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A LOVERS DISCOURSEBy Xiaolu Guo

JUST LIKE YOUBy Nick Hornby

Not even the most starry-eyed Europhile would claim that the relationship between Britain and the European Union was ever a love match. But somehow, for over 40 years, they held it together, like a pair of bickering partners who fight bitterly but are still in it for the long haul. Brexit, of course, changed everything.

Two new novels reflect on the meaning of this still-unfolding breakup. They each dramatize a love affair set against the backdrop of Brexit, using the most universal and gratifying human experience to illuminate one of the most arcane and incomprehensible.

Helpfully, the unnamed narrator of Xiaolu Guos novel A Lovers Discourse is an anthropologist. Shes able to cast her ethnographic eye over the mystifying natives and try to make sense of their impenetrable customs in this case, the inhabitants of 21st-century Britain and their disagreements over Europe.

The book reverses the common theme of a perplexed Westerner baffled by the habits and rituals of an Asian country. Transplanted to London, the Chinese-born narrator struggles with the citys transport system, tries to find Brexit in her dictionary and wonders if London Wall is anything like the Great Wall of China. (In fact, its a largely notional vestige of the citys Roman boundary).

Our heroine meets a half-Australian, half-German landscape architect, and a love affair begins. They move passionately and possibly rashly through the early stages of romance to set up home in a very particular corner of London: its floating subculture of itinerant narrow-boat dwellers.

Guo is an unsparing noticer. She paints a vivid but unflattering portrait of her new dwelling in her adopted country: I stared at the canal. This was the English water, cold, gray and full of deadly discharge. Just a few ducks floating by, with their feet trapped in plastic shopping bags.

The truthfulness and accuracy of Guos language gives the book mischief and energy. There are shades of Lydia Davis in her carefully etched sentences as she details the ups and downs of the relationship without sentimentality. Once we got onto the bed, I no longer felt horny, Guo writes. The bed was cold, the duvet heavy. I was distracted by a patch of bird poo, dried on the bedside window. But we made love.

What propels the book forward is in part the sense of suspense that hangs over the nascent relationship: Has our heroine made an enormous mistake getting together with an itchy-footed boat lover? But theres also something compelling about the breadth of the world the narrator inhabits. The book moves briskly from the canals of North London to Scotland, Australia, Germany and China. Along the way, its capacious enough to touch on moments of real darkness, while somehow managing to be mordant, funny and, ultimately, life-affirming.

The English novelist Nick Hornbys best-selling books are rooted in an engaging and funny literary persona. Over the years, his writing has anatomized commitment and relationships with a sharp eye for foibles especially male ones. In his ninth work of fiction, Just Like You, he focuses on a pair of mismatched lovers: Lucy, a 42-year-old English teacher, and Joseph, the 22-year-old assistant in the butchers shop where she buys meat for her two young sons.

Stuck for child care and perhaps taken by Josephs good looks Lucy asks Joseph to babysit for her. This relationship deepens when he fends off her drunken ex-husband and forms a bond with her soccer-mad sons. It soon becomes clear that despite the age gap, theres a sexual spark between the two main characters.

Were in familiar territory for the author: a North London setting, amiable comedy and nebbishy internal monologues about the awkwardness of social interactions. He found himself wondering whether he would ever go to the cinema with Lucy, Hornby writes. It was completely possible, of course, in the sense that very small ambitions can be achieved quite easily, if one can be bothered. He could just ask her, maybe after a couple more babysitting sessions.

However, age is not the only obstacle. Theres another difference tiptoed around in the novels promotional copy in a way that suggests nervousness, at least on the part of the publisher: Josephs of a different class, a different culture and a different generation. Different culture here means that Joseph is Black and Lucy is white.

How do two people from such different backgrounds manage to transcend their differences? Without too much difficulty, it turns out. As we slip between their viewpoints, Lucy worries about meeting Josephs mother and Joseph frets about introducing Lucy to his friends, but the actual relationship progresses with enviable ease. Josephs smart, wise beyond his years, a natural with the kids. The sexual side of things gets underway smoothly: He learned quickly and within a few days or nights or dates or whatever they had entered a Golden Age. No bird poo or asynchronous libidos here. Even their inevitable setbacks are handled with dignity.

In fact, theres no great sense of jeopardy at all, beyond the readers vague anxiety over whether Britains most genial living novelist is going to get canceled by an indignant Twitter mob for straying out of his lane.

The charm of Hornbys previous books has been the way they balance middlebrow uplift with enough emotional truth to make the fantasy feel grounded. Here, theres something underimagined about the two main characters. Tackling the intractable subjects of race and Brexit, the author seems constrained to make Lucy and Joseph exemplary and consequently rather bland.

Though theres a lot of dialogue internal and external were not permitted to see much. It feels as if the leads have yet to be cast and the fictional world awaits the vision of a director. The characters thoughts linger on innocuous subjects and hurry past potentially awkward ones. The sex is obliquely described and the question of whether Lucy is fetishizing her handsome young Black partner is raised for an instant, then dashed. Shes able to recognize the tendency in her friend: Would Emma be licking her lips if he were a handsome young white butchers assistant? she wonders. But the thought an intriguing one is swiftly dispelled, too uncomfortable for the books PG-certificate world.

The novel saves its ridicule for cartoonish minor characters and predictable targets: pretentious art, middle-aged white novelists, elderly theatergoers, racist police officers, libidinous middle-aged women. While its never a disagreeable book, its hampered by a flatness that comes from our feeling that the author has deliberately wired things so the conflict will never rise above a certain voltage. And in the fraught times in which the novel has arrived, its bonhomie comes off as strained and false.

Both A Lovers Discourse and Just Like You suggest that in a time of struggle between seemingly irreconcilable opposites, who hold each others differences to be moral failings, it might be instructive to consider how humans overcome obstacles in other types of relationships.

Guo gives her characters scope to live and suffer, so her books final affirmation has a hard-won quality that carries weight. But, in the end, the child-proofed world of Just Like You cant tell us much about difficult negotiations. Conflict-averse, it seems to endorse Josephs approach to the Brexit referendum: Check all the boxes so no one has a reason to dislike you.

Link:
The Brexit Romance: Finding Love in Irreconcilable Times - The New York Times

Open to all creative professionals, students and those involved in the built environment the competition seeks bold visions for how urban public spaces could better serve people following the challenges and upheaval of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The call for concepts will identify a range of solutions for how pressures resulting from Covid-19 and other major challenges such as climate change could create a positive and long-lasting legacy in which streets, squares and other public spaces are radically improved for everyone.

According to the brief: COVID-19 has had a devastating and unprecedented effect on our lives, economies, the places where we live and our lifestyles. These effects are likely to be long lasting and profound. Yet in the midst of these dark times there have been some glimmers of hope city dwellers have heard birdsong for the first time; urban air is visibly cleaner; Venices water more clear and car use has reduced.

Many of the changes that are needed to help combat climate change were implemented rapidly to minimise the spread of the disease. This presents us with a unique opportunity to use the effects of the pandemic to create a positive and long-lasting legacy to the benefit of our communities, the places where we live, work and play and the environment.

The coronavirus pandemic started in January 2020 and has so far resulted in at least 37.5 million infections and 1.07 million deaths. The spread of the disease often via droplets in the air between people in close proximity has resulted in profound shifts in the organisation of societies around the world.

Temporary and potentially lasting requirements for social distancing have forced a rethink of many public spaces, centres of consumption, workspace, and homes severely impacting economies and increasing structural inequalities.

The latest contest divided into separate categories for students and professionals invites participants to select a place and explore how it could be adapted to respond to these new challenges.

Proposals should consider the benefits of a greener recovery, address the climate and biodiversity emergency, and help citizens to lead healthy and safe lives. Submissions must include two A3 sized digital display boards featuring illustrative images and a 250-word description.

Judges will include Ally Lu, lecturer at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield; Cathy Parker, co-chair of the Institute of Place Management; and Krystallia Kamvasinou, senior lecturer at University of Westminsters School of Architecture and Cities.

The overall winner of the professional category will receive a 2,000 prize and a student prize of 500 will also be awarded. All entries will feature in an online exhibition.

The deadline for applications is 5pm, 4 December.

How to apply

Visit the competition website for more information

Contact details

Landscape Institute85 Tottenham Court RoadLondon W1T 4TQ

Tel: 0330 808 2230

View original post here:
Transforming the urban landscape - Architect's Journal

Open International Architectural Competition: Territory of the Right Bank Embankment of the River Moskva From Moscow Ring Road to Stroginskoe Shosse

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The Open International Architectural Competition to develop the territory of the right bank embankment of the River Moskva from Moscow Ring Road to Stroginskoe Shosse (Highway) has started on October, 2.

The competitive territory with a total area of 105.5 hectares has a linear configuration: it is almost 5 km long with an average width of about 0.5 km.

The competition has been initiated by Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning of Moscow (Moskomarkhitektura) and is organized by the State Research and Design Institute for Urban Development of the City of Moscow (GRADPLAN Moscow) as a singe municipal operator to implement the urban development concept to develop territories adjacent to the Moskva River and the Khimki Reservoir.

The main goal of the competition is to prepare architectural, planning, volumetric and landscape solutions for the embankment improvement that meet modern trends in the formation of a comfortable urban environment, taking into account the characteristics of the territory that is part of the protected areas.

The starting point for global changes was the International Competition for Urban Development of the Territories Adjacent to the Moskva River, announced in 2014. Based on its results, the further vector of development of the embankments and the need for a detailed study of each section were determined. Thanks to this approach, it is planned to transform tens of kilometers of river embankments in Moscow. They will become the centers of public life, where there will be significant territories for the city.

The organizers are waiting for proposals coming from participants on architectural and planning, spatial and landscape solutions for the improvement of the embankment to integrate into the environment, taking into account the requirements for a specially protected natural area. That is why landscape architects, professionals in the field of strategic development of territories and urban planning, architecture, design, creation and development of public spaces are invited to participate. Preference will be given to teams with proven experience working with natural areas.

The jury is headed by Sergei Kuznetsov, chief architect of Moscow. The jury consists of landscape architects, environmentalists, representatives of public authorities, experts in the field of architecture, economics, marketing, real estate and urban planning.

The Open International Competition will be held in two stages. The first one ends on October 21, when the jury will announce three finalists depending on the results of submitted applications. The winners will be determined based on their portfolios of completed projects that demonstrate relevant experience, as well as essays describing the main ideas to form the future concept base. The teams will start developing their concepts, and a winner will be determined at the final jury meeting on December 2. The total prize fund of the competition is 14,000,000 rubles. The Agency for Strategic Development CENTER is responsible for the competition procedure.

Open International Architectural Competition: Territory of the Right Bank Embankment of the River Moskva From Moscow Ring Road to Stroginskoe Shosse

Competition Announcement (Built Projects & Masterplans)

October 15, 2020 11:59 PM

October 15, 2020 11:59 PM

Moscow

Free

This competition was submitted by an ArchDaily user. If you'd like to submit a competition, call for submissions or other architectural 'opportunity' please use our "Submit a Competition" form. The views expressed in announcements submitted by ArchDaily users do not necessarily reflect the views of ArchDaily.

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Open International Architectural Competition: Territory of the Right Bank Embankment of the River Moskva From Moscow Ring Road to Stroginskoe Shosse -...

Girls and their dog in a field of daisies at Sunset Cliffs Park- OB Exposed submission, Ocean Beach Historical Society

By Kathy Blavatt

What do you think of when you think of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park: Daisies, Native Plants, and Eucalyptus Trees?

As I was writing San Diegos Sunset Cliffs: A History, over the last couple of years, I was surprised that the number one thing people were most passionate about was the parks plants.

Just telling people I was writing a book about Sunset Cliffs Parks history seemed to be a trigger to many people when it came to the parks plants. The impassioned comments I received included: Why are they taking out the daisies? Why did they cut down the eucalyptus trees? and The park should be native plants!

Native plants blooming in the spring at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.

Sunset Cliffs Park and the surrounding community have a unique and extraordinary history of horticulture, landscape, the development of food crops, and the propagation of plants that grow in coastal zones. I hope people read the book to learn the history of the plants and habitat, which is fascinating.

The Point Loma peninsulas early human inhabitants included the native Kumeyaay. They migrated annually to the coast from inland. They brought many native plants to the Point Loma Peninsula to be used as food and for utilitarian uses.

At the turn of the 1900s, many changes came to the Point Loma Peninsula. Katheryn Tingley and the Theosophists formed Lomaland. Their properties included the (the now) Point Loma Nazarene University campus, properties to the east and north, other plots scattered throughout Point Loma, and the hillside section of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park south of Ladera Street.

The Early 1900s properties owned by Spalding and the Theosophists were planted by some of the United States of Americas most renowned names in landscaping. In 1901, Kate Sessions started the planting on the westerly slopes of the Theosophists properties. Others followed her.

Map of Lomaland documents trees planted, dated 1906- 1909.

Ninety-nine years later, the western hillside became part of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.

Excerpt from San Diegos Sunset Cliffs Book: A History Another visitor attraction on the peninsula and Sunset cliffs was the beautiful vegetation. Over the years, several people worked on planting countless plants on the peninsula, which drew visitors worldwide. Among those involved were Katherine Tingley; landscape architect Kate Sessions; horticulturist Alfred D. Robinson; M.G. Gowell, formerly with the U.S. Geological Survey, who, in 1905, was placed in charge of Point Loma Forestry; and Fred G. Plummer of the U.S. Geological Survey and chief of geography in the U.S. Forestry Service.

Sessions designed the first stage of tree landscapes. Due to harsh conditions and little water, only part of the trees survived.

Under Plummer and Gowells team, the forestation went forward rapidly. Sunset Cliffs vegetation took hold when an ample windbreak of eucalyptus trees was planted along the bluff overlooking the ocean.

Eucalyptus trees used as early wind blocks to protect foliage seen in early postcard.

Other varieties of trees were planted that included the Point Lomas iconic pines, cypress, palms, pepper, acacias and other trees. By 1910, twenty-two thousand planted trees were thriving on the theological estate, and an unbroken forest of forty acres stretched up the slope from the oceanfront to the area of the Homestead buildings.

Also planted were colorful flowers and a variety of plants, ranging from ornamentals to blooming ice plants. Tingleys orchards of fruit trees, pines and olive groves covered much of the top of the hill and toward the east side.

Lomalands upland trees and greenery dotting the nearby hillsides could be seen from Sunset Cliffs Park. Torrey pines, Northfolk Island pines, and star pines shaded Lomalands Homestead and campus.

As the theosophists were creating a forested community, plans for the cliffs were being put into place by visionary Albert Spalding, who built the first in a series of Sunset Cliffs Parks in 1915. Spalding built his park toward the north bordering Ocean Beach, along the ocean side of Defoe Street (later changed to Sunset Cliffs Boulevard).

Albert Spaldings 1915 rustic Japanese style Sunset Cliffs Park was landscaped with pickleweed as seen in this early postcard. Notice they called the Sunset Cliffs Park area Ocean Beach.

Many people referred to the park as Spaldings Park, but he named it Sunset Cliffs Park. It was built in a Japanese style with rustic arched wood bridges, protected picnic areas, and benches. Sunset Cliffs Park was planted with low-water plants that grow well in harsh environments. These included a flowering ice plant called pickleweed and the purple flowering Status.

These were also used on the Lomaland sites.

Around 1969, my parents planted their front yard on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. A neighbor offered them mounds of with yellow and purple flowering pickleweed, that they were taking out. That low-water pickleweed saved my parents a fortune in water bills and has held up well over the decades. I feel very fortunate to have grown up at Sunset Cliffs.

As I was writing my latest book, I had a chance to immerse myself in the history of Sunset Cliffs Park, take photos and sort through historic postcards, maps, photos, and other materials. This project has brought a flood of beautiful childhood memories, such as playing in the daisies, building tree-forts in the Monterey Cypress Trees, and looking for butterflies among the spring blossoms. It has been fabulous to relive those childhood memories and expound upon the history of the cliffs. I hope readers enjoy the book as much as I loved writing it.

For San Diego Sunset Cliffs Park: A History information and book orders for go to: http://www.blavatt.wordpress.com

Photos from San Diegos Sunset Cliffs: A History

Related

Original post:
Love or Hate: The Daisies, Eucalyptus, and Native Plants of Sunset Cliffs It's All History! - OB Rag

By Eric Althoff

DOYLESTOWN, Pa.Architecture firm SLAM Collaborative and healthcare operator Doylestown Health have announced the completion of a 100,000-square-foot, three-story addition to Doylestown Hospital. The $54 million project, the Cardiovascular and Critical Care Pavilion, is being touted by the companies as a facility that will focus on patient-centered care in a setting that is modern and with technological capabilities that are up to the moment.

The exterior for the new area matches the red brick facade of the existing structures, but inside, the design emphasis is on a natural, open environment. Furthermore, the cafeteria that greets visitors offers only healthy dining options, keeping in line with the heart health mission the facility is promoting. (The cafe staff will also be offering cooking classes.) Beyond the cafeteria, visitors will be greeted by a family waiting area featuring a fireplace and furnishings to make it appear more like a home than a hospital setting.

The pavilions second floor hosts the Center for Heart and Vascular Care, which features 28 beds that can each be segregated for maximum privacy. Each bed is also designed to toggle between servicing patients in either interventional vascular or cardiovascular care. The center features patient pods to expedite the response time of clinicians for patient needs.

Completing the Center for Heart and Vascular Care was the first phase of the three-part project. Of primacy in the new construction was the desire for noise reduction, which can be a major detriment to both patients and staff. Dawn Thornton, SLAM architect and lead designer on the project, said that noise levels can actually elevate heart rate and increase patient stress levels.

Well-being is not only the absence of a disease or injury, it is also psychological, Thornton said in a recent statement, adding that a well-planned design can alleviate those very issues. As designers, we need to understand that, while the hospital is a healing environment, it is also a functioning one, she said.

SLAMs three-area layout entails a Clinical Zone, Patient Zone and Family Zone, the last of which is placed farther away from the entranceway to the clinic, and thus gives patients families a peaceful space next to large windows offering views of the natural splendor of eastern Pennsylvania. Also, the Family Zone offers a pull-out sofa for those who might need to stay overnight.

Earlier work that was part of the overall expansion included an endovascular hybrid surgical suite and a brand-new hybrid operating room. An expansion of the cardiac procedural suite on the second floor for 20 pre- and post-op bays is also nearly finished.

Moving forward, future phases of expansion at the Doylestown Hospital include an outpatient cardiac services suite on the first floor, as well as a 32-bed universal room intensive care/intermediate unit on the third floor.

The design firm SLAM has offices around the country and offers consulting on such design elements as landscape architecture, site planning, structural engineering and pre-construction. The company has also worked on other healthcare projects such as a redesign of the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Massachusetts and the Lighthouse Surgery Center at St. Francis Hospital Medical Center in Connecticut.

The contractor on the project was the Norwood Company, based in Malvern, Pa.

The rest is here:
Pennsylvania Hospital Adds $54M Addition - HCO News - Healthcare Construction and Operations News

At the end of August 2019, British carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda revealed its ambitious Aston Martin Automotive Galleries and Lairs initiative, a service for designing customized garages (and homes) for Aston Martin customers looking to show off their high-end automobiles.

Now the auto manufacturer has revealed the first fruits of its labor, in collaboration with the New York City-based S3 Architecture: A faceted, sloping residential compound on a sprawling 55-acre landscape in Rhinebeck, New York, called Sylvan Rock.

True to its name, Sylvan Rock takes advantage of and emulates Upstate New Yorks dramatic glacial rock formations. The two-story private residence is topped with a sharply sloping metal roof intended to reference mountain peaks that dramatically dips to cover the semi-subterranean garage and glass-walled car gallery. The 8,430-square-foot home itself will be wrapped in blackened-cedar cladding and expansive glass, a palette repeated across the three pods (basically cabins) nearby for guests.

Sited on a small bluff, the house was elevated and designed to give 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape, including the Catskill Mountains. Other perks include an underground wine cellar, lounge, and executive office, and high-end finished throughout.

Even accessing Sylvan Rock is car-centric, as S3 and Aston Martin are touting the homes 2,000-foot-long driveway.

The collaboration is also (somewhat paradoxically, given the heavy car emphasis) sustainability-minded. Aside from the wellness pavilion, complete with spa, Aston Martin noted that an on-site garden, accessible through a separate service entrance, is anticipated to produce enough food to make the home self-sufficient. A treehouse on the property, with the same sharply gabled roof as the main house and pods, will allow on-site camping and elevated views of the surrounding wilderness.

When designing, we always let the land speak first and respond to it, said S3 Architecture partner Christopher Dierig in a press release. The roofline mimics the jagged edges of the rock ledge reaching down into the earth, as if the home is born of and launching from the landscape. The resulting design blends our modernist aesthetic with the privacy and context of the rural location to create a unique luxury experience.

Construction on Sylvan Rock is expected to begin sometime in early 2021. It seems that Aston Martin and S3 werent designing for an individual client, as the home has already been listed by Corcoran Country Living for $7.7 million.

View post:
Aston Martin teams with S3 Architecture for its first secret lair home - The Architect's Newspaper

Its not easy to organize events these days, with a pandemic rushing into its second wave. For that very reason, the second edition of the Rome architecture festival called SPAM, which stands for Settimana del Progetto di Architettura nel Mondo, organized by the Rome association of architects is proposed in two versions. On the one hand, the events with live audiences being held in the splendid backdrop of the Roman Aquarium also called the House of Architecture the headquarters of the association of architects, designers, landscape architects and curators of Rome and its province (Ordine degli Architetti Pianificatori Paesaggisti e Conservatori di Roma e provincia). The building was inaugurated in 1887 to a design by Architect Ettore Bernich in line with Quintino Sellas plan to make Rome a centre of science.Leading figures on the international architectural scene will take part in the SPAM 2020 events entitled NEEDS, both in person and online, presenting a gratifying combination that can be watched live on the dedicated YouTube channel. Indeed, the House of Architecture will be set up as a TV studio to enable as much interaction and participation as possible, including by video call. This is an effective response to the current world emergency, making the event all the more enjoyable.Following the first edition, in 2020 the festival also aims to deliver an up-to-date overview of international design, with the involvement of architects, scholars and critics, professionals, artists, and institutions. In the 2019 edition of SPAM, entitled DreamCity, the Rome association of architects invited guests to discuss their Visions of the city to an audience of colleagues and citizens of the capital city: images and descriptions of possible futures, with alternative solutions and specific details about the parameters of growth and transformation. Architects are called on to address many aspects of society; these include anticipating and understanding current changes and those that have not yet begun. It is essential to harness their knowledge of these transformations when planning the future. To make this possible, it is necessary to look at the emerging needs that generate mass phenomena and are capable of grabbing peoples attention and channelling it into an essential driver of change. NEEDS analyses these.Each of the days of the festival will focus on one of the eight themes: FRAGILE, TRANSITION, EDUCATION, HERITAGE, URBAN METABOLISM, HEALTH, LEISURE & GREEN and CO-CITY.Highlights of the packed programme include a lecture by Javier Arpa Fernndez, Research and Education Coordinator of the Why Factory think tank at the Faculty of Architecture of TU Delft on day 12, dedicated to the theme of education, and Martin Rein-Cano, landscape architect, founder and creative director of Topotek 1 on day 15 as part of the day on health, leisure & green. The concluding lecture on day 16, which covers the CO-CITY theme, will be delivered by architect and urban planner, Ute Schneider, partner of KCAP architects&planners.In addition to lectures, focus groups on the themes and round tables to draw attention to the dynamics and mechanisms governing our cities, the festival also includes two exhibitions at the Architects House and film evenings. More information on the dedicated site:https://spamroma.com/

Christiane Brklein

SPAM (Settimana del Progetto di Architettura nel Mondo) Rome Architecture Festival9 - 16 October 2020organized by the Rome association of architects and directed by Roberto GrioImages: see captions1 - Topotek 1 - Hannover, ph. Hanns Joosten2 - SPAM3 - KCAP, Hafencity Hamburg, ph. Elbe&Flut4- Topotek1 - Luxemburg, ph. Hanns Joosten5 - The Why Factory6 - KCAP, Hafencity Hamburg, ph. Fotofrizz7 - Topotek1, Superkilen, ph. Iwan Baan8 - Topotek1, Graz, ph. N. Lackner9 - The Why Factory10 - KCAP, Hafencity Hamburg, ph. Elbe&FlutFind out more: https://spamroma.com/

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Second edition of the Rome architecture festival | Livegreenblog - Floornature.com

By Nancy Sorbella

We are all just trying to find our way, with more than enough uncertainty to go around.

It has been a lost year, one of challenge, to be sure, but in many ways a time of discovery. Personally, I feel more connected to my inner circle than before. Time spent together, whether socially distanced or digitally, is more intentional, and ironically, feels as though we are more present. I am acutely aware of the take-away from each day, because I am not rushing around doing a million things, and am able to spend that elusive quality time doing the things I must, and those that I choose.

I did my time mourning what I took for granted, debating what matters and to whom. Done. As restrictions have eased with each reopening phase, I am all in for living my best life with new parameters.

I am excited that it is fall in the Hudson Valley. Ive already been out and about more now as my daughters activities have been canceled. I no longer catch a 6 a.m. train on Monday mornings and we are more flexible and eager to be outdoors. I do believe that the best is yet to come, but for now we will be making the best of what has come. I hope that these detours along the way will make that path smoother.

The summer was all about gardening for me experimenting, learning and letting my landscape speak to me. There have been some surprises. The pumpkin seeds I planted didnt deliver. However, in the middle of the hosta, somehow pumpkin seeds were sown, and I now have a robust small sugar pumpkin patch. A few dwarf Alberta spruces and some bearded Iris left with free signs on the roadside were a win.

Next up, more native plantings, so next year, when things return to normal (as I hope), there will be less garden maintenance.

So, it is no surprise really, that my recent detours have been outdoors, and in gardens and natural spaces. Visiting them has been inspirational, aspirational and accessible.

Wethersfield Estate & Gardens

I so love experiencing something magnificent, yet at the same time finding that point of connection where I can get ideas, imagine them coming to life in my world, or in this case, on my property.

Wethersfield is one of those magical places. The estate is over 1,000 acres, the legacy of Chauncey Devereux Stillman, who created a cultural, equestrian, intellectual and agrarian space that is open to the public Friday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. There are formal Italian gardens, colorful seasonal plantings, fountains, water gardens, statuary and uncompromised views of the lush hills and valleys of Dutchess County.

What not to miss: Walking your dog, horseback riding or carriage riding (yes!) on the trails. Keep this in mind for next year. Guided tours are suspended because of the pandemic but so are the entrance fees, making Wethersfield the ideal spot to enjoy the natural surroundings to meditate, resuscitate and reset.

Wethersfield Estate & Gardens is located at 257 Pugsley Hill Rd., Amenia, N.Y. 12501. Info: Visit http://www.wethersfield.org.

Dover Stone Church

Unless you are looking for this hidden gem, and maybe even if you are, finding it can be tricky but worth it. Identified only by the New York State blue and yellow historical marker, this ancient cave and trails is the perfect pandemic diversion.

It is not a real church, but rather a natural cavern with a history that dates to the 17th century and includes exquisite rock formation and outcroppings, a peaceful habitat for native flora and fauna with hiking trails for most abilities. It is dog-friendly and free, open daily dawn to dusk. Parking is available at the nearby Dover Elementary School when school is not in session, Tabor Wing House and Freshco 22 Deli. The entrance is at the historic marker, between two private homes.

What not to miss: Viewing the 30-foot natural waterfall that can be seen from inside. Hop over to the Appalachian Trail for more hiking but nothing compares to the contrast of the rugged water/rock hiking and the long nature trails and views of the West Mountain ridge.

Dover Stone Church is located at 3128 NY-22, Dover Plains, N.Y. 12522. Info: 845-832-6111 or visit https://www.doverny.us/dover-stone-church-preserve.

Innisfree Garden

Innisfree Garden, another Dutchess County horticultural treasure, is just the balm we need to get through another season of pandemic isolation. Often considered one of the worlds best gardens, Innisfree is a remarkable example of American environmental sustainability, design, artistry and conservancy.

The 185-acre historic natural resource provides a unique experience, especially as seasons change. Created by a nearly 50-year collaboration between the legendary landscape architect, Lester Collins, and owners Marion Burt Beck and Walter Beck, Innisfree is designed for sustenance, to maintain the ecosystem, beauty, artistry and the personal experience between each of us and nature.

Included in the gardens mission is the encouragement of visitors to find beauty, inspiration, mental respite and healthy activity surrounded by art and nature. This couldnt be more appropriate today.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, reservations are required, Wednesday through Sunday, for slots from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What not to miss: A visit to Innisfree Garden is best enjoyed every season to experience the changing shape, color and view and from each unique cultivated space. Also, take in the water sculpture. There is nothing like it.

Innisfree Garden is located at 362 Tyrrel Rd., Millbrook, N.Y. 12545. Info: 845-677-8000 or visit http://www.innisfreegarden.org.

Read more:
Finding Some Solace While Taking Some Detours Along the Way - The Examiner News

Dominic West the 50-year-old actor who starred in Showtime's controversial show The Affair seems to have stirred a scandalous real-life affair. Ironic, isn't it? The actor was recently spotted passionately kissing and cozying up to his latest co-star, Lily James, 31, in Rome on Sunday, October 11, 2020. Pictures of the two celebrities currently filming the mini-series The Pursuit of Love were splashed across Daily Mail where they could be seen tenderly touching each other.

Paparazzi also captured them riding on an electric scooter around the city and eating lunch together. In one of the photos, West's hand was placed on her back. He could also be seen affectionately caressing James head, planting a kiss on her neck and stroking her as he flaunted his wedding ring free hand. As per the outlet, they also had their friend and mutual manager Angharad Wood for company.

Married to college sweetheart Catherine FitzGerald, the father of five tied the knot with his wife in 2010. Ten years ago, the pair got married in Glin, County Limerick, on June 26 after having dated each other when they were both undergraduates at Trinity College Dublin. It goes without saying that the controversial snaps soon sparked much distress in the couple's life. Although a separation has not been announced, the two were last photographed together publicly in early 2019.

Born as Catherine Celinda Leopoldine FitzGerald in 1971, she was raised as a member of the Irish royal and aristocratic FitzGerald dynasty that originated in Normandy. Her father,Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin, was the lastKnight of Glin.

The royal descendent who grew up with two sisters Honor and Nesta now works as a landscape designer and gardener in Ireland and the UK. She runs a garden studio with famed landscape architect Mark Lutyens. She has worked on plenty of landscaping projects with him including redesigning the gardens at Hillsborough Castle, Lansdowne Crescent, Clarendon Park, Holland Park Avenue, Glenarm Castle and St Olav's Church.

She dated Dominic while studying at Trinity College Dublin. In an interview with Belfast Telegraph, she said, "We went out together for six months, and we had great fun. He actually came to my 21st (in Northern Ireland), then he left and we split up." She added, "Our best friend was also at Trinity with us. We all went on to have separate lives, but were linked through our best friend, Dominic Geraghty, also an actor. And I went to Wisley, and did all this garden stuff and retrained. Then, when Dominic was doing The Wire, we met again through our friend Dominic (Geraghty); I was 32 then. I feel so lucky."

While FitzGerald was previously married to Viscount Lambton, the 7th Earl of Durham, in 1995, she divorced him in 2002. Meanwhile, West was dating his then-girlfriend Polly Astor, the daughter of Michael Astor, and had a daughter named Martha with her. Soon after, West and FitzGerald rekindled their romance when both had separated ways from their partners.

They had four children Dora, 13; Senan, 12; Francis, 11; and Christabel, 7. In 2019, the pair bought Glin Castle, their 14th century ancestral home, to rescue it from being sold. "My children are surrounded by Irish wit and humanity. They have a far broader existence than they would anywhere else in the world," Dominic once said in an interview and the husband-wife duo has even renovated the castle and rented it out to superstars such as Taylor Swift and Mick Jagger.

Back in 2015, Dominic had said of his wife in a Vogue UK interview: "I think, really, what marriage is is two people helping each other to live the best lives they can. And that's what happened with me and my missus. That's why it works. She doesn't get jealous, either. If she were doing the scenes I'm doing in The Affair, I would hate it." He added, "She's incredibly undemanding in that way and it gives me a freedom I never want to give up, and I hope I do that for her, too." The couple reportedly split their time between a townhome in Shepherd's Bush, London, and Glin Castle.

The pictures soon circulated on social media and raised many eyebrows. A female friend of Catherine who came to console her at the family home near Chippenham, Wiltshire, told MailOnline on October 12 that she has seen the pictures and is devastated as she thought they were very much together".

The source said, "Catherine has seen the pictures and she's devastated. I came over to speak with her as soon as I knew about them. Catherine has been trying to speak with Dominic but he's not answering his phone. She's totally shocked because she didn't know anything was going on. They were very much together, so this is completely out of the blue." The insider further added, "She thought they had a good marriage and now it's probably over. That's how she feels right now but the two of them need to speak but at the moment, she's lost for words."

A gardener also spoke to the outlet and said, "This is their family home and as you can see it's a wonderful place. They've got great kids and everything that you can imagine. Catherine was devastated when she saw those pics and they also left us feeling quite numb. It's a total shock to all of us who know them." A neighbor added, "To say she's in shock would be an understatement. She's heartbroken and has got nothing to publicly say. She needs to be left alone and have some time to herself."

If the pictures were not enough, Daily Mail also claims that a source revealed Dominic and Lily "spent two nights in a suite at the top Hotel De La Ville with a panoramic view over the whole city and just at two minutes' walk from the Spanish steps".

James split with her former beau Matt Smith in December 2019 after five years together. Recently, she was pictured enjoying a night out in London with Captain America star Chris Evans.

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Who is Dominic West's wife Catherine FitzGerald? How Lily James kissing pics shattered their 10-year marriage - MEAWW

A leafy drive in Nashville, hikes in the Appalachian wilderness, a spin on a scenic Colorado byway: There are many ways to savor autumn while being mindful of pandemic travel precautions. Below are six fall outings, in Massachusetts, Ohio, West Virginia, Maine, Tennessee and Colorado, replete with apple cider doughnuts, a highway ghost and sightings of otters, beavers and wild turkeys.

Nashville: Percy Warner Park and Radnor Lake

Fall in Nashville is the most vibrant season, and there is no better way for an immersion in the season's rich reds, corals and ochers than a drive along the canopied blacktop through Percy Warner Park, just 9 miles south of downtown. Tag on a hike around another Nashville gem, Radnor Lake, and you have the makings of a dazzling day trip, all within the confines of the city limits, and a perfect outing during the pandemic. Both parks abide by the Centers for Disease Control's guidance on social distancing, and numerous trails in both parks make it easy to avoid crowds.

Percy Warner Park and Edwin Warner Park on the National Register of Historic Places span 3,131 acres of wooded hills, open meadows and streams. The adjoining parks, which opened in 1927, offer hiking trails, mountain bike paths and bridle paths. However, a slow-rolling, scenic drive through the mature deciduous forest during peak fall is nothing short of stunning: The sun strobes through the trees above drivers, who share the roadway with hikers, cyclists and dog walkers. Once inside the park, the tulip poplars, dogwoods, black cherry, sassafras and pawpaw trees are breathtaking. Given the park's designation as a nature sanctuary, it's not unusual to see wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbits, Eastern chipmunks and coyotes.

The road a roughly 4-mile loop can be found at the Old Hickory Boulevard entrance. You'll pass the tall wooden lookout that oversees the grounds (and beyond) of the annual Iroquois Steeplechase, which was canceled this year because of the pandemic, and along the route are scenic overlooks.

You can also enter Percy Warner via Belle Meade Boulevard. This is the main entrance with a ceremonial-style arch and dramatic limestone steps reminiscent of a European alle that was designed by landscape architect Bryant Fleming, who also designed the early 20th-century Cheek Mansion at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens.

From the Belle Meade Boulevard entrance, you can find trails like the Warner Woods trail, a 2 1/2-mile unpaved walking path that traverses the interior of Percy Warner, as well as a 5.8-mile stretch of paved pedestrian trail.

Next, set your GPS to Radnor Lake State Park off Otter Creek Road, another of the city's natural jewels, about 7 miles east. Because Radnor Lake does not allow food, it may be wise to first swing by a Nashville standard, Mere Bulles, just off Old Hickory Boulevard, for their famous crab bisque, available to go (call first). You won't regret it (or forget it).

The sublime glassy Radnor Lake pulls in photographers from around mid-Tennessee who often arrive early enough to shoot the morning brume that rises from the lake. Here, too, you can glimpse plenty of wildlife: deer, turtles, turkey, eagles, owls, waterfowl and coyotes; ranger-led programs throughout the year include canoe floats, night hikes and wildflower walks.

All the trails are blazingly colorful during autumn, often heightened on cloudless days by an azure sky.

One trail Otter Creek Road Trail is an accessible milelong stroll that hugs the curves of the lake and is paved for those in wheelchairs. Black gum, American beech and other deciduous trees line the trail, offering some respite from the sun. Still, hikers are close enough to the water to catch glimpses of lake inhabitants like beavers, minks and otters. For more experienced hikers, Radnor Lake's strenuous Ganier Ridge Trail delivers a gorgeous view of downtown Nashville.

Colleen Creamer

Massachusetts: The Berkshires

Fall is far and away my favorite time in the Berkshires.

This autumn, the region offers opportunities to alternate new trails with old favorites. But first, a few planning tips. I recommend the BNRC Berkshire Trails app from the Berkshire Natural Resources Council. You could spend a wonderful week wandering Berkshire County's backroads, using this app to guide you from one secluded wonder to the next.

Note, too, that many leading cultural venues including the Clark Art Institute, Hancock Shaker Village and The Mount, Edith Wharton's former home are not only open but are surrounded by paths and gentle trails on which it's easy to socially distance, and to sidestep that tough Berkshires call: culture or nature?

Most important, check Massachusetts's strict quarantine rules before you leave home. Oh, and dress brightly it's hunting season. And watch out for bears.

Start your day at Dottie's Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield, my hometown, where Jess Lamb (who previously practiced her craft at Joe Coffee on E. 13th St. in Manhattan) and her colleagues create the county's richest-tasting lattes with beans from Barrington Coffee and milk from High Lawn Farm, both in nearby Lee. Then drive west to Pittsfield State Forest (free).

Around 30 miles of trails lace this roughly 11,000-acre realm, which once formed part of Mohican and Mohawk hunting grounds. Later, the Shakers settled here. Their graves, former settlements and dancing sites can still be found among the stands of sugar maple, oak, birch and white pine.

First-time visitors should head to Berry Pond. At around 2,150 feet, it's the state's highest natural body of water. My mother and I often came here to pick blueberries, so imagine my surprise when I learned that it was named for William Berry, a Revolutionary War hero.

A network of steepish trails or a scenic one-way loop road, built by the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, can take you up (the road is curvy and narrow; pedestrians, cyclists and motorists should keep a close eye out for one another). Enjoy the spectacular westerly overlook, then head downhill to the pond for a view of the season's colors, pleasingly doubled by the water's mirror.

The world's most mouthwatering cider doughnuts still come from Bartlett's Orchard in Richmond. So busy was their farm shop this summer that they've instituted weekend online ordering and curbside pickup for the fall; you can still pick apples in the orchards behind the shop. From here, drive or cycle to Parsons Marsh, a BNRC property in Lenox that opened in 2018. A trail and boardwalk (free; one-third of a mile each way; wheelchair accessible) wind through a woodland worthy of Tolkien's Galadriel, and wetlands even now bursting with life. Along the marsh's edge you'll find haunting examples of the still-standing dead trees known as snags fine lookouts for raptors and your own tranquil views (see the beaver lodge?) from the deck at the boardwalk's end.

Then head to Bousquet Mountain, site of my first childhood ski lessons on Drifter, a gentle slope that's now also the start of the three-season Mahanna Cobble Trail (free; 1.4 miles each way; elevation gain, around 750 feet). Mahanna Cobble opened in June. It's the newest stretch of the BNRC's High Road initiative, a long-term plan, inspired in part by the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain, to use both old and recently cut trails to reconnect Berkshire landscapes and communities.

Mark Vanhoenacker

Ohio: Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Any road that gets you close to the Cuyahoga River is worth traveling, particularly in mid to late October, when the leaves erupt in a breathtakingly beautiful display. Snaking its way along a roughly 80-mile U-shape path before emptying into Lake Erie, the Cuyahoga plays an outsize role in the story of Northeast Ohio; it was vital to Cleveland's industrial growth before the many fires along its waters made it infamous, helping to prompt the passage of the Clean Water Act and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. These days, after half a century of cleanup efforts, it is held up as an ecological success story.

But the river itself is often overshadowed particularly in the fall by its tangential allures: the 87-mile-long Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, whose light, crushed-stone surface is brightly mottled with autumnal leaves; the waterfalls (around 100 in total) and rock gorges that pop with the warm colors; the Old World farms and markets, such as Heritage Farms and Szalay's, where people flock for pumpkins, apple butter, roasted sweet corn and, yes, the annual fall corn maze.

The valley's unexpected grandeur is nowhere more evident than in and around Peninsula, a postcard-esque (and postage-stamp-size) village that is, in many ways, the heart of the 33,000-acre national park. From the small train depot, board the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (there's even a Fall Flyer train) for a memorable view of the foliage.

Roving the area by car (or on bicycle) will lead you past dozens of worthwhile trails. A personal favorite the completion of which has become a familial Christmas Day tradition is a hike that links the Haskell Run and Ledges loops and includes some of the valley's most distinctive features. Beginning near the Happy Days Lodge, built in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the trail wanders beside a 19th-century cemetery, over gentle streams (via footbridge crossings), near bat caves, and past the dramatic Sharon Conglomerate rock faces of the Ritchie Ledges, formed from the sand and quartz deposited by ancient streams all while immersing you in the richest of fall colors.

Stephen Hiltner

West Virginia: Spruce Knob

While many traditional foliage tours are done from packed trains and buses that follow well-worn railways and roads, fall tourism this year demands a novel approach. And with travelers forced to chart their own course, some of the best places to take in the autumn colors are those that cannot be reached at all on the standard guided excursions.

One of the most rewarding options for those living in and around Appalachia is to forgo the winding roads at lower elevations and peer down at the landscape from atop Spruce Knob, the tallest peak in both West Virginia and the larger Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Nestled within a 100,000-acre section of the surrounding 919,000-acre Monongahela National Forest, Spruce Knob rises above an all-but-unspoiled tract of forest extending out in all directions.

The drive to the peak requires resolve and care. From a base point near Judy Gap, West Virginia, a serpentine drive up Route 33 narrows to a 9-mile stretch of old forestry road, with several blind curves and switchbacks, barely wide enough to pass traffic coming down, and with no guardrails protecting against steep drops down the mountain slope. The path is not treated to remove ice or snow.

At the top, however, visitors are rewarded with a wealth of options for taking in the scenery. About 1,000 feet from the parking lot is a two-story observation tower that provides an even higher vantage from which to survey the surrounding area. And the easy, half-mile Whispering Spruce Trail leads visitors along a gravel path that circles the tower for panoramic views across both sides of the ridge.

For another option, partway up the route to Spruce Knob, the road divides, allowing drivers to pull off by an overlook far enough down to avoid clouds and haze, but high enough to provide a striking view.

The drive through miles of national forest and up to the mountaintop is a passageway to a genuinely remote part of the East, and the Spruce Knob area offers visitors a menu of possibilities for savoring the auburn colors of fall. And in a celebration of continuity in an otherwise unfamiliar year, Monongahela, officially designated on April 28, 1920, is commemorating its centennial.

Zach Montague

Maine: Grafton Notch

A fall excursion to Grafton Notch from Portland, Maine, includes not just colorful swaths of foliage but a Shaker community, a ghost and a stretch of the Appalachian Trail. The area's glacial gorges, waterfalls and caves add further intrigue to the predominantly beech, birch and maple forest. Not to mention, a fall drive and hike support both sanity and social distancing.

Before heading out, check the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's website for its COVID-19 recommendations, which include carrying a mask and practicing social distancing when passing people on the trail. Maine visitors should check Keep Maine Healthy for the latest COVID-19 testing and quarantine guidelines.

The nearly two-hour trip from Portland begins with 10 miles of surprisingly vibrant leaf peeping on Maine's primary artery, I-95 North. At Gray, Route 26 North heads inland to New Gloucester where it passes the last active Shaker community in the country, founded on Sabbathday Lake in the late 1700s. Though closed to the public for 2020, the historic buildings and farmlands of Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village can be easily viewed from the car.

Next comes the township of Poland, namesake of the Poland Spring bottled water company and home to the Poland Spring Resort. It is also the territory of a ghost called the Route 26 Hitchhiker, which is said to manifest as a young lady wearing a fancy dress. It's rumored she died in a roadside accident on her wedding or prom night, and while she may ask for a ride, she'll likely disappear from the car before reaching the destination.

Past the Oxford Casino and views of distant mountains, Route 26 parallels the Little Androscoggin River through Paris to Snow Falls, a popular pull-off for the waterfalls and picnic area. In Woodstock, the Mollyockett Motel is named for a Native American Algonquin princess who is the source of many legends. The mountain views and foliage increase around Greenwood, birthplace of L.L. Bean's founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, and home to the Mount Abram Ski Area & Bike Park, popular in fall for the lift-accessed mountain bike trails.

Food and lodging can be had in Bethel, founded in the fertile Androscoggin River Valley in 1796, and at the Sunday River ski resort in nearby Newry. Continuing through Bethel on Route 26 North, The Good Food Store and Smokin' Good BBQ (try the smoked beef brisket or pulled pork/chicken on a bun) is a popular stop. From there, expect excellent foliage on the last stretch to Bear River Road and the 12 miles of the Grafton Notch Scenic Byway leading to the Appalachian Trail parking lot. On the way, Mother Walker and Screw Auger falls are worth a visit, and Grafton Notch Campground on the Bear River is a great option for overnight camping.

The Appalachian Trail parking lot in Grafton Notch State Park connects a number of hikes, including one of the toughest sections of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail: the Old Speck summit, elevation 4,180 feet, which can be reached on a 3.8-mile hike.

Melissa Coleman

Denver: Guanella Pass, Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway and more

One day trip to a stunning, high-alpine cirque allows you to bear witness to a whole spectacle, from aspens to tundra. It begins with a drive west on Route 285 and a turn north at Grant onto Route 62. About 5.5 miles up the 11-mile road to Guanella Pass is the Abyss Lake Trail. This challenging 7.5-mile, 3,000-foot hike passes through numerous stands of aspen, and, for the first few miles, the trail is wide enough for social distancing. Then it climbs more steeply up along a creek leading to the treeless and Lilliputian plant landscape of the 12,650-foot-high Abyss Lake. Look for moose and pronghorn antelope along the way.

If you'd rather stay in the comfort of your car, continue driving on the Guanella Pass Road through the aspen forest. The gravel road climbs to 11,700 feet, with views of Mounts Bierstadt and Evans above a sea of flamboyantly tinted fall willows. At the bottom of the pass road, alongside I-70, is the old mining locale of Georgetown, with an old-time railroad offering daily rides through the aspen forest. Plan for the round-trip drive from Denver to take about four hours.

For a shorter tour, drive roughly 30 miles south out of Denver on Route 85, which takes you directly to the Waterton Canyon parking area, where it intersects with the end of Colorado Highway 121. This moderate 6-mile hike on a dirt road, alongside the South Platte River, swirling with fishing holes, is also ideal for bicycling and horseback riding. The popular trail known for up-close big horn sheep viewing has plenty of toilets and is rimmed with huge cottonwood trees that blush as ripe as lemons in the fall.

But the state's oldest road trip, with brilliant foliage and Continental Divide viewing, is the four-hour, 149-mile Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway from Estes Park through the Gold Rush mining country to Black Hawk. One stop could be Nederland's antediluvian Goldminer Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Or, near the town of Ward, a 5.5-mile hike loops around the well-traveled Brainard Lake but don't forget you'll be hiking above 10,000 feet.

Jon Waterman

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Leaf peeping is not canceled: 6 drives and hikes to try this fall - Chattanooga Times Free Press