TWO prominent figures in history recently celebrated their birth anniversaries, and Cebu was the venue for these celebrations.
Cebu and Russia continue to strengthen not just diplomatic ties, but friendship as well, as recently seen at the commemoration of Leo Tolstoy’s 193rd birthday. The Russian novelist, considered one of the greatest writers of all time (which prods me to make better progress on “War and Peace”), is honored with a monument at the Museo Sugbo on M.J. Cuenco Ave.
A wreath-laying ceremony on Tolstoy’s bust in honor of his birth anniversary was led by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and His Excellency, Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev. The event was attended by Russian nationals who now call Cebu home, friends of the Russian community, and officers of the Consulate of the Russian Federation and Philippine-Russian Business Assembly (PRBA). Through these offices and the local government working on concrete programs with Russian officials, we can look forward to greater opportunities in trade, tourism, culture and arts.
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Famous Venetian explorer Marco Polo would have been 765 years old this year. His legacy lives on through Marco Polo Hotels, whose philosophy is based on “the explorer, global traveler, entrepreneur and connoisseur of culture, just as Marco Polo’s travelers are today.”
At the La Dolce Vita “birthday party” in El Viento Restaurant and Pool Bar in Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Italian chefs Giuseppe Genco and Luca Genco, who also call Cebu home, worked with the hotel’s culinary team to come up with a special menu only available for a limited time. Through this special collaboration with the founder and chefs behind Giuseppe Pizzeria and Sicilian Roast, guests enjoyed Italian favorites such as wood fired pizzas and pasta in almost every form: ravioli, rigatoni, farfalle, penne and more. Live music, relaxed poolside ambience and a glass of wine topped off this slice of the sweet life.