Arts and Entertainment

In the area around Nuwara Eliya (Little England) the rolling hills are blanketed with tea trees. The humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall in the country’s central highlands provide a climate that favors the production of high quality tea plus flowers and vegetables.

Sri Lanka had been on my “Wish List” for several years and this year I finally got to experience the many facets of Sri Lanka. Using frequent flyer miles John and I flew from Hong Kong to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. We spent three nights at the Hilton where they have an amazing array of restaurants that meets the needs of their international clientele.

When people ask me how many countries I have visited I can not give a definitive answer. When we were in Germany, it was two countries. We visited Yugoslavia in the 1980s; it was ?behind the Iron Curtain’ and one country. Today Dubrovnik is part of Croatia and Belgrade is now the capital of Serbia. Montenegro was once part of Yugoslavia and then Serbia but in 2006 it declared its independence from Serbia.

The Hong Kong Tourist Board lists a slew of free activities under the name Kaleidoscope. We have taken advantage of the following great things to do: Cantonese Opera Appreciation, Tea Appreciation, and Wife Cake making. Plus, the museums are usually free on Wednesdays.

It is usually hard to find out where a specific food item was invented because the general concept was adapted in many places. I think the Asian cha siu bao, the Italian ravoli and the Russian piroshki have a lot in common. They are all stuffed pastry. When John and I were in Split, Croatia, we were told that pizza was invented in Split.

The first time I saw the work of Dale Chihuly was at the Corning Museum of Glass where visitors are greeted by a vision of blown glass that resembles a fluorescent green-tentacled sea creature. It is called the Fern Green Tower and is just one of several of Chihuly’s works at the museum.

I am not a quilter but one does not have to make a quilt to appreciate all the work that goes into making one. I have visited several quilt museums along with Gentle Arts which only deepened my appreciation for the art.

Alex Haley’s book “Roots” had a profound impact on Americans when it was published in 1976. It caused many of us to research our “roots.” Haley was born in Ithaca and for a short time was a “writer in residence” at Hamilton College.

Every place has a regional specialty. When John and I travel we love trying the regional food. In Louisiana we snacked on cracklin’ and never forgot how wonderful they tasted.
In Oneida County the culinary specialty is called “Riggies.”