One of the most highly anticipated family films coming out this holiday season is The Peanuts Movie, a new animated adventure starring Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole gang made famous by comic strip creator Charles M Schulz. The film’s connection to North Bay is a deep one. Sparky (Schulz’s lifelong nickname) spent many years of his life writing and drawing the classic Peanuts strip in Santa Rosa and his son and grandson Craig and Bryan Schulz wrote the film.

This past Friday, the Charles M Schulz Museum and Research Center invited cast and crew of the upcoming film, as well as press from around the country to tour the facility and get a behind-the-scenes look at the museum’s extensive collection. Director Steve Martino (Horton Hears a Who! / Ice Age: Continental Drift) joined Craig Schulz and four young members of the voice cast; Noah Schnapp (Charlie Brown), Francesca Capaldi (Little Red-Haired Girl), Hadley Belle Miller (Lucy van Pelt) and Mar Mar (Franklin Armstrong) for the tour and a round table discussion of the upcoming film.

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Also on hand was Schulz’s widow Jean Schulz and former school teacher Harriet Glickman, who famously wrote to Charles Schulz in 1968 and asked him to include an African-American child in the strip. Glickman spoke of corresponding with Schulz, who was reluctant to add the character because he thought it would come across as patronizing to the African-American community. Thankfully, she convinced him otherwise and Franklin debuted in Peanuts on July 31, 1968, four months after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

The tour of the museum and research center, led by museum director Karen Johnson, took members of the press into the vaults of the collection not open to the public, with rarely seen drafts and original works by Schulz, as well as a look at the archives, where some 40,000 items are catalogued. Some items in the collection are still a mystery to the researchers at the museum, such as a series of five never-before-seen comic strips, found after Schulz’s passing in 2000, that seem to depict adult versions of Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy. Members of the press also got a chance to see Snoopy’s ice arena and Schulz’s actual working space, which locals have enjoyed for years. 

Speaking about the upcoming film, which is being made by 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios, director Martino spoke of the challenge to preserve the authenticity of characters that millions have adored for over half a century, as well as of the excitement at being able to bring these characters to a new generation of kids. Craig Schulz spent the last two years working on the script, creating something that he hopes will appeal to the young and the old alike. 

Martino also said that casting was based entirely on hearing the actors, meaning it’s coincidence that red-headed actress Francesca Capaldi plays the Little Red-Haired Girl, though the resemblance is striking. For the young actors, it’s all been a whirlwind of press and touring since they wrapped their voice work late last year. And they still have three months to go. The Peanuts Movie is scheduled for release on Nov. 6, 2015. Watch the teaser trailer below.

This is the third of a series of sponsored posts documenting Bohemian and Pacific Sun publisher Rosemary Olson’s wine and food cruise around Italy and Croatia with Duckhorn Vineyards and Food & Wine Trails.

Argostoli, Cephalonia, Greece

Off to see the mysterious Melissani and Drogarati caves. Drogarati cave is about 100 million years old and was discovered 300 years ago when an earthquake opened the entrance. The acoustics are perfect for concert events, particularly opera. In Melissani cave you travel by boat. The stalactites are estimated to be 20,000 years old. The chilly water is a rich blue, a mix of saltwater from the Ionian Sea and freshwater that flows from Argostoli. They say a dragon lives in the Drogarati cave, thankfully, I only saw cave pigeons.

Upon returning a quick nap was in order to prepare for a special dinner at Jacques Restaurant with Duckhorn staff and selected wines. Winery President Alex Ryan shared a fascinating story about the winery’s history. It’s quite clear how they are so successful with their talented team and incredible wines.

Our favorite dishes of the dinner included a hearty serving of duck foie gras with candied black cherries, jumbo bay scallop and watercress carpaccio, and green apple tartare with caramelized hazelnut. I also loved the escargot purée pastry and prime rib with pepper and herbes de Provence.

Then we danced the night away with their house DJ sipping Shramsburg bubbles and martinis as the ship swayed in high winds. Upon leaving the bar we slipped outside and could barely keep our footing, so for fun we grabbed a ship-mate scurrying to tie down the deck to snap our picture. When we looked at the photo our faces were a bit contorted from the strong wind much like sticking your head out of an airplane.

Ciao for now!

This is the second of a series of sponsored posts documenting Bohemian and Pacific Sun publisher Rosemary Olson’s wine and food cruise around Italy and Croatia with Duckhorn Vineyards and Food & Wine Trails.

Sicily

Marina, Oceania’s tour guide for us today, is a local so she knows the best foods to eat. We await a feast for lunch at a famous Mt. Etna winery, but she says we must taste the local Sicilian cannoli, granita and arancini.

Giardini Naxos is the first Greek colony in Sicily. The Greeks founded many cities of Sicily. Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean. The capital is Palermo. Archeologists have found pre-historic items such as stone tools, caves and drawings. I was in search of some of these artifacts, I found them on a hill in a tiny house, now a gallery, atop of the old Greek Roman Theatre (built in the 3,000 B.C.). I ventured to this matchbox-size gallery in a stone house. There were several ancient carved blocks of accounting and calendar stones and carved heads, one the head of Niobid of Taormina. There was also an exhibit of artist Casimiro Piccolo. His work is a mixture of fantasy, wizardry, gnomes and a mad-hatter style.

Nearby is an ancient coliseum. It’s breathtaking to imagine the gladiator fights that took place. Today, something much tamer will occur. Toto is performing.

Later, we walked through the beautiful old town to the clock in center square. Every other door seems to be a specialty pastry shop, I try a small goat cheese cannoli. I walked out the door finishing my second bite. It was the best pastry I’ve ever eaten. I turned around and went back in for the pistachio one. The owners smiled at me. They knew! I slipped into a small shop and tried the arancini di riso (fried rice balls). I walked out mesmerized and a man came running behind me. “Madame! Madame your phone!”

I’ve been on tours much of my time now and I wanted to buy something local, but running out of time for the bus to the winery. A beautiful, fashionable woman approached me and asked if I wanted to try something special, Acqua di Taormina, a citrusy, fresh eau de toilette. I bought the largest bottle.

Scenes of The Godfather were shot here. In the 1970s and 1980s the mafia was active, but life is peaceful now as many mafioso are now in prison.

Next we travelled to Barone di Villagrande for a wine tasting led by well known Italian sommelier Mariella Ferrara. She works exclusively with Food & Wine Trails. One white caught my attention as it had a smoky nose. I was curious if the volcanic ash and soil produced this flavor. Mariella was astonished I picked this up.

Lunch served on a sprawling terrace consisted of local produce and cheeses, handmade lasagna, eggplant marinara, roasted potatoes, baby Caesar salad, breads and a delicious almond-based flan topped with marmalade and almonds.

Gathering up their staff for a photo, I then shared my red Chanel lipstick for a hearty laugh!

The evening was lively enjoying abundant stories with Duckhorn wines.

Ciao for now.