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talesofafangirlwithadvr · 4 years ago

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AUGUST PICKS!

And we’re back with another month wrap up! August involved a lot of TV watching (as per usual), but I feel like I watched a lot of things I’ve already talked about before (ex: The 100, Violetta). So it was a little bit harder to feature some new titles. I felt accomplished this month because I finished quite a few series. So, without further ado...let’s do this!

Spoilers!! But you knew that already :)

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So I know I’ve spoken about some of these shows A LOT recently, but I still had to include them in this wrap up because they were a good amount of the month. (Even if they feel like they were so long ago.)

CURSED

This book to screen adaptation on Netflix following Nimue (AKA the Lady of the Lake) re-invents the King Arthur myth. It was an entertaining and enjoyable watch that makes me hope there’s a second season. There were certain parts that bothered me and I wish some characters had more time on screen, but as someone who likes King Arthur and fantasy TV I’d recommend it. 3/5 for me.

For more on my thoughts regarding the show check out my earlier post: **Spoilers** Featuring Cursed

DC’S STARGIRL

A show that I’ve often been documenting my reviews/feelings after watching each episode. (That’s how you can tell IT’S THAT GOOD.) While it was a bit slow in the beginning (mainly because of it having the quality of being on a streaming service-ending on a cliffhanger for you to binge the next episode immediately kind of feel), it picked up and has easily become one of my favorites for the year. (YEAH...I KNOW. I SAID YEAR.) You can check out my page for more specific reactions in my posts, but here are some of the moments that stick out to me the most when I think about season 1.

I can’t wait for season 2!!

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

June doesn’t feel like that long ago, but because I started season 1 two months ago (and because of the world of quarantine) it feels like a long time ago. Especially when this show is only 18-20 episodes that are each about 20/25 minutes. For me, I enjoyed season 1, but not as much as seasons 2 and 3. I definitely watched the first season slower because of this. Once the Ba Sing Se plot happened I was very invested. I enjoyed most of Book 2 in the Earth Kingdom before this, but Ba Sing Se was definitely the best. I was so impressed that they put that into a kid show. Then again, there’s so much in this show that is well done and brings up such relevant issues to a younger audience. I loved following Aang, Katara and Sakka and enjoyed Toph’s addition to Team Avatar. Overall I think Uncle Iroh is my favorite character in the show. I loved all the wisdom he had and how he saw the best in Zuko the entire time. Their team up was great and I am so happy he got his tea shop in the end. His escape from prison was amazing. I love a good redemption arc and from the start was excited to see Prince Zuko’s (it’s one of the ‘spoilers’ I knew going in). I think it was really well done and I liked how they showed him struggling with it. The last agni kai between Zuko and Azula was such a beautiful scene and the music score behind it was so chilling. I love how they chose a slow, instrumental song to play in the background. It’s not what I was expecting and it was such an awesome choice. Overall, I really liked the music and have added it to my writing playlist. I’m really glad I decided to watch Avatar the Last Airbender.

From one binged show starting in June to another....

VIOLETTA SEASON 2

It’s crazy; you don’t think 80 episodes would go by that fast, but they do. Once you hit episode 50, I just zip by the rest in the season. So many of the plots get SO GOOD, you can’t help but watch so many episodes back to back (to back). For season 2, episode 75 was one of my favorites for the whole season. I love how some of the cast actually got to go to Madrid. (Even the intro music changed when they were there.) Diego really grew on me. I loved the added plot of discovering who his dad is! Feels very telenovela. Gregorio’s reaction was priceless-such great acting-and I loved how much it has changed his character so far. I’m excited to see where he is headed for season 3.

Leonetta forever! The reason they weren’t together was a bit weak, but I get they needed the love triangle. Overall the Leon/Violetta/Diego love triangle was a lot stronger than season 1′s (in my opinion). It felt better developed. I enjoyed a lot of the couples this season. Frederico and Ludi are a pair I didn’t know I wanted till it happened. Olga and Ramallo actually got a kiss!!! I loved hearing Ramallo talk about how Olga is the only woman in his life. So rare to see such emotions from him. Fran and Leon’s friendship was adorable. I loved their moments in Madrid. She was their #1 shipper. I know in the beginning I said there wasn’t a lot of music and performances, but as the season progressed we definitely got a lot of new songs (which I cannot stop singing). I miss my time at the Studio and hope the third season will be streaming on Disney Plus soon. I heard it could be September 18th so fingers crossed!!

THE INBESTIGATORS

Filling the void that was left by Little Lunch (and produced by the same studio) is the InBESTigators! A show that follows 4 elementary students who live in Australia and solve mysteries. One of the things I really loved about Little Lunch was how serious they made really trivial, kid-like things sound. I have often described it as an Office-like children’s show, where they talk about their problems directly to the camera and give several ‘Jim’ stares and glances to the camera. With the InBESTigators it’s a similar set up where our four sleuths, Ezra, Maudie, Ava and Kyle, relay a mystery they solved directly to us the viewer, while we watch in flashback. All of the mysteries are typical things that could happen in school or home; from overwatering a neighbor’s prize-winning flowers, packages getting stolen, a lost notebook or catching a cheater during a test. All of the kids are entertaining and funny. They each have a different dynamic that brings something to the team. Currently two of the seasons are on Netflix, and there will be a third season (but who knows when it will be filmed-I’m just happy it will eventually happen).

If you’re looking for a fun/light-hearted watch look no further. You’ll have a good time.

UNITED WE FALL

This ABC sitcom fits well on the network and like it would be on Friday nights, but has a stronger day in airing thanks to the pandemic. I hadn’t really heard much about the show and then BAM it was advertised. It felt like the network had it in its back pocket. Nevertheless, I am really enjoying it. The actors have a nice dynamic and it is very funny and relatable. I like how it represents a family with two different cultural backgrounds, but doesn’t make that the main focus of the show. Instead it is discussed naturally. Overall, I don’t know how many people know about it, so I wanted to share it as one of my picks for the month and suggest you watch it if you are looking for something both funny and optimistic.

DOUBLING DOWN WITH THE DERRICOS

I LOVE this family! As TLC is a network with predictable choices in TV shows, one about a family with multiples does not seem shocking. However, this is not your average family with multiples. At the start of the show, Karen and Deon have a total of 11 children (with only two of them being what they called ‘singletons’). They have twins, quints, and another set of twins (that would have been triplets). Her last three pregnancies were multiples and then she becomes pregnant with triplets. AGAIN! This family is considered a miracle because she had no IVF or anything like that for her conceptions. I love watching them because they seem like a great group to be apart of. They are what the epitome of family should be like. There is so much love. I know when my family watches the show we are all so impressed by how well behaved all of the kids are. People with half the amount of kids often have trouble teaching them to behave. I highly suggest giving the Derricos a watch. New episodes are now airing on TLC.

SOME LAST MINUTE ADDS....

I know Ben Platt’s concert has been available on Netflix for a while now, but I just got the chance to watch it this month. It was SOOO GOOD and I was upset when it was over. It felt so fast! I had already added a lot of his songs to my playlists, and after watching added the last few I had missed. Now I’ve been listening non-stop. I loved how his concert welcomed us so much into his personal life. The added stories in-between songs helped to see why he created that specific one. Watching the concert was a fun time and something you should consider if you are feeling down during quarantine.

Every Saturday night we try to watch a movie while we eat dinner. It’s become a new tradition since quarantine began and we were unable to go out to eat or to the movies. This week Jojo Rabbit was the pick. Going into the film, I didn’t know much expect, but that it was a comedy and I assumed a satire. What I didn’t expect was how dark of a turn it would take. It’s amazing how a film can have you laughing uncontrollably at the start and then have you crying at the end. This is definitely a film I could see analyzing in a film studies class. There was so much foreshadowing and moments where so much more was going on then what was shown on the surface. I think it did a great job making the viewer think not only about the time in which it was supposed to take place, but also our current world. I know it’s a good movie when it still has me thinking about it days later. I even did some research into it after watching. Definitely can understand the hype about it and will watch it again in the future.

When I was putting this list together I was just starting to watch Umbrella Academy. I know, I’m late to the party, but with the newest season coming out this summer I knew it was now or never. (I just had to finish some of the other stuff I was watching first.) Currently, I only have 1 episode left in the first season and am really enjoying it. I was pretty good about spoilers going into it, so a lot of it was new to me. I made some theories on who I thought would be the cause of the apocalypse and so far I am right. I am very interested to see how this season ends and get into the next one because I heard that the majority of people liked that one more. I’ll have a more detailed review in my September Picks, I’m sure of it!

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aaron-golden · 8 years ago

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Hellevator Seasons 1&2

Anyone that remembers the days of Living Myth Magazine remembers how much I like the Twisted Twins. Jen and Sylvia Soska are directors, activists, writers – creatives of the best sort who work through horror because horror is one of the least watched genres and one of the best to talk about social issues and the political landscape. Don't believe me?

They nailed modern nihilism and absurdity with Dead Hooker in a Trunk, spoke about body dysmorphia, gender and personal identity, and the monsters society makes of the intelligent young in American Mary, and re-invented the slasher concept with See No Evil 2. They rescued a mediocre script with some inspired direction and performances with Vendetta, and the amount of public good works they do for feminism and blood drives cannot be understated.

So, before we begin: they're good people, the best sort of monsters you could want to meet or support. They have crafted a persona around themselves, though, and some unsung genius at the Game Show Network decided to play off of that and the end result is a game show called Hellevator.

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Hellevator is a horror-themed game show hosted by the Twisted Twins, where contestants walk into an old converted slaughterhouse in the middle of the night and ride an elevator while the Twins do their level best to terrify, trick, and taunt. The Twins will urge a single contestant to leave the elevator to go off alone into the dark to complete challenges for money, but our poor terrified guests have to get to the challenges before the fun really begins.

The challenges are all based on urban myths that the Twins elaborate on, giving us small details that breathe life into the terrifying tales their poor victims have to live through. You can see their panic, the overwhelming crushing fear that infects them and robs them of the ability to think clearly. Sure, they can talk to their friends who are (arguably) still safe in the Hellevator, but how good can their help be when they're just as scared?

I'm not sure how much say the Twins have in putting the whole thing together but you can tell they're having a blast. There's an obvious sadistic glee that comes with terrifying someone so badly they can't think straight and both seasons do a masterful job of playing with suspense and isolation. Jen and Sylvia give us a constant string of sass and sarcasm, insights and insults that often reduce their players to whimpering panic. It's beautiful.

The first season has teams of three going against original horror stories, doing their part to defeat monsters that range from cannibal butchers to murderous nurses. The only way to defeat the monster is to overcome the challenges they've left in their wake, the puzzle rooms and games that play on terror and disgust. When someone fails a challenge they vanish, never to be seen again, and there's a couple of episodes where only a single person manages to escape the slaughterhouse and make it to safety.

Even in the outros, where our survivors talk about their experience and often vow to never do anything like this again, the ones that went missing are absent and not discussed – it's obvious, though, that the Twins have kept them. The Twins own them now, having introduced them to an unguessed hell that would shatter the minds of those looking to understand it.

An unlucky few manage to survive the challenges and make it through to a special hell the Twins call the Labyrinth, an obstacle course specially made for each story that pushes those that enter it to the limit. It also gives our heroes a chance to end the evil they've been facing over the course of the episode, though very few of them manage that feat; instead, the evil has been slowed but not stopped. It will rise to claim more victims, and the helplessness of the survivors will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

The second season changes things up a bit – we get teams of four, and the Twins immediately take someone and lock them away in the Inferno Run. When anyone fails to meet a challenge, they, too, are locked away in the Inferno Run, where they can do little more than suffer and wait for rescue. The best use of this device is when some poor fool actually calls the Twins out during their introduction, so the Twins show up and take her away. The message is clear: you do not mock the Twisted Twins, for they will introduce you to a nightmare world from which there is no waking.

Stories in the second season are tied to the seven deadly sins, and the Inferno Run features puzzles based on those sins. It's the same puzzles every time, which isn't as fun as the Labyrinth, but there's a tension here that's different than what was there in the first season. See, in the Inferno Room, our heroes can save those people they lost along the way, but they still have to have enough time to run back to the Hellevator after untying their friends.

Hellevator's Inferno Run asks what's more important: life or money? Interestingly, the Inferno Run also gives us our first full-party kill, and we get to see what sort of hell the Twins have prepared for those left in their power... but we can also tie those lost souls back to the social issues the twins speak of in their movies.

Without spoilers, the ones that lose are those that have grown up with an understanding that their lives have little meaning and that money is the only thing that might save them – when they lose their lives to greed, it's because they know they have nothing to go back to, nothing to escape to. Without the money they are competing for, their lives will be short and painful. The Hellevator is their only way out.

And so, the Twins reflect the horror of the society we live in, just as they always have.

Both seasons of Hellevator are available on Netflix, with episodes averaging about forty minutes. There's no word on whether or not we'll get a third season as yet, but watching and rating the show will help make that decision. Watch the show. Love the show. The Twins are worth it.

You can find the Twisted Twins by clicking here, talk to them on twitter by clicking here, and find them on facebook by clicking here. Oh, they’re also on youtube, so follow them there, too.

Your humble reviewer has written a book that also has some horror and survival in it, because one writes what one knows. That means vision quests, Sumerian gods, ancient conspiracies, and a trinity of female protagonists worthy of the Twins. You can click here for more information, or click here to buy the book from Amazon.

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rebeccaheyman · 4 years ago

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reading + listening 9.7.20

It’s been a minute since my last bona fide review roundup, in part because our week of vacation was followed by a week of long-overdue family visits (after all parties clocked negative covid tests), and in part because I hit a reading slump. Or rather, my version of a slump: a couple DNF aBooks in a row, plus an imbalance of reading and listening. I’ve pulled myself out of the lull, but the list below reflects my relative floundering for the past two weeks. Le sigh.

You Have a Match (Emma Lord), eBook, ARC (pub date Jan 2021). NetGalley review:

I absolutely loved TWEET CUTE and was eager to see how Lord would follow-up such a sparkling debut. YOU HAVE A MATCH brings the same timely, fresh, emotionally immediate storytelling as TC, albeit with slightly less humor and slightly more pathos. The concept takes a little more oomph to get off the ground (Leo's ambiguous ancestry leads to the DNA test that yields a secret sister result for protagonist Abby, and all relevant parties end up at the same summer camp together), and at times the narrative posturing becomes quite literally acrobatic (climbing trees, falling in ditches). Still, I happily suspend my disbelief for the sake of Lord's smart, authentic-feeling characters. In what might be a hallmark of her work, there's a consistent social media presence (IG, as opposed to TC's reliance on Twitter and an in-world messaging app). My dearest wish is that Lord's future work will not consistently rely on these trappings, which will sadly not age well; her storytelling chops are more timeless than the contemporary technologies featured in these narratives.

Muse (Brittany Cavallaro), eBook, ARC (pub date Feb 2021). NetGalley review:

I want to start by noting my excitement for this book -- and really, anything Brittany Cavallaro writes. I loved the Charlotte Holmes series and was eager to explore this new direction for Cavallaro's work. But for me, MUSE felt like it was always starting -- the action always rising, world always building, characters always establishing their identities. I didn't feel especially close to Claire, whose powers are somewhat ambiguous until they crystallize, very momentarily, in Act III. Part of the trouble, for me, is the intensive brain exercise required at the book's outset, to both visualize and conceptualize this version of America--a monarchy ruled by generations of King Washingtons. Ultimately, the story's setting (St. Cloud, along the Mississippi River) could be any imagined place; that this is a re-envisioned version of 1890s America has nothing to do with the political intrigues that drive the plot forward. I longed to spend less energy on parsing the intersections of real and imagined Americanism, and more time exploring Claire's power, her relationships to Beatrix and Remy, and the political machinations and intrigues in St. Cloud.

If my reading of MUSE is correct, then the second installment in the duology should be a runaway train of action, smart plotting, and feminist agendas -- in short, a book I very much look forward to reading. What I appreciated most in this first half of the story is what I've come to expect from Cavallaro generally: snappy, smart prose and strong women helming the narrative. It wasn't enough to make me love this read, but it's absolutely enough to keep me invested in the story's (eventual) conclusion.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January (Alix Harrow), aBook. May I confess that while this book came highly recommended from an extremely trusted reader-friend, I DNF’d my first attempt with the eBook back in November 2019? I couldn’t tell you what about me + this book didn’t jive last year, but a title this decorated and adored isn’t one I’ll easily give up on. I circled back around to it with the aBook (brilliantly narrated by January LaVoy), and while I can’t say this will rank among my favorites in the genre, it’s a solidly inventive, beautifully written narrative. In theme and structure, it’s awfully close to THE STARLESS SEA, which for me was a better book overall (one of the best of the year, actually). Something about the way the eponymous January too frequently claims “if I had only known what would happen next, I wouldn’t have done x” turned me off; this character seems to have a habit of being so caught up in her emotions that she doesn’t see obviously awful things about to happen. The antagonistic forces felt overdone and a little silly at times, and the mastermind reveal is too obvious by half. For all the flaws in TEN THOUSAND DOORS, the writing is solid enough that I’m absolutely planning to read Harrow’s next, The Once and Future Witches, out next month.

The Marriage Clock (Zara Raheem), aBook. THE MARRIAGE CLOCK appealed to me in part because its narrator, Ariana Delawari, is a joy (she was absolutely brilliant on THE WRATH AND THE DAWN duology), and in part because I’m a sucker for Desi-focused narratives; I just love reading about these big, close-knit families with a strong focus on culture and family devotion -- not to mention the food and fashion. Suffice it to say, I was predisposed to enjoy THE MARRIAGE CLOCK... and it was... just okay. The book tries to build a story of self-actualization on a foundation of anecdotal montage -- essentially, the first two thirds of the book are about bearing witness to a series of bad first dates and getting commentary on the sorry state of modern romance. The story definitely improves once Leila goes overseas to attend a wedding, but I confess by then I felt obligated to finish simply based on time invested. The book’s conclusion, which I won’t spoil here, would have felt more satisfactory if Leila’s behavior and attitudes hadn’t been so childish throughout. Bottom line: If you can watch early seasons of Sex In The City without wanting to shove Carrie Bradshaw into oncoming traffic, you’ll probably really like THE MARRIAGE CLOCK. But if you’re looking for a more mature, nuanced Desi romance with lots of heart, consider my personal fav, THE BOLLYWOOD AFFAIR (Sonali Dev).

Smooth Talking Stranger (Lisa Kleypas), aBook. This was my first contemporary romance from Lisa Kleypas, which came highly recommended by another trusted reader-friend. The opening salvo didn’t draw me in as quickly as some of Kleypas’s historical romances, but I stuck with it because of the personal rec and Brittany Pressley’s easy-to-listen-to narration. The story is enjoyable enough, despite an underlying “mystery” that lacks real intrigue. All in all, it seems like fairly average contemporary romance... right up until the emotional gut-punch leaves you wrecked at the end of Act III. I couldn’t tell you why -- because again, nothing super special about our MCs or the plot -- but this novel had me crying all kinds of tears by the end. A strange, and strangely satisfying listen, but not necessarily one I’d recommend.

Just Like Heaven (Julia Quinn), aBook. I’ve been meaning to read a Julia Quinn for awhile; she’s a prolific heavy-hitter in the genre, and frankly it feels negligent not to have read her yet. I’ve hesitated, in part, because of purportedly questionable content in one of Quinn’s early titles, THE DUKE AND I. Reading reviews of that novel red-flagged Quinn’s entire catalogue for me (yes, it’s that bad). After reading plenty of reviews for JUST LIKE HEAVEN, I was pretty certain the egregious violations THE DUKE AND I weren’t being repeated, and the allure of Rosalyn Landor’s narration confirmed my choice. Long and short verdict: Meh. While I found our hero and heroine passably tolerable, there’s not much plot here. Instead, there’s an almost obsessive focus on one character’s recovery from an infection (gross), and when that chicken stops laying eggs, we’re asked to care about a quasi-farcical string quartet our other MC is forced to play in. The secondary characters introduced as potential leads for the rest of the quartet were either too stupid or too annoying for me to care about. If you’re hankering for historical romance, pass this over and just reread Tessa Dare for the millionth time (when will I start taking my own advice?).

Fable (hard cover) + Namesake (eBook ARC, pub date March 2021). Instagram mini-review of FABLE here. NetGalley review of NAMESAKE here. Adrienne Young is brilliant, full stop. I loved her previous duology -- SKY IN THE DEEP and THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK -- and the Fable cycle does not disappoint. Strong, subtle characterizations; rich settings and evocative description; just enough mystical magic to make the world sparkle, but not enough to undermine the essential humanity of the story’s heart; and love of every stripe -- familial, romantic, friend, self -- driving the plot forward... could you even really ask for more? I devoured both halves of this gorgeous whole in a single weekend and I know you’ll love them both. Buy Fable ASAP and pre-order Namesake so Adrienne Young knows we know we don’t deserve her.

That’s it for me! On my radar this week:

Luster (Raven Leilani), aBook

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Olivia Waite), aBook

Lady Derring Takes a Lover (Julie Anne Long), aBook

The Smash-Up (Ali Benjamin), eBook ARC

The Heiress (Molly Greeley), eBook ARC

We Can Only Save Ourselves (Alison Wisdom), eBook ARC

Plus, the continuing saga, Will I ever finish WHEN WE WERE MAGIC? Stay tuned, and happy reading!

#amreading #netgalley #the marriage clock #you have a match #muse #fable #namesake #just like heaven #smooth talking stranger #the ten thousand doors of january #arcs #audiobooks #ebooks

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muscledemandsrespect · 8 years ago

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ACTIVE ESCAPE: MONASTERO SANTA ROSA

When pondering life in a monastery, images of stoic monks engaged in the pursuit of tireless abstinence come to mind; perhaps you conjure their unfulfilled passions, heavy sacrifices, and somber dutifulness underscoring a lifetime of pious devotion. Well, you shall have to park those preconceptions to one side the moment you hear the Monastero Santa Rosa‘s bell welcome you to the Hotel – a charming and sonorous tradition ringing out from a simpler era. Whilst an ancient spirituality pervades Monastero‘s stone corridors, this is perhaps the most well-invested, immaculately finished gem on Italy’s glistening Amalfi Coast, and was the scene of my latest wellness pilgrimage. Blending the owner’s meticulous eye for detail, a masterpiece organic vegetable garden nourished by lashings of Italian sunshine, a ‘gourmet heavyweight’ chef, a heavenly infinity pool, a sumptuous spa complex, and exquisitely appointed rooms, the hotel nails the very essence of Amalfi magic. I visited in order to road-test their newly launched ‘Health & Hike’ package, and am thrilled to recount the special experiences I encountered over my 3 days. Read MORE to see all the glorious details…

THE HISTORY…

… is unusually rich at this castle hotel, and to perceive its heritage is to understand it’s magic. Magnificently perched 500 meters up, nestled atop a rugged outcrop of Paleozoic Limestone, standing tall with both an imposing majesty and elegant simplicity, this was once home to the Santa Rosa nuns of the Dominican order. In the 17th Century through their isolated correctional activities, they gained celebrity for two things; i) the effectiveness of the herbal medicines they whipped up in the monastery’s apothecaries, and ii) inventing the Sfogliatella Santa Rosa, a super-delicious hybrid of a croissant and a crispy custard pastry, garnished with a noble glacé cherry. In their time were both angelic healers and demonic bakers!

Fast-forward to the new millennium, and current owner Bianca Sharma, previously a Montessori school teacher, passed by on her first trip to the Amalfi Coast, looking up from the sea, and was ensnared by its magic. It has taken a degree of vision and tenacity that I can’t relay in a blog post, for her to establish this remarkable institution. Her strength of will and warmth of character has imbued this hotel with the passion to do its heritage justice. Strangely, I know what she felt on that first trip, as I also took that same boat excursion 3 years ago whilst in Positano – I was struck with intrigue by the Monastero’s muscular structure, enquired about it, and mentally noted it for ‘later’.

THE ROOMS

Whilst they might appear to have existed as a hotel forever, the 20-room Monastero first opened its doors only in 2012. This means that the finish remains high-quality and relevant in a way that many other Italian hotels won’t ever achieve, and yet the rooms lose none of their charm because of it; the discerning traveler will absolutely appreciate this.

I stayed in their signature Rosa suite and was bowled over by the limestone bathroom – a masterpiece of elegant lighting, underfloor heating, feng shui views and architectural design.

The room’s floors are beautifully crafted solid oak. The bedside tables provide for USB charging (YES!), and the sockets by the armoire refreshingly cater to all national plug types. That flavor of innovation is blended with traditional touches such as actual keys with weighty brass fobs engraved with the room name, wooden confessional furniture, the delicious Santa Maria Novella cedar potpourri harking back to monastic days, and that simply absurd, timeless ocean view presiding over the plunging depths of the Gulf of Salerno. Unadulterated view porn.

THE CUISINE

This hotel boasts a remarkable culinary pedigree which should make Ristorante Il Refettorio at Monastero ‘worth a detour’. The sprawling zonal kitchen is run with precise Teutonic oversight by the endearing and charismatic Executive Chef Christoph Bob, a titan of gastronomy who’s worked with Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee, Torre del Saracino in Naples, Taillevent in Paris, and Petermann’s Kunststuben in Zurich – we’re already up to 10 Michelin stars in that background, and there’s far more to go! Here, his entire gourmet operation is run with the same weighty seriousness as any of those kitchens, and the results speak delicious volumes. There is a complete fixation on freshness, quality and local sourcing of ingredients – three virtues I constantly push to my PT clients in London, so Christoph’s Mediterranean style immediately caught me.

However, that was magnified after he took us on a superb guided tour of the ‘Chef’s Vegetable and Herb garden‘, which sits on the sunny, north facing slope above the Hotel. Back when the monastery was in the business of religion, nuns would plant their own foods in this very garden; their cuisine was reportedly quite dull and mainly consisted of broths, soups, and stews; yet even then it was a lush plot, blessed with the same unspoiled Vesuvian soil that hosts today’s garden. There I sampled many of the ingredients I reassuringly recognized from my meals; fresh sweet peas from within their bitter husks, intensely flavorsome strawberries, peppery rocket, artichoke, lemons, rosemary, thyme, verbena, basil, chamomile, lettuce, fresh garlic, almonds, and tomatoes. There are countless more treasures planted beneath the volcanic soil waiting to sprout as the season unfolds, but the dedicated gardener for this organic facility will see to that! I can attest that it leads to the highest-quality, local freshness and superb cuisine; this is precisely how I have always aspired to cook myself, but the practicalities of England render it pretty difficult!

Chef explained that in factories, vegetables are covered up and pumped with extra water and chemicals – water obviously doesn’t taste of anything and the chemicals aren’t always good for you. Here the gardeners allow the vegetables to take their time; there’s no external help given. This ensures all the vegetables planted are absolutely bursting with maximum flavor, and here I discovered the most delicious lemons I’ve ever sampled. In fact, they were so delicious you could eat it with the pith and waxy skin still on! Drizzle a little honey on top and you’re in citrus heaven.

Layer on the health credentials of the Mediterranean diet, plus some broader ‘hipster’ touches, and then we’re cooking with gas. Gourmet egg-white omelets, multi-grain porridge with new textures, whole grain croissants! Hands down my favorite 3 dishes were;

IL PASSAGGIO NELL’ORTO (pictured below) – A mixture of seasonal vegetables from their garden prepared in various ways and mixed with a dried fruit granola and goat cheese mousse.

LA PEZZOGNA ALL’ACQUA PAZZA – Local sea bream cooked “Acqua Pazza” style served with a parsley flavored potato mash over a Vesuvian cherry tomato sauce.

LO SPAGHETTONE DI GRAGNANO (Pictured below) – Whole grain Gragnano pasta (considered amongst the highest quality produce in the world) made especially for the Monastero, generous amounts of Lorenzo No.5 olive oil, local Salerno tomatoes, and a sprig of basil from the garden. As well as a dry rich Parmesan from the south of Italy and a sprinkling of good old British Malden sea salt. Authentic simplicity at its best.

Other delectations we sampled over the time:

THE HIKE

A key part of the Health & Hike package, it’s a 2-3 hour excursion around the mountains, followed by a picnic lunch. I was quite overwhelmed by the dramatic, diverse and at times challenging landscape of the Amalfi coast, not to mention the sheer beauty of the waterfalls in the national park. April is a particularly stunning time of the year to visit, as nature is just waking up after the short winter; the most delicate wildflowers are slowly unraveling for the new season.

Our exceptional guide Marco (an accredited natural biologist) led the small group up winding paths, through hidden forest tunnels, and onto the crests of great mountains. I discovered a completely different aspect of the Amalfi beauty, not just the type you’ll find [legitimately] admiring the waterfront towns from the ocean, nor the view you get from sitting on a hotel terrace, but a view from high above in the pristine woodlands looking down onto endless forest and vegetation and observing a much more distant, soft shoreline.

Tour guide Marco possessed Italian charm and passion, paired with great knowledge of the natural landscape and its history. This was not just a tour of the natural, but the historical too, and I feel I’ve taken much away from it. These are ancient unspoiled paths; old stone steps carved out of the mountains which a thousand years ago were used by the medieval citizens of the Republic of Amalfi to go about their business of paper making and ironmongery.

After a gorgeous hour of walking the sound of water grew altogether stronger. It’s an intensely soothing song and the sanctuary of this protected Nature Reserve with its gushing falls was quite spectacular to behold.

Altogether the tour left me with a far greater understanding of this part of the world – the history and culture of the people who once lived there and who now live here. Aside from that, it’s not just a walk to condition the physical skeleton, but for the soul too. The pure, fresh air, the closeness to nature, the heights, smells and sounds. It’s extremely invigorating and I couldn’t recommend it more!!

THE WELLNESS FACILITIES

SPA: Following my Hike, I enjoyed an hour-long Arnica Body-Wrap Treatment at the hotel’s award-winning spa. As one would always hope, this is one of the best-invested parts of the hotel. The concept is one of a labyrinth of chambers, each serving a functional purpose, be that tepidarium with scented-salt foot wells, the beautifully lit nest of saunas, the experience showers, the room temperature re-acclimatization zone, or any of the treatment areas.

GYM: On an outdoor terrace with bamboo roofing to protect from the sun, this is one of the most scenic workout views I’ve encountered, and watching the ocean traffic chug past helps while away the minutes on the bike!

INFINITY POOL: Words will only do it a disservice…

SUNSET TERRACE: The highest point of the hotel, there’s a >180-degree panoramic vista from here, with an all-day gentle ocean breeze to cool you. I found this a superb place to take it all in; of course, one can never really take it all in, as there’s simply too much breathtaking beauty on offer here. None of the photographs in my piece do the coast justice, but the best place to struggle with that conundrum is on this terrace!

TO WRAP…

Like the nuns in solitude, the Monastero Santa Rosa offers something quite private, an opportunity to escape your worldly concerns, and instead focus on fusing yourself with the beautiful Mediterranean lifestyle, to reconnect with some truly restful tranquility. The Health & Hike package is not cheap at EUR 2,490 per couple (3 nights in a deluxe sea-view room, inc. gourmet breakfast, hike, spa treatment, guided garden tour, and meal), but to my mind, that is genuinely superb value for money relative to the other top-end Amalfi coast destinations; Monastero’s very much the new kid on the block, and a future classic. You have the distinct impression they’re sitting on something very special here which, like the trees in their olive grove, will grow ever richer with each passing season.

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yolandadsims · 8 years ago

Text

ACTIVE ESCAPE: MONASTERO SANTA ROSA

THE HISTORY…

THE ROOMS

I stayed in their signature Rosa suite and was bowled over by the limestone bathroom – a masterpiece of elegant lighting, underfloor heating, feng shui views and architectural design.

THE CUISINE

IL PASSAGGIO NELL’ORTO (pictured below) – A mixture of seasonal vegetables from their garden prepared in various ways and mixed with a dried fruit granola and goat cheese mousse.

LA PEZZOGNA ALL’ACQUA PAZZA – Local sea bream cooked “Acqua Pazza” style served with a parsley flavored potato mash over a Vesuvian cherry tomato sauce.

Other delectations we sampled over the time:

THE HIKE

THE WELLNESS FACILITIES

INFINITY POOL: Words will only do it a disservice…

TO WRAP…

The post ACTIVE ESCAPE: MONASTERO SANTA ROSA appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Health And Fitness Updates http://fitnessontoast.com/2017/04/29/active-escape-monastero-santa-rosa/

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