European Crossword Puzzle #12
 

This is the 12th thread of the European Crossword Travel/Geography/Culture game. It is a continuation of this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34541642

Here are the rules of the game (for new comers) [I've just pasted the rules from the start of the previous thread.]:

1) Whoever guesses the word correctly gets to build on THAT word to make the new word. In cases of multiple correct answers, whoever posts first is the winner and gets to choose the next word.

2) Make sure all the words are travel related somehow. Your word could be a person, a place, an event, an object.

3) State what letter you're building on from the previous word.

4) State the position of that letter in your new word.

5) State how many letters in the new word.

6) Give us a good clue!

7) Again, all words should be travel-related.

I'll give the clue shortly.

Clue: This famous painting (8 letters) was, for a long time, not located in its native country. A non-European (name: 2 words, 4, 8) became famous of what he did to this painting about 30 years ago. This person is now a (probably very wealthy?) (profession: 3, 6) in a trendy area called (7 letters) (the trendy area is in an American city).

Oops -- I need to provide a letter clue. Sorry.

Last letter of trendy neighborhood = "a."

Sorry -- I guess I need to clarify this a bit. The painting was not located in the country where the artist was from. This should make it very obvious which painting this is.

Ok, I'll give some hints (really can't believe people need them for this one...).

The artist who painted the painting recently had a painting that was auctioned off for more than 100 million dollars.

The trendy neighborhood is in New York City.

Another hint -- just in case. For a very long time, the painting was exhibited in a museum in an American city that just underwent a major renovation and now charges $20 for admission.

Guernica
Vandalized by Tony Shrafrazi, now a gallery owner/art patron in Soho.

(The letters don't fit, but I don't have time to do a full search--have to go to work.)

Almost.

I think that Shafrazi (art dealer), but I'm not sure. The gallery was in SoHo, but, of course, like everyone else's, it's now in Chelsea.

I wonder if this tactic still works now. Perhaps I can go spill some paint on someone's painting and then become an art dealer. But Shafrazi was on probation for five years, or something like that.

You can take the next clue, cmt.

cmt?

I forgot. (I can't do it when I'm at work un less I've already figured out and researched and verified the clues.) I'll do it soon, within the next few hours, when I get back to the computer.

A mountain changed named after a now-extinct local variety of deer: 7 letters, 4th is the "r" of Shafrazi.

Its higherst peak: 4 letters, 3rd is the "r" from Guernica.

A certain breed of horse native to this area is named after this town. The name of the town is made up of two words, having 3 and 8 letters. The first letter of the second word is the "f" of Shafrazi.

Since 111op sometimes "studies" my previous posts to psych out what my clues might be, he'll probably find some thread some time when I wrote about htis area.

I guess I'll beat 111op to it.

Sicily:
Nebrodi Mountains, Mount Soro (highest peak)
San Fratello (Sanfratellani horses)

http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art127.htm
http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art30.htm

Yes. (I KNOW I must've posted about the Nebrodi Mts. before, but I hope I didn't ask for exactly the same answers.)

This person (5,8), owner of a famed restaurant (2,6,4), was from (hometown: 11) in this region (7). He recently published a biography.

Numerous famous chefs have worked in his restaurant (2 of them have been used in my prior clues).

Last letter of the town he was from is "i". "i" taken from Nebrodi.

Alain Ducasse fits some of this but not all?

Ignore my last post-wrong all the way around. Been wrapping too many gifts and writing cards at last minute.

Interesting that the restaurant is in the U.S. -- threw me off a bit as I thought all these clues had to be in Europe (I was searching France), never once suspecting NYC!

Sirio Maccioni
Le Cirque 2000
Montecatini
Tuscany

I think the two chefs who have worked with him are Joel Robuchon and Pierre Schaedelin.

Sorry, I didn't mean to "trick" you guys by having the restaurant in NYC! I guess I should have stated that fact in my clue.

Yes, it is Sirio Maccioni. Many chefs have worked in Le Cirque 2000; the 2 I have used in previous clues are:
Daniel Boulud (who I used as a clue with his restaurant Daniel & the dessert he created for Renee Fleming)
and
Jacques Torres (who I used in just the last thread about his chocolate & the cosmetic company Origins)

Huitres, your turn.

Continuing along culinary lines........

This after-dinner treat (6 letters), first associated with this European country (5), actually has a history of a couple thousand years old. It was this Roman Emperor (4) that first created the prototype during the First Century AD. It evolved further with Far East recipes brought back by this famous Italian explorer, (5,4) as well as Middle Eastern traders bringing it to this island (6). In the 1500s, this queen, (9,2,6) brought it over to this country (6) where, by the end of the 17th C, it was available to everyone throughout Europe. Interestingly enough, it has been used to clean one's (6).

Oh! a clue.....

4th letter of island is "i" from Sirio.