Cinema Paradiso
I wrote an entry in my other blog last week about a town in New Zealand, that I lived in for several months. I hadn’t thought about my time in Wanaka for quite some time, but, suddenly a profusion of memories are coming up. One that percolated to the top today was the delightful experience of going to the Cinema Paradiso in downtown Wanaka. I made a point of visiting this funky little movie theater at least once a week, during my time there. This frequency was significant because my boyfriend and I were living on pennies, in true backpacker style, so a movie ticket was a real treat!
The cinema has the look of a tiny, old, dramatic theater with the stage removed. There is a bar and a restaurant with great food and a comprehensive New Zealand wine selection. Patrons can eat and drink before/during/after the movie. Once inside the screening room, you have your choice of sofas to sit on. There is even an old car, with comfortable seating, in the back. The sofas are all donations from locals and have that soft, lived-in feel, of a good couch. There is a great selection of movies playing throughout the week, from mainstream to art house. Documentaries and film festivals are often showing as well. I saw an intense documentary there called “Touching the Void”, about mountain climbing. Every movie has a 15-minute intermission. You can walk outside and stretch your legs, visit the bathroom…and my favorite part, eat cookies! During the first half of the movie, employees bake giant cookies(chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter). As you walk out for intermission, they will have just come out of the oven, all gooey and warm. I would eat the saucer-sized cookie with a big glass of milk. And, no, there was no resisting them!
I live in Palo Alto now, and have spent many a rainy weekend watching movies and craving cookies. But, to date, I have not found a Bay Area ‘Cinema Paradiso’. Something to pine for, I guess!
Tags: Travel
