Robert K Stephen (CSW)

RKS Film: “From the Hood to the Holler”: The Adventures of Charles Booker in Virginian Politics

A nice little detour into Greece for three weeks this month had helped me cleanse the rancour of American politics inflamed by a series of events and personalities and despite a Democratic President being elected the bitterness and hostility continues unabated despite the Trumpster falling from the sky. It was simply too much to endureContinue reading “RKS Film: “From the Hood to the Holler”: The Adventures of Charles Booker in Virginian Politics”

RKS Wine: Ontario Sparklers A Trio

Produced by the tank method. On the nose loads of strawberry, raspberry with BC cherry. On the palate a nice acidic bite but more than a bite it also has fruit with a strong undercurrent, brief as it may be, of Niagara cherries that bring a tiny hit of sweetness before it snaps back intoContinue reading “RKS Wine: Ontario Sparklers A Trio”

RKS Travel: The Evolution of the Greek Hotel Breakfast and the Devolution of the Author

I was 12 in 1971 when I escaped a cloistered suburban setting in Montreal with an adventurous mother on the Auntie Mame level. Riding scooters to the Acropolis of Lindos on Rhodes, taking a fishing boat to the next village chased by leaping dolphins, being invited to parties and weddings by Greek islanders and seeingContinue reading “RKS Travel: The Evolution of the Greek Hotel Breakfast and the Devolution of the Author”

RKS Literature: Passage of the Day: Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenin”: The Meaning of Existence

“Then, for the first time, realizing that for every man, and himself too, there was nothing ahead but suffering, death, eternal oblivion, he had decided that to live under such conditions was impossible – he must either find an explanation to the problem of existence which would make life seem other than the cruel ironyContinue reading “RKS Literature: Passage of the Day: Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenin”: The Meaning of Existence”

RKS Wines: A High-Cost Romanian Red Wine: Time to Shine or Whine?

In the interests of furthering my scant knowledge about Romanian wines and of hoping for rewards in a search for Romanian winners I paid $42.95 for a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Terroir de Dobrogea. Most Romanian wines in the Ontario market cost under $20. On the nose a very rich wine almost Portish and atContinue reading “RKS Wines: A High-Cost Romanian Red Wine: Time to Shine or Whine?”

RKS Literature: Passage of the Day: Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenin”: Love and Jealously

“In her eyes Vronsky, with all his habits, ideas, desire – his whole spiritual and physical temperament could be summed up in one thing – love for women – and this love, which she felt ought to be wholly concentrated on her was diminishing. Therefore she reasoned, he must have transferred part of it to otherContinue reading “RKS Literature: Passage of the Day: Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenin”: Love and Jealously”

RKS Literature: Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenin”: Count Vronsky’s Code of Principles

“Vronsky’s life was particularly happy in that he had a code of principles, which defined with unfailing certitude what should and should not be done. This code of principles covered only a very small circle of contingencies, but in return the principles were never obscure, and Vronsky, as he never went outside that circle, hadContinue reading “RKS Literature: Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenin”: Count Vronsky’s Code of Principles”

RKS Wine: Bachelder “les Villages” 2020 Gamay Noir: Gentle Elegance

As far as red wine flows in Ontario Gamay is often a winner. What does Thomas Bachelder do with a Gamay? As for aromas amidst the smoky overlay expect black cherry, cherry and rhubarb crumble and a tad of cloves. A lightweight wine very smooth but a seam of complexity rests in the palate withContinue reading “RKS Wine: Bachelder “les Villages” 2020 Gamay Noir: Gentle Elegance”

RKS Travel: Toronto to Athens: Escaping the COVID Shield

In 3 years I have been somewhat housebound as far as international travel goes. Paris in October of 2019. How great it was. Time to spread the wings so off to Greece for a real vacation. Very smooth car ride to Toronto’s Pearson Airport. Expecting pandemonium, we left some 4 hours of cushion. But believeContinue reading “RKS Travel: Toronto to Athens: Escaping the COVID Shield”

RKS Literature: Passage of the Day from Tolstoy’s Anna Karenin; Count Vronsky’s View of Himself

“In his Petersburg world people were divided into two quite distinct classes. One – the lower class – commonplace, stupid, and above all, ridiculous people, who believed that a husband should live with the one woman to whom he was married, that young girls should be virtuous, woman chaste and men virile, self-controlled and strong;Continue reading “RKS Literature: Passage of the Day from Tolstoy’s Anna Karenin; Count Vronsky’s View of Himself”