Back from the Keys...
Jan. 28th, 2004 08:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerI spent Sun through Tues at Key Biscayne in Florida, attending a work conference. The usual mishmash of good presentations, lousy presentations, schmoozing, and drinking. Not necessarily in that order.
Weather was good, unlike last year -- it was 70-80 degrees and humid. Most of the time we were inside the hotel though; I didn't have any time to go play tourist, or even swim. Le sigh.
The high point, I think, was our "gala dinner" Monday. It was at a small mansion (no, that's not a contradiction in terms) in South Beach, now known as the Versace Mansion because he owned it for seven years.
It was an incredible experience. The place was built in the 30s, by a slightly eccentric millionaire. At the time South Beach was solidly low-middle class, not the party/model area it is these days. It was built in Baroque Italian revival style, which works for the area - the inner courtyard keeps things cool and allows air to circulate, blah blah blah. The best analogy I've come up with is Hearst Castle, if it was built as "merely" a three-story building, and done in a revival style rather than using actual antique furnishings. And done with less taste.
Let me 'splain that: murals everywhere, busts, tilework, marble inlay - it's just this side of kitschy. Most of the time.
Here's one of the few photos I've found on the web (it's still in private hands).
Weather was good, unlike last year -- it was 70-80 degrees and humid. Most of the time we were inside the hotel though; I didn't have any time to go play tourist, or even swim. Le sigh.
The high point, I think, was our "gala dinner" Monday. It was at a small mansion (no, that's not a contradiction in terms) in South Beach, now known as the Versace Mansion because he owned it for seven years.
It was an incredible experience. The place was built in the 30s, by a slightly eccentric millionaire. At the time South Beach was solidly low-middle class, not the party/model area it is these days. It was built in Baroque Italian revival style, which works for the area - the inner courtyard keeps things cool and allows air to circulate, blah blah blah. The best analogy I've come up with is Hearst Castle, if it was built as "merely" a three-story building, and done in a revival style rather than using actual antique furnishings. And done with less taste.
Let me 'splain that: murals everywhere, busts, tilework, marble inlay - it's just this side of kitschy. Most of the time.
Here's one of the few photos I've found on the web (it's still in private hands).
