Photo by heavyweight 78704

Last week we attended a “celebration of travel” party thrown by DK Eyewitness Travel and Rough Guides at the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts in the Lower Eastside. Those folks really know how to throw a party. The space itself took our breath away. Once a synagogue, the now hollowed out space used for events retains that ethereal quality of worship, not to mention sky-high vaulted ceilings and ornate stone decor that took our breath away.

The wine flowed freely, the world music played softly in the background, but our favorite part was the delicious world hors d’oeuvres (think fried balls of risotto with bleu cheese, sweet potato fries, and mini-sausages wrapped in prosciutto and you’ve only just begun) passed by equally yummy waiters.

But enough of that. The party was a celebration of 25 years of rough guides, and what a celebration it was. Tables were decorated with giant glossy book covers on stands, and on each table were strewn an array of “Make the most of your time on Earth” cards, designed to look like polaroid pictures, each describing a different “Ultimate Experience.” We took a couple home, and were hopeful to take home a gift bag which was said to contain a Rough Guides world music CD, but we never came across the bags. (To be honest, we would have been just as happy to take home the waiters, but, alas, they eluded us as well.)

As for Rough Guides, we salute their 25 years, and look forward to many more of great guide books.

Related posts :

1. Friday Coffee Table Book Suggestion
2. The Cheapos Take On ITB Berlin
3. Paris: Free Walking Tours!
4. Mystery Photo: Name this celebrity and win a book!
5. Dublin: One City, One Book