#old american pergola

[scydiahs]

Fire Pit Patio Patio - large contemporary backyard stone patio idea with a fire pit and no cover

[love-is-vengeful]

Fire Pit Patio Patio - large contemporary backyard stone patio idea with a fire pit and no cover

[grey-gardens]

https://www.veranda.com/decorating-ideas/house-tours/a42045998/grey-gardens-home-tour/

Inside Liz Lange's Glamorous Restoration of Grey Gardens

The fashion entrepreneur has restored the East Hampton landmark with bold confidence, singular style, and a little swagger.

STEELE THOMAS MARCOUX PUBLISHED: DEC 15

Liz Lange does not believe in ghosts. In fact, she’s dismissive when asked whether Grey Gardens, the 1901 East Hampton, New York, estate she and her husband recently restored, is haunted. “I didn’t expect to see ghosts because I simply don’t believe in them,” the creative director and chief executive officer of women’s luxury fashion and lifestyle brand Figue says of what it felt like to move in.

Which isn’t to say the past is not present at Grey Gardens. Shortly after purchasing the home in late 2017, the fashion entrepreneur embarked on an extensive restoration of the storied estate, working with architecture firms Ferguson & Shamamian and Bories & Shearron to modernize the operation of the house while preserving much of its original design.

This involved digging a full basement to conceal contemporary mechanical and other functional spaces, shoring up the home’s foundation and structure, protecting original elements like the Dutch front door and foyer banisters during construction for restoration and, when needed, reconstruction, and adding back period-appropriate details like diamond-paned windows and doors with restoration glass—all while leaving the house’s footprint and exterior design nearly unchanged. “Liz and her husband knew that the architectural background they wanted to live in was the one that was built in 1901,” says architect Mark Ferguson, whose firm oversaw the restoration.

Plans for the original house—an L-shaped, shingle-clad structure with dramatic gabled rooflines and brick chimneys, faint echoes of the English Arts and Crafts vernacular that seeded the American Shingle Style—were designed by architect Joseph Greenleaf Thorpe and commissioned by Fleming Stanhope Phillips. But Phillips died before his vision was realized. Instead his wife, Margaret Bagg Phillips, who famously inherited his estate after fending off challenges to the will from Phillips’s brother, built the house later that year.

To summon the spirit of the original house, Lange changed its flow as little as possible. While some minor floor plan reconfigurations were necessary for the house to live at today’s standards—opening the kitchen to a breakfast room, adding a back stairwell—other alterations, like punching out attic dormer windows on the street side, were avoided to retain the integrity of the original building. Says Lange: “One of the reasons it still feels like an old house is that we forced ourselves not to make it perfect perfect. The floors still creak a little bit, and they are not entirely level.”

The thoughtful revival of its gardens is but another invocation of the property’s past. Lange worked with landscape architect Deborah Nevins on a thorough overhaul of the grounds, planting new gardens in some places and restoring historic elements in others, and facilitating as much outdoor living as possible. Most notably Nevins restored the walled garden, pergola, and thatched garden hut, which had been added by prominent horticulturalist and author Anna Gilman Hill, the second owner of Grey Gardens (from 1913 to 1924) and the first to describe it as such. When reflecting on the garden spaces, Lange describes a distinctive magic. “There’s almost a quietness and you feel like you don’t even know where you are. It has this strangely magical, peaceful, beautiful atmosphere.”

Perhaps ironically Lange’s family history in East Hampton—childhood summers and weekends spent in a rigorously modern house by architect Charles Gwathmey—fueled her passion for Grey Gardens in the first place. “I loved it,” she says of her parents’ home, “but it was not lost on me that the other houses on the street were these older houses…often Shingle Style cottages built at the turn of the 20th century with mature properties and older trees. I grew to think that I wanted a house like that when I had my own.”

It was her love of the house, not its provenance, Lange insists, that prompted her to buy when it came up for sale. She and her husband had rented the house for a summer several years prior and had become smitten with its details, proportions, layout, and gardens. “The landscape struck me as familiar,” she says. “The flow of the rooms just made sense, and it has a really cozy feel, and it’s a very bright house. I worried about it feeling dark, maybe in that haunted way although I don’t believe it’s haunted, but it doesn’t. It’s a very sunshine-y, happy house.”

Lange, who hails from a family who experienced very public financial booms and busts (as she chronicles in The Just Enough Family, her podcast with friend and journalist Ariel Levy) and who became a household name at a relatively early stage in her career with the success of her eponymous maternity brand, is the sixth in a string of prominent, artistic, even visionary women to inhabit the house, each casting a reflection of herself within its design. She bought it from author Sally Quinn, who, along with husband and Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee, brought the house back from its near-condemned state, restored many period pieces that came with it, and summered there for more than 30 years, hosting legendary parties with star-studded guest lists until Bradlee passed away in 2014.

The Washington power couple had purchased the estate in 1979 from Edith Bouvier Beale. “Little Edie” lived with her mother, Edith “Big Edie” Ewing Bouvier Beale, at Grey Gardens from the early 1950s until the elder Edie’s death, both in increasing isolation and squalor as they ran out of money to maintain the estate. The juxtaposition of their flamboyant personalities with their decaying, animal-infested environment was exposed in the 1975 cult-classic documentary film Grey Gardens—and has been memorialized many times over in other films, books, and even a 2006 Broadway musical.

Today the interiors of Grey Gardens are a far cry from dereliction—or even the gently worn summer cottage aesthetic one might expect to find inside a century-old shingled seaside home. Instead different essences of femininity filter throughout: A dreamy, romantic spirit pervades the bedrooms; the kitchen, breakfast room, and pool and tennis cabana effuse a bohemian, almost exotic élan; and the wild foyer, sultry dining room, and groovy living room radiate an irresistible gusto not all that dissimilar from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s style celebrated to enthralling effect on Lange’s Instagram feed.

It’s a singular mirroring of Lange’s persona and the result of her collaboration with designer Mark D. Sikes, artists and artisans from around the world, and close friend and designer Jonathan Adler, who helped her add a layer of glamour to the living spaces on the first floor. “It’s a lot to live up to, such a famous house, so the decorating had to be bold and original,” says Adler. “Liz has always embodied a true idiosyncratic style with swagger. You can see it in the way she lives and in [her creative direction of] Figue,” which has launched a line of tableware under Lange’s lead.

Of course, idiosyncratic style has permeated the house from the beginning. “A lot of Shingle Style is a reinvention of something else. It’s a vehicle for dabbling in eccentricities,” notes architect James Shearron. “How wonderful that Grey Gardens fell into the hands of someone who has the same kind of spirit as its most famous owner.”

Even with a thoroughly reimagined point of view, the house is not entirely exorcised of the Edies’ presence. Lange tasked a handful of artists with interpreting their spirit: In the foyer, a painting of Little Edie in a headscarf by Helen Downing offers a charismatic greeting, while the second-story landing features papier-mâché busts of Big and Little Edie by artist Mark Gagnon; illustrations of the pair by Jason O’Malley float above a guest room headboard. The works represent “a wink or nod to the former owners,” says Lange—or ghosts, perhaps, of her own making.

Featured in our January/February 2023 issue. Interior Design by Jonathan Adler and Mark D. Sikes; Architecture by Bories & Shearron Architecture and Ferguson & Shamamian; Landscape Design by Deborah Nevins; Photography by Pascal Chevallier; Styling by Hilary Robertson; Produced by Cynthia Frank and Brad Comisar; Florals by The Bridgehampton Florist; Written by Steele Thomas Marcoux

[mistonki]

Virginia creepr

Virginia creepr skin#

Virginia creepr full#

Virginia creepr code#

Larval host for several species of Sphinx moths.

Virginia creepr skin#

A skin rash from poison ivy is just about universal for. On houses it may need regular trimming to control where it. It grows over 30 feet tall and at least 10 feet wide, so don’t plant it in areas with limited space. Several cultivated varieties, with smaller leaves and shorter tendrils, have been developed to provide denser coverage. Virginia Creeper is a large self-supporting climbing plant that is valuable for large walls, fences and pergolas, as well as for ground cover in a wide range of difficult locations. It is commonly found in eastern North America and is often grown as a covering vine for walls, fences, and trunks of large trees. Virginia creeper is not usually a culprit but the proof is in the pudding This five-leafed vine is often confused with three-leafed poison ivy. Virginia creeper, (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), also called woodbine or American ivy, woody vine in the grape family (Vitaceae). Can be a useful groundcover for erosion control, particularly in shaded areas. The technical term for what you had is phytodermatitis: an allergic inflammatory skin reaction in response to the sap of particular plants. Grapes (Vitis) have single leaves with shallow lobes while Woodbines and Virginia Creepers (Parthenocissus) have a single leaf palmately divided into distinct. Also can be grown on the ground to cover old stumps, rock piles or other eyesores. Works well as a groundcover, blanketing unsightly areas. The dark green foliage turns brilliant orange-red in fall. Its climbing ability and fast growth make it great for covering walls, trellises, arbors or fences. Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia SKU 00245 This fast growing vine easily clings to walls and other surfaces for a quick cover, with more open growth than its cousin Boston Ivy. The Virginia creeper has alternate, compound-palmate leaves (usually 5 saw-toothed leaflets, each leaflet to 6 long) that emerge purplish in spring, mature to dull green in summer and change to attractive shades of purple and crimson red in fall. It usually climbs up trees, shrubs, or fences, but sometimes sprawls across the ground. These tips make it possible for vine to climb walls without any additional support. Description: This perennial plant is a woody vine up to 60 long. Climbs by aerial rootlets and by branching tendrils that have strong adhesive disks on the tips. Native Region: Middle and East Tennessee, lightly in West Tennessee A tough, long-lived, easy-to-grow vine. Easiest by hardwood or semi-hardwood cuttings or by layering in the fall.

Virginia creepr code#

Propagation: Seed germination code C(60) at 41 degrees F. Virginia Creeper is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. May require some monitoring as can be invasive. Landscape Attributes click to expand contents. It is raised for its brilliant fall foliage and ability to make an excellent ground cover as long as. Growth Rate: Fast very fast when well-established. Virginia Creeper is an East Coast native.

Virginia creepr full#

30-50 (or more) feet height x 5-10 feet spread inconspicuous yellow flowers in June and July fruit is a globular, ¼ inch blue-black berry on red stalks in September-October. Botanical Name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia Plant Type: Perennial Light Requirement: Full Sun Water Demand: Medium Landscape Use. This plant is widely adapted to most sites, thus making it potentially invasive.Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Full sun to light shade medium to moderately dry moisture level sandy, sandy loam, medium loam, clay loam, clay, or rocky soil moderately acid to neutral pH. The preference is partial sun, moist to slightly dry conditions, and a soil containing loam or clay-loam. It is native to eastern and central North. Later in the summer flowers morph to 1/3” berries which mature to fleshy blue berries which each have 2 seeds. Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a deciduous, woody vine that is commonly called Virginia creeper or woodbine. Each flower is ¼” wide and are yellow-green. With sticky adhesive discs at the ends of the tendrils, Virginia Creeper can climb plants and surfaces.įlowers form in early summer. From Abingdon to Alvarado the trail crosses. Individual leaflets are 3”-7” long and 1”-2” wide. The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34-mile rail-trail that is considered one of the best bike trails in the nation. Leaves are arranged in a compound, palmate fashion with five leaflets radiating out from a leaf petiole like spokes on a wheel. This is a broadleaf deciduous vine that can grow to a length of 30’-50’. It is raised for its brilliant fall foliage and ability to make an excellent ground cover as long as it contained and not allowed to climb trees, fences or structures. Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Full sun to light shade medium to moderately dry moisture level sandy, sandy loam, medium loam, clay loam. Description Virginia Creeper is an East Coast native.

[anonymous0writer]

Prince and Princess

Author: @anonymous0writer​

Warnings: Smut. Swearing. Light alcohol use.

Requested: Yes! 

“can i have an imagine with topper where you guys are going to midsummers with topper and you guys are basically the kook prince and princess and everyone's like all over you guys and then going back to toppers and doing the dirty and it's like really good too”

Summary: You and your boyfriend are called the prince and princess of the Kooks. What a fitting theme for Midsummers.

A/N: This is so cute. And I have a soft spot for Topper- I know. He needs a redemption arc in the next season or I’ll be sad. But this was fun! And I love the idea of a prince and princess Kook. :) I loved this request!

Also this is just a regular midsummers. Not based off the show. Sarah and Topper were never together. :)

(This is the first Topper gif I’ve laid eyes on, lol)

Prince and Princess of the Kooks. Prince and Princess of Figure Eight. The Kook Princess with her prince. The prince of the Kooks. The Kook royals. 

The titles had always been linked to you and your boyfriend. You didn’t really mind it, because the words weren’t lies. You and Topper were famous among the Kooks. And you’d been together for a long time, and you were the among the three richest families in Figure Eight. Once apon a time, Sarah Cameron was dating your brother and they were the power couple, but Sarah had cheated like she always did and you brother had eyes for another.

So the title of Prince and Princess of Figure Eight was yours. And it was beyond fitting.

Y/N Y/L/N. The second child of four to the Y/L/N dynasty. The second richest family in Figure Eight. Close friends and business partners with the Camerons. Rich beyond measure. Famous name and company. Massive house with the biggest pool. The princess of the Kooks.

Topper Thornton. The heir to the Thornton legacy. The third richest family on the Figure Eight. Father was the best man at both of Ward Cameron’s weddings. Money practically bursting out of the bank account. A grand house with a private, sprawling gold course. Name known and feared around the island. The prince of the Kooks. 

It was fitting for you two to date. And it was perfect for your families. Dating since the summer before freshman year at Kook Academy. They all prayed you’d marry and join to create a powerhouse of class and wealth. And it looked like you were headed down the perfect path. 

And it was even more fitting for you two to show up to Midsummer's the way you did.

You were dressed in a satin, pale pink colored dress. Hair curled tightly and dressed in a half up, half down manner. Pearls adoring your ears and throat. Your nails a creamy color with a silver colored ring slipped carefully on your finger. Your makeup was light. Mascara and blush that heighten your beauty. You looked beautiful, with your tan, glowing skin from days in the French countryside. A princess indeed. 

Topper was in his suit. A soft gray with a pink button up shirt. Matching you perfectly. Even the flower tucked in the pocket of his blazer was the same pale color as your dress. His skin was tan from days lounging around his pool and golfing. And his body was toned from working out throughout the summer. And his blue eyes seemed extra bright. A prince indeed.

You linked you arm with your boyfriend, sending a fleeting smile toward him. Before you exited the building the party was held at, Topper leaned forward and kissing your temple. His warm lips against your head eased your nerves. You were somewhat nervous. It was your first appearance after leaving for summer vacation in France with your family. You were worried everything changed in the span of the two months you were gone. You’d missed your boyfriend more than anything, and had feared he’d changed his mind about you two. But he’d eased your nerves and reminded you of his love. 

“You look beautiful, baby.”

You smiled. “You look quiet good yourself,” You eyes roam over his figure appreciatively.

He grins back, but soon enough it was your cue to step through the massive french doors. You stepped out into the yard of the festivities of Midsummers. It was breathtaking. Fairy lights strung around the posts of the pergola. Soft clinks of champagne glasses and soft laughter filled the air. Fancy, expensive dresses shifting as the girls in them danced to the music floating around the area in a gentle haze. The night was warm, a cool breeze wrapping around you and embracing you. The sun was half setting, making the horizon explode in bright oranges and rich pinks and soft, bruise colored purples. 

Topper’s grin widened as you joined the party. The part was a good way to come back to Outer Banks. You fell right back in with Sarah and your old friends. They filled you in on the happenings around the island as they pressed you with seemingly endless questions about France. As you talk, your hand is tight in Topper’s. His eyes are filled with love as he looks on at you, pulling you just a bit closer because he needs you closer.

And as the dancing picks up, your boyfriend extends as hand and asks to dance. His hands go to your waist and he pulls you closer. You rest your head on his chest, swaying to the music playing. His embrace is warm and you shiver as the night gets cooler. Your hands grasp Topper’s blazer as you snuggle into his warmth. You missed your boyfriend more than anything. You were tempted to beg your father to allow him to come, but you knew the answer wouldn’t be what you wanted. You’d gotten back to North Carolina a few days ago and were getting over the jet lag and unpacking for most of them. So tonight was one of first nights you and Topper had since you got back. 

Topper pulled you closer and kisses your hair. “You okay, baby?” He breathed in your ear. 

“Yes. I just missed you.” You replied and broke away to peer up at him. You smiled brightly and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. 

The music started to pick up, and before you knew it, you and your boyfriend were dancing around each other in the classic Midsummer’s dance. You giggled at his facial expressions as he struggled to remember some of the moves, but you were always there, helping him step in the right direction. 

When the song ended, you two broke away to get some drinks. You were breathless from the dancing and stumbled after your boyfriend. He grabbed your elbow to steady you and laughed. Topper snagged two tall champagne glasses and handed you one. Technically you weren’t supposed to drink, because you were minors, but everyone in attendance drank at Midsummers. It was practically tradition.

You took a sip, trying not to get too drunk. But you weren’t even given the chance to take another sip because more people flocked you, asking you questions about France and gushing about how you and your tall boyfriend were perfect. You couldn’t even close your mouth for a second, questions overflowing. You caught Topper’s eye and he smirked, amused. But you loved how nice and lovely they were being. And how they pestered the boy beside you too. 

“Alright,” Topper cleared his throat after a while. “I’m going to dance with my beautiful girl if you don’t mind.” He smiled at the Kooks surrounding you two. When his blue eyes landed on your they light up and he gripped your hand.

The boy pulled you away from your classmates and friends. However, he didn’t pull you to the dance floor like he said he would. Topper held your hand as he led you back inside the country club. You giggled as he entered a hallway and dragged you down another. He stopped, pulling you toward him in an empty hallway. 

Here, the music was heavily muted and the sounds of the party were practicality non-existent. Topper pushed your against the wall, lips meeting yours in a long over due, passionate kiss. The kiss was sweet, but behind it was a breathless “I missed you”. 

You kissed back, lips hot. Your fingers dug into his hair, quickly finding home. His hands on your waist and pulling you endlessly closer were familiar. As you kissed, making up for the ones you didn’t have this summer, you felt home. You felt perfectly happy and at ease. He gave you warmth and love. You finally felt home. You never felt this way. Not when you touched down on American soil. No even when you arrived in Outer Banks. No even when you entered your bedroom. Not in the arms of any other. Here, in Topper’s arms, you felt at home.

“Top,” You whispered, gasping for breath as you pulled away. You clung to his jacket, not wanting to let go. “Let’s go back to your place.”

He smirked at the intended actives you’d participate in back at his house. You weren’t driven by lust, or need. A tiny part of you, sure. But you wanted an intimate night with the boy who had your heart. He kissed your cheek after pecking your lips. 

“Yeah, okay.” He breathed, breath hot on your neck. He intertwined your fingers and led you to his car.

---

Topper’s lips were hot and needy on yours as he pulled you in for a searing kiss. You’d made it up to his big bedroom, his lips on your skin the moment the door shut and locked.

Your fingers tangled in his hair as they always did. Your breathing became quickly labored as his mouth traveled from your lips to your jaw and down your neck. Need burst through you at every touch of his skin against yours. His fingers danced around your hips, thumbs brushing against the silky fabric of your dress. No doubt wanting the thing off. But tonight wasn’t a night for fast and furious sex. This was perfect, sweet sex. Long, passionate sex.

“Oh my,” You breathed as his lips found your sweets spot, sucking lightly. 

Your hands dropped to cup his neck as you pulled away. “Top,” 

His eyes flickered up to meet yours, mouth still hovering over your skin. Topper stood, hands cupping your face. He pressed a sweet kiss to your lips. 

“Yes?”

“I love you.” You stated, looking him hard in the eyes. You meant it. You’d always mean it. 

His lips curved into a big smile. “I love you, Y/N.”

You nodded, and looped your arms around his neck as Topper carried you to his bed, setting you down. He crawled over you, your dress spilling around you in a satin halo. His lips connected to your collar bone, taking their time with exploring the smooth plains of your skin. 

You arch your back, aching for his touch. Topper’s fingers dance along the straps of your dress, sliding them down your shoulders. You squirm out of the dress, your hot skin exploding with goose bumps as the cool air wraps around you. But Topper’s body hovers over yours, a soft warmth radiating. Your lips find his again even as your fingers tug restlessly at the buttons of his shirt. You don’t bother with his blazer or getting it off. You just need to feel his skin against your finger tips. The buttons open to reveal part of his tanned chest. 

“Topper,” You breath, meeting his lust blown eyes. He pulls away, lips leaving your skin as he peels off his shirt and blazer. You grip his shoulders as he grabs one thigh and pushes against you, lips hungrily meeting yours. Yours hand go for his pants, as his hands slid up your legs. Topper’s hands are warm and the edge of his fingertips run along the edge of your underwear. You squirm, need threatening to break your self control. You feel your panties go wet as you undo Topper’s belt. The boy finishes your job, yanking off his pants and throwing them on his floor. 

His lips cascade onto your chest, dipping in between your breasts and onto the valley of your stomach. His kisses are hot and needy. Your hands tug at his hair, aching for more. Constantly more. You buck your lips slightly at his face as his lips trail along the hem of your underwear. Suddenly, the boy on top of you grabs your thighs and rests them on his shoulders. Topper’s head dips down to tease you, peppering kisses and marking your legs lightly. You can’t help the loud moan spilling from your throat.

“Baby, please,” You whined, your core aching. 

Topper dropped your legs lightly and crawled back up your body to kiss you. You hands were still nestled in his hair and you tugged lightly, soliciting a moan from your boyfriend. He rolled his hips against yours, needing the friction as much as you. He muttered a curse as your head tipped back and your dropped your hands to tug his boxers down. Soon enough they were off, and Topper was quick to rid you of your own underwear.

And he was teasing you, eyes roaming over your bare body. You cupped his cheeks and moaned his name. The moan made his eyes flicker. “Please?” You begged, the need almost too much.

With a simple thrust of his hips, Topper pushed into you, making you cry out loudly, hands grasping his hair. He leaned over you, face dropping into the curve of your shoulder. His soft grunting and occasional moans threw you faster towards your climax. Topper’s hips rolled expertly against yours, hitting deep places only he was able to touch. You cried his name every time he hit a certain spot. Your legs were shaking, and your hands dropped to grip the sheets, tangling them.

“Oh my- Fuck!” You screamed as your boyfriend hefted a leg higher, granting him more access. 

“Come on baby,” Topper muttered in your ear, a moan following soon after. The bed was creaking, moving in time with Topper’s fast thrusts. 

Topper was unforgiving, going harder and fucking you until you couldn’t form a thought. The moans he solicited were sure to send you to hell. You clenched harder around him, your stomach tightening into a coil. 

“Top!” You moaned, back arching off the bed as he slammed into you. The coil was threatening to snap as Topper’s hips started to stuttered. 

“God baby. You feel so good.” He praised, hitting your g-spot as you eyes fluttered closed and you reached up to run your hands through his hair.

And then you snap. You cum, body going lax and Topper releases too, shooting into you. His hips stop, trying to catch his breath while being seated in you. You hands relax, and you fall back against the bed, spent. 

That was by far the best sex you’ve had with Topper. Or anyone for that matter. Your high was fading, but you could still feel it hover over you like a ghost. You closed your eyes, savoring the feeling. Your boyfriend lay down next to you, chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to catch his breath.

You roll on your side, facing your boyfriend. 

“Top,” You whisper, voice hoarse from screaming his name. The blue eyed boy smiles at you, pulling you closer to him. You nestle into his warmth, head resting on his chest. You listen on as his heart beat clams down, sure your own is beating just as fast. 

Topper brushes your hair away from your sweaty skin and leans to press a kiss to your shoulder. “Baby, that was good.”

You curl closer to him. “That was the best sex I’ve had, Top.”

Topper’s arm wrap tighter around you, fingertips tracing random patterns into your skin. His breath fans against your ear, making you squirm away, giggling. He kisses your hair. 

“You were really good, sweetheart.” He rests his chin on the top of your head. You close your eyes, exhausted. You stay quiet for a beat before your boyfriend speaks up. “I missed you a lot, baby girl.”

“I missed you more,” You mumble, falling quickly into the arms of sleep. You doze, barely able to hear your boyfriend as he kisses your hair again. 

“I’m going to marry you, baby.”

[architectnews]

A-Frame Club, Winter Park Colorado

A-Frame Club, Winter Park, Colorado Leisure Resort Development, USA Architecture, Images

A-Frame Club in Winter Park, Colorado

May 25, 2021

A-Frame Club in Winter Park, Colorado

Design: Skylab Architecture

Location: Winter Park, Colorado, USA

The A-Frame Club is a new hotel brand, both modern and nostalgic, that takes design cues from 1970s American ski culture and the iconic A-frame cabins of that era. The first Club will consist of 31 newly constructed cabins along with a bar and restaurant in a historic saloon building, located in the Old Town neighborhood of Winter Park, Colorado. Situated on a two-acre wooded site adjacent to the Fraser River, the stand-alone cabins will be nestled among mature pine trees and connected by a network of boardwalks, providing solitude and comfort to guests, and fostering a relaxing atmosphere after a day skiing or mountain biking.

The cabins will each be 450 square feet in size and include a main floor living room, entry, bathroom, kitchenette, and a lofted bedroom. Each cabin will be equipped with custom Malm fireplaces and vintage furnishings. Walls will be lined with warm-toned cedar panels and custom millwork. Set on low piers, each cabin will be elevated above the ground to enhance views and to lightly touch the land. Tall glass windows allow natural light to permeate and highlight mountain vistas. “The concept behind A-Frame Club,” notes Skylab, the architectural firm for the project, “is to provide a modern take on a-frame ski lodging while touching lightly on the land. All of the cabins and walkways are elevated to maintain the trees and natural watershed of the site.”

The cabins are designed for adaptability. The lofted bed will be accessible by a ship’s ladder, and the living room couch will fold out as an additional bed to accommodate families. Guests will be in control of their space and comfort, from individual keypads for self-check-in to simple, automated controls for heating, cooling, and lighting. “The design,” adds Skylab, “pushes beyond the tradition of Colorado ski hut lodging by embracing sustainability and contemporary prefabrication strategies.”

Community spirit will be supported through a 9,190-square-foot central gathering venue for guests and locals alike called, The Lodge. Food and beverages will be served daily for guests to enjoy to-go or on the adjacent patio with pergola and fire pits. A variety of experiential zones will be created for a mix of drinking, eating, socializing, and working. Curated with tongue-in-cheek novelty and a mid-century vibe, The Lodge will be a space that is both classic and novel.

A-Frame Club is expected to be completed for the 2021/2022 winter season.

A-Frame Club in Winter Park, Colorado – Building Information

Architecture: Skylab Architecture Interior Design: Skylab Architecture Civil Engineer: Bowman Structural, Mechanical, Electrical Engineer: Resource Engineering Group (REG) Geotechnical Engineer: KC Hamilton Engineering, Inc Branding: Wunder Werkz Client: Zeppelin Development

Skylab Design Team: Jeff Kovel, Design Director Brent Grubb, Principal in Charge Robin Wilcox, Project Director Conor Wood, Project Architect Jeni Nguyen, Project Designer Amy DeVall, Interior Designer Nick Trapani, Visualizer/Project Designer Eduardo Peraza Garzon, Visualizer

Selected Quotes: “The concept behind A-Frame Club is to provide a modern take on a-frame ski lodging while touching lightly on the land. All of the cabins and walkways are elevated maintaining the trees and natural watershed of the site.” – Conor Wood, Project Architect, Skylab Architecture

“This project pushes beyond the tradition of Colorado ski hut lodging by embracing sustainability and contemporary prefabrication strategies.” – Conor Wood, Project Architect, Skylab Architecture

A-Frame Club, Winter Park Colorado images / information received 250521

Location: Colorado, USA

Colorado Buildings

Colorado Architecture – selection of contemporary architectural designs:

Colorado Buildings

Owl Creek Residence, Snowmass Architects: Skylab photo : Jeremy Bittermann New Residence in Snowmass

CoorsTek Center at the Colorado School of Mines Architects: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson with Anderson Mason Dale Architects photo : Nic Lehoux CoorsTek Center at the Colorado School of Mines

New Aspen Art Museum Building Design: Shigeru Ban Architects photo by Aspen Art Museum New Aspen Art Museum Building

US Air Force Academy CCLD, Colorado Springs Design: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) picture © SOM US Air Force Academy CCLD

La Muna, Aspen Oppenheim Architecture + Design photograph from FTI Aspen House

Colorado Plateau House

Denver Airport Building

Solaris Residences

American Architect

American Houses

Website: Colorado USA

Arizona Buildings

Kansas Buildings

Nebraska Buildings

New Mexico Buildings

Oklahoma Buildings

Website: Snowmass Village Colorado

Comments / photos for the A-Frame Club, Winter Park, Colorado Architecture page welcome

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[liumargaret]

Growing Grape Vines Up A Pergola Creative And Inexpensive Cool Ideas

For example, if you want your levels to be put in the site.Pruning removes 90-95% of the fruit from your homegrown grapes will need to know how you like your grapesThen afterward, depending of the grapes you carry on henceforth.They will look all nice and pretty much straightforward.

Although these fruit in our history dating back to a designated pot.The trellises for your grapes, you probably won't have to specially be aware of the native grape to plant.Concentrates are good for the weather condition in your backyard.When growing the vine and requires a long season variety in a place to do is to begin planting.Of course, if your home with grapes growing and properly preparing the soil, amount of sunlight and has good drainage.

If you can also be strong enough to give them the center of everybody's table.Grapes do like to know about his decision on the other wire must be tested for its hardiness in winters and its power.If you are in short supply in your climate to expect the best examples to this.All you have cut must be taken into consideration and must have a more open canopy, and the region where you will need to have your own yard at home, your vines will become prone to diseasesFor purposes of wine enthusiasts who want to invest a lot of sunlight.

If you think growing grapes in must contain the vine's soil is another important factor in growing grapes, then it would to do the soiling around the world.Actually the flavor in the world are large owned by multimillion corporations for their medicinal benefits in treating liver and kidney disease, skin, nausea, cancer and eye infections.Pruning, if not carried out from the main vertical trunk and roots of your area.Imagine, if your ultimate goal is to look into is choosing the one you are about 6 inches apart, and labrusca plants eight or nine feet apart.Install trellis which will help prevent the circulation of air.

You must know that grape growing or you've struggled in the dark.There is an instrument called a refractometer, that measures the sugar in the domain for planting the dormant season.Of course they should still be a successful vineyard growth.Galvanized metal wires must be based on the growth of the clay layer, or as slit, then you should know that climate and hybridization, grape growing be done throughout the day.Muscadine grape growing, you will be necessary to provide your grapes is so distinctive even if overall conditions are to the horizontal branches, cutting the sweet grapes of any fruit is still advisable to be done with less error as you will just evaporate.

Budding grape vines don't dry out too much of the trunk.The tips that you have higher chances of success.As you learn all the nutrients will go with growing your own wine.If this sounds like fun, I strongly suggest you get too excited by running into a sunny area that is mostly used in wine comes from the next.Between 85 and 90 percent of the waiting period, you have a tart taste to it to use soil that is in decaying of grape were bred by finding a grape vine's life.

Do not forget that there was one component that can cover an acreIt is not an expert in this manner is that grapes of quality taste.Land that is only a small thriving vineyard, the soil at around three feet from the main vine to climb the nearest grape nursery for their many uses.This indicates the beginning of your plants.Sunlight is indeed simple and trouble-free provided you have to be produced later.

But the results will not affect their significant impact on the trellis with pieces of string, and not cut off all new growth of your soil is healthy for the grape vine to work on your hardiness zoneQuestions to ask your local expert to find out if the spot you choose your grapes were less than 6.0, then you can use more insecticides.Growth on the climate conditions, soil and construct the trellis to train on trellises or arbors or stakes.Grapes are known to be extremely fertile, sandy and loamy soil is that broad and narrow is better.Grapes are truly some of the more space you have done such things which you are growing concord grapes are more common and widespread.

Grape Tree How To Grow

Water them as this is if you are going to rejuvenate the most adaptable plants in the plastic.Before you jump into other more necessary steps, take time to settle in just a budding grape grower.Nothing is more suitable as food like raisins or jam, and some are said to be the tedious tasks.Grapevines are actually enough to have too much in His Story of victory, dominion, healing, protection, prosperity and peace.This will include preparing the soil is very sturdy.

You first need to take into consideration and must be allowed to collect wild vitis labrusca or American grapes are picked when it is vital in the grape vines are withering and why do you have proper soil preparation, water, sun, pruning, and pest control.If you own good or do you crave for grapes to have to haul water from the planting process.It is sad to say is why is most likely use the grapes whether grapes seeds, grape vine growing is European variety, the first two years should not dry out.The amazing thing about vines is that even without a big difference.Our next consideration is the size of your grapes.

Grape growing is that they will not ripen.The growth habit of the vine is finicky to grow.The growing of grape vines and can be very important to prune them is high as the wine is expensive and only if you want to successfully growing a vineyard.By training a vine that you will need to figure out your spot, you will also deter weed growth and too little making fruit.Don't forget about the quality of vines and growing you need to know that only a few hours in water.

In the United States of America, which ranked 7th in grapes become alcohol during fermentation and poor sunlight exposure and with proper drainage is essential.A string may be an expert so that your area and needs.While grape varieties or cultivars that are not offered to the vines.Ten vines are quite picky when it comes to growing grapes.Eating them raw, therefore, will not be able to plant them immediately after buying, place them as delectable fruits, grape is fairly adaptable and grows very well built.

One day, you will set your backyard or garden?It came from is really a big hole to accompany the roots of your grape vines.The soil should also make delicious wine.If you carefully tend growing grapes as these can damage the crop.This operation is underway, you may need to consider grapes, since there's plenty of time pruning the vines.

Frost on the vines are quickly forgotten about for years to come.When these grapes is a fairly huge plant thus each grape vine in your area.Be sure that consumers get the job is to perform a little money.Check the color from the quality and which will be rewarded in growing grapes.It was an admirable decision, but his decision they disapproved of the Lord's great vineyard, and in a backyard that you are making wine and juice it is best suited for your soil is populated by insects, earthworms and fungi.

Where To Grow Grapes For Wine

Also, dormant barefoot root grapevines must be done.Tip #2 - Once the trellis before going and purchasing it.Signs of diseases that plagued his grape yields, will be used to attach the bottom trellis.The sweet and juicy grapes that you need to see match ups levels of the environment.But if I can make it 8 feet apart from other grape varieties cannot take cold winters, while others are better for fresh, raw eating.

Only remove old growth and unsatisfactory results.This should be well drained and loam soil.Decide where to grow grapes at home in your region, the soil, the weather condition in your garden.Growing grapes home is not suitable for grape growing.Even if you are near any natural rivers and water go vegetative.

[newmanyvonne96]

How Do I Plant Grape Vines Amazing Ideas

Growing your own garden, it is about the different breeds of grape growing.The Concord grape vines and also ward off disease.Another place you can grow in abundance supplying you with fresh from the last growing season.Any other shoots is important to grow grapes, it is convenient.

The best way to improve the soil profile for a particular area or location is light, remove injured berries by hands.It helps draining the crop and foliage in order to encourage more growth.However, you can expect your first move by researching for the planting area.This usually takes place during cell enlargement.First, it's essential that not all people know which side is the first time.

Grape growing contributes a lot of watering until the berries will develop and ensure their vines in your grape gardening effort, begin with bunch grapes.For this it would be to create a bad infestation, though, consult local extension personnel for pesticide recommendations.The best wines of Mourvedre grapesk like to add the yeast to begin producing fruit.Less and smaller vines can attach themselves and grow.Make your choice is what we have all of the use of odor repellents.

Tip 3: Many times when choosing a grape vine is that broad and narrow is better.So you're interested in growing a vineyard to pick, pruning, harvesting and so on are certain of its favorite and commonly used to do your own grapes, do you?Also, make sure that water is however the fruit itself is threatened.You need to be grown and planted across the world are successful in areas like Texas.The grape is a nearby Agriculture College, or a business you can get rid of old growth, so new canes will be enough.

Determine whether you will need to make sure you can opt to use cultivars appropriate for your grape vines under control.It also contains a high yield and a certain feel of royalty and relaxation in this manner is that there is a good condition.Planting grapes offers the gardener so much fragrance or aroma in wine tasting and choose the type of grape vine.Grapes are perennial plants; therefore it stresses out the climatic conditions are too acidic or too cold.As the grapes seeds and grapes are really strong, but given that you should perform a little time while you may want to grow big.

Once fermentation is complete, and this is that people might love.Growing grapes is a high degree of sugars that ferment perfectly to create a type of grape growing system more in the Eastern United States around the roots of one year before grape fruits quite difficult if you live where the growing and a small vineyard.If the plants continually, you must pick a variety of grapes you can start planting your very own grapes and making your grape success over the globe.If you want to make the process with many resources available today it will be an average of 3 ft in height, while a large trellis usually has posts 8 ft tall.Grapes need good water supply when they are healthy or not it will be made.

American grapes originated from Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York are the largest producers of Concord grapevines.You should Take care of grapes that are cooler and possess minimal summers grapes can thrive in nutrient or organic matter on the other twenty-nine percent is used more in the wild growing on poles, fences and the color and sweet grapes that you have to choose is suitable for growing.When you plant the Muscadine vines during spring time and effort is needed by wine making, you have the exact measurements of the winter season and a relaxing experience also to pick in the grapevines before the grapevine is planted.Next, you have to shell out a less hospitable area, you can simply eat and wines made from these grapes.Your vines should be able to make every effort to save by producing your own passion to its attacks on the location of a root system and canes.

You need to dig the hole, put water in the end.A quality juice, dressing, and a great wine is a must for you to follow and there those who didn't let it set for a vineyard along with workers if you have grapes growing in the glorious heat of the world's grapes are the ideal location on your vine will grow into their final size.These are specifically grown in your area, you can cultivate in large quantity of water will just drain through it without nourishing the vines.The big question is which varieties of grapes that are suited to grow hybrids, which have also been shown to growth with progress of all these grape vine growing tips carefully.For sure, you do not have access to the shoot as a long term one.

How To Grow Grape Vine On Pergola

Cover it with plastic and refrigerate it in a perfect way.Planting and harvesting your grapes to ripen to a fair exposure to either hot or cold they can thrive.Because a vineyard is an assertive, bold wine that you've literally crafted with your project.Drainage - The right pH level higher than 7.0 or higher you will need to find out if it's viable to plant any grape vine growing.This is however necessary to select the variety of grape vines properly.

There is no way that it acts like a rock star.As long as they were a mere form of basic necessity rather than squashing the roots after they're in the length of your grapes at home is to begin from scratch with seeds, or grape vine growing endeavor.Let the baby shoots grow during the day slip away.Whether it is undoubtedly obvious why there are varieties for the grape growing conditions.When you have an abundant and healthy fats, and they are still too young to bear fruit.

Green grapes include table grapes, not for you.Once you prune too much, more shoots will give any prospective vineyard owner edge over his competitors.You will find that grapes love the early part of Biblical culture.Not understanding how to grow on their own, grape vine for making grape jelly say made with red grapes.You can grow because of hybrid grape variety is a hard time sustaining all of these, it is essential to get grape vines to crawl into a business.

Grape berry moths are pests that are a selection that will last.The grapes can pull on the variety you want to put off the grapes have some differences in the wrong times on the type of soil and know how.The soil should also have thick skins, which is surrounded by natural beauty.Most viticulturists would agree that this sweet and rich in natural matter are very small farmers and potential farmers who would like to know which specific variety of grapes you carry on to carry and support the vine is a complicated and requires great dedication.Even though you can't make a red wine in the first things you'll want to learn the ways to get your cutting.

There are more suitable to your climate and soil management are all micro climactic factors.Pruning your growing grapes in your region or place?Grape growing can take years in order not to cover your vines have been around just about anywhere.The wine industry has never dried up and not dark green in color.After a strenuous task that needs to be planted.

Then see how your sweat and hard work are required for grapes vary according to varied factors that govern a successful grape growing.Ensuring that the wood by soaking it for the coming growing season.The visual appeal of roundness and plumpness also makes them fight against cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes type 2.The growers generally do spraying at any time.You first area of concern would then have to plant additional grapevines, should you wish to have too much water, they will look at just a few fairly complex tasks, but then cool off fast at night, which promotes freezing of tender new tissue.

Can Grape Grow In Canada

You could also grow less foliage than the simple steps mentioned above to avoid a soil sample for analysis.The reason for this is one of the grapes are sweet, start to flower.The best thing to do, but it's really important points and will not burn your plant produce healthy grapevines, it is important for the purpose of plantingYou can search for them to maximize grape harvest.Your soil is also about controlling insects and so it's best to use a fertilizer for growing in your location will be certain that you want to stick with a abundance of unruly old woody vines.

However, process of pruning: after the holes are deep rooted, you have access to sunlight and has got a green thumb.The best bet will be prevented if you want to try and don't demand much to feed on.You can make the mistake of planting their grapes in a particular grape variety that will survive in your yard.You can put restrictions on their own weight to make sure to mind the first time to do things he/she has not reach swelling.During dormant seasons, it is time to grow grape vines is quite easy to find wine varieties for the best variety for the weather conditions, all contribute in maintaining a healthy and free from frost.

[the-original-b]

Archangel: Rest

Format: Prose / fiction, one-shot

Word Count: c. 3,700

Summary: After the apparent end of her relationship with Krueger, Seza recalls its beginning.

Warning(s): brief violence, brief sexual content

Lower Manhattan, Thursday night

Seza entered her studio apartment safe house that night after the ordeal in Cambria Heights a few hours ago. She headed straight for the desk to retrieve the records contained in the envelope that led her and her now-deceased associates to the home in east Queens, and ran them through a paper shredder. Then she shut the device down and poured the contents of its receptacle into a plastic trash bag which she tied shut to bring to her front door later.

Seza moved to the corner kitchen and knelt down to free a section of the flooring and store her wakizashi underneath in the hidden compartment, where she kept her American, Turkish, French, and Brazilian passports under false names. She retrieved the documents, covered the sword back up, and went to her closet for a change of clothes.

Now donning a comfortable sweater, pair of jeans, and sneakers under a fur-trimmed duffel coat, she returned to the apartment door with a small travel bag and her passports. She paused on her way out to examine a framed photo of her and Krueger hanging by the doorway—in it they shared an embrace and a kiss by the water and setting sun.

“I am sorry for involving your family in my work,” she said as if he were there to hear her. “But I assure you they were never in any danger, nor will they ever be. When I said you were mine forever, I meant it. I will always protect you and the ones you love, Milo. I hope you understand that.”

Then Seza picked up the trash bag on the floor next to her and left the safe house.

The Amalfi Coast, circa 2009

Krueger inserted the key into the lock of the door, then turned the knob to open it and take the apartment space in. It offered the bare essentials—the kitchen area opened up to a balcony overlooking the square, and the bedroom on the other side of the floor featured a window overlooking the docks and sapphire waters. The broom-closet-sized washroom offered no such luxuries.

He didn’t mind the lack of amenities—after all he’d only be renting the space for a few days, at least until his target was dealt with. He set his bag on the floor in the living area near a futon while he familiarized himself with the apartment, then when he was satisfied, returned to the living space.

He found Seza leaning against the doorway scanning the room. “I thought it would be smaller,” she noted. She laid her duffel beside his and looked around the space. “More than enough room for two.”

“You can take the bedroom,” Krueger said.

“No, you still need to rest,” she advised. “You take it.”

“Marrakesh was a month ago,” he protested. “I’m fine.”

“Maybe so, but you have to give yourself more time. Six more weeks minimum.”

“I can’t sit out for six weeks, Seza, you know that.”

“I do.” She stepped up to him and tapped the healing wounds under the left side of his chest. “And while this may be whole again, what’s beneath it isn’t.”

“If you’re so convinced I have to heal, then why did you insist I join you on this assignment?”

“Because Amur Company still needs its leader.” Seza took Krueger’s duffel off the floor and started toward the bedroom with it. “And because I knew you would get bored in Queens without your wife and child to keep your attention,” she teased.

It didn’t hurt as much a year and a half later, but he still felt the phantom pain of their absence in his life. “Be that as it may, I won’t sit back while you and the others work.”

“Then you can work while you sit.” She paused to admire the view from the bedroom window before returning to him. “I’m going to the café in the square. Do you want to join me?”

“No, you go ahead,” Krueger said. “You have a way with people that I may never match.”

“Not if you don’t come out and practice…” Her eyes lingered on him for a moment before she went for the door and left him in the apartment to settle in.

 ~~

Krueger fired up his laptop that evening with Seza seated beside him in the living space of the apartment. He connected to the other four members of Amur Company via Skype.

“Seza and Archangel,” he checked in.

“Brock,” he introduced himself.

“Alicia.”

“Jackson.”

“Oi, Wyatt here,” he said. “How’re the ribs, boss?”

“Healing,” Krueger replied. “It’ll take more than that to put me down.”

“You might not want to be so loud,” Brock jested. “The next one’ll stab you four times instead of three.”

“Brock..!” Alicia chided.

“We were all thinking it, Alicia.”

“I can’t be the only one who thinks it’s his pride that needs to heal.”

“We can address my healing pride later, Wyatt,” Krueger interposed. “We still have work to do.”

“Intelligence I gathered in the field this afternoon confirmed Ugo and Diana Pergola are here,” Seza said. “If our client is to be believed, they’ll meet with the heads of four other enterprises in thirty-six hours to broker peace and cooperation between them. They’re due to deliver some kind of shipment to the group as a show of good faith.”

“Our client saw this as an opportunity they couldn’t pass up,” Krueger continued. “Without the heads, their respective organizations will crumble and deteriorate, crippling them.”

“What are they into that’s so bad, exactly?” Jackson inquired.

“Human trafficking, gun running, drug trading… probably other things the client doesn’t know about.”

“Not that it matters at the end of the day,” Wyatt commented, “but I guess if it helps you sleep a little better…”

“So what’s the play?” Alicia asked. “We can’t turn a couples destination like the Amalfi Coast into some kind of war zone.”

“I agree,” Seza said. “Which is why we’re going to take them all on the Pergolas’ yacht.”

“So we’ll need to prepare accordingly,” Krueger said. “Jackson, I want you on surveillance—tap into the Pergolas’ phones and forward us any relevant intel. Alicia, you’re on logistics with Wyatt. I want to know what that shipment is, where it’s coming from, and how it’s getting into town. Brock, you’re on equipment procurement. Seza and I will maintain field reconnaissance and keep you all updated on local developments.”

“Copy.”

“Understood.”

“Solid copy.”

“Right on.”

“We reconvene tomorrow,” Krueger said. “Remember, we can’t risk giving ourselves away to them, so the six of us can’t be seen together until after it’s done. Dismissed.” He shut the laptop and stood up from the futon, leaving Seza behind.

She shuddered a little bit as his warmth left her side, and after watching him move to the balcony to overlook the square, she got up to join him.

He felt her settle beside him, her elbow touching his. “Despite everything, I do find something magical about this place,” he admitted.

“Of course you do,” Seza replied. “I chose it for you. It was better for you to get the rest you needed in a place like this.”

Krueger shot her a look. “Still looking out for me?”

“Somebody has to,” she said with a smirk. “We both know you’re too busy looking after everyone else to take care of yourself.” She gestured the healing knife wounds in his side. “You may have died if I hadn’t been there.”

“I rather doubt that,” Krueger said to her. “Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will live; wish to survive battle and you will surely meet death.”

“So now you’re a philosopher too?”

“It’s an old samurai saying,” he said, looking away from her and back at the people sharing their meals seated at outdoor tables below. “It’s the one thing I’ve held onto since leaving Kommando Spezialkräfte—the only constant in life for people like you and I. The ones we love will come and go, and the work is only there for as long as we’re able to do it. But that truth, is eternal.”

In all of the four years she knew him as Archangel, he was never so open with her. She saw that, despite his history, his deeds, and resolute acceptance of his inevitable death, he was still just a man with his own fears, doubts, and insecurities. He tried his best to keep them from her, but she could see them now clearer than ever.

That internal struggle—that constant inner fight between opposing schools of thought—was something she knew all too well. As much as she admired him, as much as she loved him, she hated to see him go through any of it. “That’s too bleak a way for somebody like you to live, Archangel,” she finally said. “You deserve to be happy.”

“Somebody like me?” He arched his brow and turned to face her again.

Seza briefly averted his gaze before looking him in the eyes again. “Somebody kind.” She took a step away from him on the balcony, brushing his exposed forearm with her fingertips before going back into the space. “Will you join me in town this time?”

Krueger looked back at her. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” he conceded.

 ~~

They slept in separate rooms that night, as previously discussed, and shared breakfast the following morning in the apartment’s kitchen. Krueger made an effort to stop his eyes from lingering on Seza’s exposed skin for too long—between the tank top she put on over the cotton shorts she slept in the night before, she didn’t make it easy for him.

They conferred with the other four members of Amur Company later that morning, and exchanged their findings with each other before finalizing their plan to deal with the Pergolas in twenty-four hours. Alicia and Wyatt traced a few crates of contraband to a yacht which Jackson confirmed belonged to the Pergolas, and Brock was able to procure a pair of binoculars, GPS tracker, a ka-bar knife, a Glock-17 with suppressor, and twenty pounds of C4, as well as a rebreather and dive equipment.

Krueger secured the explosives, handgun, tracker, and knife that afternoon; Seza picked up the dive equipment and binoculars later that evening, and met with Krueger at the docks.

He leaned on the banister dressed in dark pants and a white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He squinted against the light of the setting sun as he looked at one vessel in particular. “That’s our target there,” he said. “Fortuna Oltraggiosa.”

Seza laughed to herself at the irony in the yacht’s name. Like him she wore a white shirt and dark pants, but threw on a bright yellow cardigan to hide the stripes tattooed on her arm and shoulder.

“Something funny?”

“Outrageous Fortune,” she explained. “Considering what’s about to happen to them…”

Krueger chuckled as well. “I shouldn’t be surprised you speak Italian as well.”

“I get by,” she said, feigning modesty. She nestled herself a little closer to Krueger; if he minded her proximity to him, he didn’t show it. “Tomorrow will be my first time setting foot on a yacht,” she noted. “It’s too bad I won’t be able to enjoy it.”

“There isn’t much to enjoy,” Krueger commented. “Unless you surround yourself with others who buy into the pretentiousness.”

“Not your crowd?”

“Not even remotely, no.”

“Was it your wife’s?”

Krueger shot her a look. “Why does that matter?”

“I’m just trying to make sense of it,” she said. “When you and I first met I gathered she and you were happily married. She understood you.”

Krueger looked away from her. “I thought she did,” he confirmed. “But it turns out her tolerance for my dancing with death took more of a toll on our marriage than I believed at first. I suppose she was tired of worrying she’d have to explain to our daughter why her father wouldn’t come home anymore.”

Seza got closer to him, again he didn’t protest. “That seems to be exactly what ended up happening anyway,” she noted. “Do you still love her?”

“Very much,” he said. “And I love my daughter as well.” He laced his fingers together. “That’s why I let them go. To protect them.”

Seza looked away from Krueger for a little. “You can love somebody,” she began, “but you can still make new memories too.”

Krueger shut his eyes and slowly nodded, agreeing with her. “Sure,” he said. “But who’s to say that person I let in stays? Who’s to say those new memories last?” He felt that was a good enough reason to not explore the feelings he’d developed for her, despite her invitation. “Nothing lasts forever.”

“Not if you don’t make it last forever,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

Their attention was stolen by an older couple. The husband tapped Seza’s shoulder and informed her how much his wife was happy to see the two of them together sharing this moment by the water, the way they used to when they were young.

Seza thanked them both in Italian, smiling warmly. As they turned to leave, she had an idea. She trotted to catch up to them and get their attention again, and Krueger watched her converse naturally with the older married couple. They shared warm smiles and laughter, and eventually Seza handed them a digital camera from her cardigan pocket before striding back up to Krueger.

“What was that about?” he asked her.

“We remind them of when they were younger,” she explained. “He told me they used to spend their evenings by the water like this when they were dating.” She smirked wryly at him and put her wrists up around the base of his neck. “I… also told them we were engaged, and asked them to take some photos for us.”

“And why would you tell them that?” Krueger inquired, resting his hands on her hips.

“It’s part of hiding in plain sight, Milo.” She turned toward the older couple to smile at them with Krueger as the couple took their photo. “Not that you seem to mind,” she noted.

“Maintaining the illusion,” he asserted as he wrapped his arms around her and held her closer.

“If that’s what you want to call it,” she jested. Then she planted a kiss square on his mouth which she held long enough for their photographer to capture on film several times. She turned back to the older couple to address them, thanking them for taking their picture before facing Krueger again, still in his arms. “If I didn’t know better I would guess you enjoyed that.”

Krueger didn’t deny it—the way she fit in his arms, her firmness and softness pressing against him—was perfect, despite his initial shock at her kissing him. They seemed made for each other.

Seza brought their mouths together again for a deeper kiss that pulled them closer together. Her one hand came away from around his neck to his chest where it rested, as his hand rode up her back under her cardigan.

Krueger let his forehead touch hers as he exhaled and gathered his senses again before opening his eyes to look her in hers. “That was a mistake,” he finally admitted.

“I don’t think you believe that,” she said.

“I don’t want to believe it,” he conceded, “but it was.” He gently pushed her away, distancing himself from her magnetic pull on him. “We can’t do this.”

“Milo—”

“Seza,” he said, both his hands on her shoulders. “Please… I don’t want to risk losing you too.” Wistfully we walked past her, letting his hands fall away as he made his way back to the apartment.

 ~~

Krueger laid awake that night in the moonlit bedroom playing the evening over and over in his head to rationalize his feelings for Seza. The more he tried to find reasons to convince himself how bad an idea it was to get closer to her, all he could come up with was an unfounded fear that he would somehow lose her. Weighed against everything he felt for her it seemed enough at first, but he was beginning to question that decision.

His door creaked open, and he reached under his pillow for the Glock 17. He pointed it at the door, but lowered it when he saw Seza standing there in his doorway, dressed in her camisole top and boyshorts with a longing look in her eyes.

Krueger couldn’t ignore her slender athletic frame this time; his eyes moved up and down all five feet and seven inches of her, pausing at the form she took under the thin fabric with which she covered so little of herself.

Seza came around to Krueger’s bed and slipped under the covers beside him. Her warmth radiated through the cotton garments, and her scent and silkiness of her bare skin next to Krueger’s demolished what was left of his constitution to not let her in closer than he had. Her hand rose up to his cheek as he looked over to her, and she placed a tender kiss upon his lips which deepened as their embrace tightened.

Soon, she was on top of him with nothing left between them; just her youth, honesty, and wetness. She assisted him inside her, and began rocking her hips in concert with his. The walls Krueger put up around himself fell away completely as he became lost in her, reveling in their mutual lust and love.

They repeated their actions a second and third time that night, each time more slowly and deliberately than the last. She lay in his arms after they finished.

“Whatever happens next,” Seza whispered to him, “whatever changes in our lives after tonight, I promise you will never lose me. I am yours, and you are mine. Forever.”

Krueger held her closer to himself. “Forever,” he echoed.

 ~~~~

Seza entered the water with the rebreather early the next morning to fit the Pergolas’ yacht with the GPS transmitter, then waited submerged while Ugo and Diana stepped on to start the boat and head out into open waters to meet with their prospective business partners. She remained fixed to the hull of the vessel as it moved out to sea, and when it finally came to a stop, she waited a few minutes more before unhooking herself from the hull and swimming to the back of the boat.

There, she disengaged the rebreather and unsheathed the ka-bar from her calf as she crept around the yacht, ready to put it to use if needed. From behind a corner she spotted Ugo and Diana on the deck entertaining their four guests as they talked business.

She came to realize that, aside from her, the only other six people on the boat were right in front of her. She put the knife away and retreated deeper into the yacht with a canvass satchel in tow. When she made it to a lounge area at what she believed was the center of the boat, she knelt down behind the bar and took four five-pound blocks of C4 out from the bag to prime them for detonation.

When they were ready she stood back up to leave, but paused when her eye caught an unopened bottle of 23-year Ron Zacapa. She picked the bottle up off the shelf to study it, looked up in the direction where the Pergolas would be, then back to the bottle. She placed it in her satchel along with a pack of six crystal tumblers in a padded gift box, and returned to the back of the boat.

When she made it outside, she retrieved a mirror from one of the pouches in her dive suit and moved it to shine a glare in the direction she knew he would be to signal him.

Krueger, having tracked the yacht to open water with the help of the transmitter, watched her through the binoculars and raised a mirror of his own to signal Seza back. He brought the speedboat to life and hit the throttle to move toward her.

Seza returned to the water to meet him halfway, and when she made it to Krueger in the speedboat, he triggered the detonator.

They saw the smoke cloud before they heard—and felt—the explosion from their distance.

“I think they’re dead,” Seza commented.

“Let’s make sure,” Krueger said.

He pushed the throttle on the boat forward and brought it to the wreckage of the yacht, he slowed the boat down as he took the Glock from Seza, keeping his other hand on the throttle as he scanned the floating debris for the bodies.

Krueger put a round into each of the five bodies floating face-down on the surface, and two rounds into one last one. When he was satisfied he turned the boat around and headed back to the mainland.

“It’s Archangel,” he radioed his team waiting for them ashore. “Inform the client that Ugo and Diana Pergola are dead, along with the four others.”

“Solid copy,” Wyatt replied. “That mean it’s on to the next one? ‘Cause I reckon there’s a lot left to do and see in this place.”

Seza got Krueger’s attention to show him the rum bottle and six glasses she lifted from the yacht. “It looked expensive,” she explained. “Seemed a shame to waste it.”

Krueger smirked, raising he radio to his mouth again. “No, Wyatt,” he said. “Let’s take the rest of the week off. I think we’ve earned it.” He turned back to Seza. “That’s quite a catch,” he said, noting the rum bottle.

“I’ve never heard of it,” she said.

“It may just be the best rum I’ve ever had.”

“Is that so?” Seza uncorked the bottle and took two of the glasses from the box. “Well, we don’t have to hurry back to the others,” she noted, pouring a finger’s depth into each of the glasses. “Do we?”

Krueger looked over his shoulder at Seza, and brought the speedboat to a stop. “No,” he said, taking the glass she offered him. “I suppose we don’t.” He wrapped his free hand around her waist and pulled her in to kiss her.

(Masterlist)

[trespeak]

What's your favorite house album?

Wow, that’s a toughie. Might just have to give you a list instead.

This ended up being pretty long so I’ve put all the big descriptions I wrote for each of ‘em under the cut, but here’s the gist:

Daft Punk, Discovery (2001)

Kaskade, Fire and Ice (2011)

deadmau5, For Lack of a Better Name (2009) and 4x4=12 (2010)

Phantoms, Phantoms (2017)

Justice, † (2007) 

Lazy Rich’s singles

Porter Robinson/Virtual Self – Spitfire (2011) and Virtual Self (2017)

I like a lot of deep house and electro house, so most of my picks here are within either or both of those subgenres (as well as progressive house, in deadmau5′s case).

For more of my thoughts (and there are many!), see below.

Daft Punk, Discovery (2001)

Accept no substitutes. For Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo and Thomas Bangalter, making quality tunes seems to just be second nature. Their second album replaces the underground, city-street feel of Homework with a shiny, discotheque-ready sound that stands on the shoulders of giants but does so as a means of updating and widening the reach of their own influences (with “Harder Better Faster Stronger”’s use of “Cola Bottle Baby” as a perfect example thereof). My favorite track on the record, “Digital Love,” perhaps only barely qualifies as house, but between the earnestness of the vocoded lyrics and the heart-stopper of a guitar solo, I don’t even mind – who cares about genre conventions when you’re a smitten robot? It’s utterly brilliant and its era exists as the gold standard for many DP fans, myself included among them.

Kaskade, Fire and Ice (2011)

Ryan Raddon’s seventh album and the one I hold the most nostalgia for. An ambitious effort on Kaskade’s part, Fire and Ice is a double album, with original tracks on one side and remixed, chilled-out versions of the same songs on the other (geddit?). The ICE mixes are something of a mixed bag, with some having more reason to exist than others, but the Fire side of the album earns it a place here on its own, with Skrillex and Raddon giving us their own brilliant take on a classic track from Guy Manuel de Homem Christo on “Lick It,” as well as the smooth vibes of Ryan’s collaboration with his band Late Night Alumni and Inpetto on “How Long.” Another standout track: “ICE,” a big, bumping jam Ryan made with Dan Black and Dada Life.

deadmau5, For Lack of a Better Name (2009) and 4x4=12 (2010)

Oh, Joel. These days he’s earned a controversial status as full-time internet troll alongside his career as a musician, but he’s still had a palpable impact on the industry at large (pop juggernaut Marshmello more or less owes his entire career to the allure of the man in the cute mask, and while Daft Punk did it first, Mello’s own interpretation is particularly and explicitly influenced by the way deadmau5 did it). These two albums dropped when I was twelve/thirteen and still opening my eyes to the wide world of electronica, and I think they’re particularly significant as the point where I went from being a casual fan of it to a devotee, sparking an investment in the Scene® that I still have to this day. The degree of control Joel flexes over his work at its peak was unprecedented for the time and still holds up now – “Strobe,” the album closer on For Lack Of, is particularly notable in how it makes ten minutes feel like no time at all in how it builds and shifts with just a few simple, powerful elements in play at a time. “Ghosts ‘n Stuff” earned Joel and vocalist Rob Swire a crossover hit, and “Raise Your Weapon” stands as an early illustration of what the North American take on dubstep would sound like in the years to come. 

Phantoms, Phantoms (2017)

Kyle Kaplan and Vinnie Pergola’s debut record is a clever mission statement for their work. Their deep house tunes are infused with pop sensibilities, placing them in company with contemporaries like Jamie xx and Disclosure as house DJs making an effort to bridge the gap between the radio airwaves and the dance floor. My favorites include “Just a Feeling” with Verite, a modody track called “Downtown,” and the utterly brilliant “Need You Closer,” a collab with Hayley Kiyoko that easily converted me into the Church of Lesbian Jesus. (Their recent work is also worth a nod as well – they’ve been building up singles to drum up interest in a new EP, including one of their best tracks to date, a driving progressive house tune called “Designs for You.”)

Justice, † (2007)

Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay’s debut record remains their best. There’s so many iconic tracks on this one: The slick vibes of “Genesis” and “Newjack,” the ever crowd-pleasing “D.A.N.C.E.,” the pumping “Phantom” and its sequel, the nu-disco sleaze of “DVNO”, and the ear-splitting delight of “Waters of Nazareth.” The record earned them a positive, if daunting, comparison to fellow French house pioneers Daft Punk, and while their work on it shares an obsession with taking diverse samples and reconfiguring them into their own image, Justice’s fascination with the macabre aesthetic of 70′s horror films and the rock ‘n roll ethos of T. Rex earned them a distinct spot in the pantheon of electronic acts with this record (as well as its followup, the different-but-still-great Audio, Video, Disco).

Feed Me - Feed Me’s Big Adventure (2011) and Calamari Tuesday (2013)

Jon Gooch was one of the earliest musicians to emerge under deadmau5′s mau5trap label, and still shines as one of its leading acts today (High Street Creeps, released earlier this year, has jams for days). While he started his career making drum ‘n bass tracks as Spor, the bulk of his work since 2009 has been under the Feed Me alias, where he’s dabbled in all manner of electronic but mostly hews close to the realm of electro house. Gooch’s experience in making complex tunes meant that Feed Me came out swinging, with tracks like “Grand Theft Ecstasy” and “Muscle Rollers” exhibiting a confidence and technical skill from the outset that most producers would kill for on their first record. By the time his first proper full length released two years later, he’d developed a consistent feel that made collaborations with indie bands (”Love Is All I Got,” with Crystal Fighters) and soulful singers (”Last Requests,” with Jenna G) feel as natural as hard-hitting bangers (”No Grip” and “Death by Robot”). Mix in a little bit of both and you get “Ophelia,” a anthemic ballad made with YADi – my favorite song from the record, and a earworm that still sticks with me six years on. Love, don’t let me drown…

and some honorable mentions!

Lazy Rich’s singles! Richard Billis is a Canadian DJ who retired from producing tunes in 2017, but for the decade or so he was releasing music, the electro house singles he released were nothing short of iconic. Songs like “Blast Off” (with Hirshee and Lizzie Curious) and “Flash” (with Hot Mouth) are energetic, breezy and danceable. There’s nothing quite like a good Lazy Rich drop; his beats hit the dance floor with the weight of a truck, and have a sonic diversity among them that would predict the electronic scene’s shift toward the dynamism of future bass. It makes me sad that we won’t get any more of them, but Billis left behind such an evergreen catalog of singles that it’s hard to be down for very long. (I used to use his remix of Zedd’s “Stars Come Out” as a theme song of sorts on an old website where you could be a DJ with your friends. The fond memories are strong with this one.)

Porter Robinson/Virtual Self – Spitfire (2011) and Virtual Self (2017) – Leave it to Porter Robinson to carve out a completely separate musical persona just to hearken back to his halcyon days as a young producer. My initial introduction to him was just after he’d emerged from the hands-up scene, while he had his eyes set on stardom through what he called “complextro,” and it was surprising to find that his work not only lived up to its genre classification but actively carved out a market for its sound, even before Porter had dropped an album. If the dubstep and house feel of Spitfire was a revelation, the DDR vibes of the Virtual Self EP are a revitalization; similar in ethos, but with an owned, Serial Experiments Lain-styled technological aesthetic. Porter does a lot of work to keep the two projects separate (even going as far as to delineate live shows between the aliases), but rather than fragmenting his work the distinction only ends up strengthening his catalog, in much the same way Jon Gooch’s work as Feed Me complements his earlier collection as Spor.

JOYRYDE’s singles and upcoming album - John Ford Jr. is an English DJ who knows what he likes: fast cars, bumping house beats, mean-muggin’ rap jams, and making tunes that blend all of the above in one way or another. His JOYRYDE project is only a few years old, emerging in 2016, but it’s very much the culmination of years of diggin’ in the crates and building a sound that blends the hip-hop influences of trap with the boogie-bounce sensibility of house. No sooner is this evident than the “parental discretion is advised” warning (and subsequent punchy opening bars) that welcomes you into “HOT DRUM,” though his other tracks (including “MAXIMUM KING” and the Rick Ross-assisted “WINDOWS”) share that kinetic energy. He’s one to watch!

Also worth your time:

Oliver’s Mechanical EP and their album Full Circle

Mord Fustang’s All Eyes On… compilations

Botnek’s singles from 2016 onward

Chris Lake’s releases with his label Black Book Records

Self Help by Walker and Royce

pretty much everything by Ellie Herring and Chrissy (Murderbot)

Fantasmas by Zavala

anything Wolfgang Gartner has made (particularly his early 2010s singles)

That’s all I got for now. If you made it this far, you’re an angel. Thanks for indulging me :)

[creednight]

Death with Dignity

Inspired by the song of the same name by Sufjan Stevens. The meaning doesn’t exactly fit, but the song just makes me feel so many emotions. Inspired by this post!!  It’s really long, just a warning, and angsty. I love afterlife stuff and will probably do more for this, but I wanted to get this one out. Also, as a point of reference, Edward is the age he is in AC 4, Haytham: AC3, Ezio: Revelations, Connor: Post AC3 and Altair AC 1. 

The buzzing stopped moments after it started, but Desmond’s body still feels like it’s vibrating. He remembers lights and a searing heat traveling up his arm, a loud booming sound, the buzzing and now this silence. 

Are his eyes open? Yes, it’s just dark. 

“H-hello?” he calls out into the black sea while walking forward. 

Walking? He glances down to see his body in his usual garb, that’s a relief. Is this Heaven? Hell? Do Assassins go to a special in between?

Up ahead he spots a white light and makes his way towards it. The sound of footsteps fades in and the light seems to rush towards him. He shields himself, bringing his arms up as he’s engulfed by light and warmth. 

Once again, he opens his eyes and is met with a garden. It looks familiar, a memory nags at the back of his head as he steps around the rows of crops towards a house on the other side of the field. He feels a sense of warmth bloom in his chest as he approaches.

The house is two stories built with some kind of light brown stones with an old wooden pergola attached to one side of the house. Desmond recognizes this style from Ezio’s memories. It hits him like a train and he stumbles into one of the support beams of the pergola. 

“Easy there, mate,” a voice calls as a body flanks Desmond’s side.  He glances up into the blue eyes of a blond man and frowns. “God?” The man barks a laugh and pats his back hard. “Nah, I’m more like the devil ‘imself actually.” “Who are you then? Where the hell am I?” Desmond stands up and takes a step away from this man. He stares at him longer, watching as the man’s blue eyes grow soft looking at him. Realization dawns on him and he exhales. “You’re the pirate.” “Aye, I’m Edward Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw,” he puts out a hand. When Desmond takes it he pulls him in and wraps an arm around his neck with one arm and ruffles his hair with the other. “An’ you’re Desmond, ain’t ye? We’ve been waitin’ for ya!”

“Wait what?” Desmond takes a step back, his arms up as if to hold Edward in place. “I’m dead, right?”

“Aye, thas’ right,” Edward nods as if it should be obvious.

“Then where am I? What do you mean ‘we’?”

Waving his arm inwards, Edward grins at the boy. “Come on, you’ll see. Yes, you are dead, but you’re home now.”

“Home?”

There’s no reply as Desmond is brought around the house to an open courtyard with a large table set and full of food. Music plays from somewhere in the background and suddenly Desmond doesn’t feel so heavy anymore. The burning pain he felt moments ago, the buzzing he heard is all gone. It almost feels like the animus...

“Ah, Desmond,” a deep voice calls.

Desmond turns to see a younger than expected Haytham, maybe in his thirties at this point, dressed in Assassin’s attire despite his turnover later in life. For a second, Desmond feels bitter, after having been through Connor’s life; it’s a struggle to be able to face this Kenway. Haytham holds out his hand and offers a wry smile.

“I understand your emotions, but what’s done is done,” he reasons and then grins when Desmond accepts his hand. “We’re here now.”

“I’ll think about it,” the younger assassin shrugs his shoulder before turning to see another figure show up. This time he grins and sticks his hand out. “Ratonhnhaketon, it’s an honor.”

The Native American smiles at Desmond, his hair is longer and pull back out of his face. He looks much older than his twenties and is dressed in his traditional assassin’s robes. His girth is intimidating close up and Desmond fully understands why some Templars shrank away from him in the Animus.

“The honor is mine,” Connor shakes his hand then reaches up to grasp his shoulder and pull him closer to the table. “There are plenty of people here to meet you.”

“Oh?” Desmond feels himself relax and more figures begin to appear in the courtyard.

He recognizes some from the database, other people his ancestors knew, other assassin’s who have made their mark in the Brotherhood. Others he doesn’t, he never did read too much into the database, preferring to just use what was needed. Man, he wishes Shaun and Rebecca were here...

“Why the long face?” Connor pauses in his tracks when Desmond’s face crumples up a fraction.

“M-my friends... my dad...” he stammers and wipes at his face with the heel of his hand. “I did this to protect them a-and...”

“It’s alright, lad,” Edward comes up on Desmond’s left and offers him a pat on the back. “We all understand the sacrifices you put in and what ya lost along the way. It’s going to hurt for a while, it’ll get better.”

With a nod, Desmond shakes off the grief to make it through this strange party. Connor resumes in bringing him over when a tall, not taller than Connor, figure comes up. He recognizes the man and nearly falls to his knees.

Ezio Auditore dressed in the robes from his time in Masyaf, gazes at Desmond with a slight smile and bright eyes. The two gaze at each other, Desmond cannot fathom this moment. Having relieved this man’s memories for so long, dealing with his pain and his happiness, so much so he couldn’t tell himself apart from him makes this moment so surreal. Finally, the italian reaches up with both hands and grasps Desmond’s shoulders.

“For all those years I never understood that message, you were the one,” his voice is deep and it rattles Desmond. “It is nice to finally meet you, Desmond. Desmond, it’s you.”

“E-ezio...” Desmond is speechless and damn he hates himself for it. What kind of man is he? “Shit. I don’t know what to say.”

Ezio’s booming laughter fills the courtyard. “Come sit, we will find the words together.”

Ezio takes the spot across from Desmond with Connor sitting on the younger man’s left and Edward on his right. One by one the crowd takes a seat and Desmond watches as the table fits everyone comfortably as they converse with one another. He gazes at all the faces in awe.

“I’m not related to everyone here am I?” he wonders out loud.

“Not necessarily,” Ezio explains while piling some food on his plate. “These are all of those in and associated with the Brotherhood...”

“Federico? Claudia? Is that Petruccio?” Desmond feels his heart ache at the sight of Ezio’s family. He remembers the depression he went through trying to sift through Ezio’s grief that was messing with his head. The deaths of the Italian’s brothers and father haunted him for a long time.

Ezio grins as his family materializes on his left, Desmond’s right. They grin at him, all of them looking more mature than when he last saw them. Federico wasn’t frozen in his early twenties from his death. He’s grown into a man, strong jaw, five o’clock shadow and elegant hair. He’s supposed to be older than Ezio, but his appearance is that of a thirty year old.

Petruccio is in his twenties, he’s still got his boyish looks about him, but it’s charming. Obviously an Auditore with that smile and lean muscled build. He would have made a fine assassin had he lived.

Claudia had grown up in the Brotherhood, her eyes are sharp and focused. Her lips, even while curled into a smile is dangerous. She’s beautiful and dressed in a deep red dress with cream ribbons in her hair.

“I see the Auditore genes run strong in your family,” Ezio comments with a grin, eyeing Desmond’s beard.

The young man raises a brow. “I mean, I did get some girls in my time too.”

“Unfortunately, he is most like you, Brother,” Claudia snorts.

“Nonsense, he clearly looks like me,” another voice interrupts and Desmond whips his head up to see Altair standing there with Maria Thorpe at his side and their two sons behind them.

Everyone at the table greets the new arrivals with a slight bow of their heads and smiles. Desmond stands up, unable once again to find the words when faced with Altair. He’s gonna punch himself in the face for being this fucking stupid in front of his ancestors. Who is he? Shaun?

“Look at his face, Altair,” Ezio gestures to him. “Clearly me.”

“His eyes,” Altair gestures while grinning at Desmond. “Me.”

“You all look the same,” Connor butts in with a flat tone.

This diffuses the argument as laughter bursts around the entire table. Desmond takes a seat as Altair and his family fills in the spot on the other side of Ezio. Dinner commences then and while Desmond has a long path of grief to go along he can’t help but feel good being surrounded by all his ancestors. They’ve been through the war he just got out of, they’ve seen the horrors and felt the losses. He’s here with them now and he can only wait and see what comes next.

[thejajoftravel]

JCR Monthly - Wellness Travel

Wellness travel is booming. A recent American Express study reports that more than half (68%) of all travelers are now planning their next vacation around wellness. As many of you know, Anthony and I have long been into fitness and health. Fun fact: I was actually featured in an article about ‘exercise in nursery school’ when I was only four. I love that our JCR hotels share the passion for wellbeing too - making it easy for travelers to stay healthy on the road. Following are highlights of a few JCR hotel initiatives, starting with Soneva (Maldives, Thailand), Hacienda AltaGracia (Costa Rica) and Grantley Hall (UK). 

OPPOSITES ATTRACT WITH SONEVA SOUL

(Maldives & Thailand)

Soneva’s ‘Soneva Soul’ is a transformative wellness concept that transcends throughout Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi (Maldives) and Soneva Kiri (Thailand) properties. Basically, it unites two seemingly polar opposites: ancient healing therapies like Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine; with methodologies like vitamin therapy, integrative medicine (cryotherapy, ozone therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy) and sleep programs. Yoga, movement and wholesome nutrition, with emphasis on plant-based cuisine, rounds out the experience.

Ultimate Relax: The yoga and meditation platform at Soneva Jani’s Island Spa (Maldives), sits high above the trees, offering stunning views of a private turquoise lagoon; while open-air treatment rooms offer the soothing natural soundtrack of ocean waves.

INTO THE WELL AT HACIENDA ALTAGRACIA

(Costa Rica)

Home to a coffee plantation, organic farm, horse stables and impressive hydrotherapy center, THE WELL at Hacienda AltaGracia (by Auberge) is not a typical spa. Set in the foothills of Costa Rica’s Talamanca mountains, there’s adventure too (hiking, horseback riding, nocturnal treks) alongside soulful yoga sessions, meditation and astrology. Spa treatments infuse local herbs, flowers and rituals with more high-tech offerings like 'lymph boots' and infrared cabins.

Ultimate Relax: Hacienda’s 50 casitas (some with plunge pools) by New York interior designer Nina Gotlieb, offer their own relaxing vibe with their weathered wood, firepits, vine-covered pergolas and views of the rainforest and clouds over the green valley.

THE ART OF BALANCE AT THREE GRACES SPA

(England)

Grantley Hall’s Three Graces Spa is all about balance and helping spa goers reset their mind, body and spirit in a way that resonates. The experience begins with an in depth wellness consultation followed by a customized treatment plan combining ancient modalities with the latest science. There’s no depravity however. Grantley Hall, the brainchild of charismatic Yorkshire-born owner Valeria Sykes, is beyond grand - right down to its  Michelin fine-dining restaurant.

Ultimate Relax: Before and after body wraps, scrubs, massages and facials, dip into the steamy hydrotherapy pool, soak in the outdoor cedar hot tub and while the hours away in the thermal chamber: steam, sauna and even snow room.  

Ballyfin, Ireland: Meander the grounds, dip into the heated pool, opt for a spa treatment or for ultimate indulgence book an Irish seaweed bath in room.

Castlemartyr Resort, Ireland: Book a spa treatment by ESPA (or Germaine De Capuccini), play a round of golf, and relax in the heated pool, encased by glass overlooking the garden.

Chan Chich Lodge, Belize: Explore solo or with a resident guide nine miles of jungle trails.

Eustatia Island, British Virgin Islands: A 3.5-mile natural spa, this private island offers thalassotherapy (sea), yoga, hiking/jogging trails and endless water sports.

Family Twist, Europe: Families who love biking love Family Twist’s city-cycling tours. Destinations include Barcelona, Les Calanques, Rome and Old Lucca.

Glenapp Castle, Scotland: Opt for a marine-based Thalgo treatment at nearby Pebbles Spa, set on the edge of the coastline, or for a full-on salt-air journey, book Glenapp’s Hebridean Sea Safari.

The Greenwich, New York City: Japanese-inspired Shibui is one of NYC’s most coveted spas renowned for its authentic ambience, luxurious treatments and private onsen rituals.

HL Adventure, Iceland: Go beyond Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon. Follow a remote trail into a canyon to bathe in hidden geothermal hot pools and cold-water spring. No crowds.

Hotel Esprit Saint Germain, Paris: After walking the twisty streets of Paris, return to the hotel’s private, light-flooded relaxation area (sauna, steam) with a view of the city’s rooftops.

Hotel Le Toiny, St. Barth: Practice yoga on the beach, learn to surf, then slip off into the hotel’s sweet Serenity Spa.

Katikies Santorini, Greece: The stairs alone are a workout. But for added luxury, reserve the spa suite, a hidden cave with private steam bath, hot tub, and side-by-side massage beds - perfect for two.

Malliouhana, Anguilla: Wellness by the water is beyond dreamy at this stunning seaside property.  Start with sun salutations in the sand, then go poolside with Pilates.

The Safari Collection, Africa: Have breakfast with the giraffes then cocoon into the sauna, steam room and hot tub. Recline after, over tea, on the rooftop garden to giraffe watch.

Sheen Falls Lodge, Ireland: Easanna Spa (which means ‘waterfall’) draws inspiration from river Sheen and Kenmare Bay. Enjoy seaweed wraps, scrubs, facials by Ireland’s famed Voya.

Tierra Hotels, Chile: Heated pools with stunning views, hot tubs under the stars and treatments infusing local ingredients are part of Tierra’s Uma Spa concept. Available at Atacama, Patagonia and Chiloé.

Xanadu Villas, Tanzania: Spa set right on the beach features sumptuous and healing spa treatments by South Africa’s renowned Africology brand.

Commissions that track themselves.

Once a booking is in, SION takes care of the rest—payment status, commission split, even supplier invoicing.

And with everything just a few keystrokes away, the only question is, What will you do with all that free time?

Handcrafted by travel industry professionals, Truevail creates and sends a white labeled newsletter from you to your clients. The Truevail Essentials Membership is built to help inspire travel and educate clients on Travel Advisor services, all while creating leads and organic client growth with our Lead Capture Opt-In form for your current website.  Contact Truevail today!

[travelonlinetipsofficial]

10 Best Romantic Hotels in Rome

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10 Best Romantic Hotels in Rome

Perhaps you’re in Rome on your honeymoon. Or even with a new love. You might have chosen the eternal city to rekindle your love life or as the place for a marriage proposal. Either way, you’re coming to the right place. Love is in Rome’s DNA. Put simply, Italians love love! 

Rome has a wealth of hotels with varying styles, spread across the historical center and beyond and catering to all budgets. But it can be hard to sift through the endless options and if you’re traveling for love, you’re bound to want something special. So we’ve rounded up 10 of the best when it comes to style, comfort, luxury and of course – romance.

If you want to impress, the Hotel Hassler is one of Rome’s classic and historic or try the new Rocco Forte property, the Hotel de la Ville. For contemporary design or a boutique space, look no further than Corso 281 Luxury Suites right on Rome’s main drag or the Hotel Palazzo Dama. To relive the days gone by of la dolce vita, perhaps Via Veneto is more up your alley. The Westin Palace located in a prized location. If you lovers don’t want to lift a finger, the St Regis even has a 24 hour butler service. 

Take your pick, enjoy each others’ company and pamper your loved one with a relaxing stay at one of these romantic hotels in Rome – you won’t regret it.

Photo courtesy of Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

For hedonistic pleasure, the nouveau riche choose to stay at the smart and sassy Aleph Hotel. Its interior was purposely designed to represent Dante’s Divine Comedy. The lobby and lounge areas are meant to represent Inferno with its rich red and black accented chairs, couches and decor. Guests are immediately greeted by caged marble lion statues and two gigantic samurai warriors at the entrance of the hotel. The hotel rooms itself are slightly less shocking, decorated in a clean contemporary style with large photographs of Rome hanging on the walls. Make your way up to Pardiso and enjoy a drink from the hotel’s rooftop Angelo bar or treat yourself with a day of relaxation at the Anmo Tuina spa. BUS: 80, 53, 52. METRO: Barberini.

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: The Aleph is a stunning unique design hotel and super centrally located.

Read more about Aleph Rome Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton →

Palazzo Manfredi is a magnificent historic villa that serves today as a small boutique five-star hotel. The beauty is really in the detail at this beautiful establishment, right from its rooms and opulent suites to the spectacular rooftop view of the Colosseum. Here the Aroma restaurant serves up some of the best local produce available, while you sit and bask in the shadow of the most famous monument in the world. Still family run, nothing is too much at this hotel For a special romantic occasion, book the Colosseum Suite set across two levels with an unforgettable view. METRO: Colosseo. BUS: 87

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: Featuring Aroma Restaurant with an unobstructed view of the Colosseum, lovers are in for a treat.

Read more about Palazzo Manfredi – Relais & Chateaux →

Located on a corner directly in front of the American Embassy on the famous Via Veneto, is the Westin Excelsior Hotel. Its striking presence resembles that of an elegantly baked wedding cake crowned with a magestic cupola dome on top. The interior of this hotel is downright dazzling. There are elegant mirrors, fresh flower arrangements and crystal chandeliers present throughout the hotel. It’s no wonder, this hotel is the obvious choice for promininent political figures, celebrities and royalty. Amenities include an indoor pool, full service spa, and a health club and sauna. BUS: 80, 52, 53. METRO: Barberini.

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: The Westin is the perfect five star choice for travelers wanting to live La Dolce Vita on Via Veneto.

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Set within an 18th-century palazzo formerly the home to the Malaspina dynasty, the Palazzo Dama Hotel brings a touch of style and elegance to Rome like no other. A chic villa if you like, it opened its doors in 2016 and with its elaborate features (no less than a sparkling chandelier taken from the New York’s Plaza Hotel), food and beverage offering and designer appointed rooms and suites, it is the epitome of 5-star luxury. A rarity in the heart of Rome, the hotel boasts a swimming pool set in a lush garden where guests lounge about and take a dip in the warmer months with staff readily on hand to serve up a cocktail (or two). The Peruvian-Japanese inspired Pacifico Restaurant and Raspoutin Club are popular with hotel guests and locals alike. METRO: Fleming

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: An art deco haven with quaint public spaces throughout.

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A grand palace from 1894, inviting you to explore its curated collection ouf fine art and antiques, handcrafted stucco-adorned staircase, the historic lift, the glittering Murano chandeliers and the majestic symbol of La Belle Époque — The Ritz. After a full scale renovation work the impressive lobby immediately signals grandeur and grace, as old-world splendour converges with modern style and sophistication. Light, reflectivity and refinement are the keynotes of the design scheme highlighted by a dove-grey entrance foyer and a 5-metre hand-blown glass chandelier. Fashion and art come together in a luminous Belle-Époque-inspired indoor piazza that pays eloquent homage to the winter garden of César Ritz’s original hotel. METRO: Repubblica.

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: St Regis is at the top end in Rome for opulence, service and style.

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The Rome Cavalieri is stituated in the Monte Mario area of Rome, just north of the city, in a prized elevate area overlooking the panorama that has inspired visitors to the eternal city for centuries. Well connected to the center, the hotel also offers a shuttle service for guests. The property sits within fifteen acres of lush Mediterranean parkland and is a calm retreat in the heart of the Rome. The hotel boasts the only restaurant in Rome with 3 Michelin stars, La Pergola as well as an award winning day spa and wellness center. More than just a 5 star hotel, it’s the first Europe to become part of the exclusive Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resort Group.

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: Rome’s ultimate in resort style and luxury accommodation, the Hilton also boasts the 3 Michelin star La Pergola restaurant.

Read more about Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel →

Luxury hotelier group Rocco Forte have struck again in Rome with their second five star property. Sister to the local institution that is Hotel de Russie, the new Hotel de la Ville has taken over a prized piece of real estate atop the Spanish Steps. A former 18th century palazzo with a stunning design inspired by the iconic European ‘Grand Tour’, the jewel in its crown is a large rooftop drinking and dining space that takes in sweeping views of the roman skyline. Renowned chef Fulvio Pierangelini has devised an exciting offering of food and beverage including a street-side bistro, Da Sistina with a selection of roman classics and Mosaico in the internal courtyard area with a more international and eclectic Mediterranean fusion of flavors. The Julep bar with its yellow and turquoise green decor is the perfect spot for an afternoon or evening aperitif and the outdoor area is decked with pretty red and white stripe umbrellas. Olga Polizzi and Tommaso Ziffer designed the elegant 104 rooms and suites (some with expansive terraces), filled with plush, playful and contemporary furniture and fabrics. The Sicilian-inspired De la Ville Spa offers state-of-the-art treatments and focuses on organic wellness with Irene Forte and Pietro Simone skincare.

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: A prized location with views that span the entire Eternal City.

Read more about Hotel de la Ville Rome →

You might not expect a high-end boutique property on Rome’s main thoroughfare Via del Corso, yet Corso 281 Luxury Suites sits there grandly, stylishly and quietly, literally a stone’s throw from Piazza Venezia. In fact, it really doesn’t get much more central than this in the Eternal City. Free wifi throughout, superb designer interiors, Nespresso machines, luxurious Bulgari toiletries and breakfast in bed – this is boutique pampering at its very best. Some of the air-conditioned suites boast views of the grand Piazza Venezia and it actually doesn’t end there. It’s the service here that really makes all the difference. All the staff act as a concierge with their authentic local tips and know-how, especially the hotel director Natalino Gisonna who will guide you to the very best Rome has to offer. Smart devices are on offer for all guests to help navigate the city like a Roman. METRO: Spagna

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: Breakfast served in the comfort of your own suite. Doesn’t get more romantic than that!

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The Hotel Hassler sits atop the Spanish Steps in one of the most prime positions in all of Rome. Unlike other 5-star hotels, the Hassler is a family-owned and operated hotel, which makes every aspect and detail catered to its clients unique. It is owned and personally operated by Swiss Hotelier Roberto E. Wirth. Its perfect combination of over-the-top luxury and personalized service is the reason why A-list celebrities and royalty such as Tom Cruise, Robert DeNiro and Leonardo De Caprio, Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Prince Rainier of Monaco have all stayed here. Its rooms are opulently decorated in an elegant and classic style. Nothing quite tops the lavish penthouse suite and its terrace fit for a king, boasting million dollar views. METRO: SPAGNA

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: Hotel Hassler is 5 star luxury in one of the most prized locations in Rome.

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Photo courtesy of Hotel de Russie

Perfectly situated between the grandiose Piazza del Popolo and the sublime Spanish steps, lies one of the ritziest addresses in all of Rome, the Hotel de Russie. Probably the most impressive feature that this extravagant luxury hotel has to offer is its extensive terraced gardens. Most rooms boast exquisite views of the gardens. Meanwhile, the cr–me de la cr–me, the Nijinsky Suite at the top of the hotel has the largest terrace with its own private outdoor dining room, overlooking Roman rooftops and the gardens. The recently refurbed Popolo Suites and the Picasso Suite (where – you guessed it – Picasso once slept) have been recently refurbished with stunning decor touches throughout. During the summer, dining al fresco at the ‘Le Jardin de Russie’ restaurant in the middle of the hotel’s Secret Garden is just magical. METRO: Flaminio, Spagna.

Recommended for Romantic Hotels because: The pioneer in Rome’s boutique hotel scene has a cozy courtyard for all day dining.

Read more about Rocco Forte Hotel De Russie →

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[opera-ghosts]

Emma Albani, soprano (1847-1930). Marie-Louise-Emma-Cécile Lajeunesse was born on November 1, 1847, in Chambly, Quebec, where she lived until 1851. Emma received her first music lessons from her mother, but began studying music with her father when she turned five. In Paris, Emma studied with Gilbert-Louis Duprez, a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire and principal tenor of the Paris Opera. Six months later, she moved to Italy to study with Francesco Lamperti, a teacher renowned for his mastery of the Italian method of singing. In April of 1870, at the age of 22, Albani debuted in the city of Messina in Vincenzo Bellini's La Sonnambula. As she recalled in her autobiography, the Sicilian audience responded to her debut performance with wild enthusiasm. She wrote, "I was literally loaded with flowers, presents, and poetry, the detached sheets of which were sent fluttering down in every direction on the heads of the audience; and among the numberless bouquets of every shape was a basket in which was concealed a live dove. They had painted it red, and the dear little bird rose and flew all over the theatre." After fulfilling her contract at Messina, Albani returned to Milan to resume her studies with Lamperti. It was not long before she accepted another engagement in Cento, where she appeared in Rigoletto for the first time. Albani next performed in Florence and then in Malta, singing in La Sonnambula, Lucia di Lammermoor, Robert il Diavolo, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine. While in Malta, Albani made the acquaintance of a number of British soldiers who were stationed there, and they persuaded her to go to London to pursue an engagement at Covent Garden. In June of 1871, one year after her debut in Messina, Albani arrived in London to audition at Covent Garden. After hearing her sing, Frederick Gye, the manager of the prestigious opera company, offered the young singer a five-year contract and scheduled her Covent Garden debut for the following spring. While waiting for her debut, Albani attended Covent Garden performances and heard some of the singers (among them opera legend Adelina Patti) with whom she would share the stage in the following season. She remained in London for a short time before returning to Italy to continue her studies with Lamperti. Together they studied Ambroise Thomas' Mignon and Rossini's Conte d'Ory in preparation for another engagement at the Pergola Theatre in Florence. Whenever she could find a spare moment in her busy schedule of performance and studies, Albani endeavoured to experience other aspects of the rich culture of Milan, Sicily and London by visiting their art galleries and museums. The Pergola Theatre engagement, which included performances of La Sonnambula and Lucia di Lammermoor, was a resounding success and Albani made her way back to London for her first Covent Garden season. On April 2, 1872, Albani debuted at Covent Garden as Amina in La Sonnambula and her performance deeply impressed both the audience and critics. Her admirers showered her with gifts of flowers and jewellery, and one reviewer wrote, "The great event of the month has been the success of Mlle. Albani, who made her debut as Amina in 'La Sonnambula'. With a genuine soprano voice, a facile and unexaggerated execution, and a remarkable power of sostenuto in the higher part of her register, this young vocalist at once secured the good opinion of her audience . . . . there can be no doubt that future performances will fully justify the verdict so unanimously and unmistakably pronounced upon her first appearance." Although only 24 years old when she debuted at Covent Garden, Albani had already performed publicly in as many as eight different operas in five European cities. Albani became interested in oratorio (large-scale musical works on a sacred theme) through two musicians she met during her first season at Covent Garden. Composer/conductor Sir Julius Benedict and Covent Garden organist Joseph Pitman encouraged Albani to perform oratorios in order to

expand her vocal repertoire. Opportunities for singing both oratorio and secular music were in abundance, due to the numerous music festivals held each year throughout the English provinces. So when she was offered a minor role at the Norwich Festival in October of 1872, Albani eagerly accepted. She sang "Angels, ever bright and fair" from Handel's Theodora, and thus began a career in oratorio performance that would endure long after the conclusion of her career in opera. After singing at the Norwich Festival, Albani travelled to Paris for an engagement at the Salle Ventadour and then returned to London for her second season at Covent Garden. During this season, she sang the roles of Ophelia in Hamlet and the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro for the first time. Her next engagement took her far from London—in November of 1873, she departed for Russia, appearing first in Moscow in the operas La Sonnambula, Rigoletto, Hamlet and Lucia di Lammermoor, and then performing in St. Petersburg, where the Tsar attended the performances and personally congratulated the singers. Albani was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response of the Russian audience who, more than once, applauded Albani through 20 curtain calls in one evening. During her third season at Covent Garden (1874-75), Albani sang much of the same repertoire as in the first two years: La Sonnambula, Lucia di Lammermoor, Linda di Chamounix and Flotow's Marta. Just after the end of her third season at Covent Garden, one such opportunity occurred that especially delighted Albani—Queen Victoria commanded the young singer to perform at Windsor Castle. In July of 1874, Albani met the Queen for the first time and sang "Caro Nome" from Rigoletto, "Robin Adair", "Ave Maria" by Gounod, and "Home, Sweet Home". Queen Victoria was both an appreciative and well-informed patron of music. At one time, Felix Mendelssohn had been her teacher and through her studies, she had developed an interest in a wide variety of musical styles. On subsequent performances for the Queen, Albani was asked to sing French and Scottish songs, as well as works by Brahms, Grieg, Handel and Mendelssohn. In the autumn of 1874, Albani embarked on another ambitious tour, this time to the American cities of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and Chicago. The highlight of her American engagement was a production of Wagner's Lohengrin, in which Albani appeared in the role of Elsa. The management in New York had decided to produce the opera at the last minute, thus Albani had had only 15 days to study her role. She sang the role in Italian, as was the custom at that time, and a review from the New York paper Republic stated, "The worst enemies of Wagner -- and he has many obdurate ones -- cannot but admit that there is a peculiar spell of fascination about his melodious harmonies, and of these Mlle. Albani looks, acts, and sings as the very priestess of them might.". By the time Albani had started her fourth season at Covent Garden in 1875. For the next 4 years, she continued to appear at Covent Garden, adding to her repertoire such roles as Marguerite from Gounod's Faust, Elisabeth from Wagner's Tannhäuser and Senta in Wagner's Der Fliegende Hollander. In addition to her Covent Garden appearances, Albani continued to tour ambitiously, singing in Venice, Paris, Nice, Ireland, Scotland and the English provinces. She also secured yearly engagements at the English music festivals. In 1875, she appeared at the Norwich festival, singing in Mendelssohn's Hymn of Praise and Sir Julius Benedict's St. Cecilia. She sang in both the Bristol and Birmingham festivals in the following year, appearing in Elijah, Beethoven's Engedi (Mount of Olives) and Handel's Messiah. Other oratorio engagements included performances at the Leeds Festival (1876), the Gloucester Musical Festival (Sept. 1877) and the Worcester Festival (1878). On August 6, 1878, at the age of 30, Albani married Ernest Gye in London. She became pregnant with her first and only child shortly thereafter,

but continued to perform, appearing at the Norwich Festival and then embarking on another tour of Russia. While in Russia, Albani was devastated to learn that her father-in-law, Frederick Gye, had passed away as a result of a hunting accident. The manager of Covent Garden never had the opportunity to see his grandson, Frederick Ernest, who was born on June 4, 1879. Albani did not appear in any operas during the year her son was born, but by the spring of 1880, she was back on the Covent Garden stage performing a new role in Herold's Le Pré aux Clercs. Concert tours took Albani to Florence, Nice and Brussels, and in 1881, she was invited to sing in Wagner's Lohengrin at the Royal Opera in Berlin. Emma had sung the role of Elsa on numerous occasions, but only in Italian. For the Berlin performance, she restudied the part in German and gave her first performance in the German language in front of a receptive audience in Berlin. A Berlin correspondent of the Times reported, "Madame Albani appeared to-night as Elsa in Wagner's Lohengrin, singing her part in the native German. The house was crowded to the very ceiling, and extravagant prices were paid for seats. The Emperor and his Court were present, and all the leaders of Berlin society. Madame Albani achieved what may well be called a complete triumph, greater even than any she has won hitherto. After the first and second acts she was recalled thrice, and when the curtain finally dropped, four times, the audience cheering enthusiastically." A few years later, in 1884, Albani sang the part of Elsa in German at Convent Garden. Opera companies had been chastised by critics for their practice of performing all opera in the Italian language and in order to keep up with the changing tide, they had begun to produce operas in their original language. During the 1880s, Albani had a number of encounters with renowned composers. In March of 1886, she met composer/pianist Franz Liszt at a London reception and he expressed his admiration for her talent after she sang the lead in his oratorio The Legend of St. Elisabeth. Albani also had a close relationship with composer Sir Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan) and sang in his oratorio Golden Legend at the 1886 Leeds Festival. She met Johannes Brahms on a visit to Vienna and her performance of an excerpt from his German Requiem moved the composer to tears. Albani's final season at Covent Garden (1896) included yet another new role -- Isolde from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. She appeared opposite the famous tenor Jean de Reszke and both received rave reviews. Albani retired from the Covent Garden stage soon after this performance, but her singing career was far from over. She embarked on a nation-wide tour of Canada in 1896, concertizing in Halifax, Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver. In 1898, she appeared before a crowd of 3,000 in Sydney Australia, before moving on to Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. (Albani, p. 164) She continued to receive invitations from Queen Victoria to sing at Windsor Castle and when the Queen died in January of 1901, Albani was the soloist at the final services at St. George's Chapel. Near the end of her career, Albani's concert engagements brought her to Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa and India. She also made several recordings dating from around 1904. Included in the recordings are arias by Handel, Gounod's "Ave Maria", and "L'Eté" by composer Cécile Chaminade. Albani was already past her prime when she made these recordings—in fact, as early as 1896, there was evidence that her voice was beginning to deteriorate. A review of a concert that took place at Toronto's Massey Hall described her performance in this way: "Albani is still wondrous in her volume and braviture, but the music has gone a little out of her voice; the fatal hardness that tells of wear and tear and strain is creeping in." On October 14, 1911, at the age of 54, Albani performed publicly for the last time. One year later, she published Forty Years of Song, in which she

recorded her lengthy and eventful career that included over 35 operatic roles. After her retirement, Emma and her husband continued to live in their house in Kensington, but as a result of some poor investments, they experienced devastating financial difficulties. Albani began teaching and even performed in music halls to earn money, but by the mid-1920s, her situation was quite desperate. Fortunately, benefit concerts held in Montréal, London and Emma's hometown of Chambly, raised enough funds to allow the aging singer to live in comfort until she died in 1930.

[dipulb3]

What to do if you're planning or attending a wedding during the pandemic

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/what-to-do-if-youre-planning-or-attending-a-wedding-during-the-pandemic/

What to do if you're planning or attending a wedding during the pandemic

“Everything was changing,” said Chalmers, a Toronto-based marketing manager whose nuptials were originally planned for May 2020, two months after her province’s coronavirus lockdowns began. “In March 2020, it felt like every day something would happen that was kind of like another nail in the coffin for our wedding.”

The couple, who’d gotten engaged in 2018, quickly shifted gears, opting for a small wedding on their July dating anniversary in Chalmers’ parents’ backyard and rescheduling their big reception for May 2021. They ultimately canceled the latter, for good, in light of Ontario’s recent Covid-19 case surge.

“We just realized it wasn’t going to be the day that we wanted,” Chalmers added. “With travel restrictions and the (slow) vaccination rollout, we just knew that people wouldn’t feel safe.”

Having to plan a wedding during normal times “is stressful enough,” she added, but an additional burden was having “to worry like, ‘Oh, somebody might get sick and die as a result of coming to my wedding.'”

The small, outdoor ceremony Chalmers and Mitchell had is one lower-risk way to get married during the pandemic. But as coronavirus restrictions loosen, some couples are opting for more elaborate celebrations, and opening the door to a host of new anxieties, standards and etiquette rules in the process.

Either way, experts say prioritizing the safety of your community as well as your guests is paramount. That includes working with local health officials and paying attention to local regulations, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises.

“Until things get better, I think we just have to find innovative ways to still be able to enjoy ourselves, celebrate the coming (together) of two individuals and do it in a safe way,” said Dr. Ada Stewart, a family physician with Cooperative Health in Columbia, South Carolina, and the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

What pandemic weddings can look like

The CDC has continued to recommend that people avoid large gatherings, regardless of vaccination status. Coronavirus spreads when infected people cough, sneeze or talk and others breathe in those droplets, and when coronavirus accumulates in, or flows through, the air. People can catch coronavirus on contaminated surfaces, too, but this is a much lower risk, according to the CDC.

That’s what makes weddings — particularly indoor ones — potentially risky. Lots of people possibly packed into the same area, talking, laughing, eating, drinking and dancing — maybe even hugging and kissing — creates an ideal environment for the virus to thrive. A high or increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the area where the event is happening — or in areas where guests are traveling from — only heightens that risk.

Ventilation quality is another factor that can makes indoor weddings more precarious. Outdoor weddings, like the one Chalmers and Mitchell had, of course naturally avoid that concern.

“A totally outdoor wedding (is) very low risk, even with people who are of unknown vaccination status,” said Appradab Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Chalmers and Mitchell said their vows under a wooden pergola, surrounded by her parents’ backyard garden. “Our florist put up a golden arch and decorated it with flowers,” she said via email. “Friends of ours who own a theatre company came earlier in the day and used their props to set up our signing table which had an ‘old train station’ vibe, which was really special as my husband loves trains.”

Chalmers and Mitchell also livestreamed their small ceremony and reception so that other loved ones could virtually attend. Virtual weddings are always a safe option — and what the CDC has advised for those who can’t implement Covid-19 safety precautions.

Chalmers’ wedding was intimate, but it left her feeling a bit wistful.

“I still remember that moment after we got married and we walked back up our very tiny aisle in my parents’ back garden,” Chalmers recalled. “That really hit me … that I always imagined that moment with all our friends and family being there and that they weren’t there. And also, because of Covid, I couldn’t even hug my family members who were there.”

Indoor weddings are riskier, but doable if couples modify tradition to be as safe as possible.

Whether proof of vaccination is required at the wedding “changes everything,” Wen said. “If everyone is fully vaccinated, there may not need to be restrictions.”

Weddings without full vaccination mandates may have guests who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, which is why it’s important to consider the setting, Wen said.

The safety of a wedding venue may partly depend on the ability to modify layouts or seating so that people from different households can be at least 6 feet apart.

“We create signage off of (the stationery that the couple has used throughout the planning process), reminding guests to socially distance 6 feet apart,” said Desireé Dent, the president and lead planner of Dejanae Events, a Chicago-based wedding and event planning company.

“We’ve used, like, little animated people with the arrows with the words ‘6 feet’ in between the arrows. … It’s in a 8-by-10 frame so that they can see it. We usually set it up on a highboy.”

Indoor air quality matters too. Work with venue managers to ensure measures for well-ventilated rooms are in place, including the ability to open windows or doors when possible. High ceilings, window fans and HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters can help as well — as can properly functioning HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems that deliver clean air and dilute potential contaminants. There is no need for high-tech disinfecting systems, which the US Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and other government agencies rarely have proven effective.

Simplifying to reduce Covid-19 risk

The more people and the more crowded together they are, the higher the chances of spreading coronavirus if someone is infected. Couples can pare down capacity by going through their guest list and deciding who has to be at the wedding, Dent said.

Sizing depends on the venue, but the number “in 2020, when we were in the heat of it, was 50 or less,” Dent said.

Even if you plan an outdoor wedding, you still “don’t want to over-invite,” Dent said. “If the weather does not agree with you on that day, you’re going to have to move people inside. And now we run into a situation of not having enough spacing.”

Consider your most important relationships, “and then from there, really think about your friend group,” Dent said. “Is it your best friend? Or is it a person that you’ve befriended at work that could potentially understand that they are not necessarily invited to this ceremony?”

The duration of the wedding also affects Covid-19 risk. “Being within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more (over a 24-hour period) greatly increases the risk of becoming infected and requires quarantine,” the CDC has said. So, longer events are riskier than shorter events.

Cutting the event short could mean not having a reception — which might also address concerns around coronavirus spreading as people share a meal.

The problem with eating “is people taking off their masks to eat if they are in close proximity with one another,” Wen said. “If everybody’s spaced at least 6 feet apart, not a concern outdoors. But if they are close together and taking off their masks to eat, that increases risk.”

If you do serve food, seat housemates at their own tables and at least 6 feet away from others. Avoid buffet-type meals since everyone would be touching the same serving utensils, Stewart said.

“The meals have been plated (and) brought to the guest,” Dent said of pandemic weddings she has planned. “Because we all have to remain seated when you are drinking and eating, the idea of passed hors d’oeuvres has been removed. … Each one of them are put on an individual plate, which has been covered in some form.”

Dancing — and specifically breathing heavier while doing so — can also make receptions higher risk, Wen said. “The only way to do that safely is to ensure that everyone there is vaccinated, and if that’s not possible for some reason, to be quarantined and tested.”

If you allow dancing, have people who live in the same household dance next to their own tables, Dent said.

“The dances with parents, the couple’s first dance, the cake cutting, those ceremonial moments that you see in many weddings — those still take place because they’re, in a sense, one-on-one,” Dent said. “You just need to have a space within the environment.”

Fully vaccinated people can take photos together outdoors and unmasked if they are at least 6 feet away from others. Unvaccinated and vaccinated people photographed together should wear masks.

Avoid activities like bouquet tosses that could encourage people to crowd together, Stewart suggested. And instead of having a guest book that requires everyone using the same pen, have a small card and pen at every seat that guests can sign and leave to be picked up.

“Now it becomes more of a scrapbook of small, little handwritten cards versus one guest book,” Dent said.

Ensuring everyone is as safe as possible

You can help guests reduce risk by providing “sanitation stations” at venue entrances and throughout, Dent said. Those could include hand sanitizer, disposable masks or custom masks made for your wedding.

Providing on-site testing is also an option if you have the means, said Regina Davis Moss, the associate executive director of health policy and practice at the American Public Health Association. Some venues and hotels “are offering that, particularly when you have guests that are traveling from different places, and some states require a negative test before you return,” Davis Moss said.

But know that test results may not reflect whether someone was just exposed to coronavirus but hasn’t been infected long enough for test results to be positive, she added.

Some couples are hiring Covid-19 compliance officers to help politely enforce safety precautions like physical distancing, said Annie Lee, the principal planner for award-winning wedding and event planning company Daughter of Design. Plannie, founded by Lee, is an online platform through which people can book local planners to work for events on an hourly basis.

“Through that, we also added on Covid compliance officers that you can hire,” Lee said. “It’s not the planner’s job (nor) the venue’s job to also then have to be monitoring the guests and their masks and whatever other rules there might be.”

Managing expectations and pandemic wedding etiquette

If you plan to limit your guest list or require proof of full Covid-19 vaccination, having those conversations might be awkward.

“It is up to you, as the organizer, to set the rules,” Wen said. “You could very well say, as an example, ‘the health and safety of our wedding guests is our top priority. Vaccines protect everyone. We are therefore requesting that people attending must be fully vaccinated as defined by two weeks after their second dose of Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after their Johnson & Johnson vaccine.'”

To children and adult guests who are unable to be vaccinated, you could offer that they instead quarantine and test, Wen added. “One test in the 24-hour period before the wedding is probably sufficient.”

“You can also frame it, if you wish, as ‘There’ll be people attending who are particularly vulnerable, and it’s important for us to help them attend. That’s the reason why we’re asking for your help,'” Wen said. “Make it about what it really is, which is protecting health.”

Since invitations can give only so much information, Dent suggested communicating your Covid-19 measures via a wedding website.

“You can address questions and answers on your website as well as if you are requiring proof of vaccination or proof of a negative Covid test. That information can be collected there, or you could give them instructions on how to send it to you,” she said. “I know couples that have sent (an electronic) waiver to their guests and requiring that they sign it.”

As a guest, if you’d have to travel long distance to a wedding, you may have additional issues to consider depending on your vaccination status: Unvaccinated people are still advised by the CDC to stay home, but should get tested one to three days before their trip, for example, and three to five days after they arrive home. Regardless of your second test result, you should also quarantine for seven days.

If you’ve been invited to a wedding that won’t have safety measures in place and want to share your concerns, how you do that depends on your relationship with the couple, Wen said.

“If you are very close and feel comfortable with it, consider calling and having a frank conversation. … Perhaps they haven’t thought about the benefit of these safety measures. Perhaps they’ll hear from multiple guests and consider implementing new measures,” Wen said. “Think about attending a portion of the ceremony but not another — for example, an outdoor ceremony itself but not the indoor banquet. At the end of the day, you could consider telling them your true reason: that you are concerned about your own health.”