Bali, Indonesia is often called “the island paradise” and once you are there
it is easy to see why.  The kind people, the spicy cuisine, the natural
beauty, the beaches, the lush green, terraced rice patties, the exotic music
and dance, the multi-faceted and rich Hindi culture.  It’s a truly magical
experience.

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Set against the backdrop of Tel Aviv’s historic neighborhood, Neve Tzedek, is a glorious new boutique hotel called Neve Tzedek Hotel. Aside from a few finishing touches, construction and design is now complete. The hotel is set in the context of the very charming Neve Tzedek street, in a neighborhood radiating with beauty, history and diversity, where many artists live and small luxury boutiques and shops thrive, and in walking distance from the ocean boardwalk.

Architecturally speaking, the building facade is contemporary looking – an update of classical architecture. The contrast of building materials is really beautiful, featuring stucco in two contrasting colors with wrought iron fences encasing outdoor terraces. 

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The first major retrospective on Dutch artist Kees Van Dongen (1877-1968) is currently on exhibit through April at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal. Van Dongen was part of the Fauve (French for Wild Beasts) movement which was vibrant, but short-lived, lasting only a decade from 1900 through 1910.

Les Fauves were a small group of artists during this period whose work can be characterized by wild brush strokes and strong use of color as well as a simplification and abstraction of the subject matter. Their work can be seen as an extreme development of the Post-Impressionistic style of Van Gogh.   

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In honor of our new president Barack Obama, who lived abroad for a brief time, I’m sharing memories from my trip to Indonesia. Most people do not think of the main Indonesia island of Java as a holiday location. It is a large, overpopulated, semi-tense Muslim island and home to the crowded capital city of Jakarta. But it is worth a visit, even if it’s only to go to the southern part of the island to see the magnificent and amazing 8th-century Buddhist temple known as Borobudur.

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