Presented by the Monterey Bay Chapter of the United Nations Association, this three day festival features films from countries as diverse as Iraq and Indonesia, and includes numerous Academy Award nominees.
The festival closes with “Gasland,” a film about the controversial practice of natural gas and oil extraction called “franking.” All screenings are at the historic Golden State theater in downtown Monterey at 417 Alvarado St. Admission to each session is only $5, and students with I.D. are free.
Street parking is available evenings, and the city of Monterey is offering free parking in the garage behind Wells Fargo (at Franklin and Tyler) on Saturday afternoon (take a ticket when you enter, and say you attended the International Film Festival when you exit).
Thursday evening, November 3rd • 7 pm
Humanity Explored – 7 min
The Warriors of Qiugang – 39 min – China
Benghazi Rising – 53 min – Libya
Triangle Returns – 9 min – US, Bangladesh
The Price of Sex – 73 min – Moldova, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Dubai
Friday evening, November 4th • 7 pm
Poster Girl – 38 min – US, Iraq
Which Way Home – 63 min – Mexico, US, Guatemala, Honduras
Blood in the Mobile – 82 min – Congo, Finland
Saturday, November 5th • 1 pm
The 10 Conditions of Love – 54 min – China, US
Strangers No More– 40 min – Israel
Killing in the Name – 39 min – Jordan, Indonesia
Sarabah – 60 min – Senegal, Germany
Saturday evening, November 5th • 7 pm
The Dark Side of Chocolate – 46 min – Ivory Coast, Mali
Sun City Picture House – 27 min – Haiti
Gasland – 106 min – US
The Monterey chapter of the United Nations Association is dedicated to the same concerns that led to the creation of the parent body: human rights for all, combating world poverty, resolving conflicts through peaceful means, and protecting the world’s environment.
Visitors to the Monterey Peninsula can’t help but notice that the area is blessed with an extremely high number of fine bakeries.
In the words of one Yelper: “Okay, teeny, tiny Monterey has at LEAST four fabulous bakeries. How come in Newport Beach we have zero???”
We don’t know why, and we’re certainly not about to question our good fortune. Here are just a few of our favorites:
Parker-Lusseau Pastries • 539 Hartnell, Monterey
This weathered white adobe with a petite porch looks as if it were transported from another era… and the savories, croissants, and pastries are as delectable as any you will find in the finest Parisian patisserie.
Paris Bakery Cafe • 271 Bonifacio, Monterey
A downtown tradition, the almond croissants (especially if you’re lucky to get one warm from the oven) are to die for. But you will have a mighty difficult time stopping there when faced with an extensive display of pastries pretty enough to paint.
Pavel’s Backerei • 219 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove
Pavel’s is yummy and reasonable – check out the Texas-sized glazed donuts for only $2.50. (And oh, those apple fritters and the gigantic cinnamon rolls… and don’t get me started on the bombolinis!)
Patisserie Bechler • 1225 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove
You’ll swoon from the sugary aroma when you walk in the door. Locals rave about the quiches and the French macarons (colorful little bites of heaven in flavors like caramel sea salt and pistachio). And the adjoining cafe is a good spot for breakfast or lunch.
Pastries and Petals • Mission & 5th Ave., Carmel
Hard to find but definitely worth the search. Surrender to their scrumptious cheesecake and red velvet cupcakes, lemony treats, breakfast muffins and warm cinnamon pull-aparts… accompanied by a delicious latte or cafe mocha, of course.
Ready for an evening of wining, dining, and dancing under the stars?
It’s all happening at The Taste of Carmel on Thursday, October 6 from 6-9 pm at the Carmel Mission.
The theme of this year’s annual food and wine celebration is “Footloose and Fancy Fare”—and attendees are encouraged to come dressed in their best 80s attire.
The fundraiser, which benefits the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, takes place in the lovely Mission courtyard.
Twenty local wineries will pour libations while more than thirty local chefs—including those from Aubergine, Basil, Bahama Island Steakhouse, Forge in the Forest, Highlands Inn, Fresh Cream, and Il Fornaio—serve “small bites” showcasing their cuisine.
And whether you want to take a spin at Laguna Seca—or attend next year’s Academy Awards—you’ll find a wide range of enticing items to bid on during the Silent Auction.
Tickets are available at www.tasteofcarmel.com or by calling 831.624.2522.
Everyone knows how important honeybees are—but what about the butterflies?
An essential part of the ecosystem, these delicate, fluttering jewels also pollinate flowering plants— and every autumn a small but determined population of Western Monarchs migrates from Washington and Oregon to Pacific Grove, California: a.k.a. “Butterfly Town, U.S.A.”
You can view these natural wonders October through February at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, free and open from sunrise to sunset.
But don’t miss the annual Butterfly Parade and Bazaar on Saturday, October 1 (with local schoolchildren dressed in wings) or the Historic Home Tour of classic Victorians on Sunday, October 2.
Looking for a Place to Land?
To commemorate this inspiring natural migration, Monterey Bay Property Management is offering discounted $999 weekly rates at select Pacific Grove rentals between Oct. 1, 2011 and Feb. 29, 2012 (subject to availability, holiday dates excluded, tax and cleaning fees additional).
For more info, contact the little butterfly on the left – reservationist Ashley Magallanes in her first Butterfly Parade, circa 1993.
Ashley@MontereyRentals.com or call (831) 655-7840.
The words “cute” and “Great White Shark” are not usually found in the same sentence.
Try telling that to the visitors who are currently oohing and cooing at the newborn baby great white shark at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The “little guy”—a 43 pound “bundle of sharp teeth and predatory instincts”—was collected off Malibu in mid-August.
There’s no way to determine his exact age, but his size suggests he’s about two months old, and he is the smallest great white the Aquarium has ever exhibited.
Currently the Aquarium’s newest addition is chowing down on mackerel and salmon while on display in the one million gallon Open Sea exhibit. Like all six of the Aquarium’s previous great whites, this shark will eventually be released into the wild when his size—or behavior—warrants it.
Monterey Bay Property Management is offering two free Aquarium passes at any of these fin, er, fine ocean view vacation rentals within walking distance of Cannery Row.
831F: Bright, open one bedroom/1.5 bath sanctuary with gorgeous art plus ocean and city light views.
193B: This oceanfront one bedroom/one bath duplex has spectacular views of Monterey Bay – just hop on the seaside recreational trail and head to the Aquarium.
215A: Spacious two bedroom/two bath vacation condo just three blocks from the water—and ocean views from every room.
901BH: For twosomes, a one bedroom/two bath with a peak of ocean, a fireplace and a jacuzzi tub.
Contact: Reservations@MontereyRentals.com or call (831) 655-7840.
Downtown Monterey is buzzing: a number of new businesses have opened or will open soon (Restaurant 1833, Caffe Trieste, Pinkberry and Starbucks… with more to be announced soon).
Here’s another reason to explore Monterey’s rejuvenated downtown: the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 2, the inaugural Art in the Adobes festival will display masterpieces of California art that have been hidden from public view for decades. The venues: some of Monterey’s most historic adobes, including the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Some of California’s greatest painters, sculptors and photographers lived in Monterey in the late 19th Century, producing some of the most important works in the cultural history of the West.
Along with an opportunity to view some of the finest examples of the period, this new festival will feature lectures, live period music, and an opening night reception.
We’re including two free day passes to Art in the Adobes if you book a stay in this one bedroom, one bath penthouse apartment overlooking Monterey Bay that includes the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 weekend. It has a view worth painting—and every accoutrement you need in a “home away from home.”
Email ashley@montereyrentals.com or call 831.655.7840, and ask about the “Art in the Adobes” special.
