Today is a big day in France! After a 1-0 win at Croke Park Saturday, Les Bleus take on Ireland at the Stade de France tonight for part deux of a face-off that will determine which of the two countries gets to go to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In the first leg of the qualifying play-off, there was no luck for the Irish at all and tonight is make or break for Trapattoni's men. Domenech's team on the other hand, only needs a nil all draw to qualify for the World Cup, a score les bleus have specialized in recently. All of France is abuzz with the match and football is drowning out the other big event taking place tonight: the official release of Beaujolais Nouveau!Celebrating l'arrivée ...
DC Life
Streetcar Desired in DC
With Cate Blanchett in town for the Kennedy Center's production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and the launch by the DDOT of a series of town hall meetings to explain their plans for the return of tramways to D.C., streetcars are a hot topic in the district! Streetcars used to be THE way to get around town, first drawn by horses, then electrified. Then automobiles and buses came around and the streetcar system was dismantled in the early 1960s, with the last streetcar running on January 28, 1962. There isn't much left of these streetcars. One can be seen in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and some tracks are still visible on the cobblestone streets of Georgetown. A few ...
Save the date: Arts of Foot
You had me at "Sponsored by the Wines of Argentina"! Centered around 7th and F St. NW, Arts on Foot is a celebration of everything that I love about living in Penn Quarter and in D.C. in general. Performances, creative cuisine, music, theater, dance... there's a little something for everyone at the street festival which will span over 3 days from Thursday September 10 to Saturday September 12, with most of the activities taking place on Saturday. The Washington Examiner won't publish the official program the 10th, but here are a few things that I am looking forward to: - tasting the innovative cuisine of local restaurants, with samples ranging from $2 to $5 at the restaurant sampling court - ...
The Spy Who Cooked for Me
While she was more famous for her time spent in France, Julia Child also had many ties to the Washington, D.C area. During the war, she lived in the District while working at the OSS headquarters (the future CIA) before being posted to Sri Lanka where she met her husband. They were married in D.C. then moved across the Atlantic to Paris. The International Spy Museum features pictures of Julia as part of their Spies Among Us permanent exhibit which includes other celebrity spies like singer Josephine Baker and actress Marlene Dietrich. Her work as a secret operative also earned Julia a spot in an exhibit at The National Women's History Museum: Clandestine Women, The Untold Stories of Women in ...
Screen on the Green – line up announced!
The complete line-up for Screen on the Green was announced yesterday: July 20: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" July 27: "Dog Day Afternoon" Aug. 3: "On the Waterfront" Aug. 10: "Rebel Without a Cause" Now in its 10th year, Screen on the Green has become synonymous with summer in Washington, D.C. The event is hugely popular, so plan on arriving early to get a good spot, particularly if you are going with a big group of people. The screen is located on the National Mall off Constitution Avenue, between 4th and 7th Streets. Don't forget to bring mosquito repellant, blankets, snacks and drinks. ...
The Secret Life of (DC) Bees
Urban beekeeping has been buzzing in Europe for a while now and the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts seem keen to cash in on bring the trend across the pond. Toronto's Fairmont Royal York was the first North American hotel to jump into the bee action in 2008 when it installed a Honey Moon Suite on its roof (along with a Royal Sweet and a V.I.Bee Suite). Since then, three more Fairmont hotels established their apiary, including D.C.'s own Fairmont Hotel which already grew its own herbs and flowers and where executive sous chef Ian Bens and executive pastry chef Aaron Weber share beekeeper responsibilities. The honey produced is incorporated in the dishes served at the hotel's restaurant's ...
Screen on the Green
Washingtonians came dangerously close to losing one of their most random summer tradition: doing the the HBO Dance on the National Mall before the start of a classic movie during Screen on the Green. Well, put on your dancing shoes, Screen on the Green returns on July 20th, with a shorter line up of movies, a new funder but the same enthusiasm from DC residents. Earlier this year, it was announced that there would not be a 10th year of Screen on the Green and HBO dance on the National Mall as funding for the showings had fallen through. After a large outcry from Washingtonians, the Trust for the National Mall has come forward to support Screen on the Green along with HBO and Comcast. Their ...
Learning to Fly
Charlotte: "I could never! I have the most terrible fear of heights!" Carrie: "Well, I do not... you've seen my shoes." SATC's episode #82, "The Catch," generated unprecedented interest in the flying trapeze all over the country. 6 years later, D.C. finally gets into the action with its own flying trapeze school. Jonathon Conant, President and Co-Founder of The Trapeze School New York, was inspired to start the school after visiting a Club Med while on vacation in 1998 though it took him quite a few years to get his business (literally) off the ground and into a permanent space in Manhattan. Now thrill-seeking Carries and fear-facer Charlottes alike can experience this exhilarating sport ...
Bientot: Buddha Bar
Wow... this is going to bring back lots of high school memories! Initially, Buddha Bar was a Parisian hot-spot known more for its chill oriental vibe, giant Buddha and successful music compilations than for the food it served. The original Buddha Bar opened in the late 90s and is located right around the corner from the US Embassy in Paris and behind l'Hotel le Crillon on rue Boissy-d'Anglas. Following its success, George V Entertainment has expanded the franchise in some of the trendiest cities around the globe: New York, London, Sao Paulo, Beirut or Dubai. Soon, D.C. will be able to add its name to this list as a Buddha Bar is slated to open at 455 Massachusetts Avenue NW at the end of the ...