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Ceol na nGael


AIR MAIL’s very own Michael Hainey recently told me that he enjoys listening to French radio, not because he understands the language but precisely because he doesn’t. “It’s like having birds singing in your backyard while you are writing,” he says. I feel the same way about Ceol na nGael, an Irish radio show run out of New York’s WFUV (90.7 FM). Its noon-to-four block on Sundays was a mainstay in my household growing up. The news from Limerick means little to me, and the score of a championship hurling match means even less. The weather from Ireland is comically uniform. (It’s raining.) And the music, though beautiful and quite individual to the region, is not, in my eyes, the main draw. The show, traditionally hosted by Fordham University students, is a calming, effortless listening experience. Clean, cook, or read, and allow the ever passionate D.J.s’ love of country to wash over you. (wfuv.org) —Jack Sullivan

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Stella McCartney x Veuve Clicquot


Champagne and Stella McCartney make a very nice pairing. Now there’s really something to toast: the designer has teamed up with Veuve Clicquot to create a grape-based alternative to animal leather named Vegea. Primarily made of agricultural waste from Veuve Clicquot’s historical vineyard, it’s free of solvents and other undesirable materials, and requires considerably less water to produce than animal leather does. Virtue aside, the accessories in the Stella McCartney x Veuve Clicquot collection are irresistible: Good luck choosing between two Frayme bags and two Elyse sandals, whose platform wedges are made from the champagne house’s recycled cork. ($1,895; stellamccartney.com) —Ashley Baker

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“Tiffany Wonder”


Like Paris,Tokyo is always a good idea, and now it’s an especially intriguing destination for jewelry-lovers. Tiffany & Co.’s newest exhibition, “Tiffany Wonder,” will reveal the house’s story at the Tokyo Node gallery (located in Toranomon Hills Station Tower, one of the city’s tallest buildings) from April 12 through June 23. It’s a love letter of sorts, tracing the brand’s long history with Japan, beginning in 1837, when Charles Lewis Tiffany traded in imported Japanese goods (which were rare in the United States at that time). There are 10 rooms to peruse, and they include 300 objects that have never been previously displayed. (tiffany.com)Ashley Baker

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Hands on a Hardbody


Quentin Tarantino called it “one of the greatest documentaries ever made,” Robert Altman was reportedly developing a feature adaptation of it before he died, and, in 2013, it became a Broadway musical. Hands on a Hardbody documents an annual endurance contest at a Nissan dealership in Longview, Texas, where contestants compete for a truck by seeing whose hand can remain the longest on a “hard body” pickup. This nonfiction slice of Americana begins quirkily hilarious, yet the wonderful cast of characters manages to transform the experience into something quite empathizing and moving. Fun fact: director S. R. Bindler’s buddy Matthew McConaughey helped pay for the low-budget movie’s transfer from Hi8 to 16 mm. so that it could receive theatrical distribution. Long out of circulation, the documentary has been restored and is currently streaming for free, oddly, on e-mail-marketing platform Mailchimp’s Web site. (mailchimp.com) —Spike Carter

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G&T Garden Tours


Aficionados of English gardens, pack your valises for one of G&T Garden Tours’ week-long trips to the West Country. The objective: to experience some of Dorset’s and Somerset’s most romantic private gardens. Your hosts will be Simon Tiffin, a writer and historian, and Jason Goodwin, a columnist and novelist, who spin great yarns while opening the doors of their friends’ private estates. These honeyed-stone mansions form a lyrical backdrop for old-fashioned roses, sculptured yew, and topiary, and while all are spectacular, the tour of Ashington, the 16th-century home of garden designers Julian and Isabel Bannerman, will be a highlight. (King Charles enlisted them to work their magic at Highgrove.) The adventures also include talks and tips from the writer Tania Compton, photographer Howard Sooley, and wine expert Johnnie Boden. Guests will stay in Symondsbury Manor, an earthly paradise that includes ancient orchards, terraced beds, and, yes, spectacular plantings. (from $6,200; gtgardentours.co.uk) —Catherine Fairweather

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Messi’s World Cup


A couple of nights ago, at dinner with my boyfriend, J.P., and some Air Mail colleagues, we decided to play a rather dangerous game: Who would be our hall pass in our relationship? Immediately, J.P. blurted out “Lionel Messi.” I wasn’t surprised. This is a man who has proudly tattooed an A for Argentina on his finger and three stars from the flag on his leg. He got those tattoos to commemorate Messi’s leading the Argentinean team to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Anyone can relive the entire experience by watching Apple TV+’s latest docuseries, Messi’s World Cup. The four-part production includes rare interviews with Messi and his teammates. And while we already know how the story ends, there is much to be learned about what exactly was racing through the soccer star’s head during the most important matches of his life. (tv.apple.com) —Carolina de Armas

Issue No. 245
March 23, 2024
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Issue No. 245
March 23, 2024