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Sensory Self-Discovery
Sophie Griffiths
The Land Beyond The Forest: In Search of Romanian Wine
Romania. I'm not too proud to admit that before I began looking into it, I couldn't have pointed out Romania properly on a map (other than somewhere in Eastern Europe) and my associations were: Dracula, and Romani Gypsies. Terrible I know. But what are your connotations of Romania?
As part of the WSET Diploma in Wine, for our sins, we have to write an essay on a global business topic, and for each cohort, a new topic is set. The briefing arrives by email. Cue hundreds of Diploma students around the world opening the email trepidatiously… Will it be something rather dry like Appellation systems, or packaging?
The topic is Romanian Wine, and its future on export markets. Cue a sigh of relief; at least it's not corks and closures.
But then… a blank look. Romania? Do they even make wine? Cue downloading a Kindle book about Romanian wine… Cue a quick scout of flights on Skyscanner….
And so it began…
This was to be a trip beginning in a city I'd never even heard of, through the wine lands of Transylvania, through the Carpathian Mountains, out to the vineyards of Dealu Mare, and finishing in Bucharest (finally, somewhere I'd heard of).
THE CITY OF CLUJ NAPOCA: HIPSTERS, HAUNTED FORESTS & HAUTE CUISINE
Cluj (pronounced Clooge) as it turns out, is a pretty happening city. Lots of students come here to study, to take advantage of the cheap prices, and flourishing arts and culture scene. (The only person I knew who had already been here is a Contemporary Arts specialist; go figure). It has the hipster-friendly feeling of a gritty but gentrifying Eastern European city.
It's also not very far from Hoia Baciu, a forest that repeatedly makes it onto lists of the World's Most Haunted Forests, thanks to a combination of local folklore stories, UFO sightings and some strange (apparently unexplained) growth patterns in the trees.
I'm not really into frightening myself, but I was curious to see the strange trees and learn about the folklore stories, and so we planned a daytime tour with Alex, of the Hoia Baciu Project (named for the Blair Witch project; a film I still have no desire to see).
Alex is something of a celebrity in Japan after a documentary about ghost hunters and he is the perfect person to be running these tours. As a young bloke, he's not superstitiously religious, (apparently like some older Romanians), and as a Physics graduate, he has a healthy scepticism; "The forest is only haunted if you bring your own ghosts". But all of this is tempered with a healthy imagination and curiosity… After all why would you set up a company doing tours into a haunted forest if you weren't slightly curious yourself?
THE ORIGINAL VAMPIRE SLAYERS: THE MYTH OF THE STRIGOI
Where did the legend of vampires begin? In the Disney animation studios of Anaheim? In fact there's a basis in Romanian folklore, but they're not called Vampires; they are known as Strigoi.
The story varies as you travel around Romania, and as Alex said "They believe in Strigoi's the further away you get from an internet connection". The belief goes that when you die the spirit separates from the body. But sometimes there is a problem, and the spirit doesn't fully separate. These restless spirits will haunt a village with bad happenings. The milk will go bad. Some people will suffer from fatigue. Baby animals get ill and die, children will get sick. When these symptoms are noticed, the community has to take action. The restless spirit has to be set free, and laid to rest. How? The most recent people to have died will be dug up. A wooden stake will be plunged through the heart, setting the soul free, once and for all. Alex explained the Strigoi-slaying method varies according to local tradition; one more extreme example is to entirely remove the heart, burn the ashes and then drink the ashes mixed with water.
The real problem comes when one of these newly-freed spirits decides it doesn't want to leave; it wants to stay on this earth. In which case, they go into the forests, where the other Strigois live, and come out after dark. There are people in Romania, Alex said, who will tell you not to go into the forest at night, and be very serious about it.
(In fact, many people thought he was a but crazy when he set up his business, proposing to do exactly that, taking tourists into the forest at night).
Walking through the forest at Autumn was more a beautiful, peaceful experience than a scary one. Bright orange leaves were falling gently in the most picturesque way, lit brightly in the incredibly strong sunlight, even in late October.
THE CLEARING: THE IELE AND THE UFO'S
After a short walk we reached a clearing. It was here that in 1968 a military technician photographed what he believed was a UFO. Bear in mind that during the communist era, this was a kind of social and professional death. He lost everything but stood by his claim. Other strange lights and sightings have been reported over the years, with varying degrees of veracity.
So how did the clearing come to be?
The folklore answer lies in the iele - powerful female spirits. Something between a banshee and a siren, they are beautiful women who will lure men to their ruin.
Where these iele gather to dance a hora, a traditional dance, the vegetation doesn't grow. Some believe this lies behind the clearing.
HE'S BEHIND YOU! GREENERY OR GHOST?
Alex showed us a picture on Facebook taken by another guide, as she was sitting in the clearing. When it went online, the hive mind were quick to point out a ghost-like figure in the background, seemingly lurking at the edge of the clearing. The slightly creepy thing is the impression of the clothes this apparition is wearing… a baggy-sleeved white shirt, a tunic with an embroidered border across the bottom. I dare you to now google "traditional Romanian male dress". A trick of the light on the tree leaves surely, but the impression especially when zoomed out, is certainly convincing...
ECTOPLASMS & STRANGE SHRIEKINGS
He also showed us pictures of so called ectoplasms - most likely to be reflected infrared light from a camera flash (invisible to naked eye but picked up in a camera lens).
The crazy screams that have terrified people to death? The gekkering of foxes. Something which Alex experienced first hand - though unfortunately for him, at the time he'd never heard a fox so he was more terrified than his Swedish visitors, who knew exactly what it was. (Knowing how much a fox call can sound like a woman's scream I can't imagine how terrified he must have been in those moments!)
TWISTED TREES & TECHNICAL FAILURES
However, it's not all explained away. For the trees twisted in strange shapes, and those whose trunk's spiral clockwise (always clockwise) there seems to be no clear explanation.
And could it be that one particularly distinctive tree on the edge of the clearing has only recently twisted? One of Alex's acquaintances seems to think so, and says he has photo evidence to prove it… Alex himself was skeptical, (he hasn't seen the pics) but admitted he's been doing these tours for several years now and only noticed that tree when the guy pointed it out, despite its relatively prominent position. (Perhaps this is simply the definition of the phrase, can't see the wood for the trees?)
Of the reported strange paranormal energy, Alex told us how he's experienced situations where people have come with filming equipment only to find them malfunctioning, batteries dying for no reason. Despite his cynicism, you get the sense he desires there to be something inexplicable about the forest; a childlike desire to believe in something extraordinary.
Mostly we enjoyed a peaceful walk, soaking up the beautiful colours and the satisfying sound and sensation of the fallen leaves underfoot.
As we left the forest and returned to the car we got to talking about all the interesting people he must meet, given the type of people the forest would attract. Indeed, people with 'sensitivities' as Alex put it. He said he likes to ask the people who claim to have these 'sensitivities' whether they sense any particular energy in certain places, especially around the clearing, (being careful not to lead the witness). Apparently a shaman and two self-proclaimed American witches, amongst others, have identified the spot where the supposed ghost in traditional clothing stood. The Shaman identified a masculine energy, an energy that didn't want him near there, while the witches identified a certain strong energy, though they hadn't seen the photograph at that point….
Whatever I beleive about the forest I was really glad when it occurred to me that Alex had waited until after we'd left the forest to tell us that. And I was also glad when we were back in the distinctly worldly hustle and bustle of Cluj a short while later.
WHERE TO EAT & SLEEP IN CLUJ NAPOCA
As well as being host to one of the world's most haunted forest, Cluj is also home to Romania's best restaurant, by many accounts.
Baracca is a fine dining restaurant serving up some seriously imaginative, seriously delicious fare. If you're ever anywhere near Cluj at any point, it's worth making a pilgrimage to. World-class cuisine priced in Lei = major bargain.
Wine, Coffee and Brunch
Meron, right by the Hotel Plantinia for excellent coffee (and brunch looked good too).
Central Park Simion Bărnuţiu had a really lively vibe, especially Carrousel restaurant, though we didn't eat there, it looked like the perfect place for a summer drink. Followed by a walk up to Piața Muzeului (Museum Square) where there were lots more bars and restaurants and a lively, fairy string lit vibe.
Bruno's Wine Bar - a sweet little wine bar with vaulted ceiling and good selection of Romanian varieties, right on Muzuelui Square.
Enigma Cafe - the steam punk vibe is a little outdated but I noticed they had an entire page of hot chocolate options, so might be fun if you're visiting on a cold day!
Having only been to Cluj once I can only recommend the place we stayed: the brand spanking new Hotel Platinia; Not in the Old Town, but would recommend. A huge, comfortable suite for only £120/night and free parking.
INTO THE TRANSYLVANIAN WILDERNESS
"Welcome to the Transylvanian Wilderness!" a very friendly Jonas Schaefer bellowed as he came to greet us at our lunch table.
Wilderness indeed - rough roads, and many a horse and cart punctuated our 3 hour journey from Cluj through beautiful rural scenery and crumbling, but pretty villages. It is one of Europe's last truly rural areas, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains - one of Europe's last true wildernesses.
Did you know Prince Charles has taken quite an interest in preserving rural Transylania? Many of the renovation projects and UNESCO sites have the Prince of Wales to thank. You can in fact stay at the Prince of Wales Guesthouses, where he comes to stay once a year. They are a set of restored Saxon cottages, that look like taking an airbrushed step back in time.
"The Prince of Wales hopes that his guesthouse will encourage more people to visit Transylvania and in this way promote sustainable development," with proceeds going to the Prince's trust.
WHAT TO DO AND PLACES TO STAY IN TRANSYLVANIA
VALEA VERDE AND THE TRUFFLE-HUNTING CHIHUAHUA
What Jonas and Ulrike have created with Valea Verde is very clever.
They have cleverly capitalised on exactly the type of rustic chic that fair-weather travellers like me are looking for, it's the perfect pastiche of the Transylvanian wilderness experience: folksy, cosy but also a little bit luxe and a big focus on fine dining and wine.
The activities on offer give you the picture: truffle hunting, artisan cheesemaking, horse riding, massage. "We can arrange for wilderness lunches in a wonderful forest clearing or on a great ridge-line with amazing views of the Carpathian mountains!"
Absolutely genius. Hence, I was delighted when we discovered we could squeeze in a lunch and a truffle hunt on our drive towards Biertan from Cluj.
Lunch was a dish of tender Mangalica pork in a red wine sauce - (a type of pig that is a crossing between domestic pigs and wild boars, which grows a sheep-like woolly coat) - all paired with some lovely Romanian wines from producers Petro Vaselo and Lacerta.
As were finishing our dessert, we heard a commotion on the other side of the gate. A very lively little chihuahua escaped under the fence and started greeting everyone like he owned the place. His master, making sales out of the boot of his car, was dressed in head-to-toe camouflage, a pony tail, a huge creased smile - and a T-shirt emblazoned "Truffle Hunter". He was everything I wanted him to be and more!
THE TRUFFLE HUNTING CHIHUAHUA
He spoke no English so we got by with our rudimentary French, at times no doubt talking at completely crossed purposes, but we had a whale of a time nonetheless.
We set off in the car with Sandru and his trusty truffle-snufflers, Dick and Mucki, and soon arrived at a patch of sloped forest.
For truffles you apparently need a good mixed forest - Hornbeam, Beech and Hazel are ideal, and it seems, a slight slope. The dogs, incentivised by a constant stream of dog treats, were constantly pawing at different spots and barking to signal they found something. Dick, the larger of the dogs seemed to have a penchant for truffles himself; Sandru was frequently tussling with him to prize a truffle from his jaws, while Mucki, the Chihuahua, seemed to get away with it while Dick was creating a distraction.
Sandru also identified various mushrooms and edible plants including parasol mushrooms which he said are good to eat raw and he was not wrong, with perfectly white gills and a snakeskin pattern on the cap, they have a surprisingly delicious nutty flavour.
Despite how widespread they seemed to be, truffles are not actually part of Romanian traditional cuisine. If we understood correctly, they are also not regulated in Romania in the same way they are in Italy and France, so it's easier, and cheaper, to go hunting for them. No licenses to pay I assume?
Before long our pockets were full of truffles, mushrooms and leaves that Sandru had foraged, much of the information as to varieties and uses entirely lost in translation in the beautiful chaos of the two lively dogs and our total elation at the whole experience. I can't recommend it enough!
The Truffle Hunting Experience was arranged though Valea Verde Resort. Ask for Sandru!
COPSAMARE GUESTHOUSES
That evening we checked into the Italian-run Copsamare Guesthouses, another rustic chic get-up near the UNESCO world heritage village of Biertan with its stunning fortified church.
The traditional Saxon houses have been renovated very stylishly, and if I were a better photographer I could have done it greater justice.
The owner Simona is an excellent cook and makes a beautiful 3 course dinner with wine, served in the lovely, light-filled kitchen where everyone gathers for breakfast and dinner, looking out onto beautiful scenery and their kitchen garden. The rooms are stylishly simple but cosy, with a traditional fireplace and little traditional touches.
SUPERB PLACES TO STAY IN TRANSYLVANIA
A quick recap for you:
Copsamare Gueshouses
Valea Verde Resort - they also look after one of the Prince Of Wales' houses
Prince of Wales Guesthouses
MEET THE THREE MAIDENS: ROMANIA'S NATIVE WINE GRAPES
Before we dive into the wine regions, let's talk grapes. A big barrier for consumers in English-speaking countries when it comes to wine is pronunciation. While having new, exotic varietals for consumers to discover is a strength for Romanian wine, the seemingly impenetrable language, with its many vowels and confusing glyphs, are not.
Helpfully, three of the key native grapes are, at least, linked by a memorable idea / word:
Feteasca - meaning lady, or maiden, and pronounced simply: Fet-as-ka.
So we have:
Fetească Albă - White maiden (Fet-as-ka Alba)
Fetească Regală - Royal Maiden (Fet-as-ka Regala)
Fetească Neagră - Black Maiden (Fet-as-ka Negra)
Easy really?
But then we have the floral Tămâioasă Românească (Pronounced something like Tam-oy-asa Roman-esca),
Crisp, fruity Cramposie.
Dark and spicy Negru de Dragasani.
Fetească Regală was given the regal name to try to elevate perceptions, whereas actually traditionally it's been a workhorse grape, grown for its ability to produce massive yields, and many producers don't believe it has much quality potential. Villa Vinèa a notable exception, grown at extremely low yields.
Fetească Albă, merely 'the white maiden', much less exciting than a Royal Maiden, is actually the variety in which producers see lots of quality potential!
Fetească Neagră is tricky to grow, a little like Pinot Noir in being rather pernickety, but has a high quality potential. It was off the back of his first experience with this grape that the Count Guy Tyrel de Poix was convinced start a vineyard in Romania… Dark, spicy and powerful.
SCENES FROM TRANSYLVANIA
THE WINE LANDS OF TRANSYLVANIA
The Transylvanian Plateau, shares a similar latitude to Italy's Alto Adige and at 1,500ft above sea level, favours fresh, crisp aromatic whites.
The scenery of this region is absolutely breathtaking. It's genuinely some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen.
Our first winery visit was to be with the General Manager of Villa Vinea, Mircea Matei.
VILLA VINÈA
Villa Vinèa is a winery that wants to put Transylvanian quality wine on the map. Their first vintage was produced from this terroir in 2012, after a long journey from communism to private ownership, soil analysis and some serious relandscaping and replanting for quality viticulture.
In terms of grapes they grow the three maidens: Feteasca Regala - Royal Maiden, Feteasca Alba - White Maiden, Feteasca Negra - The Black Maiden) as well as many international varieties: Pinot Noir, Muscat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner, Gewurtraminer, Zweigelt, Riesling, Chardonnay.
Winemaking is taken care of by a local winemaker who's family has made wine for generations, in partnership with an Italian winemaker... A smart combination. They make a traditional method sparkling from 50% Feteasca Regala plus Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. It spends a full 3 years on the lees in bottle, which represents a real investment in quality. Very few sparkling producers will have the bottle (sorry) to leave them that long before cashing in.
Fetească Regală, despite its regal name, has traditionally been a bulk wine grape, with not a great potential for quality. Villa Vinèa have amongst the lowest yields per hectarage in Romania, in search of quality (2 - 3,500kg/hectare) and to show the potential that this Transylvanian native has when treated like the lady she is.
When we tasted it, it was certainly one of the best, if not the best, we tasted, with a high acidity level at 6.5 g, but still surprisingly full bodied with lots of citrusy fresh, fruity, green apple, elderflower notes and a touch of peach. Unsurprisingly, it won 6 international gold medals - the most for any Romanian winery - at the International Wine Contest of Bucharest. The retail price in the winery shop? 30 Lei… just over a fiver.
This underlies the huge potential of quality wine in Romania - at the moment, if you choose carefully, you get much, much more than what you pay for.
Around a quarter of their production is exported but none to the UK yet. "People expect if it's Romanian it should be cheap. But we don't make cheap wine". A theme emerges...
The country brand of Romania really stands in the way, and it will take time to shift perceptions and build more positive associations. Authentic, quality focused brands like Villa Vinea are going to be so important on that journey.
Ask any Romanian about wine and there is one name they will surely know: Jidvei.
It's Romania's largest producer, producing a whopping 35million litres under the Jidvei house of brands, most of which is soaked up by the domestic market. They're also custodians of Europe's largest single vineyard area. They have 2,400 hectares of land, surely some of the most stunning land under vine in the world, with grapes vinified across 4 cellars, employing around 1,000 people.
I had the pleasure to meet Sorin Burnete from the winemaking team, and Professor Daniela Popescu from their research team to learn about this ambitious operation and their continual drive for quality.
From 1999 it has been under private ownership, with investment every year (from the owners and the EU) in more hectarage, cellar space and improved technology. They produce 45 labels under the Jidvei house of brands, including 5 sparkling wines (3 Traditional Method, 2 x Charmat [Prosecco] method) with 15 million bottles sold into the Romanian domestic market, 1.5 million for export (Germany, China, Asia, Czech Republic, France) and the rest sold as bulk wine.
Where does the bulk wine end up? The French, whether they know it or not, drink a lot of 'Table Wine', which is actually Romanian. Likewise, much of the cheaper Pinot Grigio you might find in Germany will actually be Romanian, and of a higher quality than something like for like produced in Germany!
The Memory of Associations
Talk turned again to the Romanian country brand, which stands in the way of quality perceptions. Likewise the communist legacy has made it tricky for producers to come together in associations; the memory of 'associations' and what that meant in communist times is still too strong.
This is problematic for clubbing together resources for marketing, technology and shared best practice. Many of the vineyards in Romania are very small holdings, because of the way the land was redistributed back to private ownership after the fall of communism; hence an efficient and quality-focused cooperative model such as in France or Italy would be perfect, but they are years away from this.
We had the opportunity to taste through a great range of wines accompanied by a generous spread of charcuterie and cheeses. A couple of stand out wines included the Mysterium, (great to see an eye catching label design) which was a blend of Chardonnay, Feteasca Alba and Pinot Noir in a white wine vinification. It was initially created to be a sparkling wine, but it was decided it was too good for that, and went on to be made in to a premium still wine.
Another was a Pinot Gris, Castel Jidvei, which at 10 years in the bottle had developed beautiful honeyed, waxy, quince aromas to complement a lovely limey freshness.
TRACKING BEARS AND WOLVES IN THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS
The Carpathian mountains have one of the largest populations of bears in Europe, where they live in surprisingly close proximity to humans, especially rural shepherds, who work with large packs of dogs to keep themselves, and their sheep, safe.
It is possible to take hikes into the mountains to learn about these creatures and look for tracks and signs. There was no way we were going to miss out on that, and so we arranged to stay for two nights at the home of Danut and Luminita Marin, owners of travel company Transylvanian Wolf
Dan is a highly-qualified, and highly-respected, nature guide, with a deep knowledge of Romanian wildlife and traditional culture. He has been involved in conservation and research projects about the local bear and wolf population.
His wife Luminita is a fountain of local knowledge and folklore and each night cooked up a storm of traditional food: sarmales, (minced meat wrapped in cabbage), pork cooked in garlic and wine, polenta with sheep's cheese, caraway soup, sour soup and not to mention all the treats at breakfast. Together they are involved in many projects in the local community, their families having lived in this area for generations.
Early the next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we drove into the Carpathian Mountains where roughly 6,000 bears live (compared to a population of just 20 bears in the whole of France) as well as a huge population of wolves.
Romania has its communist history to thank for this. The forests were protected from destruction by the communist administration, as many other countries in Europe were tearing them down, destroying natural connected habitats in the process.
It wasn't long before we saw our first sign of the local bears; bear hairs stuck to the sap on a tree trunk, evidence of their famous back scratching. We saw paw prints from adult bears and smaller bears, as well as wolf prints. Below you see an example of the type of place a bear might turn into his winter den for shelter during hibernation, gathering up leaves to create a soft mattress. Before they hibernate they enter a phase of hyperphagia where they eat and eat, without filling up, in order to fatten up for winter. We saw tree trunks that had been scratched in order to search for insects, and pine tree bark which had been clawed away to get at the sweet tree sap in Spring time.
We also saw examples of wolf poo, (surprisingly large!) which was so full of boar hair it almost looked like a pile of hairy tails!
So what happens if you see a bear in the wild?
Keep your distance of course. Especially if you see cubs first - do not approach, however cute and innocent they seem! Where there's cubs, there's a protective mamma bear.
Danut told us about one of his most amazing encounters, last July. It was after a rain, so the ground was soft, (not noisy like we were on the crunchy leaves) and they were upwind of the bear, so she couldn't smell them coming. They spotted her feasting on a raspberry bush, and were able to watch her for quite some time. After some minutes the wind changed, she picked up their scent, and scarpered.
CHEESE-MAKING SHEPHERD HUTS
We stopped off at a dilapidated shepherd's hut, for a glass of Luminita's fresh elderflower juice. The Shepherd's traditionally make cheese directly in the mountains, in these huts. The sheep's milk is heated over an open fire to around 40 degrees. Rennet is added, and once curdled, sieved though muslin, to separate curd from whey. Afterwards it's pressed into fir tree bark for safe keeping, and it takes on some of the bark's favour. It's known as Brânză în coajă de brad - literally cheese in fir tree bark. We tried some that evening and it is indeed very sheepy - perhaps something of an acquired taste!
THE BEAR HIDE
After our beautiful walk it was off to the bear hide. These hides are run by the forestry commission. There are 6 around the mountains, and each day in the afternoon some food is left out for the bears. This means the bears have these feeding sites as a last resort, rather than needing to come scavenging in the villages where there is a high likelihood they will end up shot.
From an insulated hut with one-way glass, you can wait and watch for bears to come out with around an 80% chance that you will see them. It was incredible. We stayed there for 2 hours, completely awestruck as we were lucky enough to see 6 different bears come and forage for the food, some of them returning again later, plus two very bold foxes, a male (bright white tipped tail) and a female (dirty white tip, or no tip).
After this exhilarating experience it was back to the house to relax before another big feast cooked up by Luminita, as you can see, enjoyed with a few glasses of Feteasca Neagra.
She told us that the Feteasca Neagra grapes are quite small, close to a wild species of grape, and thus very concentrated, and that some locals call this 'bear power', which I think would be a great marketing approach!
Our bear-watching and nature guide experience was organised through Transylvanian Wolf .
ONWARDS TO DEALU MARE: RED WINE LAND
By the time we arrived here, Autumn had arrived. While Transylvania had been 22 degrees and sunny, the weather had changed and despite the more Southerly and lower-altitude location, all we could see was 100m in front of us, for the thick fog! It was rather atmospheric, but not so great for photography! If altitudinous Transylvania is about the whites, then the south-facing hills of (usually) sunny Dealu Mare are all about the reds.
WINERY VISITS IN DEALU MARE
The Romanian quality wine scene has a lot to thank the Corsican Count Guy Tyrel du Poix and his wife Mihaela for. It was back in the 90's, not long after the fall of communism, that Guy tasted a high-quality Feteasca Neagra made by Aurel Rotarescu. From that first fateful taste, convinced of the grape's quality potential, Guy began the first private winery in the country: SERVE
His idea was to make money from the mass market export of wine made in the favourable conditions of Romania, but to also pioneer a high-quality wine from Feteasca Neagra with Aurel at the winemaking helm.
We met with Silvio Rotarescu, Aurel's son who's been increasingly involved in the winemaking. He told us how it was Guy de Poix himself who made a field selection to get to the best clone of Feteasca Neagra. At harvest time he would taste the grapes, and where there was something exceptional he would make a knot. Once a plant had 3 knots, he would choose it.
Handpicking continues to be the approach, even on the plains where mechanisation would be technically possible. This is a challenge in a market where there is not much labour available, due to migration. Silvio said in his village there are only 50% of the people that were there when he was a child.
Despite these challenges, the wines are truly beautiful and represent an incredible quality price ratio.
The Feteasca Alba Terra Romana was bursting with clean, crisp lemony fruit, with an aniseed warmth on the finish. For the price, and as a crisp, refreshing, delicate white, this would absolutely blow any of the usual suspects on a pub wine list - Italian Pinot Grigio, or French Picpoul de Pinet or Marlborough Sav Blanc absolutely out of the water, just given the chance!
The Feteasca Neagra was lipsmacking; full of minerality, but also had lots of plummy, pruney fruit, spice and black fruit freshness.
A 2013 Cuvee Charlotte, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Feteasca Neagra was full of classic Cabernet tertiary characters of leather, but with Feteasca Neagra's luscious plummy fruit, and velvety soft tannins.
Next up was Budureasca, another winery which like SERVE is represented by the association: Premium Wines of Romania, which exists to promote exactly what it says on the tin.
Winemaking is headed by Irishman Stephen Donnelly, another foreigner lured by the vinous potential of Romania. We were shown around their brand new gravity-fed wine cellar and very smart looking barrel room; a whopping 50% of the funding for the winery came from the EU.
Clearly a lot of work has gone into label design, creating a hierarchy across the range and to present something eye-catching and differentiated, which is clearly paying off; just 5 years ago, only 10% was exported. Now as much as 35% is exported, (though none of their entry level wine is exported; an enviable position) going to the UK, China, Japan, USA, Canada and the UAE.
I was interested to see they were aging some wine in Romanian wood, as you can see below. Also note the Chinese themed label for the Chinese market.
The 2017 Feteasca Neagra was a testament to the power and concentration than the grape can yield. The 2018 Fumé, a white blend of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay had generous lashings of smokey oak from 50% new American barriques, and is one of their key exports to the UAE.
THE CHALLENGE OF ROMANIAN WINES: SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS
Here again, the same theme emerged about the damaging country brand Romania. Carmel, our host told us how in one blind tasting in London, a panel was asked how much they thought one of the premium red wines was worth. £25 was the answer. When it was revealed that the wine was Romanian, the value estimate was revised to a mere £5.
In fact the most expensive wine we tried in that line up was only £14.40 - which just goes to show the incredible quality price ratio that Romanian wines can offer, if people can overcome their unfounded perceptions.
Premium winemakers are being severely punished for the sins of their forefathers.
THE SINS OF OUR FATHERS
The next evening we had a drink with Mihaela Tyrel de Poix, wife of the late Guy Tyrel de Poix and current CEO of SERVE and Rodica Capatina, the president of the Premium Wines of Romania Association, to learn more.
In the mid 90's, 300,000 bottles of Romanian red wine were being imported to UK supermarkets. In fact, Dealu Mare was exporting 100x more Pinot Noir than they had hectarage of Pinot planted…. Because it wasn't really Pinot Noir. The UK was the biggest market for this low quality 'fake' Pinot, sold under false pretences.
Eventually this caught up with them, and sadly for Romania, the wine trade, like elephants, has a long memory. The mid 90's was also the time that cheap, exciting, varietally-labelled wine was coming in from Australia, and was about to completely change the UK consumer's relationship with wine.
Even without these set backs, Romania had never had a high-quality image because during the communist era, Romania was the Soviet bloc's vineyard, supplying the Soviet state with wine. For nearly 50 years the focus was on volume and price; quality did not figure. In addition, the industry was subsidised by the state, further disrupting the quality-price-volume equation.
After their 90's hey day, Romania has never quite regained its position in one of the most desirable export markets; the UK. It will take time for perceptions to shift and for people to appreciate the honest quality price ratio offered by premium Romanian wines.
There is so much passion, engagement and potential I really hope that things will start to change. But people need to buy into the idea of Romania before they will buy into Romanian wine; when we drink wine we drink a culture, a way of life, a sense of place. I believe one of the biggest levers is the natural, pristine beauty of Romania. Europe's last true rural wilderness, one of the cleanest countries in Europe (as Alex put it; "we skipped the industrialisation part"), as evidenced by the huge number of wild flower species that bloom in spring in the Carpathain Mountains, many long since lost to Europe.
The perceptions of Romania's attributes in these areas has to be fundamentally shifted if these hard working, passionate producers are going to have a chance to make it, but I fear it will be a slow process.
If I have convinced just one person to make a trip out there and discover the wines for yourself, and educate yourself on the real Romania, then I will be happy!
THE PARIS OF THE EAST: TIPS FOR BUCHAREST
Our last day was spent enjoying the city of Bucharest. I have 2 restaurants to write home about, and a barrage of wine bar recommendations for you.
IDEAS FOR WHERE TO STAY, EAST AND VISIT IN BUCHAREST
We stayed at the art nouveau Epoque Hotel, part of the Relais & Chateaux group that rarely disappoints, which is located near the old town. You can enjoy the spa and massages for a steal!
We enjoyed two exceptional meals - incredible value for the quality of the food, service, creativity and wines:
The Artist - try the spoon tasting menu. We did it for all three courses - starters, mains and desserts all served as one perfect spoon - such a fun concept and very well executed. The vibe of the restaurant is quite traditional, elegant fine dining.
Maize - where we also tried the Chef's Table menu and wine pairings, which was exceptional. The vibe here is a bit younger and more lively.
Interestingly Aurelia Visinescu's wine featured heavily on both The Artist's and Maize's wine pairings. Her wines are beautiful, and the labels certainly look the part. Only a sample size of two, but perhaps disappointing to see a lack of diversity, or confidence in other of Romania's top wine producers amongst the Bucharest Sommelier scene!
Other places to consider checking off your Bucharest list are:
Caru' cu Bere - where to eat to feel like a medieval wench with fabulous Neo-Gothic architecture and decor inside. Consider making a booking, as it's very touristy, right in the Old Town.
Nearby, the Carturesti Carusel is an awesome bookshop with fabulous architecture.
And, of course the Palace of Parliament to see Ceausescu's monstrosity of a building; the most expensive administrative building ever built, at a time when the country was struggling. (You can also visit Ceausescu's house, which is full of stories too, though we ran out of time). Perhaps stop off for a Brutal Russian Pancake, or a bowl of retro cereal at Cereal Crunch Cafe to refuel afterwards!
We tried out Abel's Wine Bar, a classic in the old town. Kind of feels like a wine bar from the noughties, but fun nonetheless, and very friendly staff, and lots of local wines to try by the glass.
GastroLab Food and Wine Experience: This place feels very shiny and 2019. Part of a recent development surrounded by lots of exciting looking cafes, patisseries and restaurants along Bulevardul Aviatorilor (I really wished we had more time to explore). There are over 400 wines on their list, a huge focus on Romanian wines, and many that you can try by the glass. We enjoyed a stunning traditional method sparkling which was the perfect aperitif before our dinner at Maize.
Other recommendations I had, but didn't make it to, included: Industry Wine Bar, WineStone, LoveIn Wine Bar, Marvin Wine Shop, and Wineful Bar.
If that's not a bar crawl, then I don't know what is!
Recipes from Sicily: Pasta alla Norma
Recipes from Sicily: Tonno all'Eoliana - Aeolian-style Marinated Tuna with Capers & Fresh Tomato
Recipes from Sicily: Orange & Fennel Sicilian Tuna Ceviche
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William Dupont, San Antonio Conservation Society Endowed Professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio, will describe the work of the U.S. Technical Team collaborating since 2005 with Cuban colleagues to preserve Ernest Hemingway's legacy in Cuba. Among his topics will be past restoration efforts at Hemingway's house and ongoing issues related to cultural resource management.
Please note that this tour is fully booked. We cannot accept walk-ups on the day of the tour.
In this lecture, University of Houston assistant architecture professor Michael Kubo will compare two cases of research, advocacy and preservation of the modern built heritage in U.S. cities: the Brutalist buildings that transformed Boston in the 1960s and 1970s, and the modernist urban revitalization efforts in Pittsburgh during the same period.
A walk along Main Street in downtown Houston is a walk through the city's business development and its changing architectural tastes. Our 90-minute, docent-guided tour traces Main Street's role as the center of activity for much of Houston's history, visiting early businesses and skyscrapers, retail stores, banks and the sites of its movie palaces.
Market Square, one of the public squares laid out in the Allen brothers' original plan of Houston, was home to the city market and City Hall from 1841 to 1939. During that time, the square became the center of Houston's early commercial district. Although the neighborhood declined in the mid-20th century, preservation projects have brought new uses to its historic buildings and new life to Market Square itself.
After Rice Institute and Hermann Park opened in the early 1910s, Houston's South End became an increasingly desirable neighborhood in which to live and work — and it remains one today. This 90-minute, docent-guided walking tour explores the beautiful area between Main Street and Montrose Boulevard just north of Hermann Park, including the buildings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the charming neighborhoods of Chelsea Place, Cotswold Court and Colby Court; and the imposing churches of Main Street.
The area now known as Midtown originally developed as farmland on the outskirts of Houston, then was transformed into the upscale South End residential district as the city expanded to the south around the turn of the 20th century. Over the years that followed, South End residents moved to newer suburban neighborhoods, and their grand homes were demolished to make way for office and retail buildings, apartments and parking lots. Our 90-minute, docent-guided walking tour will explore the neighborhood's history, visiting some sites that are reminders of South End glamour and others that show how Midtown is transforming itself into a modern urban residential and cultural center.
Join Preservation Houston for a unique insider's look at a selection of current and former Good Brick Award-winning restoration projects during the 2018 Good Brick Tour, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28.
Join us for a special program Tuesday evening, October 16, as historians and early PH members Minnette Boesel, Barrie Scardino Bradley, Betty Chapman and Stephen Fox explore those and other topics from Preservation Houston's four decades in a panel discussion moderated by PH Programs Director Jim Parsons. The panelists' memories and insights, paired with images from Preservation Houston's archives, tell the story of how preservation in Houston has matured since the late 1970s.
In Lost, Texas: Photographs of Forgotten Buildings, architect and architectural photographer Bronson Dorsey takes us on a tour of abandoned buildings in Texas that evoke the mystique of bygone days and shifting population patterns. With a skilled photographer's eye, he captures the character of these buildings — most abandoned and in a state of decay, though a handful have been repurposed as museums, residences or other functional structures.
Allen's Landing is sometimes called "Houston's Plymouth Rock," and with good reason: It is the spot where the city's founders, Augustus and John Kirby Allen, set foot on the land that would become Houston. Allen's Landing became the original site of the Port of Houston in 1840 and for many years was the center of trade in the city. The site fell into decline through the 20th century, but is now finding new life as link in the system of parks being developed along Buffalo Bayou's banks.
The William A. Wilson Realty Co. began developing Woodland Heights in 1907 on 136 acres of land that was once part of John Austin's Mexican land grant. The neighborhood was one of Houston's first "streetcar suburbs" — a streetcar line ran from downtown along Houston Avenue to just outside the Woodland Heights gates, enabling working-class Houstonians to live in a lovely wooded setting and easily commute to their jobs.
In 1950, Greater Houston had just one freeway: the Gulf Freeway, the first sections of which were built immediately after World War II. Since then, more than 1,200 miles of freeways have been built in Houston and Harris County, and additional freeways are under construction. Highways have driven nearly every aspect of Houston's postwar development, from the physical layout of the city to the political process that has transformed both the transportation network and the balance of power between the government and citizens.
When developer W.W. Baldwin laid out Westmoreland Place in 1902, its location — on the southwestern edge of what is now Midtown — was considered the very edge of the city. Baldwin patterned the neighborhood on the "private places" of St. Louis: small, gated developments with a central boulevard along which the grandest homes were built.
This tour is fully booked. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate walk-ups on the day of the tour.
Houston architect Arthur Jones helped to design some of the city's most familiar buildings and developments, including the Astrodome, Greenway Plaza, Allen Center and Rice Stadium. Despite Jones' prolific career with the firm Lloyd Morgan Jones, his designs are often overshadowed by the big-name national architects who worked during the Bayou City's postwar boom.
Located in the shadow of the downtown skyscrapers, Founders Memorial Cemetery is one of the few physical links to the early days of Houston and Texas. The plot of land along the San Felipe Road (now West Dallas Avenue) began being used for burials shortly after Houston was founded in 1836, and among those who rest here are many veterans of the Texas Revolution, heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto and government officials of the Republic of Texas.
Preservation Houston is partnering in a special program with Operation Photo Rescue (OPR) to reclaim family photos damaged during Hurricane Harvey.
PH is accepting appointments to submit photos for restoration. Appointments are required and are limited to one per household. Because of the incredible number of photos damaged during Harvey, OPR will accept a maximum of ten (10) photographs per household. There is no charge for this service.
Between 1928 and 1933, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas — later Texas A&M University — saw its campus transformed through the construction of 10 remarkable buildings developed under a master plan by college architect Frederick Giesecke and designed by Samuel Charles Phelps Vosper. The buildings, all of which survive, still delight the senses with color, sculpture and wit.
Located on rolling land near Buffalo Bayou with glorious trees and landscaping, as well as elaborate Victorian monuments and statuary, historic Glenwood Cemetery, established in 1871, is one of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in Houston. It is also the resting place of some of Houston's most famous citizens, including philanthropist George Hermann; Texas Governor and Humble Oil co-founder Ross Sterling; oil wildcatter Glenn McCarthy; movie star Gene Tierney; and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. Our tour explores the unforgettable stories of the men and women buried here as well as Glenwood's beautiful landscape and elaborate monuments.
Preservation Houston is partnering with Architecture Center Houston and the Houston Cinema Arts Society to present two films as part of this year's Houston Cinema Arts Festival: Citizen Jane as a matinee on Saturday, November 11, and Columbus the evening of Monday, November 13.
The area now known as the Museum District became one of the most fashionable parts of Houston in the 1920s thanks to the opening of Rice University, Hermann Park and the Museum of Fine Arts. As the area developed, swathes of prairie were divided into upscale neighborhoods that remain desirable nearly a century later. This all-new docent-led walking tour will explore two of those neighborhoods: Shadow Lawn and Waverly Court.
Texas isn't known for its Art Deco design, but the Lone Star State has more than its share — particularly in North Texas, where cotton, cattle and oil combined to create a rich variety of modernistic buildings, artwork and monuments in the 1920s, '30s and '40s. Preservation Houston's David Bush and Jim Parsons explore the region's Deco treasures in DFW Deco: Modernistic Architecture of North Texas, the pair's fourth book chronicling Art Deco in the Lone Star State.
The story of Turner Addition began in 1871 when Nathaniel P. Turner platted the neighborhood more than two miles outside the Houston city limit, apparently anticipating that the city's growth would soon fill the gap between his subdivision and civilization. As it turned out, development in Turner Addition didn't begin until the late 1910s, when an extension of Montrose Boulevard finally linked it with the rest of Houston.


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Home Sport Football Barcelona goalkeeper Neto ruled out for up to two months
Barcelona goalkeeper Neto ruled out for up to two months
Barcelona have ruled goalkeeper Neto out for up to eight weeks with a fractured left wrist.
The new signing underwent an operation on Tuesday after suffering the injury during training prior to the 4-0 weekend win over Napoli in Michigan.
The 30-year-old joined Barca from Valencia in June in a deal worth an initial €26 million (£23m/$30m) as Jasper Cillessen moved in the opposite direction.
His absence leaves the La Liga champions without an experienced competitor for first-choice Marc-Andre ter Stegen ahead of Friday's season opener against Athletic Bilbao.
Inaki Pena, 20, is expected to be promoted from Barcelona B after travelling with Ernesto Valverde's squad to the United States.
The timescale placed on Neto's recovery could keep him out until after the international break in October.
Neto is a verteran of 67 top flight games in Spain, while the well-travelled shot-stopper has also featured in Italy's Serie A for Juventus and Fiorentina, and Brazil's Serie A with Athletico Paranaense.
Despite having played for such storied clubs, he is looking forward to getting going with Barca and is hopeful the silverware will follow.
"It's a dream for any footballer. When you talk about Barcelona, ever player at the highest level wishes to play for a team like this one," Neto told SPORT.
"It's very different. It means your hard work has paid off when your club can compete for every trophy available.
"For me, as someone who likes to always win, to compete at the highest level is the best."
Barca are also set to be without key man Lionel Messi for their opening league outing as the Argentine superstar is nursing a calf problem.
"He's in the recovery process and I don't know if he will be ready for the start of La Liga," Valverde told a news conference after a 4-0 win over Napoli in Michigan on Saturday. "It's looking difficult."
That success was Barcelona's fourth on the spin in pre-season and marked the first goal in the famous Blaugrana for summer arrival Antoine Griezmann, the club's marquee signing from Atletico Madrid.
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The Left's Endless Commercial Has Weaponized Popular Culture
By David Lanza
American consumers understand that most forms of popular culture have become nothing more than commercials for the Democrat party. Movies, television, and music focus less on entertainment than on influencing the next election. They have gone beyond mere leftist bias. Artists, writers, and musicians subordinate their craft in order to present one endless Democrat commercial.
This trend is equally egregious in the case of books. In modern bookstores, the Democrat commercial spreads far beyond the "politics" shelf. "The gardening books advocate hiring illegal aliens. The sports books reminisce about Vietnam."
A telling example of this trend appears in a 2018 book about the design of General Motors automobiles from the 1920s through the 1950s. Fins, by William Knoedelseder, appears to be credible, informative, and interesting until it reaches Chapter 9. In Chapter 9, the author apparently loses interest in classic cars and decides, instead, to tell the reader that President Trump is just like Hitler. He does not actually mention Trump. He does not discuss Trump's policies. He does not present actual evidence. The author simply discusses the pre-war automobile industry in Germany in terms of Hitler's plan to "make Germany great again." He even titles the chapter "Helping Make Germany Great Again." A seemingly interesting historic work was thus converted into yet another Democrat campaign commercial.
The use of classic cars as a cover for yet another comparison of Trump and Hitler is far from an isolated incident. The implications of this trend are far reaching. Those who want to pursue their favorite topic in books will find their way blocked. It is not simply a matter of having to endure a chapter or two that compares Trump to Hitler in the middle of an otherwise informative book. Like the thirteenth chime of a clock, these insertions cast doubt on everything that appears in such a book. Every allegedly nonfiction book presents facts that the reader cannot ordinarily verify on his own. There are hundreds of footnotes that the reader will never examine. Even if a reader does follow through on a footnote, he will often find that the author has imposed his own interpretations, biases, and extrapolations on every source upon which the author relies. Inserting a Trump-Hitler comparison into the middle of a book on classic car design is obviously absurd, but that absurdity carries far beyond the actual chapter in which it appears. A writer who uses Trump's campaign slogan to describe Hitler's murderous regime is not likely to be careful about other factual assertions. And do not think that these insults are aimed only at Trump. They are aimed at the millions of Americans that voted for him, wear the MAGA hats, and remain loyal to him as he endures many attacks.
That publishers, writers, and booksellers would jeopardize their own market in this way also speaks volumes about that industry. Misuse of the Nazi era for political purposes does a disservice to serious research and scholarship. Going out of one's way to dismiss the president and his 60 million–plus voters as Nazis did not advance the theme of the book, did not inform the readers, and most likely did not improve sales (unless the goal was to curry favor with like-minded reviewers). We must abandon the idea that authors and publishers are motivated primarily by those things. We are witnessing a large-scale suicide mission. The writers sacrifice their own credibility and that of their books in order to explode an IED in the reader's face. The left would rather that we not read at all than read books without Democrat commercials.
A population that does not read books is susceptible to leftist manipulation from television, movies, and music. Without the anchor that books provide, voters are cast adrift. They are more likely to vote based on whoever is ahead in "the polls" or whether the "stock market" is "up" or "down" this week.
The effect goes deeper than simple manipulation for the next election. True political debate depends on the ability of the debating parties to find some area of common ground, no matter how small. Only if there is some shared value can there be something for opposing parties to discuss. Otherwise, we merely flail at each other. But when one side completely abandons reason and seeks every opportunity to use the "Hitler" label against its opponents, it sends a clear message. That message denies the possibility of common ground. Those who send out that message will not listen to reason, and they are proud of it. When they drag out the "Hitler" attack even in a discussion of automobile design, they have used the nuclear option even in our most innocuous hobbies and leisure interests. They will ruin even the little things in life for us. They make it clear that they will leave us with no peace, no rest, no sanctuary. They have long argued that even the personal is political, and now they leave us with nothing purely personal in our lives. Our most personal interests are fair game for the vilest of political tactics.
The enduring symbol of our age may be the drag queen story hour in our local library. Men dressed as women teach five-year-olds how to twerk in the shadow of bookshelves on which modern books spew Nazi accusations against the parents.
We can fight back for a while. But in the end, there is nothing to do but confess our Nazism, surrender our children to the new gender fluidity, abandon our hobbies, and resign ourselves to the bland conformity of the totalitarian state. Reconstituted man will live neither as man nor woman, empty of all interests, desires, beliefs, and purpose except for service to the state. His only fear will be the outing of the hidden Nazi within. Every day —in every activity, every hobby, every book, every song, every movie — we will face our own Nuremburg trial with our "entertainers" as our prosecutors.
The totalitarian state is, ultimately, backed by force. But if Nazi accusations hang over our heads with every activity, we will censor and restrict ourselves. The Soviet Union reached the point where citizens would black out certain pictures and words in the books in their own homes, depending on Stalin's policies of the moment. We do not do this yet, but the totalitarian utopia of the future might demand no less of us. The fear of our own latent Nazism will keep us from reading, learning, and questioning. That the personal is now the political ensures that your new reading limitations will go far beyond politics.
Dictatorships and absolute monarchs have existed since the beginning of recorded history. But it remained for the totalitarians of our time to make such dictatorship so complete. We now see total war, in which the leftists use every discipline at their disposal (music, literature, art, drama, entertainment, "scholarship," psychology) as a weapon to control and manipulate mankind. They will use every modern form of mass communication, including innocuous-sounding books, as the means of delivering those weapons.


All events take place at Brookview, unless otherwise noted.
The following is an overview of activities throughout the year from the Golden Valley 55+ Adult Program and its partners. For the most up-to-date information on upcoming events, view the 55+ Adult Program Calendar.
New players are always welcome. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time to get set up. All groups meet at Brookview in the Valley Room. No pre-registration required.
INDOOR | Equipment available on a limited basis. Gym shoes required.
Pickleball is a game played on a badminton or tennis court with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center. It is played with a perforated plastic baseball (similar to a whiffle ball) and wood or composite paddles. It is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players. This is not a league...come when you can...just drop in. Participants MUST CHECK-IN at front desk for indoor pickleball. Call 763-512-2345 with questions.
Men and women ages 55 and older are invited to play at the Brookview Par 3 course on Thursdays, May 2–Sept 12. Tee times start at 7:30 am with weekly sign-up. The $5 league fee is collected at the kick-off meeting April 25. Call 763-512-2305 for information.
This senior golf league will play the 18-hole course at Brookview. The $20 league registration is due before your first week of play. League plays on Tuesdays, April 30–Aug 28. NOTE: You must be a valid Brookview Senior Patron card holder to register and play. Call 763-512-2305 for information.
Adults age 55+, save up to 10 percent, 3-year discount on car insurance premiums and become a better driver by taking a state-approved National Safety Council Defensive Driving course. These classes are taught by professional certified instructors and offered by the Minnesota Safety Council. No tests are given but attendance is required to receive the certificate of completion.
To guarantee certificate at class completion, register at least 7 days in advance with the Minnesota Safety Council. Make checks payable to "Minnesota Safety Council" and mail to: 474 Concordia Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55103. Call 651-291-9150 to register with Visa or MasterCard.
This is a Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center (MHSRC) Driving Improvement Program for those over 55. Clases are taught by a certified instructor from the Minnesota Highway Safety Center. Minnesota State Law allows a 10 percent reduction in auto insurance premiums for three years upon completion of the course.
To register, visit the Minnesota Safety Center website at www. mnsafetycenter.org or call toll free at 1-888-234-1294. Fees collected day of class.
With rising consumer costs, finances and investments are of more interest than ever. Join us as we hear speakers from companies dealing with finances and investments present information important to today's investor. Donations accepted for refreshments. No pre-registration required.
Former Star Tribune reporter Joe Kimball, who has covered the case from the beginning, discusses the inside story of the infamous murder of Elisabeth Congdon, the wealthy Duluth dowager who was smothered in her bed in the 39-room Glensheen Mansion. Her night nurse was beaten to death with a candlestick holder on the mansion's grand stairway as she tried to protect the partially-paralyzed heiress. Police immediately suspected Congdon's adopted daughter and her new husband of the crime. They said the motive was to speed up the inheritance. The husband was convicted but the daughter, Marjorie Congdon Caldwell Hagen, was found not guilty of charges that she helped plan the murders. But that's not the end of the story. Marjorie has been in the news, and in prison, in the years since the mansion murders. Bigamy charges, two arson convictions, charges of another murder, and the mysterious death of an elderly man she befriended in Arizona have kept her story alive. Come and hear all about this infamous mystery!
Offered in cooperation with the Cities of Crystal, Brooklyn Center, Golden Valley, New Hope, Robbinsdale, and Robbinsdale Area Schools. Fee includes refreshments. Pre-registration is required by calling 763-512-2345 by Fri, Apr 5.
Going to retire and need your Medicare questions answered? Just out of the hospital and have forms that need filling out? Make an appointment with Marsha to answer your Medicare Insurance questions, assist you with insurance forms or guide you through supplemental or Part D insurance. She'd love to work with you. Call 763-512-2366 at least three days in advance of appointment date.
It's a fact! People are living longer and healthier. Join us for this program that offers information each month for a happy, healthier you. No pre-registration required. Co-sponsored with Calvary Center Cooperative.
Join Mary on Monday mornings to make door decorations, greeting cards, party favors and more. We work on projects for Ambassador Care Center, Dinner At Your Door, Senior Dining,Golden Valley Seniors and Mary Wanderers. We'll supply the materials and coffee, you bring your time and talent. As we say, "The more the Mary-ier". See the Senior Newsletter for meeting dates.
Subscribe to 55+ Adult Program newsletter email updates from the City of Golden Valley.


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Romantic Novel Awards 2019
This Monday saw the party for this year's UK Romantic Novel Awards. It was fun, warm-hearted and full of interesting ideas from inspiring people. Made me feel quite sentimental — indeed, cautiously hopeful for the human race.
The Awards are in their 59th year — which makes them older than the Booker, the Costa and even the renowned RITA awards by the Romance Writers of America.
I have to admit that they are, however, a Johnny-come-lately compared with the Prix Goncourt. That started in 1905!
To put them in the English language contest, however, the big beast is the Booker, the one with a substantial cash prize, a literary pedigree, glittering associated events and the sort of controversy that makes headlines. It was originally sponsored by Booker McConnell and began in 1969.
Costa started in 1971, then sponsored by Whitbread. Quite an overlap with the Booker, both in authors and chart-listed books, the Costa throws the net a bit wider, recognising enjoyable reading as a criterion.
The RITAs (originally RWA's Gold Medallion awards) began in 1982. Their event is pretty damn stunning, too, as our own Liz Fielding recorded earlier this year.
Romantic Novel AWARDS, Going to the Party
I first went to the Awards party when I was scooped up by one of my publisher's Best Sellers and pretty much taken along to The Lunch under close guard. It was very big, very formal, very noisy. And glamorous. Wow. It took place in the Savoy Ballroom, which could give the Versailles Galerie des Glaces a run for its money. And the speeches went on for ever.
I was terrified. But household names like Anne Weale and Penny Jordan were super kind to me. Over the years since, I've attended as a general helper, short-lister, committee member, Chairman (scary), PR support and Friend of Short-Listed Author(s). And this time Libertà sponsored the Shorter Fiction Award.
This year the party was a cocktail-time do, in the Gladstone Library at One Whitehall Place. There were books. It was just as glamorous, just as noisy, as my first time.
Possibly a bit less formal — tables of enthusiastic editors and well-wishers cheered as their favoured candidate's book appeared on the screen. The speeches seemed crisper and funnier, too, and the occasion bowled along briskly.
Reuniting authors fell into warm embraces — and the odd glass of something — and the emotional temperature settled at somewhere between wishing-well-to-all-the-world and rollicking.
Romantic Novel Awards — the Winners
This year there were 7 Romantic Novel Awards up for grabs, covering the gamut from high drama to light-hearted comedy, historical, contemporary and the fantastical, plus an Outstanding Achievement Award to our own Liz Fielding. The winning books — and several of the runners up, too — have gone straight onto my wish list.
Jane Godman won the award we sponsored with Secret Baby, Second Chance.
After a truly awful year and nasty health issues, she made what must have been a heroic effort to get to these RNA Awards. She was clearly stunned to win.
You could have warmed your hands at the genuine enthusiasm with greeted the announcement of her triumph. For once, you felt, the universe had nodded in the right direction and everyone at the party approved.
We will hear more from her on this blog in the future.
A new award, for the debut novel, was won by Joe Heap with what sounds like an original, genre-crossing story, The Rules of Seeing.
It went straight to the top of my wish list, only slightly speeded on its way by his admission that he couldn't have written a story about romantic love were it not for the love he receives from his girlfriend.
(Cue collective "aaaah" from the audience. Well, I told you it made me feel sentimental.)
Winners RNA Awards 2019, L to R, Natalie Cox, Joe Heap, Isabelle Broom, Jane Godman, Liz Fielding, Catherine Isaac, Jane Lovering, Editor standing in for Santa Monefiore
Romantic Novel Awards, Feeling the Love
Above all, the event just breathed good fellowship, generosity and delight in the achievements of fellow authors.
Chairman Nicola Cornick paid a lovely tribute to Liz Fielding on her Award. She recalled how Liz had created an unmistakable voice in much-loved novels, for Harlequin Mills & Boon and others. They were fun and flirty, yet with profound emotion at their heart.
Nicola also had a personal memory of being gathered up by Liz, just as I had been by Anne and Penny, when Nicola was a trembling newbie at an AMBA (Association of Mills & Boon Authors) meeting.
What's more, while Nicola was devoting all her time and energies to other people's books and the great carousel of the Awards event, her own latest title was just one day away from publication.
Out now, and yes, I've already read it. It's a time-slip with some truly terrifying moments in two dramatic stories — and one seriously mixed-up heroine. Couldn't put it down. It's fabulous.
Romance Authors rock. How lucky I am to be one of this fellowship.
A great evening of celebrating my kind of novel with friends old and new. Above all the delight of sharing of the joys of travelling hopefully, kindness and respect.
Happy sigh.
This entry was posted in competitions, writing and tagged Booker, Costa, Jane Godman, Joe Heap, Liz Fielding, Nicola Cornick, Penny Jordan, Prix Goncourt. Anne Weale on 10th March 2019 by Sophie.
← The story began, but where? Liz Fielding puzzles Writing Retreats : Pleasures and Pitfalls →
15 thoughts on "Romantic Novel Awards 2019"
Liz Fielding 10th March 2019 at 08:58
Such a wonderful event. A chance to meet up with friends in the industry, applaud the shortlisted authors and hug Jane Godman, who was sitting next to me. Such a special night.
Sophie Post author 10th March 2019 at 10:48
I agree. It was very special, wasn't it?
lizharriswriter 10th March 2019 at 09:13
What a lovely post, Sophie. Thank you for it. 🙂
You're very welcome, Liz. Sorry you weren't there.
lesley2cats 10th March 2019 at 09:17
It is a lovely post, Sophie. Made me wish I'd been there.
Joanna 10th March 2019 at 09:59
You missed a terrific event, Lesley. I was there too (see pic of elated Jane Godman with Sophie and me on the home page) and the evening was just as warm and welcoming as Sophie says. Huge thanks to the RNA.
I can add my own memory of being gathered up by kind authors. My first RNA event was a winter party, about twenty years ago. I was on my own and knew no one. But lovely Kate Hardy gathered me into the fold. She says she doesn't remember. But I do.
Ah, yes, we always remember those lovely people who rescue us from Knowing Nobody, don't we? Kate Hardy is a fully paid up sweetheart.
Thank you Lesley. I wish you had been, too. It was very special. AND there's a new award coming next year which might just fit your books …
Sarah Mallory 10th March 2019 at 10:51
It's wonderful to be able to share in the Awards ceremony, even if it is only at a distance. Thank you, Sophie, for describing the event so well. I am off now to hunt down even more books for my TBR list!
Oh, I'm glad if this blog made you feel that, Sarah. That's what I wanted it to do. Thank you.
John Jackson 10th March 2019 at 13:08
Lovely memories from a cracking night!!
Glad your memory jumps with mine, John. It was, indeed, a fun occasion.
So agree. And thank you for the pics, too, John. I've downloaded your pic of the "Libertà gels" for future use. Good of you to allow us to do so.
Julie Vince 11th March 2019 at 12:52
Great post, always enjoy the Liberta blogs! It was a sparkling night and it was lovely to meet Jane, a popular and deserving winner of the Shorter Romantic Prize sponsored by Liberta. Congratulations here, too to Liz Fielding and the short-listed and winning authors!
Denise Barnes 12th March 2019 at 16:59
Thanks for the post, Jenny. I couldn't be there but I had a good flavour by your super description.
Denise x


text:
KK's Family History
Researching the Kult & Lawhorn and Case & Collier Families
Contact KK
First Name: Last Name: Birth Married ID:
Matches 145 to 192 of 718
145 S126 1870 U.S. census, Washington County, Illinois, population schedule, T1S R1W, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 287.
146 S1233 1870 U.S. census, Washington County, Illinois, population schedule, T1S R2W, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 287.
147 S628 1870 U.S. census, Washington County, Illinois, population schedule, T3S R2W, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 287.
148 S807 1876 Missouri State census, McDonald County, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing Missouri State Census collection, Jefferson City, MO : Missouri State Archives.
149 S1189 1876 Missouri State census, Phelps County, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing Missouri State Census collection, Jefferson City, MO : Missouri State Archives.
150 S184 1880 U.S. census, Dent County, Missouri, population schedule, Watkins Township, enumeration district (ED) 66, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 685.
151 S956 1880 U.S. census, Des Moines County, Iowa, population schedule, Union Township, enumeration district (ED) 119, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 337.
152 S1116 1880 U.S. census, Franklin County, Illinois, population schedule, Goode, enumeration district (ED) 11, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 207.
153 S496 1880 U.S. census, Gentry County, Missouri, population schedule, Cooper, enumeration district (ED) 273, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 687.
154 S1121 1880 U.S. census, Jefferson County, Illinois, "Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes," Insane Inhabitants, Blissville, enumeration district (ED) 45, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing NARA microfilm publication T1156, roll 30-2167.
155 S161 1880 U.S. census, Jefferson County, Illinois, population schedule, Blissville, enumeration district (ED) 65, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 215.
156 S1124 1880 U.S. census, Jefferson County, Illinois, population schedule, Casner Township, enumeration district (ED) 44, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 215.
157 S1128 1880 U.S. census, Lee County, Iowa, population schedule, Charleston Township, enumeration district (ED) 11, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 349.
158 S497 1880 U.S. census, McDonald County, Missouri, population schedule, McMillian Township, enumeration district (ED) 96, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 701.
159 S143 1880 U.S. census, McDonald County, Missouri, population schedule, Pineville Township, enumeration district (ED) 92, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 701.
160 S1141 1880 U.S. census, Perry County, Illinois, mortality schedule, Tamoroa, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T1133, roll 63.
161 S1118 1880 U.S. census, Perry County, Illinois, population schedule, Tamaroa, enumeration district (ED) 71, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 241.
162 S177 1880 U.S. census, Phelps County, Missouri, population schedule, Edgar Springs, enumeration district (ED) 128, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 709.
163 S199 1880 U.S. census, Phelps County, Missouri, population schedule, Liberty Township, enumeration district (ED) 121, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 708.
164 S710 1880 U.S. census, Phelps County, Missouri, population schedule, Spring Creek Township, enumeration district (ED) 128, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 709.
165 S926 1880 U.S. census, Randolph County, Illinois, population schedule, Chester Precinct 7, enumeration district (ED) 98, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 256.
166 S289 1880 U.S. census, Texas County, Missouri, population schedule, Licking, enumeration district (ED) 131, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 739.
167 S287 1880 U.S. census, Texas County, Missouri, population schedule, Summerville Township, enumeration district (ED) 130, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 739.
168 S927 1880 U.S. census, Washington County, Illinois, population schedule, DuBois Precinct, enumeration district (ED) 128, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 256.
169 S629 1880 U.S. census, Washington County, Illinois, population schedule, Nashville, enumeration district (ED) 130, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 257.
170 S630 1880 U.S. census, Washington County, Illinois, population schedule, Pilot Knob, enumeration district (ED) 101, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 797.
171 S107 1880 U.S. census, Washington County, Illinois, population schedule, Richview Township, enumeration district (ED) 127, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 256.
172 S185 1890 U.S. census, Dent County, Missouri, "Special Schedule: Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, etc.," Watkins Township, enumeration district (ED) 82, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication M123, roll 29.
173 S898 1890 U.S. census, McDonald County, Missouri, "Special Schedule: Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, etc.," McMillen Township, enumeration district (ED) 129, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication M123, roll 30.
174 S899 1890 U.S. census, Sullivan County, Missouri, "Special Schedule: Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, etc.," Buchanan Township, enumeration district (ED) 241, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication M123, roll 31.
175 S318 1900 U.S. census, Benton County, Arkansas, population schedule, Hico Township, enumeration district (ED) 17, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 51.
176 S264 1900 U.S. census, Dent County, Missouri, population schedule, Watkins Township, enumeration district (ED) 20 , Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 853.
177 S1117 1900 U.S. census, Franklin County, Illinois, population schedule, Goode Township, enumeration district (ED) 32, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 301.
178 S109 1900 U.S. census, Jefferson County, Illinois, population schedule, Bald Hill Township, enumeration district (ED) 65, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 308.
179 S162 1900 U.S. census, Jefferson County, Illinois, population schedule, Blissville, enumeration district (ED) 66, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 308.
181 S1122 1900 U.S. census, Jefferson County, Illinois, population schedule, Blissville, enumeration district (ED) 66, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 308.
182 S722 1900 U.S. census, McDonald County, Missouri, population schedule, Anderson Township, enumeration district (ED) 95, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 873.
183 S815 1900 U.S. census, McDonald County, Missouri, population schedule, Anderson Township, enumeration district (ED) 95, HeritageQuest (http://persi.heritagequestonline.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 873.
184 S501 1900 U.S. census, McDonald County, Missouri, population schedule, McMillen Township, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 873.
185 S271 1900 U.S. census, Ouray County, Colorado, population schedule, Imogene Township, enumeration district (ED) 85, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 127.
186 S148 1900 U.S. census, Perry Country, Illinois, population schedule, Swanwick Precinct, enumeration district (ED) 57, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 335.
187 S316 1900 U.S. census, Phelps County, Missouri, population schedule, Liberty Township, enumeration district (ED) 104, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 881.
188 S876 1900 U.S. census, Phelps County, Missouri, population schedule, Spring Creek Township (north part), enumeration district (ED) 110, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 873.
190 S263 1900 U.S. census, Phelps County, Missouri, population schedule, Spring Creek Township, enumeration district (ED) 109, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 881.
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Now you can take AllGo's very own kitty Dillon "Dill Pickle" McFrazz out with you every time you shop with AllGo's tote bag!
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All orders greater than $100 are eligible for a $25 discount. Use the code 25OFF at checkout.


The treatment of acoustic neuromas (AN) usually involves surgical excision or stereotactic radiosurgery. However, for large AN (diameter > 3 cm), stereotactic radiosurgery is rarely used, leaving patients with limited noninvasive treatment options. Recently, the use of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) has been effective in treating small to medium-sized AN. We present a patient with large AN treated with FSRT.
The patient was a 43-year-old man presenting with imbalance, tinnitus, vertigo, and right-sided hearing decline associated with vomiting and hydrocephalus. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a large 3.77 cm right cerebellopontine angle tumor compressing the fourth ventricle. Following right frontal ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement, the patient underwent FSRT for treatment of the tumor. Using the Radionics X-Knife 4.0 3D treatment planning system, a total of 54 Gy was delivered in 1.8-Gy daily fractions with the prescription isodose line of 90%. Treatments were delivered using a dedicated Varian 6/100 linear accelerator, and head immobilization was achieved with the Gill-Thomas-Cosman relocatable stereotactic frame. The patient was subsequently evaluated with serial contrast-enhanced MR imaging.
Following FSRT, local control (defined as the absence of tumor progression) was achieved and treatment was well-tolerated. There was no hearing-related, trigeminal or facial nerve morbidity following FSRT at 63-month follow-up.
Treating a patient with a large AN with FSRT resulted in local tumor control, with no trigeminal nerve, facial nerve or hearing-related morbidity. These results support FSRT as a potential noninvasive treatment modality for acoustic neuromas some would consider too large for single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery.


You can easily insert Google Maps into your posts with this plugin.PHP5 required.Installation :Get Google Maps API Key. 1. Upload this directory to your plugins directory. It will create a 'wp-content/plugins/easy_mapcreator/' directory. 2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress. 3. Enter your Google Maps API key in the option pane. 4. Click 'Map Creator' button on the post editor.
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text:
Mccallum, Margaret E.. "Solange Chaput-Rolland". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 12 November 2015, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/solange-chaput-rolland. Accessed 16 July 2019.
Mccallum, M., Solange Chaput-Rolland (2015). In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/solange-chaput-rolland
Mccallum, Margaret E., "Solange Chaput-Rolland". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published March 24, 2008; Last Edited November 12, 2015. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/solange-chaput-rolland
Mccallum, Margaret E.. The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Solange Chaput-Rolland", Last Edited November 12, 2015, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/solange-chaput-rolland
Solange Chaput-Rolland
Article by Margaret E. Mccallum
Last Edited November 12, 2015
Solange Chaput-Rolland, OC, OQ, author, television host, politician, senator and advocate for constitutional recognition of Québec's special status within the Canadian federation (born 14 May 1919 in Montréal, QC; died 31 October 2001 in Sainte-Marguerite-Estérel, QC).
Solange Chaput-Rolland, OC, OQ, author, television host, politician, senator and advocate for constitutional recognition of Québec's special status within the Canadian federation (born 14 May 1919 in Montréal, QC; died 31 October 2001 in Sainte-Marguerite-Estérel, QC). Among the first cohort of Québec women who could vote in provincial elections, Chaput-Rolland spent much of her career attempting to interpret Québec for the rest of Canada.
Education and Marriage
One of five children of industrialist Émile Chaput and his wife, Rosalie Loranger (daughter of Judge Louis-Onésime Loranger), Solange Chaput was educated at the Couvent d'Outremont, the Sorbonne and the Catholic Institute of Paris. In March 1941, she married pulp-and-paper magnate André Rolland, whose family had founded Rolland Inc., one of Canada's oldest paper makers. They had two children, Suzanne Monange and Claude Rolland.
Chaput-Rolland could have enjoyed a comfortable life bound by the social circles of Québec's privileged class, but instead she made a career for herself as an astute political commentator. Beginning in the 1940s, she contributed opinion pieces to Québec newspapers and journals, and in the mid-1950s founded a monthly magazine, Point de vue, which, for seven years, provided a forum for influential journalists including Judith Jasmin, Roger Duhamel, Guy Beaulne, Andréanne Lafond, Dostaler O'Leary and Pierre Bourgault. At Radio-Canada, Chaput-Rolland participated in new public affairs programming including Carrefour and Conférence de presse. She also hosted the program Fémina. In 1974, as head of the Cercle des femmes journalistes, she was instrumental in creating the Prix Judith-Jasmin.
English Canadians first came to know Chaput-Rolland through letters she exchanged with author Gwethalyn Graham, published as Dear Enemies/Chers ennemis (1963). In 1977–79, Chaput-Rolland toured Canada as a member of the federally-appointed Pépin-Robarts Task Force on Canadian Unity. Contemporaries commented that without her, the final report would not have so eloquently articulated the possibilities of an asymmetrical federalism that would recognize Québec's national history and aspirations. Chaput-Rollandwas deeply disappointed when the federal government did not implement the Commission's recommendations.
In 1979, Chaput-Rolland accepted the invitation of Claude Ryan, then leader of the Liberal Opposition in the Québec National Assembly, to run in a by-election. As an opposition MNA, she campaigned vigorously for the "Non" side in the referendum on sovereignty-association conducted in 1980 by the Parti Québécois (PQ) government led by René Lévesque. She was often a featured speaker at the successful "Yvette" brunches and rallies organized by "Non" supporters after Lise Payette, a high-profile feminist and member of the PQ Cabinet, suggested that women who opposed Québec's claim to autonomy were good little "Yvettes" who did what they were told. Although the "Non" side prevailed in the referendum, the PQ were re-elected in 1981 and Chaput-Rolland lost her seat to the PQ candidate. Returning to her media career, she co-wrote, with Michèle Bazin, the popular television drama "Monsieur le ministre."
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney appointed Chaput-Rolland to the Senate in 1988 on the recommendation of Québec PremierRobert Bourassa, and in accordance with the formula for Senate appointments agreed on by premiers in the Meech Lake Accord. Chaput-Rolland supported the Accord, which would have recognized Québec as a distinct society, but the Accord failed to obtain the necessary level of approval in provincial legislatures. As a Senator, Chaput-Rolland maintained the independence of mind that had characterized her career; she voted against some of the financial perks of the position, and declined to collect them herself. She retired from the upper chamber in 1994 when she reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Awards and Legacy
Over her career, Chaput-Rolland wrote more than 25 books, including three novels, many works of political and social analysis, and a cookbook with her daughter. She received the Memorial Award (Media Club) in 1972 and the Don MacArthur Award in 1975 for a series of articles on the Middle East. She was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1975 and an Officer of the Québec National Order (Ordre national du Québec) in 1985. In 1983, she became the first woman from Québec to receive an honorary doctorate from Queen's University.
Journalist Marc Laurendeau, commenting on Chaput-Rolland's life and work, described her as a pioneer of opinion journalism, who, by her example, encouraged women in Québec and Canada to develop and express their own point of view on political questions. Chaput-Rolland identified herself foremost as a Quebecker, but she remained a federalist, although an increasingly disenchanted one, because she believed that both Québec and Canada would be stronger if the Canadian federation could accommodate Québec nationalism.
Fumées (Beauchemin, 1943).
Solange Chaput-Rolland and Gwethalyn G.E. Brown, Chers ennemis (Les Éditions du Jour, 1963). Published in English as Dear Enemies: A Dialogue on French and English Canada (Macmillan of Canada, 1963).
Mon pays, Québec ou le Canada?,foreword by Claude Ryan (Cercle du livre de France, 1966). Published in English as My Country, Canada or Québec? (Macmillan of Canada, 1966).
Québec Année Zéro (Cercle du livre de France, 1968). Published in English as Reflections: Québec Year One, forewordby Hugh MacLennan (Chateau Books, 1968).
Une ou deux sociétés justes? (Cercle du livre de France, 1969).
La seconde conquête (Cercle du Livre de France, 1970). Published in English as The Second Conquest: Reflections II (Chateau Books, 1970).
Solange Chaput-Rolland and Gertrude Laing, Face to Face (New Press, 1972).
Les heures sauvages (Cercle du livre de France, 1972).
Watergate (Cercle du Livre de France, 1973).
Les maudits journalistes (Cercle du livre de France, 1975).
Lettres ouvertes à treize personnalités politiques (Pierre Tisseyre, 1977).
Solange Chaput-Rolland and Suzanne Monange, Une cuisine toute simple (Éditions du Jour, 1978).
De l'unité à la réalité (P. Tisseyre, 1981).
Le Mystère Québec (P. Tisseyre, 1984).
Les quatre saisons d'Isabelle (Libre expression, 1994).
Et tournons la page (Libre expression, 1989).
Le tourment et l'apaisement (Libre expression, 1990).
Solange Chaput-Rolland and Brenda Robertson, Chère sénateur (Libre expression, 1992).
Nous Deux (Libre expression, 1993).
Où es-tu? (Libre expression, 1995).
Les élus et les déçus (Libre expression, 1996).
Marc Laurendeau, "Solange Chaput-Rolland : une pionnière du journalisme d'opinion," Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec, vol. 26, no. 1 (décembre–janvier 2002).
Francine Richer and Francine Harel-Giasson, Solange Chaput-Rolland: la soif de liberté́ (Éditions Transcontinental, 1997).
Grace Annie Lockhart
Eliza Ritchie


The next 7 day outlook for Kalgoorlie shows the average daytime maximum temperature will be around 25°C, with a high for the week of 29°C expected on the afternoon of Monday 29th. The mean minimum temperature will be 13°C, dipping to its lowest on the morning of Tuesday 30th at 11°C. The coming week will remain predominantly dry. On the whole winds are likely to be moderate.


To mark their 50th anniversary, Wurstfest commissioned a new event center, which was aptly named Stelzenhaus (or Stilted House) after it was finally built. The building is located on the site of the Wurstfest grounds in New Braunfels, which is bordered by the hydro-electric Landa Falls and the Comal River.
Due to its location, next to a body of water, and the geotechnical study detecting caving layers of gravel, temporary steel casings were used to install the 17-foot drilled piers. Since the structure is in the 100-year flood plain, it had to be elevated on 12-foot steel columns on top of concrete piers, which resulted in a useable, covered space below the finish floor. Overall, the elevated structure measures 12,700 square foot with a 12,500 square foot concrete pad at the lower level. The second level of the structure houses an event center with a restaraunt and features an open truss design.
M&S Engineering provided all structural design and analysis for the foundations, structural steel framing, decking, concrete ramp, as well as a retaining wall. The engineering design also included an elevated platform to hold the A/C unit and incorporated the use of an exterior cooler. The M&S structural team also performed periodic construction observations and inspections.


Welcome to Raiacars.com, The next review about 2016 Ram 1500 from RAM cars. Let's see more specification, concept and review details for this cars below.
Power for the 2016 Ram 1500 will be outsourced from more than one engine. Including in the list is a 3.6-liter V6 engine with the potency of generating 305 horsepower and 270 pounds-feet of torque. Another great option is the 5.7-liter V8 unit with a power outputting capacity of 410 horsepower and 415 pounds-feet of torque. The truck will also be offered with a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel powertain with a maximum power output of 240 horses. The last engine option will be connected to eight speed automatic gearbox something that will boost its fuel economy to at least 18 mpg when driving in town and 25 mpg when driving on the open road. The truck will come in both front wheel drive and four-wheel drive. Due to the improved engine options, the towing capacity of the engine will be improved.The exterior remains the same despite some insignificant changes that have been done on the front and rear sides. In all of the trims, the truck gets color coordinated bumpers that makes it more responsible and effective. Other significant changes on the exterior of the upcoming truck are alloy wheels and steel rims which are wrapped in off-road tires. A dual exhaust is also offered in the truck something that boosts the overall performance of the engine as it breathes easily and more effectively.
2016 Ram 1500. All Images, Picture, Photo, Wallpapers and backgrounds found here are believed to be in the "public domain". Most of the images displayed are of unknown origin. We do not intend to infringe any legitimate intellectual right, artistic rights or copyright for 2016 Ram 1500 images. If you are the rightful owner of any of the images posted here, and you do not want it to be displayed or if you require a suitable credit, then please contact us.


1. In the [duke's] seventeenth year, in spring, in the king's second month, on Gengwu, Keng, viscount of Zhu, died.
2. A body of men from Song invaded Chen.
3. In summer, Shi Mai of Wey led a force, and invaded Cao.
4. In autumn, the marquis of Qi invaded our northern borders, and laid siege to Tao. Gao Hou of Qi invaded our northern borders, and laid siege to Fang.
5. In the ninth month, there was a grand sacrifice for rain.
6. Hua Chen of Song fled from that State to Chen.
7. In winter, a body of men from Zhu invaded our southern borders.
冬.邾人伐我南鄙.為齊故也. In winter, a body of men from Zhu invaded our southern borders. This movement of Zhu was in the interest of Qi.
宋華閱卒.華臣弱皋比之室.使賊殺其宰華吳.賊六人以鈹殺諸盧門.合左師之後.左師懼曰.老夫無罪.賊曰.皋比私有討於吳.遂幽其妻.曰.畀余而大璧.宋公聞之.曰.臣也.不唯其宗室是暴.大亂宋國之政.必逐之.左師曰.臣也亦卿也.大臣不順.國之恥也.不如蓋之.乃舍之.左師為己短策.苟過華臣之門.必騁. 'On the death of Hua Yue of Song, [his brother] Hua Chen, despising the weakness of [Yue's son], Gaobi, employed some ruffians to kill his steward Hua Wu. There were six of them, and they did the deed with a long spear near the Lu gate, behind the house of the master of the Left, him of He. The master of the Left was afraid, and said to them, "The old man has committed no crime;" but they replied that Gaobi for some private reasons wanted to take Wu off. [Chen] then kept Wu's wife in confinement, and required her to give him her large bi. When the duke of Song heard of these things, he said, "Chen is not only tyrannizing over the members of his own House, but he is throwing the government of the State into great confusion;—he must be driven out." The master of the Left, however, said, "But Chen is also a minister. If the great ministers are [seen to be thus] insubordinate, it will be a disgrace to the State. You had better cover the matter up." Chen accordingly was let alone; but the master of the Left made himself a short whip, and, whenever he passed Hua Chen's gate, made his horses gallop.
澤門之皙.實興我役.邑中之黔.實慰我心.子罕聞之.親執扑.以行築者.而抶(chì)其不勉者.曰吾儕小人.皆有闔廬.以辟燥濕寒暑.今君為一臺而不速成.何以為役.謳者乃止.或問其故.子罕曰.宋國區區.而有詛有祝.禍之本也. "The White of the Ze gate Laid on us this task. The Black in the city's midst Would comfort our hearts." Zihan, hearing of this, took a stick, and went round among them, and chastised those who were not diligent, saying, "We, the small people, all have our cottages where we can shut ourselves up, and escape the burning sun, and the wet, the cold and the heat. Now our ruler is building a single tower; if you do not quickly finish it, how can you be regarded as doing work?" On this the singers stopped. When some one asked Zihan the reason of his conduct, he said, "The State of Song is very small. To have them blessing one in it and cursing another, would lead to calamity."


Organization's 5th Civil Court District Boss-Controlled "Panel"
The Regular Organization Party district leaders set up their own secret "screening panel" for a vacancy in the Manhattan 5th Civil Court District. The panel members' names were kept secret, but your correspondent stumbled upon a crumpled piece of paper in the street outside Marc Landis's home which had their names (see below). We'll have more about this return to boss-control at a later date.
What is highly unusual is that the panel's administrator is none other than the just-retired judge Karen Smith for whom the panel are to suggest a replacement. How she affects the panel is the big question. And what is all the more outrageous is that we understand that she has been doing most of the questioning of the applicants!
Here, in no particular order, are those secret panelists: Monalisa Morales, Marti Weithman, Carmen Ithier, Sherry Plotnick, Tom Capers, Lana Woods, Martha Rayner, Heydee Rosario, and Ana Pumarol.
A few have asked why the Chelsea "Reform" Dem. Club's fund-raiser last weekend wasn't listed in the Calendar of Selected (Manhattan) Events. Because they didn't want to be listed. We were told that the fund-raiser "was only for members and public officials." What?
For Manhattan-ites who may not have heard, Kings County Supreme Court Justice Gustin and Mrs. Reichbach recently lost their daughter Hope, age twenty-two. Notes of condolence may be sent to them at 148 Bond St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217.
made glorious summer by this sun of Mario.