Men Who Like to Travel - David Latt

You may have heard of the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival but you might not have attended. The Festival celebrated food and wine in venues in and around Los Angeles for four days, August 25-28. In its sixth year, the Festival expanded to the West Side with events at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica and the Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport. If you have attended Barney’s twice-annual sale at the Barker, you know the cavernous space. A football field sized interior without character was transformed for the Festival. Off-white fabric was draped along the walls, giving the warehouse the feeling of a very large, very elegant tent. Because the venue was sponsored by Lexus, there were half a dozen beautifully polished cars outside and inside the hanger. People were dressed like people always dress in LA. Casual, very casual and red carpet premiere chic. Local chefs from the Los Angeles area were joined by chefs from as far away as Miami to celebrate

The world is in turmoil. There is an insane amount of violence. Political campaigns seem to go on forever, supercharging and poisoning social discourse. It's difficult to find relief. Getting out of your routine and traveling the world is one of the great ways to change perspective and rekindle your love of life.  When I was in Switzerland I had some great experiences that transported me away from all the stress.  One particular moment stayed with me. When I was in Zurich, I was walking around the city.  On the bank of the lake, the guide wanted us to see one of the  Manifesta 11  installations . A bienniall European festival of contemporary art, Manifesta this ye ar had as its topic "What People Do For Money."  Some of the installations were small. Some were large.  The one on the lake was an intimate amphitheater built onto a floating pier. Short films were screened that documented what people do for work. A small cafe/bar served drinks and snacks. The se

Recently the Grand Central Market held a media evening to share the changes taking place at the Market. New vendors have set up shop. Free live music is booked on a regular basis and the Market will now be open from 8:00am to 10:00pm seven days a week.  Summer Nights with Live Music and More The Market has always been a destination for shoppers and diners but new entertainment programming adds more reasons to stop by in the evening. Check the Market's web site for the  SUMMER   EVENT CALENDAR .   During June and July, the mix of events is designed to be something-for-everyone in a program called  Summer Nights . 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 8:00pm:  While you are at the Market you can play games on  Trivia Tuesdays . Wednesdays, 8:00pm:  Outdoors on the  Horse Thief BBQ  patio, watch classic films set in Texas. 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 8:00pm : On  Game Night,  come for  Drag Queen Bingo: Live!  to have fun, get lucky and win a prize. Fridays, 7:30pm-9:30pm:  DJs will play

The flight from Miami to Havana took less than an hour. After we checked in to the Hotel Nacional we wasted no time and left the hotel so we could start experiencing Havana. We walked to the Malecón, the iconic seawall that protects the city from the ocean. Two fishermen talked as they held fishing lines in the water.    A group of middle school students in uniforms crossed the street to watch the surf hit the concrete and stone wall and spray into the air. The day was clear and warm, perfect to take a long walk. In the middle of a residential block with towering rows of apartments, we went inside Bar San Juan on the corner of Vapor and Calle 0. Definitely off-the-beaten-path, Bar San Juan is a friendly, neighborhood hang-out. We took a seat at the curved wooden bar. The door and windows were open. The flags hanging from the ceiling fluttered in the breeze. My wife ordered a mojito and I had a long pour of Havana Gold rum. The mojito had a bright freshness, just the right drink