rio 051312

BLAME IT ON RIO  | The idea was simple - invite twelve guests I had just met to sit around one table and enjoy engaging conversation and excellent food in a memorable setting. The fact that this was to take place in Rio de Janeiro, a city I was not familiar with, only added to the sense of occasion and heightened the exciting challenge. After setting up a meeting with a local artist, I was directed to his studio, and could hardly believe my luck as I laid eyes upon it - I'd happened on the perfect location for a Round Table Salon! Housed inside an isolated cliff-side estate flanked by dense jungle on one side and spectacular ocean views on the other, the once grand yet now tumble-down property possessed an irresistible allure. And so it was that we gathered together on a hot, incredibly rainy, and dream-like Sunday afternoon – a diverse group of Cariocas plus several foreigners from far flung places dotted around the globe. The venue was unforgettable, the personal chemistry electric, and what was supposed to have been a brief afternoon affair turned into a twelve hour powwow. Who could have known! Simple yet inspired connection .... indeed, it was a very bea-u-ti-ful thing