On the way back to our hotel in Rome we decided to drop in to the aptly named Stravinsky Bar at the Hotel de Russie. Stravinsky was a whisky drinker (sometimes known as Strawhisky) so the name seemed apt.
The Hotel de Russie is so-called not out of affection for Vladimir Putin but after members of the Imperial family and other Russian aristocrats, artists and writers who used to stay there. Strangely the original name of the hotel was Hotel de Russie et des Isles Britanniques.
Stravinsky, Picasso, Diaghilev and even Mahler were also guests there.
So with high expectations we sat down at a table and contemplated ordering a glass of wine for Mrs. Slotovino and whisky, preferably Chivas Regal for ourselves in honour of Igor S, a devoted Chivas fan.
The bar was empty apart from us and the young bar-tender. The drinks list was old and much thumbed; understandable with the extraordinarily high prices. We decided it wasn't going to be worth the detour and got up to leave.
On the way out a devilish plan occurred to us. We thought we would test the callow youth at the bar and so we asked him with false ignorance why the bar was called the Stravinsky Bar.
He was racking his brains when a metaphorical light went on over his head.
'After the famous painter' he confidently told us.
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