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Welcome To
Luxury Experience May 2019 Features |
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Performances
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 Lights, camera, action - the Greenwich International Film Festival 2019 is about to begin (May 29 - June 2, 2019)! Located in the affluent town of Greenwich, Connecticut, the Greenwich International Film Festival 2019 (GIFF) celebrates its 5th anniversary this year, and there is much to celebrate, so get your tickets soon! Founder and Chairman of the Board Wendy Stapleton , Founder and Director of Programming Colleen deVeer, along with Executive Director, COO Ginger Stickle have created an impressive line-up of 58 films that will make an impact on your life, along with a fabulous host of parties, panels, and more. Every year, the GIFF selects 2 changemaker honorees who are making an impact on the world. The 2019 changemakers are Greenwich Boys and Girls Club CEO Bobby Walker, Jr. and actor, producer, director Eva Longoria Baston. |
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Performances
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 Rodrigo y Gabriela, the internationally renowned instrumental acoustic guitar rock duo performed before a sold-out show at The Beacon Theatre in New York City, New York for a memorable evening of music. Hailing from Mexico City, Mexico, Rodrigo Sanchez's and Gabriela Quintero's music is a perfect blend of instrumental rock and flamenco nuevo. The dynamic duo had the audience on their feet for several standing ovations throughout their exceptional show. The Irish band Hudson Taylor opened for Rodrigo y Gabriela. |
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Destinations
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 We had a fantastic time discovering the Pantanal region and Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil where ecotourism and sustainability are the main focuses. Although we have spent many years traveling to, and writing about various parts of Brazil, this was our first trip to Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), and we instantly fell in love with it. Located in a region rich in history, there are prehistoric caves, waterfalls, pristine river springs, hiking trails, and an abundance of exotic animal life to discover; all of which we did! |
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Hotels and Resorts
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 We had a wonderful stay at Pousada Pequi a charming, family-owned 10-room inn located on a former fazenda (farm) in the Pantanal in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Located 112 miles /180 km from Campo Grande, Aquiduanais known as the "southern gateway to the Pantanal tropical wetlands" and the inn offers a wide selection of adventures to experience including Horseback Riding, Photographic Animal Safaris, Alligator Tours, Bird Watching, Carriage Rides, Milking Cows, Ecological Walks, Piranha Fishing, River Tours, and much more! |
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Adventures
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 If you plan on doing any snorkeling while in Bonito, we highly recommend first visiting the Aquario de Bonito in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil to learn about and become acquainted with the various freshwater fish that you might see while snorkeling in its many rivers, which will make for a more interesting adventure. The Aquario de Bonito opened in 2007, and it is the first aquarium in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. |
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Adventures
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 As our name "The Adventure Kids"® aka Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta of Luxury Experience implies, we love challenging adventures! When we heard about rappelling the Abismo Anhumas located 23 km from Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, we knew this was an adventure we had to experience. With the Tom Petty song, "Into the Great Wide Open" playing in our heads, we were ready to experience the ultimate adventure of rappelling 72 meters (236 feet, the equivalent of a 26-story building) to experience the incredible formations in this wet cave. Our adventure involved specialized training, trekking to the site, rappelling, snorkeling, and a boat ride around the inside of the cave to fully experience its majestic wonders. At the end of our experience, we wanted to do it all over again! |
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Adventures
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 The Pantanal in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil is an enormous tropical wetland region where the abundance and diversity of the wildlife there is amazing. The Adventure Kids® aka Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta went on a photographic animal safari during our stay at Pousada Pequi to "discover" its incredible beauty and fell in love with the area and its flora and fauna. |
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Luxury Products
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 Casa do Vidro in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil is a creative initiative that reuses discarded glass and repurposes them into objects of beauty, all of which are for sale. The brainchild of founder Carlos Cardinal, the focus of Casa do Vidro is to reuse, recreate, and repurpose everyday discarded glass bottles, jars, and other glass objects into new, usable and attractive decorative and functional designs. In an area renowned for sustainable ecotourism, Casa do Vidro is a shining example of what can be achieved with inspiration and initiative. |
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Restaurants
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 Memorable is the best word to describe our dining experience at Restaurante Marruá in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Set inside the upscale Marruá Hotel, the restaurant gets high marks for the quality of their kitchen and inspired cuisine from the talented Chef Sylvio Eduardo Trujillo. Attractive surroundings and attentive, professional service complement the inspired Contemporary and Regional cuisine from this gastronomic kitchen. |
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Restaurants
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 The family-owned Restaurante Casa do João located in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil opened in 2007, and is located steps away from the Praça da Liberdade with its large fish sculpture and the Aquário de Bonito. The charming restaurant has a lovely fruit-tree laden garden, a shop filled with artisanal gifts, and a whimsical museum where true antiquities are mixed with "recent museum items" such as cassette tapes, 8-track tapes, and even old computer monitors. The food is delicious, and the ambience is welcoming. |
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Restaurants
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 For our first night in Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil we had a lovely dinner at the family-owned attractive Juanita Restaurante. For Chef Juanita, the restaurant is a childhood dream come true. Arriving in Bonito in 2006, she opened her eponymous restaurant in 2014. Having an ancestry of French, Italian, and Paraguayan, she brings a rich culinary background to the table. |
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Restaurants
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 Tapera Restaurante is a charming restaurant located in the center of Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Once a part of the state of Mato Grosso, Mato Gross do Sul became a state in 1979, and the restaurant is one of the oldest in the state. A large tree grows in the center of the inviting outdoor dining space of the restaurant adding charm and character, and firmly establishes itself as a restaurant to stay. Owned by restauranteur and poet Antonio Carlos Silveira Soares the restaurant is a welcome respite in a city of great cuisine. |
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Chefs Recipes
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 The oh-so talented Chef Sylvio Trujillo of the upscale Restaurante Marruá in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil takes time from the kitchen to speak with Luxury Experience after a gastronomic evening of dining. Located inside the stunning Marruá Hotel, Executive Chef Sylvio Eduardo Trujillo runs the state-of-the-art kitchen with style, grace, and inspired cuisine where the focus is on Contemporary and Mato Grosso do Sul Regional Cuisine. Chef Sylvio Trujillo graciously shares his recipes for Seared Salmon in a Sesame Crust, and Grilled Brazilian Catfish with Mashed Cassava "a la Plancha." |
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Chefs Recipes
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O talentoso Chef Sylvio Trujillo, do sofisticado Restaurante Marruá in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil, leva um tempo na cozinha para falar com a Luxury Experience após uma noite gastronômica de jantares. Localizado dentro do deslumbrante Marruá Hotel, o Chef Executivo Sylvio Eduardo Trujillo dirige a cozinha de última geração com estilo, graça e culinária inspirada onde o foco é a Cozinha Regional Contemporânea e Mato Grosso do Sul. Chef Sylvio Trujillo graciosamente compartilha suas receitas de Salmão Selado em Crosta de Gergelim e Pintado Grelhado com Purê de Mandioca "a la Plancha". |
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Gastronomy
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 From region to region, and state to state, the cuisine of Brazil is as varied and diverse as it is large. After experiencing the delectable cuisine of the Pantanal and Bonito in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil during our recent trip there, we wanted to bring you a delicious "taste" of the region to share our culinary journey with you until you make the trip there yourself. From the tropical fruit of guavira, jabouticaba to sorvete assado, ice cream topped with fruit salad, covered with marshmallow topping that is then baked, to the exotic tastes of jacare (alligator), and freshwater fish of pacu, piranha, tiraira,and more. Bom apetite! |
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Music Scene
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 Adam Holt: Kind of Blues is a 10-track Blues and Southern Rock album released on the Zenith Records label featuring 9 original songs written by the multi-talented singer, songwriter, guitarist Adam Holt, and a great tribute to Bob Dylan on the band's cover of Lay Lady Lay. Joining Adam Holt are bandmates Owen Finley, Greg Deluca, Donnie Sundal, Lee Yankie, Mark Welborn, and Pierre Robinson, with John Keuler layering in additional guitars. The release hits the streets on May 24, 2019, making it the perfect musical backdrop for the summer (or anytime) months. |
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Music Scene
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 Brazilian band, the Blues Beatles deftly combines the band's love of the Blues with their passion for the Beatles, and their 9-track release, Blues Beatles 2017 goes beyond a tribute and delves deeper into showcasing and melding two distinct styles and imprinting it with their own indelible mark; namely Blues and Beatles music. With songs: A Hard Day's Night, Eleanor Rigby, You Can't Do That, Stand By Me, I've Got A Feeling, Ticket To Ride, Yellow Submarine, The Word, and Help, the album is a standout. |
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Music Scene
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 The Phil Madeira: Crickets album is one of the best instrumental Jazz piano releases that I have come across in quite a while. Featuring the multi-talented award-winning musician, songwriter, and producer Phil Madeira on piano, Bahsaan Barberon saxophones, Aaron Smith on drums, Roland Barber on trombone and trumpet, James Hollihan on electric guitar, and Chris Donohue on upright bass, the Phil Madeira: Crickets album is one for Jazz collectors' collections. |
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