They're back. Fielding fighting troops in far of places for the first time in 60 years.
Robotni - Comrades of Steel.
Most beautiful car ever made, all categories. The Citroen DS. Another example of remarkably innovative French engineering. Decades ahead of its time.
This cool little twoseater training jet is the Fouga Magister. It's so French. It's as much part of the French 60ies as Louis de Funes and the Citroen DS. These planes were used to train Dassault Mirage fighter jet pilots.
Visited this bikestore in Stockholm's Gamla Stan (the old city) during a lunch break to buy a Brooks saddle for my Biomega bike. This store is just a small miracle. Almost like a museum. Beautiful century old vintage bikes, enamel bike brand signs, vintage saddles. Truly passionate owners. This is the best bike store in Stockholm.
Very very nice bicycle. The Pashley Guv'nor. Based on a racer the company produced in the 30ies, it comes with Reynolds 531 tubing, 28'' wheels, and a Brooks leather saddle. So cool. At 695 British Pounds it is not even unreasonably priced.
A year ago or so, I walked into a gentleman's shoestore offering classic English bootmaker Crockett & Jones. I was looking for a pair of black Jodhpurs, but the styles on offer were not really to my liking. I was looking for more of a 70ies round-nosed look. No problem said the salesperson, who invited me to his office. There he produced Crockett & Jones catalogues dating back to pre-war days.
A quirky colourful Norwegian fashion brand. Love their necklabel text:
Absinthe, an almost mythical green-colored alcoholic drink that for many years was forbidden in most European countries. The Green Fairy, as Absinthe is sometimes called, is anise flavored and made with the Artemisia Absinthium (wormwood) herb, which gives it its distinctive flavour.In 1906, Belgium banned the sale and distribution of absinthe. The Netherlands in 1909; the United States banned it in 1912, and France in 1915.
Since a few years back Absinthe is once again manufactured and available and has since regained some of its former cult following.
I for one am a big fan!
Marolo is an Italian grappa producer. My favourite: Grappa di Barolo, created from a distillation of Barolo Nebbiolo pomace. Aged in barrels, amber-toned in color (so not the usual colorless grappa), with an intense aroma particularly rich in vanilla, almonds, licorice, and cocoa. Very elegant. Warmly recommended. And the etched label with the Kingfisher is just absolutely beautiful.
President Kennedy receives a gift salamander from his nephew, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in the Oval Office in March 1961.
On 25 April 1974 the Carnation Revolution in Portugal ended the dictatorship of Antonio Salazar, one of the last Fascist regimes of Western Europe.
Umm Khalsoum was a fabulous and world famous Egyptian singer who reached the summits of her fame in the 60ies and 70ies. She is perhaps the biggest Arabic music artist ever to have lived. In the Middle East everybody knows and loves her. She was referred to as "The Lady" by Charles de Gaulle and was regarded as "The Incomparable Voice" by Maria Callas. The rich and famous would fly in from the entire region for her concerts at Kasr el Nil. Muammar Khaddafi's revolution in Libya was postponed because of a radio broadcast of an Umm Khalsoum concert. She has sold more records than The Beatles, and her funeral in Cairo in 1975 was attended by four million people, making it one of the largest gatherings in human history.
On our way from a nice dinner at bistro Mäster Anders on Kungsholmen, we passed this wonderful 1950s drycleaner's sign on St Eriksgatan.
My oldest friend commented on one of my blogs on Brezhnev, that Leonid's breastful of medals looks just like that 70ies children's "thing with the small bits of plastic that you lay pictures with on a white little board", and of course he meant Ministeck! Yes! Ministeck! I had forgottten about wonderful Ministeck, but it all came back. The long hours of nittygritty work with these frustratingly small pieces. The warming satisfaction of the result to show to mom and dad. God how many hours and days did I spent with Ministeck. Loved that stuff as a kid. Melancholy strikes me down!
After a quick flyby Jeffrey's, I went and took a good long look at the Billy Reid store on 52 Bond Street (corner Bond Street and Bowery) today. Very nice store, nice staff, nice collection. Interesting guy. Originally a Southener, from Louisiana, he happily plays the southern comfort card. One t-shirt reads Make Cornbread, Not War. His shirts are fabulous, as are his piquet polos and some of the jackets. I also saw some nice khaki desert boots. Billy Reid won the 2001 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award, and looking at his collection it is all quite obvious: Steven Alan, Michael Bastian, Tim Hamilton, Thom Browne...all great...and please add Billy Reid to the list in case you hadn't already.
I bought a black t-shirt with deep-burgundy print that says Ole War Skule; Louisiana State University's nickname - apparently i lieu of all the all american warriors the school has brought forth, a pink piquet polo and a nice checkered shirt.
Also had a look at Herr Judit, a store for 2nd hand exclusive brands. Saw some nice Comme des Garcons shirts, lots of Ralph stuff, lots of Eton stuff. A bit of Gant and Acne. The store has an interesting concept: you actually can hang nice 2nd hand pieces there (of course they will have to approve the piece), and when it gets sold, you as the still-owner get a commission. Facinating concept; but I'm not sure whether this is sustainable. Didn't like their leather accessories though; they looked like newly and poorly manufactured copies of nice 70ies and 80is pieces. Still, if you're looking for nice 3-5 year old exclusive clothes at a very reasonable price (for example a superb Comme des Garcons linen shirt at ca. 500 Skr = 50 €) this place is sure worth a visit.
Spent some time during Saturday afternoon in the Beyond Retro vintage store on Åsögatan on Södermalm in Stockholm.
Also bought a 60ies shirt made by GANT Shirtmakers for Nathan's Men's Shop in Galveston, Texas, USA. The shirt type is called The Hugger. With some very cool necklabels.
...somehow, this image fills me with an enormous sense of hope and optimism for the world.
Brezhnev was well known for his love of medals (he received a total of 114). In December 1976, for his 70th birthday, he was "awarded" the hero of The Hero of the Soviet Union. The award, the highest order of the Soviet Union, is normally only given for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. Brezhnev received the award, which comes with the order of Lenin and the Gold Star, three more times in celebration of his birthdays. Brezhnev also received the Order of Victory, the highest Soviet military award, in 1978, becoming the only recipient receiving the order after the end of World War II. Brezhnev's controversial award was, however, revoked posthumously in 1989 for not meeting the requirements for the award.
We went to see the Israeli film Waltz with Bashir last Saturday evening at Zita Cinema in Stockholm.
The movie is about the Israeli war in Lebanon in 1980. It's told from the perspective of some rather traumatized and alienated individual soldiers. At the heart of the story are the massacres at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut.
It's a cartoon movie, but that's something you fail to take notice of already after a few minutes. It's a truly beautifully made movie. The drawing is magnificent; the poetry of the images and scenes just fabulous. It's also well told, incredibly captivating and moving. It is also a deeply disturbing movie.
The atmospere of the movie is highly claustrophobic and haunting. Borderline psychotic; the soldiers are high on drugs and so is the movie. It brings Apocalypse Now to mind, but less embellished, more naked, more honest.
Strongly recommended. Very strongly recommended.
In the classic Basque resort town of Zarautz I spent many of my childhood summers. Chocolata con Churros on the promenade, the wild waves of the Gulf of Biscaye, the surf dudes, the peninsula of El Rato always on the horizon, the pelota playing, the red berets, the always present ETA grafiti, the nightly raids by the Guardia Civil, the traditional dinner of paella at nostalgic Hotel Duce (now long demolished), and on the beach the megaphone announcements in Basque, always followed with es karrikasko - thank you.
