These two have had vastly different careers. Brett Whiteley achieved international recognition in his twenties then cemented his reputation as an enfant terrible with his early death. Lloyd Rees painted until his death at the age of 93 by which time he had also achieved the recognition due him. What few realised was the extent that the older man was a huge inspiration to the young Whiteley and indeed one of Whiteley’s early paintings was entitled ‘Homage to Lloyd Rees’. This collection highlights their visual relationship.
La Coupole
Situated along the central and very chic Calle Larga XXII Marzo leading from St Mark’s to the Accademia, the two branches of La Coupole are a must for all those trying to keep abreast of the latest fashion movements. Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Thierry Mugler, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana are just a few of the designers represented in the men’s and women’s stores. Just make sure you bring the plastic…
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Shula’s Steak House
The latest in the now-dizzying array of big-beef houses in DC, Shula’s is brought to you by Hall of Fame football coach Don Shula, who led both the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts to gridiron glory. There’s the usual steakhouse fare (prime rib, lobster, shrimp) but nothing outdoes the 48-ounce Porterhouse ($66), which – if you can finish it – will get your name engraved on a plaque and initiated into a select club that Shula’s web site says is for ‘honoring true beef lovers of America’. Here’s hoping the masculine decor and trophies from Shula’s gridiron triumphs aids digestion.
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El Ciervo Encantado
The Enchanted Stag is directed by Nelda Castillo, former Buend’a director. She has no fixed address, but is red-headed, and can sometimes be found round the park of L’nea and K, in Vedado. Nelda is a gutsy challenger of the status quo, and has unflinchingly resisted the ‘ideologisation’ of art. The State has refused to give her a theatre, so she must work underground. Seek out her De dónde son los cantantes? , which uses text from a cousin enfant terrible of dissidence, Guillermo Cabrera Infante.
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La Lluvia de Oro
Calle Obispo #316, esquina a Habana (629870)
Open 8am-1am Mon-Thur; 8am-3am Fri-Sun. Admission free.
Old-fashioned drinking den with a long wooden bar and overhead fans. There’s live son music 11am to 10pm daily. .
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Sydney at Federation
Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Australia’s Federation, this exhibition marks the time when Sydney transformed itself from a sleepy Victorian backwater to the brash and breezy 20th-century city it is now. Photographs, film footage and interactive panoramas of the Sydney cityscape as it was then are contrasted with today’s glass and concrete skyline. A chance to immerse yourself in a quieter, gentler period.
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Amusement
With its table football table, pinball table and darts board, this basement bar nestling in the shadows of the giant Shibuya station is nothing if not aptly named. Happily, its attractions do not stop with the diversions on offer. Among the many beers from all over the world on sale are draught German Holsten, which is very difficult to find in Tokyo, Belgian Kriek and Filipino San Miguel. Better still, until the end of December, you can drink as much Holsten as you can in one hour for just ?770, less than the price of a pint. The downside is the ?400 per head table charge, for which you receive a bowl of lukewarm nibbles from the extensive food menu.
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Bramah Tea & Coffee Museum
corner of Gainsford Street & Maguire Street, SE1 (020 7378 0222)
London Bridge tube/rail/P11, 15, 42, 47, 78 bus. Open 10am-6pm daily. Admission £4; £3 5s-15s, OAPs, disabled, ES40s; £10 family. Credit AmEx, JCB, MC, £TC, V.
Website: http://www.bramahmuseum.co.uk
Though he’s been in the business for half a century, it was only in the early 1990s that Edward Bramah, a former tea taster, set up this unusual museum to chart the history of tea and coffee drinking. The new premises allow the two infusions to be studied separately, and their important role in British society to be documented. There’s also an impressive collection of coffee makers and teapots (including the world’s largest) and a cafÈ where you can try out the real thing.
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