Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Romancing the Stone

As I sat in the barbershop yesterday waiting to get my haircut I read in the new Men's Journal that a big-screen take on "Love in the Time of Cholera," the first-ever film adaptation of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel, is about to come out. The story of the incurable romantic Florentino, who loses the love of his life, Fermina, to the urbane Dr. Juvenal Urbino, was filmed on location in the city of Cartagena, in and around its centuries-old palaces, churches and mansions. What jumped out at me was the glorious Hotel Santa Clara, a restored 17th century convent turned boutique hotel where a "friend" and I visited back in the summer of 1996. It's next door to Garcia Marquez's secluded villa overlooking the Old City, and is about the nicest place I've ever visited.

Colombia Graduate: Of Love and Other Demons
One Hundred Years of Solitude? Hardly.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez slept here (behind me on the right)

2 comments:

alberto mario said...

Oh mygod!, you've been in Colombia!, I hope you liked it, my country is not only drugs and violence, and the gay community is big here, I lived in Cartagena in my 20's and moved afterwards to my birth place Barranquilla (two hours north from Cartagena in car), that last pic is you in front of Gabo's house (Gabo is how everybory calls Gabriel García Márquez here in home country), I'm waiting anxiously for the movie..., BTW, when are u coming back??? I can show u a lot here not only in Cartagena but other places as well

Anonymous said...

Those pictures of you are adorable! You are so cute!