One Hundred Miles

Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential) gets Michael Douglas to act his age and give a career best performance as a burnt out creative writing lecturer in this superb offbeat, downbeat comedy.

Florence moves outdoors in the summer and numerous bars, clubs and restaurants have outdoor venues. Central Park, with its extensive outdoor area adorned with bamboo and palm trees, comes into its own in the hot weather. Four dance floors mean that you have a great choice of where to while away the evening. Downstairs, there's a great sound system which plays techno and house, while on the central 'piste', you will find anything from commercial to funky hip-hop sounds. In amphitheatre you can wine and dine to live music and shows.

Rarely has the holiday season in Las Vegas sounded or looked so swell as when the 75-member Las Vegas Philharmonic decks the halls of Ham with glittering lights, bows of holly and brightly decorated trees. Demonstrating that Las Vegas has not entirely abandoned its live music legacy, the Philharmonic will perform traditional seasonal classics backed by the voices of the holiday chorale as dolled-up concert-goers embrace the sounds of Christmas and Hanukkah. Conducted by Maestro Harold Weller.

The acclaimed Paul Taylor Dance Company presents its annual two-residency in San Francisco in collaboration with San Francisco Performances. The return of this exuberant company never fails to set the local performing arts community on its ear. The ensemble's 1999 residency made its way onto virtually every critic's top-ten list for the year. That same year, the documentary about Paul Taylor, 'Dancemaker', was nominated for an Academy Award. Taylor is among the most popular choreographers working today, probably because his work often combines ample doses of fun with its complex and compelling precision.

2001 sees the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. To mark this milestone there is a special show of pieces selected from the major acquisitions made during the last decade. Works by Gilbert and George, internationally acclaimed Irish artists such as Kathy Prendergast and Shane Cullen and a re-installation of the very popular rooms from 'The Children's Hospital' by Ilya Kabakov are all on display. A short guided tour will also accompany the show.

It's not a Christmas event, but the New Orleans Museum of Art's last Family Workshop of 2000 offers a marvellous opportunity for parents and children to dabble in a bit of art history. If the tots are not told beforehand that this is an educational outing, they'll never guess. First, the participants have a walk-through of some of the museum's medieval altarpieces. Then all retire to a studio and make altarpieces for their own lives, working with paint, fabric, cardboard and other 21st-century quickie-collage materials.

This afternoon concert will give the holidays a jazzy feel. Lars Edegran's Ragtime Orchestra takes the stage with Big Al Carson in character as the 'Boogie Woogie Santa Claus'. These trad jazz pros turn favourite Christmas songs and even carols into sing-along swing tunes. 'Jingle Bell Jazz' is a production of the impressively busy New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park. The US Park Service agency has a multitude of programmes and exhibitions that trace and interpret the history and culture of jazz.

Though the windowless, modern dining room has all the charm of an airport lounge, it's perfectly comfortable and more than worth ignoring for the excellent cooking of rising young star Hervé Galidie. He applies his well-reasoned contemporary style to a superb run of dishes. Seared scallops dosed with pepper oil and garnished with grilled Spanish ham, dandelion salad, perfectly sautéed, squid spiked with espelette pepper and sautéed duck with cèpes served on grilled chestnut leaves. The desserts - including roast figs with caramel sauce and a superb palette au chocolat - show that Galidie's talent is truly wide ranging, and the excellent service here makes for a very pleasant night out.

In the 1850s Christmas customs were beginning to evolve throughout the nation, including appearances by Santa Claus. Houses were decorated with strings of cranberries, clove-studded oranges scented the air and gold-painted walnuts adorned tables and mantelpieces. The Clarke House, decorated for the holidays 1850s-style, offers special tours. Included are holiday trips to the neighbouring Glessner House Museum, built of pink granite and also located in the Prairie Avenue Historic District. Prepaid reservations required and complimentary cider and cookies served.