’s horses

“My parents were desperately afraid I would become a musician,”

And all the king’s men,

he says, laughing. He played the violin and “was a virtuoso as a kid,” he

Couldn’t put my broken heart

notes; his parents stopped his lessons, but at some point they bought a

Together again...

piano and his sister took lessons. “She had no ear for it,” he recounts, “So, in my sophomore year of high school, I’d poke around the piano

He and his family were excited about his win, but nothing came of

and I really liked it. I taught myself to play since my parents wouldn’t

it and before long Barry “and a bunch of my buddies” joined the Navy.

give me lessons. Then I started writing songs. Then they became very supportive. They liked my songs.”

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“My parents begged me not to,” he recounts. “This was during the Korean War... I didn’t realize how long four years was... But, I’ve always

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CONVERSATIONS: been a lucky guy, so I told [the Navy recruiters] that I was a musician

He says, “What is your brother’s name?”

and wanted to do music. So they sent me to engineering school.

“Barry DeVorzon.”

“I was assigned to a destroyer in San Diego, and after three weeks, the captain mustered us on the quarterdeck and said, “Men, this destroyer and three others have been chosen to go on a world goodwill tour.

“Well, that’s who wrote the song.” At that time, the biggest record store in L.A. was Music City, at the corner of Sunset & Vine. “I called them and asked if they had ‘Look What You’ve Done To

“We left San Diego, did a tour in Korea, then as a young guy, I went around the world and I had the intelligence to get the most out of that trip. We went from Long Beach through the Suez Canal, the

Me,’ and the girl comes back and says, ‘Yes we do.’ “I got in my car and drove down to Music City, went in and looked at that record and saw my name on it.

Mediterranean, Japan, Thailand, came back to Newport, Rhode Island.

“It was ‘Hello music; goodbye air-conditioning.’

Got another destroyer to the Panama Canal, back to San Diego.”

“In a way, I owe my career to my sister. I think I made $230 on

In three short years, Barry had moved up to petty officer firstclass, but when his four years were up, he’d had enough. “When it was time to leave, the captain tried to sell me a bill of goods to re-up.

that, but it got my feet wet and I got the fever, so that’s how it all started.” Barry dropped out of air-conditioning school, but he still had no

They’d send me to any college I wanted to go to. I thanked him very

money. He was living with his aunt, walking the pavements, writing

much, said I’d give it serious thought and then never thought about it

songs. “I did put away a little of the money I got from the Navy, so

again.”

I could go into a studio and record my songs. I tried to meet people

Then, he had a revelation: “This was 1957, and I decided that the coming thing would be air-conditioning. After all, I hadn’t

who could get me into record companies where I could show my music.

thought about music or a future in music for four long years. It was

“New York, Chicago, and Nashville was where music was

just a dream I once had,” he says. “So, I signed up to go to Carrier

happening but right around that time, L.A. came into its own and

refrigeration and air-conditioning school.”

started to explode as a music center.

But, once again, luck would intervene.

“I was starving to death, writing my songs. I’m in a publisher’s office one day and he says, ‘You know, Barry, you ought to write

“Your Song is on the Radio”

country.’ “The publisher had a couple country hits, such as ‘You Are My Special Angel.’

hen he was in the Navy, his sister worked for a music publisher in Los Angeles and she kept pushing Barry’s songs

on him. “So, I did a demo on the song, and then she went to work

“I actually hated country music; they used to play it on the ship all the time and it was very annoying. But I was desperate.” He listened to the country stations and couldn’t relate to any of it

for someone else and everyone forgot about it. Now, I’m in L.A. and

until he heard Marty Robbins sing. “Marty was a more contemporary

getting ready to go to Carrier and my sister, Barbara (who passed away

singer,” Barry relates, “so, I said, ‘That’s my guy.’ I sat down, and for

just a few weeks before this interview), calls me from Palm Springs and

the first time tried to write a country song and wrote ‘Just Married’

says, “Barry, Barry, your song is on the radio!”

after seeing an ad with a car driving away with that sign on its back

“I say, “What?” “Your song is on the radio!”

They’re just married this morning,

So, Barbara called the radio station and told the deejay that

How happy they are...

someone had stolen her brother’s song.

window.”

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When he finished it, he decided it had Marty’s name all over it.

CONVERSATIONS:

Mitch Miller Calls

“Well, good, because I did it with one of our major artists, and I just wanted to reach you.”

ow, he had a problem: he was a young kid with no connections

“Mr. Miller, could I ask you which artist you did it with?

and he wondered how he gets it to Marty Robbins. While

“Why, sure. Marty Robbins,” he replies.

visiting another music publisher a few days later, the man excused himself to use the restroom and Barry spotted a list of record companies on the man’s desk. He knew Marty recorded for Columbia Records and he saw Columbia Records, so he ran over to the desk to write down all the information and then put it in his pocket. Barry pressed a 78-rpm vinyl demo of “Just Married,” on which

Treasure of Your Love

“J

ust Married” went to number one [on Billboard’s Top Country Singles chart, May 1958], and stayed number one for six weeks.

It traded off with another track called ‘Oh, Lonesome Me.’ Both

he sang and played the music (he couldn’t afford to hire someone else

songs went back and forth from number one and number two for six

to sing); he added a lead sheet with the record, put it in a package

months.”

and sent it off to Mitch Miller, president of Columbia Records in

Almost immediately, Barry started working on a follow-up song

New York City. He admits now that he should at least have sent it to

for Robbins and wrote “Treasure of Your Love.” He sent it to his “new

Nashville, to Marty Robbins’s producer.

best friend,” Mitch Miller, and this time Miller got back to him in

“Being young and naive, I just figured he’d know [when he listened to the demo] that the song was for Marty Robbins. “Sending it to the president of Columbia Records,” he says,

about three weeks. “Barry, that song you sent me, ‘Treasure of Your Love,’ I recorded it with one of our artists.”

laughing, “is like buying a lottery ticket. The chance that the

“With Marty?”

president of Columbia Records would open an envelope from some

“No, with Eileen Rodgers.”

kid on the West Coast was zero. Zero. And, I never heard back.”

“And I went, ‘Eileen Rodgers, who the hell is that?’ I didn’t say

Well, almost “never.”

that to him, but that’s what I thought. I said, ‘Oh, thank you Mr.

Three months after sending it out, upon arriving home after

Miller. I kind of thought it was for Marty, but if you think it’s good

work one night, his aunt told him that a Mr. Mitch Miller had been

for her...’

trying to reach him. ‘He said to call him whenever you got home,’ she

“Yeah, yeah, she did a good job on it.”

said, ‘he said he’s staying in the office late and he needs to speak with

“I said, ‘Well, thank you’ and hung up the phone. I was crushed.

you.’ “Well, I ran into the house.” It was 5:30 pm L.A. time, 8:30 pm New York time, but he called the number. “Hello,” someone

I never heard of Eileen Rodgers and it was supposed to be for Marty Robbins. But,” Barry says with a smile, “Eileen Rogers had one hit in her entire career and it was with my song, ‘Treasure of Your Love.’”

answered and Barry says, “I’m calling for Mr. Mitch Miller,” and the voice on the other end of the line says, “That’s me.” Mitch Miller answered the phone because everyone else had gone home. “Oh, this is Barry DeVorzon.” “You sent me a song called ‘Just Married.’ What’s the status of the song?” Miller asks. “The status is that it’s yours, Mr. Miller.”

Barry’s Singing Career

n one trip to New York to sell his songs, he checked into the Taft Hotel, whereupon his first appointment was with Hugo

Winterhalter at RCA Victor. “In those days, a major label was a big deal,” Barry says.

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CONVERSATIONS: He introduced himself, gave him his songs, and it looked like he liked what he was hearing. He said, “Who’s singing on these?” “I said, ‘Mr. Winterhalter, I’m singing.’ “He said, ‘I like the way you sing. As a matter of fact, I’d like to show these to some people here at the company.’ He was thinking of signing me as an artist.” That night, Barry called his mom, who always said she liked his singing. “The next day, RCA called, and by the end of the day they had signed me as an artist. I don’t get it, but I’m going to go for it.” Next, he visited with Archie Bleyer of Cadence Records. “They had the Everly Brothers, the Chordettes, Andy Williams. So, I play my songs for Archie. He says, ‘Who’s singing on these?’ And I say, ‘I am Mr. Bleyer.’ He says, ‘Well, I’d like to sign you for Cadence.’ “I’m sorry,” I had to tell him, “but I just signed with RCA Victor. “When I got back to L.A., I heard from Mercury Records and they wanted to sign me.” He recorded his first session for RCA; it was a song called “Barbara Jean,” and it was a regional hit. “In those days, you could have a hit in Chicago, and in New York or L.A. it wasn’t a hit. Not every hit went national. So ‘Barbara Jean’ was huge in Chicago, Cleveland, in Dallas; it wasn’t that big in some other cities, but, it got on the charts.” Barry says he was “very uncomfortable as a singer. I’m a

He may have been a “teen-age rage!” for Columbia Records, but Barry DeVorzon “could never get perfection” out of his voice, so opted to stick with songwriting as a career

(from left) the DeVorzons: Daniel, Michael, Barry, Jelinda, and Matthew

perfectionist, and I could never get perfection out of my voice. I had great confidence in myself as a writer, but I turned to Jell-O in the recording studio. “I was not happy.” Oddly enough, when he left RCA, Columbia Records signed him. But, when he left Columbia, he gave up his singing career.

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CONVERSATIONS:

Rhythm of the Rain

album. Doing away with the single was a dumb thing to do, which the corporates who took over the record business did,” he recounts. “This was 1962. Then, we had a successful publishing company, a

“W

hat I really needed,” he says, “was a great producer, but they

successful record company... our first hit was “Angel on My Shoulder,”

didn’t work with the artists the way they do now. I needed

by Shelby Flynn. It was our first release. Just when we were really

guidance and never got it.” When DeVorzon launched his own record company, he signed a

successful, I sold my company to Four-Star Television, owned by William Holden, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Charles Boyer.”

group and changed their name to the Cascades (after the dish-washing

But then, along came the Brits, The Beatles.

soap) “because I kept making coffee for everybody and had to wash the

“It was the British Invasion, and the world no longer wanted

cups whenever they had a recording session.” The Cascades had a big hit called “Rhythm of the Rain,” which Barry co-wrote with the lead singer, Johnny Dummoe. Barry’s name, however, is not on the credits as a co-writer; he gave those rights up to Johnny, because he “didn’t want to be greedy. I was producing it, I own

our music. The United States didn’t even want our music! All the independents like me got into big trouble. “George, a big executive and attorney at Four-Star asks, ‘What are you doing? We’re losing money.’ “I’d say, ‘I know, but I’m trying.’”

the record company, I’m publishing it, and I thought it was the right thing to do,” Barry says. “I was young and meant well, but I should have told him, ‘I’m going to keep the writing credit, but you can keep all the money.’ “When you write a song, your name should be on it,” he advises. His partner at the time, Billy Sherman, forgot to pick up the option on the Cascades after the first year, an event the manager saw

Jefferson Airplane

“I

was at my wit’s end. I felt like such a schmuck. Then, a guy walks in and was insistent.

‘I’ve got a great group,’ he says.

as an opportunity to get a bigger deal with another record label. Barry

“‘What’s their name?’”

had just finished writing a song for the Cascades that he was sure

‘Jefferson Airplane.’

would be a hit, called “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight.” But, the

“I went, ‘What?’

Cascades signed with RCA Victor.

“He says, ‘Jefferson Airplane.’

“We put it out and it was a big hit, by Barry and the Tamerlanes. The Cascades were never heard from again. They were left to their own

“So, I say, ‘Okay, you’ve got a great group called Jefferson Airplane. Do you have something I can hear?’

devices and they didn’t have that guiding force; the same one I needed

‘I don’t.’

when I was young.”

“Now, I know I have a nut case. “So I say, in a condescending way: ‘What do you want me to do?’

The Early Days

“He says, ‘Well, they’re appearing at a club in San Francisco called The Matrix and I’d like you to get on a plane with me and see them.’ ‘How do I know you’re not an ax murderer?’

“I

n those days, you could start a record company for five-hundred bucks. The single record was the fastest and cheapest way to

build an artist. If you could afford to go into the studio and do two

“I said, ‘I must be out of my mind,’ but I got the guy into my car, drove to the airport, flew up to San Francisco to this club that I’d never heard of, and there’s a line a half-block long to get in.

cuts – an A side and a B side – and put out a single, you’re in the race.

“So, I go in there. Gracie Slick, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner...

And, if that becomes a hit then you’d rush into the studio and do an

“They were killer. They were great.

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CONVERSATIONS: “We go into a coffee shop and I tell the guy he has a deal. I told him I’d send him a telegram to tell him we had a deal.” Barry then called in all his chits: he booked his new group on

‘Yes, we do have a problem...’ “I said, ‘Okay, here it comes.” “He says, ‘We need a new set of drums.’

Hullabaloo, Shindig, Lloyd Baxter, all the popular television shows,

“I said, ‘Yeah?’

and set them up for appearances.

‘We’re going to need $1,200 up front.’

“I told them I’d found the greatest group in the world and told them I wanted their commitment.” But to no avail. “The guy tells me Capitol wants to sign the group and they’ve offered $10,000.”

“I said, ‘You’ve got it.’ “Next day, I call the big lawyer at Four-Star, who by now hates my guts, and I tell him I’ve got this group and I’m very excited. I signed the group, and I had to give them a twelve-hundred dollar advance.

“I thought about it and told him I’d give him that.

‘Is that alright?’

“Do we have a deal?”

‘No, it isn’t alright.’

‘Yes.’

‘C’mon George. I’m the head of the record company.’

“But I never heard from him again. He turned out to be a bad

‘F you,’ he says.

guy, and they signed with my old nemesis, RCA Victor, for $25,000, which was crazy because nobody was giving that kind of money to an unknown group. “I was crushed. I was depressed.”

“I hung up the phone. It’s a good thing he was in another room miles away, because I would have cold-cocked him. “Anyway, I’m mad. Later in the day I call him and say, ‘George, can I come by and see you?’ ‘Alright.’

The Association

“S

“I say, ‘George, I know it’s been tough. I know I’ve been losing money, but this group can do it for us. I just need you to trust me one more time.”

o, I said well, if there’s that much talent in San Francisco, there’s

‘Alright.’

got to be as much in L.A. So, I rented the Troubadour one

“So, I sign the group.

Sunday and put out the word: Open Audition. “I’m sitting there listening to one act after another and by 4:30 that day, I had my head in my hands. I had never heard a collection of worse talent than what I’d heard that day.

“And I put out our first record and... crash. “Nothing. “I remember, it was right around the holidays and I came back to my office and it was locked.

“They were awful.

“They exercised their right of termination.”

“And then, I’m about to wrap it up and the guy says, ‘There’s one

It was a three-year deal, but if they wanted to terminate the deal

more group.’ “These six guys get on stage; they’re in gray suits with button-

they wouldn’t have to make the third payment. “He says, ‘See ya.’”

down shirts and ties, and they hit me with a Bob Dylan song called ‘One Too Many Mornings.’ “They were great. “I said, ‘Who are these guys?’ “My assistant says it’s a group called The Association. “I talked to the manager, I said ‘okay, I like the group, I’m ready to sign them. Do we have any problems?’”

Cherish is the Word

eVorzon is on his own again, having severed all ties with FourStar.

“I put out the second record by The Association. It was a song

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CONVERSATIONS:

On Sabbatical

fter the sale, he headed to Europe “for a two-week vacation” and didn’t come back for three years. He lived in London – “when

it was the hottest, greatest city you could ever imagine” – Stockholm, Paris, Rome, Florence... He bought a Jaguar XKE in London and drove it throughout Europe. Eventually though, he missed his friends, his country, “doing something other than having dinner and dancing.” So, he returned to L.A. and could have gone back into the record business but wanted to try his hand at film. “Being young and naive, what I didn’t understand, is when I went in and said, ‘I want to do your movie,’ they’d ask if I’d ever done a movie. I’d say no, and they’d say, ‘Goodbye.’ My idea was to write songs for movies but was advised by Don Costa that I’d have to take on the Billy Sherman (left) and Barry were partners. “Dreamin” by Johnny Burnett was among their early sucessess.

score, not just the song. It was a craft I had no experience with.” Barry had to learn orchestrating. That proved to be more difficult than he thought, but he did it.

called ‘Along Comes Mary.’ And I never worked so hard. I dropped everything and worked that record because I was desperate. We broke it, and it was a hit.” But, upon putting The Association’s first album together, Barry could find only one song that touched him. “It’s a ballad called ‘Cherish.’ I said ‘We’re dead. We’re dead. We’re coming from a hard-rock ‘Then Along Comes Mary,’ to ‘Cherish.’ “So, with great misgivings, I said, ‘We’ve got to put it out. If we’re wrong, we’re wrong.’” They released the album and released “Cherish” as a single and it went to number one. Just like that. “We had to go to Columbia and beg them to give us more credit

Meeting and Marrying Jelinda

“A

friend of mine tried to set up a blind date with what he called ‘the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in L.A.’ When you’re

saying that, you’re saying a lot, because L.A. was a target city for every beautiful woman who wants to be in film. My friend added that the greatest thing was that she was a school teacher. I said, ‘Yeah, okay,’ and promptly forgot about it. “I’d had such bad luck with blind dates, I wasn’t interested.” One night, later, they were in the Factory, the hottest club in L.A. at the time, with two German girls. His friend saw Jelinda [Blackwell,

so we could print enough records to get them into the stores. It was a

from Ellisville, Mississippi] across the room and told Barry to look,

giant hit.”

that’s the school teacher he was telling him about.

“Windy” and “Never My Love” were hits too (as were “Dreamin’” and “Hey Little One”) and then Barry sold his company – Valiant Records – to Warner Brothers. “For a lot more money than I sold it to Four-Star for.”

“I looked and said, ‘Are you kidding me? Let’s park the frauleins. Get me over there.’” When they joined Jelinda and her friends at the table, “She did all the right things: she said ‘Hello,’ and ignored me,” Barry recalls. He then asked his friend Ronan to set up a meet, and they met for drinks

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CONVERSATIONS:

Barry and Jelinda on their wedding day, 29 November 1971

to say, so she says, ‘The other night, we went to see a movie called The Maltese Bippy, which was the worst movie we’d ever seen.’ in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. “I asked if I could accompany her to her car when she got up to leave. She said, ‘Sure.’ I asked if she would join me later than evening, and she said, ‘No, I can’t.’ “I asked for her number and she said, ‘Okay.’ “She was living with her sister in Hollywood but had to commute to a school where she taught in [San Fernando] Valley. Her schedule was different from mine. She was getting up at six to teach in school, and I wanted to go out and play every night.”

The Maltese Bippy

n one of their first dates, they saw The Maltese Bippy and when they came out of the theatre, Barry turned to Jelinda and said,

‘Honey, that’s the worst movie I’ve ever seen.’ Cut to Palm Springs, to his family home. “The Racquet Club was the place to be, where all the stars and all of Hollywood went. So, we were there for lunch and were sitting at a table with a bunch of Hollywood people. She was sitting next to this guy and we’re all having a nice time, and she’s looking for something

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“He looked at her and said, ‘I produced it.’ “Jelinda says she just wanted to be somewhere else or to crawl

CONVERSATIONS:

Matthew and Dad

time in L.A. and never thought once to come to Santa Barbara? That’s under the table, or disappear. “She was destroyed.

how sleepy this place was at the time.” They came back, poked around, and bought the house (in

“She’d only been in L.A. for six months.

October 1972) they continue to live in to this day, and in which they

Barry had a photographer friend take pictures of Jelinda, and

raised their three sons: Michael, Matthew, and Daniel (a surprise son,

from that she ended up at one of the top modeling agencies. She

born 13 years after Matthew was born); “He’s the child that would not

then took a leave of absence from teaching, suiting Barry’s late-

be denied,” Barry quips. “I’ve been a lucky guy and Daniel was one of

night schedule way better than her teaching gig. “Now she could

those bits of good fortune. He made life here that much better.”

party with me,” he says. But moving to Montecito put a damper on

All three boys attended Montecito Union School.

Jelinda’s modeling career, and when they had their first child there

“I was in heaven,” Barry recounts, “but Jelinda was very unhappy.

would be no more modeling.

Suddenly, we were in a town where we didn’t know anybody. I told her we’d give this a shot, and if she didn’t like it we’ll move back.”

Discovering Montecito

eading up to San Francisco on the 101 after a late start one day, Barry and Jelinda stopped for lunch in Santa Barbara. During

It rained the day they married at a friend’s house in L.A. “All my friends thought I was out of my mind,” Barry laughs. “I mean they’d ask, ‘How could you be in the music business and live in Mendocino?’ “’No,’ I’d say, ‘Montecito’.”

lunch, Barry recalls wondering, “Where has this place been hiding all

“Maybe I am crazy.

my life? I’d never been here,” he says. “Can you believe I’d lived all that

“It just felt right.

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CONVERSATIONS: it went to number one and remains one of the few television themes to make it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The theme is regularly used in rap records. “Whenever they want to refer to the cops,” Barry says, “they bring in the theme from S.W.A.T. And then, the movie came out (in 2003).” DeVorzon also created the theme song for TV’s Simon & Simon beginning with its second season; the show ran from 1981 to 1989.

In the City

here is at least one more song that carries Barry DeVorzon’s name that you may be familiar with: “In the City,” a tune sung by and

co-written with Joe Walsh and recorded by The Eagles; it appeared on The Long Run album and again on Hell Freezes Over. The song was written originally to accompany the end titles of a film Barry wrote the Barry and Jelinda during the early days in Montecito

“As Santa Barbara began to be noticed, people would say, ‘Hey, if

score for called The Warriors, about a New York gang trying to make its way back home. The film has since become a classic. Joe lived in Santa Barbara in the 1970s, as did a number of

you’re going up to Santa Barbara, you’ve got to look up the DeVorzons.

musicians – Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Ted Templeton,

Gene Hackman, James Brolin, Michael Douglas, and others moved

Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Davey Jones – “So, we had a nice music

up here, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Robert Mitchum.

community living here at the time,” Barry recounts. “I met Joe and

We had a great rat pack here and had ‘legendary’ Christmas parties,

when I got this picture (The Warriors), I said it might be fun to write

both celebrities and our new friends who had nothing to do with

a song with him. He said, ‘’Okay,’ so we wrote this thing, and I

Hollywood. Things couldn’t be better.”

produced it for the movie.”

The film festival parties (Jelinda is a longtime member of the

When The Eagles played the Santa Barbara Bowl on their “Hell

board of directors of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival) at

Freezes Over” tour, Joe Walsh, after singing “In The City”, called

their house are also legendary.

out Barry from the stage, acknowledging the songwriter’s talent and

He’s had some of the biggest hits of his career while in Montecito, and on his terms. “I got to live the life I wanted to live, with my

mentioning that their “In The City” collaboration was one of the very few songs ever recorded by The Eagles that wasn’t written by The Eagles.

family, in the place where I wanted to live.”

The S.W.A.T. Theme

his LP became a best-selling instrumental in Germany,

hen he scored the music for his first television show in 1976 – S.W.A.T. – he composed a rock ‘n’ roll kind of theme, which

he says was unusual for television at that time. To his utter disbelief,

John Buck Chi Chi

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unbeknownst to Barry, as he recorded it at the Gold Star Recording

Studio in L.A. for U.S. release on the Cadence label. He put together a “bunch of musicians” and came up with Side A called “Chi Chi”; the

CONVERSATIONS:

Barry DeVorzon (center) was honored as the first “Legend of the Granada” in a packed event held at the Granada Theater in Santa Barbara in 2015; members of the Boyus Club (from left) Gene Montesano, Bob Fell, Jim Argyropoulos, and Herb Simon joined him for an onstage salute (photo credit: Priscilla@santabarbaraseen.com)

year. The Mush was a guy (from a movie) who couldn’t win. He always B side was “Forbidden City.” He was going to call the fictional group

lost. When they were at the racetrack, for example, they’d ask the

the Blazers. When he took it to the radio director in L.A., the director

Mush who he bet on and if was the same horse they’d bet on, they’d

told Barry that the station was promoting a character they’d created

rush to change their bets.” Barry’s been recipient of the Mush Award

called “John Buck” and that Barry’s record was perfectly situated for the

but says he has also received the “Bob Smith Boyus Club Award” in

project. He said that if Barry would change the name to “John Buck and

honor of the late Bob Smith, one of the original boyus. It comes with a

the Blazers,” he’d make it his “pick of the week.”

“beautiful trophy.”

“I said, ‘You got it’!” Barry says with a laugh. So the Blazers became John Buck and the Blazers and... nothing happened. It didn’t turn out to be a hit. Barry “kind of forgot about it,” but one of the labels that represented him in Europe released it in Germany, where it became a number-one hit and John Buck and the

The group began with Bob Fell and Barry as friends. They bet football and “had a ball.” Bob introduced him to Herb Simon. From there, the club grew to as many as 14. They see one another at least once a month during the off-season for breakfast.

Blazers were voted number-one instrumentalists in Germany for that year.

The Tennis Mafia

The Boyus Club

“I

t’s a great group of guys,” Barry explains. “We share a love of pro football and have these boyus club breakfasts every Sunday during

arry doesn’t play tennis much anymore but was a member in good standing of Montecito’s men-only “Tennis Mafia”. The late

Peter Murphy headed that group and he’d send out weekend court and playing partnership assignments (they were always doubles). “When

football season. Camaraderie, humor, and it’s like a fraternity. We

you have a population of ten thousand and you go to Vons, you bump

have a betting pool and bet every week, and at the end of the season

into people,” Barry says, explaining how the high-profile group of men

we give awards. The Mush award is given to the biggest loser of the

was originally formed.

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CONVERSATIONS:

Christmas In Santa Barbara

e could tell you of Barry DeVorzon’s seasonal hit, “It’s Christmas Once Again In Santa Barbara” (San Francisco, San

Diego, and Las Vegas have since been added as additional cities named in the song, and in every one of those cities it became a number-one hit), but just know that this man has had a storied career, has helped raise three adventurous, ambitious, and talented boys, been married to the love of his life for well over 40 years, helped develop the numberone best selling songwriter program (Masterwriter), and has been, along with his wife, Jelinda, an integral part – warp and woof – of the

Jelinda and Barry (and friends) sang “It’s Christmas Once Again in Santa Barbara” on the back of Dana Newquist’s vintage fire truck during a recent Christams Parade in Santa Baraba

fabric of Montecito and Santa Barbara for the past forty-plus years. in Montecito. This is the place. I made such a wise choice. I love the

Perfect Day in Montecito

you leave here, I pick up the phone and call Herb [Simon] and ask him if he wants to go for a walk on the beach. Three minutes later, we’re on

efore saying goodbye, we had to ask Barry what constitutes

the beach. Wanna have lunch? Boom, we’re there. It’s just a beautiful

a “perfect day” in Montecito. his answer was immediately

place. The ocean, the mountains. Every day is the perfect day.

forthcoming: “This is the truth,” he begins. “For me, every day is the perfect day

Michelle, Barack, Jelinda, Barry, and Oprah

community. I love my friends. I love the ease of the lifestyle. When

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“I’ll tell you what isn’t: when I go into L.A. Then I can’t wait to get back.”

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LOCAL PEOPLE

PERFORMING POLLY BY MEGAN WALDREP

PHOTOS BY AHRON R. FOSTER

crowd gathers at Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard in artist Seyburn Zorthian’s studio, a last-minute refuge

from the rain. Chairs are filled as fast as they are set out and wine bottles emptied. In fewer than 10 minutes, artist Polly Frost will take the stage to perform her one-woman show We Only Get One Father – So Why Was I Given Mine? It‘s a straightforward, emotional narration of one daughter’s relationship with an egocentric father. Lights dim as I hustle to find a spot. Polly’s husband, former Newsweek arts reporter Ray

only in a pair of pirate boots. Polly’s interest in wordplay began as early as

Sawhill, waves me over and we settle into two

age seven when she composed short stories and plays mimicking books

stools in the back, the last seats in the house. At

she read. Even teachers couldn’t help but notice her penchant for humor

that moment, the song “This Is A Man’s World”

writing.

by James Brown melts through the speakers and Polly strides down the aisle, commanding the

designer (she also modeled and sewed her own clothes), the young

room with each step. After a poetic pause Polly

wordsmith shelved the idea of writing as a livelihood. It wasn’t until after

recites, by memory, a slice of life poised between

some time at Santa Barbara City College, UCSB, and taking five years

heartache, hope, and acceptance.

to explore other career options that her talent for humor and satirical

Within the course of 75 minutes, response

writing could no longer be suppressed. Polly went for the top, submitting

from the audience varies between bursts of

works to The New Yorker and, in a major career highlight for any writer,

laughter and gasps of disbelief. Her monologue

was published.

resonates. Nerves are touched. Art is made. The performance ends to a standing ovation. Much of the material in We Only Get One

So Polly did what many brave young artists yearn to do: she made the jump to New York City and, in a fairy tale in its own right, was able to support her life through writing movie reviews. Her interest in film –

Father – So Why Was I Given Mine? is set during

which she credits partly to horror movies and Ingrid Bergman films seen

her childhood in Goleta during the free-love

at Santa Barbara’s Riviera Theatre – garnered more than money for rent.

backdrop of the 1960s and 70s. Eccentricities

Famed New Yorker movie critic Pauline Kael savored her work and the

of the times permeated her life. Even the house

ladies became fast friends. Pauline even played matchmaker, introducing

she grew up in was built by Frank Robinson, one

Polly to writer, native New Yorker, and now husband, Ray Sawhill.

of the rowdy Mountain Drive scenesters who, as she recounts, once showed up for work clothed

But as a teen, with dreams to become a horse trainer or fashion

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With her talent embraced, it was clear versatility was a strong point. Beyond film reviews, her journalistic works covered music and food, and

RUMACK IN OLIVE

W W W. SA LTO P TI C S . CO M

LOCAL PEOPLE

stories titled Deep Inside, which Time Out New York labeled one of the 10 best erotica books on the market. Also included in her stock are

she racked up publication credits including humor pieces chosen for The

successful collaborations with her husband. With Polly’s knack for story

New Yorker’s “Best of” collections, features in The Atlantic, The New York

hooks and character development, and Ray’s flair for description and

Times, Identity Theory, Scene4 Magazine, and Art Design Magazine to

structure, they developed a comic sci-fi burlesque web series called

name a few.

The Fold, a novel called The Bannings, and several theater projects.

But there were more genres in which to dabble. Different itches to scratch. She released a collection of satirical erotic horror and sci-fi

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One such project, titled Sex Scenes, became a recurring show at NYC cultural landmark, The Cornelia Street Café. The same place

that launched The Vagina Monologues

Although the seasoned writer and journalist thrived in her respected fields, she yearned to

and where Polly has debuted each of her

create a new form of art for herself, one that existed beyond the written word. “I loved publishing,

one-woman shows. To top it off, a play the

but I felt I had done it and I wanted to connect with this tradition that existed before publishing.

couple co-wrote titled The Last Artist in

Before the printed word. The oral tradition.”

New York City was selected for Narrative

Finding strength in vulnerability is what makes her an artist, and it was time to dig deep into

Magazine’s “Best American Short Plays

emotional familial ties to discover a new voice. In true form, she found gold. Four times over.

2008-2009” and “Best Monologues from

Within five years, she churned out one show after another.

American Short Plays 2013”.

First came How To Survive Your Adult Relationship with Your Family, a look into the dynamics of “step-relations, toxic in-laws, and the unpredictable ways in which our closest relationships change.” Next came Bad Role Models and What I Learned From Them, a tribute to “the lessthan-perfect people who taught me most about life, love, and pursuing one’s passions.” Then the birth of Becoming Ourselves: Why Is It So Damn Hard?, observations on the bumpy road to self-realization. In her most recent piece, We Only Get One Father – So Why Was I Given Mine?, Polly speaks directly about her high-powered attorney father whose obsession with ego and public image muddled the relationship between his children. This particular show was enkindled by a lecture at the Vedanta Temple on Buddhism and forgiveness. “People mean well, but you know when they say you just have to forgive the person? I started to realize that I could just let that go. I didn’t have to forgive,” she explains. “What I really needed to do was take my karma and turn it into something positive. And then I wrote the show.” The performances can be seen as her expression within the nouveau arts and crafts movement. “I wanted to do something analogous to that. Where I did shows in that same kind of spirit of what I love right now, which is the locavore movement. The whole Small Is Beautiful movement.” And if this long list of creative endeavors weren’t enough, you can often find her in the kitchen cooking exotic meals for friends and family (at the time of writing, she had been up since 4 in the morning baking bread) and is more often than not seen in clothing of her own making. Ray, too. Now, after 20-plus years in the city, the literary couple have established a new life together on the West Coast. Tucked away in a hidden Montecito gem, they host monthly gatherings for creative friends and friends of friends to congregate, learn, and inspire one another with lots homemade food, wine, and laughs in between. “We’ve made the most wonderful circle of friends here!” she says. “Our monthly salons are like being in NYC. Only with much better weather.” Polly’s artistry is a gift that keeps on giving. Through her written works and live performances, she opens dialogue for others to relate and maybe discover feelings they didn’t know existed. Expanding her comfort zone gives the audience a chance to expand as well. Whether performing, writing, cooking, or sewing, she thoughtfully presents each of her works in a way that leaves us inspired for more. Polly will tour three of her one-woman shows throughout the country for the next few years. Learn more about the artist and her works by visiting www.pollyfrost.com.

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REAL ESTATES PRIVACY, ROMANCE, AND STATUS

BY MARK ASHTON HUNT

hen one speaks of Montecito and Santa Barbara, faces often light up, reflecting their visions of Spanish villas on the Riviera and hotels near the ocean, the restaurants, and shopping on State Street or Coast Village Road. People think about places visited, fine meals had, proposals made, vows taken… this is a romantic place with a small-town feel, yet with the benefits of a bigger city both culturally and

as a vacation destination for Los Angeles and the rest of the world. Montecito, and Hope Ranch are well-known for their estates, large homes with acreage and privacy, romance, and a status symbol of financial success. To this end, let’s take a look at a few estates that are up there in the $50-million+ range, as well as a few that are closer to home (still $5,500,000 to $18,500,000).

POLO ESTATE NEAR PADARO LANE: $65,000,000

states with their own private polo field come on the market from time to time. This world-class, 20-acre polo ranch estate is located

down the road from the renowned Santa Barbara Polo Club, overlooking Padaro Lane and offers your own private polo field along with the facilities to support your equestrian lifestyle. The scale is impressive, from the grand motor court and façade to the indulgent 128-foot, hotelstyle pool area, consisting of patios, palms, and the feeling you are in a very private hotel. The location is convenient for both polo and daily life, being only minutes from Montecito and Santa Barbara, and in the opposite direction, 70 miles into the Los Angeles area. A nearby trail to the sand allows for horse rides on the beaches of Summerland and Padaro Lane. Inside the home, a formal reception area opens to grand-scale interiors. Built in 2005, the main home includes 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. The estate overall includes the main home, polo field, stables, office, clubhouse complex with additional parking, a detached guest suite, pool & spa, poolside cabana, loggia, a putting green & driving range, a secret garden, and an exotic outdoor soaking tub in the master suite. This is Old World opulence and a rare offering, indeed. (photos by Adrian Anz)

LISTED BY RANDY SOLAKIAN

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GRAND ITALIAN VILLA: $52,000,000

his estate features expansive ocean and mountain views on more than 9 acres in the heart of Montecito near the upper village.

The property boasts impressive architecture, historic gardens (designed by Lockwood de Forest Jr.), and one of, if not the most impressive reflecting lake and fountain in all of Montecito. This stately home offers grand interiors, a theatre, an exercise room and view terraces above expansive lawns. The reflecting ponds, pool and pavilion are impressive by any definition, and having toured the home on a bright and lovely day, I have never been more taken by an estate property. There is, in addition to the 20,000+ sq ft main home, a tennis court with cabana, pool, pool house, guesthouse, multiple garages, manicured gardens, and ultimate privacy. The home offers 8 bedrooms, 13 baths, a butlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pantry, one of most extraordinary kitchens ever,

and the prestige of calling Oprah Winfrey your neighbor. Additionally, one will find roses, palms, redwood trees, an organic vegetable and fruit orchard, and a well for landscaping. (photos by Jim Bartsch)

LISTED BY SUSAN BURNS ASSOCIATES & JASON SIEMENS

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HISTORIC HOPE RANCH COMPOUND: $18,500,000

et swept away by this Classic California Spanish Colonial estate with the home having been designed by noted

architect Reginald Johnson. The compound emotes 1920s grandeur, yet has recently been transformed and re-stylized for modern living. The Monte Mar Estate includes a main residence with one level, five bedroom suites, chic spaces, verandas, sparkling pool, spa, and numerous high-end amenities. Additionally, there is a lavish 2-bedroom guesthouse, an apartment above the 3-car garage, and a separate 4-car garage with adjacent guest facilities. Nestled on 9 acres of verdant lawns, a mature oak forest, and sculpted gardens, Monte Mar influenced the style, quality and luxury that were to become hallmarks of life in Santa Barbara. This is one of the original estates in the community of Hope Ranch, a block from the ocean, with riding trails for equine enthusiasts and dramatic ocean views.

LISTED BY MARSHA KOTLYAR & MICHELE WHITE

(photos by Jim Bartsch)

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Montecito Ocean View Contemporary Clean Lines, Open Floor Plan, Glass Pool House. $7,700,000

Kashmir in Montecito Exotic and Serene Resort with Pool Courtyard. Price Upon Request.

Park-Like Setting near Beach

4480 Via Esperanza 4 Bed | 5 Bath | Spacious Guest House $6,295,000

805.895.5881 | ColBeall@gmail.com | www.ColleenBeall.net | CalBre # 01201456 Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice.

compass.com

Charlene Nagel

ino m a

al e R

Adrienne Schuele

El C

Twelve more ways to guide you home.

Pamela Regan

Santa Barbaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier real estate firm â&#x20AC;&#x201D; where luxury homes, innovative technology, and best-in-class agents converge.

4-6

°25’14"

BARBARA

"W S ANT

Paul Suding, Bridget Murphy, Brittany Lough

11 9° 41'

Nick Svensson

8-11

Beverly Palmer, Pippa Davis, Susan Pate, Mitch Morehart

12 Erin Muslera

OLD WORLD GRANDEUR ON PICACHO: $9,900,000

he estate is known as “Fairfield,” and what one will find at the end of a private lane, is an elegant French Country Manor in the heart

of Montecito’s Golden Quadrangle. Pass through gates to the large motor court, which provides access to the main home and the separate guest cottages (each with 1 bedroom and bathroom). The 4-bedroom and 4.5-bathroom main home features a well-appointed kitchen with great room, elegant dining and living room, a luxurious master suite, a library, and expansive terraces for indoor-outdoor living. Set on 1.75 acres, one can enjoy the meticulously cared-for gardens and charming walkways leading one to the lavish pool area and private sitting areas round the property. “Fairfield” also boasts a putting green, bocce ball court, and additional badminton or croquet area. There is room for a tennis court (as advertised) and the property has its own well with 2 tanks of 6,000 gallons each.

(photos by Tom Ploch)

LISTED BY TERRY RYKEN

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COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE MONTECITO & SANTA BARBARA

DRAMATIC HOPE RANCH ESTATE

SPANISH COLONIAL REVIVAL ESTATE

MONTECITO PROVENCE VILLA

Hope Ranch | $12,500,000 Susan Conger & Susan Burns Associates | 805.565.8838

Carpinteria | $6,550,000 Barbara Koutnik | 805.565.8811

Montecito | $6,485,000 Susan Conger & Barbara Koutnik | 805.565.8838

HOPE RANCH ESTATE ON 3.91 ACRES

LUXURY RESORT LIVING

UNSURPASSED VIEWS

Hope Ranch | $6,395,000 Barbara Koutnik | 805.565.8811

Montecito | $5,900,000 Venturelli Group | 805.680.5141

Montecito | $4,495,000 Barbara Koutnik | 805.565.8811

PRIVATE HOPE RANCH RETREAT

LUXURY DOWNTOWN HOME

ELEGANT SINGLE LEVEL – PEACEFUL CUL-DE-SAC

Hope Ranch | $3,500,000 Steve Slavin | 805.886.3428

Santa Barbara | $2,250,000 Joanne Tacconelli | 805.570.2314

Montecito | $1,898,000 Scott McCosker | 805.687.2436

LUXURY DOWNTOWN LIVING

4BD/3BA MOUNTAIN VIEW SCHOOL

20 BEAUTIFUL ACRES ON RINCON MOUNTAIN

Santa Barbara | $1,879,000 Scott McCosker | 805.687.2436

Santa Barbara | $1,099,000 Plana Partners | 805.895.0591

Ventura | $999,000 Devon Forbes | 805.450.7907

MONTECITO (805) 969.4755

MONTECITO UPPER VILLAGE (805) 969.0900

SANTA BARBARA (805) 682.2477

WWW.COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM

©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office is owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC.Coldwell Banker® and the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International® and the Coldwell Banker Previews International Logo, are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Broker does not guarantee the accuracy of square footage, lot size or other information concerning the condition or features of property provided by seller or obtained from public records or other sources, and the buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information through personal inspection and with appropriate professionals. If your property is currently listed for sale, this is not intended as a solicitation

$10,900,000 | 2401 S Highway 101, Gaviota | www.LogEstate.com The Epstein Partners | 805.283.7161

$5,950,000 | 1450 Highway 135, Los Alamos | www.1450Highway135.com The Epstein Partners | 805.283.7161

$3,750,000 | 4312 Via Glorieta, Hope Ranch | www.4312ViaGlorieta.com Gay Milligan | 805.689.8090

$3,595,000 | 4175 Lago Dr, Hope Ranch | www.LuxuryInHopeRanch.com Jon Mahoney | 805.689.0532

$2,700,000 | 1382 Plaza Pacifica, Montecito | www.PlazaPacificaMontecito.com Janice Laney | 805.705.6474

Price Upon Request | 4640 Greenhill Way, Santa Barbara | www.4640GreenhillWay.com Randall Kempf | 805.331.4389

$2,425,000 | 2626 Montrose Pl, Mission Canyon | www.2626Montrose.com Ali Evans | 805.980.8007

$2,395,000 | 385 Paso Robles Dr, Montecito | www.LuxuryInMontecito.com Jon Mahoney | 805.689.0532

Representing Luxury Homes & Estates In Santa Barbara County 1435 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara | 805 . 456 . 3600 1255 Coast Village Road, Suite 201C, Montecito | 805 . 456 . 3600

$2,295,000 | 531 Chapala St B, Downtown | www.531ChapalaStB.com The Epstein Partners | 805.283.7161

Each office is independently owned and operated. CalBRE#: 01523151

$1,950,000 | 750 Monte Dr, Hope Ranch | www.MonteDriveHopeRanch.com Janice Laney | 805.705.6474

Price Upon Request | 975 Camino Medio, Hope Ranch | www.975CaminoMedio.com Mary Layman | 805.448.3890

PARK LANE ESTATE: $7,700,000

his contemporary ocean-view villa is artfully situated to maximize ocean and mountain views, while at the same time sensitively

fit into the natural landscape. The gated drive leads past oak trees and rosemary hedges to the main house, parking garages, and guesthouse. The main home includes 3 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms and has an open feel, inviting and bright. Outside is an infinity pool, spa, and a terrace off the main house that leads to a 2-story glass pool house that is accessed via a steel bridge. Clean lines, open floor plan, extensive terraces and loggia with fireplace embrace the outdoor lifestyle. This home is located a short distance to the upper village in Montecito and is just a few doors down from hiking trails that can be wandered for miles or for a morning stroll. (photos by David Palermo)

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LISTED BY DAN ENCELL & COLLEEN BEALL

OVER FIFTEEN YEARS OF GREEN PROJECTS

Green eXPerience Are you interested in hiring a design or construction professional for your project? The Green BuildinG AlliAnce features experienced and award-winning architects, interior designers, engineers, landscape architects, contractors, material suppliers, and other professionals with a passion for environmental project design. For a comprehensive list of current Green Building Alliance members, visit us at www.gballiance.com

Healthy home. Healthy workplace. Healthy environment.

REEN G ALLIANCE BUILDING

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offered at $9,488,000 | VillaVistaBella.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Price Upon Request | MontecitoGrandeur.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offered at $4,360,000 | HopeRanchAlisaLane.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specializing in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64. Ryken. . . . 01107300. . .n g ©2017 Terry Compass is a licensed CalBRE#spri | su m mreal eestate r broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws.All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, . condition, . . sale, . or. withdraw . .without . notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. . . . . . . . .

Exquisite

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Timeless

Luxurious

Elegance

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Sumptuous

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“Your Broker with the Personal Touch”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Price Upon Request | SBOceanViewRanch.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TerryRyken.com | TerryRyken@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sp ring | reliable s ummer errors, omissions,65 ÂŠ2017 Terry Ryken. CalBRE# 01107300. Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws.All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed but is subject to changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit . .property . already . . listed.. . . . . . .

Abundant

Self-Sustaining

Terry Ryken 805.896.6977

Incomparable

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12-ACRE ESTATE POTENTIAL: $5,595,000

his property is located on East Valley Road in a rural section of Montecito near Toro Canyon Road and includes a gated private drive,

main home, and lovely pool. The home was built by well-respected local contracting firm Giffin & Crane, and includes 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms in the California Monterey Ranch-style home. The main home includes 5,280+ square feet of living space and features hardwood floors, a groundlevel master suite, cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen with adjoining family room, detached studio, 3-car garage, and a multi-room audio system. This listing is not officially on the market but is available as a pocket listing, and the property offers the potential for one to add oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own touches and chosen amenities to this mostly level site.

(photos by Scott Gibson)

LISTED BY TIM DAHL

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Hope RancH ocean View Setting 5,900+ SF, 4BD, 4BA, G ated R esidence Located on one of the Premier Streets in Hope R anch The Hope Ranch Lifestyle includes Access to the Private Beach, Tennis Cour ts, and 20 miles of Riding Trails

Lorie F. Bartron

E xclusivEly O ffErEd at $5,995,000 w w w .4099c r E c i E n t E d r i v E . cO m

805 563 4054 direct 805 689 4613 mobile Lorie@LorieBartron.com ÂŠ2016 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for your listing. CalBRE#01005021

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by Ted Mills

Magical Landscapes Come from a Deep Place

ulie B. Montgomery’s dreamy canvases can be mistaken for watercolors or oils, but in fact are acrylics. They also look like abstracts up close, but from a distance unlock some of

their secrets: hazy landscapes, twilight worlds filled with fog and mist, but with a lonesome palm tree on the horizon, or hints of dark hills through the rain. Walk up close to the canvas and they reveal other mysteries, like a hard-to-decipher stream-of-consciousness script that runs across and down the canvas, or tiny figures such as a Buddha or a horse that from far away looked like a brush stroke. Ms Montgomery’s painting technique is both additive and subtractive. Wanting to see if she could bring out in acrylic a similar translucency she saw in oils, many years ago she started to cover her canvases in a color, then washed or scraped to strip away the layers, often using household cleaners. She embraces the drips and bare spots of canvas along the way. Having worked in sculpture and foundry work, she found something akin in carving out a finished work from a solid block. “It’s a weird thing,” she says. “I can do the creative thing and the destructive thing. My brain does both.” Born in Bremen, Germany, to globe-trotting parents who collected and restored antiques, Ms Montgomery was raised in Sonoma before the wine tourist boom, “when it was just fields.” She counts watching the health effects of oil-based restoration products on family members as one of the reasons she later turned to acrylics. She spent time in her late teens as a fashion model, continuing on and off through her 30s. It was during the long periods of down time between shoots when she began to draw, filling up pages and pages of sketchbooks. She used her modeling income to put herself through

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Sonoma State University, pursued sculpture and then drawing in academia, and wound up in San Francisco in 2002 as part of an artistic collective, working with designers. In 2006, she moved to Carpinteria and created a studio out of the upper floor of a fruitpacking plant. And she watched as her small canvases and early experiments grew into large ones and a recognizable style. An artist’s space, she says, can determine the art that is produced there. To explain this, she tells the origin story of the word “genius.” In modern times, we expect artists, great ones, to be both mortal and something more than mortal to earn the “genius” name, to dig into the soul and create. But, she explains, the Greeks saw it as something outside the human, a “household guardian spirit” as explained by the etymology of the word. It was present not just for individuals but for places such as the theater or the vineyard, and it bestowed on each something great and timeless. “The Greeks would applaud the genius and not the artist,” she says. When the genius is with Ms Montgomery, as she paints, time vanishes. “It’s only in the last year that I’ve felt I can open up about this

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part of myself,” she says, perched on a chair in the back of her most recent Carpinteria studio, in an industrial space that once was home to a luthier. “I had to hide all the spirituality during those years in art school. I feel that I’m a channel for many things. The creative energy can be for anything, like tying your shoes, but when I’m in front of a painting I feel I can call it in. I’m here now. When I’m painting, I can feel something coming through me and I just have to step out of the way.” When she starts to doubt herself, when she begins to overthink, Ms Montgomery says, when her ego is coming back in, she knows the spirit has taken a break. And there’s nothing more to do except clean the brushes and go home. That may sound woo-woo to some but 1) we *are* on the West Coast and 2) Ms Montgomery is actually very grounded, raising her 11-year-old son Henri, who often turns up at her show openings and emanates a youthful wisdom. (He helped get a family yoga class added to their local YMCA.) This connection with the spiritual is a 180 from her agnostic upbringing. She got into transcendental meditation in San Francisco and still practices a variation of it. In conversation, the wonder of connection and of strange attractors in the art world melds with the business savvy she learned in San Francisco. She credits one of her earliest shows at Pierre Lafond as really kicking off her Santa Barbara career. Other shows at MichaelKate and Montecito Union School – where she’s donated to several fundraisers and always sold – have raised her profile. In Montecito, she counts around eight people who collect her work, and that may just be one piece or more. “Usually, it might take a few years, but if you have someone who really likes your work, generally they do want to buy another piece at some point.” She also currently works with Montecito designer Jodi Goldberg of Jodi G Boutique. Another place you might find Ms Montgomery’s work is on television. For some years now, she has been working for an art rental firm that places paintings in shows including Mad Men, Parenthood, Goliath, and Scandal. Being in the abstract realm, her paintings can play both mid-century modern and edgy contemporary. This is passive income – she doesn’t even have cable,

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(photo by Payam)

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and hasn’t heard of most of the shows – but it keeps her solvent. Some of her paintings have appeared in 25 different series. “Any desire I had in my life to be an actor, [my paintings] have made up for it,” she says with a laugh. “My pieces like to be seen,” she says. “I have my cupboard full of art, and the art gets restless. They say, ‘SHOW ME! SHOW ME TO SOMEBODY!’ I’ve always believed that, and so I’ve always tried to stay active with shows, to continue the movement of energy. To know that they’re seen by such a broad audience is deeply satisfying to me.” juliebmontgomer y. com

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THE WAY IT WAS STRIKE UP THE BAND

by Hattie Beresford

comprised almost exclusively of native Americans. The civilian

when Buddy Holly and the Crickets rocked and rolled from the record

four local boys decided to play a trick on the occupying American

player, the padres of the 1869 Portola Expedition cringed at a local

soldiers by stealing a cannon from a ship that had wrecked on the

Chumash concert of screaming pitos (whistles/flutes) and raucous

beach. When demands for the cannon’s return went unheeded, the

rattles. Were they not on a diplomatic mission, they, too, might have

Military Governor of California ordered the Californios of Santa

demanded that the cacophony cease and desist, immediately!

Barbara to be fined $500. Those not responsible for the prank became

he impulse to make music is universal, but the results of

population, meanwhile, danced to the tunes of El Son, La Jota,

that impulse are cultural and generational. Just as parents

Jarabe, and Contra Danza.

of the 1950s cringed and demanded, “turn off that racket”

The Spanish brought the strum of guitar, the romantic strains of

Music averted an armed uprising in Santa Barbara in 1848 when

angry, and grumbling and discontent became the order of the day.

the violin, and the chant of the Te Deum to the American continent. As neophyte Chumash entered the Santa Barbara Mission system, their musical tastes were converted as well. By 1820, the Mission orchestra and choir, who were trained in sacred music, were

Completed in 1901, Los Baños, the bathhouse at Plaza del Mar, was a popular spot for Sunday concerts (SBHM)

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Colonel Stephenson, the commander in charge of Santa Barbara, found a perfect solution to the escalating threat of rebellion. He had the U.S. Army brass band come up from Los Angeles and play a concert that included Spanish as well as Yankee tunes. The fiesta extended well into the night as Barbareños danced and made merry to the lively music. Five hundred dollars was collected and handed over, after which it somehow disappeared. But with peace and goodwill restored due to the charms of music, no one worried about the loss of the funds or the location of the cannon.

Alexander Harmer’s illustration for Romance on El Camino Real, written by local attorney Jarrett T. Richards in 1914, reveals the Spanish influence on music in Santa Barbara. In this scene, the characters of Carmelita and Pancho play and sing “La Ternura” while seated in the window of a venerable adobe. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum)

(below) The musical vaqueros on State Street, with the old Hall of Records and City Hall in the background on the far right, performed in local parades. The violin players carried a second rider, perhaps to manage the horses. (top right) The Spanish tradition of guitar and the romantic violin became an integral part of Santa Barbara’s musical tradition (SBHM)

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THE WAY IT WAS

YANKEE INFLUENCE

fter California became part of the United States, other forms and styles of music entered the mix. In the latter part of the 1800s,

the formerly Wild West began to see an influx of music professors and the creation of town bands. One of the first on the Santa Barbara scene was Professor Joseph Pierson, who began offering lessons in a variety of musical instruments in 1872. In 1875, lessons apparently complete, Pierson formed an all-brass band that played concerts and marched in parades. The group had their own bandwagon and could set up anywhere for a concert, no bandstand needed. In the 1880s, “band-a-mania” hit the area as town after town realized, and the Daily News expressed, “A town can’t be much of a place unless it has at least one brass band.” The time was ripe for a platoon of “Music Men” who promised 76 trombones for the big parades with 110 cornets close behind. Santa Maria, Lompoc, Los Alamos, Carpinteria, and Summerland all succumbed to the siren call. Montecito was not immune, either, and

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Celebration or dirge, an 1890s brass band’s commemoration of the slaughter of the rabbits seems exceptionally bizarre to us today (SBHM) Grand marshal Carl S. Stoddard, resplendent in yellow sash and riding a white horse, led the Presidio Band of San Francisco in the parade that celebrated the arrival of the railroad in Santa Barbara in 1887. Other musical groups in the parade included the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Drum Corps, professor J.E. Green’s Band, and the Carpinteria Band. (SBHM)

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view, music might be of immense value in promoting the happiness and welfare of the community.” Reading that, the next crop of music men were sure to promote themselves with “Ya got trouble / Right here in SB City/ With a Capital ‘T’/ And that rhymes with ‘B’/ And that stands for Beer!” Inspired, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union marched down State Street to the blare and thunder of brass. From 1909-1914, Cesare La Monaca’s band toured the town playing concerts in Alameda Park and on the Boulevard. With their horseless bandwagon, they could set up impromptu concerts anywhere in town. (SBHM)

BOULEVARD CONCERTS

s the old hide and tallow shacks disappeared from the waterfront,

hired a Professor Ray to organize its musically inclined citizenry. Proponents of band concerts claimed such performances would

recreational facilities arose to take their place. The 1880s and

1890s saw a succession of wooden bathhouses constructed along today’s

draw visitors to Santa Barbara, who in turn would increase the

West Cabrillo Boulevard. In those halcyon days, it was simply “The

retail coffers. Another advantage, one writer opined, was that “the

Boulevard” and held all manner of delightful businesses. Besides the

best method of emptying the saloons is that of providing rational

tavern on the corner of State Street, there were soda works, lemonade

amusement and enjoyment for the people, and from that point of

stands, and candy and shell shops.

Before 1891, the “Boulevard” was a dirt tract, and the sands and tides swept into the farmers’ fields while crowds gathered at the wooden bathhouse (SBHM)

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THE WAY IT WAS The beach was popular with picnickers, bathers, and horse riders.

parachute filled and he made a swinging drop into the ocean. In classic

The sulfur spring fountain was a favorite attraction, and “bicycling by

understatement, the Morning Press said, “The whole performance was

moonlight along the Boulevard,” said the Morning Press, “is in high

quite satisfactory.”

favor with our wheelmen.” In 1891, city council designated part of the oceanfront area as a public park and began improving the Boulevard with palm trees, lawns, and a plaza. A seawall held back the tides and a sidewalk

THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS

July 1893, the Press could boast, “The Boulevard plaza is in splendid

condition, the palms and lawn show good care.”

Santa Barbara in 1887 and started the Amateur Music Club and

lined with benches connected Plaza del Mar with Stearns wharf. By

During the summer season, the bandstand near the wooden

n 1895, there were two rival brass bands in town. One was directed by Professor William J. McCoy, who had come to

Orchestra in 1888. The other was directed by Professor J.E. Green

bathhouse on Plaza del Mar saw Sunday afternoon concerts. In

who conducted the Opera House (Lobero) Orchestra in 1893. By

September 1893, the last concert of the season ended with an

1895, both men had brass bands that competed for civic patronage,

unprecedented crowd. It was not just the concert program featuring

and a contentious season ensued.

selections from Verdi and Rossini that drew such a large audience. There was also a hot-air balloon that rose several hundred feet into the sky. As the crowd looked on, a daring aeronaut perched on the rim of the basket and jumped. Free-falling only momentarily, his

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In 1896, the problem was believed solved and the Weekly Herald was able to announce, “A new band has been organized that unites all the elements which were so antagonistic last year, and whose rival claims to patronage made the public so tired.” McCoy became

Santa Barbara’s Waterfront circa 1893 reveals the new beachside sidewalk lined with palms and hay fields and farms where today’s hotels line the boulevard (SBHM)

THE WAY IT WAS conductor and Green became bandmaster of the new

Sunday afternoon July 12, the Channel City Marine Band had diminished to just

Channel City Marine Band.

13 players. Just beyond the breakers, a small sailboat belonging to Larco, the Italian

The Marine Band played an eclectic program of marches, arias, gavottes, caprices, and waltzes composed by masters ranging from Wagner to Sousa.

fisherman, sailed gaily back and forth along the shore between the wharf and Plaza del Mar. Packed like mullets on its decks, the Santa Barbara Military Band, said the

McCoy composed several pieces for the program

Weekly Herald, “hurled music shoreward as it passed and repassed the Plaza.” So

and incorporated Mexican musical heritage in his

precarious was the floating bandstand that the writer for the Morning Press mused

compositions with works such as “Hechiceros Ojos”

that an accident would have ended the rivalry, ironically, in favor of the shore bound

(Bewitching Eyes).

Marine Band.

The stage was set for a harmonious concert season, but a spoiler in the form of Herr Hans Schuyl took up

Each band kept up an energetic performance, but when the landlubber Marine Band began the “soft low strains of a Spanish waltz” and the floating band struck out

the remains of Green’s Santa Barbara Military Band. City Council had given the Channel City Marine Band exclusive rights to play the Sunday concerts at Plaza del Mar. Herr Schuyl obeyed the letter of the city council decision if not the spirit. When the crowds descended on the Boulevard on

Crowds gather to listen to the band concerts at Los Baños del Mar circa 1905 (SBHM)

Before 1901, concerts at Plaza del Mar were played in the wooden bandstand on the left (SBHM)

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THE WAY IT WAS with “King Cotton”, it was too much. McCoy put down his baton, giving Sousa the right of way. The following week, there was no Sunday concert. While many citizens enjoyed the drama of the battle of the bands, others were less than pleased. The pseudonymous editor of the Morning Press, “His Owlship,” wrote, “Music is supposed to be the harmony of sound. Well, judging from the harmony just now prevailing among the bands in this city, there isn’t going to be much music in the air – save chin music.… If the bands are going to keep up a squabbling, Mayor Whitney hit it right when he characterized the several organizations as a nuisance. We can’t have too much music, but we can have altogether too much discord. Drop the discord, and take up the proper chord, which is good music.”

In 1920, the City erected a bandstand on the north side of Plaza del Mar in today’s Pershing Park for a Community Arts Association play. In the 1940s, bands frequently took to its stage.

THE BEAT GOES ON

to local sentimentality, Indriani directed his own composition, “Santa Barbara Belle.” The second Los Baños was destroyed by the Santa Barbara

n 1901, a new Moorish style bathhouse named Los Baños del Mar

earthquake, though concerts continued even as the harbor was

was erected at the foot of the Boulevard, and band concerts were

constructed and Cabrillo Boulevard was extended up the Mesa as

played from its second story band shell. West Cabrillo Boulevard soon

Shoreline Drive. Eventually, a new, much smaller bathhouse with pool

became crowded with beach-related businesses, and the Potter Hotel

was placed to the south side of West Cabrillo Boulevard.

opened on West Beach in 1903. When Los Baños del Mar burned to

In the past 30 years, few concerts have been played at the

the ground in 1913, it was replaced by another of similar design. In

bandstand in Pershing Park. Several years ago, however, City Parks and

1920, the City erected a bandstand for a Community Arts Association

Recreation brought weekly summer concerts back to the Boulevard.

play in the plaza area north of the bathhouse.

During the summer months, hundreds of families spread their blankets

Then in 1927, the Cabrillo Pavilion opened its doors and the

on the sloping grass to enjoy picnic dinners and dance in front of the

concert circuit, while continuing at Plaza del Mar and Alameda

outdoor stage to the tunes of an eclectic array of bands at Chase Palm

Park, expanded to include the Pavilion. On July 7, the Morning Press

Park. Although few know that they are continuing a tradition that

reported that Signor Luigi Indriani’s band at the Pavilion had started

began more than 150 years ago, the drums keep pounding and the

with “La Sorella” composed by Charles Borel-Clerc and Louis Gallini.

beat goes on.

Sounds pretty serious until one realizes this is the tune to the chewing gum song that begins, “My mom gave me nickel to buy a pickle, I

(Sources: contemporary news articles, the writings of Fray Juan Crespi,

didn’t buy a pickle, I bought some….” Other “catchy” tunes included

and articles by Stella Haverland Rouse. Many thanks to Michael Redmon,

the ouverture to “Masaniello” by Daniel F. E. Auber, the waltz “La

director of research at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum for his

Gitana” by Boccalarri and selections from “Aida” by Verdi. Appealing

support and research assistance.)

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THE RETURN ELEMENT

BY JAMES BUCKLEY

Back to Bernardus

y wife and I spent a weekend night at the newly configured Bernardus Lodge & Spa in Carmel Valley last summer. The 57-room resort had just undergone an extensive renovation

and we were invited to join in to celebrate its launch (see our 8/2 issue for all the details). Since it is but a three-and-a-half-hour leisurely drive from here, Carmel Valley and its more famous sister city, Carmel, is a popular weekend getaway for Santa Barbara and Montecito residents. Even though the sun shines often in Carmel Valley, it is still northern California, which means the giant wood-burning fireplace that dominates the lodge entryway gets a lot of welcome play. As does, of course, the gigantic (and grandfathered in) 9-foot-deep pool (kept at a comfortable 80 degrees year-round).

placed nearly directly into the Bernardus vineyard, so at some point in the not-too-distant future, guests will be able to help in the harvest.

Fourteen Additional Units

I jest, but you are that close. On the large patio, there is a lava gas-fired fireplace one can enjoy while sitting on the teak chairs around the teak table and soaking up the

dded to those original 57 units are 12 brand-new suites and two 2-bedroom villas, which just opened in August (2016), and the

view. Inside, there is another round table with seating for four. The suites are constructed in A-frame style, with ceilings reaching

Bernardus folks were kind enough to ask us to come back and test

12 feet or so. Doors are large and solid and, once closed, block all sound

them out.

from the adjoining room. The setup works quite nicely for two couples,

Which we did.

but one does have to go through the master bedroom to get into the

Remember, when you check in at Bernardus, you are greeted

main bathroom that boasts a shower stall as big as most bedrooms. The

with a half-bottle of their own pinot noir and a plate of fresh fruit and

shower is made for at least two, with two separate showerheads, but is

cheese. Inside, the Nespresso coffee and tea maker is still there, as are

so large, it really could be a family shower, or, heck a group shower. It’s

the plasma TVs, upholstered furniture, and the king-size featherbed

called a “wet room” and for good reason. Additionally, sliding doors

(and queen pullout sofa bed in the anteroom). Outside, the Santa Lucia

open to yet another shower area, this time outdoors, secured by walls

Mountain Range looms.

and radiant-heat floors all around.

The master bedroom in the one-bedroom, 1100-sq-ft suite features

A thoughtful amenity is the profusion of electrical outlets. I was

easy-to-use gas fireplaces (they operate on a light switch) that actually

able to plug in my golf Sky Caddie, iPhone, laptop computer, and

throw out a good amount of heat. A vintage mirror on one side reflects

the Nespresso coffee maker, and there were still four unused outlets

those Santa Lucia foothills, as does the view from not only this bedroom,

available. The WiFi was completely and immediately available. No

but the living room and the patio too. These new suites have been

signing in; just open your device and you are connected.

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As for more in the way of design elements, one can thank San Francisco Bay Area-based AXIS Architecture and Arcsine, Inc., for putting these new suites together so beautifully. Soft sand and celadon

also got to play one of my favorite courses: Bayonet, in Seaside, just off Monterey Bay. There are two tennis courts on site, along with the swimming

tones meld with mixed metals, leather upholstery, European oak floors,

pool, and an enormous central lawn where bocce and croquet is

ebony furniture, bronze chandeliers with hammered iron beads and

played; hikes in a nearby park are organized on weekends, and then

antique silver leaf accents, and soft-honed limestone fireplaces.

there is the spa with a full salon and featuring the Eminence line of products. There are nine treatment rooms, and a co-ed relaxation

Other Amenities

room decorated with paintings done by local artists, and a small separate heated pool. If you are looking to spend a lazy luxurious weekend with your loved

ucia, the resort’s justly praised restaurant continues to be headed

one (or golf mate!), you’d be hard-pressed to come up with something

up by chef Cal Stamenov, who not only has been in charge of the

more elegant (yet, appealingly rustic) than Bernardus Lodge. And, if

food since the restaurant first opened more than 17 years ago, but he also designed the kitchen. Bernardus Lodge has a relationship with more than 10 premier

you’ve been here before, you now have 14 more glorious reasons to return. ••• Mercedes-Benz convertible and butler service can be arranged.

golf courses, including Quail Lodge and the new private Nicklaus Club

Bernardus Lodge & Spa is located at 415 West Carmel Valley Road in

Monterey, where my playing partner and I managed to get in 36 holes,

Carmel Valley. Call (831) 658-3400 for more information or visit their

so the initial $160 per-player green fee felt only half as expensive. We

website at www.bernarduslodge.com.

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EUROLOG 2016 88

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BY JAMES BUCKLEY

A TIME FOR EUROPE

hat a terrific time it is to visit Europe... again. Almost as good as it was when the U.S. dollar commanded nearly 10 French francs, back in the early days of the Reagan administration, before the euro. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not quite that good now, but with the euro/dollar exchange rate hovering near equity, this may be another of those

golden opportunities that come up once, or maybe twice, in a lifetime of travel. Adding to the

favorable rate of exchange is the news that fewer people are traveling to France. Traffic seems to have gone down some 10 to 15 percent in 2016, and so far (though it’s early) 2017 bookings are minimal again. Which means, of course, that prices are down, crowds are thinned out, hotel rooms have opened up, and, well, if one chooses the area to visit, some of the lingering negative aspects of the international situation (threats of terrorism, et cetera) can also be avoided. My favorite parts of France – Brittany (Bretagne), Normandy (Normandie), and Burgundy (Bourgogne) – remain “French” in the best sense of the word. Frenchmen and Frenchwomen in and around the towns where the D-Day landing beaches are located still remember American GIs fondly, while Bretagne remains a cultural bed of French civilization, and Bourgogne rides high as the sp ring | s ummer

EUROLOG 2016 easy decision this year, since we planned to bypass Paris entirely on our way to Lyon, where Caroline and Rory Macrae or their representative would pick us up at our hotel to deliver us to Apres Tout, their three-guest-cabin luxury barge for a week of river touring throughout the dramatic Bourgogne region of France. But, before we cover Lyon and the River Saône, here is London.

THE LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE

spent some time in this city as a lad during the mid-1960s, when miniskirts, Carnaby Street, and The Beatles (and The Rolling

Stones) ruled. I’ve been an Anglophile ever since and, truth be told, it was a wondrous time to be young, single, and on the loose in London. In many ways, London has remained that intriguing wet wonderland it was then, though way more prosperous, way more “multi-cultural,” and way more expensive. However, through

The 25-foot-tall Seward Johnson sculpture inspired by and copied from a photograph taken by Victor Jorgensen on V-J Day in Times Square (also attributed to Alfred Eisenstaedt) outside Au Mémorial De Caen. In the other direction, just up the road from Honfleur is the charming impressionist town of Étretat, where artists such as Claude Monet spent so much time painting its glories. It is worth a stop.

gastronomic birthplace and center of French cuisine. The countryside remains verdant and peaceful; its roads, rivers, and canals, placid (though sometimes busy with commerce). These three areas remain as charming as when I first visited them... nearly 50 years ago. American Airlines no longer flies direct to Charles de Gaulle

The Leicester Square Theatre troupe plans to bring back Sh!tFaced Shakespeare beginning April 11, 2017, right through September 2017 with a new production of Much Ado About Nothing (photo credit: Rah Petherbridge Photography)

Airport in Paris from L.A., so in order to get to Paris (at least if you fly American), one must transfer in Manchester or in London.

the magic of airline and hotel points, we were able to navigate

Many (including my wife, Helen, and I) opt to land at Heathrow,

and negotiate our way through some of its treasures without

spend a few days in the great city of London as we deal with jet

working our way into the poorhouse.

lag, and then take the “Chunnel” (Eurostar) to Paris. This was an 90

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The first of the joys of London is its theater district, the

y the time you read this, Kirk Douglas will have celebrated his 100th Birthday! November 18, 2016 at the Central Coast Alzheimer’s Association “Women’s Initiative” held at Fess Parker’s, the Central Coast Alzheimer’s Association honored Kirk & Anne Douglas on their support of Alzheimer’s patients within the movie industry. It was my extreme Honor to give the Lifetime Achievement Award to my wife Andrea Newquist representing Kirk and Anne Douglas. Kirk and Anne embody the values that the management and staff of Mission Villa hold dear in our care and respect of our residents at Mission Villa. When considering placement of a loved one, contact Dana Newquist at 805-637-8641.

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EUROLOG 2016 fabled West End, where legendary theaters present so many legendary thespians that one can’t walk a block without being confronted with yet another “legend” of the stage. Tickets to some of the shows can be pricy. For example, we stayed in London two years ago and caught Jersey Boys at the Piccadilly

SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE

hat we saw and enjoyed was a full-on Shakespearean production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with a

demented twist. The premise of this particular production was

Theatre, a show that set us back nearly $350 for the two of us.

that one of the performers must be inebriated, soused, in a word:

The show was terrific and we don’t want our money back, but

sh!t-faced.

there are worthwhile shows in and around this section of the city that won’t curdle your pocketbook. One of those options is the Leicester Square Theatre, just around the corner from where we were staying (the W Hotel, right around the corner from Chinatown and butt up against the brand-new, four-story M&M Store). The show we enjoyed very much was titled Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare, at a cost of less than $25 (depending upon the exchange rate) per person. Don’t try to buy through a broker, though; one can only purchase tickets directly at the box office of this historic and charming 400-seat theater. The Leicester Square Theater Company has no contract with any of the ticket sellers in London.

A SHORT HISTORY

t was called the “Cavern in the Town” during the 1960s, and headliners then included The Small Faces, The Who, and The

Rolling Stones. In the 1970s, it was where The Clash and The Sex

Louise Lee was hilariously crocked but held up well nevertheless as Helena in Midsummer Night’s Dream

The show was advertised on a poster outside the theatre,

Pistols held sway. The venue faded after that era, but reopened

but when we visited a couple ticket sellers, neither had any

in 2008 as the Leicester Square Theatre and debuted with a 12-

information about the show or the theatre. When we finally did

week run of Joan Rivers’s one-woman show. Sandra Bernhardt,

stumble upon its entrance, we purchased two tickets and sat in

Roseanne Barr, and many other stand-up acts followed. Adam

the second row, center.

Carolla played here recently. In case you are wondering why so

Upon entering this playhouse, one notices there are two

many comics have been featured, the answer is simple: a “Museum

“bars” selling alcohol and other drinks, one on each side, inside

Of Comedy” is also housed on site, and comedy is its chief appeal.

the house. Beer, wine, and whatever, was freely available. Patrons,

The Leicester Square Theatre troupe’s yearly schedule is... let’s

while not encouraged to get sh!t-faced themselves, are certainly

call it “eclectic,” but that hardly tells half the story. In July 2016, for

invited to imbibe. The crowd is animated as audience members

example, nearly four months before the U.S. election, “Trump Vs.

take their drinks to their seats. We had no idea what to expect,

Bernie, a satirical faux debate” was a featured production, starring

though most of the crowd seemed to know absolutely what they

James Adomian (of Last Comic Standing) and Anthony Atamnuik

were in for; a nearby sign admonishes those in the front row

(30 Rock, Parks and Recreation).

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EUROLOG 2016 or bottles on the stage, which is indeed very close. Before the

The Leicester Square Theatre, at 6 Leicester Place, is a short

performances began, the host actor asked for a show of hands as

walk from the Leicester Square tube station on the Northern &

to how many had been here before, and about two-thirds raised

Piccadilly line, or a slightly longer walk from the more central

their hands. This was not a tourist crowd.

Charing Cross station. The good news is that Much Ado About Nothing will be the featured Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare production

WHAT SHAKESPEARE HATH WROUGHT

hen the lights dimmed, the host actor announced that

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the troupe had chosen one of their own, randomly –

If you’re willing to stretch your imagination and don’t mind

which they do before every performance – and then illustrated

the occasional retching of one of the cast members, you’ll have

with empty bottles and glasses what and how much that actor

fun.

had drunk so far. This evening, the actress Louise Lee is playing the role of Helena, and, while already slightly intoxicated, she is encouraged to consume more alcohol during the performance. Audience members have been supplied with a bugle and other items with which to stop the play and at various intervals insist that the actor/actress have another drink. The woman

TOURING AROUND

amie’s Union Jacks is an outdoor pub and pizza joint hard against Covent Garden. We had an excellent mushroom

pizza here, along with a pint of hard cider and 1/2 pint of IPA,

directly in front of me, in the first row, was given a large bucket

both of which were tasty and not terribly pricey. All the shops on

and instructed to rush onto the stage at the first sign that the

the periphery of Covent Garden use the same public restrooms

performer was about to hurl.

(WCs: Water Closets) in which the toilets and sinks are not

As the play progressed, the other actors – dressed in dignified Shakespearean-era garb – maintained their lines and

only ancient, but are embossed with the seal of the company that made them: The Thomas Crapper Company; the original

impeccable Early English accents as their sh!t-faced compatriot began losing hers. The results were hilarious, and though Louise Lee’s Helena drifted away from the bard’s actual words in muddled disarray, she stayed with the broader intent of Mr. Shakespeare’s creation in a most remarkable way. If you find yourself in London and feel like seeing “something completely different,” you will likely find a play or performance that appeals, as shows at the Leicester Square Theatre change regularly. This November, for example, you could have enjoyed Gatsby, a musical “inspired” by the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. “Audiences are invited to dress up,” we are informed, “sip cocktails and immerse themselves in the dreams, the glamour, the magic and the excess, and ultimately the tragedy of this iconic story.” Later, as the end of December nears, you are invited to a “night of festive filth” as Adam Kay sings his Smutty Christmas Songs. 94

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Henry Facey was a standout “busker” who entertained a small but enthusiastic crowd on St. Martin’s Lane in London and delivered an impassioned yet mellow concert, consisting exclusively of original material that he’d written (photo credit: Felix Makarowski)

EUROLOG 2016 company, I believe, that invented the flush toilet.

tour, (limited to 25 or so), rather than a self-guided recording.

Nearby, on St. Martin’s Lane, self-accompanied buskers

Curiously, Guy Fawkes, the man hanged, drawn, and quartered

congregate and play; singer-songwriter Henry Facey (henryfacey.

in 1606, a couple months after attempting to blow up the very

com) sang his own material and played guitar. Go to his website;

building – or at least what was then the House of Lords – we are

he’s quite good.

about to visit; (November 5 [1605] is celebrated as “Guy Fawkes Day,” and youngsters create effigies of the felon and often sit

BREAKFAST

in the street asking for “A Penny For The Guy”); over the past decade or so, Halloween has become as big in England as it is

or me it was a double espresso, croissant, and a raisin

in the U.S., and “Trick or Treat” has begun to overshadow Mr.

“Danish”; Helen went for a “white” coffee and croissant,

Fawkes’s notoriety.

nibbling half my Danish. Always in a Pret a Manger (Ready To

Still, one can purchase a little Guy as a Christmas tree

Eat), a chain that has sprung up all over London and Paris and

ornament, a can of “Treason Porter” beer and “Gunpowder

which serves up an excellent assortment of breakfast and lunch

Mustard,” which sells itself as an “explosive preparation.” There

items, along with tea and coffee, and are nearly always packed.

are also tins of “House of Commons” handmade mint creams that make excellent housewarming gifts. We visited both

PARLIAMENT TOUR

the House of Lords and the House of Commons, which can accommodate up to 427 members “depending upon the size

ecurity is extensive upon entering the Parliament grounds,

of their bottoms,” as our guide, who proved to have been an

policemen with large automatic weapons stand guard.

excellent additional expenditure, advised us.

Visitors must remove everything from pockets, and belts come off just as if one is boarding a plane. We opted for a guided

DINNER IN LONDON

ou will not be disappointed if you make your way to Dean’s Townhouse at 69 Dean Street. It’s a popular, noisy, semi-

dressy (sports jackets and slacks) local eatery, populated with mostly 25-to-45-year-old upwardly mobile types. If you do, you must order the unusual and tasty Pea Fritter with Poached (Bulford) Egg. We were told the Haddock Soufflé (which we didn’t order) is the “best in town.” I believe it. Now, to the Chunnel, and France.

APRES TOUT RIVER TOUR These folks were actually outside near the Globe Theatre in Dockside, London, but evidence of serious security abounded in, around, and near all government buildings and tourist attractions

wo years ago, we spent a week onboard the six-passenger (well, okay, seven in a pinch) converted luxury barge Apres

Tout, owned and operated by Rory and Caroline Macrae, and sp ring | s ummer

EUROLOG 2016 usually docked on the Saône River in the small Bourgogne village

not far from the hotel, whereupon we were greeted with a

of Saint-Jean-de-Losne. We were invited back by the Macraes,

champagne reception and reacquainted with Rory, Caroline,

who have expanded their horizon by adding a river cruise to

and Hannah Sheridan (Glen was Nick Borland’s replacement). In

their popular canal cruise. Rory headed up Orient Express’s

France it is always about the food and Caroline, being a Cordon

river tours for 10 years before launching his own business and

Bleu chef, had arranged the first of five four-course dinners

Caroline worked for and with him. In my column two years ago,

aboard. Each course is matched by an equally compatible wine,

the question was posed if I had the opportunity, would I do it

and cheese (always three choices, always French, almost always

again, and my response was “In a heartbeat.” Well, be still my

of the region) followed by dessert and after-dinner drinks –

beating heart: our invitation was to join Apres Tout on its maiden

weather permitting, served under the stars on the teak deck. We

river (as opposed to canal) cruise. We may join the Macraes once

cruised through the heart of Lyon as an array of lights illuminated

again this year; their elegant boat and unparalleled hospitality has

France’s second city and night descended.

become a magnet and a central focus of our trips to Europe.

Romance, anyone?

What follows is a brief itinerary of Apres Tout’s innovative and intimate river cruise:

MONDAY – DISCOVERING THE CITY OF LYON The ancient city of Lyon (it was one of the three Roman

SUNDAY – LYON, ARRIVAL

capitals of Gaul) is, along with the entire district of Bourgogne,

We arrived in Lyon by train via the Chunnel direct from

the gastronomic heart of France. Lyon had also been, curiously

London, with a transfer in Lille. We stayed at the Sofitel Bellecour

enough, the center of France’s silk industry and dominated that

in Lyon and were picked up by our estimable host/tour guide

business for hundreds of years, finally giving way to the Chinese

Glen Moynan and transferred to Apres Tout, moored in Lyon,

mid-20th century. We spent a couple hours marveling at the city’s Roman ruins, rambling through the narrow medieval cobblestoned streets, now bustling with unique shops and boutiques. One of those “shops” is called Vers a Soie (“silkworms” in French). It is more than a shop; it is a “silk factory” that features displays of various stages of silkworms, very much alive and squirming, outside and in, from larva to cocoon. Silk maker Bernard Perret, even though busy crafting and painting a large silk item for clothing designer Versace, took the time to explain what he does. As he spoke, he was actually making silk thread. He dropped a silkworm cocoon into a pot of warm water and unspooled the creature’s carefully crafted refuge slowly and proficiently as he laid out his lifelong passion for silk. Mr. Perret took a shine to Helen (who speaks excellent French, although with an American accent; she has lived in the U.S. for more than 40 years) and plied us with an excellent bottle

The ancient Roman city of Lyon is where the Apres Tout river cruise begins, as Glen Moynan introduces us to the first of many bottles of wine; Hannah Sheridan ponders the first cheeses of the upcoming trip 96

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of sparkling Crémant, made in a similar fashion to Champagne but... not Champagne. After lunch on board the Apres Tout, we cruise up the

EUROLOG 2016 Saône to the village of Montmerle-sur-Saône on the edge of the Beaujolais region, passing the tranquil and verdant shores of provincial France dotted with modest homes, castle-like estates, and “beach” resorts. Along the way, we pass far larger craft hauling lumber, grains, and tourists. France’s main highways right up until the end of World War II and beyond have always been its navigable rivers, which crisscross the country from north to south, south to north, and from west to east.

Silk fabricator and Vers a Soie proprietor Bernard Perret displays his latest creation, destined for a Versace showroom Outside the Vers a Soie shop in the old city of Lyon is a small display with live silkworms building their cocoons

TUESDAY – CRUISE TO MÂCON After breakfast on board (which always features fresh croissants, brioches, various breads, fruits, yoghurt, espresso, tea, and regular coffee, eggs if one wishes...) we travel by van (there are just four of us, plus Glen, the driver) to Michele and Michel Mellet’s farm, in the heart of the Beaujolais (michel.mellet0559@ orange.fr), where we join Michel and his grandson Jules, in their calèche – a traditional cart pulled by two handsome workhorses. We clip-clop through the countryside overlooking the vineyards of Beaujolais, taste some of this region’s wines, and join the Mellets for cheese and more wine on their private patio before heading back to the barge for a late lunch. An afternoon cruise to Mâcon finishes the day. Dinner was cépe mushroom ravioli with a truffle sauce, fillet of pork with a prune reduction sauce, potato sp ring | s ummer

EUROLOG 2016 pancake, and seasonal vegetables. The three cheeses are Bleu de Causses, Neufchatel, and a Beaufort; dessert was a sticky toffee

WEDNESDAY – CRUISE TO TOURNUS Today, we visit the Pouilly-Fuissé region of Burgundy and

pudding with a warm butterscotch sauce (Caroline is, after all,

visit the Château de Chasselas where the owner escorts us on

English). Our wines were appropriately matched.

a tour of his wine facility. On the way, we pass the prehistoric

Our stomachs are full.

escarpment called La Roche de Solutre, where hunters are known to have congregated for more than 25,000 years. Small wine villages appear and disappear along the river as we cruise down the bucolic countryside of southern Burgundy after lunch,

A morning tour of the surrounding Beaujolais vineyards and countryside in a traditional two-horse calèche with Michel Mellet and his grandson Jules begins our leisurely visit to one of France’s most prolific and picturesque regions

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Cruising along the Saône River onboard the Apres Tout allows one to admire close-up both the medieval architecture of the surrounding region and its bucolic charms

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EUROLOG 2016

Michelin-star chef Robert Jacquet served up a royal treat at Le Quartier Gourmand in the thousand-year-old town of Tournus; with him are Caroline and Rory Macrae

The six-passenger Apres Tout glides by a 120-passenger river cruiser

arriving in the ancient riverside town of Tournus where the 11th-

Cathedral Square. Dinner on board is chicken liver paté, fillet of

century Abbey of Saint-Philibert dominates.

cod, fresh pasta and seasonal vegetables; cheeses are Mimolette,

We are docked along the quay and walk to our dinner destination: Le Quartier Gourmand, a restaurant headed by

Selles-sur-Cher, and Citeaux; dessert was a specially made (by Caroline, as is everything we eat) white chocolate panna cotta.

Michelin-starred chef Robert Jacquet, who served up virtually all my favorite French dishes: escargot served both naturally, covered in garlic, and deep-fried in a shell with a hint of mint and

FRIDAY – CRUISE TO SEURRE Up the River Saône we continue, this time to stop in the

butter on a bed of celeriac with red wine reduction sauce and

vineyards around the village of Seurre and, after lunch, to jump

a little bit of chocolate and spice. The escargots came with a

into one of two World War II-era Jeeps (I drove one of them).

freshly made crisp, covered with grated Parmesan cheese, a little sugar, and surrounded by chervil; next was a Quenelle de Brochet (a creamy fish dish – made from pike – that U.S. chef Michael Hutchings conjured for me during one segment of his TV show, The Inn Crowd, at my request); the region’s justly famous Poularde de Bresse; a selection of cheeses, and for dessert: Soufflé au Chocolat, appropriately light and dddelicious (or should I say délicieux?). Our stomachs are indeed full... of the wonders of French cuisine. We waddle back to the boat.

THURSDAY – CRUISE TO CHALON-SUR-SAÔNE In Chalon-sur-Saône, we disembark for lunch at Chateau De Chamirey and imbibe some of its wine. We drive through the vineyards of Mercurey, then explore the city of Chalon and 100

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EUROLOG 2016 We tool too fast through the villages and vineyards of what is now Côte Chalonnaise. As evening approaches, we head back to Apres Tout, now moored safely in its home port in Saint-Jean-deLosne, where we partake of a five-course dinner of roast tomato soup, escargots, fillet of quail au jus, three cheeses, three wines, and a fresh fruit dessert.

THE SPLURGE: PARK HOTEL VITZNAU

efore we left the U.S., I knew I wanted to stay on a lake somewhere, preferably in the French-speaking region of

Switzerland. Coincidentally, I ran into a friend at Educated Car Wash on Upper State Street in Santa Barbara who asked what I had planned for the summer. I told him we’d be in Europe for six

SATURDAY – BACK TO PARTS UNKNOWN After breakfast, we say our goodbyes to the crew

weeks and I was hoping to find a special place on a lake. He had just returned from a trip and described what I learned was the

and disembark, we to Honfleur in Normandy, our boating

113-year-old Park Hotel on Lake Lucerne in Vitznau, Switzerland.

companions Jim and Diane to Paris and home.

This was our “splurge,” and it turned out to be one of the most memorable three-day stays of our many visits to Europe. The Park Hotel Vitznau has only been opened and operated by the current management since 2012 after a three-year, $110-million renovation. Its 47 residences, suites, and junior suites each have a name: we stayed in the Shiller Suite, so

Docked and readied for our departure, the Apres Tout takes its place on the canal system once again

One thing to remember (among many) is that a cruise aboard a craft such as Apres Tout allows one to spend time with one’s companions discoursing on life, love, and in our case (as this was August 2016) the upcoming U.S. election. Lucky for us and our shipmates, we agreed on the candidate. Aboard the Apres Tout, there is absolutely no need for “entertainment,” other than Rory, Caroline, Hannah, and Glen, all of whom offer up their own brand of hospitality with a great sense of humor and humility, along with an enormous catalog of historical information about the region, its wine, its food, and its beauty. To learn more about Apres Tout’s canal and river cruises, you are invited to visit their website: www.bargeaprestout.com. 102

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The 100-year-old paddlewheel steamer Uri, along with the Schiller, make regular trips across Lake Lucerne a number of times a day

EUROLOG 2016

The ferry landing in the Swiss town of Vitznau

named in tribute to Nobel laureate Professor of Economics at Yale, Robert J. Shiller; the suite overlooked all of Lake Lucerne

Our view from the patio of the Shiller Suite in Park Hotel Vitznau

and white wine that are replaced when empty. You’ll not go hungry here, as a mountainous breakfast comes

and the mountains beyond. Next door was the Schumpeter

with the price of your room or suite. Breakfast includes fresh

Suite, in honor of Viennese-born Harvard economist Joseph A.

honey off a honeycomb from a beekeeper, stewed apricots,

Schumpeter.

fresh mangoes, watermelon, various freshly baked breads and pastries, eggs and omelets, bacon and ham, yogurt, muesli,

THE SHILLER SUITE

ouble doors open into a foyer (complete with lavatory) that’s larger than a standard hotel room; a vision of Lake

breakfast cereals, raisins, pumpkin seeds, all-bran, pistachios, nuts, cranberries. It is a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach, and one can choose to eat indoors or outside overlooking the lake. For dinner, you can choose between the two-star Michelin

Lucerne hits one upon entering the suite, as if it is an over-sized

Restaurant focus (chef Nenad Mlinarevic) or its one-star Michelin

television version of what Switzerland looks like. But it’s real,

companion PRISMA, featuring chef Patrick Mahler.

though there are two large HDTV sets, one in the anteroom and

We chose PRISMA and had an absolutely stunning meal,

another in the bedroom. The floor-to-ceiling windows leading

beginning with a freshly made duck liver terrine, along with duck

out to the patios (we have a large and deep patio off the 250-sq-

liver ice cream with sweet corn, peach and smoked almonds; my

ft bedroom and one of the same size off the 250-sq-ft anteroom

main course was sautéed guinea fowl breast and braised leg, with

or lounge area) are heavily draped; ceiling is 11 or 12 feet high

fava beans, trevisano, and summer truffles; Helen opted for veal

(these are all my estimates). A roomy shower boasts a large

with roasted saddle and glazed sweetbread with cauliflower and

rainfall head and a hand-held spray. A square on the shower floor

orange rapeseed foam. Dessert was a cucumber-passion fruit

indicates exactly where the water will fall, so when you first enter,

sorbet with a lemon cake and sour cream. Hazelnut balls and a

you won’t be pelted with cold water, or any water, until you are

lemon macaroon finished us off.

ready. And, you should be sitting down for this: the minibar comes with the price of the room. There is no charge for what you take. There is a freezer in the fridge and thoughtful half-bottles of red

When we asked our waitress what the local fish was, she had to explain that since the lake is so clean there is very little for fish to eat; consequently, only small fish reside there. Go. Eat. Luxuriate. sp ring | s ummer

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EUROLOG 2016

OUR TIME IN HONFLEUR

ormandy being our favorite seaside destination, we were drawn to spend even more time in Honfleur, hard on the

English Channel (and the fourth-most visited city in France). We stayed in a small fisherman’s cottage run by a young French couple, Veronique and Eric Huault (veronique.huault@orange.

The guts of the boat is open for viewing and there doesn’t seem to be a spot of oil anywhere near the beautifully maintained paddlewheel steamer’s engine The center of the ridiculously picturesque port city of Honfleur is its boat basin, surrounded by centuries-old sixstory buildings; along the cobblestoned side streets are a profusion of charming and absolutely irresistible shops

Giant revolving sculpture in the garden: bulls and bears. Economics is the theme of Park Hotel Vitznau.

We’ve stayed in some pretty fancy places over the years, but Park Hotel Vitznau tops our list of favorites. We look forward to spending another three-day vacation in this most beautiful of hotels. Go to parkhotel-vitznau.ch for more info, or ask your travel agent for additional details. It won’t be cheap, but it will be money well spent. 104

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EUROLOG 2016 fr), barely 800 meters from the charming boat basin that serves as the center of this most inviting of French cities. We found it via VRBO online. We were able to park our rented (Hertz) car just outside the front door. Our daily routine included walking to one of the many cafés hugging the boat basin, ordering a couple croissants, and espressos, reading the latest issue of The Wall Street Journal, and doing the crossword puzzle before walking up the steep cobblestoned Rue Bourdet to our cottage and beginning my daily “Frantastique” online French language session. Right around the corner from our rental, we (with the help of Veronique) discovered the tiny and nondescript eatery, “Le Bacaretto Bar à Vins – Restaurant” on Rue de la Chaussée and enjoyed a long, congenial, and tasty dinner with the proprietor and his wife. Also highly recommended: L’Absinthe Restaurant (www. absinthe.fr) at 10 Quai de la Quarantaine in Honfleur. The eatery is listed in the Michelin Guide and though it does not sport a Michelin star, chef Antoine Ceffrey certainly warrants one.

THE NORMANDY COAST

e have visited and I’ve written about the lure of the World War II D-Day landing beaches often. If you have

never paid your respects, you should. A good place to start is the

The 19th-century palace built by Benedictine founder Alexandre Le Grand is a centerpiece of the city of Fécamp along the Normandy coast; Benedictine was the first liquor to have been widely advertised in magazines and other periodicals

Simply Google “Claude Monet Étretat” and you’ll find many impressionist images of this beach outcropping sp ring | s ummer

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EUROLOG 2016 Memorial Museum in Caen, about an hour’s drive from Honfleur, featuring the world before 1945 and the world thereafter. Another worthwhile stop is the ancient city of Fécamp, where La liqueur Bénédictine is made. A visit to the palace reveals that Benedictine, made from “27 plants and spices” was created here and continues to be the only place in the world where it is made. Only 3,000 bottles per year of a special “Oak Aged Single Cask” D.O.M. Benedictine are produced, and we managed to bring a bottle of this elixir home with us in our suitcase. Benedictine founder Alexandre Le Grand “rediscovered” this recipe, based

This home in Bampton was used as the Crawleys house

upon a 15th-century monk’s notes. Mr. Le Grand also built the palace in the late 19th century, but as far as I can tell, he was a forerunner to such marketing geniuses as Andy Granatelli, Ty Warner, and before that, perhaps P.T. Barnum. His drink, however, really is superb.

LONDON

efore heading back to Santa Barbara, we returned to London for four days of big-city living. While there, we rented

a taxi and a driver (Capital Taxi Tours Ltd) for the entire day (price: around $900, but well worth it) to take us out of London, down to Stonehenge first and then to the English countryside featured in the Downton Abbey series. Unfortunately, Highclere “castle” was already closed, and because it sits in the center of

Blenheim Castle, ancestral home of Winston Churchill; we visited the room in which he was born. Across the way are the graves of Mr. Churchill, his wife, Clementine, his mother, and his father.

its large estate, one could not even glimpse the exterior without trespassing. Instead, we settled upon visiting Bampton, an old (one of England’s oldest) English village where the Crawleys lived, and where many of the locations and buildings that were central points in the popular television series were shot. On our way, we stopped for lunch at The Trout at Tadpole Bridge and enjoyed one of the lightest fish and chips dishes I’ve

By taking a private car and arriving before 9 am, one can visit Stonehenge in near solitude... before the buses arrive

ever partaken of outside of a Japanese restaurant. The Trout also rents its rooms (it’s a real-life “inn”) for something around $100 a night and boasts a king-size bed. Egyptian cotton

Stonehenge, where we discussed the stones’ meanings and their

bedding, handmade Bramley bath and body products, and

provenance with the various guides at the site, all of whom had

complimentary WiFi.

their own theories.

Our helpful and knowledgeable driver then took us to 106

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We look forward to our next trip to the Old World.

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CHUCK GRAHAM

LAND OF FIRE, ICE, AND WATER

eandering in our little rental car on a lonely dirt road bouncing our way to the daunting Látrabjarg Cliffs in Iceland’s West Fjords, my wife Lori and I saw thermal

plumes wafting out of the side of a cliff. They were on someone’s farm in a sweeping valley surrounded by Mordor-like crags. It was 6:30 am, but sunup was 3:30 am during the Icelandic summers, so it felt like late morning to us. We saw the typical blue sign with squiggly lines signifying a hot spring and a dorky human head bobbing above. The land owners had utilized the thermal by building an indoor pool with an adjoining hot tub. There was a combination lock on the pool door. It was early but icy cold. Relaxing in a hot tub to start another day sounded good to us. All I had to do was knock on their door early in the morning. The woman of the house, still in her jammies, opened the front door sleepy-eyed; a pile of kids’ muddy shoes and work boots were cluttering the dank entry way. “If it’s possible, I’d like to use your hot tub,” I asked? “How much would it be?”

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FARFLUNGTRAVEL “Six hundred krona,” she said while rubbing her eyes. That equated to just more than $5 as my wife hastily dug for any precious krona in the bottom of her knitting basket. We had been low on the Icelandic currency throughout our two-week drive around Iceland, and we came up dry this time on the krona. We just didn’t have any. In the end, I think she felt a little sorry for us. She gave us the combo anyway and we washed away two weeks worth of car camping way out on the epic West Fjords.

THE RING ROAD

therwise known as Route 1, the Ring Road is the main drag connecting travelers to most of the main attractions, specifically

the many natural wonders smothering Iceland. The Ring Road hugs a good chunk of the coast with dirt tracks braiding into the numerous deep fjords that are too many, yet difficult to drive away from. The Ring Road is 828 miles long, and the word was it could be had in seven days, but that didn’t seem realistic considering what Iceland has to offer. In all honesty, there’s so much to absorb, count on two weeks at least to round Iceland. There was plentiful solitude and too many heaving waterfalls, steaming thermals, calving-blue glaciers, and prolific seabirds to ignore. Completed in 1974, the Ring Road is mostly two lanes wide. In and around Reykjavik, the island country sees 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles a day, but like most countries, once you get away from major hubs, traffic gradually melts away. Iceland is no different and once out on the fringe along the Ring Road, it’s not uncommon to see fewer than 100 vehicles a day. There was no telling how many hairpin turns we encountered, but there were many Walter Mitty moments on the Ring Road.

HEIMAEY ISLAND

y wife is a prolific knitter, making friends all over the world via Instagram. She’s known as loritimesfive in social media circles,

and wherever we travel, like-minded folks want to meet her. It has led to some extraordinary people and fantastic experiences to far-flung

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FARFLUNGTRAVEL corners around the globe, memories made for a lifetime. After spending the afternoon and a good part of the evening with one of her knitting friends and her family on Heimaey Island, part of the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, 7 miles off the coast of Southern Iceland, I noticed the night was still young. We thoroughly enjoyed the thinly sliced smoked lamb and stacks of Icelandic pancakes, but now I needed to walk off the scrumptious meal before my sleeping bag beckoned. It was 9 pm when I dropped my wife off at the campground situated inside a colossal extinct caldera. Tiny Heimaey had shut down for the night, but Iceland’s summers never see total darkness. Sunset was 12:30 am and sunrise was at 3:30 am. There wasn’t a moment to lose, and needless to say I didn’t catch up on my sleep in Iceland. That night, I scrambled up the cliffs on the north side of Heimaey Island between the harbor and the frigid North Atlantic Ocean. It was like no other hike I’d ever been on, a series of secured ladders, chains, and ropes to the apex of the island. The ladders were attached to sheer cliff faces. The chains and ropes swung out to exposed rock with epic views of Heimaey and the 17 additional isles, all inaccessible, that make up the Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago. There was only one other hiker on the windswept route, and we lost each other on the narrow spine of the peninsula where sheep lazily grazed, while I literally had to duck out of the way of hovering kittiwakes and Atlantic puffins buzzing by like bumblebees, hardy seabirds filling their beaks with slippery baitfish. I soaked in the brisk sunset hunkering down in grass-covered boulders, Southern Iceland and Heimaey already asleep amid black, jagged lava and sweeping glacier-fed valleys. I was soon to follow.

HEINABERG LAGOON

fter catching the ferry from Heimaey Island back to the mainland, we drove around the bottom of the isle looking for

a campsite. Constantly diverted by massive, high-volume waterfalls, we finally found a distant farm where three glaciers eventually fed the farm’s green pastures and gregarious Icelandic horses. Blessed with thick, impressive manes, they had no reservations approaching us wherever we found them.

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FARFLUNGTRAVEL

As midnight approached, the vast green meadow saw more campers trickling in from all over Europe and Iceland, too. It was cold; icy winds blowing off the glaciers kept us bundled through the short

the lagoon, there was utter silence until gargantuan shards of ice broke away creating rolling chocolate brown waves that lapped onshore. We paddled out to the back end of the lagoon where we donned

night – but just like that, sunrise was upon us as I shook out the rainfly

crampons and ice axes to step onto the glacier. The only signs of life

before we hit the serpentine Ring Road again.

were a delicate piping plover sounding the alarm; the anxious little

Vantnajokull is Europe’s largest ice cap and the third largest in the world after the North and South Poles. The ice cap has an average

shorebird had an active nest hidden somewhere, fragile life existing in such harsh conditions best experienced from a kayak.

thickness of more than 1,200 feet, and beneath it is a wonderland of peaks and valleys, live volcanoes, and subglacial lakes. It’s also the namesake for Iceland’s largest national park. We met our Austrian kayak guide Stephan at Skalafell Farm and Guesthouse in southern Iceland. The mountains just to the north of us were stacked with glaciers that appeared impenetrable – unless, of course, glacial kayaking was on offer. Being that it was the only option to explore the girth of Vatnajokull, we kayaked the Heinaberg Lagoon at the bottom of the glacier, where

LÁTRABJARG CLIFFS

“A

re you here to see the puffins?” asked the girl at the front desk of Breidavik Hostel.

“Yes, but there are other species I’m looking to see as well,” I said,

with penguin-like razorbills on my brain. “Wait until tonight, when the birds come off the water,” she said with confidence.

calving ice was the end of the road for the glacier. We wrestled into

“I’m there,” I said, as I walked out of the Shining-like lobby.

much-needed dry suits, the glacial runoff being a frigid 38 degrees. At

The Bird Cliffs of Latrabjarg are an 8-kilometer-long jagged,

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FARFLUNGTRAVEL

eroding cliff line loaded with thousands of seabirds, and those breathtaking cliffs didn’t disappoint. The cliffs range from 400 to 1,200

into their dark burrows. With my binoculars, I watched as vast squadrons of seabirds left

feet tall. It’s the westernmost point in Iceland, and the wave-battered

the water frantically flying for the Bird Cliffs. Razorbills and puffins lined

cliffs are also the westernmost point in Europe. Plus, they are a magnet

the cliff edges beaming in the sun. Farther down the cliff faces, northern

for 10 species of seabirds including the largest razorbill colony in the

fulmars and kittiwakes tended to their needy chicks. Even farther,

world.

common guillemots awkwardly huddled on precarious perches. It was

During the day, the Bird Cliffs were crowded with tourist buses hurrying to drop visitors to catch a glimpse of a puffin or razorbill, but

a virtual seabird dorm extending westward, few vacancies available overlooking the frigid North Atlantic Ocean.

by early evening the buses and crowds virtually vanished. With some patience and sunset approaching, I found the cliffs to be ideal for bird watching and photographing the many hardy pelagic species. After pitching our tent at the campground, I headed for the dizzying cliffs. The lighthouse there overlooking the turbulent Atlantic also watches over a graveyard of shipwrecks where huge surf

SNAESFELLJOKULL NATIONAL PARK

ontinuing to explore the deep fjords of Iceland, we couldn’t pass up Snaesfelljokull National Park, which consumes much of

the western tip of Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Snaefell is the stratovolcano

consistently pummel the ragged coastline below, but as midnight

cloaked in a glacier that is 700,000 years old and from the capital of

approached the cliffs glowed in the lowlight while the seabirds reveled

Reykjavik can be seen on clear days 70 miles north. When visible, it

on the cliff edges soaking in the last remaining rays of warmth before

dominates the stunning landscape within the park.

either huddling together on the lofty, guano-covered ledges or nestling

It is Iceland’s only national park that extends to the seashore. I

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FARFLUNGTRAVEL picked a nondescript trail leading out to the coast between the sleepy villages of Hellnar and Arnarstapi. The trail followed a jagged shoreline through a nature reserve where rays of sunshine fought through wispy, swirling fog. I was the only hiker out there at 10 pm. The North Atlantic waters were pulsing with an incoming tide and a long interval swell engulfing the coast. The ocean appeared black and foreboding as I lava-hopped over tangled balls of kelp. Beautiful wildflowers were growing right out of deep cavities in the lava, and then Iceland’s largest land predator surprised me emerging from a volcanic cavity. An ashy-colored Arctic fox played peekaboo with me from a pile of volcanic boulders. If it hadn’t stirred, I wouldn’t have seen it. As it was, I nearly lost it when it darted through a lush green meadow, but I saw the tallest blades waver as the sly fox tried to lose me, so I followed it toward the coast. After it ran out of the meadow, it tried concealing itself again in the black rocks. The crafty predator flattened itself as best as it could, but I was able to approach it to within eight feet. This time it froze and studied me until I left it a few moments later. On an island so rich in volatile and diverse natural wonders, the Arctic fox seemed like an oxymoron within the land of fire, ice, and water. However, come the Icelandic winter, that little rascal’s dark fur will become snow-white adapting to the ever-changing landscapes Iceland will always be known for.

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